DE102014119002A1 - Container with four-jointed flap - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a container (2) for the transport and storage of objects, with a bottom (4) and from the bottom (4) extending from side walls (6), of which at least one side wall (6-1) hinged thereto side wall element ( 10), which is from a first position in which it is located in the side wall plane and the side wall (6-1) completes, in a second position parallel to the side wall plane position can be converted to a part of the side wall (6-1) Page to release. According to the invention, the side wall element (10) in the form of a four-bar linkage is connected to the side wall (6-1) via at least one articulated arm pair (14) in such a way that the side wall element (10) can be transferred from the first position to the second position in an orientation parallel to the side wall plane is.

Description

The present invention relates to a container according to the preamble of claim 1, i. a container, in particular large load carriers or large volume containers, for the transport and storage of objects with a, in particular rectangular, bottom and from the bottom, in particular perpendicular, extending side walls, of which at least one side wall hinged thereto has a side wall element, which from a first position in that it is in the sidewall plane and completes or closes the sidewall, is translatable to a second position parallel to the sidewall plane to release a portion of the sidewall sideways.

Such (large volume) containers or large load carriers are used for transporting and storing various goods in various industries. Especially in the case of the large load carriers mentioned above, which are so heavy and so heavy that they have to be lifted and transported by forklift trucks, they have wall elements at least in the region of a side wall, which can either be pivoted outwards or downwards or vertically can be moved down to facilitate loading and unloading of the container.

For example, this is off DE 698 26 757 T2 Such a large load carrier is known in which an upper part of a side wall can be folded over a hinge outwards and downwards. The disadvantage of such a hinged flap is that the flap, if it is to be relatively high and to release a relatively large area of the side wall, requires a correspondingly wide pivoting space for the 180 ° pivoting movement, which is often not available.

Out EP 2 030 903 B1 a container is known in which a side wall has a plurality of hingedly interconnected side part elements which release a part of the side wall in a pivoting and folding movement. Although the space required for swiveling is reduced due to the division into several segments, the entire facial expressions, in particular for large load carriers, are neither sufficiently stable nor easy to manufacture.

Out DE 20 2009 018 677 U1 In contrast, a large load carrier is known, which completely dispenses with pivot joints and instead provides a vertically displaceable side wall part. The disadvantage of a displaceable side part is, on the one hand, the complicated design of locking the displaceable side part to prevent the side wall part does not move by gravity down alone, and on the other in the sliding mechanism itself, as such in daily use often difficult is and can easily jam or block.

Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a container in which a side wall element can be removed without large swivel space requirement and with low susceptibility to failure and brought into a predetermined open position.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1.

An inventive container, in particular large load carrier, preferably one which is made of plastic, which is suitable for the transport and storage of objects, has a, in particular rectangular, bottom and from the bottom, in particular perpendicular, extending side walls, in particular four side walls , on. In this case, a side wall element hinged thereto is provided on at least one side wall, which can be transferred from a first (closed) position, in which it is located in the side wall plane and completes or closes the side wall, into a second (open) position parallel to the side wall plane to release a portion of the sidewall to the side. According to the invention, the side wall element is connected or coupled to the corresponding side wall via at least one articulated arm pair, preferably two articulated arm pairs, in such a way that the side wall element can be transferred from the first position to the second position in an orientation parallel to the side wall (vertical orientation). In other words, the side wall, the two articulated arms and the side wall element coupling the two articulated arms form a four-link coupling mechanism or a simple four-bar linkage, in which the sidewall element forms the coupling between the two geared link members.

The articulated connection between the articulated arms and the side member on the one hand and the side wall on the other hand allows the sidewall member to be oriented in an orientation parallel to the sidewall, i. can be pivoted out of the side wall or the side wall plane in a substantially vertical or perpendicular to the ground orientation and can be pivoted downwards or upwards.

In this way, a single side wall element with high height or vertical extent compared to a classic hinge joint described above, much closer transfer to the container side wall in the open position.

Due to the joints, the side wall element can also very easily and easily transfer from the first or closed to the second or open position and vice versa, without running the risk of jamming any parts together as in a sliding mechanism.

Finally, the articulation according to the invention via a four-bar linkage or a coupling gear is much more stable than the known from the prior art folding mechanism.

According to one aspect, the at least one articulated arm pair may comprise a first, in particular upper, articulated arm and a second, in particular lower, articulated arm whose pivot articulation axes are each arranged, in particular in container height direction, parallel to each other on the sidewall and the sidewall element and together with the sidewall and the side wall element define a parallelogram or a four-bar linkage with four hinges.

In one aspect, the sidewall member may be pivotable outwardly and downwardly upon transition from the first to the second position, and the sidewall member in the second position may abut the outer surface of the sidewall or be oriented parallel to the sidewall plane. Thus, in the second position or in the open position, the side wall element does not stand or project away from the side wall, so that the space requirement of the side wall element in the open position is minimal. Further, it prevents anybody or anything from getting caught on the protruding sidewall member and being injured or damaging the sidewall member. The inventive coupling of the side wall member via a four-bar or a pair of arm allows this vertical or parallel to the side wall orientation of the side wall member in the second (open) position, regardless of the wall thickness of the side wall or the side wall member and regardless of the placement of the joints.

In one aspect, the at least one articulated arm pair may be hinged in the sidewall member surface, i. not on the side edges of the sidewall element, but in an area between the side edges. This can ensure that the side wall element can extend over the entire width of the side wall and no lateral space for the joint assemblies is lost. As a result, the opening of the container is maximized not only in the vertical or height direction, but also in the width direction.

In one aspect, the articulated arms of a pair of articulated arms may be laterally offset from each other. In other words, the pivot planes of the two articulated arms can be shifted one above the other in parallel. This ensures that the two articulated arms in each pivot position, especially not in the first and / or second position obstruct each other or touch and block each other.

According to one aspect, depressions may be formed in the side wall element and / or the side wall in which the pivot hinges may be accommodated on the one hand and, on the other hand, the pivot arms in their end positions, i. in the first position and in the second position, can dip into these wells and be absorbed therein. As a result, on the one hand, the pivoting range of the articulated arms is increased and, on the other hand, it is ensured that, in particular in the first (closed) position, the articulated arms are received flush on the outside and on the inside in the recesses of the side wall or the side wall element and the articulated arms do not protrude beyond the rest of the exterior or interior wall surface. As a result, on the one hand, it is achieved that a plurality of containers according to the invention are placed close together, i. On the other hand, the articulated arms do not reduce the inner packing size or volume of the container.

In one aspect, the recesses formed in the sidewall may ramp down into the sidewall outer surface. This ensures that the container is easier to clean and no dirt accumulates in the recesses. Furthermore, these ramps at the same time form a pivot limit for the articulated arms, in particular in the second position.

According to one aspect, in the first (closed) position, the side wall element terminates flush with a circumferential upper edge of the at least one side wall or with an upper edge of adjacent side walls. Thus, the sidewall element may be an upper sidewall edge portion. Alternatively, a lower-lying section, z. B. a central portion to be pivoted from the side wall by means of the four-bar link according to the invention from a closed to an open position.

According to one aspect, the side wall itself, to which the side wall element is articulated, may be a pivotable side wall which, for example, is connected to a bottom part of the container hingedly connected to the side wall and the other side walls of the container in the empty state one above the other to fold inwards to make the return transport or storage of the container as space-saving. The side wall can also be detachably connected to the bottom part and thus be removable (together with the side wall element).

According to one aspect, latching or locking means may be provided on the side wall element and / or the at least one side wall, which optionally cooperate to releasably lock the side wall element, in particular in the first position. This can be done by locking lugs or spring elements. This will ensure that the sidewall element does not fall by itself, e.g. B. during transport, falls from the first to the second position.

According to one aspect of the invention, at least one of the joints of the at least one Gelenkarmpaars have a damping element which dampens the pivotal movement of the side wall member in at least one direction, preferably in the direction of the second position. In this way, the side member can be opened in a safe and simple manner, without having to be afraid as a user that the side wall element swings quickly down and strikes against the side wall. Thus, the side wall element only needs to be released from the locking or latching in the first position and is then brought about the four-bar linkage and the damping element gently by means of gravity in the second position.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be described by means of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings:

1 shows a perspective view of a container according to a preferred embodiment;

2 shows the container with a fully downwardly pivoted sidewall element;

3A shows a perspective view of the container at the beginning of a pivoting movement of the side wall member;

3B shows in comparison to 3A a slightly different perspective view;

4A shows the container according to the invention with an approximately half-pivoted side wall element;

4B shows in comparison to 4A a slightly different perspective view;

5A shows an external perspective view of the side wall alone with the side wall member in the first (closed) position;

5B shows one of the 5A corresponding interior perspective view of the side wall;

6A shows an external perspective view of the side wall alone with the side wall member in a central pivot position;

6B shows one of the 6A corresponding interior perspective view of the side wall;

7A shows an external perspective view of the side wall with the side wall member in an almost completely downwardly pivoted position;

7B shows in comparison to 7A a slightly different perspective view;

8A shows an external perspective view of the side wall with the fully downwardly pivoted side wall element; and

8B shows one of the 8A corresponding perspective interior view of the side wall.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment

1 shows a perspective view of a container according to the invention 2 , which is a large volume container or a large load carrier. This has a bottom part 4 with a substantially rectangular cross section and four from the bottom part of vertically extending and together form a circumferential wall side walls 6 on, each with the bottom part 4 are articulated, so that the side walls 6 in the empty condition of the container 2 one above the other to fold inwards, so the height and the transport volume of the container 2 to reduce in the empty state. Around the side walls 6 to fold over each other, they are with the bottom part 4 articulated connected to different heights or have correspondingly different joints. The bottom part 4 is also with support feet or support skids 8th provided to lift the container with an industrial truck and transport. The container 2 can also be closed by a lid, not shown.

While three of the four side walls 6-2 . 6-3 . 6-4 are designed in one piece and closed, the container is 2 to one side by one multi-part, more precisely two-part, limited sidewall. More precisely, the height of the sidewall 6-1 about only two-thirds as high as the other side walls 6-2 . 6-3 . 6-4 , The upper third is through a sidewall element 10 completed, leaving the side wall 6-1 together with the sidewall element 10 flush with the adjacent side walls 6-2 and 6-3 flush at the top.

On the side wall side 6-1 is partially in the bottom part 4 as well as in the sidewall 6-1 a breakthrough 12 to the container interior. This breakthrough 12 is provided for a connection of a large-volume fluid hose, not shown, which can be inserted into the container. The filled fluid hose can be emptied via the connection. Of course, the side wall 6-1 or the bottom part 4 closed on this page or no breakthrough 12 if the container is to be used for transporting or storing other goods and merchandise.

Like in the 2 is shown, the side wall element 10 which has the same width and wall thickness as the side wall underneath 6-1 to be brought outwardly and downwardly into a second position or position in which the inner wall of the side wall element 10 flat on the outer wall surface of the side wall 6-1 is applied. The transfer of the sidewall element 10 from the in the 1 shown in the first (closed) position in the 2 shown second (open) position takes place in a guided manner via two Gelenkarmpaare 14 over which the sidewall element 10 with the sidewall 6-1 is coupled, more specifically articulated coupled. Like from the 2 is recognizable, are the Gelenkarmpaare 14 not on the side edges of the sidewall element 10 but in a respective widthwise outer portion of the side wall member 10 hinged.

As in particular from the 3B is recognizable, has each Gelenkarmpaar 14 an upper articulated arm 16 and a lower articulated arm 18 on. The upper articulated arm 16 Both the upper articulated arm 16 as well as the lower articulated arm 18 are each articulated on the one hand with the side wall 6-1 and on the other hand with the sidewall element 10 connected. The side wall 6-1 , the upper articulated arm hinged to it 16 , the lower articulated arm also hinged thereto 18 as well as the two ends of the upper and lower articulated arm 16 . 18 coupling side wall element 10 together form a four-link coupling gear or a simple four-bar linkage. The four joints span a parallelogram, so that over the entire pivoting movement of the side wall element 10 ie from the one in the 1 shown first position in the in the 2 shown second position, the side wall element 10 and the side wall 6-1 always be able to stay in parallel.

This is the upper articulated arm 16 both in the sidewall 6-1 as well as on the sidewall element 10 (at least in the first position) articulated higher in the height direction than the lower articulated arm 18 , Furthermore, from the 3A to recognize that the lower articulated arm 18 in the transverse or width direction of the side wall 6-1 or the side wall element 10 to the upper articulated arm 16 is slightly laterally offset, more precisely, is the lower articulated arm 18 further to the middle of the sidewall than the upper articulated arm 16 , The same applies to the other Gelenkarmpaar 14 ,

In particular, from the 3B further to recognize that the articulated arms 16 and 18 on the side wall element 10 about hinge pins 20 are hinged, which laterally over the side edge of the side wall element 10 be introduced or inserted. Further, located at the two side edges of the sidewall element 10 in each case a latching or locking means in the form of a latching nose 22 over which the sidewall element 10 in the in the 1 shown closed (first) position releasably and can be fixed without tools. The catch 22 can each be in a corresponding recess on the inner edges of the adjacent side walls 6-2 and 6-3 intervention. Alternatively, instead of a catch 22 also be provided a spring-biased locking element.

While the 3A and 3B the sidewall element 10 immediately after loosening from the side wall 6-1 or the adjacent side walls 6-2 and 6-3 show, show the 4A and 4B the sidewall element 10 about half way between the first and second position.

The maximum distance of the sidewall element 10 from the side wall 6-1 is the Gelenkarmlänge L, which is smaller than the vertical height H of the side wall element 10 is. Against this background is used to pivot the sidewall element 10 not the radius or the height H of the side wall element, as is the case with a normal flap which can be swiveled through 180 ° by means of a hinge joint 10 , But only a pivot space with the Gelenkarmlänge L needed. Due to the four hinged connections of the sidewall element 10 on the side wall 6-1 can the side wall element 10 over the entire pivoting movement always vertical or parallel to the side wall 6-1 so stay the distance to the side wall 6-1 keep as low as possible.

The 5 to 8th show the sidewall 6-1 including side wall element 10 alone and in different pivot positions of the Sidewall element 10 , The 5A and 5B show the sidewall element 10 in each case in the closed or first position, in which the side wall element 10 in the plane of the sidewall 6-1 lies and the side wall 6-1 and the sidewall element 10 together a closed side wall corresponding to the opposite side wall 6-4 form. From the 5A and 5B is recognizable that the side wall 6-1 at the bottom or the bottom part 4 facing edge three hinge elements or hinge elements 24 over which the side wall 6-1 detachable and pivotable inwards on the bottom part 4 can be attached.

Furthermore, from the 5A the two Gelenkarmpaare 14 , each consisting of the upper articulated arm 16 and the lower articulated arm 18 to recognize. From the into the 5A and 5B shown representations of the side wall 6-1 alone it can be seen that the two articulated arms 16 and 18 also on the side in the side wall 6-1 introduced hinge pins 22 on the side wall 6-1 articulated connected or coupled.

In addition, it can be seen that on the outside of the side wall 6-1 (please refer 5A ) each vertically extending recesses 26 or depressions are provided, in which the articulated arms 16 and 18 in the in the 5A and 5B closed positions completely or flush with the outer surface of the side wall 6-1 are included. The same applies to the side wall element 10 , where corresponding recesses 28 for the articulated arms 16 and 18 on the inside of the sidewall element 10 (please refer 5B ) are provided, so that the articulated arms 16 and 18 also on the inside of the side wall element 10 not over the inner surface of the sidewall member 10 protrude. The wells 26 point to the bottom or the bottom part 4 each side facing a ramp-shaped outlet. The in the sidewall element 10 trained recesses 28 have a corresponding outlet in the opposite direction, ie on the bottom part 4 on the opposite side. These ramp-shaped sections also form a kind of stop for the articulated arms 16 and 18 when the sidewall element 10 in the in the 2 shown closed position.

The 6 to 8th show again in detail the sidewall element 10 in different pivot positions, in which case what has already been said above applies.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment but is not limited thereto.

Thus, the swivel mimic or four-jointed flap described in connection with a large volume carrier can also be used in smaller transport containers used for other purposes.

Furthermore, the side wall element can also be a middle or an upwardly pivotable lower side wall part, if, for example, access in the lower region of the container is to be facilitated.

Furthermore, several, e.g. two opposite, or all the side walls to be provided with such a four-bar flap.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 69826757 T2 [0003]
• EP 2030903 B1 [0004]
• DE 202009018677 U1 [0005]

Claims (10)

Container ( 2 ), in particular large load carriers, for the transport and storage of objects, with a, in particular rectangular, floor ( 4 ) and from the ground ( 4 ), in particular vertical, extending side walls ( 6 ), of which at least one side wall ( 6-1 ) a side wall element hinged thereto ( 10 ), which from a first position in which it is in the side wall plane and the side wall ( 6-1 ) is completed, in a second position parallel to the side wall level position can be converted to a part of the side wall ( 6-1 ) to the side, characterized in that the side wall element ( 10 ) in the form of a four-bar joint via at least one Gelenkarmpaar ( 14 ) on the side wall ( 6-1 ) is connected in such a way that the side wall element ( 10 ) is translatable from the first position to the second position in an orientation parallel to the side wall plane. Container ( 2 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that the articulated arm pair ( 14 ) a first, in particular upper, articulated arm ( 16 ) and a second, in particular lower, articulated arm ( 18 ), whose swivel joint axes each, in particular in the container height direction, spaced parallel to each other on the side wall ( 6-1 ) and the sidewall element ( 10 ) are arranged and together with the side wall ( 6-1 ) and the sidewall element ( 10 ) define a parallelogram. Container ( 2 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the side wall element ( 10 ) is pivotally outwardly and downwardly when transferring from the first to the second position and the side wall element ( 10 ) in the second position flat on the outer upper surface of the side wall ( 6-1 ) is present. Container ( 2 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the articulated arms ( 16 . 18 ) of the Gelenkarmpaars ( 14 ) are laterally offset from each other. Container ( 2 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the articulated arms ( 16 . 18 ) in the first and / or second position in accordance with in the side wall element ( 10 ) and / or the side wall ( 6-1 ) formed depressions ( 26 . 28 ), in particular flush. Container ( 2 ) according to claim 5, characterized in that in the side wall ( 6-1 ) formed depressions ( 26 ) down ramp into the sidewall outer surface. Container ( 2 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side wall element ( 10 ) in the first position with a circumferential upper edge of the at least one side wall ( 6-1 ) or adjacent side walls ( 6-2 . 6-3 ) flush. Container ( 2 ) According to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one side wall ( 6-1 ) hinged and / or detachable to the ground ( 4 ) connected is. Container ( 2 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the side wall element ( 10 ) and / or the at least one side wall ( 6-1 ) optionally cooperating latching or locking means ( 22 ), in particular latching noses, are provided to the side wall element ( 10 ) releasably fix in the first position. Container ( 2 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the joints of the at least one Gelenkarmpaars ( 14 ) has a damping element, which controls the pivoting movement of the side wall element ( 10 ) attenuates at least in one direction.

Images