Mounting device and carton flow bed

{
  "publication_number": "US10765210B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Mounting device and carton flow bed",
  "abstract": "A mounting device (100) is provided for connecting two substantially horizontally aligned support beams (20, 30, 40) of a carton flow bed rack (1; 2). The mounting device (100) has a plug (110) pluggable into an end of a first support beam (20) of the support beams. A key (130) is provided as a wedge for fixing the plug (110) in the first support beam (20). An engaging element (120) is arranged at the plug (110). The engaging element (120) is provided to engage a second support beam (30; 40) of the two support beams. The plug (110) is fixable to the first support beam (20) in at least two different plug-positions by means of the key (130).",
  "claims": [
    "1. A mounting device (100) for connecting a first substantially horizontally aligned support beam (20) to at least a second substantially horizontally aligned support beam (30, 40) of a carton flow bed rack (1; 2), comprising: a plug (110) having an upper arm (112) and a lower arm (113) that are pluggable into a first end of the first support beam (20) for establishing a plug connection of the plug (110) in the first end of the first support beams (20), upper and lower sets of receiving openings (114 L, 114 U, 115 L, 115 U) disposed respectively in the upper and lower arms (112, 113); a key (130) having a wedge-shaped portion and being insertable into one of the receiving openings (114 U, 115 U) in the upper arm (112) and one of the receiving openings (114 L, 115 L) in the lower arm (113) for fixing the plug (110) in the first support beam (20); and an engaging element (120) arranged at the plug (110), wherein the engaging element (120) is provided to engage the second support beam (30; 40); wherein: the plug (110) is fixable to the first end of the first support beam (20) in at least first and second plug-positions by means of the key (130), the plug (110) being plugged only partially into the first support beam when the plug (110) is in the first plug-position, and the plug (110) being plugged fully into the first support beam when the plug (110) is in the second plug-position, and the plug (110) has the upper and lower sets of receiving openings (114 L, 114 U, 115 L, 115 U) disposed respectively in the upper and lower arms (112, 113) and into which the key (130) is insertable for establishing the first and second plug-positions.",
    "2. The mounting device (100) of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two sets of receiving openings (115 L, 115 U) comprises a slit as the receiving opening (115 U).",
    "3. The mounting device (100) of claim 1, wherein the first plug-positions differs from the second plug-positions by at least 1 cm.",
    "4. The mounting device (100) of claim 1, wherein the receiving openings (114 L, 114 U, 115 L, 115 U) in each of the sets of receiving openings (114 L, 114 U, 115 L, 115 U) are spaced apart from each other along the upper arm (112) and along the lower arm (113) in an insertion direction of the plug (110).",
    "5. The mounting device (100) of claim 1, wherein, in a mounting position, the engaging element (120) is arranged at a face of the plug (110) facing away from the first support beam (20).",
    "6. The mounting device (100) of claim 5, wherein the engaging element (120) is provided as a separate element of the mounting device (100) that is fixable to the plug (110) in at least two different engaging-positions.",
    "7. The mounting device (100) of claim 5, wherein the plug (110) comprises pin openings (116 L, 116 M, 116 U, 117 L, 117 U) for fixing the engaging element (120) relative to the plug (110) in two predetermined heights corresponding to the at least two different engaging-positions.",
    "8. A carton flow bed rack (1; 2), comprising at least a substantially horizontally aligned side beam (20) having opposite first and second ends, a substantially horizontally aligned first end beam (30) a substantially horizontally aligned second end beam (40), and first and second identical mounting devices (100), the first end beam (30) being mounted to a first end of the side beam (20) by the first mounting device (100) and the second end beam (40) being mounted to the second end of the side beam (20) by the second mounting device (100), each of the first and second mounting devices (100) comprising: a plug (110) pluggable into the respective end of the side beam (20); a key (130) having a wedge-shaped portion and being disposed for fixing the plug (110) in the respective end of the side beam (20); and an engaging element (120) arranged at the plug (110) and configured to engage the respective first or second end beam (30, 40); wherein: the plug (110) of the first mounting device (100) is plugged into the first end of the side beam (20) and is fixable by the key (130) of the first mounting device (100) in at least first and second predetermined plug-positions, the plug (110) of the first mounting device (100) being plugged only partially into the first end of the side beam (20) when the plug (110) of the first mounting device (100) is in the first plug-position, and the plug (110) of the first mounting device (100) being plugged fully into the first end of the side beam (20) when the plug (110) of the first mounting device (100) is in the second plug-position; the engaging element (120) of the first mounting device (100) engages an opening (31; 32) of the first end beam (30); and the engaging element (120) of the first mounting device (100) is fixed to the plug (110) of the first mounting device (100) at a predetermined engaging-position, and wherein: the plug (110) of the second mounting device (100) is plugged into the second end of the side beam (20) and is fixable by the key (130) of the second mounting device (100) in at least first and second predetermined plug-positions, the plug (110) of the second mounting device (100) being plugged only partially into the second end of the side beam (20) when the plug (110) of the second mounting device (100) is in the first plug-position, and the plug (110) of the second mounting device (100) being plugged fully into the second end of the side beam (20) when the plug (110) of the second mounting device (100) is in the second plug-position; the engaging element (120) of the second mounting device (100) engages an opening (31; 32) of the second end beam (40); and the engaging element (120) of the second mounting device (100) is fixed to the plug (110) of the second mounting device (100) at a predetermined engaging-position.",
    "9. A method for connecting two substantially horizontally aligned support beams (20; 30; 40) of a carton flow bed rack (1; 2), comprising the steps of: plugging a plug (110) of a mounting device (100) into an end of a first support beam (20) of the rack; fixing the plug (110) in the first support beam (20) in a first of at least two different plug-positions by means of a key (130), at least a portion of the key having a wedge shape, and with the plug (110) being plugged only partially into the first support beam when the plug (110) is in the first plug-position; arranging an engaging element (120) at the plug (110) fixing a second support beam (30; 40) of the two support beams to the first support beam (20) by engaging the engaging element (120) with an opening (31; 41) of the second support beam (30; 40); and fixing the plug (110) in the first support beam (20) in a second of the at least two different plug-positions by means of the key (130), the plug (110) being plugged fully into the first support beam when the plug (110) is in the second plug-position, wherein an unload tray and/or a wheel track of the rack (1; 2) are arranged while the plug (110) is arranged in the first plug-position and, after the arrangement of the unload tray and/or the wheel track of the rack (1; 2), the plug (110) is fixed to the end of the first support beam (20) in a second of the at least two different plug-positions by means of the key (130).",
    "10. A mounting device (100) for connecting two substantially horizontally aligned support beams (20, 30, 40) of a carton flow bed rack (1; 2), comprising: a plug (110) pluggable into an end of a first support beam (20) of the two support beams; a key (130), provided as a wedge, for fixing the plug (110) in the first support beam (20); and an engaging element (120) arranged at the plug (110), wherein the engaging element (120) is provided to engage a second support beam (30; 40) of the two support beams; wherein: the plug (110) is fixable to the first support beam (20) in at least two different plug-positions by means of the key (130), in a mounting position, the engaging element (120) is arranged at a face of the plug (110) facing away from the first support beam (20), and the engaging element (120) is provided as a separate element of the mounting device (100) that is fixable to the plug (110) in at least two different engaging-positions.",
    "11. The mounting device (100) of claim 10, wherein the plug (110) comprises pin openings (116 L, 116 M, 116 U, 117 L, 117 U) for fixing the engaging element (120) relative to the plug (110) in two predetermined heights corresponding to the at least two different engaging-positions."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The invention relates to a mounting device and method for connecting two support beams of a rack, in particular of a carton flow bed rack.\n\nCarton flow bed racks are used to store and/or distribute loads, in particular parcels, cartons, and/or other goods. Carton flow bed racks are characterized in that they comprise a load side from which the rack is loaded and an unload side from which the rack is unloaded. There are carton flow bed racks that are loaded and unloaded at the same side, and others that are loaded and unloaded at different, e.g. opposite, sides. Carton flow bed racks may comprise wheel tracks to transport loads from one side of the rack to the other side.\n\nFor enabling a stable support, e.g. of these wheel tracks and the loads, support beams are provided. In particular at edges of the rack, two support beams are connected to each other substantially perpendicular to each other. This connection of the support beams is vital for the carton flow bed rack, because it has to provide a substantial stability to resist heavy usage when loading and unloading loads onto and from the carton flow bed rack. Therefore, said connection of the support beams should provide sufficient strength and durability.\n\nFurthermore, since each rack comprises a plurality of said edge-connections, it is advantageous if these connections may be established simply and quickly.\n\nThe problem relates to providing an improved connection for two support beams of a rack, in particular of a carton flow bed rack that requires increased stability.",
  "cpc": [
    "A47B 96/06",
    "A47F 1/12",
    "A47F 5/10",
    "B65G 1/02",
    "B65G 1/023",
    "B65G 1/08",
    "B65G 35/00",
    "F16B 7/00",
    "F16B 7/0446"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A47B 96/06",
    "A47F 1/12",
    "A47F 5/10",
    "B65G 1/02",
    "B65G 1/08",
    "F16B 7/04"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Interroll Holding AG"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jean Michel Laplace",
    "Herve Merieau"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-11-07",
  "publication_date": "2020-09-08",
  "grant_date": "2020-09-08",
  "priority_date": "2016-11-09",
  "application_number": "US-201715805170-A",
  "family_id": "57406186",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
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}