DE20306717U1 - Plastic crate for drinks bottles has guide columns with end-stops in each bottle compartment - Google Patents

Abstract

A bottle (15) plastic crate has a number of compartments, each of which has guide columns (6) with end-stops (7). The crate further has interfaces (8) which receive and centre the discrete interlocking bottle platforms (16).

Description

Heinrich Hendker
Hardystrasse 1
48231 Warendorf

Drinks crate with integrated bottle carriers

The invention relates to a beverage crate with integrable bottle carriers according to the preamble of claim 1.

Drinks crates with integrated bottle carriers are known to date in that the number of bottles to be used in drinks crates is divided or combined into several smaller, consumer-friendly containers, with the total number of bottles being divided into several containers of the same size. In these known containers, the bottle carriers are made of cardboard or a similar, not very robust material; they are advantageous for the delivery of filled bottles, but since they are destroyed when the bottles are removed, they cannot be recycled.

A development has recently come to light to use cardboard bottle carriers for the return of empty bottles. Due to the material's sensitivity to tearing and moisture and its lack of dimensional stability, a large proportion of these bottle carriers are unusable. Permanent use in the reusable sector is not planned and is not possible.

The aforementioned processes generate considerable amounts of waste from the cardboard bottle carriers, which must be disposed of either by the consumer or, after the first return, by the supplier.

In order to remedy the above-mentioned disadvantages, the invention provides for a bottle carrier that can be integrated into beverage crates and that is made of a durable material and allows a high number of reuses in a reusable system, whereby the bottles can be removed and reinserted without causing any damage and without making any changes to the bottle carrier, which saves considerable amounts of waste.

-l-

·

The invention is described below by means of examples and in the drawings
shown.

Fig. 1 shows the longitudinal section of a beverage crate with an inserted bottle carrier.

Fig. 2 shows a top view of Fig. 1 with two different bottle carriers.

Fig. 3 shows a bottle carrier with carrying handle (section A-B of Fig. 4).

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

Fig. 5 shows another bottle carrier in a side view.

Fig. 6 shows a top view of Fig. 5.

A stackable beverage crate 1), essentially consisting of the side walls 2), the
Front walls 3), the base 4), the guide columns 6) and the central web 5), is shown in the example for holding twenty-four bottles 15), whereby some of the bottles 15) are inserted into a bottle carrier 16), for six bottles 15), and some into a bottle carrier 13), for four bottles 15).

The centering of the bottles 15) in the beverage crate 1) is carried out by stop surfaces 7) of the guide columns 6), by the side walls 2), the front walls 3) and the center bar 5).
Acceptance of bottles 15) with the largest possible diameter and thus the largest possible
filling quantity, the guide columns 6) are designed so that the bottles 15) in
longitudinal direction of the beverage crate 1).

To accommodate one to four bottle carriers 16), each of which can accommodate six bottles 15), stop surfaces 8) are attached to the guide columns 6) of the beverage crate 1). The bottle carrier 16) essentially consists of the base 17) with the openings 18), the recesses 19) and the webs 20 extending upwards), with the inner stop surfaces 21), the bridge webs 22) and the rods 23) standing on them, which

-2-

connected to a carrying handle 24), has corner supports 28) at the corners of the base 17) and side supports 26) at the edges, which can be equipped with V-shaped notches 27). A central web 29) is arranged in the longitudinal direction and is limited at its ends by webs 30).

The corner supports 28), the side supports 26) and the webs 20) and 30) are designed in such a way that they guide the bottles 15) in the bottle carrier 16) and fix them in their position.

The carrying handle 24) is arranged in such a way that its upper side remains below a dimension that corresponds to the height of the bottles 15). It can also be arranged so that the height can be adjusted upwards from this position. To insert the bottles 15), the carrying handle 24) is provided with rounded portions 25) whose radii are equal to or larger than the radius of a bottle 15).

When inserting an empty or filled bottle carrier 16) into the beverage crate 1), the guide columns 6) pass through the openings 18) in the base 17) and are centered by the stop surfaces 21) of the webs 20), which interact with the stop surfaces 8).

In addition to the access and viewing openings 31), vertical reinforcements 9) and 10) are attached to the beverage crates 1), whereby the reinforcement 9) can have stop surfaces 7) and 8) which allow additional centering of the bottles 15) and guidance of the web 30) of the bottle carrier 16).

A bottle carrier 13), for example, designed for four bottles 15), a maximum of six per crate, carries the same elements on its base 12) as the bottle carrier 16), but it only has one rod 23), on which a carrying button 14) is arranged at the upper end. The functionality of the bottle carrier 13) corresponds to that of the bottle carrier 16).

In order to facilitate the removal of the bottle carriers 13) or 16) from a beverage crate 1) due to the limited space, the corner supports 28) and the side supports 26) are provided with bevels 33) or rounded sections on their outer sides.

-3-

¹ · *■♦ ·»

which prevent the edges 32) of the viewing openings 31) from being pushed under. On the sides facing the bottles 15), the corner supports 28) and the side supports 26) are provided with guide bevels 34) and 35).

Just as the beverage crate 1) can be used without the bottle carrier 13) or 16), the bottle carriers 13) or 16) can be used separately without the beverage crate 1).

If the bottle carriers 13) or 16) are made of durable material, e.g. a suitable plastic, they can be frequently recycled in a reusable system.

-4-

Claims (13)

1. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers, which divides the number of bottles that can be accommodated by the drinks crate into several containers that can be removed separately, the drinks crate being largely standardized and fixed in its external dimensions due to its strong integration into existing transport and logistics systems, characterized in that the guide columns 6 ) arranged in the drinks crate 1 ) are equipped with stop surfaces 7 ) for the bottles 15 ) to be accommodated and with stop surfaces 8 ) for receiving and centering associated bottle carriers 13 ) and 19). 2. Drinks racks with integrable bottle carriers according to claim 1, characterized in that the bases 17 ) or 12), of the bottle carriers 16 ) or 13), are provided with openings 18 ) and recesses 19 ), from the edges of which webs 20 ) and 30) extend upwards, which fix the bottles 15 ) in their position. 3. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the webs 20 ) are each connected to one another above the guide columns 6 ) by a bridge web 22 ). 4. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-3, characterized in that vertical bars are arranged above the bridge webs 22 ), which are provided on their upper side with a carrying handle 24 ), to which rounded portions 25 ) are attached on both sides. 5. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-3, characterized in that a vertical rod 23) is arranged above a bridge web 22 ) , which is provided with a carrying button 14 ) at the upper end. 6. Drinks crate with integrated bottle carriers according to claims 1-5, characterized in that the carrying handle 24 ) or the carrying button 14 ) with its maximum height does not exceed the height of the bottles 15 ) held therein. 7. Drinks crate with integrated bottle carriers according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the carrying handle 24 ) or the carrying button 14 ) can execute a lift via guides on the rods 23 ), the upper position of which projects beyond the maximum height of the bottles 15 ). 8. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-7, characterized in that the webs 20 ) and 30) of the bottle carrier 16 ) and 13) are connected to one another by a central web 29 ). 9. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-8, characterized in that the corner supports 28 ) of the base 17 ) or 12 ) have at their upper ends guides 34 ) for the bottles 15 ) which each have an inwardly directed bevel or rounding. 10. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-9, characterized in that the corner supports 28 ) are provided on their outer sides with rounded or beveled portions 33 ). 11. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-10, characterized in that the side supports 26 ) have guide slopes 35 ) for the bottles 15 ). 12. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-11, characterized in that the side supports 26 ) have V-shaped notches 27 ). 13. Drinks crate with integrable bottle carriers according to claims 1-12, characterized in that drinks crate 1 ) and bottle carrier 16 ) or 13) can each be used independently of one another.