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
  • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D71/0088—Palletisable loads, i.e. loads intended to be transported by means of a fork-lift truck
  • B65D71/0092—Palletisable loads, i.e. loads intended to be transported by means of a fork-lift truck provided with one or more rigid supports, at least one dimension of the supports corresponding to a dimension of the load, e.g. skids
  • B65D71/0096—Palletisable loads, i.e. loads intended to be transported by means of a fork-lift truck provided with one or more rigid supports, at least one dimension of the supports corresponding to a dimension of the load, e.g. skids the dimensions of the supports corresponding to the periphery of the load, e.g. pallets
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60P—VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
  • B60P7/00—Securing or covering of load on vehicles
  • B60P7/06—Securing of load
  • B60P7/08—Securing to the vehicle floor or sides
  • B60P7/0823—Straps; Tighteners
  • B60P7/0846—Straps; Tighteners winding up or storing of straps
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B13/00—Bundling articles
  • B65B13/18—Details of, or auxiliary devices used in, bundling machines or bundling tools
  • B65B13/22—Means for controlling tension of binding means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B13/00—Bundling articles
  • B65B13/18—Details of, or auxiliary devices used in, bundling machines or bundling tools
  • B65B13/24—Securing ends of binding material
  • B65B13/28—Securing ends of binding material by twisting
  • B65B13/285—Hand tools
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B13/00—Bundling articles
  • B65B13/18—Details of, or auxiliary devices used in, bundling machines or bundling tools
  • B65B13/24—Securing ends of binding material
  • B65B13/34—Securing ends of binding material by applying separate securing members, e.g. deformable clips
  • B65B13/345—Hand tools
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B67/00—Apparatus or devices facilitating manual packaging operations; Sack holders
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
  • B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
  • B65B7/28—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
  • B65B7/2842—Securing closures on 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
  • B65D19/00—Pallets or like platforms, with or without side walls, for supporting loads to be lifted or lowered
  • B65D19/38—Details or accessories
• • 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
  • B65D63/00—Flexible elongated elements, e.g. straps, for bundling or supporting articles
  • B65D63/02—Metallic straps, tapes, or bands; Joints between ends thereof
  • B65D63/06—Joints produced by application of separate securing members, e.g. by deformation thereof
• • 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
  • B65D2571/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material
  • B65D2571/00006—Palletisable loads, i.e. loads intended to be transported by means of a fork-lift truck
  • B65D2571/00111—Arrangements of flexible binders

Definitions

• Embodiments of the present invention relate to a winding assembly with a variable ratio.
• the winding assembly is a pallet lid winding assembly.
• Lids can be mounted on the loads. Such lids are provided with straps to tighten the lid against the load when the ends of the straps as secured to the pallet.
• the lids include tightening mechanisms, operated by levers, to tighten the strap, thereby pulling the lid against the load.
• the lever may be turned many times to ratchet the straps tight.
• a winding assembly comprising: a rotatable tensioner configured to receive a tensioning line (e.g., strap, wire or the like) therethrough; and a manual control device to rotate the tensioner from a home position of the tensioner to a tensioning position of the tensioner, wherein the winding assembly provides a variable ratio between movement of the manual control device and a tensioning displacement of the tensioning line as the tensioning line is wrapped around the tensioner by rotation of the tensioner towards the tensioning position.
• a tensioning line e.g., strap, wire or the like
• the variable ratio may reduce the tensioning displacement of the tensioning line as the manual control device moves towards an end of a stroke of the manual control device.
• the tensioner rotates the slot, to wind the tensioning line around the tensioner.
• the tensioning line may be wound around the winding surface of the tensioner.
• the drive linkage of the winding assembly may comprise a driver actuatable by the manual control device, and the tensioner may comprise a drive input directly or indirectly coupled to the driver and actuated by the driver.
• the driver and/or the tensioner drive input may be a non-slip drive comprising a mesh drive or a cable actuator.
• the manual control device may be rotatable about a manual control device axis of rotation.
• the manual control device axis of rotation may be an upwards axis such as a vertical axis. Therefore, the manual control device may rotate laterally.
• the tensioner may be rotatable about a tensioner axis of rotation different from the manual control device axis of rotation.
• the tensioner axis may be a lateral axis.
• the tensioner axis may be perpendicular to the manual control device axis.
• the drive linkage of the winding assembly may connect the manual control device axis of rotation to the tensioner axis of rotation.
• An advantage of the direction change is that the winding assembly has a low vertical height, because the manual control device rotates laterally. Therefore, the winding assembly is suitable for use as a pallet lid winding assembly.
• the winding assembly may comprise a drum axle configured to receive a drum from which the tensioning line can be unwound and to which the tensioning line can be wound.
• the drum axle may comprise an urger, such as a spiral spring, to bias a drum fitted to the drum axle in a winding direction.
• the urger may therefore bias the tensioning line in the winding direction. If the tensioning line is wound around the tensioner, this may have the effect of pulling the tensioner in a rotation direction towards the home position of the tensioner.
• the urger may or may not exert a strong enough pull to rotate the tensioner to the home position of the tensioner. Therefore, a return spring as described above may be provided to ensure a consistent return of the tensioner to its home position.
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the winding assembly of FIG. 3 after tensioning the strap
• FIGS. 6A-6D are side cross-section views of the tensioner rotated to different angles.
• FIG. 1 shows a lid 1 for securing a load 2 on a pallet 3.
• the lid 1 comprises a body 4 with upstanding sides 5 and depending skirt 6 for capping the top sides of the load 2 (and also enabling a plurality of the lids 1 to be nested with each other or with pallets).
• the body 4 comprises an upper portion 7 shown formed by a plurality of plastics mouldings 8, but which could be formed as a single moulding.
• the body 4 further includes a lower portion 9 formed by a main plastics moulding.
• the lid 1 includes four tensioning lines in the form of straps 10. Each tensioning line 10 is movable between a retracted condition within the upper portion 7, and an extended condition in which the tensioning line 10 extends from the upper portion 7. Each tensioning line 10 is provided at a respective side of the lid 1 .
• Each tensioning line 10 has a distal end to which an anchor 14 is attached.
• An anchor 14 can comprise a hook, loop or any other suitable attacher. In the extended condition of the tensioning lines 10, the anchors 14 can be secured to the pallet 3. As shown in FIGS. 3-4, each tensioning line 10 also has a proximal end attached to a drum 12.
• the tensioning lines 10 can then be tensioned by the use of respective winding assemblies 16 operable on each tensioning line 10.
• Each winding assembly 16 is provided within the body 4.
• FIGS. 2-4 illustrate example winding assemblies 16.
• the winding assembly 16 may comprise a plastic moulding securable to a winding assembly aperture in an upstanding side 5 of the body 4 of the lid 1 , for example.
• the winding assembly 16 may be integrally moulded with the body 4 of the lid 1.
• the winding assembly 16 comprises a drum axle 13 configured to receive the drum 12 from which the tensioning line 10 can be unwound when in use, and to which the tensioning line 10 can be re-wound when not in use.
• the drum axle 13 may comprise an urger (hidden from view), such as a spring connected at one end to the drum axle 13 and at the other end to the drum 12.
• the urger rotatably biases the drum 12 in a winding direction to wind the tensioning line 10 on the drum 12, to move the tensioning line 10 to its retracted condition.
• the urger may comprise a spiral spring.
• the tensioning line 10 extends away from the drum 12 along a tensioning line channel 22 and through a tensioning line opening 24 in the lateral exterior of the winding assembly 16.
• the tensioning line channel 22 interconnects a drum cavity/the drum 12 with the tensioning line opening 24.
• the anchor 14 of the tensioning line 10 may be oversized relative to the tensioning line opening 24 so that the distal end of the tensioning line 10 can be easily retrieved and is not ‘swallowed’ by the winding assembly 16.
• Each winding assembly 16 comprises a tensioner 37 in the form of a slotted spindle 40.
• the tensioner 37 is actuated to pull the tensioning line 10 once the anchor 14 of the tensioning line 10 has been secured to the pallet 3.
• the tensioner 37 is rotatably mounted in the winding assembly 16.
• the tensioner 37 spans across the tensioning line channel 22 and engages with the tensioning line 10.
• the illustrated tensioner 37 is rotatable about a lateral, tensioner axis of rotation 62 perpendicular to the vertical axis of rotation of the drum 12. This ensures that the winding assembly 16 is low-height.
• the tensioner 37 is rotatable by operation of a drive linkage actuated by a manual control device in the form of a lever 19.
• the illustrated lever 19 comprises a fulcrum body 21 and an elongate handle 20 extending from the fulcrum body 21 , which a user can turn.
• the lever 19 is operated by being pivotally moved about a lever axis of rotation 61 from a rest position (FIG. 3) to the end of its stroke length (FIG. 4).
• the lever axis of rotation 61 may be an upwards axis such as a vertical axis. Therefore, the lever 19 may move laterally. This ensures that the winding assembly 16 is low-height.
• the retainer 70 comprises a single-drop spiral cam 76 comprised in the fulcrum body 21 of the lever 19, and a spring-loaded catch 72 configured to engage with the spiral cam 76.
• the axis of the spiral cam 76 may be coaxial with the lever axis of rotation 61 .
• the illustrated spiral cam 76 is above the drive linkage, but could alternatively be below the drive linkage.
• the release button 78 is an exterior part of the winding assembly.
• the release button 78 is adjacent the lever 19.
• the release button 78 is exposed at the upstanding side 5 of the lid 1 of FIG. 1 .
• the spring 80 may be internal and anchored against a part of the lid 1 of FIG. 1 .
• FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through a cylindrical section of the tensioner 37 comprising the slot 38.
• the slot 38 has a first aperture 92 and a second aperture 94, which are apertures in a winding surface 90 of the tensioner 37 around which the strap 10 can be wound.
• the strap 10 extends through the apertures 92, 94 and slot 38, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6D. As the tensioner 37 is rotated, the strap 10 is wound around the winding surface 90 and starts to roll up, in the manner shown in FIGS. 6A-6D.
• the winding surface 90 of the tensioner 37 has a spiral shape, in this case a logarithmic spiral shape, to modify the ratio between movement of the lever 19 and tensioning displacement of the strap 10 as the strap 10 is wrapped around the tensioner 37 by rotation of the tensioner towards the tensioning position.
• spiral would be understood to cover continuously curved spirals without vertices, spirals formed from segments connected by vertices, or a combination thereof.
• the Figures show a continuously curved spiral.
• the winding surface 90 defines a winding radius.
• the winding radius is defined as follows: if a straight radial line is drawn from the axis of rotation 62 to the location in which the strap 10 makes winding contact with the tensioner 37, the winding radius is defined as the radius of the winding surface 90 along that straight radial line. This ignores a rolling-up effect of the strap 10.
• a circular winding surface 90 would have a constant winding radius.
• the radius of the spiral winding surface 90 from the axis 62 decreases from a first maximum radius r1 , through a smaller second radius r2, and to or through an even smaller third radius r3.
• the first radius r1 is from the tensioner axis of rotation 62 to a first edge of the first aperture 92.
• the winding radius is equal to the first radius r1 as rotation of the tensioner 37 from the home position is initiated.
• the first edge of the first aperture 92 pulls the strap 10 as the tensioner 37 is rotated by its first 90 degrees from FIG. 5 to FIG. 6A.
• the tensioner 37 As the tensioner 37 is then rotated from 90 degrees to 180 degrees as shown in FIG. 6B, the strap 10 wraps around the winding surface 90 which has a continuously decreasing radius from the first radius r1 towards the second radius r2. This 90 degree rotation from FIGS. 6A-6B is therefore easier than the previous 90 degree rotation from FIGS. 5-6A.
• the tensioner 37 As the tensioner 37 is then rotated from 180 degrees to 270 degrees as shown in FIG. 6C, the strap 10 wraps around the second aperture 94 and starts to wrap around itself. As the strap 10 wraps around the second aperture 94, the winding radius becomes equal to the second radius r2 which is the radius at an edge of the second aperture 94, and less than the first radius r1 . This 90 degree rotation from FIGS. 6B-6C is therefore easier than the previous 90 degree rotation from FIGS. 6A-6B.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Tension Adjustment In Filamentary Materials (AREA)
• Devices For Conveying Motion By Means Of Endless Flexible Members (AREA)
• Pallets (AREA)
• Transmission Devices (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=83933146

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2022
  • 2022-09-01 GB GBGB2212719.5A patent/GB202212719D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2023
  • 2023-09-01 CA CA3265683A patent/CA3265683A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-09-01 AU AU2023331501A patent/AU2023331501A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-09-01 JP JP2025513058A patent/JP2025528498A/ja active Pending
  • 2023-09-01 KR KR1020257007029A patent/KR20250060210A/ko active Pending
  • 2023-09-01 WO PCT/IB2023/058663 patent/WO2024047600A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2023-09-01 EP EP23786678.5A patent/EP4580908A1/de active Pending
  • 2023-09-01 GB GB2313343.2A patent/GB2623182A/en active Pending

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