BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly of a ratchet, a winding plate and a lashing strap, and to an assembly of a ratchet, a lashing strap and a holding element. The invention further relates to a winding plate for use in the assembly and to a method of securing load using a lashing strap which is secured in a ratchet.

2. Description of the related art

[0002] Securing loads on vehicle decks, floors or platforms can be done with tensioning straps or lashing straps. Such straps typically comprise a ratchet part and a lashing part. The ratchet part extends between a first hook and a ratchet or ratchet device or tensioner. The lashing part extends from a second hook at one end to another end; the other end is typically guided into the ratchet, by which it is secured. The hooks may be connected to the deck, floor or platform or to the loads itself.

[0003] The ratchet is usually made of metal such as steel. The lashing strap may be made of a material with high tensile strength, such as polyester.

[0004] The ratchet usually comprises a body and a reel, which is rotatable with respect to the body of the ratchet. The reel comprises a slot, intended to accommodate the lashing strap to secure it. Guiding or feeding the end of the lashing strap into the slot is difficult and time consuming. The lashing strap may be much longer than necessary for specific loads. A user, usually a truck driver, will first need to find the end and feed it into the slot without turns, until the part extending between the hook and the ratchet is reasonably shortened such that it can be tensioned by the ratchet. This may take a long time and may be at unsafe working places, such as along the road, at harbours or at other working places.

[0005] After extended periods of use, feeding the lashing strap into the slot may become even more difficult as the end of the lashing straps may be frayed. For this reason lashing straps may be replaced rapidly, even before its tensile strength has degraded. This leads to avoidable costs.

[0006] In light of the above, it would be desirable to provide solutions which at least partially overcome some of the inconveniences of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to the invention there is provided an assembly of a ratchet, a winding plate and a lashing strap, wherein: the ratchet comprises a body, a reel which is rotatable with respect to the body about a rotation axis, and a slot in the reel, parallel to the rotation axis; the winding plate has an elongated opening and the winding plate can be partially accommodated in the slot, such that the elongated opening is parallel to the rotation axis; the lashing strap is arranged to extend through the elongated opening; whereby in use the winding plate is rotatable together with the reel such that the lashing strap is wound around the reel.

[0008] The assembly has the advantage that it does not require feeding the lashing strap through the slot every time a load needs to be secured. This will avoid fraying or damage at the end of the lashing strap, which increases the durability of the lashing straps. It thus also makes the use of the lashing strap and the ratchet easier and saves handling time. In certain embodiments it also ensures that loading of a strap can take place even if the end has become frayed.

[0009] The winding plate typically is a thin plate or planar structure with a size chosen based on the ratchet and lashing strap with which it is intended to be used. It may have a basic rectangular shape in which an elongated opening is cut out or stamped or otherwise formed. Alternatively, the shape may be more advanced, such as including truncated corners which promote insertion into the slot. A person skilled in the art will understand that other shape changes or modifications are possible, such as rounded corners or rounded/tapered edges, or winding plates formed from a bent wire. Also, the winding plate may be provided with a mark or stamp for indicating the origin or for showing that it complies with safety regulations.

[0010] Winding of the lashing strap is made easier when the elongated opening through which it extends is oriented parallel to the rotation axis of the reel. Also, when the winding plate is accommodated as far as possible into the slot, the diameter of the wound or wrapped lashing strap is reduced. The slot is preferably centrally located in the reel.

[001 1 ] It is noted that standardized ratchets and lashing straps can be used in the assembly. This will result in easy application of the invention in practice, as it is not required to replace the ratchets and lashing straps. In other words, the winding plate may be sized to match existing slots present in standard ratchet reels and the elongated opening will be adapted to the size of existing straps.

[0012] A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration of a winding plate in a slot is equivalent to having a plate with a number of pins, which can be accommodated in a one or more openings in the reel.

[0013] As a further advantage, the reel becomes more massive when it accommodates a winding plate, especially when the winding plate is only slightly thinner than the width of the slot, and only just shorter than the length of the slot. As a result, the reel will be less susceptible to bending or breaking.

[0014] The winding plate may be permanently and/or in a sliding manner attached to the lashing strap, or it may be easily attachable to the lashing strap, as described below. The lashing strap may be connected or sewn to a tarpaulin to cover a load.

[0015] In an embodiment, the lashing strap is prevented entry into the slot while in use. In this way the elongated opening is provided next to the slot, preferably adjacent to the slot.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the winding plate has an edge with an interruption, defining an open connection extending from the edge to the elongated opening, adapted to allow the lashing strap to pass and be accommodated in the elongated opening. The edge with the interruption may be a short edge or a long edge.

[0017] The open connection has the advantage that the lashing strap can be accommodated in the elongated opening at any position along the length of the lashing strap. It is thus not necessary to find the end of the lashing strap and thread the winding plate on from the end, which is a large time saving, especially in the case of straps that have frayed ends. Preferably, the open connection has a minimum width in the direction along the elongated opening which is less than 60% of the length of the elongated opening, preferably less than 40% of the length of the elongated opening.

[0018] In an embodiment, the open connection extends to a middle of a long edge of the elongated opening. This has the advantage that the lashing strap cannot easily move out of the elongated opening.

[0019] In an embodiment, the winding plate has a leading edge for insertion into the slot, wherein the leading edge is parallel to the elongated opening, and wherein the edge with the interruption is the leading edge. The leading edge is preferably a long edge of the winding plate. This has the advantage that, in use, the interruption is accommodated inside the slot, which provides additional security for the lashing strap to be maintained in the elongated opening and not move out while initiating the winding of the reel.

[0020] In an embodiment, the elongated opening is arranged closer to the leading edge than to the edge opposing the leading edge, and wherein a first distance between the elongated opening and the leading edge is between 70% and 1 10% of the diameter of the reel.

[0021 ] This has the advantage that, when the winding plate is accommodated inside the slot, only a minor part of the winding plate sticks out of the slot. Rotating the reel and winding the lashing strap around the reel will be easier when most of the winding plate is accommodated in the slot.

[0022] In an embodiment, the winding plate has a width of between 80% and 99% of a width of the slot, a length of between 100% and 160% of a diameter of the reel, and a thickness of between 70% and 105% of a height of the slot. It can be over 100% when the two parts of the reel at either side of the slot (e.g. cylinder parts) can slightly move with respect to one another. The two parts may be distanced slightly due to the placement of the winding plate inside the slot.

[0023] These width and thickness assure that it is slightly smaller than the size of the slot such that it fits in but is cannot move too much. The length is chosen to make sure that most of the winding plate can be accommodated in the slot. Preferably, the width is about 50 mm, the length is about 20 mm, and the thickness is about 6 mm.

[0024] In an embodiment, the elongated opening has a length of between 95% and 120% of a width of the lashing strap and a width of between 150% and 400% of a thickness of the lashing strap.

[0025] In this way the lashing strap fits inside the elongated opening but cannot move too much laterally. As lashing straps may have a width of between 15 and 200 mm, the preferable length of the elongated opening may be about the same. Preferably, the elongated opening has a width of about 5 mm, depending on the thickness of the lashing straps.

[0026] In an embodiment, the winding plate comprises metal. Metal is strong, durable and relatively easy to process. Alternatively, the winding plate can be made of hard plastic.

[0027] In an embodiment, the winding plate is magnetic. A magnetic winding plate is convenient especially when the reel of the ratchet is made of metal. When that is the case, the winding plate can be easily inserted into the slot as it is magnetically attracted to the reel. Storing magnetic winding plates is convenient, as they can be magnetically attached to a metal part of a truck which is close to the load that is to be secured. Alternatively, it can be attached to the ratchet for storage. In this way, the winding plates are effectively stored within reach of a user. In an embodiment, the winding plate is made of ferromagnetic material. Alternatively, the reel is made of magnetic or ferromagnetic material.

[0028] In an alternative embodiment, the winding plate comprises a spring clip in order to secure the winding plate inside the slot. A spring clip is a resilient element which exerts a force when it is pressed on. When placing the winding plate inside the slot of the reel, the spring clip is pressed towards the main body of the winding plate, and thus exerts an outward force towards the reel, such that it increases the friction between the winding plate and the slot. The winding plate may comprise spring clips at both sides. The spring clip may be made of metal. The spring clip can alternatively be used to store the working plate, e.g. to fix it to the ratchet’s body.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the winding plate comprises a wire, preferably a metal wire, which is bent to define an elongated opening for accommodation of the lashing strap, and to define a portion which can be accommodated in the slot. The wire may define the edges of the winding plate, and it may form a substantially flat, trapezoidal contour.

[0030] The wire may have a thickness of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 mm. This embodiment has the advantage that it is easy and inexpensive to fabricate. The wire may be made of metal or plastic or any other material, as long as it is sufficiently rigid to accommodate a lashing strap and maintain its shape and position inside a slot of a reel. The shape may for instance include a base part surrounding the elongated opening, apart from an open connection halfway a long side of the elongated opening. End parts of the wire may define short edges of the winding plate at either side of the open connection. The end parts may define a width which is larger than the width of the slot so as to exert a sideways friction force when the winding plate is accommodated in the slot. Preferably, the winding plate may essentially consist of the bent wire.

[0031 ] According to an aspect of the invention, and in accordance with the advantages and effects described hereinabove, there is provided a winding plate for use in the assembly as described herein.

[0032] According to an aspect of the invention, and in accordance with the advantages and effects described hereinabove, there is provided an assembly of a reel, a lashing strap and a holding element, wherein the holding element is adapted to secure a middle part of the lashing strap to the reel, such that the lashing strap can be wound around the reel. The holding element may be a winding plate as described herein, and the reel may comprise a slot adapted to accommodate the winding plate. The middle part is any part of the lashing strap except for the ends. The holding element may be a clamp, a magnetic clip, a pin, or any separate element which is adapted to be attached to and cooperate with the reel in order to secure the middle part of the lashing strap. The advantage of securing the middle part is that it is not necessary to find an end of the lashing strap first, and that fraying of the end of the lashing strap is prevented. Simultaneously, even lashing straps with frayed ends can be used in the assembly. The holding element is a separate element, preferably not connected to the reel. The reel may be part of a ratchet.

[0033] According to an aspect of the invention, and in accordance with the advantages and effects described hereinabove, there is provided a method of securing load using a lashing strap, comprising the steps of: providing a ratchet including a reel; arranging the lashing strap at least partially around the load; engaging a middle part of the lashing strap with the reel and securing it to the reel; rotating the reel, such that the lashing strap is wound around the reel until the load is secured, while the ratchet prevents rotation of the reel in an opposite direction.

[0034] Note that engaging and securing the middle part excludes engaging an end part of the lashing strap with the reel, before the middle part is engaged.‘Securing the middle part to the reel’ means sufficiently securing the middle part, such that the lashing strap can be wound around the reel, without being disengaged.

[0035] In an embodiment, the method further comprises: providing a winding plate with an elongated opening; and wherein engaging a middle part of the lashing strap with the reel comprises: accommodating the lashing strap inside the elongated opening of the winding plate without threading; engaging the winding plate with the reel, preferably by accommodating the winding plate in a slot of the reel.

[0036] The winding plate may be secured to the reel such that it does not fall out before rotating it with the reel. It may be secured using e.g. a spring clip or magnetic force, or just by friction due to the shapes of reel and winding plate, or it may just be held by hand until it is secured by the lashing strap wound around the reel and winding plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The features and advantages of the invention will be further appreciated upon reference to the following schematic drawings of a number of exemplary embodiments, in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a ratchet and winding plate with lashing strap according to the invention;

[0039] Figure 2 shows the ratchet assembled with winding plate and lashing strap;

[0040] Figure 3A-C shows a lashing strap being accommodated in a winding plate according to an aspect of the invention;

[0041] Figure 4A-C shows a reel with winding plate and lashing strap according to an aspect of the invention;

[0042] Figure 5 shows a winding plate according to an aspect of the invention; [0043] Figure 6 shows a front view of a part of the assembly according to the invention;

[0044] Figure 7A-7H show alternative embodiments of the winding plate according to the invention;

[0045] Figure 8 shows a winding plate according to an embodiment.

[0046] The figures are for illustrative purposes only, and do not serve as a restriction on the scope or the protection as laid down by the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0047] Figure 1 schematically shows an assembly 1 , comprising a ratchet 10, including a body 11 and a reel 12, which comprises a slot 13. The body 1 1 comprises a base 14 and a lever 15, and the reel 12 is rotatable with respect to both of them about a rotation axis a. The assembly 1 further comprises a lashing strap 20 which is accommodated in an elongated opening 31 of a winding plate 30.

[0048] The ratchet 10, lashing strap 20 and winding plate 30 are assembled in the following manner. Firstly, the lashing strap 20 is accommodated in the elongated opening 31 of the winding plate 30 (explained in more detail with reference to Figures 3A-C). Afterwards, the winding plate 30 is brought towards the ratchet 10, and accommodated into the slot 13 of the reel 12.

[0049] Figure 2 shows the assembly 1 , which comprises the ratchet 10 of Figure 1 , including the body 11 and the reel 12. The assembly 1 further comprises the lashing strap 20 and winding plate 30 of Figure 1. The winding plate 30 is accommodated inside the slot 13 of the reel 12 of the ratchet 10, as described above. The winding plate 30 is preferably shifted into the slot 13 as far as possible, i.e. until the elongated opening 31 is essentially adjacent the slot 13, such that the lashing strap 20 abuts the reel 12.

[0050] Figures 3A-C schematically show in more detail how the lashing strap 20 is accommodated into the elongated opening 31 of the winding plate 30. The lashing strap 20 is shown in cross-section. The winding plate 30 has an open connection 32, connecting the elongated opening 31 to the outside. Figure 3A shows a cross-section of the lashing strap 20, which is folded such that its effective width is reduced. In this way, the lashing strap 20 fits through the open connection 32, as shown in Figure 3B. Figure 3C shows that the lashing strap 20 has assumed its substantially flat composition again in the elongated opening 31. As shown, the elongated opening 31 can be a little wider than the width of the lashing strap 20.

[0051] Figures 4A-C schematically show a cross-section of the assembly 1 of Figure 2, of which most of the ratchet 10 is omitted. Figure 4A shows that the slot 13 of the reel 12 accommodates the winding plate 30 partially, while the lashing strap 20 is fed through the elongated opening 31 of the winding plate 30. Figure 4A also shows the thickness t2 of the lashing strap 20 and the thickness t3 of the winding plate. In Figure 4B, the reel 12 has been rotated together with the winding plate 30. The lashing strap 20 is pulled such that the winding plate 30 stays inside the slot 13. Possibly, the winding plate 30 needs to be held in the slot 13 by a user during the initial phase of the rotation. Figure 4C shows that the reel 12 with the winding plate 30 has been rotated for almost a full turn, such that the lashing strap 20 is wound around the reel 12 in double windings. The reel 12 may be rotated multiple times, depending on the desired length of and tension in the used portion of the lashing strap 20.

[0052] Figure 5 shows a winding plate 30 in more detail. The winding plate 30 generally has the shape of a rectangle, which extends between two long edges 33, 34 and two short edges 35, 36. In the shown embodiment, the winding plate 30 has two truncated corners. The short edges 35, 36 include the truncated edges, such that the short edges 35, 36 connect the long edges 33, 34.

[0053] The winding plate 30 has an elongated opening 31 which has the shape of a rectangle, in this embodiment positioned centrally with respect to the width w3 of the winding plate 30. The elongated opening 31 has a width w4 and a length h4. These dimensions are preferably chosen such that a lashing strap (not shown) can just fit through. Too small would make it too difficult for a user to feed the lashing strap through, too large would result in insufficient friction between the winding plate 30 and the lashing strap, which would make handling more difficult too. The elongated opening 31 is connected to the outside via an open connection 32, which has a width w5 which is constant from the elongated opening 31 to the outside. This width w5 needs to be large enough to pass a folded lashing strap, but small enough to make sure the lashing strap stays accommodated in the elongated opening 31 without falling out. The width w5 may alternatively increase towards the elongated opening 31 , to broaden the open connection 32 which makes it easier to accommodate the lashing strap. The winding plate 30 has a length h3, and the elongated opening 31 is positioned closer to the first long edge 33, without the open connection 32, than to the second long edge 34 having the open connection 32. A distance d3 is defined between the elongated opening 31 and the outer end of the open connection 32. This distance d3 determines how far the winding plate 30 can be inserted into the slot of a reel, when a lashing strap is accommodated in the elongated opening 31 .

[0054] Figure 6 shows a front view of a part of the assembly 1 , comprising a ratchet 10 with winding plate 30 and lashing strap 20. The body 1 1 is only partially shown, and includes a base 14 and a lever 15. Both the base 14 and the lever 15 comprise openings through which the reel 12 extends. The reel 12 is cylindrical and has a diameter d1 . The reel 12 is rotatable with respect to the base 14 and to the lever 15. The reel 12 comprises two toothed wheels 16, which can only rotate together with the reel 12. A resistance pawl 17 is movable connected to the lever 15 and biased towards the reel 12 such that it engages with the toothed wheels 16. The resistance pawl 1 can thus in one position restrict rotation of the reel 12 to only one direction, in order to facilitate winding of the lashing strap 20 around the reel 12, while avoiding unwinding. Another resistance pawl (not shown) may be connected to the base 14 and engage with the toothed wheels 16 in a similar manner.

[0055] The central open space within the reel 12 is referred to as the slot 13. The slot 13 is at its ends limited by the openings in the base 14, defining its width w1 . A person skilled in the art will understand that the ratchet 10 may be build up differently, such that not the base 14 but the toothed wheels 16 or the lever 15 form the ends of the slot 13, depending on which one is narrowest. In general the slot 13 is the unobstructed space in which an object, such as a winding plate 30, can be accommodated. In the shown embodiment, the reel 12 is formed by two cylinder parts 12a, 12b, which are connected by rods 18. The distance between the cylinder parts 12a,

12b defines the height hi of the slot 13. The lashing strap 20 has a width w2 which is preferably just smaller than the width of the slot w1 , such that a large part of the reel 12 is surrounded by lashing strap 20.

[0056] Figures 7A-7H show alternative embodiments of the winding plate.

[0057] Figure 7A shows a top view of a winding plate 130 with an elongated opening 131 , wherein a lashing strap can be placed in the elongated opening 131 through an open connection 132 extending from a short edge 135. Figure 7B shows a cross-section of the winding plate 130 of Figure 7 A. The winding plate 130 is tapered towards the leading edge 134 for easy insertion into the slot (not shown).

[0058] Figure 7C shows a top view of a winding plate 230 with an elongated opening 231 , wherein a lashing strap can be placed in the elongated opening 231 through an open connection 232 in a long edge 233 opposing the leading edge 234. The winding plate 230 includes a spring clip 237 which is adapted to secure the winding plate 230 inside a slot of a reel. The spring clip 237 is attached to the winding plate 230 by means of a screw or a weld. Figure 7D shows a cross-sectional side view of the winding plate 230 of Figure 7C with the spring clip 237. As an alternative to the spring clip, the winding plate may be magnetic such that it attracts to the reel. This will have the same result, namely that the winding plate will stay in place in the slot.

[0059] Figure 7E shows a perspective view of a winding plate 330 with an elongated opening 331 , wherein a lashing strap can be placed in the elongated opening 331 through an open connection 332 in a short edge 336. The open connection 332 is narrower than the elongated opening 331 to avoid that the winding plate 330 accidentally detaches from the lashing strap. Figure 7F shows a cross-section of the winding plate 330 of Figure 7E. The winding plate 330 is tapered to make insertion into a slot easier.

[0060] Figure 7G shows a top view of a winding plate 430 with an elongated opening 431 . A lashing strap can be placed in the elongated opening 431 through an open connection 432, extending from one end of the elongated opening 431 to the middle of the leading edge 434. The shown open connection 432 facilitates an alternative way of accommodating the lashing strap inside the elongated opening 431 . Folding of the lashing strap (as shown in Figures 3A-3C) before fitting it through the open connection 432 is not needed, it can be guided by the open connection 432 into the elongated opening 431 .

[0061 ] Figure 7H shows a top view of a winding plate 530 with two elongated openings 531 ,

531 a. In practice, the action of attaching a winding plate to a lashing strap should be as quick as possible. A winding plate 530 with two elongated openings 531 , 531 a with open connections 532, 532a to either long edge 533, 534 of the winding plate simplifies this action. A user does not need to check with which long edge 533, 534 to approach the lashing strap, as both edges will equally be able to facilitate the accommodation of the strap.

[0062] Figure 8 schematically shows a top view of a winding plate 630 according to a preferred embodiment. This winding plate 630 is formed by a bent wire, preferably metal wire. The shape of the wire is such that a base part 638 surrounds an elongated opening 631 , apart for an open connection 632 through which a lashing strap can be accommodated inside the elongated opening 631 . The wire projects away from the elongated opening 631 along both sides of the open connection 632. Away from the elongated opening 631 , the wire extends sideways in opposite directions to together form a leading edge 634. The end parts 635, 636 of the wire then bend away from the leading edge 634 towards the base part 638. The end parts 635, 636 thus form short edges delimiting the winding plate 630.

[0063] The winding plate 630 is intended for use with a ratchet with a slot (not shown), in the same manner as the embodiment of Figures 1 -6. The end parts 635, 636 may extend sideways slightly farther than the width of the slot, such that they press against the side walls of the slot when they are accommodated therein. The maximum distance between the end parts 635, 636 may be about 5 mm more than the width of the base part 638. In this way they provide additional friction between winding plate and slot, thereby holding the winding plate (and a lashing strap) in place. The width of the winding plate 630 may be between 35 and 75 mm, preferably about 55 mm, the length of the winding plate 630 (from leading edge 634 to the base part’s long edge 633) may be between 15 and 40 mm, preferably about 25 mm.

[0064] The invention has been described by reference to certain embodiments discussed above. It will be recognized that these embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms well known to those of skill in the art.

[0065] Many modifications in addition to those described above may be made to the structures and techniques described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, although specific embodiments have been described, these are examples only and are not limiting upon the scope of the invention.