EP2477902A1

EP2477902A1 - Flexibly usable box

Info

Publication number: EP2477902A1
Application number: EP09749019A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wolfgang Orgeldinger
Original assignee: IFCO Systems GmbH
Current assignee: IFCO Systems GmbH
Priority date: 2009-09-18
Filing date: 2009-11-06
Publication date: 2012-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-06
Also published as: RU2528160C2; RS20120115A1; CN102548854B; CA2774455C; MX2012003258A; IL218705A0; WO2011044921A1; CN102548854A; CO6531450A2; JP5525616B2; RU2012113260A; PL2477902T3; AU2009353902A1; AU2009353902B2; CA134571S; ECSP12011789A; UA102925C2; CL2012000673A1; UY3946Q; JP2013505174A

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexibly usable box (10), comprising a base (12) and four side walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d), which lie opposite each other in pairs and which extend upward from the base (2) in a vertical direction (16). One of the four side walls (14a-14d) is designed as an opening wall (14d), which in a closed state fully covers a side area and which can be moved into an open state, in which the opening wall (14d) covers only a part of the side area, such that in the open state the opening wall (14d) at least partially overlaps with one of the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c) or with the base (12) of the box.

Description

Flexible box

description

The present invention is concerned with boxes with which goods can be transported and which allow a more flexible handling, so that, for example, transported goods are easy to remove or fill.

Transport and storage boxes are available in a variety of variations on the market. In this case, boxes or crates rectangular base area are often used, the outer dimensions of which are partially matched to the goods to be transported. In addition, fruit and vegetables are sometimes directly loaded on the field in suitable transport crates, in which they are also presented on the retail shelves, where a customer takes them directly from the transport box. Even products that are themselves already provided with an outer packaging, are often provided directly in the transport crates for sale, in order to minimize the number of necessary rearrangements in the retail store and thus save costs. For example, eggs that are packaged even in retail sizes of, for example, six or ten pieces are provided directly in their transport box on the shelf, so that the customer can remove the eggs from the transport box.

The boxes are usually provided with rigid side walls, so that the loading and unloading of the box takes place from above and thus the material to be transported is loaded from above into the box or must be removed from this. This can be disadvantageous in terms of handling, since, for example, a customer who wants to remove the goods from the box, difficult to get to the goods when the box is, for example, in a higher shelf area, so that from above no access to the box is possible. Even if the boxes are stacked in order to save space on top of each other, access to the contents of the boxes in the lower boxes is no longer possible because its opening is covered by overlying boxes. There is thus a need to provide more flexible boxes available, through which, for example, the loading and unloading of transported in a box goods more flexible than previously possible, which is therefore more flexible and usable overall. According to an embodiment of the present invention, increased flexibility is provided by a box having one floor and four pairwise opposed side walls extending upwardly from the floor in a vertical direction when one of the four side walls is an opening wall. The opening wall, which completely covers a side surface area in a closed state (in which it extends upward from the bottom in a vertical position in the vertical direction), is movable to an open state in which the opening wall covers only a part of the side surface area in that, in the opened state, the opening wall is at least partially covered by one of the adjacent side walls or by the floor.

In a closed state, the Öffhungswand is both positively connected to the ground and with the adjacent side walls. In a fully open state, the opening wall is still connected to the box according to some embodiments, but no side wall is formed by it, which limits the volume of the box to the outside. When closed, the box can be used for transport, whereby in addition to the bottom of the box is bounded on its four sides by one side wall. However, the Öffhungswand is at least partially movable from this closed position or this closed state, so that the side surface area, which completely covers the opening wall in the closed state, of the Öffhungswand only partially or not at all covered. Thus, in the opened state, goods can be removed from the box through the side area which is no longer covered, or goods can be placed in the box without the need for access from above. This considerably increases the flexibility of the box, since, for example, a product transported with the box can be placed directly on a shelf. By moving the Öffhungswand in the open state can then be accessed directly and without much work, the access to the goods, without paying particular attention to where exactly on the shelf is the box.

The advantage here is that the Öffhungswand according to some embodiments when opening is not completely separated from the box, which in turn would lead to logistical problems and handling. On the contrary, the opening wall can be moved into the open state in such a way that it still remains connected to the box and partially covers in particular one of the adjacent side walls or the bottom of the box. This can be achieved with one of the specific embodiments of the side wall or the side wall holding and described in more detail below opening mechanism can be achieved and has the advantage that the Offiiungswand remains in its open position remains connected to the other parts of the box and so can not be lost. In some embodiments of the present invention, the remaining three side walls are further hingedly mounted with respect to the floor, such that the box is foldable by folding the three side walls from the vertical position to a horizontal position in which they are substantially parallel to the bottom of the floor Crate are located and partially cover this. In some further exemplary embodiments of the invention, the Öffhungswand is movable so that it covers in the open state so with the ground or the adjacent side walls, the folding of the other three side walls is not affected.

This is achieved according to some embodiments in that the opening wall is moved when opening on that side of the floor, which is opposite to the side on which the remaining side walls are located. In some embodiments, the opening wall is brought into an opening position in which it is parallel to the underside of the floor opposite to the remaining side walls where it is held or locked. Thus, with open Öffhungswand the rest of the side walls are folded onto the top of the bottom, so that the result is a compact folded box is obtained, which consumes little space in the folded state and can be transported to save costs to be refilled.

An alternative way to move the Öffhungswand is to bring them in the open state with one of the adjacent side walls to cover, so that the corresponding side wall can be folded together with the Öffhungswand on the surface of the soil and thus the entire box collapsible remains. In some embodiments, the opening wall is not only movable in its entirety to completely free the covered side surface area. Rather, it is possible according to some embodiments, only partially to move the opening wall in the direction of a fully open position, so that the access to the goods transported in the box can be controlled slowly increased. That is, in these embodiments, the side surface area of the box no longer covered by the opening wall can be varied continuously or in discrete steps. In some embodiments, the opening wall is split two or more so that the parts can be moved separately and brought separately into registry with the adjacent side wall or floor of the box. This also allows, for example, the selective release of the goods transported or stored in the crate. According to some other embodiments, the boxes are stackable both in the folded state in which the opening wall is in the open state and in the transport state in which the opening wall is in the closed state. Therefore, the floor has a structure that ensures that the box down, ie on the sidewalls averted side of the bottom has a vertically extending downwardly extending fixed bottom edge portion that allows stackability. For this purpose, according to some embodiments of the invention, the bottom edge region extends further in the vertical direction than the opening wall, even when it is in the opened state. This makes it possible to maintain the stackability of the boxes, even when the opening wall is in the open state under the bottom of the box.

According to some embodiments, the side walls and the opening wall respectively have locking mechanisms with which the side walls or the opening wall can be locked to the adjacent walls when the walls are in the vertical position, so that a high stability of the box for transport can be guaranteed. Some embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to attached figures. Show it:

1 shows an embodiment of a box according to the invention with the gswand in the closed state.

2 shows an embodiment of the box of Figure 1 with the opening wall in the half-open state ..;

3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the box of Figures 1 and 2 with the opening wall in the open state.

Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the box of Fig. 1 to 3 in the folded

Status; Fig. 5a is a sectional view through 2 folded, stacked boxes of FIG.

1 to 4;

5b is a projection view of a bottom edge portion of the box, a further embodiment of a box according to the invention; and

Fig. 7 shows another alternative Austuhrungsbeispiel a inventive

Box.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a flexibly usable box 10. The box 10 comprises a bottom 12 and four side walls 14a to 14d lying in pairs opposite one another and extending upwardly from the bottom 12 in a vertical direction 16. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, all four side walls 14a to 14d are approximately the same height, extending equidistant in the vertical direction 16. However, this is only to be understood as an example, other exemplary embodiments may differ individually in the height of the side walls 14a to 14d , For example, pairs of opposing side walls may have the same height or each side wall may have a different height.

The side wall 14d forms a Öffhungswand due to their structural features, which is shown in Fig. 1 in the closed state, in which the Öffhungswand 14d closes the box to the outside, so covering the entire side surface area or covered with the side surface area. As will be explained with reference to the following exemplary embodiments, the entire side surface area which is covered by the opening wall 14d in the closed state or at least part of this side surface area can be opened by the opening wall 14d, so that by the released side surface area in the closed state of the Öffhungswand 14d is covered, can be intervened in the interior of the box to remove there transported objects or insert items in the box. As will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the opening wall 14d is movable from the position shown in FIG. 1 to an open state in which the opening wall 14d covers only a part of the side surface area, that in the open state Öffhungswand 14d at least partially covered with the bottom 12. The opening wall 14d further comprises a first shutter mechanism 18a and a second shutter mechanism 18b, by means of which the Öffhungswand 14d in the closed state with the respective adjacent side walls 14a and 14c is locked to ensure the stability of the box 10. Likewise, the Side walls 14a and 14c on closure mechanisms 20a and 20b, by means of which the side walls 14a and 14c with the side wall 14b are lockable. The sidewalls 14a, 14b and 14c are movably mounted with respect to the floor 12 such that the sidewalls can be folded inwardly from their vertical position shown in Fig. 1 towards the floor so as to be folded in a folded state in a position shown in Figs Essentially horizontal position parallel to the bottom 12, as shown in Fig. 4. Interior here and in the following designates that area which is enclosed by the side walls 14a to 14d in the closed state of the box, in which the transporting goods can thus be inserted into the box. Further, all directions which are approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction 16, ie all directions which are parallel to the plane defined by the bottom 12, are to be understood as horizontal.

In order to enable the folding of the side walls 14a to 14c, the bottom 12 at the positions of the first side wall 14a, the second side wall 14b and the third side wall 14c each have a vertically extending upwardly in the vertical direction 16 fixed bottom edge portion 22a, 22b and 22c on, wherein the bottom edge portions 22a and 22c, which belong to the opposite side walls 14a and 14c, extend less high in the vertical direction 16 than the bottom edge portion 22b of the side wall 14b. At the upper end of the bottom edge regions, the side walls 14a, 14b and 14c are respectively fastened by means of hinges to the base 12 and the associated edge regions 22a to 22c. As a result, in the folded-down state shown in Fig. 4, the side walls 14a to 14c are substantially parallel to the floor in a horizontal position, each of the side walls at least partially covering the floor. The exemplary embodiments of the invention described in FIGS. 1 to 4 thus have an opening wall 14d which is movable in such a way that in the opened state it lies completely on the side of the floor 12 which is opposite the remaining side walls 14a to 14c. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, after the latches 18 and 18b are released, the side wall is hinged outwardly so as to be in a horizontal, parallel to the ground position after tilting. From this position, the side wall, as shown in Fig. 2, in the insertion direction 24 slidable under the ground, so that it is completely inserted into the position shown in Fig. 3 under the ground, so the opening wall 14 d completely on the other side walls 14a to 14c opposite sides of the soil is located.

Thus, in the position shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to remove goods from the box or to load them into the box without the need for access from above. At the same time it is ensured by tilting outwards and moving the side wall under the ground that when opening and closing the opening wall, the inner volume of the box, so its interior is not affected, so that, even if the box is fully loaded, the Öffhungswand 14d can be opened.

Although only one opening wall 14d is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is also possible in alternative exemplary embodiments to provide a further opening wall, for example the side wall 14b as a further opening wall, so that alternatively either the side wall 14b or the side wall 14b is used as the opening wall could be.

Likewise, according to further alternative embodiments, the remaining side walls except for the Öffhungswand rigid, that is, these are not designed hinged.

The foldability of the side walls 14a to 14c offers the additional advantage that the box, when the Öffhungswand 14d is in the open state and the side walls 14a to 14c are folded, claimed only a small volume and are transported easily and cost-effectively in the empty state can. In order to allow the stackability of the boxes in both the unfolded and the folded state, which is shown in Fig. 4, the bottom 12 on the side walls 14a to 14c opposite side, each in the vertical direction 16 downwardly extending fixed bottom edge portions on, which can be seen, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and in particular Fig. 5, in the vertical direction further down than the Öffhungswand 14d in its open state. This is particularly apparent from Fig. 5, which shows a section through two stacked boxes in the folded state, wherein the section along the section line 30 shown in Fig. 4 takes place. As can be seen in the sectional view of FIG. 5a, the fixed bottom edge region 32 opposite the side walls 14a and 14c extends further downwards in the vertical direction 16 than the opening wall in its open and folded-in state. This results in that the box 10 can be stacked both in the open and in the folded state, regardless of whether the Öffhungswand is open or closed in the open state, since as the contact surface always the bottom 12 and its lower fixed bottom edge area can be used , As can also be seen in FIG. 5, in the exemplary embodiments described in FIGS. 1 to 4, the opening wall 14d can be pushed under the floor 12 after it has been folded down. For this purpose, the bottom 12 on the respective opposite fixed sides of those lower bottom edge portions which are opposite to the side walls 14a and 14c, grooves in which the opening wall 14d is guided.

Fig. 5b shows schematically a projection view of that fixed bottom edge region associated with the side wall 14a. The view is taken from the direction 40 shown in FIG. 4.

Shown is a section through the bottom 12 and a view of the vertically upwardly extending fixed bottom edge portion 22a and the vertically downwardly extending fixed bottom edge portion 32. In the downwardly extending bottom edge portion 32 is a guide groove 42 arranged, in which the opening wall 14 d can be guided when pushing under the floor 12. For example, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5 b, the opening wall 14 d can have a bolt which extends in the direction 40 out of the opening wall 14 d and engages in the groove 42. Is the guide groove 42, as shown in Fig. 5b, in the direction of the opening wall 14, that is closed at its end 44 in the vertical direction 16 upwards, so that over the bolt of the opening wall in the unfolded state force can be transmitted to the floor 12. If the guide groove 42 is also closed to the front, ie in the horizontal direction 45, it is prevented that the opening wall can be detached from the rest of the box.

Fig. 6 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a box according to the invention, which also has a bottom 12 and four side walls 14a - 14d, which face each other in the closed state of the box. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the side wall 14d forming the opening wall includes a plurality of vertically superposed fins such that the opening wall 14d is continuously movable in discrete steps in and opposite to the vertical direction 16 to complete the side surface area or partially release. Here, as in the previous exemplary embodiments, the area to be understood as the side surface area is that which can be maximally released, in other words, that area which is covered by the opening wall 14d in the completely closed state. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the opening wall 14d consisting of lamellae is movable in such a way that the opening wall in the opened state lies completely on the side of the floor 12 opposite the other side walls 14a, 14b and 14c. In this case, the opening wall 14d consisting of lamellae can be guided, for example, on the underside of the floor 12 in grooves 42, as shown, for example, with reference to FIG. 5b. Further, the opening wall 14d may, for example, also be guided in grooves in the side walls 14a and 14c. Also in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is advantageous that the opening wall in the open state partially covers the bottom 12, so remains connected to the box so that the claimed volume of the box is not increased by the Öffhungswand in the open Condition is moved. Likewise, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, it is optionally possible to make the side walls 14a, 14b and 14c foldable. Fig. 7 shows a further alternative embodiment of a flexible box, which also has a bottom 12, and when closed, mutually opposite side walls 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d, wherein the side wall 14d is designed as Öffhungswand. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the opening wall can be divided into a first wall area 50a and a second wall area 50b, each of which has a plurality of vertically vertically extending louvers. When open, the first sidewall region 50a at least partially overlies the sidewall 14a and the second sidewall region 50b at least partially overlies the sidewall 14c. Of course, only one of the wall regions 50a or 50b can be opened so that only one of the wall regions partially or completely covers the corresponding side wall 14a or 14c. Also in this embodiment, the Öffhungswand is formed such that the opening wall 14d at least partially covers one of the adjacent side surfaces 14a or 14c in the open state or does this completely, so that optionally optionally the side walls can be formed foldable.

As an alternative to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the opening wall can also consist of only one element, which in turn is formed of several lamellae, so that in the opened state only one of the side walls 14a or 14c is partially covered by the opening wall.

Although in the preceding embodiments predominantly vegetable or fruit crates as well as boxes intended to transport contents of the retail trade were discussed, the concept according to the invention is suitable of course for any other type of containers. For example, box pallets, containers or freight containers can be designed as boxes in the sense of the above description, so that the Öffhungswand an alternative access to the inner volume of the container or boxes results.

In addition, tool and beverage crates or, generally speaking, all alternative crates, crates or the like can be equipped with opening walls according to the preceding embodiments. Further, of course, the geometry of the boxes is not limited to the rectangular layouts discussed above. Alternatively, boxes of any number of sidewalls may be used, such as triangular boxes, pentagonal, hexagonal, or generally spoken boxes with any number of sidewalls.

Moreover, in alternative embodiments, the boxes are not open at the top, but have a lid which closes the box upwards. When using the invention ÖfSiungswände the flexible use of the box is still ensured, even if they have a lid. In these embodiments, the lids, which are connected on the opposite side to the ground with the 4 or any number of side walls, be firmly or separably connected to the box.

Claims

claims

A case (10) comprising: a bottom (12); four side walls (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d) opposed to each other extending upwardly from the bottom (2) in a vertical direction (16); wherein one of the four side walls (14d) is formed as an opening wall (14d) which completely covers a side surface area in a closed state, and is movable to an open state in which the opening wall (14d) covers only a part of the side surface area the opening wall (14d) in the open state at least partially with one of the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c) or with the bottom (12) covered.

2. box (10) according to claim 1, wherein the opening wall (14d) in the open state at least partially on the other side walls (14a, 14b, 14c) opposite side of the bottom (12).

3. box (10) according to claim 1, wherein the opening wall (14d) in the open state completely on the other side walls (14a, 14b, 14c) opposite side of the bottom (12).

4. box (10) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein in the open state of the on the other side walls (14 a, 14 b, 14 c) opposite side of the bottom located part of the opening wall (14 d) parallel to the bottom (12) ,

A box (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bottom (12) on the opposite side of those side walls (14a, 14c) adjacent the opening wall each has a fixed bottom edge portion (32) which extends opposite to the vertical direction (12) extends further than the opening wall (14d) in the open state.

A box (10) according to claim 5, wherein the fixed bottom edge portions have, on the respective opposing surfaces, a guide groove (42) in which the opening wall (14d) is guided in the open state upon movement.

The box (10) according to claim 6, wherein the opening wall (14d) has a shaft extending into the guide groove (42).

The box (10) according to claim 7, wherein the guide groove (42) is closed at its end adjacent to the side surface portion in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction upward, so that the shaft can not leave the guide groove (42) and in the vertical direction (16) a frictional connection between the shaft and the groove is achieved.

A box (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening wall (14d) is connected to the floor (12) such that the opening wall (14d) faces outwardly from the vertically upwardly extending position into a floor parallel to the floor (12) of the box (10) extending position is tiltable.

A box according to claim 6, wherein said opening wall (14d) has a plurality of fins extending into said guide groove (42) during movement of said opening wall (14d) to the opened state.

A box according to claim 1, wherein the opening wall (14d) has a plurality of fins extending upwardly from the floor (12) in a vertical direction.

Crate according to claim 11, wherein the opening wall (14d) in the opened state at least partially covers one of the adjacent side walls (14a, 14c).

A box according to claim 11, wherein the opening wall (14d) is comprised of a first wall portion (50a) and a second wall portion (50b), the first wall portion (50a) at least partially covering, when open, a first of the adjacent side walls (14a) the second wall portion (50b) in the opened state, a second adjacent side wall (14c), which the first adjacent side wall (14a) opposite, at least partially covered.

A box according to any one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the opening wall (14d) in the opened state covers the adjacent side wall (14a, 14c) on the outside.

A box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening wall (14d) has at least two shutter mechanisms (18a, 18b), each shutter mechanism (18a, 18b) being formed, the opening wall (14d) being closed with each one of the adjacent ones Side walls (14a, 14c) to lock.

A box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls (14a, 14b, 14c) not formed as an opening wall (14d) are movably mounted with respect to the bottom (12) such that the side walls are inwardly directed from the vertical position towards the bottom are foldable, so that they are in a folded state in a horizontal position parallel to the ground.