EP2799358B1

EP2799358B1 - Assemblable container

Info

Publication number: EP2799358B1
Application number: EP14709986.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: José RUBIO GRADOLÍ
Original assignee: Green Box SL
Current assignee: Green Box SL
Priority date: 2013-07-04
Filing date: 2014-02-06
Publication date: 2015-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2034-02-06
Also published as: MA38590A1; ES1086107Y; HUE026418T2; WO2014131923A1; ES1086107U; EP2799358A1; MA38590B1; ES2545862T3; SI2799358T1; HRP20150830T1; DK2799358T3

Description

The present invention falls within the field of assemblable containers, which are known e.g. from EP-A-0894728 .

Background of the invention

There are currently two types of containers. First, a cardboard container, which consists of a cardboard box with tubular pillars, also made of cardboard, located on top of a wooden pallet. The main drawbacks of this container are its lack of ventilation, as the box has a thick cardboard bottom, and is situated on top of a second surface, i.e. the pallet, as well as the low resistance of the container due to the fact that its sole component is cardboard.
The second type is a folding container made completely out of plastic. Its main drawback is its high cost. It is normally rented and must be returned after use, meaning that it ceases to be viable over long distances, as the logistical costs of returning it are quite high.
The present invention proposes a new type of container with a novel make-up.

Description of the invention

The present invention relates to an assemblable container comprising the features of claim 1, constituted of three independent components, which are easy to assemble together, all of which are reusable or recyclable.
The container that is the object of the invention is specially conceived to transport fruit, vegetables, plants, etc., given its high level of ventilation. It comprises a bottom pallet-like platform that makes up the floor or base thereof, an assembly frame that is mounted on top of the platform, and by a wall that wraps around and presses against the sides of the assembly frame, closing off the horizontal parts of the container.
The robustly built platform is made of a plastic material, and is easy to transport and store, thanks to the fact that it can be stacked. Moreover, said platform is reusable, both for building new containers, and for use on its own as a loading platform. Its size is equal to half a Euro pallet, which facilitates its standardization both in logistics and in transportation.
The vertical structure is constituted by simple pieces of solid wood, and is made up of four stiles or vertical legs, the lower ends of which are fitted and engaged into the platform, and of four flat horizontal board-based cross beams, two intermediate ones and two upper ones, placed in parallel, all of which are mounted by their ends between facing housings in consecutive stiles.
The stiles have a triangular cross section, forming a right angle, and contain the grooves into which the boards or horizontal cross beams fit. The intermediate cross beams, which have a smaller cross-section area than the upper cross beams, are situated at the same height, between the two consecutive stiles with the shortest distance between them.
The upper cross beams are positioned parallel to one another, mounted between independent pairs of stiles. The housings into which they are engaged consist of vertical grooves cut from the top end section of the stiles, such that the top longitudinal edge of these cross beams is flush with said top end section. Because their edge is wider, greater loads can be supported against the rim of the container, making it more resistant to compression by channeling the loads along the stiles and the base, thus keeping the load from being transmitted along the cardboard collar. All of the components of this assembly frame are reusable.
In order to make the platforms stackable, their support legs are hollow and nesting, being closed on the bottom base and open on the top. The bottom base of these support legs has structures or sockets providing support on top of the stiles and upper cross beams, so that two or more containers can be stacked, and offering greater resistance against slippage of the supports.
The side cover, made of cardboard, is mounted tightly around the stiles, and has a folded flap along its lower perimeter, the function of which is multiple: on the one hand, it keeps the cardboard collar from sliding below the level for which it is conceived, both during assembly and during handling and loading; and on the other hand, the L-shaped structure it creates, ensures greater rigidity and prevents it from being deformed. In addition, the notch made when die-cutting this element encircles the wooden stiles and keeps the collar from rotating horizontally around the structure.
The cardboard collar is reinforced with peripheral tightening straps that likewise press the stiles against the cross beams. This is done above the cardboard side cover, thus helping to distribute the punctual force of the tightening straps, which is distributed through the cardboard to the stiles, thus ensuring the stability of the assembly frame. In this way, a stable and uniform structural system is achieved, wherein the wooden elements absorb compression, and the tightening straps and cardboard absorb traction, leaving the plastic pallet with the combined function of acting as base and support, and of balancing forces.
The side cover has, at least on one of its walls, and starting from the top free edge of the same, a central area delimited by a perforated or tear line, which when torn forms a window through which the product contained within is visible, providing easy access to the same, particularly in the case of bulk products loaded to the minimum level. At the same time, the area or portion separated by tearing along the aforementioned perforated line has, starting from its edge, slots enabling it to be mounted upon the upper edge of the remaining walls of the container, to serve as a stand for displaying prices or other information. There is also the option of using perforation or die-cutting to shape a pamphlet holder for commercial purposes; this pamphlet holder is easy to assemble through its extremely intuitive die-cutting and folding.
In summary, the container is made up by means of a series of components that easily connect to and engage into one another, without the need for accessory joining elements such as staples, nails, glues, etc.
Moreover, the side cover or wall, made of cardboard, is easy to recycle, while the wooden assembly frame and the plastic platform are reusable.
When disassembled, the volume of all of the elements decreases considerably with respect to the assembled product.
With the constitution disclosed herein, the containers can be superimposed or stacked, since the legs of each platform are provided with a plastic material shaped so as to secure the stacking position.
The plastic platforms are reusable, both for building subsequent containers, and by themselves, as they can be used as loading platforms. Moreover, these platforms can be stacked up, making them easy to transport and store.
One more advantage of the container of the invention is its light weight, due to the nature of the components of which it is made up.
The characteristics and advantages of the container of the invention may be better understood with the following description, made in reference to the attached drawings and illustrations, wherein, by way of example and not limitation, an exemplary embodiment is shown.

Brief description of the drawings

What follows is a very brief description of a series of drawings that aid in better understanding the invention, and which are expressly related to an embodiment of said invention that is presented by way of a non-limiting example of the same.

Figures 1A, 1B and 1C show the constituent elements of the assemblable container.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of a platform of the container of the invention.
Figure 3 is a side view of the platform, along direction A of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a side view of the platform, along direction B of Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows a sectional view of two superimposed and nested platforms, cut along the line VII-VII of Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a partial section of the platform, taken along the line VIII-VIII of Figure 2.
Figure 7 shows an elevation view of the top side of the platform.
Figure 8 shows an elevation view of the bottom side of the platform.
Figure 9 shows an elevation view of several superimposed platforms.
Figures 10A, 10B and 10C show the components of the assembly frame of the container for three different sizes (G 50, G 70 and G 100, respectively).
Figure 11 shows the container already assembled and with products inside.
Figures 12A, 12B and 12C show the different steps for assembling the pocket for commercial purposes.
Figures 13A and 13B show the pocket already assembled on the container.

Detailed description of the invention

As can be seen in Figures 1A, 1B and 1C, the container of the invention is made up of a reusable bottom platform 1, made of a plastic material, a wooden assembly frame 2 or substructure that can be mounted upon the platform, and a corrugated cardboard side wall or cover 3 that is wrapped around the assembly frame. It is easy to mount, by means of sockets.
Figures 2 to 7 show various views and sections of the container platform:

Figure 2: top plan view.
Figure 3: side view along direction A of Figure 2.
Figure 4: side view along direction B of Figure 2.
Figure 5: a sectional view of two superimposed and nested platforms cut along the line VII-VII of Figure 2.
Figure 6: partial section of the platform taken along the line VIII-VIII of Figure 2.
Figure 7: elevation view of the top side of the platform.
Figure 8: elevation view of the bottom side of the platform.
Figure 9: elevation view of several superimposed platforms.

The reusable plastic platform 1 has a rectangular outline, as shown in Figure 2, and its underside has corner support legs or feet 4 and middle support legs or feet (5,6), all of which are hollow, open on their top base, and closed on their bottom base. All of these legs have two segments with different cross-section areas, where the lower segment is the one with a smaller cross-section area, so that when two or more platforms are superimposed in the same position, as shown in Figures 5 and 9, the various legs partially nest inside one another, for easy stacking and storage of said platforms.
As can be seen in Figures 2 and 6, the inside of the corner support legs 4 are provided with a diagonal dividing wall 7 delimiting an external housing 8 for mounting the assembly frame 2, as will be explained further on.
The bottom of the corner legs 4 takes the shape of a step 9 (Figures 3, 5 and 6), for easy stacking of the containers. To this end, the middle legs 5 situated on the longer side of the platform have a central groove 10 (Figure 5).
The reusable plastic platform 1 may be used by itself as a loading platform. Moreover, these platforms can be stacked up, as shown in Figure 5, thus making them easy to store and transport. As can be seen in Figure 2, the reusable plastic platform is provided with multiple openings (17) that enable the ventilation of the product housed inside the container.
The assembly structure 2 of the container, as shown in Figures 10A, 10B, and 10C, and in Figures 1B and 1C, is made up of four triangular-section stiles 11, and four cross beams (12, 13), two intermediate ones 12 that are provided between the two consecutive stiles 11 on the shorter side, and two upper ones 13 mounted between pairs of independent stiles 11 on the longer side, such that they are in parallel positions.
The ends of the cross beams (12, 13) are inserted into intermediate housings 18 made into the stiles 11, as can be seen in Figures 1B and 1C.
The containers can be superimposed or stacked, as the step 9 in the corner legs 4 of one container sits on the top end of the stiles 11 of the container situated immediately below it, while the groove 10 in the middle legs 5 on the longer side sits on the upper edge of the upper cross beams 13, thus securing the stacking position.
There are three different container sizes, varying in height, whose commercial names are "G 50" (Figure 10A), "G 70" (Figure 10B) and "G 100" (Figure 10C), indicating the numerical value of their height in cm. These containers are 80 cm long and 60 cm wide. However, the dimensions of the container in terms of height, width and length can vary, adapting to any given standard.
The side cover 3 has, at least on one of its walls, and starting from the top edge of the same, a central area delimited by a perforated or tear line, which when torn forms a window through which the product 16 contained within is visible, as shown in Figure 11, providing easy access to the same.
There is also the option of using a perforation or die-cutting to shape a pamphlet holder or pocket 20 for commercial purposes. This pocket 20 is easy to assemble through its extremely intuitive die-cutting and folding, as shown in Figures 12A, 12B and 12C, which represent different stages in the assembly of the pocket.
Figure 13A shows the pocket already assembled on the container. Figure 13B shows an enlarged view of the pocket.

Claims

Assemblable container, comprising a lower platform (1), an assembly frame (2), and a side cover (3), the underside of the platform (1) having corner support legs (4) and middle support legs (5,6), and the assembly frame (2) having stiles (11) that can be fitted and engaged into the corner support legs (4) of the platform (1), wherein the support legs (4, 5, 6) of the platform are hollow and nestable into one another, enabling the platforms to be stacked, and are closed on their bottom base and open on their top base, characterized in that the assembly frame (2) has cross beams that run between the stiles (11), said cross beams comprising two intermediate cross beams (12) situated on two facing sides of the container and two upper cross beams (13) facing and parallel to one another on the remaining two sides of the container, all of which are mounted by their ends between facing housings (18) in consecutive stiles (11), wherein the housings (18) of the upper cross beams (13) are cut from the top end section of said stiles (11); and in that the support legs (4, 5, 6) of the platform have structures on their bottom base for support on top of the stiles (11) and upper cross beams (13), so that two or more containers can be stacked, the outside of the bottom of each of the corner support legs (4) of the platform (1) having a step (9) that fits onto the top end of the stiles (11) of another container, and the outside of the bottom of the middle support legs (5) situated on the sides of the container where the upper cross beams (13) are located having a groove (10) that can be coupled onto the edge of the upper cross beams (13) of another container.
Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross beams (12,13) are flat, with vertical transverse edges, wherein the upper longitudinal edge of the upper cross beams (13) is flush with the top end section of the stiles (11).
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stiles (11) have a triangular cross section.
Container according to claim 3, characterized in that the inside of the corner support legs (4) has a diagonal dividing wall (7) delimiting a triangular-section external housing (8) for mounting the stiles (11).
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side cover (3) is tightly mounted around the stiles (11), and reinforced with peripheral tightening straps.
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side cover (3) has a folded flap along its lower perimeter for keeping said cover from sliding below the intended level and for ensuring greater rigidity and preventing it from being deformed.
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side cover (3) has, at least on one of its sides, and starting from the top edge of the same, a central area delimited by a perforated or tear line (14), which when torn forms a window (15) through which the product (16) contained within is visible.
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side cover (3) has, on at least one of its sides, a perforation or die-cutting for shaping a pocket (20) for commercial purposes.
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side cover (3) is made of cardboard.
Container according any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each cross beam (12, 13) is constituted by at least one wooden board.
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the platform (1) is made of a plastic material and has multiple openings to enable the ventilation of the product housed inside the container.
Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in order to enable stacking of the platforms (1), the support legs (4, 5, 6) have two segments, each with a different cross-section, wherein the lower segment is the one with a smaller cross-section.