AU643907B2

AU643907B2 - Bottle crate

Info

Publication number: AU643907B2
Application number: AU20782/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Hans Umiker
Original assignee: Schoeller Plast SA
Current assignee: Schoeller Arca Systems AG
Priority date: 1991-08-13
Filing date: 1992-08-04
Publication date: 1993-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-04
Also published as: NZ243821A; AU2078292A; CH683332A5; CA2075851A1

Description

643907

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

*A

8 Applicant SCHOELLER-PLAST S.A.

r Invention Title: BOTTLE CRATE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: Bottle crate The invention relates to a bottle crate according to the preamble of Claim 1. Bottle crates of this type are used for storing and transporting bottles, primarily beverage bottles.

A bottle crate of the generic type is known (ZA-design 0879/1989) having a plurality of hollow strips which are 15 bounded by support beams and enclose in each case an inside space which is open at the bottom, but surrounded by continuous walls at the top and sides.

Since bottle crates of this type are cleaned in washing 20 lanes by turning them upside down, spraying them with detergents in a first stage and subsequently rinsing them in a second stage and then turning them over again, the known design leads to detergents being accumulated in the inLerior of the hollow strips, which detergents are then 25 carried along into the areas of the washing lane adjoining the first stage where they have to be disposed of in a costly manner, whereas they are missing in the first stage and have to be replaced likewise in a costly manner.

The invention is intended to provide a remedy in this case.

The invention, as is characterised in the claims, provides a bottle crate, in which the accumulation of detergents in the interior of the hollow strips is prevented, The advantages thus achieved can be seen primarily in the fact that the consumption of detergents is reduced and that the contamination, in particular of rinsing water, by detergents having been carried along is substantially decreased.

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to figures illustrating only one exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows an elevational view of part of a bottle crate according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows part of the bottle crate according to the invention corresponding to Fig. 1 from below, Fig. 3 shows part of a section along the line III-III in 15 Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 shows part of a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

20 At its lower end, the bottle crate has a plurality of hollow strips 1 which are interrupted by support beams 2, In the interior, the bottle crate has a system of compartments 3 for receiving bottles, which does not need to be described in detail here.

Each hollow strip comprisls an outer strip 4 and an inner strip 5 which runs essentially parallel thereto and fulfils a reinforcing function as well as forming part of the system of compartments 3. At the upper edge, the hollow strip 1 is terminated in each case by a continuous connecting web 6 which connects the outer strip 4 and the inner strip 5 and simultaneously forms a part of the outer front of the bottle crate. The outer strip 4, inner strip and connecting web 6 form between them a hollow space which is open at the bottom.

The support beams 2, 2' each have an outer wall 7, which merges directly into the adjoining outer strips 4, and an inner wall 8 which projects into the crate interior, is reinforced at its lower end, adjoins the outer wall 7 at the edges thereof, i.e. at the transition between the outer wall 7 and the outer strips 4 adjoining on both sides, and encloses with said outer wall. a hollow space P which is open at the bottom and is also provided at its upper end with an opening In the bottle crate illustrated, the inner wall 8 has portions which abut the outer wall 7 at right angles in each case and are adjoined on the inside by portions which are semicylindrical or comprise two converging walls. The 15 inner strips 5 of the adjoining hollow strips 1 abut the outside of the inner wall 8 and are connected thereto at that point. The portion of the inner wall 8 which is bounded by the outer wall 7 or the outer strip 4, the inner strip 5 and the connecting web 6 forms a partition 11 which 20 separates the interior of the hollow strip 1 from the hollew snace 9 in the support beam 2.

*According to the invention, the partition 11 now has a vertical slot 12 which extends from the loweredge of the 25 inner wall 8 into the vicinity of the connecting web 6.

When the bottle crate is now turned upside down during cleaning and sprayed with detergents, the latter run out of the interior of the hollow strip 1 through the slot 12 into the hollow space 9, from where they can drain through the opening Of course, in the case of the right-hand hollow strip 1, instead of the illustrated drainage into the support beam 2 on the side wall or additionally thereto a corresponding drainage into the support beam which is mounted at the corner of the crate and likewise has an opening 10 at its upper end, could be provided.

The effect achieved through the slot 12 could also be achieved by a, for example, circular connecting opening in the vicinity of the connecting web 6, but the construction of the connecting opening as a vertical slot has the additional advantage that this construction allows the mounting of said connecting opening without an additional operating stage or other complication of the manufacturing operation.

In principle, it is also conceivable to provide drainage openings in the connecting web 6, but such a solution would 15 not be satisfactory aesthetically, in particular if the connecting web is constructed essentially as an outwardly inclined surface as in the example shown.

In the illustrated solution according to the invention, the .20 advantages achieved do not have to be gained through either aesthetic or production-related disadvantages.

Claims

1. Bottle crate having at its lower end at least one hollow strip which extends over part of its peri- phery, is open at the bottom, and comprises an outer strip an inner strip running essentially parallel thereto with spacing, and a connecting web connecting said strips continuously at the upper edge, and having a vertical support beam which G.O. projects beyond the upper edge of the hollow strip (1) and comprises an outer wall which continues the outer strip in the peripheral direction, and an 15 inner wall which adjoins the latter on both sides and projects into the crate interior, said walls enclosing between them a hollow space provided with an opening (10) in the region of its upper end, the inner strip abutting the outside of the inner 20 wall so that a portion of the inner wall (8) bounded by the outer wall or the outer strip the inner strip and the connecting web forms a partition (11) separating the interior of the hollow strip from the hollow space characterised in that the partition (11) has at least one connecting opening which extends at least into the vicinity of the connecting web

2. Bottle crate according to Claim 1, characterised in that the connecting opening is constructed as a slot (12) starting from the lower edge of the inner wall

3. Bottle crate according to Claim 2, characterised in that the slot (12) runs vertically. DATED THIS 4TH DAY OF AUGUST 1992 SCHOELLER-PLAST S.A. By its Patent Attorneys: GRIFFITH HACK CO. Fellows Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia Abstract Bottle crate A hollow strip at the lower end of the bottle crate having an outer strip and an inner strip running essentially parallel thereto, which strips connected at the top by a continuous connecting web adjoins a support beam having an outer wall and a projecting inner wall said walls surrounding a hollow space (9) provided with an opening (10) at its upper end. For the purpose of allowing detergents to drain out of the hollow strip during cleaning of the bottle crate which 0. has been turned upside down, a partition (11) the portion of the inner wall separating the hollow space of the support beam from the interior of the hollow strip is provided with a vertical slot (12) extending from its lower edge into the vicinity of the connecting web (g 2 (Fig. 2) a• go•