Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Transport unit and met.l~od .for manufacturing. the. same .. . --
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a trans-
port unit for insulation panels and a method of manu-
facturing such a unit. More specifically, the present
invention concerns such a transport unit comprising a
package enclosed by a casing, said package comprising
a stack of insulation panels which is carried by sup-
porting elements, said supporting elements and said
insulation panels being made of a material usable for
insulation purposes, as well as a method of manufacturing
such a transport unit.
Background Art
It is common to design transport units for insula-
tion panels in such manner that they, besides an en-
closing casing, only comprise materials intended for
insulation purposes, Consequently, even the supporting
elements used to carry the insulation panels are made
of a material usable for insulation purposes. Thus, there
is no need for traditional loading pallets, which allows
the heavy handling of such pallets to be eliminated.
A transport unit of the type described by way of
introduction is disclosed, for example, in DE 4,218,354.
The transport unit described consists-of a stack of insu-
lating panels arranged on two supporting elements. The
supporting elements are made of a material usable for
insulating purposes and are, together with the insulation
panels, wrapped in a single packaging film to form a
transport unit:
Accordingly, a transport unit produced in this way
presents major advantages compared with conventional
transport units consisting of insulation panels arranged
on loading pallets. Once the transport unit has been emp-
tied, only the packaging film remains. Thus, the com-
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plicated, costly and environmentally disadvantageous
handling of the loading pallets has been eliminated.
However, the transport unit according to
DE 4,218,354 is not without drawbacks. One major draw-
s back is that relatively expensive equipment is required
to produce transport units of this kind. In this context,
large investments have to be made, in particular, in the
equipment used to wrap the supporting elements and the
stack in a packaging film to form said transport unit.
A further problem is associated with the case where
the insulation panels forming part of the transport unit
are made of a high-density material usable for insulation
purposes. Such insulation panels can be used, for ex-
ample, for the purpose of insulating roofs. A transport
l5 unit comprising insulation panels of this type is rela-
tively heavy and the transport unit will therefore have
to be wrapped in several layers of packaging film in
order to hold together and remain stable, which is an
elaborate and time-consuming process.
Another problem observed is that the prior-art
transport unit has an imperfect weatherproofing. The
reason for this is that the step of wrapping the sup-
porting elements and the insulation panels in a packaging
film has turned out to be relatively complicated, which
means that it is not possible to get the packaging film
wrapped round the insulation panels and supporting ele-
ments to cover, in a reliable manner, all the sides of
the transport unit facing the surrounding environment.
Thus, water may penetrate the transport unit when stored
outdoors. It should be noted that, in many cases, trans-
port units of this kind are delivered to building sites,
where they are stored outdoors before being used.
Summary of the Invention
In view of that stated above, it is an object of the
present invention to provide an improved transport unit
of the kind described above and a method for manufac-
turing such a transport unit.
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Another object is to provide a transport unit which,
while presenting the required manageability, can be given
a reliable weatherproofing and which can be manufactured
without the need for expensive equipment.
A further object is to provide a transport unit
which can comprise insulation panels made of a high-
density material usable for insulation purposes.
To achieve these objects and also other objects
which will be apparent from the following description,
ZO there are provided a transport unit, according to the
present invention, having the features stated in claim 1
as well as a method for manufacturing a transport unit
having the features stated in claim 14. Preferred embodi-
ments of the inventive transport unit are apparent from
claims 2-13 and preferred embodiments of the inventive
method are apparent from claims 15-17.
More specifically, a transport unit is provided com-
prising a package enclosed by a casing, said package com-
prising at least one stack of insulation panels which is
carried by supporting elements, said supporting elements
and said insulation panels being made of a material usable
for insulation purposes, said transport unit being charac-
terised in that the casing enclosing the package comprises
a first hood and a second hood, said hoods being arranged
on the package respectively from a first side and an
opposite second side thereof, and said hoods being joined
together in a portion along which the hoods overlap.
Thus, an environmentally acceptable transport unit
is provided, which may be produced in a simple and fast
manner without the need for any complicated and expensive
equipment. The transport unit is completely enclosed by
the casing consisting of the two hoods and, thus, pre-
sents a satisfactory weatherproofing. Furthermore, the
connection between the two hoods in the overlap portion
can be made strong enough to afford the transport unit
the required manageability, i.e. that it holds together
when handled. It is particularly preferred to use insu-
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lation panels and supporting elements made of a high-
density material, such as a pressed fibre material, for
example glass or rock wool, in which case the transport
unit, owing to the strength of the connection between the
two hoods, will hold together during handling without the
risk of it falling apart.
According to a preferred embodiment, the stack of
the transport unit has, on at least one of its principal
surfaces, receptacles for handling by mechanical means of
transport, such as fork-lift trucks, lifting equipment
and the like. Preferably, these receptacles are formed by
recesses of a lamellar panel, which is arranged below the
stack and forms said supporting elements. Advantageously,
the lamellar panel is designed in the manner of a pallet
and has a width and length which essentially correspond
to the width and length of the stack, the receptacles
being designed as recesses in the lamellar panel which
extend continuously over said length. zn particular, the
lamellar panel may be formed from three projecting longi-
tudinal members, between which the recesses are arranged,
said recesses being formed by longitudinal members of the
lamellar panel with lower height than the height of the
projecting longitudinal members.
According to another preferred embodiment of the
inventive transport unit, the receptacles are realised by
means of supporting elements in the form of a support
body which in terms of material is identical to the insu-
lation panels forming the stack and which forms a section
of an insulation panel of the stack or an insulation
panel of a smaller width dimension, such that the support
body arranged centrally below the stack delimits, at both
sides, receptacles for mechanical engagement by means of
transport.
According to yet another embodiment, said supporting
elements are arranged at said first side of the package
and said hoods are arranged in such manner that, in said
overlap portion, the second hood is arranged outside the
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first hood. This ensures that a joint formed between the
hoods in the overlap portion will be oriented downwards,
which means that the risk of water penetrating the pack-
age via said joint is eliminated.
5 According to a further embodiment, the first and the
second hood have been shrunk so as to fit tightly on the
package. This tight fit, in combination with the relative
friction between the insulation panels, ensures that the
transport unit obtains the required stability.
Preferably, the first and the second hood are made
of a plastic film material which, advantageously, is
shrinkable by heating.
Preferably, the first and the second hood are joined
together in the overlap portion by melting,
Furthermore, according to the present invention, a
method of manufacturing a transport unit is provided,
comprising the steps of arranging supporting elements on
an upper side of a stack of insulation panels, said insu-
lation panels and said supporting elements being made of
a material usable for insulation purposes, and enclosing
a package formed of said supporting elements and insula-
tion panels by a casing to form said transport unit, said
method being characterised in that the package is en-
closed by a casing in the form of a first hood and a
second hood, said first hood being slipped over the
package from a first side thereof, at which first side
said supporting elements are arranged, and said second
hood being slipped over the package from a second side
thereof located opposite the first side, the first hood
and the second hood being joined together in a portion
along which the hoods overlap.
According to a preferred embodiment, the step of
slipping said second hood over the package is preceded
by the step of turning the package so that its second
side faces upward.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the
hoods are made of a plastic film material and each hood
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slipped over the package is shrunk by heating so as to
fit tightly on the package, the second hood being joined
with the first hood in said overlap portion by melting in
connection with the shrinking of the second hood.
Preferably, said supporting elements as well as said
insulation panels are made of a high-density material
usable for insulation purposes.
Preferred embodiments of the inventive transport
unit will be described below, by way of example, with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first
embodiment of an inventive transport unit.
Figs 2-8 are schematic cross-sectional views illus-
trating the method of manufacturing the transport unit
shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a
second embodiment of an inventive transport unit.
Description of Embodiments
A couple of embodiments of the present invention
will be described below with reference to the accompa-
nying drawings, throughout which the same reference
numerals designate similar parts.
With reference to Fig. 1, a first preferred embodi-
ment of an inventive transport unit 1 is shown.
The transport unit 1 comprises a package 3 enclosed
by a casing 2. The package 3 comprises a stack 5 of insu-
lation panels 6 which is carried by two supporting ele-
ments 4, as indicated by dashed lines in Fig. 1. Both the
supporting elements 4 and the insulating panels 6 are
made of a material usable for insulation purposes, such
as pressed glass or rock wool.
The casing 2 comprises a first hood 7 and a second
hood 8, which have been arranged on the package 3 from
opposite sides 9, 10 thereof. Said hoods 7, 8 are made of
a plastic film material and fit tightly on the package 3.
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The hoods 7, 8 are adapted to form a Circumferential
portion 11, along which they overlap. The hoods 7, 8 are
joined together by means of a connection 15 in this over-
lap portion 11, said connection 15 being shown as a grey-
s shaded area. Advantageously, the connection 15 extends
across the entire overlap portion 11. The package 3 is
completely enclosed by the two hoods 7, 8 constituting
the casing 2.
Thus, a transport unit 1 is provided which can be
produced without the need for any complicated equipment
used for conventional wrapping of the package 3. Only
equipment for applying the two hoods 7, 8 from opposite
sides 9, 10 of the package 3 as well as equipment for
joining together the hoods 7, 8 in the overlap portion 11
are needed.
Owing to the fact that the package 3 is completely
enclosed by the two hoods 7, 8 constituting the casing 2,
a satisfactory weatherproofing is ensured.
The tight fit of the casing 2 on the package 3, in
combination with the relative friction between the insu-
lation panels 6, affords the transport unit 1 the re-
quired stability.
The connection 15 in the overlap portion 11 can be
made sufficiently strong to ensure that the transport
unit 1 will hold together during handling without the
risk of it falling apart.
Conveniently, the hoods 7, 8 are arranged in such
manner that, in the Circumferential overlap portion 11,
the second hood 8 is arranged outside the first hood 7.
This ensures that a joint 12 in the overlap portion 11
will be oriented downwards, as illustrated in the Figure.
Thus, when the transport unit 1 is exposed to moisture,
accumulation of water in the overlap portion 11 can be
avoided, which means that the risk of water penetrating
the transport unit 1 via the overlap portion 11 is elimi-
nated.
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A preferred method for manufacturing the transport
unit 1 shown in Fig. 1 will be described below with
reference to Figs 2-8.
Fig. 2 illustrates a stack 5 of insulation panels 6,
which are made of a material usable for insulation pur-
poses.
In Fig. 3, two supporting elements 4, which are
separated from each other, have been arranged on the
upper side of the stack 5. These supporting elements 4
are made of the same material as the insulation panels 6
and may thus be used together with the latter for insu-
lation purposes. The supporting elements 4 form a package
3 together with said stack 5 of insulation panels 6, said
supporting elements 4 being arranged at a first side 9 of
the package 3.
Fig. 4 illustrates how a first hood 7 is arranged on
the package 3. More specifically, said first hood 7 is
slipped over the package 3 from the first side 9 thereof.
According to the preferred embodiment, the hood 7 is
preferably made of a plastic film material that can be
shrunk by heating.
The first hood 7 is then shrunk so as to fit tightly
on the package 3, said hood 7 being represented in
Fig. 5, for the sake of clarity, as slightly separated
from the package 3. In connection with said shrinking, it
is ensured that the supporting element 4 is fixed in re-
lation to the stack 5. Advantageously, the shrinking is
achieved by heating.
The package 3 is then turned so that its first side
9 faces downwards and an opposite side 10 thereof faces
upwards, as shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 illustrates how a second hood 8 is arranged
on the package 3. More specifically, the second hood 8 is
slipped over the package 3 from the second side 10 there-
of. According to the embodiment shown, the second hood 8
is preferably also made of a plastic film material that
can be shrunk by heating.
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The hoods 7, 8 are adapted to form a portion 11,
along which they overlap.
Finally, Fig. 8 illustrates how the second hood 8 is
shrunk so as to fit tightly on the package 3, the second
hood 8 also being represented, for the sake of clarity,
as slightly separated from the package 3. Again, the
shrinking may be achieved by heating. According to the
embodiment shown, said heating is adjusted so that the
hoods 7, 8 fuse together and adhere to each other in the
whole overlap portion 11, thus providing a connection 15
between the hoods 7, 8.
By arranging the second hood 8 outside the first
hood 7 in the overlap portion 11, it is ensured that a
joint 12 formed in the overlap portion will be oriented
downwards, which means that the risk of water penetrating
the package 3 via the overlap portion 11 is eliminated.
Thus, a transport unit 1 is obtained, which is com-
pletely enclosed by a casing 2 and which, in addition,
presents the required stability and manageability. In
this respect, it is the strength of the connection 15
between the hoods 7, 8, in combination with the inherent
strength of the hoods 7, 8 themselves and their tight fit
on the package 3, that ensures the required stability and
manageability of the finished transport unit 1.
The inventive transport unit 1 has been found to be
particularly advantageous for packages 3 which only com-
prise one stack 5 of insulation panels 6. It will be
appreciated, however, that the package may also comprise
multiple stacks and that the supporting elements, in the
case where the package comprises two stacks, can be ar
ranged in such manner that each stack is supported by an
associated supporting element and a further supporting
element which is shared by the two stacks.
The inventive transport unit 1 has turned out to be
particularly advantageous for a package 3 comprising a
stack of insulation panels 6 made of a high-density mate-
rial. In prior art, it has proven complicated to enclose
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transport units comprising such insulation panels. Due to
the weight of the transport unit, it has been necessary
to wrap the package in multiple layers of packaging film
to get the transport unit thus formed to hold together
5 and remain stable, which is a complicated and time-
consuming process.
According to the present invention, the transport
unit 1 is instead enclosed by a casing 2 consisting of
two hoods 7, 8, which are arranged, preferably tightly,
10 on the package 3 from opposite sides 9, 10 thereof. This
is a relatively simple operation which can be carried out
quickly using only uncomplicated equipment. The hoods 7,
8 are connected in the overlap portion 11. Surprisingly,
the connection 15 thus formed has proven sufficiently
strong to allow the two hoods 7, 8 constituting the
casing 2 to hold the transport unit together during the
subsequent handling thereof, said transport unit thus
remaining stable and manageable. The strength of the
connection 15 can be adjusted by modifying the extension
X of the overlap portion 11.
Tests have shown that the extension X of the overlap
portion 11 should be in the range 200-500 mm, preferably
in the range 300-400 mm, for a transport unit having the
dimensions 2.4 m x 1.2 m x 1.3 m and a weight of about
400 kg. Such a transport unit 1 may comprise a package 3
of insulation panels 6 made of a high-density material,
each insulation panel 6 having a maximum thickness of
50 mm. Insulation panels 6 of said type are particularly
usable for insulating roofs.
The strength of the connection 15 in the overlap
portion Z1 and the inherent strength of the two hoods 7,
8 ensures that the transport unit 1 holds together during
handling thereof without falling apart. Moreover, the
tight fit of the casing 2 on the package 3, in combina-
tion with the relative friction between the insulation
panels 6, ensures that the transport unit 1 presents the
required stability.
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Fig. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of the inven-
tive transport unit 1. This embodiment is intended for
particularly heavy transport units 1. What distinguishes
this embodiment from the one described with reference to
Fig. 1-8 is that the supporting elements 4 have been
slightly displaced from the edges on the first side 9 of
the package 3 and that the extension X of the overlap
portion 11 has been increased so that it now also grips
edges 13 formed between the first side 9 of the package 3
and the sides 14 connecting thereto. Like before, the
hoods 7, 8 are joined together along the whole overlap
portion 11, which may be achieved, for example, by
shrinking the second hood 8 by heating in such manner
that it adheres to and fuses with the first hood 7 in
said overlap portion 11. The increased extension X of the
overlap portion 11, and the fact that said portion 11 now
grips the edges 13 formed between the first side 9 of the
package 3 and the sides 14 of the package 3 connecting
thereto, makes the connection 15 between the hoods 7, 8
extremely strong, and therefore the transport unit is
particularly suitable for insulation panels 6 made of a
high-density material.
Thus, according to the present invention, it is pro-
vided a transport unit 1 comprising a package 3 which is
completely enclosed by a casing 2 consisting of two hoods
7, 8. The two hoods 7, 8 are applied to a tight fit on
the package 3 from opposite sides 9, 10 thereof and over-
lap along a portion 11 in which the two hoods 7, 8 are
joined together. The transport unit 1 thus obtained can
be easily anal rapidly produced without the need for com-
plicated and expensive equipment while the casing 2, and
particularly the connection formed between the hoods 7,
8, has sufficient strength to allow the transport unit 1
to be handled without the risk of it falling apart. In
reality, the casing 2 can be made sufficiently strong to
allow the transport unit 1 to contain a package 3 com-
prising insulation panels made of a high-density material
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usable for insulation purposes. Examples of advantageous
high-density materials are pressed fibre materials, such
as pressed glass wool, which may have a density in the
range 80-170 kg/m3, or pressed rock wool, which may have
a density in the range 100-200 kg/m3. High-density mate-
rials of this type may be used, for example, to insulate
roof s .
Because the supporting elements 4 forming part of
the package 3 advantageously are made of a high-density
material of the type described above, their bearing
capacity will be satisfactory, which means that they are
less likely to be deformed when supporting the insulation
panels 6 arranged thereon.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is
not limited to the embodiments shown.
It is conceivable, for example, to obtain said con-
nection in other ways, for example by heating using
heating elements.
Furthermore, the supporting elements 4 may be ar-
ranged in various ways. Moreover, it is preferred for the
stack 5 to form receptacles 16 on at least one of its
principal surfaces, such as the underside 9, for handling
by mechanical means of transport, such as fork-lift
trucks, lifting equipment or the like. Advantageously, it
is the supporting elements 4 that define said receptacles
16, for example in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1.
According to a preferred embodiment (not shown),
said receptacles are formed by recesses of a lamellar
panel, which is arranged below the stack, thus forming
said supporting elements.
A lamellar panel means a panel composed of a plural-
ity of layers of pressed mineral wool which, for example,
have been glued together, said layers being arranged next
to one another and oriented essentially perpendicularly
to the plane of extension of the panel.
The lamellar panel may be designed in the manner of
a pallet and have a width and length which essentially
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correspond to the width and length of the stack. Further-
more, the lamellar panel is advantageously formed from
three projecting longitudinal members between which the
recesses are arranged. The recesses are advantageously
formed by longitudinal members with a lower height than
said projecting longitudinal members.
According to a further preferred embodiment (not
shown), an inventive transport unit presents supporting
elements in the form of a support body, which is cen-
trally arranged below the stack. The support body is in
terms of material identical to the insulation panels of
the stack and has a width dimension that is smaller than
the length of the stack, such that the support body de-
limits, at both sides, receptacles for mechanical engage-
ment by means of transport.
Accordingly, several modifications or variations are
conceivable, and the present invention is therefore de-
fined exclusively by the appended claims.
