Special receptacle or package – With pallet feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-16
2001-03-20
Fidei, David T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
With pallet feature
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202844
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cage for receiving a plastic container in the overall arrangement of a pallet-type container for storing and/or for transporting substances, having a shallow tray as base of the cage, the tray being arranged on a pallet or forming the top part of a pallet, and a grid casing as wall of the cage, the grid casing being connected to the border of the tray.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pallet-type container with such a cage is known from DE 41 08 399 C1. In the case of this cage, the border of the tray is angled horizontally and then vertically upwards again and is thus configured as a seat for the grid casing; the grid casing is welded or screwed to said tray. Feet are fastened on the tray in the region of the tray arch which adjoins the horizontal bent-away section towards the inside.
As is outlined in the patent of addition DE 42 06 945 C1, swashing vibrations caused by liquid substances and vibrations transmitted by the transporting vehicle put this pallet-type container at risk, and this in turn adversely affects transporting safety. The solution to this problem proposed by DE 42 06 945 C1 is that, rather than the border of the tray being bent away outwards and upwards, said border is drawn downwards and then angled away outwards again; furthermore, a double base with hollow chambers is provided. The grid casing is accommodated at the bent-away section. The feet support the tray on the bent-away section.
All of this requires a high degree of production outlay. It also renders a fixed connection between the tray and the grid cage more difficult; in fact, this connection only comprises a few screws.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a further, expedient design of a pallet-type container. The design is to allow maximum strength along with minimal production outlay.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a cage of the type described in the introduction, in the case of which, on its bottom border, the grid casing has a web which is supported on the pallet or, if the tray forms the top part of the pallet, on a bottom part of the pallet, and on which the tray is supported by means of its border, and the border of the tray, the web and the pallet, or the bottom part of the pallet, are connected to one another in a positively locking manner.
The web preferably comprises an essential U-shaped profile, which surrounds the bottom ends of the grid bars. This configuration makes it possible to achieve high strength. The grid-bar ends may be welded to the two legs of the U-shaped profile. The weld points are only subjected to shear loading, and are thus loaded to a lesser extent than in the case of the abovementioned prior-art arrangement subjected to tensile loading. Even pinning of the grid bars to the two legs throughout would be possible in a comparatively simple manner, i.e. a positively locking mechanical connection which is at virtually no risk of rupturing.
The tray preferably has cutouts on the border for the through-passage of the grid bars and, between the grid bars, is supported on the web. In the case of the U-shaped profile, this thus allows support on both the legs of the profile. In principle, however, and depending on circumstances, support could also be restricted to the inner U-leg. The webs could also be of a different design and be seated on the grid bars on one side such that the border is located beside the grid bars.
A particularly advantageous development of the invention consists in the fact that the web comprises a profile which is flanged with the border of the tray. The flanging over the length of the border is considerably stronger than individual weld points. Moreover, it requires less production equipment. In addition, it allows a plastic tray to be connected to a metal grid casing. However, a combination of flanging and welding is also possible.
To give further details, the outer leg of the U-shaped profile preferably has an outwardly directed angled section on which the border of the tray is located, and the flanging is carried out after the angled section and above it. The border of the tray preferably has an upended section which is flanged together with the border of the profile and is enclosed by the border of the profile in a positively locking manner, said profile border preferably also being upended to begin with. These configurations are favourable in terms of both strength and production.
Otherwise, the parts are preferably connected by means of screws which engage through the border of the tray and through the web, or past the latter, into the pallet or the bottom part of the pallet. This produces a tensile connection throughout all the parts. With a sufficient number of screws, this connection could possibly replace the flanging.
However, other connecting means would likewise be possible, also other screwed connections, for example into the web from beneath.
The screws are expediently combined with spacers which span the distance between the border of the tray and the pallet, or the bottom part of the pallet, in order to support the tensile force of the screws and thus to permit a fixed screw connection without bending the web and/or the border of the tray. The spacers are preferably sleeves which enclose the screws. They may also be in the form of bored blocks.
In a particularly advantageous configuration of the invention, the sleeves pass through the border of the tray and bear on the border by means of a flange formed on them.
The flange then acts as a washer, and the sleeve can be inserted from the outside together with the screw.
The tray preferably has downwardly directed stamped formations which extend, at least approximately, into the plane of the bottom border of the web. As a result, a forklift truck can reliably grip beneath, and transport, the pallet-type container, if the tray forms the top part of the pallet; the pallet-type container rests directly on the fork by means of the webs and the stamped formations. When positioning the cage on a wooden pallet or a plastic pallet similar to this, the tray is supported on the top boards of the pallet by the stamped formations. If the top part of the pallet is formed by the tray itself, then the bottom part of the pallet has a crossmember which supports the tray from beneath.
It is proposed as being particularly advantageous in combination with the web provided according to the invention that the grid casing comprises intersecting vertical and horizontal grid bars, and the horizontal grid bars comprise an open profile which has two outwardly bent-away borders located in the same plane, and the vertical grid bars likewise comprise such a profile or comprise a closed profile which has at least one planar profile wall, and the horizontal grid bars are assembled with the vertical grid bars with the bent-away borders butting against one another, or with the bent-away borders of the horizontal profile bars butting against said planar profile wall of the vertical profile bars, and are welded to one another at the abutment surfaces and/or joined to one another by stamping and/or punching. The web can also be fastened well on the planar bent-away borders or abutment surfaces of the vertical profile bars. This applies, in particular, to the form of the U-shaped profile, of which the two legs can then have planar surfaces of contact with the grid bars and can be welded here appropriately well.
After the two bent-away borders, the open profile of the horizontal profile bars at least should merge into two parallel wall sections and, with a slight bend, these should be adjoined by a trapezoidal residual cross-section.
The pallet-type containers can move apart from one another at the trapezoidal residual cross-section if, in the event of being accidentally set down adjacent to one another, their grid casings become entangled.
If it is desired to increase the strength or to reduce the possibilities of accidents, the bent-away borders can be folded over at the border edges.
Fidei David T.
Friedrich Kueffner
Roth Werke GmbH
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