EP0789660A1

EP0789660A1 - Transport container

Info

Publication number: EP0789660A1
Application number: EP95900672A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wolfgang Peter; Bernd Opiela; Andreas Reinke
Original assignee: Schmalback Lubeca AG
Current assignee: Trivium Packaging Germany GmbH
Priority date: 1994-11-04
Filing date: 1994-11-04
Publication date: 1997-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-04
Also published as: EP0789660B1; IS4307A; WO1996014251A1; ES2143031T3; DE59409113D1; PT789660E; DK0789660T3

Abstract

A plastic transport container (10) is intended for the simultaneous transport of a plurality of disc-like components (30), especially tin lids for the foodstuffs industry. The transport container has a base (11) and side walls (12) projecting therefrom and divisions inside the container for a plurality of storage compartments (13) for stacks of disc-like components arranged perpendicularly side-by-side. The storage compartments (13) are bordered on two sides by stack support devices (14) having apertures (15) for the insertion of gripping components to take the stacks into and out of the compartments.

Description

Transport case

The invention relates to a transport box made of plastic for the simultaneous transport of a plurality of disk-shaped elements, in particular can lids for the food industry, with a bottom and side walls projecting therefrom, and with subdivisions of the box interior into several storage troughs for stacks of disk-shaped elements standing vertically next to one another.

Plastic transport boxes are known in many embodiments. They are used, for example, to transport bottles, as is described, for example, in EP 0 231 008 B1 or in EP 0 539 689 A1. Transport boxes with a free interior space are also known, for example from EP 0 371 565 A1 and EP 0 612 666 A1.

In practice, plastic transport boxes for can lids, such as those used in the food industry, have not yet been used. These container lids are conventionally combined into a stack in quantities of approximately 150 or in similar orders of magnitude, this stack is then encased and wrapped with as dust and water-proof paper as possible, and several of these stacks are then stacked in lattice boxes or large boxes. These large containers with the stacks located therein are then supplied, for example, to a company processing fish or meat or animal feed, which fills fish or meat or animal feed with the appropriate additives (sauces) into other cans that are supplied and then seals the cans with the prepared can lids .

It is very disadvantageous here that the can lids have to be unwrapped from the paper and have to be handled with difficulty until they can be fed to the closing mechanisms. It should be taken into account that work should be carried out as hygienically as possible and that contact with the inside of the can lid in particular should be avoided. However, this is difficult to do when unpacking from paper. In addition, there is always the risk that, during the cumbersome handling, a stack or a part thereof will fall down and thus become completely unusable for hygienic reasons. Attention should be drawn to the stricter legal regulations. Uncoordinated handling can also mechanical damage to the can lids and damage to the paint cannot be ruled out.

It would be desirable to find improved transport options for the can lid here.

In a development developed by the applicant, a plastic transport case was thought of for this purpose, as is published in the international design DM / 025 670. This transport box is made of plastic and can accommodate four stacks of disk-shaped elements, for example can lids for fish cans, which are placed vertically next to one another in the process.

A disadvantage of this published embodiment is that the can lid is not yet securely held and that it is still difficult to remove from the transport box.

In contrast, the object of the invention is to propose a plastic transport box for disc-shaped elements which corresponds to the practical requirements here.

This object is achieved in that the storage troughs of stack support devices are delimited on two opposite sides, the stack support devices having engaging openings for introducing gripping elements for inserting and removing the stack into and out of the storage troughs.

With these engaging openings (a single engaging opening may also be considered here), it is possible to grip the stack of lids from both sides, while the stack support devices ensure that the disk-shaped elements, in particular the can lids in particular, stand vertically next to one another. do not fall over or tip over (this prevents damage to the paintwork and other mechanical damage) and thus remain in a position which is also suitable, for example, for an automatic gripping system. This automatic gripper (you can also imagine an operator here) now moves the corresponding gripping arms (the user's two hands) to the left and right of the stack into the engaging openings and then presses on the stack from both sides, as a result of which the individual disk-shaped elements are pressed against one another. As a result of this process, they stand out slightly from the support devices on both sides at the same time, since the longitudinal extent of the stack is somewhat reduced by the compression. In this way, securely held between the two gripping arms, the stack can now be removed upwards from the storage trough and the entire transport box and used, for example, in a lid feed system for closing fish and meat cans.

The result is a hygienically flawless transport option for disc-shaped elements that is reusable and therefore environmentally friendly. At the same time, additional outer packaging for the elements becomes superfluous.

It is particularly preferred if holes are provided in the bottom of the transport box, the diameter of which is significantly smaller than the dimensions of the disk-shaped elements to be transported.

The provision of such holes means that the transport boxes can be cleaned very well. The plastic boxes can be hosed down, water can run freely through these holes. Since the holes are very much smaller than the disk-shaped elements to be transported (the can lids), they cannot get into these holes or become wedged in them. The holes are also not used in the side walls, but only in the floor. This has the advantage that, in the case of stacked transport boxes in which the disc-shaped elements are contained, the transport boxes shield one another and dust, food residues or the like cannot penetrate from the outside through the holes. The holes are accessible only and exclusively during the cleaning process.

A completely closed cover plate can hermetically seal the plastic industrial pallet with 55 trays (the transport boxes according to the invention).

In a transport box (tray) with dimensions of typically 600 mm in length, 400 mm in width and 100 to 250 mm in height (depending on the type of cover) there are about 300 to 1000 can lid space; the containers would have an empty weight of 1.5 to

3.0 kg well and easily transportable and easy to handle even when filled.

The transport boxes can have a different division in the interior. It is particularly preferred if a total of four storage troughs are provided in an arrangement of two rows, each with two storage troughs. This enables a particularly favorable division of space in the case of stacks that are easy to grasp by the gripper arms and still have transport boxes and contents that can still be easily transported by people.

An arrangement with three adjacent storage troughs is also conceivable, in which the individual stacks are then sorted transversely to the longest longitudinal extent of the transport box.

An internal division of transport boxes for differently shaped and differently sized disk-shaped elements is also conceivable, as is also occasionally required. Further embodiments are possible, especially in view of the different requirements for the transportation of various disc-shaped elements. Various types of can lids can be taken into account alone, such as Dingley, 210 x 80 mm, 150 x 54 mm, Euro and cod lids.

In the case of an arrangement with four storage troughs in two rows, each with two troughs, it is particularly preferred if an upstanding support column serving as a stack support device for all four storage troughs is provided in the center of the transport box.

In the middle of the transport box, the four storage troughs meet with one corner each, and it is thus possible to provide a single support column for all four storage troughs, which can also support the four stacks with corresponding lateral extensions.

The provision of the support column has the further advantage that it can at the same time be used to support the next transport box above it, by adapting its height to the bottom of the box above it.

It is generally preferred that several transport boxes are stackable one on top of the other and that the side walls have an upper edge formation and a lower edge formation have the type that both form a labyrinth seal when two transport boxes are placed one on the other.

Due to the stackability and the resulting labyrinth seal, the contents of the transport boxes, i.e. the disc-shaped elements, are particularly good against

Protects dirt and other undesirable external influences. At the same time, the edge formations support the transport boxes above them.

Stackability in another context is already from the EP

0371 565 A1, but the measures provided there have no protective effects against external influences, which is also not intended there.

It is particularly preferred if the upper edge formation is provided in a Z-shape with a projecting edge and the lower edge formation in the form of a U which is open at the bottom in cross section.

The labyrinth seal which is thereby formed when two boxes are placed on top of one another has proven to be particularly reliable, while at the same time producing the transport boxes particularly inexpensively and being relatively easy to mold from the tools used for the production.

It is also preferred if the lower stack edge has a circumferential nose and the upper stack edge has a corresponding recess.

Another preferred feature is that the round surfaces of the bearing troughs are supported by additional ribs. It should be borne in mind that the bearing troughs support the disk-shaped elements downward and only in the area in which these disk-shaped elements lie. Since the disk-shaped elements generally have long oval contours, it is sufficient that the bearing troughs are equipped with corresponding round surfaces for receiving the corresponding round contour parts of the disk-shaped elements. Since these round surfaces of the storage troughs alone carry the disk-shaped elements, it is preferred to additionally support these round surfaces by providing additional ribs on the underside of the bottom of the transport box.

These additional ribs are easy to provide for mold making and do not interfere shaping the transport case. It is further preferred if the support column (s) are supported in the middle of the transport box by additional transverse ribs.

These support columns are also subjected to higher loads and ribs have proven to be useful for this.

It is also preferred if a card pocket insert is provided. This is particularly easy to implement if it has two vertically extending webs which are arranged parallel to and in front of a side wall, in particular an end wall, and each form a groove with the side wall. The webs are preferably cranked and have an angle of 30 ° in their cranking. A card pocket insert for exchangeable, labeled or inscribable plug-in cards made of paper, cardboard or plastic makes it possible to immediately recognize from the outside what type or batch of lids is contained in the transport box. For this purpose, the transport box does not have to be raised or removed from a plurality of transport boxes standing one above the other, so that the covers contained in the transport box remain protected. The identification cards (tray cards) are particularly easy to insert into the card pocket insert when it is cranked, in particular at an angle of 30 °. As a result, the card can be inserted and removed more easily since it is also easier to grip and bend with the finger.

If the grooves formed by the webs are also not closed at the bottom, they allow the cards to be inserted up to a stop below the bottom edge of the web. This effectively supports the water drainage and blowing out the undercut when cleaning.

In an alternative embodiment, the floor with the bearing troughs can be snapped into the side walls and can be replaced. This makes it possible for only in smaller ones

Intended quantities of transport boxes to provide the same side wall construction with different inserts and also to clean them separately.

Various plastics, including polystyrene, come into consideration as the material for the box. In the following preferred embodiments of the invention are based on the

Drawing described in detail. Show it:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the embodiment from FIG. 1;

3 is a perspective view of another embodiment;

Figure 4 is a vertical section through a third embodiment.

5 shows a vertical section through the embodiment from FIG. 4, but perpendicular to the section in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the embodiment from FIG. 4;

7 shows a section similar to FIG. 4 through a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 88 shows a section similar to FIG. 5 through the embodiment from FIG. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail.

A transport box 10 is made of plastic. It has a base 11 and side walls 12 projecting therefrom.

Its outline is essentially rectangular with rounded corners, between the side walls 12 there is a box interior. This box interior is provided with subdivisions into several storage troughs 13.

The storage troughs 13 are delimited on two sides by stack support devices 14. The stack support devices 14 have engaging openings 15, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 2 from above.

FIG. 2 also shows that the stack support devices 14 each have webs as far as the stack support devices are concerned, which are located adjacent to a side wall 12. The webs 16 are perpendicular to the respective side wall 12 and extend to the edge of the bearing recess 13, with between the? ^ gen 16 are empty spaces that form the engaging openings 15.

The stack support devices 14 not adjoining side walls 12 have support columns 20 on the other hand. The support columns 20 (in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of support columns 20) protrude from the floor 11 to the height of the side walls 12 on and border directly on the storage trough 13; In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a single support column 20 can also adjoin all four storage troughs 13, which meet precisely in the area of this support column, which then forms the center of the transport box 10.

Disk-shaped elements 30 can be accommodated in the storage troughs 13 as a stack in vertically adjacent arrangements. This is indicated in FIG. 1 by the fact that two transport boxes 10 are stacked one above the other, of which the upper one is only indicated by dashed lines, with a disk-shaped element 30 being indicated in its arrangement. It is a stylized metal disc forming a lid for a fish can (not shown).

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 arranges the stacks differently than embodiments 1 and 2. Here, the disk-shaped elements (the can lids) with their longest transverse extension are each parallel to the longest side of the transport box, unlike in FIG. 1.

It is also shown that in this case the stack support devices 14 can have a plurality of columns in the middle of the transport box 10, whereby these columns can also be relatively wide, as long as there are sufficiently large empty spaces for the engagement openings 15 between them.

Also on the side walls 12 adjacent stack support devices do not have to

Form of webs, but can also directly adjoin the side wall 12 in the form of similarly designed columns.

Figures 4 to 10 show additional details of further embodiments of the invention. For the general structure, reference is made to the description of the figures in FIGS. 1 to 3.

An embodiment can be seen in FIGS. 4 to 6, which is adapted to a differently shaped structure of the disks (cover) to be transported. Here, too, two trays (transport boxes 10) are placed one above the other, with the dust-proof closure due to the interlocking closure being good in the left area in FIGS. 4 and 5 Edge formation can be seen, which at the same time allows a stable stacking of a large number of trays.

The stack support devices 14 can be seen here in particular in FIG. 5, where the edge-side covers of a cover stack can be seen, which are supported against a stack support device 14 adjacent to a side wall 12. In FIG. 4, this stack support device lies outside the image plane; in FIG. 5 in conjunction with FIG. 6, however, the design of the stack support devices 14 is shown; In contrast to the exemplary embodiments from FIGS. 1 to 3, no more finger-like or web-like extensions can be seen from the side wall 12 into the interior of the tray, but only two per disc-shaped element (can lid), each of which grips the longitudinal edge thereof in a stable manner. In FIG. 4, from the sectional view there, the upper edge of these stack support devices 14 is shown relative to the outlines of the covers indicated.

In the section in FIG. 4 and likewise in FIG. 7 relating to a fourth embodiment, it is additionally shown on the left-hand edge how a particularly practical and expedient recognition of the tray contents (for example type or printing of the can lid) can be ensured from the outside. This is shown enlarged in FIG. 10. Protected by upper and lower parts of the transport container 10, ie the tray, projecting outwards, a card pocket insert 40 is provided there. This card pocket insert 40 is connected to the edge of the tray main body outside the image plane, cranked outwards at the top and cut free at the bottom. An identification card can easily be inserted behind the crank 41 from above. It can be read from the outside through a corresponding window in the card insertion area (outside of the cutting plane in FIG. 10), but is held by this card insertion device at the same time, but can again be easily pulled out and replaced when manually accessed. Cleaning is also ensured by the lower edge 42, which is cut off at the bottom and thus remains free, from which cleaning water can easily escape, which is directed towards this area, for example in the form of a water jet.

The embodiment in FIGS. 7 to 9 shows that even upright disk-shaped elements are used in embodiments of the trays provided for this purpose can. The upper edge of the tray only has to be dimensioned so high that the can lid can be completely accommodated therein.

Otherwise, this embodiment corresponds to that from FIGS. 4 to 6.

10 also shows that, in a preferred embodiment, the base 11 is provided with a step shoulder 43 in the region of the storage troughs 13.

This step heel 43 can be adapted in shape and arrangement to the respective type of cover that is to be brought with the transport box 10. The advantage of this embodiment lies in the fact that the covers can be placed in a targeted manner and the lacquer abrasion of the cover surfaces is prevented.

Claims

Expectations

1. Transport box (10) made of plastic for the simultaneous transport of a plurality of disc-shaped elements (30), in particular can lids for the food industry, with a bottom (11) and side walls (12) projecting therefrom and with subdivisions of the box interior into several storage troughs (13) for stacks of disc-shaped elements (30) standing vertically next to one another, characterized in that the storage troughs (13) are delimited by stack support devices (14) on two opposite sides, the stack support devices (14) engaging openings ( 15) for inserting gripping elements for inserting and removing the stacks into and out of the storage troughs (13).

2. Transport box according to claim 1, characterized in that the stack support means have webs (16) which are perpendicular to one of the side walls (12) and extend to the edge of the storage trough (13), where the webs (16) between there are empty spaces as engagement openings (15).

3. Transport box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stack support devices (14) on their not on side walls (12) adjoining sides have support columns (20) which from the bottom (11) to the height of the side walls (12) tower and immediately adjoin the bearing recess (13).

4. Transport box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that holes are provided in the bottom (11), the diameter of which is substantially smaller than the dimensions of the disc-shaped elements (30) to be transported.

5. Transport box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a total of four storage troughs (13) are provided in an arrangement of two rows of two storage troughs.

6. Transport box according to claim 5, characterized in that in the middle of the transport box an upstanding as a stack support device (14) for all four storage troughs (13) serving support column is provided.

7. Transport box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of transport boxes are stackable one on top of the other and the side walls (12), in particular the end walls, have an upper edge formation and a lower edge formation such that both form a labyrinth seal when two transport boxes are placed one on top of the other.

8. Transport box according to claim 7, characterized in that the upper edge formation Z-shaped with a projecting edge and the lower edge formation in the form of a downwardly open U are seen in cross section.

9. Transport box according to claim 7, characterized in that the lower stack edge has a circumferential nose and the upper stack edge has a corresponding recess.

10. Transport box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the round surfaces of the storage troughs (13) are supported by additional ribs.

11. Transport box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom (11) in the region of the storage troughs (13) is provided with a step heel (43).

12.Transport box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that supporting columns in the middle of the transport box are supported by additional transverse ribs.

13.Transport box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a card pocket insert (40) is provided.

14.Transport box according to claim 13, characterized in that the card pocket insert (40) has two vertically extending parallel to and in front of a side wall, in particular an end wall, arranged, each with a groove forming webs.

15. Transport box according to claim 14, characterized in that the webs of the card pocket insert (40) are cranked.

16.Transport box according to claim 15, characterized in that the webs of the card pocket insert (40) have an angle of 30 ° in their crank.

17. Transport box according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that formed by the webs of the card pocket insert (40) grooves are not closed at the bottom and allow insertion of cards up to a stop below the lower end of the webs.

1 β.Transportkasten according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom (11) with the bearing troughs (13) in the side walls (12) can be latched and exchanged.