EP3699108A1 - Guide element for holding a folding wall on a pallet, injection moulded or die-cast body, and pallet box - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention proposes a guide element (1) for holding a folding wall on a pallet, with a fastening section (7) for fastening the guide element (1) to a pallet, and with a guide section (3) which is shaped like an upwardly open groove is designed, which is limited on both sides by groove edges (5, 6), and with a holding section (9) which protrudes over the groove at a distance above the groove base (4). The invention also proposes an injection-molded or die-cast body and a pallet box, each of which contains such guide elements.

Description

The invention relates to a guide element for holding a folding wall on a pallet. The invention also relates to an injection-molded or die-cast body and a pallet box.

It is known from practice to secure the goods to be transported on the pallets. On the one hand, folding frames are known for this, which are also referred to as pallet frames or pallet rings. For this purpose, the pallets are provided with a groove on their upper side, the so-called pallet deck, in which such a pallet frame can be set. The transported goods, which can be packed in containers in the form of plastic bags, cardboard boxes, metallic cans or the like, is reliably secured in this way, since the individual containers cannot slip against each other, but rather are secured by the folding frame, which together with the underlying pallet forms a kind of open-topped tub. Additional weather protection can be achieved by placing an additional cover that closes the folding frame at the top.

The vast majority of pallets on the market, in particular the particularly inexpensive one-way pallets made of wood, however, have a smooth pallet deck, so that there is no possibility of receiving a folding frame or pallet frame. In these cases, the containers are secured on the pallet with the help of plastic sheeting be wrapped around the pallet and the transported goods on it. The plastic film is used in multiple layers in many turns in order to provide the desired reliable transport protection for the transported goods. At the recipient, the film is removed and disposed of, so that this type of transport requires a comparatively high consumption of plastic that is only used for a comparatively short time.

The invention is based on the object of creating a guide element which enables a folding frame to be used on the pallet even when using pallets with a smooth pallet deck. Furthermore, the invention is based on the object of specifying an economically advantageous embodiment of such a guide element, and finally the invention is based on the object of specifying a pallet box which can be created using a pallet with a smooth pallet deck.

This object is achieved by a guide element according to claim 1, by an injection-molded or die-cast component according to claim 11 and by a pallet box according to claim 12.

In other words, the invention proposes a guide element which is provided for holding a folding wall on a pallet. The guide element firstly has a fastening section which is used to fasten the guide element to a pallet. If the guide element consists of a mechanically resilient material, for example metal, this fastening section can for example be designed similar to a nail so that the guide element can be nailed to the pallet and the fastening section is accordingly driven into the material of the pallet. In the case of a configuration made of less resilient material, for example made of plastic, separate fastening elements can be used, for example screws, nails, staples or the like so that in this If the fastening section of the guide element is used to be able to fix the guide element on the pallet with the aid of these separate fastening elements.

Furthermore, the guide element has a so-called guide section, which is used to guide the folding frame securely, that is to say to prevent the folding frame from sliding off the pallet deck to the side. For this purpose, the guide section is designed in the manner of a groove which is open at the top, so that the folding frame can be inserted into this groove from above or removed from the groove again towards the top. The groove is bounded on both sides by groove edges so that the folding frame, which runs in a ring shape in its position of use, can neither be pressed in from the outside in, nor can it bulge out from the inside out.

Finally, according to the invention, the guide element also has a holding section which is located at a distance above the bottom of the groove and projects over the groove. This holding section consequently enables a form fit with the folding frame which has been set in the guide element in order to secure the folding frame against lifting forces in this way. The holding section can either be movably mounted, so that it can be brought into engagement or disengagement with the folding wall in order to selectively establish or release the aforementioned form fit. The holding section can, however, also be designed to be rigid if the folding wall has sufficient inherent elasticity so that it can initially be set into the guide element with elastic deformation and the form fit with the holding section of the guide element is established in the process. By means of the guide elements, a pallet box can therefore be created even using a particularly inexpensive “one-way” or “one-way” wooden pallet. During normal operation of the pallet box produced in this way, the form fit between the folding frame and the guide element is maintained, and only later, for example To return the folding frame to be removed from the pallet and folded flat, the folding frame can be released from the form fit by means of its elastic deformation and then removed from the pallet and from the guide elements.

The guide element can either be fastened in that the fastening section is designed as a flat, upright flap which is fastened on the outside on a longitudinal side or front side of the pallet. However, it can advantageously be provided that the fastening section is designed as an area of a base, with the guide element being able to be placed on a pallet deck with this base. In this way it is ensured that there is no component of the guide element which protrudes beyond the dimensions of the pallet and which is exposed to an increased risk of damage because it protrudes beyond the dimensions of the pallet deck. This fastening section as the area of a base is used for screw fastening the guide element and accordingly has an upright through bore through which a fastening screw can extend, by means of which the guide element is fastened to the pallet deck.

Two fastening sections can advantageously be provided on the guide element, which are arranged at a distance from one another, so that it is ensured that the guide element cannot be rotated about its - possibly only - fastening point, but rather reliably maintains its originally intended orientation.

The design of the guide section as a groove can be achieved in that the groove edges are created on both sides of the groove by individual pins, webs, tenons or the like, so that, for example, a large number of individual sections create the groove edges on both sides of the groove in the manner of a castle battlement. Especially However, it can advantageously be provided that the groove is delimited on both sides by continuous groove edges, so that when forces act on the folding frame, the folding frame is supported over a large area on the groove edges. The correspondingly low surface pressure protects the folding frame from undesired deformation, so that particularly reliable guidance of the folding frame in the groove can be ensured.

The guide section can advantageously be configured as a groove running at right angles, which accordingly serves to define a corner area of the folding frame. In this context, the right-angled course of the groove denotes that the two ends of the groove extend at right angles to one another. They can, for example, join each other by meeting at right angles, but a polygonal groove course can also be provided, or a rounded, curved groove course can be provided between the two ends if the folding frame should have a correspondingly beveled or rounded corner. Typically, the two groove ends will run in a straight line and meet at right angles, so that a large number of folding frames common on the market can be used.

The groove which forms the guide section can preferably be 10 mm wide. In this way, the guide element can interact with all folding frames customary on the market: Folding frames made of plastic usually have a wall thickness of 10 mm so that they can interact perfectly with the guide element according to the invention and can be set in its groove. Folding frames made of cardboard typically have wall thicknesses of 10.0 to 10.5 mm. Due to the deformability of the material, these folding frames can also be easily inserted into the guide section of a guide element according to the invention.

Folding frames made of wood typically have wall thicknesses of 6 to 8 mm. Accordingly, such a folding wall is not tightly fixed in a guide element according to the invention and is accordingly not guided without play. Due to the high inherent stability of the wood-based material, however, as has been found after initial practical tests, this does not represent a problem which would impair the secure holding of the folding frame in the guide elements according to the invention.

The holding section of the guide element is advantageously provided on the outside of the folding frame. If compressive forces act outward through the goods to be transported, which are arranged within the folding frame, surrounded by the folding frame, the folding frame is accordingly pressed radially outward. If the holding section of the guide element is also arranged on the outside, the form fit between the guide element and the folding frame is reinforced or secured in this way.

The holding section extends from a first side, that is to say from a first groove edge, over the groove. It therefore prevents the folding frame from being lowered into the groove from above in a vertical movement. Rather, the folding frame must be lowered down past the holding section and then guided into the groove, with an elastic deformation of the folding frame typically enabling this sequence of movements. When the folding frame has then been lowered to the bottom of the groove, the holding section can engage in a corresponding indentation or in a corresponding cutout provided in the folding wall so that the initially elastically deformed folding wall can now relax in this area and the positive fit between Guide element and folding wall is made. In order to facilitate this sequence of movements, the groove edge which lies opposite the holding section can advantageously rise obliquely in the manner of a guide slope, that is to say from its outside rise obliquely towards the groove or fall obliquely downwards on its side facing away from the groove base.

In a first embodiment, the holding section can be designed as a separate component which is attached to a groove edge or to a base - or both - of the guide element. For example, the guide element can have a base body made of plastic and the holding section can be designed as a further plastic element or as a metal tongue or the like, which is glued, screwed or connected in a similar manner to the base body.

In a second, particularly advantageous embodiment, the guide element can have the fastening section, the guide section and the holding section as a one-piece molded part.

In such a configuration, the holding section can advantageously be molded onto a groove edge, so that the groove edge not only serves to limit the groove, but also as a spacer, which holds the holding section at a distance above the groove base, so that a compact and economical design of the Guide element is supported.

The mentioned one-piece component, which forms the guide element, can advantageously be configured as an injection-molded body made of plastic or as a die-cast body made of metal. In this way, a larger number of guide elements can be produced economically.

The guide element can advantageously be designed in the form of an injection-molded or die-cast body which not only has a single guide element, but a set of three guide elements. Two guide elements are designed as corner elements with those already mentioned above at right angles extending guide sections and there is further provided a third guide element, which is referred to as a central element and has a straight guide section. While the two corner elements serve to fix the pallet frame in the area of two corners, a wall of the folding frame can be guided in the middle wall area through the middle element. In particular, if the folding walls have fold lines not only where they form a corner of the folding frame and two walls but also in the middle of a wall, the arrangement of a guide element can be provided at these points to guide the folding frame at this point in use to stabilize and guide, for which the middle element described can be used.

The use of central elements can be provided regardless of whether the central elements are produced separately or whether they are produced as part of the aforementioned injection-molded or die-cast body together with a guide element according to the invention. For example, in order to stabilize the walls, both the front sides and the long sides of a pallet or folding frame can also be guided in central elements if there is no fold line of the pallet frame where a central element is located.

The two corner elements and the central element are not produced separately in the injection-molded or die-cast body designed according to the invention, but rather form a common injection-molded body or die-cast body in which they are connected to one another by so-called separating webs or break webs. These separating webs or breaking webs have such a small material cross-section that two adjacent sections of the die-cast body or injection-molded body can be separated from one another with the aid of a separating tool, or possibly also manually by placing these two adjacent ones Sections can simply be broken apart. In this way, the three individual guide elements can be separated from the common, uniform injection-molded or die-cast body.

From practice it is known not only to provide a folding line at each of the four corners of the folding frame in order to be able to collapse the folding frame to save space, but also to provide an upright fold line in the middle of the two front sides, while the two long sides are designed without such a fold line are. Accordingly, a total of six folding lines result on such a folding frame, namely in the middle and at the two ends of an end wall of this folding frame. The injection-molded or die-cast body according to the invention provides a guide element for each of these three folding lines, so that six guide elements can be generated from two such injection-molded or die-cast bodies, which are sufficient for equipping a pallet to enable a folding frame to be placed on the pallet and can be adjusted into the guide elements and is secured and guided on all fold lines against undesired deformation. Apart from the so-called “M-fold” known from practice, the so-called “Z-fold” is also known.

Advantageously, using guide elements according to the invention, a pallet box can be created with a pallet which has a smooth pallet deck which does not have a groove and accordingly does not need to be specially prepared for receiving a folding frame. A plurality of guide elements according to the invention are arranged on such a pallet. Furthermore, the pallet box has a folding frame that is arranged upright, is unfolded and accordingly surrounds a transport space of the pallet box. This folding frame is arranged with its lower edge in the guide sections of the guide elements. He points in his Wall surface either has openings or at least depressions which do not completely penetrate the wall surface, but which, like cutouts, allow the holding sections of guide elements to extend therein. These cutouts or depressions of the folding frame are arranged in its wall surfaces where the holding sections of the guide elements are located, so that the aforementioned form fit is created and the folding frame can be securely held on the guide elements and is held in the guide elements against upward forces.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht von oben auf ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel eines Führungselements,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht von unten auf das Führungselement von Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine Draufsicht von der sogenannten Innenseite auf das Führungselement der Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

einen Schnitt entlang der Linie IV - IV in Fig. 3, und

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Ansicht von oben, ähnlich Fig. 1, auf ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel eines Führungselements,

Fig. 6

eine perspektivische Ansicht von oben auf ein als Mittelelement ausgestaltetes Führungselement, und

Fig. 7

eine Draufsicht auf eine Anordnung mehrerer Führungselemente auf einem Palettendeck.

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

Fig. 1

a perspective view from above of a first embodiment of a guide element,

Fig. 2

a perspective view from below of the guide element of FIG Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 3

a plan view from the so-called inside of the guide element of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 4

a section along the line IV - IV in Fig. 3 , and

Fig. 5

a perspective view from above, similar Fig. 1 , on a second embodiment of a guide element,

Fig. 6

a perspective view from above of a guide element designed as a central element, and

Fig. 7

a plan view of an arrangement of several guide elements on a pallet deck.

In Fig. 1 a guide element 1 is shown, which is made as a one-piece injection-molded body made of plastic. The guide element 1 has a base 2 which forms the bottom surface of the guide element 1. A guide section 3 runs on this base 2 in the manner of an angled groove, the groove base 4 of which is delimited on both sides by groove edges 5 and 6.

In view of the intended assembly alignment of the guide element 1, the slot edge 5 is referred to as the outer slot edge and the opposite slot edge 6 is referred to as the inner slot edge.

The guide element 1 has an approximately right-angled plan and each has a fastening section 7 at two diagonally opposite corners. Each fastening section 7 is provided with a through hole 8 so that the guide element 1 can be fastened by screw mounting. The outer groove edge 5 runs adjacent to one of the two fastening sections 7 in two 45 ° bends and with a reduced wall thickness there in order to enable a sufficiently large fastening section 7 on the base 2 and to provide sufficient space there for a screw head and a washer.

Furthermore, a holding section 9 is formed on the outer groove edge 5, which is designed in the manner of a hood open at the bottom. Below this holding section 9, the base 2 and the guide section 3 have a recess 10. This is provided for manufacturing reasons and is used so that a slide in the injection molding tool can extend into the cavity of the hood-like holding section 9 and can be withdrawn before the guide element 1 is removed from the injection molding tool.

Fig. 2 shows the guide element 1 of Fig. 1 in a perspective view from below, from which the two through bores 8 can be seen.

Fig. 3 FIG. 11 shows a view of the longitudinal side of the guide element 1 from FIG Fig. 1 , on the long side along which the inner groove edge 6 runs.

Out Fig. 4 it can be seen that the outer groove edge 5 then runs upright directly next to the groove base 4. The inner one Groove edge 6, on the other hand, runs obliquely starting from groove base 4 in such a way that the groove width increases. The inner groove edge 6 does not extend to the same height as the outer groove edge 5 in any case. From the highest point of the inner groove edge 6, the so-called groove edge crown 11, the inner groove edge 6 slopes downwards the further it extends from the groove edge crown 11 away. Due to its lower height and the rounding towards the groove, the inner groove edge 6 facilitates the insertion of a folding wall into the guide section 3 and its latching with the holding section 9.

Mounted on a pallet deck, the outer groove edge 5 is located radially, i.e. viewed from the center of the pallet deck, on the outside of the guide section 3 and accordingly also outside of a folding frame that is arranged upright in the guide section 3, while the inner groove edge 6 is inside of the interior space of the pallet box formed by the pallet and the folding frame, which is enclosed by the folding frame.

The inclined course of the inner groove edge 6 to its radially inner side serves as a sliding aid when a folding frame is pushed from the inside to the outside, overcoming the inner groove edge 6 and then lowered over the rounded curved contour of the inner groove edge 6 and down to the Groove bottom 4 of guide section 3 arrives, so that in this position the holding section 9 of guide element 1 can engage in the corresponding recess of the folding frame. In this way, the folding frame is fixed on the guide element 1 by means of a form fit or a latching and is secured in a form fit against movement in all directions. However, the folding frame can be removed from the guide element 1 with elastic deformation.

The guide element 1 of Figs. 1 to 4 is designed in one piece or in one piece and consists of the same material throughout.

Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of a guide element 1, the structure of which is essentially the structure of the first embodiment of FIG Figs. 1 to 4 equals, so that the same designations are used for comparable components or areas.

In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, the holding section 9 in the guide element 1 is the Fig. 5 formed by a separate component, namely by a bent sheet metal tab 12, which also has a through hole 8, so that this sheet metal tab 12 can be attached to the outer groove edge 5 by means of a screw. If necessary, the outer groove edge 5 below the sheet metal tab 12 can also have a through-hole 8 so that not only the sheet metal tab 12 can be attached to the guide element 1, but also the guide element 1 to a pallet by means of a correspondingly long screw.

In addition, however, as in the first exemplary embodiment, two fastening sections 7, each with a through hole 8, are provided at two opposite corners. In contrast to the first embodiment, the guide element 1 has Fig. 5 however, in the fastening section 7 located inside the outer groove edge 5, a shaft which extends down to the base 2 and in which the screw head of the fastening screw to be used is arranged in a protected manner.

The sheet metal tab 12 has one or more sections which are bent downwards and which extend in corresponding recesses in the outer groove edge 5, so that the sheet metal tab 12 is secured against twisting. Alternatively can it can be provided that this one elongated section or the several shorter beveled sections bear on the outside of the outer groove edge 5 in order to create the desired anti-twist protection.

Fig. 6 shows a guide element which is designed as a central element 14 and differs from a guide element 1 designed according to the invention in that it has no holding section 9.

Fig. 7 shows a plan view of a pallet 15. The pallet 15 has the standardized dimensions of a Euro pallet of 800 mm × 1,200 mm and is only indicated by dashed lines, since its specific design is not relevant for the present proposal. Six guide elements are arranged on their pallet deck 16, namely four guide elements 1 designed according to the invention as corner elements that correspond to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4 correspond, and two configured as central elements 14 guide elements according to Fig. 6 . The guide elements 1 and central elements 14 do not protrude beyond the standard dimensions of the pallet 15.

Because an in Fig. 7 Folding frame, not shown, can be set on the pallet deck 16 and in the guide sections 3 of the guide elements 1 and the central elements 14, a pallet box can be created that can either remain open at the top in a known manner or can be closed by a lid. In the arrangement shown, the guide elements 1 and the central elements 14 are located on the short side of the pallet deck 16. This is advantageous if the folding frame can be collapsed in the manner of a so-called "M-fold". Deviating from the illustrated embodiment, the guide and central elements 1 and 14 can be arranged on the long side of the pallet deck 16, which is advantageous if the folding frame can be folded in the manner of a so-called "Z-fold". Both types of folds are known and common from practice.

In an arrangement similar to that of Fig. 7 , but much closer to one another, two guide elements 1 and the central element 14 located between them can be produced as a common injection-molded part made of plastic or as a die-cast part made of metal. Short dividers connect these three elements together to form the common injection molded part. Due to their small material cross-section, the separators allow the three elements of the injection-molded part to be separated from one another by machine with little effort. If the cross-section is sufficiently small, the separating webs can also be referred to as breaking webs, which allow the three elements of the injection-molded part to be separated from one another manually, namely simply by breaking them off.

Reference number:

1

Guide element

2

Base

3

Guide section

4th

Groove base

5

Groove edge "outside"

6th

Groove edge "inside"

7th

Fastening section

8th

Through hole

9

Holding section

10

Recess

11

Nut rim

12

Sheet metal tab

14th

Middle element

15th

palette

16

Pallet deck

Claims (12)

Guide element (1) for holding a folding wall on a pallet,
with a fastening section (7) for fastening the guide element (1) to a pallet,
and with a guide section (3) which is designed in the manner of an upwardly open groove which is delimited on both sides by groove edges (5, 6),
and with a holding section (9) which protrudes over the groove at a distance above the groove base (4). Guide element according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the fastening section (7) is designed as an area of a base (2), with which base (2) the guide element (1) can be placed on a pallet deck,
and that the fastening section (7) has an upright through bore (8) for screw fastening of the guide element (1) to the pallet. Guide element according to claim 1 or 2,
marked by
two spaced apart fastening sections (7). Guide element according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the guide section (3) is delimited on both sides by continuous groove edges (5, 6). Guide element according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the guide section (3) is designed as a groove running at right angles to define a corner area of the folding frame. Guide element according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the groove edge (6) of the guide section (3), which is opposite the groove edge (5) having the holding section (9), slopes downward at its side facing away from the groove base (4). Guide element according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the holding section (9) is designed as a separate component which is attached to a slot edge (5, 6) and / or the base (2) of the guide element (1). Guide element according to one of Claims 1 to 6,
characterized,
that the fastening section (7), the guide section (3) and the holding section (9) are designed as sections of a common, one-piece component which forms the guide element (1). Guide element according to claim 8,
characterized,
that the holding section (9) is formed on a groove edge (5, 6). Guide element according to claim 8 or 9,
characterized,
that the guide element (1) is designed as an injection-molded body made of plastic or as a die-cast body made of metal is. Injection-molded or die-cast bodies,
with three guide elements,
wherein two guide elements (1) are each designed according to one of the preceding claims and have guide sections (3) running at right angles as corner elements,
and a guide element as a central element (14) has a straight guide section (3),
and wherein the two guide elements (1) designed as corner elements and the central element (14) form a common injection-molded or die-cast body and are connected to one another by separating webs. Pallet box,
with a pallet that has a pallet deck,
and with several guide elements (1) fastened on the pallet deck, which are designed according to one of claims 1 to 10,
and with a folding frame,
which is arranged upright on the pallet deck surrounding a transport space of the pallet box,
and which stands with its lower edge in the guide sections (3) of the guide elements (1),
and which has cutouts or depressions in its wall surface into which the holding sections (9) of guide elements (1) extend,
such that the folding frame is held in the guide elements (1) secured against upwardly directed forces.

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