NL1013772C2 - Stackable plastic container for storage and conveyance of goods like beer bottles, has electronic transponder embedded in cavity side of inner wall of corner column connecting adjacent side walls - Google Patents

Abstract

The container injection molded from plastic includes a rectangular base surrounded by upright side walls (3,4) connected at the corner and compartment divider partitions (5,6). A hollow corner column (10) is formed of inner wall (12) and outer wall between adjacent side walls (3,4). An electronic transponder (20) is embedded on cavity side of the inner wall which is oblique to the side walls.

Description

Short designation: Plastic container for the transport and / or storage of goods, as well as a method for the manufacture of such a container.

The present invention relates to a plastic container for the transport and / or storage of goods, which container is provided with an electronic transponder. The present invention further relates to the manufacture of such a container.

It is generally known to provide a plastic container with an electronic transponder. With suitable electronic communication equipment it is possible to communicate with such a transponder in a contactless manner. The transponder can for instance be used to identify the holder and / or the goods in the holder. Such identification is particularly desirable in logistical processes, for example in order to be able to select a particular container or a specific group of containers from a large number of containers. The identification 15 can also be used in equipment with which the containers are handled and handled, for instance cleaned, or with which goods (for instance bottles) are placed or taken out in the container.

In a known plastic container, a transponder is arranged in a side wall. However, this holder must then be moved with that side wall along the antenna of the communication equipment, which in practice can be an undesired limiting factor. According to a first aspect thereof, the present invention aims to provide a holder with an improved arrangement of the transponder.

To this end, the present invention provides a container according to claim 1.

A second aspect of the invention relates to the problem that the transponder is preferably mounted on the holder out of sight and / or in a hard-to-reach place. This is done in particular to reduce the risk of damage or removal of the transponder.

To solve this problem, the invention according to 1013772-2- provides a second aspect thereof a container according to claim 3.

A third aspect of the invention relates to the manufacture of a plastic container with an electronic transponder. Preferably, the transponder is placed in the injection mold of the holder and then at least partially enclosed by the plastic material of the holder, so that the transponder is fixed in the shaped holder.

The invention provides a method according to claim 11 for this purpose.

It will be clear to the skilled person that the various aspects of the invention can be applied individually or in different combinations. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. In the drawing: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a corner part of an exemplary embodiment of a plastic bottle crate according to the invention,

Fig. 2 a horizontal section of the corner part of figure 1, and fig. 3 is a perspective view of the core for forming the interior cavity of the corner column of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows a corner part 1 of a plastic bottle crate 2 manufactured by injection molding, which crate 25 furthermore has a rectangular bottom and with upright side walls 3,4, which are connected to each other at the corners of the crate 1. Furthermore, the crate 1 has an open side opposite the bottom of the crate.

In the crate 1 there is a division with partitions 5, 6. The partitions 5, 6 form open compartments from above; each for receiving a bottle. In corner 1 a corner compartment 7 is visible. Figure 1 furthermore shows part of a handle opening 8 for carrying the crate 1.

It will be clear that this crate 1 only serves as an example. For example, the crate 1 could also be arranged differently, for instance with a different compartment division or an interior intended for receiving groups of bottles packed in cardboard, such as six-packs. So-called semi-high bottle crates, where the - r) è 1 J - -3- bottles partly protrude, or "trays" which only take up the lower part of the bottles, fall within the scope of the invention. Also, the crate 1 could not have any compartment division at all and then a more portable container could be constructed.

A corner construction is provided at each of the corners of the crate 2, which connects the adjacent side walls 3, 4 to each other. The corner construction comprises a hollow corner column 10, which in this example extends from the bottom of the crate to near the top edge of the crate 2. As is apparent from the cross-section 10 of Figure 2, the corner column has an outer wall 11, which forms part of the outer periphery of the crate, and an inner wall 12, which defines the space for receiving the bottles. The outer wall 11 and inner wall 2 define an internal cavity 13 of the corner column 10. The cavity 13 is open on the bottom side of the crate 2 and is at least partly closed at the top. In this example, the top of the cavity 13 is closed by the upper peripheral edge 14 of the crate and a slightly lower end wall 15 of the corner column 10. In the upright wall area between the end wall 15 and the peripheral edge 14, a water discharge opening 16 is provided. When cleaning the crate 1, said opening 16 prevents water from remaining in the corner column 10.

In the area of the hollow corner column 10, the crate 10 is provided with an electronic transponder 20, the housing 25 of which is indicated by dashed lines in Figure 1, since the transponder is hidden from view by the walls of the corner column 10. Figure 2 shows that the transponder 20 is located in the cavity 13 on the cavity side of the inner wall 12 of the column 10.

In this example, the transponder 20 has a plate-shaped housing, wherein the plate-shaped housing is at an oblique angle with respect to both side walls 3,4 of the crate 2. The angle is approximately 45 degrees. In other known embodiments, the housing of the transponder is, for example, rod-shaped or annular. Due to the arrangement of the transponder 20 not parallel to one of the side walls and perpendicular to the other side wall, but precisely at an oblique angle to both on the 1 ... · ......; I w ΐ 'ü ·: j i_ -4- angle-adjoining sidewalls, the crate can be moved with the sidewall 3 as well as with the sidewall 4 along the antenna of suitable communication equipment. In a possible variant, the crate is provided at two diagonally opposite corners with an (identical) transponder, which transponders are then preferably arranged as described above.

The transponder 20 is fixed to the corner column 10 during the injection molding of the crate 1, because during that injection molding an enclosure member 17 is formed on the cavity side of the inner wall 12, so that the transponder is enclosed and fixed. The enclosing member 17 has approximately a C-shape here and lies around the transponder 20. Figure 2 shows the vertical leg of the enclosing member 17 in cross section.

Due to the arrangement in the corner column 10, the transponder 15 can easily be hidden from view of the public. By arranging the transponder 20 near the fully or partially closed top of the column 10, it is difficult to reach the transponder via the open bottom of the column, for example with a screwdriver when attempting to remove or remove the transponder. to damage.

By placing the transponder 20 near the top of the crate 2, a possible conflict between the arrangement of the communication antenna along the track of the crate and of the means forming the track of the crate, for example a roller track, is avoided.

It will be clear that some of the aforementioned advantages can also be obtained if the transponder 20 is housed in another column of the crate, for example in one of the vertical columns 21, 22 along the inner side of the side walls. Also, the transponder 20 could be arranged in another hollow space of the crate 2, for example in the cavity between the walls of double-walled parts of the side walls of the crate or in pinoles, pillars or other hollow compartment dividing elements which are in the space for the bottles 35 from the bottom of the crate. In such an arrangement of the transponder at a distance from the corner of the crate, the advantage regarding the reading of the 1 Π 'ί' · '· V ï 9 I * w' · * · - -5 transponder will be in the corner are largely lost.

The method according to the invention with which the transponder 20 is arranged in the crate 2 will now be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 3 shows the top end part of the core 30, which core 30 forms part of the mold (not shown) for the injection molding of the plastic crate 2. The core 30 is intended to form the corner column in cooperation with other parts of the mold. 10, the core 30 defining the cavity 13 of the column 10.

The core 30 has a free end on the shown front side. After the injection of the crate 2, the crate 2 is pulled from the core 30, the core 30 thus moving in a vertical discharge direction relative to the crate 2.

At the free end, the core 30 has a head face 31, which defines the bottom of the head wall 15 of the corner column 10.

The core 30 has an outer side 34, which defines the cavity side of the inner wall 12 of the column 10. Furthermore, the core 30 is provided with a transponder groove 32 extending in the discharge direction and with a narrower die cavity groove 33 adjacent to the transponder groove 32 and extending parallel thereto. The groove 33 is located on the side of the groove 32 remote from the outside 34, while the groove 33 extends below the bottom 35 of the groove 32. The groove 33 ends at bottom 36.

The transponder groove 32 is T-shaped in cross-section and is in open communication with the outer circumference of the core 30. Due to the T-shape, the core 30 has two retaining edges 37, 38, which have a transponder 20 placed in the groove 32 (dashed lines in figure 3) can hold in place. A passage remains free between the transponder 20 and the growth base 36 and in this example there is also an open space in the groove 32 above the transponder 20.

Prior to closing the mold, the transponder 20, optionally with a robot, is slid into the groove 32. Then the mold is closed and then molten plastic is injected into the mold. The plastic then not only forms the walls 11, 12 of the corner column 10, but also fills the open spaces of the grooves 32 and 33 and the passage between the transponder 20 and the bottom 36. After the plastic has cooled the transponder 20 is then enclosed and secured. The crate 2 can then be removed from the core 30, in other words released, because the plastic parts of the crate formed by the grooves 32, 33 extend in the unloading direction.

It will be understood that the transponder 20 can be positioned both closer to the head of the core 30 and further down. It will further be clear that the core 30 can also serve for the formation of another hollow construction part of the crate.

1013772

Claims (16)

Plastic container (2) for the transport and / or storage of goods, comprising a substantially rectangular bottom and upright side walls, which form a space for receiving goods, in particular bottles, at each of the corners of which the holder is provided with a corner construction (10), which connects the adjacent side walls (3,4), and the holder is provided with an electronic transponder, characterized in that the transponder is placed in or near the corner construction (10 ). 10 The container of claim 1, wherein the transponder (20) is disposed at an angle to the adjacent side walls (3,4), preferably at an angle of about 45 degrees from said side walls. 15 Plastic container (2) for the transport and / or storage of goods, for example a container according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a substantially rectangular bottom and upright side walls, which form a space for receiving goods, in particular bottles, at each of which the corners of the container are provided with a corner construction (10) which connects the adjacent side walls (3,4), the container being provided with a hollow column, which extends upwards from the bottom, for example a hollow corner column with an outer wall, which forms part of the outer circumference of the crate, and an inner wall, which delimits the space for receiving goods, characterized in that the container is located in the area of the hollow column ) is provided with a transponder (20). Holder according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the transponder (20) is at least partially embedded in the plastic material of the corner construction. 5. Container according to claim 3, wherein the transponder is embedded in or arranged on the inner wall (12) of a 1013772 -8 corner column (10). Container according to one or more of claims 3-5, wherein the transponder (20) is placed on the inside of a column 5 (10) of the container. Container according to one or more of claims 4-6, wherein the transponder (20) is enclosed between a wall (12) of the column and an enclosure (17) formed on the wall (12). 10 Holder according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the transponder (20) is placed near the top of the holder. Holder according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the holder (2) is provided with at least one handle for carrying the holder, preferably at least two opposite side walls are provided with a handle opening. 20 Container according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the container (2) is a bottle crate and a compartment divider (5,6) is arranged in the bottle crate. Method for manufacturing a container according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising using a suitable injection mold with a mold part (30), which has a free end and is movable relative to the shaped container in an unloading direction 30, characterized in that the mold part is provided with a transponder groove (32) extending in the unloading direction and with a mold cavity groove (33) adjoining the transponder groove and extending parallel thereto, said grooves (32,33) being open at one end , the method comprising the steps of: 35. sliding the transponder (20) from the open end into the transponder groove (32), injecting molten plastic into the mold, which plastic is also 1013772 -9- ✓ mold cavity groove (33), all such that a plastic enclosure body (17) is formed around the transponder (20), which encloses and secures the transponder in whole or in part. 5 The method of claim 11, wherein the mold part is a core defining the interior (13) of a hollow structural part (10) of the container. The method of claim 12, wherein the structural member is a hollow sidewall of the container. The method of claim 12, wherein the core (30) defines a cavity (13) in a corner column (10) of the container. 15 Method according to one or more of claims 11-14, wherein the transponder groove (32) on the side facing away from the mold cavity groove (33) is open to the outer periphery of the mold part (30). 20 The method according to one or more of claims 11-15, wherein the mold part (30) has a end face at the free end and the openings of the grooves (32,33) lie in said end face. 25 1013772