DE29818828U1 - Pallet container - Google Patents

Description

Andrejewski, Honke & Partners Patent attorneys

European Patent Attorneys European Trademark Attorneys

Graduate Physicist Dr. Walter Andrejewski (-1996) Graduate engineer Dr.-Ing. Manfred Honke Graduate Physicist Dr. Karl Gerhard Masch Graduate engineer Dr.-Ing. Rainer Albrecht Graduate Physicist Dr. Jörg Nunnenkamp Graduate Chemist Dr. Michael Rohmann Attorney file:

88 8 08/kno:Bo D 45127 Essen, Theaterplatz 3 D 45002 Essen, PO Box IO 02 54

02 October 1998

Utility model application Sotralentz S. A.

24, rue du Professeur-Froehlich

6732 0 Drulingen / France

Pallet containers

Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen

Description -

The invention relates to a pallet container for the transport and storage of liquids or finely divided bulk material, with a pallet, a container placed on the pallet with a container base and optionally with a wire mesh outer casing, the container having a drain tap or the like in the area of the container base for the purpose of emptying. - The container, which is usually made of plastic and is also referred to as a bladder, serves to hold the liquid or the finely divided bulk material. The plastic is generally a high molecular weight low-pressure polyethylene. The area of the container base here also includes the area of the container wall facing the container base and in particular the transition area between the container base and the container wall. The wire mesh outer casing serves as a protective basket or protective grille and consists of steel rods, steel pipes, steel profiles or the like. The pallet is made of plastic, metal or wood, for example. Pallet containers of the described design are generally large-volume containers whose contents can amount to one cubic meter or more. They must meet high requirements in terms of strength and stability, fatigue strength under vibration stress, drop stress and the like. In order to be approved for the transport of dangerous goods, the pallet containers must meet particularly high requirements. Among other things, the containers are subjected to a drop test, which is regularly carried out at temperatures of -18 ⁰ C.

Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen

The containers fall from a height of up to 1.9 m at an angle onto the lower edge where the drain tap is located. It goes without saying that damage to the drain tap, in particular breaking off, must be prevented at all costs in order to prevent the dangerous goods from leaking out. For this reason, the drain taps on pallet containers known from practice are usually arranged in such a way that they do not protrude, or only protrude slightly, beyond the base of the pallet. However, the problem in this context is that if the pallet falls at an angle of up to 45 degrees from the horizontal, e.g. from a forklift or lifting vehicle, there is a risk that the container will slide off the pallet. In particular, if the container slides off the pallet in the direction of the drain tap, there is a risk of the drain tap being damaged. - This is where the invention aims to remedy the situation.

The invention is based on the object of developing a pallet container of the initially described embodiment in such a way that damage to the drain tap is prevented in a simple and functional manner even in the event of a fall with the pallet tilted in the direction of the drain tap.
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This task is solved in a pallet container of this type by arranging stop elements on the pallet, at least in the area of the drain tap, against which the container rests when the pallet is tilted in the direction of the drain tap. - There is therefore no longer any possibility of the container

Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen

If the pallet falls while it is tilted, the container slides down from the pallet and hits the floor with the drain tap. Instead, the container is prevented from sliding off the pallet by stop elements arranged in the area of the drain tap. It goes without saying that such stop elements can be arranged not only in the area of the drain tap, but in the entire peripheral area of the pallet, so that the container cannot slide down even if the pallet is tilted in another direction.

According to a preferred embodiment, a stop element is arranged on both sides of the drain tap at a predetermined distance B from the drain tap. In this way, the container is prevented from slipping off the pallet in a particularly simple manner using only two stop elements. In the known pallet containers, the container usually has a recess in the area of the container base, in which the drain tap is arranged. In such pallet containers, the stop elements are arranged according to the invention on the pallet in the area of the container's recess. This still makes it possible for the container to take up almost the entire surface of the pallet and for the stop elements to be arranged in a concealed manner in the area of the container's recess. This also means that a complex adaptation of the container shape to a pallet with stop elements is not necessary. Instead, conventional containers can be used. In an advantageous embodiment of the pallet container according to the invention, the stop elements are designed in the shape of a ramp and have a

Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen

facing the container and a flat flank facing away from the container. In this way, the stop elements fulfill their function of blocking the container in a particularly reliable manner. The flat flank on the side facing away from the container makes it easier to place the container on the pallet. It is also intended that the stop elements have a triangular or bell-shaped cross-section. This provides a sufficient contact area between the stop element and the pallet without the stop elements hindering the operation of the drain tap. In principle, however, other designs are also conceivable.

In the case of pallet containers with a plastic or metal pallet, the stop elements can also be made of plastic or metal and screwed, glued or welded to the pallet. This also makes it possible to subsequently attach the stop elements when converting conventional pallets. In another embodiment, the stop elements can also be molded onto the pallet. This means that the pallets with stop elements can be manufactured "from one piece". In the case of pallet containers with a wooden pallet, the stop elements are preferably made of wood, plastic or metal and screwed or nailed to the pallet. In principle, however, other fastening options are also conceivable.

In the following, the invention is explained in more detail using drawings showing only one exemplary embodiment.

· · f

Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen

Fig. 1 shows a detail of a pallet container according to the invention in a front view of the outlet tap,
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Fig. 2 is a section in direction A-A through the object of Fig. 1. and

Fig. 3 shows the object of Fig. 2 in an extreme inclined position.

The figures show a pallet container 1 for the transport and storage of liquids or finely divided bulk material. It has a pallet and a container 3 placed on the pallet 2 with a container base 4 and container wall 5. A wire mesh outer casing 6 can also be seen. For the purpose of emptying the container 3, a drain tap 7 is arranged in the area of the container base 4. On the pallet 2, in the area of the drain tap 7, two stop elements 8 are arranged, against which the container 3 rests when the pallet 2 is tilted in the direction of the drain tap 7. In Fig. 1 it can be seen that on both sides of the drain tap 7 there is a stop element 8 at a predetermined distance B from the drain tap 7. In a comparative examination of Figs. 1 and 2 it can be seen that the container 3 has a recess 9 in the area of the container base 4, in which the drain tap 7 is arranged. The stop elements 8 are arranged on the pallet 2 in the area of the recess 9 of the container 3. In particular, Fig. 1 shows that the stop elements 8 in the

Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen

outermost edge area of the indentation 9, so that the stop elements 8 do not hinder proper operation of the drain tap 7. From Fig. 2 it is clear that the stop elements 8 are designed in a ramp shape. They have a steep flank 10 facing the container 3 and a flat flank 11 facing away from the container 3. In the exemplary embodiment, the stop elements 8 have a bell-shaped cross section.

Figures 1 and 2 show the pallet container 1 in a horizontal transport or storage position. Fig. 3 shows the pallet container 1 in an extremely inclined position. It can be seen that as soon as the pallet 2 with container 3 is tilted in the direction of the drain tap 7, the container 3 rests against the stop elements 8. Even if the pallet base is tilted by 45 degrees against the horizontal, the container 3 cannot slip off the pallet 2, so that there is no risk of the drain tap 7 coming into contact with the floor 12.

Claims (8)

• · · &phgr;♦ * i •&phgr; Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen Protection claims 1. Pallet container (1) for the transport and storage of liquids or finely divided bulk material, with a pallet (2), a container (3) placed on the pallet (2) with a container base (4) and optionally with a wire mesh outer casing (6), the container (3) having a drain tap (7) or the like in the area of the container base (4) for the purpose of emptying, characterized in that stop elements (8) are arranged on the pallet (2) at least in the area of the drain tap (7), against which the container (3) rests when the pallet (2) is tilted in the direction of the drain tap (7). 2. Pallet container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that on both sides of the drain tap (7) there is arranged a stop element (8) at a predetermined distance (B) from the drain tap (7). 3. Pallet container (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container (3) has a recess (9) in the region of the container bottom (4), in which the drain tap (7) is arranged, characterized in that the stop elements (8) are arranged on the pallet (2) in the region of the recess (9) of the container (3). 4. Pallet container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the stop elements (8) are designed in the form of a ramp and have a Andrejewski, Honke & Sozien, patent attorneys in Essen facing steep flank (10) and a flat flank (11) facing away from the container (3). 5. Pallet container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stop elements (8) have a triangular or bell-shaped cross-section. 6. Pallet container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, with a pallet (2) made of plastic or metal, characterized in that the stop elements (8) are made of plastic or metal and are screwed, glued or welded to the pallet (2). 7. Pallet container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, with a pallet (2) made of plastic or metal, characterized in that stop elements (8) are formed on the pallet (2). 8. Pallet container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, with a pallet (2) made of wood, characterized in that the stop elements (8) are made of wood, plastic or metal and are screwed or nailed to the pallet (2).