BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further details, features and advantages will be apparent from the description hereinafter of embodiments diagrammatically illustrated in the drawing by way of example of the motion-restraint arrangement according to the invention and detail aspects thereof, in which respect it will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the illustrated configurations but is defined by the claims, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of a line of elements,
FIG. 2 shows a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of a line of elements, of which a portion is shown,
FIG. 3 shows a configuration of the detail X in FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 shows a further configuration of the detail X in FIG. 1,
FIG. 5 shows yet another configuration of the detail X in FIG. 1,
FIG. 6 shows a further configuration of the detail X in FIG. 1, in which respect it is evident that still other configurations of the detail X as shown in FIG. 1 are also realizable pursuant to the invention,
FIG. 7 is a cut-open diagrammatic side view showing a portion of a packing with a plurality of mutually separate, independent layers each with a respective number of thinly compressed lines of elements, and
FIG. 8 shows a diagrammatic side view of a configuration of the motion-restraint arrangement with a number of thinly compressed lines of elements in combination with a release device and an effect agent in a packing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an elongate line of elements 10 of a motion-restraint arrangement 48. The line of elements 10 has a number of individual elements 12, which, in the active condition shown in FIG. 1, each form a respective parallelepiped 14. The respective parallelepiped 14 is defined by flexible longitudinal edge elements 16 and by flexible transverse edge elements 18. The longitudinal and transverse edge elements 16 and 18 thus form the lateral edge elements of the respective individual element 12. The longitudinal edge elements 16 extend in one piece in the longitudinal direction of the line of elements 10 and the transverse edge elements 18 extend in the peripheral direction of the line of elements 10.
The individual elements 12 have four spring elements 20 which extend in spatially diagonal relationships between the corners 22 of each parallelepipedic individual element 12.
In accordance with the invention the spatially diagonal spring elements 20 are formed by spring wires 22 which extend in a zigzag shape in the longitudinal direction of the line of elements 10. One of those four spatially diagonal spring elements 20 extending in a zigzag shape in the longitudinal direction of the line of elements 10 is indicated by a thicker solid line while the other three spatially diagonal spring elements 20 are shown in thinner lines.
The flexible longitudinal edge elements 16 and the flexible transverse edge elements 18 are fixed to the corners 22 of the zigzag-shaped spring wires 24. That fixing of the lateral edge elements 16 and 18 to the corners 22 can be effected for example using a per se known sewing or loop procedure. Such a loop procedure is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. In that respect FIG. 3 shows a corner 22 of a spring wire 24, which is provided in each corner 22 with an eye 26. The respective eye 26 serves for fixing both the associated flexible longitudinal edge element 16 and also the associated transverse edge element 18. Fixing of the edge elements 16 and 18 at the respective eye 26 can be subsequently secured. That securing 28 can be effected by means of an adhesive or by means of a resin. The securing 28 can for example also be implemented by feeding a plastic material with a low melting point by ultrasonic welding. It will be appreciated that other ways of producing the securing 28 for the fixing of the edge elements 16 and 18 at the corners 22 of the spring elements 20 are also possible.
While FIG. 3 shows a configuration in which the respective zigzag-shaped spring wire 24 extends integrally in respect of its material along the line of elements 10FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the respective zigzag-shaped spring wire 24 comprises individual spatially diagonal spring wires 30 which are connected at the corners 22 by connecting elements 32. Welding can make that connection or gluing the spatially diagonal spring wires 30 to the connecting elements 32. The connecting elements 32 can be formed at the same time as restraint elements with cutting edges, points, teeth or the like and serve for fixing the longitudinal and transverse edge elements 16 and 18. That fixing can be effected in a self-securing manner using a loop or sewing procedure. The fixing can be further optimised by a securing means 28 as has been referred to hereinbefore for example with reference to FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 diagrammatically shows a corner 22 of a zigzag-shaped spring wire 24, which is provided with an outward bulge portion 36 on which a push-on portion 38 is provided. The push-on portion 38 can be in the form of a restraint element 34 with a point, an edge, a cutting edge or the like and can serve at the same time for fixing the longitudinal and transverse edge elements 16 and 18 for example using a looping or sewing procedure. The fixing of the edge elements 16 and 18 at the respective corner 22 can be further improved by a securing means 28 as has been referred to hereinbefore with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
FIG. 6 diagrammatically shows a corner 22 of a zigzag-shaped spring wire 24 to which there is fixed a two-limb surface element 40, which forms a restraint element 34. The one limb of the surface element 40 is provided with a hole 42 and the second limb is provided with a knob 44 which projects into the hole 42 when the two limbs of the element 40 are bent towards each other around the common shoulder 46 and bear against each other and clamp fast and fix between them the associated spring wire 24 and the flexible edge elements 16 and 18. The two limbs of the surface element 40 are then appropriately welded or glued together.
As has already been stated above, FIGS. 3 to 6 only show some possible forms of implementation of the fixed connection between the zigzag-shaped spring elements 20 and the flexible edge elements 16 and 18 of the respective line of elements 10, in which respect it will be appreciated that other possible embodiments are also conceivable.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an elongate line of elements 10, in which the flexible longitudinal edge elements 16 and the flexible transverse edge elements 18 of each individual element 12 are of the same length. In comparison, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a configuration of a line of elements 10, in which the longitudinal edge elements 16′ of each second individual element 12 are longer than the longitudinal edge elements 16 of the other individual elements 12 or the transverse edge elements 18 of the individual elements 12.
FIG. 7 diagrammatically shows a portion of a configuration of the motion-restraint arrangement 48 which in a packing 50 has a number of mutually independent, separate layers 52 each with a respective number of thinly compressed and thus resiliently stressed lines of elements 10. Each layer 52 has a strip plate 54 in order to guide the lines of elements 10 of the respective layer 52 in a defined direction in space out of the packing 10 after opening thereof.
FIG. 8 diagrammatically shows a configuration of the motion-restraint arrangement 48, wherein lines of elements 10 are provided in a thinly compressed condition in a packing 50. The packing 50 has a release device 56. The release device 56 can have a remote control, a sensor arrangement and/or a time delay member. In addition at least one effect agent 58 is provided in or on the packing 50. The effect agent 58 can be for example an electric shock device, a smoke or mist generator, a spray device for an adhesive or an irritant such as CS gas or pepper spray or the like.
LIST OF REFERENCES
10 line of elements (for 48)
12 individual element (of 10)
14 parallelepiped (of 12)
16 flexible longitudinal edge elements (of 10)
18 flexible transverse edge elements (of 10)
20 spatially diagonal zigzag-shaped spring elements (of 10)
22 corners (of 20)
24 spring wires (of 20)
26 eyes (at 22 for 16, 18)
28 securing (of 16, 18 at 22)
30 spatially diagonal spring wires (of 24)
32 connecting elements (for 30 at 22)
34 restraint elements (of 32)
36 outward bulge portion (of 40 at 22 for 38)
38 push-on portion (at 36)
40 surface element (at 22 for 16, 18 and 24)
42 hole (in 40)
44 knob (on 40 at 42)
46 shoulder (of 40)
48 motion-restraint arrangement
50 packing (for 48)
52 layers (in 50 by 10)
54 strip plates (for 52)
56 release device (for 48 from 50)
58 effect agent (on/in 50)
Patent Application
20070235269
