AU625917B2

AU625917B2 - A stackable bottle case

Info

Publication number: AU625917B2
Application number: AU46102/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Hans Umiker
Original assignee: Schoeller Plast SA
Current assignee: Schoeller Arca Systems AG
Priority date: 1988-12-12
Filing date: 1989-12-11
Publication date: 1992-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-11
Also published as: AU4610289A; DE3841806A1; DE8817083U1; ZA892313B

Description

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S F Ref: 113313 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATEiTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIIA 259 17

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name and Address of Applicant: Address for Service: 11, Route de la Condemine Lo 104 CH-1680 Romont

SWITZERLAND

Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia 4 44 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: A Stackable Bottle Case The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us *4 V 5845/6 I IA- Abstract The invention relates to a stackable bottle case which is made in particular of plastic material, having four side walls, a grid-like case bottom, and compartment walls arranged inside the case which define compartments for receiving one bottle each. The case walls are stiffened by hollow support profiles which extend vertically and are laterally spaced from each other. The hollow support profiles have a closed cross-section. They further protrude into the interior of the case, thus defining support or holding surfaces for the bottles received in the bottle case. An upwards-drawn recess in form of an inverted pan is provided in each of the compartments of the case. Further, stacking grooves extending in particular circumferentially along the edge of the case bottom are provided.

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IC CC Ct C 4 4 1 I I-C f ii it -II I L i. i- A Stackable Bottle Case 4 4c 44:44 s44 I t' 4:4: 14: The present invention relates to a stackable bottle case which is made of plastic material and comprises four side walls, a grid-like case bottom, and compartment walls arranged inside the case which define, with each other and with the side walls of the case, compartments for receiving one bottle each. In particular, the bottle case serves to receive twelve bottles, each containing 0.75 liters.

In many countries bottle cases are made of carton and used as multiple use packings. However, the disadvantage of such carton packing resides in that the carton may become dirty already after its first use and that is is hardly possible to clean it thereafter. As a result, the newly delivered bottle cases are accordingly affected by dirt, something that is inacceptable not only for hygienic but also for aesthetical reasons. Another disadvantage resides in that bottle cases of carton may be deformed in the filling line and hence cause standstills in the production.

Finally, there are known bottle cases, in which at least the bottom is made of plastic and the side walls are made of carton. This, however, is of disadvantage to the functional efficiency, neither can the above-mentioned drawbacks be removed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a bottle 'case of light weight but nevertheless of stable construction, which allows for a good removal and take-up of loads when being stacked. Further, the bottle case should be easily cleanable and provide for gentle take-up of the bottles therein. Finally, the bottle case should not have larger external dimensions than have conventional carton packings, and it should be stackable mixed with carton packings in order to allow for gradual introduction of the cases on a market where predominantly carton packings are used.

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-2- This problem is solved according to the invention by a stackable bottle case of plastic material, having four side walls, a grid-like case bottom, and compartment walls arranged inside the case which define compartments for receiving one bottle each, characterized in that the case walls are stiffened by vertical hollow support profiles which have a closed cross-section, are spaced from each other and disposed over the entire circumference of the bottle case and protrude from the case walls into the interior of the case and are aligned with the compartment walls and extend the fully height of the case wall and that in the case bottom, in the center of each compartment, there are provided upwards-drawn recesses having the shape of an inverted flat pan with a horizontal supporting bottom and that the distance between the upper side of the supporting bottom and the upper side of the case wall, on the one hand, and the overall height of the bottles to be received in the bottle case, on the other hand, are adjusted to each other in such manner that when the bottle case is compressed under the load of one or more cases with substantially full content arranged theredbove, the upper ends of the bottles abut the undersides of the supporting bottoms of the case arranged thereabove, removing the respective load.

In an advantageous manner, the hollow support profiles are of triangular cross-section and extend substantially over the C i LMM/1720m ,il6, 3 entire height of the case to the upper edge of the case.

Suitably, the hollow support profiles are aligned with the compartment walls and connected with the latter in one piece, which is of favorable effect to the reinforcing (stiffening) of the entire case.

It is Eurther of advantage that the reach-through openings in the side walls of the case are laterally limited immediately by the hollow support profiles whereby the bar handles are stabilized.

Another stabilization of the compartment walls can be obtained by stiffening the compartment walls at their points of intersection by tongue-like sections.

Due to stacking grooves which are designed in the bottom of the ase below the compartment walls the cases can be stacked in a staggered position.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a view of the long side of a bottle case, in which the left half of the case is a section according to line A; Fig. 2 is a view of the narrow side of the case, in which the left half is a section according to line B shown in Fig. 3; L t SFig. 3 is a plan view on a portion of the bottom of the case, in which the upper quarter on the left side is a sectional view along the plane C shown in CC CFig. 1;

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Fig. 4 shows a detail according to cutting line D-D of L i i I 4 Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a detail according to cutting line E-E of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing bottle cases stacked on a pallet.

The bottle case shown in the Figures comprises two long side walls 1 and 2, two narrow side walls 3 and 4, and a grid-like bottom 5. Three hollow support profiles 6 are arranged along the long side walls 1 and 2 and laterally spaced from each other, have a preferably triangular cross-section and extend over the entire height of the case as shown in Fig. 2. The hollow support profiles 6 sectioned along a plane parallel to the bottom of the case have a closed cross-sectional profile and are suitably open on the upper and lower sides as shown in Fig. 2, but they may also be closed on the upper side. According to the preferred embodiment, each of the narrow sides of the case is provided with two hollow support profiles 6 having the same cross-section and the same design as those on the long sides of the case. The two hollow support profiles 6 on each narrow side of the case define between themselves a reach-through opening 7 as shown in Fig.

2. Due to the fact that the reach-through opening 7 is on both sides immediately limited by the hollow support profiles 6, the bar handle 8 of the case is stiffened in an effective manner.

According to Fig. 3, one triangle side 9 of the hollow sup- S port profiles 6 coincides with the case walls. The other two triangle sides 10 and 11 extend into the interior of the case, thus forming support or holding surfaces for the bottles contained in the bottle case. The bottle case as shown can receive twelve bottles, one in each compartment 12.

The division into the compartments 12 is effected by compartment walls 13 extending parallel to the long side wall and by L_ 1 11 1 1 I 1 11 11 I t 'JI 'A compartment walls 14 intersecting with the compartment walls 13 and extending parallel to the narrow sides. The compartment walls 13 and 14 are formed on the apexes 15 of the hollow support profiles 6. The hollow support profiles 6 are thus aligned with the compartment walls 13 and 14.

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At the points of intersection 16 of the compartment walls 13 and 14, caps 17 are formed on the compartment walls as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Each cap 17 consists of segment-shaped tongues 18 which extend between adjacent compartment walls 13 and 14 defining a right angle with each other and which are designed in one piece with the latter. Four tongue-like flaps 18 at each point of intersection, taken together, define a cap 17 which has a slightly conical cross-section as can be seen best in Fig. 2. The tongue-like flaps 18 serve to stiffen the division into compartments. In order to save material, the compartment walls are provided with large breakthrough openings or clearances 19 both in the areas of intersection and in the areas lying between the points of intersection, as can be clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Along its edge, the grid-like case bottom is provided with a stacking groove 20 (Fig. 1) which extends over the entire circumference of the bottom. The stacking groove 20 is designed as a step-like recess defined by a stacking rib 22 which extends downwardly from the underside 21 of the case side wall (case side wall 3 as shown in Fig. 1) and is offset by at least the thickness of the case wall 3. When two cases are stacked over each other, the upper side 23 (Fig. 1) of the underlying bottle case engages the stacking groove The stacking rib 22 then extends somewhat into the interior Sof the underlying bottle case.

Ct& Further, upwards-drawn recesses 24 in form of flat inverted &CtC pans are arranged in the case bottom in the center of each compartment 12. These upwards-drawn recesses or pans 24 have horizontal supporting bottoms 25 which extend in a plane with LI AZ1 6 and parallel to the case bottom and whose undersides 26 are flush with the undersides 21 of the case side walls. The side walls 26 of the recesses 24 are inclined as can be seen best in the sectional view on the left side of Fig. 1. The supporting bottom 25 of the recess serves as basis for a bottle 27 received in the case. According to Fig. 1, the height of the case side walls is such that the upper side 23 of the case is substantially flush with the upper side of the crown cork of the bottle 27 and leaves just a minimum distance or tolerance below the upper edge of the case when the bottle case is not compressed by an overlying load. However, when the bottle case is compressed by a load, the upper ends of the bottles contained in the case will abut the undersides of the overlying bottle case in a load-removing manner which results in a so-called load-sharing. When two bottle cases are stacked over each other, the bottle 28 of the case stacked below fits into the recess 24. The bottles under load of the case stacked below carry the weight of the case stacked above, transferring the forces via the supporting bottom into the bottle 28 positioned therebelow. Besides that, it goes without saying that the forces are transferred also via S the remaining bearing surfaces, in particular from the underside 21 of one case to the upper side 23 of the case stacked therebelow. In this connection it should be mentioned that also the large bases or bearing surfaces of the supporting bottoms are of advantage as they also contribute to the low unit stress and allow for the stacking together with cases.

i Due to the inclined side walls 26 the bottle cases can be readily removed laterally from the stack because it is lart gely excluded that the crown corks get caught. An opening 29 provided in the supporting bottom serves as discharge opening for rain water and the like, but also as stop member for the 4 bottle arranged in the case stacked below. To this end, the bottleneck of the bottle 28.

1)w- 7 The ribs 30 (Fig. which interconnect the recesses 24 in the case bottom and which are shown sectioned in Fig. 5, have either rectangular cross-section as can be seen in the sectional view on the lower left side of Fig. 2, or they are designed as corrugations having the cross-section of an inverted U. An appropriate corrugation 33 is shown in Fig. 5. The advantage of such corrugation-like design of the ribs resides in that the bottles of a case stacked below cannot get caught when the case stacked above is drawn away laterally. This is particularly due to the diverging design of the U-shaped legs shown in Fig. A large variety of different stacking positions, in particular a staggered stacking, can be obtained in that downwardly opened stacking grooves 31 and 32 respectively, which are aligned with the compartment walls 13 and 14, are provided in the case bottom. The stacking grooves 31 extend parallel to the narrow side walls of the bottle case, and the stacking grooves 32 extend parallel to the long side walls of the bottle case. The grooves 31 and 32 are continuous so that the upper side 23 of a case stacked below can be received in the grooves 31 or 32.

As can be seen in Fig. 3 and in. the sectional view on the left side of Fig. 1, the openings 29 and the supporting bottoms 25 in the marginal compartments are arranged eccentrically due to the fact that the supporting bottoms 25 are displaced outwardly towards the case wall. This results from the 'division of the bottle compartments 12.

Fig. 6 shows the various stacking possibilities, in particular the possibility of staggered stacking. The positions of the different stack layers are indicated by continuous and broken lines. Reference numerals 34 and 35 designate the pallet and the bottle cases respectively.

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Claims

1. A stackable bottle case of plastic material, having four side walls, a grid-like case bottom, and compart- ment walls arranged inside the case which define com- partments for receiving one bottle each, characterized in that the case walls 2, 3, 4) are stiffened by vertical hollow support profiles which have a clos- ed cross-section, are spaced from each other and dis- posed over the entire circumference of the bottle case and protrude from the case walls (1 to 4) into the in- terior of the case and are aligned with the compartment walls and extend the fully height of the case wall and that in the case bottom, in the center of each compart- ment there are provided upwards-drawn recesses 15 (24) having the shape of an inverted flat pan with a c t ri t horizontal supporting bottom (25) and that the distance between the upper side of the supporting bottom and the I, upper side (23) of the case wall, on the one hand, and c1 the overall height of the bottles to be received in the bottle case, on the other hand, are adjusted to each other in such manner that when the bottle case is 'i compressed under the load of one or more cases with S substantially full content arranged thereabove, the up- per ends of the bottles abut the undersides (36) of the supporting bottoms of the case arranged thereabove, re- Lmoving the respective load.

2. A bottle case according to claim 1, characterized in that a stacking groove (20) extending along the circum- ference is arranged on the edge of the case bottom, said groove being defined by a stacking rib (22) which protrudes downward from the underside (21) of the case side wall and is offset inwards from the case wall by at least the thickness of the case wall, and that the A L ?C*

9- underside (36) of the supporting bottom is flush with the underside (21) of the case side wall. 3. A bottle case according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hollow support profiles have a triangu- lar cross-section and extend over the entire height of the case, preferably as far as the upper edge (23) of the case. 4. A bottle case according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that three hollow support profiles (6) are arranged on each long side 2) and two hollow support profiles are arranged on each narrow side 4) of the case, one triangle side of each pro- file coinciding with the side wall of the case, and the other two triangle sides (10, 11) protruding as support surfaces into the interior of the case for supporting the bottles received in the bottle case, ending in a compartment wall (13 or 14) at their point of intersec- tion A bottle case according to claim 4, characterized in that the two hollow support profiles on the narrow sides of the case define laterally the reach-through openings arranged in the side walls of the case. 6. A bottle case according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upwards-drawn recesses (24) have side walls (26) sloping outwards and downwards from the edge of the supporting bottom 7. A bottle case according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supporting bottom (25) is circular and has a large bearing surface for the bottles as well as a passage opening (29). c Z OFFG 4 I LuLIIIpJL U _j 6 UU U ILA='. "L= ~r-r V. 10 8. A bottle case according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compartment walls (13, 14) are connected to transverse compartment walls (14, 13) at their points of intersection by segment-shaped tongues (18) which define, taken together, at each point of intersection a cap (17) which is circular in the plan view. 9. A bottle case according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the case bottom is provided with continuous stacking grooves (31, 32), which are aligned under and with the compartment walls (13, 14) and par- allel to the case side walls (1 to 4). A bottle case according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supporting ribs (30) of the grid-like bottom either have a rectangular cross- section or',are designed as-*corrugations (31) having the cross-sectional shape of an inverted U, in which the U- legs of the corrugation (31) diverge slightly outwards. DA'TED this TIWENTY SECOND day of APRIL 1992 SCHOELLER-PLAST SA. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON I 4 Now