GB1561225A

GB1561225A - Transportation box made of plastics material

Info

Publication number: GB1561225A
Application number: GB460577A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Spumalit Anstalt
Current assignee: Spumalit Anstalt
Priority date: 1976-02-09
Filing date: 1977-02-04
Publication date: 1980-02-13
Also published as: CH601068A5; IT1076852B; JPS52116378A; FR2340253B3; FR2340253A1; NL7701259A; DE2604928A1; BE851157A; DE2604928C2; ATA48177A; AT349982B

Description

(54) A TRANSPORTATION BOX MADE OF PLASTICS MATERIAL (71) We, SPUMALIT-ANSTALT, a Company organised and existing under the laws of the Principality of Liechtenstein, of Im unteren Rossfeld 8, FL 9494 Schaan, Principality of Liechtenstein, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement : The present invention relates to a transportation box made of an appropriately rigid synthetic resin material.

Distribution networks for foodstuffs of all kinds have begun to use standardised palettes which determine the dimensions for the foodstuffs packaging and those for the transportation boxes used to carry foodstuffs packs. Cardboard cartons, canisters, wooden boxes, plastics boxes, tubs, casks and other containers and packs are of such dimensions as to cover as much of the palette surface as possible when placed next to one another. Transportation boxes are so formed that they can also be stacked one upon another so that several layers of transportation boxes can be stacked on one palette.

Now there are several different foodstuffs which are only produced seasonally and thus are only transported in large quantities during the season. Examples of these are fruit and vegetables. The transportation boxes required for moving these seasonal products have to be stacked empty when the season has ended and they take up a lot of space if they cannot be stacked inside one another. They need large storage sheds since storage in the open causes corrosion, even in the case of galvanised sheet metal boxes and plastics boxes, which not only ruins the appearance of the boxes but also reduces their utility value and ultimately leads to their destruction.

In the case of plastics transportation boxes, there are numerous possibilities for stacking boxes one inside another for storage purposes and one on another for conveying purposes. One possibility is offered by the so-called rotary-stack principle in which boxes placed one inside another are turned, after filling with the goods to be transported, through 90 , 1800 or again smaller amounts such as 15 to 30 , relative to an identically shaped box standing underneath in the stack. These containers have walls which taper downwardly and exhibit ribs or similar working means inside which can serve as supports when the boxes are turned and stacked one upon another. Such transportation boxes have been successfully introduced in bakeries, meat and similar foodstuffs businesses.However, they have proved unsuitable in other operations. In particular where highly pressure-sensitive foodstufs have to be packed, stored and transported, they have proved to be unsuitable because when not stacked correctly the top box sinks into the box under it and consequently, damages the contents.

Boxes are also known having downwardly tapering walls and corner posts which are hingedly attached to the bottom of the box at its corners. Each corner post, by virtue of the tapering walls, has a cross-sectional area which increases from the hinged end to the free end. Not only do the posts occupy space within the box when they are folded flat, thereby preventing boxes from nesting snugly one within the other, but also the large ends of the folded-down posts provide spaced contact surfaces which will create an inherently unstable stack of boxes. Also, standard square packs cannot be placed in the corners of the box because of the space taken up by the corner posts and this leads to the result that a substantial amount of the available space inside the container is unusable.Another problem with these corner posts which fold inwardly and downwardly for transport when empty is the fact that they make cleaning the inside of the container very difficult because, when erected for transport of goods, the corner posts cover parts of the wall and form nooks and crannies in which dirt can accumulate and because, when folded down against the bottom, the bottom of the container cannot be cleaned. Since plastics transportation boxes are made in one piece whenever possible, such one-piece transportation boxes with corner posts in the bottom of the box necessarily mean accepting very large apertures caused by the formation of the corner posts.

All such plastics transportation boxes having a container tapering downwardly whether those that are stacked one upon another by the rotary stack principle or those having internal corner posts, have the common and concomitant disadvantage also that they are of smaller dimensions near the bottom than at their top edge. Consequently, stacks of such transportation boxes can tip over more easily than transportation boxes that cannot be nested one inside another but are of uniform cross-sectional area in planes parallel to their bases, i.e.

have the same dimensions at both their bottom and their top. In addition, these transportation boxes that can be nested one inside another have the further disadvantage that they can only be stacked with transportation boxes of the same shape and not with boxes of different shape. Now, it is essential in the distribution of foodstuffs for transportation boxes of different shapes to be transportable on one and the same palette on the route from the wholesaler or central market to the retailer because the retailer is bound to need one or more boxes of a variety of goods which have to be placed on a palette by the wholesaler or the central market and are then unloaded on the retailer's premises.Since the transportation boxes for various foodstuffs coming from various producers are of various types and since there is no chance of stacking the different transportation boxes together even though they have standard external dimensions, problems arise when loading the palettes.

The primary object of the present invention is to create a transportation box which is of plastics material and which can easily be stacked with stability inside another and can be stacked with stability with transportation boxes of various other different sorts.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in a transportation box made of a synthetic resin material and having a top edge of which the inner periphery is larger than the outer periphery of the bottom of the box whereby downwardly tapering walls are provided, one pillar being disposed at each junction between adjacent walls of the box and having a releasable locking device in its lower section for releasably securing said pillar in the operative condition thereof (as hereinafter defined), a centering means being located at each of said junctions at the top edge of the box and each pillar having on its underside a centering device, each pillar being either pivotally mounted on the box or removably engageable with the box, whereby, when two such boxes are stacked one upon the other with the pillars of the upper box secured in said operative conditions thereof, each centering device coacts with a respective centering means on the lower box.

Great stability is obtained by arranging the pillars on the outside of the box because in that manner the external dimensions of the transportation box are just the same at the top and bottom, and this in turn, makes it possible to stack this transportation box with transportation boxes of other kinds and/or of other materials. Since the external dimentions and the dimensions of the centering means are standardised for transportation boxes, this transportation box of plastics material can also be stacked with conventional wooden boxes or with transportation boxes which are of plastics material and made to the standards of the wooden boxes but which are not stackable one inside another.

One possible embodiment comprises pillars tapering upwardly. Another possible embodiment comprises pillars of uniform section with a spacer in contact with the box wall at the bottom thereof.

The box tapering downwards can exhibit (in plan configuration) a rectangular bottom and an octagonal top edge. However, said box can alternatively exhibit a rectangular top edge in which case the walls of the box are trapezoidal and are connected to one another directly.

It is advantageous if the pillar has an angular (for example, V-shaped) crosssection with the free ends of the limbs being bent outwards. Then the pillar can easily be made with the centering devices using injection-moulding with a simply constructed mould.

It is advantageous if the centering means is a substantially triangular projection at the top edge of the box and the centering device is constituted by the spacer the side of which in contact with the box is bent over downwards and which is moulded to the pillar at a distance from the bottom edge of the latter.

It is expedient if a rib is disposed on the side or face of the pillar which is directed towards the box, which rib is intended to extend through a slot at the junction between two adjacent walls and carries at its end some means (e.g. a cranked portion or a thickened portion) capable of engaging the box wall, whereby said pillar is secured in said operative condition thereof. Said rib may be located in the lower part of said pillar.

At its upper end, the pillar is preferably pivotally connected to the box by a shaft, a hinge or a film hinge. But it is also possible to make the pillar insertible, this being achieved advantageously by the upper part of each pillar being inserted in a pocket formed in the top edge of the box.

It is possible for the transportation box to be rectangular in plan configuration at its top edge, or substantially rectangular, there being four junctions or corners with a pillar at each corner of the box. In such a case, the corner pillars can simply be folded outwardly so as to constitute for example extensions of the diagonals. Another advantageous possibility consists in providing the top edge of the box with recesses for the purpose of disposing the pivot with which the pillar is attached to the container in such a manner that the pillars can be folded against the longitudinal sides of the top edge of the box.

The essence of the present invention is explained in detail below with reference to embodiment examples shown diagrammatically in the drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view, partially sectioned, or three transportation boxes according to the present invention and stacked one upon another; Figure 2 shows several transportation boxes stacked one inside another; Figure 3 is a top plan view of one of the transportation boxes illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 illustrates a transverse crosssection through a corner pillar of one of the transportation boxes shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through said corner pillar, said pillar being pivotally connected to the box wall; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through an insertible corner pillar;; Figure 7 is a section through a corner of a transportation box and illustrates another form of foldable corner pillar; and Figure 8 is a section through a corner of a transportation box and illustrates yet another embodiment of foldable corner pillar.

Referring to the drawings, there are illustrated open-topped transportation containers 1, whose walls taper downwardly so that the dimensions of their bottom edges are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of their top edges 2. This top edge is constituted by an edge bent over in the form of a 'U'. Corner pillars 4 are disposed at this top edge by means of pivot pins 3. As can be seen by comparing Figure 1 with Figure 2, each corner pillar 4 can be folded away in an outward direction when the downwards tapering containers are to be stacked one inside another. In this Specification, the pillars 4 will be described as being "in the operative conditions thereof" when they occupy the positions thereof which are illustrated in Figure 1, and also in Figures 3 to 8 mutatis mutandis.At the top edge, the transportation container has a centering means 5 at each corner in the form of centering bosses. Said bosses are visible in many of the Figures and may be of any desirable plan configuration, for example triangular. In the lower part of each corner pillar, 4 there is a supporting web 6 which is bent over at free end facing the container 1 and thus forms a substantially vertically disposed lip 6A which acts as a spacer. This web 6 extends in such a manner that, when a box is stacked underneath, the centering bosses 5 thereof are in contact with the webs 6 but are also located within the confines of the lip 6A and the skirt portions of the corner pillar 5 so that relative lateral movements between the boxes is not possible.

The cross-section of each corner pillar 4 is V-shaped, the limbs 4A of the V having free end portions 4B thereof bent over outwards, said portions 4B being so shaped that they can easily be extracted from the mould after manufacture by injection moulding. Towards the lower end thereof, as seen in Figure 5, each corner pillar 4 exhibits a rib 7 having its free end cranked at 9, said rib being intended to extend through a slot 8 in the respective wall of the container 1. The cranked end 9 is of course intended to engage the container wall in order to lock the pillar 4 in the operative condition thereof (as hereinbefore defined) in a releasable manner.

In Figure 3, two corner pillars 4 are shown folded outwardly and upwardly about their pivot axes 3 into the attitude thereof shown in Figure 2, the other two corner pillars not being visible since they are in the operative conditions thereof illustrated in Figure 1 and therefore masked by the edge 2.

Figure 6 shows a view of an insertible corner pillar 24 which is in the operative condition thereof but which is not pivotally connected to the container. Each container is equipped with four such pillars 24 and the uppermost portion thereof (as seen in Figure 6) is adapted to engage in a pocket 22 in or under the top edge 2 of the container 21. In other respects, the pillars 24 are identical with the pillars 4 of the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In view of the fact that the pillars 24 are not permanently connected to the containers by pivot pins, said pillars are detached from the containers when the containers 21 are to be stacked one inside another and are stored in the topmost container of a stack.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, each pillar 4 is pivotally mounted and has a supporting web 36 which is of greater overall dimensions than the web 6 of the embodiments described with reference to Figure 1 to 6. The generally horizontal web 36 has a vertical extension 37 which is connected to the main body of the pillar, a boss 9 being provided at the junction between said extension 37 and said main body.

The wall of the container is appropriately apertured to permit the extension 37 and the boss 9 to extend into a recess 30, the boss 9 engaging part of the container wall with a snap-fit to keep the pillar 4 in the operative condition therof in a releasable manner.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment in which each pivotally mounted pillar 4 has a supporting web 36 which is provided with an extension 39 so formed as to create a notch which is adapted to engage a complementary projection 31 with a snap fit to keep the pillar 4 in the operative condition thereof in a releasable manner.

Instead of making the pillars such as to be insertible (Figure 6) or so pivotally connected as to form extensions of the diagonals or to project outwardly in some other attitudes (Figures 5, 7, 8), the corner pillars could be so pivotally connected to the container wall or top edge as to be foldable against the sides and/or ends of the container at or in the vicinity of the top edge of the container.

The bosses 5 may be of substantially triangular plan configuration as already stated, or they may be of substantially trapezoidal plan configuration as illustrated in Figure 3.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS : 1. A transportation box made of a synthetic resin material and having a top edge of which the inner periphery is larger than the outer periphery of the bottom of the box whereby downwardly tapering walls are provided, one pillar being disposed at each junction between adjacent walls of the box and having a releasable locking device in its lower section for releasably securing said pillar in the operative condition thereof (as hereinbefore defined), a centering means being located at each of said junctions at the top edge of the box and each pillar having on its underside a centering device, each pillar being either pivotally mounted on the box or removably engageable with the box, whereby, when two such boxes are stacked one upon the other with the pillars of the upper box secured in said operative conditions thereof, each centering device coacts with a respective centering means on the lower box.

2. A transportation box as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each pillar tapers from the bottom end thereof towards the top end thereof.

3. A transportation box as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each pillar is of uniform cross-section throughout its length.

4. A transportation box as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each pillar comprises in the lower section thereof a spacer which is in contact with the box wall.

5. A transportation box as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each pillar is of angle section and wherein the free ends of the limbs constituting said angle section are bent over outwardly.

6. A transportation box as claimed in Claim 4 or in Claim 5 when appended to Claim 4, wherein the centering means is a projection on the top edge of the box and the centering device comprises a supporting web which is connected to the pillar at a short distance from the lower end thereof, said spacer also being connected to the free edge of said web, whereby a recessed end is created on said lower end of the pillar and is engageable by one of the centering means of the lower box.

7. A transportation box as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each pillar has a rib on that side or face thereof which is directed towards the container, which rib is engageable in a slot at the respective junction and carries at its free end an element for engagement of one of said adjacent walls, whereby the pillar is releasably lockable in said operative condition thereof.

8. A transportation box as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the top edge of the box has recesses for the purpose of accommodating the pivot by means of which pivotally mounted pillars are attached to the box walls in such a manner that said pillars can be folded against the longitudinal side of the box adjacent the top edge of the box.

9. A transportation box as claimed in any preceding Claim except Claim 7, and except any preceding Claim when appended to Claim 7, wherein the pillars are so formed at their lower ends and the box walls are so complementarily formed as to be connectible to one another by snap-fit to keep said pillars in the operative conditions thereof in a releasable manner.

10. A transportation box as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the top edge is rectangular in plan configuration, or substantially so, and wherein there is one pillar at each of the four corners of the box.

11. A transportation box constructed, arranged and operable substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 or Figure 6 or Figure 7 or Figure 8 of the accompany

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, each pillar 4 is pivotally mounted and has a supporting web 36 which is of greater overall dimensions than the web 6 of the embodiments described with reference to Figure 1 to 6. The generally horizontal web 36 has a vertical extension 37 which is connected to the main body of the pillar, a boss 9 being provided at the junction between said extension 37 and said main body. The wall of the container is appropriately apertured to permit the extension 37 and the boss 9 to extend into a recess 30, the boss 9 engaging part of the container wall with a snap-fit to keep the pillar 4 in the operative condition therof in a releasable manner. Figure 8 shows another embodiment in which each pivotally mounted pillar 4 has a supporting web 36 which is provided with an extension 39 so formed as to create a notch which is adapted to engage a complementary projection 31 with a snap fit to keep the pillar 4 in the operative condition thereof in a releasable manner. Instead of making the pillars such as to be insertible (Figure 6) or so pivotally connected as to form extensions of the diagonals or to project outwardly in some other attitudes (Figures 5, 7, 8), the corner pillars could be so pivotally connected to the container wall or top edge as to be foldable against the sides and/or ends of the container at or in the vicinity of the top edge of the container. The bosses 5 may be of substantially triangular plan configuration as already stated, or they may be of substantially trapezoidal plan configuration as illustrated in Figure 3. WHAT WE CLAIM IS :

1. A transportation box made of a synthetic resin material and having a top edge of which the inner periphery is larger than the outer periphery of the bottom of the box whereby downwardly tapering walls are provided, one pillar being disposed at each junction between adjacent walls of the box and having a releasable locking device in its lower section for releasably securing said pillar in the operative condition thereof (as hereinbefore defined), a centering means being located at each of said junctions at the top edge of the box and each pillar having on its underside a centering device, each pillar being either pivotally mounted on the box or removably engageable with the box, whereby, when two such boxes are stacked one upon the other with the pillars of the upper box secured in said operative conditions thereof, each centering device coacts with a respective centering means on the lower box.

ing drawings.