U.S. patent application number 12/999476 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-05 for device for holding elements in a successive arrangement in a longitudinal direction.
This patent application is currently assigned to A. RAYMOND ET CIE. Invention is credited to Martin Busch, Hans-Jurgen Lesser.
Application Number | 20110100848 12/999476 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41116398 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110100848 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Busch; Martin ; et
al. |
May 5, 2011 |
DEVICE FOR HOLDING ELEMENTS IN A SUCCESSIVE ARRANGEMENT IN A
LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION
Abstract
The invention relates to a device for holding elements (1) in a
successive arrangement in the longitudinal direction in holding
units (5). The holding units (5) are inseparably connected to edge
strips (2, 3) via connecting webs (7). The elements (1) are
arranged releasably in the holding elements (5). Thus the device
can be reused and can be again equipped with elements (1) after
removing the elements (1) from the holding units (5).
Inventors: |
Busch; Martin;
(Efringen-Kirchen, DE) ; Lesser; Hans-Jurgen;
(Rheinfelden, DE) |
Assignee: |
A. RAYMOND ET CIE
Grenoble
FR
|
Family ID: |
41116398 |
Appl. No.: |
12/999476 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
June 12, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP09/04240 |
371 Date: |
December 16, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/338 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16B 27/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/338 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/20 20060101
B65D085/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 3, 2008 |
DE |
10 2008 031 475.7 |
Claims
1-11. (canceled)
12. A device for holding elements in a successive arrangement in a
longitudinal direction, comprising: at least one edge strip; a
plurality of retaining units each fixedly connected to a said edge
strip via at least one lateral connecting web, each said retaining
unit including a fixing arrangement for releasably fixing an
element to said retaining unit.
13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a pair of said edge
strips aligned in parallel arrangement to each other, each
retaining unit connected to both of said edge strips.
14. The device of claim 12, wherein each retaining unit is
connected with said at least one edge strip via a pair of said
connecting webs.
15. The device of claim 12, wherein said fixing arrangement of each
said retaining unit includes a closed retaining ring to which said
at least one connecting web is connected.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein said fixing arrangement
includes a plurality of locking stands connected to said retaining
ring, said locking stands protruding over said retaining ring in a
perpendicular direction to a plane of said retaining ring and
including a positioning lug disposed radially inwardly of an
internal side of said retaining ring.
17. The device of claim 16, wherein said fixing arrangement
includes a plurality of inwardly-extending counter flange
connectors connected to said internal side of said retaining
ring.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein each counter flange connector
is disposed circumferentially between a pair of said locking
stands.
19. The device of claim 17, comprising a reduction recess disposed
on each side of each counter flange connector, said reduction
recesses extending radially outwardly toward an external side of
said retaining ring.
20. The device of claim 17, wherein each counter flange connector
is disposed within said plane of said retaining ring.
21. The device of claim 17, wherein each counter flange connector
is connected with said retaining ring via a respective web portion
extending perpendicularly away from said locking stands and
disposed in a planar region which is offset from said plane of said
retaining ring.
22. The device of claim 17, wherein each counter flange connector
includes a free end having a rounded frontal side protruding into
an internal space of said retaining ring.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a U.S. National Phase patent application
based on International Application Serial No. PCT/EP2009/004240
filed Jun. 12, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby explicitly
incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a device for holding
elements in a successive arrangement in a longitudinal
direction.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] One known device is disclosed in DE 41 09 772 A1. In this
device at least one edge strip has been provided, and several
retaining units are designed in such a way that they hold elements
made of plastic parts shaped, for example, in the form of push
buttons. Each retaining unit is connected to the (or each) conveyor
belt via at least one lateral connecting web which is aligned in
perpendicular manner to the (or at least one) conveyor belt. This
makes it possible to stockpile very economically elements held in a
successive arrangement in the longitudinal direction in retaining
units and to supply them to a handling tool which cuts through the
(or any) mechanically relatively weak connecting web to apply the
elements.
[0006] DE 25 12 825 A1 discloses a device for holding elements
designed in the form of screws in a successive arrangement in the
longitudinal direction in which C-shaped retaining units are
connected with each other via webs. The screws can be inserted in
and removed from the C-shaped retaining units through a lateral
opening.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a device for holding elements
in a successive arrangement in a longitudinal direction according
to the type mentioned above, which arrangement can be reused and
the elements can be applied in a relatively simple manner.
[0008] Each retaining unit is permanently connected with at least
one conveyor belt, and each retaining unit has a fixing arrangement
by means of which an element can be fixed in releasable manner. In
this way, the elements can be released from the retaining units
without destroying the connection between the retaining units and
the (or each) conveyor belt, and the device can be again equipped
with elements to be applied.
[0009] In one form thereof, the present invention provides a device
for holding elements in a successive arrangement in the
longitudinal direction with at least one edge strip and several
retaining units for holding the elements, whereas each holding unit
is connected with the (or at least one) edge strip via at least a
lateral connecting web, characterized in that each retaining unit
is permanently connected with at least one edge strip and that each
retaining unit has one fixing arrangement with which an element can
be fixed in releasable manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The above mentioned and other features and objects of this
invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by
reference to the following description of embodiments of the
invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 a perspective view of the invention-based device,
which involves a plane with two edge strips and several retaining
units, in which one unit is supplied with an element designed as a
machine screw, with the viewer facing the upper side;
[0012] FIG. 2 a sectional view of the embodiment according to FIG.
1, with the viewer facing the bottom side;
[0013] FIG. 3 a frontal side view of the embodiment according to
FIG. 1 showing the retaining unit supplied with the machine
screw;
[0014] FIG. 4 a detailed perspective view of a further embodiment
of an invention-based device, which has two edge strips and several
retaining units, with the viewer facing the upper side of a
retaining unit; and
[0015] FIG. 5 a perspective view of the embodiment according to
FIG. 4, with the viewer facing the bottom side of a retaining unit
supplied with a machine screw.
[0016] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications
set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, in several
forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be
exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the
invention to the precise forms disclosed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view (with the viewer facing the
upper side) of an embodiment of an invention-based device for
holding elements 1, designed, for example, in the form of machine
screws, in a successive arrangement in a longitudinal direction,
which device is preferably produced from a hard-elastic plastic
material in a continuous, or a quasi continuous process such as
injection molding, extrusion, or embossing. The embodiment
according to FIG. 1 has two edge strips 2, 3, which are aligned in
parallel arrangement at a distance to each other. Each edge strip
is designed with a toothed structure 4 which, according to the
representation in FIG. 1, is arranged on the upper side facing the
viewer. The toothed structures 4 serve the purpose of engaging with
drive elements of a handling tool (not shown in FIG. 1) for
applying the elements 1.
[0018] Between the edge strips 2, 3, in a successive arrangement
regularly spaced in a longitudinal direction of the edge strips 2,
3, several retaining units are arranged which are adjusted in an
article-specific manner to the respective elements to be held, each
retaining unit being provided with a circumferentially closed
planar retaining ring 6. In this embodiment, the retaining rings 6
are connected with both edge strips 2, 3 via two pairs of lateral
connecting webs 7, which correspond in width approximately to the
width of the retaining ring 6, and which are aligned in
perpendicular manner to the edge strips 2, 3.
[0019] Furthermore, each retaining unit 5 has a fixing arrangement,
which is molded via locking stands 8 to one side of the retaining
ring 6, in this embodiment represented in FIG. 1 the upper side
facing the viewer. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, four
locking stands 8 have been provided, which are arranged
diametrically opposite from each other at an angular distance of 90
degrees. Each locking stand 8 is designed with a positioning lug 10
which extends to the inside radially over an internal side 9 of the
retaining ring 6. In addition, the fixing arrangements of each
retaining unit 5 are provided with counter flange connectors 11
which are molded to the internal side 9 of the retaining rings 6
and protrude radially to the inside, with each counter flange
connector 11 being arranged in the center between two locking
stands 8. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the counter flange
connectors are arranged in the planar region of the retaining ring
6.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a retaining unit 5
according to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, with a view to the
bottom side opposite of the toothed structure 4 which, according to
the representation in FIG. 2, is facing the viewer. The
representation in FIG. 2 shows that each counter flange connector
11 has a rounded frontal side at the free end protruding into the
internal space of the retaining ring 6. On both sides of the
connecting region of each respective counter flange connector 11 a
reduction recess has been provided which extends in radial
direction from the internal side 9 of the retaining ring 6 to the
external side 13 of the retaining ring 6. In this way, by exerting
a perpendicular force from the upper side in the direction of the
bottom side of an element 1 (not shown) arranged in the retaining
unit 5, each counter flange connector 11 can be moved with
relatively little effort out of the planar region of the retaining
ring 6 in order to release the element 1 and maintain the
connection between the retaining unit 5 and the edge strips 2, 3.
As a result, each retaining unit 5 is permanently connected with
the edge strips 2, 3, provided the device is used in accordance
with the intended purpose.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a frontal side view of the embodiment according
to FIG. 1, with a view to an element 1 in the form of a machine
screw arranged in a retaining unit 5. Said machine screw is
designed with a shaft 15, a head plate 16, and a tool attachment
structure 17. FIG. 3 shows that each locking stand 8 has a lead-in
chamfer 18 on the side facing away from retaining ring 6, which
lead-in chamfer 18 which is inclined toward the positioning lug 10.
On the side facing the retaining ring 6, a clamping slope is
available which, in the representation of FIG. 3, rests against the
upper side of the head plate 16 facing away from the retaining ring
6. The bottom side of the head plate 16 facing the retaining ring
6, in turn, rests on the counter flange connectors 11 (not shown in
FIG. 3). As a result, the respective element 1 is firmly fixed by
the fixing arrangement formed by the locking stand 8 and the
counter flange connectors 11.
[0022] For applying an element 1, a force has to be exerted on the
respective element 1 from the upper side of the retaining ring 6 in
the direction of the bottom side of the retaining ring 6 in order
to release the element 1 from the fixing arrangement. For this
purpose, it is advantageous to leave sufficient space between the
locking stands 8 and the tool attachment structure 17 to allow a
tool (not shown in FIG. 2) to engage with the tool attachment
structure 17.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a detailed perspective view of a further
embodiment of an invention-based device with a view to the upper
side which, according to the representation of FIG. 4, is facing
the viewer. The embodiment according to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 and the
embodiment according to FIG. 4 have corresponding components
provided with the same reference numerals, which are subsequently
not explained in detail. FIG. 4 shows that in this embodiment the
counter flange connector 11 is connected with the retaining ring 6
on the side facing away from the locking stand 8 via a respective
web portion 20 which extends in perpendicular manner to the
respective counter flange connector 11. As a result, the counter
flange connectors 11 with bearing portions 21 are arranged in a
planar region which is offset from the planar region of the
respective retaining ring 6, forming a relatively large receiving
area between the positioning lugs 10 and the counter flange
connectors 11 to hold the relatively thick elements 1.
[0024] FIG. 5 shows the embodiment according to FIG. 4 with a view
to the bottom side facing the viewer (as shown in the
representation according to FIG. 5) with an element 1 inserted in
the retaining unit 5. FIG. 5 shows that a radial distance exists
between the head plate 16 of the element 1 and the internal side 9
of the retaining ring 6, so that the element 1 is fixed in the
retaining ring 6 with a certain play within the scope of elasticity
of the locking stand 8 in order to compensate tolerances.
[0025] While this invention has been described as having a
preferred design, the present invention can be further modified
within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is
therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of
the invention using its general principles. Further, this
application is intended to cover such departures from the present
disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to
which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of
the appended claims.
* * * * *