EP0934213B1 - Pallet container - Google Patents

Abstract

A cage for receiving a plastic container in the overall arrangement of a pallet-type container, having a shallow tray (3) 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 (28) of the tray (3), is constructed such that, on its bottom border, the grid casing has a web (19) which is supported on the pallet or, if the tray (3) forms the top part of the pallet (5), on a bottom part (11, 15) [sic] of the pallet and on which the tray (3) is supported by means of its border (28), and the border (28) of the tray (3), the web (19) and the pallet, or the bottom part (4) of the pallet, are connected to one another in a positively locking manner (31, 33; 35, 36).

Description

The invention relates to a basket for receiving a plastic container in the overall arrangement a pallet container for storing and / or transporting filling goods with one arranged on a pallet or forming the upper part of a pallet flat bowl as the bottom and a grid jacket connected to the edge of the bowl as the wall of the basket, the grid jacket at its lower edge a web which, on the pallet or, if the shell forms the upper part of the pallet, is supported on a lower part of the pallet.

A pallet container with a basket is known from DE 41 08 399 C1. The edge of the bowl is horizontal in this basket and then angled vertically upwards again and thus designed as a seat for the grid jacket; the grid jacket is welded or screwed to it. In the area of the curvature of the shell adjoining the horizontal fold, feet are attached to it.
As stated in the additional patent specification DE 42 06 945 C1, this pallet container is subject to a hazard which jeopardizes transport safety due to surge vibrations emanating from liquid contents and vibrations transmitted by the transport vehicle. According to DE 42 06 945 C1, to solve this problem, the shell should not be folded outwards and upwards at the edge, but pulled downwards and then folded outwards again; a double floor with hollow chambers is also provided. The grid jacket is picked up at the bevel. The feet support the shell at the edge.

All of this means a high manufacturing effort. It also complicates a strong connection between the bowl and the mesh basket; in fact it consists of only a few Screws.

A basket of the type mentioned is known from WO-A-96/19397. The jetty at the bottom of the lattice mantle of this basket is on a lower part of the pallet supported. A flat bowl forms an upper part of the pallet. This flat bowl is attached to another web at the edge, which is above that on the lower part of the Pallet-supported web is arranged.

The invention has for its object a further, convenient construction to create a pallet container. The construction is said to provide maximum strength enable minimal manufacturing effort.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

The web preferably consists of a substantially U-shaped profile which surrounds the lower ends of the bars.
With this configuration, great strength can be achieved. The ends of the bars can be welded to both legs of the U-shaped profile. The welds are only sheared and therefore less stressed than in the arrangement with tensile stress according to the prior art mentioned. Even a continuous pinning of the bars with the two legs would be possible in a relatively simple manner, ie a positive mechanical connection that is practically not subject to breakage.

The shell preferably has cutouts at the edge for the passage of the bars and is supported on the web between the bars.
In the case of the U-shaped profile, a support on its two legs is possible in this way. Basically and depending on the circumstances, the support could also be limited to the inner U-leg. The web could also be of a different type and could be attached on one side to the bars in such a way that the edge fits next to the bars.

A particularly advantageous development of the invention is that the web consists of a profile which is crimped to the edge of the shell.
The crimp on the length of the edge is much stronger than individual welds. It also requires less manufacturing effort. It also allows a plastic shell to be connected to a metal mesh jacket.

However, a combination of crimping and welding is also possible.

More specifically, the outer leg of the U-shaped profile preferably has an outward bend on which the edge of the shell lies, and the crimping is carried out following the bend and above it.
The edge of the shell preferably has an upturn which is flanged together with the edge of the profile and is positively encompassed by the edge of the profile, which is also preferably originally upturned.
These configurations are favorable both from the point of view of strength and from the point of view of manufacture.

Otherwise, the parts are preferably connected by means of bolts which engage through the edge of the shell and through the web or past it into the pallet or the lower part of the pallet.
This means that there is a continuous train connection across all parts. With a sufficient number of bolts, this connection could possibly replace the flange.
However, other connecting means would also be possible, also other screw connections, for example from below into the web.

The bolts are expediently combined with spacers which bridge the distance between the edge of the shell and the pallet or the lower part of the pallet in order to support the tensile force of the bolts and thus a firm screwing without bending the web and / or the edge of the shell to enable.
The spacers are preferably sleeves surrounding the screws. You can also have the shape of pierced blocks.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sleeves rest on the edge of the shell through which they pass, with a flange formed on them.
The flange then acts as a washer, and the sleeve can be placed together with the screw from the outside.

The shell preferably has downward expressions that, at least extend approximately to the level of the lower edge of the web.

This means that the pallet container, when the shell forms the upper part of the pallet, can be safely gripped and transported by a forklift; it stands straight on the fork with the bridge and the features.
When the basket is attached to a wooden pallet or a similar plastic pallet, the shell is supported by the features on the upper boards of the pallet. If the shell itself forms the upper part of the pallet, the lower part of the pallet has a cross-member supporting the shell.

It is proposed as particularly advantageous in combination with the web provided according to the invention that the lattice jacket consists of intersecting vertical and horizontal lattice bars and the horizontal lattice bars consist of an open profile which has two edges which are bent outwards in the same plane, and the vertical lattice bars likewise consist of such a profile or of a closed profile, which has at least one flat profile wall, and the horizontal bars with the vertical ones with the folded edges resting against one another or with the folded edges of the horizontal profile rods against the said flat profile wall of the vertical profile rods are assembled and welded to one another at the contact surfaces and / or are connected to one another by joining embossing and / or joining punching.
The web can also be easily attached to the flat, folded edges or contact surfaces of the vertical profile bars. This applies above all to its shape of the U-shaped profile, the two legs of which can then have flat contact surfaces with the lattice bars and can accordingly be welded well here.

In any case, the open profile of the horizontal profile bars should merge into two parallel wall sections following the two bevelled edges, and these should be followed by a trapezoidal residual cross section with a slight bend.
The pallet containers can slide apart on the trapezoidal remaining cross-section if their lattice shells come into contact with one another when carelessly put together.

If it is desirable to increase the strength or increase the safety against accidents, the folded edges can be folded over at the edges.
The profile is thereby stiffened and the edge edges are rounded off, at the same time producing a larger radius.

For the upper edge of the lattice jacket it is proposed that the ends of the lattice bars are flattened and enclosed by a profile which abuts the lattice bar ends with two parallel edges and is also welded to them on both sides and / or is connected by stamping and / or stamping.
This gives the basket a fixed upper edge on which another, identical pallet container can be placed.
In order to increase the stability, various mutually opposite vertical bars should also have transverse bores near their upper ends, in which crossbeams placed over the plastic container, which grip the relevant bars with corresponding bifurcated ends, are pinned to them.
In addition to the solidification of the basket, the crossbeams serve to hold the plastic container in the basket in a form-fitting manner and to prevent its ceiling from bulging under pressure.
In a further embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, a rectangular shell is provided as the bottom of the basket, the bottom surface of which is enclosed by an arched edge area, approximately in the form of a flat saddle or tent roof, the edge of which is from the center of the shorter rectangular side to both sides and then along of the two longer sides of the rectangle falls off and then flows into a gutter running on the other short side of the rectangle, which deepens towards the middle of this side of the rectangle. There is the drain of the plastic container.
The base designed in this way is supported by the edge of the shell as a whole against tension. This static concept is cheaper than the known solutions with the reverse flow of forces. As a result, the shell can be dimensioned more easily; with the same dimensions, greater stability is achieved.

With the proposed design of the shell and the one proposed above Lattice jacket made of folded open, possibly closed on the vertical lattice bars Profile, which also saves weight, results in an overall construction of the basket and pallet container composed according to the invention a particularly favorable ratio between stability and weight.

Fig. 1

zeigt einen Palettenbehälter in isometrischer Darstellung,

Fig. 2

zeigt den Palettenbehälter in Seitenansicht gemäß Fig. 1 von vorne rechts, teilweise in mittigem Schnitt,

Fig. 3

zeigt einen Schnitt durch einen Korb des Palettenbehälters nach Linie III-III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

zeigt ein Fußgestell als unteren Teil der Palette in isometrischer Darstellung,

Fig. 5

zeigt einen als oberes Teil der Palette zu dem Fußgestell gehörigen Boden des Palettenbehälters in gleicher isometrischer Darstellung,

Fig. 6

zeigt ein Gitter zur Bildung eines Gittermantels des Palettenbehälters in Ansicht,

Fig. 7

zeigt einen mit VII bezeichneten Ausschnitt aus Fig. 6 in größerem Maßstab,

Fig. 8

zeigt den Ausschnitt in Ansicht gemäß Fig. 6 und 7 von links,

Fig. 9

zeigt einen in Fig. 6 mit IX bezeichneten Ausschnitt in größerem Maßstab gemäß Fig. 6 von rechts,

Fig. 10

zeigt einen in Fig. 6 mit X bezeichneten Ausschnitt in größerem Maßstab gemäß Fig. 6 von links,

Fig. 11

zeigt einen in Fig. 3 mit XI bezeichneten Ausschnitt in größerem Maßstab in einem hinter der Zeichenebene der Fig. 3 liegenden Schnitt,

Fig. 12

zeigt, spiegelbildlich, eine Abwandlung zu Fig. 9,

Fig. 13

zeigt eine Abwandlung zu Fig. 10,

Fig. 14

zeigt eine Abwandlung zu Fig. 8,

Fig. 15

zeigt einen in Fig. 1 mit XV bezeichneten Ausschnitt in größerem Maßstab, und

Fig. 16

zeigt eine Abwandlung zu Fig. 5.

The drawings show an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1

shows a pallet container in an isometric view,

Fig. 2

1 shows the pallet container in a side view according to FIG. 1 from the front right, partly in a central section,

Fig. 3

shows a section through a basket of the pallet container according to line III-III in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

shows a base frame as the lower part of the pallet in an isometric view,

Fig. 5

shows a bottom of the pallet container belonging to the base frame as the upper part of the pallet in the same isometric representation,

Fig. 6

shows a grid for forming a grid jacket of the pallet container in view,

Fig. 7

6 shows a section from FIG. 6, designated VII, on a larger scale,

Fig. 8

shows the detail in the view of FIGS. 6 and 7 from the left,

Fig. 9

6 shows a section designated IX in FIG. 6 on a larger scale according to FIG. 6 from the right,

Fig. 10

6 shows a section marked X in FIG. 6 on a larger scale from FIG. 6 from the left,

Fig. 11

3 shows a section designated XI in FIG. 3 on a larger scale in a section lying behind the plane of the drawing in FIG. 3,

Fig. 12

shows, in mirror image, a modification to Fig. 9,

Fig. 13

shows a modification to Fig. 10,

Fig. 14

shows a modification to Fig. 8,

Fig. 15

shows a section designated in Fig. 1 with XV on a larger scale, and

Fig. 16

shows a modification to FIG. 5.

The pallet container 1 consists of a basket 2, which is designed as a flat shell 3 Floor is supplemented by a base 4 to a pallet 5, and one of the plastic container 6 received. The plastic container 6 is blow-molded cuboid with rounded edges and corners. The Shell 3 has an arched to match the bottom of the plastic container 6 Edge area 7. The grid jacket 8 of the basket 2 is at the level of Plastic container 6 adapted its scope.

The base 4 has four corner feet on a rectangular frame 9 made of round iron 10 and three feet 11 on the middle of a shorter and the two longer sides of the rectangle on. The two latter feet 11 are bridged by a traverse 12. Die Feet and the traverse are pressed parts made of sheet metal. The feet 11 on which the traverse 12 is shorter by the sheet thickness than the other feet 11 and 10. The traverse 12 has upwardly angled, flat-gable-shaped side walls 15 which are folded outwards again at the upper edge. According to a rejuvenation the cross member 12 towards the center, the side walls 15 are slightly bent. The area Gable shape of the cross member 12 is the cross-sectional shape of the Adjusted floor 3, which supports the traverse. At the corner feet 10 are after both Positioning surfaces 13 which are slanted towards the sides and thus at the same time lateral Projections 14 shaped. Corresponding positioning surfaces 13 and projections 14 have feet 11 on one side. On the tops of the corner feet 10, feet 11 and Traverse 12 are passages 16 for self-tapping screw threads for fastening of the lattice jacket 8 and the shell 3 pressed.

The lattice jacket 8 has been produced from the lattice shown in FIG. 6 by: bent on the four side edges of basket 2 and narrower on the middle of one Side surface has been closed.

The grid is composed of vertical bars 17, horizontal bars 18, a U-shaped profile forming a web 19 which surrounds the lower ends of the vertical bars 17 and a profile 20 which surrounds the upper ends of the vertical bars 17.
The bars 17 and 18 consist of a hat profile, which has two edges 22 which are bent outwards on a profile section 21 of square cross section 21. They lie against one another at the intersections with the folded edges 22 and are spot-welded, hump-welded or resistance-welded on the contact surfaces, as indicated at 23 in FIG. 7.
Fig. 14 shows the modification that the profile section 21 is replaced by a section composed of a rectangular cross-section 24 and a trapezoidal cross-section 25.

The cross section of the web 19 is shown in FIG. 9. In the U-shaped profile of the web 19, the hat profile of the lattice bars 17 extending to the bottom of the profile rests on both legs, with the beveled edges 22 on the outer leg and with the end face 26 of the profile section 21 on the other Leg. Welding is possible on all three contact surfaces. It is made at least on the two beveled edges 22.
The outer profile leg is cranked outwards, a horizontal bearing surface 30 and a vertical flange 31 being created. The inner profile leg is turned over at the level of the offset and thus forms a stiffened support 32. These functions are still discussed.

At the top of the grid, the hat profile of the bars 17 is compressed at 27. The profile 20 placed here grips the flattened section on both sides and is welded to it on both sides.
The grid with its favorable ratio between rigidity and weight, the simple, controlled weldability and the possibility of galvanizing on all sides, with or without bordering profiles, could also be used at a different location than on the pallet container described, possibly also in such an arrangement that the lattice bars running in one direction are not vertical and the lattice bars running in the other direction are not aligned horizontally; furthermore, the connection of the bars to the contact surfaces could be different, for example a combination of welding and joining.

Following its curved edge region 7, the shell 3 has an edge 28 which is angled horizontally and at the end again a narrow upstand 33. However, the upstand 33 would not be necessary.
With the edge 28, the shell 3 is placed in the manner shown in FIG. 11 on the support 32 and the support surface 30 of the web 19, the lattice bars 17 being accommodated in cutouts 29 of the edge 28 adapted to them.
During the manufacture of the basket, the shell 3 is introduced from above into the lattice jacket 8 which has been formed but is not yet closed by welding and is therefore still loose. After it lies on the web 19, the lattice jacket is closed by welding and / or stamping and / or stamping the ends of its horizontal bars, which overlap one another. In this state, the flanged edge 31 of the web 19 and the upstand 33 on the edge 28 of the shell 3 are flanged together, as shown in FIG. 11 as a cutout in two variants. In addition, welding is possible, for example 6 to 7 mm wide and at intervals of 20 to 30 mm from center to center. In particular, spot or projection welds or roll seam welding are provided.
The now finished basket 2 is mounted on the base 4. The final state of this assembly is shown in FIG. 11 with the exception of the circled section on the left, which represents the earlier assembly state mentioned above and in the final state is to be thought of as being replaced by one of the two sections circled on the right.

The basket 2 lies with the web 19 on the feet 10 and 11. Through a bore 34 in the edge 28 of the shell 3, a sleeve 36 penetrated by a screw bolt 35 is inserted into the web 19 above each foot 10 and 11. The sleeve 36 lies with a flange 37 on the edge 28 of the shell 3 and with its lower end on the bottom of the U-shaped profile forming the web 19. The bolt sits with a lens head 38 in the upper end of the sleeve 36 and engages through a hole in the bottom of the U-shaped profile in the passage 16 pressed into the foot, where it has cut its thread.
On the two feet 11 carrying the crossbar 12, the web 19 lies on the sheet metal of the crossbar 12, which has a recess 39 of somewhat larger cross section above the passage 16 of the foot 11, through which the screw bolt 35 projects.
The length of the sleeve 36 is dimensioned such that the flange 37 presses on the edge 28 of the shell 3 and the lower end of the sleeve 36 presses on the bottom of the web 19.

The shell 3 has an indentation 40 on the middle of the shorter side of the rectangle on. However, the edge 28 is bridged by a bulging downward Support 41, which takes the place of a foot 11 in the pallet 5. Over the dent 40, the plastic container 6 also has a recess 42. In the so created There is space for an outlet nozzle 43 that only appears in FIG a handle 44 operated outlet valve 45 place. The outlet nozzle 43 is on a protuberance 46 of the plastic container 6 attached to the edge of the indentation 40 protrudes down into this.

The bottom surface of the shell 3 within the curved edge region 7 is in the essentially in the form of a flat saddle roof with between the centers of the shorter ones Rectangular sides extending ridge 47 formed. The ridge 47 and the roof areas However, they also have a slight kink to a tent roof, so that a flat roof top 48 and two further folding lines 49 starting from it available. The ridge 47 consequently falls out of the roof top 48 after the two Hardly any sides and the two other fold lines 49 drop noticeably. The The roof edge falls from the end point 50 of the ridge on one shorter side of the rectangle off to both sides and then slightly along the two longer sides of the rectangle, and finally into a groove 51 running on the other short side of the rectangle open, which deepens towards the indentation 40. At the indentation 40 Channel 51 interrupted. It only follows it with a part of its cross-section, but it does includes part 52 of the channel bottom. The protuberance 46 located here of the plastic container 6 extends on both sides up to and into the channel 51 inside.

The bottom of the plastic container adapts, starting from a certain preforming, under the pressure of the liquid stored in it the flat roof shape of the Shell bottom largely remains. The container can thus on the in Fig. 5 with the path drawn by the arrows is completely empty.

In the four roof sections divided by the ridge 47 and the other folding lines 49 the shell 3 is provided with four shapes 53 down, the Bottoms together with the underside of the web 19 in a common horizontal Level. The pallet container can thus be tilted by one Forklift trucks are included. The depressions on the top of the forms 53 can be compensated with filler pieces.

With the projections 14 on the feet 10 and 11, the pallet container can be placed on the upper profile 20 of the lattice jacket of the same pallet container. The inclined positioning surfaces 13 located above the projections 14 have the effect that when the same pallet containers are placed next to one another, the distance required with regard to the horizontal bars 18 is set.
Two cross members 54 reach with forked ends 55 on opposite vertical bars 17 and are connected to them by nut screws 56, which are inserted through aligned cross bores in the fork legs and the bars 17. This simple attachment of the cross members, which is favorable in terms of the flow of forces, enables the hat profile or a closed rectangular profile of the vertical lattice bars 17.
The traverses run on both sides of the filling opening 57 in a shallow depression on the top of the plastic container 6. They are gripped at their center by webs 59 of the container ceiling emerging at the two edges of the depression 58.

All components of the basket 2 and the base frame 4 are preferably made of galvanized Sheet steel.

In the floor according to FIG. 16, while maintaining the basic shape of the flat gable roof described, the reinforcing ribs 60 and 61 with a rectangular cross-section upward are formed on the ridge 47 and the further fold lines 49. At the ends of the ribs 60, with the exception of the indentation 40, further such ribs 62 are attached transversely to the ribs 60. The ribs 61 and 62 run over the ridge 47. The ribs 62 are shorter than the rib 61, which extends close to the curved edge region 7.
Instead of the features 53, there are four smaller features 63 of round cross-section, the undersides of which, together with the underside of the web 19, lie in a common horizontal plane.
Otherwise, the indentation 40 is shaped somewhat differently. The channel 51 is completely interrupted; it ends with two surfaces 65 which are inclined towards one another and towards the curved, oblique wall 64 of the indentation 40, to which it passes previously.
The design of the shell 3 according to FIG. 5 or FIG. 16 within the edge 28 is particularly advantageous in the context of the basket 2 described; the shell 3 remains flat, the web 19 need not have an undesirably large height. Basically, this design is also possible with other overall constructions of the basket. The shell can also be the bottom of a sheet metal container for receiving a plastic container.

Claims (28)

1. Cage for receiving a plastic container (6) in the overall arrangement of a pallet-type container (1) for storing and/or for transporting substances, having a shallow tray (3) as base of the cage (2), the tray being arranged on a pallet (5) or forming the top part of a pallet (5), and a grid casing (8) as wall of the cage (2), the grid casing being connected to the border (28) of the tray (3), it being the case that the grid casing (8) has on its bottom border, a web (19) which is supported on the pallet (5) or, if the tray (3) forms the top part of the pallet (5), on a bottom part (4) of the pallet (5), characterized in that the tray (3) is supported on the web (19) by means of its border (28), and the border (28) of the tray (3), the web (19) and the pallet (5), or the bottom part (4) of the pallet (5), are connected to one another in a positively locking manner (31, 33; 35, 36).
2. Cage according to Claim 1, characterized in that the web (19) comprises an essentially U-shaped profile, which surrounds the bottom ends of the grid bars (17).
3. Cage according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tray (3) has cutouts (29) on the border (28) for the through-passage of the grid bars (17) and, between the grid bars (17), is supported on the web (19).
4. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the web (19) comprises a profile which is flanged (31, 33) with the border (28) of the tray (3).
5. Cage according to Claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the outer leg of the U-shaped profile has an outwardly directed angled section (30) on which the border (28) of the tray (3) is located, and the flange (31, 33) takes place after the angled section (30) and above it.
6. Cage according to Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the border (28) of the tray (3) has an upended section (33) which is flanged (31, 33) together with the border (31) of the profile, said profile border preferably also being upended to begin with, and is enclosed by the border (31) of the profile in a positively locking manner.
7. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the web (19) is screwed (35) to the pallet (5) or the bottom part (4) of the pallet (5).
8. Cage according to Claim 7, characterized in that screws (35) engage through the border (28) of the tray (3) and through the web (19), or past the latter, into the pallet or the bottom part (4) of the pallet (5).
9. Cage according to Claim 8, characterized in that there are arranged on the screws (35) spacers (36), preferably in the form of sleeves (36) which enclose the screws (35), which span the distance between the border (28) of the tray (3) and the pallet or the bottom part (4) of the pallet (5).
10. Cage according to Claim 9, characterized in that the sleeves (36) pass through the border (28) of the tray (3) and bear on the border (28) by means of a flange (37) formed on them.
11. Cage according to one of Claims 7 to 10, characterized in that said bottom part (4) of the pallet (5) has through-passages (16) which are intended for self-tapping screw threads (35) and are made in a number of sheet-metal parts (10; 11), preferably pallet feet (10; 11) arranged at the corners and the centres of the sides of the pallet (5).
12. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 11, characterized by pallet feet (10; 11) on which protrusions (14), preferably combined with obliquely projecting positioning surfaces (13), are formed, it being possible for the pallet-type container (1) to be set down on an identical pallet-type container (1) by way of these protrusions.
13. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that said bottom part (4) of the pallet (5) has a crossmember (12) which supports the tray (3) from beneath.
14. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the tray (3) has downwardly directed stamped formations (53) which extend, at least approximately, into the plane of the bottom border of the web (19).
15. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the grid casing comprises intersecting vertical (17) and horizontal (18) grid bars, and the horizontal grid bars (18) comprise an open profile which has two outwardly bent-away borders (22) located in the same plane, and the vertical grid bars (17) likewise comprise such a profile or comprise a closed profile which has at least one planar profile wall, and the horizontal grid bars (18) are assembled with the vertical grid bars (17) with the bent-away borders (22) 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 on the abutment surfaces (22) or joined to one another by stamping and/or punching.
16. Cage according to Claim 15, characterized in that, after the two bent-away borders (22), the open profile merges into two parallel wall sections (24) and, with a slight bend, these are adjoined by a trapezoidal residual cross-section (25) of the profile.
17. Cage according to Claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the bent-away borders are folded over at the border edges.
18. Cage according to one of Claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the profiles of the grid bars (17; 18) consists of bent, preferably galvanized, sheet steel.
19. Cage according to one of Claims 2 to 18, characterized in that the bottom ends of the grid bars (17) are welded to the two legs of the U-shaped profile.
20. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the top ends of the grid bars (17) are pressed flat (27) and surrounded by a profile (20) which rests against the grid-bar ends by means of two parallel borders and, preferably on both sides, is welded to said grid-bar ends and/or joined to them by stamping and/or punching.
21. Cage according to one of Claims 15 to 20, characterized in that, in the vicinity of their top ends, vertical grid bars (17) have transverse bores in which crossmembers (54) which are positioned over the plastic container (6) and engage on the relevant grid bars (17), by way of forked ends (55) having corresponding bores, are pinned (56) to these grid bars (17).
22. Cage according to one of Claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the base surface of the rectangular tray (3), said base surface being enclosed by an arched border region (7), is designed approximately in the form of a shallow saddleback roof or tent roof, of which the border slopes downwards slightly to both sides from the centre (50) of one shorter rectangle side, and then along the two longer rectangle sides, and then opens into a channel (51) which runs on the other short rectangle side and comes deeper towards the centre of this rectangle side.
23. Cage according to Claim 22, characterized in that said base surface is essentially designed as a shallow saddleback roof with a ridge (47) extending between the centre of the shorter rectangle sides, and the ridge (47) and the roof surfaces have only a comparatively slight inflection (48, 49) to form a tent roof.
24. Cage according to Claim 22 or 23, characterized in that at least one upwardly stamped rib (60) runs on the ridge (47) of the saddleback roof.
25. Cage according to one of Claims 22 to 24, characterized in that an upwardly stamped rib (61) runs on the inflection lines (49) of the tent roof, said lines being perpendicular with respect to the ridge (47).
26. Cage according to Claim 24 or 25, characterized in that upwardly stamped ribs (62) parallel to the last-mentioned rib (61), and preferably extending from the first-mentioned rib(s) (60), run on the roof surfaces.
27. Cage according to one of Claims 22 to 26, characterized in that, on the centre of the last-mentioned rectangle side, it has an indent (40) at which the channel (51) is interrupted and terminates by two surfaces (65) which are inclined towards one another and towards the centre of the base (3) and into which said channel merges first of all.
28. Cage according to one of Claims 22 to 27, characterized in that it has downwardly directed stamped formations (53; 63), of which the undersides are located in a common horizontal plane.

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