(19)
(11) EP 1 213 069 A2

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
12.06.2002 Bulletin 2002/24

(21) Application number: 01204444.2

(22) Date of filing: 20.11.2001
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7B21F 27/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 26.11.2000 BE 200000754

(71) Applicant: N.V. BEKAERT S.A.
8550 Zwevegem (BE)

(72) Inventor:
  • Ganthier, Jean-Pierre
    52100 Bettancourt-la-Ferrèe (FR)

(74) Representative: Demeester, Gabriel 
N.V. Bekaert S.A. Bekaertstraat 2
8550 Zwevegem
8550 Zwevegem (BE)

   


(54) Welded netting panel


(57) The invention relates to a welded netting panel (1) consisting of longitudinal (2,3) and transverse (4) wires, in which the longitudinal (2,3) and transverse (4) wires show a practically rectangular cross-section and in which the longitudinal (2,3) and the transverse (4) wires are welded together at the short side, whereby the transverse (4) wires have U-shaped dents (5) and at the bottom of some U-shaped dents (5) at least one longitudinal (2,3) wire has been welded.




Description


[0001] The invention relates to a welded netting panel consisting of longitudinal and transverse wires, in which the longitudinal and transverse wires show a practically rectangular cross-section and in which the longitudinal and the transverse wires are welded together at the short sides.

[0002] Such a welded netting panel is known from WO 96/29489 of Tinsley Wire Ltd.

[0003] This known welded netting panel has numerous advantages in comparison with a welded netting panel of round wires with the same weight, such as a larger resistance to bending in both directions of the panel.

[0004] The advantage of a smaller weight of the welded netting panel type described in the opening lines is of major importance in many applications. An important application of such known welded netting panel is the use of it as carrying board or shelf in racks; such as for the transport of goods in trucks, the storage of goods in a warehouse...

[0005] It is obvious that the advantage of a light-weight welded netting panel increases as the weight of the panel decreases while guaranteeing the same or practically the same strength properties in certain applications of the welded netting panel.

[0006] Therefore, the invention intends to provide for a new type of welded netting panel, in which the weight of this new type of panel is even smaller than the weight of the welded netting panel of the type described in the opening lines, but guaranteeing the same strength properties in certain applications.

[0007] To that end, the invention proposes for a panel of the type described in the opening lines, that the transverse wires have U-shaped dents and that at the bottom of some of these U-shaped dents at least one longitudinal wire has been fixed.

[0008] Preferably, the welded netting panel according to the invention has at least one longitudinal wire in all the U-shaped dents.

[0009] Or else, preferably, all the longitudinal wires are fixed at the same short side or at the same side of all transverse wires.

[0010] It has to be noted that it is already known from the French patent 2.180.496 (72.13700) of Tréfilunion, to make U-shaped dents in the transverse wires of the welded netting panel consisting of round longitudinal wires and transverse wires with a rectangular cross-section in order to obtain a welded netting panel with a larger bending resistance in one direction.

[0011] A first disadvantage of this French patent 2.180.496 is that, only the transverse wires show a practically rectangular cross-section.

[0012] A second and larger disadvantage of this French patent 2.180.496 is that no longitudinal wires are welded at the bottom of the U-shaped dents, as a result of which the U-shaped dents are pushed apart when the panel is charged on bending and the panel thus bends because its three-dimensional structure is lost.

[0013] The invention will be further explained in the description below by means of the corresponding drawing. In the drawing, the following figures represent:
Figure 1,
in perspective, a part of a welded netting panel according to the invention, and
Figure 2,
two test graphs I and II of a known welded netting panel, respectively of a welded netting panel according to the invention.


[0014] Figure 1 shows in perspective a part of a welded netting panel 1 according to the invention. The panel 1 consists of longitudinal or warp wires 2, 3 and transverse or weft wires 4. The longitudinal wires 2, 3 and the transverse wires 4 show a practically rectangular cross-section and are welded together with their adjacent short sides or end sides.

[0015] According to the invention, the transverse wires 4 have U-shaped dents 5, in which at the bottom 6 of some U-shaped dents 5 at least one longitudinal wire 3 has been fixed.

[0016] In the preferred embodiment of the invention represented in Figure 1 only one longitudinal wire has been welded in all U-shaped dents 5 and all the longitudinal wires 2, 3 are welded to the same side (end side) of the transverse wires 4.

[0017] The depth of the U-shaped dents 5 or the distance D between the two non-welded short sides or end sides of the longitudinal wires 3 and the transverse wires 4 is of major importance. Preferably, the depth of all U-shaped dents 5 is practically identical. In tests, it has been stated that the bending resistance increases as the distance D increases. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the increase of the dents depth shall be limited for other reasons as the size of the panel 1 in some cases constitutes a lost space; as e.g. when panel 1 is used as shelf or carrying board in racks.

[0018] Figure 2 represents two test graphs of two panels I and II; in which test graph I concerns a known welded netting panel and graph II concerns a welded netting panel according to the invention.

[0019] Panel I is a flat welded netting panel consisting of round transverse wires with diameter 10 mm placed at 50 mm distance and round longitudinal wires with diameter 8 mm placed at 100 mm distance or panel I (50 x 100 /10 + 8). The weight of the welded netting panel approximately is 15.7 kg/m2.

[0020] Panel II (see also Figure 1) consists of profile wires 2, 3 and 4 with a rectangular cross section of 6 x 3 mm and in which the longitudinal wires and the transverse wires are placed at a distance of 50 mm or panel II (50 x 50 / 6 : 3; 6 : 3).

[0021] The distance D approximately is 25 mm. The weight of the welded netting panel approximately is 5.7 kg/m2.

[0022] Both panels I and II are tested as shelves or carrying boards for use in racks.

[0023] The X-axis represents the span (in mm) and the Y-axis gives the weight (in kg/m2) that is spread regularly on panels I and II during the tests. The span is the distance between the two support bars on which the panels I and II rest during the tests. The bending of a panel may maximally amount to 1/200 of the span.

[0024] The tests reveal that panel II according to the invention acts practically identical to the known panel I. The big difference is that panel II only weighs 5.7 kg/m2 while panel I weighs approximately 15.7 kg/m2.


Claims

1. Welded netting panel (1) consisting of longitudinal (2, 3) and transverse (4) wires, in which the longitudinal (2, 3) and transverse (4) wires show a practically rectangular cross-section and in which the longitudinal (2, 3) and the transverse (4) wires are welded together at the short side, characterised in that the transverse (4) wires have U-shaped dents (5) and that at the bottom (6) of some U-shaped dents (5) at least one longitudinal wire (3) has been welded.
 
2. Panel according to claim 1, characterised in that, in all the U-shaped dents, at least one longitudinal wire (3) has been welded.
 
3. Panel according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that, all the longitudinal wires (2, 3) are welded to the same short side of the transverse wires (4).
 




Drawing