Strapping tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358669-B2
Application number	US-202118003366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2021
Priority date	Jul 13, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A strapping tool configured to tension metal strap around a load and, after tensioning, attach overlapping portions of the strap to one another by cutting notches into a seal element positioned around the overlapping portions of the strap and into the overlapping portions of the strap themselves.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A strapping tool comprising:
a support comprising a foot;
a tensioning assembly mounted to the support and movable relative to the foot of the support between a strap-tensioning position and a strap-insertion position, the tensioning assembly comprising a rotatable tension-wheel shaft and a tension wheel mounted to the tension-wheel shaft to rotate with the tension-wheel shaft;
a motor operably connected to the tension-wheel shaft and configured to rotate the tension-wheel shaft in a first rotational direction;
a retainer comprising a body having a tension-wheel-shaft engager, wherein the retainer is movable relative to the tension-wheel shaft between a release position and a retaining position; and
a retainer-biasing element biasing the retainer to the retaining position,
wherein when the retainer is in the release position spaced from the tensioning-wheel shaft, the retainer-biasing element forces the tension-wheel-shaft engager of the retainer into contact with a surface of the tension-wheel shaft of the tensioning assembly to enable the tension-wheel-shaft engager to further engage the tension-wheel shaft to retain the tensioning assembly in the strap-insertion position.

2. The strapping tool of claim 1 , wherein when the tensioning assembly is in the strap-insertion position and the retainer is in the retaining position, rotation of the tension-wheel shaft in the first rotational direction forces the retainer to move to the release position, thereby enabling the tensioning assembly to move to the strap-tensioning position.

3. The strapping tool of claim 2 , further comprising a tensioning-assembly-biasing element biasing the tensioning assembly to the strap-tensioning position such that, when the retainer is retaining the tensioning assembly in the strap-insertion position and then moves to the release position, the tensioning-assembly-biasing element forces the tensioning assembly to move to the strap-tensioning position.

4. The strapping tool of claim 3 , wherein when the tensioning assembly is in the strap-insertion position and the retainer is in the retaining position, the tensioning-assembly-biasing element causes the tension-wheel shaft to impose a force on the tension-wheel-shaft engager in a direction of the foot of the support.

5. The strapping tool of claim 4 , further comprising a housing at least partially enclosing the support, the tensioning assembly, and the motor, wherein the retainer is supported by the housing.

6. The strapping tool of claim 1 , wherein the body of the retainer further comprises a biasing-element engager, and wherein the retainer-biasing element engages the biasing-element engager to bias the retainer to the retaining position.

7. The strapping tool of claim 1 , wherein the retainer-biasing element comprises a torsion spring and the retainer is pivotable between the release and retaining positions.

8. The strapping tool of claim 1 , wherein the retainer is positioned such that the tension-wheel-shaft engager contacts the tension-wheel shaft when the tensioning assembly is in the strap-tensioning position and the retainer is in the release position.

9. The strapping tool of claim 1 , wherein when the tensioning assembly is in the strap-insertion position and the retainer is in the retaining position, the tension-wheel-shaft engager of the retainer extends beneath the tension-wheel shaft.

10. The strapping tool of claim 9 , wherein the tension-wheel-shaft engager of the retainer is between the foot and the tension-wheel shaft when the tensioning assembly is in the strap-insertion position and the retainer is in the retaining position.

11. The strapping tool of claim 1 , further comprising a retainer engager movable relative to the retainer between an activated position and a deactivated position, wherein when the retainer engager is in the deactivated position, the retainer engager prevents the retainer from moving to the retaining position, wherein when the retainer engager is in the activated position, the retainer engager enables the retainer to move to the retaining position.

12. The strapping tool of claim 11 , further comprising a retainer-activation switch comprising a head and the retainer engager, wherein the head is operably connected to the retainer engager to move the retainer engager between the deactivated and activated positions.

13. The strapping tool of claim 12 , further comprising a housing at least partially enclosing the support, the tensioning assembly, and the motor, wherein the retainer and the retainer-activation switch are supported by the housing, wherein at least part of the head of the retainer-activation switch is outside the housing.

14. The strapping tool of claim 13 , further comprising a retainer-activation-switch biasing element resisting movement of the retainer engager between the deactivated and activated positions.

15. The strapping tool of claim 14 , wherein the retainer engager is rotatable between the deactivated and activated positions, wherein the retainer-activation-switch biasing element comprises a spring extending between the retainer engager and the housing.

16. A strapping tool comprising:
a support comprising a foot;
a tensioning assembly mounted to the support and movable relative to the foot of the support between a strap-tensioning position and a strap-insertion position, the tensioning assembly comprising a rotatable tension-wheel shaft and a tension wheel mounted to the tension-wheel shaft to rotate with the tension-wheel shaft;
a motor operably connected to the tension-wheel shaft and configured to rotate the tension-wheel shaft in a first rotational direction;
a retainer comprising a body having a tension-wheel-shaft engager, wherein the retainer is movable relative to the tension-wheel shaft between a release position and a retaining position; and
a retainer-biasing element biasing the retainer to the retaining position,
wherein when the tensioning assembly is in the strap-tensioning position and the retainer is in the release position, the retainer-biasing element forces the tension-wheel-shaft engager of the retainer into contact with the tension-wheel shaft of the tensioning assembly, and wherein when the tensioning assembly is in the strap-insertion position and the retainer is in the retaining position, the tension-wheel-shaft engager further engages the tension-wheel shaft to retain the tensioning assembly in the strap-insertion position.

Assignees

• Signode Ind Group Llc

Inventors

• Neeser Mirco
• Bolliger Kurt
• Keller Andreas

Classifications

• B65B13/305

  Hand tools · CPC title

• B65B13/025 Primary

  Hand-held tools · CPC title

• B65B13/187

  Motor means · CPC title

• B65B13/22 Primary

  Means for controlling tension of binding means · CPC title

• B65B13/02

  Applying and securing binding material around articles or groups of articles, e.g. using strings, wires, strips, bands or tapes · CPC title