DE29520114U1 - Box for beverage bottles with a crown cap - Google Patents

Description

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- 1055 -

Dieter Klei

Fulkwinstr. 5

56584 Meinborn

Box for beverage bottles with crown cap closure

State of the art

The invention relates to a box for drinks bottles with crown cap closure according to the generic term of claim 1.

DE 93 05 472 Ul describes a crown cap opener integrated into a drinks crate, which is designed in the form of a piece of sheet metal (“opening plate”) and is or can be inserted into a slot provided in the crate wall. This opening plate is very similar to a known bottle opener (principle), in the use of which the angle between the longitudinal axes of the opener on the one hand and the drinks bottle with the crown cap to be opened on the other hand - starting from an approximately right angle between these two longitudinal axes - widens in the course of an opening process, which can also be seen in the illustration in Fig. 7 of the drawing for this publication.

Such an opening principle is not advantageous for use with a box of the type in question; this is because the risk or at least a significant

There is a probability that during the opening process, due to the upward pivoting movement of the bottle in question, beverage liquid will leak out of it, before the bottle cap is fully opened and the bottle is returned to a position in which beverage liquid can no longer leak out.

Presumably for the reason explained above, this container with integrated bottle cap opener has not found its way into practice, apart from the fact that the production of such a box/opener combination is relatively expensive.

DE 40 16 455 A1 describes a container for drinks bottles, which also has a device for opening drinks bottles closed with a crown cap. This device is to be implemented either by a "suitable shape" of the container at a point on the container that can withstand relatively high mechanical loads, or by an "object that can be used as a bottle opener" that is permanently or detachably connected to the container. Both the solution for a "suitable shape" of the container and the solution for an "object that can be used as a bottle opener" shown in the drawing, as in the case of the above-mentioned DE 93 05 472 A1, are very similar to the already mentioned, known bottle opener (principle), in the use of which the angle between the longitudinal axes of the opener on the one hand and the drinks bottle with the crown cap to be opened on the other hand increases during the opening process.

Accordingly, this box/opener combination also has the defects already listed above. - However, if one wanted to use the "opener" according to DE 40 16 455 Al in such a way that the angle between the opener and the crown cap bottle is reduced during the opening process (which seems possible in principle), then this would mean that the bottle in question would be opened with such an inclination (angle to the box wall

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greater than 90°!) to the horizontal on the opener, there is an even greater risk that - inevitably - liquid will leak out of the bottle before the bottle cap is opened. 5

In any case, the box-opener combination according to DE 40 16 455 Al - the manufacturing effort of which corresponds to that according to DE 93 472 Ul - has not found its way into practice.

Goal

The aim of the present invention is to create a box for drinks bottles with crown cap closures, which - also and especially subsequently - is equipped or can be retrofitted in a simple manner and with relatively little technical effort in such a way that the opening of the closure of a crown cap bottle on the box is safe and easy and without the risk of liquid leaking out of the bottle in question during the opening process.

Solution

To achieve the aim outlined above, a box of the type mentioned at the outset is proposed which, according to the invention, has the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

Advantages

The invention provides a box which can be equipped or retrofitted in a simple and relatively inexpensive manner with means for opening the cap of a crown cap bottle on the box and with which it is possible to open the cap during such a pivoting movement of the bottle.

open, in which the longitudinal axis of the bottle - starting from a position that is already at a higher level than the position of the bottle base with the closure - forms a steadily decreasing angle with the box wall. Without any significant cost and without any impairment of usability and space requirements, the boxes known per se intended for storing drinks bottles with crown cap closures can be equipped or retrofitted with the invention and have the advantage that during the opening process there is no risk of unwanted leakage of liquid from the bottle to be opened.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in claims 2 to 8.

A solution that is particularly simple in terms of construction and particularly cost-effective in terms of manufacturing costs for a box/opener combination is specified in claim 2. Specific further embodiments of this solution are specified in claims 3 and 4.

Another possible solution, alternative to the solution according to claim 2, is described in claim 5. In the case of this solution, two adjacent areas of the crown cap edge are grasped when the closure is opened, which also improves the grasping of the crown cap edge before the opening process and the hold of the crown cap on the opener as a result of a certain centering or alignment of the crown cap to the opener.

Another possible embodiment of a box/opener combination according to the invention is mentioned in claim 6. This embodiment is characterized on the one hand by the relatively high rigidity of the movable part of the opener; on the other hand, however, this solution also requires more space.

A particularly advantageous feature of an inventive

Box/opener combination is specified in claim 7. In the case of this feature, the use of a box/opener combination according to the invention is particularly simple, convenient and advantageous in terms of safety in view of the risk of possible injury from the opening member, since the movable part of the opener automatically falls back into the rest position after use and thus any damage to this part and/or risk of injury from this part is practically excluded. Claim 8 states an advantageous solution. 10

Description of the invention based on embodiments

Various solutions for a box/opener combination according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 9 of the drawing.

Show it

Fig. 1 shows a box/opener combination in conjunction with the solution shown in Figs. 2 to 4 for the movable part of the opener, schematically and in perspective,

Fig. 2 a structurally simple and cost-effective solution for a box/opener combination, limited to the details and areas essential to the invention, in a side view in section and in the resting position of the movable part of the opener,

Fig. 3 the solution according to Fig. 2 also in side view in section, but in the use position of the movable part of the opener,

Fig. 4 the solution according to Figs. 2 and 3 in plan view in section according to section line III-III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 a solution similar to the solution according to Figs. 2 to 4 in a side view in section and in the rest position of the moving part of the opener,

Fig. 6 another possible solution for a box/opener

Combination, limited to the details and areas essential to the invention, in side view in section and in the position of use of the movable part of the opener,
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Fig. 7 the solution according to Fig. 6 in plan view in section,

Fig. 8 shows a section of another possible solution for a box/opener combination, limited to the essentials, with a design of the cross section of the movable part of the opener, known per se from bottle openers, in a front view in section, and

Fig. 9 finally shows a solution for a box-opener combination with the movable part of the opener pivoting around a fixed axis in a side view in section.

Fig. 1 shows a box 1 for drinks bottles - hereinafter referred to as bottles - with a crown cap closure. In a wall of the box 1, designated 2, which also contains a handle opening 3, in the area between the handle opening 3 and the upper edge of the wall 2, designated 4, an opening member 5 for opening a crown cap closure 6 - hereinafter referred to as closure - with a crown cap 7 of a bottle 8 is shown.

The pin-like opening member 5, which is slightly curved downwards with its front end, protrudes from an opening marked 9 in the area between the handle opening 3 and the edge 4 in the wall 2, roughly in the form of a hole, by a certain amount, which enables the opening of a closure.

allowing dimension beyond the outer contour of the box 1. The opening member 5 has a hook-like formation 11 on its front end facing away from the wall 2 or the box 1, which is suitable for gripping behind the crown cap edge of a crown cap sealing a bottle for the purpose of opening the closure.

In Fig. 1, the bottle 8 is shown in a position relative to the box and opening member 5, from which the closure 6 of the bottle 8 can be opened; in this position, the longitudinal axis of the bottle 8, designated 10, and the vertical line passing through the opening 9 and the opening member 10 guided therein, form an acute angle opening downwards of the order of magnitude of, for example, 75°. While the hook-like formation 11 engages behind an area of the crown cap edge facing away from the box 1, designated 13, the area of the crown cap edge opposite this area of the crown cap edge is supported on a support area 12 of the wall 2 located below the opening 9 or the opening member 5. In addition, the end opposite the hook-like formation 11 - see Fig. 2 to 4 - is supported on the inside of the box. Thus, the shape of the opening member 5, which overlaps the crown cap 7 like a bow, is guided and held on the box 1, and the support area 12 form the essential functional elements for opening the closure of the bottle 8 of a bottle opener combined with the box 1.

The use of the bottle opener according to the invention described above is carried out in such a way that the bottle 8 is moved in the direction of arrow 14 in an at least approximately vertical plane, pivoting towards the wall 2 of the box 1 after the hook-like formation 11 rests on the crown cap edge as described and shown and the opposite area of the crown cap edge is supported on the support area 12.

In Figs. 2 to 4, the opening member 5 is shown in various views and on a larger scale. In particular, Figs. 2 to 4 show how the opening member 5 is guided in or on the wall 2 of the box 1. Guide grooves 15 and 16 serve to guide the opening member 5 in the vertical direction when the box 1 is in the normal position, of which the guide groove 15 is formed by ribs 17 that are already provided in the area of the handle opening 3 on the inside of the box shown there (and basically serve to stiffen it), while the guide groove 16 is additionally or subsequently introduced. - While the guide groove 15 serves to vertically guide the end of the opening member 5, which is opposite the hook-like formation 11 and is designated 18, the guide groove 16, in conjunction with a guide pin 19 located at the end 18 of the opening member 5, serves to hold the opening member 5 on or in the wall 2 of the box 1, i.e. to secure it against falling out of the guide groove 15.

Fig. 5 shows an opening member 20 similar to the opening member according to Figs. 2 to 4, which is guided by a guide pin 21 in a separate guide rail 22 attached to the wall 2 of the box 1 and shown only schematically in the drawing. - The end of the opening member 20 opposite the hook-like shape, designated here with 23, is, as in the case of the opening member 5 according to Figs. 2 to 4, particularly strongly weighted by appropriate shaping (in the case of the illustration in the drawing, for example, roughly pear-shaped), so that the opening member, when not in use, holds itself in the position shown in the drawing due to the (excess) weight of this end and also falls into this position after use if necessary.

In Figs. 6 and 7, an opening member 24 is shown which is designed in two parts with respect to its area which, in the use or opening position, extends beyond the outer contour of the box (not shown in detail) (i.e. two

Distance and approximately parallel to one another, pin-like opening members each with a hook-like shape) and which is otherwise approximately U-shaped overall and leads into two holes 26 and 27 penetrating the plane of the wall 25 of the box. In this case, too, grooves 29 formed by the ribs between any ribs 28 can serve as (further) guide means for the opening member.

Fig. 8 shows a further variant for the design of an opening element according to the invention combined with a box for drinks bottles with crown caps. The opening element, which is shown only in section in the drawing and is designated 30, is designed in a roughly U-shaped cross-section in a manner known from bottle openers used in everyday practice; the guide means (openings and guides in or on the wall of the box) which are not shown in detail are also designed accordingly.

Fig. 9 finally shows a further alternative for a box/opener combination according to the invention. A bearing plate 32 is attached to the wall of a box (not shown in detail), for example by means of rivets 31, which supports an opening member 34 that can be pivoted about an axis. - The drawing shows the opening member 34 in the position of use, while the rest position is shown in dashed lines. - It is of course possible in the case of this alternative to also attach the bearing plate to the inside of the wall 2 of the box; in this case, a corresponding free space for the access or passage of the opening member in or through the wall 2 would have to be provided, if necessary in conjunction with a corresponding design of the bearing plate 32 and positioning of the axis 33 adapted to this solution.

The opening member shown in Fig. 6 and 7 can also be designed in a variant such that it does not

is closed only at the end facing the inside of the box, but also at the opposite end; in this case, the "hook-shaped formation" is placed in the curve on the outside of the box that connects the two webs or pins of the opening element.

Finally, it is possible to incorporate the guide required for the function of the opening member explained above using various embodiments into a separate, relatively flat, disc-like element with a groove on the inside if necessary.

to place a guide body formed with a protruding edge, which has, for example, a round outer contour, so that such an opening element can be particularly easily - namely in a hole that is easy to make - securely attached in a wall of a box by inserting/gluing or the like.

In the case of a hook-like shape, as shown for example in Figs. 2 to 4, it may also be expedient to provide a bulge on the inside in the curved area between the hook-like shape and the pin-shaped area, into which a protruding fold of a crown cap can slide - and be guided there.

KLEI, Dieter - 1055 -

Utility model application "Case for beverage bottles with crown cap closure"

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1 box

2 Wall

3 Handle opening

4 Edge

5 Opening link

6 Crown cap closure

7 bottle caps

8 Bottle

9 Opening

10 Longitudinal axis

11 Formation, hook-like

12 Support area

13 Area

14 - Arrow -

15 Guide groove

16 Guide groove

17 ribs

18 End (of opening link 5)

19 Guide pin

20 opening link

21 Guide pin

22 Guide rail

23 Formation, hook-like

24 Opening link

25 Wall 26 drilling 27 drilling 28 Ribs 29 Grooves 30 Opening link 31 Rivet 32 Bearing plate 33 axis 34 Opening link

Claims (8)

- 1055 KLEI, Dieter PROTECTION CLAIMS 1. Box for drinks bottles with crown cap closure, 10 a) with a bottle opener for the crown cap closure (6) of a bottle (8) located on the box (1), held by wall parts {2) of the box (1) and to be used by applying a pivoting movement of the bottle {8) relative to the box (1) in an approximately vertical plane when the box (1) is in its normal position, characterized by the following features: 20 b) as a bottle opener, an opening member (5) is provided which, in the opening position, overlaps the crown cap (7) of a bottle (8) to be opened in a bow-like manner, by means of a hook-like formation (11) located at one end, engages behind a part of the crown cap edge in a manner known per se and is supported with its other end on the box wall (2), which, in cooperation with a support area (12) located below the opening member (5), supports the part of the bottle (8) which is supported by the hook-like formation (11) of the opening member (5) forms a bottle opener during an opening process, and c) the opening member (5) can be moved from a first rest position, which does not or does not significantly extend beyond the outer contour of the box (1), into a second rest position, mounted on the box (1) so that it can move in an opening position that extends far enough out from the outer contour of the box (1) for the purpose of opening the crown cap closure (6) of a bottle (8). 5 2. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening member (5) is designed like a pin with respect to its area which projects beyond the outer contour of the box (1) in the opening position and can be moved from the rest position into the opening position by means of a guide (guide grooves 15, 16) for the opening member (5) provided at the end opposite the hook-like formation (11). 3. Box according to claim 2, characterized in that the opening member (5) is mounted on the box (1) with its end opposite the hook-like formation (11) so as to be displaceable in a vertical direction, wherein the one end of the opening member (5) having the hook-like formation (11) is guided so as to pivot or be pivotable by a certain angle relative to its other end. 4. Box according to claim 3, characterized in that ribs (17) provided on the box (1) for stiffening regions of the wall (2) of the box (1) with interspaces (guide grooves 15) running vertically in the normal position of the box (1) are used as guide means for the opening member (5) or as means causing or enabling the pivoting of the opening member (5), as well as a bore (9) penetrating the plane of the wall (2) of the box (1) for the pin-like region of the opening member (5). 5. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening member (24) is in two parts with respect to its area which projects beyond the outer contour of the box (1) in the opening position and is otherwise approximately U-shaped overall. and leads into two bores (26, 27) penetrating the plane of the wall (25) of the box. 6. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening member is designed with respect to its area visible in the opening position as a bow-like opening member (30) which is known per se with respect to this area and is approximately U-shaped in cross section and which is guided in a guide adapted to its cross section and penetrating the plane of the wall (2) of the box. 7. Box according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening member (5) at the end (18) opposite the hook-like formation (11) is designed in terms of weight such that when the box (1) is in the normal position, the opening member (5) falls into the rest position by itself under the influence of this weight or remains in the rest position and can be brought into the opening position by hand. 8. Box according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening member is guided in a flat, disc-like guide body with bores and, if necessary, guide grooves, which can be inserted into a corresponding recess, preferably bore, in the wall (2) of a box (1).