DE9307841U1 - Box-shaped container made of plastic - Google Patents

Description

PATENT ATTORNEYS Filing Department · :

DiPL-ING. CONRAD KÖCHLING ['_*[ _ "__"_

DiPL-ING. CONRAD-JOACHIM KÖCHLING

FleyerStraße 135, D-5800 Hagen 1 Note . : Franz Delbrouck GmbH

Bieberkamp 51-59

Fax(02331) 84840

Telegrams: Patent Cook Hagen

Accounts: Commerzbank AG, Hagen3515095(bank code 45040042) W~5750 Menden

Sparkasse Hagen 100012043 (bank code 45050001)
Postgiro: Dortmund 5989 -460 (bank code 440100 46)

58 51
VNR:

Serial No.

25.

CJK/hi.

Box-shaped plastic container

The invention relates to a box-shaped container made of plastic for holding objects, in particular packaged vegetables, fruit or the like, with a base, four side walls and a handle frame running around the mouth,

For containers of this kind, which are used to transport any kind of goods, but primarily for transporting vegetables or fruit, it is usual for such containers to be transported to a customer in a full state and then returned empty, so that these containers are circulated. It is important that the containers only take up a small volume during the return transport in order to keep the transport costs of the empty containers low.

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Various solutions are known in the state of the art for this purpose. In the state of the art there are rectangular transport containers with side walls that taper conically towards the base. These containers can be stacked inside one another. In order to be able to stack these containers on top of one another, metal brackets are pivotably mounted on the containers, which can be pivoted into the mouth plane of the box so that the next box can be placed with its base on this wire bracket.

This design is particularly cost-intensive due to the arrangement and manufacture of the additional wire brackets and is also cumbersome to handle.

The state of the art also includes containers in which the container walls can be folded down so that they can be folded up into a small transport volume. Such boxes are complex to manufacture and difficult to handle.

Delbrouck 11073/93

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Plastic containers are also known in the prior art (DE 41 26 749 A1) in which two opposing side walls are firmly formed with a surrounding strip and the base, while the other two side walls can be folded inwards. With side walls folded inwards, it is possible to stack these containers inside one another when empty, while with side walls folded outwards, support surfaces are formed that enable the boxes to be stacked on top of one another.

However, such boxes are also complex to manufacture and handle.

Based on this prior art, the invention is based on the object of creating a box-shaped container of the generic type which, with simple production and easy handling, enables filled containers to be stacked on top of one another and empty containers to be nested.

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To solve this problem, it is proposed that the side walls are hinged to the handle frame with their upper edge,

the lower edges of the side walls merge into a surface area or tongues that form part of the floor, and

this surface area or the tongues are hinged with their edge facing away from the associated side wall to an edge or a section of a rectangular middle part of the base, so that when the middle part of the base and the surface areas that form an edge part of the base are arranged in one plane, the side walls are pivoted outwards into the stacking position relative to the handle frame and when the middle part of the base is displaced parallel to the handle frame, the side walls are pivoted inwards into a box position relative to the handle frame.

In this design, the side walls with the molded surface area, which forms part of the floor, are preferably approximately L-shaped, whereby the

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upper edge of the side walls are hinged to the handle frame and the free edge of the surface area forming part of the base is also hinged to the middle part of the base. This design has the consequence that when tensile forces are exerted on the middle part of the base when the container is in place, so that it is moved a certain distance to the mouth of the container, the hinged side walls together with the molded surface areas that form part of the base are pivoted inwards by a certain angle, so that an essentially conical container shape is created, which enables empty containers to be nested inside one another. In order to convert these containers into the stackable state, it is only necessary to exert pressure on the middle part of the base, which can be done manually or automatically by storing goods, whereupon the side walls together with the molded surface areas that form part of the base are pivoted relatively outwards, so that an essentially rectangular box is created, the

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The side walls form a right angle with the base. In this position, the box-shaped containers can be stacked on top of each other.

The design according to the invention enables a simple production of such containers, whereby handling is also very simplified.

Preferably, the articulation areas are formed by film hinges.

With this design, the corresponding hinges can be molded directly during the injection molding process of the box, so that neither separate assembly nor separate production of individual parts is required.

In order to allow the necessary space for the side walls to be swung into the box position, it is also intended that the side walls and the molded surface areas forming part of the base are trapezoidal in shape, whereby

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the long base side of the side walls is hinged to the handle frame and the short base side of the surface areas is hinged to the middle section of the floor.

The trapezoidal design of the side walls ensures that when the side wall parts are pivoted into the box position, their edges are adjacent to one another, so that the container forms a truncated pyramid, while when the side walls are pivoted outwards into the stacking position, the container has a cuboid basic shape. The conical design of the side walls creates a free space on the parallel side edges of the side walls.

If such a free space between the adjacent edge edges of the side walls is undesirable, it is also possible for the adjacent edge edges of the side walls to be connected to one another via a material film or similar thin material bridges.

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Such material films or material bridges enable the side wall parts to be pivoted as intended, whereby the material film or the material bridge is slightly deformed when the side walls are pivoted in and is tightened when they are pivoted up into the stacking position. At the same time, such material bridges limit the pivoting up movement when they are transferred into the stacking position. Another, possibly preferred, way of limiting the pivoting movement of the side walls is to form stop strips on the handle frame, against which the side walls are placed in the area close to the handle frame in the stacking position.

For the same reason, it is preferably provided that stop strips are formed on the surface area formed on the lower edge of the side walls and/or on the middle part of the base, which in the stacking position rest against the middle part of the base or on the surface areas.

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In order to facilitate the lifting of the middle part of the base when transferring the container from the stacking position to the box position, it is further provided that the middle part of the base has at least one handle bar or similar handle formation, preferably in the middle.

In order to ensure that containers of the same type can be stacked securely on top of one another, the handle frame is provided with recesses on the front side into which stacking projections can be inserted when the container is in the stacking position, which protrude from the container base of a stacked container, namely in the area of the base that adjoins the lower edge of the side walls.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the side walls are formed or hinged to the handle frame in such a way that their outer surface is set back from the outer surface of the handle frame and that on the outer surface of the

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Side walls are formed with webs starting from the edge facing the handle frame, the edge of which ends with the side wall edge and is placed against the underside of the handle frame when the side wall is in the stacking position.

This also provides a simple way of limiting the pivoting movement of the side walls. It is also intended that the webs run approximately halfway up the side wall.

It is particularly preferred that the webs are designed in cross-section as a concave or V-profile, wherein the channel mouth of the channel-shaped webs thus formed faces away from the corresponding side wall.

This makes it possible for the hollow grooves of the nested containers to interlock when stacking the containers, so that on the one hand an insertion aid and on the other hand a deep nesting is possible.

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For reasons of weight reduction and torsional stability, it is also intended that the handle frame is designed as a closed hollow profile, in particular with a rectangular cross section.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that at least two frame legs of the handle frame that are parallel to one another have handle recesses in the middle.

Preferred developments, which may also be variants, are specified in claims 14 to 16.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and described in more detail below. It shows:

Fig. 1 and 2 Schematic representations of a box-shaped container in the stacking position (Figure 1) and in the box position (Figure 2);

Fig.3

a container in the position shown in the figure, seen from above;

·

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Fig.4

likewise without the grip frame running around the muzzle;

Fig.5

the container in the position shown in the figure, seen from above;

Fig.6

the container according to Figure 3 seen in section VI-VI of Figure 3;

Fig.7

a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of Figure 5;

Fig.8

a variant of a container in front view;

Fig. 9 a detail seen in section.

The drawings show a box-shaped container made of plastic, which is used to hold any object, especially vegetables or fruit.

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The container has a base, four side walls 1, 2 and a handle frame 3 running around the mouth. The side walls 1 and 2 are hinged to the handle frame 3 with their upper edge. The lower edge 5 of the side walls 1, 2 may merge via an articulated connection into a surface area 6, which forms part of the base. This surface area 6 is hinged to an edge of a rectangular base middle part 8 with its edge 7 facing away from the corresponding side wall 1 or 2. If necessary, a further articulated connection is provided between the edge 5 and the edge 7. This means that with the base middle part 8 and surface areas 6 arranged in one plane (see Figure 6 or Figure 2), the side walls 1 and 2 are pivoted outwards relative to the handle frame 3 into the stacking position, so that the container is essentially cuboid-shaped. When the middle part of the base 8 is displaced parallel to the handle frame 3, i.e. towards the mouth of the container (see Figure 2 and Figure 7), the side walls 1 and 2 are pivoted inwards relative to the handle frame 3 into a box position, so that the container side walls 1, 2 form a kind of truncated pyramid. This makes it possible to

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Containers in the position shown in Figure 2 or Figure 7 can be nested inside each other, while containers in the position shown in Figure 1 and Figure 6 can be stacked on top of each other.

The articulation areas between the side walls 1, 2 and the handle frame 3 as well as in the area 6 and between the areas 6 and the middle part of the base 8 are each formed by film hinges.

The side walls 1, 2 and the molded surface areas 6 forming part of the base are trapezoidal, with the long base side of the side walls 1, 2 being hinged to the handle frame 3 and the short base side of the surface areas 6 being hinged to the middle part 8 of the base.

The adjacent edges of the side walls 1, 2 can be connected to one another via a material film or similar thin material bridges.

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Stop strips 9 are formed on the handle frame 3, to which the side walls 1, 2 are placed in the area close to the handle frame 3 in the stacking position according to Figure 1 or 6. Stop strips 10 are formed on the surface areas 6 formed on the lower edge of the side walls 1, 2 and/or on the base middle part 8, which in the stacking position according to Figure 1 or Figure 6 lie on the base middle part or on the surface areas 6. These stop strips serve as a swivel path limiter for the side walls or for the area

To facilitate the operation of the container, the middle base part 8 has a handle bar 11 so that the user can grasp this handle bar 11 and easily move the base part 8 from the position according to Figure 6 to the position according to Figure 7.

As can be seen in particular from Figure 9, the handle frame 3 has recesses 12 on the front side into which, when the container is in the stacking position,

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Stacking projections 13 can be used which protrude from the container base of a stacked container, namely in the surface area of the base which adjoins the lower edge 5 of the side walls 1 or 2.

The side walls 1 and 2 are formed or hinged to the handle frame 3 in such a way that their outer surface is set back from the outer surface of the handle frame 3. This is particularly evident from Figure 8. On the outer surface of the side walls, in particular the side walls 1, webs 14 are formed starting at the edge facing the handle frame 3, the edge of which ends with the edge of the side wall (top in Figure 8) is placed against the lower surface of the handle frame 3 when the side wall 1 is in the stacking position, so that a pivoting path limitation is also formed in this way. These webs 14 run approximately over half the height of the side wall 1 and are formed in cross section as a concave groove or V-profile, as can be seen in particular from Figure 8 and Figure 8a. The channel mouth

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The channel-shaped webs 14 thus formed face away from the corresponding side wall 1. These channels form insertion aids when nesting corresponding containers into one another, whereby the channels also enable a relatively large insertion depth of the nestable containers to be achieved.

The handle frame 3 is preferably designed as a closed hollow profile with a rectangular cross-section. At least two frame legs of the handle frame 3 that are parallel to one another have handle recesses 15 in the middle.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments, but is variable in many ways within the scope of the disclosure.

All new individual and combination features disclosed in the description and/or drawing are considered essential to the invention.

Claims (16)

Delbrouck 11073/93 -18- Protection claims: 1. Box-shaped container made of plastic for holding objects, in particular packaged vegetables, fruit or the like, with a base, four side walls and a handle frame running around the mouth, characterized in that the side walls (1, 2) are hinged to the handle frame (3) with their upper edge (4), the lower edge (5) of the side walls (1, 2) merge into a surface area (6) or tongues which form part of the base, and this surface area (6) or the tongues are hinged with their edge (7) facing away from the associated side wall to an edge or a cutout of a rectangular base middle part (8), so that when arranged in a plane Delbrouck 11073/93 -19- Base middle part (8) and the surface areas (6) which form an edge part of the base, the side walls (1,2) are pivoted outwards relative to the handle frame (3) into a stacking position and when the base middle part (8) is displaced parallel to the handle frame (3), the side walls (1,2) are pivoted inwards relative to the handle frame (3) into a box position. 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the articulation areas are formed by film hinges. 3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the side walls (1, 2) and the molded surface areas (6) forming part of the base are trapezoidal, the long base side of the side walls (1, 2) being hinged to the handle frame (3) and the short base side of the surface areas (6) being hinged to the middle part of the base (8). Delbrouck 11073/93 -20- 4. Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adjacent edges of the side walls (1, 2) are connected to one another via a material film or similar thin material bridges. 5. Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that stop strips (9) are formed on the handle frame (3), against which the side walls (1, 2) are placed in the stacking position in the area close to the handle frame (3). 6. Container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that stop strips (10) are formed on the surface areas (6) formed on the lower edge of the side walls (1, 2) and/or on the middle part of the base (8), which stop strips rest on the middle part of the base (8) or on the surface areas (6) in the stacking position. Delbrouck 11.73/93 -21- 7. Container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the bottom middle part (8) has at least one handle web (11) or similar handle formations, preferably in the middle. 8. Container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the handle frame (3) has recesses (12) on the front side, into which, when the container is in the stacking position, stacking projections (13) can be inserted which protrude from the container bottom of a stacked container, namely in the surface area of the bottom which adjoins the lower edge (5) of the side walls (1, 2). 9. Container according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the side walls (1, 2) are formed or hinged to the handle frame (3) in such a way that their outer surface is set back from the outer surface of the handle frame (3), and that on the outer surface of the side walls (1, 2) at the edge facing the handle frame (3), webs (14) are provided Delbrouck 11073/93 -22- are formed, the edge of which ends with the side wall edge and is placed against the lower surface of the handle frame (3) when the side wall (1,2) is in the stacking position. 10. Container according to claim 9, characterized in that the webs (14) extend approximately over half the height of the side walls (1,2). 11. Container according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the webs (14) are formed in cross-section as a concave or V-profile, the channel mouth of the channel-shaped webs (14) thus formed facing away from the corresponding side wall (1, 2). 12. Container according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the handle frame (3) is formed as a closed hollow profile, in particular with a rectangular cross-section. Delbrouck 11073/93 -23- 13. Container according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at least two mutually parallel frame legs of the handle frame (3) have central handle recesses (15), 14. Container according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the side walls (1,2) are formed by wall parts which are connected to one another in an articulated manner and whose articulation axes run parallel to the lower and upper edges of the side walls (1,2). 15. Container according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the lower edges of the side walls (1, 2) are hingedly connected to the surface areas (6) and/or to the base middle part (8), the hinge axes being directed parallel to the edge. Delbrouck 11073/93 -24- 16. Container according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the surface areas (6) or tongues have several, preferably two, spaced-apart, parallel articulated connections.