WO2000058173A1

WO2000058173A1 - Transport tray for bottles and bottle package used with it

Info

Publication number: WO2000058173A1
Application number: PCT/FI2000/000248
Authority: WO
Inventors: Veijo Aikio
Original assignee: Oyj Hartwall Abp
Priority date: 1999-03-26
Filing date: 2000-03-24
Publication date: 2000-10-05
Also published as: FI990682A0; NO20014544D0; DK200100277U3; SE0103162D0; NO20014544L; EE00290U1; SE0103162L; AT5552U1; DE20080289U1; CZ11957U1; SE525176C2; AT5552U8; NO325131B1; AU3562000A

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport tray for bottles, which is placed between layers of bottles to create a transport package, the transport tray (1) comprising recesses (2) for the bottoms of the bottles (7) on one surface and places (3) for bottle caps or mouths (8) on the other surface. According to the invention, each recess (2) intended for the bottoms of bottles is arranged to receive a group of at least two bottles. The invention also relates to a bottle package (9) for use with the transport tray.

Description

TRANSPORT TRAY FOR BOTTLES AND BOTTLE PACKAGE USED WITH IT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a transport tray for bottles, which is placed between layers of bottles to create a transport package, the transport tray comprising recesses for the bottoms of the bottles on one surface and places for bottle caps or mouths on the other surface. The invention also relates to a bottle package used with the tray.

WO publication 94/07758, for instance, discloses a transport tray as described above. This transport tray is intended for relatively large bottles, such as 1.5 litre bottles, whose transportation in bottle crates is not practicable. On the tray, each bottle is placed in its own bottle slot arranged with means to support the bottle upright. Such a tray is especially suitable for empty bottles which are relatively unstable.

The transport tray disclosed in said patent application is, however, not practicable when the bottles are substantially smaller in size or ones that stand firmly upright whether empty or full. These bottles typically include 1/3 or 0.5 litre beer or soft drink bottles. The problem with these small-size bottles is, however, transporting them to the consumer. Individual bottles are difficult to handle and, on the other hand, buying full crates of bottles, having 24 bottles, for instance, is either excessive in quantity or too heavy to carry at least for longer distances. To eliminate this problem, beer bottles of the size in question in particular are generally sold in packages of six bottles packed together by means of various wrappings or holders. Such bottle groups or clusters are also available in other quantities than the above-mentioned 6-pack which is probably the most common quantity. Even though such a cluster pack is practical for the consumer, since, in it, a suitable number, such as 6, bottles can be conveniently and compactly transported home, it does present a considerable problem for beverage manufacturers.

The usual practice is that bottles are first transported to retail shops packed in cluster packs on pallets for retail sale. Beverages are typically bought before the weekend and the empty bottles are returned to the shop separately in the beginning of the week, which is why the beverage manufacturer has to deliver empty crates as a separate load to the shopkeeper so that he can pack the bottles in them and in which the bottles are again as a separate load returned to the beverage manufacturer. Thus, significant costs arise to the beverage manufacturer from using bottle crates in bottle transport both as purchase costs and transport costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is thus to provide a transport tray for bottles eliminating the above-mentioned problems related to the return of empty bottles. This object is achieved by a transport tray of the invention which is characterized in that it comprises recesses intended for the bottoms of bottles, each recess being arranged to receive a group of at least two bottles. Most preferably, the bottle group comprises a wrapping, a handle or the like binding the bottles together. Most typically, such a bottle group comprises at least four bottles arranged in at least two rows next to each other, each row comprising at least two bottles.

Thus on the tray of the invention, each bottle group comprising several bottles is placed into its own recess on the tray. This way, it can be firmly placed on the tray and does not move sideways during the various stages of transportation.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the recess reserved for a bottle group comprises at least one pin-like protrusion extending from the bottom of the recess, which protrusion is arranged to protrude into the space formed in the middle of four bottles in a square formation. This way, the bottle group can even more reliably be settled in the pallet as a uniform group enveloped by a wrapping, for instance.

For the transportation of empty and thus also separate bottles, it is preferable that the bottom of the recess comprises, for each bottle placed in the recess, a protrusion extending from the bottom of the recess, the protrusion being designed in size and shape to correspond to those of the recess at the bottom of the bottle. This way, the settling in place and upright support of even an individual bottle can be improved. The protrusion preferably comprises several ribs and a circular collar arranged to connect them in the middle of the protrusion. This makes the structure strong, but light, and facilitates the washing of the transport tray, since the clearances between the ribs as well as the inside of the circular collar are open.

Departing from the above, it is also possible that the bottoms of the recesses reserved for bottle groups are not shaped in any special way, but the bottoms of the recesses are substantially flat with respect to supporting the bottles. This embodiment can be used especially when the bottles stay upright in a relatively stable manner even when empty.

Because the bottom surface of the tray has places suited for bottle caps or mouths, a new tray can always be placed on top of the bottles in a tray below up till the desired height. The places reserved for the bottle caps or mouths preferably comprise guiding parts protruding away from the bottoms of the recesses intended for the bottoms of the bottles in such a manner that the bottles on different layers of bottles are in line with each other on a vertical line. The guiding parts comprise guiding protrusions surrounding the bottle cap or mouth at least partly or forming a collar around the cap or mouth.

The collar preferably comprises a tubular sleeve and ribs extending inwards from it to guide the mouth or cap of the bottle reliably into the cup formed by the collar. With plastic bottles, it is also possible to have the collar extend until the flange on the neck of the bottle. This way, the weight is not transferred from one layer of bottles to another through the bottle caps or mouths (when the bottles are without caps), but through the flanges on the necks of the bottles.

The most essential thing in the tray of the invention is, however, that the recesses intended for bottle groups are such that returned bottles can also be placed in them empty and without the wrappings, handles or the like binding them together. This way, the transport tray of the invention can also be used when returning empty bottles to the beverage manufacturer.

Further, the transport trays of the invention can be stacked on top of each other so that they nest partly within each other and consequently, do not need much space when stored empty.

The invention also relates to a bottle package used with the transport tray described above, the bottle package comprising at least four bottles and a wrapping made of board or a corresponding material binding the bottles into a group. This package is characterized in that the wrapping has a hole for the mouth of each bottle in the group so that the mouth including the cap and partly even the neck of the bottle extend through the wrapping, and an opening for each pin-like protrusion extending from the bottom of the recess reserved for a group of bottles on the transport tray so as to allow the protrusion to extend into the space in the middle of four bottles in a square formation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following, the transport tray of the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the attached drawing, in which

Figure 1 shows a transport tray of the invention in its conventional use,

Figure 2 shows the transport tray of Figure 1 without bottles, Figure 3 shows the transport tray of Figure 2 from above, Figure 4 is a partial cross-cut of the transport tray of Figure 3, Figure 5 is another partial cross-cut of the transport tray of Figure 3, Figure 6 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the transport tray of the invention from above,

Figure 7 shows the transport tray of Figure 6 from below, and Figure 8 shows a model of a wrapping for a bottle package used with the transport tray of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a transport tray 1 of the invention having groups of six bottles 7 stacked on it. Figure 1 thus shows the use of the transport tray of the invention when the bottles have been bound with a wrapping 9 into groups or clusters of bottles and placed on the transport tray. As shown in the figure, the bottle groups can be placed in several layers on top of each other with transport trays 1 between them.

Figure 2 shows in more detail the structure of a transport tray 1 of an embodiment of the invention. It comprises recesses 2 intended for bottle groups, each recess being able to receive bottle groups bound by a wrapping 9 or the like.. In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the transport tray of the invention is intended for bottle groups of six bottles. Each bottle group is placed in its recess 2 on the tray 1. The recess is shaped so that it supports the bottle group from the sides. For this purpose, the longitudinal ends of the recesses are arranged with setbacks 6 which extend into the recess between the bottles placed in two parallel rows. To achieve a reliable support for the bottles, the recesses 2 are also arranged with pin-like protrusions 10 extending from their bottom into the space formed in the middle of four bottles 7 in a square formation. Naturally, corresponding openings are located at the bottom of the wrapping 9 for this purpose. This way, a bottle group can very reliably be bound and supported into its recess 2. Figure 3 shows the transport tray of Figure 2 from above. This view shows that the places reserved for the bottoms of the bottles in the recesses 2 are of latticework type in that they are made up of ribs 12 and a circular collar 13 connecting their ends. This makes the general structure of the transport tray lighter and facilitates its washing. A more detailed structure of the ribs 12 and the circular collar 13 is shown in the cross-cut of Figure 5 which shows a cross-cut of one recess 2 at the location of the centre axis of the collars 13. Figure 5 shows that the collar 13 and the ribs connected to it protrude somewhat from the bottom of the recess 2. The profiles of the ribs 12 and the collar 13 are designed in size and shape to correspond to those of the recesses at the bottom of the bottles used with the transport tray. This way, these protrusions 11 centre the bottles placed on the tray especially when the bottles are apart from each other. Together with the sides of the recesses 2 and the sides of the pin-like and generally square protrusions 10, they also support the bottle upright, i.e. prevent it from tilting.

Figure 4 shows another cross-cut of the transport tray of Figure 3. This figure shows the co-operation of the guiding parts 5 on the bottom surface of the tray, i.e. the surface opposite the recesses intended for bottle groups, with the mouths or caps of the bottles. These details are also shown in Figure 5. In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5, the guiding parts 5 form a collar 14 surrounding the cap or mouth of the bottle. This collar comprises a tubular sleeve 16 and ribs 17 extending inwards from it, i.e. towards the mouth of the bottle. By means of the size and shape of these ribs, it is possible to very reliably centre the mouth of the bottle into its place on the bottom surface of the transport tray. As shown in Figure 4, the collars 14 are sized so that bottles with a. crown cap, for instance, can settle into their cups with or without their caps. The transport tray placed on top of the bottles then rests either on the caps or the mouths of the bottles. However, Figure 4 also shows on the right-hand side another, alternative situation, in which plastic bottles, such as PET or PEN plastic bottles, comprise a circular flange 15 on their necks. In such a case, the transport tray most preferably rests on this flange 15. Then, the weight of the bottle layers on top is transferred through the flanges and not through the mouths or caps of the bottles. Also, it is then unimportant whether the bottles have caps or not, since regardless of this the transport tray on top always settles at the same height with respect to the bottle, i.e. on the flange 15 on its neck. This is very advantageous, because in the case of twist-cap bottles, in particular, the height of the bottles changes more significantly depending on whether there is a cap or not than in the case of crown-cap bottles.

Figures 6 and 7 show a second exemplary embodiment of the transport tray of the invention from above and below respectively. In this embodiment, the recesses 2 reserved for groups of bottles are substantially flat at the bottom 4. Thus, this embodiment is especially suited for bottles which are stable even when empty. As shown in Figure 7, the guiding parts 5 reserved for the mouths of the bottles on the layer below comprise protrusions which only partly surround the mouths of the bottles on the layers below, possibly making the embodiment in question slightly unstable. This matter can, however, be significantly improved, thus ensuring that the transport tray is also suitable when used to return empty bottles to the beverage manufacturer, by inserting the protrusions 5 shown in Figure 7 in such a manner that they exist on both sides of the mouths of the bottles. Thus in practice, there are four protrusions guiding the mouth of the bottle. This provides quite a reliable guiding and support. Naturally, the collar-like guiding solution as illustrated by the embodiment in Figures 1 to 5 is more reliable than that having four guiding parts. As can be concluded from the embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 2 and 6, the dimensions of the transport tray of the invention may vary to allow different numbers of bottle groups. Naturally, the number of bottles in a group may also vary. In the embodiment in both Figure 2 and Figure 6, the recesses 2 are intended for groups of bottles, in which the bottles are placed in two rows next to each other having 3 bottles each. Plastic is a preferred production material for the transport tray of the invention, and the preferred production method is press moulding.

As described above, the dimensioning of the guiding parts intended for the caps and mouths of the bottles allows the guiding parts to receive both capped or uncapped bottles, which means that the transport trays can be used for returning empty bottles to the beverage manufacturer as well. As can be seen from the entity in Figure 1 , the bottles on different bottle layers settle in line, with each other on same vertical line. This way, the weight of the bottle packages can be reliably transferred through the bottles on the layers below to the platform, such as a pallet, without the packages causing any significant twisting forces in the tray which is between two bottles stacked on top of each other. In a full transport package, the weight of the bottles thus transfers from the upper layer through the bottles on the layers below to the platform, such as a pallet, without loading the transport trays.

Figure 8 shows an exemplary model of a wrapping for a bottle package used with the transport tray of the invention. The package, shown in Figure 1 , comprises at least 4 bottles 7 and a wrapping 9 made of board or the like binding the bottles into a group. As shown in Figure 8, this wrapping 9 comprises a hole 20 for the mouth of each bottle 7 in the group so that the mouth of the bottle with its cap 8 and partly even the neck of the bottle extend through the wrapping 9. Since the bottle package in Figure 1 has six bottles, the model in Figure 8 has six holes 20. Further, the wrapping 9 comprises an opening 21 for each pin-like protrusion 10 extending from the bottom of the recess 2 reserved for a group of bottles on the transport tray, so as to allow the protrusion to extend into the space in the middle of four bottles 7 in a square formation. Since six bottles form two four-bottle square groups (with two bottles in common), the wrapping 9 has two openings. These are at the ends of the wrapping 9 so that the model in Figure 8 has four openings 21 which in the finished wrapping settle two by two on top of each other, thus forming two openings between the bottoms of the bottles in the finished package. The model also has openings 22 for the edges of the bottle bottoms to improve the binding of the bottles inside the wrapping. In addition, the wrapping also comprises dummy openings 23 which in use become finger openings for carrying the package.

As stated earlier, the transport tray of the invention eliminates the need to transport empty bottle crates back and forth from the beverage manufacturer. to the shopkeeper and reduces the need for bottle crates in general and the capital tied up in them. Contrary to bottle crates, the transport trays of the invention can be stacked so that they partly nest inside each other and thus do not need much storage space. The transport tray of the invention is described above by means of two exemplary embodiments only, and the bottle package intended for use with the embodiment in Figures 1 to 5, in particular, is described by means of one. exemplary embodiment only. It is, therefore, understandable that several structural changes can be made to them without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims. Thus the dimensions and shape of the recesses and the shape of the wrapping of the bottle package may vary depending on the size of the bottle packages intended for the transport tray.

Claims

1. A transport tray for bottles, which is placed between layers of bottles to create a transport package, the transport tray (1) comprising recesses (2) for the bottoms of the bottles (7) on one surface and places (3) for bottle caps or mouths (8) on the other surface, characterized in that the recesses (2) intended for the bottoms of the bottles are arranged each to receive a bottle group of at least two bottles.

2. A transport tray as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a bottle group comprises a wrapping (9), a handle or the like binding the bottles together.

3. A transport tray as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a bottle group comprises at least four bottles (7) placed in two rows next to each other, each row comprising at least two bottles.

4. A transport tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the recess (2) for the bottoms of the bottles comprises at least one pin-like protrusion (10) extending from the bottom of the recess, which is arranged to protrude into the space formed in the middle of four bottles (7) in a square formation.

5. A transport tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bottom of the recess (2) comprises a protrusion (11) extending from the bottom of the recess for each bottle (7) placed in the recess, the protrusion being designed in size and shape to correspond to those of the recess at the bottom of the bottle (7).

6. A transport tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the protrusion (11 ) extending from the bottom of the recess (2) comprises several ribs (12) and a circular collar (13) arranged to connect them in the middle of the protrusion.

7. A transport tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bottoms (4) of the recesses (2) for the bottoms of the bottles are substantially flat with respect to supporting the bottles.

8. A transport tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the places (3) intended for the bottle caps or mouths comprise guiding parts (5) protruding away from the bottoms (4) of the recesses (2) intended for the bottoms of the bottles in such a manner that the bottles (7) on different layers of bottles are in line with each other on a vertical line.

9. A transport tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the guiding parts (5) comprise guiding protrusions surrounding the cap or mouth (8) of the bottle at least partly.

10. A transport tray as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the guiding parts (5) form a collar (14) surrounding the cap or mouth (8) of the bottle (7).

11. A transport tray as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the collar (14) comprises a tubular sleeve (16) and ribs (17) extending inwards from it.

12. A transport tray as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the collar (14) extends to the flange (15) on the neck of the bottle.

13. A bottle package to be used with the transport tray described in any one of claims 1 to 12, which bottle package comprises at least four bottles (7) and a wrapping (9) made of board or the like binding the bottles into a group, characterized in that the wrapping comprises a hole (20) for the mouth of each bottle (7) in the group so that the mouth of the bottle with its cap (8) and partly even the neck of the bottle extend through the wrapping (9), and an opening (21) for each pin-like protrusion (10) extending from the bottom of the recess (2) reserved for a group of bottles on the transport tray so as to allow the protrusion to extend into the space in the middle of four bottles (7) in a square formation.