Clamping closure device

Abstract

The invention relates to a clamping and closing device (5) for a transport container (1) delimited by a container wall and a lid (4), the clamping and closing device (5) being displaceable beyond a dead center from an open position in a pressing direction (D) into a closed position, having an operating strip (6) with a releasable pivot connection (14) for the lid (4), and a clamping lever (7). In order to achieve a long-lasting normal function despite the possible impact action on the handling strip as almost unavoidable in transport logistics, it is proposed that the handling strip (6) has a stop (17) for the container wall (10), and that the clamping lever (7) is hinged to the handling strip (6) via a clamping bearing (8, 9) on the one hand, and that the clamping lever (7) is hinged to the other hand via a clamping bearing (8, 9) on the other hand. The clamping bearing (8) of the actuating strip (6) is retracted relative to the stop (17) for the container wall (10) with respect to the pressing direction (D), on the other hand, the clamping bearing (8) is hinged to the container wall (10), and wherein the clamping bearing (8) of the actuating strip (6) is retracted relative to the stop (17) for the container wall (10).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a clamping closure device for a transport container defined by container walls and a lid, wherein the clamping closure device has an operating strip comprising a releasable pivotal connection for the lid and a clamping lever, which can be displaced beyond a dead point from an open position in a pressing direction into a closed position. BACKGROUND

[0002] In order to releasably secure a transport container on a lid or an intermediate frame placed on the transport container, it is known from EP 0 669 441 A1 to provide a clamping closure device on each of two mutually opposite container walls of the transport container. The respective clamping closure device here has an operating strip and a clamping lever, which together form a toggle lever that can be displaced beyond a dead point from an open position in a pressing direction into a closed position. Furthermore, the operating strip comprises a pivotal connection formed by a connecting hook on the operating strip that engages into a pivot axis of the lid. As a result, when only one clamping closure device is open, the lid or the intermediate frame secured on the transport container can be pivoted in a hinged manner about a pivot axis extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the container wall with respect to the transport container.

[0003] The operating strip is hingedly connected to the clamping lever by means of a bearing bolt connection via a connecting plate projecting transversely from the operating strip. In the closed position, the clamping lever is here covered by the operating strip and is fixed without play between the connecting plate and the transport container wall, so that when an external force acts via the operating strip, the pressure introduced here is forcibly transmitted via the bearing bolt connection. As a result, in the normal operation of such a transport container, there is a risk due to the design structure that the bearing bolt connection is damaged and the clamping closure device ultimately fails as a result of an impact or a blow on the operating strip. SUMMARY

[0004] The technical problem addressed by the invention is therefore to design a clamping closure device of the type mentioned at the outset such that it remains functionally intact despite possible impact actions on the operating strip, as almost unavoidable in transport logistics.

[0005] The invention solves the stated technical problem in that the operating strip has a stop for the container wall and the clamping lever is hingedly connected to the operating strip on the one hand and to the container wall on the other hand via a clamping bearing, wherein the clamping bearing of the operating strip is set back with respect to the stop for the container wall with reference to the pressing direction.

[0006] By these features, in the closed position, when an external force, for example due to an impact or a blow, acts on the operating strip, the force flow is transmitted through the stop of the operating strip to the container wall, wherein the clamping support of the operating strip remains in this case outside the force flow path due to the arrangement retracted relative to the stop. The clamping support is thus covered in the closed position by the operating strip itself without the possible force acting from the outside on the operating strip being transmitted to the clamping support, so that the risk of damage to the clamping support in the closed position due to an impact or a blow is reduced. Preferably, the stop tab, which forms the region for accommodating the clamping lever extending in the depth direction of the operating strip, protrudes from the operating strip in the depth direction. In the closed position, the depth direction essentially coincides with the pressing direction. Thus, in the closed position, the clamping lever is completely accommodated in the accommodation region of the operating strip, i.e. the effective depth dimension of the clamping lever is smaller than the length of the stop tab extending in the depth direction. Since it has turned out according to the invention that the crank lever consisting of the clamping lever and the operating strip is usually sufficient to fix the clamping closure device in the closed position with only a slight excess extension, the dimensions of the accommodation region of the operating strip and / or the stop tab can be designed relatively compact. By these features, i.e. the depth dimension of the clamping closure device in the closed position depends only on the depth dimension of the operating strip, so that a more compact size of the clamping closure device in the closed position is advantageously produced. Thus, the space requirement of the transport container can be reduced overall, which in turn creates advantageous conditions for use in transport and logistics.

[0007] Since the crank lever according to the invention only slightly exceeds its dead point with an excess extension, it is usually difficult for the user to determine whether the clamping closure device has been correctly locked in the closed position. To facilitate the determination, it is proposed that the operating strip has an observation window for the clamping support of the container wall. Thus, it can be easily determined by visual inspection whether the clamping closure device is indeed completely locked in the closed position. Preferably, the observation window is designed such that the clamping support accommodation, which usually protrudes from the container wall, at least partially passes through the respective observation window in the closed position, wherein the clamping support of the container wall and the operating strip in particular abut flush with one another outwardly. Thereby, additional conditions are created so that the clamping support can be designed larger and thus more robust.

[0008] Especially for shipping goods, for reasons of quality assurance, it is often necessary to ensure that the transport container is properly closed until it is actually opened at the destination. In this context, a closure device is proposed which has at least one plug-in section which forms a predetermined breaking point, which in the closed position passes through the operating strip and the clamping lever and prevents being pulled out in the direction opposite to the pressing direction there. A preferably one-piece construction, for example a closure device which is configured as an injection-molded part, has in particular a plug-in section which is similar to the principle of a snap hook, so that the plug-in section forms an entry face for the displacement in the pressing direction on the one hand and a stop for the biting of the operating strip from behind in the direction opposite to the pressing direction on the other hand. The latter means that the closure device cannot be pulled out again without damage in the direction opposite to the pressing direction. Thus, when the operating strip is moved in the direction opposite to the pressing direction in order to open the clamping closure device, the plug-in section breaks at its respective predetermined breaking point, so that the closure device falls off and the clamping closure device is released for displacement into the open position. Furthermore, it can also be provided in principle that the operating strip has a viewing window for the display section of the closure device, so that it can be easily recognized whether the transport container remains properly closed.

[0009] For a compact construction it is proposed that in the closed position the operating strip, the container wall and the clamping lever extend substantially parallel to one another. Thereby the effective depth dimension of the clamping closure device in the closed position is reduced and thus said effective depth dimension substantially depends only on the material thickness and the dimensioning of the stop or stop tab of the operating strip.

[0010] If at least one clamping bearing is constituted by a guide joint for the sliding pin of the clamping lever, wherein the sliding pin can be rotated relative to the guide accommodation about a rotation axis which extends parallel to the container wall and can be moved on its sliding section opposite to the rotation axis along an arc-shaped guide path formed by the guide accommodation, then advantageous constructional conditions and a clamping closure device construction which has as long a service life as possible are created. Due to these features, during the displacement movement of the clamping closure device between the open and closed position, a particularly advantageous force transmission ratio results from the construction compared to, for example, a conventional bolt connection, so that advantageous conditions are created in terms of the occurring bearing forces and in turn a particularly robust joint connection is achieved. Furthermore, these features also create the prerequisite so that the respective guide accommodation and / or the sliding pin can be easily configured in one piece with the operating strip, the clamping lever and / or the container wall. For the specific configuration of the guide joint, for example the sliding pin belongs to the clamping lever and the guide accommodation belongs to the operating strip and / or the container wall or the guide accommodation belongs to the clamping lever and the sliding pin belongs to the operating strip and / or the container wall, is not essential in principle.

[0011] In this context, particularly advantageous operating conditions of the clamping closure device arise if the guide housing forms a stop for the sliding pin acting as a rotation limiter both in the closed position and in the open position. To this end, the guide housing preferably has a cross section which is essentially a circular sector, in particular a quarter circular sector, so that the circular arc forms the guide path and the radius of the sector defines the stop. Depending on the opening angle between the clamping lever and the operating strip and / or the container wall, which is prescribed by the rotation limitation, a favorable predefined positioning between the clamping closure device elements is already formed in the open position. Thus, when establishing the pivotal connection to the lid by means of the operating strip, no particular attention needs to be paid to the exact alignment of the clamping lever, in particular with respect to the operating strip, after which the operating strip is finally pressed in the pressing direction, displacing the clamping closure device into the closed position. Thus, the clamping closure device can also be easily operated with one hand or by means of automation, as a rule.

[0012] In order to provide the clamping closure device in the closed position with an additional locking in a structurally advantageous manner, so that the risk of unintentional opening of the clamping closure device is reduced even when the transport container is unintentionally handled, it is proposed that the operating strip has catch bodies and the container wall has catch recesses which interact with these catch bodies in order to lock the operating strip in the closed position. It can be provided, for example, that at the free end of the operating strip, on the end-side section of the operating strip with reference to the strip longitudinal direction, there is respectively an outwardly projecting catch pin which engages frictionally in a corresponding groove on the container wall.

[0013] The invention also relates to a transport container which is defined by a container wall and a lid and has a clamping closure device according to the invention. The transport container preferably comprises a clamping closure device on each of two mutually opposing container walls. In order to form the pivotal connection between the operating strip and the lid, the lid can in the simplest case have a pivot shaft which forms a hinge axis, into which the operating strip engages, for example by means of a connecting hook.

[0014] In connection therewith, a more reliable locking of the clamping closure device in the closed position can be produced if the pivotal connection of the operating strip forms a connecting hook for the hinge axis of the lid and if the transport container has a hook housing which forms a stop for the connecting hook in the closed position in order to preload the clamping closure device in the pressing direction. In the simplest case, the hook housing is formed here by a recess which is opened at the upper container wall edge, into which the free end of the connecting hook engages after the pivotal connection has been established, so that in the closed position the hook end section is pressed against the recess wall facing away from the container wall under the preloading force. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] The technical solution of the invention is illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1schematic perspective view of a transport container according to the application with a clamping closure device according to the application is shown,

[0017] Figure 2 a front view of a clamping closure device according to the application is shown on a larger scale,

[0018] Figure 3a a sectional view along the line III-III is shown on a larger scale when the pivotal connection is released,

[0019] Figure 3b a view of the corresponding clamping closure device in the open position is shown, Figure 3a

[0020] Figure 3c a view of the corresponding clamping closure device in the closed position is shown, and Figure 3a 3b

[0021] Figure 4 a cutaway perspective view of a clamping closure device with a sealing device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The transport container 1 comprises, for example, a base part 2 comprising a container bottom, and an intermediate frame 3 arranged as a height extension on the base part 2. The transport container also has a lid 4 which is arranged on the intermediate frame 3. Here, both the intermediate frame 3 and the base part 2, and the lid 4 and the intermediate frame 3, are detachably connected by means of a respective clamping closure device 5 according to the application. It goes without saying that the transport container 1 can also comprise a plurality of intermediate frames 3 stacked one above the other. It can also be provided, however, that the transport container 1 comprises only one base part 2, on which the lid 4 is arranged directly and detachably connected by means of a clamping closure device 5.

[0023] The clamping closure device 5 for connecting the intermediate frame 3 and the lid 4 is shown in Figure 1 part section in the region of the lid 4. Whereas Figure 2 a detail view of the clamping closure device 5 for connecting the base part 2 and the intermediate frame 3, indicated by a dash-dotted line, is shown in part section. The clamping closure device 5 has, in addition to an operating strip 6, a plurality of clamping levers 7 and is displaceable beyond a dead point from an open position into a closed position. The clamping levers 7 are each hinged on the operating strip 6 by means of a clamping bearing 8 and on a container wall 10 by means of a clamping bearing 9. Furthermore, the operating strip 6 has a catch body 11 and the container wall 10 has a catch recess 12 which interacts with the catch body 11 for additionally locking the operating strip 6 in the closed position.

[0024] ​​​In order to easily determine by visual inspection whether the clamping closure device 5 is indeed fully locked in the closed position, the operating bar 6 has an observation window 13 for the clamping support 9 of the container wall 10.

[0025] The clamping and closing device 5 can pass the dead point from the open position ( Figure 3b Displace along the pressing direction D to the closed position. Figure 3c The relevant crank kinematics are illustrated by connecting lines representing the corresponding axes of rotation with dotted lines. In the closed position ( Figure 3c In the container, the operating bar 6, the container wall 10, and the clamping bar 7 extend substantially parallel to each other.

[0026] The operating strip 6 includes a releasable pivot connection 14, wherein the connecting hook 15 of the operating strip 6 engages for this purpose with a pivot shaft 16 forming a hinge shaft, which is located at the cover 4 or the intermediate frame 3.

[0027] In addition, the operating bar 6 has a stop portion 17 for the container wall 10 designed as a stop plate, wherein the clamping support portion 8 of the operating bar 6 retracts relative to the stop portion 17 for the container wall 10 in the pressing direction D.

[0028] like Figures 3a to 3c As shown, clamping supports 8 and 9 each have a guide receiving portion 18 for a corresponding sliding pin 19 of the clamping rod 7. The sliding pin 19 is rotatable relative to the corresponding guide receiving portion 18 about a rotation axis extending parallel to the longitudinal extension dimension of the container wall 10, and is movable along an arc-shaped guide path formed by the corresponding guide receiving portion 18 in its sliding section opposite to the corresponding rotation axis. Thus, the sliding pin 19 and the corresponding guide receiving portion 18 together form guide joints for the clamping supports 8 and 9, respectively. The guide receiving portion 18 also has a cross-section that is substantially quarter-circular, thus forming an arc-shaped guide path, and defining the radius of the arc to form a stop portion for the sliding pin 19 that acts as a rotation limiter.

[0029] In order to lock the clamping closure device 5 particularly reliably in the closed position, the transport container 1 has a hook receiving portion 20, which forms a stop portion 21 for connecting the hook 15 in the closed position in order to pre-tighten the connecting hook 15 along the pressing direction D.

[0030] like Figure 4As shown, a closure device 22 can be provided, which has two plug sections 23 forming predetermined breaking points, which pass through the operating strip 6 and the clamping lever 7 in the closed position. Since the plug sections 23 are engaged behind the clamping lever 7, for example by snap hooks, the closure device 22 is prevented from being pulled out in a direction opposite to the pressing direction D. The operating strip 6 also has a viewing window 24 for a display section 25 of the closure device 22. When the operating strip 6 is moved against the pressing direction D in order to open the clamping closure device 5, the plug sections 23 break at their respective predetermined breaking points, so that the closure device 22 falls off and the clamping closure device 5 is released for displacement into the open position.

Claims

1. A clamping and closing device (5) for a transport container (1) defined by a container wall and a lid (4), wherein, The clamping closure device (5) is capable of moving from the open position to the closed position along the pressing direction (D) past the dead point. The clamping closure device has an operating bar (6) including a releasable pivot connection (14) for the cover (4) and a clamping rod (7). The operating bar (6) has a stop (17) for the container wall (10), and the clamping rod (7) is hinged to the operating bar (6) on one side and to the container wall (10) on the other side by clamping supports (8, 9), wherein the clamping support (8) of the operating bar (6) retracts relative to the stop (17) for the container wall (10) with reference to the pressing direction (D).

2. The clamping and closing device (5) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating bar (6) has an observation window (13) for the clamping support (9) of the container wall (10).

3. The clamping and closing device (5) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The sealing device (22) has at least one plug section (23) forming a predetermined breakage point, the plug section passing through the operating bar (6) and the clamping rod (7) in the closed position, and preventing it from being pulled out in the opposite direction to the pressing direction (D).

4. The clamping and closing device (5) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The operating bar (6) has an observation window (24) for the display section (25) of the sealing device (22).

5. The clamping and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, In the closed position, the operating bar (6), the container wall (10), and the clamping bar (7) extend substantially parallel to each other.

6. The clamping and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, At least one clamping support (8, 9) forms a guide receiving portion (18) for the sliding pin (19) of the clamping rod (7) by forming a guide joint, wherein the sliding pin (19) is rotatable relative to the guide receiving portion (18) about a rotation axis extending parallel to the container wall (10), and the sliding pin is movable along an arc-shaped guide path formed by the guide receiving portion (18) in its sliding section opposite to the rotation axis.

7. The clamping and closing device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The guide receiving portion (18) forms a stop portion that functions as a rotation limiter for the sliding pin (19) in both the closed and open positions.

8. The clamping and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The operating bar (6) has a locking body (11), and the container wall (10) has a locking notch (12) that interacts with the locking body (11) to lock the operating bar (6) in a closed position.

9. A transport container (1) having a clamping closure device (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The transport container (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The pivot connection (14) of the operating plate (6) forms a connecting hook (15) for the hinge shaft of the cover (4), and the transport container (1) has a hook receiving part (20) which forms a stop (21) for the connecting hook (15) in the closed position in order to pre-tighten the connecting hook (15) along the pressing direction (D).

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