Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a strap dispenser for supporting a coil of strap, and more particularly to a strap dispenser configured to actively dispense strap from the supported strap coil to an operator.

Background

[0002] Handheld strapping tools have been used for decades to tension strap around a load and to attach overlapping portions of the strap to one another to form a tensioned strap loop around the load. To use one of these strapping tools to form a tensioned strap loop around a load, an operator manually pulls strap leading end first from coil of strap mounted to a strap dispenser, wraps the strap around the load, and positions the leading end of the strap below another portion of the strap. The operator then introduces one or more (depending on the type of strapping tool) of these overlapped strap portions into the strapping tool and manipulates the tool (either by pulling one or more levers of a manual tool or actuating one or more buttons of a pneumatic or battery powered tool) to carry out: (1) a tensioning cycle during which a tensioning assembly of the strapping tool tensions the strap around the load; and (2) after completion of the tensioning cycle, a sealing cycle during which a sealing assembly of the strapping tool attaches the overlapped strap portions to one another (thereby forming a tensioned strap loop around the load) and during which a cutting assembly of the strapping tool cuts the tensioned strap loop from the strap coil.

[0003] How the strapping tool attaches overlapping portions of the strap to one another during the sealing cycle depends on the type of strapping tool and the type of strap. Certain strapping tools configured for plastic strap (such as polypropylene strap or polyester strap) include friction welders, heated blades, or ultrasonic welders configured to attach the overlapping portions of the strap to one another. Some strapping tools configured for plastic strap or metal strap (such as steel strap) include jaws that mechanically deform (referred to as "crimping" in the strapping industry) or cut notches into (referred to as "notching" in the strapping industry) a seal element positioned around the overlapping portions of the strap to attach them to one another. Other strapping tools configured for metal strap include punches and dies configured to form a set of mechanically interlocking cuts in the overlapping portions of the strap to attach them to one another (referred to in the strapping industry as a "sealless" attachment).

[0004] As explained above, an operator must manually pull strap from the strap coil mounted to the strap dispenser before using the strapping tool to form the tensioned strap loop around the load. This requires the operator to guess how much strap to pull off the strap coil. Pulling too much strap off of the strap coil can result in excess strap littering the floor, which could be stepped on and damaged. Pulling not enough strap off of the strap coil results in the strapping tool not being able to complete the strapping operation and, in extreme cases, damage to the strapping tool. And pulling with too much force and/or from a bad angle could tip the strap dispenser over.

Summary

[0005] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a strap dispenser configured to support a strap coil and to actively dispense strap from the strap coil.

Brief Description of the Figures

[0006] Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of one example embodiment of the strap dispenser of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the strap dispenser of Figure 1 supporting a strap coil and with the front strap-coil supporter of the strap-coil carriage removed for clarity.

[0008] Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2, but with the strap coil shown removed from the strap dispenser.

[0009] Figure 4 is a front view corresponding to Figure 2.

[0010] Figure 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the strap-dispensing assembly of the strap dispenser of Figure 1.

[0011] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing certain components of the strap dispenser of Figure 1. [0012] Figures 7A and 7B are partial cross-sectional views showing the braking assembly of another example embodiment of the strap dispenser of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

[0013] While the systems, devices, and methods described herein may be embodied in various forms, the drawings show and the specification describes certain exemplary and nonlimiting embodiments. Not all of the components shown in the drawings and described in the specification may be required, and certain implementations may include additional, different, or fewer components. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components; the shapes, sizes, and materials of the components; and the manners of connections of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. Unless otherwise indicated, any directions referred to in the specification reflect the orientations of the components shown in the corresponding drawings and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further, terms that refer to mounting methods, such as mounted, connected, etc., are not intended to be limited to direct mounting methods but should be interpreted broadly to include indirect and operably mounted, connected, and like mounting methods. This specification is intended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure and as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0014] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a strap dispenser configured to support a coil of plastic, metal, or paper strap (referred to herein as a "strap coil") and to actively dispense strap from the strap coil. Figure 3 shows an example strap coil 1000 including an annular cardboard core C and strap S wound around the core C. Generally, the strap dispenser rotatably supports the strap coil and includes one or more actuators operable under control of an external device, such as a battery-powered strapping tool, to dispense strap from the strap coil.

[0015] Figures 1-6 show one embodiment of an example strap dispenser 10 of the present disclosure and components thereof. The strap dispenser 10 includes a frame 100, a strap-coil carriage 200, a strap-dispensing assembly 300, a wireless-communication interface 400, a controller 500, and a power source 600.

[0016] The frame 100, which is best shown in Figures 1-4, supports the other components of the strap dispenser 10. In this example embodiment, frame 100 includes an upright body 110, a base 120 extending transversely from the bottom end of the body 110 in a first direction, and a handle 130 extending transversely from the top end of the body 110 in a second direction opposite the first direction. In this example embodiment, the body 110, the base 120, and the handle 130 are formed from bent tubular members, though they may be formed from any other suitable components and be arranged in any other suitable configuration. The frame also includes a brace 112 connected to the body 110, a cylindrical axle 114 extending transversely from the brace 112 in the same direction as the base 120, two spacedapart rotatable wheels 140a and 140b near the base 120 to facilitate moving the strap dispenser 10, and a bin 150 near the handle 130 for storage.

[0017] The strap-coil carriage 200, which is best shown in Figures 1 and 3, supports the strap coil and (in this example embodiment) is freely rotatable relative to the frame 100. The strap-coil carriage 200 includes a rear strap-coil supporter 210 and a front strap-coil supporter 220. The rear strap-coil supporter 210 includes an annular outer body 212, an inner strap-coil- supporting ring 214 projecting from the outer body 212, and an annular mounting shaft 216 projecting from the strap-coil-supporting ring 214. The front strap-coil supporter 220 includes an annular outer body 222 and an inner strap-coil-supporting ring 224 projecting from the outer body 222.

[0018] The axle 114 extends through (and projects from) the mounting shaft 216 of the rear strap-coil supporter 210, which rotatably mounts the rear strap-coil supporter 210 to the frame 100. The strap coil 1000 is mounted to the rear strap-coil supporter 210 by press-fitting the core C of the strap coil 1000 onto the inner strap-coil-supporting ring 210, which has a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the core C. The front strap-coil supporter 220 is then installed onto the coil 1000 by press-fitting the inner strap-coil-supporting ring 224, which has a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the core C, into the core C. A retainer 230 is connected to the axle 114 (such as via threading) to retain the strap-coil carriage on the frame 100.

[0019] The strap-dispensing assembly 300, which is best shown in Figures 2 and 5, actively dispenses strap from the strap coil. The strap-dispensing assembly 300 includes a housing 310, a drive roller 320, a pinch roller 330, and a dispenser actuator 350.

[0020] The housing 310 houses some (and in this example embodiment, all) of the other components of the strap-dispensing assembly 300 and is mounted to the frame 100 in any suitable manner. While the housing may take any suitable shape, in this example embodiment the housing 310 is a cuboid having opposing walls defining a strap inlet 312 and a strap outlet 314 therethrough. The strap inlet 312 and 314 are aligned and are sized, shaped, positioned, and otherwise configured to enable strap S from the strap coil 1000 to pass therethrough.

[0021] The drive roller 320 is generally cylindrical and is mounted within the housing 310 such that the drive roller 320 is rotatable relative to the housing 310 about a drive-roller rotational axis A320. In certain embodiments, at least part of the external cylindrical surface of the drive roller 320 is knurled or coated with a friction-enhancing coating to facilitate engaging and dispensing the strap. The dispenser actuator 350, which is an electric motor in this example embodiment but may include any suitable actuator, is mounted within the housing 310 and is operably connected to the drive roller 320 and configured to drive the drive roller 320 in a dispensing rotational direction (shown in Figure 5) and a retracting rotational direction (opposite the direction shown in Figure 5). The dispenser actuator 350 may be operably connected to the drive roller 320 in any suitable manner, such as via a keyed or splined connection and/or via a suitable drive train.

[0022] The pinch roller 330 is generally cylindrical and is mounted within the housing 310 such that the pinch roller 330 is freely rotatable relative to the housing 310 and the drive roller 320 about a pinch-roller rotational axis Asso. In certain embodiments, at least part of the external cylindrical surface of the pinch roller 330 is knurled or coated with a friction-enhancing coating to facilitate dispensing the strap. The drive roller 320 and the pinch roller 330 are sized, shaped, positioned, and oriented such that their respective rotational axes A320 and A330 are generally parallel and coplanar. In this example embodiment, a biasing element in the form of a compression spring 340 biases the pinch roller 330 into contact with the drive roller 320 to form a nip (not labeled) therebetween. The strap S passes through that nip when being dispensed. In other embodiments, in addition to or instead of a biasing element, the pinch roller is repositionable relative to the drive roller to enable the operator to adapt the strap-dispensing assembly 300 to the thickness of the strap S (i.e., move the pinch roller further away from the drive roller for thicker strap and closer to the drive roller for thinner strap).

[0023] The wireless-communication interface 400, shown in Figure 6, enables the strap dispenser 10 (and more particularly, the controller 500 of the strap dispenser 10) to communicate and share data with external devices, such as battery-powered strapping tools. The wireless-communication interface 400 may include one or more interfaces having different architectures and utilizing a variety of protocols, such as (but not limited to) 802.11 (WiFi); 802.15 (including Bluetooth); 802.16 (WiMax); 802.22; cellular standards such as CDMA, CDMA2000, and WCDMA; Radio Frequency (e.g., RFID); infrared; and Near Field Magnetic communication protocols. The wireless-communication interface is configured to transmit electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streams or analog signals representing various types of information.

[0024] The controller 500, shown in Figure 6, includes a processing device (or devices) communicatively connected to a memory device (or devices). For instance, the controller may be a programmable logic controller. The processing device may include any suitable processing device such as, but not limited to, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital-signal processor, one or more microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a digital-signal processor core, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, one or more field-programmable gate array circuits, one or more integrated circuits, and/or a state machine. The memory device may include any suitable memory device such as, but not limited to, read-only memory, random-access memory, one or more digital registers, cache memory, one or more semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as integrated hard disks and/or removable memory, magneto-optical media, and/or optical media. The memory device stores instructions executable by the processing device to control operation of the strap dispenser 10 (such as to dispense strap as described below). The controller 500 is communicatively and operably connected to the dispenser actuator 350 and the wireless communication interface 400 to receive signals from and to control those components. In certain embodiments, the controller 500 is housed in the housing 310 of the strap-dispensing assembly 300, though in other embodiments the controller 500 is located elsewhere.

[0025] The power source 600, shown in Figure 6, powers the electrically operated components of the strap dispenser 10, including the dispenser actuator 350, the wireless communication interface 400, and the controller 500. In this example embodiment, the power source is a battery. In other embodiments, the power source is not part of the strap dispenser 10, and the strap dispenser 10 includes suitable components (e.g., a plug and wiring) configured to electrically connect the strap dispenser 10 to the external power source.

[0026] In operation, wireless-communication interface 400 establishes communication between the controller 500 of the strap dispenser 10 and an external device, such as a handheld battery-powered strapping tool or a mobile phone. Depending on the embodiment, the wireless-communication interface 400 establishes communication directly between the controller and the external device (without any intermediary external devices) or indirectly between the controller and the external device (with one or more intermediary external devices). For the purposes of the below examples, the external device is referred to as a strapping tool for brevity. The strapping tool is operable, such as via actuating an input device (e.g., pressing a button) of the strapping tool, to control operation of the dispenser actuator 350 to drive the drive roller 320 and dispense the strap S from the strap coil 1000. For instance, in one example, when an operator actuates the input device, the strapping tool sends a dispense instruction to the controller 500 of the strap dispenser 10 (via the wireless communication interface 400). In response, the controller 500 controls the dispenser actuator 350 to drive the drive roller 320 and dispense the strap S.

[0027] In certain embodiments, continuously actuating the input device of the strapping tool (e.g., pressing and holding down the button) causes the controller 500 to control the dispenser actuator 350 to continuously drive the drive roller 320 to dispense strap. In various embodiments, a single actuation of the input device of the strapping tool (e.g., pressing and immediately releasing the button) causes the controller 500 to control the dispenser actuator 350 to drive the drive roller 320 to dispense a designated length of strap. In certain of these embodiments, the strapping tool enables the operator to change the designated length via an input device of the strapping tool.

[0028] In various embodiments, the strapping tool is configured to determine how much strap the strapping tool used during a strapping cycle (or will use once the strapping cycle is complete) and instructs the controller 500 of the strap dispenser 10 to control the dispenser actuator 350 to drive the drive roller 320 to dispense that same amount of strap (or substantially the same amount of strap) to replace the strap that is now tensioned around the load. For instance, if the strapping tool uses 1.5 meters of strap to strap a load during a strapping cycle, the strapping tool automatically instructs the controller 500 of the strap dispenser 10 to control the dispenser actuator 350 to drive the drive roller 320 to dispense 1.5 meters (or about 1.5 meters of strap).

[0029] In certain embodiments, the strapping tool cannot communicate with the controller 500 of the strap dispenser 10 while the strapping tool is carrying out a strapping cycle.

[0030] In various embodiments, the strapping tool is operable, such as via actuating an input device (e.g., pressing a button) of the strapping tool, to control operation of the dispenser actuator 350 to drive the drive roller 320 and retract the strap S back onto the strap coil 1000. For instance, in one example, when an operator actuates the input device, the strapping tool sends a retract instruction to the controller 500 of the strap dispenser 10 (via the wireless communication interface 400). In response, the controller 500 controls the dispenser actuator 350 to drive the drive roller 320 and retract the strap S. In certain embodiments in which the strapping tool includes multiple input devices (e.g., multiple buttons), different input devices are used to control strap dispensing and strap retraction.

[0031] In certain embodiments, the strap dispenser 10 includes a sensor (such as a mass sensor or a photocell) configured to sense when the amount of strap S remaining on the core C of the strap coil 1000 falls below a low-strap threshold. In these embodiments, when the sensor senses that the amount of strap S remaining on the core C falls below the low-strap threshold, the sensor notifies the controller 500. The controller 500, in turn, communicates this to the strapping tool, which outputs a low-strap signal to alert the operator. The output may be, for instance, a visual output (e.g., a notification on the display screen or a lit indicator light) and/or an aural output (e.g., a beep).

[0032] In certain embodiments, the wireless communication interface 400 of the strap dispenser 10 allows only one strapping device to be paired with— and thus configured to communicate with— the controller 500 of the strap dispenser at any given time.

[0033] In various embodiments, a suitable biasing element, such as a power spring, is disposed between the axle 114 of the frame 100 and the strap-coil carriage 200 and is configured to apply a torque to the strap-coil carriage 200 is a direction opposite the strap-dispensing direction. This torque is weak enough so as not to pull the strap from between the drive roller 320 and the pinch roller 330 but strong enough to maintain tension in the strap and to ensure the strap-coil carriage 200 stops rotating after the drive roller 320 stops dispensing strap.

[0034] In certain embodiments, the strap dispenser does not include a controller, and in these embodiments the wireless communication interface establishes direct communication between the strapping tool and the dispenser actuator to enable the strapping tool to directly control the dispenser actuator.

[0035] In various embodiments, the strap dispenser includes a coil-carriage actuator (such as an electric motor) that is operably connected to the strap-coil carriage and configured to rotate the strap-coil carriage about the axle of the frame. The coil-carriage actuator is in addition to the dispenser actuator and drive roller. In some of these embodiments, the controller operates the coil-carriage actuator and the dispenser actuator together to dispense the strap and stops the coil-carriage actuator and the dispenser actuator together to stop dispensing the strap. In other of these embodiments, the controller operates the dispenser actuator to dispense the strap and operates the coil-carriage actuator to retract the strap.

[0036] In various embodiments, the strap dispenser includes a braking assembly operably engageable with the strap-coil-carriage to stop the strap-coil carriage from rotating. Figures 7A and 7B show one such embodiment of the strap dispenser. In this embodiment, the braking assembly 700 includes a braking actuator 710 (such as an electric linear actuator), a brake shaft 720, and a brake pad 730 having a high-friction braking surface 730b (such as a textured rubber braking surface). The brake pad 730 is mounted to one end of the brake shaft 720, and the braking actuator 710 is operably connected to the other end of the brake shaft 720 to move the brake shaft 720 and the brake pad 730. The braking assembly 700 is mounted to a brake mount 117 that, in turn, is mounted to the body 110 of the frame 100. The braking actuator 710 is operably connected to the brake pad 730 (via the brake shaft 720) to move the brake pad 730 between a release position and a braking position. When the brake pad 730 is in the release position, as shown in Figure 7B, the braking surface 730b is spaced apart from the annular outer body 212 of the rear strap-coil supporter 210 such that the braking assembly 700 does not hinder rotation of the strap-coil carriage 200. Conversely, when the brake pad is in the braking position (not shown), the braking surface 730b frictionally engages the annular outer body 212 of the rear strap-coil supporter 210 such that the braking assembly 700 prevents rotation of the strap-coil carriage 200. This is merely one example, and the braking assembly may take any suitable configuration and engage any suitable component of the coil carriage to prevent rotation.

[0037] When the dispenser actuator is deactivated (i.e., not dispensing strap), the brake pad 730 is in its braking position to prevent rotation of the strap-coil carriage 200. When the dispenser actuator is activated to begin dispensing strap, the controller controls the braking actuator 710 to move the brake pad 730 to its release position, thereby enabling strap to be dispensed. Then when the dispenser actuator is again deactivated to stop dispensing strap, the controller controls the braking actuator 710 to move the brake pad to its braking position to stop the strap-coil carriage from rotating and to prevent excess strap dispensing.

[0038] In certain such embodiments, the strap dispenser includes the coil-carriage actuator (described above) in addition to the dispenser actuator and the braking assembly. In these embodiments, the controller operates the coil-carriage actuator to retract the strap. When the controller is operating the coil-carriage actuator, the controller controls the braking actuator to maintain the brake pad in its retracted position.

[0039] In other embodiments, the braking assembly includes a braking-assembly biasing element biasing the brake pad to either the retracted or braking position, depending on the embodiment. In these embodiments, the braking actuator operates against the force of the biasing element to move the brake pad to its braking or retracted position, depending on the embodiment.

[0040] In certain embodiments, the strap dispenser includes a communication device configured to establish hardwired (as opposed to wireless) communication with the external device.