Adjustable coil protector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415971-B2
Application number	US-201414448665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2013
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a reusable adjustable coil protector for a plurality of differently sized coils. The adjustable coil protector has an unassembled generally linear resting configuration and plurality of different assembled generally cylindrical configurations. The adjustable coil protector is formed and maintained in the generally linear unassembled configuration for storage and transport before and after use. The adjustable coil protector is bent and wrapped around itself, positioned, and securely locked in a user selected one of the plurality of different assembled generally cylindrical configurations prior to mounting the adjustable coil protector on a coil. The adjustable coil protector is configured to reduce inventory, shipping, and warehousing space needed for the adjustable coil protector because the adjustable coil protector can be used on a plurality of differently sized coils or the same size coils with different sized central openings.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An adjustable coil protector comprising:
a coil side wall engager configured to mate with a side wall of a coil, said coil side wall engager including a plurality of spaced apart coil side wall engaging arms that define a plurality of spaced apart notches; and
a coil inner wall engager connected to the coil side wall engager and configured to mate with an inner wall of the coil that defines a central opening of the coil, the coil inner wall engager including:
(a) an elongated body having a first end section, a second end section, and an intermediate section between the first end section and the second end section, said second end section of the body including a plurality of surfaces extending inwardly from an outer edge of a perimeter of the second end section toward the intermediate section, the plurality of surfaces partially defining a plurality of voids in the second end section;
(b) a plurality of locking tabs extending from an outer edge of a perimeter of the first end section of the body, wherein the locking tabs each have a shape corresponding to a shape of one of the plurality of voids; and
(c) a plurality of locking tab engagers defined by said second end section of the body, each said locking tab engager configured to receive and interlock with one of the locking tabs,

wherein said coil inner wall engager is bendable from an unassembled position in which the locking tabs are not interlocked with the locking tab engagers to one of a plurality of different assembled positions in which the locking tabs interlock with a plurality of the locking tab engagers.

2. The adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , wherein the coil side wall engager extends at an approximately 90 degree angle from the coil inner wall engager.

3. The adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the spaced apart notches are each “V” shaped.

4. The adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the spaced apart coil side wall engaging arms each have a trapezoid shape.

5. The adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , wherein each of the locking tabs includes:
(a) a neck connected to and extending from the outer edge of the perimeter of the first end section of the body,
(b) a head connected to the neck, and
(c) a plurality of shoulders.

6. The adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , wherein each of the locking tab engagers defines a “T” shaped opening.

7. The adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , which includes two locking tabs and at least four locking tab engagers.

8. The adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , wherein locking tab engagers are part of a first array of locking tab engagers and the body defines a second array of a plurality of locking tab engagers, said second array spaced apart from the first array, each said locking tab engager configured to receive and interlock with one of the locking tabs, wherein said coil inner wall engager is bendable from the unassembled position in which the locking tabs are not interlocked with the locking tab engagers to one of a plurality of different first assembled positions in which the locking tabs are interlocked with a plurality of the first array of locking tab engagers and to one of a plurality of different second assembled positions in which the locking tabs are interlocked with a plurality of the second array of locking tab engagers.

9. A protected coil comprising:
a coil of material defining a central opening;
the adjustable coil protector of claim 1 , positioned in the central opening, such that: (i) the coil side wall engages with a side wall of the coil, so that the coil side wall engager extends radially across the side wall of the coil; and (ii) the coil inner wall engages an inner wall of the coil that defines the central opening of the coil.

10. An adjustable coil protector comprising:
a coil side wall engager configured to mate with a side wall of a coil, said coil side wall engager including a plurality of spaced apart coil side wall engaging arms that define a plurality of spaced apart notches; and
a coil inner wall engager connected to the coil side wall engager and configured to mate with an inner wall of the coil that defines a central opening of the coil, the coil inner wall engager including:
(a) an elongated body having a first end section, a second end section, and an intermediate section between the first end section and the second end section,
(b) a plurality of locking tabs extending from the first end section of the body,
(c) a first array of a plurality of locking tab engagers defined by said second end section of the body, each said locking tab engager configured to receive and interlock with one of the locking tabs,
(d) a second array of a plurality of locking tab engagers defined by said second end section of the body, each said locking tab engager configured to receive and interlock with one of the locking tabs, said second array spaced from the first array more toward the intermediate section,
(e) wherein the second end section of the body includes a plurality of surfaces extending inwardly from an outer edge of a perimeter of the second end section of the body toward the intermediate section, the plurality of surfaces partially defining a plurality of voids in the second end section, and
(f) wherein the plurality of locking tabs extend from an outer edge of a perimeter of the first end section of the body, wherein the locking tabs each have a shape corresponding to a shape of one of the plurality of voids,

wherein said coil inner wall engager is bendable from an unassembled position in which the locking tabs are not interlocked with the locking tab engagers to: (i) one of a first plurality of different assembled positions in which the locking tabs are interlocked with a plurality of the locking tab engagers of the first array, and (ii) one of a second plurality of different assembled positions in which the locking tabs are interlocked with a plurality of locking tab engagers of the second array.

11. The adjustable coil protector of claim 10 , wherein the coil side wall engager extends at an approximately 90 degree angle from the coil inner wall engager.

12. The adjustable coil protector of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of the spaced apart notches are each “V” shaped.

13. The adjustable coil protector of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of the spaced apart coil side wall engaging arms each have a trapezoid shape.

14. The adjustable coil protector of claim 10 , wherein each of the locking tabs includes:
(a) a neck connected to and extending from the first end section of the body of the coil inner wall engager;
(b) a head connected to the neck; and
(c) a plurality of shoulders.

15. The adjustable coil protector of claim 14 , wherein each of the locking tab engagers defines a “T” shaped opening.

16. The adjustable coil protector of claim 10 , which includes two locking tabs and at least four locking tab engagers in the first array and at least four locking tab engagers in the second array.

17. The adjustable coil protector of claim 10 , which includes two locking tabs, six locking tab engagers in the first array, and six locking tab engagers in the second array.

18. A protected coil comprising:
a coil of material defining a central opening;
the adjustable coil protector of claim 10 , positioned in the central opening, such that: (i) the coil side wall engages with a side wall of the coil, so that the coil side wall engager extends radially across the side wall of the coil; and (ii) the coil inner wall engages

Assignees

• Signode Ind Group Llc

Inventors

• Duchanois Dominique
• Kruelle John M

Classifications

• B65D85/04

  for coils of wire, rope or hose · CPC title

• B65H75/242

  Expansible spindles, mandrels or chucks, e.g. for securing or releasing cores, holders or packages · CPC title

• B65H75/185 Primary

  End caps, plugs or adapters · CPC title