HK40122901A - Intermediate bulk container, specifically ibc combination, and method for manufacturing same - Google Patents

Description

Medium-sized bulk containers, i.e., modular IBCs and their manufacturing methods

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to the preamble of claim 1, i.e., an intermediate bulk container having a hazard code UN31HA1 or a similar structure, a method for manufacturing such an IBC according to the preamble of claim 9, and a method for modifying such an IBC according to the preamble of claim 12.

Background Technology

For example, IBCs for transporting parcels in the form of boxes or cartons are known from WO 2004/022459 A2. For example, Figure 26 of WO2004/022459 A2 shows a structure of a collapsible support in the form of a box or carton mounted on a pallet, in which parcels can be transported and held on the pallet by the collapsible sidewalls of the box there.

Furthermore, medium bulk containers (IBCs), particularly those with hazard code UN31HA1, are known and especially used for packaging and transporting substances such as liquids and free-flowing materials. These modular IBCs are also commonly used for transporting and manufacturing chemicals, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, as well as agricultural products and building materials. These modular IBCs can have hazard code UN31HA1 and are therefore (unlike the box-shaped IBCs disclosed, for example, in WO 2004/022459 A2) particularly permitted for the transport of dangerous goods. The IBCs described in WO 2004/022459 A2 are structurally unsuitable for this application due to the way the boxes are folded.

Combination IBCs permitted for use with dangerous goods typically have a capacity from 500 liters (L) to 3000 liters, but can reach 5000 liters or more as required, and include a pallet on which a cage is mounted. Within the cage, flexible or rigid packaging containers can be set up depending on the filler to be packaged. The pallet for such an IBC typically has a base of approximately 1.2 ^m² and a length or width ranging from approximately 100 cm to 120 cm. However, these dimensions are only rough references and should be noted that IBCs are packaging containers encompassing medium-sized packaging volumes and are designed for weight ranges from half a ton to several tons.

In addition, there are also known so-called composite IBCs, which are structurally similar to IBCs with hazard code UN31HA1, but without corner guards and/or edge guards when necessary, depending on requirements and filling, and with lighter or thinner-walled and/or flexible inner containers when necessary, depending on requirements and filling, but with substantially the same stability requirements in terms of pallet deflection for these lighter composite IBCs.

One problem with this type of modular IBC known in the prior art is that these modular IBCs must be suitable for accommodating and safely storing large quantities of filler with corresponding weight and volume, and therefore must ensure high stability so that the IBC does not deform or flex excessively in the filled state or even break in the worst case.

A particular problem arises especially when the IBC must be suitable not only for containing cargo but also for containing liquids, because the load forces in the central area of the pallet are particularly high in this case, and any reinforcements in this area must resist deformation work. This poses a particular problem in IBCs known to date for containing liquids, and especially for containing hazardous materials, mainly because it has been proven that IBCs for containing cargo are structurally unsuitable for containing liquids of the aforementioned volume or weight class due to the fairly uniform surface load thereon from solids, such as filled steel drums, cardboard boxes, or cargo.

To meet the high stability requirements of the pallet supporting the IBC, according to the existing technology to date, such pallets are usually reinforced with metal profiles, such as steel struts and steel profiles. The pallet base of the IBC is usually made of plastic, and the pallet base must be reinforced with metal, usually steel, to achieve the required stability.

However, this hybrid structure of plastic and steel components has two major drawbacks: high weight due to the metal or steel components and poor recyclability, because the plastic and metal materials must always be separated before the pallets of medium bulk containers can be recycled. This is very time-consuming or sometimes impossible when the metal is integrated into the plastic.

Summary of the Invention

The objective of this invention is to provide a medium-sized bulk container that avoids the aforementioned disadvantages, is suitable for containing hazardous materials and liquids, and can be manufactured simply and at low cost and is easy to recycle. A method for manufacturing such an IBC and a method for modifying a common IBC (whose pallet has metal components) are also proposed.

This task is solved by the IBC according to claim 1, the method for manufacturing such an IBC according to claim 9, and the method for modifying an IBC known in the prior art according to claim 12.

In particular, the task is accomplished by an intermediate bulk container (IBC) comprising a pallet having a pallet body made of plastic and a metal cage, particularly a tubular cage, fixed to the pallet, within which an inner container made of shape-stable plastic or flexible material is installed. The IBC optionally has corner guards and/or edge guards, and the pallet has at least one reinforcing strip made of plastic. The inner container, together with the outer container (i.e., the cage), forms an essential unit for the IBC according to the invention.

A key feature of the invention is that the tray body forming the IBC is made entirely of plastic, and that, in order to manufacture the tray, the tray body is provided with at least one reinforcing strip made of plastic.

Therefore, according to the invention, the at least one reinforcing strip made of plastic replaces the metal parts that have been necessary to reinforce pallets for medium bulk containers to date, which have been necessary on the pallet bodies of known pallets for medium bulk containers.

Extensive experiments have demonstrated that, according to the present invention, the use of such plastic reinforcing strips on pallets for medium-sized bulk containers can, in a surprisingly simple manner, enable pallets for medium-sized bulk containers to achieve stability similar to and better than that previously achievable only through metal components, such as steel supports and steel profiles. Therefore, the present invention breaks down the old prejudice that only metal reinforcements, especially steel reinforcements, can be used to achieve this strength for medium-sized bulk container pallets.

A significant advantage of this IBC according to the invention is that it is not only easy to recycle but also suitable for containing liquids. The IBC comprises a tray with reinforcing strips made of plastic and a tubular cage made of metal fixed to the tray, within which an inner container sealed relative to the liquid is installed or disposed. Accordingly, protection is claimed for an IBC that can be classified or is classifiable according to the UN31HA1 dangerous goods code and is therefore suitable for containing, transporting, and/or storing dangerous goods, or, even without such classification, for containing, transporting, and/or storing liquids and, where necessary, articles that are free-flowing and/or pourable, and is not subject to dangerous goods regulations.

A key feature of these IBCs is that, not only for IBCs of the invention applicable to dangerous goods but also for IBCs of essentially the same structure for non-dangerous goods (the corresponding structures of these two IBCs are always substantially the same), they always have a cage fixed to the pallet, except for a pallet stabilized by reinforcing strips to prevent deflection, within which an internal container is arranged as a unit with the cage construction. If dangerous goods are to be contained, transported, and/or stored in the IBC according to the invention, the IBC according to the invention may also have corner guards and/or edge guards. Furthermore, if the IBC according to the invention is configured to contain dangerous goods, the internal container of the IBC according to the invention can be constructed to be slightly more stable, especially more shape-stable, and, if necessary, thicker in walls, compared to an IBC not configured to handle dangerous goods.

Furthermore, within the scope of this invention, protection is claimed for an IBC, a method for manufacturing such an IBC, and a method for converting a conventional IBC into an IBC according to the invention. The IBC claimed according to the invention is, without exception, suitable for containing liquids and thus meets the particular requirements for IBC sealing. Therefore, the IBC according to the invention can be sealed tightly, unlike, for example, box-shaped or cassette-shaped IBCs, which may be open upwards and may even lack a lid.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one reinforcing strip is respectively fixed in the upper and/or lower upper and/or middle portions and/or cavities or recesses of the tray body. In all cases where reinforcement is applied, it is important that the surface on the tray for application is flat, planar, and not wavy to ensure the best possible connection between the reinforcing strip and the tray.

Therefore, in this way, according to the invention, pallets with varying stability can be provided for medium-sized bulk containers, and thus IBCs according to the invention can be manufactured and provided specifically for different requirements and weight classes, especially gross weights. Furthermore, the reinforcing strips required for the IBCs according to the invention can be used economically, with the pallets for medium-sized bulk containers according to the invention reinforced only at particularly load-bearing locations. Thus, one or more corresponding reinforcing strips can be provided only on the easily accessible lower side of the pallet body as needed, while the upper side of the pallet body requires no reinforcement at all. Conversely, according to the invention, only the upper or sides of the pallet body can be stabilized by one or more reinforcing strips. Similarly, one or more corresponding reinforcing strips can be installed in the middle portion and/or upper and/or recesses of the pallet body as needed.

The pallet according to the IBC can also be particularly reinforced by attaching one or more reinforcing strips to and securing them to the side surface of the pallet body, and thus extending perpendicularly to the pallet load generated by gravity in its surface extension. Such reinforcing strips, mounted vertically to the pallet, resist particularly well the deflection of the pallet under load.

According to the invention, the at least one reinforcing strip is bonded and/or welded to the pallet body and/or covered or surrounded by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip and the pallet body on the pallet body, so that, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing strip is actually wrapped in a plastic layer and connected to the pallet body. In this way, according to the invention, it is extremely simple to attach the reinforcing strip required for reinforcing the corresponding pallet body, or for manufacturing a pallet consisting of a pallet body and a reinforcing strip, to the pallet body, for example, simply by gluing the reinforcing strip to the pallet body. To improve the connection between the reinforcing strip and the pallet body, the reinforcing strip (which itself is made of plastic) can also be welded to the pallet body or surrounded or wrapped. According to the invention, the latter, i.e., welding or wrapping, is particularly advantageous if both the pallet body and the reinforcing strip are made of a sealable material that can be welded together, or if the reinforcing strip can be connected by a similarly sealable material in the form of a wrapping layer surrounding the reinforcing strip.

To achieve better stability of the pallet of the medium bulk container according to the invention, the reinforcing strip may additionally be laminated to the pallet body and optionally covered by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip and the pallet body, so that the reinforcing strip is not visible from the outside and only the laminate and/or plastic layer are visible.

According to an alternative implementation, if the reinforcing strip is cast and laminated onto or laminated into the tray body using only plastic material, then the bonding and/or welding of the reinforcing strip onto the tray body can also be omitted.

Based on the fact that both the tray body and the reinforcing strips are made of plastic, according to the present invention, not only is the weight of the IBC according to the present invention reduced compared to the commonly used IBCs to date, but its recyclability is also significantly improved because there is no longer a need to separate the material from the tray of the IBC before recycling.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing strip is made of fabric, which is made of a fiber composite material.

According to the present invention, the fiber composite material is composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, especially nylon 6, nylon 12 or nylon 66, polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyphenylene sulfide and/or polycarbonate, and fibers made of carbon, glass, basalt, polyamide (especially aromatic polyamide), liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and/or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

Therefore, based on the filler to be packaged and the stability requirements of the medium bulk container, a suitable combination of materials can be selected for the reinforcing strip, which provides the desired stability for the medium bulk container.

The stability of the IBC according to the invention derives from the tensile strength and breaking strength of the fiber composite material used according to the invention, which is securely and immovably connected to the tray body in the form of corresponding reinforcing strips and forms a unit with the tray body in the form of an IBC tray.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing strip is woven or knitted. For this purpose, the reinforcing strip is made of a plurality of individual fibers or individual strips, which are woven or knitted together to form a planar body, which imparts particular stability to the planar body, especially in terms of stiffness, tensile strength, stretchability and splicability.

In this case, it should be noted that the dimensions of the reinforcing strips used in manufacturing the IBC according to the invention are generally in the range of 3 mm to 100 mm, preferably in the range of 5 mm to 90 mm, and particularly preferably in the range of 20 mm to 80 mm. The thickness of the reinforcing strips used according to the invention is preferably in the range of 0.5 mm to 6 mm, preferably in the range of 0.8 mm to 3 mm, and particularly preferably in the range of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm. According to the invention, the fiber volume is preferably in the range of 30% to 80%, preferably in the range of 45% to 65%, and particularly preferably in the range of 50% to 60%. With this design of the reinforcing strips used according to the invention, in addition to optimal stability of the tray body of the IBC according to the invention, particularly good operation can be ensured, especially for mounting the reinforcing strips onto the tray body.

Another feature of the invention, particularly contributing to the manufacturability of the IBC and especially the pallet required for this purpose, is that the reinforcing strips are fixed to the pallet body cavity by means of a self-adhesive material of similar or identical size and can then be connected to the pallet body in almost a single process to manufacture the pallet.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing strip has at least one self-adhesive surface or is fixed to the tray body, particularly to the cavity or recess of the tray body, by means of an adhesive, preferably self-adhesive, especially a material of the same area size as the reinforcing strip.

In addition, reinforcing strips may be fixed shortly before and/or during the manufacture of the pallet or pallet body, for example by means of a special vacuum device to keep them in place in the pallet cavity.

Alternatively, reinforcing strips may be applied to and/or onto the pallet body, preferably by welding, after the pallet body has been manufactured. In all cases where reinforcement is applied, it is important that the surface used for this purpose is flat, planar, and not wavy.

The pallet's base, i.e., the essential components of the pallet body, remains unchanged. During pallet manufacturing, one or more surfaces on which reinforcements are applied can be created using structural elements and/or inserts in the injection mold.

In summary, it can be determined that the IBC according to the invention does not have any reinforcements on its tray, especially those mounted by means of other connecting elements, and in particular, it does not have any support rods made of metal. In this way, the simple recyclability of the tray of the IBC according to the invention is ensured in all circumstances.

Furthermore, the objective according to the invention is also achieved by the method for manufacturing intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) as described above, wherein the following steps are performed:

- The pallet body is made of plastic;

- Fix at least one reinforcing strip to the upper and/or lower upper and/or middle portion and/or cavity or recess of the pallet body respectively to manufacture the pallet;

- Secure the cages, especially tubular cages, to the tray; and

- Placing and/or installing internal containers made of shape-stable plastic or flexible materials in cages, especially tubular cages; and

- Optionally, corner protectors and/or edge protectors can be installed on the IBC.

In particular, if the IBC according to the invention is used to contain, transport, and/or store dangerous goods, i.e., liquids regulated by dangerous goods regulations, then corner guards and/or edge guards are installed on the IBC according to the invention. In this case, the walls of the inner container can also be constructed to be slightly thicker and optionally slightly more shape-stable than in the case of an IBC intended to contain, transport, and/or store liquids not classified as dangerous goods. In the latter case, the installation of corner guards and/or edge guards can also be omitted according to the invention as desired and required, which also serve to improve stackability and optimize drop protection.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing strips can, in principle, be located at the same position on the pallet body as the corresponding metal struts and/or steel profiles in common pallets known from the prior art; however, according to the invention, the pallet can, in principle, have corresponding reinforcing strips in substantially all load-bearing areas and thereby be stabilized; according to another embodiment of the invention, in principle, the corresponding reinforcing strips can also be arranged overlappingly or intersectingly on the pallet body.

A particularly preferred arrangement of the reinforcing strips is, for example, positioning the reinforcing strips between (especially two) the corresponding outer sides of the pallet and, here again, in the central area furthest from the corresponding wooden block or support of the pallet. The reinforcing strips may extend from one wooden block or support to the other, or may also surround the corresponding wooden block or support. Care must be taken regarding the corresponding external dimensions of the medium-sized bulk container according to the invention, i.e., K-IBC, in order to optimally ensure its stackability and side-by-side arrangement.

As described above, in order to manufacture the IBC according to the invention, the reinforcing strip is attached to the tray body by bonding and/or welding and/or by surrounding or wrapping it with a plastic layer that connects the reinforcing strip and the tray body.

Furthermore, the objective according to the invention is achieved by a method for modifying a conventional intermediate bulk container (IBC), wherein the pallet of the intermediate bulk container has at least one metal reinforcement, and the intermediate bulk container has a metal cage, particularly a tubular cage, fixed to the pallet, in which an inner container made of shape-stable plastic or flexible material is installed, and the intermediate bulk container optionally has corner protectors and/or edge protectors, wherein the following steps are performed:

- Remove the metal reinforcement from the pallet of the medium bulk container; and

- Secure at least one reinforcing strip to the upper and/or lower and/or middle portions and/or cavities or recesses of the pallet body to reinforce the pallet of the medium bulk container, preferably also reinforcing at least the original location of the metal reinforcement.

In this way, existing IBCs known in the prior art can be modified or assembled according to the invention to obtain the IBC according to the invention and all its advantages. For this purpose, according to the invention, only the metal reinforcements commonly found on IBC pallets known to date are removed and replaced with reinforcing strips, thereby making the IBC easier to recycle and significantly reducing its weight. The commercial advantages of the invention arise particularly from the elimination of steel reinforcements, which simplifies pallet handling and recycling, reduces manufacturing costs, reduces _CO2 emissions, and makes it more sustainable by eliminating transportation costs, especially for heavier components.

Other embodiments of the present invention are derived from the dependent claims.

Attached Figure Description

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are as follows:

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a medium-sized bulk container according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of an IBC tray known from the prior art, the tray being provided with metal reinforcement;

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the tray of the IBC according to the present invention in top view; and

Figure 4-7 shows a schematic diagram of the tray of the IBC according to the present invention, viewed from the oblique front/above.

Detailed Implementation

In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for parts that have the same function.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a modular medium bulk container according to the present invention, which includes a pallet body 25 forming a pallet 20, a cage 30 fixed, particularly screwed and/or clamped, to the pallet body, and an inner container 35 placed inside the cage, the inner container and the tubular cage 30 forming a unit. The IBC exemplarily shown in Figure 1 is a medium bulk container (IBC) with the hazard code UN31HA1.

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of an IBC pallet known from the prior art. A metal reinforcement 70 can be seen on the upper side 40 of the pallet body 25 of the pallet, which can prevent the pallet from deflecting under load.

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the tray 20 of the IBC10 according to the present invention in a top view. It can be seen that, now in the prior art tray according to Figure 2, a reinforcing strip 80 is provided on the side of the area where the steel reinforcement 70 is located.

Figure 4-7 shows a schematic diagram of the tray 20 in Figure 3, with the tray body 25 as an example. It can be seen that two reinforcing strips 80 are installed on the tray body 25 between the legs 60 of the tray 20 in the central region. In Figure 4, one reinforcing strip 80 is horizontally installed on the upper side 40; in Figure 5, two reinforcing strips 80 are horizontally installed on the upper side 40; in Figure 6, two vertically fixed reinforcing strips 80 are installed in a recess in the middle portion 55, or the central region; and in Figure 7, one reinforcing strip 80 is horizontally installed in a recess in the middle portion 55, or the central region, of the tray body 25.

According to one embodiment of the invention, two reinforcing strips are arranged on a pallet 20 in a positioning configuration as shown in FIG. 3. The pallet 20 is then placed on two bases assigned to the respective bases with its side legs 60 respectively, and a weight of 1060 kg of water is loaded in a first test and a weight of 2100 kg of water is loaded in a second test. The deflection of the bottom of the pallet is measured using a mirror and a laser sensor. It is found that the pallet according to the invention deflects 10 mm when loaded with 1060 kg and 11 mm when loaded with 2100 kg. This deflection of the pallet 20 substantially corresponds to the deflection when the pallet 20 is stabilized using a conventional C-shaped metal reinforcement 70 instead of the reinforcing strips 80 used according to the invention, with corresponding deflection values of 8 mm and 9 mm respectively in the case of the C-shaped metal reinforcement, while having all the disadvantages of the metal reinforcement.

Therefore, the present invention also relates to the following in general:

According to a first aspect of the invention, a medium bulk container (10) (i.e., IBC) comprises a pallet (20) having a pallet body (25) made of plastic and a cage (30) fixed to the pallet (20), the pallet (20) having at least one reinforcing strip (80) made of plastic.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the medium bulk container of the first aspect, the at least one reinforcing strip (80) is respectively fixed on the upper side (40) and/or the lower side (50) and/or the middle portion (55) and/or the recess (55) of the pallet body (25).

According to a third aspect of the invention, a medium bulk container according to any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is bonded and/or welded to the pallet body (25) and/or covered and/or surrounded on the pallet body (25) by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the pallet body (25).

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a medium bulk container according to any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is made of a textile fabric made of a fiber composite material.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the medium-sized bulk container of the fourth aspect, the fiber composite material is composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, especially nylon 6, nylon 12 or nylon 66, polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyphenylene sulfide and/or polycarbonate, and fibers made of carbon, glass, basalt, polyamide (especially aromatic polyamide), liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and/or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, a medium bulk container according to any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is woven or knitted.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, a medium-sized bulk container according to any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) has at least one self-adhesive surface and/or is fixed to the tray body (25), particularly to the cavity or recess (55) of the tray body (25), by means of an adhesive, preferably self-adhesive, especially a material of the same area size as the reinforcing strip (80), particularly a planar body.

According to an eighth aspect of the invention, a medium-sized bulk container according to any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the pallet (20) does not have reinforcements made of metal, in particular support rods.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a medium-sized bulk container (10) (i.e., an IBC) according to any of the foregoing aspects, wherein the following steps are performed:

- The tray body is made of plastic (25);

- At least one reinforcing strip (80) is fixed on the upper side (40) and/or the lower side (50) and/or the middle part (55) and/or the cavity or recess (55) of the tray body (25) to manufacture the tray (20).

- Secure the cage (30) to the tray (20).

According to a tenth aspect of the invention, and according to the method of the ninth aspect, the reinforcing strip (80) is fixed to the tray body (25) by adhesive bonding and/or welding and/or by covering and/or surrounding the tray body (25) with a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the tray body (25).

According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, the method according to any of the preceding ninth or tenth aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is held in place in the cavity or recess (55) of the tray body (25) by means of at least one vacuum device shortly before and/or during the manufacture of the tray body (25).

According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, a method for modifying a medium bulk container (10) (i.e., IBC), wherein the pallet of the medium bulk container has at least one metal reinforcement, characterized by the following steps:

- Remove the metal reinforcement (70) from the pallet (20) of the medium bulk container (10); and

- At least one reinforcing strip (80) is fixed on the upper side (40) and/or the lower side (50) and/or the middle part (55) and/or the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) to reinforce the pallet (20) of the medium bulk container (10), preferably also reinforcing the original location of the metal reinforcement (70).

It should be noted that all the components described above, especially the details shown in the accompanying drawings, whether viewed individually or in any combination, are claimed as an essential part of this invention. Variations thereof will be familiar to those skilled in the art.

List of reference numerals

10 Medium Bulk Containers (IBCs)

20 pallets

25 trays

30-cell cage

35 inner container

40 tray body upper side

50 tray body underside

55 Tray body recess/middle section

60 feet

70 Metal Reinforcement

80 reinforced strip

Claims (12)

1. An intermediate bulk container (IBC) comprising a pallet (20) having a pallet body (25) made of plastic and a metal cage (30), particularly a tubular cage, fixed to the pallet (20), wherein an inner container (35) made of shape-stable plastic or flexible material is installed in the cage (30), and the IBC optionally has corner guards and/or edge guards, and the pallet (20) has at least one reinforcing strip (80) made of plastic. 2. The medium bulk container (IBC) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one reinforcing strip (80) is fixed on the upper side (40) and/or the lower side (50) and/or the middle part (55) and/or the recess (55) of the pallet body (25). 3. The medium bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing strip (80) is bonded and/or welded to the pallet body (25) and/or covered and/or surrounded on the pallet body (25) by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the pallet body (25). 4. The medium bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing strip (80) is made of a textile fabric, which is made of a fiber composite material. 5. The medium bulk container (IBC) according to claim 4, characterized in that the fiber composite material is composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, especially nylon 6, nylon 12 or nylon 66, polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyphenylene sulfide and/or polycarbonate, combined with fibers made of carbon, glass, basalt, polyamide, especially aromatic polyamide, liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and/or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). 6. The medium bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing strip (80) is woven or knitted. 7. The medium bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing strip (80) has at least one self-adhesive surface and/or is fixed to the tray body (25), especially to the cavity or recess (55) of the tray body (25), by means of an adhesive, preferably self-adhesive, especially a material of the same area size as the reinforcing strip (80), especially a planar body. 8. The medium bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pallet (20) does not have reinforcements made of metal, especially support rods. 9. A method for manufacturing an intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following steps: - The tray body is made of plastic (25); - At least one reinforcing strip (80) is fixed on the upper side (40) and/or the lower side (50) and/or the middle part (55) and/or the cavity or recess (55) of the tray body (25) to manufacture the tray (20). - Secure the cage (30), especially the tubular cage, to the tray (20); - Inserting and/or installing an internal container (35) made of shape-stable plastic or flexible material into the cage, especially a tubular cage; and - Optionally, corner protectors and/or edge protectors can be installed on medium-sized bulk containers. 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the reinforcing strip (80) is fixed to the tray body (25) by adhesive bonding and/or welding, and/or the reinforcing strip is fixed to the tray body (25) by covering and/or surrounding it with a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the tray body (25). 11. The method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the reinforcing strip (80) is held in place in the cavity or recess (55) of the tray body (25) by means of at least one vacuum device shortly before and/or during the manufacture of the tray body (25). 12. A method for modifying an intermediate bulk container (IBC), the pallet of which has at least one metal reinforcement, and the intermediate bulk container having a metal cage (30), particularly a tubular cage, fixed to the pallet (20), and optionally having corner guards and/or edge guards, wherein an inner container (35) made of shape-stable plastic or flexible material is installed in the cage, characterized by the following steps: - Remove the metal reinforcement (70) from the pallet (20) of the medium bulk container (10); and - At least one reinforcing strip (80) is fixed on the upper side (40) and/or the lower side and/or the middle part (55) and/or the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) to reinforce the pallet (20) of the medium bulk container (10), preferably also reinforcing the original location of the metal reinforcement (70).