EP0513786B1 - Device for the transport and the presentation of merchandise packages, particularly packages stacked in blocks - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for the transport and installation of single and multiple packs of goods stacked in particular in a block on a carrier, such as a pallet or the like. According to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Such a device is known from DE-C1 35 105. US-A-1 491 801 discloses a light, variable-length frame, which is intended for receiving or for putting on fabrics such as mosquito nets. Apart from its variability in length, this frame can be folded in as far as the individual rods of the cross rods are pivotally assigned to one another in the center and reach through an expansion limiting bracket with which the frame is held in the opened use position. Racks according to DE-A-820 996 and EP-A-0 120 065 are also intended for light loads.

Especially for the supply of supermarkets, it is common today to deliver and set up goods in individual packs combined in a block, whereby the delivery usually takes place in large cardboard boxes of approx. 1 m ³ capacity, which in turn load, unload and stand on pallets, usually remaining on the pallets to be placed in the market. The cardboard boxes are partially designed so that they do not have to be completely removed for presentation and access to the goods. In any case, considering the usually extensive range of goods and the sales in the supermarkets, there are enormous amounts of cardboard waste that have to be disposed of in any way, quite apart from the fact that these cardboard boxes are intended for single use and by the goods producer for each Delivery must be purchased again. In addition, there is often a wish among supermarket operators to set up blocks of goods of the type mentioned in a way that is more visible and accessible, that is, for which, as a rule, unless other aids are available, several pallets that are no longer required are often stacked on top of one another. Because of of the loads to be picked up, the cardboard boxes that are no longer required and often damaged can generally no longer be used.

Racks of the type mentioned above are not suitable for such transport, loading and erection problems. Apart from the fact that these frames are only intended for light loads, the frame according to US-A-1 491 801 can only be used in the open-closed position. The frame according to DE-A-820 996 merely represents a kind of "silent servant" and does not enclose any space in which something could be accommodated, and in the frame according to EP-A 0 120 065 the interior enclosed by the frame is made of diagonal bars penetrated.

The invention is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a reusable device that is suitable both for transport and for the base installation of in particular stacked goods in individual packs, in connection with the proviso that such a device adaptable to different goods block sizes should be.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a device which is designed in accordance with the features cited in the characterizing part of claim 1. Advantageous further developments result from the subclaims.

The production costs for such a device, with which different volumes can be enclosed according to width and height, are not comparable with the production costs for a one-way cardboard box, but the higher production costs are quickly amortized because the device can be used again and again and subsequent costs for disposal do not apply, quite apart from the fact that such a reusable device is no longer an environmental burden. Due to the adjustability of the device, it can easily be made available to various goods suppliers and thus also thought of renting a device, which is then associated with a high degree of utilization of such devices.

The length of the individual rods can be adjusted, for example, by designing them in the form of telescopic tubes, which generally only have to be constructed in two parts in view of the common dimensions of the blocks of goods, with suitable fixing or Locking elements are available. The adjustability of the individual rods in their longitudinal extent can also be achieved in another way, which will be explained in more detail.

With regard to the angular adjustment of the individual rods forming the cross rods to one another, an advantageous embodiment consists, for example, in that the intersection center is formed from two disks, on each of which a pair of the individual rods are fixedly arranged radially in diameter. Since these disks can be rotated relative to one another, the cross linkage can be adjusted in scissors-like fashion on both sides with respect to the intersection center. In a middle position to each other (all four angles of the rods to each other (all four angles of the rods to each other are 90 °), the two crossing rods, for example the area of a square, take up a position. When the rods turn around the center the cross-ply surfaces of rectangles.

In order to keep the manufacturing outlay for the formation of the crossing center as low as possible, these can be formed, for example, in the form of shells which are rotatably seated on a guide sleeve, which will be explained in more detail next. Since the shells are essentially identical in shape, they can be shaped with a multiple deep-drawing process using the same molding tool, it being possible without further ado to provide the contact surfaces of the disks or the shells with radially oriented latching shapes which ensure that the shells cannot adjust under load.

Appropriately, the connectors for the two cross rods are also variable in length and fixable, for example, on the same principle as the individual rods, so that also in this respect the device can be adapted to certain block sizes.

The device according to the invention, advantageous developments and practical embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing of exemplary embodiments.

Fig. 1

ein Kreuzgestänge in Ansicht;

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt durch eine mögliche und bevorzugte Ausführungsform des Kreuzungszentrums;

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht auf das Kreuzungszentrum gemäß Fig. 2;

Fig. 4

eine Ausführungsform einer Einzelstange;

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt durch das Kreuzungszentrum längs Linie V-V in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6

in Ansicht und teilweise im Schnitt längs Linie VI-VI in Fig. 1 die Zusammenstellung zweier Kreuzungsgestelle zur Verwendung als Blocksockel;

Fig. 7

perspektivisch die Vorrichtung zur Verwendung als Blocktransportgestell;

Fig. 8

ebenfalls perspektivisch die Vorrichtung in Verwendung als Sockel für einen aufgesetzten Warenblock;

Fig.9,10

weitere konstruktive Ausführungsformen der Kreuzgestänge und

Fig. 11

eine besondere Ausführungsform der Verbinder als Verwahr- und Transportbehälter für die Vorrichtung.

It shows schematically

Fig. 1

a cross rod in view;

Fig. 2

a section through a possible and preferred embodiment of the crossing center;

Fig. 3

a plan view of the intersection center of FIG. 2;

Fig. 4

an embodiment of a single rod;

Fig. 5

a section through the intersection along line VV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6

in view and partly in section along line VI-VI in Figure 1, the compilation of two crossing frames for use as a block base.

Fig. 7

in perspective the device for use as a block transport frame;

Fig. 8

also in perspective the device in use as a base for an attached block of goods;

Fig. 9,10

further constructive embodiments of the cross rods and

Fig. 11

a special embodiment of the connector as a storage and transport container for the device.

As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 1 to 4, the device is formed from at least one pair of cross rods 1 (only one cross rod is shown in FIG. 1!), The individual rods 2, 3 of which are variable in length and rotatable relative to one another about the intersection center Z. Each individual rod 2, 3 is formed from two parts which are radially aligned with each other at the intersection center Z in the diameter direction of the intersection center in the longitudinal direction. The two parts of the individual rods 2, 3 are, as illustrated in FIG. 4, telescopic, whereby it is sufficient to form these individual rod parts in two parts, as mentioned, with regard to the common dimensions of product blocks. For the purpose of fixing differently set lengths L, the two pipe parts, as shown, and in the simplest embodiment can be perforated accordingly, so that fixing with pins or the like of the two pipe parts to one another is possible in the simplest way. Other embodiments of fixing elements are also possible, for example in the form of spring-loaded, resettable cams, tooth slots or the like which can be engaged in corresponding holes in the other tube. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, the connecting elements 4 are for connectors 5 (see FIG. 7 , 8), for example, designed as insertion eyes 13, which can be produced in the simplest manner, for example, by attaching the pipe end. The connecting element 4 can, however, as will be explained later, simply be formed by the open tube end.

With regard to the intersection center Z, reference is made to FIGS. 2, 3, which represent a particularly simple, expedient, easy to manufacture and safe embodiment. After this, the intersection center Z is formed from two disks 6, 6 'on which a pair of the individual rods 2 and 3 are fixedly arranged radially in diameter, the disks 6, 6 'being in the form of shells 6'', as shown, and being associated with one another. These two shells 6 ″ are rotatably seated on a guide sleeve 7. One disc 6 is provided with at least one arch slot 8 and the other disc 6 ′ is provided with a pin 10 with a screw 9 through the slot 8. As a result, one disk can be adjusted by an angle α with respect to the other 10 depending on the length of the arch slot. After setting the desired crossing position of the rod 2, 3 to each other, the clamping screw 9 is tightened. In order to additionally secure this position and to be able to do justice to all load cases, the contact surfaces 11 of the disks 6, 6 'are provided with radially oriented locking shapes 12 (FIGS. 3, 5).

Since the cross rods, as can be seen in Fig. 7, are as flat as possible, i.e. with their two individual rods 2, 3 should rest against the goods block WB, an advantageous embodiment consists in that the individual rods 3 of the distant disc 6 'with the greater part of their length L extend in the same plane E as the individual rods 2 of the disc 6 on the system side (see Fig. 2, 6). With this enclosing function, the connector 5 'arranged between the two intersection centers Z is naturally omitted, which, for reasons of stability, may only be arranged if the device is to serve as a base for a goods block WB (FIG. 8). Such a connector 5 ', like the other connectors 5 to be connected to the ends of the rods 2, 3, is designed to be correspondingly variable in length.

A design of the connector 5 is also possible in the sense of FIG. 6, the representation of which speaks for itself and requires no further explanation.

An advantageous further development consists in that at least at the ends of the individual rods 2, 3 and / or the connector 5 suspension eyes or openings 13 are arranged. This makes it possible to have 13 further cross connections in these openings connect or anchor advertising surface coverings in it.

In order to ensure that no individual packs or other packaging units can fall out of the goods block WB enclosed by the device, for example during transport movements, an advantageous further development consists in the fact that in sectors S between the individual bars 2, 3 and / or the areas B between two Connectors 5 elastic strands 14, which can optionally also be network-shaped, are arranged tensioned (Fig. 7).

In particular for transport operations, the connectors 5 or a part of the connectors can be designed in the form of a bottom or top shell 15, as is also indicated in FIG. 7. The ends of the individual rods 2, 3 are then inserted into the corner regions 16, which further increases the stability of the device. In such a bottom and / or top shell 15, connection elements for the relevant ends of the rods 2, 3 can also be provided with a certain position grid spacing, so that different crossing positions of the device can also be taken into account in this regard. In addition, it is expedient and advantageous to design the bottom and top shells 15 so that, when folded, they form a flat housing in which all the individual parts belonging to the device can be accommodated.

With a corresponding design of the connection elements 4, it would also be possible to fill the free areas F (FIG. 8) between the two cross rods 1 with corresponding cross rods.

Other possible embodiments of the cross rod are illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, the two-part individual rods 2, 3 being assigned tangentially to the intersection center Z and the rods being adjustable in their direction of extension, which can be effected, for example, by means of a central pinion 17 in the engage correspondingly toothed sections of rods 2, 3. To fix the rod position only the pinion 17 has to be fixed are, while to fix the angular position of the rods 2, 3 according to FIG. 10, guide shells 19 are to be fixed in a suitable manner.

Claims (8)

1. An arrangement for transporting and setting up single and multiple packings of merchandise stacked, in particular, in blocks on a carrier, such as a pallet or the like, comprising a pair of cross-linkages (1), with the individual rods (2,3) movable with respect to one another between maximum expanding and fold-up positions being interconnected through connectors (5), characterized in that the individual rods (2,3) of the two cross-linkages (1) relative to the crossing center (Z), in addition, inherently are adjustable in length and are mutually rotatable about the crossing center (Z) in varying positions both relative to the length (L) thereof and relative to their position between maximum expanding and fold-up conditions in a manner lockable relative to one another, and that all free ends of the individual rods (2,3) contain connecting elements (4) to which connectors (5) are attached.
2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the crossing center (Z) is formed of two plates (6,6') on which are firmly arranged respectively radially, in the diameter extension, a pair of the individual rods (2 and 3, respectively), and
   that the plates (6,6') are designed in the form of cups (6'') arranged rotatably on a guiding sleeve (7), with the individual rods (3) of the non-abutting plate with the major part of the length (L) thereof extending in the same plane (E) as the individual rods (2) of the abutting plate (6), and that one of said plates (6) is provided with at least one arcuate slit (8) and the other of said plates (6') is provided with a pin (10) passing through the slit (8) and having a locking screw (9).
3. An arrangement according to claim 1,
   characterized in that the individual rods (2,3) are tangentially associated to the crossing center (Z) and are adjustable relative thereto.
4. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that an actuator, such as a pinion or worm gear or the like is arranged in the crossing center (Z) tangentially engaging the correspondingly meshing rods (2,3).
5. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the connecting elements (4) are formed on the ends of the individual rods (2,3) and/or the connectors (5) are configured in the form of hook-on ears or hook-on openings (13).
6. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that clamped within the sections (S) between the individual rods (2,3) and/or the areas (B) between respectively two connectors (5) are flexible cables (14).
7. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
   characterized in that the connectors (5) or a part thereof are designed in the form of bottom or cover cups (15), with the individual rods (2,3) being inserted into the corner areas (16) thereof.
8. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the connectors (5) formed as cups are designed in the form of a storage or transport container for the individual parts of the arrangement.

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