EP2322437B1 - Plastic storage and transport container - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a storage and transport container, made of plastic, the removal side is provided with an upper edge and the bottom side with a stacking edge, wherein the upper edge is formed as open at the top profile, as by the EP 0 376 043 A1 on which the preamble of claim 1 is based, or US 4,418,829 A known.

At one of the DE 25 02 813 A1 known container, the upper edge of the walls is formed as a bead with a groove incorporated therein or -cut. In this case, the wall cut in the bead obtained by accumulation of material has an obliquely upwardly and outwardly extending groove side end lip. The stacking edge of this container consists of a circumferential, interrupted at the corners and in the middle of the container web. When stacking container stacking an upper container with its web into the groove of a lower container.

In order to achieve the goal of high container rigidity with favorable injection molding production and good runnability on a variety of known conveyor lines, numerous container designs have been implemented. Such from a floor and four walls, usually two end and two longitudinal walls, existing containers are used for storage and transport of a variety of products used, such as in the automotive industry for holding workpiece carriers, deep-drawn parts or the like. A flexible, oriented to the respective product dimensions recording is made possible by provided on the inner sides of the container walls screens.

The often large and heavy products require appropriately sized containers, which may have a basic size of, for example, 600 x 500 mm to even 1000 x 600 mm. Apart from the requirement that the containers must move on automatic conveyors or on roller and roller conveyors and the products must be handled with the help of robots, the stability is extremely problematic, especially for large containers with heavy loading. In containers known in the field, which are formed on the outer sides of their walls with a structure of intersecting vertical and horizontal ribs and in which a flat upper edge is supported by vertical ribs, it has been found that container damage inevitably occurs under load.

Due to the upper edge structure, the automatic gripping instruments, such as lifting devices or other special gripping systems, which attack from above or from the side, have little surface for Unterhaken or gripping. This is further complicated by the fact that the container can deform from the upper edge and / or even tear or is warped on the container walls due to the low torsional rigidity inwards. An optimal removal of the contents, which is close to the wall areas, by an automatic gripper or robot would be extremely difficult because the gripper / robot would collide against the warped inward container walls. In addition to the difficulty in handling the product, the gripping means itself can be damaged.

If the gripping device can not access the products as intended, malfunctions will occur in the automatic equipment, which will delay processes and reduce overall productivity. Although the container stability could be improved by a larger material thickness, but that would not only bring additional material and higher production costs, but also lead to a higher total weight of the container.

The invention is therefore an object of the invention to provide a generic container without the disadvantages mentioned, which in particular despite cost-effective production also for the transport and handling of heavy products sufficiently large stability offers and brings overall improved properties.

This object is achieved by the features stated in the characterizing part of the independent claim 1. By this profiling, in which the upper ends of the container walls thus also form part of the upper edge, receives the upper edge and thus the entire container significantly more stability and rigidity, with a deformation of the upper edge due to the particular acting in the carrying state of the container, load-related forces can be avoided. The automatic handling is not affected, because gripping means, a crane harness or the like can detect the container and the products unimpaired. Due to the oppositely open profile of the stacking edge such stability and rigidity is achieved in conjunction with the upper edge that additional horizontal ribs can be omitted, which prevent a uniform onward transport.

The top edge of the invention, which is opened upwards, makes it possible in an advantageous manner for water drainage holes to be provided in the bottom of the profile of the upper edge and for the purpose of making it possible to form lifting shafts there as well. The externally ensured water drain excludes that rainwater and dirt can accumulate.

The stability and rigidity of the container can be supported by the fact that the upper edge is subdivided by its opening dimension bridging wall / rib elements like a chamber.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention can be in the profile of the upper edge flush with this final filling strips insert, preferably arrange there with latching. Alternatively, the filling strips according to the invention may also be designed in such a way that they lie flat on the upper edge after insertion and locking in the upper edge and cover it over its entire width. The filling strips, expedient also plastic profiles that can be clipped in a simple manner by means of the locking means in the upper edge, leading to a further increase in the stability of the upper edge or container. They can be arranged distributed over the entire upper frame, but also use a corner bridging, that is, starting from a specific point in the front side over the corner to a certain point of the adjacent Longitudinal wall. In this case, the corner areas of the upper edge, which always have to withstand very large forces, would be primarily reinforced, which significantly improves the lateral torsional rigidity.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Gesamt-Draufsicht eines Behälters, der einen nach oben offenen Oberrand und einen schürzenartigen, nach unten offenen Stapelrand (vgl. Fig. 5) aufweist;

Fig. 2

den Behälter nach Fig. 1 in einer perspektivischen Teilansicht von oben;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Teilansicht auf einen Eckbereich des Behälters nach Fig. 1, von der Außenseite her gesehen;

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Teilansicht des Behälters nach Fig. 1 als Querschnitt durch eine Längswand im Bereich des U-förmigen Oberrandes;

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Teilansicht des Behälters nach Fig. 1 als Querschnitt durch eine gesamte Längswand, d.h. vom Oberrand bis zum Stapelrand;

Fig. 6

eine perspektivische Gesamt-Draufsicht eines Behälters wie in Fig. 1 dargestellt, demgegenüber mit in den Oberrand eingesetzten, als Farbkenner ausgebildeten Füllleisten;

Fig. 7

in einer perspektivischen Gesamtansicht zwei mit Füllleisten bestückte, übereinander gestapelte Behälter;

Fig. 8

in einer perspektivischen Ansicht als Einzelheit des Behälterstapels nach Fig. 7 einen Querschnitt des mit seinem Stapelrand den Oberrand des unteren Behälters übergreifenden oberen Behälters;

Fig. 9

in einer perspektivischen Ansicht als Einzelheit eine in einen Eckbereich des Behälters einsetzbare Füllleiste; und

Fig. 10

eine perspektivische Teilansicht des Behälters nach Fig. 1 als Querschnitt durch eine Längswand mit dem U-förmigen Oberrand und in den Oberrand eingesteckten Füllleisten, die gegenüber den Füllleisten gemäß Fig. 6 den Oberrand vollständig überdecken.

Further features and details of the invention will become apparent from the claims and the following description of illustrated in the drawings embodiments of the invention. Show it:

Fig. 1

an overall perspective view of a container having an upwardly open upper edge and a skirt-like, downwardly open stacking edge (see. Fig. 5 ) having;

Fig. 2

the container after Fig. 1 in a perspective partial view from above;

Fig. 3

a perspective partial view of a corner region of the container according to Fig. 1 , seen from the outside;

Fig. 4

a partial perspective view of the container after Fig. 1 as a cross section through a longitudinal wall in the region of the U-shaped upper edge;

Fig. 5

a partial perspective view of the container after Fig. 1 as a cross section through an entire longitudinal wall, ie from the upper edge to the stack edge;

Fig. 6

an overall perspective view of a container as in Fig. 1 represented, in contrast, used with in the upper edge, designed as a color connoisseur filler strips;

Fig. 7

in a perspective overall view of two equipped with filling strips, stacked containers;

Fig. 8

in a perspective view as a detail of the container stack after Fig. 7 a cross section of the stack with its upper edge of the lower container cross-upper container;

Fig. 9

in a perspective view as a detail insertable into a corner region of the container filling bar; and

Fig. 10

a partial perspective view of the container after Fig. 1 as a cross section through a longitudinal wall with the U-shaped upper edge and in the upper edge inserted filling strips, in relation to the filling strips according to Fig. 6 completely cover the upper edge.

An in Fig. 1 It is made of a bottom 2 and two end walls 3 and two longitudinal walls 4. It is also with an upwardly open, U-shaped upper edge 5 and a skirt-like, down towards open, also a U-shaped cross-section having stacking edge 6 (see Fig. 5 and 8th ) educated. On the inner sides of the container walls 3, 4 provided grids 7 allow not shown tool holder or thermoformed parts or the like to accommodate flexible.

How closer from the Fig. 4 and 5 can be seen, both the upper edge 5 and the stacking edge 6 are provided on one side projecting outward, with upper and lower end portions 5 a and 6 a of the container walls 3, 4 immediately provide an inner flange of the upper edge 5 and the stack edge 6. The upper edge 5 is through the web 5 b and the parallel to the outer sides of the container walls 3, 4 extending outer flange 5 c and the stack edge 6 is through the Bridge 6 b and the also parallel to the outer sides of the container walls 3, 4 extending outer skirt 6 c supplemented. On the outer sides of the container walls 3, 4 no horizontal ribs are arranged, but rather only vertical ribs 8 extend from the stack edge 6 to the upper edge 5, there respectively connected to the webs 5 b and 6 b.

The upper edge 5 is subdivided by wall or rib elements 9 like a chamber and is provided with lifting shafts 10 as well as in its profile bottom, ie in the webs 5 b arranged water drain holes 11 (see Fig. 2 to 4 ). Furthermore, at its inner flange 5 a distributed locking means 12 and distributed in its outer flange 5 c arranged openings or latching openings 13 as well as locking grooves 14 (see Fig. 3 . 4 ) intended.

When stacking containers 1, the upper container 1 b is placed with its stacking edge 6 over the upper edge 5 of the lower container 1 a, the outer skirt 6 c of the stack edge 6, the outer flange 5 c of the upper edge 5 something overlaps (see Fig. 7 . 8th ).

The Fig. 7 and 8th show container stacks in which Fig. 6 dargestelle container 1 with inserted into the U-profile of the upper edge 5 and therein with the locking means 12 and openings 13 and locking grooves 14 latched filling strips 15 a and 15 b are stacked on top of each other. A latchable in the corner of the upper edge 5 Eckfüllleiste 15 b is shown as a detail in Fig. 9 shown. It has to the latching means 12 complementary counter-latching means 16 as well as for engagement in the locking grooves 14 and in the openings 13 matched counter-latches 17 and 18, wherein the semicircular locking head 18 with recognizability from the outside, even in the stacking position (see. Fig. 7 ), immersed in the correspondingly contoured apertures or latching openings 13.

Another embodiment of a filling bar 19 is in Fig. 10 represented, which rests against the filler strips 15a and 15b after insertion into the U-profile of the upper edge 5 surface on the inner flange 5a and the outer flange 5c and thus covers the upper edge 5 in its entire width. Also, the filler strips 19 have for locking with the locking means 12 of the container 1 complementary counter-latching means 20 and for engagement in the locking grooves 14 counter latch means not shown here and adapted to the openings 13 semi-circular latching heads 21, also with detection from the outside, on.

The filler strips 15 a, 15 b and 19 are therefore in an excellent way as a color identification means for the immediate identification of the contents from the outside, according to the Fig. 10 to the outer flange 5c of the upper edge 5 reaching and the upper edge 5 in its entire width covering filling strips 19 when stacking containers 1 provide a smooth, flat support and also improve the carrying capacity.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1; 1 a, 1 b

Containers / storage and transport containers

2

ground

3

End wall / container wall

4

Longitudinal wall / container wall

5

U-shaped upper edge

5 a

Wall end section / inner flange

5 b

web

5 c

outer flange

6

stacking edge

6 a

Wall end section / inner flange

6 b

web

6 c

outer skirt

7

scanning

8th

vertical rib

9

Wall / rib element

10

hoist shaft

11

Water drain hole

12

latching means

13

Opening / locking opening

14

locking groove

15 a

Filling panel

15 b

Eckfüllleiste

16

Securing means

17

counter-latching

18

Counter catch / semicircular locking head

19

Fill Panels

20

Securing means

21

semicircular locking head

Claims (7)

1. A storage and transport container (1; 1a, 1b), fabricated out of plastic, whose removal side is provided with an upper edge (5) and whose bottom side is provided with a stacking edge (6), wherein the upper edge (5) is designed as an upwardly open profile,
   characterized in that
   the upper edge (5) provided on the container walls (3, 4) unilaterally protrudes outwardly, wherein the upper ends of the container walls simultaneously form an inner flange (5 a) of the upper edge (5), and the outer flange (5 c) of the upper edge (5) runs parallel to the exterior sides of the container walls (3, 4), and that the stacking edge (6) is designed as a downwardly open profile, which is provided so as to unilaterally protrude outwardly, wherein the lower end sections of the container walls (3, 4) at once form an inner flange (6a) of the stacking edge (6), and an outer skirt (6c) of the stacking edge (6) runs parallel to the exterior sides of the container walls (3, 4).
2. The container according to claim 1,
   characterized by
   a U-shaped upper edge (5).
3. The container according to one of claims 1 or 2,
   characterized in that
   the upper edge (5) is divided into chambers by its wall/rib elements (9), which span its opening dimensions.
4. The container according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   characterized by
   filler strips (15a, 15 b) inserted into the profile of the upper edge (5) so as end flush with the latter.
5. The container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by
   filler strips (19) inserted into the profile of the upper edge (5), which flatly cover the entire width of the upper edge (5).
6. The container according to claim 4 or 5,
   characterized in that
   the filler strips (15 a, 15b, 19) are latched in the upper edge (5).
7. The container according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that
   at least one latching means (18, 21) of the filler strip (15 a, 15 b, 19) engages into an outwardly continuous latching opening (13) of the upper edge (5).

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