EP2404837B1 - Plastic bottle crate with a truss for holding bottles - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a plastic bottle crate according to the preamble of claim

Such a bottle crates is out US 3,516,592 known.

Plastic bottle crates usually have a box bottom, which carries a framework for receiving bottles, as well as four peripherally formed sidewalls, so that a stable and rattle-free transport of filled crates to the place of use is possible. This backup of the bottles by trusses is therefore expedient to avoid in the case of glass bottles and a shock or impact damage, moreover, to prevent tipping over of the bottles and also to ensure a high degree of rattle and thus to avoid corresponding rattling noises. For trusses there are different embodiments. Common are, for example, intersecting compartment walls, from the box bottom upwardly projecting sleeves or spars, which are optionally interconnected by compartment walls. such Trusses extend only over a partial height of the box, for example, about a fifth to half box height. In the context of the invention, the framework is to be understood generally and comprises elements primarily in the lower half of the box, which suitably form compartments for receiving individual bottles or containers from multiple bottles, such as sleeves, projections, compartment walls and the like, which are detachable or fixed can be arranged on the floor and / or the side walls.

On the basis of ordered flat deposit and / or bottle return systems, it is necessary to arrange for a corresponding collection of empty bottles for return transport at the corresponding points of sale of beverage bottles. This turns out to be difficult in a number of points of sale, especially supermarkets, but also beverage shops, since on the one hand the various bottles are returned to this point of sale as empties that differ in height, diameter and the like, but are nevertheless accepted and returned have to. Frequently, suitable containers for such a return transport are not provided, especially since containers are increasingly also provided for the presentation of goods in supermarkets and are therefore often prepared for sales purposes. Therefore, such empty bottles for return transport are often deposited in any containers, but this often leads to destruction of the bottles and the container must be transported with this empties to local collection points, where these different containers again can not be used and thus simply disposed of.

The object of the invention is to provide a bottle crate for bottle receiving, which is both suitable for the transport of bottles, whether they are filled or empty, on the other hand, but also for the return or transport of the boxes in the empty position and possibly also to Purposes of the sales presentation is suitable.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1, wherein expedient developments of the invention are characterized by the features contained in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a bottle crate is provided with a framework for the bottle holder, are firmly connected to the lower side wall portions with the bottom, however, upper side wall sections, which are located above the compartment division, are foldable and in particular hinged inward. In an upright position, the upper side wall sections can be locked together by suitable locking mechanisms, the lock being releasable. For this purpose, there are suitable known locking mechanisms. In the folded-in position, the upper side wall sections lie on the truss or on the upper side wall sections underneath, so that the volume of the box can be correspondingly reduced in the event that no bottles have to be transported Height of the framework of the bottle crate. Preferably, the erected upper side wall portions are secured against flaps outwardly, which may be done by suitable stops or the like formed on the upper edge of the lower fixed side wall portions.

In order to enable a flawless overlapping of the upper side wall sections on reduced transport volume, the side wall portions are offset from one another according to height. For this purpose, all the upper side wall sections may have been offset in terms of height relative to one another, which is the case in particular in the case of very tall bottle crates. In general, however, two oppositely disposed upper side wall portions are articulated at about the height of the framework at the lower side wall portions and the other two upper side wall portions are offset in height to allow the overlapping. It is expedient to form the side walls lying in the folded position above so that they form a flat footprint in the folded position, can be placed on the bottles or bottle structures. Preferably, the hinge mechanisms, over which the upper side wall portions are hinged to the lower side wall portions, designed as a pivot connections, which are already known for themselves and need not be described separately here.

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen klappbaren Flaschenkastens,

Figur 2

eine entsprechende Ansicht des Kastens in einer Klappstellung,

Figur 3

eine Ansicht dieses Kastens in einer weiteren Klappstellung,

Figur 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht des in Figur 1 dargestellten Kastens von unten her.

Figur 5

eine perspektivische Ansicht von zwei erfindungsgemäßen übereinander im Stapel angeordneten Flaschenkästen, sowie

Figur 6

eine Ausführungsform mit einem Fachwerk, welches Holme aufweist.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Show in it

FIG. 1

a perspective view of a folding bottle crate according to the invention,

FIG. 2

a corresponding view of the box in a folded position,

FIG. 3

a view of this box in another folding position,

FIG. 4

a perspective view of the in FIG. 1 shown box from below.

FIG. 5

a perspective view of two stacked according to the invention arranged in the stack crates, and

FIG. 6

an embodiment with a framework, which has spars.

The in FIG. 1 illustrated bottle crate is made of a particular from FIG. 4 apparent floor 1, formed with circumferentially arranged side walls 2 to 5, wherein within the box on the box bottom and between the side walls a framework 6 of intersecting and parallel aligned compartment walls 7 is arranged or formed, which defines between them corresponding bottle receiving compartments 8, in which can be inserted in the usual way bottles. These are secured within the framework against falling over, but also against clashing and thus stably received. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1 a total of 32 bottle receiving compartments 8 are provided, but this is only an example.

Each side wall 2 to 5 is composed of two side wall sections, namely a lower and fixed to the bottom 1 and each side wall portion designated a and an upper side wall portion disposed above and hingedly hinged thereto and designated b. The articulation of the upper to the lower side wall sections in this case via corresponding hinged joints, for example in the form of hinge pins which engage in corresponding socket-like hinge recesses, the hinged joints can be formed in a conventional manner as Steckklappelemente, so that the hinge pin inserted into corresponding slotted hinge receptacles and so that, if necessary, can be solved again.

In the illustrated embodiment, the upper side wall portions are arranged folded inwards. In her out FIG. 1 apparent upright position in which the upper and lower side wall portions are aligned in a plane with each other, the adjacent upper side wall portions are locked together by suitable locking mechanisms. The open in the figures, so structured with openings side wall sections can also be designed closed-walled.

A corresponding locking mechanism is off FIG. 1 can be seen and designated 9. This locking mechanism 9 is formed in each case on the narrow side wall 2 and is in the form of a pressure lever, which is actuated, ie by an inwardly pressing a latching element arranged on the pressure lever is released from a latching of the adjacent side wall, so that then the narrow side walls 2 inwards can be worked out, such as, for example FIG. 2 results.

In order to achieve a flat folding position of the side wall portions on the truss 6, the upper side wall portions are offset in height to each other. For this purpose, in principle, all the side wall sections can be offset from one another in terms of height, which would preferably correspond to the thickness of the side wall sections, however, in the illustrated embodiment the narrow upper side wall sections 2b and 4b are approximately level with the upper edge of the truss 6 at the respective lower side wall sections 2a and 4a hinged, whereas the two upper longitudinal side wall portions 3b and 5b are articulated offset by about a thickness of the narrow upper side wall portions 2b and 4b higher. For this purpose, the lower longitudinal side wall sections 3a and 5a are formed higher by a protrusion 10 corresponding to the thickness of the upper side wall sections, as is apparent FIG. 1 for the narrow side 2 results. Thus, the upper longitudinal side wall portions 3b and 5b are set correspondingly high with respect to the other upper side wall portions 2b and 4b, so that a perfect overlapping is ensured, as is apparent from the Figures 3 and 5 results. The folding situation arises in particular FIG. 5 , So that a flat footprint and thus suitable footprint for bottles or bottle containers, such as so-called six-packs, is formed. It is expedient, the FIG. 5 apparent at the two longitudinal edges, elongated above the flat surface projecting projections, in particular continuously and also optionally provided on the narrow side edges and form correspondingly high, to give the parked on the flat surface bottles or structures a lateral support. These measures can also be provided in addition to the bottom bottom in particular.

This achieves a transport position of the bottle crate in an upright position of the side wall sections for the transport of filled bottles or structures, but in particular for the return transport of empties, which represents a special application of the bottle crate according to the invention. In addition, the bottle crate is transferable into a second transport position, in which, so to speak, the volume above the truss considerably reduced by the collapse of the upper side wall sections on the truss 6 and, if necessary, can also be used as a stand space for presentation and sales purposes.

In the illustrated embodiment, the height of the truss 6 counted from the bottom 1 from about one third of the height of the bottle crate in the erected state of folding side wall sections, so that for the second transport position, so to speak, the volume of the first transport position, ie the transport position for filled bottles or for the return of empties, by about two thirds can be reduced. This is by no means to be understood as limiting.

FIG. 5 shows correspondingly stacked crates with folded side wall sections, in which case the transport volume has been reduced to about the height of the truss. FIG. 4 shows the bottom 1 from below with an inwardly set stacking shoulder 11, so that when stacking the shoulder 11 dips into the upper edge of the underlying bottle crate according to an edge stop and thus a stable stacking of the crates of the invention is made possible.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a box analogous to the previous illustrations, but with a different design framework, which is here provided with the box bottom upwardly projecting, mainly hollow Holmen or quills 12, which are arranged at intervals to each other and in turn between the bottle compartments for the Limit intake of bottles, which are identified by the reference numeral 8.

These spars or quill can be provided isolated from the box bottom upstanding, that is, spaced apart without lateral links arranged or formed, or alternatively, as in FIG. 6 represented connected by compartment walls 7 with each other and with the side walls. Of course, other half-timbered trainings are implied. The floor, like the side walls, may be open structured or closed.

Claims (5)

1. A bottle crate out of plastic with a crate bottom (1), four circumferentially arranged side walls (2-5) and a limiting grid (6) which is arranged within the crate having grid compartments (7) for receiving the bottles and that is formed of bars and/or grid walls or similar fixedly or detachably arranged grid elements, wherein the side wall sections (2b-5b) above the grid (6) of at least two oppositely arranged side walls (2, 4) are foldably hinged to the lower side wall sections that are limiting the grid (6) and the foldable side wall sections (2b-5b) are provided at all four side walls (2-5) and can be folded to the inside into the direction onto the grid (6), characterized in that the upper side wall sections (2b-5b) are hinged in different heights such that the folded side wall sections (2b-5b) lie on one another in a flat and mainly parallel way with regard to the crate bottom and that two oppositely arranged upper side wall sections (2b, 4b) are hinged approximately at the height of the upper grid edge at their lower side wall sections (2a, 4a) that are fixed in their position and that the two other foldable side wall sections (3b, 5b) are in comparison hinged to their respective lower side wall sections (3a, 5a) at the same height and displaced by the thickness of the upper side wall sections, and that the upper side wall sections (3b, 5b) when being in a folded position are configured such that they form a plane storage space for storing bottles or bottle formations.
2. The bottle crate according to claim 1, characterized in that protrusions are provided at the two upper longitudinal edges of the side walls (3, 5), whereas the protrusions protrude to the upside over the plane storage space of the crate.
3. The bottle crate according to claim 2, characterized in that the protrusions are longitudinally extended and preferably formed in a continuous way.
4. The bottle crate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foldable upper side wall sections (2b-5b) are detachably locked with one another when being in their erected position and are protected against a folding to the outside by means of a stopper or the like, in particular by longitudinally extended protrusions that protrude to the upside when being in a folded position.
5. The bottle crate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the height of the grid (6) constitutes less than ½ of the height of the side walls of the bottle crate, preferably 0.2 to 0.4 times of the height of the side wall.

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