ES2986793T3 - Open container for transporting and presenting goods - Google Patents

Abstract

Open container (1), in particular a plastic container, for transporting and presenting goods, having a bottom (2), a rear wall (6) protruding from the bottom (2), two opposite side walls (4) protruding from the bottom (2) and a front wall (8) provided with a cut-out or a completely open front. The open container (1) can be completed by another identical inverted container (101) to form a closed container (201). The side walls (4) have a plurality of side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16), in particular trapezoidal or crenellated, which are offset laterally or in the transverse direction of the wall and overlap and connect with corresponding side wall sections (110, 112, 114, 116) of the identical inverted container (101), preferably over the entire height of the side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16). (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Open container for transporting and presenting goods

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to an open container that can be joined to another identical container placed upside down to form a closed container.

In the prior art, containers are known in which an open upside-down container can be inverted and the container can be placed upside-down on another identical container to form a single closed container. The two open containers are connected, for example, by clamps or the like.

From DE 9300 535 U1, an open container is known, the side walls of which are designed in such a way that another identical container, when turned upside down, fits into the container in such a way that a closed, rectangular or cuboid container is formed. The open container has protrusions and recesses on the upper edges of the side walls, which fit into corresponding recesses and protrusions of the other container and prevent the two containers from sliding.

It has been shown that containers such as those known from DE 93 00 535 U1 do not have optimum stackability or cannot withstand high stacking loads. When a load is applied from above to the upper container, which acts as a lid for the container, the side walls placed on top of each other can slide laterally despite the interlocking protrusions and recesses. As a result, one of the two containers can slide or sink into the other container, causing both containers to jam. That is, the container deforms to one side (outwards or inwards) when a load is applied from above and is no longer stable. Although the container from DE 9300 535 U1 has a band surrounding the side wall of the other container, this only prevents it from sliding laterally in one direction (outwards and not inwards).

Document DE 11 24 421 B describes an open container on which an identical container can be placed upside down to form a common closed container. The elongated side walls of the container are each divided into two side wall sections which are laterally offset from each other. When the identical container is placed on the open container, the two offset side wall sections can fit together and thus form a double side wall.

Brief description of the disclosure

The task of the disclosure is therefore to provide an open container which can be joined to another identical or at least compatible container to form a closed container and which exhibits improved stackability and stability. Furthermore, the open container must be suitable for the presentation of goods.

According to the disclosure, this task is solved by an open container (above) with the features of claim 1. Other advantageous embodiments of the disclosure are subject to the attached subclaims.

The present disclosure relates to an open container, in particular a plastic container, for transporting and presenting goods. The container has a base, a rear wall protruding from the base, two opposite side walls protruding from the base and an end wall provided with a cut-out, which is opposite the rear wall. The open container can be completed/assembled with another identical upside-down container to form a closed container. The side walls have at least three side wall sections, which are offset alternately from each other laterally or in the transverse direction of the wall and overlap and are connected to the corresponding side wall sections of the identical upside-down container, preferably over the entire height of the side wall sections or over the entire height of the side wall. The at least three side wall sections are offset from each other such that at least two of the side wall sections are offset by the same distance laterally or in the transverse direction of the wall.

In this way, the open container can be assembled/connected with an identical container, placed upside down on the container, to form a common closed container. Some sections of the side walls are offset inwards, towards the centre of the container. Several sections of the side walls are offset outwards. The offset side walls of the first and the other container interlock. In this way, the side walls overlap and form a double wall.

The open container has a number of advantages. Because it is open, it is suitable for displaying goods. When two containers are joined together to form the closed container, it protects the goods inside. The overlapping side wall sections give the closed container a high degree of stability. Because the outer walls of the closed container are double-walled due to the overlapping side wall sections, bulging of the container is prevented.

The container may be a hinged container, such that the back wall, front wall (if present) and side walls are hinged to the base and can be folded inwards or lifted from the inside out. Once assembled, the back wall, front wall (if present) and side walls can be interlocked or locked together.

If side wall sections of the same height are trapezoidal, i.e. if the side wall sections taper from the base, V-shaped recesses are formed between neighbouring side wall sections, which allow a side view into the interior of the vessel or the goods contained in the vessel.

In one aspect of the invention, adjacent and laterally offset side wall sections can partially overlap in the longitudinal direction of the side wall, in particular in the area close to the base, and form a reinforced section in the overlapping area. This makes the container more stable on its own, i.e. without a second container attached to it, since the container is reinforced in the overlapping area or has twice the wall thickness. Preferably, the areas of the side wall sections in which they are hingedly connected to the base can be reinforced.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, when the two containers are coupled, the side wall sections of the additional container are positioned parallel to the side wall sections of the open container and the respective side wall sections form a double side wall. As the side wall sections of the respective containers overlap over the entire height of the container, the respective side wall sections form a double/reinforced side wall. The double side wall gives the closed container a high degree of stability. This effectively prevents the two containers from sliding against each other, even under high loads. The double side wall also prevents the side walls from bulging under high loads.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, at least some of the side wall sections feature a number of recesses or holes in at least one section of the side wall sections. The number of recesses reduces the weight of the container. This makes it easier to transport the container. The number of recesses also saves material. This means that the container can be manufactured more cost-effectively. Furthermore, the number of recesses in the side wall allows the inside of the container to be seen. The cut-outs allow the user to look into the container through the respective side wall sections. This makes the container suitable for presenting goods. The side wall sections with the number of cut-outs allow the side wall sections to be as high as the rear wall or the front wall of the container, but allow the inside of the container to be seen from the outside.

The end wall of the vessel may also have a series of recesses.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the recesses form a grid. The grid allows the side wall to have thin bars with large recesses/holes and still be stable. The grid shape of the side wall ensures that the side wall sections have the necessary stability and that the recesses are large enough to allow viewing into the container.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the recesses are arranged in a honeycomb shape. This arrangement of the recesses allows the side walls to only have filigree rods and still have a high degree of stability. Due to the filigree rods, the recesses are large, allowing a good view of the inside of the container and low material consumption.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the side wall sections that are offset towards the centre of the container have the number of recesses, while the side wall sections that are offset towards the outside form a continuous side wall without recesses. In other words, the side wall sections that have recesses or holes are arranged on the inside and the side wall sections that do not have recesses are arranged on the outside. When two containers are joined together to form the closed container, the outer side wall sections surround the inner side wall sections. Likewise, the rear wall of the container, which does not have recesses, surrounds the end wall with the number of recesses. Since the outer side wall sections do not have recesses, the closed container does not have recesses on the outside. In this way, a closed container with continuously closed outer walls is obtained. In this context, continuously closed means that the outer walls do not have recesses or holes.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the side wall sections adjoining the rear wall and the rear wall together form a rear wall section of the container that extends along the entire height of the container. The front wall of the container is more inward and the rear wall section of the container is more outward, and the additional inverted container rear wall section hugs the front wall, preferably over the entire height.

In other words, the fourth side wall sections, which are attached to the L-shaped rear wall and are located at the rear of the container, hug the front wall of the container. The fourth side wall sections rest on the rear wall and together with it form the rear wall section of the container. To do this, the rear section of the container wall is moved further outwards and the front wall is moved further inwards. The container wall section and the front wall overlap over the entire height of the container. As a result, both ends of the closed container are double-walled. This increases the stability of the closed container. The end faces and corner areas, which are usually subjected to higher loads, for example due to impacts, are more stable and resilient because the container wall sections overlap or are double-walled over the entire height. Since the container wall sections and the rear or end wall grip each other, the connected containers cannot slide sideways against each other. According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the end wall features recesses/holes. The recesses also save material and weight on the end wall. Since the end wall is surrounded by the wall section of the container together with the rear wall, the end wall faces inwards when the container is closed. As a result, the recesses are also arranged on the inside and the closed container is completely closed on the outside and without recesses.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the upper edge of the side walls is formed such that the additional container is stacked on top of the open container. In this case, the base of the upper container rests on both the upper edge of the rear wall and the upper edge of the side walls of the lower container. The goods in the lower container are protected from damage by the upper container, since it does not protrude into the interior of the lower container. Stacking open containers allows for space-saving presentation of the goods.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the container has a latch on the bottom that receives and secures the top edge of the lower container when two containers are stacked.

In other words, the upper side wall portion of the container may be dipped into a lower opening of the rear container when a plurality of containers are stacked. The upper side wall section may be secured in the lower opening by a locking mechanism. In doing so, the upper side wall section is dipped into the opening in the lower part of the base to a depth such that the upper container rests on the upper edges of the side wall and the rear wall. The locking mechanism prevents the containers from sliding or tipping over when stacked.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the corner portions of the side wall are located on the end face of the container. In other words, the corner sections of the side wall are attached to the (cut-out) front face of the container. In the broadest sense, the corner sections of the side wall have the function of a corner pillar. The corner sections of the side wall are very stable. Thanks to the high rear wall on one side and the corner sections of the side wall on the other side of the container, the latter has an almost symmetrical structure and is stable. The corner sections of the side wall are designed in such a way that the rear wall grips the corner sections of the side wall from the outside when they are inserted into each other. Thus, the rear wall embraces the corner sections of the side wall. The overlapping of the rear wall and the corner sections of the side wall increases the stability of the closed container and prevents a relative movement between the connected containers.

According to another optional aspect of the disclosure, the fourth side wall section merges with the rear wall in an L-shape. In other words, the fourth side wall section has a protruding side on the rear wall of the container. This increases the stability of the container wall section. When the containers are inserted into each other, the protruding side on the rear wall grips the front wall of the other container. The L-shaped container wall section hugs the front wall and thus provides additional stability to the closed container.

Brief description of the figures

Fig. 1 shows an isometric representation of an open container according to the disclosure;

Fig. 2 shows an isometric representation of two joined vessels according to the disclosure;

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the two containers joined together according to the disclosure;

Fig. 4 shows an isometric representation of two containers according to the disclosure joined together to form a closed container;

Fig. 5 shows two closed containers stacked on top of each other;

Fig. 6 shows a folded container; and

Fig. 7 shows two open containers according to the disclosure stacked on top of each other.

Detailed description of the figures

Fig. 1 shows a container 1 according to the disclosure in a first embodiment. The plastic container 1 has a base 2, two side walls 4 (long) and a side or rear wall 6 (short). Opposite the rear wall 6, there is a deeply cut end wall 8. The end wall 8 is low in a section so that the goods in the container 1 are visible in front of the end wall 8. The end wall 8 is cut out such that it is lowest in the middle and highest at the corners of the container 1. Since the container 1 does not have a lid, the container 1 is open at the top. The side walls 4, the rear wall 6 and the end wall 8 are designed to be folded inwards and on top of each other. The side walls 4 are symmetrical to each other. Each side wall 4 is divided into a plurality of side wall sections 10, 12, 14 and 16. The side wall sections 10, 12, 14 and 16 have the same height. The side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16 have the same height as the rear wall 6 and the highest end wall section 8. The end wall 8 and at least some of the side wall sections 10, 12, 14 and 16 are not a continuous wall, but have a series of holes or recesses 20. These recesses 20 are preferably in the form of a grid or honeycomb. Preferably, the side wall sections with the recesses 20 alternate with side wall sections without recesses.

A first side wall section 10 is directly adjacent to the end wall 8. The first side wall section 10 is offset inward. The first side wall section 10 has the same height as the highest section of the end wall 8. The first side wall section 10 is drawn around the corner, or is approximately L-shaped. The first side wall section 10 merges with the end wall 8. This results in corner sections of the side wall 11 at the front of the container 1. A second side wall section 12 is arranged adjacent to the first side wall section 10, but offset outward with respect to it. The second side wall section 12 has the same height as the first side wall section 10. A third side wall section 14 is again arranged adjacent to the second side wall section 12 and offset inward with respect to it. This means that the third side wall section 14 is offset inwards by as much as the first side wall section 10. A fourth side wall section 16 is offset outwards relative to the third side wall section 14 and thus as much outwards as the second side wall section 12. The side walls thus shift alternately inwards and outwards. The fourth side wall section 16 adjoins the rear wall 6 and is of the same height as the latter. The fourth side wall section 16 merges into the rear wall 6 in an L-shape. The fourth side wall section 16 and the rear wall 6 together form a sophisticated container wall section 18. As explained above, some of the side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16 have the recesses 20. It is precisely the side wall sections 10, 14 which have the recesses 20, which are offset inwards. In contrast, the side wall sections 12, 16, which are offset outwards, do not have any recesses. This means that side wall sections with and without recesses 20 alternate along the length of the container 1.

The recesses 20 reduce the amount of material required to manufacture the container 1. The lower material consumption reduces manufacturing costs and, in particular, the weight of the container. In addition, the recesses 20 enable the user to look into the interior of the container 1 from the outside through the side walls 4. Since it has no lid, the container 1 is suitable for displaying goods. However, the goods in the container 1 are protected by the side walls 4 (partially gridded).

The side walls 4 are not continuous. The second and third side walls 12, 14 are trapezoidal. The first and fourth side walls are shaped like a half trapezoid. In the longitudinal direction of the container, the side wall becomes lower at a trapezoidal flank, reaches a minimum at the transition between two side wall sections and rises again at the trapezoidal flank of the next side wall section. As a whole, each side wall 4 is formed in a wave-like manner by the four side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16. The lower sections of the side walls 4 facilitate the view of the interior of the container 1 from the outside.

The side walls 4, the rear wall 6 and the end wall 8 are hinged. For this purpose, the rear wall 6 is provided with a plurality of (foldable) hinges 21. The rear wall 6 can be folded inwards by means of the hinges 21, so that the rear wall 6 lies flat on the floor 2. The end wall 8 has corresponding hinges (not shown), which can also be folded towards the floor 2. The side walls 4 can also be folded inwards. For this purpose, the side walls 4 are provided with folding hinges 23. The folding hinges 23 are preferably arranged in overlapping areas of the individual side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16. The side walls 4 are reinforced in the overlapping areas. Since greater forces can act on the folding hinges 23 than on other sections of the side walls 4, it is advantageous to arrange the folding hinges 23 in the reinforced overlapping areas. The folding hinges 23 of the side walls 4 are located at a greater distance from the base 2 than the hinges 21 of the rear or end wall. In this way, the side walls rest on the rear wall 6 and the end wall 8 when folded. The rear wall 6 and the end wall 8 engage in the corners of the side walls 4 when folded. For this purpose, the side walls 4 have locking devices 25 at their ends for connecting the side walls 4 to the rear wall or the end wall.

Fig. 2 shows how another (identical) container 101 is placed on the open container 1. In this case, the other container 101 is turned upside down and rotated by 180°. When the other container 101 is placed on the container 1, the side walls 4, 104 fit together in such a way that a closed container 201 is formed. In this case, a fourth side wall section 116, together with a rear wall 106 of the container 101, constitutes the end wall 8 of the container 1. Likewise, the fourth side wall section 16 comprises the end wall 108. The side walls 4, 104 fit together in such a way that the respective offset side wall sections interlock. The respective side wall sections overlap over their entire height or over the entire height of the container 1. The third side wall section 114, displaced inwards, slides adjacent to the second side wall section 12 such that the latter lies within the second side wall section 12. Likewise, the second side wall section 112 slides adjacent to the third side wall section 14 such that the second side wall section 112 lies outside the third side wall section 14. The respective side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16 interlock such that the side wall sections 10, 14 with the recesses 20 are on the inside and the side wall sections 12, 16 without recesses are on the outside. The end walls 8, 108 with the recesses 20 are also surrounded by the continuous rear walls 6, 106 and the continuous sections of the fourth side wall 16, 116.

Since the side walls 4 are offset several times and overlap or interlock with one another, the side walls 4 are protected against bulging outwards or constricting inwards. In other words, even if a force acts from above on the container 1 and thus on the side walls 4 and the edges of the side walls 4 slide against each other due to this force, the overlapping of the side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16 holds the side walls 4 together and prevents them from bending, bulging and/or jamming. By wrapping the rear wall 106 and the fourth side wall section 116 around the end wall 8 with the first side wall section 10, the closed container 201 has a high degree of stability. Since the side wall sections interlock, the individual containers 1, 101 are secured against sliding against each other. In particular, the fact that the fourth side wall section 116 embraces the end wall 8 over its entire height significantly increases the stability of the container 201.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the two containers 1, 101 joined together. It can be clearly seen that all side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16 have the same height. As a result, the side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16 overlap over the maximum length and provide the closed container 201 with the greatest possible stability. The overlapping side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16 each form double outer walls for the closed container 201. The side view also shows protrusions on the side of the base 2 opposite the side walls 4. These protrusions act as spacers 22 for the stacked containers 1.

Fig. 4 shows the closed container 201. The two open containers 1, 1101 are connected to form the closed container 201. The closed container 201 is used in particular for transporting goods inside it. In this case, the closed container 201 protects the goods from damage or dirt. Since the side wall sections with the recesses 20 are located in the direction of the interior of the container, the closed container 201 has continuous outer walls without holes or recesses. When the goods are to be presented in the container, the closed container 201 is opened, i.e. the upper container 101 is removed and the lower container 1 forms an open container suitable for presenting the goods.

Fig. 5 shows two closed containers 201 stacked on top of each other. Stacking allows many containers 201 to be transported easily and in a space-saving manner. The goods in the stacked closed containers 201 are protected by the containers. It is obvious that the stacked containers 201 can be stacked, for example, on a transport trolley as a means of transport. When stacking a plurality of closed containers 201, the separators 22 keep the containers 201 away from each other. In addition, the separators 22 interlock and thus prevent the containers 201 from sliding against each other.

Fig. 6 shows an empty container 1, in which the side walls 4, the rear wall 6 and the end wall 8 are folded inwards for easy transport. The two side walls 4 can be folded over the rear wall 6 and the end wall 8 folded inwards. The folded state of the container 1 is particularly suitable for transporting an empty container 1 backwards. When folded, the empty container 1 can be reduced to a very low height and space is saved. The small volume of the folded container 1 saves transport and storage costs. It goes without saying that the folded containers 1 can also be stacked. This saves a lot of storage volume.

If the container 1 is open for presenting goods, several open containers 1 can also be stacked. This is shown in Fig. 7. In this case, the upper container 101 rests on the upper edges of the side wall sections 10, 12, 14, 16, the rear wall 6 and the end wall 8. An upper section of the lower container 1 can be dipped into an opening in the bottom of the upper container 101. The container 101 also rests on the rear wall 6. The base of the container 101 preferably has a locking mechanism. The upper section can be fixed or locked in the lower opening of the upper container 101 by means of the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism allows several containers 1, 101 to be securely stacked on top of each other without the upper container 101 falling over. When stacking two open containers 1, 101, the goods are visible in both containers 1, 101. The goods in the lower container 1 are protected by the base of the upper container 101.

Claims (12)

1. Open container (1), in particular a plastic container, for transporting and presenting goods, with: a base (2), a rear wall (6) protruding from the base (2), two side walls (4) protruding opposite each other from the base (2), and an end wall (8) provided with a cut-out or a completely open end wall, where the open container (1) can be completed with another identical container (101) placed upside down to form a closed container (201), characterized because The side walls (4) have at least three side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16), in particular trapezoidal or crenellated, which are offset from one another laterally or in the transverse wall direction in an alternating manner, so that at least two of the side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16) are offset by the same distance laterally or in the transverse wall direction and can be engaged with corresponding side wall sections (110, 112, 114, 116) of the identical inverted container (101) such that they overlap, preferably over their entire height. 2. Open container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the side walls (4), the rear wall (6) and/or the end wall (8) are hingedly connected to the base (6) in at least one region. 3. Open container (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the adjacent and mutually offset sections of the side wall (10, 12, 14, 16) partially overlap in the longitudinal direction of the side wall, in particular in the region close to the base, preferably in the region in which the side wall (4) and the base (6) are connected to each other by hinges, and form a reinforced section in the overlap region. 4. Open container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the side wall sections (110, 112, 114, 116) of the additional container (101) lie parallel to the at least three side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16) of the open container (1) when the two containers (1, 101) are nested and the respective side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16, 110, 112, 114, 116) form a double side wall (4). 5. Open container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least some of the at least three side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16) have a series of recesses (20) in at least one section of the side wall sections (10, 12, 14, 16). 6. Open container (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the number of recesses (20) forms a grid, in particular in the form of a honeycomb. 7. Open container (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that at least two side wall sections (10, 14) offset towards the centre of the container have the number of recesses (20), while the side wall sections (12, 16) offset outwards form a continuous side wall without recesses. 8. Open container (1) according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the end wall (8) also has the number of recesses (20). 9. Open container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the side wall sections (16) adjacent to the rear wall (6) and the rear wall (6) together form a rear container wall section (11) extending over the entire height of the container (1), the end wall (8) being located more inwardly and the rear container wall section (11) being located more outwardly, and the rear container wall section (11) of the upside-down additional container (101) encircles the end wall (8), preferably over its entire height. 10. Open container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a fourth side wall section (16) merges into the rear wall (6) in an L-shape. 11. Open container (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the upper edge of the side walls (4) is formed such that the additional container (101) is stacked on the open container (1). 12. Open container (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the container (101) has a locking mechanism in the base that receives and fixes the upper edge of the lower container (1) when two containers (1, 101) are stacked.