Description Field of the invention

The invention relates to a corner protector to provide protection against, and/or of, a part of an object, comprising at least three plate-shaped portions and a middle region, wherein the at least three plate-shaped portions extend towards the middle region. The invention also relates to a mould and method for its production.

Background of the invention

There are many corner protectors which can be attached to a part, such as a corner, of an object. However, the intended function is not the same for all these corner protectors. One intended function of a corner protector is to protect said part against external impacts. In this application this situation will be referred to as relating to protection "of a part of an object.

This attachment can be permanent, for example corner protectors for the protection of suit cases against rough use, or can be temporary, for example for the protection of goods during their transportation. The corner protectors for protection of a part intended for temporary use can be for single use only, for example manufactured from cardboard, or can be for multiple use, for example manufactured from flexible plastic.

Another intended use is to protect goods, animals or persons against said part. In this application this situation will be referred to as relating to protection "against" a part. This attachment can be permanent, for example attachment to protruding parts of a vehicle, semipermanent, for example for in-house use to protect small children against sharp corners of furniture, or temporary, for example during transportation of objects having sharp corners to protect tarpaulin of trucks.

However, there are no known corner protectors which can be attached easily to large and/or heavy objects, such as metal plates when stacked. Particularly in the industry there is a need for corner protectors for temporary protection, which can be attached easily. This particular intended use can relate to protection of, or against, said part. Such corner protectors should be light-weighted in relation to their size to allow an employee to lift at least four such corner protectors and to attach one with one stretched arm. In this case it is also desirable that the corner protectors can be easily attached to, as well as removed from, the object to be protected. Moreover, it is desirable that such corner protector can be manufactured inexpensively.

It is known that temporary attachment of corner protectors for protection of, and against, a part of an object can be effected by an adhesive or by engagement of the corner protector to said part as a result of the flexibility and the design of the corner protector, see WO

2012/076830 and US 2005/0150810. However, these attachment methods are not suitable for attachment of a corner protector to heavy objects because in this case the impact forces to be dealt with can be substantially higher. There are no known adhesives able to meet the requirements of this intended use, that is to say, are strong enough to ensure impact resistant attachment as well as have an adhesiveness to allow the corner protector to be removed easily. Moreover, it is a characteristic of the common used flexible plastics that they are susceptible to breaking or tearing compared to hard plastic. As a result of higher impact forces heavy objects have to deal with, and because of the intended use to guarantee security and/or protection, the volume of a possible corner protector made form flexible plastic would be significant. However, such high volume corner protectors would be impractical, for example with respect to handling, stacking and storing.

Considering the disadvantages of flexible plastic with respect to the intended use. described above, also attachment methods using a specific design of a corner protector made of flexible plastic are not preferred. Therefore, scaling up the design of known corner protectors manufactured from flexible plastic does not provide a solution with respect to the intended use of the corner protectors in relation to large and/or heavy objects.

Scaling up the design of known small corner protectors manufactured from hard plastic, for example known to protect the corners of a suit case, will increase the weight of the resulting corner protectors in such a way that producing them will be correspondingly expensive, and handling them will be difficult.

Furthermore, producing corner protectors having the same design as known corner protectors manufactured from flexible plastic, with the sole difference that they are manufactured from hard plastic, does not provide a solution. Considering the fact that said know corner protectors can be attached just because they are manufactured from flexible plastic, it is not possible to attach the variant manufactured from hard plastic in the same way. Another disadvantage is that the corner protectors will be too heavy because the original design is not meant to be scaled up to a larger variant. Again another problem is that a production method for manufacturing corner protectors from hard plastic, namely injection moulding, is not always suitable for a corner protector design which is specific for flexible plastic. For example, the latter is true because the moulds are designed in such a way that the resulting object can only be removed from the mould if it is made from flexible plastic.

A corner protector is described which can be coupled to a suction cup for attachment.

However, the design of this corner protector is only suitable in relation to the suction cup, see US 4,072,231. Therefore, it is a goal of the invention to provide a corner protector which is able to provide protection of, and against, a part, such as a corner, of a heavy object, such as a corner of metal plates or metal objects, and at the same time is relatively light-weighted and is manufactured from hard plastic. It is also a goal of the invention to provide a corner protector which can be stacked and handled easily by an ordinary employee. Furthermore, it is another goal of the invention to provide a design of a corner protector which is suitable as a base to incorporate one or more of the same or different attachment means and/or affixing means.

Summary of the invention In order to achieve at least one of these goals, the invention provides a corner protector such as defined in claim 1.

The problem of attachment of the corner protector for temporary use can be solved by applying a magnet or suction cup, in case said part of the concerning object is metallic, or has an even surface. The opening can be designed for non-releasable or releasable incorporation of the magnet. The strength of the magnet can be adjusted to the weight of the corner protector or to the expected impact force. The opening can be designed, or can be adjusted, such that it is also suitable for conventional attachment of the corner protector using a screw by inserting the screw through the opening, for subsequent driving the screw into the part. Such a corner protector may be suitable for permanent or semi-permanent use. One advantage of such a multifunctional opening is that the corner protector can be made suitable for multiple uses, using different attachment methods. Corner protectors comprising an opening, as described above, but without attachment means also fall within the scope of this invention.

In an exemplary embodiment of a corner protector according to the invention a magnet is incorporated in at least one opening. Depending on the desired strength of the bonding between the corner protector and the part, and the requirements of convenience in attaching and removing the corner protector, one magnet can be incorporated in one opening, or multiple magnets can be incorporated in corresponding openings. Preferably, the corner protector comprises a rim around the opening designed to allow the magnet to be clicked easily into its place, and, as required, to be (non-)releasable connected. A person skilled in the art will know how to design such a rim for clicking elements into place. In an exemplary embodiment of a corner protector according to the invention the middle region is mainly made from hard plastic and comprises a dome shaped portion.

One advantage of such a corner protector is that it will prevent damage to external objects or persons because the outer surface of the dome shaped portion is larger and more rounded compared to said part against which protection is to be provided. For example, when said part against which protection is to be provided, is an angular point, the large, round surface of the dome-shaped portion will cause less damage than said angular point.

Another advantage of the corner protector according to the invention, when said part which should be protected is an angular point, is that due to the presence of the dome-shaped portion said corner protector can be attached in such a way that it does not contact said angular point, as a consequence of which this relatively weak part of the object will be protected. The part which should be protected, or against which protection is desirable, can have any possible form, as long as at least one of the plate-shaped portions is able to abut at least partially a surface of said part while being attached to it. For example, said part may be a polyhedron, wherein three or more surfaces converge to an angular point. When the object comprises an angular point formed by an x number of converging surfaces, it is possible that the corresponding corner protector according to the invention also comprises an x number of plate-shaped portions, such that all plate-shaped portions can be positioned in contact to the surfaces of said part forming the angular point.

The term "hard plastic" is meant to indicate a rigid plastic such that when a corner protector is manufactured from it, a little movement between the different plate-shaped portions may be possible while compression of the dome-shaped portion is not possible.

The dimension of the corner protector may be in the range of 20 - 40 cm. In one embodiment the middle region comprises for at least one plate-shaped portion a transition portion which transition portion extends from the dome-shaped portion towards the corresponding plate-shaped portion.

One advantage of such a transition portion is that the corner protector can be designed in such a way that the dome-shaped portion protrudes further, in other words bulges more outwardly. For example, it is possible that the dome-shaped portion protrudes further than a surface of a plate-shaped portion. One advantage of the transition portion is that the dome- shaped portion can be enlarged without having to compromise on the contribution of the plate-shaped portion to attachment of the corner protector. Furthermore, bulging towards a specific side can be advantageous for a specific intended use, for example wherein one side of said part requires relatively more protection, or one side of said part is more prone to cause damage.

In another embodiment the middle region comprises for at least two plate-shaped portions a transition portion, which transition portion extends from the dome-shaped portion towards the corresponding plate-shaped portion, wherein the transition portions extend divergently from the middle region.

Due to the divergent transition portions it is possible to manufacture a corner protector made of hard plastic and moreover formed as a whole, by using moulds. The divergent transition portions allow the hardened moulded body to be removed from the moulds without any major deformation. In this case, the direction in which the moulded body will be removed from the mould will be parallel to the centre line of the dome-shaped portion. In another embodiment the middle region comprises for at least two plate-shaped portions a transition portion which transition portion extends from the dome-shaped portion towards the corresponding plate-shaped portion, wherein the transition portions extend parallelly from the middle region.

One advantage of the parallelly extending transition portions is that the corner protector can be manufactured easily by means of moulds. Another advantage is that the parallelly extending transition portions allow the plate-shaped portion to contribute more to the attachment of the corner protector when compared to the divergent extending transition portions.

In yet another embodiment the plate-shaped portions are connected to each other, wherein between two neighbouring plate-shaped portions a rib is present, wherein the ribs extend towards the middle region.

The design of the corner protector can be adjusted to the part which should be protected or to the part against which protection is desirable, such that the corner protector can be attached in such a way that at least some, and preferably all, ribs are in the close proximity of the edges of said part to provide protection against, or of, these edges. When said part is an angular point, the middle region will be in close proximity of the angular point and the ribs will be in close proximity to its edges after the corner protector has been attached.

Moreover, it is made possible to design a corner protector wherein due to the presence of the ribs some movement between the plate-shaped portions is possible.

In yet another embodiment each angle between the imaginary centre line of the dome- shaped portion and a rib is generally equal. This is advantageous because a plurality of such comer protectors can be stacked easily irrespectively from the mutual position of the plate- shaped portions before forming a stack. The same is true for attaching such corner protectors. Consequently, such corner protectors are practical to handle for employees having to attach many of them.

It is also advantageous, in case of multiple use, when the plate-shaped portions are generally equally shaped and the transition portions extend parallelly, so that, while looking towards the middle region, the corner protector is substantially radially symmetrical along the centre line of the dome-shaped portion.

One advantage of such a corner protector is that the user is not required to initially position the corner protector in a specific way with respect to said part to be protected or against which protection is desirable, before attaching it. Another advantage is that such corner protectors can be stacked and can be stored and/or transported easily.

In a specific embodiment the corner protector comprises three plate-shaped portions which are connected to each other via the corresponding ribs in such a way that each plate-shaped portion is positioned in a right angle with respect to two adjacent plate-shaped portions.

Such a corner protector is suitable in case the part of the object is an angular point wherein three surfaces converge. In practice an angular point is the most common form that is to be protected.

In one embodiment the cross-section of at least a portion of one of the ribs has an outwardly extending loop shape, wherein the ends of the loop shape border the plate-shaped portion. One advantage of such a corner protector is that the rib, where the cross-section is loop shaped, is able to incorporate high impact energy and to provide good protection with a minimum amount of plastic material, and a corresponding minimum weight. Due to the enlarged surface of the rib it can absorb higher impact energy so that the part of the object or an extern body is less likely to be damaged.

Another advantage is that the rib extends outwardly without any sharp edges, as a consequence of which for example a fastening belt can be brought into engagement with the rib without being subjected to substantial friction so it can be useful for a longer time. In another embodiment the opening in a plate-shaped portion is surrounded by a rim extending from said plate-shaped portion, wherein the extent and the direction in which the rim is extending from said plate-shaped portion is similar or equal to the extent and the direction in which the loop shape extends from the same plate-shaped portion. Such a protruding rim is specifically advantageous for forming a stack of a plurality of such corner protectors. This is particularly true when the plate-shaped portions have a generally equal shape and when in a stack of such corner protectors one opening of the one corner protector is in close proximity to an opening of the other corner protector, like parallel thereto.

Another advantage of a rim extending in such a way is that it allows a magnet to be positioned in the opening, such that a surface of the magnet is aligned with the top of the rim. This is advantageous because when a plurality of corner protectors are stacked the magnets of separate corner protectors will contact and attract each other. In this way the corner protectors in a stack can be hold together. While a plurality of corner protectors are in a stack and the magnets of different corner protectors attract each other, it is possible that the plate- shaped portions, potentially due to the presence of ribs, slightly deform with respect to the middle region. In yet another embodiment at least one plate-shaped portion comprises a generally continuous structure, which structure comprises an elevation, wherein the form of the rim surrounding the elevation and the direction in which the elevation extends with respect to the corresponding plate-shaped portion is generally equal to said form and said direction of the rim as described above, and in claim 12, and at least one abutting part which is present below the elevation, wherein a surface of the abutting part is in the same plane as the remaining part of the plate-shaped portion.

A structure as described above may be more advantageous with respect to robustness and stackability of the corner protector compared to the situation wherein an opening surrounded by a rim is present and nothing, for example no magnet, is incorporated into the opening.

When there is also no intention to use the opening for example for using a screw, an opening is not desirable and may decrease the robustness of the corner protector. Therefore, when the plate-shaped portion does not have any additional functionality with respect to

attachment, a continuous structure is preferred. One advantage of the abutting part is that in a situation in which a plurality of corner protectors is stacked the abutting part of one corner protector will abut the rim of the plate-shaped portion of another corner protector lower in the stack. The abutting part can be advantageous when a plurality of corner protectors are forming a stack. The abutting part prevents the corner protectors, or its rims or ribs, from being engaged too tightly to each other or it prevents the ribs from enduring too much weight. That is to say, without abutting parts only the ribs, and not the plate-shaped portions, or the rims will abut each other.

Another advantage of such a corner protector with a continuous structure relates to its manufacture. In this case it is possible that the contour of the surfaces of the plate shaped parts, either having the continuous structure or comprising the opening, which surfaces are to be exposed to the surroundings during use, is similar. For example it is possible that the rims are equally formed. Therefore, it is possible that the mould segments designed for said surfaces are equally formed. As a consequence, the decision to whether or not make an opening in one of the plate-shaped portions can be taken easier, and a limited amount of mould sections are needed.

In yet another embodiment of a corner protector according to the invention the corner protector is formed as a whole and is manufactured by means of injection moulding.

Preferably the entire corner protector is made from hard plastic.

Furthermore, the invention provides a mould for manufacturing a corner protector as described above, comprising two mould members, of which at least one mould member comprises separate, exchangeable mould sections for each plate-shaped portion. For each plate-shaped portion, as described above, various mould sections can be used, like one for a plate-shaped portion having an opening or one for a plate-shaped portion having a continuous structure as described above.

Moreover, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a corner protector as described above, comprising use of the mould as described above to make a corner protector formed as a whole, and clicking a magnet in the opening.

Brief description of the figures In the following the invention will be explained with reference to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of a corner protector according to the invention, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the corner protector according to the invention Figure 2 shows a front view of an exemplary embodiment of the corner protector according to the invention

Detailed description of the invention

In figure 1 and 2 the corner protector (1) comprises three plate-shaped portions (2A, 2B, 2C) and a middle region (3). The middle region (3) consists of a dome-shaped portion (5) and transition portions (6A, 6B, 6C). The transition portions (6A, 6B, 6C) cover the distance between the dome-shaped portion (5) and the corresponding neighbouring plate-shaped portions (2A, 2B, 2C). The plate-shaped portions (2A, 2B, 2C) are mutually connected, whereby between two neighbouring plate-shaped portions (2A, 2B, 2C) a rib (4A, 4B, 4C) is formed. The ribs (4A, 4B, 4C) extend to the wide side of the dome-shaped portion (5). The comer protector comprises one opening (8) in each plate-shaped portion, wherein in the opening in one plate-shaped portion (2A) a magnet (11) is incorporated. The broken line is an imaginary line in the middle area (3) separating the dome-shaped portion (5) from a transition portion (6A). The transition portions (6A, 6B, 6C) of this exemplary embodiment extend parallelly. From one point of view it can be said that the middle region (3) is shaped like the end of an ampoule, wherein the dome-shaped portion (5) is the end of the ampoule and the transition portions (6A, 6B, 6C) together form the elongated part of the ampoule. In this exemplary embodiment each possible front view, such as the one shown in figure 2, will be identical. Figure 2 shows that the angle a1 between the imaginary centre line (7) of the dome-shaped portion (5) and rib 4C is generally equal to the angle a2 between the imaginary centre line (7) and rib 4A. It is shown that the point of intersection is below the dome-shaped portion (5), meaning that if this exemplary embodiment is attached to an angular point where three surfaces converge, the dome shaped portion (5) does not contact the outermost tip of this angular point. In figure 1 plate-shaped portion (2B) comprises a continuous structure (12), which structure (12) comprises an elevation, wherein the form of the rim (14) of the elevation (13) and the direction in which the elevation (13) extends with respect to the corresponding plate-shaped portion is generally equal to that of the rim (9) of plate-shaped portion 2A, in which a magnet is incorporated, and the rim of plate-shaped portion 2C, surrounding an opening (8). The structure (12) comprises two elongated abutting parts (15) positioned transverse to, and below, the elevation (13). The lower side of the abutting parts (15), viewed from the elevation, extend in the same plane as the remaining part of the plate- shaped portion (2B). Figure 2 shows that the upright rim (9) around the opening (8) protrudes further from the plate-shaped portion (2A) than the rib (4A) does in the same direction from the same plate- shaped portion (2A). When a magnet is incorporated in this opening (8) (not shown) such that the upper side of the magnet is in the same imaginary plane as the upper side of the rim, and a plurality of such corner protectors form a stack, the magnets will contact each other and hold the corner protectors in the stack together.