FR2829111A1 - Stackable molded plastic crate has sloping walls with inwardly-projecting, hollow ribs, corners being at angle to walls and having recess assisting stacking crates one inside other - Google Patents

Abstract

The stackable molded plastic crate has sloping walls. These have inwardly-projecting, hollow ribs (5, 6). The corners (8) are at an angle to the walls and have a recess assisting stacking the crates one inside the other.

Description

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Technical area
The present invention relates to a stackable plastic molded rack of generally parallelepiped shape comprising: a bottom and side walls slightly pinched towards the bottom to allow the nesting of several empty lockers in each other, at least one reinforcing rib on each side, hollow in the outline of the rack (projecting inwards), this rib extending over at least a large part of the height of the wall starting from the top to serve as a stacking support for two lockers one on the other while also allowing the casing of two empty lockers.

 We already know multiple versions of handling cases, stackable lockers, etc ...

 Among these various known embodiments there is in particular that described in document FR 2 313 274 which is a rack whose outline is formed by a lattice structure. A similar locker is described in document US 3,481,507 or also in document FR 92 14,521.

 However, the lockers, cases or containers for handling storage or transport, described in these various documents as well as in others not cited, have side walls occupied entirely by a lattice structure or a succession of cavities and bosses. more or less triangular in shape, in non-homologous positions for two sides opposite the rack (generally rectangular or square) so that in a certain orientation, two lockers can nest and in another orientation if the one of the lockers is turned 180, it can rest on the raised parts of the locker located below.

 These different embodiments of lockers have the disadvantage of being of a very complicated shape which requires the manufacture of complicated and expensive molds. In addition, in use, when the compartments are nested, due to the multiplicity of contacts between the triangular bosses, the attachment points are important, especially if one of the compartments or part of the compartment is slightly deformed by aging. and by relaxation of molding constraints or even if the traction exerted on the rack to be released is not applied regularly and deforms the rack to be extracted.

 In summary, the known lockers are of a complicated manufacture and a relatively delicate use making them moreover

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 fragile. Finally, in their very design, due to the regular distribution of triangular shapes in relief on their peripheral wall to facilitate nesting or on the contrary serve as a support, the dimensional freedom that can be given to the rack is relatively reduced and must correspond to a basic module.

Aims and advantages of the invention
The object of the present invention is to develop a stackable plastic molded crate, of generally parallelepipedal shape, of the type defined above, which is simple to manufacture and to use both for nesting the empty crates in each other and for for clearing and stacking, once loaded.

 To this end, the invention relates to a locker of the type defined above, characterized in that the corners form a recess / shoulder fitting.

 This shaped shoulder makes it possible to limit the nesting depth of two compartments without this nesting depth being limited by the engagement by the shape of the ribs, generally triangular or more or less conical and whose seizing or restraint is all the stronger as the nesting is pushed.

 In the case of the stackable rack according to the invention, the withdrawal / shoulder at each corner precisely limits the nesting depth of two lockers. As this limit is defined at the design of the locker, it is possible to leave enough play to prevent the nested lockers from clinging firmly to each other. In addition, this nesting stop, provided at each corner of the rack, is located in a position at the end of the diagonals of the rack, that is to say of the greatest possible extension. Under these conditions, even if a rack is taken irregularly to be extracted from the rack in which it is fitted, the deformation of the rack can only cause a shortening of the largest dimension of the rack and not an elongation at the level of the support so that in no case will the rack to be removed risk catching on the rack from which it is extracted.

 The invention also relates to a rack comprising, associated above the ribs of at least two opposite sides of the rack, a stacking flap of dimensions slightly greater than those of the large hollow base of a rib to serve as a support. to this great base; the shutter being connected by a hinge to the side of the rack to tilt either into a nesting position of the lockers, the shutter being at

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 the outside of the interior volume of the rack is in a stacking position in which the flap covers the top of the rib with which this flap is associated.

 This stacking flap associated with each rib creates a relatively large bearing surface making it possible to receive the large base of a rib of a rack stacked on top of it, which distributes the forces exerted by the loaded rack. and secures the support, avoiding that under the effect of an impact or a deformation caused by an external object, a rib bearing on another rib, as is the case in the lockers of the prior art, does not risk slipping slightly from its support and losing contact with the support surface.

 These shutters are particularly simple to use and do not interfere with the interlocking of the lockers since at this time it is enough to fold them outwards to allow this nesting.

 To facilitate the installation of a rack over another, the stacking flaps have a flange. This makes it easy to find the stacking position.

 As on the other hand, the stacking flaps, due to the large surface area that they offer, make it possible to reduce the number of ribs in each side of the rack, which simplifies the manufacture and use as opposed to racks like those of the prior art whose sides are formed by a tight succession of ribs necessary for holding the stacked and loaded lockers.

 As the shutter is made in one piece with the rack to which it is connected by a plastic hinge, obtained by a reduction in thickness, it is advantageous to be able to retain the stacking shutter, temporarily in its stacking position so that it does not return elastically to its position released towards the outside (that which corresponds to the position in the mold during the manufacture of the crate), it is advantageous, according to another characteristic of the invention, that the top of the rib has a latching hole and the flap associated with this chimney has on its underside a boss intended to come into the latching hole of the rib when the stacking flap is tilted above its rib .

 Advantageously, the corners of the rack are truncated.

This truncated shape is particularly interesting at the upper edge of the rack. When several compartments are placed next to each other

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 others, for example for the presentation of goods, and that they are loaded, it is easy to extract a locker arranged tightly between other lockers by the simple introduction of fingers at the level of the corner to lift the rack by his corner then take it completely.

 Conversely, for the establishment of a rack between the lockers already arranged contiguously, the operation is done with the same ease, thanks to the truncated corners.

 According to another advantageous characteristic, the ribs are slightly frustoconical chimneys, flared towards the bottom of the rack.

 The taper of the ribs in the form of chimneys is chosen according to the depth of nesting authorized by the recesses / shoulders of casing at the corners of the lockers, so that in no case the ribs of those nested lockers constitute a retaining surface or attachment complicating the removal of a locker.

 Advantageously, the rack has two ribs on each short side and an intermediate rib on each long side.

 To facilitate the use and cleaning of the lockers or to allow them to receive products requiring a certain circulation of air, it is advantageous that the walls are perforated between the ribs and the corners by vertical slots.

 The reduced number of ribs allows such an openwork shape without this being to the detriment of the solidity of the vertical walls and more generally of the rack for its stacking.

 To facilitate the stacking of compartments and their nesting, the ribs are offset symmetrically in rotation (180) for each two opposite sides, so that by rotation of 180 of the compartment around its axis, the ribs on one side can nest in the ribs on the other side of a locker placed below.

 Interestingly, in the context of the offset of the ribs, there is provided according to another characteristic the offset of the ribs from one side to the opposite side corresponds substantially to the width of a rib and at the junction of the bottom and the rib a housing receives the upper end of the counterpart rib of the upper rack, returned to the stacking position.

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- la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un casier selon l'invention, - la figure 2 est une vue de dessus du casier de la figure 1, - la figure 3 est une vue de détail d'une nervure et d'un volet d'empilage en position dégagée, - la figure 4 est une vue en perspective de l'empilage de deux casiers, au niveau de l'appui de la nervure du casier supérieur sur le volet d'empilage en position active correspondante du casier inférieur, - la figure 5 est une vue renversée de deux casiers empilés, - la figure 6 est une vue de détail en coupe de l'empilage de trois casiers montrant le volet d'empilage en position active et en position neutrali- sée,

- la figure 7 est une vue correspondante à la figure 6 selon une vue en coupe par un plan parallèle à l'axe d'articulation des volets d'empilage, - la figure 8 est une vue de détail d'un volet d'empilage en position neu- tralisée, - la figure 9 montre deux casiers imbriqués et la position correspondante des volets. drawings
The present invention will be described below in more detail using an embodiment of the invention shown schematically in the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a locker according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a top view of the locker of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a detail view of a rib and a stacking flap in the released position, - Figure 4 is a perspective view of the stacking of two racks, at the support of the rib of the upper rack on the stacking flap in the corresponding active position of the rack lower, - Figure 5 is an inverted view of two stacked racks, - Figure 6 is a detail view in section of the stack of three racks showing the stacking flap in the active position and in the neutralized position,

- Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 6 in a sectional view through a plane parallel to the hinge axis of the stacking flaps, - Figure 8 is a detail view of a stacking flap in the neutralized position, - Figure 9 shows two nested compartments and the corresponding position of the flaps.

Detailed description of the drawings
According to Figures 1 and 2, the invention relates to a stackable locker in molded plastic. This rack 1 has a generally parallelepiped shape consisting of a bottom 2 and side walls slightly pinched towards the bottom to allow nesting of empty lockers in each other.

 Locker 1 has a rectangular shape with lateral parts formed by two long sides 3.3 and two short sides 4.4. The sides 3,4 are perforated with vertical slots 31,41.

 The long sides 3.3 are each provided with a reinforcement rib 5 and the short sides with two reinforcement ribs 6.

 The ribs 5 and 6 have in principle the same shape. These ribs are made in the thickness of the walls 3, 4, recessed in the outline of the rack, that is to say projecting towards the interior volume of the rack. The ribs 5, 6 occupy practically the entire height of the wall; the top of the ribs 5,6 is closed and their underside is open.

The ribs 5 of the walls 3 and the ribs 6 of the walls 4 occupy a

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 position each time symmetrical with respect to the vertical central axis of the rack 1 without the ribs being symmetrical with respect to a mediating plane of the two pairs of sides.

 This means that the ribs 5 are offset relative to the middle of the side 3 and the same is true of the ribs 6 relative to the middle of the side 4. This offset corresponds substantially to the width of the ribs 5 (taken in the direction of the corresponding side ).

 Under these conditions, depending on the relative orientation of two lockers, they can stack or nest.

 It is obvious that the offset of the ribs 5 on the sides 3 must be in the same direction as that of the sides 6 to allow this nesting or stacking.

 This offset arrangement appears clearly in the top view in Figure 2 in which are drawn the two mediator planes of the locker. The 3.4 sides have 7 days.

 The corners 8 of the rack are provided with a shoulder 9 formed by a recess 10 from the lower part of the corner relative to the upper part. According to a variant, the corners 8 are truncated to facilitate gripping of the compartments when several compartments are closely juxtaposed.

 In this example, the shoulder 9 formed by the withdrawal is located substantially at mid-height of the rack to serve as a stop or casing support. In fact, the vertical position of the shoulder depends on the clearance angle of the sides and the average wall thicknesses. In this case, the position is halfway up. If the draft angle is greater, the shoulder can be located lower, which improves the vacuum embedding.

 When the compartments are fitted one into the other in the storage position, they are supported on each other by their shoulders 9 at the four corners which limits the depth of nesting of the compartments and above all prevents nesting from occurring. is done by the clamping by wedge effect of the ribs as in known lockers.

 The nesting depth of two lockers, limited by the coming into contact of their shoulders 9, is chosen so that their chimneys are nested but not in contact and are not likely to seize by wedge effect complicating the release of the lockers.

 The shoulders 9 provided in the corners are at a reinforced location since it is at the junction of two sides. These shoulders

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 9, which constitute a crosspiece and a more generally three-dimensional shape at the corners, also reinforce the rigidity or the solidity of the racks 1 without actually reducing their useful volume since the corners are rarely occupied by the products placed in the racks.

 According to Figure 2, next to the ribs 5,6, the wall 3,4 each has a support forming housings 11, 12 to receive at least partially the base of the rib 5,6 when the racks are stacked. These supports or housings 11, 12 are molded in the walls.

 According to the embodiment, the ribs 6 are completed by stacking flaps 13 shown in Figure 2 in the deployed position outward.

 These flaps 13 are in the form of tongues, connected by a hinge of material 14 with the wall 4 and these flaps 13 can be either in a neutralized position, outside the contour of the rack 1, or in an active position, folded down by above the rib 6 with which they are associated (or at least over the upper side of the rib with which they are associated). The flaps 13 thus increase the support surface which allows the stacking of two compartments without turning one of the compartments of 1800 around the vertical axis 00 to come to bear in the support surfaces 12.

 This embodiment actually combines two variants since the stacking can be done using only the supports 11, 12 with an adequate relative orientation of the stacked compartments, or with the flaps 13 placed in the support position and in this case, the ribs do not necessarily have the offset it takes in the absence of flaps.

 In this second variant, the ribs can be in identical positions on two opposite sides.

 But in both cases, the casing uses support on the shoulders.

 The variants shown in Figures 1 and 2 include a stacking flap 13 associated with the ribs 6 of the short sides 4 and not those of the long sides 3. According to another variant not shown, the ribs on all sides are each supplemented by a stacking flap 13.

 Figure 3 shows, in more detail, the shape of a stacking flap 13 at a rib 6 on the side 4 of the rack.

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 The stacking flap 13 has a relatively large surface, greater than the base of the rib 6 which it must receive (when the upper rack is put in place). The flap 13 delimits the location with a boss 15 corresponding to the inside contour of the base of the rib (this boss 15 appears in hollow in FIG. 3 which shows the underside of the flap). The edge 16 beyond the boss 15 extends well beyond the contour of the base of the rib 6. Finally in the middle, the flap 13 has a hooking spout 17 intended to come into a corresponding opening 18 made in the top 60 of the rib 6 to remain attached thereto.

 At each flap 13, the edge 42 on the reinforced side 4 has a recess 43 to facilitate the production of the flap 13 and its hinge 14 and above all allow the flap to fold down so as to be very little in protrusion when the compartments are nested. Such an offset is not provided in the edges 31 of the long sides 3.

 FIG. 4 partially shows the stacking of a rack 1a on a rack 1 whose flap 13 has been placed in the support position. this figure shows how the base 61 of the rib 6 overlaps the flap 13.

 The inverted view of FIG. 5 shows the upper wall 60 of the rib 6 and the passage of the spout 17 of the flap 13 in the orifice 18 of the rib 6.

 FIG. 6 shows the stacking of three compartments 1, 1A, 1B, the lower compartment having its flap 13 in the neutralized position, folded outwards so that the rib 6A of the compartment 1A rests in the support cavity juxtaposing the rib 6 homologous to the locker 1 while for the upper locker 1B, the support is done via the flap 13A of the locker 1A.

 Figure 7 shows another view of this arrangement since it is a section made a plane perpendicular to the plane of Figure 6 (this plane is parallel to the axis of the hinge 14 of the flap 13). This sectional view shows in particular the curved shape of the flap 13A and actuating the shoulders 9.9A, 9B at the corners 8.8A, 8B.

 FIG. 8 is a detail view showing the flap 13 with its hinge 14 hinged to the wall 4 at the level of the chimney 6.

 Figure 9 shows the nesting of two lockers and the arrangement of their flaps 13, 1A on this occasion.

 The applications of the locker or of the box according to the invention are diverse. They relate in particular to food products

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 such as mushrooms, fruits, small or large fish such as sardines.

 Depending on the case, if the products are small, the entire rack is occupied. If the products are medium or bulky, such as medium fish (herring) or large fruit (apples, pears), the volume is not completely occupied.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1) Stackable plastic molded box of generally parallelepiped shape comprising a bottom (2) and side walls (3,4) slightly pinched towards the bottom to allow the nesting of several empty lockers (1) in each other , at least one reinforcing rib (5,6) on each side, hollow in the outline of the crate (projecting inwards), this rib extending over a large part at least of the height of the wall ( 3,4) starting from the top to serve as a stacking support for two compartments one on the other while also allowing the fitting of two empty compartments, characterized in that the corners (8) form a shoulder / removal of casing (9,10).  2) Locker according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, associated above the ribs of at least two opposite sides of the locker, a stacking flap (13) of dimensions slightly larger than those of the large base hollow a rib (6) to serve as a support for this large base, the flap (13) being connected by a hinge (14) to the wall (4) of the rack to tilt either in a nesting position of the lockers , the flap being outside the interior volume of the crate is in a stacking position in which the flap (13) covers the top of the rib (6) with which this flap is associated.  3) Locker according to claim 2, characterized in that the stacking flap (13) has an edge (16) and a boss (15) corresponding to the inner contour of the base of the rib to be received.  4) Locker according to claim 2, characterized in that the top (60) of the rib (6) has a latching orifice (18) and the flap (13) associated with this rib has on its underside, a spout (17) intended to come into the latching orifice (18) of the rib when the stacking flap (13) is tilted above its rib (6). <Desc / Clms Page number 11>  5) Locker according to claim 1, characterized in that the corners (8) are truncated.  6) Locker according to claim 1, characterized in that the ribs (5,6) are slightly tapered chimneys, flared towards the bottom of the locker.  7) Locker according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two ribs (6) on each short side (4) and an intermediate rib on each long side.  8) Locker according to claim 1, characterized in that the walls (3,4) are perforated between the ribs (5,6) and the corners (8) by vertical slots (31,41) and the edge (42) sides (4) provided with flaps (13) have recesses (43) at the location of the flaps (13).  9) Locker according to claim 1, characterized in that the ribs (5,6) are offset symmetrically in rotation (180) for each two opposite sides (3,4), so that by rotation of 180 of the locker around its axis, the ribs on one side can be nested in the ribs on the other side of a rack placed below. 10) Locker according to claim 9, characterized in that the offset of the ribs from one side to the opposite side corresponds substantially to the width of a rib and at the junction of the bottom and the rib a support forming a housing (11, 12) receives the upper end of the homologous rib of the upper rack, rotated in the stacking position.