TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention pertains in general to the field of locking ledges. More particularly, the invention relates to door locking ledges for containers.

BACKGROUND

Pallet boxes or containers for placing on pallets have been in use for quite some time. There exist various containers or container assemblies which can be either un-foldable or foldable.

Un-foldable pallet containers bring a disadvantage when storing or returning empty occupy since they occupy as much space empty as loaded with goods.

Foldable pallet containers are in comparison advantageous since they typically occupy less space folded than unfolded.

The container of foldable pallet containers comprises a sleeve may contain a foldable sleeve. The height of the un-folded sleeve may prevent a human arm to fetch for instance a spare part and bring the spare part out of the container. This is because a too high a sleeve prevents the human arm to reach into the container. For this reason a door is defined within the sleeve enabling a user to open the door, tilt it down- or side ways enabling the user to reach further into the container.

Containers are from time to time positioned at places without any shelter. Containers can therefore easily be exposed to heavy rain and wind.

It has been disclosed locking arrangements for locking pallet container door to a pallet container sleeve. However, as will be pointed out in the following these arrangements have disadvantages.

It is known various locking arrangements for locking an edge of a pallet container door to an edge of a sleeve defining an opening for the door of a pallet container. One type of locking means comprises a hook- and loop fastener such as Velcro fastener. Such a locking means has the disadvantage that it is not rainproof, which risk damaging interior goods in the pallet container. Another type of locking means comprises asymmetrically mounted plates on a container wall, which when being rotated provides a stop hindering the door to be opened. Locking means having asymmetrically mounted plates has also shown not to be rainproof.

A still further kind of locking means is a latch that is slid across a door opening preventing the door to be opened. Needless to say latch-type locking means should not be used for fragile goods that are not rainproof.

In addition, all these types of locking means require two hands for closing or opening the locking means, one for maneuvering the locking means and one for opening/closing the door.

There is thus a need to provide a locking means that does not have the disadvantages of the prior art, as mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate the above-identified disadvantages singly or in any combination and solves at least the above mentioned problems by providing a locking ledge and a locking means according to the appended patent claims.

The general solution according to the invention is to provide a locking ledge that when being used for containers provide locking means that is rainproof and can be maneuvered with only one hand.

According to one object of the present invention a locking ledge providing locking means for positioning a door of a container wall, in an opening therefore of a container, and locking the door to the container wall, is presented. Said locking ledge is elongated along an elongation axis, and has an interaction surface along the elongation axis, and a ridge that is oriented essentially along said elongation axis and protrude from the interaction surface. The locking ledge further has a flange that protrudes from the interaction surface and is oriented along the elongation axis. The locking ledge is further adapted to, under an angle corresponding to an opening angle of the door in the container, interact with another locking ledge that is elongated along an elongation axis, said another locking ledge having an interaction surface along the elongation axis of said another locking ledge and having a ridge that is oriented essentially along said elongation axis of said another locking ledge, said ridge of said another locking ledge protruding from its interaction surface. The ridge of the locking ledge is also adapted to interact with and contact to the ridge of said another locking ledge, and where said flange of said locking ledge is adapted to abut on said another locking ledge in a closed angle position, and where the ridge of the locking ledge is adapted to exert a force onto the ridge of said another locking ledge in a direction perpendicular to both interaction surfaces, in an open angle position.

The ridge of the locking ledge may be adapted with an opening slope that is steeper than a closing slope, where the slopes are directed perpendicular to the elongation axis of the locking ledge.

The distance with which the ridge of the locking ledge is protruding from the interaction surface may be dependent on an elongation position along the elongation axis of the locking ledge.

The locking ledge may be right-handed, left-handed or symmetric with respect to the elongation axis of the locking ledge.

According to another object of the present invention a further locking ledge providing locking means for positioning a door of a container wall, in an opening therefore of a container, and locking the door to the container wall, is presented.

The locking ledge is elongated along an elongation axis, and has an interaction surface along the elongation axis, and a ridge that is oriented essentially along said elongation axis and protrudes from the interaction surface. The locking ledge is further adapted to, under an angle corresponding to an opening angle of the door in the container, interact with another locking ledge that is elongated along an elongation axis, said another locking ledge having an interaction surface along the elongation axis of said another locking ledge and having a ridge that is oriented essentially along said elongation axis of said another locking ledge, said ridge of said another locking ledge protruding from its interaction surface, said another locking ledge further having a flange protruding from the interaction surface of said another locking ledge and being oriented along the elongation axis of said another locking ledge. The ridge of the locking ledge is further adapted to interact with and contact to the ridge of said another locking ledge, and where said locking ledge is adapted to abut on the flange of said another locking ledge in a closed angle position, and where the ridge of the locking ledge is adapted to exert a force onto the ridge of said another locking ledge in a direction perpendicular to both interaction surfaces, in an open angle position.

The ridge of the further locking ledge may be adapted with an opening slope that is steeper than a closing slope, where the slopes are directed perpendicular to the elongation axis of the locking ledge.

The distance with which the ridge of the further locking ledge is protruding from the interaction surface may be dependent on an elongation position along the elongation axis of the locking ledge.

The locking ledge may be right-handed, left-handed or symmetric with respect to the elongation axis of the locking ledge.

According to yet another object of the present invention, a locking means for positioning a door of a container wall in an opening therefore of a container and locking the door to the container wall, is presented. The locking means comprises a first locking ledge that is elongated along a first elongation axis and has a first interaction surface along the first elongation axis, and a ridge oriented essentially along said first elongation axis and protrudes from the first interaction surface. The first locking ledge also comprises a flange that protrudes from the first interaction surface and is oriented along the first elongation axis. The second locking ledge is elongated along a second elongation axis and has a second interaction surface along the second elongation axis, and a second ridge oriented essentially along said second elongation axis and protrudes from the second interaction surface. The first locking ledge is further adapted to, under an angle corresponding to an opening angle of the door in the container, interact with said second locking ledge. The ridge of the first locking ledge is adapted to interact with and contact to the ridge of said second locking ledge. The flange is adapted to abut on said second locking ledge in a closed angle position, and where the ridge of the first locking ledge is adapted to exert a force onto the ridge of said second locking ledge in a direction perpendicular to both interaction surfaces, in an open angle position. Among the advantages that can be mentioned for embodiments of the present invention, are that containers may well be exposed to heavy rains and wind, since the locking means is rainproof and therefore maintains the interior of a container such as a pallet container.

It can further be noted that opening and closing can easily be performed by using a single hand since the locking means locks itself into a closed and locked position when closing the locking means, for which reason a second hand can be kept busy by other duties.

It is moreover an advantage that closing of a locking means is easier than opening, which prevents loss of goods and goods contamination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the invention is capable of, will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figs. 1 -2, 5-7, and 10-12 illustrate locking ledges according to embodiments of the present invention;

Figs. 3-4 illustrate locking means of embodiments of the present invention mounted on a container;

Fig. 8 presents a close view of a locking means of embodiments of the present invention; and

Figs. 9A-E illustrate cross sections of locking means at different opening angles, according to embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

There is thus a need for a locking ledge that circumvents the disadvantageous of prior art locking means, and provides locking means that is rainproof and can be maneuvered with only one hand.

Figs. 1 and 2 present locking ledges 100 and 200, respectively, which are adapted to interact with one another in a locking means for positioning of a door of a container wall, in an opening therefore of a container, and locking the door to the container wall.

The locking ledge 100 is elongated along an elongation axis, as indicated by a dotted line in figure 1. The locking ledge 100 comprises an interaction surface 102 along the elongation axis, and a ridge 104 that is oriented essentially along said elongation axis and protrudes from the interaction surface. The locking ledge 100 also comprises a flange 106 that is arranged at a side of the locking ledge. The flange further protrudes from the interaction surface in the same direction as the ridge 104. The flange is also essentially oriented along the elongation axis.

The locking ledge 200 of figure 2 is also elongated along an elongation axis, as indicated by a dotted line in figure 2. The locking ledge 200 comprises an interaction surface 202 along the elongation axis, and a ridge 204 that is oriented essentially along said elongation axis and protrudes from the interaction surface.

The locking ledges 100 and 200 are adapted to interact with one another under a tilting angle between the two ledges, where said tilting angle corresponds to an opening angle of a door in a container, when mounted for positioning of a door of a container wall, in an opening therefore of a container, and locking the door to the container wall. Further down it will be illustrated how to mount the respective locking ledges for positioning of a container door and locking the door to the container wall. Upon interaction between a locking ledge 100 and a locking ledge 200 the ridge 104 of the locking ledge 100 is adapted to interact with and contact to the ridge 204 of said locking ledge 200. The flange 106 is also adapted to abut on a side of the locking ledge 200 for a zero tilting angle. In a relative position of a zero tilting angle, the elongation axes of the two locking ledges are essentially parallel. When increasing the tilting angle from a closed position, the ridge 104 of the locking ledge 100 exerts a force onto the ridge 204 of the locking ledge 200 in a direction perpendicular to the interaction surfaces 102 and 202 of the locking ledges. As the ridges exert a force on one another, the width across the interacting locking ledges increases when increasing the opening angle from a zero degree locked position.

It should be mentioned that the two ridges interact with one another at a zero opening angle, and in the case the width of the two interacting locking ledges is limited, such as when being mounted for positioning of a door of a container wall, in an opening therefore of a container, and locking the door to the container wall. As the available width between door edge and the container edge is limited, especially for rigid containers, the locking means experiences a locking position at a zero opening angle.

Figure 3 and 4 illustrate locking ledges of locking means according to embodiments of the present invention mounted on a container 302, 402 for positioning a door 304, 404 of a container wall, in an opening therefore of a container, and locking the door to the container wall. It can be seen that locking ledges may be designed as left hand ledges or right hand ledges.

It can further be noted that a door 404 is typically locked and positioned by using two locking means, each comprising two locking ledges. However, the locking means according to the present invention may be mounted to a door by using only a singular locking means in favorable environments.

Figure 4 shows a pair of locking means mounted to a container in a closed tilting angle, i.e. a zero opening angle.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a left hand and a right hand locking means, each comprising two interacting locking ledges.

Figure 7 illustrates a locking means according to embodiment of the present invention. It should be clarified that the locking ledges are tilted together side by side, decreasing the tilting angle between the two locking ledges. The interaction surfaces, for example 104 and 204, are thus slid across each other upon closing or opening of the tilting angle. Figure 7 illustrates that one interaction surface 706 of a first locking ledge 702 interacts with another interaction surface 708 of a second locking ledge.

In the following the design of the ridges will be described. With reference to figure 8, it is illustrated a first locking ledge 802 that interacts with a second locking ledge 804. The first locking ledge comprises a ridge 806 that interacts with and contacts to a ridge 808 of the second locking ledge 804. For a relatively small opening angle that is less than about 25-45 degrees, the ridge 806 of the first locking ledge contacts the ridge 808 of the second locking ledge, whereby the ridges exert a force onto each other which forces the width of the locking means comprised of the first and the second locking means to increase relative zero angle width of the locked position. Figures 9A-E each illustrates a cross section of locking means comprising two interacting locking ledges, where the ridge of a first locking ledge exerts a force on the ridge of the second locking ledge under closing of an opening angle between the two locking ledges. Figure 9A presents an initial opening angle at which the two ridges start to interact with on another. Figure 9B presents the locking means at a smaller opening. It is seen that the left hand locking ledge is forced to the left in the figure. For ease of reading the position of the right hand locking ledge is fixed throughout figures 9A-E. In figure 9C the two ridges interact such that the left hand locking ledge is forced to the left a maximum distance, corresponding to the amplitude of the ridges of the two locking ledges. The left hand dotted line is aligned to the a side of the left hand locking ledge in this figure, in order to be able to present the difference in width of the locking means, which width difference is reason why the locking means remains in a zero angle closed and locked position once the locking means has reached said closed position.

Figure 9D presents the locking means at further smaller opening angle and Figure 9E presents the locking means at the closed position. The right hand dotted line is aligned to the same side of the left hand locking ledge as the left hand dotted line. The difference across the two dotted lines corresponds to width difference of a mounted locking means when closing a door of a container. The difference may be on the order of 1,5 mm. The width difference that can be applied in practice is dependent on the rigidity of the container and in the case of a pallet container, the rigidity of the pallet container sleeve.

It should be noted that the height of a ridge of a locking ledge preferably depends on the position along the elongation axis of the locking ledge. The height thus varies.

For the locking ledges as illustrated in figures 1-9, and as explicitly shown in figures 3-6, the locking ledges are either right handed or left handed, dependent on the side of an opening door the locking ledges are to be mounted. For these handed locking ledges, the maximum ridge height along the elongation axis of a locking ledge is near the end of the locking ledge, from which end the door is be opened. Near the other end of the locking ledge, the ridge height is zero facilitating the closing of the door. When closing a door onto which a locking means according to the present invention is mounted, the two ridges start to interact at a relatively small opening angle.

It can be mentioned that the locking ledges of the present invention can be produced by using injection molding.

It should be emphasized that the flange as comprised in one of the two interacting locking ledges forms an efficient door stop at zero opening angle. It can be noted that a sleeve door can closed with a rather brute force such as by kicking the door, without damaging the locking means of the present invention.

Figures 10 and 11 depict a locking ledge with and without a flange,

respectively, for which the locking ledge is symmetric with respect to the direction of the elongation axis of the locking ledge. These locking ledges are adapted to be turnable and can thus be mounted on either a left or a right hand side of a door. The ridges of these locking ledges have a maximum height at the center, i.e. half-way along the elongation axis center of the locking ledge.

Figure 12 presents a symmetric locking means for which reason the protruding distance of the flange from the interaction surface is essentially constant along the entire length of the locking ledge.

In addition, the shape of the ridge in a direction perpendicular to the elongation axis, is moreover preferably non-symmetric. As can be seen in figure 8 and in figures 9A-E, the ridge shape may be such that a higher force is needed open a closed door, than to close an open door. The slope of the ridges can be designed to be steeper on the opening flanks, and flatter on the closing flanks, facilitates closing but hinders opening of a locking means.

Embodiments of the present invention provide the following advantages:

Containers may well be exposed to heavy rains and wind, since the locking means is rainproof and therefore maintains the interior of a container such as a pallet container.

It can further be noted that opening and closing can easily be performed by using a single hand since the locking means locks itself into a closed and locked position when closing the locking means, for which reason a second hand can be kept busy by other duties. It is moreover an advantage that closing of a locking means is easier than opening, which prevents loss of goods and goods contamination.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims and, other embodiments than the specific above are equally possible within the scope of these appended claims.

In the claims, the term "comprises/comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means, elements or method steps may be implemented by e.g. a single unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms "a", "an", "first", "second" etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.