DE19601689A1 - Plastic container with base part and side walls - Google Patents

Abstract

Third and fourth sides (3,4) are articulatedly fixed to the first and second side walls (1,2). The first and second side walls are arranged on opposite sides of the plastic container. The third and fourth sides may also be articulatedly fixed to the first side wall. Fixture devices are provided for releasable fixture of the third side wall to the second side wall and the fourth side wall to the second side wall. These fixture devices are arranged in an upper edge area of the side walls. The first side wall is pivotable around a first rotary axis (7) in relation to the base part (5) and the second side wall around a second rotary axis (9) in relation to the base part.

Description

The invention relates to a plastic container ter according to the preamble of claim 1.

Plastic containers of this type are included Game known from EP-A-236652 and WO 93/13991. You point a bottom part and foldable side walls. The Side walls can be brought into a use position in which they are vertical and together with the Bottom an essentially rectangular, open at the top or form a closed box with a lid. Other On the one hand, the side walls can go down into a warehouse position are brought, whereby z. B. for storage or the total volume for transporting the empty container can be greatly reduced.

However, it turns out that such containers in are usually difficult to use by one person and also have little stability.

It is therefore the task of one Provide containers that are easier to use and is nevertheless stable without its construction being excessive gets complicated.

This task is the subject of the contractor spell 1 solved.

By putting a first and a second of the pages walls on the floor and the third and fourth side walls are attached to the first or second side wall, ver simplifies the erection of the container, because with the Folding up the first and second side walls also the third and fourth already in the vertical position be brought, and then by opening the third and fourth sidewall he a stable configuration is enough. Nevertheless, the side walls need a total only four joints, making the container inexpensive and is robust.  

An arrangement in which which is the third and fourth sidewall on the first are articulated, while the second side wall by the ex side walls is separated. With such an arrangement The container can be conveniently opened from the side of the second Sidewall erected or folded.

The bottom part can be with side support walls be provided, at least one outer stop form for the first and second side walls, whereby the Setting up is further simplified. Is particularly stable an arrangement in which the retaining walls in the corner edges are interconnected. When stored, the Retaining walls form the top edge of the container, whereby this top edge is preferably substantially the same Has shape and size like those in the utility tion is formed by the side walls. So shaped Container is both in the storage, as well as in the Ge use position stackable and / or with the same Cover can be covered.

The container according to the invention is suitable especially as a pallet box, d. H. as a box with or without lid, the bottom of which is designed as a pallet.

Other preferred designs and applications Applications result from the description and the an sayings. The following is a preferred embodiment example of the invention described with reference to the figures. Show:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in the position of use,

Fig. 2 shows the container according to Fig. 1, wherein ver covered lines are indicated by dashed lines,

Fig. 3-6 the container of FIG. 1 in different positions when folded, and

Fig. 7 shows the container of FIG. 1 in its storage position.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of the plastic container according to the invention in the form of a pallet box. The container comprises four side walls 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and a bottom part 5th It has a rectangular shape. If desired, it can be covered with a cover (not shown). It is made of plastic, but individual small parts can also be made of a different material.

Each of the four side walls 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 consists of an essentially rectangular, rigid plate. The first side wall 1 , hereinafter called the rear side wall, is articulated on the base part 5 with a hinge 6 with a horizontal pivot axis 7 . Likewise, the second side wall 2 , in the following called the front side wall, is connected to the base part 5 via a hinge 8 with a horizontal pivot axis 9 . The front and rear side wall 2 and 1 are in the use position shown in Fig. 1 Ge vertical and parallel to each other. The third side wall 3 , in the following called the left side wall, is attached via a hinge 10 with a vertical pivot axis 11 to the rear side wall 1 . The fourth side wall 4 , in the following called the right side wall, is finally also attached via a hinge 12 with a vertical pivot axis 13 to the rear side wall. The left and right side walls are vertical in the use position shown in FIG. 1, are parallel to each other and are at right angles to the front and rear side walls 2 and 1, respectively.

The base part 1 comprises a (not visible) horizontal base plate, four supporting walls 15 and a lower part 18 designed as a pallet. The support walls 15 are four rectangular, vertical plates which extend along the outer edges of the bottom part 1 and are connected to one another in the corner edges 19 .

The hinge joints 6 and 8 of the rear and front side walls 1 and 3 are fastened to the corresponding rear and front support walls 15 .

In the upper region of the side walls 2-4 , two closures 21 and 22 are attached. With these connections, the front side wall can be releasably connected to the left side wall 3 and the right side wall 4 .

In the use position shown in Fig. 1 and 2, the side walls are vertical as mentioned. Since the lower areas of the side walls lie on the inner sides of the support walls 15 . In this way, the retaining walls can absorb outward forces. The lateral outer surfaces of the container, which are formed by the side walls 1-4 and the support walls 15 , who are substantially flat. In particular, the support walls 15 merge into the side walls 1-4 without a step.

If the container is to be stored or transported in an empty state, it can be brought into the storage position according to FIG. 7. Figs. 3-6 illustrate the steps required for this purpose.

As shown in FIG. 3, the front side wall 2 can be folded down around its hinge 8 ( FIG. 2) after the closures 21 , 22 have been released. The height of the corresponding tilt axis 9 is selected so that the folded-down front side wall lies flat on the bottom of the floor area 1 .

Then, as illustrated in FIGS . 4 and 5, the two side walls 3 and 4 are folded about their vertical axes of rotation 11 and 13 against the rear side wall. Finally, the rear side wall 1 is folded down together with the side walls 3 and 4 about the axis 7 . The axis 7 is arranged so that the side wall 4 comes to lie flat on the front side wall 2 .

The fully folded container in its storage position is shown in Fig. 7. As can be seen from this figure, the height of the support walls is dimensioned so that the upper edges 30 now form the upper edge of the entire container. A comparison with the container in its use position according to FIG. 1 shows that the container top edge formed by the upper edges 30 of the side walls 15 has the same shape and size as the container top edge 31 formed by the side walls 1-4 in FIG. 1. Since the top of the container and the storage and use position are constructed the same way and are only vertically offset, a lid adapted to the container can be placed in both positions.

As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 1 and 7, the bottom part 1 has step-shaped recesses 32 on its underside. These are dimensioned so that the container is stackable, the Ausfor regulations 32 laterally non-slip engage in the upper edges 30 and 31 of the lower container. Such stacking is possible both in the use position and in the storage position of the container.

In the position of use, each side is wall with an edge 35 (see. Fig. 3-5) on the upper edge 30 of the respective support wall, so that the forces are transferred directly over these edges and not through the joints 6 and 8 when stacking .

The embodiment of the Er shown here finding forms an easy-to-use, robust pallet tenbox. There are only four joints or coulters in total kidney needed, two of which are arranged vertically can, which is advantageous for structural reasons.

The two closures 22 are arranged on the same side and the manipulation necessary for installation or folding can be carried out conveniently from this side.

In the present example, the side walls 3 and 4 are both attached to the same side wall 1 . It is also conceivable, e.g. B. the side wall 3 on the side wall 4 and the side wall 2 to the side wall 1 NEN. In principle, two adjacent side walls can also be attached to the bottom part.

As mentioned, the container is essentially made of plastic. Suitable manufacturers lungsverfahren such. B. injection molding, extrusion blow molding, Twin-sheet technology etc. are known to the person skilled in the art.

Claims (17)

1. Plastic container with a bottom part ( 5 ) and side walls ( 1-4 ), the side walls being foldable from a use position into a reduced-volume storage position, characterized in that a first and a second side wall ( 1 and 2 ) are articulated on the bottom part ( 5 ) are fixed and that a third and a fourth side wall ( 3 and 4 ) are articulated to the first or to the second side wall ( 1 and 2 ). 2. Plastic container according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and the second side wall ( 1 and 2 ) are arranged on opposite sides of the plastic container. 3. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the third and fourth side walls ( 3 and 4 ) are articulated to the first side wall ( 1 ). 4. Plastic container according to claim 3, characterized by fastening means ( 21 , 22 ) for releasable fastening of the third side wall ( 3 ) on the two th side wall ( 2 ) and the fourth side wall ( 4 ) on the second side wall ( 2 ). 5. Plastic container according to claim 4, characterized in that the fastening means ( 21 , 22 ) are net angeord in an upper edge region of the side walls. 6. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first side wall ( 1 ) about a first axis of rotation ( 7 ) against the bottom part ( 5 ) and the second side wall ( 2 ) about a second axis of rotation ( 9 ) opposite Bottom part ( 5 ) is pivotable, the first and second axes of rotation ( 7 and 9 ) running parallel to the bottom part but being arranged at different heights, such that the first and second side walls ( 1 and 2 ) in the storage position parallel to one another come to rest. 7. Plastic container according to one of claims 3-5 and claim 6, characterized in that the second axis of rotation ( 9 ) is lower than the first, such that in the storage position, the second side wall ( 2 ) below the first ( 1 ) comes to lie. 8. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the third and fourth side wall ( 3 and 4 ) are articulated in an edge region of the plastic container on the first and second side wall ( 1 and 2 ). 9. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom part ( 5 ) has lateral support walls ( 15 ), the first and second side walls ( 1 and 2 ) in the Ge use position from the inside against the support walls and can be folded inwards against the base part ( 5 ) into the storage position. 10. Plastic container according to claim 9, characterized in that the first and the second side wall ( 1 and 2 ) are articulated to the support walls ( 15 ). 11. Plastic container according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the side walls ( 1-4 ) are shaped such that they form an extension of the support walls ( 15 ) in the use position and the outer surfaces of the support walls ( 15 ) are continued essentially continuously in the outer surfaces of the side walls ( 1-4 ). 12. Plastic container according to one of claims 9-11, characterized in that in the storage position, the support walls ( 15 ) form the upper edges ( 30 ) of the plastic container and that in the use position, the side walls ( 1-4 ) the upper edges ( 31 ) form the plastic container, the upper edges ( 31 ) formed by the side walls lying vertically above the upper edges ( 30 ) formed by the support walls and having substantially the same shape and size. 13. Plastic container according to claim 12, characterized in that the bottom region ( 5 ) is formed for since non-slip stacking on the upper edges of a next lower, identical plastic container, such that the plastic container is stackable in both the use and the storage position . 14. Plastic container according to one of claims 9-13, characterized in that four support walls ( 15 ) are provided, each support wall ( 15 ) extending along a side edge of the bottom region ( 5 ) and the support walls in the corner edges ( 19 ) of the floor area are interconnected. 15. Plastic container according to one of claims 9-14, characterized in that the side walls ( 1-4 ) have paragraphs ( 35 ) which are in the use position for absorbing vertical forces on the support walls ( 15 ). 16. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bottom region ( 5 ) on its underside ( 18 ) is shaped as a pallet. 17. Plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each side wall ( 1-4 ) forms a rigid, substantially rectangular plate.