Abstract:
A container, utilized for the storage and transport of articles, includes a body comprised of one or more sidewalls drawn in a generally longitudinal fashion and two end pieces, disposed distally on either end of the container body. A plurality of ribs are disposed between the end pieces to facilitate inward compression of the container body. In his manner, the container volume can be permanently or temporarily altered to take up the tolerance between the volume of articles and the otherwise fixed volume of the package.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for packing materials in a container, and more particularly, tightly packing articles for transport. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Arc welding uses a power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and a base material to melt metals at a welding point. Arc welding processes can employ either direct (DC) or alternating (AC) current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes. The electrode is used to conduct current through a workpiece to fuse two pieces together. The electrode can also be consumed in some applications during the process to become part of the weld. In such an example, the electrode is generally rod-shaped to allow for a calibrated amount of material to melt per unit of energy delivered to the metal consumable. In order to enhance the weld process, electrodes are typically coupled with a flux material. In one example, the flux is disposed within a core and surrounded by metal of the rod-shaped electrode. In another example, the flux is adhered to the outer surface of the rod-shaped electrode via any number of known methods. 
     In order to accommodate operations at disparate geographical locations, arc welding materials are typically shipped to customers in containers of varying size and shape. Many materials are placed in crates or boxes and filled with packing material to minimize or prevent damage during shipping. In some circumstances, products are wrapped with layers of plastic material encapsulated with air, known commonly as bubble wrap, which helps protect the product from shock or impact. Other containers are filled with packing materials made from foamed polymers, such as polystyrene. These air filled “peanuts” also function to protect the packaged products by absorbing force thereby minimizing damage to the surrounding article. 
     In the case of welding consumables, however, electrodes are typically placed in direct contact with one another in containers. Electrodes are generally packaged within one size container based on weight. Utilizing this metric, however, can lead to inconsistent packaging as electrodes often have differing material density. Accordingly, the volume associated with the weight of electrodes within each container can vary from container to container. In one example, electrodes with a generally low material density can occupy a high volume of space within the container. In contrast, electrodes with a high average density can occupy a low volume of space within the container. In the case of low volume occupation, substantial movement of the electrodes can occur within the container, wherein flux which may be adhered to the exterior of the electrodes is scraped off, scratched or otherwise damaged during transport. 
     U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0205290, assigned to Lincoln with the same inventor as the subject application, described previous systems and methods to compensate for disparate volume on a container-by-container basis. The &#39;290 publication describes a container insert to take up extra space that may be placed in the container intended for storage and/or shipment of material to an end user. The insert is generally longitudinal having a helical configuration that can be expanded and constricted for taking up different volumes of space within the container respective of the amount of material stored therein. The insert may also be elastically deformable or generally pliable and may absorb impact forces for preventing or minimizing damage to the material intended for shipment. 
     Such prior art systems and methods, however, can add unwanted expense to container costs for the transport of electrodes contained therein. Moreover, such inserts may not provide desired compensation in volume or location within the shipping container. Accordingly, what are needed are systems and methods to provide low cost volume compensation within containers to ensure that products stored therein are not damaged during transport. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A container, utilized for the storage and transport of articles, includes a body comprised of one or more sidewalls drawn in a generally longitudinal fashion and two end pieces, disposed distally on either end of the container body. A plurality of ribs are disposed between the end pieces to facilitate inward compression of the container body. In this manner, the container volume can be permanently or temporarily altered to take up the tolerance between the volume of articles and the otherwise fixed volume of the package. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container employed to store and transport articles; 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of a container with a plurality of articles and a first volume; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of a container that has been compressed to result in a reduced second volume; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a container, wherein pressure is applied from one or more exterior sources; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a container, wherein an insert is placed within the articles prior to compression; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a container wherein an insert is removed subsequent to compression to facilitate removal of articles therefrom; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a container wherein a plurality of equivalent and aligned dimples are compressed into the container to reduce the internal volume thereof; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a box-like container that contains a plurality of articles; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates the box-like container subject to external compression; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of a container connected to a vacuum; and 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective view of a container subsequent to application of a vacuum to reduce internal volume thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The systems and methods described herein relate to systems and methods for the storage and transport of articles. A container can be employed and loaded with the articles and subsequently compressed to reduce the internal volume thereof. In this manner, the articles can be relegated to a nominal displacement within the container during transport. Articles for transport can be comprised of material that can be easily damaged by contact with other articles, contact with the container and/or from sudden movement. In one example, the articles are welding electrodes that contain a layer of flux around a core. If the electrodes are allowed to move freely within the container, flux can be chipped off or removed due to contact with other electrodes, which can cause damage thereof. In welding practice, the use of a damaged electrode can be associated with inconsistent application of heat to cause substandard quality welding. The systems and methods described herein address protection of articles sensitive to deleterious effects caused while in containers during transport. 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting the same,  FIG. 1  shows a container  10  utilized for the storage and transport of articles  12 . The container  10  is comprised of a body  20  disposed between two end pieces  30 , which are placed distally on either end of the container  10 . The body  20  can accommodate localized permanent or semi-permanent deformation at one or more locations. The end pieces  30  are each associated with an opening  32  to accommodate placement of the articles  12  within the container  10 . As depicted, the end pieces  30  include hoop corrugations coupled together via a flexible material to create an accordion-like structure. Plane A and plane B are parallel and extend across each opening  32 , wherein distance h between plane A and plane B is equal to the length of the body  20  and end pieces  30  together. 
     In this embodiment, the container  10  is cylindrical in shape and wherein the body  20  is drawn in a generally longitudinal fashion. It is to be appreciated, however, that the container  10  and associated embodiments can be of substantially any size or shape. In one application, the container  10  is utilized to hold rod-like components, such as welding electrodes. The container  10 , however, can be designed to hold substantially any type of article as appropriate for use with the embodiments of the subject invention. The end pieces  30  can each provide structure to insure that the openings  32  maintain substantially the same shape both prior and subsequent to deformation of the body  20 . 
     A sidewall  40  can be employed to fabricate the body  20  and end pieces  30  as a generally unitary structure. In one approach, the sidewall  40  is a generally rigid material, such as a metal, an aluminum, an alloy, a non-resiliently deformable plastic, a non-resiliently deformable polymer, or a steel, which is permanently and/or semi-permanently deformable. The thickness of the sidewall  40  can vary based on a number of factors including the material used. In one embodiment, the sidewall  40  is between 0.010-0.090 inches. In another embodiment, the sidewall  40  is between 0.050-0.200 inches thick. As utilized herein, semi-permanent deformation is defined as a structural state that can be modified from and returned to an original state by an external application of force. In this manner, the sidewall  40  can maintain a deformed state until an assertive action is taken. Thus, plastics or polymers that quickly return to an original state without an external application of force are generally outside the scope of the subject embodiments. 
     The container  10  includes one or more ribs  70  that can be located at desired locations on the surface of the sidewall  40  of the container  10 . In this exemplary embodiment, the ribs  70  are equally circumferentially spaced from each other and extend from the top to the bottom of the body  20 . Each rib  70  can be created by crimping, scoring and/or otherwise deforming the sidewall  40  to strengthen the material at each rib  70  location and to facilitate the deformation of the sidewall  40  along straight lines. In this manner, each rib  70  can provide a boundary and breakpoint for edges of a compression in the sidewall  40 . In one example, a compression relates to an indentation on the sidewall  40  with a predetermined size, shape, and depth. Such size parameters can be dictated, at least in part, by geometric aspects of the ribs  70  such as score depth, width and shape within the sidewall  40 . The compression can be created by the application of force that is external and/or internal relative to the container  10 . 
     The end pieces  30  can be comprised of one or more hoop corrugations  80  that are utilized to reinforce the strength of openings  32  located at either end of the container  10 . In particular, the end pieces  30  can include a plurality of hoops coupled together via a flexible material to provide an accordion-like structure. When force is applied to the body  20  (e.g., at each of the ribs  70 ), the hoop corrugations  80  maintain structural integrity of the openings  32  by isolating the force applied to the body  20 . In this manner, the general shape of the openings  32  can be maintained throughout the force application process. The hoop corrugations  80  can include one or more of continuous wave-like ribs, discontinuous ribs that are overlapping, plural, discrete segments that are inclined and overlapping, horizontal segments in rows that overlap, and/or a series of segments that are mutually interfering and overlaid. In this manner, when pressure is applied to the sidewall  40 , additional material is provided via the hoop corrugations  80  to facilitate creation of each compression. 
     The hoop corrugations  80  described herein contemplate substantially any structure located at or near the end pieces  30  of the container  10  to provide strength reinforcement thereof. The hoop corrugations  80  can also be selected based on the size and/or shape of the openings  32 , which can have a cross-section that is circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, nonagonal, decagonal, etc. in accordance with particular embodiments. In this example, the openings  32  are generally circular in shape and have a radius that is substantially the same as the body  20  of the container  10 . It is to be appreciated, however, that the openings  32  can have dimensions commensurate with various size and shape of the articles  12 , transportation considerations, fabrication material, and other constraints. 
     In addition, a removable cap (not shown) can be attached to either end piece  30  via known methods of securement. In one example, the removable cap is coupled to only one end piece  30  while the other end piece  30  is permanently attached to cap or equivalent covering component. In another embodiment, removable caps are coupled to both end pieces  30 . Securement of caps to the end pieces  30  can be accomplished using any known methods, such as an interference fit, an adhesive, a screw fit, a locking mechanism, etc. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an end view of the container  10  with articles  12  disposed therein. A plurality of ribs  70  are disposed equidistant from one another around the circumference of the body  20 . In this example, there are six ribs  70 , which are paired as  70   a ,  70   b , and  70   c  to create three compressions upon application of appropriate force to the body  20  of the container  10 . In one example, force is applied between each pair to create each compression thereby reducing the internal volume of the container  10 . A first volume  115  is representative of the amount of space available within the container  10  between planes A and B, as shown in  FIG. 1 . As the container  10  in this example is generally cylindrical in shape, the first volume  115  can be calculated utilizing a known formula such as πR 2 h, where R is the radius of the opening  32  and h is the length of the container  10 . It is to be appreciated, however, that various formulae can be employed to calculate the first volume  115  value dependent on disparate geometries of container  10 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an end view of the container  10  subsequent to an external application of force to create three compressions  145 ,  148 , and  153  in the sidewall  40 . In this example, the container  10  is compressed at three equally spaced locations around the circumference of the container  10  sidewalls (e.g., approximately every 60°) to create compressions  145 ,  148  and  153  between each rib pair  70   a ,  70   b , and  70   c  respectively. Such force can be applied prior and/or subsequent to loading of articles  12  (and prior to shipment) to minimize movement thereof during transport. In one example, force is applied prior to loading of the articles  12  to approximate the expected volume occupied thereby. After the articles have been loaded, force can be applied to the container  10  once again to finalize the process and create a packed arrangement within the container  10 . 
     In one aspect, compressions  145 ,  148  and  153  have an equal radius and depth, which is created by applying a substantially equal predetermined level of external pressure at each location. In one embodiment, the pressure level to create each compression is between 0.2-10 newtons of force. Such pressure level can be commensurate with a known change expected when the sidewall  40  of the container  10  is in contact with one or more articles  12  disposed therein, thickness of the sidewall  40  and/or material used to fabricate the sidewall  40 . Thus, once there is an increase in pressure level greater than a particular amount, the operation can end. Once each compression  145 ,  148 , and  153  is created, the container  10  holds a second volume  125 , which is smaller than the first volume  115 . 
     Based on the second volume  125 , the articles  12  are disposed in a tight packed configuration wherein only a nominal amount of movement is possible. The second volume  125  can be less than the first volume  115  by a desired particular percentage range. In one example, the second volume  125  is around 2-50% less than the first volume  115 . In another example, the second volume  125  is 10-30% less than the first volume  115 . In yet another example, the second volume  125  is 5-10% less than the first volume  115 . In still yet another example, the second volume  125  is 2-8% less than the first volume  115 . It is to be appreciated that the second volume  125  can be calculated by subtracting the sum of each compression  145  volume from the first volume  115  using well known geometric principles. 
     In one example, the size of the compression  145  is determined based on the amount of unused space within the container  10 , the strength of the container  10  sidewall  40  material and/or the strength and size of the material of the articles  12 . In order to prevent damage to the articles  12 , a meter or equivalent (not shown) can be employed in concert with the application of force to continuously monitor pressure applied to the container  10  to insure that it is within a predetermined threshold value. Such threshold value can be related to contact that the internal surface of the sidewall  40  makes with the articles  12  contained within the container  10 . In this manner, calibrated and moderated pressure can be employed to secure the articles  12  within the container  10  without causing damage thereof. In one aspect, an optimum compression size can facilitate easy removal of articles  12  subsequent to the application of force (e.g., by an end user). 
       FIG. 4  shows the container  10  subject to an external forces  210 ,  212  at three generally equally spaced locations around the circumference of the container  10  to form three compressions including compressions  145  and  148 . Although the forces  210 ,  212  are each illustrated at three discrete locations, it is to be understood that the pressure applied to the sidewall  40  can instead be applied in a relatively homogenous manner to form each compression. In one embodiment, the external force  210  is substantially equal to the external force  212  and a third external pressure (not shown) at each location. In another embodiment, the applied forces are not substantially equal to one another on a compression-by-compression basis. Such pressure values can vary based on a number of factors such as the type and/or quantity of articles  12 , the size/shape of the container  10  and the material used for the sidewall  40 . The quantity of force applied can be calculated using formulae known to those skilled in the art. 
     In one embodiment, the external force  210 ,  212  applied to the container  10  is accomplished via a radial form within a three jawed chuck or similar apparatus. In another example, the force is applied via a press brake, die, or other mechanical implementation known in the art for such purpose. In this example, the chuck can hold three tools, each of which are substantially equal to the desired compression size. In another example, force is applied at a plurality of discrete locations that are equivalent and aligned along respective axes on the container  10 . Such discrete force application can be implemented via a plurality of respective tools that each have a footprint equal to some fraction of the surface area of the body  20 . Substantially any apparatus, however, is contemplated to apply external force  210 ,  212  for the creation of compressions  145 ,  148  at desired locations on the surface of the container  10 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an embodiment wherein an insert  320  is placed into the container  10  prior to application of force. The insert  320  can be utilized subsequently to facilitate the removal of the articles  12  from the container  10  by an end user. In one example, the insert  320  has a rod-like shape and extends substantially the length of the container  10 . The insert  320  can be made of a low friction material, such as an ultra-high molecular weight polymer, to facilitate easy removal thereof that does not cause damage to the articles  12 . Further, the insert  320  can include a ring or similar structure to extend up from the articles  12  at the opening  32 . In this manner, a user can grasp the insert  320  via the structure to pull it from the between the articles  12  and create additional space within the container  10 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Once this is complete, subsequent removal of the articles  12  is straightforward. 
       FIG. 7  shows an aspect of the subject embodiment wherein a plurality of equivalent and aligned dimples  345 ,  348  are created on the sidewall  40  of the container  10  via application of force  310 ,  312  respectively. In one embodiment, the dimples  345 ,  348  have a rounded cavity and are created along three longitudinal equally spaced locations around the circumference of the container  10 . Although three dimples are shown, substantially any number of deformations can be applied within each longitudinal axis. Similarly, the dimples  345  can be substantially any shape. It is to be appreciated that the application of external force  310 ,  312  can be utilized in a number of ways to modify the internal volume of the container  10  as long as there is symmetry along the length of the articles  12  within the container  10  to allow them to be aligned in a bundle. If a disproportionate number of indentations is utilized on one end of the container  10 , the articles  12  can be maligned to prevent the easy removal and/or cause damage to the structure thereof. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  apply the principles described herein to a container  410  that has a box-like shape in contrast to the container  10  which has a cylindrical shape discussed in  FIGS. 1-7 . Similar to the container  10 , the container  410  can be employed to facilitate storage of articles  12  that have a rod-like shape. The container  410  has a first volume  525  prior to any compression operation, which can be calculated as h×l×w, wherein h is height, l is length, and w is width of the container  410 , as shown.  FIG. 9  shows the application of external force  420  to the container  410  subsequent to the disposal of articles  12  therein. As discussed above, the force  420  can be applied equally along equivalent and aligned axes on the exterior of the container  10  to ensure that the articles  12  are properly aligned subsequent to the compression operation. In addition, a plurality of dimples or other indentations can be utilized or the use of a single indentation that runs the length of the container  410 . The application of force  420  reduces the first volume  525  of the container  410  to a second volume  535 . The second volume  535  can be calculated by subtracting the amount of volume lost due to the external force  420  and/or can be calculated utilizing known geometric principles to identify comparative polygon volumes, as applicable. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a vacuum  550  which is applied to the container  10  to facilitate modification of the volume via application of an internal force. In this embodiment, the container  10  can be hermetically sealed to ensure that a substantially zero atmosphere condition is reached to obtain adequate internal force for the creation of compressions on the sidewall  40 . This approach can be used in place of or in addition to the application of external force described with regard to  FIGS. 1-9 .  FIG. 11  shows the container  10  subsequent to the drawing of the vacuum  550  wherein the volume of the container  10  is reduced to ensure that the articles  12  do not shift as described with relation to the embodiments herein. A pull tab or similar structure can be couple to an end cap to facilitate opening and return to a substantially original state of the container  10 . Once the vacuum seal is broken, air can rush into the container  10  to push the sidewalls  40  in an outward direction. In this manner, the container  10  can return to substantially the volume size prior to application of the vacuum  550 . 
     The invention has been described herein with reference to the preferred embodiment. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalence thereof.