JP2012505799A - Plastic containers, especially bottle cases - Google Patents

Abstract

  The present invention relates to a container (1) made of plastic having a base (2) and preferably side walls (3a, 3b) arranged in a circumferential direction, in particular a bottle case for receiving a beverage bottle. In the container (1), preferably at least part of the flat inner and / or outer appearance surfaces of the side walls (3a, 3b) and / or the bottom (2) are preferably above and / or adjacent to each other. And a plurality of bumps (4). The container (1) has a low weight and high strength and can be manufactured simply and at low cost.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plastic container, and in particular to a bottle case for receiving a beverage bottle according to the preamble of claim 1.

  Containers for carrying fruits and vegetables and bottle cases for receiving beverage bottles are typically made by injection molding from a plastic material and include a base and four circumferentially arranged side walls. The side wall is cut out for a through-hole for visual observation and extraction. Since this type of container is typically made in large quantities, it tends to narrow the side walls to save material. On the other hand, these containers that are configured as typical reusable containers are always recycled and therefore reused. The service life of such containers is at least 10 years. This is because some cases have 24 1 liter bottles, and when the bottle is filled with a beverage, the container has a weight corresponding to the beverage, so that the container has a heavy load during use. This means that the container must have even more stability. Therefore, this type of container is very often configured to have stiffening devices each. Specifically, ribs are provided on the outer and inner surfaces. However, this is disadvantageous for containers that are used multiple times. This is because dirt accumulates on the edges of the ribs and corners that are difficult to remove in subsequent cleaning processes. Therefore, cleaning this type of case is complex and relatively expensive. Therefore, recently such containers have been constructed to have a hollow profile created partly by the core and partly by the gas blowing method. However, this increases the wall thickness relatively. Furthermore, the use of the core and gas blowing method complicates the manufacturing process. On the other hand, cases that do not have a specific stiffening device must be configured to have thick walls to accommodate them. This is disadvantageous due to the amount of container material used and the high weight.

  The object of the present invention is a container that is low in weight, has no edges or ribs, maintains stability with a smooth exterior surface, facilitates the cleaning process, and can be manufactured in a simple and cost-effective manner In particular, to provide bottle cases.

  The above object is achieved according to the invention by the features described in claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are characterized by the features of the independent claims.

Based on the features according to the invention, the stability is increased by a plurality of protrusions on at least one outer surface of the wall. Thereby, reduction of the thickness of the side wall of a container becomes easy. This further reduces the material consumption that will ultimately affect the price if a large number is produced. In addition, based on the specific features of the design having a plurality of uniformly distributed flat protrusions, new design options are given to the container field. New design options are particularly important because breweries and beverage producers are seeking to differentiate their competitors through specific designs as an additional advertising tool. A flat protrusion designates a surface extension that is different from ribs and similar bars. That is, the shape of the protrusion has a ratio of 1: 1 to 1: 2 with respect to the length of the edge when it has a substantially rectangular planar shape, and has a small diameter and a large size when it has an elliptical planar shape. It has a ratio of 1: 1 to 1: 2 with respect to the ratio to the diameter. Thus, the surface of the object will specify a surface extension of at least 60 mm ² , preferably 80 mm ² . Thus, the plurality of protrusions cover the main portion of the surface extension of the sidewall, i.e. at least 60%, preferably at least 75% or more. This leaves an unprofiled surface, i.e., a surface without protrusions, to apply labels, inscriptions, or other designs to identify goods or producers as needed. The length of the flat appearance surface used in this way specifies the theoretical appearance surface of the side wall with the protrusion extending outward.

  In this way, the side wall can be provided with a continuous surface or a cutout such as a viewing hole or a handling hole. Thus, flat protrusions can be provided on the outside, inside, or both sides. In addition, the base of the container may also include a protrusion. The protrusions can be either arranged to face each other or arranged to be offset from each other. It is also possible to provide a plurality of protrusions not only on a part of the inner wall and / or the outer wall but also on a plurality of parts. This provides a variety of customer-oriented designs and configurations of containers in one or more colors while providing sufficient stability.

  In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the protrusion is provided on the entire inside and / or outside appearance surface of the side wall. Therefore, it is more useful that the structure with protrusions extends over the entire surface on both sides of the sidewall, i.e. the inner and outer appearance surfaces. Thereby, the improvement of stability is accelerated | stimulated compared with a smooth wall, and the side wall comprised so that it may have a some protrusion part in an inner side and an outer side by this can reduce wall thickness. In the case of a container with a base and four side walls, the side walls are completely projecting on the outside and inside, and walls against a side wall having a flat appearance surface without ridges or projections. The same stability can be obtained even if the thickness of the film is reduced in the range of 10% to 20%. Thus, the weight loss of the container or sidewall ranges from about 8% to 20%.

  In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container includes reinforcing ribs or bars that provide additional stability to the sidewalls and / or form a lattice structure. Accordingly, the reinforcing rib or bar is arranged on the side wall and connected to the side wall portion, and the first end portion of the reinforcing rib or bar is adjacent to the groove-shaped depression or the protrusion formed between the recesses of the ridges. It is advantageous to make a transition inside the side wall. Thereby, on the one hand, the side walls are even more stable in shape and, on the other hand, seams, i.e. typically formed by differences in the cooling properties of the plastic material at the side of the side wall where the bar or reinforcing rib joins the side wall part. Ruching marks can be prevented. This avoids the typical sink marks that would have been formed on the reinforcing ribs joining at right angles to the walls.

  Preferably, the protrusions are arranged in a regular pattern. That is, the same protrusion or a plurality of protrusions are continuously reproduced at the same distance over a part or the entire surface of the side wall over the height and / or width of the side wall.

  The protrusions are advantageously arranged adjacent to each other or continuously on top of each other. Thus, it is feasible that the protrusions are configured parallel and / or perpendicular to the container base in a continuous manner on the container wall. That is, the same surface profile extends over a portion of the sidewall, across the height and / or width of the container, or across the entire wall of the container. Not only can the protrusions extend at an angle of 90 ° and / or 180 ° with respect to the container base, respectively, but it is also possible to extend along each other at a certain angle of inclination, for example an oblique row. This freedom of shape allows various visual appearances of the protrusions to be employed, and there are many design options.

  In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the protrusion is formed by a ridge having a surface extension. This warped surface has an extension that curves between the smallest portion and the protrusion. The portion where the warped surface is formed has high shape stability due to the warped surface. Thus, the results are obtained when the secant lines of the curvature lines intersect more in a defined surface and the more of these dispersed intersections are on the surface or the portion of the surface covered by the intersections is higher In the portion, the shape stability and load supporting performance are higher. This feature can be used to produce particularly stable walls and cases, while at the same time achieving low weight and low production costs. In order to further increase the stability of the wall or case having a curved structure, the container may be provided with ribs arranged vertically. The rib stiffens and reinforces the side wall against bending, thereby providing a container according to the present invention with a higher load bearing performance than known containers even when the side wall thickness is reduced. Although it is feasible to arrange the ribs perpendicularly or horizontally to the side walls, the ribs are preferably joined to the inner wall at an angle of 90 °. At this position, the rib joins to the protrusion on the side wall interior so that the material transitions from the rib to the protrusion at an angle greater than 90 °. Therefore, sink marks that are typical for injection molding materials are avoided.

  The ridge is advantageously shaped in a pyramid shape and preferably has a pyramidal surface that bulges outward. Of course, the invention is not limited to a particular shape of protrusions or ridges, but multiple surfaces such as trapezoidal structures, hemispheres, or other shapes, transitions, or circular structures can be implemented. A preferred shape of the protrusion is a circular ridge that is configured to have no edge and transitions radially to a groove formed between adjacent ridges. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the protrusion itself is configured in a circular shape. In the case of a circular raised structure, the structure is not exposed to specific wear as opposed to a structure with edges. In the case of contact with the side wall surface provided with the circular protrusion, the feeling when grasping can be comfortable. Advantageously, the length or width of the protrusion or ridge is in the range of 3 mm to 10 mm. All this makes it easy to obtain an advantageous wall thickness of about 2 mm. The thickness of the rib is advantageously in the range from 1.5 mm to 2 mm. This saves material compared to containers with smooth side walls and makes the manufacturing costs suitable even in large quantities.

  Preferably, each protrusion or ridge includes a rectangular, preferably square, planar shape. Of course, the protrusion may have other planar shapes. For example, the protrusion may include a triangular, circular, hexagonal shape. That is, the shape of the structure, such as shape and size, is not limited and can be changed as desired.

  Particularly preferably, the number of ridges on the longitudinal side of the container is in the range between 300 and 750, and on the narrow side is in the range 225-625.

  In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the protrusions on the inner surface of the side wall are configured in reverse symmetry compared to the protrusions on the outer surface of the side wall. By inverse symmetry in this context is meant that the structure of the protrusion is reversed, not a mirror image on the inside and outside of the sidewall. That is, it means that the protrusion on one side corresponds to a depression on the other side. This inversely symmetric configuration of the surface profile results in higher stability sidewalls with the same wall thickness compared to smooth sidewall stability. The stability of the container wall and the container itself can be further promoted by the provision of reinforcing ribs or bars, which make the side walls against bending, for example as provided for corrugated sheet metal. Stiffen.

  The present invention is not limited to a container having protrusions that are configured oppositely symmetrically on opposite sides of the sidewall, and other embodiments can be envisaged with protrusions on opposite sides of the sidewall. The protrusions may be arranged offset from each other by a specific distance, for example, parallel to each other, vertical, or inclined.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

It is a figure which shows the perspective view of the container according to this invention. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the container according to FIG. 1 according to the invention. It is a figure which shows the horizontal sectional view of the container based on FIG. 1 according to this invention. FIG. 3 shows a partial view of an example container from the inside, with the left side wall shown in cross section. It is a figure which shows the modification of the cross section of the handling bar in the side wall shown by the upper left of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the cross section of the handling bar in the side wall shown by the upper left of FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a plastic container 1 according to the present invention. The container 1 is shown in side view in FIG.

  The container 1 includes a container base 2 and four side walls 3a and 3b. FIG. 1 shows a long side wall 3a and a short side wall 3b. These side walls 3a, 3b are configured to be cut out for handling and viewing through holes. The outer surfaces of the short side wall 3b and the long side wall 3a are shown as parts having repeated surface profiles configured as flat protrusions 4 and grooves 5. The surface profile is roughly configured as a wavy shaped structure shown parallel and perpendicular to the container base 2 on the container walls 3a, 3b. The specific structure of the protrusion 4 is configured as a raised portion 4 without an edge. The raised portion transitions in the radial direction into the groove portion 5 formed between adjacent raised portions. The protrusion 4 has a convex shape that warps outward when viewed from the center of each of the side walls 3a and 3b. The planar shapes of the raised portions 4 are each rectangular and substantially square. The three-dimensional shape of the ridge is similar to the shape of a cushion.

  On the outside of the short side wall 3b and the long side wall 3a of the container 1, there are respectively seen portions having a smooth surface 6 that can be used for product identification, for example by stamping. FIG. 1 further shows the inner surfaces of the long side wall 3a and the short side wall 3b. A plurality of protrusions 7 are provided on the inner surfaces of the short side wall 3b and the long side wall 3a. A recess 8 having a concave curved portion 8 is disposed between the protruding portions 7. That is, the depression 8 warps inward with respect to the inner appearance surface. Thus, the inner and outer surface structures of the side walls 3a, 3b are such that the ridges 4 and the depressions 8 face each other, and therefore preferably the protrusions on one side correspond to the depressions on the other side. So that they are offset from each other. The surfaces are provided antisymmetrically such that in these portions the side walls 3a, 3b have a shape that is substantially curved with respect to their central plane. Of course, other embodiments with protrusions on the opposing surfaces of the side walls are also conceivable. For example, they may be offset relative to each other by a certain distance at a parallel, vertical, or certain tilt angle. This provides a very attractive design for this type of container. However, asymmetric mirror inversion of protrusions on opposite sides of the sidewall is preferred. This makes the side walls particularly stable even if the wall thickness is reduced simultaneously.

  In FIG. 1, only one portion 6 with a smooth surface is shown on each visible outer surface of the side walls 3a, 3b. However, the side walls 3a, 3b can also include a plurality of portions 6 having smooth surfaces. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide the protrusions 4 and 7 entirely on the side walls 3a and 3b, that is, over the entire surface of the side walls. Other combinations of surface profiles are possible. For example, the sidewall may include a partially smooth or completely smooth surface, the second sidewall may include a surface profile over part or all thereof, and the third sidewall may be similarly configured, but different It has a shape surface profile. This not only increases sidewall stability while reducing wall thickness, but also improves configuration and design options.

  It is also possible to configure the surface profile with a specific elevation in the circumferential direction for the lateral side edges 9 of the lateral surfaces 3a, 3b of the container 1, and thus for the corner side part 9 of the container 1. That is, in the corner portion of the container 1, the structure of the surface profile in FIG. Further, the corner portions 9 are arranged so that the minimum portions of the concave curved portions 8 on the inner surfaces of the side walls 3a and 3b coincide with each other. Thus, in the case of injection molding, sink marks that may have occurred when the smooth walls joined together can be prevented.

  It is clear from FIG. 2 that the portion 6 having a smooth surface is offset inward. That is, the portion 6 is recessed with respect to the protruding portion 4 in the walls 3a and 3b. However, it is also possible to create one portion 6 that is offset outwardly from among the plurality of portions 6. The surface profile of the side walls 3a, 3b extends substantially parallel and perpendicular to the container base 2. The planar shape of the protrusion 4 is substantially rectangular. The lateral length of the structure in the various parts of the side walls 3a, 3b is given as a ridge 4 configured as a continuous shortened circle that repeats continuously over the elevation of the container 1. However, the structure can also be configured as a sinusoidal structure, a regular circular structure, or other corrugated structure in which the wave size can vary. Similarly, a combination of two or more waves that can overlap with the offset in the horizontal and vertical directions is also feasible. A portion 6 having a smooth and uniform surface, and thus a surface without protrusions, extends up to a surface area of up to 40% of the total surface area, preferably less than 25%.

  It is clear from FIG. 3 that the container 1 according to the invention includes reinforcing ribs 10 which are arranged in the portions of the side walls 3a and 3b and which are respectively connected to the side walls 3a and / or 3b. The rib 10 has an advantage that it is connected to the groove portion between the adjacent raised portions 8 at the side wall 3a and / or 3b where the protruding portion 7 is formed. This helps to prevent sink marks that are typically created for ribs that join the wall vertically.

  In FIG. 3, the ridges 8 on the inner surfaces of the side walls 3a, 3b are configured in reverse symmetry with respect to the ridges 4 on the outer surfaces of the side walls 3a, 3b. That is, the minimum portion of the concave curved portion 8 on the inner surface of the side walls 3a, 3b is disposed at the position of the maximum portion of the convex curved portion 4 on the outer surface of the side walls 3a, 3b. In an embodiment of the container according to the invention, the height of the protrusion or ridge is in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm, preferably in the range of 1.5 mm to 2 mm. This has the advantage that a wall thickness of 1 mm to 3 mm, preferably 2 mm, can easily be obtained.

  FIG. 4 shows a part of the container as viewed from the inside. The left side wall is shown in cross section at the height of the handling bar or handling spar. Thus, in FIG. 14, a handling hole is designated on the narrow side wall of the container. The handling hole is defined in advance by the part of the handling bar or handling spar 15 that forms the side wall. The handling bar 15 is provided with a narrow bar-shaped thin plate 16 closely spaced, and a recess 17 is disposed between the thin plates. Furthermore, the handling bar contains two transverse ribs extending in the transverse direction, i.e. in the horizontal direction, for the normal position of the container. The upper lateral rib 18a is disposed in the upper portion of the recess 17 and the lower lateral rib 18b is formed in the lower portion thereof. As is apparent from the cross-sectional view shown on the left side of FIG. 4, the lateral ribs 18 a and 18 b are shorter than the depth of the thin plate 16. The lateral ribs 18a and 18b are each arranged in a row with respect to each other. The transverse ribs 18a and 18b extend parallel to each other. The lamellae in the embodiment shown have the same depth to give a continuous appearance that facilitates handling. The lateral ribs 18a and 18b combined with the sheet provide good case stability.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, each of the external surface portions is provided with a raised portion 4. By combining the raised portion 4 with the lateral ribs 18a and 18b and the thin plate, the following advantages are further obtained. That is to say, during cooling of the plastic material melted during the injection molding process, there is the advantage that sink marks are substantially avoided by having a similar cross-section in all parts. In particular, sink marks can be hidden by the ridges 4.

  5 and 6 show modifications of the thin plate 16 and the transverse rib. In FIG. 5, the thin plate is configured to have a curved surface 19. That is, the thin plate includes a partial radius or a partial circle at the top thereof. The partial radius or partial circle transitions to a rounded warp that is directed inward, eventually leading to a larger partial circle.

  A similar thin plate configuration is evident from FIG. In FIG. 6, a total of three lateral ribs 18a-18c are provided.

  From the above description of the present invention, it is clear that containers according to the present invention can be manufactured in a simpler and more cost-effective manner, while maintaining stability and lower weight than conventional containers.

Claims (16)

  Plastic container (1) comprising a base (2) and circumferentially arranged side walls (3a, 3b), in particular a bottle case for receiving beverage bottles, inside the side walls (3a, 3b) and A plurality of protrusions (4), preferably having a surface extension, are provided on at least a portion of the outer, preferably preferably flat outer surface, said protrusions (4) being above each other and / or Containers arranged adjacent to each other and provided on at least 60%, preferably at least 75% of the outer surface of each side wall.   The container according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion (4) is provided on the entire inner and / or outer appearance surface (3a, 3b).   Said container (1) comprises reinforcing ribs and / or reinforcing bars (10) at least at the inner wall part, said reinforcing ribs and / or reinforcing bars preferably between recesses of adjacent grooves or ridges (8). A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container transitions to a protrusion (7).   A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusions (4) are arranged in a uniform pattern.   A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusions (4) are arranged next to each other and on top of each other in a row.   The container according to claims 1-4, wherein the protrusions (4) are arranged along diagonal rows.   A receptacle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusion is formed by a ridge (4) having a surface extension.   A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusions or ridges (4) are formed in a pyramid shape, preferably with a pyramidal surface that protrudes outwardly.   A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusions or ridges (4) each have a rectangular, preferably square, planar shape.   10. The ridge (4) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the ridge (4) is provided without an edge and transitions in a radial direction to a groove (5) formed between adjacent ridges. The container described.   11. The number of ridges (4) on the long side of the container ranges from 300 to 750, and the number of ridges (4) on the narrow side of the container ranges from 225 to 625. The container according to any one of the above.   12. A container according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein each of said ridges (4) has a length and / or width of 3 to 10 mm, preferably 5 to 9 mm, in particular 7 mm.   The container according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the wall thickness of the side walls (3a, 3b) is in the range of 1 to 3 mm, preferably 2 mm, in particular 1.5 mm.   A projection or ridge (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusions or ridges (4) are configured on the inner and outer surfaces of the side walls (3a, 3b) offset from each other, in particular configured in reverse symmetry. container.   The side wall (3a, 3b) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls (3a, 3b) are reinforced by protrusions or ridges (4) and / or configured as corrugated structures with adjacent ribs (10). Container.   A lateral wall opening (14) is formed by an upper handling bar (15), the outer surface of the handling bar (15) is provided with a ridge (4), the handling bar being a closely spaced bar A thin plate (16) having a shape on the inner surface, the thin plate defining a recess (17) between each other, the recess (17) being preferably provided with ribs (18a and 18b) arranged side by side, A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ribs (18a and 18b) arranged side by side form at least two parallel transverse rib patterns.

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