EP0614825B1 - Courier delivery container for mixed loads, e.g. for parcels and/or suspended clothing - Google Patents

Abstract

Delivery (transportation) container comprising a frame (10) on legs (18) with four corner brackets (12) forming uprights on which are fastened a baseplate (14) and a top plate (16), characterised in that it comprises two closed faces (22) each including a lateral plate (24) equipped with housings (52) provided in order to receive the ends of removable support bars (30), linking means (58) being provided between the support bars and the plates. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a container of mixed container transport for messaging applicable to the transport of packages and / or clothing suspended.

Transport by courier consists of conveying packages from one point to another using vehicles and through relay storage and distribution warehouses.

It is therefore necessary to group different packages conveyed to the same destination and we understand that it is especially necessary to reduce handling.

Also, modern transport uses containers of standardized dimensions in order to be able be arranged in all types of vehicles, in variable number according to the capacities of this one.

For this purpose, the existing containers include a bottom, two full side faces held in upper part by crosspieces, the whole being mounted on feet to allow gripping using forklifts.

If such containers have presented an advantage and a certain progress, they remain applicable only packages or packaged products.

Another example of container is described in document EP-A-0.353.135

It turns out that new markets have emerged and especially the transport of clothes on hangers, directly from producer to trader.

For this purpose, vehicles are fitted with racks arranged on the inner side walls between which support bars are arranged on which are hung the hangers supporting clothes.

This method poses several immediate problems.

The first is that of grouping clothes, because very often these must be loaded in the vehicle at the manufacturer, then unloaded in a relay establishment, then recharged in another vehicle for the merchant.

It is indeed rare that the complete content of a truck goes from a manufacturer to a merchant.

Even if all the contents of a truck would be from the same manufacturer, and even if it is not necessary to go through a relay warehouse, it will nevertheless upon delivery pick up, for each trader, the different clothes there where they are which is causing problems at the time recovery on the hanging bars.

Another problem is that this kind of transport is perfectly seasonal depending on fashion and there are only two main periods, which prohibits, from an economic standpoint particular of certain vehicles, exclusively for this type of transport.

Another constraint imposed by clothing on hanger is that of the size of the clothes.

Indeed, depending on the sizes, the filling does not is not done in the same way and the layout of vehicles with large cross bars blocked in racks is not a good solution because the bars are very long and all the clothes arranged on this bar have often not the same size.

In addition, it seems difficult in a single vehicle plan clothes and packages simultaneously or just to mix the types of clothes.

It is also necessary to remember that clothing, from the manufacturer ready for sale, must be presented to the merchant in perfect condition and must in particular be free from any trace of handling or friction.

Most of the time the clothes are under plastic covers, but not necessarily and anyway you should not tear these plastic covers that are excessively fragile.

From an economic point of view also, the proposed solution is the cheapest possible account given the very significant competition that exists in the transport sector and more particularly messaging.

The present invention aims to provide a container mixed transport that can be used for packages and / or clothing, which is flexible depending on the size of the clothes, which protects the content, which can be stacked, which can be made to standards, avoiding almost any loss useful volume, including the additional cost compared to containers of known type are quickly depreciable, which allows the reduction of the number of handling, and which protects the content particularly well external shocks and damage.

To this end, a transport container according to the invention includes features as defined in claim 1.

This container also comprises blocking means bars across open faces, these means blocking being integral with the angles forming the amounts.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the bars have a length L equal to the distance separating the inner wings of two angles on the same side.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the side plates include oblong holes and are arranged at a distance l less than the length L of the bars.

These bars include pins protruding radially and arranged in such a way that the distance separating two pins from the same bar is greater than the length l .

The pins themselves have a length included between small and large hole diameters oblong.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the side plates are fixed to the angles by screws on an internal return at 90 ° folding with the wing of the angles, side closed side, so that these screws are the means of blocking of bars also maintained by a return inner 90 ° folded with the wing each angle, on the side of the open face.

According to another characteristic of the container according to the invention, the bottom plate, the opposite angles on either side of the side plates and these side plates form storage housings unused bars.

The container according to the invention also comprises at the upper part of each angle iron a plate fitted to receive the feet of a container identical when these are stacked.

Support for documents and information are also provided on the side plates.

• la figure 1 représente une vue en perspective du container selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 représente une vue côté ouvert du container selon l'invention,
• la figure 3 représente une vue côté fermé du container selon l'invention,
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe par un plan horizontal à mi-hauteur du container selon l'invention, et
• la figure 5 est une vue de détail du montage des barres entre les cornières transversalement à la face ouverte.

The invention is described below according to a particular embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the container according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 represents an open side view of the container according to the invention,
• FIG. 3 represents a closed side view of the container according to the invention,
• FIG. 4 is a sectional view through a horizontal plane at mid-height of the container according to the invention, and
• Figure 5 is a detailed view of the mounting of the bars between the angles transversely to the open face.

In Figure 1, the transport container according to the invention comprises a frame 10 comprising angles 12, a bottom plate 14 and a roof 16.

The assembly is mounted on feet 18 provided for rest on the ground. This container also includes two open faces 20 and two closed faces 22.

The closed faces each include a plate lateral 24, provided with housings 26, designed to receive the ends 28 of transverse bars 30.

This bar further comprises connecting means 32 which will be detailed later.

The different elements are now detailed in look at Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 to reveal the different parts making up this container and especially their arrangement.

Thus, the angles 12 include two wings 34 of the closed side and 36 on the open side.

These wings are extended respectively by returns interiors 38 and 40 respectively oriented inward, themselves followed by an extension 42 and 44 respectively, arranged at 90 ° relative to at the first returns 38 and 40.

In this embodiment, the distance d separating the end of the first internal return 40 of the open wing 36 from the end of the second return 42 of the closed wing 34 is substantially identical to the diameter of the bars.

Furthermore, on the first return 38 of wing 34 on the closed side, screws 46 are provided which ensure the connection of the plates 24 on the closed side 22 with these same angles.

The length of the screws 46 is such that the screw body extends at least until the right of the second return 44 of wing 36 on the open side.

In Figure 5, there is shown a bar 30 in transverse position relative to the open face 20 as will be explained later.

The bottom plate 14 is a metal plate of which mechanical resistance is expected to resume the efforts due to the load introduced into the container and it will be provided, in a known manner, with reinforcements adequate.

The feet 18 are also reported on this plate 14 as well as the angles in the corners of this plate.

The roof plate 16 is fixed on the four angles and it has plates in each corner reported 48, provided in folded sheet, heavy mechanical resistance.

In the central part of this roof plate, there a plywood type element 50 is provided which simply has the role of coming to close off the part roof plate center 16.

The side plates 24, better represented on the Figures 3 and 4 are made of metal and they include holes 52, regularly distributed over full height and full width of the plate.

In the central part, a rib 54 makes it possible to stiffen the entire plate while on the side edges, folding also allows for a reinforcing rib 56.

This rib also makes it possible to arrange the plane of this plate 24 set back towards the interior of the container so that the distance l from a plate 24 to the opposite plate 24 is less than the length L of a bar which corresponds substantially at the distance separating the inner faces of the wings 34 from the closed sides of the angles 12.

The holes 52 are oblong holes whose large diameter is oriented along the vertical.
each bar 30 comprises at its ends pins 58, projecting radially with respect to the bar and arranged at the ends thereof so that the distance separating two pins 58 from the same bar is between the distance l separating two plates 24 provided with holes and L the length of the bar.

In Figure 4 there is shown a garment 60 on hanger hanging from one of the bars 30.

The use of such a container is described below.

Bars 30 are stored as shown in Figures 1 and 4, between the wings 36 angles 12 on the open face side and they are maintained in this space forming storage housing by returns 40 and 44.

When this container is used for transport of bars, the bars 30 are extracted from their storage housing, and some of them are arranged across the open face as well as shown in Figure 2, by tilting from bar 30, then reset to the next horizontal the movement of the arrow.

The bar then comes to bear on screws 46 and more particularly on the screw bodies which extend inside the angles 12 and these bars are maintained in the extension 42 of the return wing 38, wing 34 on the closed side, and by the extension 44 of wing return 40 of wing 36 open side.

The bar is supported on two screw bodies 46 and blocked in movement so that it ensures blocking packages placed in the container on one of the open faces.

The container is then loaded with all of the packets it should contain then the same operation with the bars is renewed on the other open side so as to condemn them and avoid any displacement packages outside the container from the sides open.

The plates 24 prevent any movement of the packages transversely.

If the container is to be used for transport clothes on hanger, bars 30 are introduced between the two plates 24 of the same container transversely and for this purpose as well as this is shown in Figure 2, the bar 30 is introduced through a hole 52 chosen according to the type of clothes to support, length, width, thickness.

The bar 30 is introduced through this hole 52 until extend pin 58 outside of the plate, then the bar 30, following the arrow shown in this figure 2 is moved to translation until the first pin comes to a stop 58 against the outside of the corresponding plate 24 and pass the other pin 58 from the other end through hole 52 opposite the first hole 52.

The bar is therefore horizontal and the two pins 58 block any movement of this bar in translation.

Indeed, the pins 58 are external to the two plates 24 and avoid any movement of the bar.

With the bar loaded, movements to the high are impossible.

Clothes on hangers are suspended from different bars, at different heights, until complete the entire container and bars 30 can be arranged across open faces, as for packages, to avoid any swaying clothes outside the containers.

It is noted that the bars due to the positioning of the plate 24 at a distance l from each other, do not exceed overall dimensions of the container, which makes available these containers by juxtaposition without snagging .

Moving these containers by trolleys forks is made easier by mounting on feet, and the reinforcement plates 48 make it possible to stack containers on top of each other during storage or movement because 18 feet are provided to cooperate with the reinforcement plates 48 arranged on the roof plates 16.

According to a variant of the invention, it is possible to have document support resources on the side plates, thanks to the multitude of holes which is planned, in order to place the administrative documents or binding and recognition labels different containers.

We also note that these containers can be manufactured without side plate or bar and used in a way known as a simple container to packages and depending on developments or markets, you just have to make plates which are bolted to the angles provided this effect plus busbars.

It is therefore possible to adapt the fleet of containers according to the markets with investments low and very assembly times short.

The container according to the invention has flexibility very important in its use which makes it attractive for modern transport.

In order to improve the loading capacities bars (30) can be oval in section, which increases inertia by ensuring better recovery vertical efforts.

This is important, considering the vertical movements generated by road surface and heavy weight certain clothes.

Also, the container is suitable for transporting heavy clothing, which contributes to filling optimum of these containers.

Claims (10)

1. Transport container comprising on the one hand a framework (10) on feet (18) with four uprights (12) upon which there are fixed a base plate (14) and a top plate (16), and on the other hand removable support rods (30), characterised in that it comprises two closed faces (22) and at least one open face (20) which can be blocked up, the two closed faces (22) each comprising a lateral plate (20) equipped with housings (52) provided to receive the ends of the removable support rods (30), the length (L) of the support rods (30) being greater than the distance (l) separating the two lateral plates, connecting means (58) being provided between the support rods and the plates.
2. Transport container according to claim 1, characterised in that the uprights (12) comprise means of blockage of the bars (30) transversely to the open faces (20).
3. Transport container according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the rods (30) have a length (L) equal to the distance separating the interior of the wings (34 or 36) of two uprights (12) facing one another.
4. Transport container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lateral plates (24) comprise oblong holes (52) constituting housings provided to receive the support rods.
5. Transport container according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the rods (30) comprise pins (58) constituting the connecting means for the support rods with the plates, said pins projecting radially and being so disposed that the distance separating two pins of the same rod is greater than the distance (l) separating the two lateral plates.
6. Transport container according to claim 5, characterised in that the pins have a length comprised between the small and the large diameters of the oblong holes.
7. Transport container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lateral plates (24) are fixed to the upright (12) by screws (46) on an internal revetment (38) aligned at 90° and extending the wing (34) of the side of the closed face in such a way that these screws (36) constitute blocking means for the rods in co-operation with an internal revetment at 90° (40) extending the wing (36) of the uprights (12) on the side of the open face (20).
8. Transport container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the base plate (14), the opposed uprights (12) on either side of the lateral plates (24) and this same lateral plate constitute storage housings for the unused rods.
9. Transport container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each upright (12) comprises at its upper portion a plate (48) for receiving the feet (18) of an identical container stacked on the first.
10. Transport container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises support means for documents and information provided on the lateral plates (24).

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