Dunnage bag suspender

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10400951-B2
Application number	US-201815959891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2018
Priority date	May 2, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a dunnage bag suspender configured to suspend a dunnage bag in place before inflation and to hold the dunnage bag such that the dunnage bag can automatically pull free of the dunnage bag suspender during inflation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dunnage bag suspender comprising:
a handle;
a support attached to the handle and having a support longitudinal axis; and
a first dunnage bag attacher attached to the support and configured to releasably attach to a dunnage bag;
wherein the first dunnage bag attacher is configured to releasably attach to the dunnage bag via imposition of a first clamping force onto the dunnage bag, wherein the first clamping force is low enough to enable the dunnage bag to pull free from the first dunnage bag attacher during inflation.

2. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 1 , further comprising a first hanger that attaches the first dunnage bag attacher to the support.

3. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 1 , wherein the first dunnage bag attacher is movable between a first open configuration and a first closed configuration, and wherein the dunnage bag suspender further comprises a first biasing element that biases the first dunnage bag attacher to the first closed configuration.

4. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 3 , wherein the first biasing element is configured such that the first dunnage bag attacher imposes a clamping force between 25 and 65 pounds when in the first closed configuration.

5. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 1 , further comprising a first suspender that has a first suspender longitudinal axis, wherein the first suspender is movably attached to the support such that the first suspender is movable relative to the support between a first stowed configuration and a first use configuration, wherein when the first suspender is in the first use configuration the first suspender longitudinal axis is transverse to the support longitudinal axis.

6. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 5 , wherein when the first suspender is in the first use configuration, the first suspender longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the support longitudinal axis.

7. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 5 , wherein when the first suspender is in the first stowed configuration, the first suspender longitudinal axis is parallel to the support longitudinal axis.

8. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 5 , wherein the first suspender is pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to a handle longitudinal axis of the handle between the first stowed configuration and the first use configuration.

9. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 5 , further comprising a second suspender that defines a second suspender longitudinal axis, wherein the second suspender is movably attached to the support such that the second suspender is movable relative to the support between a second stowed configuration and a second use configuration, wherein when the second suspender is in the second use configuration the second suspender longitudinal axis is transverse to the support longitudinal axis.

10. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 9 , further comprising a second dunnage bag attacher attached to the support and configured to releasably attach to the dunnage bag.

11. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 9 , wherein the first suspender is pivotable about a first pivot axis between the first stowed configuration and the first use configuration; the second suspender is pivotable about a second pivot axis between the second stowed configuration and the second use configuration; and the first pivot axis, the second pivot axis, and a handle longitudinal axis of the handle are parallel.

12. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 11 , wherein when the first and second suspenders are in their respective first and second use configurations, the first and second suspender longitudinal axes are perpendicular to their respective support longitudinal axis.

13. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 12 , wherein when the first and second suspenders are in their respective first and second suspender stowed configurations, the first and second suspender longitudinal axes are parallel to the support longitudinal axis.

14. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 10 , wherein the first dunnage bag attacher is movable between a first open configuration and a first closed configuration, wherein the dunnage bag suspender further comprises a first biasing element that biases the first dunnage bag attacher to the first closed configuration, wherein the second dunnage bag attacher is movable between a second open configuration and a second closed configuration, and wherein the dunnage bag suspender further comprises a second biasing element that biases the second dunnage bag attacher to the second closed configuration.

15. The dunnage bag suspender of claim 14 , wherein the first biasing element and the second biasing element are each configured such that the first and second dunnage bag attachers each impose a clamping force between 25 and 65 pounds when in their respective closed configurations.

16. A method of installing a dunnage bag in a space between a first portion of a load and a second portion of a load, the method comprising:
releasably attaching a first dunnage bag attacher of a dunnage bag suspender to the dunnage bag;
positioning the dunnage bag suspender such that the dunnage bag is positioned in the space between the first and second portions of the load; and
inflating the dunnage bag to a desired operating pressure, the inflating causing the dunnage bag to pull free from the first dunnage bag attacher.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein positioning the dunnage bag suspender comprises positioning the dunnage bag suspender such that a first suspender of the dunnage bag suspender rests on a top surface of the first portion of the load and on a top surface of the second portion of the load and extends across the space between the first and second portions of the load.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the dunnage bag suspender further comprises a handle and a support attached to the handle, wherein the first suspender is attached to the support and movable relative to the support between a first stowed configuration and a first use configuration.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising moving the first suspender from the stowed configuration to the first use configuration and moving a second suspender of the dunnage bag suspender from a second stowed configuration to a second use configuration before dunnage bag suspender.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising releasably attaching a second dunnage bag attacher of the dunnage bag suspender to the dunnage bag, wherein inflating the dunnage bag operating pressure causes the dunnage bag to pull free from the second dunnage bag attacher.

Assignees

• Signode Ind Group Llc

Inventors

• Beard Anthony K
• Gault Joseph W

Classifications

• B65D81/052

  filled with fluid, e.g. inflatable elements · CPC title

• F16M13/022

  repositionable · CPC title

• F16M13/04 Primary

  for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains {, e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head (apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B)} · CPC title

• B60P7/065 Primary

  by pressurizing or creating a vacuum in a bag, cover or the like · CPC title