EP0680886A1 - Stackable and nestable box with vertical columns - Google Patents

Abstract

The plastics container is rectangular in shape, with a base (11) and side walls (3, 5, 7, 9) which extend upwards from it and are corrugated to form alternating outward (23) and inward (25) projections. The container is smaller at the bottom than at the top, so that a number of them can be stacked fitting partially one inside another when aligned one way and stacked one on top of another when one container is reversed in relation to the one below it. The number and position of the pillars formed by the wall corrugations are different on the container's opposite side and end walls, so that the pillars projecting outwards on one side of the container lie opposite pillars projecting inwards on the opposite side. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to handling boxes of generally parallelepiped shape, of substantially rectangular section, preferably made of plastic, which can be stacked or nested in particular with boxes of the same type.

Of course, there are already known, in this area, many boxes stackable in one position and nestable in another.

Thus, EP-C-292 787 describes a box, or an assembly made up of at least two boxes, of generally parallelepipedal shape with substantially rectangular section, comprising in the lower part a bottom of which stand up to the upper part of the side walls bearing each, both externally and internally, an alternation of protruding pillars and upright recessed housings, with a smaller body section at the bottom than at the top, each housing being backed by a pillar, to ensure partial nesting of several such identical boxes one inside the other in successively identically oriented positions of said superimposed boxes, and the stack bearing on each other of these same boxes for successively inversely oriented positions.

In practice, it turns out that it is essential to be able very easily not only to nest the trays one inside the other, without the users having to grope for this, but also that the trays can be stacked or stacked one on the others without having to fumble, no matter how you want to build the batteries. Stability of the batteries, as well as the resistance of each tank to the load are also essential.

Thus, the problem which the invention aims first of all to solve concerns the stability and the resistance of the stacks of trays, especially when they are full, without complicating the production of the stacks and while retaining the aforementioned characteristics and the advantages already disclosed. in EP-C-292,787.

For this, the solution of the invention is to propose a box, or an assembly comprising at least two boxes of different dimensions such that the width of the smallest box is equal to a submultiple of the length of the largest, with the additional features of claims 1 or 11. It will be noted that in these two claims, the final expression "whatever the relative arrangement of the stacked boxes" should be understood as indicating that the crossing in the angle can be obtained whatever or the way in which the boxes are presented in relation to each other.

Thus, the user will not have to think about whether the box he is going to stack at the crossroads on the box already present, is or is not a "correct" orientation around its vertical axis passing through its bottom: a crossed arrangement enough. In addition, the favorable support of at least one full box on an underlying box, in the stacking position, will prevent the risks of capsizing the piles or buckling of the bins, especially for heavy loads, such as meat.

In terms of the advantages of the invention, it may further be noted that it will be possible to have series of boxes of different sizes, these boxes being able to be stacked together without any additional accessories (in particular covers), said boxes not being in practice nestable under normal conditions than for boxes of the same format.

In addition, the boxes of the invention closely meet the delicate requirements of storage on pallets, by offering the possibility of heterogeneous palletization, the stacking of boxes in both stacked and stacked position being carried out in a particularly easy manner.

For the stability of the stacks in the nesting position of the boxes, as well as for the intrinsic resistance of the side walls and for the ease of maneuvering by the users, the characteristics of claim 2 are also advantageous, these characteristics making it possible to ensure a volume large internal loading without compromising ease of handling.

As for the characteristics of claim 3, they are favorable to the good balance of the boxes, therefore also to the stability of the stacks, likewise for the characteristics of claim 4.

It will also be noted that to optimize the desired association between stability, resistance and ease of use, optimal dimensions in section of the boxes have been defined with preferred characteristics specific to each dimension, as indicated in claims 6, 7 , 8 and 9.

The features of claims 5 and 10 also make it possible to optimize the general solution of the invention.

Still for questions of stability and solidity, pillars and housings with a substantially trapezoidal horizontal section are also recommended, at least on some of the walls.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'un bac conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe dans le sens de la flèche II - II de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue dans le sens de la flèche III de la figure 1,
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessus d'une variante de réalisation d'un bac également conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 5 est une vue en demi-coupe dans le sens de la flèche V - V de la figure 4,
• la figure 6 montre, avec arrachement local, deux bacs identiques à celui de la figure 1 disposés empilés croisés dans un angle, l'un sur l'autre,
• la figure 7 montre, avec arrachement local, deux bacs conformes à celui des figures 1 à 3 disposés en empilement croisé sur trois bacs conformes à celui des figures 4 et 5, et
• les figures 8, 9 et 10 montrent en vue de dessus trois caisses conformes à l'invention, de dimensions en section horizontales respectivement de 600 X 400 mm, 800 X 400 mm et 1200 X 400 mm.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear from the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 is a top view of a container according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a sectional view in the direction of the arrow II - II in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a view in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a container also according to the invention,
• FIG. 5 is a half-section view in the direction of the arrow V - V in FIG. 4,
• FIG. 6 shows, with local cutaway, two tubs identical to that of FIG. 1 arranged stacked crossed at an angle, one on the other,
• FIG. 7 shows, with local cutaway, two containers conforming to that of FIGS. 1 to 3 arranged in cross stacking on three containers conforming to that of FIGS. 4 and 5, and
• Figures 8, 9 and 10 show a top view of three boxes according to the invention, with dimensions in horizontal section of 600 X 400 mm, 800 X 400 mm and 1200 X 400 mm respectively.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, a first substantially rectangular rectangular tank 1 is shown, with two opposite side walls 3, 5, of greater length (L) and two other equally opposite walls 7, 9, of shorter length ( l) respectively defining, for the walls 3, 5, the length of the tank and for the walls 7, 9, its width.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, these four walls are vertical (to the nearest draft angle) and stand up from a bottom 11 assumed to be horizontal.

The bottom 11 is bordered perimeter, inside the tank, by a gutter 13, so that the bottom 11 is slightly raised by presenting, in view from below, a peripheral frame projecting with four slots 15, 17, aligned in pairs, forming in top view (FIG. 1) two junction bridges spanning the gutter 13, the width of these bridges corresponding substantially to twice the thickness (e) of the upper belt 19 of the tray, so as to block several superimposed trays in the stacked position.

The four side walls are essentially full, except possibly locally to define handles such as 21 (Figure 3) formed in the upper perimeter belt 19 of the body.

Preferably, both viewed from the outside and from the inside, the side walls of the box follow a crenellated shape, with a succession of projecting vertical pillars 23 separated by recesses, or housings, 25 extending essentially continuously over all the perimeter of the box, and this substantially vertically for each pillar.

It will be noted that each vertical pillar 23 is in fact backed by a corresponding hollow housing 25, and this alternately inside and outside the box, this over at least 50% of its height, so as to ensure an interlocking of approximately 50% of several identical boxes one inside the other in successively identically oriented positions of the superimposed boxes, and the stacking in abutment on one another of these same boxes for successively inversely oriented positions, by rotation of 180 ° from one box to the other with respect to the vertical axis 27 passing through the middle of each bottom.

At about half height (H), we will notice a break around the whole perimeter of the body in the vertical continuity of the hollows and the housings, this break creating, on the outside, an overhang 29 and, inside, a flange 32, thus limiting nesting to the desired height and giving the body a smaller section at the bottom (bottom side) than at the top.

Preferably, both the pillars and the housings will actually rise beyond this line: substantially from the bottom of the body and to the fallen edge formed by the belt 19 outside, for the pillars, while inside, the housings will extend to the top of the body, the interior pillars image of the exterior hollows being interrupted before the top edge of the body to form from place to place substantially coplanar portions forming a rim d 'support 32 when the boxes are superimposed, crossed at 90 ° or inversely oriented at 180 °. It will be noted that this embodiment of the box with vertical side walls and an intermediate recess both inside and outside has been preferred to inclined side walls specific to nested frustoconical boxes, in particular to facilitate manufacture.

As illustrated, the alternating succession of pillars and housings has, both inside and outside the body, a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, with a distribution of the pillars and housings, on each wall, according to a symmetry with respect to the vertical median plane 33, 35 passing through the midpoints respectively of the walls of shorter length (7, 9) and of greater length (3, 5).

Given the dimensions of the body shown in Figures 1 to 3 (400 mm x 600 mm), it will also be noted that on one of the two large walls (wall 5), the two end pillars close to the corresponding angles , have a different width from those of the other three more central pillars, all the other pillars of the illustrated box being identical.

Anyway, the box presented here has been designed so that the distance (d) between the midpoints of two successive pillars (or two housings) is constant, and this on each wall, as well as from one wall to another, with, taking into account the stacking / nesting positions chosen, an external pillar centered on two adjacent sides (5 and 7 in this case), to which corresponds a external hollow centered on the other two sides (3 and 9 here).

To, as will be explained in more detail below, to facilitate good support in a 90 ° cross position of two identical boxes according to the invention or of the same type but of different dimensions, the pillars 23 of a wall will have preferably dimensions and / or shapes (remaining trapezoidal in this case) different from those of an adjacent wall, the pillars or housings facing one wall to a facing wall remaining identical two to of them.

Let us now focus briefly on the representations of Figures 4 and 5 where we see an alternative embodiment of the body of the previous figures.

The box 10 shown in these figures incorporates most of the above characteristics.

By way of difference, however, the increased width (l ') of the central outer pillar 23' of the wall 3 'to which corresponds on the opposite wall 5', an enlarged central outer hollow 25 ', due to an elongation in length of the body 10 relative to the body 1, the body 10 may have dimensions of 400 mm x 800 mm.

We will also note on this same wall 3 ', rather than following, for the pillars other than the central pillar 23', a constant pillar width (l _p ), we preferred also to widen the two corner pillars 23'₁ and 23'₂, so as to prevent the body from presenting externally, in its two successive angles, a hollow or recess which could have adversely affected its stability.

Thus, by matching the two pillars 23'₃ and 23'₄ closest to the corners of the wall 5 ', we do not not find, on the wall 3 ', an external recess, but an extension of a pillar.

The box of Figures 4 and 5 is therefore such that on its two opposite side walls of greater length, it has externally intermediate pillars disposed between end pillars each adjacent to one of the corresponding angles of the box, with d 'on one side a large central pillar and on the other, a large central hollow.

Even more markedly than in the previous version, we will also note the different shape of the pillars of the short sides 7 ', 9' opposite those of the long sides 3 ', 5', although the "step" (d) between two successive "standard" pillars, that is to say of the same width (l _p ), remains constant.

Still as in the previous version, there is an odd number of pillars on two adjacent walls and an even number of pillars on the other two walls.

Note also the difference which remains between the positioning, on a given wall, of the first hollow or of the first pillar closest to one of the two angles which limit this wall, in comparison with the positioning of the first pillar or first hollow on the adjacent wall, the two distances being different, so as to obtain a lateral offset favorable to cross stacking of the boxes.

Thus, when, as shown in FIG. 7, two series of boxes of different horizontal sections will be superimposed crossed at 90 ° at an angle, from one layer to another, with, as here, two 400 mm x 600 mm boxes stacked crossed on three 400 mm x 800 mm boxes, at least the major part of the outer pillars of the upper boxes located in the general plane (that is to say in continuity) of a side wall considered of the box (es) (s) underlying (s) will come to rest in stacking, without practically nesting, on these boxes, individually finding under them at least part of an internal pillar of the lower box (es), as is clearly shown in FIG. 7 in the parts broken away, as in Figure 6 in the context of two identical boxes.

We can therefore store as many boxes as possible in layers, both homogeneous (for example, four cases of 400 x 600 mm format) and heterogeneous (for example, two cases of 400 x 600 mm and one case of 400 x 1200 mm) , the distribution of the pillars and housings making it practically possible to authorize the nesting of a box of smaller dimensions in a box of larger size according to the invention only by identical type of formats (the 400 x 600 mm boxes do not not fitting into 400 x 1200 mm bins, or even into 400 x 800 mm boxes). It will also be noted that the support of an external pillar of an upper box on an internal pillar of a lower box, even if it is by force only a partial support in a cross relative arrangement, may be insured regardless of how the boxes are presented.

In FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, we still see illustrated (at different scales) three favorable embodiments of boxes according to the invention, of dimensions 600 mm X 400 mm, 800 mm X 400 mm and 1,200 mm x 800 mm, respectively, the boxes of the invention being very advantageously of equal dimensions, multiples or submultiples of those mentioned and of 1200 mm X 800 mm which are the current dimensions of the transport trays.

Firstly, in FIG. 8, the two side walls of greater length 3.5, comprise the same external housing (25₁, 25₂) in the central part framed, for one of these side walls, by two external pillars ( 23₁, 23₃) to each of which correspond, vis-à-vis, on the opposite side wall (and therefore in the same size), substantially an external pillar and housing, respectively 23₂, 25₄ and 23₄, 25₆.

On the walls 7, 9 of shorter length (width of the body) to a large central external pillar 23₅ on the wall 9 corresponds vis-à-vis, on the wall 7, a large external housing 25₇ of the same dimensions, framed laterally by two small pillars 23₇ and 23₉ to which correspond two identical external housings on the wall 9, on either side of the central pillar 23₅.

In Figure 9, each outer pillar of a side wall corresponds, vis-à-vis, on the opposite side wall, an outer housing of the same shape and the same dimensions.

Thus, for example, the outer pillar 23₁₀ of the long wall 3 corresponds to the outer housing 25₉ (or the inner pillar 23₁₁) of the opposite wall 5; similarly on the small walls 7 and 9.

In FIG. 10, the box has dimensions in horizontal section equal to 1200 mm X 400 mm. Its opposite side walls of greater length 3 and 5 comprise, one (3), a large external central recess 25₁₁ and the other (5), a large external central pillar protruding 23₁₃, image of the housing 25 logement . Each of these central housings and pillars is framed laterally by narrower external housings such as 25₁₃, 25₁₅, 25₁₇ and 25₁₉.

In FIGS. 8 to 10, we will also note the symmetrical distribution, by wall, of the pillars and housings to which these are attached, with respect to the median plane 33 or 35 passing through the middle respectively of the walls of greater and shorter lengths. (3, 5; 7; 9).

Note also the substantially trapezoidal shape of the pillars and housings on the large walls 3, 5 and the different shape (often with a width different) of the pillars and housings on the small walls 7, 9 where the shape is closer to the square or the rectangle.

Still to favor the support in the stacking position, in particular crossed, of several stacked boxes, it will also be noted that on a determined side wall, the width l _p of the pillars will very advantageously be between a quarter and four times that (l _l ) housing.

Claims (12)

Handling box of generally rectangular shape with a substantially rectangular section, comprising in the lower part a bottom (11) from which stand up to the upper part of the side walls (3, 5, 7, 9, 3 ', 5', 7 ', 9 ') each carrying, both externally and internally, an alternation of protruding pillars (23, 23') and recessed recesses (25, 25 ') erected, with a body section smaller in the lower part than in part upper, each housing being backed by a pillar, to ensure the partial nesting of several such boxes (1, 1 ') identical to each other in successively identically oriented positions of said superimposed boxes, and the stack in abutment on the others of these same boxes for successively inversely oriented positions, characterized in that the dimensions and / or the shape of the pillars and of the housings are different between the walls of greater length (3, 5, 3 ', 5') and the shorter walls (7, 9, 7 ', 9'), with an offset in their arrangement on said walls, so that in superimposed relative position crossed at about 90 ° at an angle of two such identical cases, all, or most of, the outer pillars of the upper case rest (s) bearing at least partially on an inner pillar of the lower case, substantially in the general plane of the side walls of the latter, whatever the relative arrangement of the stacked boxes. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the side walls are vertical and have, at a determined place of their height and over the entire periphery of the box, a shoulder externally defining an overhang (28) and internally a flange (30) which divide each pillar and housing into an upper part and a lower part offset in depth relative to each other. Box according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that on the two side walls of greater length facing each other (3, 5, 3 ', 5') as well as on the two side walls of shorter length facing each other also facing (7, 9, 7 ', 9'), the pillars (23, 23 ') as well as the housings (25, 25') to which they are attached, are, by wall, arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical median plane (33, 35) passing through the midpoints respectively of the walls of greater length and of the walls of shorter length. Box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pillars (23, 23 ') and the housings (25, 25') of two opposite side walls have a substantially trapezoidal horizontal section and those of the other two side walls opposite, a horizontal section closer to the square or rectangle. Box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the two opposite side walls of greater length (3, 5, 3 ', 5') has intermediate pillars arranged between end pillars each adjacent to one of the corresponding corners of the body, as well as a pillar or a central housing of a width greater than that (l _p ) of each of said intermediate pillars. Box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has dimensions in section equal to, or multiples or submultiples of, 1,200 mm x 800 mm, and 600 mm x 400 mm, or 800 mm x 400 mm or 1,200 mm x 400 mm. Box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has dimensions in section equal to 800 mm x 400 mm and to each external pillar of a side wall corresponds, vis-à-vis on the side wall opposite, an external housing of the same shape and the same dimensions. Box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has dimensions in section equal to 600 mm x 400 mm and in that the two side walls of greater length comprise an outer housing in the central part framed , for one of these side walls, by two external pillars to each of which correspond vis-à-vis, on the opposite side wall, substantially an external pillar and housing. Box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has dimensions in section equal to 1200 mm x 400 mm and in that the side walls of greater length comprise, one, a wide central exterior pillar and the other, a large central exterior housing, each framed by narrower exterior housing. Box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, on a determined side wall, the width of the pillar (s) is between approximately a quarter and four times that of the housing (s) . Set consisting of at least two boxes, each of generally rectangular shape with a substantially rectangular section, comprising in the lower part a bottom (11) from which stand up to the upper part of the side walls (3, 5, 7, 9, 3 ' , 5 ', 7', 9 ') each carrying, both externally and internally, an alternation of protruding pillars (23, 23') and recessed recesses (25, 25 ') erected, with a smaller body section in the lower part than in the upper part, each housing being backed by a pillar, to ensure the partial nesting of several such boxes (1, 1 ′) identical to one another in successively identically oriented positions of said superimposed boxes, and the stack bearing on each other of these same boxes for successive positions inversely oriented, characterized in that said boxes are of different dimensions, so that the width of the smallest box is equal to a submultiple of the length of the largest box, the dimensions and / or the shape of the pillars and housings being, per case, different between the longer walls (3, 5, 3 ', 5') and the shorter walls (7, 9, 7 ', 9'), with an offset in their arrangement on said walls, so that in superimposed relative position crossed at approximately 90 ° in an angle from one box to the other, or from the smallest box to the largest, all, or most of, external pillars of the upper box rest at least partially on an internal pillar of the lower box, substantially in the general plane of the side walls of the latter, regardless of the relative arrangement of the stacked boxes. Assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that a determined box has the characteristics of a box according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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