EP0921989B1 - Tray for bottles - Google Patents

Tray for bottles Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0921989B1
EP0921989B1 EP97932104A EP97932104A EP0921989B1 EP 0921989 B1 EP0921989 B1 EP 0921989B1 EP 97932104 A EP97932104 A EP 97932104A EP 97932104 A EP97932104 A EP 97932104A EP 0921989 B1 EP0921989 B1 EP 0921989B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tray
bottles
legs
protrusions
receiving means
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP97932104A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0921989A1 (en
Inventor
Karl-Gustav Kristoffersson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Perstorp AB
Original Assignee
Perstorp AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Perstorp AB filed Critical Perstorp AB
Publication of EP0921989A1 publication Critical patent/EP0921989A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0921989B1 publication Critical patent/EP0921989B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D71/70—Trays provided with projections or recesses in order to assemble multiple articles, e.g. intermediate elements for stacking

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a tray for bottles.
  • Transport packages such as crates for one-way or returnable bottles are quite common nowadays. These are usually designed so that they protect the bottles from thrusts and strikes since the bottles most often have been manufactured of glass.
  • One advantage with these types of packages is that they have a very good stability towards the swaying that such packages will be exposed to during transport.
  • One disadvantage is that these packages are very volume demanding during transport and storage when empty.
  • bottles are not nearly as sensitive to thrusts and strikes as glass bottles and do therefore not need a protecting package. They can also be used for carrying the load of packages placed above since they are insensitive to thrusts, whereby the height of the package can be made lower than the height of the bottle.
  • a disadvantage with bottle trays is however the relatively poor stability towards swaying of a stack of such trays containing bottles.
  • a stack of trays containing bottles can easily overturn as each individual bottle tilts at strong breaking or at high corner speeds. This might cause hundreds of bottles to fall to the ground.
  • the stability can also be increased by securing the stack with stretch foil, tensional strapping or other similar load-securing devices. This would however cause an unwanted increase in material used. The time consumed when stacking and de-stacking the bottles and the trays would also increase. Additionally the amount of unwanted waste is increased.
  • bottle trays Yet another disadvantage with bottle trays is that bottles in the tray can bounce out of the top tray during shaky transports. It can also in certain cases be desirable that labels of the bottles are directed in the same direction for the best presentation of the goods. This is however impossible at the existing types of trays since even very small vibrations will bring the bottles to rotate randomly.
  • the invention relates to a tray for bottles, preferably different types of re-usable and one-way bottles of polymeric material such as polyvinylchloride and polyalkyleneterephthalates.
  • the bottles are provided with a bottom member and a side member.
  • the upper side of the tray is provided with a number of receiving means for the reception of the lower parts of the bottles.
  • a number of parting and orienting tower-like protrusions are placed between the receiving means.
  • the invention is characterised in that the protrusions are provided with a number of resilient legs forming an integrated part of the tray by being connected to the tray or the protrusions via a leg base.
  • the legs extend upwards forming the sides of the protrusions.
  • the legs are further provided with mainly vertical ribs directed mainly towards the centre of the bottles. The legs are pressing towards the lower parts of the bottles so that the bottles will be held in position. It is hereby prevented that the bottles rotate, or that they bounce out of the tray during transport. All receiving means in the tray are preferably provided with legs with ribs placed at the protrusions.
  • the ribs placed on the legs are preferably provided with an undercut so that a circle A' touching the ribs placed around a receiving means at a height H' above the upper bottom surface of the tray is smaller than a circle A" touching the same ribs at a lower height H" above the upper bottom surface of the tray.
  • the tray is preferably manufactured through injection moulding of a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyamide, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenecopolymer, polyvinylchloride or the like.
  • a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyamide, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenecopolymer, polyvinylchloride or the like.
  • Figure 1 shows schematically a part of a tray 1 for one-way and returnable bottles 10 made from polymeric material.
  • the upper side of the tray 1 is provided with a number of receiving means 2 for the reception of the lower parts of the bottles 10.
  • a number of separating and orienting tower-like protrusions 3 are placed between the receiving means 2.
  • the protrusions 3 are provided with a number of resilient legs 4 which press towards the lower parts of the bottles 10 so that the bottles 10 are held in position. Rotation and bouncing of the bottles 10 in the tray 1 during transport are hereby prevented.
  • Figure 2 shows schematically a part of a second embodiment of a tray 1 with receiving means 2 between which a number of separating and orienting protrusions 3 are placed.
  • the protrusions 3 are provided with a number of resilient legs 4 which are connected to the protrusions 3 via a leg base 5.
  • the legs 4 extend upwards along the sides of the protrusions 3.
  • the legs 4 are further provided with vertical ribs 6 directed towards the centre of the bottles 10.
  • the ribs 6 placed on the legs 4 are provided with an undercut so that a circle A' touching the ribs 6, placed around a receiving means 2, at a height H' above the upper bottom surface of the tray 1 is smaller than a circle A" touching the same ribs 6 at a lower height H" above the upper bottom surface of the tray 1.
  • Figure 3 shows schematically a receiving means 2 with surrounding protrusions 3 in cross-section.
  • the protrusions are provided with a number of resilient legs 4 which are connected to the protrusions 3 via a leg base 5.
  • the legs extend upwards along the sides of the protrusions 3.
  • the legs 4 are further provided with vertical ribs 6 directed towards the centre of the bottles 10.
  • Figure 4 shows different existing types of re-usable and one-way bottles 10 of polymeric material.
  • the bottles are provided with a bottom member 12 and a side member 13.
  • Bottles with a protruding bottom member 12 are most suitable for use together with the invention since a snap-lock is achieved.
  • bottles 10 without such a protruding bottom member 12 can advantageously be used together with the invention.
  • the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown since they can be varied within the scope of the invention.
  • the legs can, per example in their free end be provided with a bellow-like spring. A greater holding force is hereby achieved.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Buffer Packaging (AREA)
  • Packaging Frangible Articles (AREA)
  • Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
  • Crystals, And After-Treatments Of Crystals (AREA)
  • Optical Measuring Cells (AREA)
  • Control And Other Processes For Unpacking Of Materials (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

Abstract

Tray (1) for bottles (10) of polymeric material. The upper side of the tray (1) is provided with a number of receiving means (2) for the reception of the lower parts of the bottles (10). A number of parting and orienting tower-like protrusions (3) are placed between the receiving means (2). The protrusions (3) are provided with a number of resilient legs (4) forming an integrated part of the tray (1). The legs (4) extend upwards forming the sides of the protrusions (3). The legs (4) are provided with mainly vertical ribs (6) directed mainly towards the centre of the bottles (10). The legs (4) are pressing towards the lower parts of the bottles (10) so that the bottles (10) will be held in position during transport.

Description

The present invention relates to a tray for bottles.
Transport packages such as crates for one-way or returnable bottles are quite common nowadays. These are usually designed so that they protect the bottles from thrusts and strikes since the bottles most often have been manufactured of glass. One advantage with these types of packages is that they have a very good stability towards the swaying that such packages will be exposed to during transport. One disadvantage is that these packages are very volume demanding during transport and storage when empty.
One type of bottle that has become more common during the recent years is the one-way and returnable bottle made from polymeric materials. These bottles are not nearly as sensitive to thrusts and strikes as glass bottles and do therefore not need a protecting package. They can also be used for carrying the load of packages placed above since they are insensitive to thrusts, whereby the height of the package can be made lower than the height of the bottle.
This type of transport packages, normally called trays, will give considerable advantages when transported and stored empty, since the height of the tray can be made considerably lower than bottle crates Trays do further allow a somewhat higher amount of bottles per area unit than the bottle crate. The amount of material needed per carried bottle for the manufacturing of a bottle tray is also considerably lower then the corresponding amount of material in a bottle crate.
A disadvantage with bottle trays is however the relatively poor stability towards swaying of a stack of such trays containing bottles. A stack of trays containing bottles can easily overturn as each individual bottle tilts at strong breaking or at high corner speeds. This might cause hundreds of bottles to fall to the ground. This might be solved by providing the tray with upwards or downwards directed supports, see e.g. US-A-5 263 605 which would enhance the stability. This would however cause the tray to be more volume demanding when transported and stored empty. Thereby a good quality would be lost. The stability can also be increased by securing the stack with stretch foil, tensional strapping or other similar load-securing devices. This would however cause an unwanted increase in material used. The time consumed when stacking and de-stacking the bottles and the trays would also increase. Additionally the amount of unwanted waste is increased.
Yet another disadvantage with bottle trays is that bottles in the tray can bounce out of the top tray during shaky transports. It can also in certain cases be desirable that labels of the bottles are directed in the same direction for the best presentation of the goods. This is however impossible at the existing types of trays since even very small vibrations will bring the bottles to rotate randomly.
It has, according to the present invention, been possible to solve the problems and drawbacks and a bottle tray where the bottles stand firmly has been achieved. The invention relates to a tray for bottles, preferably different types of re-usable and one-way bottles of polymeric material such as polyvinylchloride and polyalkyleneterephthalates. The bottles are provided with a bottom member and a side member. The upper side of the tray is provided with a number of receiving means for the reception of the lower parts of the bottles. A number of parting and orienting tower-like protrusions are placed between the receiving means. The invention is characterised in that the protrusions are provided with a number of resilient legs forming an integrated part of the tray by being connected to the tray or the protrusions via a leg base. The legs extend upwards forming the sides of the protrusions. The legs are further provided with mainly vertical ribs directed mainly towards the centre of the bottles. The legs are pressing towards the lower parts of the bottles so that the bottles will be held in position. It is hereby prevented that the bottles rotate, or that they bounce out of the tray during transport. All receiving means in the tray are preferably provided with legs with ribs placed at the protrusions.
The ribs placed on the legs are preferably provided with an undercut so that a circle A' touching the ribs placed around a receiving means at a height H' above the upper bottom surface of the tray is smaller than a circle A" touching the same ribs at a lower height H" above the upper bottom surface of the tray.
The tray is preferably manufactured through injection moulding of a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyamide, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenecopolymer, polyvinylchloride or the like.
The invention is explained further together with the enclosed drawings showing two embodiments of the invention wherein,
  • figure 1 shows schematically a part of a tray for bottles
  • figure 2 shows schematically a second embodiment of a tray.
  • figure 3 shows schematically and in cross-section a receiving means.
  • figure 4 shows different embodiments of existing bottles.
Figure 1 shows schematically a part of a tray 1 for one-way and returnable bottles 10 made from polymeric material. The upper side of the tray 1 is provided with a number of receiving means 2 for the reception of the lower parts of the bottles 10. A number of separating and orienting tower-like protrusions 3 are placed between the receiving means 2. The protrusions 3 are provided with a number of resilient legs 4 which press towards the lower parts of the bottles 10 so that the bottles 10 are held in position. Rotation and bouncing of the bottles 10 in the tray 1 during transport are hereby prevented.
Figure 2 shows schematically a part of a second embodiment of a tray 1 with receiving means 2 between which a number of separating and orienting protrusions 3 are placed. The protrusions 3 are provided with a number of resilient legs 4 which are connected to the protrusions 3 via a leg base 5. The legs 4 extend upwards along the sides of the protrusions 3. The legs 4 are further provided with vertical ribs 6 directed towards the centre of the bottles 10. The ribs 6 placed on the legs 4 are provided with an undercut so that a circle A' touching the ribs 6, placed around a receiving means 2, at a height H' above the upper bottom surface of the tray 1 is smaller than a circle A" touching the same ribs 6 at a lower height H" above the upper bottom surface of the tray 1.
Figure 3 shows schematically a receiving means 2 with surrounding protrusions 3 in cross-section. The protrusions are provided with a number of resilient legs 4 which are connected to the protrusions 3 via a leg base 5. The legs extend upwards along the sides of the protrusions 3. The legs 4 are further provided with vertical ribs 6 directed towards the centre of the bottles 10.
Figure 4 shows different existing types of re-usable and one-way bottles 10 of polymeric material. The bottles are provided with a bottom member 12 and a side member 13. Bottles with a protruding bottom member 12 are most suitable for use together with the invention since a snap-lock is achieved. However also bottles 10 without such a protruding bottom member 12 can advantageously be used together with the invention.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown since they can be varied within the scope of the invention. The legs can, per example in their free end be provided with a bellow-like spring. A greater holding force is hereby achieved.

Claims (4)

  1. Tray (1) for bottles (10), preferably different types of re-usable and one-way bottles of polymeric material such as polyvinylchloride and polyalkyleneterephthalates wherein the bottles (10) are provided with a bottom member (12) and a side member (13), the upper side of the tray (1) is provided with a number of receiving means (2) for the reception of the lower parts of the bottles (10), and a number of parting and orienting tower-like protrusions (3) are placed between the receiving means (2), characterised in that the protrusions (3) are provided with a number of resilient legs (4) forming an integrated part of the tray (1) by being connected to the tray (1) or the protrusions (3) via a leg base (5) wherein the legs (4) extend upwards forming the sides of the protrusions (3), that the legs (4) are provided with mainly vertical ribs (6) directed mainly towards the centre of the bottles (10) and that the legs (4) are pressing towards the lower parts of the bottles (10) so that the bottles (10) will be held in position whereby it is prevented that the bottles (10) rotate, or that they (10) bounce out of the tray (1) during transport.
  2. Tray (1) according to claim 1 characterised in that the ribs (6) placed on the legs (4) are provided with an undercut so that a circle A' touching the ribs (6) placed around a receiving means (2) at a height H' above the upper bottom surface of the tray (1) is smaller than a circle A" touching the same ribs (6) at a lower height H" above the upper bottom surface of the tray (1).
  3. Tray (1) according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that all receiving means (2) in the tray (1) are provided with legs (4) with ribs (6) placed at the protrusions (3).
  4. Tray (1) according to any of the claims 1 - 3 characterised in that the tray is manufactured through injection moulding of a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyamide, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenecopolymer, polyvinylchloride or the like.
EP97932104A 1996-08-21 1997-07-04 Tray for bottles Expired - Lifetime EP0921989B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9603020A SE512679C2 (en) 1996-08-21 1996-08-21 Bottle tray device
SE9603020 1996-08-21
PCT/SE1997/001211 WO1998007636A1 (en) 1996-08-21 1997-07-04 Tray for bottles

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0921989A1 EP0921989A1 (en) 1999-06-16
EP0921989B1 true EP0921989B1 (en) 2000-11-29

Family

ID=20403600

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97932104A Expired - Lifetime EP0921989B1 (en) 1996-08-21 1997-07-04 Tray for bottles

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0921989B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE197786T1 (en)
AU (1) AU3564397A (en)
DE (1) DE69703625T2 (en)
DK (1) DK0921989T3 (en)
NO (1) NO990762L (en)
SE (1) SE512679C2 (en)
WO (1) WO1998007636A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7017746B2 (en) 2001-04-16 2006-03-28 Rehrig Pacific Company Stackable low depth tray
US8893891B2 (en) 2008-03-31 2014-11-25 Rehrig Pacific Company Stackable low depth tray
US9475602B2 (en) 2008-10-06 2016-10-25 Rehrig Pacific Company Stackable low depth tray
GB2476270B (en) * 2009-12-17 2014-07-09 Ds Smith Plastics Ltd Bottle tray
DE202013102585U1 (en) 2013-06-17 2013-06-25 Schoeller Arca Systems Gmbh Double-sided bottle tray
MX2015016756A (en) 2014-12-04 2016-06-03 Rehrig Pacific Co Beverage crate.
USD831962S1 (en) 2017-12-22 2018-10-30 Rehrig Pacific Company Beverage crate
US11390415B2 (en) 2018-10-25 2022-07-19 Rehrig Pacific Company Nestable bottle crate

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2530226A1 (en) * 1982-07-16 1984-01-20 Saint Gobain Emballage INTERIOR TRAYS FOR PALLET LOADS
FR2653755B1 (en) * 1989-10-26 1992-08-28 Caton Andre INTERMEDIATE TRAYS FOR PALLETIZED LOADS CONVERTIBLE INTO A DISPLAY FOR SALE.
FI94044C (en) * 1992-09-29 1995-07-25 Hartwall Ab Oy Packaging for bottles
NO179636B1 (en) * 1994-10-20 2000-02-21 Hartwall K Oy Ab Stacking tray, especially for bottles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DK0921989T3 (en) 2000-12-27
EP0921989A1 (en) 1999-06-16
NO990762D0 (en) 1999-02-18
WO1998007636A1 (en) 1998-02-26
ATE197786T1 (en) 2000-12-15
SE9603020D0 (en) 1996-08-21
SE512679C2 (en) 2000-05-02
AU3564397A (en) 1998-03-06
SE9603020L (en) 1998-02-22
DE69703625D1 (en) 2001-01-04
DE69703625T2 (en) 2001-05-03
NO990762L (en) 1999-04-09

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