DK2611699T3 - TRANSPORT CONTAINER - Google Patents

Description

Description [0001] The invention concerns a transport container in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1 and also a method of manufacturing the transport container.

[0002] A transport container is known from W02006/105962A1 which is used in particular as a thermally insulating transport container in, for example, the foodstuffs sector. When the side walls are in the loading position, the transport container is suitable for holding objects in the transport space. If the transport container is to be transported empty, the side walls can be folded down into a transport position such that they lie on or above the base and thus save space. An essentially rectangular transport container with a hollow fillable transport space then becomes an object, also essentially rectangular, without a hollow space or only a small hollow space. Here folding the side walls down towards the base, combined with laying the side walls down on or above the base, is in most cases preferable to folding the side walls away from the base, since the footprint of the transport container does not then change when it is folded up. To enable the side walls to be folded down, the known transport container is provided with hinges which have hinge recesses integrally moulded in the base and linkage heads integrally moulded onto the side walls and held in the hinge recesses. The base and the side walls must thus be manufactured separately and then joined together. This is costly and time-consuming.

[0003] A transport container of the type initially mentioned is known from EP 0 759 400 A2 whose side walls are connected to the base by means of intermediate members with hooks which are anchored in recesses in the base. Assembly of this transport container is also time-consuming. A transport container is known from WO 93/13991 A1 (which forms the basis for the preamble of Claim 1), the side walls of which are connected to the base by intermediate elements, each of which is connected by a film hinge to the base and the corresponding side wall. This reduces the stability of the transport container in the base area.

[0004] It is therefore the object of the invention to develop a transport container of the type initially mentioned in such a way that it can be manufactured more simply.

[0005] According to the invention this object is achieved by a transport container with the features of Claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention form the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0006] The invention is based on the concept of manufacturing the transport container as a single piece. This is done by means of a mould which has a cavity corresponding to the shape of the transport container with its side walls in the loading position and which is filled with foam particles consisting of expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which are then sintered together by the application of heat. With this manufacturing method it is not immediately possible to form hinge recesses and linkage heads in accordance with W02006/105962 Al. Instead of this, the hinges for folding the side walls down to the base are formed more simply by reductions in the thickness of the side walls so that the side walls are integrally connected to the base via connecting sections of lower wall thickness whereby folding along bending lines formed by the connecting sections is possible. The connecting sections can be strengthened by means of a reinforcement element such as, for example, fabric, either internally or on one or both surfaces. To make it possible for the side walls to swivel towards the base and for the side walls to rest on or above the base so that the footprint remains essentially unchanged when the side walls are swivelled into the transport position, the connecting sections must be located immediately adjacent to the transport space. This can be done by arranging the connecting sections flush with the inner surfaces of the side walls or by the connecting sections, relative to the inner surfaces of the side walls, protruding somewhat into the transport space. A transport container of this kind can be simply manufactured by sliders being moved into the mould via openings so that the mould cavity in the area of the connecting sections is reduced to their thickness.

[0007] Before heat is applied to the foam particles, the sliders are expediently moved into the mould so that the connecting sections are formed during the sintering process. It is, however, also possible to move the sliders into the mould after the sintering process so that the already completed foam moulding is cut in the area of the connecting sections in such a way that the wall thickness is reduced there. This cutting can also be done not with a slider but with a cutting device such as, for example, a blade or a wire. Cutting can also be carried out after demoulding.

[0008] The connections preferably have a wall thickness less than that of the film hinges, in particular a thickness between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, and here in particular with a thickness between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. Film hinges offer an especially simple way of pivoting the side walls towards the base. Furthermore, a gap extending from the outer surface facing away from the transport space of the particular side wall to the corresponding connecting section is expediently present between the base and each of the side walls in the loading position. The gap is contingent upon the preferred manufacturing method described above and its width depends on the thickness of the sliders used. To prevent the side walls being able to swing outwards in an undesirable manner, they can be provided with at least one spacing element which in the loading position projects into the gap and stands on the base. It is also possible vice versa for the at least one spacing element to be moulded on the base and for the corresponding side wall to rest on it. In the preferred manufacturing method, the spacing element is obtained by the corresponding slider being thinner in places. The localised thickening of the slider or cutting device stabilises it.

[0009] In the loading position, two side walls in each case expediently lock together at their adjacent end sections by means of locking projections and complementary locking slots. This fixes the side walls in the loading position. As a rule the locking projections and locking slots are created subsequently, that is, after the sintering process, by the side walls being first integrally joined to each other by sintering at the corresponding locations and then by being separated from each other by a correspondingly shaped cutting tool. It is also possible to create the locking projections and locking slots even during the sintering process in the mould by the mould having thin partition walls between the side walls. If the side walls are subsequently separated from each other while the locking projections and locking slots are being made, the slider or cutting device moves vertically into the material, whereas the slider or cutting device moves horizontally into the material when the gap is produced.

[0010] It is advantageous for the side walls in the loading position to have an all-round rim, which forms an all-round shoulder which can serve as a stacking rim or as seating for a lid. Accordingly the underside of the base can be given a complementary recess to enable multiple transport containers of the same type to be stacked without slipping. Furthermore, the transport container can be provided with a lid to cover the transport space.

[0011] Said lid is advantageously made of the same material as the side walls and base and is expediently integrally connected via at least one further connecting section to at least one side wall. To give access to the transport space, the lid can then be swivelled about the additional connecting section in relation to the side wall. The lid can be a single part hinged to one side wall or consist of two parts, each of which is hinged to one side wall. Furthermore, the inner surface of the base which faces the transport space can be provided with recesses for transported goods whereby the recess contours correspond to the external contours of the intended transported goods. This prevents transported goods accommodated in the transport space from slipping around.

[0012] The sintered-together foam particles have in each case an outer wall and an essentially hollow interior enclosed by the outer wall. At the surfaces of the transport container, the outer walls of the foam particles can be thickened by a further heat treatment so that a skin-like layer is created. On the one hand this skin forms a smooth surface which is easy to clean. On the other hand it is more resistant to mechanical stress. It is therefore preferable for the connecting sections to be given a skin of this kind on one or both sides. Furthermore, the entire inner surface of the transport container can be given a skin of this kind in order to make it more suitable for holding foodstuffs, for example. For more detailed information on the skin and creating the skin, see DE 20 2010 005 090.

[0013] The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of the exemplary embodiment shown in schematic form in the drawing. The drawings show in

Fig. 1 a transport container with the side walls in the loading position, corresponding to a first exemplary embodiment;

Fig. 2 the transport container corresponding to Fig. 1 with its side walls partially folded down;

Fig. 3 the transport container corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 with its side walls in the transport position;

Fig. 4 a transport container with its side walls in the loading position, corresponding to a second exemplary embodiment;

Fig. 5 a transport container with its side walls in the loading position, corresponding to a third exemplary embodiment and

Fig. 6 a variant of the transport container corresponding to Fig. 5 shown in elevation.

[0014] The transport container 10 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is manufactured as a single piece from a particle foam consisting of expanded polypropylene (EPP). The particle foam has a multiplicity of foam particles which each have an outer wall and an essentially hollow interior enclosed by the outer wall and which have been joined together by a sintering process. The transport container 10 has a base 12 with a rectangular footprint with rounded corners and four side walls 14 which extend from the base. The side walls 14 via their inner surfaces 16 facing each other form the enclosing boundary of a transport space 18 for holding transported goods.

[0015] The side walls 14 are connected to the base 12 by connecting sections 20. The thickness of the connecting sections 20 is considerably less than the wall thickness of the side walls 14 with the result that the connecting sections 20 form bending lines about which the side walls 14 can be swivelled in relation to the base 12 from the loading position shown in Fig. 1, in which transported goods can be accommodated between them, and into the transport position shown in Fig. 3. The swivelling movement is towards the inside of the container, in other words, towards the base 12, so that the transport container 10, when its side walls 14 are in the transport position, has a footprint no larger than when the side walls 14 are in the loading position.

[0016] The connecting sections 20 take the form of film hinges and are located immediately adjacent to the transport space 18. Their inner surfaces 22 which face the transport space 18 are flush with the inner surfaces 16 of the side walls 14. Starting at the outer surface 24 of the side walls 14, a narrow gap 26 extends between the base 12 and each of the side walls 14. The connecting sections 20 are attached at a higher level on the shorter sides than the connecting sections 20 on the longer sides. Here the difference in height is equal to the wall thickness of the side walls 14. The connecting sections 20 on the longer sides are also arranged somewhat above a contact area 30 of the base 12 so as to make folding down easier.

[0017] The inner surfaces 16, 22, 30 of the side walls 14, of the connecting sections 20 and of the base 12 which bound the transport space 18 were subjected to heat treatment during the production process so that the outer walls of the foam particles bordering upon the inner surfaces 16, 22, 30 are thickened in comparison with the outer walls of the foam particles in other parts of the transport container 10. In this way an inner skin is formed which lines the transport container. In addition, the outer walls of the foam particles are also thickened at the outer surfaces 28 of the connecting sections 20 such that the connecting sections 20 are given a skin on both sides, which increases their mechanical resilience and reduces the wear arising when the side walls 14 are swivelled in relation to the base 12.

[0018] In the case of the transport container 10 corresponding to the first exemplary embodiment, the side walls 14 are in contact with each other without being fastened together by a fastener. They are held together solely by frictional forces but it is also possible here to provide the side walls 14 with fasteners so that they can be connected together. Fasteners could take the form of latching connectors which are subsequently screwed on. In the case of the transport container 110 as shown in Fig. 4, which is otherwise identical to the transport container 10 which corresponds to the first exemplary embodiment, the side walls are connected together in pairs. To this end, each side wall 14 on the shorter sides has a locking projection 32 which engages in a corresponding locking slot 34 in the adjacent side wall 14 on the longer side of the transport container 10. In addition, each side wall 14 has a hook 36 on one of its ends which in the loading position engages with a corresponding hook 36 on the adjacent side wall 14. Close to the hook 36 and on each of the side walls 14 of the shorter sides there is also a further locking projection 37 which prevents the adjacent side wall 14 from folding down.

[0019] In the case of the transport container 210 corresponding to the third exemplary embodiment (Fig. 5) the side walls 14 are connected together in a different way. With the exception of a rim 38 running around its top edge, the transport container 210 is identical to the transport container 10 corresponding to the first exemplary embodiment. The rim 38 is formed by four moulded rim sections on the side walls 14. Towards the outside a shoulder 40 adjoins the rim 38. Furthermore, a lid 42 can be seen, which closes off the transport space 18 at the top. The lid 42 rests on the shoulder 40 and has on its underside a contour which receives the rim 38 so that this holds the lid 42 in position. On its upper side the lid 42 has a recessed area 44, which is rimmed all the way round and serves to receive a stacking rim 46 moulded on and running all the way round the underside of the base 12.

[0020] The stacking rim 46 is shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows a variant of the third exemplary embodiment which differs from the variant shown in Fig. 5 only by the gap between the base 12 and the side wall 14 shown being considerably wider. In addition, the base 12 has moulded spacing elements 48 which in the loading position project into the gap 26 and on which the side wall 14 stands. The spacing elements 48 prevent the side wall 14 from folding to the outside.

Claims (15)

1. Transportbeholder med en bund (12), som har en i det væsentlige rektangulær udvendig kontur, og med fire sidevægge (14), der strækker sig ud fra bunden (12), og som i forhold til bunden (12) er drejelige mellem en optagelsesposition, hvor de er anbragt i det væsentlige vinkelret på bunden (12) og med deres indvendige flader (16), som vender mod hinanden, begrænser et transportrum (18) hele vejen rundt, og en transportposition, hvor de er klappet ned og er lagt på eller over bunden (12), hvor bunden (12) og sidevæggene (14) er forbundet med hinanden i ét stykke via forbindelsesdele (20), som har en mindre vægtykkelse end sidevæggene (14), og hvor forbindelsesdelene (20) er anbragt i afstand fra bundens (12) udvendige kontur og umiddelbart ved transportrummet (18), kendetegnet ved, at bunden (12), sidevæggene (14) og forbindelsesdelene (20) består af et parti kel skum materiale af ekspanderet polypropylen (EPP), ekspanderet polystyrol (EPS), poly-ethylen (PE), polyurethan (PU) eller polyethylenterephthalat (PET).A transport container having a bottom (12) having a substantially rectangular outer contour, and having four side walls (14) extending from the bottom (12) and rotatable relative to the bottom (12) a take-up position, where they are substantially perpendicular to the bottom (12) and with their inner faces (16) facing each other, restrict a transport space (18) all the way around, and a transport position where they are folded down and is laid on or above the bottom (12), the bottom (12) and the side walls (14) being integrally interconnected via connecting members (20) which have a smaller wall thickness than the side walls (14) and wherein the connecting parts (20) is spaced apart from the outer contour of the bottom (12) and immediately adjacent the transport compartment (18), characterized in that the bottom (12), the side walls (14) and the connecting parts (20) consist of a foamed material of expanded polypropylene (EPP) , expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyethylene (PE), polyuretha n (PU) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 2. Transportbeholder ifølge krav 1, kendetegnet ved, at forbindelsesdelenes (20) indvendige flader (22), der vender mod transportrummet (18), respektivt slutter sig flugtende til den indvendige flade (16) af den tilhørende sidevæg (14).Transport container according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner surfaces (22) of the connecting parts (20) facing the transport space (18) respectively adjoin the inner surface (16) of the associated side wall (14). 3. Transportbeholder ifølge krav 1, kendetegnet ved, at forbindelsesdelenes (20) indvendige flader (22), der vender mod transportrummet (18), respektivt er anbragt forskudt et stykke ind i transportrummet (18) i forhold til den indvendige flade (16) af den tilhørende sidevæg (14).Transport container according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner surfaces (22) of the connecting parts (20) facing the transport compartment (18) are respectively displaced a distance into the transport compartment (18) relative to the internal surface (16). of the associated sidewall (14). 4. Transportbeholder ifølge et af de foregående krav, kendetegnet ved, at forbindelsesdelene (20) er filmhængsler.Transport container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting parts (20) are film hinges. 5. Transportbeholder ifølge et af de foregående krav, kendetegnet ved, at der mellem bunden (12) og hver af sidevæggene (14) findes en spalte (26) i optagelsespositionen, hvilken spalte strækker sig fra den pågældende sidevægs (14) udvendige flade (24), der vender bort fra transportrummet (18), hen til den tilhørende forbindelsesdel (20).Transport container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between the bottom (12) and each of the side walls (14) there is a slot (26) in the take-up position, which slot extends from the exterior surface (14) of the relevant side wall (14). 24) facing away from the transport compartment (18) to the associated connecting part (20). 6. Transportbeholder ifølge krav 5, kendetegnet ved, at mindst en del af sidevæggene (14) og/eller bunden (12) er forsynet med mindst et afstandselement (48), som i optagelsespositionen rager ind i spalten (26), og som står på bunden (12), respektivt hvorpå den pågældende sidevæg (14) står.Transport container according to claim 5, characterized in that at least a part of the side walls (14) and / or the bottom (12) is provided with at least one spacer element (48) which projects into the slot (26) in the receiving position and which stands on the bottom (12), respectively, on which the sidewall (14) in question stands. 7. Transportbeholder ifølge et af de foregående krav, kendetegnet ved, at forbindelsesdelene (20) respektivt har et forstærkningselement indeni eller på mindst en af overfladerne (22, 28), især et kunststof- eller tekstilvæv.Transport container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting parts (20) respectively have a reinforcing element inside or on at least one of the surfaces (22, 28), in particular a plastic or textile fabric. 8. Transportbeholder ifølge et af de foregående krav, kendetegnet ved, at respektivt to sidevægge (14) ved deres endeafsnit, som grænser op til hinanden, er sammenlåst i optagelsespositionen ved hjælp af låsefremspring (32, 36, 37) og komplementære låsefordybninger (24, 36).Transport container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, respectively, two side walls (14) at their end sections, which are adjacent to each other, are interlocked in the recording position by means of locking projections (32, 36, 37) and complementary locking recesses (24 , 36). 9. Transportbeholder ifølge et af de foregående krav, kendetegnet ved et dæksel (42) til afdækning af transportrummet (18), hvor dækslet består af det samme materiale som sidevæggene (14) og bunden (12) og via mindst en yderligere forbindelsesdel er forbundet med mindst en sidevæg (14) i ét stykke.Transport container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a cover (42) for covering the transport space (18), wherein the cover consists of the same material as the side walls (14) and the bottom (12) and is connected via at least one further connecting part. with at least one side wall (14) in one piece. 10. Transportbeholder ifølge krav 9, kendetegnet ved, at dækslet er i to dele med to dækseldele, som er forbundet med forskellige sidevægge (14) i ét stykkeTransport container according to claim 9, characterized in that the cover is in two parts with two cover parts, which are connected to different side walls (14) in one piece 11. Transportbeholder ifølge et af de foregående krav, kendetegnet ved, at bunden (12), sidevæggene (14), forbindelsesdelene (20) og eventuelt dækslet består af en flerhed af med hinanden sintrede skumpartikler, som respektivt har en udvendig væg og et i det væsentlige hult indvendigt rum, som er omsluttet af den udvendige væg, hvor skumpartiklernes udvendige vægge er tykkere i det mindste i området ved de indvendige flader (22) og/eller i området ved forbindelsesdelenes (20) udvendige flader (28), som vender bort fra de indvendige flader (22), end ved beholderens (10) øvrige steder og danner en hud, som er anbragt på den ene eller begge siderTransport container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom (12), the side walls (14), the connecting parts (20) and optionally the cover consist of a plurality of sintered foam particles having an outer wall and an outer wall respectively. the substantially hollow interior space enclosed by the outer wall, the outer walls of the foam particles being thicker at least in the region of the inner surfaces (22) and / or in the region of the outer surfaces (28) of the connecting members (20). away from the inner surfaces (22) than at the other places of the container (10) and form a skin which is disposed on one or both sides 12. Fremgangsmåde til fremstilling af en transportbeholder ifølge et af de foregående krav, hvorved en form til bunden (12), sidevæggene (14), forbi n- delsesdelene (20) og eventuelt dækslet fyldes med skumpartikler, og skumpartiklerne sintres med hinanden ved varmepåvirkning, kendetegnet ved, at forbindelsesdelenes (20) vægtykkelse fastlægges ved hjælp af skydere, der føres ind i formen.A method of producing a transport container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a mold for the bottom (12), the side walls (14), past the connecting parts (20) and optionally the cover is filled with foam particles and the foam particles are sintered with each other by heat effect , characterized in that the wall thickness of the connecting parts (20) is determined by sliders inserted into the mold. 13. Fremgangsmåde ifølge krav 12, kendetegnet ved, at skyderne føres ind i formen før varmepåvirkningen.Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the sliders are introduced into the mold before the heat exertion. 14. Fremgangsmåde ifølge krav 12, kendetegnet ved, at skyderne efter varmepåvirkningen føres ind i formen og skærer ind i det sintrede skummateriale.Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the sliders are inserted into the mold after the heat effect and cut into the sintered foam material. 15. Fremgangsmåde til fremstilling af en transportbeholder ifølge et af kravene 1 til 11, hvorved en form til bunden (12), sidevæggene (14), forbindelsesdelene (20) og eventuelt dækslet fyldes med skumpartikler, og skumpartiklerne sintres med hinanden ved varmepåvirkning, kendetegnet ved, at forbindelsesdelenes (20) vægtykkelse, efter transportbeholderen er taget ud af formen, fastlægges ved indføring af spalten (26) ved hjælp af et skæreværktøj.Process for producing a transport container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a mold for the bottom (12), the side walls (14), the connecting parts (20) and optionally the cover is filled with foam particles and the foam particles are sintered with each other by heat effect, characterized in in that the wall thickness of the connecting parts (20), after the transport container is taken out of the mold, is determined by inserting the slot (26) by means of a cutting tool.