EP0306783B1 - Plastic bottle crate for wine bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

In a crate, in particular a plastic bottle crate for wine bottles, having side walls and end walls (1, 2 or 3, 4 respectively) and a bottom or bottom grid (5), a structure (6) runs through the interior of the bottle crate, which structure, together with parts of the side walls and end walls (1, 2 and 3, 4 respectively), forms insertion compartments (10) for bottles (11) or similar containers. In this case, elements (26, 31, 32) are to be provided in the insertion compartments (10), on which elements each bottle (11) in each insertion compartment (10) rests with the bottle crate (R) lying on one side wall (1 or 2) with the longitudinal axis (F) of the bottle extending at an angle (v) to said side wall (1 or 2). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a bottle crate made of plastic, in particular for wine bottles according to the features of the preamble of claim 1 and as known from FR-A-1 522 091.

Plastic crates, which are easier to manufacture and have a longer service life, are being used to an increasing extent today for the transport of bottles. These plastic boxes are manufactured by injection molding between two molded parts, whereby a sufficient balance of the requirements for sufficient stability with the least possible use of materials is to be sought.

By using two molded parts, there are limits to the design options for additional molding or shaping on such a bottle crate.

These plastic crates are still used relatively little, especially in the wine trade, since the wine is usually transported and stored upright in these plastic crates, which is only sufficient for table wines or open wines that are intended for fast consumption. These bottles are usually closed with crown caps and reusable bottles.

Higher-class wines, on the other hand, are mainly bottled as disposable bottles and are closed with a natural cork cone. These wines are usually transported in boxes with 6 bottles, for example. The wines must be stored horizontally to keep the cones moist. For this reason, the boxes are usually opened by the consumer and the bottles are placed in the wine rack. After consumption, the bottles are either thrown away or sent for glass recycling.

Only a few of these disposable bottles are returned to the wine trade in special large containers and are sent to a second or multiple filling cycle. The return in these large containers leads to a lot of damage to the bottles, so that the reject rate is very high.

A maximum threshold has been reached today for glass recycling, at which the use and further processing of the old glass is becoming increasingly difficult. Glass recycling requires a multiple amount of energy in contrast to, for example, a washing process for a glass, which is reused. For economic and ecological reasons, it is therefore important to have as many glass bottles as possible. H. So also one-way bottles, undamaged and returned to the bottler. Only containers in which each glass is housed in a separate room are suitable for this. Do not touch the glass, otherwise damage, especially in the area of the mouth, will occur too often.

As indicated above, the plastic boxes with compartments used today are only suitable for wine bottles with a crown cap. In addition, they have the disadvantage that they are usually too large and the packaging unit with the content, which is expensive per se, is therefore altogether too expensive. Furthermore, the normal bottle crates are not suitable for horizontal storage, since they are designed only for vertical loading and are extremely deformed when subjected to horizontal loading. Nor can sensible, secure stacking be carried out. Furthermore, there is a risk with these bottle crates that the bottles slide forward out of the crate when stored horizontally, which is further promoted by the poor creep resistance of the plastic. The inner compartment of this plastic box bends over time, so that an originally horizontal position of the bottle also changes over time to a forward inclined position.

Another disadvantage is that today's wine harasses are not shaped according to the pallet mass, but according to the bottle mass. Therefore, they cannot be palletized on the edge. Automatic filling is also hardly possible.

Suggestions for solving these problems, as described for example in CH-PS 473 015 or DE-PS 30 14 239, have not proven successful, since the wing-like widenings resulting from the framework cause label damage on the one hand and the bending tendency of the framework during horizontal storage on the other hand does not can prevent.

The inventors have set themselves the goal of developing a box of the type mentioned above, which is also suitable for the transport and approximately horizontal storage of bottles and can be produced with little material.

The features of claim 1 serve to achieve this object.

This box is suitable for all bottles that should be stored horizontally. It also prevents the consumer from having to relocate the bottles, since the consumer can use this box to create a shelf in which, for example, wine can be stored reliably for years. Furthermore, the consumer is also encouraged to return the bottles to the store in the same container after the contents have been consumed, so that the bottles can be washed and refilled.

According to the invention, support benches are integrally formed on each side wall in the area of the storage compartments. These support benches cause the bottle axis of the bottles in the lower row to tilt backwards towards the side wall. If the bottle crate should only consist of a number of compartments, these support benches would suffice. Since they are molded onto both side walls, it does not matter whether the bottle crate is on one side or the other. The support benches should also be adapted to the outer contour of the bottles using molded troughs.

A bottle crate with recesses or support benches on the side walls is known from FR-A-1 522 091. With this bottle crate, too, it is ensured that all bottles in the bottle crate are inclined in such a way that the bottom end of each bottle is lower than the neck end when the bottle crate is placed on one of the side walls. However, this bottle crate has the disadvantage that it is less suitable for transporting the bottles, since the bottles can collide during transport and there is therefore a risk of damage. The support benches also have no molded troughs that support the bottles.

However, if a bottle crate is used in which several rows of adjustment compartments are provided, it is possible, for example, to achieve a similar inclination of the bottle axis of the bottles lying above, by means of corresponding support benches and intermediate walls. However, sufficient stability of the partition wall must be ensured here, so that a corresponding amount of material would have to be used. For this reason, profile lugs protruding from the end walls are used as supports for the bottles. Since they are designed as short hollow profile strips of a certain thickness, these profile lugs have sufficient inherent rigidity so that they are not deformed even when stored for a long time.

Compared to the profile lugs, further supports should also be provided, which also have sufficient inherent rigidity. Corresponding hollow profile columns are again suitable for this.

In places where for technical reasons neither profile lugs nor support benches nor hollow profile columns can be arranged, strips are formed on the compartment, which protrude into the compartments and are inclined at a certain angle to the longitudinal axis of the bottle crate. In this case, the adjustment compartments are partially open, so that material is saved without the stability of the storage system suffering.

In the preferred embodiment, the inventors have retained the usual transportation and storage of six wine bottles. In this configuration, for reasons of the shaping process and the stability, it has proven to be most advantageous if the four outer compartments are each provided with corresponding support benches on one side and corresponding profile lugs or hollow profile columns on the other side. These hollow profile columns are also suitable as support columns, whereby they are then spanned by a corresponding center handle. The two middle compartments, on the other hand, are open towards the center handle and are only equipped with the strips described above, which protrude into the clear width of the middle compartment.

In this way, there is a configuration of support elements which are provided mirror-symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the bottle crate, so that it does not matter which side wall the bottle crate is supported on. This configuration also allows the inclusion of many bottle shapes, such as Burgundy, Bordeaux or Wadtländer bottles.

The box can be carried comfortably thanks to the central handle, as it is ergonomically very well shaped.

If it should also prove necessary to increase the inclination of the bottle axis, it is advisable that corresponding depressions are formed in the lower area of the adjustment compartments or the side walls, in which the bottle bottom engages.

Overall, it can be said that this shape of the compartment ensures the internal stability of the bottle crate even when stored for a long time. However, the box must also have sufficient external stability. For this purpose, edge columns are provided in the corner areas, which consist of hollow profiles. Furthermore, the end walls are at least partially double-walled, the outer skin preferably being flat and smooth. This outer skin can therefore advantageously be used for applying lettering or advertising printing. So that this lettering or the advertising imprint is not damaged when handling the boxes, a bead should be provided on the upper and lower edge of the end wall, which prevents two adjacent outer skin surfaces of two boxes from rubbing against one another.

Furthermore, support columns are provided in the area of the side walls, which are also formed from hollow profiles. These support columns are preferably of triangular cross section, with a triangular tip protruding into the interior of the box and a compartment wall running from this triangular tip towards the support columns.

The support benches are located between the edge columns and the support columns or between two support columns. As a result, marginal columns and support columns are clamped together, which in turn increases stability. Among other things, it is also possible to design the side walls between the support pillars or the support pillars and the edge pillars as simple walls. However, in terms of shape, it can also be the case that the support benches only protrude into the adjustment compartment as relatively short projections between the columns. For this same reason, the corresponding troughs for the bottle bottom can then be omitted.

Since the inner wall of the box is flat except for the protruding support columns, this thinning of the wall means the formation of longitudinal troughs between corresponding projections, so that the side walls are formed like a castle crown when viewed from the outside. This training in turn enables the orderly shelf formation of horizontal bottle crates. In order to be able to take into account certain inaccuracies in fit, the flanks of the troughs are bevelled.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a trough is also assigned to each setting compartment, so that three troughs are arranged in the 6-row box divided into two rows. This allowed stacking, with the next lower box reaching about half way up the upper box. As a result, however, the balance of the upper box is considerably impaired and the flow of force between boxes stacked on top of one another also deteriorates. The next box with its edge columns presses against the side wall in the weakest area of the entire box. In order to prevent this and to create additional latching elements, it is provided that a rib is formed in the central depression and the corresponding adjacent support columns have corresponding slot-shaped indentations.

This arrangement prohibits the next higher box with its edge column from being placed on the rib, since this results in an inclined position. There is only the possibility that the rib comes to lie in one of the indentations, so that the next higher box only protrudes a little to the right or left over the lower box. This results in a much more favorable flow of force over the adjacent end walls or edge columns. In addition, the available space is better used.

Furthermore, the rib should have a height that is equal to or less than the depth of the trough. As a result, it does not represent an obstacle when palletizing a layer of bottle crates.

Furthermore, bottom ribs are formed on the floor grid, which allow stacking in accordance with the standards. This means that the bottom ribs are arranged symmetrically both in the longitudinal and in the transverse axis of the bottle crate and allow palletization offset by 1/3 or 2/3 in the longitudinal direction and by 1/2 in the transverse direction. Furthermore, the boxes have external dimensions according to the Swiss standard (198 x 298 mm), whereby they can be stacked with all the harasses on the market, since their base rib dimensions also correspond to the Swiss standard (172 x 271 mm).

Both the edge pillars as well as the support pillars and also the profile lugs and support pillars are each beveled towards the corresponding adjustment compartment, which facilitates the insertion of the bottles, particularly in automatically operating systems.

In a further embodiment of the invention, support columns and edge columns as well as support columns begin a little below the upper edge of the bottle crate, which makes it possible to apply a corresponding lid to the bottle crate, which is provided, for example, with latching lugs that can latch into the bottle crate in corresponding recesses .

It remains to be mentioned that the support benches, the slats and the profile lugs or support columns can be manufactured in terms of their shape so that no burrs or the like cause damage to the labels of the bottles, for example when they are pulled out of the storage compartments. Overall, the invention creates a normal bottle crate that can be filled and handled industrially, but can be stacked by the consumer and used to form shelves.

Fig. 1

eine Seitenansicht eines erfindungsgemässen Flaschenkastens, wobei die linke Hälfte entlang der Linie I-I in Fig. 2 geschnitten ist;

Fig. 2

eine Bodenansicht des erfindungsgemässen Flaschenkastens nach Fig. 1, wobei die linke Hälfte entlang Linie II-II in Fig. 1 geschnitten ist;

Fig. 3

eine Stirnansicht des erfindungsgemässen Flaschenkastens gemäss Fig. 1 und 2, wobei die linke Hälfte entlang Linie III-III in Fig. 2 geschnitten ist;

Fig. 4

einen teilweise dargestellten Querschnitt entlang Linie IV-IV in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5

eine schematische Darstellung einer Anzahl von erfindungsgemässen Flaschenkästen, welche zu einem Regal aufgestellt sind;

Fig. 6

ein Palettierschema für die erfindungsgemässen Flaschenkästen.

Further advantages and details of the invention emerge from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawing; this shows in

Fig. 1

a side view of a bottle crate according to the invention, the left half being cut along the line II in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2

a bottom view of the bottle crate according to the invention according to Figure 1, wherein the left half is cut along line II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3

an end view of the bottle crate according to the invention according to Figures 1 and 2, the left half being cut along line III-III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4

a partially shown cross section along line IV-IV in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5

is a schematic representation of a number of bottle crates according to the invention, which are set up to a shelf;

Fig. 6

a palletizing scheme for the bottle crates according to the invention.

1 and 2, a bottle crate R according to the invention has side walls 1 and 2, end walls 3 and 4 and a floor grid 5. The interior I of the bottle crate R is traversed by a compartment 6, which together with the side walls 1 and 2, the end walls 3 and 4 and support columns 7 and 8 for a center handle 9 forms six compartments 10 for bottles 11, a bottle 11 in FIG 2 and 3 is only indicated in two layers along their outer contours.

A part of FIG. 2, bottom left, shows a top view of the bottle crate R. It can be seen that the upper edge 12 runs around the bottle crate R with different widths. In the region of the end walls 3 and 4, this edge 12 has a constant width b which extends over the entire length of the end wall. In contrast, it thins in the region of the side walls 1 and 2 between sections 35 with the width b to sections 13 with the width b 1. In the area of these sections 13 with the width b₁, the side walls 1 and 2 are formed as a full profile. On the other hand, in the region of the sections with the width b, they consist of hollow profiles, these hollow profiles 14 extending as triangular support columns into the interior I of the bottle crate R.

The edge regions between side walls 1 and 2 and end walls 3 and 4 are also formed as edge columns 15 via hollow profiles. Both edge pillars 15 and support pillars 14, however, only start from a predetermined distance e or e 1 from the upper edge 12 and are bevelled in the upper region towards the interior of the container container or towards the bottom grille 5.

These bevels 16 and 17 favor the setting of bottles 11. Technical support holes are identified by the reference numbers 18 and 19, respectively. Furthermore, the inner wall 20 has an additional undercut 21 in the area between the edge column 15 and the next support column 14 opposite the upper edge 12, in the area of which corresponding box openings 22 can also be provided.

1 that the end walls 3 and 4 are double-walled from the floor up to a handle opening 23, i. that is, an inner skin 25 is provided approximately parallel to an outer skin 24. A hollow profile nose 26 then extends trapezoidally along the longitudinal center A of the bottle crate R parallel to the side walls and is partially designed as a beveled roof 27. A specialist strip 28 connects to this profile lug 26 and connects the profile lug 26 to the support column 7 or 8. This support column 7 or 8 is also designed as a hollow profile and provided with a sloping roof 29.

The two opposite support columns 7 and 8 are connected by the central handle 9, which preferably dips into the interior I of the bottle crate R and does not protrude beyond the edge collar 12.

A compartment wall 29 leads from each support column 7 or 8 on both sides in the direction of the support columns 14. In this way, the closed adjustment compartments 10 are formed, namely by parts of the support column 14, the section 13, the edge column 15, the inner skin 25, the Profile nose 26, the compartment strip 28, the support column 7 or 8 and the compartment wall 29.

Each middle compartment 10m, on the other hand, is delimited by a compartment wall 29, parts of a support column 14, a section 13 of the side wall 1 or 2, a part of a further support column 14 and a further compartment wall 29, these middle compartments 10m being open towards the center handle 9 . Here, however, strips 31 protrude near the central handle 9 into the clear width of each central compartment 10m from each compartment wall 29, which are arranged inclined at a certain angle w to the longitudinal center A of the bottle case R parallel to the side walls (see FIG. 3). Namely, each bar 31 extends in a plan view of the bottle crate R inclined toward the longitudinal center A, so that the distance c between two bars 31 arranged in mirror image around the longitudinal center A at the bottom of the bottle crate R is less than the distance c 1 at the end of each bar 31, which is located approximately in the middle of the clear width of the entire bottle crate R. This oblique inclination of the strips 31 causes the bottle 11 set in the middle compartment 10m to fall backwards, i.e. that is, that the longitudinal axis F of the bottle, when the bottle crate R lies on a side wall 1, is inclined at an angle v to the plane of this side wall 1 (see FIG. 3). This prevents a bottle lying on this side wall 1 from sliding out of the bottle in the middle upper compartment 10m from the interior I of the bottle case R, regardless of whether the bottle case R is on the side wall 1 or the side wall 2, since both middle compartments 10m have corresponding strips 31.

A similar effect is brought about in the remaining adjustment compartments 10, but also in the lower middle adjustment compartment 30, in that corresponding strip-shaped support benches 32, which have depressions 33, are provided in the area between the respective support pillars 14 or the support pillars 14 and the edge pillars 15 whose dimensions are adapted to the rounding of the bottle.

In order to reinforce the inclination of the longitudinal axis F of the bottle in the direction of the lying plane of the side wall 1 or 2, the side wall 1 or 2 can additionally have a recess 34 formed in the lower compartment (see FIG. 3).

Correspondingly, the possibility of tipping the bottles 11 backwards is opened for the two upper adjustment compartments 10, left and right of the upper middle adjustment compartment 10m, in that the profile nose 26 has only a small thickness S, so that the bottle bottom rests on the lower compartment strip 28 at the back.

Since all the compartments are mirror images of the longitudinal axis A, it does not matter whether the bottle crate R is on one side wall 1 or the other side wall 2, as will be explained later when the shelves are formed by these bottle crates R according to the invention.

Each side wall 1 or 2 consists, as mentioned above, of a successive series of recessed sections 13 and projecting sections 35 in the region of the support columns 14. As a result, the longitudinal wall 1 or 2 is configured like a crown, with the flanks 36 between the individual recessed sections 13 and the protruding portions 35 are bevelled. Each side wall 1 or 2 thus has a series of successive depressions 37 and projections 38, a rib 39 being arranged in the central depression 37 in the present exemplary embodiment, while both lateral support columns 14 have slot-shaped indentations 40. The height h of the rib 39 corresponds approximately to the depth t of the trough 37.

This arrangement has the effect that the bottle crates R according to the invention can be stacked to form shelves, as is shown, for example, in FIG. 5. Rib 39 and indentation 40 act as locking members. In the case of a 6-pack, the side walls 1 and 2 of each bottle crate R each have three depressions 37 and two projections 38, the respective outer depressions 37 being formed by the corner regions 40 of the bottle crates R which are also designed as projections. Preferably, only the central recess 37m should have a rib 39. When stacking, this has the advantage that there are only two options for fitting a subsequent bottle crate R, the rib 39 being able to slide into either the left or right recess 40. Thus, the bottle crate R is only a slight amount n above the underlying bottle crate R, so that it does not get out of balance.

The beveled flanks 36 also have the advantage that simple sliding into one another and safe stacking of shelves is possible. This applies in particular to the mixed stacking of old and new and thus somewhat differently dimensioned boxes.

On the other hand, since the ribs 39 do not protrude beyond the depth t of the troughs 37, they in no way hinder palletizing, since the entire side wall 1 or 2 forms a flat side wall surface.

The bottom grid 5 is partially covered with bottom ribs 42, which are arranged so that the bottle crates R can also be stacked offset.

Such a palletizing scheme, which is ensured by this arrangement of the bottom ribs 42, is shown in FIG. 6. There it can be seen that, for example, a lower row of bottle crates R (indicated by dashed lines) is formed from a middle row of bottle crates R and two outer rows. The middle row runs with its longitudinal centers A parallel to the side walls along the pallet axis P, while the longitudinal centers A of the two outer rows of bottle crates are arranged perpendicular to this pallet axis P. A layer of bottle crates R stacked thereon is provided with its longitudinal axes along the pallet axis P or parallel to it. In this way there are 16 bottle crates in each layer.

With regard to the end walls 3 and 4, it is provided that these are provided with a smooth outer skin 24 apart from a possible handle opening 23 or a handle part 43 which is correspondingly shaped below the upper edge 12. This enables advertising to be printed over the entire area. To protect this advertising print, it is further provided that the upper edge 12 with a bead 44 and the lower edge with a bead 45 protrude along the end walls 3 and 4, respectively.

4, a cover 46 is indicated by dashed lines, which dips into the interior of the box R and thus does not hinder palletizing. In the area of the middle handle 9 it is cut out so that carrying is not hindered and the bottles are still fixed. It is preferably fixed in corresponding recesses or, for example, box openings 22 by means of latching noses (not shown in more detail).

Claims (21)

1. Bottle crate made from plastic, in particular for wine bottles, having side and end walls and a base or base grid and a partition running through the interior of the bottle crate, which partition, together with parts of the side walls (1, 2) or parts of the end walls (3, 4), forms place-in compartments (10) for bottles or similar containers, having elements which support the bottles in their middle region and which, when the bottle crate is mounted horizontally on any chosen side wall (1, 2), bring about a tilting of all bottles in the bottle crate such that the centre of the base end of each bottle lies deeper than the centre of the neck end, part of the elements being configured as bearing shelves (32) formed on in the middle region of the side walls (1, 2), characterized in that the elements are configured, in the place-in compartments bordering the end walls (3, 4), as profiled bosses (26) formed on in the middle region of the end walls and, in the place-in compartments not bordering the end walls (3, 4), as bars (31) fitted in the lower compartment region such that they run essentially in the direction of the bottles.
2. Crate according to Claim 1, characterized in that the bearing shelves (32) exhibit cavities (33) which correspond, at least partially, to the contours of the bottles.
3. Crate according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the profiled bosses (26) protrude inwardly from the end walls (3, 4) and form bearing supports for the bottles (11).
4. Crate according to Claim 3, characterized in that the profiled bosses (26) exhibit a downwardly, inwardly bevelled roof (27).
5. Crate according to Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the profiled bosses (26) are connected to further bearing supports (7, 8) by compartmental strips (28) which, along the longitudinal centreline (A) parallel to the side walls, jut out into the interior of the bottle crate.
6. Crate according to Claim 5, characterized in that the further bearing supports are configured as supporting columns (7, 8), spanned by a middle handle (9).
7. Crate according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the bars (31) jut out into the place-in compartments (10) and run inclined at an angle (w) to the longitudinal centreline (A), running parallel to the side walls (1, 2), of the bottle crate (R).
8. Crate according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the side walls (1, 2) possess cavities (34) in the lower region of the place-in compartments.
9. Crate according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that in the corner regions there are provided marginal columns (15), comprising hollow profiles.
10. Crate according to Claim 9, characterized in that the marginal columns (15) exhibit, at their upper ends, inwardly and downwardly inclined bevels (16).
11. Crate according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the end walls (3, 4) are of at least partially double-walled configuration and the outer skin (24) is flat and smooth.
12. Crate according to Claim 11, characterized in that in the region of the end wall (3, 4) there is respectively provided an upper and a lower, outwardly projecting bulge (44, 45).
13. Crate according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that in the region of the side walls (1, 2) there are provided supporting columns (14) which are formed from hollow profiles.
14. Crate according to Claim 13, characterized in that the supporting columns (14) are of triangular configuration in cross-section.
15. Crate according to Claim 13 or 14, characterized in that mutually successive cavities (37) and projections (38) are present on the outer faces of the side walls (1, 2), the cavities (37) being configured as vertical channels between projecting wall segments.
16. Crate according to Claim 15, characterized in that the projections (38) are situated in the region of the supporting columns (14).
17. Crate according to Claim 15 or 16, characterized in that in at least one cavity (37) there is configured a rib (39) and in at least one projection (38) there is configured an indentation (40), which together form interacting latching mechanisms.
18. Crate according to Claim 17, characterized in that the height (h) of the rib (39) is equal to or less than the depth (t) of the cavity (37).
19. Crate according to one of Claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the side walls (1, 2) are configured in the region of the cavities (37) as a single-wall.
20. Crate according to one of Claims 15 to 19, characterized in that the flanks (36) of the cavities (37) are bevelled such that they open outwards.
21. Crate according to one of Claims 1 to 20, characterized in that base ribs (42) are formed onto the base grid (5) in such a way that the crates can be stacked in an offset arrangement.

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