EP1106532A1 - Device to support and transport sheets of glass - Google Patents

Abstract

Container comprises two racks (13, 13a) resting on crossmembers (11). Second rack (13a) has series of teeth whose length (L) is not slightly longer than width (E). Sheet of glass (7) has curved section (7a) resting on its edge in racks. Specially shaped rack (13a) supports curved section of sheet. An Independent claim is also included for method for transporting and storing sheets of glass.

Description

The invention relates to containers intended for the transport of sheets of rigid materials, in particular of materials requiring special protection due to their fragility. These include items such as automotive glass.

Various types of containers are used for this purpose. In the most usual the leaves are arranged on edge and spaced to prevent them are damaged in contact with each other. The spacing between leaves is usually obtained by inserting the side of the leaf that rests on the floor of the container in an indentation of a rack arranged on this floor.

The spacing of the leaves on the high side is generally obtained by means of small inserts, in particular of riders. These spacers are made of a material in contact from which the leaves are not damaged. These include materials polymers such as, for example, polyethylene.

The racks are also made of material having a hardness such that contact with the sheet cannot lead to damage this one. Incidentally other elements presenting the same characteristics, can complement the maintaining in position of the sheets on the container.

In the following, the length of the teeth of a rack is considered as their maximum dimension in the direction orthogonal to the length of the rack and their thickness as their maximum dimension in the direction of the length of the rack.

Containers known according to the prior art include generally racks whose indentation is formed of flat teeth with rectangular faces, these teeth being very generally metallic. The sides said faces having a dimension of the order of a few centimeters. The thickness of the teeth is such that they are rigid enough not to irreversibly deform when stressed by the leaves present in the container and ensure good retention in place thereof during the transport of said container. This thickness is less than the others dimensions of the teeth, in particular their length. These are arranged on along the rack parallel to each other, the spacing provided between them being slightly wider than the thickness of the material sheets that the rack is intended to receive.

Such teeth give satisfaction with the quality of maintenance of the sheets they provide, provided that they are substantially flat. A flat sheet can come into contact with the teeth between which it is inserted over the entire surface of the face that touches the leaf.

If, however, the leaves to be placed in the container have an accentuated curvature, the radius of this curvature can be such that they cannot be inserted between rectangular teeth of dimensions and usual spacing. It is possible to overcome this drawback the spacing of the teeth but this is at the expense of the number of leaves that the container may contain.

The invention solves this problem by providing a container for the transport and storage of sheets of rigid material, in particular based on glass, in which each leaf rests on edge in the indentation of minus a rack arranged transversely relative to said edge, each rack being fixed to the elements constituting the floor of the container and at least one rack includes teeth the length of which is not significantly greater than the thickness.

Such a container has the advantage of allowing the transport of rigid material sheets with greater curvatures than those of sheets transportable in traditional containers whose racks have teeth with the same spacing as those according to the invention but of significantly greater lengths.

According to a preferred form of the invention, the space separating two successive teeth is more important at the ends of their length than in its middle.

Therefore, a rack with these teeth can receive sheets having a greater curvature than when said space is constant.

More preferably still, teeth of a rack will be cylindrical, the axis of rotation of the cylinder being substantially orthogonal to the container floor.

In this way, the contact line of the material sheet on such teeth will be different depending on the curvature of this sheet. This ensures a good distribution of tooth wear as the storage of different forms of sheets in the container according to the invention.

In practice for transporting and storing sheets of large dimensions, it is desired that a container according to the invention comprises at least two racks spaced from each other so that the leaf support points are neither too close to the sides of the leaves nor too far from them to guarantee good stability of the assembly.

It is common for sheets of material to be desired transport in a container, such as car quarter lights by example, have an accentuated curvature of the two ends of their singing. Therefore, when several racks are arranged in one container according to the invention, it is preferred that each includes teeth cylindrical.

Such a configuration will allow the transport of sheets of materials whose edge has a significant curvature at the level of its two ends.

It is preferable that the teeth of at least one rack of the container according to the invention comprise a flexible material which constitutes at minus part of their surface.

This reduces the risk of sheets of material fragile such as glass break during transport in the container according to the invention.

It is also desired that said rack is made up of said flexible material.

Even more preferably, said flexible material will have a Shore A hardness between 40 and 100.

Such a hardness range corresponds to materials flexible enough to reduce the risk of breakage of material sheets fragile transported in the container when it is shocked and rigid enough to effectively absorb these shocks, while being non-slip. Such a non-slip material ensures the said in place sheets during transport in the container preventing them from sliding on the base of a rack which supports the song of these leaves.

In certain preferred embodiments, each rack is supported by one side of a cross-section trapezoidal, these crosspieces being arranged substantially parallel to one another each other in the container so that their respective faces which support a rack describes an obtuse angle.

Such an arrangement allows the transport of sheets of material whose song is not flat. Indeed, the angle described by the trapezoidal bases of these racks will keep such sheets resting on these basics.

Generally the materials used to constitute the part flexible of a tooth and the non-slip materials used to constitute a part of the base of a rack of a container according to the invention are synthetic elastomers such as butyl rubbers, polyethylenes, polyamides and the like. The choice of these materials must meet the conditions expressed above. These conditions, in particular of hardness and elasticity, are of course a function of the mass packaged products.

• la figure 1 représente de façon schématique en perspective, un type de conteneur utilisé selon l'art antérieur;
• la figure 2 est un schéma de principe montrant un mode de réalisation d'un conteneur selon l'invention;
• les figures 3 et 4 sont des vues de dessus d'une crémaillère selon des formes préférées de l'invention;
• la figure 5 est une vue de face d'une autre forme préférée de l'invention.

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawing boards in which:

• Figure 1 shows schematically in perspective, a type of container used according to the prior art;
• Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a container according to the invention;
• Figures 3 and 4 are top views of a rack according to preferred forms of the invention;
• Figure 5 is a front view of another preferred form of the invention.

The container of Figure 1 includes a base or floor substantially rectangular shape. This floor is formed by two frames upper 2, and lower 3, made up of beams. The two frames are fixed to each other by spacer elements 4, arranged at the corners of the frames and in the middle of the sides. The geometry of the base 1 is such that it gives off openings 5 allowing the forking by means of a forklift. A back wall 6 constituted by uprights 8, which can be vertical or slightly inclined, serves as a support for a stack of glass sheets 7. Uprights 9, and high crosspieces 10 complete the definition of the volume of this container. The stacked glass sheets rest on the crosspieces 11 attached to the floor frame. In the example presented the glass sheets are automobile side windows. The same types of containers are used for windshields or any other sheet of glass. In Figure 1, elements 12 lateral blocking devices are also represented in the form of two bars, the position is adjustable to adapt to the shape and dimensions of the sheets stacked.

The glass sheets, on their side resting on the floor, are engaged in the indentations of the racks 13 fitted out of two sleepers 11. In the upper part the leaves are usually separated by dividers formed, for example, by jumpers (not shown) placed on the leaves themselves. The racks 13 are produced in materials in contact with which the glass sheets are not likely to get damaged. These are, for example, strips of synthetic material rigid fixed on a metal profile forming the cross member 11, like a rubber Shore A high hardness butyl.

Figure 2 is a top view of the bottom of a container according the invention which comprises two racks 13 and 13a resting on sleepers 11. The rack 13a is made of a flexible material of a Shore A hardness of the order of 50 and includes teeth whose length L is not significantly greater than the thickness E. A sheet of glass 7 is shown resting on edge in the indentation of the two racks 13 and 13a. The sheet 7 has a curved part 7a. We see that the shape particular teeth of the rack 13a allows the latter to support the curved part 7a of the sheet 7, which a rack could not do with the teeth have a thickness similar to that of the teeth of the rack 13a but a length appreciably greater than this thickness, like teeth of the rack 13a.

Figures 3 and 4 are top views of a rack according to preferred forms of the invention which include teeth successive whose spacing is less important at the middle of their length only from its ends. We see that compared to the form of embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, such teeth allow the rack which includes them to receive sheets of more bending material important.

Figure 5 is a front view of another preferred form of the invention according to which the crosspieces 11a carrying the racks 13 are of trapezoidal cross section. We see that this configuration allows hold in place a glass sheet 7 whose edge is not flat. The foregoing embodiments, described with reference to attached figures, represent only a few of those who can meet the characteristics of the invention.

Claims (15)

Container for transporting and storing glass sheets, in which each sheet rests on edge in the indentation of at least one rack arranged transversely relative to said edge, each rack being fixed to the elements constituting the floor of the container, characterized in that at least one rack comprises teeth whose length is not significantly greater than thickness. Container according to claim 1 wherein the space separating two successive teeth is more important at the ends of their length than in the middle. A container according to claim 2 wherein said teeth are cylindrical. Container according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least two racks. The container of claim 4, wherein the indentation of each of said racks comprises cylindrical teeth. Container according to one of the preceding claims in which said teeth are at least partly made of a flexible material which constitutes at least part of their surface. The container of claim 6 wherein said material flexible constitutes each rack comprising said teeth. Container according to one of claims 6 or 7 in which said flexible material has a Shore A hardness of between 40 and 100. Container according to one of claims 1 to 8 in which a cross member supports each rack and at least one of said cross members has a substantially trapezoidal cross section. Container according to one of the preceding claims in which the glass sheets are side windows or quarter panels of automobiles. The use of a container according to one of the previous claims for transporting or storing sheets of glass. The use of a container according to claim 11 in which the glass sheets are side windows or quarter panels of automobiles. The use of a container according to one of the claims 11 or 12, wherein the glass sheets have a accentuated curvature. The use of a container according to one of the claims 11 to 13, wherein the glass sheets have a non-symmetrical curvature. Method of transporting or storing glass sheets that the glass sheets are stored in a container according to one of claims 1 to 10.

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