WO2006045929A1

WO2006045929A1 - Device and method for packaging and transporting stackable objects

Info

Publication number: WO2006045929A1
Application number: PCT/FR2005/002616
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alain Leroy
Original assignee: L.R. Etanco
Priority date: 2004-10-22
Filing date: 2005-10-20
Publication date: 2006-05-04
Also published as: FR2876988A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for packaging and transporting stackable objects. The inventive device comprises a semi-rigid band (2) which is made from a material that confers a torsion shape memory property thereto. One end (3) of the band is provided with an axially-oblong hole (4), while the other end (5) thereof is equipped with two lateral notches (6) which extend into a tapered tip, whereof the width of the part next to the notches (6) is both greater than the width of the oblong hole (4) and smaller than the length of said hole (4).

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONDITIONING AND TRANSPORTING STACKABLE OBJECTS.

The present invention relates to a device for securing and transporting stackable objects having through holes. It also relates to a method for manufacturing this device.

It applies in particular, but not exclusively, to the packaging and transport of fasteners having the shape of an oblong plate comprising on one of its faces a protuberance comprising a central orifice shaped to allow engagement of a screw.

It is known that these fasteners are generally packaged in boxes which have the disadvantage of being bulky, unecological and expensive because of the importance of the quantities of raw material necessary for their manufacture. Flange ties are also used for other applications, the ends of which can be fixed to one another by means of tamper-proof fastening means. The opening of the link can then be made only by causing a break.

The object of the invention is therefore more particularly to eliminate these disadvantages. For this purpose, it proposes a reusable packaging device, small bulky, economic and environmentally friendly for securing and transporting fasteners of the aforementioned type.

According to the invention, the device comprises a semi-rigid band made of a material giving it a torsional shape memory, one end of which comprises an axially oblong bore and the other end of which has two lateral notches extended by a tapered tip whose adjacent portion of the notches has a width which is both greater than the width of the oblong hole and less than the length thereof. Thus, by causing relative rotation between the two ends of the link, the pointed end is oriented so that its transverse axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the oblong bore. In this position, the pointed end of the link can be engaged through the oblong bore until the notches are at the edges of said bore. By releasing the tip end, it causes its rotation in the opposite direction of the previous because of the shape memory of the band. At the end of rotation, the transverse axis of the pointed end of the strip is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bore. The two ends are then connected because the edges of the notches of the tip portion are retained in one direction and the other by the side edges of the oblong hole.

The two ends can then be loosened again causing a relative rotation of the two ends until the transverse axis of the tip end (at the notches) is oriented along the longitudinal axis of the oblong bore.

The device according to the invention is reusable, the opening and closing of the loop constituted by the band being effected by a simple relative rotational movement of the two ends. The material of the device may advantageously consist of polypropylene material which gives the band a significant resistance and a good shape memory.

An important advantage of the device according to the invention is that it is very compact (its thickness being substantially of the order of one millimeter) and inexpensive (its manufacture therefore requires very few raw materials) and is industrially feasible at very high production rates.

One embodiment of the invention will be described below, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of the device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a top view of a strip comprising devices according to the invention, this band being the result of the manufacturing process of the device according to the invention.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the device 1 comprises a strip 2 having a thickness substantially equal to one millimeter and made of a material, such as polypropylene, making it possible to give the strip 2 a semi-rigidity as well as torsional shape memory.

The band 2 comprises an end 3 having an axially oblong hole 4 of substantially rectangular shape, the other end 5 of the band 2 is provided with two lateral notches 6 between which the band 2 has a reduced width.

Beyond the notches 6, the band 2 ends with a part of smaller width. In its region adjacent to the notches 6, the band 2 presents a greater width than that of the oblong hole 4, this width of the strip 2 being less than the length of the oblong hole 4. The width of the space 7 between the two notches 6 is less than the width of the oblong hole 4.

In this way, by causing a relative rotational movement between the two ends 3, 5 of the band 2 by an angle substantially equal to 90 °, the pointed end 5 can be oriented so that its transverse axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the oblong bore 4. In this position, the pointed end 5 of the link can be engaged through the oblong bore 4 until the notches 6 are at the edges of said bore 4. By releasing the tip end 5 is caused to rotate in the opposite direction of the previous one because of the shape memory of the strip 2. At the end of rotation, the transverse axis of the pointed end 5 of the strip 2 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bore 4. The two ends 3, 5 are then connected because the edges of the notches 6 of the pointed portion 5 are retained in one direction and the other by the side edges oblong drilling 4.

Relative rotation between the two ends 3, 5 of the strip 2 by an angle substantially equal to 90 ° makes it possible to orient the transverse axis of the pointed end 5 along the longitudinal axis of the oblong hole 4, the two ends 3, 5 can be loosened.

The device according to the invention 1 thus makes it possible to transport, to secure and to condition fastening elements comprising an orifice whose diameter is greater than the width of the strip 2.

Thus, the opening and closing of the loop constituting the band 2 is effected by a simple rotation of an end 3, 5 of the band 2, the latter being reusable because the disengagement of this end 3, 5 not cause deterioration of the strip 2. Nevertheless, a relatively strong traction on the two ends 3, 5 of the strip 2 causes the tearing of one of the lateral edges of the oblong hole 4, which constitutes an area of weakness, thus making it possible to obtain a very rapid opening of the band 2, which is of interest in the case of loading the magazine of a semiautomatic screwing device, for example of the type described in the patent application FR No. 99 09830.

In addition, advantageously, the device according to the invention 1 is very compact which makes it easily transportable, its reduced dimensions having the other consequence of requiring a minimal amount of raw materials for its manufacture thus making it economical and ecological.

Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 2, the link described above can be easily obtained from a strip 9 unwound continuously and passing through a cutting station performing at one and the same time:

• the realization of the pointed end 5 and notches 6 for the completion of a first link;

• the completion of an oblong hole 4 for the link adjacent to the first; • a cut or precut 10 between the pointed end 5 and the end 3 carrying the oblong hole 4 for the separation of the two links.

Claims

claims

1. Device (1) for packaging and transporting fastening elements, this device (1) comprising a semi-rigid strip (2) made of a torsional shape memory material, one end (3) of which comprises a piercing axially oblong (4) and whose other end (5) has two lateral notches (6) extended by a tapered tip whose portion adjacent to the notches (6) has a width which is both greater than the width of the oblong hole (4) and less than the length of this bore (4) so that the two ends (3, 5) of the link can be assembled to one another by causing relative rotation between them until the transverse axis of the pointed end (5) is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the oblong bore (4) and then, by engaging the pointed end (5) in said bore (4), the assembly of the two ends (3, 5) being then obtained by a rotation of the two ends (3, 5) in the opposite direction to the preceding one by virtue of the aforesaid shape memory until the transverse axis of the pointed end (5) of the strip (2) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bore (4). ), characterized in that in said assembled position of the two ends (3, 5) of the strip (2), the edges of the notches (6) of the pointed part (5) are retained in one direction by the lateral edges of the oblong drilling (4); one of said lateral edges of the oblong bore (4) comprises a zone of weakness making it possible to obtain a rapid opening of the strip (2) under the effect of a traction exerted on it.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the strip (2) comprises an end (3) having an axially oblong bore (4) of substantially rectangular shape, the other end (5) of the strip ( 2) being provided with two lateral notches (6) between which the band (2) has a reduced width, beyond the notches (6), the band (2) ends with a part of smaller width, in its adjacent region at the notches (6), the band (2) has a greater width than that of the oblong hole (4), this width of the band (2) being less than The length of the oblong bore (4), the width of the space (7) between the two notches (6) is smaller than the width of the oblong bore (4), thereby causing a relative rotational movement between the two ends (3, 5) of the strip (2) at an angle substantially equal to 90 °, the pointed end (5) can be oriented so that its transverse axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the oblong bore (4), in this position, the pointed end (5) of the link can be engaged through the oblong bore (4) until the notches (6) are at the edges of said bore (4), releasing the tip end (5) causes its rotation in the opposite direction of the previous one because of the shape memory of the strip (2), at the end of rotation, the transverse axis of the pointed end (5) of the strip (2) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bore (4), the two ends (3, 5) are then connected by the fact that the edges of the notches (6) of the pointed part (5) are retained in one direction and the other by the lateral edges of the oblong bore (4), a relative rotation between the two ends (3, 5) of the band (2) by an angle substantially equal to 90 ° allows to orient the transverse axis of the tip end (5) along the longitudinal axis of the oblong bore (4), the two ends (3, 5) can be untied.

3. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the strip (2) has a thickness substantially equal to one millimeter and consists of a material for imparting to the strip (2) a semi-rigidity as well as torsional shape memory.

4. Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the material of the strip (2) is polypropylene.

5. Method for producing a device (1) for packaging and transporting fastening elements according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is obtained from a strip (9) unrolled continuously and passing through a cutting station performing both:

• the realization of the pointed end (5) and notches (6) for the completion of a first link;

• making an oblong hole (4) for the link adjacent to the first;

• a cut or pre-cut (10) between the pointed end (5) and the end (3) bearing the oblong hole (4) for the separation of the two links.