DE20303282U1 - Multi-trip drinks bottle plastic crate with top-mounted retractable handle - Google Patents

Abstract

A plastic drinks bottle crate has a box frame sub-divided into compartments. The necks of the bottles protrude about the crate rim. The crate has a transverse strut with a retractable horizontal lifting handle joined at each end to a sliding strut anchored within a cylinder. When retracted, the handle is below the height of the bottle caps.

Description

Heinrich Hendker
Hardystrasse 1
48231 Warendorf

Bottle carrier

The invention relates to a bottle carrier according to the preamble of claim 1.

Bottle carriers of the type mentioned are widespread and well-known; they are often used in manually handled sizes by end consumers of beverages such as beer, mineral water, juices, etc. There are numerous variants, but they are not designed to be easy to transport or store.

Due to their shape and annoying, protruding handles, these bottle carriers, which are generally used for small containers, cannot be stacked, which has a negative impact on storage and shipping, among other things. Larger beverage crates with handles are very often rejected by the end consumer because of their weight or excessive contents.

The assembly of larger transport units, even by the beverage suppliers, is not economical with these small containers and the use in a reusable and deposit distribution system is not logistically feasible.

A known solution to create small containers for consumers and to handle these in cheaper transport and storage units is to divide the existing capacity of a drinks crate into several containers for holding individual bottles, for example, whereby these containers can be inserted into the drinks crate while maintaining the total number of bottles. These known containers are more consumer-friendly, but since the carriers are made of cardboard and are torn to remove the bottles, reusable use is not possible. A cardboard carrier is known which, if handled carefully, can hold empties when torn open, but it is then no longer possible to use them again. The cardboard carriers also generate significant amounts of waste for disposal. The bottles are held in the crate

by the above-mentioned carrier bodies takes place after filling; only then can these containers be inserted into the beverage crates that contain them.

A permanent, reusable integration of bottle carriers into current processes in the area of reusable and deposit bottle logistics is not yet known.

In order to improve the handling of the transport and storage of bottles, it is planned to create a bottle carrier that can be used advantageously and permanently in the commercial sector and by consumers. For this purpose, the bottle carrier is inserted into standard, well-known beverage crates that have already been introduced advantageously in the commercial sector, such as beer crates. The new bottle carriers used in this way make it possible for the filling, distribution and storage of beverages to be carried out without hindrance and according to the same work processes as before, i.e. the drinks are filled at the bottler as before, and the bottles are in the new bottle carriers that are inserted into the well-known beverage crates, e.g. beer crates. As before, the bottles can be filled without the bottle carriers inserted.

The beverage crates filled with full goods are now delivered to the distributor and then on to the consumer. During transport and storage, the beverage crates are space-saving and can be handled quickly thanks to their stackability, even with bottle carriers in place, as before. Bottles taken from the crates, including the bottle carrier, can be offered to the consumer in a consumer-friendly quantity and at a weight that is easy to carry.

After the drinks have been consumed, the bottles are placed back in their bottle carriers and the corresponding drinks crates. The empties are returned to the bottler for recycling. This ensures closed, long-term use in the reusable system.

In order to be able to use the new bottle carriers in the beverage crates, it is necessary according to the invention to provide a non-protruding handle and to create openings in the bottom of the bottle carrier through which the bottle guide columns of the existing crates pass. The dimensions are to be determined in such a way that the

the external dimensions measured for the bottles, in length and width, are not exceeded.

The bottle carrier is made of a durable material, preferably plastic. Another advantage is that outside the crates, the bottle carriers filled with bottles can be placed on top of each other or stacked together, with the bottle carriers being placed directly on the bottles.

The invention is described below by way of examples and illustrated in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows the front view of a bottle carrier in a section A-B.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of a bottle carrier.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows a top view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 shows another carrying handle for the embodiment according to Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 shows a corner support in section C-D.

Fig. 9 shows a plan view of the arrangement of the carrying handle according to Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 shows a bottle carrier with a reinforcing edge.

Fig. 11 shows a side view of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 shows an embodiment with a fixed carrying handle.

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Fig. 13) shows the top view of Fig. 12.

The bottle carrier 1), shown as an example for carrying six bottles 25), consists of a base plate 2), which is provided with upward-facing corner supports 4) at its corners to form chambers 28) for the bottles 25) to be accommodated, and with edge supports 5) on the sides. Crossbars 6) connect the edge supports 5) and a central bar 7) crosses the crossbars 6). Guides 8) are arranged at the intersection points of the central bar 7) and the crossbars 6), in which a carrying handle 15) is guided so that it can be moved vertically.

In terms of length and width, the base plate 2) corresponds to the dimensions that result from the sum of the grid dimensions a) and b), respectively, plus the diameter of a bottle 25), as this allows the bottle carriers 1) and 30) to be easily inserted into a drinks crate. Bottles 25) that protrude slightly over the edges of the base plate 2) make insertion easier due to their rounded edges, which can be made easier by a bevel 3).

In the base plate 2) there are through-openings 9) and recesses 10) which allow the guide columns for bottles present in these drinks crates to penetrate into the bottle carrier 1) when the bottle carrier 1) is inserted into a known drinks crate, such as a beer crate. The crossbars 6) and the middle bar 7) are each provided with recesses 11) and 14) respectively, which also have the purpose of creating free spaces which do not hinder the insertion of the bottle carrier into a beer crate through the aforementioned guide columns.

The base plate 2) is also provided with holes 12) in the area of the central axes 26) of the inserted bottles 25) which have a depression 13) whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the closure of a bottle 25), e.g. a crown cork. The cylindrical wall of the depression 13) serves as a stop when stacking. The holes 12) are used for cleaning and to save material; other holes and openings for this purpose are not shown.

The carrying handle 15), consisting of the bracket 16), the rods 17) and the disks 18), is moved vertically with its rods 17) and the disks 18) in the guides 8). To carry, the bracket 16), is pulled up from position F) to position E) so far that it offers enough space to reach through when carrying. The disk 18) is placed under a stop 19) of the guide 8). In position F), the bracket 16) is lowered so far that its upper side 20), at a distance x), below the level 27), which is formed by the

The distance x) corresponds at least to the depth of the depression 13).

On the bracket 16) there are cones 21) attached to the holder for the rods 17), which support and center the handle 15) in the lowered position in conical sockets 22). In addition, side recesses 23) are provided on the bracket 16).

Four of the bottle carriers 1) can be inserted into a standard beer crate, for example, with or without bottles 25). The openings 9) and the recesses 10) in the base plate 2) as well as the recesses 14) and 11) in the central web 7) and in the cross webs 6) prevent obstructions caused by the guide columns for the bottles 25) in the beer crates. To make insertion easier, the base plate 2) has a bevel 3) all the way around.

After inserting the bottle carrier 1), the carrying handle 15) is lowered, making it possible to place another beer crate on top of an existing one or to stack beer crates, since the beer crate placed on top is not touched or obstructed by the inserted parts.

In the filling plants, the beer crates can be filled with bottles 25) as before, with or without the bottle carriers 1) inserted. To make this possible, the handle 15) must be lowered to below level 27) and recesses 23) must be made on the bracket 16) to give sufficient space for the suction cups of the loading stations, which grip the bottles when they are inserted and removed. The recesses 23) are necessary so that the bottles 25) cannot come into contact with the bracket 16) or be deflected when they are inserted into their chamber 28). The remaining thickness d) on the bracket 16) therefore corresponds approximately to the thickness of the central bar 7). The bottle carriers 1) filled with bottles 25) can also be stacked separately. To do this, with the handle 15) of the lower bottle carrier 1) lowered, another bottle carrier is placed on the lower one in such a way that the front surfaces of the depressions 13) are placed on the top of the bottles 25). Stacking in a group is possible.

In another example, a bottle carrier 30) with the base 31) for a different container size is shown. Six such bottle carriers 30) with four bottles 25) each can be used in standard beer crates. In this version, constructed in the same way as the previous

For example, the carrying handle 33) is designed in such a way that the rod 34) can be provided with a ball knob 35) in a guide 32), since there is a larger free space between the bottles 25) at the point of application of the carrying handle 33). In this position, the ball knob 35) does not hinder the bottles 25) to be inserted or the suction cups used for this purpose, provided it is of the appropriate size.

If an elongated carrying handle 36) or a cross handle is desired for the latter design, the guide 37) and the rod 38) must be designed by profiling in such a way that the carrying handle 36) cannot rotate, since otherwise it may hinder bottles and suction cups when inserting or removing bottles 25).

The bottle carriers 1) and 30) can also be provided with a continuous or interrupted web 39) that stabilizes the bottle carriers 1) and 30). It is arranged on the corner supports 4) and edge supports 5). To ensure that this web 39) does not hinder insertion into a beer crate, its thickness may only increase the external dimensions of the bottle carrier 1) or 30) by an amount that is less than the receiving dimension of the receiving beer crate. In this case, the receiving play is only restricted in the area of the web 39). To improve bottle guidance, the web 39) is equipped with wedge-shaped contours that make it easier to insert the bottles 25).

The possibility of providing a rigid, fixed carrying handle 42) analogous to the lowered position F) of the carrying handle 15) is shown in Fig. 12); it is attached to the supports 43) raised by the cross and middle bars 6) and 7). The distance x) must be maintained. The recesses 44) to enable the insertion of the bottles 25) are also required here.

Claims (19)

1. Bottle carrier with which bottles are provided in easily handleable containers for end consumers predominantly in the field of beverage logistics, which is equipped with a carrying handle and consists of durable material, preferably plastic, characterized in that a carrying handle 42 ) is arranged such that in position F), from its upper side 45 ) to the upper side of the inserted bottles 25 ), it has a distance x) which is equal to or greater than the depth of the depressions 13 ) in the base plate 2 ) and that the base plate 2 ) is provided with passage openings 9 ) and recesses 10 ). 2. Bottle carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrying handle 15 ) is arranged to be vertically displaceable, wherein in the upper position E) it has a distance y) from the top 27 ) of inserted bottles 25 ) through which it can be reached and in the lower position F) up to the top of the carrying handle 15 ) has a distance x) which is equal to or greater than the depth of the depressions 13 ). 3. Bottle carrier according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that holes 12 ) are provided in the base plate 2 ) on the center lines 26 ) of the chambers 28 ) with recesses 13 ) recessed on the underside. 4. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the length and the width of the base plate 2 ) each represent a dimension which results from the sum of the grid dimensions a) and b), respectively, plus the diameter of the bottles 25 ). 5. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-4, characterized in that the length or width of the base plate 2 ) each result in a dimension which is less than the sum of the grid dimensions a) or b), respectively, plus the diameter of the bottles 25 ). 6. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the base plate 2 ) is provided with a completely or partially circumferential bevel 3 ). 7. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the corner supports 4 ) are arranged free-standing on the base plate 2 ). 8. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-7, characterized in that transverse webs 6 ) connect the edge supports 5 ) with each other. 9. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-8, characterized in that where the transverse webs 6 ) and the central web 7 ) intersect, a vertical guide 8 ) for receiving the carrying handle 15 ) is attached. 10. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-9, characterized in that in the area of the intersections of transverse webs 6 ) and central web 7 ), there are recesses 11 ) and 14 ) forming free spaces. 11. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-10, characterized in that the guides 8 ) are provided with stops 19 ) under which the discs 18 ) of the rods 17 ) rest when the carrying handle 15 ) is raised. 12. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-11, characterized in that cones 21 ) arranged on the carrying handle 15 ) are centered in conical pans 22 ) in position F). 13. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-12, characterized in that the carrying handle 15 ) or 42) is tapered to the thickness d) of the central web 7 ). 14. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-13, characterized in that the taper of the symmetrical carrying handle 15 ) or 42) is formed on both sides by a radius R) which is equal to or larger than the radius of an associated bottle 25 ). 15. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-11, characterized in that in one embodiment of the bottle carrier 30 ), the carrying handle 33 ) consists of a rod 34 ) with a ball knob 35 ) or a star handle. 16. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-11 and 15, characterized in that a non-rotatable, vertical guide rod (38 ) carries an elongated handle (36 ). 17. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-16, characterized in that a circumferential web 39 ) is arranged at the top, outside of the corner supports 4 ) and the edge supports 5 ), and the total width of a bottle carrier 1 ), or 30), has a maximum total width which is equal to or smaller than the receiving dimension of a beverage crate receiving the bottle carrier 1 ) or 30). 18. Bottle carrier according to claims 1-17), characterized in that the web 39 ) is equipped on the upper side with wedge-shaped contours 40 ) whose deepest points lie on the central axes 26 ) of the bottles 25 ). 19. Bottle carrier according to claim 1 and one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the lower position F), the upper side 20 ) or 45) of the carrying handle 15 ) or 42) does not touch the underside 41 ) of a bottle carrier 1 ) or 30) placed thereon or of a beverage crate, e.g. a beer crate.