DE20020879U1 - Containers, in particular box-shaped, stackable storage and transport boxes - Google Patents

Description

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Fritz Schäfer GmbH, Fritz-Schäfer-Str. 20, 57290 Neunkirchen

Containers, in particular box-shaped, stackable storage and transport boxes

The invention relates to a container, in particular a box-shaped, stackable storage and transport box, with longitudinal and transverse walls extending upwards from the edges of the base, which are provided on their outer surfaces with vertically and/or horizontally extending stiffening ribs.

In the prior art, it is known to manufacture such containers, which can either be folded or folded together or which have rigid walls, in one piece, preferably from plastic. Despite their relatively low weight, these plastic containers are very stable, which is further promoted by longitudinal and transverse wall ribbing, i.e. external stiffening ribs. The stiffening ribs extend vertically, parallel to one another, at a distance from one another, from the base or a lower stacking edge of the container to the upper edge or upper stacking edge. In particular, when there is a heavy central load, which often occurs, the base section of the container is pulled downwards or bent, which inevitably pulls the walls of the container inwards. In practice, this results in a central constriction of the container, which forms particularly on the container's longitudinal walls and prevents the next container from being placed on top of the lower container when it is stacked, with its lower stacking edge, which otherwise complements the upper stacking edge of the lower container.

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The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a container or box of the type mentioned at the beginning using simple means and little effort, which can be easily stacked even when the contents are heavily loaded.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the vertical stiffening ribs are notched in partial longitudinal areas. This makes it possible to ensure that the vertical stiffening ribs extending from the base area of a container to the upper edge area or the upper frame of its longitudinal and transverse walls are interrupted. This interruption means that the base of the container is decoupled from the upper edge area or upper frame. The forces that occur due to a heavy base load - combined with a base deflection - via the stiffening ribs in the walls of the container are therefore no longer propagated to the upper edge area or upper frame of the container, but only act on the walls up to the area where the vertical ribs are notched. This means that the upper edge of the container remains straight even under high base loads and the effect of the upper edges shifting inwards is minimized.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the notches of the partial longitudinal areas are arranged in the upper edge area of the longitudinal and/or transverse walls, preferably only the longitudinal walls. This notch, which is as far away from the floor as possible, has the advantage that the longitudinal and transverse walls continue to be stabilized by the vertical stiffening ribs over the greatest possible height. The notching of the partial longitudinal areas of the stiffening ribs, accompanied by the decoupling of the upper edge of the container from the floor area, advantageously only takes place in the middle surface sections, i.e. at the location where the wall constriction of the longitudinal and/or transverse walls occurs, so that the corner areas or the corner bars of the container are continuously stiffened. This helps the container to withstand high stacking pressure despite decoupling during stacking.

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According to embodiments of the invention, it is proposed that the partial longitudinal areas of the stiffening ribs are notched up to the surface of the longitudinal and/or transverse walls and thus without residue or completeness. Alternatively, the stiffening ribs can have a reduced rib height in the notched partial longitudinal area. This means that a residual rib remains in the notched partial longitudinal area, for example an auxiliary rib with a C-shaped profile is formed on the wall surface, which bridges the respective ends of the vertical stiffening ribs in the notched area and connects them to the container wall. This is a compromise for complete decoupling, but is sufficient to maintain stackability.

Furthermore, the invention provides that force-absorbing stiffening means are arranged below the notched partial longitudinal areas. The additional stiffening of this area advantageously helps to ensure that the forces that occur when the bottom sags significantly do not act on the upper edges or the upper frame of the container. Horizontal ribs or double-wall profiles can be provided as stiffening means, for example, which extend horizontally over the entire length of the walls below the decoupling.

The combination of notched partial longitudinal areas of the vertical ribs with horizontal stiffening means arranged underneath has the advantage that if the container base sags, also with regard to longer transport and storage periods, the inevitable force acting on the side walls is safely absorbed below the upper edge, so that at most only a slight indentation of the upper edge occurs, which is harmless for stacking other containers.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the claims and the following description of embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings. They show:

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Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a storage and transport box;

Figure 2 is a partial section along the line l-l of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a partial section along the line H-II of Figure 1.

A container 1 shown in Figure 1 consists of two longitudinal walls 2 and two transverse walls 3 - in the specific illustration, only one longitudinal wall 2 and a portion of a transverse wall 3 are shown - which extend upwards from the base 4. The base 4 is provided with base ribs 5 on the underside and is designed to form a circumferential lower stacking edge. In order to stack containers 1 on top of one another or inside one another, the upper edges 6 of the longitudinal and transverse walls 2, 3 and the corner beams 7 connecting them are designed with a circumferential, frame-like upper stacking edge 8.

Furthermore, the longitudinal walls 2 are provided on their outer surfaces 9 with vertically extending stiffening ribs 10, which are notched out completely in a partial longitudinal area 11, i.e. completely up to the wall surface 9 (cf. the left, front rib in Fig. 1 in conjunction with Fig. 2). The resulting rib-like decoupling of the stacking edge 8 from the container base 4 ensures that in the event of high base deflection due to heavy loads, an inevitable force acting on the longitudinal walls is absorbed in the area below the notched out partial longitudinal area 11, so that the upper edge 6 or the upper stacking edge 8 remains dimensionally stable and thus stackable.

As shown in an alternative embodiment for the sake of simplicity in Fig. 1 (see also Fig. 3), the notched partial longitudinal region 11 is formed there with a C-shaped auxiliary rib 12, which is connected to the horizontal stiffening ribs 13 of the longitudinal wall 2. The auxiliary rib 12 strengthens the

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Support of the stiffening ribs 13 lying horizontally parallel to each other, especially when they are exposed to high stacking pressure caused by very heavy content loads.

Furthermore, force-absorbing stiffening means are provided below the notched partial longitudinal regions 11, e.g. in the form of a further horizontal rib 14 extending over the entire length of the longitudinal wall 2 (cf. Figures 1 and 2) or a double-wall profile 15 (cf. Figure 3).

Claims (5)

1. Container, in particular a box-shaped, stackable storage and transport box, with longitudinal and transverse walls extending upwards from the edges of the base, which are provided on their outer surfaces with vertically and/or horizontally extending stiffening ribs, characterized in that the vertical stiffening ribs ( 10 ) are notched in partial longitudinal regions ( 11 ). 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the notched partial longitudinal regions ( 11 ) in the upper edge region of the longitudinal and/or transverse walls ( 2 , 3 ) are arranged only in their middle wall sections. 3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the partial longitudinal regions ( 11 ) of the stiffening ribs ( 10 ) are notched up to the surface ( 9 ) of the longitudinal and/or transverse walls ( 2 , 3 ). 4. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the vertical stiffening ribs ( 10 ) have a notch with a reduced rib height ( 12 ). 5. Container according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that force-absorbing stiffening means ( 14 , 15 ) are arranged below the notched partial longitudinal regions ( 11 ).