IP Verse

Strapping Device

Patent No. US11731794 (titled "Strapping Device") was filed by Signode Industrial Group Llc on Nov 22, 2022.

What is this patent about?

’794 is related to the field of mobile strapping devices used for securing packaged goods with plastic straps. These devices typically involve placing a strap around the goods, tensioning it, and then creating a seal to maintain the tension. Traditional mobile strapping devices rely on either electrical storage batteries or compressed air for power, but these can be bulky, heavy, and may not provide consistent performance as the energy source depletes.

The underlying idea behind ’794 is to improve the reliability and handling of a mobile strapping device by using a toggle lever mechanism to move the strap connector (e.g., a friction welder) between its rest and connecting positions. This mechanism ensures that the connector is held firmly in either position, enhancing the functional reliability of the device. A spring is integrated into the toggle lever to maintain force on the pivoting element and toggle lever when in the connecting position.

The claims of ’794 focus on a strapping device that includes a tensioning wheel and a strap connector. The strap connector is designed to move between a rest position and a connecting position. A pivoting element and a toggle lever are coupled to the strap connector, and a spring is integrated to exert force on the pivoting element and the toggle lever when they are in the connecting position. The claims emphasize the configuration and interaction of these mechanical components to ensure reliable operation.

In practice, the toggle lever mechanism provides a stable and secure way to position the strap connector. As the pivoting element and toggle lever move from their first configuration (rest position) to their second configuration (connecting position), the spring ensures that the connector is firmly pressed against the strap, creating a reliable connection. The spring force helps to maintain consistent pressure, even with variations in strap thickness or material.

This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by using a mechanical advantage system to ensure reliable positioning of the strap connector. Instead of relying solely on motor force or pneumatic pressure, the toggle lever and spring combination provides a more robust and consistent connection. This reduces the risk of faulty connections and improves the overall efficiency and reliability of the strapping process, especially in mobile applications where consistent power supply may be an issue. The use of a single motor to drive both the tensioner and the connector further enhances the compactness and efficiency of the device.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the late 2000s when ’794 was filed, mobile strapping devices were commonly powered by rechargeable batteries or compressed air, at a time when automation of strapping processes was increasing the complexity, weight, and maintenance costs of such devices. At that time, engineers were focused on improving the functional reliability and handling properties of mobile strapping devices, when hardware or software constraints made it non-trivial to achieve both automation and compactness.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the claims because the prior art, whether considered individually or together, did not disclose or make obvious a strapping device where a spring circumscribes at least part of the toggle lever. Also, the prior art did not disclose a strapping device where the spring is configured to force the first and second ends of the toggle lever away from one another to exert force on the pivoting element and the toggle lever when the pivoting element and the toggle lever are in the second configuration. Finally, the prior art did not disclose a third pin coupling the toggle lever and the strap connector and defining a third pivot axis.

Claims

This patent contains 60 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 30, and 36. The independent claims are directed to a strapping device that includes a tensioning wheel, a strap connector, a pivoting element, a toggle lever, and a spring, with variations in the coupling and configuration of these elements. The dependent claims generally add further details, features, or limitations to the elements and configurations described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Connecting position
(Claim 1, Claim 30, Claim 36)		“Preferably with this just one motor not only is the drive movement of the welding procedure itself produced, but also a movement of the friction welder from a rest position into a welding position. In the welding position a welding element of the friction welder is pressed onto the strap layers to be welded to each other and through an oscillating movement produces a friction weld on the strap layers. Here, the welding element is preferably inactive in the rest position and is only started up at the beginning of the movement from the rest position.”A position of the strap connector when it is connecting the strap.
Rest position
(Claim 1, Claim 30, Claim 36)		“Preferably with this just one motor not only is the drive movement of the welding procedure itself produced, but also a movement of the friction welder from a rest position into a welding position. In the welding position a welding element of the friction welder is pressed onto the strap layers to be welded to each other and through an oscillating movement produces a friction weld on the strap layers. Here, the welding element is preferably inactive in the rest position and is only started up at the beginning of the movement from the rest position.”A position of the strap connector when it is not connecting the strap.
Strap connector
(Claim 1, Claim 30, Claim 36)		“Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a mobile strapping device for strapping packaged goods with a wrap-around strap, comprising a tensioner for applying a strap tension to a loop of a wrapping strap, as well as a connector for producing a connection at two areas of the loop of wrapping strap disposed one on top of the other, and a chargeable energy storage means for storing energy that can be released as drive energy at least for the connector and/or tensioner. For this various connecting technologies are possible, including friction welding. In the case of the latter, a friction shoe moving in an oscillating manner is pressed onto the area of two ends of the strap loop.”A component that connects two areas of a strap to one another and is movable between a rest position and a connecting position.
Tensioning wheel
(Claim 1, Claim 30, Claim 36)		“Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a strapping device, more particularly a mobile strapping device, for strapping packaged goods with a wrapping strap, comprising a tensioner for applying a strap tension to a loop of a wrapping strap, a rotationally drivable tensioning wheel as well as tensioning rocker that can be pivoted relative to the tensioning wheel and acts together with the tensioning wheel, whereby a tensioning plate is arranged on the tensioning rocker for applying a wrapping strap and a distance between the tensioning plate and the tensioning wheel can be changed in order to apply a tension force to the strap, and a connector, more particularly a welding device, such as a friction welder, for producing a connection at two areas of the loop of wrapping strap disposed one on top of the other.”A wheel that applies tension to a strap.
Toggle lever
(Claim 1, Claim 30, Claim 36)		“It has proven to be advantageous if a device with a toggle lever system is provided to move the welding device from the rest position into the welding position and back. The levers of the toggle lever joint, which are connected to each other via one joint, can, by overcoming two dead point positions, be brought into both end positions at which they hold the welding device in the rest position or in the welding position. Advantageously the toggle lever device is held in both end positions by a force, preferably a force exerted by a mechanical spring. Only by overcoming this force should the toggle lever device be able to move from one end position into the other.”A lever coupled to the pivoting element and to the strap connector, movable between a first configuration and a second configuration.

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US11731794

SIGNODE INDUSTRIAL GROUP LLC
Application Number
US18058011
Filing Date
Nov 22, 2022
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Jan 6, 2029
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents