EP3142937B1 - Container with closed walls - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a container according to the preamble of claim 1.

From the DE 10 2004 006 415 A1 is a generic container known. The wall is often referred to in such containers as a ring, because it is often designed as a closed polygonal ring. By weakening lines, which are introduced into the wall, this ring can be folded flat, so that the entire container can be folded flat for transport purposes. The ring usually consists of a multilayer paper material or plastic, for example in the form of a lightweight board with two outer cover layers and an intermediate layer arranged therebetween, which has a plurality of cavities. Bottom and lid are usually designed as deep-drawn parts made of plastic.

In order to ensure a sufficient hold of the bottom or the lid on the ring, it is known to provide recesses in the wall and to provide projections on the bottom or on the lid, which engage as closure elements in the wall-side recesses. In a particularly economical embodiment of the container can be provided, these projections to form one piece from the bottom or the lid so that no separate components must be provided as a movable closure elements, but rather a positive locking connection between the wall on the one hand and the bottom or cover on the other can be created.

The fact that the bottom or cover, the openings of the wall, which are designed as punched holes, partially obscured, a moisture protection is provided, which impedes the ingress of moisture into the container interior. Depending on the direction in which the moisture gets to the container, however, the ingress of moisture is not completely ruled out. For example, a protection against rain, so against water from above herabregnendes through the lid can be created. However, if the water splashes obliquely from below, as may for example be the case when the container is parked next to a puddle and drive vehicles through the puddle, so it can not be ruled out that water can pass through the wall openings in the container interior, if the lid is not deep enough, covering the wall openings, pulled down.

The provided in the wall recesses are not created in the form of punched holes, but rather each designed as a trough, which protrude from the outside of the container inwardly. By this inwardly projecting trough it is still possible to engage from the outside of the container wall engaging closure elements in the recess and thus set the bottom or the lid on the wall of the container, since a positive connection can be achieved. The fact that the recess is configured as a full-surface opening, so as a defect in the wall, a moisture protection for the container contents is also created if due to unfortunate circumstances moisture on the cover or on the ground can pass into the recess. For this reason, the trough-like upward The bottom and the hood-like downwardly extending over the wall cover also do not extend far beyond the recess, he must even not completely cover the recess, yet to effect optimal moisture protection of the container. Both the bottom and the container can therefore be produced with comparatively little material, so that the weight of the container and the material costs of the container can be kept as low as possible.

The invention has for its object to improve a generic container to the extent that this is economical as possible, with a low material usage for the bottom and lid can be produced while providing the highest possible protection against the ingress of moisture into the container interior.

This object is achieved by a container having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.

In other words, the invention proposes that the wall has a cavity between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface. The trough is formed by a portion of the outer wall surface which is pressed against the inner wall surface. The trough is thus not made as a separate element and connected to the wall, for example in the form of an injection molded part, which is inserted into corresponding punched holes of the wall. Rather, the trough is created by a corresponding deformation of the wall itself. It is provided that the trough has been created by a pressing process, so that the wall thickness of the wall is reduced in the region of the trough. In this way, the trough can be created in the wall without the use of a complicated multi-part mold. Rather, for example, the trough by a simple die from one side forth, namely from the later outer side of the wall forth, be embossed into the wall material, which affects the production of the container, in particular the wall, economically advantageous.

In a manner known per se, it can be provided that the three mentioned elements of the container, namely bottom cover and wall, consist of plastic. It can be provided in a conventional manner that the wall consists of a multilayer material and has two plastic films, which on the one hand form the inner and the other hand, the outer wall surface. These two panels are spaced apart and interconnected by an intermediate layer having a plurality of cavities so that the wall is made of a stiff and lightweight material and has a large wall thickness compared to the films used. At the desired kinks, which are provided for a polygonal cross section of the ring formed by the wall, this material can be provided in a conventional manner with stamping lines, which facilitate as lines of weakness the folding of the material along these lines. When using thermoplastic material, the three layers - z. B. by using a heated embossing tool - are welded together along these stamping lines. Similarly, for the creation of the trough, a correspondingly large portion of the outer wall surface is pressed against the inner wall surface and welded thereto, including the intermediate layer therebetween.

It may be provided to design the trough as a uniform deformation of the wall, so that corresponding inwardly projecting projections are provided in the wall in the trough also in the container interior. In this way, the trough can be created with a depth which is greater than the wall thickness of the wall. However, it may be advantageous to form the wall to the interior of the container as flat as possible. at a wall which forms a quadrangular cross-section ring, four wall sections are accordingly provided and each of these four wall sections can advantageously extend completely flat to the container interior, so that no inwardly protruding possibly obstructive projections are provided in the wall. The depth of the trough can not override the degree of wall thickness in this embodiment of the proposed container.

Depending on the configuration of the trough geometry and depending on the configuration of the closure elements used may be provided in favor of a reliable connection between the wall on the one hand and the lid or the floor on the other hand, to dispense with a flat design of the inner wall surfaces, which is not critical anyway, if Container should be loaded, for example, with small-scale bulk materials. In this case, the trough can protrude beyond the inner wall surface surrounding it into the interior of the container, that is to say have a particularly large bowl depth, so that a latching or a positive connection with the bottom or the lid is made particularly reliable thereby.

When the trough protrudes beyond the inner wall surface into the container interior, the required deformation of the wall material can be facilitated by the fact that the wall material is interrupted, for example by a cut introduced into the wall material. Since in the region of this section the wall material in the area of the depression can be particularly strongly deformed, ie the depression in the area adjoining this section can have a particularly large depression depth, here a particularly reliable closure possibility for a positive connection with the lid or given to the ground. Therefore, this interruption, such as the mentioned cut, may be provided especially where the trough is closest to the adjacent edge of the wall.

In any case, it can advantageously be provided that the trough does not have to have the same bowl depth over its entire height. The deformation of the wall material can be facilitated by the trough having an increasing depth towards its next adjacent edge.

Particularly advantageous may be provided that the region of the trough, which is closest to the adjacent edge of the wall, forms an undercut, so that thus a particularly effective positive engagement with the adjacent lid or bottom of the container can be achieved.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht auf einen dreiteiligen Behälter mit abgenommenem Deckel, und die

Fig. 2 - 5

unterschiedliche Ausgestaltungen von Mulden, jeweils dargestellt in Form eines Schnittes entlang der Linie A - A in Fig. 1

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the purely schematic representations. It shows

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a three-piece container with the cover removed, and the

Fig. 2-5

different configurations of wells, each shown in the form of a section along the line A - A in Fig. 1

In Fig. 1 a container is designated overall by 1. The container has a bottom 2 which rises with four feet 3 on the ground and which is designed trough-like in that it forms an outer circumferential collar 4, which is pulled upwards, so that in this trough-like bottom 2 and thus within the Collar 4, a wall 5 of the container 1 can be adjusted. Dashed lines show that a lower edge 6 of the wall 5 is immersed in the trough-like bottom 2.

The wall 5 is releasably connected to the bottom 2, for example, in the same manner, as will be explained in more detail below for a connection between the wall 5 and a cover 7.

The wall 5 has an upper edge 8 and adjacent to this upper edge 8, the arrangement of troughs 9 is provided in the wall 5. The wall 5 is designed as a ring with a quadrangular cross section, so that the wall 5 forms a total of four individual wall sections 10. In the illustrated embodiment, it is provided that in each wall section 10 each have a trough 9 is disposed near the upper edge 8. It is off Fig. 1 can be seen that the troughs are provided only on the outside of the wall 5, the wall 5 on its inner side facing the container, however, is free of corresponding deformations.
The cover 7 is designed hood-like, so is not only on the upper edge 8 of the wall 5, but extends with a circumferential collar 11 and outside on the wall 5 similar to that explained with reference to the collar 4 of the bottom 2. In the collar 11 of the lid 7 closure elements 12 are arranged. In the illustrated embodiment, these closure elements 12 are designed as embossed into the collar 11, inwardly projecting projections which engage in the troughs 9 of the wall 5 when the lid 7 is placed on the wall 5.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a trough 9, which is arranged near the upper edge 8 of the wall 5. As already mentioned, the connection between the wall 5 and the lower floor 2 can be configured in the same way as the connection with the wall 5 and the lid 7, so that the embodiment of troughs 9, which are themselves purely exemplary, is always described below are located near the upper edge 8 of the wall 5 and are provided for cooperation with the lid 7, these descriptions are then representative of the design of the lower wells near the lower edge 6 of the wall 5.

In Fig. 2 a wall 5 is shown, which is configured as a multilayer material and has an inner wall surface 14 and an outer wall surface 15, wherein between these two wall surfaces 14 and 15, an intermediate layer, not shown, is provided, which runs, for example, wave-shaped or has knobs or ribs, and which in any case connects the two wall surfaces 14 and 15 with each other and has an indicated cavity 16. The intermediate layer may also be formed by a plurality of elements introduced into the cavity 16, which are connected to one another and to the inner and outer wall surfaces 14 and 15. The materials used for the wall 5 5 are made of plastic, not only for the in Fig. 2 illustrated embodiment may be provided that a thermoplastic material is used. By means of a corresponding temperature supply, for example via a tempered embossing tool or a radiation heating of the wall 5, is for the embodiment of Fig. 2 provided to weld the outer wall surface 15 with the inner wall surface 14, so that thereby the trough 9 has been created outside in the wall 5, while the inner wall surface 14 is designed as a flat surface deformation-free. The depth of the trough 9 is therefore slightly smaller than the measure of the wall thickness of the wall fifth

In the embodiment of Fig. 3 is also provided to press the outer wall surface 15 to the inner wall surface 14 and in the contact region, these two wall surfaces 14 and 15, for example, to thermally weld together. However, in the embodiment of the Fig. 3 provided to deform the inner wall surface 14 so that the trough 9 may have a depth T, which is significantly greater than the measure of the wall thickness of the wall 5. It is provided that the trough depth T from the center of the wall 5 to the upper Edge increases, so that for the positive connection, which is to secure the cover 7 against lifting forces, especially where the Trough 9 is closest to the adjacent edge of the wall 5, a particularly large depth T of the trough 9 is made possible.

In the embodiment of Fig. 4 is in distinction to the embodiment of Fig. 3 provided on the one hand, that the trough depth T does not increase to the next adjacent edge, namely the upper edge 8, and second, it is provided that the trough 9 to this edge 8 through an undercut 17 forms by the trough where it the edge 8 am Neighboring adjacent, runs towards the container interior rising.

Fig. 5 shows a non-inventive example in which the wall thickness of the wall 5 in the region of the trough 9 is not reduced. The outer wall surface 15 is not pressed against the inner wall surface 14 in the region of the trough 9. Rather, the wall is deformed with its entire wall thickness in the trough 9. In order to allow a large depth T of the trough 9, where the trough 9 is closest to the adjacent upper edge 8 of the wall 5, an interruption 18 is provided between the wall material forming the trough 9 and the inner wall surface 14 located above it , For this purpose, a cut has been made in the wall 5, which runs parallel to the upper edge 8 and forms the upper boundary of the trough 9. The two cut surfaces that result from this cut in the wall 5 are in Fig. 5 each designated 19. The cover 7 extends beyond the two cut surfaces 19 further down to carry there the closure element 12, which engages in the trough 9. Although the wall 5 in the embodiment of Fig. 5 has an interruption 18, the penetration of water is even in obliquely upward directed water jets, hardly to be feared in the interior of the container 1.

In addition, the interruption 18 has the possibility of a closure element 12 of the lid 7 to engage behind the upper portion of the wall 15, so that a particularly reliable attachment the lid on the wall 5, similar as by means of the undercut 17 of the Fig. 4 , also in the embodiment of Fig. 5 can be enabled.

Claims (5)

1. Multi-piece container (1),
   having a tub-like floor (2),
   a circumferential wall (5),
   and a hood-like lid (7),
   where the wall (5)

   • has several sections (10) which together form the ring-shaped circumferential wall (5),

   • an inner wall surface (14) facing towards the interior of the container,

   • an outer wall surface (15) facing outwards,

   • a lower edge (6) set in the floor (2),

   • an upper edge (8) over which the lid (7) fits,

   • and at least one recess surrounded by an edge,

   where at least one locking element (12) is provided in the floor (2) and/or the lid (7) which engages the recess, and the recess is formed as an inwardly projecting depression (9) pressed into the wall (5) in such a way that the thickness of the wall is reduced in the area of the depression (9),
   characterised in that the wall (5) has a cavity (16) between the inner wall surface (14) and the outer wall surface (15),
   and the depression (9) is formed by a section of the outer wall surface (15) pressed against the inner wall surface (14).
2. Container in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the inner wall surface (14) of a section of wall (10) runs at a single level even in the area in which the wall (5) has a depression (9).
3. Container in accordance with claim 1, characterised in that the depression (9) projects beyond the surrounding inner wall surface (14) into the interior of the container.
4. Container in accordance with any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the depth (T) of the depression (9) increases towards the adjacent edge (6, 8) of the wall (5).
5. Container in accordance with any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the area of the depression (9) closest to the adjacent edge (6, 8) of the wall (5) forms an undercut (17).

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