EP1555215A1 - Récipient empilable - Google Patents

Récipient empilable Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1555215A1
EP1555215A1 EP03079208A EP03079208A EP1555215A1 EP 1555215 A1 EP1555215 A1 EP 1555215A1 EP 03079208 A EP03079208 A EP 03079208A EP 03079208 A EP03079208 A EP 03079208A EP 1555215 A1 EP1555215 A1 EP 1555215A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
support members
base member
container
side walls
cover member
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP03079208A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Francis Isenborghs
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Dw Plastics Nv
Original Assignee
Dw Plastics Nv
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Dw Plastics Nv filed Critical Dw Plastics Nv
Priority to EP03079208A priority Critical patent/EP1555215A1/fr
Publication of EP1555215A1 publication Critical patent/EP1555215A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
    • B65D11/18—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material collapsible, i.e. with walls hinged together or detachably connected
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
    • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
    • B65D21/0209—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position
    • B65D21/0226—Containers with movable parts adapted to be placed in alternative positions for stacking the containers at different levels, i.e. without nesting of the containers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a stackable container. More in particular, the present invention relates to a stackable container comprising a base member and support members, which base member may serve as a tray for displaying objects and which support members allow spaced stacking of the container.
  • trays for displaying objects.
  • Such trays typically have relatively low side walls to allow a clear view of the objects.
  • these low side walls are a disadvantage in that they do not allow stacking of the trays when there are fragile or soft objects in the trays, as these low side walls do not take up the weight of the stacked trays when they contain objects.
  • the objects in the trays are relatively exposed and can easily be damaged during transport.
  • British Patent Application GB 2 066 775 discloses a rectangular plastics tray provided with a pair of metal carrying bails pivotally connected to the tray.
  • the metal bails may be folded down or moved into an upright position so as to provide an alternative stacking arrangement. In the upright position, the bails can take up weight. It has been found, however, that such metal bails give rise to localised stress in the material of the tray. This is at least partly due to the fact that each metal bail extends substantially along the length of one side wall only, as a result of which the support provided is essentially one-dimensional. In addition, the metal bails make recycling the plastics tray more complicated.
  • the present invention provides a container comprising:
  • each support member By locating the support members at the comers of the base members, the supporting forces exerted when the container is stacked are evenly distributed and a stable arrangement is achieved.
  • support members having a substantially L-shaped cross section it is possible to provide support not only along a first side wall but also along a second side wall, these two side walls typically being arranged at right angles to one another. In this way, the support provided by each support member is not essentially linear, as in the Prior Art mentioned above, but extends in two directions. As a result, a better stress distribution and a more stable support is achieved.
  • the support members have a stepped form defining a lower part and an upper part, the upper part being flush with the side walls when in the first position.
  • This stepped form defines a ridge which may rest on a side wall so as to better distribute the load.
  • the support members are connected to the base member via a mechanism defining two distinct positions, in particular, the first and the second positions mentioned above.
  • a mechanism assists the user in determining when the support members are correctly pivoted and may also maintain the positions of the support members.
  • the base member may be provided at its lower side with stacking recesses for receiving the support members of another, similar container.
  • stacking recesses are preferably arranged at the underside of the base member, more preferably at its comers.
  • the base member may be provided with at least two gripping recesses, preferably located in any shorter side walls. These recesses are preferably arranged at the underside of the base member. Instead of or in addition to gripping recesses, handles may be provided.
  • the container of the present invention may further comprise a cover member.
  • a cover member By providing a cover member, the contents of the container may be protected against the environment. This cover member may be received between the support members and is thus positioned and protected by the support members.
  • the support members are capable of supporting an object placed on top of the container, the contents of the container do not carry the weight of the object, thus avoiding any damage to the contents. Accordingly, it is preferred that the support members, when in the first position, extend above said cover member so as to be capable of supporting an object placed on top of the container. It will be understood that such an object may be another, similar container.
  • the weight of any objects (for example other containers) placed on top of the container is carried by the support members, not by the cover member. This avoids the cover member, or the contents of the container, being damaged.
  • a preferred embodiment of the container of the present invention is at least partially made of a plastics material.
  • the base member and/or the support members is/are preferably made of a plastics material, such as HDPE.
  • the cover member is preferably also made of a plastics material, such as HDPE.
  • the cover member may be made of carton, preferably corrugated carton, or other materials such as polycarbonate, preferably transparent polycarbonate.
  • the container 1 shown merely by way of non-limiting example in Fig. 1 comprises a base member 2 and support members 3.
  • a cover member (4 in Fig. 3) is not shown in Fig. 1.
  • the base member 2 is constituted by a tray having a bottom surface 5 and side walls 6.
  • the bottom surface 5 may be open (lattice) or closed.
  • the base member 2 is substantially rectangular, resulting in two longer and two shorter side walls 6.
  • the container 1, and therefore the base member 2 may also be square, hexagonal, etc., and that all side walls 6 may have equal length. Alternatively, not all side walls could be present, for example two side walls could be omitted.
  • the support members 3 are arranged at the four comers 9 of the base member 2 and are pivotally mounted on the bottom 5 of the base member 2.
  • the support members 3 In the first or upright position shown, the support members 3 extend well above the side walls 6 (that is, well beyond the side walls 6 in a direction perpendicular to the bottom 5).
  • the container 1 In this first position, the container 1 can be stacked, leaving an appreciable space between the bottom of this container and the bottom of another container. This space can advantageously be used to receive objects, in particular objects which are not suitable for supporting weight, such as fruits.
  • the base member 2 is suitable for displaying objects.
  • a mechanism 10 which may be a suitable hinging mechanism, connects the support members 3 and the base member 2 so as to allow a pivotal movement.
  • the mechanism 10, an example of which is shown in more detail in Figs. 4a-d, preferably defines at least two distinct positions, such as the first, upright position and the second, folded down position discussed above.
  • the support members 3 have a stepped form which defines an upper part 3a and a lower part 3b, separated by a ridge or ledge 15.
  • This stepped form allows the lower part 3b to rest against the inside of the side walls 6 while making the upper part 3 a substantially flush with the outside of the side walls 6. In this way, a smooth exterior of the container is achieved.
  • the ridge 15 can rest on the upper rim of the side walls 6 and thus better distribute the load of any further containers in a stack.
  • the support members 3 have a substantially L-shaped cross-section, thus extending in the lengthwise direction of two side walls 6 at each comer 9. In this way, a support is provided that extends in two directions which, in the embodiment shown, are substantially at right angles relative to one another. By providing support members which extend in two substantially orthogonal directions, a very solid support structure is provided. It will be understood that the support members 3 may be made wider than shown in the drawings and may thus extend further in the lengthwise direction of the side walls. It is noted that in the first position, the ridges 15 also extend in the lengthwise direction of the side walls.
  • stacking recesses 7 are provided in the base member 2 for receiving the support members 3 of another container.
  • these stacking recesses 7 are arranged at the comers 9 of the base member 2.
  • the stacking recesses 7 assist in the positioning of the containers in a stack. In addition, they prevent the support members leaving their first, upright positions.
  • the support members 3 can be moved into a second position in which they extend substantially in parallel with the bottom 5 of the base member 2. This second position is shown in Fig. 2 where the support member 3 extend towards the middle of (the bottom 5 of) the base member 2. It will be appreciated that in this second position, in which the support members 3 are folded down and, in the exemplary embodiment shown, do not extend above the side walls 6, the container 1 can also be stacked while requiring very little space. Accordingly, folding down the support members 3 significantly reduces the volume of the container.
  • the support members 3 are arranged in such a way that they can receive a cover member between them. This is schematically shown in Fig. 3. As the support members 3 are arranged at the comers 9 of the base member 2, the support members 3 both assist in the positioning and protect the comers of a cover member 4.
  • the support members 3 extend over a distance D above the cover member 4. This allows the support members 3 to carry all the weight of any further containers or other objects stacked on top of the container 1. As a result, the cover member 4 carries substantially no weight.
  • the distance D is, in the preferred embodiment shown, at least equal to the height of the stacking recesses 7, but preferably a few millimetres larger.
  • the cover member 4 shown in Fig. 3 comprises side walls 11 and lid parts 12.
  • the two lids parts 12 are hingingly attached to the (longer) side walls 11 and together form the lid.
  • a centrally arranged opening 13 may be provided to allow a user of the container to easily open the cover member. It will be understood that the lid may be fixed and that opening the container 1 may be accomplished be removing the cover member 4 from the base member 2.
  • the shorter side walls 11 are advantageously provided with cut-outs (not shown) to accept the gripping recesses 8.
  • a mechanism for pivotally mounting the support elements 3 on the base member 2. It is preferred that a mechanism is used that defines two distinct positions such that some resistance has to be overcome before a support member can be moved from one position to another.
  • An example of a suitable mechanism 10 is shown in Figs. 4a-d where a support member 3 is connected to an axle 16.
  • a hinge body 18, which is connected to and preferably integral with the bottom (5 in Fig. 1) of the base member 2, is provided with comers 17.
  • the support member 3 has to pass the two comers 17. Due to the relative distances of these comers 17 from the axle 16, a certain resistance has to be overcome, resulting in a click action.
  • the container of the present invention is preferably made of a plastics material, such as HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) or polypropylene. Corrugated plastics materials such as Correx® may also be used. Alternatively, at least one part, such as the cover member 4, could be made of carton, preferably corrugated carton, or (transparent) polycarbonate. It is preferred that at least the base member 2 and the support members 3 are made of the same material, for example a plastics material, to facilitate the recycling of the container.
  • a plastics material such as HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) or polypropylene. Corrugated plastics materials such as Correx® may also be used.
  • at least one part, such as the cover member 4 could be made of carton, preferably corrugated carton, or (transparent) polycarbonate. It is preferred that at least the base member 2 and the support members 3 are made of the same material, for example a plastics material, to facilitate the recycling of the container.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Stackable Containers (AREA)
EP03079208A 2003-12-31 2003-12-31 Récipient empilable Withdrawn EP1555215A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP03079208A EP1555215A1 (fr) 2003-12-31 2003-12-31 Récipient empilable

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP03079208A EP1555215A1 (fr) 2003-12-31 2003-12-31 Récipient empilable

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1555215A1 true EP1555215A1 (fr) 2005-07-20

Family

ID=34610075

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP03079208A Withdrawn EP1555215A1 (fr) 2003-12-31 2003-12-31 Récipient empilable

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1555215A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2746182A1 (fr) * 2012-12-21 2014-06-25 K. Hartwall Oy AB Plateau pour emballages en carton
CN113135334A (zh) * 2021-04-12 2021-07-20 深圳市中孚能电气设备有限公司 一种托盘架

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3648909A (en) * 1970-08-26 1972-03-14 Bishop Wisecarver Corp Carrying tray
US4163495A (en) * 1977-09-21 1979-08-07 Drader Clarence H Plastic bread carrier having folding end walls
GB2066775A (en) * 1980-01-05 1981-07-15 Drader C Stackable carriers
GB2206103A (en) * 1985-07-02 1988-12-29 Tempodew Ltd Nesting and stacking containers
US5083666A (en) * 1988-03-28 1992-01-28 Lam David C S Crates for transporting rubber blocks or sheets

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3648909A (en) * 1970-08-26 1972-03-14 Bishop Wisecarver Corp Carrying tray
US4163495A (en) * 1977-09-21 1979-08-07 Drader Clarence H Plastic bread carrier having folding end walls
GB2066775A (en) * 1980-01-05 1981-07-15 Drader C Stackable carriers
GB2206103A (en) * 1985-07-02 1988-12-29 Tempodew Ltd Nesting and stacking containers
US5083666A (en) * 1988-03-28 1992-01-28 Lam David C S Crates for transporting rubber blocks or sheets

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2746182A1 (fr) * 2012-12-21 2014-06-25 K. Hartwall Oy AB Plateau pour emballages en carton
US20140174976A1 (en) * 2012-12-21 2014-06-26 K. Hartwall Oy Ab Tray for carton packages
AU2013273713B2 (en) * 2012-12-21 2017-11-02 K. Hartwall Oy Ab Tray for carton packages
CN113135334A (zh) * 2021-04-12 2021-07-20 深圳市中孚能电气设备有限公司 一种托盘架

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