EP0356543A1 - Plastic container and pallet system - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to provide a plastic container and a pallet system associated therewith, in which the individual container is resistant to deformation even under thermal stress, has a permanent connection between the structural components, stacks well and is cheap to manufacture, and one or more container(s) can be assembled into a unit, if necessary in association with a specially designed pallet, a container system with at least one box-like plastic container (11) with two end frame parts (12) and a container longitudinal part (18), which can be arranged between these, has been proposed, in which the end frame parts (12) are provided, on their upper and lower edges in the vicinity of the corners, with projections (38) and recesses (39) which, upon the stacking on top of one another of a number of identical plastic containers (11), fit into one another in pairs, and the upwardly pointing projections (38) of the end frame parts (12) respectively have a formed-in upwardly open groove (40), the bottom surface of the groove (40) running essentially parallel to the upper edge of the end frame parts (12). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a container system with at least one box-like plastic container with two end frame parts and a longitudinal part of the container which can be attached between the end frame parts and forms the bottom part and the side walls and with means for fastening the end frame parts to the longitudinal part of the container, the plastic container on its two opposite end faces as end walls has a frame-shaped fitting with an upper and a lower edge, a pair of parallel side edges connecting these and with a plate-shaped insert made of rigid foam, which accommodate between them a container longitudinal part formed as a strand-shaped profile body made of non-foamed plastic, the at least two extending in the longitudinal direction, in Cross section has thinner than the remaining area of the longitudinal part, slightly flexible hinge areas along which the container longitudinal part bends bar, and the end frame parts are provided at their upper and lower edges near their corners with projections and recesses which fit into one another in pairs when stacking several identical plastic containers.

Transport containers for agricultural products such as fruit, vegetables and flowers were previously made from glued corrugated cardboard or from assembled pieces of wood. The problem with using corrugated cardboard containers is that they are not moisture-resistant and are therefore damaged by exposure to moisture. In addition, corrugated cardboard containers are not reusable and in many cases prevent the required ventilation of the product inside. For weight reasons, wooden containers often consist of very thin, easily breakable wood. Even wooden containers are not moisture-resistant, often have a tendency to mold, spoil the product inside and are generally not reusable.

Plastic containers for agricultural use are also known from the prior art, but they are manufactured by injection molding. Containers manufactured by injection molding are comparatively expensive due to the long cycle time of the injection molding machines required to inject products of this size.

A box-like plastic container of the type mentioned at the outset has therefore already been proposed for the transport of agricultural products such as fruits or vegetables (DE-OS 27 17 880).

It is also known to foam containers for agricultural products from polystyrene foam. The production takes place in the injection molding process, the containers being produced in the disassembled or unfolded state, in which relatively large quantities of containers can be transported to the customer in a small space, ie to the point at which the agricultural products are packed in the containers. To create the container, the side walls are bent up along flexible hinge areas, and projections protruding from the container edges are inserted into slots on the end walls that are complementary to these. The side walls are then held together by tape, glue, or other connecting means. A transport container of this type is described in US Pat. No. 3,675,808.

Such a container made of foamed plastic has advantages over the conventional corrugated cardboard containers, but is relatively expensive due to the relatively long cycle times of the injection molding machine with which the container is manufactured.

Another known packaging box, in particular for fruit and vegetables, consists of a container with headboards made of wood, a wood agglomerate or cast or sprayed plastic. The headboard has the shape of a box open to the outside, that is, it has a U-shaped cross section both in the vertical and in the horizontal direction. The headboards are inserted into a channel-shaped element forming the container walls and fastened there by means of metal nails (DE-OS 22 35 989).

In the manufacture of such plastic headboards of the known container, there is the difficulty that the reinforcing frames for parts made of non-foamed plastic may only be extremely low, since they would otherwise deform strongly during cooling.

Such a part also does not have sufficient strength, unless a disproportionate amount of plastic material is used. However, the amount of plastic material used in the production of plastic containers is crucial for the economic competitiveness of the product.

A transport box for fruit has also become known, which is designed in such a way that the side and end side walls can be folded in such a way that a relatively flat folded blank results. To stiffen this inherently unstable container, a lid is provided which is provided with profiles or ribs for stiffening (FR-PS 1 040 163).

Another known container consists of loosely assembled individual components, the individual components being held together with fastening clips of a very special design. This type of container is the subject of the present application in its precise form completely alien and should not be considered further (US Pat. No. 3,082,897).

In another known container, the side faces and end faces are hinged connected so that the container can be folded into a rather flat blank in the non-usable state, while in the state of use the stiffening takes place by inserting or hooking a bottom or lid surface. However, such containers can only be loaded to a small extent (GB-PS 1 279 245).

It is known to use rigid foams, rigid foams being understood to be characterized by the fact that they exhibit low elastic deformability with relatively high deformation resistance, a distinction being made here between tough and brittle hard foams as the starting material for the production of Rigid foams are used Polystyrene and polyurethane are proposed. However, no special advice has been given to provide the material selection for a container in such a way that the end walls are made of polypropylene, while the container longitudinal wall part consists of a non-foamed plastic, since very special difficulties in container construction had to be overcome here. This is because very special, specifically designed devices are required to form a container from the above-mentioned plastic material variation (Römpps Chemie-Lexikon, 1973, p. 1417 / "Leichtstoffe und Leichtstoffapplement", Kunststoffe Band 42, 1952, Issue 12, S.450-455) .

However, a transport box, in particular for fruit and vegetables, is known, consisting of a channel-shaped base body made of dimensionally stable, flexible, bent on the longitudinal sides by parallel bending lines upwards to the side walls and inwards to folds Plate material, such as cardboard in particular, which can be inserted into end faces provided with receiving means for its end edges, preferably made of plastic, and can be anchored to the side edges of the end walls by means of tabs which extend laterally and engage in holes in the side walls with pins (DE-OS 26 19 938).

In a known packaging box made of plastic, a cover part is fixed relative to a base part with conventional pins, the pin connection being conventional plug pins as dowel pins which are intended to fix the cover on the base part in such a way that it can be closed using the provided locking devices is (DE-OS 15 36 311).

According to the prior art, several exemplary embodiments of a plastic pallet produced by injection molding are known. They range from a large pallet consisting of one part to pallets made from a large number of identical parts. An example of a one-piece plastic pallet is described in US Patent 3,636,888 to Angelbeck. An example of a two-part large-capacity pallet in which two parts are connected by vibration welding is described in French Patent 2,387,850. Another approach is to create a series of differently shaped connected parts that are used to build pallets of different sizes can be put together from small to very large. One such pallet using snap-in parts is described in U.S. Patent 3,307,504. An example of a pallet with brackets for connecting each part is described in German laid-open specification 2.241.289. An example of a screwed-together pallet with two standardized injection molded plastic parts is described in the German laid-open publication 2,057,361. Finally, U.S. Patent 3,277,849 describes a pallet that uses a variety of uniformly shaped parts.

Each of these attracted descriptions of pallets pose one or more problems. The first four examples shown consist of very large parts, the injection of which is expensive and time-consuming for the manufacturer. Due to their dimensions, they are very bulky and difficult to transport even when assembled. A pallet produced according to the description of the second German published patent application is very labor-intensive to assemble, since the individual parts have to be screwed together. The palette of the last drawn description is not very suitable, since the individual parts that make it up cannot be connected to one another, which means that the palette can only be lifted from two sides, otherwise it would fall apart during lifting.

The invention has for its object to provide a plastic container and a related pallet system, in which the individual container is resistant to deformation even under thermal stress, has a permanent connection between the components, is easy to stack and inexpensive to manufacture, and one or more containers if necessary can be combined to form a unit in conjunction with a specially designed pallet.

This object is achieved by the features characterized in claim 1.

This design of the container makes it possible to combine containers with one another to form a composite and to arrange them on a pallet.

Such a plastic container includes a pair of plastic end walls which are attached to the opposite ends of a plastic side wall. Each of these end walls includes a pair of narrow side edges that are spaced apart by a pair of wide, parallel top and bottom side edges. The narrow side edges each have at the opposite ends an upward projection which engages with the recesses of an adjacent container when the containers are stacked vertically one above the other. Each of these upward projections also defines a molded, upwardly open groove, the bottom surface of the groove being substantially parallel to the upper edge of the end wall.

A further embodiment of the plastic container on which this invention is based comprises a pair of plastic end walls with a plastic longitudinal wall fastened between them. In addition, a cover is provided with a pair of end edges arranged at a distance from one another and having a plurality of projections extending outwards. The end walls are each provided with a pair of narrow side edges spaced apart by parallel wide upper and lower side edges, the wide upper edges having at least one upper pin spaced from at least one lower pin, their first faces run parallel to the wide upper edge. Each of the top pegs of the end walls is arranged to receive one of the lid protrusions when the lid is closed on the plastic sidewall and to be displaced from the lid protrusions when the lid is displaced from the plastic sidewall.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the plastic container comprises a pair of plastic end walls with a longitudinal plastic wall between them, which consists of a fixed part and a removably fastened part. The fixed part of the side wall comprises one side, the bottom and a lower lip part of the other side of the container. The removably attached part generally consists of one flat, rectangular plate, which is provided with fastening devices for closing the container along an edge for engaging in the lower lip part.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the container also comprises a fixed part and a removably fastened part of the side wall. In this embodiment, the fixed part has a first side, a bottom and a second side, the second side delimiting a rectangular opening located therein. The removably attached part comprises a rectangular plate for closing the second side when inserted in the container.

The pallet on which the invention is based comprises a certain number of extruded floor rails with a generally rectangular cross section and a certain number of extruded cross members, which also have a generally rectangular cross section and are fastened between the floor rails. Each of the floor rails consists of an outer shell delimiting an inner cavity, the cavity serving to reinforce the floor rail by receiving an insert. In the cavity of the outer shell there are channels which engage with the pins formed on the insert. In addition, the outer shell includes a pair of rails attached to a surface that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bottom rail to create feet. Limit these rails also a trapezoidal groove in between. Each of the transverse parts has a plurality of projections which are arranged at a distance from one another and are perpendicular to the longitudinal side of the transverse part. These projections are generally above a floor rail and extend away from the floor rail.

Another embodiment on which the invention is based is a lightweight container with a multiplicity of stackable plastic containers and a plastic pallet. This system includes all of the containers described above with the pallet described above. In this composition, when the containers are stacked on the pallet, the protrusions provided on the transverse parts of the pallet are in engagement with the recesses of the adjacent containers. By aligning the bottom rail directly under the narrow side parts of the end faces of the containers, a band can also be inserted into the groove located under each bottom rail, leading upwards over the outer surfaces of the containers stacked on the pallet and with one another over the containers Connect the loop, keeping it in the trapezoidal grooves on the front of the top container directly above the bottom rail.

The plastic container and pallet system according to the invention is composed of stackable, locked together in a stacked state Plastic containers that can also be locked in a similar manner to the pallets on which they are stacked. Each container includes a pair of molded end walls with protrusions along their top edge and recesses along their bottom edge. Thus, if one container is stacked on top of another, the recesses in the bottom edge of the upper container are in engagement with the projections of the lower container. Similarly, the pallet is provided at certain intervals with mounting protrusions which engage the recesses in the bottom of each container. Each protrusion along the top edge of the molded end wall of the containers includes a band groove that is aligned with the band groove under each bottom rail of the pallet when the containers are stacked on the pallet. By attaching the tape through the tape grooves in the protrusions of the containers on the top level under each floor rail and beyond the stack, all containers can be attached to the pallet.

The containers are made entirely of a special plastic material and are joined to form a unit by vibration welding. In one embodiment, a side wall of the container can be removed to create an office storage system with these containers on the pallet. An advantageous method for attaching the lid to each container is also provided.

The pallet consists of two basic components, namely a number of floor rails with an attached number of transverse parts at an angle of 90 ° and at a distance from one another. Each of these cross sections consists of a honeycomb-shaped construction and is connected by vibration welding or rivet welding (stake welded).

Further features and advantages of the present invention are specified in the subclaims and will become apparent from the following description together with the drawings.

• Fig. 1 die Explosionsansicht eines der vorliegen­den Erfindung zugrundeliegenden und die Merkmale einer ersten Ausgestaltungsform aufweisenden Kunststoffbe­hälters,
• Fig. 2 die vergrößerte Teilansicht einer Konstruk­tion entlang der Linie 2-2 der Fig.1,
• Fig. 3a und 3b die vergrößerten Teilansichten der Konstruktion entlang der Linie 3-3 der Fig.1,
• Fig. 4 die vergrößerte Teilansicht der Konstruktion entlang der Linie 4-4 der Fig.1,
• Fig. 5a und 5b die Frontansicht der Innenflächen der Stirnwand des Behälters nach Fig.1,
• Fig. 6 die Explosionsansicht eines Lagerbe­hälters ähnlich dem Behälter der Fig.1, jedoch in einer zweiten der vorliegenden Erfindung zugrundeliegenden Ausgestaltungsform,
• Fig. 7a und 7b die perspektivische Explosions­ansicht eines Lagerbehälters ähnlich dem Behälter der Fig.1, jedoch in einer dritten der vorliegenden Erfindung zugrundeliegenden Ausgestaltungsform,
• Fig. 8a und 8b jeweils die vergrößerte Teilan­sicht einer Konstruktion entlang der Linie 8-8 der Fig. 7a und 7b,
• Fig. 9 die perspektivische Ansicht der Tür zur Schaffung eines Lagerbehälterverschlusses nach Fig. 7a und 7b,
• Fig. 10a, 10b und 10c jeweils die oberen, vorde­ren und seitlichen Ansichten einer Palettenkonstruk­tion mit den dieser Erfindung zugrundeliegenden Merkmalen,
• Fig. 11 eine Querschnittsansicht der Bodenschienen der Palette nach Fig. 6a, b und c,
• Fig. 12 die perspektivische Ansicht einer Zusammen­setzung mit Paletten in drei Größen nach Fig. 10a, b und c,
• Fig. 13 die perspektivische Ansicht des ganzen Verpackungsbehälter- und Palettensystems mit den auf der Palette nach Fig. 10a, b und c gestapelten Be­hältern der Fig.1,
• Fig. 14 die perspektivische Ansicht des Aufbaus der Verpackungsbehälter nach Fig. 6 oder 7a und 7b mit dem Palettensystem nach Fig. 10a, b und c zur Bildung einer festen Ablageeinheit, und
• Fig. 15 die perspektivische Ansicht der Lagerbe­hälter nach Fig. 6 oder 7a und 7b mit dem Paletten­system nach Fig. 10a, b und c als bewegliche Ablage­einrichtung.

Embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

• Fig . 1 shows the exploded view of a plastic container on which the present invention is based and which have the features of a first embodiment,
• Fig . 2 shows the enlarged partial view of a construction along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1,
• Fig . 3a and 3b are the enlarged partial views of the construction along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1,
• Fig . 4 shows the enlarged partial view of the construction along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1,
• Fig . 5a and 5b the front view of the inner surfaces of the end wall of the container according to FIG. 1,
• Fig . 6 shows the exploded view of a storage container similar to the container of FIG. 1, but in a second embodiment on which the present invention is based,
• Fig . 7a and 7b show an exploded perspective view of a storage container similar to the container of FIG. 1, but in a third embodiment on which the present invention is based,
• Fig . 8a and 8b are each the enlarged partial view of a construction along the line 8-8 of FIGS. 7a and 7b,
• Fig . 9 shows the perspective view of the door to create a storage container closure according to FIGS. 7a and 7b,
• Fig . 10a, 10b and 10c each show the top, front and side views of a pallet construction with the features on which this invention is based,
• Fig . 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the bottom rails of the pallet according to FIGS. 6a, b and c,
• Fig . 12 shows the perspective view of a composition with pallets in three sizes according to FIGS. 10a, b and c,
• Fig . 13 is a perspective view of the entire packaging container and pallet system with the on 10a, b and c stacked containers of Fig.1,
• Fig . 14 is a perspective view of the structure of the packaging container according to FIG. 6 or 7a and 7b with the pallet system according to FIGS. 10a, b and c to form a fixed storage unit, and
• Fig . 15 the perspective view of the storage container according to FIG. 6 or 7a and 7b with the pallet system according to FIGS. 10a, b and c as a movable storage device.

1 shows a plastic container 11 which comprises a pair of end walls 12 preferably molded from structural foam, such as polypropylene foam. The end walls 12 usually form a frame made of a pair of wide upper and lower parallel side edges 13 and 14, each of which is connected to a pair of generally parallel narrow side edges 15 and 16.

A longitudinal wall 18 connects to the end walls 12. This longitudinal wall 18 consists of plastic, such as high-impact styrene of the polypropols, and is preferably produced by the extrusion process.

The longitudinal wall 18 comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs 19 extending in the longitudinal direction of the container 11 and parallel to the side lips 21. The ver forms over each of the edges of the wall 18 Extension of the lip 21 by 90 ° inwards to the side of the container 11 bent ears 132 (Fig.4). An advantageous embodiment of the extruded longitudinal wall 18 comprises a pair between two reinforcing ribs 19 and links 22 running parallel thereto. To form a U-shape with adjacent reinforcing ribs 23, the wall 18 is bent on one side by 90 °. During bending, the longitudinal wall 18 is bent into the U-shape described above under the action of moderate heat and moderate pressure on the articulations 22 in order to achieve permanent deformation of the longitudinal wall 18. Here, the ears 132 are also bent inwards.

The end walls 12 and longitudinal wall 18 can be assembled by several known methods including gluing and vibration welding. The preferred method is vibration welding. In both methods, the end wall 12 engages in the end of the longitudinal wall 18, the reinforcing ribs 23 abutting the narrow side edges 15 and 16 and the bottom side edge 14 of the end side 12. A detailed description of the structure of these parts can be found in the description of FIGS. 5a and 5b.

The end walls 12 are provided with a central opening 24 into which the insert 25 is inserted. The insert 25 is generally flat and rectangular and is provided with imprints which serve to indicate the origin of the packaged goods through the opening 24. The stake also exists made of a plastic material, such as high-impact styrene or polypropolene, and is preferably produced using the extrusion process. The insert 25 is fastened in the rectangular recess 26 on the inside of the end walls 12 with the aid of a suitable adhesive, cement or by vibration welding. Vibration welding is the preferred method for attaching the insert 25. The insert 25 is provided with holes for easy ventilation of the container 11. The longitudinal wall 18 also has a plurality of elongated holes 27 for ventilation of the container 11.

A plastic cover 28 serves to close the upper longitudinal wall 18. The cover 28 is provided with a resilient groove 29 which, as shown in FIG. 2, for releasably gripping or clamping the upper side lip 21 of the longitudinal wall panels along the side lips of the cover 28 is arranged. The resilient groove 29 according to this construction encompasses approximately 225 ° of the lip 21. This is done by including a snap lip 30 within the U-shaped groove 29 in order to meet the lower outer edge of the lip 21. This construction also stabilizes the top edge of each side of the container 11 when the lid 28 snaps into place. To facilitate the attachment and removal of the lid 28, finger engagement holes 31 are provided halfway near the side edges of the lid 28. The cover 28 also has reinforcing lips 19 running parallel to one another over the entire width of the cover 28. Also are along the upper side edge of each end wall 12 pairs of upper and lower pins 32 and 34 are provided, which are in engagement with the cover projections 35 when the resilient grooves 29 are in engagement with the side lips 21 (Fig. 3a, 3b, 5a and 5b ).

FIG. 3 a shows the cover 28 that is assembled and locked with the longitudinal wall 18. In this position, three of the projections 35 of the cover are aligned with the upper pins 32. To remove the cover 28, the resilient grooves 29 have to be released from the side lip 21 and the cover 28 has to be moved in one direction until the cover projections 35, as shown in FIG. 3b, release the upper pins 32 of the end wall 12. It should be mentioned here that in this position one of the resilient grooves 29 extends beyond one side of the side wall 18, while the other resilient groove 29 is located above the interior of the container 11 created by the side wall 18. In this position, the lid 28 can be lifted vertically from the container 11. To close the container 11, proceed in the reverse order. 5a and 5b show a cover groove 36 created by the upper and lower pins 32 and 34. By adding the lower pins 34, a support along the end walls 12 is provided with the aid of the cover projections 35 arranged between the upper and lower pins 32 and 34 the downward pressure created. To create another support for the cover 28 with respect to downward forces, the lower pins 34 could be replaced by a single lower pin extending over a substantial portion of the upper side edge 13 of each end wall 12. This would support each of the tab protrusions 35 and not just those held by the upper pins 32.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3a, 3b, 5a and 5b, the end walls 12 are each provided with a pair of upwardly directed stacking projections 38 at the ends opposite the upper edge 13. The stacking projections 38 meet the stacking recesses 39, which are located at the ends opposite the lower wide edges 14, in order to prevent the vertically stacked containers 11 from shifting towards one another. Each stacking projection 38 is also provided with a band groove 40, through which the stacked containers 11 can be held together with the pallet to form a transportable composite. This feature is described in more detail after the introduction of the pallet construction. The lid 28 includes a plurality of elongated passages 27 to promote ventilation of the container 11. The lid is preferably made by the extrusion process.

5a and 5b, FIG. 5a describes the inner surface of the end wall 12 with recesses 26 and 134, lower pins 41 and device rails 44. FIG. 5b shows the insert 25 mounted in the recess 26, with its lower edge butting against the device rails 44. As already described, the insert 25 is preferably assembled by vibration welding. When the insert 25 is mounted, it can be seen that its upper edge contributes to the limitation of the cover channel 36 between the upper and lower pins 32 and 34. Its side edges together with the edge rails 45 create a mounting groove 43 which, together with the mounting groove 42 formed by the device rails 44 and the lower pins 41, delimit the engagement area in which the end of the longitudinal wall 18 is connected to the end wall 12. The lower pins 41 and edge rails 45 provide additional support for the longitudinal wall 18 against the forces acting from the interior of the container 11. The recesses 134 hold the ears 132 of the longitudinal wall 18.

In the manufacture of the cover 28 and the longitudinal wall 18, the reinforcing ribs 19 are preferably integrated into the extruded plastic part and the extruded plate is cut to the side to the desired length and to form ears 132. Openings are punched in to create ventilation holes 27.

In the folded state, the plastic container 11 consists of a series of relatively flat parts that can be transported in a small space. The containers are advantageously assembled ready for use only in the field or in the packaging building by unfolding the side plates of the longitudinal wall 18 and welding the end walls 12 against the end edges of the longitudinal wall 18.

The plastic container 11 can easily be returned to the production process by grinding the plastic parts and reusing the plastic material as an extruder load for the extrusion of the longitudinal wall 18, the cover 28 and the insert 25. Due to the extrusion of the cover 28, the longitudinal wall 18 and the insert 25, the manufacturing costs for the plastic container 11 are significantly lower than in known paper, wood or plastic molded containers. Since the entire container 11 is made of plastic, it can be used both as a transport and as an exhibition container that meets all FDE guidelines, since the material does not absorb any juice from the fruits or vegetables in the container and thereby mold in or on Container prevented while it is in the grocer's food area.

Fig. 6 shows another form of a plastic container 11 '. Essentially, the container 11 'is the same container 11 according to Fig. 1. The only exception is the longitudinal wall consisting of two parts 18' and 18˝. The longitudinal wall 18 'consists of the rear wall 46, the bottom part 47 and the front lip part 48. The front lip 48 extends on the bottom part 47 along its side edge and forms part of the front wall of the container 11'. The rest of the front wall forms the wall 18˝. If the container 11 'is closed, the front lip 48 of the wall 18' engages along the lower edge of the wall 18 'in the groove 49 as the tongue in a groove. Along their top Edge includes the wall 18˝ a resilient groove 50, which, when closed over the lid 28 ', engages in a similar manner with the lip 51, as shown in FIG. 2. The rear edge of the lid 28 engages the top edge of the rear wall 46 in the same manner as that shown in FIG. 2 for the container 11 of FIG. 1. In addition, the container 11 'in the closed state by connecting the locking hole 52 with the finger engagement hole 31 with a metal or plastic closure or with a lock with a long locking strap.

The container 11 'differs from the container 11 of FIG. 1 also in that no passages are provided and the insert 25 has an opening at one end of the container in which an identification card 53 can be attached. The wall 18˝ is also narrower to expose the edge rails 45 along the inner surfaces of the end walls 12.

7a and b, 8a and b, and 9 show a further embodiment of the container 11˝. The container 11˝ essentially corresponds to the container 11 of FIG. 1 with the exception that no ventilation passages are provided and an access hole 136 has been punched into one of the side walls 18˝. Access hole 136 is less than the full width or height of the side wall into which it was punched.

Access hole 136 is closed with the aid of a hatch cover 138. The hatch cover 138 is extruded from the same material as the wall 18˝ and then cut to form protrusions 146. In addition, the hatch cover 138 is cut to a width which is smaller than the inner distance between end walls 12. The container 11˝ is closed by sliding the hatch cover 138 between the inner surface of the wall 18˝ and “L” clips 142 (from which same material), which are welded in both end walls 12 to the inner surface of the inserts 25. The projections of the hatch cover 138 extend through slots 144 in the bottom of the wall 18˝. If the hatch cover 138 is in the place provided for it, the cover 28 snaps over the lip 21, as shown in FIG. 2, and engages both the wall 18˝ and the upper edge of the hatch cover 138. To achieve a more flush closure the locking strap of the lock can be passed through the finger hole 31 of the cover 28 and the locking holes 140 and 140 'in the wall 18 and hatch cover 138.

10a, b and c show a pallet 100 for receiving six containers in one plane of the type shown in FIGS. 1, 6 or 7a and b, three of which are stacked one above the other and two one behind the other. The pallet 100 consists of two basic units; Bottom rails 102 and cross members 104. Depending on the length of each of these units, a pallet 100 can be used to hold the containers 11 or 11 'assemble individually, two or three pieces in width and individually or two pieces in depth (see Fig.12). As shown in FIGS. 10 a and 11, floor rails 102 consist of two parts, an outer rectangular part 116 with feet 118 and an inner, essentially diamond-shaped insert 114. The retraction of the feet 118 at the lower end of the outer rectangular part 116 forms that Band groove 112, which will be described in more detail later. Between the inner and the outer rectangular part 116 there are channels 122 which fit into the lugs 120 of the insert 114. Both the insert 114 and the external part 116 are extruded, for example, from high-impact styrene or polypropylene and then cut to the desired length. The bottom rail 102 is assembled by inserting the insert 114 into the outer part 116 with the pins 120 held by the channels 122 and this structure is connected by vibration welding. Then, to provide access for the forklift, fork grooves 110 are cut from the lower part of the floor rails 102 with a corresponding intermediate distance into the side of the stacked containers 11.
Each of the cross members 104 also includes a certain distance from each other projections 108 which are in engagement with the stack recesses 39 for receiving the first stacked on the pallet 100 layer container 11 or 11 '. The cross members 104, when extruded, include a short, lower right upright thorn along an edge. This mandrel is cut to form assembly protrusions 108 of appropriate size and spacing and the cross member 104 to the desired length. The material for the cross members 104 preferably consists of, for example, high-impact styrene or plypropolene and, as shown in FIG. 10c, is extruded in a honeycomb pattern. The final assembly of the pallet 100 takes place by placing the transverse parts 104 on the floor rails 102 perpendicular to the floor rails located under the engaging projections 108. The pallet 100 can then be connected by vibration welding or rivet welding (stake welding) with the aid of the access holes 106 which extend through the transverse parts 104 into the floor rails 102. In rivet welding, the welding machine creates a thermocompression connection between the lower plate of the cross member 104 and the upper plate of the bottom rail 102.

Due to the nature of the pallet 100 made of high-impact styrene or polypropols and the use of a honeycomb pattern inside the bottom rail 102 and the cross member 104, the low weight of the pallet with high stability is achieved, which, like the containers 11, can be built up in the field. Like the container 11, the pallet 100 can easily be reused by grinding the plastic parts and reusing the plastic material as an extruder load and returning it to the production process.

13 shows a pallet 100 assembled with 30 containers 11 mounted thereon. The containers 11 are fastened to the pallet 100 with the aid of pallet straps 124, which are located under each bottom rail 102 in band grooves 112, upward over the end walls 12 of the containers 11 extend through the band grooves 40 of the upper container 11, reaching over the upper container 11, and are returned to the back of the stack. The tapes can be made of a solid, non-stretchable plastic material and can be made using known methods, e.g. can be connected by thermal connection or stapling.

Fig. 14 shows a similar stacking system with a pallet 100 and 32 containers 11 'or 11˝. This system is also connected using straps 124 in the same manner as described in FIG. 13. Fig. 14 also shows removable room dividers 128 'within the container 11' to increase storage flexibility.

15 shows mobile storage units 128. Each of these units comprises a pallet 100 with four wheels 126 and a certain number of containers 11 'arranged thereon.

The container pallet system on which this description is based offers numerous advantages. These advantages can be seen not only in the stability of all parts forming the system, but also in the fact that they are only a third of the weight of conventional ones Apply crate and pallet systems. The wide temperature range that they can withstand without damage is of exceptional interest. Styrene or polypropylene are materials that can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from the freezer to temperatures that are significantly higher than those found in very hot climates. The units can be steam cleaned before they are used again. Bacteria do not multiply with this type of plastic, so that the food does not have to be removed before being displayed on the counter.

Through its connecting projections and channels, the whole system prevents slipping and moving of the container on the pallet during transport, since all walls 12 of the container 11, 11 'and 11˝ were formed in precision shapes and the individual containers thereby have a higher degree of equality than currently used cardboard or wooden containers. In addition, the stacking technology creates a boundary on all sides between the containers 11 stacked one above the other. This provides for better ventilation during transport in and around the contents of the containers. The increased air movement reduces the risk of spoilage of sensitive foods in the containers and thus increases the retailer's profits. Transport costs are also reduced, since the total weight of the containers and pallets built together is significantly lower and therefore benefits everyone involved.

Claims (31)

1. Container system with at least one box-like plastic container with two end frame parts and a longitudinal part of the container which can be attached between the end frame parts and which forms the bottom part and the side walls and with means for fastening the end frame parts to the longitudinal part of the container, the plastic container on its two opposite end faces as end walls as a frame-shaped shaped piece with an upper and a lower edge, a pair of parallel side edges connecting these and with a plate-shaped insert made of rigid foam, which receive between them a container longitudinal part designed as a strand-shaped profile body made of non-foamed plastic, which has at least two in the longitudinal direction, thinner in cross section than the remaining area of the longitudinal part has trained, slightly flexible hinge areas along which the container longitudinal part can be bent, and the end frame parts on it ren upper and lower edges near their corners are provided with projections and recesses that fit in pairs when stacking several identical plastic containers,
characterized,
that the upward-pointing projections (38) of the end frame parts (12) each have a molded-in, upwardly open groove (40), the bottom surface of the groove (40) running essentially parallel to the upper edge of the end frame parts (12). 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove (40) in the projections (38) of the end frame parts (12) is formed substantially at right angles, the two side surfaces of the groove (40) being perpendicular to the bottom surface. 3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container has a lid (28) with a pair of spaced side edges and a pair of spaced end edges, the end edges with a plurality extending outward Protrusions (35) are provided, each end wall (12) in the region of its upper edge (13) having at least one upper pin (32), one holding surface of which runs parallel to the upper edge (13) of the end wall (12), each upper Pin (32) is arranged so that it holds one of the lid projections (35) when the side edge of the lid is flush with the upper edge (13) of the end wall (12), and that the pin (32) opposite the lid projection (35) is offset when the side edge of the cover (28) is offset from the edge of the side wall. 4. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that under each upper pin (32) a lower pin (34) is arranged at a distance and that from the space between the upper pin (32) and the lower Pin (34) a projection (35) of the cover (28) is receivable. 5. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cover (28) has a plurality of ribs (19) running parallel to one another and parallel to the side edge and that in each case one rib (19), each with a cover projection (35) in alignment is arranged. 6. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the ribs (19) having lid (28) consists of extruded plastic. 7. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the end walls (12) are connected by vibration welding to the end edges of the longitudinal wall part (18). 8. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the longitudinal wall part (18) with a pair of spaced side edges and a pair of spaced end edges a fixed part (18 ') and a releasably attached part (18˝). 9. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fixed part (18 ') of the longitudinal wall (18) has a side part (46), one with the side part (46) connected on one side Has bottom part (47) and on the other side of the bottom part (47) arranged lower lip (48) and that the releasably attached and removable part (18˝) of the longitudinal wall part (18) for closing the other side of the container as a flat rectangular plate with a first fastening device (49) for engaging in the lower lip (48) of the fixed part (18 ') is formed. 10. Plastic container according to claim 9, characterized in that the first fastening device of the removable part (18˝) of the longitudinal wall part (18) has a groove (49) for engagement in the lower lip part (48) of the fixed part (18 ') of the longitudinal wall ( 18). 11. Plastic container according to claim 10, characterized in that the lid (28) with a resilient lip (51) along a side edge for gripping and fastening the edge of the side (46) opposite side of the longitudinal wall part (18), and that in the detachable part (18˝) of the longitudinal wall (18) is provided with a second fastening device (50) for engaging in the cover (28). 12. Plastic container according to claim 11, characterized in that the second fastening device of the releasable part (18˝) of the longitudinal wall (18) has a resilient, hook-shaped edge (50) for engaging over the lip (51) and for fastening the lid (28) . 13. Plastic container according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the lid (28) and the releasable part (18˝) of the longitudinal wall (18) each have devices for locking together. 14. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the insert (25) on the end wall (12) has a holding device (53) for identification cards. 15. Plastic container according to claim 14, characterized in that the insert (25) is fixed by vibration welding to the shaped part forming the end wall (12). 16. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the fixed part (18 ') of the longitudinal wall (18) has a first side part (46) with a bottom part (47) connected thereto and with the bottom part (47) has the side part (18˝) opposite the first side part (46), an approximately rectangular opening (136) being formed in the side part (18˝) and the opening (136) being closable with a flat rectangular plate (138). 17. Plastic container according to claim 16, characterized in that in the side wall (18˝) of the central wall (18) at least one opening (144) next to the Contact point between the bottom (47) and the side part (18˝) of the middle part (18) is formed and that the rectangular plate (138) projections (146) for engaging in the openings (144) in the bottom part (18˝) when the removable part (138) is used to create a closure in the container. 18. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that each of the plastic end walls (12) has a rail attached to it, which parallel to and in to form a channel for receiving the removable part (138) to create a closure for the container a distance from the second side into the container. 19. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the container (11) has a lid (28) with a resilient lip (29) for gripping and fastening the upper end edge (30) of the side wall (18). 20. Plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the lid, the second side opposite the first side and the removable part of the side wall each have a device for locking each other. 21. Plastic pallet for receiving a plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized by a number of extruded bottom rails (102) with a rectangular cross section and a number of extruded cross members (104) with a rectangular cross section, which can be fastened between the bottom rails (102) for connecting them are. 22. Plastic pallet according to claim 21, characterized in that the cross members (104) can be fastened by vibration welding or rivet welding to the bottom rails (102). 23. Plastic pallet according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that each bottom rail (102) has an outer envelope surrounding an interior (116) with therein receiving devices and inserts (114) for insertion into the interior of the outer envelope (116) to reinforce the Bottom rail (102), the insert (114) being provided with pins arranged to be held by the inner receptacle (122) of the outer shell (116). 24. Plastic pallet according to one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that the outer casing (116) and the insert (114) are of equal length, that the holder device has a plurality of channels running in the longitudinal direction through the outer casing (116) that the stake (114) delimits at least one elongated interior space running through, and that the pin of the insert (114) is elongated and has the same shape as the channels of the outer casing (116). 25. Plastic pallet according to one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the outer casing (116) has a pair of rails (118) which are fastened to one of their surfaces and spaced apart from one another and which run parallel to their longitudinal axis to form a foot and limit a groove-shaped indentation (112) between them. 26. Plastic pallet according to one of claims 21 to 25, characterized in that the bottom rails (102) from one of their sides to form a forklift access from the side of the bottom rails (102) arranged at a distance from each other groove-shaped, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bottom rail ( 102) have extending grooves (110). 27. Plastic pallet according to one of claims 21 to 26, characterized in that the transverse parts (104) have a number of spaced apart projections (108) along and perpendicular to one of the long sides of the transverse part (104). 28. Plastic pallet according to one of claims 21 to 27, characterized in that each cross member (104) is designed on the inside like a honeycomb. 29. Plastic pallet according to one of claims 21 to 28, characterized in that the cross parts (104) with the bottom rails (102) are fixed at a distance from one another and substantially perpendicular to the bottom rails (102), and that the projections of the cross parts (104) are located centrally over a floor rail (102) and move upwards from the floor rail (102). 30. Container system with a plastic container according to one of claims 1 to 20 and a plastic pallet according to one of claims 21 to 29, characterized by a belt device (124) for connecting the stacked containers (11) to the pallet (100), in particular for transport, the belt device (124) comprising a plurality of belts, each of which is dimensioned such that they fit into the elongated, in particular rectangular, grooves (112) located below each bottom rail (102), extending upwards over the end of the containers (11 ) directly above the bottom rail (102) at one end of the stack, through each of the grooves (40) in the containers (11) at the top of the stack directly above the bottom rail (102), through which the Belt runs, and extend down over the other end of the container directly above the bottom rail (102) and to the other end of the stack, and by means for connecting the two ends of the belt to form a number of belt loops around the container (11) and the Pallet (100). 31. A container system according to claim 30, characterized in that the pallet (100) is provided with wheels (126) at each of its corners.

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