Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
  • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
  • B65D21/0201—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together side-by-side
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
  • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
  • B65D21/0209—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
  • B65D25/20—External fittings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2313/00—Connecting or fastening means
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/24—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
  • Y10T428/24479—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.] including variation in thickness

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a surface element having a preferably planar configuration and any type0 of confining profile, to be used for increasing sliding
• a particular technical field wherein generation of5 strong surface friction is required (and therefore constraining reactions counteracting relative sliding along the surfaces in mutual contact) is that in which the so-called package clamping operations take place: in this sector in fact multiple packing of objects is provided in which the packs are disposed side by side along substantially horizontal arrangement directions, and are then lifted (and handled) through special handling trucks having substantially flat gripping jaws such disposed as to exert pressure on the side walls of the object placed at the ends of the (horizontal) lines defining the multiple packing.
• the gripping jaws of the handlers adapted to carry out clamping are therefore actively pressed on the side walls of the objects, so that in the whole packing, inner pressures are created also on the (usually lateral and vertical) faces of the innermost objects; as a result of these pressures, arising of sliding friction occurs that prevents the objects from slipping away and therefore allows the whole multiple packing to be maintained unitary.
• the hitherto known means for increase of the sliding friction appears to be unsatisfactory beyond a given performance level, because in any case some non-negligible pressure value or the intervention of additional constraint means is required, such as adhesives or fastening straps, which will bring about an increase in costs and overall dimensions, and also (depending on the contexts) worsening of the aesthetic qualities and/or elimination of the possibility of carrying out movements of the objects separated from each other.
• the present invention aims at conceiving a surface element for friction increase that is able to obviate the above mentioned limits.
• the present invention further aims at conceiving a surface element for friction increase capable of reducing and preferably eliminating as much as possible, any amount and/or relative-sliding direction between two mutually facing/superposed objects in contact along at least one face, both under movement/handling conditions (such as for example during a manoeuvring operation based on clamping) and under piling and/or side-by-side-arrangement conditions in static or moving environments.
• the present invention aims at conceiving a surface element for friction increase that can be made both as an autonomous intermediate element associable in any manner with at least one face of at least one object that, as an integral part of more complicated objects such as packages (preferably although not in a limiting sense, of the "reusable" or “returnable” type) or as any other object, is required to be positioned or moved in side-by-side or piled-up relationship with at least another similar . obj ect , and preferably provided with another face having the same features.
• the present invention aims at conceiving a surface element for friction increase that enables an engagement of the reversible type at least along a direction of mutual facing/approaching, generating an important (or in other words rather high) value of coplanar sliding friction between the faces, only when the latter really touch each other.
• Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first embodiment of the surface element for friction increase according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a second embodiment of the surface element for friction increase according to the invention
• Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a third embodiment of the surface element for friction increase according to the invention.
• Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a fourth embodiment of the surface element for friction increase according to the invention.
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a package of the "reusable" or “returnable” type having at least one face entirely provided with the surface element seen in Fig. 1;
• Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show perspective views of packages of the conventional type (for instance a paperboard box) relatively disposed in different space situations and respectively having at least one face entirely provided with the surface element seen in Fig. 1.
• the surface element for friction increase is adapted to perform its main function being coupled with at least another surface element having at least one protrusion and/or at least one recess formed in its surface;
• the surface element according to the invention has been identified with reference numeral 1 and substantially comprises a lying portion 2 (generally extending in a plane, but if necessary also extending in space on a polygonal and/or curved surface) which in turn is bounded by a predetermined number of perimetral edges 2a sequentially connected to each other.
• the lying portion defines a reference surface 2b: relative to such a surface, suitable engagement means 3 may be extended (in a positive manner) or be recessed (in a negative manner) , which means is adapted to interface corresponding engagement means of a surface element for friction increase that under operating conditions will approach and be placed adjacent to (with or without crushing pressure) the above described element 1.
• the surface element 1 further comprises a predetermined number of clusters 4; included in these clusters 4 is the just mentioned engagement means and said clusters are defined by respective confining edges 4a.
• Clusters 4 are distributed on the lying portion 2 and are conveniently disposed according to a "matrix-like scheme" having ideal lines acting as virtual "rows” or “columns” disposed in any manner; for instance, in an embodiment given by way of example of the present invention this matrix-like scheme can contemplate an assembly of virtual straight lines on the intersection points of which clusters 4 (or at least the geometric centres of clusters 4) can be located.
• the confining edges 4a can have any geometric configuration, depending on current requirements; for instance, they can be of square or rectangular shape. Still from the geometric point of view, the areas of the lying portion that are interposed between the different clusters (or that, in other words, are included between the confining edges 4a and the perimetral edges 2a) are generally smooth or more generally are not provided with the engagement means 3.
• each of clusters 4 the engagement means 3 is disposed along directrices 4b having at least one predetermined curvature (and consequently these directrices 4b have a corresponding centre of curvature 4c) ; advantageously, the centres of curvature 4c of directrices 4b belonging to clusters 4 that are separated and/or different from each other (or more generally disposed at positions different of the aforesaid matrix-like scheme) are not coincident with each other.
• the interference/kinematic lock effect is given by the contact of the engagement means 3 that in turn allows "three-dimensional" kinematic constraints to be established relative to the reference surfaces 2b of the mutually facing surface elements 1.
• the directrices 4b belonging to a single cluster 4 can conveniently have a mutually concentric and/or parallel course; in this way they can define, at least merely from a geometric point of view, a geometric centre in common for all directrices belonging to a cluster (or also, depending on current requirements, for part of the directrices belonging to a given cluster) or an ideal line defined by the succession of centres 4c.
• the directrices 4b can be made up of segments of a circle and/or segments of an ellipse and/or, more generally, segments of conies; in addition, should particular technical and/or aesthetic requirements be met, the directrices 4b can comprise segments of lines having at least one flex and/or an undulated course (or even spiral-like lines and/or involuted curves of the epicycloidal or hypocycloidal type and so on) .
• the directrices 4b of a single cluster 4 (ideally) define concave half-spaces and convex half-spaces on the reference surface 2b; these concave and convex half-spaces are divided by the directrices 4b themselves and are substantially "oriented" with a given "tracking" towards any point of the perimetral edges 2a.
• directrices 4b of different clusters 4 respectively define concave/convex half-spaces that face adjacent but not coincident perimetral edges 2a, respectively. Yet, with reference to Fig. 4, directrices 4b of different clusters 4 may define concave/convex half- spaces respectively, facing opposite perimetral edges 2a.
• said engagement means 3 can be made in different ways and/or using different materials, provided they are adapted to interfere with each other under conditions of mutual approach of at least two surface elements 1 according to the invention; for instance, the engagement means can comprise a plurality of substantially punctiform protrusions (for example of a globular, pyramidal or prismatic conformation or in the form of a truncated pyramid) .
• protrusions extend transversely of the reference surface 2b and are conveniently disposed sequentially along the directrices 4b.
• the protrusions may have at all events a three-dimensional extension emerging from the reference surface 2b, but with an important extension in length along the directrices 4b; in some cases the protrusions may extend without a break on the directrices 4b.
• Falling within the present invention is also any object (such as a reusable and/or returnable package) which comprises a predetermined number of confining faces; advantageously, this object can be provided, on at least one of these confining faces, with a surface element for friction increase 1 according to that which has been hitherto described and will be hereinafter claimed.
• the confining faces of same can conveniently define a holding volume; this package therefore will be suitable for use with great advantage in handling operations based on clamping, due to generation of important friction forces on the lateral faces, by virtue of the presence of the invention.
• said objects can be packages of the reusable and/or returnable type and will define an assembly comprising:
• the above mentioned friction increasing means will comprise at least one, and preferably two (i.e. one for each abutment face) surface elements for friction increase 1 associated with at least one abutment, face, and preferably with each of the abutment faces themselves.
• the surface elements for friction increase findable in the multiple packing can be integrally formed in one and/or each of the abutment faces or, depending on current requirements, can consist of an autonomous body (that will practically have a laminar or "sheet-like" conformation) , that in turn will be externally associated with one or each of the abutment faces.
• the invention achieves important advantages.
• the surface element 1 due to the particular construction architecture of the surface element 1 (or, where required by the current requirements, of the object and/or the returnable/reusable package integrally carrying the surface element 1 on one of its faces), it is possible to generate an important sliding friction value even with low or zero contact pressures, and at the same time it is possible to eliminate any relative (translation or rotation) motion between the two faces in mutual contact; remarkably, the above listed effects are further amplified if the two contacting surfaces are respectively provided with surface elements 1 substantially identical with each other.
• the possibility of moving the faces integrally provided with the surface element 1 close to and away from each other, or at all events the possibility of interposing one or two of these surface elements (that can be obtained as sheets/planar thin plates which are autonomous relative to the structures of the objects) between two faces of the objects themselves that can be mutually approached greatly increases both the operating flexibility and the fields in which the invention can be used; for instance, these surface elements (in an "autonomous" planar form as shown in Fig. 6) can be used in retrofitting in the handling operations by clamping of traditional (reusable and not) packages, that are not even provided with surface-friction increasing means.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vibration Dampers (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Macromolecular Shaped Articles (AREA)
• Wrappers (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Package Frames And Binding Bands (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=44907968

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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Family Cites Families (6)

• 2011
  • 2011-09-29 IT IT001751A patent/ITMI20111751A1/it unknown
• 2012
  • 2012-09-25 US US14/348,494 patent/US20140238981A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-09-25 WO PCT/IB2012/001881 patent/WO2013045997A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-09-25 CN CN201280058988.6A patent/CN104220335A/zh active Pending
  • 2012-09-25 EP EP12780802.0A patent/EP2760753A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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