EP2917126B1

EP2917126B1 - A system for transporting packagings

Info

Publication number: EP2917126B1
Application number: EP13795416.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Erling Kristen Mogensen; Poul Martin PETERSEN; Morten Ole MORTENSEN
Original assignee: Ekmo Development Aps
Current assignee: Ekmo Development Aps
Priority date: 2012-11-07
Filing date: 2013-11-06
Publication date: 2017-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2033-11-06
Also published as: EP2917126A1; WO2014071954A1; DK2917126T3

Description

The invention relates to a system for transporting packagings, which system comprises two like load carriers, each of which comprises side faces and a base part having a top face and a bottom face, said top face and said bottom face comprising holding parts for retaining the packaging to the effect that two load carriers can be stacked with packaging arranged therein.
From the disclosures of US patent No. US 4,204,596 a load carrier is known. From the disclosures of US patent No. US 4,928,841 a system with stackable load carriers according to the preamble of claim 1 is known.
These patents exclusively relate to the stacking of empty load carriers and is provided on the basis of a high degree of dissatisfaction in connection with the stacking of empty load carriers. It is a drawback of those inventions that the load carriers cannot be stacked reliably.
It is the object of this invention to provide a system with stackable load carriers which is not associated with that drawback.
This object is obtained with the system defined in claim 1.
Side faces of the load carriers comprise an upper edge and a lower edge that are mutually adapted with engagement means to the effect that side faces on stacked load carriers are in mutual engagement when the load carriers are stacked without the packaging arranged therein, which load carriers comprise one or more guide pins that is/are arranged between the side faces and has/have a length which corresponds essentially to the expanse of a side face at right angles to the base part, said guide pins extending in parallel with and are shifted in the longitudinal direction relative to the side face to the effect that the load carriers mutually bear on both side faces and guide pins when they are stacked without packaging arranged therein such that the tops of the guide pins of an underlying load carrier bear on the lower parts of the guide pins of a superposed load carrier when they are stacked, and that the side faces of the superposed load carrier bear on the side faces of the underlying load carrier.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the load carriers comprise four side faces.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the load carriers comprise four side faces with the same expanse at right angles to the base part.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the holding parts comprise hollows with a central opening.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the holding parts comprise guide pins arranged in the base part and around areas for packaging, said guide pins serving to retain and guide the packaging.
According to an embodiment of the invention, these guide pins are configured with a part on the top face of the base part and a part on the bottom face of the base part.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the load carriers comprise corner parts adapted to the side parts to the effect that the corner parts from a superposed load carrier abut on the inner side of the side faces of an underlying load carrier when they are stacked without packaging arranged therein.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the guide pins are arranged to be shifted in the longitudinal direction thereof to the effect that the guide pins hit a plane support - without the side faces doing so - when the load carrier sits thereon. Thereby the side faces and guide pins of a superposed load carrier will bear against the guide pins and side faces of an underlying load carrier when the load carriers are stacked without packaging.
According to a further embodiment, the corners on the bottom face of the base part of the load carrier are provided with one or more corner parts of a length being mutually adapted to the length of the part of the guide pins that is located on the bottom face of the base part to the effect that both corner parts and guide pins bear against a plane support when the load carrier sits thereon. Thereby a load carrier will, when it is located on a plane support, bear thereon with corner parts and guide pins, while the side faces will be raised above the support. At the same time the side faces and guide pins of a superposed load carrier will bear against the guide pins and side faces of an underlying load carrier when the load carriers are stacked without packaging.
According to an embodiment, handles and side faces are adapted such that the handle from an underlying, empty load carrier reaches above the side edges and guide pins on a superposed load carrier when the load carriers are stacked.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the holding parts comprise hollows that are concave towards the side of the base part on which the handle is arranged, which hollows are adapted to a convex bottom of the packaging to the effect that the concave part is received in the convex bottom of the packaging.
According to an embodiment, guide pins and hollows on the load carrier are arranged such that the packaging being arranged bearing against a side face is supported by at least three guide pins.
According to an embodiment, guide pins, side faces and hollows on the load carrier are arranged such that packaging arranged on the concave side of a hollow and simultaneously abutting on a side face is furthermore supported by at least two guide pins.
Other embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims.
In the description the term 'the length of the guide pins" is used. By that phrase is intended the sum of the length of the part located on the bottom face of the base part and the length of the part located on the top face of the base part. Additionally, the length of the part of the guide pins that traverses the base part of the load carrier as such should also be added to the two above measures.
Moreover, the phrases "the height of the side faces" and "the expanse of a side face at right angles to the base part" are used. By both are intended: the length of the side faces in the direction at right angles to the face plane of the base part.
In the following, an embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to the figures, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of four load carriers stacked without packaging arranged therein;
Figure 2 shows a load carrier seen from the top face;
Figure 3 shows a load carrier seen from the bottom face;
Figure 4 shows a load carrier seen from the side;
Figure 5 shows a load carrier from the side, displaced by 90° relative to figure 4;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of two load carriers stacked with packaging arranged therein;
Figure 7 shows a load carrier seen from above with packaging arranged therein;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a pallet stacker onto which load carriers of modular size have been arranged;
Figure 9 schematically shows a sectional view of two load carriers that are stacked;
Figure 10 schematically shows a load carrier seen from above.
Figure 11 is a sectional view of two charged load carriers that are stacked.

Figure 1 shows, in perspective view, four like, stacked load carriers 1', 1", 1''', and 1"".
The individual load carriers are configured with a handle 2 which is located above an opening 6 located centrally in the load carrier.
Usually, the handle will be arranged such that the centre of gravity of the load carrier is essentially below the handle, but the load might also be made with eg two handles.
As will also appear from figure 1, the handles are made with a length that enables that the handles 2', 2" from not just one load carrier, but rather from two underlying - and empty - load carriers penetrate the base part 6 of the uppermost load carrier. Thereby an individual may lift several (empty), stacked load carriers by seizing around the lowermost available handle.
As will also appear from figure 1, the top (upper part) of the handle may be configured with a width that substantially corresponds to the width of the opening 6. Thereby the handle will ensure that the load carriers are not shifted transversally to the opening when two load carriers are stacked with or without packaging arranged therein.
Moreover, the uppermost part of the handle may be configured slightly domed to make the lift more comfortable compared to a straight (sharp) plane.
Also, the handle may be configured with both sides sloping down towards the middle face. Thereby, not only will room be made for handles from underlying load carriers, but the functioning of the handle as guide will also be optimised. Hence, the work load will be made easier when two load carriers are stacked with or without packaging arranged therein.
To create improved hold on the packaging, the load carriers are moreover configured with side faces 5 and also comprise guide pins 3 that are arranged around the subareas of the base on which the individual packages are to be put. Those subareas comprise a central part 4 which is concave (7, will appear most clearly from figure 11) towards the side that faces towards the handle 2. Thereby the packaging, which is typically a can, is retained both by guide pins and the concave part which is received in the convex part (7' which will also appear most clearly from figure 11) which is usually found at the bottom of cans for beverages.
Moreover, from figure 11 it will appear that the opening 6 is reinforced with a downwardly facing side wall 8 that serves as an improved guide for the handle of an underlying load carrier when it is shifted upwards through the opening 6 on a superposed load carrier.
At the bottom of figure 1, a corner part 20 will appear on which the load carrier bears when the load carrier is arranged on a plane support.
Usually, all the corners of the load carrier are made with a corner part of a length that is adapted to the guide pins to the effect that both corner parts and guide pins bear against a plane support when the load carrier sits thereon.
In figure 2, the load carrier is seen from above, and from this it will clearly appear that the concave part 4 may comprise a central opening 10. The purpose of that opening is to create room (free space) for empty packaging arranged below the base part when two load carriers with empty packaging arranged therein are stacked, said free space above an empty packaging item being thereby increased and makes room for the upright, slantingly inclining ring that is usually being used for opening a can. As will also appear from figure 2, the load carrier's base part is also provided with a number of holes 13 that surround the individual concave/convex parts. Those holes both ensure draining of water from cleaning and also prevent accumulation of fluids in general. Of course a reduction of the weight is also accomplished and hence of the price. For the same reason, the guide pins 3 may also be configured with a through-going hole 12 (configured hollow).
Moreover, the base part may contain reinforcement ribs 14 (will also appear from figures 3 and 10) that ensure the rigidity of the load carrier. This prevents filled items of packaging from "toppling" or capsizing out of the load carrier 1 when the latter is lifted in the handle 2.
As will appear in particular from figure 6, the handle may be configured with a hollow and a length that is adapted to the packaging to the effect that the handle 2 from an underlying load carrier is received in the handle of the superposed load carrier when two load carriers are stacked with packaging arranged between the two load carriers.
Thus, the handle serves two purposes since, on the one hand, the load carrier can be carried therein and, on the other, the handle will serve as guide when filled and empty load carriers are stacked. Thereby a higher degree of stability will also be achieved throughout the entire stack when load carriers are stacked as shown in figure 8.
As will appear most clearly from figure 7, the load carrier is, in an embodiment, provided with guide pins 3 that guide and retain the packaging 21 above the individual hollows (not appearing from figure 7) and, as it will also appear from figure 7, those guide pins are arranged around the hollows (the packaging) to the effect that the packaging arranged without bearing against a side face is supported by at least three guide pins.
At the same time, other guide pins are arranged such that the packaging arranged bearing against a side face is supported by at least two guide pins.
As will also appear from figure 7, the handle may furthermore be configured such that the side faces thereof also serve as guide for packaging arranged therein.
Figure 8 shows an embodiment of the load carrier configured in modularly oriented measures to the effect that transport and storage may take place in the economically most viable manner.
When the standardised measures are observed, a considerable reduction in damage to the goods is also obtained since other types of load carriers, such as pallets and rolling units have the same measures or a multiple of the measures of the load carrier, according to an embodiment of the invention.
By using modular measures (width by length) of 300 x 400, 400 x 600 or 800 x 1200, standardized pallets (European pallet or EUR-pallet) are utilized optimally.
By arranging the cans such that the uppermost row of cans (at the top of figure 7) is as close as possible and subsequently arranging the second row with the centres above the spaces in the first row, and the next row with the centres above the spaces in the second row, etc., as best shown in figure 7, it is also obtained that, apart from the handle, room has been made for 26 cans in an area which substantially corresponds to one eighth European pallet or EUR-pallet, which is two cans more than are usually found in a frame. Can diameter about 66.3 mm.
As will appear most clearly from figure 9 showing two empty and stacked load carriers, corners and corner parts 20 may be adapted the to side faces 5 to the effect that the corner parts from a superposed load carrier abut on the inner side of the side faces on an underlying load carrier when they are stacked without any packaging arranged therein.
Moreover, the corner parts 20 can be configured with vertically slightly inclining outer sides (not visible in the figures) to easier capture an underlying load carrier.
By configuring the load carrier with holding parts, such as corner parts, guide pins, convex/concave part and a handle that serves as a guide, it is accomplished that the cost of an external packaging, such as stretch film, can - in most cases - be cut. Today, beverages are usually sold in packaged units of six items, but typically also in packaged units of 24 items.
As will appear from figure 9, the invention is, according to an embodiment, provided with guide pins that extend through the base part in such a way that there is a part on the top face of the base part 3' and a part on the bottom face of the base part 3". As will also appear from figure 9, the total length of the guide pins equals the height (the vertical expanse of figure 9) of the side faces 5. Moreover, the guide pins are shifted in the longitudinal direction thereof to the effect that the bottoms of the guide pins are situated below the lower edge of the side faces.
By furthermore providing the load carriers with corner parts 20 that can, on the one hand, be shifted downwards into an underlying load carrier and, on the other, locating them such that the bottoms of the corner parts are situated in level with the bottom of displaced guide pins, it is accomplished that a load carrier bears on the corner parts and the guide pins when it is located on a plane support.
Besides, it is also obtained both that the tops of the guide pins of an underlying load carrier bear on the lower parts of the guide pins of a superposed load carrier when they are stacked, and that the side faces of the superposed load carrier bear on the side faces of the underlying load carrier.

Claims

A system for transporting packaging, which system comprises two like load carriers (1', 1"), each of which comprises side faces and a base part (6) with a top face and a bottom face which top face and bottom face comprise holding parts (4) for retaining the packaging such that the load carriers can be stacked with packaging arranged therein, the side faces (5) comprise an upper edge and a lower edge that are mutually adapted with engagement means to the effect that the upper and lower edges of the side faces on stacked load carriers are in mutual engagement when the load carriers are stacked without the packaging arranged therein, characterised in that said load carriers comprising one or more guide pins (3) arranged between the side faces and having a length which corresponds essentially to the expanse of a side face at right angles to the base part, said guide pins extending in parallel with and offset in a longitudinal direction relative to the side face to the effect that the load carriers mutually bear on both side faces and guide pins when they are stacked without packaging arranged therein such that the tops of the guide pins of an underlying load carrier bear on the lower parts of the guide pins of a superposed load carrier when they are stacked.
A system according to claim 1, characterised in that each of the load carriers comprises four side faces.
A system according to claim 1, characterised in that each of the load carriers comprises four side faces having the same expanse at right angles to the base part.
A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the holding parts for retaining the packaging comprise guide pins arranged in the base part and around areas for packaging, said guide pins serving to retain and guide the packaging.
A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the holding parts comprise hollows that are concave towards a side of the base part on which a handle (2) is arranged, which hollows are adapted to a convex bottom of a packaging to the effect that the concave part is received in the convex bottom of the packaging.
A system according to claim 4, characterised in that the holding parts comprise hollows having a central opening (6).
A system according to claims 4 and/or 5, characterised in that the guide pins are configured with a part on the top face of the base part and a part on the bottom face of the base part.
A system according to claim 5 characterised in that guide pins, side faces and hollows on the load carrier are arranged such that packaging arranged on the concave side of a hollow and simultaneously abutting on a side face is furthermore supported by at least two guide pins.
A system according to claims 6 and/or 8, characterised in that guide pins and hollows on the load carrier are arranged such that packaging arranged without bearing against a side face is supported by at least three guide pins.
A system according to claim 3, characterised in that the total length of the individual guide pins is essentially the same as the expanse or height of the side faces.
A system according to claim 3 or 10, characterised in that the guide pins are arranged to be shifted in the longitudinal direction thereof to the effect that the guide pins hit a plane support - without the side faces doing so - when the load carrier is arranged thereon with the top face facing upwards.
A system according to claims 1-11, characterised in that the load carriers comprise corner parts (20) adapter to the side faces (5) to the effect that the corner parts from a superposed load carrier abut on the inner side of the side faces on an underlying load carrier when the load carriers are stacked without packaging arranged therein.
A system according to claims 1-12, characterised in that corners on the underside of the base part of the load carrier are provided with one or more corner parts (20) having a length which is mutually adapted to the length of the part of the guide pins that is located on the bottom face of the base part to the effect that both corner parts and guide pins bear against a plane support when the load carrier sits thereon.
A system according to claim 5, characterised in that the handles (2) are configured such that the inner side of the handle on a superposed load carrier serves as guide for an underlying handle when two load carriers are stacked.