WO1991007328A1

WO1991007328A1 - Improvements in storage crates

Info

Publication number: WO1991007328A1
Application number: PCT/SE1990/000713
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gösta FREDRIKSSON
Original assignee: Plastic Form Gf Ab
Priority date: 1989-11-13
Filing date: 1990-11-05
Publication date: 1991-05-30
Also published as: NO178490C; NO921897D0; SE8903810L; SE8903810D0; SE467662B; NO921897L; NO178490B

Abstract

A bottle crate has a bottom and vertical corner posts (3) which are connected at the top via top pieces (4) so that the crate has openings (6) in its sides. The crate has an insert (2) divided into compartments (7), the insert being displaceable between a lower position where it blocks the openings (6) and an upper position where it permits laterally directed removal of the bottles. The insert (2) is guided in the crate by the intermediary of guide surfaces (12, 13). To neutralise tolerances and shrinkages, at least certain of the walls defining the compartments (7) in the insert (2) have attenuated portions intended as deformation zones. The compartments (7) are in the form of equilateral hexagons and the attenuated portions are disposed in the middle of the sides of the hexagons and extend stripwise throughout the entire height of those walls which define the compartments.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN STORAGE CRATES

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a storage crate for objects such as cans, bottles or the like and which comprises partly a crate with a bottom and corner portions upstanding therefrom, the corner portions being, at the top, connected with top pieces, whereby the crate has - an opening in at least one side wall, and partly an insert disposed in the crate and provided with compartments for the objects, the in¬ sert being slidable, in the vertical direction of the crate, between a lower position where it blocks the opening and an upper position where it permits laterally directed removal of the objects through the opening, the insert h_ieing guided interiorly in the crate.

BACKGROUND ART

SE-B-407 779 discloses a storage crate of the above-considered type. In this storage crate, the insert and the crate have, at their corner regions, guide surfaces which guide the insert interiorly in the crate.

In the manufacture of a crate of the type contemplated here, there are many factors which influence the tolerances involved. By way of example, mention might be made of the design of the plastic forming tool in which the crate and the insert are produced, but also the adjustment setting parameters of the injection moulding machine in which the tool is employed. Furthermore, the quality of the plastic material used may also, of course, exercise a certain influence. Taken as a whole, these factors imply that quite large tolerances must be accepted if costs are not to become unacceptably high.

In a storage crate of the type described in the above Swedish pub- lication, these tolerances entail problems in guiding of the in¬ sert. Hence, it is to be feared that some inserts will yawn loosely in the crate while others run the risk of becoming jammed. PROBLEM STRUCTURE

The present invention has for its object to realise an apparatus of the type mentioned by way of introduction, the apparatus being de¬ signed in such a manner as to obviate those problems which are based on tolerances in manufacture. In particular, the present invention has for its object to realise an apparatus which affords the possi¬ bility of compensation for manufacturing tolerances without the in¬ sert consequently running the risk of yawning loosely in the crate.

SOLUTION

The object forming the basis of the present invention will be at¬ tained if the apparatus is characterised in that at least certain of the walls in the insert defining the compartments have attenuated portions for the creation of deformation zones.

As a result of these design and construction features, the insert will show a certain capacity to change shape in response to possible configurational defects or dimensional flaws in the crate.

One advantageous embodiment of the present invention is also charac¬ terised in that the compartments are in the form of equilateral hex¬ agons, that the attenuated portions are disposed in the middle of the sides of the hexagons and extend stripwise throughout the entire height of those walls which define the compartments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is, in perspective, an exploded illustration of a crate designed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the insert; and Fig. 3 shows, in perspective and on a larger scale, the encircled portion of Fig. 2 marked A.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig. 1 shows a storage crate for bottles, cans and similar objects which is intended partly for transport and partly for direct sale of the objects. The storage crate is designed in such a manner that it is composed of two different parts, viz. an outer case or crate 1 and an insert 2 mounted therein and provided with a compartment unit for the objects. In the position of use of the storage crate, the insert 2 is placed interiorly in the outer case 1 or crate by being slid down into the crate from above.

According to the invention, the crate 1 has substantially smooth and even inner defining surfaces and a bottom which is not specified more closely on the Drawing but which is preferably produced from a grid construction. On its outside, the crate has a number of rigidi- fying fillets directed transversely or at right angles to the side walls, the fillets, however, not being shown in Fig. 1. Hereby, the side walls will have requisite rigidity and mechanical strength.

It will further be apparent from the Drawing that the crate 1 is composed of four corner portions in the form of tubular, downwardly open posts or profiles 3 which, at the upper end of the crate, are connected via horizontally directed top pieces 4. Furthermore, the crate is provided, along the bottom, with lower side pieces 5 which, in the vertical direction, are preferably of lesser extent than the top pieces 4. As a result of this design and construction, the crate will have an opening 6 in each side surface. However, as an inti¬ mately related and self-evident modification, it is conceivable that at least certain of the side surfaces be closed by providing panel¬ like means in place of the openings, possibly provided with rigidi- fying fillets. Furthermore, the corner portions may of course be wider so that together they may at least partly or completely cover one side surface of the crate. As is apparent from the Drawing, the insert 2 is composed of a com¬ partment unit 7 which, in the illustrated embodiment, has compart¬ ments designed as equilateral hexagons. A single row of such com¬ partments is shown in the Figure, but it will be obvious that ident- ical or similar compartments are disposed in the entire compartment unit, with one row on either side of that illustrated.

The compartment unit 7 has an outer defining frame 8 which defines a nominal outer contour of the compartment unit. This defining frame is produced from upright strip or panel material and is of a height which approximately corresponds to the height of the top pieces 4 of the crate 1. Furthermore, the defining frame 8 and the compartment unit 7 are preferably of the same height.

In the corner regions, the defining frame 8 has downwardly directed legs 9 which have, outwardly facing guide surfaces 10 preferably dis¬ posed at an angle of 45° to the sides of the frame 8. The guide sur¬ faces 10 are arranged to guide against corner surfaces 11 disposed interiorly in the crate 1 and of approximately the same width as the guide surfaces 10, These corner surfaces 11 are produced as one side of the closed profile which forms the corner posts 3.

As intimated by way of introduction, the insert is movable in the crate in the vertical direction thereof and switchable between a lower position where the compartment unit 7 blocks the openings 6 in the side surfaces of the crate. This is achieved in that the down¬ wardly directed legs 9 have been given a suitable height for this purpose. In order to permit ready upward and downward displacement of the compartment unit, it is crucial that fully adequate guiding be realised so that so-called "jammed drawer" effects will thereby be eliminated as far as possible when the compartment unit is dis¬ placed. For this reason, the corner surfaces 11 in the crate 1 are provided with guide grooves 12, guide projections 13 on the legs 9 of the insert 2 running in these guide grooves. The guide grooves 12 are also created directly in the closed profile which forms the corner posts 3, whereby the walls defining the guide grooves will also be walls in the closed profile. Ideally, dimensioning of the legs 9, the guide surfaces 10, the guide grooves 12 and the corner surfaces 11 may be adapted such that the major guiding function is realised by the guide grooves 12 and the guide projections 13. However, in heavier loadings, the guide surfaces 10 may come into abutment against the corner surfaces 11 in order to reinforce the guiding function.

It will further be apparent from the Drawing that the downwardly directed legs 9 have side surfaces whereby the stability of the legs is considerably improved.

The function of the above-described crate is such that, once the in¬ sert 2 has been mounted in the crate 1 and this filled with bottles, the insert 2 is in a standing position with the legs 9 against the bottom of the crate. In this position, the compartment unit 7 will be located roughly in the middle of the crate viewed vertically so that thereby the compartment unit blocks the openings 6. In this position, the objects may only be removed from the crate upwardly.

If, for example in retail premises, several crates are stacked on one another, this entails that removal of the objects may take place only upwardly from the uppermost crate.

However, as was mentioned above, the insert 2 is slidable in the vertical direction and may be slid to an upper position where the compartment uni-t is substantially concealed behind the top pieces 4. In this position, an object may be lifted slightly so that its bottom comes to a level higher than the upper edge of the lower side pieces 5. In this state, the object may be pivoted laterally and re¬ moved bottom-first through one or other of the openings 6. Hence, as a result of the present design of the crate, it is possible lateral¬ ly to remove objects from any optional crate, even in the middle of a stack of crates.

Fig. 2 shows the insert 2 viewed straight from above. It will clearly be apparent from this Figure that the compartments 7 are in the form of equilateral hexagons which are arranged so that they have pairwise common walls. In the illustrated embodiment, the insert has ten compartments and a defining frame 8 extends about these, the frame being approximately rectangular in configuration. It will further be apparent from the Drawing that two compartments 19 in the middle row have projecting portions 20 which extend out- side the nominal contour which the frame 8 forms. On sliding of the insert in an upward direction, these projecting portions 20 will be accommodated in corresponding recesses 21 in the crate 1 proper.

It is apparent from Fig. 1 that the guide surfaces 11 and guide grooves 12 of the crate 1 are disposed at the corner portions 3 and that these are of large transverse dimensions. The corner portions are produced as tubular, closed profiles and hereby enjoy a high de¬ gree of rigidity.

The above-described design of the insert also gives rise to a rela¬ tively high degree of configurational stability. The total effect of the configurational stability of the crate and the insert will be such that, in the event of incorrect tolerances, there would be a risk that the insert cannot be slid in the vertical direction of the crate 1 in the intended manner.

In order to impart to the insert 2 a certain capacity for deform¬ ation so that, for instance, it may to some extent assume the form of a parallelogram instead of the illustrated rectangular shape, at least certain of the walls which define the compartments 7 have at¬ tenuated portions which extend throughout the entire vertical extent of the wall arid which thereby create a deformation zone or yield zone 27. Preferably, these attenuated portions are disposed approxi¬ mately in the middle of the walls which define the hexagonal co - partmentsi

Fig. 3 shows on a larger scale and in perspective how the yield zones 27 may be_.realised. It will be apparent that the walls 28 de¬ fining the compartments have depressions or shallow grooves 29 so that the remaining material in the wall 28 at the bottom of the groove will be of considerably slighter cross-section 30 than is the case for the rest of the wall. In Fig. 3, shallow grooves 29 are provided on both sides of the wall 28, and it will be further appreciated that these grooves are gently arched so that there are no abrupt surface area changes. However, according to the present invention it is also possible to employ one-sided placement of grooves and hereby still achieve the same ef¬ fect.

According to one alternative embodiment, the shallow grooves 29 may be disposed in association with the intersection regions where the walls 28 meet one another. Hereby, the grooves 29 will be placed in the corners of the hexagonal compartments.

According to the present invention, a combination of the above- described alternative placements of the grooves may also be em- ployed.

Instead of the grooves marked 29, it is also possible according to the invention to utilise -a more continuously varying thickness of the wall throughout the length of the wall 28. Such an embodiment corresponds, naturally, to a considerably wider groove 29. In ex¬ treme cases, the groove may, of course, be of such a width that, in principle, it extends throughout the entire length of the wall 28.

The present invention may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended Claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An apparatus in storage crates for objects such as cans, bottles or the like, comprising a crate (1) with a bottom (18) and corner portions (3) upstanding therefrom, the corner portions being con¬ nected at the top with top pieces (4), whereby the crate has an op¬ ening (6) in at least one side wall, an insert (2) disposed in the crate and provided with compartments (7) for the objects, the insert being, in the vertical direction of the crate, slidable between a lower position where it blocks the opening and an upper position where it permits laterally directed removal of the objects through the opening, the insert being guided interiorly in the crate charac¬ terised in that at least certain of the walls (28) in the insert (2) defining the compartments (7) have attenuated portions (30)for the creation of deformation zones (27). .

2. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the compartments (7) are in the form of equilateral hexagons; and that the attenuated portions (30) are disposed in the middle of the sides of the hexagons and extend stripwise throughout the entire height of those walls (28) which define the compartments.