Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
  • B65D21/08—Containers of variable capacity
  • B65D21/086—Collapsible or telescopic containers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a receptacle for various uses, the dimensions of which are variable, and which can be used in particular for packaging, handling, storage, transport and presentation, in particular in stores, of all consumer products, or even of articles. of all types.
• the receptacle actually consists of an improvement to that which is the subject of patent application FR-A-8810920 by the same inventor.
• Such receptacles are in fact known, in particular from the aforementioned document, the width of which is adjustable and which are formed by two elements cooperating with each other by fingers which have the bottom part of each element, so as to be nested one inside the other and thus allow the width of the receptacle to be adjusted by bringing these elements closer together or further apart by sliding the fingers together.
• the adjustment of the width of the receptacle is limited, in practice to an enlargement of approximately one third of the minimum width, due to the very design of the two constituent elements and in order to ensure sufficient rigidity of the assembly.
• the object of the invention consists in providing a receptacle of the aforementioned type, but the width of which can be extended beyond the aforementioned limit, on the one hand, and which is adjustable in depth, on the other hand, that is to say in a direction perpendicular to that of the known receptacle, this in particular in order to present only one model of receptacle which can, whatever its dimensions, be optimally placed on a standard pallet.
• the receptacle for multiple uses and of dimensions which are variable longitudinally and laterally, object of the invention, and which comprises a flat bottom and lateral and longitudinal extension devices cooperating with said bottom by sliding elongated members which these extension devices have and which are integral with walls forming the walls of the receptacle in the mounting position.
• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the receptacle according to the invention.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view according to one embodiment of the mounting positions according to Figure 1.
• L 3a is a plan view of a bottom member of the first embodiment
• Figures 3b and 3c are section views (according to AA) respectively from the side of this element.
• FIG. 4a is a plan view of a main element of a longitudinal extension device of the first embodiment
• FIGS. 4b and 4c are views from the side and from the front respectively of this element.
• Figures 5a and 5b are plan views respecti ⁇ vely side of a secondary element of a longitudinal extension device of the first embodiment.
• Figures 6a and 6b are plan views respecti ⁇ vely front of a main element of a lateral extension device of the first embodiment
• Figure 7 is a plan view of a secondary element of this device .
• Figure 8 is a plan view in one of the mounting positions of a second embodiment consisting of a simplified variant of the first embodiment.
• FIG. 9 is a plan view of the bottom of the simplified version according to FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a plan view of a longitudinal extension element of this variant.
• FIGS. 11a and 11b are plan views respectively from the front of a lateral extension element of the variant according to FIG. 8.
• Figures 12 and 13 illustrate plan views in two different mounting positions of a third embodiment of the receptacle according to the invention.
• FIGS 14 and 15 are detailed perspective views showing two of the bottom elements of the se- this realization.
• FIGS. 12 to 18 are detailed perspective views illustrating the three types of extension elements of the third embodiment.
• FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of a variant of the third embodiment according to FIGS. 12 to 18.
• Figure 20 is a plan view in a service position of a fourth embodiment
• Figures 21 and 22 are perspective views respectively in section of details of this fourth embodiment.
• Figure 23 is a partial perspective view from below of a first variant of the fourth embodiment.
• Figures 24 and 25 are partial cross-sectional views of the expandable bottom of a second variant of the fourth embodiment in two service positions.
• the first embodiment of the illustrated invention is formed by two bottom elements 1, 2, two longi ⁇ tudinal extension devices 3, 4 and two devices d 'lateral extension 5, 6.
• the two bottom elements 1, 2 are produced in a similar manner to the two parts of the bottom structure of the receptacle according to patent application FR-A-8810920, but in which the base and the section section in Greek (profile forming grooves and ribs) are replaced by a structure formed by longi ⁇ tudinal hollow fingers 7 and crosspieces 8, the longitudinal fingers 7 being arranged parallel to one another with a longitudinal space 9 between them of a width slightly greater than that of the fingers 7, and the crosspieces 8 being integral with the longitudinal fingers 7 also parallel to one another and with intervals 10 slightly larger than the width of the transverse fingers 27 described below; the crosspieces 8 are arranged under the longitudinal fingers 7 only over a part (approximately half) of the length of the sheet formed by them.
• the two longitudinal extension devices 3, 4 are each formed of a main element 11 and two secondary elements 12, 12 '.
• the main element 11 com ⁇ carries hollow longitudinal fingers 13, separated by an interval 14, and the width of which is slightly less than the cavity 7 'presented by the fingers 7 of the bottom elements 1, 2.
• the longitudinal fingers 13 of the main elements 11 are secured to a wall 15 perpen ⁇ dicular to the open end of said fingers 13, the ca ⁇ vity 13 'thereof opening onto corresponding apertures 15' that the wall 15.
• the secondary longitudinal extension elements 12, 12 ' each comprise a wall 16 and longitudinal bars 17 secured perpendicularly to said wall 16 and whose width is slightly less than that of the orifices 15' and of the 13 'cavity PC17IB97 / 00565
• the bars 17 of the secondary elements 12, 12 'of the longitudi ⁇ nal extension devices 3, 4 have the same slots with transverse recesses 17' as the hollow fingers 7, 13.
• the main element 24 is formed by two series of hollow transverse fingers 26, 27 situated in two parallel horizontal planes separated by a distance slightly greater than the non-crenellated thickness of the longitudinal fingers 7 of the bottom elements 1, 2, the transverse fingers 26 of the upper plane being offset from those 27 of the lower plane.
• the transverse fingers 26, 27 are separated from each other, in each of the horizontal planes, by an interval 28 corresponding to the distance between two non-contiguous creu ⁇ sures 19 of the longitudinal fingers 7 of the bottom elements 1, 2.
• the cavities 26 ', 27' of the fingers 26, 27 open into openings 29, 30 made in the wall 31 of the main element 24 and of which the transverse fingers 26, 27 are integral.
• the two secondary elements 25, 25 ′ of the lateral extension devices 0, 6 each comprise a wall 32 and rods 33, 34 secured perpendicularly to said wall 32 and also arranged in two parallel horizontal planes separated by the same distance vertically as the planes containing the hollow transverse fingers 26, 27 of the main element 24, and also offset like said fingers 26, 27 and separated by the same interval 28.
• FIGS. 6 ab and 7. The constituent elements 24, 25, 25 'of the lateral extension devices 5, 6 are illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 6 ab and 7. It can be seen in particular in FIG. 6b that the openings 29, 30 made in the wall 31 of the main element 24 may advantageously have notches 35, and in FIG. 6a that the hollow transverse fingers 26, 27 are also in the shape of a ⁇ , the open end of the latter opening into the openings 29, 30 of the wall 31.
• the rods 33, 34 may each have an axial rib 36, located 0565
• the receptacle according to the invention as illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1 and 2 further comprises four corner pieces 37 provided with a flap 38 and intended to hold the various constituent elements of the receptacle once the dimension of the latter has been chosen, more particularly by cooperating with the upper edges of the corner ends of the walls 16, 32 of the elements of longitudinal extension 12, 12 ′ respectively lateral 25, 25 'secondary.
• the main part of the bottom of the receptacle is first formed by assembling the two bottom elements 1, 2 so that the longitudinal fingers 7 of one come to overlap between the longitudinal fingers 7 of the other by sliding the latter in the interstellars 9. Then the main elements 12 of the longitudinal extension devices 3, 4 are introduced on each side of the bottom elements 1, 2, by sliding their longitudinal fingers 13 into the cavities 7 'of the longitudinal fingers 7 of said bottom elements. The final total length 5 of the receptacle is therefore adjusted by coulisse ⁇ ing the two bottom elements 1, 2 and the two main elements 12 of the longitudinal extension devices 3, 4.
• the respective positions of the above-mentioned constituent elements can then be blocked by the introduction of the lateral extension devices 5, 6; more particularly, the upper transverse fingers 26 of the main elements 24 of these devices cooperate with the transverse recesses 19 of the longitudinal fingers 7 of the bottom elements 1, 2, if appropriate with those 21 of the longitudinal fingers 13 of the main elements and those 17 'of the bars 17 of the secondary elements of the longitudinal extension devices 3, 4.
• the lower fingers 27 of the main elements 24 of the lateral extension devices 5, 6 are introduced below the longitudinal fingers 7 of the bottom elements and so as to cooperate with the spaces 10 located between the cross members 8 integral of these fingers 7.
• the secondary elements 25, 25 ′ of the lateral extension devices 5, 6 can be assembled so as to complete the receptacle; more particularly, the rods 33, 34 are introduced into the orifices 29, 30 of the wall 31 of the main element 24, and into the speeds 26 ', 27' of the corresponding fingers, depending on the total desired length of the receptacle.
• receptacles may be produced, preferably made of plastic, the dimensions of which range from 300 to 600 mm in length, passing through 400 and 500 (with steps of 50 mm between the fingers), and from 266.66 to 400 mm in width, passing through 300 (with steps of 32 mm between the fingers), which makes it possible to arrange them, whatever the dimension chosen, rationally on a standardized pallet of 800 x 1200 cm or 1000 x 1200 cm.
• Figures 8 to 11 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention corresponding to a simplified variant of the first embodiment described above with reference to Figures 1 to 7, in which the bottom 40 is in one piece and formed by hollow fingers 41 having in plan the shape of a U and joined longitudinally so that the open end of one finger is adjacent to the closed end of the next finger and vice versa (see fig. 9).
• the longitudinal extension device comprises, on each side of the bottom 40 a longitudi ⁇ nal extension element 42 formed of longitudinal fingers 43 secured by one of their ends to a wall 44 ( Figure 10), and intended to cooperate by sliding with the longitudinal cavities 41 ′ of the hollow fingers 41 for adjusting the length of the receptacle mounted.
• this variant comprises lateral tension ex ⁇ devices each formed of two lateral extension elements 45 as illustrated in Figures 11a and 11b.
• Each element 45 comprises two series of transverse fingers 46, 47 arranged in two parallel horizontal planes separated by a corresponding distance approxi- matively to the thickness of the fingers 41 forming the bottom 40, the fingers 46 of the upper plane being offset with respect to those 47 of the lower plane; the two series of fingers 46, 47 are secured by one of their ends to a wall 48.
• each component part as described above is made of an appropriate plastic material.
• the third embodiment of the receptacle according to the invention comprises a bottom 50 formed of three separate elements, namely a central bottom element 51 and two lateral bottom elements 52, as well as two longitudinal-lateral extension devices each formed by a central extension element 53 and two corner elements 54, 55.
• the bottom elements 51, 52 are constituted by the assembly of T-sections 56 arranged parallel to each other and held by lower crosspieces 57, the lateral bottom elements further comprising each an external wall 58 secured and parallel to the profiles 56 (see Figures 14 and 15).
• each of the elements has an inner wall 59, also parallel to the sections 56, and which is extends downward to serve as a support member for the receptacle.
• these elements also have one or two vertical beam (s) 60 also serving as support member (s) secured to the lower crosspieces 57.
• the central element 53 of the longitudinal-lateral extension devices has a wall 61 and three transverse fingers 62, perpendicularly integral with said wall 61 ( Figure 16).
• the corner elements 54, 55 ( Figures 17 and 18) each have two walls perpendicular to each other 63, 64 respectively 65, 66 and transverse fingers 62 identical to those of the central element 53 and integral perpendicularly to one of said walls 63, 65.
• the two types of corner elements 54, 55 are also provided with feet 67 arranged below the portion of each transverse finger 62 integral with the wall 63, 65.
• each transverse finger 62 of the three types of corner elements 53, 54, 55 have a shoulder 68 over the entire length of said finger 62, so as to cooperate with the T-shaped portion of the profiles 56 background elements 51, 52.
• the mounting of the receptacle according to the third embodiment is illustrated in the two figures 12 and 13.
• the first represents the receptacle in its largest dimensions both in length and in width (for example 300 x 600 mm), and the second according to its smallest dimensions (200 x 400 mm).
• the walls of the bottom elements 52 and of the extension elements 53 and 55 are slidably mounted one inside the other thanks to returns 58 ', 61', 65 'along the edge upper wall 58 of bottom element 52 and walls 61 and 65 of extension elements 53 and 55.
• the walls 63, 64 of a corner element 54 slide inside the walls 58, 61 of the bottom element 52 and of the central extension element 53, these walls 58, 61 sliding in turn telescopically in the walls 65 and 66 of the other corner element 55.
• the receptacle Depending on the type of articles or objects to be stored and transported on the receptacle according to the second embodiment, and more particularly when it is in its most open mounting position (fig. 12), it can be 'prove necessary to have on the bottom elements 52 a plate or a grid, for example of corrugated cardboard or plastic.
• FIG. 19 A variant of the third embodiment described above is illustrated in FIG. 19; this variant is distinguished in that it includes bottom elements and lateral extension elements which are removable.
• two complementary bottom elements 70 are arranged between the central bottom element
• Each additional bottom element 70 is formed by the assembly of several U-shaped profiles 71, the free upper edges of which are folded inwards.
• this embodiment also includes transverse extension elements 72 cooperating with each of the two complementary bottom elements 70, so that the transverse fingers 73 of these transverse tension elements 72 cooperate with the elongated cavity that each U-shaped section 71 forms.
• These transverse fingers 73 preferably have upper longitudinal shoulders 74, which cooperate with the folded positions of the U-shaped profiles 71 in order to prevent said fingers 73 from coming up from the elongated cavities of the profiles 71 They are moreover integral with a wall 75 perpendicular to said fingers 73, this wall 75 being slidably mounted laterally in the internal face of the wall 61 of the central element 53.
• the bottom elements 51 ′, 52 ′ are distinguished from those 51,52 of the third embodiment on the one hand in that the T-profiles form these elements having formations 56 ′ essentially serving to facilitate manufacturing of these elements and more particularly the demolding of these; on the other hand, these bottom elements 51 ′, 52 ′ also have longitudinal extensions 76,77 intended to support the bottom elements that are complementary 72 when these are in their position between the lateral bottom elements 52 ′ and the central bottom element 51 '.
• the fourth embodiment of the receptacle according to the invention has a bottom 80 in a single extensible piece formed of profiles 81 parallel and connected to each other by a system of braces each formed by two bars 82.82 'pi ⁇ voting one on the other by their middle and each end of which is provided with a pivot 83, this pivot being slidably mounted in a lower longitudinal opening 84 which each section 81 has (fig. . 22).
• the profiles 81 also have an upper longitudinal opening 85 in the form of a U, the upper edges of which are folded down towards the longitudinal axis of the said profile.
• the upper openings 85 of the profiles 81 of the extendable bottom 80 are intended to receive in the service position transverse fingers 86, these fingers being soli ⁇ darly perpendicular to sliding members 87, the latter being mounted movable against the internal wall of each portion wall forming the wall of said receptacle.
• each transverse finger 86 has two longitudinal shoulders 86 'cooperating in the service position with the folded portions 85', so that the fingers 86 cannot exit vertically from the grooves 85.
• the external wall of the receptacle is formed, for example as illustrated in FIG. 21, by four corner elements 88, by two central wall elements 89, by two bottom walls 90 forming the lateral ends of the extendable bottom 80, and of four extension elements 91.
• the upper and in ⁇ ferior edges 88 ′, 89 ′ of the wall elements 88, 89 are repressed towards their internal face so as to form two slides between which the sliding members 87 are mounted to allow the movement of the fingers 86 in the horizontal plane and along the transver ⁇ dirty walls of the receptacle.
• the extension elements 91 are intended to adjust the final length of each side of said receptacle in the desired mounted position.
• the length of the receptacle can be adjusted by longitudinal stretching or compression of the bottom 80, and its width by the sliding of the side fingers 86 in the profiles 81 forming said bottom 80.
• the cross-pieces 82, 82 ′ forming the extendable bottom 80 are mounted slightly differently from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 20 ; more particularly, the pivots 83 situated at the ends of said cross pieces 82, 82 ′ are mounted here in the ou- PT / IB97 / 00565
• FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate in cross section a partial view of a variant of the flexible bottom of the fourth embodiment, the other constituent elements of which are identical to those illustrated in FIG. 21, in particular with regard to the alisation and mounting of the transverse fingers and the wall of the receptacle.
• the extendable bottom 95 of this variant is formed by a panel 96, for example made from polyethylene or polypropylene, and having profiled transverse formations 97 defining transverse openings 85 similar to those of profiles 81 forming the extensible bottom 80 of FIGS. 20 to 23.
• This panel 96 also has folding starters 98 parallel to the sections 97 and making it possible to pass from an extreme position, corresponding to the longest length of said bottom 95 (FIG. 24), to the 'other, corresponding to the minimum length of said bottom 95 ( Figure 25), this in the manner of an accordion, and vice versa.
• the lateral ends of the extendable and retractable accordion-shaped bottom 95 are each provided with a wall 90 forming the central portion of the lateral walls of the receptacle.
• This embodiment of the receptacle according to the invention is simpler and less expensive to manufacture, and allows more flexible use, since the adjustment of its dimensions does not depend in particular on fixed steps between extension fingers and hollow profiles forming the bottom as is the case with other forms previously described.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Rigid Containers With Two Or More Constituent Elements (AREA)
• Table Devices Or Equipment (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)
• Devices For Use In Laboratory Experiments (AREA)
• Cartons (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9492460

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

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• 1996
  • 1996-05-20 FR FR9606522A patent/FR2748730B3/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1997
  • 1997-05-16 AU AU27100/97A patent/AU2710097A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-05-16 AT AT97920888T patent/ATE202756T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-05-16 US US09/194,210 patent/US6076692A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-05-16 DE DE69705522T patent/DE69705522D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-05-16 WO PCT/IB1997/000565 patent/WO1997044257A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-05-16 EP EP97920888A patent/EP0910538B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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