Dual mode cargo restraint
One or more polymer foam-cored cargo restraint panels may be placed adjacent to a stack of cargo units in a cargo container. Tails of the load restraint strips may be wrapped around the cargo restraint panels, tensioned, and secured together. The wrapped load restraint strip tails may be tensioned using a tensioning tool or using elastic strips, and the wrapped and tensioned tails may be secured together.
1 . A method of securing cargo in a cargo container, the method comprising:
affixing a first attachment region of a first load restraint strip to a first interior side wall of the cargo container, wherein the first load restraint strip comprises a first base layer, a first reinforcement layer fixed to the first base layer, and an exposed first adhesive layer in the first attachment region;
affixing a second attachment region of a second load restraint strip to a second interior side wall of the cargo container, wherein the second load restraint strip comprises a second base layer, a second reinforcement layer fixed to the second base layer, and an exposed second adhesive layer in the second attachment region;
loading cargo units in the cargo container, wherein the loaded cargo units are stacked to a height, in a vertical direction from a floor of the cargo container to an interior surface of a top of the cargo container, of at least four cargo units and to a width, in a horizontal direction from first interior side wall to the second interior side wall, of at least four cargo units;
placing one or more cargo restraint panels adjacent to the loaded cargo units, each of the one or more cargo restraint panels comprising a polymer foam core, a first major surface facing the loaded cargo units, a second major surface facing away from the loaded cargo units, and sides connecting the first and second major surfaces;
after placing the one or more cargo restraint panels, horizontally wrapping a first tail of the first load restraint strip and a second tail of the second load restraint strip across, and in contact with, the one or more second major surfaces of the placed one or more cargo restraint panels; and
securing the wrapped first tail to the wrapped second tail, wherein the horizontally wrapping and the securing are performed without use of a tool to apply tension to the first and second tails.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cargo restraint panels comprises two cargo restraint panels, wherein the first major surfaces of the two cargo restraint panels contact portions of a portion of the loaded cargo units, wherein the first tail, after securing to the second tail, contacts the second major surface of one of the two cargo restraint panels, and wherein the second tail, after securing to the first tail, contacts the second major surface of the other of the two cargo restraint panels.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cargo restraint panels are not mechanically interlocked with a floor of the cargo container, a ceiling of the cargo container, or side walls of the cargo container.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an average volume of the cargo units is 3.375 cubic feet or less per cargo unit.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after wrapping the first tail and the second tail around the one or more cargo restraint panels, attaching a first connector of a tensioning strip to the first tail and a second connector of the tensioning strip to the second tail, wherein
the tensioning strip comprises an elastic material strip that creates tension when elongated,
a first end of the elastic material strip is fixed to the first connector, and
a second end of the elastic material strip is fixed to the second connector.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first connector comprises a first clip that grips the first tail after the attaching to the first tail, the second connector comprises a second clip that grips the second tail after the attaching to the second tail, and the elastic material strip pulls the first clip toward the second clip after the attaching to the first tail and the attaching to the second tail.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first connector comprises a first adhesive patch that is adhered to the first tail after the attaching to the first tail, the second connector comprises a second adhesive patch that is adhered to the second tail after the attaching to the second tail, and the elastic material strip pulls the first adhesive patch toward the second adhesive patch after the attaching to the first tail and the attaching to the second tail.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein securing the first tail to the second tail comprises adhering an adhesive-backed patch to the first tail, the second tail, and the attached tensioning strip.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cargo container comprises a semi trailer.
10 . A method of securing cargo in a cargo container, the method comprising:
affixing a first attachment region of a first load restraint strip to a first interior side wall of the cargo container, wherein the first load restraint strip comprises a first base layer, a first reinforcement layer fixed to the first base layer, and an exposed first adhesive layer in the first attachment region;
affixing a second attachment region of a second load restraint strip to a second interior side wall of the cargo container, wherein the second load restraint strip comprises a second base layer, a second reinforcement layer fixed to the second base layer, and an exposed second adhesive layer in the second attachment region;
loading cargo units in the cargo container;
placing one or more cargo restraint panels adjacent to the loaded cargo units, each of the one or more cargo restraint panels comprising a polymer foam core, a first major surface facing the loaded cargo units and contacting a portion of the loaded cargo units, a second major surface facing away from the loaded cargo units, and sides connecting the first and second major surfaces;
after placing the one or more cargo restraint panels, wrapping a first tail of the first load restraint strip and a second tail of the second load restraint strip across, and in contact with, the one or more second major surfaces of the one or more cargo restraint panels; and
after wrapping the first tail and the second tail around the one or more cargo restraint panels, attaching a first connector of a tensioning strip to the first tail and a second connector of the tensioning strip to the second tail, wherein
the tensioning strip comprises an elastic material strip that creates tension when elongated,
a first end of the elastic material strip is fixed to the first connector, and
a second end of the elastic material strip is fixed to the second connector.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first connector comprises a first clip that grips gripping the first tail after the attaching to the first tail, the second connector comprises a second clip that grips the second tail after the attaching to the second tail, and the elastic material strip pulls the first clip toward the second clip after the attaching to the first tail and the attaching to the second tail.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first connector comprises a first adhesive patch that is adhered to the first tail after the attaching to the first tail, the second connector comprises a second adhesive patch that is adhered to the second tail after the attaching to the second tail, and the elastic material strip pulls the first adhesive patch toward the second adhesive patch after the attaching to the first tail and the attaching to the second tail.
13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising adhering an adhesive-backed patch to the first tail, the second tail, and the attached tensioning strip.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more cargo restraint panels comprises two cargo restraint panels, wherein the first major surfaces of the two cargo restraint panels contact portions of a portion of the loaded cargo units, wherein the first tail, after the wrapping of the first tail and the second tail around the one or more cargo restraint panels, contacts the second major surface of one of the two cargo restraint panels, and wherein the second tail, after the wrapping of the first tail and the second tail around the one or more cargo restraint panels, contacts the second major surface of the other of the two cargo restraint panels.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more cargo restraint panels are not mechanically interlocked with a floor of the cargo container, a ceiling of the cargo container, or side walls of the cargo container.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the cargo container comprises a semi trailer.
17 . An article comprising:
a cargo container;
a first load restraint strip comprising a first attachment region affixed to a first interior side wall of the cargo container, wherein the first load restraint strip comprises a first base layer, a first reinforcement layer fixed to the first base layer, and an adhesive layer in the first attachment region adhering the first attachment region to the first interior side wall;
a second load restraint strip comprising a second attachment region affixed to a second interior side wall of the cargo container, wherein the second load restraint strip comprises a second base layer, a second reinforcement layer fixed to the second base layer, and an adhesive layer in the second attachment region adhering the second attachment region to the second interior side wall;
cargo units loaded in the cargo container and stacked to a height, in a vertical direction from a floor of the cargo container to an interior surface of a top of the cargo container, of at least four cargo units and to a width, in a horizontal direction from first interior side wall to the second interior side wall, of at least four cargo units;
one or more cargo restraint panels adjacent the loaded cargo units, each of the one or more cargo restraint panels comprising a polymer foam core, a first major surface facing the loaded cargo units, a second major surface facing away from the loaded cargo units, and sides connecting the first and second major surfaces; and
a tensioning strip comprising an elastic material strip that creates tension when elongated, a first connector fixed to a first end of the elastic material strip, and a second connector fixed to a second end of the elastic material strip,
wherein a first tail of the first load restraint strip and a second tail of the second load restraint strip are horizontally wrapped across, and are in contact with, the one or more second major surfaces of the one or more cargo restraint panels, and
wherein the first connector is attached to the first tail and the second connector is attached to the second tail.
18 . The article of claim 17 , wherein the one or more cargo restraint panels comprises two cargo restraint panels, wherein the first major surfaces of the two cargo restraint panels contact portions of a portion of the loaded cargo units, wherein the first tail contacts the second major surface of one of the two cargo restraint panels, and wherein the second tail contacts the second major surface of the other of the two cargo restraint panels.
19 . The article of claim 17 , wherein the first connector comprises a first adhesive patch and the second connector comprises a second adhesive patch.
20 . The article of claim 17 , further comprising an adhesive-backed patch adhered to the first tail, the second tail, and the tensioning strip.