EP0512289A1 - Plastic bottle crate with support elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A plastic bottle crate is described which has a plurality of compartments for receiving cylindrical bottles (2) and is provided with compartment walls forming compartments for receiving the bottles. Provided on the compartment walls (1) are centring members (11, 21) which are arranged diametrically opposite one another, constrict the compartment, and serve for supporting and retaining the bottles. The centring members are attached to the bottom (7) and extend only up to the lower edge of the bottle labels such that the latter cannot be damaged. According to the invention, the centring members are in the shape of planks or cones (11, 21) which are open towards the bottom, have a semicircular or elliptical cross-section and are moulded onto the compartment walls (1). They each serve as centring members for two adjacent compartments. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a plastic bottle crate according to the preamble of claim 1.

Bottle crates are automatically loaded in bottling plants and breweries, i.e. the bottles are inserted as a whole bundle with gripping elements in their compartments in the box. Empty bottles are automatically removed in the same way. With regard to automatic loading, it is necessary for the bottles to have a certain freedom of movement in their compartments, which is also necessary because the diameter of the bottles and also their roundness can fluctuate within an approved tolerance range. The freedom of movement leads to the bottles hitting the boundary walls during transport on, for example, trucks. This creates unnecessary noise, and the bottles in the stop area also wear out, causing unsightly damage. Bottle labels are particularly at risk here.

It is known to ensure the position of the set crates in bottle crates. For example, according to DE-OS 37 28 291, so-called braking and holding means in the form of elastic webs are arranged in the corner area of the compartments, which, after the bottles have been completely pressed in, clamp and hold them on the floor.

For the same purpose it is also known (DE-OS 34 10 435) to attach support members in the form of resilient tongues to the upper edge of the truss walls.

Although the known flat holders are able to limit or prevent the movement of the bottles in their compartments, improvements are desired both with regard to the bottle holder and with regard to possible damage to the holders even when the bottles are inserted. The invention is accordingly based on the object of providing improved support for the bottles in their compartments and at the same time improving the durability of the support members. The solution to the problem is specified in claim 1.

Developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. It can be provided that a cone is arranged approximately in the middle of the compartment wall. According to another recommendation, a pair of cones can also be formed on the partition walls. It is sufficient for the cones to be arranged only on the compartment walls running in the longitudinal direction of the box or only on the transverse walls of the box. Even then, because of the arrangement of the cones in pairs, the bottles are reliably prevented from moving in both mutually perpendicular directions.

To improve the suspension effect it can be provided that the cones each have at least one longitudinal slot in the region of the compartments, which ends in front of the cone tip. In order to achieve the same spring action in the respective neighboring compartments, the cones in the area of the two neighboring compartments each have a longitudinal slot.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawing.

Fig. 1

die Aufsicht eines nur zur Hälfte dargestellten Flaschenkastens als Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig. 2

eine geschnittene Seitenansicht des Kastens nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

eine vergrößerte Teilansicht mit einem Zentrierkegel;

Fig. 4

eine Schnittansicht des Zentrierkegels nach Fig. 3;

Fig. 5

eine Aufsicht des Zentrierkegels nach Fig. 3 und 4;

Fig. 6

die Teilaufsicht eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels der Erfindung und

Fig. 7

eine geschnittene Seitenansicht des Ausführungsbeispiels nach Fig. 6.

Show it:

Fig. 1

the supervision of a bottle case shown only half as an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2

a sectional side view of the box of FIG. 1;

Fig. 3

an enlarged partial view with a centering cone;

Fig. 4

a sectional view of the centering cone of FIG. 3;

Fig. 5

a top view of the centering cone of FIGS. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6

the partial supervision of a further embodiment of the invention and

Fig. 7

6 shows a sectional side view of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6.

The bottle crate made of plastic shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is divided into compartments for the only indicated bottles 2 in the usual manner by inner compartment walls 1 running in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the crate. The compartment walls 1 intersect at intersection points 3 and adjoin the box outer walls 4, which are shown in section in the right part of FIG. 1. In the box corners are in the usual way to stiffen the box diende, hollow corner pillars 5. The box bottom is also formed in a known manner by a circumferential stack edge 6 and ribs 7. Cutouts 8 of the stacking edge 6 also enable staggered stacking of boxes. In the area of the intersections 3, the compartment walls 1 have cutouts 9 reaching from the floor upwards, which serve in a known manner to save weight and improve cleaning possibilities.

To clamp the bottles, the compartment walls 1 running in the longitudinal direction of the box have centering or clamping members in the lower region in the form of hollow cones 10 which are open to the floor, only one cone being provided in the edge region and pairs of cones each in the region of central compartments. The cones 10 each protrude into adjacent compartments and hold the bottles 2 set there in the region of their base.

As is indicated in FIG. 2 by a dashed circle 11, FIG. 3 shows such a cone 10 in more detail. In order to improve and adjust the suspension properties when the cone walls are pressed together by the bottles, the cones 10 each have longitudinal slots 12 extending from the bottom in the region of each compartment. 5 shows more precisely that a longitudinal section 12 is present in the area of each compartment.

In the sectional view according to FIG. 4, the section is made such that it runs through a slot in the left part and outside of a slot in the right part. In Fig. 5 it can also be seen that the cone 10 is formed in the compartment wall 1 and is integrally formed with it.

When the bottles 2 are inserted, the rounded bottom of the bottle slides down from the rounded tip of the cones 10 protruding into the compartment to the cylindrical part of the cones 10. The walls of the cones 10 become resilient and with the narrowing of the column 12 in the direction of the compartment wall 1 pushed and hold the bottles 2 securely. A single cone 10 is sufficient in the corner compartments because the bottle 2 is held on the side opposite the cone by the rounded inner wall of the corner column 5. In the compartment arranged between the two corner compartments, the bottle is held by two cones 10 in cooperation with the outer wall. There are four cones or cone halves in each of the inner compartments that define bottle 2.

6 and 7 show a further embodiment. According to the view in FIG. 6 and the sectional view in FIG. 7, compartment walls 1, which in the area of their intersections 3 have cutouts on the bottom, form compartments for the bottles 2. Cones 21 are formed in the center in the lower part of the compartment walls 1, which, as shown in FIG. 6, deform resiliently inwards when a bottle is adjusted. The cones 21 have an elliptical cross section, and their wall thickness is such that the desired clamping force with not too high insertion resistance results. Here, too, the cones 21 are molded into the compartment walls 1 and formed in one piece with them.

Claims (6)

Plastic bottle crate with several compartments for receiving essentially cylindrical bottles (2), with a truss forming the compartments and with centering elements (11, 21) arranged diametrically to one another on the compartment walls (1), which narrow the compartment and facilitate insertion , Supporting and holding the bottles (2) and connected to the compartment floor (7) and extending to the lower edge of the label without damaging the labels,
characterized,
that the centering elements in the form of hollow, open to the bottom cones (11, 21) with a semicircular or elliptical cross-section are formed on the compartment walls (1) and each serve as centering elements for two adjacent subjects. Bottle crate made of plastic according to claim 1,
characterized,
that a cone (21) is arranged approximately centrally on the compartment wall (1) (Fig. 6, 7). Bottle crate made of plastic according to claim 1,
characterized,
that a pair of cones (11) is formed on the compartment walls (1) (Fig. 1 to 5). Plastic bottle crate according to claim 3,
characterized,
that the cones (11) are arranged only on the longitudinal walls of the box or only on the transverse walls of the box (1). Bottle crate made of plastic according to claims 1-4,
characterized,
that the cone (11) in the area of the compartments at least have a longitudinal slot (12) which ends in front of the cone tip. Plastic bottle crate according to claim 5,
characterized,
that the cones (11) each have a longitudinal slot (12) in the area of the adjacent compartments.

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