EP2371725B1 - Caisse - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP2371725B1
EP2371725B1 EP10158374A EP10158374A EP2371725B1 EP 2371725 B1 EP2371725 B1 EP 2371725B1 EP 10158374 A EP10158374 A EP 10158374A EP 10158374 A EP10158374 A EP 10158374A EP 2371725 B1 EP2371725 B1 EP 2371725B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
crate
side wall
crates
larger
vent holes
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.)
Active
Application number
EP10158374A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP2371725A1 (fr
Inventor
Wolfgang Orgeldinger
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.)
IFCO Systems GmbH
Original Assignee
IFCO Systems GmbH
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 IFCO Systems GmbH filed Critical IFCO Systems GmbH
Priority claimed from US12/749,722 external-priority patent/US8469224B2/en
Priority to SI201030141T priority Critical patent/SI2371725T1/sl
Priority to ES10158374T priority patent/ES2398539T3/es
Priority to PT101583748T priority patent/PT2371725E/pt
Priority to EP10158374A priority patent/EP2371725B1/fr
Priority to PL10158374T priority patent/PL2371725T3/pl
Priority to DK10158374.8T priority patent/DK2371725T3/da
Priority to MX2012011214A priority patent/MX2012011214A/es
Priority to NZ603098A priority patent/NZ603098A/en
Priority to JP2013501775A priority patent/JP5695178B2/ja
Priority to MA35257A priority patent/MA34138B1/fr
Priority to CN201180018120.9A priority patent/CN102971223B/zh
Priority to CA2794988A priority patent/CA2794988C/fr
Priority to AU2011234622A priority patent/AU2011234622B2/en
Priority to PCT/EP2011/054669 priority patent/WO2011120889A1/fr
Priority to BR112012024854A priority patent/BR112012024854B8/pt
Priority to RU2012146256A priority patent/RU2620045C2/ru
Priority to ARP110101046A priority patent/AR080862A1/es
Priority to UY0001033302A priority patent/UY33302A/es
Publication of EP2371725A1 publication Critical patent/EP2371725A1/fr
Priority to HK12103375.5A priority patent/HK1163034A1/xx
Priority to TNP2012000459A priority patent/TN2012000459A1/en
Priority to CL2012002703A priority patent/CL2012002703A1/es
Priority to ECSP12012187 priority patent/ECSP12012187A/es
Priority to ZA2012/08090A priority patent/ZA201208090B/en
Priority to CO12195021A priority patent/CO6660430A2/es
Publication of EP2371725B1 publication Critical patent/EP2371725B1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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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
    • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
    • B65D11/18—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected
    • B65D11/1833—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel
    • 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
    • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
    • B65D11/20—Details of walls made of plastics material
    • 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
    • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
    • B65D21/0209—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position
    • B65D21/0213—Containers presenting a continuous stacking profile along the upper or lower edge of at least two opposite side walls
    • 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
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/30—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure
    • B65D85/34—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure for fruit, e.g. apples, oranges or tomatoes
    • 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
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/30—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure
    • B65D85/34—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure for fruit, e.g. apples, oranges or tomatoes
    • B65D85/345—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure for fruit, e.g. apples, oranges or tomatoes having a meshed or apertured closure to allow contents to breathe

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a crate for accommodating products such as fruits and vegetables, and in particular, to a banana crate, corresponding to the features of the preamble of claim 1.
  • Crates for storing and transporting products such as fruits and vegetables are widely used in the market.
  • crates are light and stable, which makes them suitable for bringing the crops from the field to the customer.
  • tropical fruits like bananas it is common to harvest the crop while it is still unripe and pack it into the crates for subsequent shipping and transportation.
  • the fruits have time to ripe.
  • the crates are usually stacked on top of each other and arranged side by side onto pallets.
  • a specific crosstacking technique is used such as in case of a "five-down configuration".
  • five crates are arranged adjacent to each other into a rectangular array, such that two of them form a row in the length direction and the other three form a row in the width direction.
  • a controller can have quick and easy access to the inside of a specific crate, when this crate (not the uppermost) is arranged in a stack of a plurality of crates.
  • known crates do not offer this possibility, meaning that the controller has to partially disassemble and reassemble the stack, when taking a look into the interior of a specific crate is required. This procedure is inefficient and also not convenient, thereby representing a further disadvantage.
  • the object of the present invention is achieved by a crate as disclosed in the characterising portion of claim 1.
  • the side walls and the end walls may be configured to be foldable with respect to the bottom, such that, in a folded state, a remaining volume of the crate is minimal.
  • the bottom may comprise two pairs of ventilation openings, wherein each ventilation opening of the first pair has a width equal or larger than 40 mm and a length equal or larger than 126 mm, and wherein each ventilation opening of the second pair has a width equal or larger than 40 mm and a length equal or larger than 25 mm.
  • Each vent hole of the plurality of vent holes may have a width equal or larger than 20 mm and a length equal or larger than 24 mm.
  • Each grip hole may have a width equal or larger than 30 mm and a length equal or larger than 100 mm.
  • Embodiments of the invention concerns an arrangement of two crates according to embodiments of the invention, wherein the crates are arranged such that an end wall of a first crate is adjacent to a side wall of a second crate, wherein the first crate is configured to be aligned along a first longitudinal axis parallel to a side wall of the first crate, and wherein the second crate is configured to be aligned along a second longitudinal axis parallel to a side wall of the second crate, the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis being perpendicular to each other, wherein a side wall of the first crate and an end wall of the second crate are aligned, such that at least a partial overlap of the grip hole of the first crate and at least one vent hole of the plurality of vent holes of the second crate is provided, such that a venting path between the first crate and the second crate is provided.
  • the plurality of crates may be configured as
  • each side wall comprises a smooth inner surface being shaped in a convex form towards the outside of the crate, thereby providing an inner surface for accommodating products having rounded surface portions and avoiding damage of the products.
  • the side walls and end walls may comprise stiffening members, which are provided on a respective outer surface of the side walls and end walls only.
  • the side walls and the end walls may be made of plastic to provide the smooth inner surface (810).
  • the convex-shaped smooth inner surface may have a lateral curvature dimension less than a maximum lateral dimension of the side wall, wherein the inner surface is substantially curved in a region of the side wall only, where non-continuous stiffening member extending along a vertical direction of the side wall are interrupted, and wherein the region is a central region
  • At least one end wall comprises a thinned portion, wherein the thinned portion is adapted to allow the user to cut the end wall for providing an inspection opening.
  • the thinned portion of the end wall may be a groove surrounding a predefined area of the end wall, wherein the groove comprises a thickness more than half of the thickness of the end wall.
  • the end wall (130) may further comprises a plurality of holes being arranged along the groove, each hole having a diameter larger than a width of the groove.
  • the thinned portion may be configured to provide an openable portion hingedly attached to the end wall, when the thinned portion is cut by the user, wherein the predefined area is substantially rectangular, and wherein the groove is adjacent to at least three sides of the predefined area.
  • the predefined area may be more than one third of an area of the end wall.
  • the end wall (130) may be made of plastic.
  • An arrangement of a plurality of crates according the according to embodiments of the invention may have the plurality of crates arranged adjacent to each other, such that at least one end wall comprising the thinned portion is accessible by the user.
  • the bottom is arch-shaped curving towards the interior of the crate, such that a space S between a lower surface of the bottom and a plane P defined by a lower end of the crate is provided.
  • This essentially, allows to stack two crates on top of each other without squeezing or damaging products protruding from the lower crate into the space S.
  • the bottom may be arch-shaped along a direction of an end wall or along a direction of a side wall of the crate.
  • the bottom may be wavy-shaped along a direction of the side wall in a border region of the side wall, a first portion of the wavy-shaped bottom may be at a height of the plane, and a second portion of the wavy-shaped portion may be maximally at a height of a lower end of the upper portion.
  • the bottom may comprises an upper portion and a lower portion recessed with respect to the outer point of the walls, and a distance of the recess may be equal to a thickness of the walls, allowing for engagement of the lower portion with a top opening of a further crate.
  • the lower portion may have an area defined by an outer perimeter of the lower portion
  • the upper portion may have an area defined by an outer perimeter of the upper portion
  • the side walls and end walls may comprise inner surfaces and outer surfaces, wherein an inner area may be defined by the inner surfaces at a upper end of the crate, and wherein an outer area may be defined by the outer surfaces at the upper end of the crate, wherein the area may be approximately equal the area and the area may be approximately equals the area.
  • Embodiments define a stack of two crates according to the invention wherein a first crate and a second crate are configured to provide an inner area defined by the inner surfaces at an upper end of the first crate and an area defined by an outer perimeter of the lower portion of the second crate, wherein the area and the area are equal, such that the movement between the first crate and the second crate is prevented, when the second crate is stacked on top of the first crate.
  • the bottom of the second crate may comprise a plurality of vent openings being configured to provide a venting path between the first crate and the second crate.
  • Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a crate 100.
  • the crate 100 comprises a bottom 110 and two respective pairwise opposing side walls 120 and end walls 130.
  • the side wall 120 has a larger extent than the end wall 130.
  • Both the side walls 120 and the end walls 130 are foldable with respect to the bottom 110.
  • the side walls 120 and the end walls 130 are attached to the bottom 110 such that they can be folded onto it in the directions of the arrows, as shown in Fig. 1 .
  • the remaining volume of the crate 100 is minimal. This has the advantage that in the folded state, the crate 100 occupies only a low height. Therefore, a large number of empty crates may be stacked onto a pallet for transport.
  • the crate 100 is made of plastic in order to provide a low weight and a high stability for storage and/or transport applications.
  • each side wall 120 comprises a plurality 125 of vent holes, while each end wall 130 comprises a grip hole 135.
  • the plurality 125 of vent holes is essentially located in a region A extending along a horizontal direction 101 of the side wall 120.
  • the horizontal direction is defined as a direction along a longer side of a respective side wall.
  • the region A is essentially defined as a region surrounded by two continuous stiffening members 121, 122 in the vicinity of the upper end of the crate 100, where a plurality 123 of non-continuous stiffening members is not interrupted.
  • the side walls 120 and the end walls 130 may be fastened to each other by using a fastener 140, when the crate 100 is in its unfolded state.
  • Fig. 2 shows a top view of the embodiment of the crate 100 in accordance with Fig. 1 .
  • the bottom 110 may comprise two pairs 210, 220 of ventilation openings, which may be symmetrically arranged with respect to an axis 205 parallel to the end wall 130 along a central longitudinal axis 201.
  • each ventilation opening of the first pair 210 may have a width 212 equal or larger than 40 mm and a length 214 equal or larger than 126 mm
  • each ventilation opening of the second pair 220 may have a width 222 equal or larger than 40 mm and a length 224 equal or larger than 25 mm.
  • the width is defined as a dimension parallel to the end wall 130, while the length is defined as the dimension parallel to the side wall 120.
  • the two pairs 210, 220 of ventilation openings should be dimensioned such that they are large enough to provide a proper venting through the bottom 110. However, they may not be chosen so large that specific products will fall out of the crate 100.
  • an inner surface 121 of the side wall 120 is configured to be bent towards the outside of the crate 100, which will be described in detail later on.
  • Fig. 3 shows a side view of a side wall 120 of the embodiment of the crate 100 in accordance with Fig. 1 .
  • the plurality 125 of vent holes can be clearly seen.
  • the plurality 125 of vent holes may comprise a pair 310 of vent holes.
  • these vent holes may have a combined shape similar to that of the grip hole 135 (comp. Fig. 1 ). This is advantageous because by adapting the combined shape, it is possible to achieve an optimum overlap of the pair 310 of vent holes and the grip hole 135, when, for example, two crates are arranged in a five-down configuration.
  • Fig. 1 shows a side view of a side wall 120 of the embodiment of the crate 100 in accordance with Fig. 1 .
  • the plurality 125 of vent holes can be clearly seen.
  • the plurality 125 of vent holes may comprise a pair 310 of vent holes.
  • these vent holes may have a combined shape similar to that of the grip hole 135 (comp. Fig. 1 ).
  • each vent hole of the plurality 125 of vent holes may have a width 312 equal or larger than 20 mm and a length 314 equal or larger than 24 mm.
  • the width is defined as a dimension in a vertical direction 301 of the side wall 120
  • the length is defined as a dimension in the horizontal direction 101 of the side wall 120.
  • the continuous stiffening members 121, 122 and the plurality 123 of non-continuous stiffening members extending in the vertical direction 101 of the side wall 120 are clearly seen in Fig. 3 .
  • Fig. 4 shows a side view of an end wall 130 of the embodiment of the crate 100 in accordance with Fig. 1 .
  • the grip hole 135 is centered with respect to two edges 131, 132, of the crate 100.
  • the grip hole 135 is also recessed with respect to an upper end of the crate 100 by a distance 133 of about 30 mm.
  • a strong grip may be provided for carrying a loaded crate 100.
  • the grip hole 135 may have a width 137 equal or larger than 30 mm and a length 139 equal or larger than 100 mm.
  • the width is defined as the dimension in a vertical direction 402 of the end wall 130, while the length is defined as the dimension in a horizontal direction 401 of the end wall 130.
  • the grip hole 135 tapers from a maximum horizontal extension at an upper point 136 to a minimum horizontal extension at a lower point 138, thereby providing an ergonomic grip.
  • the fastener 140 is also clearly visible in Fig. 4 .
  • the fastener 140 may be attached to the end wall 130 in that it can engage with the recess 128 provided in a portion 126 of the side wall 120.
  • the fastening mechanism may work on the basis that a displacement element 142 of the fastener 140 can be displaced against the force of a spring element. Additionally, as already indicated in Fig.
  • the end wall 130 may comprise a thinned portion 410 essentially surrounding a central portion of the end wall 130 including a part of the grip hole 135.
  • the purpose and more details regarding the thinned portion 410 will be described later.
  • a further characteristic feature of the end wall 130 is that a plurality 420 of stiffening members may be provided close to a border region of the end wall 130. This provides an increased ability supporting the above-mentioned fastening mechanism.
  • a first aspect of the present invention addresses the disadvantage that in a five-down configuration, for example, a uniform air flow is not provided between adjacent crates according to the prior art.
  • Fig. 5 depicts the end wall 130 and the side wall 120 of the crate 100 mentally unfold at the same corner 505 of the crate 100.
  • Fig. 5 may also illustrate an end wall 512 of a first crate 510 adjacent to a side wall 522 of a second crate 520, wherein the first crate 510 is aligned with the second crate 520 at the corner 505.
  • the side wall 120 of the crate 100, or alternatively, the side wall 522 of the second crate 520 comprises the plurality 125 of vent holes in a region A.
  • the region A is indicated in Fig. 5 by a dashed line 501.
  • the region A is a distance d A away from the corner 505 and has a height h A .
  • the end wall 130, or alternatively, the end wall 512 of the first crate 510 comprises the grip hole 135.
  • the grip hole 135 is a distance d GH away from the same corner 505 and has a height h GH . It can be seen in the Fig. 5 embodiment that the distance d A is approximately equal to the distance d GH and the height h A is approximately equal to the height h GH . Therefore, especially in the five-down configuration (see Figs.
  • At least a partial overlap of the grip hole 135 of the first crate 510 and at least one vent hole (e.g. vent hole 515) of the second crate 520 may be provided, and consequently, venting paths between the two crates 510, 520 will be obtained.
  • Fig. 6 illustrates dimensions of a plurality 615 of vent holes and a grip hole 135 according to a further embodiment of the crate 100.
  • the plurality 615 of vent holes shown in Fig. 6 may correspond to the plurality 125 of vent holes shown in Fig. 3 .
  • the plurality 615 of vent holes is spaced along the horizontal direction 101 of the side wall 120 with a distance s VH .
  • each vent hole may have the same extent and may be rectangular-shaped.
  • the distance s VH may be chosen such that it is less than a dimension l GH of the grip hole 135, wherein the dimension l GH may correspond to the maximum horizontal extent 139, as shown in Fig. 4 .
  • the horizontal dimension l VH of a vent hole may be chosen less than the dimension l GH of the grip hole 135.
  • a vertical dimension of the vent hole along the vertical direction 301 may also be less than the vertical extent of the grip hole 135. Therefore, a characteristic dimension of the plurality 615 of vent holes is generally configured to be smaller than that of the grip hole 135, such that an overlap of the at least one vent hole 515 with the grip hole 135 may be provided, such as in case of the five-down configuration.
  • Figs. 7a ; 7b show a perspective view of an arrangement 700 of a plurality of crates of the embodiment described with respect to Figs. 1 to 5 in a partial five-down configuration.
  • 'partial' means that only three instead of five crates 100 of the five-down configuration are shown.
  • the two specific crates 510, 520 are arranged such that the end wall 512 of the first crate 510 is adjacent to the side wall 522 of the second crate 520.
  • the first crate 510 is aligned along a first longitudinal axis 701
  • the second crate 520 is aligned along a second longitudinal axis 702.
  • the first longitudinal axis 701 and the second longitudinal axis 702 are perpendicular to each other.
  • a side wall 720 of the first crate 510 which may correspond to the side wall 120 of Fig. 3
  • an end wall 730 of the second crate 520 which may correspond to the end wall 130 of Fig. 4
  • the at least partial overlap of the grip hole 125 of the first crate 510 and the at least one vent hole of the plurality 125 of vent holes of the second crate 520 may be provided.
  • the thus obtained venting path 710 which is indicated by a dark arrow, shows a venting path for the air flow, thereby securing a proper ventilation of the respective interior of the crates 510, 520.
  • Figs. 7c , 7d and 7e show different views of the end wall 512, the side wall 522 and the crate 510, respectively. Specifically, in the shown embodiments, further different formations of ventilation regions 705; 706; 709 in the lower part of the crate 510 may be provided, eventually leading to better ventilation properties.
  • Figs. 8a ; 8b show a perspective view of an arrangement 700 of a plurality of crates of the embodiment described with respect to Fig. 6 in a partial five-down configuration.
  • 'partial' means that only three instead of five crates 100 of the five-down configuration are shown.
  • the two specific crates 510, 520 are arranged such that the end wall 512 of the first crate 510 is adjacent to the side wall 522 of the second crate 520.
  • the first crate 510 is aligned along a first longitudinal axis 751, while the second crate 520 is aligned along a second longitudinal axis 752.
  • Figs. 8a ; 8b show a perspective view of an arrangement 700 of a plurality of crates of the embodiment described with respect to Fig. 6 in a partial five-down configuration.
  • 'partial' means that only three instead of five crates 100 of the five-down configuration are shown.
  • the first longitudinal axis 751 and the second longitudinal axis 752 are perpendicular to each other.
  • a side wall 770 of the first crate 510 and an end wall 780 of the second crate 520 are aligned to be flush in this partial five-down configuration.
  • the at least partial overlap of the grip hole 135 of the first crate 510 and the at least one vent hole 515 of the plurality 615 of vent holes of the second crate 520 may be provided, wherein the overlap region 765 is indicated by a dark mark.
  • the thus obtained venting path 760 which is indicated by an arrow, shows a venting path for the air flow, thereby securing a proper ventilation of the respective interior of the crates 510, 520.
  • Figs. 8c , 8d and 8e show different views of the end wall 512, the side wall 522 and the crate 510, respectively. Specifically, in the shown embodiments, further different formations of ventilation regions 755; 756; 759 in the lower part and/or close to a corner (region 757) of the crate 510 may be provided, eventually leading to better ventilation properties.
  • a second aspect of the present invention addresses the further disadvantage that the inner surfaces of the side walls of known crates are straight and not free of sharp and/or hard objects.
  • Fig. 9 shows a top view of the side wall 120 of the crate 100 in more detail.
  • the side wall 120 comprises stiffening members 815 including the stiffening members 121, 122, which were also shown in Fig. 1 .
  • the side wall 120 may comprise a smooth inner surface 810 being shaped in a convex form towards the outside of the crate 100.
  • the stiffening members 815 may be provided on the outer surface of the side wall 120 only.
  • the crate 100 or at least the side wall 120 can be made of plastic. It can be seen in Fig.
  • the convex-shaped smooth inner surface 810 has a lateral curvature dimension l c less than a maximum lateral dimension d SW of the side wall 120.
  • the lateral dimension is defined as the dimension in a lateral direction 801 perpendicular to the side wall 120.
  • the inner surface 810 is substantially curved in a region B of the side wall 120 only. With regard to Fig. 3 , this region B is defined as a region, where the non-continuous stiffening members 123 extending along the vertical direction 301 are interrupted. The region B is therefore a central region, which is not close to a corner 805 of the crate 100, and which is essentially bordered by the continuous stiffening members 121, 122.
  • the advantage of using the convex-shaped inner surface 810 is that on the one hand, the crate 100 will especially be suitable for accommodating products with rounded surface portions. On the other hand, since the inner surface 810 can be made very smooth, i.e. without sharp edges or corners, the risk of damaging or crushing the transportable products during their transport may be minimized.
  • a third aspect of the present invention addresses the further disadvantage regarding the lack of possibility of quick and easy access to the inside of a specific crate, when the same is, for example, stacked into a column onto a pallet.
  • Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of a crate 100 with an openable portion.
  • the end wall 130 comprises a thinned portion 910, which may correspond to the thinned portion 410 shown in Fig. 4 , wherein the thinned portion 910 may be configured as a groove.
  • This groove 910 is made in the end wall 130 and surrounds at least three sides of a predefined area 905.
  • the predefined area 905 is substantially rectangular.
  • the zoom view shows that the groove 910 comprises a thickness l GR in a direction perpendicular to the end wall 130, which is more than half of the thickness l EW of the end wall 130.
  • each hole may have a diameter 917 larger than a width 912 of the groove 910.
  • the width 912 may typically be equal or larger than 6 mm (see also Fig. 4 ).
  • the dimensioning of the holes 915 is therefore such that a knife, which is commonly used by a controller, can be easily introduced into them and then cut along the groove 910.
  • an openable portion 920 may be provided, which is essentially attached to the end wall 130. The openable portion 920 can be unfolded as indicated by the arrow.
  • the purpose of providing such an openable portion is that the user can take a look inside the interior of the crate 100 for inspecting the accommodated products. For example, it can be checked whether carried fruits such as bananas have already reached a certain degree of ripeness.
  • the end wall 130 may be made of plastic, such that a normal knife can be used by the controller.
  • the Fig. 10 embodiment shows also that the predefined area 905 my be more than one third of an area of the end wall 130 so as to provide a large enough inspection opening.
  • two or more crates 100 are stacked adjacent to each other, such as in the five-down configuration partially shown in Figs. 7a ; 7b , 8a , 8b , they should be arranged such that the groove 910 of at least one end wall 130 may be accessible by a user.
  • a fourth aspect of the present invention addresses the further disadvantage that products protruding from a lower crate may be damaged by a load of an upper crate, when the upper crate is stacked on top of the lower crate.
  • Figs. 11a, 11b show perspective views of further embodiments of a crate 100, wherein the bottom 110 is particularly arch-shaped curving towards the interior of the crate 100.
  • the bottom 110 may either be curved along a direction 1001 of the end wall 130 (see Fig. 11a ) or along a direction 1002 of the side wall 120 (see Fig. 11b ).
  • both designs provide an additional space S between a lower surface of a bottom 110 and a plane P.
  • the plane P is defined by a lower end of the crate 100, respectively.
  • Figs. 12a, 12b show more details of the bottom 110 of further embodiments of the crate 100 in accordance with Figs. 11a, 11b .
  • Fig. 12a is a partial section view along a line L 1 - L 1 of Fig. 11a
  • Fig. 12b is a partial section view along a line L 2 - L 2 of Fig. 11a
  • the bottom 110 comprises an upper portion 1110 and a lower portion 1120, wherein the lower portion 1120 may be recessed with respect to an outer point 1101 of the walls of the crate 100.
  • the lower portion 1120 of the bottom 110 may be curved upwards along the direction 1001, such that a bulge 1125 will be obtained.
  • the additional space S that is created is depicted in Fig. 12a as a gradual increase of a cross-sectional area to the right.
  • the partial section view of Fig. 12b shows that the bottom 110 may have a wave like shape along the direction 1002 in the vicinity of the side wall 120.
  • L 2 - L 2 is taken at a border region of the crate 100, as shown in Fig. 11a .
  • the wave like shape of the bottom 110 causes bulges 1125 to be located along the direction 1002, i.e. along the end wall 120, which makes the bottom 110 very rigid.
  • the curvature of the bulges 1125 may also become gradually more pronounced in the direction 1001 (i.e. in a direction closer to the side wall 120).
  • a first portion of the wavy-shaped bottom 110 is at a height of the plane P, while a second portion of the wavy-shaped bottom 110 is maximally at a height of a lower end of the upper portion 1110 corresponding to a maximum extent of the wave like shape.
  • Figs. 13a, 13b show side views of further embodiments, wherein, for example, two crates 1210, 1220 are stacked on top of each other.
  • a distance d R of the recess may be chosen such that it will be equal to a thickness l W of the walls. In this way, an engagement of the lower portion 1120 of the second crate 1220 and a top opening of the first crate 1210 may be achieved, therefore preventing a lateral movement in a direction 1201 shown in Fig. 13a .
  • the lower portion 1120 has an area A LP defined by an outer perimeter of the lower portion 1120, while the upper portion 1110 has an area A UP defined by an outer perimeter of the upper portion 1110.
  • an inner area A IS may be defined by the inner surfaces of the walls at an upper end of the crate 100, while an outer area A OS may be defined by the outer surfaces of the walls at the upper end of the crate 100.
  • the area A LP approximately equals the area A IS
  • the area A UP approximately equals the area A OS .
  • an inner area A IS, 1 defined by the inner surfaces at an upper end of the first crate 1210 and an area A LP, 2 defined by an outer perimeter of the lower portion 1120 of the second crate 1220 may be equal, such that the first crate 1210 and the second crate 1220 fit accurately together, when the second crate 1220 is stacked on top of the first crate 1210.
  • the bottom 110 of the second crate 1220 may also comprise a plurality of vent openings so as to provide a venting path between the first crate 1210 and the second crate 1220.
  • the advantage of providing the additional space S is that in practice, when two or more crates are stacked on top of each other into a column onto a pallet, products 1205 extending beyond an upper end of the lower crate 1210 of the column, such as the curved portions of a banana protruding the plane P, may be efficiently protected from being squeezed by heavy load of the upper crate 1220 of the column.
  • embodiments of the present invention provide a crate such as a banana crate, wherein the design of the vent holes of the crate allows for proper venting of the interior of the crate even in case same is stacked such that two crates are arranged such the end wall of one crate is adjacent to a side wall of another crate (e.g. a five-down configuration). Specifically, by providing a venting path, a uniform air distribution and therefore a consistent temperature control for fruit quality may be achieved with such a design.
  • the arrangement of the vent holes in the side walls is to be such that at least one vent hole is to be provided in the side wall at a distance from each corner, the distance being equal to the distance the grip hole in the end wall is away from the same corner, thereby ensuring at least a partial overlap of the grip hole and at least one vent hole in case of stacking the plurality of crates as mentioned above.
  • pairs of vent holes may be provided that together may have a shape similar to the grip hole.
  • a plurality of vent holes being equally spaced may be provided with a spacing being less than the dimension of the grip hole.
  • a further aspect of embodiments is the smooth inside surface thereof being shaped in convex form towards the outside and therefore products with rounded surfaces, like bananas, are more easily accommodated at the side portions of the crate by providing the convex or curved inner surface. This may apply for both the side walls and for the end walls.
  • stiffening members like ribs and the likes are provided only on the outside of the crate.
  • Yet another feature of embodiments is the provision of a thinned portion in the end walls allowing a cutting thereof to provide for an opening, allowing a user of the crate to take a look into the interior of the crate, which is important for determining for a complete batch of crates whether the product inside the crate, for example bananas, already reached a desired degree of ripeness.
  • the fourth feature concerns the bottom which is arch-shaped. This does not have any direct impact on the products inside the crate, but upon stacking a plurality of crates on top of each other. This allows for provided additional space in a crate below, thereby avoiding damaging product which slightly stick out beyond the upper end of the lower crate.
  • the arch- and wavy-shaped bottom allows accommodating such products slightly sticking out in the crate below.

Claims (9)

  1. Caisse (100), comprenant
    un fond (110) et deux parois latérales (120) et parois d'extrémité (130) opposées par paire respectives, chaque paroi latérale (120) comprenant une pluralité (125; 615) de trous d'aération dans une région (A) s'étendant le long d'une direction horizontale (101) de la paroi latérale (120), et chaque paroi d'extrémité (130) comprenant un trou de saisie (135), où la région (A) se trouve à une distance (dA) d'un coin (505) de la caisse (100), la distance (dA) étant égale à la distance (dGH) de laquelle le trou de saisie (135) est distant du même coin (505) de la caisse (100), et où une hauteur (hA) de la région (A) est égale à la hauteur (hGH) du trou de saisie (135), caractérisée par le fait que
    la pluralité (125; 615) de trous d'aération comprend une paire (310) de trous d'aération présentant une forme combinée similaire au trou de saisie (135), où une extension du bord supérieur de la forme combinée est plus grande qu'une extension du bord inférieur de la forme combinée, le bord supérieur s'étendant parallèle au bord inférieur.
  2. Caisse selon la revendication, dans laquelle la pluralité (125; 615) de trous d'aération sont espacés d'une distance (sVH) inférieure à une dimension (IGH) du trou de saisie (135).
  3. Caisse selon les revendications 1 ou 2, dans laquelle un trou d'aération (515) de la pluralité (125; 615) de trous d'aération comprend une dimension horizontale (IVH) inférieure à la dimension (IGH) du trou de saisie (135).
  4. Caisse selon l'une des revendications 1 à 3, dans laquelle les parois latérales (120) et les parois d'extrémité (130) sont configurées de manière à être repliables par rapport au fond (110), de sorte que, à l'état replié, un volume restant de la caisse (100) soit minimal.
  5. Caisse selon l'une des revendications 1 à 4, dans laquelle le fond (110) comprend deux paires (210, 220) d'ouvertures de ventilation, où chaque ouverture de ventilation de la première paire (210) a une largeur égale ou supérieure à 40 mm et une longueur égale ou supérieure à 126 mm, et où chaque ouverture de ventilation de la deuxième paire (220) a une largeur égale ou supérieure à 40 mm et une longueur égale ou supérieure à 25 mm.
  6. Caisse selon l'une des revendications 1 à 5, dans laquelle chaque trou d'aération (515) de la pluralité (125; 615) de trous d'aération a une largeur égale ou supérieure à 20 mm et une longueur égale ou supérieure à 24 mm.
  7. Caisse selon l'une des revendications 1 à 6, dans laquelle chaque trou de saisie (135) a une largeur égale ou supérieure à 30 mm et une longueur égale ou supérieure à 100 mm.
  8. Aménagement de deux caisses selon l'une des revendications 1 à 7, dans lequel les caisses (510, 520) sont disposées de sorte qu'une paroi d'extrémité (512) d'une première caisse (510) soit adjacente à une paroi latérale (522) d'une deuxième caisse (520), dans lequel la première caisse (510) est configurée de manière à être alignée le long d'un premier axe longitudinal (701) parallèle à une paroi latérale (720) de la première caisse (510), et dans lequel la deuxième caisse (520) est configurée de manière à être alignée le long d'un deuxième axe longitudinal (702) parallèle à une paroi latérale (522) de la deuxième caisse (520), le premier axe longitudinal (701) et le deuxième axe longitudinal (702) étant perpendiculaires l'un à l'autre, dans lequel une paroi latérale (720) de la première caisse (510) et une paroi d'extrémité (730) de la deuxième caisse (520) sont alignées de sorte que soit prévu au moins un recouvrement partiel de trou de saisie (135) de la première caisse (510) et d'au moins un trou d'aération de la pluralité (125; 615) de trous d'aération de la deuxième caisse (520), de sorte que soit prévu un trajet d'aération (710) entre la première caisse (510) et la deuxième caisse (520).
  9. Aménagement d'une pluralité de caisses selon l'une des revendications 1 à 7, dans lequel la pluralité de caisses est configurée selon une configuration de cinq vers les bas, de sorte que soit prévu un trajet d'aération entre caisses adjacentes.
EP10158374A 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Caisse Active EP2371725B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (24)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SI201030141T SI2371725T1 (sl) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Zaboj
ES10158374T ES2398539T3 (es) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Caja
PT101583748T PT2371725E (pt) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Caixa
EP10158374A EP2371725B1 (fr) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Caisse
PL10158374T PL2371725T3 (pl) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Skrzynka
DK10158374.8T DK2371725T3 (da) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Kasse
AU2011234622A AU2011234622B2 (en) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Crate
NZ603098A NZ603098A (en) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Crate
JP2013501775A JP5695178B2 (ja) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 クレート
MA35257A MA34138B1 (fr) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Caisse à claire-voie
CN201180018120.9A CN102971223B (zh) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 板条箱
CA2794988A CA2794988C (fr) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Caisse a claire-voie
MX2012011214A MX2012011214A (es) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Cajon.
PCT/EP2011/054669 WO2011120889A1 (fr) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Caisse à claire-voie
BR112012024854A BR112012024854B8 (pt) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Caixa
RU2012146256A RU2620045C2 (ru) 2010-03-30 2011-03-28 Контейнер для хранения и транспортировки
UY0001033302A UY33302A (es) 2010-03-30 2011-03-30 Cajón
ARP110101046A AR080862A1 (es) 2010-03-30 2011-03-30 Cajon
HK12103375.5A HK1163034A1 (en) 2010-03-30 2012-04-05 Crate
TNP2012000459A TN2012000459A1 (en) 2010-03-30 2012-09-25 Crate
CL2012002703A CL2012002703A1 (es) 2010-03-30 2012-09-27 Un cajon que posee un fondo, paredes extremas con un orificio de agarre, dos paredes laterales con una pluralidad de orificios de ventilación, teniendo un par de orificios de ventilacion que tienen una forma combinada similar al orifico de agarre; y una disposicion de cajones.
ECSP12012187 ECSP12012187A (es) 2010-03-30 2012-09-28 Cajón
ZA2012/08090A ZA201208090B (en) 2010-03-30 2012-10-26 Crate
CO12195021A CO6660430A2 (es) 2010-03-30 2012-10-30 Cajón

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP10158374A EP2371725B1 (fr) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Caisse
US12/749,722 US8469224B2 (en) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Crate

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2371725A1 EP2371725A1 (fr) 2011-10-05
EP2371725B1 true EP2371725B1 (fr) 2012-11-14

Family

ID=44341134

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP10158374A Active EP2371725B1 (fr) 2010-03-30 2010-03-30 Caisse

Country Status (21)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2371725B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP5695178B2 (fr)
CN (1) CN102971223B (fr)
AR (1) AR080862A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU2011234622B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR112012024854B8 (fr)
CA (1) CA2794988C (fr)
CL (1) CL2012002703A1 (fr)
CO (1) CO6660430A2 (fr)
DK (1) DK2371725T3 (fr)
EC (1) ECSP12012187A (fr)
MA (1) MA34138B1 (fr)
MX (1) MX2012011214A (fr)
NZ (1) NZ603098A (fr)
PL (1) PL2371725T3 (fr)
PT (1) PT2371725E (fr)
RU (1) RU2620045C2 (fr)
TN (1) TN2012000459A1 (fr)
UY (1) UY33302A (fr)
WO (1) WO2011120889A1 (fr)
ZA (1) ZA201208090B (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB201205243D0 (en) 2012-03-26 2012-05-09 Kraft Foods R & D Inc Packaging and method of opening
GB2511560B (en) 2013-03-07 2018-11-14 Mondelez Uk R&D Ltd Improved Packaging and Method of Forming Packaging
GB2511559B (en) 2013-03-07 2018-11-14 Mondelez Uk R&D Ltd Improved Packaging and Method of Forming Packaging
US10065763B2 (en) 2016-09-15 2018-09-04 Arena Packaging, Llc Wall latching system

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1323289A (en) * 1972-06-16 1973-07-11 Rose Miller G P Containers for the transport of animals
KR960004757Y1 (ko) * 1993-10-16 1996-06-08 장근홍 과일상자
DE19605080B4 (de) * 1996-02-12 2007-05-03 Ifco Systems Gmbh Transportbehälter mit lösbar verrastbaren Klappwänden
US6015056A (en) * 1997-12-19 2000-01-18 Rehrig Pacific Company Collapsible container
US6601724B1 (en) * 1999-11-20 2003-08-05 Rehrig Pacific Company Collapsible merchandizing container
US6386388B1 (en) * 1999-12-27 2002-05-14 Rehrig Pacific Company Container
US6398054B1 (en) * 1999-12-27 2002-06-04 Rehrig Pacific Co. Collapsible container
JP3322657B2 (ja) * 2000-01-21 2002-09-09 イフコ・ジャパン 株式会社 バナナ用コンテナー
JP4736078B2 (ja) * 2001-07-10 2011-07-27 株式会社明治ゴム化成 合成樹脂製容器
US7159730B2 (en) * 2002-01-23 2007-01-09 Donald Rumpel Folding crate with array connection features
JP3911176B2 (ja) * 2002-03-13 2007-05-09 岐阜プラスチック工業株式会社 折り畳みコンテナ
US7007802B1 (en) * 2002-08-30 2006-03-07 Georgia-Pacific Corporation Produce carrying trays and method of cooling produce in a five-down configuration
RU46995U1 (ru) * 2004-11-05 2005-08-10 Закрытое акционерное общество "ГОТЭК" Ящик для упаковки и штабель из ящиков для упаковки (варианты)
DE102006005873B4 (de) * 2006-02-06 2017-05-11 Söhner Kunststofftechnik GmbH Wandflächenteil und Transportbehälter
US8261923B2 (en) * 2008-04-22 2012-09-11 Otto Industries North America, Inc. Collapsible container

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NZ603098A (en) 2014-05-30
BR112012024854B8 (pt) 2022-09-20
PT2371725E (pt) 2013-02-26
BR112012024854A2 (pt) 2021-04-20
PL2371725T3 (pl) 2013-05-31
CN102971223B (zh) 2016-01-06
AU2011234622B2 (en) 2014-06-05
JP2013523542A (ja) 2013-06-17
ZA201208090B (en) 2013-06-26
RU2620045C2 (ru) 2017-05-22
AR080862A1 (es) 2012-05-16
CA2794988C (fr) 2013-11-05
CA2794988A1 (fr) 2011-10-06
BR112012024854B1 (pt) 2022-03-15
MX2012011214A (es) 2013-02-11
JP5695178B2 (ja) 2015-04-01
WO2011120889A1 (fr) 2011-10-06
CO6660430A2 (es) 2013-04-30
EP2371725A1 (fr) 2011-10-05
MA34138B1 (fr) 2013-04-03
TN2012000459A1 (en) 2014-01-30
RU2012146256A (ru) 2014-05-10
CL2012002703A1 (es) 2013-03-08
ECSP12012187A (es) 2012-10-30
CN102971223A (zh) 2013-03-13
DK2371725T3 (da) 2013-02-18
UY33302A (es) 2011-04-29

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