TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a fastening device for fastening a cylinder formed part to a section, such as a post or the like, the fastening device comprises a deformable lock flange which is arranged to cooperate with the post. The invention also relates to the use of a fastening device and a method for building a fence comprising the fastening device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Protective fences and fence systems form hazardous areas within industry have specific demands in terms of durability and user friendliness. Quick-Guard® is a fence system which is provided by Jokab Safety AB. Such fence systems are designed to endure the demands put on fence systems presently within industry with special attention to safety issues. Such fences are designed to stop machine parts or material which during a malfunction can be propelled towards the fence, from an industrial robot for example. It is easy to understand that these types of safety fences must have details specifically designed to meet the high demands required of them.

Except for safety requirements, there are demands concerning simplicity, i.e. installation, adjustment, disassembly, time efficiency and user friendliness. Temporary or longer stops for a manufacturing unit are generally very expensive. It is therefore important to keep stop times and lead times to a minimum.

During assembly of a net to a section, such as a post, for example, a section with a groove has earlier been used, two parts that are put together about a cylinder formed part of the net and thereafter assembled to the groove with one part in the groove and the part outside of the groove. This system has now been improved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION At least a part of the above drawbacks are solved, or at least mitigated, with a fastening device according to the present invention, more specifically, they are solved or mitigated by a fastening device for coupling at least a part, preferably a cylinder formed part, to a section. The section comprises an opening to receive the fastening device at least in a first direction. The fastening device comprises a body comprising at least one groove to receive and hold the part, the groove has a longitudinal direction. A deformable lock flange is arranged to said body and adapted to be deformed as the fastening device is introduced into the opening of the section. The body further comprises at least one press surface arranged on the body. The press surface is arranged to rotate the fastening device about the longitudinal direction of the groove upon being subjected to a load, wherein the deformable flange is deformed during connection with the section. After being introduced into the opening the deformable lock flange strives towards regaining its original form, alternatively regains its original form, wherein the lock flange substantially locks the fastening device from displacement in a direction opposite of the first direction.

The present invention enables easy assembly, adjustment, and disassembly safety fences for example. The fastening device is also safe in terms of holding a net to the section and the configuration can withstand relatively high amount of stress.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the lock flange comprises a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is arranged to the body. The embodiment enables the deformation capacity of the deformable lock flange to be controlled in an accurate manner for example. The distal end can the adapted to comprise a support flange form deformation of the deformable lock flange after the lock flange has been coupled to the section. This enables the fastening device to be released form the section in a simple manner. For example, a tool such a screw driver or simply a nail can be used to bend the deformable lock flange out and away from the groove of the section.

In an embodiment according to the present invention, the press surface is made from a first and a second fastening flange arranged to rotate the fastening device about the longitudinal direction of the groove upon being subject to a load. A user is thus provided with a suitable surface for transferring the load, together with certain leverage which simplify the transfer of the load to the fastening device, and thereby the deformation of the deformable lock flange. As an alternative only one fastening flange can be arranged on the fastening device, alternatively, one or more, two or more, three or more fastening flanges. In an embodiment of the present invention the deformable lock flange is arranged between a first and a second fastening flange. The fastening device can in this way exhibit alternating deformable lock flanges and fastening flanges, i.e. every other deformable lock flange and every other fastening flange, when the fastening device has a plurality of deformable lock flanges and a plurality of fastening flanges.

In an additional embodiment, the deformable lock flange is arranged at an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the groove. The embodiment is specifically advantageous as the deformable lock flange comprises a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is arranged to the body. The fastening flange(s) can also be arranged with an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the groove. This enables that the groove of body of the fastening device can be positioned to one side of the groove of the section, which provides for a safe coupling of the cylinder formed part.

In an embodiment of the present invention at least one support shoulder is arranged to prevent rotation of the fastening device after it is coupled to the opening of the section. The support shoulder can also be adapted to hold the distal end of the fastening flange on a predetermined position, for example to the opening of the groove, so at to keep the groove of the body at an appropriate position in the groove of the section.

In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the groove to receive and hold the cylinder formed part has a substantially C-formed cross section, wherein said groove is arranged to grip around at least a part of the cylinder formed part. The C-formed cross section can be said to be formed by a first and a second wall, which together form a continuous surface. The cross section of the groove of the fastening device can however exhibit other forms such as a quadrangular cross section, V-formed cross section or the like. The above mention rotation can in those cases the rotation is not permitted by the cross section of the groove be enabled through a rotation of the material in itself of the cylinder formed part or by that the fastening device comprises a specific configuration to enable such a rotation, for example, the hole groove of the body can be rotateable arranged to the body.

The first and/or the second wall of the body can be provided with at least one chamfering to simplify the insertion of the cylinder formed part to said groove. The first and/or the second wall are chamfered in the proximity of the sides of the fastening device. The fastening device according to the present invention is advantageously manufactured in a unitary piece of material, a plastic material for example such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane or similar plastic material or mixtures thereof. The fastening device can also be manufactured from wood material such as oak, birch or pressed cellulose, at least one metallic material such as steel, aluminum, iron, bronze, brass, or the like.

The present invention also relates to a kit form building a fence with a section comprising at least one opening, a net formed material and at least one fastening device.

The present invention also relates to a method for coupling a net to a section having at least one groove and using a fastening device. The method comprises the steps of; coupling the fastening device to the net; introduce the fastening device and parts of the net into the groove of the section; rotate the fastening device about the longitudinal axis of the groove of the fastening device, so that the deformable lock flange is deformed and so that the fastening device can be introduced into the groove of the section. The method is fast and simple.

It can generally be said that the present invention relates to a fastening device for building a fence for example with at least one section having at least one groove, and at least one fence material such as a net. The fastening device, according to the present invention, comprises a deformable lock flange which during insertion is deformed so at to permit insertion. Wherein after being inserted, the deformable lock flange strives to regain its original form, alternatively it regains its original form, so that the fastening device is locked in the groove of eth section. The present invention is simple to use and provides a safe connection of the fence material to the section.

DEFINITIONS

By the term "cylinder formed" is hereby meant a substantially oblong form without being limited in cross section, for example a cylinder formed part can have a circular, triangular, quadrangular, or any other polygonal cross section. The cross section can be regular or irregular. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which; figure 1a shows a part of a section, a part of a net and a fastening device according to the present invention; figure 1b shows a fence system that can be built with a fastening device according to the present invention; figure 2 shows an embodiment of a fastening device according to the present invention with a view in perspective and seen with an angle from above; figure 3 shows the fastening device from figure 3 with a view in perspective seen with an angle from beneath; figure 4 shows the fastening device from figures 2 and 3 with a view from the side; figures 5a-5b show the assembly of a fastening device coupled to a net part right after being introduced to the groove of a section; figures 6a-6b show the assembly of a fastening device coupled to a net part right after being introduced to the groove of a section and; figures 7a-7b show the assembly of a fastening device coupled to a net part right after being introduced to the groove of a section, through deformation of a deformable lock flange.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1a shows a fastening device 10 for fastening a part 11 , hereafter referred to a cylinder formed part 11 , in this case a metal wire of a metal net 16, to a section 12. The section 12 is in this case a part of a post 13, to assemble a safety fence for example, show-case wall, container, box, shelf, fence or the like. Figure 1 b shows how a safety fence can be assembled using the present invention in a simple and time efficient manner. The metal net 16 can be replaced or complemented with a board, such as a sound insulating board, plexiglass 19 or the like. The post 13 is an embodiment of the invention, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to a part of a post but can be used together with a groove or a hole in a wall of a vehicle, house or the like, to fasten appropriate objects thereto. The post 13 exhibits at least an opening 14. The opening 14 is a part of a groove 15 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the post 13. The post 13 exhibits at least four grooves 15, one on either side of the post 13. Figure 2 shows a view in perspective of the fastening device 10 as seen from an angle above. More specifically, figure 2 shows a body 20 with a groove 21 exhibiting a substantially C-formed cross section to grip about a part of the cylinder formed part 11. The body 20 and the groove 21 has a longitudinal direction A, which in figure 2 is the same as the longitudinal centre axis of the groove 21. The C-formed cross section of eth groove 21 provides for a snap on connection to the cylinder formed part 11 during assembly. The groove 21 has a first and a second wall 22, 23 which together form the groove 21.

A deformable lock flange 30 extends out from the body 20 at an angle substantially perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal direction A of the groove 21 and in this case also the centre axis of the groove 21. The deformable lock flange 30 has a proximal end 31, attached to the body 20, and a distal end 32, which after connection is intended to cooperate with the opening 14, i.e. the groove 15 of the post 13. The deformable lock flange 30 can be deformed so at least the distal end 32 can be displaced a distance with respect to the body 20. The deformable lock flange 30 can regain its original form after deformation and is thereby advantageously made from a deformable flexible material.

Additionally arranged on the body 20 is at least one press surface 40, in this case divided on a first and a second fastening flange 41 , 42. The press surface 40 is arranged so that it during load by a user will enable a turning motion of the fastening device 20, with respect to the centre axis A and the longitudinal direction A of the groove 21 , after the cylinder formed part 11 has been assembled with the groove 21 and the fastening device has been introduced in the opening 14 of the post 13. This will be described in greater detail below. At least one fastening flange 41 , 42 is relatively rigid with respect to the deformable lock flange 30. It is worth noting that the fastening device 20 can comprise a plurality of deformable lock flanges 30 and fastening flanges 41 , 43, alternatively only one fastening flange 41 and one deformable lock flange 30.

In figure 2, the fastening flanges 41 , 42 are arranged on either side of eth lock flange 30 and along the longitudinal direction A. At least the distal end 32 of the deformable lock flange 30 can be displaced with respect to the fastening flanges 41 , 42 during deformation of the deformable lock flange 30. Figure 3 shows the fastening device 10 in perspective with an angle from beneath, wherein the body 20, the groove 21 , the first and the second fastening flange 41 , 42 and the lock flange 30 are visible. In addition, each of the fastening flanges has a support shoulder 43 which after assembly with the post 13 is arranged to substantially prevent the fastening device 10 from turning about the centre axis A of the groove during interaction with the groove 15 of the post 13. As alternative or in combination, the support shoulders 43 can be used for positioning the fastening flanges to appropriate position in the groove 15 or the opening 14 of the section.

Figure 4 shows the fastening device 10 with a view form the side. The groove 21 has a substantially C-formed cross section with an inner surface 21 formed by its first 22 and second wall 23. The C-formed cross section has a diameter of about 3,5 mm. The diameter can however be between 1-300 mm, preferably 1-100 mm.

Figure 4 also shows a recess 33 on the distal end 32 of the lock flange 30. The recess defines a support flange 34 which can be used to deform the lock flange 30 after assembly so that the fastening device 10 can be retracted form the opening 14 of the post 13 and thereby be released from the post 13. A user could use a screw driver for example to deform the deformable lock flange 30 to enable it to be removed from the post 13.

With reference to the figures 5a-7b, the method of assembly will be disclosed in greater detail, wherein figures 5a, 6a, 7a a view in perspective is shown and in figures 5b, 6b, 7b shows a view from above for respective view. The same reference is used for the same feature in each figure. The figures 5a-5b shows the section 12 in the form of a part of a post 13 with its opening 14 and groove 15, and a part of eth cylinder formed part 11 which together with other cylinder formed parts forms a net 16. A fastening device 10 as described above is arranged on the cylinder formed part 11. The fastening device 10 and at least a part of eth cylinder formed part 11 which is arranged to the fastening device 10, is moved in via the opening 14 along a first direction, as indicated by the arrow P.

Figures 6a-6b shows how the fastening device 10 and at least a part of eth cylinder formed part 11 has been introduced into the groove 15 of eth post 13. A user can thereafter use the press surface 40, in this case formed by the fastening flange 41 to impart a load on the fastening device 10 wherein the fastening device 10 rotates about the centre axis A and the cylinder formed part 11. As the fastening device is rotated the lock flange 30 will be positioned in contact with a side 17 of the opening 14 and deformed as a result of the load imparted by the user. The distal end is somewhat displaced with respect to the body 20. As a user continues to impart a load to the press surface 40, the lock flange 30 will eventually pass the side 17 of the opening and the deformation will return to 5 the original position of the lock flange 30. It should be noted that its within the scope of the invention that the deformable lock flange 30 does not return to its original position but it is sufficient that it strives towards it original position just enough for preventing the fastening device 10 from being released from the post 13.

10 In figures 7a-7b it is shown how the deformable lock flange 30 has returned to its original position. It should be noted how the fastening flange 41 is arranged to, temporarily or permanently, lie adjacent to the side 17 of the opening 14 and how the support shoulder 43 is assisting to guide the groove 21 in one end of the groove 15. Figure 7b additionally show how the cylinder formed part 1 and the distal end 32 of the deformable lock flange

15 30 is arranged at the proximity of either side 17, 18 of the groove 15, which is a consequence of that the groove 21 of eth body 20 is arranged in connection with the side of the fastening device 10. This property is improved by having the deformable lock flange 30 extending out from the body 20 substantially perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal groove 21 alternatively as shown in figure 7b, alternatively by that at least one

20 of the fastening flanges is arranged adjacent to one side 17 of the opening 14. An additional effect is that the cylinder formed part 11 can be arranged inside the groove 15 of the post 13when using a net having longitudinal and transverse cylinder parts, as shown in figures 5a-7b, and that the inside of the opening, in figure 7b, an opposing side 18 to the side 17, effectively prevents that the cylinder formed part 11 can be removed

25 from the fastening device 10. A cheap fastening device which is user friendly and safe is hereby provided. It should further be noted that the fastening device, according to the present invention, is adapted to be substantially fully enclosed in the groove of the section 12, i.e. it does not extend outside of the periphery of the section, as a consequence the risk of getting caught or to damage the fastening device is significantly reduced.

30

Figure 8 shows another embodiment of a fastening device 10 according to the present invention. The same references are used for the same features. The fastening device 10 comprises a body 20 with a groove 21 , having a substantially C-formed cross section, to grip around a part of the cylinder formed part 11 and the net 16. The body 20 and the

35 groove 21 has a longitudinal direction A, which in figures 8a, 8b is the same as the longitudinal axis of the groove 21. The C-formed cross section of eth groove 21 provides a snap on coupling with the cylinder formed part 11 during assembly.

A deformable lock flange 30 extends out from the body 20 substantially perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal direction A of the groove 21 and in this case also the centre axis of the groove 21. The deformable lock flange 30 has a proximal end 31 , attached to the body 20 and a distal end 32, which after coupling is intended to cooperate with the opening 14, and the groove 15 of eth post. The deformable lock flange 30 can be deformed so that at least the distal end 32 can be displaced a distance with respect to the body 20. The deformable lock flange 30 can regain its original form after deformation and is advantageously manufactured from a deformable flexible material.

At least one press surface 40 is additionally arranged on the body 20, in this case distributed on one fastening flange 41. The press surface 40 is arranged so that during an imparted load from a user it will impart a rotating motion to the fastening device 20, with respect to the centre axis A of the groove and the longitudinal direction A of the groove 21 , after the cylinder formed part 11 has been coupled to the groove 21 and that the fastening device 10 has been introduced into the opening on the post 13.

As the fastening device is rotated, the deformable lock flange 30 is deformed thereby enabling it to be introduced into the opening 14 and in a similar fashion to the earlier described embodiment in figures 1-7b, cooperate with the underside thereof, i.e. one side of eth groove 15 on the post 13. The showed embodiment also has a stop shoulder 45 to prevent that the fastening device is completely rotated into the opening 14 on the groove 15. On the opposite side of the fastening device 10, with respect to the stop shoulder 45, is a second stop shoulder 46 arranged to prevent the fastening device 10 from being rotated out from the groove 15 of the post 13. The stop shoulder 46 cooperates with the inside of the groove 15 and/or with the side of the opening 14, while the stop shoulder 45 cooperates with the outside of the post 13. In this embodiment, the body 20 of the fastening device 10 is arranged to prevent the net 16 from being able to be retracted in a direction opposite of the direction in which the fastening device 10 was introduced in the opening 14 of the post 13.The opening of the groove 21 of the fastening device 10 is thus not adjacent to the opening 14 of the post 13. Such positioning of the opening of the groove 21 can also be implemented on the embodiment of the fastening device 10 shown in figures 1-7b.