The invention relates to a strapping apparatus for strapping articles with a strapping band, having a base plate which is provided for arranging on an article, having a tensioning device with which a band tension can be applied to the strapping band, the tensioning device being provided for this purpose with an actuable tensioning tool which can be brought into and out of contact with the band, having a sealing device, in particular a friction welding device, with which, by contact with the band, two band layers can be permanently connected to each other by forming a seal between the two band layers, being provided with a plurality of actuating elements with which functions of the strapping unit can be set and/or initiated upon actuation of one or more of the actuating elements.

Mobile strapping apparatuses of this type, like the strapping apparatus according to the invention, are used for strapping articles with a plastics strap. For this purpose, a loop of the particular plastics strap is placed around the article. The plastics strap is generally pulled off here from a supply reel. After the loop is completely placed around the article, the end region of the band overlaps with a section of the band loop. The strapping apparatus is then applied to said two-layered region of the band, the band is clamped in the process in the strapping apparatus, a band tension is applied to the band loop by means of the tensioning device, and a seal is produced between the two band layers by friction welding at the loop. In this connection, pressure is applied to the band in the region of two ends of the band loop by a friction shoe moving in an oscillating manner. The pressure and the heat arising because of the movement melt the band, which generally contains plastic, locally for a short time. This results in a permanent connection, which at the most can be released again with a great force, between the two band layers between the two band layers. At the same time, the loop is severed from the supply reel. The respective article is thereby strapped.

Strapping apparatuses of the type in question are provided in particular for mobile use, in which the units are intended to be carried along by a user to the particular use location and are not intended to be dependent there on the use of externally supplied mains power. In the case of previously known strapping units, the power required for the designated use of such strapping units for tensioning a strapping band around any article and for producing a seal is generally provided by an electric battery or else also by compressed air. Mobile strapping apparatuses of the type in question are frequently in permanent use in the goods packaging industry, in particular using conditions which are identical or at least scarcely differ from one another. In industrial use, a multiplicity of identical strappings are frequently carried out after one another. For this purpose, process parameters, such as, for example, tensioning force and welding time, are customarily preset on the strapping unit. The strapping process itself and/or individual separate subprocesses of the strapping operation, such as, for example, the tensioning operation and the welding operation, are initiated by actuation of actuating elements of the strapping apparatus, for example by actuation of one or more buttons. Therefore, operation which is as simple as possible and high functional reliability of the strapping apparatus are sought.

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving the functional reliability of the strapping apparatuses of the type mentioned at the beginning and reducing the possibility of faulty conditions. This object is achieved according to the invention in the case of a strapping apparatus of the type mentioned at the beginning by means of means for locking at least one or more of the actuating elements, by means of which one or more locked actuating elements become ineffective until they are unlocked. Strapping apparatuses of the type in question are frequently preset in industrial use and used with said presettings for a multiplicity of strappings. This involves presettings which are based on manufacturers details of the strapping apparatus and/or on experience values of a company in which the strapping apparatus is used. With said presettings, in particular of parameters of the strapping operation, it is also intended to be prevented that, for example, an inexperienced user produces substandard strappings by selecting non- optimum or even inappropriate parameters. With the actuating element lock provided according to the invention, it is now possible, by activation of said lock, in particular to prevent the ad ustability of one or more parameters of the strapping operation. However, an activation of the actuating element lock may also be configured in such a manner that the entire strapping apparatus is thereby locked against use. With said lock which can be switched on and off, the functional reliability of the strapping apparatus can therefore be increased because impermissible adjustments or inadvertent switching on of the strapping apparatus are reliably prevented.

The actuating element lock can in particular comprise a possibility for locking the adjustability of individual parameters. Thus, by actuation of one or more specific actuating elements, the adjustability of one or more parameters, such as the tensioning force or the welding time, can be locked. In this connection, it is advantageous if different actuating elements have to be actuated for locking different parameters. Similarly, locking of the entire strapping apparatus should expediently take place by means of different actuating elements than those provided for locking the ad ustability of individual or all of the adjustable parameters of the strapping apparatus.

However, with the button lock according to the invention, the strapping apparatus can also be completely locked against being put into operation, in particular by means for locking at least one or more of the actuating elements with which a strapping operation can be initiated by the strapping apparatus. This part of the invention also has independent importance. Said lock can be used in particular as security against a strapping apparatus being unintentionally put into operation, by means of which articles could be damaged or people could be injured. Such a locking of the strapping apparatus against being put into operation by means of locking at least one of the actuating elements can be provided especially, but not exclusively, for certain operating modes of the strapping apparatus, such as a fully automatic mode, in which, after the mobile strapping apparatus has been put into operation, without further intervention in the strapping apparatus, the band of the strapping already applied tensioned, sealed by a seal and preferably also severed from a band supply reel. Such a locking may also be of advantage in different operating modes of the strapping apparatus, for example in a semi-automatic mode, in which a separate initiating operation has to take place for both the tensioning and welding by pressing an actuating element.

Such a button lock which acts as an operating lock of the strapping apparatus can preferably be designed in such a manner that it is activated automatically as soon as the operating mode assigned thereto, such as a fully automatic operating mode, is activated. The strapping apparatus is intended preferably only to be able to be put into operation if it is ensured that the putting of the strapping apparatus into operation takes place consciously and not unintentionally. Unlocking of the strapping apparatus can preferably take place by two actuating elements being actuated, preferably at the same time, said actuating elements lying as far apart from each other as possible such that they can only be reached simultaneously using two hands. For the distance required for this purpose between the at least two actuating elements to be initiated for the unlocking, it can be taken into consideration that the portable mobile strapping apparatus has to be held with one hand and therefore said hand in any case has little reach for the simultaneous actuation of two different actuating elements. In particular in the case of wide and solid bands which are tensioned with a high tensioning force, it is therefore also ensured that the operator does not have a hand between the article and the strapping apparatus or even in the strapping apparatus. A risk of injury to the operator can therefore be minimized.

It has proven ergonomically advantageous if one of the actuating elements provided for the unlocking is a tensioning button, by the actuation of which the tensioning device is put into operation in a semiautomatic mode of the strapping apparatus. The tensioning button may also be provided in order, in the fully-automatic mode, by the actuation (once) thereof, for initiating all of the strapping apparatus functions required for the strapping operation. The tensioning button can be arranged in the region of one end, preferably the front end, of a handle of the strapping apparatus. A second actuating element to be actuated for the unlocking may be arranged at the other end, preferably the rear end, of the handle.

Further preferred refinements of the invention emerge from the claims, the description and the drawing. The invention is explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments which are illustrated purely schematically in the figures, in which: fig. 1 shows a perspective illustration of a strapping apparatus according to the invention; fig. 2 shows the strapping unit from fig. 1 without the housing; fig . 3 shows the strapping unit from fig. 2 with an inserted strapping band during the production of a seal; fig. 4 shows the strapping unit in a view from the rear toward the sealing device. The mobile strapping unit 1 according to the invention that is shown in figs. 1 and 2 and is exclusively manually actuated has a housing 2 which surrounds the mechanism of the strapping unit and on which a handle 3 for handling the unit is formed. The strapping unit is furthermore provided with a base plate 4, on the lower side of which a base surface 5 for arranging on an object to be packaged is provided. All of the functional units of the strapping unit 1 are fastened on the base plate 4 and to the strapping unit carrier (not illustrated specifically) which is connected to the base plate.

With the strapping unit 1, a loop (not illustrated specifically in fig. 1) of a plastics band, for example of polypropylene (PP) or polyester (PET) , which has previously been placed around the object to be packaged can be tensioned by means of a tensioning device 6 of the strapping unit. For this purpose, the tensioning device has, as tensioning tool, a tensioning wheel 7 with which the band can be detected for a tensioning operation. In this connection, the tensioning wheel 7 interacts with a rocker 8 which can be pivoted about a rocker pivot axis 8a by means of a rocker lever 9 from an end position at a distance from the tensioning wheel into a second end position, in which the rocker 8 is pressed against the tensioning wheel 7. In the process, the band located between the tensioning wheel 7 and the rocker 8 is also pressed against the tensioning wheel 7. It is then possible, by rotation of the tensioning wheel 7, to provide the band loop with a sufficiently high band tension for the packaging purpose.

Subsequently, at a point of the band loop at which two layers of the band lie one above the other, the two layers can be welded by means of the sealing device embodied in the form of a friction-welding device 13 of the strapping unit. By this means, the band loop can be permanently sealed. For this purpose, the friction- welding device 13 is provided with a welding shoe 20 which melts the two layers of the strapping band by applying mechanical pressure to the strapping band and simultaneously undertaking an oscillating movement at a predetermined frequency. The plasticized and molten regions of the two band layers flow into each other and, after the band is cooled during a cooling time, a connection then arises between the two band layers. If required, the band loop can then be severed at the same time from a supply reel (not illustrated) of the band by means of a cutting device (not illustrated specifically) of the strapping unit 1. The strapping unit 1 can subsequently be removed from the article and the band strapping produced. The actuation of the tensioning device 6, the advancing of the friction-welding device 13 by means of a transfer device of the friction-welding device 13 and the use of the friction-welding device per se and also the actuation of the cutting device take place using just one common electric motor 14 which provides a driving movement for each of said components. The structural solution provided for this purpose corresponds to that described in WO 2009/129634 Al, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. For the supply of power, a battery 15 which is interchangeable and in particular is removable for charging is arranged on the strapping unit. A supply of another external auxiliary power, such as, for example, compressed air, or further electricity, is not provided in the strapping unit according to figs. 1 and 2.

In the present case, the portable, mobile strapping unit 1 has an actuating element 16 which is embodied in the form of a pressure switch, is provided for starting up the motor and is referred to below as tensioning button. Three modes can be set for the actuating element 16 by means of a mode switch 17. In the first mode, both the tensioning device 6 and the friction- welding device 13 are triggered successively and in an automated manner by actuation of the actuating element 16, without further activities of an operator being required. In order to set the second mode, the switch 17 is switched into a second switching mode. In the second possible mode, only the tensioning device 6 is then triggered by actuation of the tensioning button 16. For the separate triggering of the friction-welding device 13, the tensioning button 16 has to be actuated a second time by the operator. The third mode is of a semi-automatic type, in which the actuating element provided the tensioning button 16 has to be pressed until the tensioning force, which is pread ustable in stages, or tensile stress is achieved in the band. In this mode, it is possible to interrupt the tensioning process by releasing the tensioning button 16, for example in order to attach edge protectors under the strapping band to the article being strapped. By pressing of the tensioning button 16, the tensioning process can then be continued again. This third mode can be combined both with a friction-welding operation to be triggered separately and with an automatically following friction-welding operation.

The power supply is ensured by the battery 15 in the form of a lithium-ion battery. Batteries of this type are based on a plurality of independent lithium-ion cells, in which chemical processes which are in each case at least substantially separate from one another proceed in order to produce a potential difference between two poles of the particular cell. The exemplary embodiment involves a lithium-ion battery from the manufacturer Robert Bosch GmbH, D-70745 Leinfelden- Echterdingen . The battery in the exemplary embodiment has 20 cells and a capacity of 2.6 ampere-hours at an operating voltage of 36 volts.

As can be seen in particular in the view from the rear in fig. 4, the sealing device which is embodied in the form of a friction-welding device has a plate with a substantially rectilinear or planar counter-holder surface 22 as the welding counter-holder 21. With regard to a direction 23 transverse to the longitudinal course 24 of the band section passed through the sealing device, the counter-holder surface 22 is inclined downwardly toward that outer side 25 of the strapping unit 1 on which the tensioning and sealing devices are located. The inclination takes place at a preferred angle a of 3° with regard to a course or an alignment of the tensioning counter-holder surface 28 of the tensioning counter-holder 27, which is arranged on the rocker 8 and interacts with the tensioning wheel, in a direction transverse to the longitudinal course 24 of the band through the strapping apparatus. As an alternative thereto, the angle a may be selected from a range of 1° to 45°, preferably from a range of 2° to 25°. The tensioning counter-holder surface is of concave design in the longitudinal direction 24, and therefore, when the rocker presses against the tensioning wheel 7, the band bears in a planar manner both against the tensioning wheel surface and against the tensioning counter-holder surface 28. Therefore, in directions transverse to the longitudinal course of the band, the alignment of the tensioning wheel surface also corresponds to the alignment of the tensioning counter-holder surface 28.

The inclination may also be related to the base plate 4, in particular to the base surface 5 provided for arranging on articles. The base surface 5 is likewise of flat design, and therefore the strapping unit 1 can be arranged in as planar a manner as possible on the particular article. If the base surface is considered to be an X-Y surface of a Cartesian coordinate system, the inclination of the counter-holder surface 22 can be described by the counter-holder surface 22 having a linearly constant increase of the Z component in the Y direction if the X direction is considered to be parallel to the longitudinal direction 24 of the strapping unit. In the illustration of fig. 4, this results in a conical arrangement between the counter- holder surface 22 and the base surface 5, wherein the arrangement of the two surfaces 5, 22 tapers toward that outer side of the strapping unit on which the counter-holder surface 22 is located.

During the formation of a seal, after the band is placed as a loop around the article, in the process guided as a single layer through the tensioning device 6 and as a double layer through the sealing device, and the designated band tension is applied by engagement of the tensioning device 6 in the upper band layer, which is guided through the tensioning device 6, and a return motion of the band, the welding shoe 20 is lowered in the direction of the counter-holder surface 22. Depending on the selected operating mode of the strapping unit 1, this takes place automatically as a consequence of the tensioning operation being finished or on account of separate triggering of the friction- welding operation by actuation of the button provided for this purpose. During the friction-welding operation, the band continues to be clamped between the tensioning wheel 7 and the tensioning counter-holder 27 and is held there during the formation of the seal. During this method section of the formation of the strapping, the tensioning device has the function of a band clamp or clamping device which, by means of two interacting clamping elements, clamps the band therebetween .

The lowering of the welding shoe 20 causes the two band layers passed through the sealing device to be pressed against each other and against the counter-holder surface 22. Owing to the clamping of the band in the tensioning device 6 and the inclination of the counter- holder surface 22, a twisting, i.e. torsional stress of the band, arises here in said band section. The band here is aligned with the two band surfaces thereof parallel to the base surface 5 at least in the region of a radius line of the tensioning wheel 7, said radius line being oriented perpendicularly to the base surface 5. The band is arranged in two layers in the sealing device, wherein the lower band layer rests with the lower band surface thereof against the inclined counter-holder surface 22 and is pressed thereagainst . With the upper surface, the lower band layer rests against the lower surface of the upper band layer. The welding shoe 20 presses onto the upper surface of the upper band layer. Both band layers and the welding shoe 20 therefore take up the same inclination a as the inclination of the counter-holder surface. The twisting of the band therefore increases from the tensioning device 6 as far as the sealing device. The twisting decreases again during the further course of the band behind the sealing device, i.e. in the direction away from the strapping unit. In this position of the band, the friction-welding device 13 begins with the formation of the seal by means of the oscillating movement of the welding shoe transversely with respect to the longitudinal course of the band. By this means, the two band layers resting against each other are melted. The materials of the band layers flow into one another and are connected in an integrally bonded manner during the subsequent cooling as soon as the oscillating movement of the welding shoe is started.

As can be gathered from fig. 3, during the production of the seal, a deflection or loop 30 is formed in the upper band layer between the clamping of the band in the tensioning device and the sealing device by the welding shoe 20 moving in an oscillating manner. The deflection or loop 30 is generated in a direction of the upper band layer which is substantially transverse to the direction of the oscillating movement of the welding shoe and also substantially transverse to the longitudinal extent of the upper band layer before the deflection or loop 30 is formed in the upper band layer. As has been shown, said loop is formed on account of the twisting of the band, thus reducing the power required for the welding movement of the welding shoe .

The welding shoe 20 is subsequently moved away from the counter-holder surface 22 and the tensioning device 6 detached from the band, thus loosening the clamping and releasing the two band layers. The resetting forces present in the band counter to the twisting lead to the band showing at least a tendency to automatically become detached from the counter-holder surface 22 and from the welding shoe 20. Such a detachment preferably already takes place entirely because of the resetting forces of the band. If the detachment does not already take place by this means, at least the forces additionally to be applied in order to detach the band and remove the latter from the sealing device are considerably reduced because of the resetting forces. In addition, the inclination of the counter-holder surface 22 and the associated geometrical formation of the sealing device also permit simpler removal of the band and simpler moving away of the strapping unit from the band strapping produced directly beforehand.

The strapping unit according to the invention is provided with a control panel which has a plurality of pressure-actuable buttons 17, 30, 31, 33 as actuating elements. With said buttons, the previously described different modes of the strapping unit and parameters of the strapping operations can be preselected and set. For example, by pressing a welding time button 30 once or repeatedly, the welding time can be selected from one of a plurality of welding time stages and stored. The tensioning force can be selected as one of a plurality of tensioning force stages, changed and stored by means of a tensioning force button 31. The values preset in such a manner are displayed on the display field 32 by the strapping unit and used in the strapping operations until the parameter values are changed again. The strapping operations themselves are triggered or started by the tensioning button 16, which is arranged in an ergonomically advantageous manner at the front end of the handle of the strapping unit 1, as a further actuating element. If the strapping unit 1 is held at the handle 3, the tensioning button 16 can be actuated with the thumb.

The strapping unit 1 is equipped with a button lock which can be switched on and off. By switching on the button lock, it is possible, inter alia, to prevent undesirable adjustment of previously undertaken settings at the strapping unit 1. For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiment, first of all a control button "function" 33, which is configured as a pushbutton and is located on the control panel of the strapping unit, has to be actuated and held. In addition, the tensioning button 16 arranged on the handle of the strapping unit has to be actuated by pressing. An acoustic signal then sounds and confirms that the keypad of the control panel is now locked. From then on, no changes to the settings can be undertaken via the control panel until the button lock is released again. The strapping unit may still carry out strappings which are triggered by actuation of the tensioning button 16. If, in this state, a button of the control panel is nevertheless actuated, an optical signal indicating that locking is present appears in the display field of the control panel. For this purpose, for example, an "L" for "locked" can be displayed. The button lock is unlocked in the same manner as the button lock was switched on, namely by actuation and holding of the operating button "function" 33 and by additional actuation of the tensioning button 16.

However, the button lock can be used also specifically to block only individual functions. For this purpose, the corresponding function button 30, 31, for example that for setting the welding time, can be actuated and held. While (only) one of the particular function buttons 30, 31 is still pressed, the tensioning button 16 can then be actuated, as a result of which, from then on, adjustments to the welding time, which is changeably adjustable per se, are no longer possible, since they are locked. In the same manner, other parameter adjustments which are individually selectable, in particular the tensioning force, can also be prevented in a specific manner. All that then needs to be done is to first of all press and to hold the function button 30, 31 corresponding to said function, for example for the tensioning force, and subsequently to press the tensioning button 16. All of said locks can be canceled in the same manner as they have been activated, namely also by pressing the corresponding function button 30, 31 and the tensioning button 16. In alternative embodiments, unlocking can also be undertaken in a different manner, for example by means of a separate unlocking button which is only assigned this function.

In addition, the button lock present on the strapping unit also has a mode by means of which the use of the strapping unit 1 can be entirely locked. Said lock is activated by the controlling means 34 of the strapping unit upon switching into the fully automatic operating mode and has the consequence that two buttons have to be actuated simultaneously to trigger a fully automatic strapping operation with the band "tensioning", "sealing" and "cutting" operations. In the exemplary embodiment, these are the tensioning button 16 arranged in the region of the front end of the handle 3 and next to the control panel and the release button 35 arranged in the region of the rear end and of the battery 15. The two buttons 16, 35 are at a distance from each other which does not allow an operator holding the strapping unit at the handle 3 by one hand to press the tensioning and the release button 16, 35 at the same time with said hand. The operator has to use his/her second hand for this purpose, thus making it possible to prevent inadvertent triggering of the strapping unit .

Each aspect of the concept of operation of the strapping unit concerning the described operation modes of the strapping unit as well as preselecting and setting certain parameters of the strapping method has relevance as preferred embodiments. Each of said aspects has also relevance as separate invention which is independent from other aspects of the present invention .

An algorithm by means of which, after the formation of a seal has taken place by friction welding of the two band ends lying one above the other in the strapping unit, a cooling time period for the seal is variably determined is stored in the controlling means 34 of the strapping apparatus. The cooling time begins at the end of the movement of the welding shoe 20. During the cooling time, the band is clamped in the strapping unit in the same manner as during the friction-welding phase in the strapping unit and therefore the seal which has just been formed is relieved of the band tension during the solidification phase of the band material.

At the strapping unit 1, it is possible to set welding times of differing length at the control panel. In the exemplary embodiment, a total of, for example, seven stages are provided and are selectable for this purpose for the welding time period. Each of the seven welding times of differing length is assigned a cooling time of differing length. In this case, the assignment is undertaken in such a manner that the longer the welding time, the longer also is the assigned cooling time. Said allocation is preferably non-changeable.

In addition, the tensioning force which is present at the circumference of the tensioning wheel 7 and is transmittable to the band can be set at the strapping unit. The tensioning force can also be set in a plurality of stages, for example nine stages. Each of said settable tensioning force is assigned one of a plurality of factors with which the controlling means multiplies the cooling time arising from the welding time. Also in this case, the factor is larger, the longer the welding time. The time value arising from this multiplication with one of a plurality of factors is used by the controlling means as the actual cooling time. The controlling means keeps the band clamped in the strapping unit by means of the clamping device thereof during said (actual) cooling time and does not yet release said band. This means that, during this time, the band cannot be removed from the strapping unit. If, for example, at stage three of the welding time the cooling time is 3 s and at tensioning stage seven the factor is 2, this results in an actual cooling time of 3 s x 2 = 6 s. After the end of this time, the controlling means opens or releases the clamping, as a result of which the strapping unit can be moved away from the band and the strapping produced.

List of reference numbers Strapping unit

Housing

Handle

Base plate

Base surface

Tensioning device

Tensioning wheel

Rocker

Rocker pivot axis

Rocker lever

Friction-welding device

Motor

Battery

Tensioning button

Mode switch

Actuating element

Tensioning button

Welding shoe

Welding counter-holder

Counter-holder surface

Direction

Longitudinal course

Outer side Tensioning counter-holder

Tensioning counter-holder surface Welding time button

Tensioning force button

Display field

Operating button "function"

Controlling means

Release button