DE20218154U1 - Plastic container preferably a bottle incorporates at least one region of its bottom and/or its side walls which consists of a material differing from the rest of the material of its bottom and/or its sides - Google Patents

Abstract

A plastic container incorporates at least one region of its bottom and/or its side walls which consists of a material differing from the rest of the material of its bottom and/or its sides. These different plastic materials are joined to one another by material bonds and/or by interlocking shapes.

Description

Two-component plastic container

The present invention relates to a plastic container according to the preamble of claim 1 or claim 14.

Plastic containers are used in many different areas of life. In addition to the usual functional tasks that such plastic containers have to fulfil, such as the safe storage of certain objects, such as bottles in a bottle crate, such containers are increasingly being subjected to further and therefore more complex requirements. In addition to the original task as a container, there are also requirements with regard to usability, comfort in handling and overall aesthetic impression, especially if the container is a sales container or sales packaging, as is the case with bottle crates, for example. Here it is necessary to fulfil a whole series of requirements, some of which are contradictory to one another, at the same time. For example, in the case of bottle crates, in addition to being easy to manufacture, robust in use, safe storage of bottles, etc., requirements with regard to good design are also required.

Forstenrieder Allee 59 D -81476 Munich Tel.+49 089-745541-0 Fax +49 089 - 7593869

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HypoVereinsbank, Munich fU ^v( $lW ⁷⁰ .Ii ^(c>n ,t(f//5;qount;fl^o'5Q9999.·. IgA^ DE^4 7002«Q2.70 ODJ^ 5059 99 SWiF (BIC ): HYVEDEMMXXX Postbank, Munich Bank code 700 100 80 Account / Account: 227 682 805 IBAN: DE30 7001 0080 0227 6828 05 SWIFT (BIC): PBNKDEFF

ical design and comfortable handling, as is the case with the already known divisible bottle crates in terms of portability.

However, the design options are strictly limited, particularly when taking into account economical production and the necessary robustness for everyday use. For example, in order to achieve the necessary robustness, the state of the art makes it possible to produce bottle crates from a single material, with the bottle crate then being made from this material in one piece or by welding several individual parts together. There are then only a few options left to optimise handling or to design the external appearance. In terms of designing the appearance, the only thing known from the state of the art is to print bottle crates with the corresponding brand names or symbols of the breweries or drinks manufacturers. In addition, some structural improvements have been made with regard to handling, such as the special design of the handle area or the division of the crate into various parts that can be carried individually and then reassembled to form a complete crate.

However, these undoubtedly existing design possibilities and the improvements achieved in the handling of plastic containers, especially bottle crates, are far from sufficient.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a plastic container, in particular a bottle crate, which is easy to manufacture and sufficiently robust for everyday use, while allowing greater comfort for the user and better design options.

This object is achieved by a plastic container having the features of claim 1 or claim 14. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

The starting point of the present invention is the realization that the design possibilities for a plastic container, in particular a bottle crate, are endless in every respect.

can be increased if the container is not simply made from a single plastic material, but if different materials with different properties, e.g. with regard to their physical and chemical properties such as elasticity, hardness, strength, color, etc., can be used. The use of at least a second or even several additional different plastics enables a variety of designs as well as the use of the appropriate plastic material according to the requirement profile for different areas of the plastic container or bottle crate. On the one hand, the wall areas of the plastic container in particular can be made of different colored plastics, so that aesthetic designs or color-contrasting areas for the attachment of labels or the direct formation of colored labels using the additional plastics are possible. On the other hand, the targeted choice of plastic for different areas of the plastic container, for example in the handle area of a bottle crate, makes it possible to provide a softer, elastic plastic material that has a soft grip. The invention therefore opens up completely new design options in the area of plastic containers, in particular bottle crates. The previous limitation in the prior art to a single plastic for an entire plastic container or a bottle crate, or at least the limitation to a single plastic for individual, movably connected parts of a plastic container, has thus been overcome. Rather, according to the present invention, elements of a plastic container that are arranged rigidly, tightly and firmly to one another, in particular wall areas of a plastic container, can also be made from different plastics. The design options and possible uses of such a plastic container are thereby significantly increased. The molded, in particular sprayed or injection-molded plastic can be the same plastic material as the material of the container, although this plastic material can preferably have other properties, such as transparency.

Although the material-locking or form-locking connection of at least two or more plastics can be carried out by a variety of molding techniques, such as gluing, in particular hot gluing, welding, clipping, plugging and the like, it is preferable to spray or inject the second plastic onto the at least first plastic,

whereby spraying here means in particular that a thin, flat, preferably also large-area application of the second plastic is carried out in the form of a coating on the first plastic.

Edge-like injection molding, for example butt-to-butt, is also possible, for example to form side sections with different materials, with the wall sections made of different materials joining together butt-to-butt. To intensify the connection, an interlocking engagement is possible. In this way, for example, the side walls of a box can be made transparent and the corner areas opaque.

When the second plastic is applied thinly over the surface by spraying, the layer thickness of the sprayed-on plastic is preferably a few millimeters, in particular the layer thickness of the sprayed-on plastic is in the range of 0.1 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

Preferably, the surface-sprayed plastic can be sprayed not only on one side of the container wall, but also on both sides and here again in particular on both sides in the area of a grip recess, so that a handle part is created from the second plastic, which only comprises a thin coating of the sprayed plastic.

By using a suitable material, the wearing comfort of a plastic container, especially a bottle crate, can be significantly increased if the plastic material chosen for the sprayed-on plastic used to make the plastic coating in the handle area is an elastic and soft material. This results in a so-called "soft touch" which makes it comfortable to wear.

Preferably, the second plastic is sprayed onto the first plastic in an area that is delimited by a sealing strip, either by a protruding sealing lip or a sealing groove that extends into the first plastic. These measures enable the spraying area to be clearly delimited and thus allow clean, sharp edges for the sprayed plastic.

In the injection-molded area for the second plastic, ribbed or lamellar structures can be present which, on the one hand, increase the rigidity or strength of the plastic container made of the first plastic, whereby filling it with the second plastic can then in turn achieve a smooth, clean surface which, particularly in the area of the recessed grip, also represents greater comfort for the user when the user has to grasp the plastic container in this area. In addition, such interlocking of the injection-molded second plastic with a ribbed and lamellar structure or possibly provided openings in the first plastic serves to increase the adhesive strength of the second plastic on the first plastic. Accordingly, further means for interlocking the first and second plastic, such as interlocking ribs, teeth and the like, can also be provided for this purpose. However, this is not only advantageous for a material-locking connection of the first and second plastic by injection-molded the second plastic onto the first plastic, but also for the other connection techniques mentioned above.

It is particularly preferred to provide a sprue in the first plastic, particularly when injecting a second plastic in the area of a grip recess, for example in the area of the handle bar, through which the second plastic can be injected. This has proven particularly useful when the plastic is to be injected on both sides of the grip recess and the injection mold encloses the container wall on both sides. Then the provision of a sprue in the first plastic opens up the possibility of simply applying the second plastic from above, without having to provide a corresponding sprue on the injection mold. The outlet openings of the sprue are then of course located in the areas on both sides of the container wall that is to be provided with the second plastic.

An important aspect of the present invention, for which protection is also claimed independently, is the formation of a handle part with a second, in particular softer and more elastic material, which creates a special wearing comfort due to the special grip behavior.

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It is also advantageous in such a design if the surface of the handle part or the grip recess is additionally adapted to the shape of the hand, with a substantially smooth surface being preferred.

The above-mentioned differences between the at least one first plastic and the at least second plastic can relate to all chemical and/or physical properties, in particular hardness, extensibility, strength, color, composition and the like.

The preferred application of the second plastic to the first plastic by means of injection molding is carried out in a simple manner according to the invention by arranging a semi-finished product, i.e. a finished plastic container or corresponding container part made of the first plastic, opposite an injection mold in such a way that a cavity is created into which the second, different plastic can be injected. The cavity can either be provided by the injection mold itself, with the container or the container part made of the first plastic then being arranged in this injection mold, or the container or the container part made of the first plastic itself represents part of the injection mold, so that the cavity is created between the injection mold and the first plastic. Once the second plastic has been injected into this cavity, the finished container or the container part can be separated from the injection mold, provided that the second plastic is already dimensionally stable and adheres sufficiently firmly to the first plastic.

Further advantages, characteristics and features of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing. The only, purely schematic figure shows a side wall of a bottle crate according to the invention.

The side view of the single figure shows a side wall 3 of a bottle crate 1, in which a handle recess 2, a so-called grip recess, is provided in the side wall 3. In addition, part of the base 4 of the bottle crate 1 can also be seen in the side view.

The bottle crate 1 or the side walls 3 and the base 4 are made of a material that is typically used for bottle crates, e.g. polyolyphine, polyethylene or polypropylene. The crate can be made from this material in one piece or in several parts by welding the corresponding individual parts together.

According to the invention, a flat area 5 is provided on the side wall 3 of the bottle crate 1, which is arranged at least partially around the recessed grip 2, into which a further plastic is injected, which is different from the plastic(s) from which the side walls 3 or the base 4 are formed. Since in the exemplary embodiment shown the area with the second, injected plastic not only extends over the outside of the bottle crate 1, but also includes the inside of the bottle crate and the lateral and upper boundaries of the recessed grip 2, the second injected plastic area 5 forms a handle part which also extends flatly along the outer and inner surface of the side wall 3.

In the present, preferred embodiment, this second plastic exhibits a rubber-like behavior and thus has a soft grip due to the greater elasticity and lower strength or hardness. This significantly increases the comfort of carrying the bottle crate, as the wearer of the bottle crate finds a soft, pleasant grip. The large-area application in area 5 on the side wall 3 also creates a design effect that gives the bottle crate an attractive appearance, particularly when the second plastic is a different color to the first plastic.

To facilitate the injection of the second plastic in the area 5 and in particular to ensure a clean external appearance, the injection area 5 is delimited by a circumferential sealing strip 7, which in the embodiment shown is designed as a web that protrudes slightly from the side wall 3. This web 7 ensures that a seal is created via the web 7 with an injection mold arranged above the side wall 3, so that the plastic to be injected is only arranged in the area 5. This ensures both simple manufacture and a high-quality

high-quality appearance is guaranteed. This sealing measure is very important in order to obtain a clear demarcation between the two plastic surfaces or plastic masses, since the injected melt is liquid and it should not spread to other surface areas of the box. It should be remembered that the injection or spraying takes place under pressure. Instead of a sealing strip, any other suitable sealing edge, sealing shoulder or sealing recess can be used, provided it is suitable for ensuring that the melt escapes or overflows over the area selected for injection or spraying. The sealing lip, sealing edge, sealing rib or sealing groove can also be contoured as desired, for example have a slope or curve to the rest of the surface area, so that a clear chambering of the injected mass to the desired molding area is guaranteed.

In the embodiment shown, a sprue channel is also formed at 6 in the side wall 3, which has its inlet opening on the top of the side wall 3 and its outlet openings in the area 5 on the inside and outside of the side wall 3. This makes it easy to attach an injection mold ζ, e.g. in the form of a plate that ends with the sealing strip 7, to the inside and outside of the side wall 3 and to inject the second plastic to be injected from the top of the side wall 3. This then fills the space between the injection mold(s) in the form of a plate placed in front and the area 5 of the side wall 3 set back from the sealing strip (7).

Claims (16)

1. Plastic container, in particular a bottle crate, with a base ( 4 ) and/or container walls ( 3 ) which are formed from at least a first plastic, characterized in that at least one region ( 5 ) on the base ( 4 ) and/or the container walls ( 3 ) is formed from a second plastic, preferably different from the first plastic(s), wherein the first and second plastics are rigidly connected to one another in a material-locking and/or form-locking manner. 2. Plastic container according to claim 1, characterized in that the second plastic is molded onto or formed on the first plastic. 3. Plastic container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second plastic is arranged flatly, in particular over a large area on one and/or both sides of the first plastic, in particular in a thickness of 0.1-10 mm, preferably 0.5-5 mm. 4. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plastic is injection-molded flat around a grip recess ( 2 ) in the first plastic. 5. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plastic is injection-molded onto the first plastic in a region ( 5 ) which is delimited by a sealing strip ( 7 ), in particular a protruding sealing lip, a sealing shoulder or a sealing groove. 6. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plastic is sprayed onto the first plastic in an area which has a rib or lamella structure, wherein the ribs or lamellae are enclosed by the second plastic and preferably covered flatly or evenly. 7. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first plastic has openings which are penetrated by the second plastic, which is arranged in particular on both sides of the first plastic. 8. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first plastic has a sprue ( 6 ), in particular in the region of the handle web, through which the second plastic is sprayed, in particular on both sides in the region of the handle recess. 9. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and the second plastic are interlocked by interlocking ribs, teeth and the like. 10. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plastic is arranged on the first plastic by gluing, in particular hot gluing, welding and/or locking. 11. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plastic forms a handle part of the container and is designed such that a soft grip is produced by a rubber-like behavior. 12. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plastic forms a handle part of the container, which has a substantially smooth surface, in particular a surface formation adapted to the shape of the hand. 13. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plastic differs from the first plastic in its chemical and/or physical properties, in particular with regard to hardness, extensibility, impact resistance, strength, color, composition or the like. 14. Plastic container, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a container ( 1 ) or container part is made of a first plastic, and that a second plastic is injection-molded onto the first plastic, wherein the container ( 1 ) or the container part made of the first plastic is arranged at least partially in relation to an injection mold, the second plastic is injected into the cavity of the injection mold and/or the cavity between the injection mold and the first plastic, and wherein the plastic container ( 1 ) is separated from the injection mold after sufficient hardening of the second plastic. 15. Plastic container according to claim 14, characterized in that the container ( 1 ) made of the first plastic forms part of the mold for injection molding. 16. Plastic container according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the container made of the first plastic has a sealing strip, in particular in the form of a protruding sealing lip or in the form of a groove receiving a sealing lip of the injection mold.