CN102971235B - crate - Google Patents

Abstract

A crate (100) comprising a base and two corresponding pairs of opposing side walls and end walls, wherein at least one end wall (130) includes a thinned portion (910), and wherein the thinned portion is adapted to A user is allowed to cut the end wall to provide an inspection opening.

Description

Crate

The present application relates to crates, in particular banana crates, for containing products such as fruit, vegetables and the like.

Crates for storing and transporting products such as fruits and vegetables are widely used in the market. Typically, such crates are light and strong, making them suitable for carrying crops from the field to the consumer. Especially with tropical fruits, such as bananas, it is common to harvest the crop when it is still immature and pack it into crates for subsequent shipment and transportation. During the transport trip, the fruit has time to ripen. Prior to shipping, crates are typically stacked on top of each other and arranged side by side on pallets. Here, in the case of eg a "five-downconguration", specific cross-stacking techniques are often used. In the five longitudinal configurations, five crates are arranged adjacent to each other in a rectangular array such that two of them form a row lengthwise and the other three form a widthwise row.

However, one problem is that in this configuration free and uniform air circulation between the short sides (end walls) and long sides (side walls) of adjacent crates is not guaranteed according to the prior art. This is disadvantageous because during the transportation and storage of the fruit, the fruit will not be evenly temperature-controlled due to the uneven distribution of air.

Another disadvantage of known crates is that the inner surfaces of their side walls are straight, very uneven and may include sharp and/or hard objects such as corners and edges. Therefore, especially products with rounded surface parts, such as bananas, apples or oranges, may be easily damaged by these rough surfaces.

Furthermore, for quality control purposes, it may be required that the controller be able to quickly and easily reach the inside of a particular crate when the crate (not the tallest) is arranged in a stack of multiple crates. However, known crates do not offer this possibility, which means that the controller has to be partially disassembled and the stack reassembled when it is necessary to view the interior of a particular crate. This procedure is inefficient and also inconvenient, presenting a further disadvantage.

Finally, a further disadvantage associated with the known open-top crates is that, when two of these crates are stacked on top of each other, products that protrude slightly from the upper end of the lower crate (e.g. bent portion) may come into contact with the load of the upper crate, eventually causing the product to be destroyed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a crate that allows improved airflow, packaging, entry inspection, and stacking of transportable products.

Contents of the invention

According to an embodiment of the invention, the crate comprises a bottom and two corresponding pairs of opposing side walls and end walls, wherein each side wall comprises a plurality of ventilation holes in an area A extending along the horizontal direction of the side walls , and each end wall includes a grip hole. Here, area _A is a distance dA from a corner of the crate, where the distance dA is equal to the distance _dGH of the grip hole from the same corner of the _crate . Furthermore, the height h _A of the area A is substantially equal to the height h _GH of the grip holes, ie these heights at least partially have the same overlap in the height direction.

This ensures an air path for optimal air flow between adjacent crates, for example arranged in five longitudinal configurations. As a result, through this ventilation path, a fast and especially uniform airflow can be achieved, resulting in a constant temperature control to guarantee fruit quality.

According to an embodiment, the plurality of vent holes may include a pair of vent holes having a combined shape similar to the grip holes. Multiple vent holes may be spaced apart by a distance smaller than the size of the grip holes. A vent hole of the plurality of vent holes may include a horizontal dimension that is smaller than the grip hole dimension. The side walls and end walls may be configured to be collapsible relative to the base so that in the collapsed state the residual volume of the crate is minimized. The bottom may include two pairs of vents, wherein each vent of the first pair has a width equal to or greater than 40mm and a length equal to or greater than 126mm, and wherein each vent of the second pair has a width equal to or greater than A width of 40mm and a length equal to or greater than 25mm. Each of the plurality of vent holes may have a width equal to or greater than 20 mm and a length equal to or greater than 24 mm. Each grip hole may have a width equal to or greater than 30 mm and a length equal to or greater than 100 mm.

An embodiment of the invention relates to an arrangement of two crates according to embodiments of the invention, wherein the crates are arranged such that an end wall of a first crate is adjacent to a side wall of a second crate, wherein the first crate The boxes are configured to be aligned along a first longitudinal axis parallel to the side walls of the first crate, and wherein the second crate is configured to be aligned along a second longitudinal axis parallel to the side walls of the second crate. Alignment, the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are perpendicular to each other, wherein the side wall of the first crate and the end wall of the second crate are aligned so that the first crate grip hole is aligned with the second crate At least a portion of at least one of the plurality of vent holes of the crate overlaps to provide a vent path between the first crate and the second crate. Multiple crates may be configured in five longitudinal configurations to provide ventilation paths between adjacent crates.

According to yet another embodiment, each side wall comprises a smooth inner surface shaped in the form of a protrusion towards the outside of the crate, providing for accommodating products with rounded surface portions and avoiding product damage of the inner surface. The side walls and end walls may comprise stiffening members provided only on the respective outer surfaces of the side walls and end walls. The side walls and end walls may be made of plastic, providing a smooth inner surface (810). The smooth inner surface of convex shape may have a transverse dimension of curvature less than the largest transverse dimension of the sidewall, wherein the inner surface is raised substantially only in the region of the sidewall wherein the non-continuous stiffening members extending in the vertical direction of the sidewall is interrupted, and wherein the region is the central region.

According to another embodiment, at least one end wall comprises a thinned portion, wherein said thinned portion is adapted to allow a user to cut the end wall to provide an inspection opening. The thinned portion of the end wall may be a groove surrounding a predefined area of the end wall, wherein the groove comprises a thickness greater than half the thickness of the end wall. The end wall (130) may further include a plurality of holes arranged along the groove, each hole having a diameter larger than the width of the groove. When the thinned portion is cut by a user, the thinned portion may be configured to provide an openable portion hingedly attached to the end wall, wherein the predefined area is substantially rectangular, and wherein the groove is aligned with at least three of the predefined areas. adjacent to the side. The predefined area may be larger than one third of the area of the end wall. The end wall (130) can be made of plastic. An arrangement of multiple crates according to an embodiment of the invention may have a plurality of crates arranged adjacent to each other such that at least one end wall comprising a thinned portion is accessible to a user.

According to yet another embodiment, the bottom is arched towards the interior of the crate so as to provide a space S between the lower surface of the bottom and a plane P defined by the lower end of the crate. Essentially, this allows two crates to be stacked on top of each other without crushing or damaging the products protruding into the space S from the lower crate. The bottom may be arched in the direction of the crate end walls or in the direction of the crate side walls. The bottom can be undulating in the boundary region of the side wall in the direction of the side wall, a first part of the undulating bottom can be at the level of the plane and a second part of the undulating part can be at most at the level of the lower end of the upper part. The bottom may include upper and lower portions that are recessed relative to an outer point of the wall, and may be recessed by a distance equal to the thickness of the wall, thereby allowing the lower portion to engage the top opening of another crate. The lower portion may have an area defined by the outer perimeter of the lower portion, and the upper portion may have an area defined by the outer perimeter of the upper portion, and the side walls and end walls may include inner and outer surfaces, wherein the inner area may be formed at the upper end of the crate by defined by an inner surface, and wherein the outer region may be bounded by the outer surface at the upper end of the crate, wherein the region defined by the outer perimeter of the lower portion may be approximately equal to the area defined by the outer perimeter of the upper portion, and the inner region may approximately equal to the outer region. Embodiments define a stack of two crates according to the invention, wherein the first crate and the second crate are configured to provide an interior area defined by the inner surface at the upper end of the first crate and defined by the second crate. An area defined by the outer perimeter of the lower portion of the crate, wherein the two areas are equal so as to prevent the first crate from colliding with the second crate when the second crate is stacked on top of the first crate. movement between. The bottom of the second crate may include a plurality of vents configured to provide a ventilation path between the first crate and the second crate.

Description of drawings

Below, the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a crate embodiment;

Figure 2 shows a top view of the embodiment of the crate according to Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a side view of a side wall of the crate embodiment according to Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a side view of the end wall of the crate embodiment according to Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows an internal side view of the end and side walls of the crate embodiment according to Figure 1, unfolded at a corner of the crate;

Figure 6 illustrates the dimensions of a plurality of vent holes and grip holes according to yet another embodiment of the crate;

Figures 7a, 7b show perspective views of the arrangement of the multiple crate embodiments of Figures 1-5 in partial five longitudinal configurations;

Figure 7c shows a side view of the end wall of the crate arranged according to Figures 7a, 7b;

Figure 7d shows a side view of the side walls of the crate arranged according to Figures 7a, 7b;

Figure 7e shows a top view of a crate arranged according to Figures 7a, 7b;

Figures 8a, 8b show perspective views of a multiple crate embodiment of the embodiment of Figure 6 in a partial five longitudinal configuration;

Figure 8c shows a side view of the end wall of the crate arranged according to Figures 8a, 8b;

Figure 8d shows a side view of the side walls of the crate arranged according to Figures 8a, 8b;

Figure 8e shows a top view of a crate arranged according to Figures 8a, 8b;

Figure 9 shows a detailed top view of a side wall of yet another embodiment of a crate having a smooth inner surface with a convex shape;

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a crate with an openable portion;

Figure 11a shows a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a crate with a domed bottom;

Fig. 11b shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the crate according to Fig. 11a;

Figures 12a, 12b show details of the bottom of an embodiment of the crate according to Figures 11a, 11b;

Figure 13a shows a partial side view of an embodiment of two crate stacks stacked on top of each other; and

Fig. 13b shows a partial side view of yet another embodiment of the stack according to Fig. 13a with a space (S) between two crates.

Detailed ways

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a crate 100 of one embodiment. The crate 100 includes a bottom 110 and two corresponding pairs of opposing side walls 120 and end walls 130 . Referring to FIG. 1 , the side wall 120 has a greater extension than the end wall 130 . The side walls 120 and the end walls 130 are foldable relative to the bottom 110 . In particular, as shown in FIG. 1 , side walls 120 and end walls 130 are attached to bottom 110 so that they can be folded onto the bottom in the direction of the arrows. In the collapsed state, the remaining volume of the crate 100 is at a minimum. This is advantageous in that the crate 100 occupies only a low height in the collapsed state. Thus, a large number of empty crates can be stacked onto pallets for transport.

In some embodiments, the crate 100 is made of plastic to provide low weight and high stability for storage and/or shipping applications.

As shown in FIG. 1 , each side wall 120 includes a plurality of vent holes 125 , while each end wall 130 includes a grip hole 135 . Essentially, the plurality of ventilation holes 125 are located in the area A extending along the horizontal direction 101 of the side wall 120 . Here, the horizontal direction is defined as the direction along the longer side of the corresponding side wall. Furthermore, in essence, area A is defined as the area surrounded by two continuous stiffening members 121, 122 near the upper end of the crate 100, wherein the plurality of non-continuous stiffening members 123 is uninterrupted. It can also be seen in FIG. 1 that the side walls 120 and the end walls 130 may be fastened to each other by the use of fasteners 140 when the crate 100 is in its unfolded state.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the embodiment of the crate 100 according to FIG. 1 . In particular, the base 110 may include two pairs of vents 210 , 220 symmetrically arranged along a central longitudinal axis 201 with respect to an axis 205 parallel to the end wall 130 . Specifically, each vent in the first pair of vents 210 has a width 212 equal to or greater than 40 mm and a length 214 equal to or greater than 126 mm, while each vent in the second pair of vents 220 has a width 212 equal to or greater than 40 mm. A width 222 and a length 224 equal to or greater than 25mm. Here, the width is defined as the dimension parallel to the end wall 130 , and the length is defined as the dimension parallel to the side wall 120 . The two pairs of vents 210 , 220 should be sized such that they are large enough to provide proper ventilation through the bottom 110 . However, the vents cannot be chosen to be so large that specific products will fall out of the crate 100 . As can already be seen in Fig. 2, the inner surface 121 of the side wall 120 is configured to bend towards the outside of the crate 100, which will be described in detail later.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the side wall 120 of the embodiment of the crate 100 according to FIG. 1 . In FIG. 3 , a plurality of vent holes 125 can be clearly seen. In particular, plurality of vents 125 may include a pair of vents 310 . Together, these vent holes may have a combined shape similar to that of the grip holes 135 (cf. FIG. 1 ). This is advantageous because, for example, when two crates are arranged in five longitudinal configurations, optimal overlap of the pair of vent holes 310 and grip holes 135 can be achieved by accommodating the combined shape. Referring to FIG. 3 , each of the plurality of vent holes 125 may have a width 312 equal to or greater than 20 mm and a length 314 equal to or greater than 24 mm. Here, the width is defined as the dimension along the vertical direction 301 of the sidewall 120 , and the length is defined as the dimension along the horizontal direction 101 of the sidewall 120 . Furthermore, it is clearly seen in FIG. 3 that the continuous stiffening members 121 , 122 and the plurality of discontinuous stiffening members 123 extend along the vertical direction 101 of the side wall 120 .

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the end wall 130 of the crate 100 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 . As can be seen in FIG. 4 , the grip hole 135 is centered relative to the two edges 131 , 132 of the crate 100 . The grip holes 135 are also recessed relative to the upper end of the crate 100 by a distance 133 of about 30 mm. In particular, by connecting the grip holes 135 to the thickened upper frame portion 134 of the end wall 130 , a secure grip may be provided for transporting the loaded crate 100 . Referring to FIG. 4 , the grip hole 135 may have a width 137 equal to or greater than 30 mm and a length 139 equal to or greater than 100 mm. Here, the width is defined as the dimension along the vertical direction 402 of the end wall 130 , while the length is defined as the dimension along the horizontal direction 401 of the end wall 130 . It can also be seen that the grip aperture 135 tapers from a maximum horizontal extent at an upper point 136 to a minimum horizontal extent at a lower point 138 to provide an ergonomic grip. Fastener 140 is also clearly visible in FIG. 4 . A fastener 140 may be attached to the end wall 130 whereby the fastener is engageable with the recess 128 provided in the portion 126 of the side wall 120 . In this case, the fastening mechanism can work in such a way that the displacement element 142 of the fastening element 140 can be displaced counter to the force of the spring element. Additionally, as already indicated in FIG. 4 , the end wall 130 may include a thinned portion 410 substantially surrounding a central portion of the end wall 130 including a portion of the grip hole 135 . The purpose and more details about the thinned portion 410 will be described later. A further characterizing feature of the end wall 130 is that a plurality of stiffening members 420 may be provided close to the border region of the end wall 130 . This increases the ability to support the fastening mechanism described above.

Arrangement of ventilation holes (first aspect)

The first aspect of the invention addresses the disadvantages of the five longitudinal configurations, eg the inability to provide a uniform air flow between adjacent crates according to the prior art.

FIG. 5 shows a view from the inside of the end wall 120 and side wall 130 of the crate 100 unfolded at the same corner 505 of the crate 100 . Alternatively, FIG. 5 may also show the end wall 512 of the first crate 510 adjacent to the side wall 522 of the second crate 520 where the first crate 510 meets the second crate 520 at the corner 505. alignment. As shown, the side wall 120 of the crate 100 , or alternatively, the side wall 522 of the second crate 520 includes a plurality of vent holes 125 in region A. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 5 , area A is indicated by dashed line 501 . In some embodiments, region A is a distance d _A from corner 505 and has a height h _A . Additionally, the end wall 130 , or alternatively, the end wall 512 of the first crate 510 includes a grip hole 135 . In some embodiments, the grip hole 135 is a distance d _GH from the same corner 505 and has a height h _GH . It can be seen in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 that the distance d _A is approximately equal to the distance d _GH and the height h _A is approximately equal to the height h _GH . Thus, especially in the five longitudinal configurations (see FIGS. 7 a , 7 b , 8 a , 8 b ), it is possible to achieve a combination of a grip hole 135 of the first crate 510 and at least one ventilation opening of the second crate 520 ( For example, at least part of the ventilation holes 515 ) overlap, and thus, a ventilation path between the two crates 510 , 520 will be obtained.

FIG. 6 illustrates the dimensions of the plurality of vent holes 615 and the grip holes 135 according to another embodiment of the crate 100 . The plurality of vent holes 615 shown in FIG. 6 may correspond to the plurality of vent holes 125 shown in FIG. 3 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 , the plurality of vent holes 615 are spaced apart by a distance s _VH along the horizontal direction 101 of the sidewall 120 . Additionally, each vent hole may have the same extent and may be rectangular. As shown in FIG. 4 , such a distance s _VH may be chosen such that it is smaller than the dimension l _GH of the grip hole 135 , where the dimension l _GH may correspond to the maximum horizontal extent 139 . In addition, the horizontal dimension l _VH of the vent hole can be selected to be smaller than the dimension _lGH of the grip hole 135 . The vertical dimension of the vent hole along the vertical direction 301 may also be smaller than the vertical extension of the grip hole 135 . Thus, typically, the plurality of vent holes 615 are configured with a smaller characteristic size than the grip hole 135 so that at least one vent hole 515 overlapping the grip hole 135 can be provided, for example in the case of five longitudinal configurations.

Figures 7a, 7b show perspective views of an arrangement 700 of a plurality of crates of the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 in some of the five longitudinal configurations. In this context, "partial" means that only three of the five longitudinal configurations are shown, rather than five crates 100 . Referring to FIGS. 7 a , 7 b , two particular crates 510 , 520 are arranged such that the end wall 512 of the first crate 510 is adjacent to the side wall 522 of the second crate 520 . Here, the first crate 510 is aligned along the first longitudinal axis 701 while at the same time the second crate 520 is aligned along the second longitudinal axis 702 . As can be seen in Figures 7a, 7b, the first longitudinal axis 701 and the second longitudinal axis 702 are perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, in the five longitudinal configurations, the side walls 720 of the first crate 510 (which may correspond to the side walls 120 of FIG. 3 ) and the end walls 730 of the second crate 520 (which may correspond to the The end wall 130) is aligned flush. Accordingly, at least partial overlap of the grip aperture 125 of the first crate 510 with at least one of the plurality of vent apertures 125 of the second crate 520 may be provided. The thus obtained ventilation path 710 shows the ventilation path of the air flow, indicated by the black arrows, ensuring proper ventilation of the respective interiors of the crates 510 , 520 .

Figures 7c, 7d and 7e show different views of the end wall 512, the side wall 522 and the crate 510, respectively. In particular, in the embodiment shown, further differently configured ventilation areas 705; 706; 709 may be provided in the lower part of the crate 510, ultimately resulting in better ventilation performance.

Figures 8a, 8b show perspective views of an arrangement 700 of a plurality of crates of the embodiment described with reference to Figure 6 in some of the five longitudinal configurations. In this context, "partial" means that only three of the five longitudinal configurations are shown, rather than five crates 100 . Referring to FIGS. 8 a and 8 b , two particular crates 510 , 520 are arranged such that the end wall 512 of the first crate 510 is adjacent to the side wall 522 of the second crate 520 . Here, the first crate 510 is aligned along a first longitudinal axis 751 while at the same time the second crate 520 is aligned along a second longitudinal axis 752 . As can be seen in Figures 8a, 8b, the first longitudinal axis 751 and the second longitudinal axis 752 are perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, in this partial five longitudinal configuration, the side walls 770 of the first crate 510 and the end walls 780 of the second crate 520 are aligned flush. Correspondingly, at least partial overlap of the grip aperture 135 of the first crate 510 with at least one vent aperture 515 of the plurality of vent apertures 615 of the second crate 520 may be provided, wherein the overlapping region 765 is indicated by a black marking. The thus obtained ventilation paths 760 indicated by the arrows show the ventilation paths of the air flow, ensuring proper ventilation of the respective interiors of the crates 510 , 520 .

Figures 8c, 8d and 8e show different views of the end wall 512, the side wall 522 and the crate 510, respectively. Specifically, in the embodiment shown, additional differently configured ventilation regions 755; 756; 759 may be provided in the lower portion of the crate 510 and/or near the corners of said crate (region 757), ultimately resulting in better ventilation performance.

The inner surface of the crate (second aspect)

The second aspect of the invention addresses another disadvantage, wherein the inner surfaces of the side walls of the known crates are straight and unavoidable to have sharp and/or hard objects.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of side wall 120 of crate 100 in more detail. In FIG. 9 it can be seen that the side wall 120 comprises stiffening members 815 with stiffening members 121 , 122 , which are also shown in FIG. 1 . The side wall 120 may include a smooth inner surface 810 shaped in a convex form towards the outside of the crate 100 . In addition, the stiffening member 815 may be provided only on the outer surface of the side wall 120 . In order to provide a smooth inner surface 810, the crate 100, or at least the side walls 120, can be made of plastic. As can be seen in FIG. 9 , the smooth inner surface 810 in convex form has a laterally curved dimension l _c that is smaller than the maximum lateral dimension d _SW of the side wall 120 . Here, a lateral dimension is defined as a dimension along a transverse direction 801 perpendicular to the sidewall 120 . The inner surface 810 is curved substantially only in the region B of the side wall 120 . Referring to FIG. 3 , this region B is defined as the region in which the discontinuous stiffening members 123 extending in the vertical direction 301 are interrupted. Region B is thus a central region that is not near the corners 805 of the crate 100 and that is substantially bounded by the continuous stiffening members 121 , 122 . An advantage of using a raised form of the inner surface 810 is that, on the one hand, the crate 100 will be particularly suitable for containing products having rounded surface portions. On the other hand, because the inner surface 810 can be formed very smooth, ie without sharp edges and corners, the risk of damaging or crushing the transportable product during transport of the product can be minimized.

Fast access to the interior of the crate (third aspect)

A third aspect of the present invention addresses another disadvantage related to the inability to quickly and easily reach the interior of a particular crate when it is stacked, for example, in a row to a pallet.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a crate 100 having an openable portion. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the end wall 130 includes a thinned portion 910, which may correspond to the thinned portion 410 shown in FIG. 4, wherein the thinned portion 910 may be configured as a groove. This groove 910 is made in the end wall 130 and surrounds at least three sides of the predefined area 905 . As can be seen in the Figure 10 embodiment, the predefined area 905 is substantially rectangular. The enlarged view shows that the groove 910 includes a thickness l _GR in a direction perpendicular to the end wall 130 , which is greater than half the thickness l _EW of the end wall 130 . This feature of groove 910 allows easy cutting therein. Furthermore, along the groove 910 , a plurality of holes 915 may be arranged, wherein each hole may have a diameter 917 that is larger than the width 912 of the groove 910 . Typically, the width 912 may be equal to or greater than 6 mm (see also FIG. 4 ). The holes 915 are therefore sized such that a knife can easily be introduced into these holes and then cut along the groove 910, wherein the knife is normally used by the controller. By cutting the groove 910 an openable portion 920 may be provided which is substantially attached to the end wall 130 . The openable portion 920 can be expanded as indicated by the arrow. The purpose of providing this openable portion is to allow a user to see inside the crate 100 to inspect the product contained therein. For example, it is possible to check whether the fruit being carried, such as bananas, has reached a certain level of ripeness. Again, the end wall 130 can be made of plastic so that normal knives can be used by the controller. The embodiment of FIG. 10 also shows that the predefined area 905 may be larger than one third of the area of the end wall 130 in order to provide a sufficiently large inspection opening. When two or more crates 100 are stacked adjacent to each other (such as the five longitudinal configurations shown specifically in FIGS. The recess 910 of at least one end wall 130 is accessible.

Vaulted Crate Bottom (Fourth Aspect)

A fourth aspect of the present invention addresses yet another disadvantage that when an upper crate is stacked on top of a lower crate, products protruding from the lower crate may be damaged by the load of the upper crate.

FIGS. 11 a , 11 b show perspective views of other embodiments of the crate 100 , wherein in particular the bottom 110 is an arched shape curved towards the inside of the crate 100 . The bottom 110 may be curved in the direction 1001 of the end wall 130 (see FIG. 11 a ), or in the direction 1002 of the side wall 120 (see FIG. 11 b ). As can be clearly seen in FIGS. 11 a , 11 b , both designs provide an additional space S between the lower surface of the bottom 110 and the plane P . Here, the planes P are respectively defined by the lower ends of the crates 100 .

Figures 12a, 12b show details of the bottom 110 of other embodiments of the crate 100 according to Figures 11a, 11b. In particular, Fig. 12a is a partial cross-sectional view along line L1 _- L1 of _Fig . 11a, and 12b is a partial cross _- sectional view along line L2 _- L2 of Fig. 11a. In FIGS. 12 a and 12 b , the bottom 110 includes an upper portion 1110 and a lower portion 1120 , wherein the lower portion 1120 may be recessed relative to an outer point 1101 of the wall of the crate 100 . As can be clearly seen in the cross-section of FIG. 12 a , the lower part 1120 of the bottom 110 can be bent upwards in direction 1101 in order to obtain a protrusion 1125 . The resulting additional space S is shown in Figure 12a as a cross-sectional area increasing to the right.

The partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 12 b shows that the bottom 110 may have an undulating shape in the direction 1002 near the sidewall 120 . Note that L2 - L2 is intercepted at the boundary region of the crate 100 as shown in FIG. 11 a. In particular, the undulating shape of the bottom 110 is such that the protrusions 1125 are arranged in the direction 1002, ie along the end wall 120, which makes the bottom 110 very rigid.

In other embodiments, the curvature of the protrusions 1125 may also become progressively more pronounced in direction 1001 (ie, in a direction closer to the sidewall 120 ) starting from the central longitudinal axis of the crate 100 .

In other embodiments, the first part of the undulating bottom 110 is at the height of the plane P, and the second part of the undulating bottom 110 is at most at the height of the lower end of the upper part 1110, which corresponds to the maximum extent of the undulating shape.

Figures 13a, 13b show side views of other embodiments where, for example, two crates 1210, 1220 are stacked on top of each other. In both embodiments shown in Figures 12 and 13, the recess distance _dR can be chosen such that it is equal to the thickness _lW of the wall. In this way, engagement of the lower portion 1120 of the second crate 1220 with the top opening of the first crate 1210 can be achieved, thereby preventing lateral movement in direction 1201 as shown in FIG. 13a.

In other embodiments, the lower portion 1120 has an area A _LP defined by the outer perimeter of the lower portion 1120 , and the upper portion 1110 has an area A _UP bounded by the outer perimeter of the upper portion 1110 . Furthermore, the inner area A _IS may be defined at the upper end of the crate 100 by the inner surface of the wall, while the outer area A _OS may be defined at the upper end of the crate 100 by the outer surface of the wall. In particular, area A _LP is approximately equal to area A _IS , and area A _UP is approximately equal to area A _OS .

In a further embodiment, the interior area A _IS,1 defined by the inner surface at the upper end of the first crate 1210 may be equal to the area A _LP,2 defined by the outer perimeter of the lower portion of the second crate 1220 , so that the first crate 1210 and the second crate 1220 are accurately stacked together when the second crate 1220 is stacked on top of the first crate 1210 .

In other embodiments, the bottom 110 of the second crate 1220 may further include a plurality of vents to provide a ventilation path between the first crate 1210 and the second crate 1220 .

Referring to Figure 13b, the advantage of providing the extra space S is essentially that when two or more crates are stacked on top of each other in a row onto a pallet, it is effectively prevented from extending beyond the row The product 1205 at the upper end of the lower crate 1210 in the column (eg the curved portion of the protruding plane P of the banana) is crushed by the heavy load of the upper crate 1220 in the column.

In summary, embodiments of the present invention provide a crate, such as a banana crate, in which the vent holes of the crate are designed when the crates are stacked such that two crates are arranged as one end wall of the crate Adjacent to the side walls of another crate (eg, five longitudinal configurations) allows for proper ventilation inside the crate. Specifically, by providing ventilation paths, uniform air distribution can be achieved with this design, thereby achieving constant temperature control to ensure fruit quality.

Here, the ventilation holes in the side walls are arranged such that at least one ventilation hole is provided in said side walls at a distance from each corner, wherein this distance is equal to the distance of the grip holes in the end walls from the same corner, so that Where multiple crates are stacked as described above, it is ensured that the grip hole overlaps at least part of the at least one vent hole. According to other embodiments, pairs of vent holes may be provided, which may together have a shape similar to a grip hole. Also, equidistant vent holes may have a spacing that is smaller than the grip hole size.

Another aspect of these embodiments is a smooth inner surface, wherein the smooth inner surface is shaped in a convex form towards the outside, and thus, by providing a convex or curved inner surface, products with rounded surfaces ( Bananas, for example) are easier to accommodate at the sides of the crate. This applies to both side walls and end walls. According to other embodiments, stiffening members such as ribs etc. are only provided on the outside of the crate.

Yet another feature of these embodiments is the provision of a thinned portion in the end wall that allows it to be cut to provide an opening that allows the user of the crate to view the interior of the crate, which is useful for complete batches. Crates are important to determine whether the product (such as bananas) inside the crate has reached the desired level of ripeness.

The fourth feature concerns the arched bottom. This does not have any direct effect on the product inside the crate, but rather on stacking multiple crates on top of each other. This allows for additional space below the crate to avoid damage to products that protrude slightly from the upper end of the lower crate. The arched and wavy bottom allows to accommodate this product which protrudes slightly under the crate.

The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the principle of the present invention. It is understood that modifications and variations in the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is the intention to limit the invention only by the scope of the patent claims and not by the specific details presented by way of description and illustration of the embodiments herein.

Claims (6)

1. a collapsible crate (100), comprising:

The opposing sidewalls (120) of bottom (110) and two corresponding pairs and end wall (130), described sidewall (120) has the ductility larger than described end wall (130), wherein said sidewall (120) and described end wall (130) can fold independently relative to described bottom (110), it is characterized in that

At least one end wall (130) comprises groove (410; 910), wherein said groove (410; 910) be suitable for allowing user to cut described end wall (130) to provide inspection opening;

Wherein, described groove (910) is around the predefined region (905) of described end wall (130), and wherein said groove (910) comprises the thickness (l than described end wall (130) _eW) a medium-sized thickness (l _gR).

2. crate according to claim 1, wherein, described end wall (130) also comprises the multiple holes (915) arranged along described groove (910), and each Kong Jun has the diameter (917) larger than the width (912) of described groove (910).

3. crate according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described groove (410; 910) described groove (410 is formed at; 910) the hinged openable portion being attached to described end wall (130) is provided to divide (920) when being cut by user, wherein said predefined region (905) is rectangle substantially, and wherein said groove (910) is adjacent with at least three sides of described predefined region (905).

4. crate according to claim 1, wherein, described predefined region (905) is greater than 1/3rd of the region of described end wall (130).

5. crate according to claim 1, wherein, described end wall (130) is made of plastics.

6. many one according to the crate described in claim 1-5 are arranged, wherein, multiple crate is arranged adjacent to each other, so that user can close to comprise described groove (410; 910) at least one end wall (130).