EP0280635A1 - Wire container for transporting and storing merchandise - Google Patents

Abstract

The container (1) comprises a cage (2) formed from a bottom (3) and lateral walls (4, 5, 6 and 7) raised up on runners (9) and (10) so that it can be picked up by a fork-lift truck. The lateral walls of the cage (2) are foldable for storage of the container (1). The container (1) has a modular structure formed from a base mounted on runners (9) and (10), on which the lateral walls (4) and (6) are articulated and which comprises, in addition, means for fastening the bottom (3) of the cage (2). All the pieces are interchangeable. The invention relates to the packaging industry. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a mesh container intended for the transport and storage of goods. It concerns the handling industry.

With the multiplication of production places, the container finds a growing place in industry and shops. Unlike competing cardboard or wooden packaging, the mesh container is durable. It is therefore a reusable packaging method that can be amortized over a period of time and is more economical than many lost packages.

The particularly resistant mesh container is well suited for the storage of bulk products which require significant mechanical protection from external constraints.

In addition, the three fundamental advantages that a container must have are: to facilitate handling, to be removable and able to be stacked in order to occupy a minimum of surface during storage and transport.

With regard to easy handling, many manufacturers have turned to the use of a traditional pallet as a basic element. The generally wooden construction pallet with standard dimensions receives side walls to form a formwork for receiving the goods.

This solution is economically advantageous since the use of a standard wooden pallet does not require any particular construction and is the subject of a current supply. On the other hand, it is a fragile element, particularly sensitive to shocks liable to be received during handling and, moreover, ill-adapted to withstand bad weather.

The dismantling of the container is very often imperative given that it must be able to be stored empty in a small footprint and more particularly if it is a return transport for example.

Stacking is also very often practiced over great heights to reduce the surface area occupied. The container must have great rigidity to prevent the contained goods from being subjected to any mechanical stress which would come from a deformation of the walls of the container.

The current achievements of wire mesh containers largely meet the previous objectives. The bottom and side walls of the container are made of folded and welded galvanized metal wires.

Wire mesh offers many advantages, first of all, it allows direct visibility of the contents of the container. Then, there is no accumulation of dust or waste in the bottom of the container which is advantageously perforated. It can be washed down with water very quickly. In addition, it is a light form of construction, which makes it possible to reduce, in a very significant way, the tare of the conditioned goods.

Thanks to a particular folding of the metal wires surrounding the bottom of the container, it is possible to raise the said container so that gripping by forklift is made possible.

The production of hinges by folding the metal wires is also carried out to allow the folding of the side walls of the container after use.

Stacking is made possible very often thanks to the use of support legs fixed at the upper edge of the container and intended to support the feet of the stacked container. A drawback of this technique lies in the absence of any transverse wedging of the stack of stacked containers. Care should be taken in this regard.

It should also be noted that there are folding doors on the sides of current containers in order to facilitate the removal of objects placed inside.

In use, it should nevertheless be noted that the mesh container suffers from some drawbacks.

First, its monobloc structure constitutes a major handicap. In fact, by construction, the various parts which constitute the container, that is to say the bottom and the side walls are inextricably linked together, and it turns out that certain handling accidents are inevitable.

In particular, the repeated impacts of the forklift trucks with the feet of the container end up damaging the base thereof or accidentally a side wall can be smashed and to which the entire container is lost. The straightening of the damaged part cannot be economically considered and no part can be dismantled.

In addition, the feet of the wire mesh container in folded metal wires are generally very fragile and in any case incompatible with the use of a conveyor chain.

If stacking of mesh containers is sometimes possible, when the container is folded, this stacking can no longer be carried out and the stacks formed by the folded containers are unstable.

The main object of the present invention is to present a mesh container which offers the advantages of the traditional container, that is to say: ease of handling, folding and stacking, with in addition a modular structure which allows the exchange of parts. defective, and a reinforcement of the base for improved convenience of use.

The economic aspect of the production is also preserved to promote the wide dissemination of the product.

All the connections necessary to ensure the cohesion of the various parts making up the container of the present invention has been studied to facilitate subsequent disassembly and replacement of a part accidentally damaged during handling. The container of the present invention can therefore be repaired inexpensively.

In addition, its base is reinforced since it is the most solicited area where the stresses are concentrated. Furthermore, the base is compatible with use on a conveyor chain, which pre-destines the container of the present invention for use in automated handling installations.

Another advantage of the present invention is to allow stacking with transverse setting of the container both when it is mounted in position and when it is folded, hence great safety in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear during the description which follows which is however given only for information and which is not intended to limit it.

According to the invention, the mesh container intended for the transport and storage of goods which comprises a cage, formed of a bottom and side walls, surmounted by means of pads to facilitate gripping by forklift, the said side walls of the cage being foldable for the storage of the container, is characterized in that it has a modular structure formed by a base on skids, the framework of which supports the removable bottom of the cage, and which comprises articulation means for the side walls.

• - la figure 1 schématise une vue d'ensemble du conteneur grillagé de la présente invention,
• - la figure 2 illustre en perspective une vue de l'embase du conteneur grillagé selon une réalisation préférentielle de celle-ci,
• - la figure 3 représente en vue de coupe l'embase du conteneur de la présente invention au niveau du point d'articulation des parois latérales et de fixation du fond de la cage,
• - la figure 4 illustre en vue de coupe transversale le profil particulier du patin de l'embase du conteneur,
• - la figure 5 schématise la forme particulière de l'extrémité des bras saillants de l'embase du conteneur,
• - la figure 6 représente le rebord supérieur de la paroi latérale au niveau du point de gerbage,
• - la figure 7 représente en vue de côté la pièce d'articulation des parois latérales sur le fond de la cage,
• - la figure 8 illustre en vue de face la pièce d'articulation des parois latérales sur le fond de la cage,
• - la figure 9 représente en perspective le verrou de liaison des parois latérales entre elles,
• - la figure 10 représente en vue de côté le montage du verrou de liaison des parois latérales.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description accompanied by annexed drawings, among which:

• FIG. 1 shows schematically an overall view of the mesh container of the present invention,
• FIG. 2 illustrates in perspective a view of the base of the mesh container according to a preferred embodiment thereof,
• FIG. 3 represents a section view of the base of the container of the present invention at the point of articulation of the side walls and of fixing of the bottom of the cage,
• FIG. 4 illustrates in cross-sectional view the particular profile of the pad of the base of the container,
• FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically the particular shape of the end of the projecting arms of the base of the container,
• FIG. 6 shows the upper edge of the side wall at the stacking point,
• FIG. 7 represents a side view of the articulation piece of the side walls on the bottom of the cage,
• FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of the articulation piece of the side walls on the bottom of the cage,
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the connecting bolt of the side walls therebetween,
• - Figure 10 shows a side view of the mounting of the connecting bolt of the side walls.

The present invention relates to a mesh container intended for the transport and storage of goods. It relates more precisely to the packaging industry.

Currently, the mesh container finds wide application in both the industrial and commercial fields. By its robustness and its durability, it marks the economic step vis-à-vis traditional packaging of wood or cardboard type when re-use is possible.

The wire mesh geometry can easily be implemented industrially and offers the advantage of lightness.

Currently, known mesh containers generally have folding walls which allow the container to be stored after use. Their structure is unitary, that is to say that the fixing of the side walls on the bottom of the container are irremovable, the joints being produced by bending the metal wires, the whole being designed in one piece.

This production technique is particularly disadvantageous. Indeed, no exchange of parts of the container can be made or, in the event of accidental damage, very often only one wall is reached. Furthermore, the folded wire legs of the containers are particularly vulnerable and incompatible with automated handling chains.

Figure 1 illustrates the container 1 mesh according to the present invention. The external appearance is substantially identical to the traditional type mesh container. The mesh container 1 comprises a cage 2 formed by a bottom 3 and side walls 4, 5, 6 and 7. It is a parallelepiped volume whose height corresponds substantially to the width.

The bottom 3 and the side walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 are produced by an assembly of welded metal wires. For storage of the empty container, the side walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 can be folded flat against the bottom 3 of the container. In the event that it is a container of considerable height with respect to its base, the side walls must be produced in several parts hinged together so as to be able to be folded up during storage on the bottom 3 of the container 1.

To facilitate the gripping of objects in the container 1 or its filling, advantageously an access door 8 is cut in the front side wall 4. It is also possible to conceive an embodiment of the side walls articulated in two parts, the upper part being capable of '' be folded against the lower part to locally reduce the height of the container.

The bottom 3 of the container 1 is surmounted by means of pads 9 and 10 of the four inlet type which allow gripping container by forklift.

According to the main characteristic of the present invention, the mesh container 1 has a modular structure, that is to say that it is formed of a removable assembly of parts. In this way, in the event of damage, the defective element can be interchanged.

This modular construction is articulated around a base 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 which constitutes the rigid cradle for supporting the cage 2 of the container 1.

The base 11 has a framework formed by longitudinal beams 12 and 13 between which extend crosspieces 14, 15, 16 on which rests the bottom 3 of the cage 2.

The pads 9 and 10 are integral with the frame and the base 11 further comprises articulation means for the side walls 4 and 6.

Vertical projecting arms 17, 18, 19 and 20 extend the ends of the pads 9 and 10 and form stops for the straight positioning of the side walls 4 and 6.

It should also be emphasized that according to a preferred embodiment of the base 11, the latter comprises means of articulation of the side walls 4 and 6 common with the fixing means used to secure the bottom 3 of the cage 2 to the base 11.

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically in section view the base 11 at the point of attachment of the bottom 3 of the cage 2 and of articulation of the side wall 4.

It is first necessary to define the construction of the bottom 3 of the cage 2. This is made from longitudinal metal wires 21 joined by transverse wires 22 welded to the lower part of the longitudinal wires 21. The surface of the bottom thus formed is bordered by lateral metal wires 23 of larger section which rest on the longitudinal beams 12 and 13 of the base 11.

The surface of the bottom 3 of the cage 2 comprises a slight lateral rim formed by a set of vertical wires 24 welded externally to the lateral wire 23. The upper ends of the vertical wires 24 are joined to a longitudinal wire 25.

Regarding the side wall 4 as illustrated in Figure 3, it consists of vertical son 26 connected at their lower part to a longitudinal wire 27 of circular section.

The fixing of the bottom 3 of the cage and the articulation of the side wall 4 are in the form of projecting vertical arms 18 provided with a recess 28 which cooperates with a removable tab 29 attached to the arm 18, said tab 29 comprising wings which respectively enclose the horizontal wire 27 at the base of the side wall 4 pinched in the recess 28, and the side wire 25 of the upper edge of the bottom 3 of the cage 2.

The fixing of the lug 29 could, for example, be carried out using a bolt 30, the disassembly of which makes it possible to release the side wall 4 and the bottom 3 of the cage 2.

It can be noted, in FIG. 3, that the upper end of the arm 18 forms a stop during the straightening of the side wall 4 so that it remains in a vertical position.

The base 11 has crosspieces 14, 15 and 16 cleared in order to form a support and an axial setting of the bottom 3 of the cage 2. This embodiment is visible in FIG. 3 where for a better understanding, the crosspiece 16 is illustrated in dotted. The upper surface of the cross member 16 arrives at the level of the longitudinal wires 21 from the bottom 3 of the cage 2. In this way, the cross member 16 provides transverse support to the bottom 3 by contact with the wires 21. In addition, there is a axial setting of said bottom 3 given the presence of the transverse wires 22 located under the longitudinal wires 21 and which come against the crosspieces 14 and 16.

Figure 4 shows a sectional view of the concave profile of the pads 9 and 10. This embodiment has several advantages, first of all, the curved shape increases the moment of inertia and therefore the rigidity of the pad. Then, the recess facilitates the axial setting of the container. It should also be added that this profile is compatible with the traditional conveyor chains of automatic handling installations.

As regards the transverse setting of the container 1, this is ensured by virtue of the presence of tongues 31, obtained by cutting and folding of the pad 10, as illustrated in FIG. 3. These tongues 31 form a stop which plays a role during stacking of containers 1 to avoid lateral sliding.

Figure 5 shows schematically the profile of the ends of the arms projections 17, 18, 19 and 20. This profile is complementary to the concave profile of the pads 9 and 10. In this way, the interlocking with longitudinal and transverse wedging is ensured during stacking of the empty folded containers. This arrangement also allows during stacking of empty containers to support the weight of the stack only at the bases 11 that is to say the robust element of the container.

As regards the positioning during stacking of the deployed container, the side walls 4 and 6 have at their upper part a projecting wire 32 curved, as illustrated in FIG. 6, which forms a positioning stop during stacking. In fact, this curved shape 32 can perfectly adapt to the concave profile of the pads 9 and 10.

The modular construction of the container also requires the use of removable joints at the side walls 5 and 7. In this regard, the use of a hinge 33, as illustrated in FIG. 7, fixed in a removable manner and which allows a rotational movement and a slight clearance gives complete satisfaction. This hinge 33 is formed by a flat 34 folded back on itself so as to release an oblong orifice 35. The flat 34 is crossed by a clamping element 36, such as a bolt, which allows the flat 34 to be pinched on a set of horizontal wires 37 and 38 located at the base of the side walls 5 and 7 to be articulated. The loop formed by the folding back of the flat 34 encloses the transverse wire 39 secured to the bottom 3 of the cage 2.

Figure 8 illustrates a front view of the hinge 33 which allows the rotational movement and a slight vertical movement. This unnecessary vertical travel is sometimes imposed to allow the opening of doors.

To facilitate rotation of the hinge around the wire 39, the latter has a slightly smaller section than the wires 37 and 38. The dismantling of the side walls 5 and 7 can, under these conditions, very easily be carried out by unscrewing the bolt 36 which releases thus the hinge.

It is also advantageous to install connecting locks between the side walls 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The recommended connection lock is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10. This lock 40 is in the form of a belt 41 intended to surround the two horizontal upper wires 42 and 43 of the side walls 5 and 7.

The loop formed by the centering 41 is largely dimensioned to allow free vertical clearance of the lock around the metal wires 42 and 43. The belt 41 is secured to a fastening tab 44 provided with a notch 45 intended to come s' engage on a horizontal metal wire of the neighboring side wall. Thus, at rest, the connection lock 40 rests by gravity straddling the metal wire 42. This position corresponds to the engagement of the horizontal metal wire of the adjacent side wall in the notch 45.

When the connection lock 40 is operated, the operator raises this lock so that the metal wire 43 comes to be placed in the bottom of the loop formed by the belt 41. In this raised position, the lock 40 has its fixing lug 44 raised and the notch 45 is released from its introduction into the horizontal wire of the adjacent side wall. The connection between the side wall is no longer ensured and the container can be folded down.

The whole of the recommended construction is metallic and uses materials preferably treated against corrosion.

Other implementations of the present invention, within the reach of ordinary skill in the art, could also have been envisaged without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (10)

1. Mesh container (1) for the transport and storage of goods, which comprises a cage (2), formed by a bottom (3) and side walls (4, 5, 6 and 7), surmounted by the intermediate pads (9) and (10) for gripping by forklift, the side walls of the cage (2) being foldable for storing the container (1), characterized in that it has a modular structure formed of a base (11) on pads (9) and (10), the frame of which supports the bottom (3) removable from the cage (2), and which comprises articulation means for the side walls (4 ) and (6). 2. Mesh container according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (11) has projecting vertical arms (17, 18, 19 and 20) which form stops for the straight positioning of the side walls (4) and (6). 3. Mesh container according to claim 1, characterized in that the articulation means of the side walls (4) and (6) are common with those used for fixing the bottom (3) of the cage (2) on the '' base (11). 4. Mesh container according to claim 3, characterized in that the means are in the form of projecting vertical arms (17, 18, 19 and 20) provided with a recess (28) which cooperates with lugs (29) removable attachments which enclose the basic horizontal wire (27) of the side walls (4) in said recess and retain the peripheral wire (25) upper edges of the bottom (3) of the cage (2). 5. Mesh container according to claim 1, characterized in that the pads (9) and (10) have a concave profile facilitating the axial setting of the container (1) and internal tongues (31) intended to form the transverse setting of the container during stacking. 6. Mesh container according to claim 2, characterized in that the end of the vertical arms (17, 18, 19 and 20) is cut according to a profile complementary to the concave profile of the pads (9) and (10). 7. Mesh container according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (11) has crosspieces (14, 15 and 16) released so as to form a support and an axial setting of the bottom (3) of the cage (2). 8. Mesh container according to claim 1, characterized in that the side walls (4) and (6) have at their upper part a curved protruding wire (32) which forms a positioning stop during stacking. 9. Mesh container according to claim 1, characterized in that the modular structure comprises articulations of side walls (5) and (7) on the bottom (3) of the cage (2) which are formed by a hinge (33 ) removably attached to the side wall (5) and (7) which comprises a curved flat (4) whose oblong orifice (35) contains the upper peripheral wire (39) of the bottom (3) of the cage (2 ). 10. Mesh container according to claim 1, characterized in that the modular structure comprises latches (40) connecting the side walls (4, 5, 6, and 7) together which are in the form of a belt (41) surrounding the two upper horizontal wires (42) and (43) of the side wall while enjoying freedom of vertical movement, said belt (41) being integral with an attachment tab (44) capable to come to engage by a notch (45) on a horizontal wire of the adjacent side wall.

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