GB2342089A - Structure for storing and/or transporting goods and a structural member for such a structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A structural member (1-8) for a structure for storing and/or transporting goods has a body with integral engagement means (10a,10b, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a,13b Figures 5 and 6) adapted to co-operate with corresponding engagement means of another said structural member 7,8 for the assembling the, at least the engagement means having been cut by liquid jet cutting.

Description

2342089 I - STRUCTURE FOR STORING AND/Olt TRANSPORTING GOODS AND

STRUCTURAL MEMBER FOR SUCH A STRUCTURE The present invention relates to a structure for storing and/or transporting goods and a structural member for such a structure.

Structures used in materials handling systems for storing and transporting goods are known whereby goods, which may for example be component parts, are stored in a structure which provides pigeonholes and/or trays at one location and are then carried in the structure to another location, which may for example be adjacent a production I ine, where they continue to be stored in the structure awaiting assembly into a finished product, for example an automobile or part of an automobile. These known structures comprise structural members pre-assembled by welding or adhering the structural members together to form the assembled structure.

The present invention seeks to enable more efficient manufacture of structural members for assembling into structures for storing and/or transporting goods, and/or to provide structural members that are convenient to assemble into such structures without the use of welding or adhesive.

Accordingly the invention provides a structural member having a body with integral engagement means adapted to co-operate with corresponding engagement means of another structural member for assembling into a structure for the storage and/or transportation of goods, at least the engagement means having been cut by liquid (e.g. water) jet cutting. Use of liquid jet cutting facilitates accurate cutting of the member without the need for special tooling, and omission of the weld i ngladhesive step leads to a quicker and more efficient assembly process and facilitates provision of a disassemblable structure.

Preferably, the structural member is one which has been cut by liquid jet cutting from substantially flat sheet materials. This is particularly advantageous in that a set of structural members can be stored and transported flat prior to assembly and following disassembly.

The engagement means may comprise at least one engagement projection adapted to engage a respective correspondingly shaped engagement recess of another structural member. Alternatively or additionally the engagement means may comprise at least one engagement recess adapted to receive a respective correspondingly shaped engagement projection of another structural member.

Preferably, the engagement means includes retaining means adapted to cooperate with corresponding retaining means of another structural member's engagement means for retaining adjacent structural members in interengagement. The retaining means may be resilient latch means, for providing a snap-fit fastening between adjacent structural members. Conveniently the latch means is releasable, for facilitating quick and effective assembly and disassembly of a structure. The retaining means may, for example, be a projection for snap-engagement in a corresponding recess and/or a recess for receiving a corresponding projection in a snapfit manner.

The invention also includes an assembled structure for storing and/or transporting goods, comprising a plurality of the structural members. The structure may provide, for example, shelving, pigeonholes and/or trays. The structure is preferably disassemblable in situ for re-use without the use of special tools.

The invention also includes a method of manufacturing a structural member comprising a body with integral engagement means adapted to co-operate with corresponding engagement means of another structural member for assembling into a structure for the storage and/or transportation of goods, the method including the step of cutting at least the engagement means by liquid jet cutting.

The invention also includes a kit comprising a plurality of unassembled structural members for erecting such a structure. Where the members are cut from flat sheet material, the kit may conveniently be a flat pack. The user, who may for example be a supplier of component parts, is able to assemble the structural members into any arrangement that is convenient to meet its current requirements, and is not limited by any predetermined configuration such as would be imposed by a prefabricated construction. This modular approach is particularly advantageous if the structure can be arranged in various configurations in which its goods support surfaces are at an oblique angle relative to the side walls of the structure, in addition to a selection of other more common arrangements.

The invention also includes a fastening device for fastening a tongue in a slot, the device comprising two fastening members mutually interengagable through a through-hole in the tongue from opposite sides of the tongue so as to provide at least one protrusion from a surface of the tongue.

In order that the invention may be well understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a structure for storing and/or transporting goods; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the assembled structure; Figure 3 is a back member of the structure; Figure 4 is a base member of the structure; Figure 5 is a first shelf member of the structure; Figure 6 is a second shelf member of the structure; Figure 7 is a lid member of the structure, identical to the base member; Figure 8 is a divider member of the structure; Figure 9 is a first wall member of the structure; Figure 10 is a second wal I member of the structure, identical to the f i rst wall member; Figure 11 shows a part section through a partially assembled alternative fastening means for the structure; and Figure 12 shows an end view of a fastening member of the alternative fastening means.

The structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises eight structural members consisting of a base member 1, lid member 2, back member 3, first wall member 4, second wall member 5, divider member 6, first shelf member 7 and second shelf member 8. It should be understood that the structure can be utilised in any selected orientation and is not limited to the orientation described with reference to Figure 2.

The structure provides four equally sized pigeonholes. It is envisaged that the structural members may be differently arranged or that a different selection of structural members may be employed, some having different shapes to those shown, and that a range of different structures may thus be obtained, for example having different numbers of pigeonholes, providing different types of structure for example trays, and/or having shelf members 7.8 which are obliquely arranged relative to the wall members 4,5.

Each of the exemplary structural members 1-8 has been manufactured by cutting a portion of flat plastics (e.g. polypropylene) sheet into the desired configuration using a waterjet cutting process. Use of this process has been found to be particularly beneficial for cutting the relatively complicated configurations in the exemplary structural members that provide various means, integral therewith, for assembling those members together without the use of welding or adhesive techniques, as is described in further detail below.

One such means, for assembling the shelf members 7,8 of adjacent pigeonholes to one another and also to the divider member 6, comprises engagement means for inter-engaging the shelf members 7,8 through slots in the divider member, one shelf member to either side of the divider member, and retaining means for retaining the shelf members and the divider member in the inter-engaged condition.

The engagement means of the first shelf member 7 is provided at a longitudinal side edge of the latter and comprises two engagement projections 1 Oa, 1 Ob and two engagement recesses 11 a, 11 b. Each engagement recess is contiguous with a respective one of the engagement projections. As shown in Fig. 5, the second shelf member 8 comprises further engagement means at one of its longitudinal side edges. The further engagement means includes engagement projections 12a, 12b and engagement recesses 1 3a, 13b, each engagement recess being contiguous with a respective one of the engagement projections. The engagement projections 1 Oa, 1 Ob of the first shelf member 7 engage in the respective engagement recesses 13a, 13b of the second shelf member 8 and the engagement projections 12a, 12b of the second shelf member 8 engage in the respective engagement recesses 11 a, 11 b of the first shelf member 7 when the structure is in the assembled condition with the shelf members 7 and 8 mutually coplanar (see Fig. 2).

An edge portion of each engagement projection 10a, 10b, 12a, 12b is curved to facilitate lateral insertion into its respective engagement recess I 3a, 1 3b, 11 a, 11 b. Each engagement recess 11 a, 1 1b, 1 3a, 13b has a correspondingly curved edge portion to further facilitate insertion of a respective one of the engagement projections therein. An opposite edge portion of each engagement proj ection is I i near for mati ng with a corresponding linear edge portion of a respective one of the engagement recesses in the inter-engaged condition. The curved edge surfaces of each engagement projection and its corresponding engagement recess force the mating I i near edge portions of the engagement projections and engagement recesses together in the inter-engaged condition.

Retaining means in the form of pips 14a, 14b are respectively provided on the linear edge portion of each engagement means of the first shelf member 7. Corresponding retaining means in the form of recesses 15a, 15b are respectively provided on the linear edge portion of each engagement means of the second shelf member 8. With the shelf members 7,8 in the inter-engaged condition, the pips 14a, 14b are a snapfit in the respective recesses 15a, 15b to retain the shelf members 7,8 releasably in the engaged condition. In this condition, the engagement projections extend through the slots 16a, 16b in the divider member 6 (Fig. 6) and the retaining means lie within the respective slots 16a, 16b in the divider member 6. It will therefore be understood that each engagement projection extends from the side edge of the respective shelf member by a distance corresponding to the sum of the thickness of the divider member 6 and the depth of the recess into which it is engaged.

The engagement projections and engagement recesses, together with the pips and their corresponding recesses, form a most convenient way of quickly assembling and disassembling the members 6,7,8. Such engagement projections and/or recesses together with their respective retaining means may also be provided on the opposite side of at least one of the shelf members 7,8 to conveniently assemble the or each shelf member to an adjacent modular structure as well as to one of the wall members 4.5.

The respective edges of each shelf member 7,8 which lie adjacent the back member 3 and each of the wall members 4,5 are respectively fastened to these members 3, 4 and 5 by means of tongues 17 which project through correspondingly shaped slots 18 in the back and wall members 3, 4 and 5. Each tongue 17 is provided with fastening means consisting of a small hole and a releasable fastening device in the form of a pin (not shown) fitted into the hole after the tongue has been engaged with the appropriate slot 18. The pin may conveniently be a split pin.

Tongues 19, similar to the tongues 17, are provided on the respective rear edges of the lid member 2 and base member 1 and pass through respective slots 20 in the back member 3 for fastening, in conjunction with respective fastening pins, the lid and base members 1,2 to the back member 3 in the assembled condition of the structure.

An alternative fastening means is shown in Figures 11 and 12 for fastening at least one of the tongues 17,19 in a respective one of the slots 18,20. The alternative fastening means takes the form of an alternative fastening device 29 and through-hole 30 in the tongue 17,19, the fastening device 29 being releasably lockable in location in the through-hole so as to prevent extraction of the tongue 17,19 from its slot 18,20. The fastening device 29 comprises two substantially identical fastening members 31. Each fastening member 31 has a main body portion 32 providing an abutment surface 33 for abutting a surface of the tongue 17, 19 when the fastening device 29 is locked in the through-hole 30. Each fastening member 31 is also provided with a snap-engaging head 34 protruding from its abutment surface 33 and interlockable with the head 34 of the other fastening member 31.

The snap-engagement action is provided by a respective catch 35 at the distal end of each head 34 and a corresponding respective recess 36 9_ formed in each head 34 between the catch 35 and the abutment surface 33.

Each head 34 has an inclined surface 37 to assist and guide its entry into the recess 30. Each head 34 also has a further inclined surface 38 for abutting the further inclined surface of another head 34 such that, as two fastening members are moved together by inserting their respective heads 34 in the recess 30 from opposite sides of the tongue 17,19, the catches 35 of the heads 34 are forced apart by mutual abutment of the further inclined surfaces 38. The provision of the inclined surfaces 37 ensures there is sufficient room for the catches 35 to resiliently deflect laterally of the direction of the interengagement. Continued movement of the fastening members 31 in the direction of interengagement results in a snap-engaging effect, and the catches 35 are brought to rest, each lodging in the respective recess 36 of the other fastening member 31. Theheads 34 are sized so that, with the catches 35 fully lodged in the recesses 36, the abutment surfaces 33 abut respective opposite surfaces of the tongue 17,19 adjacent the through-hole 30.

The two interengaged heads 34 form a web securely interconnecting two fastening members 31. The main body portions 32 of the fastening members 31 prevent removal of the tongue 17,19 from its slot 18,20. Furthermore, the root portions of the heads 34 are sized relative to the through-hole 30 such that the root portions of the resulting web substantially fill the recess 30. The heads 34 are also sized such that a end distal end face 34a of each head 34 abuts the abutment surface 33 of the opposing fastening member 31. This tends to prevent movement of the fastening device 29 in the through-hole 30 and provides a more stable structure. The through-hole 30 is located in the tongue 17,19 such that, when the fastening device 29 is snap-fitted into place in the through- hole 30, a side wall 39 of each of the fixing members 29 abuts a surface of the structural member through which the tongue is received. This further assists the provision of a sturdy and securely assembled structure.

Each fastening member 31 is made of a resilient plastics material, which may be the same material as that of which the structural members 1 to 8 are formed. The fastening members 31 may be manufactured, for example, by wateriet cutting or by stamping from sheet material. The use of plastics material is advantageous in that it will not corrode and stain any goods contained in the assembly. Furthermore, the relative resilience of plastics material provides advantages over the use of harder materials in that the fastening member 31 is less likely to cause damage to elements of the structure goods stored in the structure, or to the body of a person handling or using the assembly.

The fastening members 31 are quick and convenient for a person assembling the structure to snap-fit together by inserting the heads 34 into the through-hole 30 from opposite directions and squeezing the members 31 together until snap-engagement occurs. The fastening members 31 are disengagable by prising apart.

Further tongues 21 are provided on the upper and lower edges of each wall member 4,5 and the divider member 6 for accommodation in slots 22 in the lid and base member and on the rear edge of each wall member 4,5 for lodging in corresponding slots 22 in the back member 3.

In the disassembled condition, the structural members 1 through 8 may be provided in the form of a kit for assembly into a structure, together with any fastening devices which may be necessary. The structural members provided in such a kit may be configured to allow assembly of the assembled structure to another structure assembled for example from a similar kit.

Claims (26)

1 A structural member having a body with integral engagement means adapted to co-operate with corresponding engagement means of another structural member for assembling into a structure for the storage and/or transportation of goods, at least the engagement means having been cut by liquid jet cutting.

2. A structural member as claimed in Claim 1, the member having been cut by liquid jet cutting from substantially flat sheet materials.

3. A structural member as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the engagement means comprises at least one engagement projection adapted to engage a respective correspondingly shaped engagement recess of another structural member.

4. A structural member as claimed in Gairn 1, 2 or 3, wherein the engagement means comprises at least one engagement recess adapted to receive a respective correspondingly shaped engagement projection of another structural member.

5. A structural member as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement means includes retaining means adapted to cooperate with corresponding retaining means of another structural member's engagement means for retaining adjacent structural members in inter-engagement.

6. A structural member as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the retaining means is resilient latch means.

7. A structural member as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the latch means is releasable.

8. A structural member as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the retaining means is a projection for snap-engagement in a corresponding recess and/or a recess for receiving a corresponding projection in a snap-fit manner.

9. A structural member as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid employed for the liquid jet cutting is water.

10. A structural member as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, having at least one tongue for engaging in a slot of another structural member, the or each tongue having a through-hole therein for receiving a fastening device for fastening the tongue in the slot.

11. An assembled structure for storage and/or transportation of goods, comprising a plurality of structural members as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

12. A structure as claimed in Claim 11 when dependent on Claim 10, wherein the fastening device is a pin.

13. A structure as claimed in Claim 11 when dependent on Claim 10, wherein the fastening device comprises two fastening members mutually interengagable through the through-hole from opposite sides of the tongue so as to provide at least one protrusion from a surface of the tongue.

14. A structure as claimed in Claim 13, wherein at least one of the fastening members is made of plastics material.

15. A structure as claimed in Claim 11 when dependent on Claim 10, wherein the fastening device is engaged with the tongue using the through- hole and is of plastics material.

16. A structure as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 15, wherein the fastening device is engagabie by snap-fitting.

17. A method of manufacturing a structural member comprising a body with integral engagement means adapted to co-operate with corresponding engagement means of another structural member for assembling into a structure for the storage and/or transportation of goods, the method including the step of cutting at least the engagement means by liquid jet cutting.

18. A method as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the liquid employed for the liquid jet cutting is water.

19. A structural member made according to a method as claimed in Claim 17 or 18.

Is-

20. A kit comprising a plurality of unassembled structural members as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10 or 19 for erecting a structure as claimed in any one of Claims 11 to 16.

21. A flat pack kit as claimed in Claim 20.

22. A fastening device for fastening a tongue in a slot, the device comprising two fastening members mutually interengagable through a through-hole in the tongue from opposite sides of the tongue so as to provide at least one protrusion from a surface of the tongue.

23. A device as claimed in Claim 22, wherein each fastening member has a head projecting from a main body portion, the heads being interengagable to form a web within the through-hole between the main body portions.

24. A device as claimed in Claim 22 or 23, wherein the fastening members are interengagable by snap-fitting.

25. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 22 to 24, wherein at least one of the fastening members is made of plastics material.

26. A structure for storing and/or transporting goods, a structural member, a method of manufacturing a structural member or a kit comprising a plurality of unassembled structural members, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings, or a fastening device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings.