EP3336001A1 - Container with variably orientable lid for container marking - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a container (1) with a container bottom, a container wall (2) which defines a container rim (3), and a lid (4) which is used to close the container (1) in at least two different orientations on the container rim (3 ) can be arranged. In a first orientation, the cover (4) exposes the view of at least one first marking (5) arranged on the container wall (2) and, in a second orientation, blocks the view of the first marking and / or gives the view of at least one second mark (6) different from the first mark (5).

Description

The present invention relates to a container, in particular a plastic container, with a container bottom, a container wall which defines a container rim, and a lid which can be arranged for closing the container in at least two different orientations on the container rim.

Various containers with lids are known from the prior art, which have marking devices for indicating or characterizing a filling state (filled / unfilled) or the container contents. For example, in the field of waste disposal (waste containers), it is necessary to warn against the contents of a container or to indicate that a container is filled in order to prevent it from being accidentally opened and thus posing a danger to personnel and the environment. Many of the prior art solutions use attachments such as label holders or slidable latches to identify the container. Such solutions all have the disadvantage that additional components are needed and a considerable manufacturing and assembly costs incurred to mount such attachments on the container.

Other prior art solutions suggest providing a window in the container and / or the lid, through which, for example, the contents of the container can be identified without having to open it. From the US 5,427,266 A For example, a container with a window in the lid is known, which gives an optical feedback on a sealing state of the container by a pattern applied to a sealing lip pattern is recognizable only in sealing contact with the window clouded.

Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a marking system for a container with a lid, through which the Container or its filling state can be marked in the simplest way, without the need for additional attachments or complex manufacturing steps would be necessary.

This object is achieved by a container according to the invention having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

A container according to the invention basically has a container bottom and a container wall, which together define a container interior. The container wall also defines, with its edge portions facing away from the container bottom, a container rim to which a container lid (henceforth referred to as lid) can be arranged in order to close off the container interior from an environment. According to the invention, the lid can be arranged in at least two different orientations on the container rim, so it can be placed on the container at least in a first orientation / orientation and a second orientation / orientation in order to close it. This property is exploited to implement a simple marking concept for the container, for which no additional attachments and no or only a minimum number of additional manufacturing steps are necessary. For this purpose, according to the invention, the container has at least one first marking or marking arranged on its container wall, which visually stands out from the rest of the container in that it has a different color, and the lid is designed such that it, when in the first orientation is disposed on the container rim, the view of said first mark releases and, when it is arranged in the second orientation of the container edge, obstructing the view of the first mark and / or the view of at least one different from the first mark second mark releases. According to the invention, the at least one second marking can also be a simple wall section of the container. Important for implementing the invention is merely that the first mark can be distinguished from the second mark, preferably optically. In particular, the first mark may be printed in color, which represents a comparatively inexpensive method of color marking. However, according to the invention, all methods customary to the person skilled in the art are colored Marking considered, such as painting or the compounding of color pigments in desn plastic of the corresponding marking section.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the release or blocking of the view can be converted to the first marking, in that the cover has at least one window or at least one recess, which releases the view of the first marking in the first orientation of the cover. For this purpose, the window or the recess and the first mark can be arranged on the lid or on the container such that the window or the recess, when the container is closed by the lid in the first orientation, at least partially overlays the first mark. In the second orientation of the lid, the window or recess may, for example, release the view of the second mark, which differs from the first mark, or else release any other portion of the container wall, so that the marking function of the lid is therein, that in the first orientation, the first mark is visible from the outside, in the second orientation, however, the first mark is not visible.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the container may have at least two first markings which are released in the first orientation of the lid (or are visible from the outside) and are concealed in the second orientation of the lid. In such an embodiment, the cover may preferably have at least two windows / recesses which are arranged in the first orientation corresponding to the at least two first markings in order to release the view onto them. Such an embodiment with two or more first marks offers the advantage that the marking state of the container can be seen from several sides.

According to one aspect, at least two first markings may be arranged on two opposite wall sections of the container. It is, in particular in non-round containers, so containers with polygonal (polygonal) opening or cover geometry, advantageous if the first two marks are arranged in opposite side walls each off-center.

According to a preferred development, the lid and the container can be designed such that the lid can be arranged exclusively in a first orientation and a second orientation on the container. This can be realized, for example, by the basic geometry of the container (e.g., rectangular base) or by positioning members on lids and / or containers which allow only two different orientations of the lid.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the first orientation of the lid to the second orientation of the lid can be rotated by 180 °. In this way, the greatest possible offset between the two orientations of the lid can be created, thereby reducing the risk of accidentally attaching the lid in the wrong position.

According to a further aspect of the invention, at least two first markings can be arranged on two opposite side walls of the container, which have a common plane of symmetry. It is advantageous if the two first marking sections are arranged on the same side of the plane of symmetry of the container walls. It is even more advantageous if the two first markings are arranged at the same distance from the plane of symmetry on the opposite side walls. Accordingly, in such an embodiment, the lid may have at least two windows, which are also arranged in two opposite side edges of the cover with a common plane of symmetry and corresponding to the two first markings are also arranged in the same direction and spaced at the same distance from the plane of symmetry.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the at least one first marking may differ from the remaining container wall in that it has a different texture or surface structure than the latter. Compared to a purely color marking this has the advantage that a marking condition of the container can be felt even in poor visibility or by persons with limited vision.

An alternative aspect of the container according to the invention provides that the at least one first marking is formed as a window or recess in the container wall. This has the advantage that in the first orientation of the lid, through the first mark, the view of the container interior is released. Preferably, in such an embodiment, in the second orientation of the lid, the window or the recess is covered / closed.

According to one aspect of the invention, the container opening and the lid may be quadrangular, more preferably rectangular.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the container may additionally comprise at least one handle. Preferably, the handle can be integrally formed in the container wall, in particular such that no opening / opening of the wall is formed (the container wall is closed in the region of the handle). According to a further aspect of the invention, in such an embodiment with at least one handle, the at least one first marking may be arranged adjacent to the handle, in particular above the handle on the container wall.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the lid may be latchable on the container, preferably releasably. It is advantageous if the latching elements are arranged on the container rim and the lid such that they allow only latching in with different, in particular two different, marking states corresponding orientations. For this purpose, the latching elements can be distributed, for example, in such a way that, in the plan view of the container, they have two planes of symmetry oriented orthogonally to one another. Preferably recesses / eyelets are provided in the lid, which interact with corresponding latching elements / lugs in the container edge. This has the advantage that when the marking function and the latching function in the lid are both realized by recesses, the manufacture of the lid, in particular the design of an injection molding or Rotomouldingwekzeugs, can be simplified.

According to a further aspect, the container and / or the lid may be made of plastic.
Preferably, the container and / or the lid may be made in such an embodiment by injection molding.

• Fig. 1 eine Detailansicht einer ersten Markierung in einer ersten Orientierung eines Deckels an einem Behälter gemäß einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform;
• Fig. 2 den gesamten Behälter aus Fig. 1 in der ersten Orientierung des Deckels am Behälter;
• Fig. 3 eine Detailansicht einer zweiten Markierung in einer zweiten Orientierung des Deckels an dem Behälter gemäß der bevorzugten Ausführungsform;
• Fig. 4 den gesamten Behälter in der zweiten Orientierung des Deckels am Behälter;
• Fig. 5 eine Prinzipskizze des Zusammenwirkens der Markierungen und des Deckels bei einem rechteckigen Behälter in der ersten Orientierung des Deckels am Behälter;
• Fig. 6 eine Prinzipskizze des Zusammenwirkens der Markierungen und des Deckels bei dem rechteckigen Behälter in der zweiten Orientierung des Deckels am Behälter;
• Fig. 7 eine Prinzipskizze des Zusammenwirkens der Markierungen und des Deckels bei einem runden Behälter in der ersten Orientierung des Deckels am Behälter; und
• Fig. 8 eine Prinzipskizze des Zusammenwirkens der Markierungen und des Deckels bei dem runden Behälter in der zweiten Orientierung des Deckels am Behälter.

The invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

• Fig. 1 a detail view of a first mark in a first orientation of a lid to a container according to a preferred embodiment;
• Fig. 2 the entire container Fig. 1 in the first orientation of the lid on the container;
• Fig. 3 a detail view of a second mark in a second orientation of the lid on the container according to the preferred embodiment;
• Fig. 4 the entire container in the second orientation of the lid on the container;
• Fig. 5 a schematic diagram of the interaction of the markings and the lid in a rectangular container in the first orientation of the lid on the container;
• Fig. 6 a schematic diagram of the interaction of the markers and the lid in the rectangular container in the second orientation of the lid on the container;
• Fig. 7 a schematic diagram of the interaction of the markings and the lid in a round container in the first orientation of the lid on the container; and
• Fig. 8 a schematic diagram of the interaction of the markers and the lid in the round container in the second orientation of the lid on the container.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The Figures 1 and 2 show a container 1, more specifically a sealed transport and storage container. Such waste containers are usually made of plastic, in particular by injection molding and are a good example of application for a container 1 according to the invention with marking device. The interior of the garbage container 1 shown is hermetically sealed from the environment by means of a peripheral seal (not shown) to prevent leakage of pollutants of all states of aggregation from the container 1 and thus protect people and the environment from these or the Container contents to protect against external influences. To prevent improper or premature opening of the container 1 by the handling staff, this is equipped with a marking function according to the invention to indicate the state of the container 1 (eg filled / unfilled).

The container 1 shown is designed with a trough-like lower part with a rectangular base or a rectangular bottom. Accordingly, the container 1 shown has four side walls 2, two shorter end walls and two longer longitudinal walls. The side walls 2 are made slightly outwardly in the example shown in order to allow nestability of several container troughs into each other. For this purpose, support structures are also formed in the end walls of the container 1 shown, which reduces the support surface and thus the risk of wedging each other nestled container trays.

At the container trough described above or at the container edge 3, a lid 4 can now be arranged for closing the container 1. The lid 4 shown also has a substantially rectangular base and a peripheral side edge. In the peripheral side edge of the lid 4 a number (eight) is arranged on Verrastungsausnehmungen (two recesses in the End faces and three recesses in the long sides). This latching recesses can be brought into engagement with correspondingly arranged on the container edge 3 or molded locking lugs 9 to set the lid 4 releasably and positively on the container trough. In this context, it should be mentioned that the Verrastungselemenete 8, 9 are distributed in the container circumferential direction, that a locking of the lid 4 in two different orientations is possible. More specifically, the latching elements 8, 9 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the centers of the side walls 2 both in the tank longitudinal direction and in the tank transverse direction.

In addition to the recesses 8 for locking the lid 4, the cover 4 in the embodiment shown at each end edge each have a further recess 7. With the help of these recesses 7 a marking function according to the invention is implemented. These act together with corresponding first markings 5 at the upper edge region of the end walls of the container wall 2. As in the Figures 1 and 2 can be seen, are in a first orientation of the lid 4 on the container 1, the above-mentioned recesses 7 substantially congruent over the executed in the example shown as black wall sections, first marks 5 and thus give the view of this free. In this case, the condition marking therefore indicates "black", which could be an example of the fact that the container is filled with waste. Both the recesses 7 and the first marks 5 are arranged eccentrically in the illustrated example in the end faces of the lid 4 and the container trough. In the, in the Figures 1 and 2 shown first orientation of the lid 4, both the illustrated first mark 5 and the recess 7 are offset to the left of the center of the end wall 2 of the container 1.

Now putting the cover 4 in a rotated position by 180 ° on the container trough, the recesses are arranged mirrored in the new orientation of the lid 4 relative to the vertical center axis of the end walls 2. So is the recess 7, in the in the FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrated end face, after turning the lid 4 now right instead of left of the center of the considered Container front side. This has the consequence that the first mark 5 is covered by the lid 4 and instead a second mark 6 (in this case held in the color of the remaining container wall 2) is released. The state marker points into the FIGS. 3 and 4 So now "white" (or container wall color, eg blue), which could stand for an empty container 1, for example.

In the FIGS. 5 and 6 is a schematic plan view of a, cut at the height of the first marks 7, inventive container 1 shown. This illustration further clarifies the functional principle of the embodiment shown. In the schematic plan view shown, the change of the arrangement of the recesses 7 and the associated concealment or release of the various markings 5, 6 is illustrated even further.

As in the FIGS. 7 and 8 however, the basic principle of the present invention is not limited to angular containers 1. By way of example, a top view of a substantially cylindrical, barrel-like container 1 is shown, which has a cover 4, which releases in a first orientation by means of recesses 7 provided on the container wall 2 first marks 5. As in Fig. 8 indicated, the lid 4 can be placed in a second, opposite the first orientation twisted orientation and thus obstruct the view of the first marks 5 and share the view of second marks 6.

The present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. However, the marking system according to the invention is also transferable to other containers (systems).

Thus, the shape of the container 1 is basically independent of the inventive concept described. The only prerequisite is that the container 1 has a shape that allows at least two different orientations of the lid 4. Thus, for example, containers 1 with polygons having at least two symmetry planes (eg equilateral triangles, hexagons, octagons, etc.) are conceivable as base areas for containers 1 according to the invention.

Also, the various orientations of the lid 4 are not limited to rotations about a vertical axis. It is conceivable, e.g. Also, that the lid 4 is rotated about a horizontal axis by 180 °, so that the side, which is the inside of the lid 4 in the first orientation forms in the second orientation of its outer side.

Also, the number of first marks 5 or recesses 7 is not limited to two. Thus, e.g. Also contemplated variants of the container 1, in which only a mark 5 and a recess 7 are provided, so that in the first orientation, the marker 5 is released and in the second orientation, the marker 5 is covered. Likewise, variants with four or more first marks 5 and four or more corresponding recesses 7 are conceivable, so that the marking state of the container is visible all around.

In addition to the embodiment shown, the invention can also be implemented with an additional third, fourth (etc.) mark, so that the container 1 can display three or more different marking states.

reference numeral

1

container

2

container

3

Behälterrandung

4

cover

5

First mark

6

second mark

7

recess

8th

locking recess

9

locking lug

Claims (8)

Container (1), in particular plastic container, with a container bottom, a container wall (2) which defines a container rim (3), and a lid (4), which for closing the container (1) in at least two different, in particular by 180 ° relative to each other twisted, orientations on the container edge (3) can be arranged,
characterized in that
the lid (4) releases in a first orientation the view of at least one first marking (5) arranged on the container wall (2), which differs in color from the remaining container wall, in particular is printed in color, and in a second orientation the view blocks the first mark (5) and / or releases the view of at least one second mark (6), which differs from the first mark (5). Container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid (4) has at least a first window or a first recess (7), which in the first orientation of the lid (4) the view of the corresponding to the container wall (2 ) releases first mark (5) and releases the view of a second mark (6) in the second orientation. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (1) has at least two first markings (5) and two corresponding first windows or first recesses (7). Container (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the two first markings (5) on two opposite side walls (2) of the container (1), in particular eccentrically to these, are arranged. Container (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the container rim (3) and the cover have a common plane of symmetry and the two first markings (5) at opposite ends of the container (1). However, on the same side of the plane of symmetry, in particular with the same distance to this, are arranged. Container (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the two first windows or recesses (7) in the cover (4) corresponding to the first markings at two opposite ends of the lid (4) and on the same side of the plane of symmetry , in particular with the same distance to this, are arranged. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first marking differs from the rest of the container wall by its surface structure or texture. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (4) in at least two different orientations, in particular releasably, on the container edge (3) by means of latching elements (8, 9) can be latched.

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