FR2860504A1 - Container for transporting part e.g. engine part, of motor vehicle, has frame resting on pallet and including bars extending towards base by stands that are received in recesses at pallet, and gutters adapted to dimension of bars - Google Patents

Abstract

The container has a cover (30) at interior of a self-supporting frame (2) that rests on a thermoformed pallet (10). The frame has rigid bars (3) fixed to one other by bolts, and extend towards a base by metallic stands (5). The stands are received in recesses (12) situated at pallet corners. Gutters (13) are provided on an upper surface of the pallet for housing the bars and are adapted to dimension of the bars.

Description

1 2860504

  The invention relates to a container for transporting articles, in particular spare parts for mounting industrial products, and more particularly for loading spare parts for motor vehicles.

  In motor vehicle production units, it is necessary to transport the parts from their place of storage or production to their place of assembly. These parts are of various types, for example interior trim parts of vehicles, control parts, engine parts, etc. These pieces are usually fragile and quite bulky. They must be mounted in a specific order.

  Increasingly, vehicles must be built according to embodiments that may vary between two vehicles of the same series. In the case of cars for example, the manufacturers offer various options that can be chosen by the consumer, the choice of options that may involve the use of different parts and therefore a different assembly.

  It is therefore a question of having loading members of the parts making it possible to load different parts and according to changing orders, these organs having to be standardized for obvious cost reasons. The prior art has for this purpose metal containers, can be moved using forklifts and containing a number of compartments to be loaded with insulated parts. Each compartment can be loaded with one or more parts, in changing orders depending on the chosen mounting path. These containers generally comprise a welded metal frame to which are welded a bottom, side panels and various compartments. These containers are delivered to the car manufacturer in monolithic welded form, their assembly to be made directly to the manufacturing plant.

  These containers have various disadvantages. First, they are heavy, in particular because of their all-metal structure, and are therefore difficult to move manually; maintenance is also expensive. Then, their routing from the workshop where they are manufactured to the production units of car manufacturers is not optimized, since the containers are shipped fully assembled and welded, their volume is therefore important.

  The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages.

  For this purpose, the present invention relates to a container for transporting articles, comprising a self-supporting frame, means for compartmentalizing the interior of the frame, characterized in that it comprises a pallet carrier, means for immobilizing the frame relative to the pallet, the frame 2 2860504 being formed of rigid bars fixed to each other in part by mechanical fasteners.

  Advantageously, the immobilization means of the frame relative to the pallet comprise recesses, formed in the pallet, cooperating with vertical feet integral with the frame, and gutters, formed in the pallet, cooperating with horizontal bars of the frame.

  Advantageously again, the container includes cover plates attached to the frame.

  Advantageously still, the container comprises a cap attached to the frame.

  The cap may optionally be attached to the frame by removable fastening means.

  Preferably, the pallet and / or the cap are made of thermoplastic plastic material.

  In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the compartmentalization means comprise rigid bins and / or flexible hanging bins.

  The container may include a covering curtain of its loading face.

  Preferably, the fastening means comprise bolts and / or rivets.

  The invention also relates to the use of such a container for the transport of spare parts for mounting industrial products.

  The invention is particularly applicable to the use of such a container for the transport of spare parts of the automotive industry, but the applicant does not intend to limit the scope of its rights to this area alone.

  The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of the preferred embodiment of the container of the invention, with reference to the appended drawing, in which: FIG. 1 represents an exploded perspective view of the form preferred embodiment of the container of the invention; 3 2860504 - Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the assembled container of Figure 1; - Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a rod of a. second embodiment of the container of the invention, and - Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the container of the invention.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the container 1 of the invention comprises a self-supporting metal frame 2. The structure of the frame 2 comprises rigid bars 3, here metallic, for example tubular with a square section or in the form of L-section brackets. The bars 3 are fixed to each other, for example by bolts. They are arranged either in a horizontal position or in a vertical position so as to form a structure corresponding to the edges of a parallelepiped, possibly a cube. This is a parallelepiped; in the remainder of the description, reference will be made to the lateral faces of the frame 2 to designate the vertical faces corresponding to the small horizontal edges of the parallelepiped, to the front and rear faces to designate the faces corresponding to the large horizontal parallelepiped edges. Angles 4 can be placed at each corner of the side faces of the structure 2 to stiffen it. Each vertical bar 3 extends downwards by a foot 5, also metal, slightly set back. It should be noted that the bars 3 of the frame 2 are not necessarily all of equal diameter.

  In the middle of each of the lateral faces of the frame 2, a horizontal bar 6 is fixed, which splits the face into two parts. Between these two horizontal bars 6 are fixed three horizontal metal bars 7, parallel to the horizontal bars 3 constituting the front and rear faces, and forming a horizontal grid in the center of the parallelepiped. This grid is useful, but not necessary, the compartmentalization of the container of the invention.

  The components 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of the frame 2 are fixed together by mechanical fasteners, for example bolts or rivets. It is thus possible to transport the frame 2 in parts from its place of manufacture and to mount it only at its place of use, for example a car production unit. It is also conceivable to weld, at the place of manufacture, some bars 3 together, for example the bars 3 constituting the lateral faces of the frame 2, and to assemble the rest of the frame 2 at the place of use. The bars 3 already assembled on the place of manufacture will preferably be assembled according to planar entities, in order to transport small entities.

  The frame 2 is based on a support which is a pallet 10. This pallet 10 is advantageously a thermoformed pallet, preferably consisting of a double sheet of a thermoplastic material, for example synthetic, and derived from a mold. The making of such a pallet 10 is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be detailed here.

  The pallet 10 comprises a plate 14 supported by nine feet 11, located at the four corners, in the middle of the ridges and in the center of the latter. Due to the molded nature of the pallet 10, the downwardly projecting feet 11 correspond to recesses 12 on the plate 14.

  The horizontal dimensions of the pallet 10 are adapted to the horizontal dimensions of the frame 2 which is mounted on it. The feet 5 of the frame 2 are received in the recesses 12 at the corners of the pallet 10. More specifically, they bear on the outer corners of these recesses 12 corners; there are no adapted housing precisely in dimensions to the feet 5, the stability of the frame on the pallet 10 from the cooperation of the interaction forces of each foot 5 with the recess 12 in which it is supported. In addition, gutters 13 are provided on the upper surface of the pallet 10, along its outer edges, to accommodate the horizontal bars 3. 2. These gutters are, they, precisely adapted to the dimensions of the bars 3, to ensure the wedging of the structure. Gutters 13 are however not necessary to immobilize the frame 2 on the pallet 10.

  Inside the frame 2 is disposed a covering 30 for defining compartmentalized locations for the parts to be loaded into the container 1. It has been noted that the interior of the frame 2 is structurally divided into two parts, here equal in size. volume, because of the grid constituted of bars 7.

  In the lower part, are arranged rigid bins 31, here identical and fourteen in number. They are formed of two lower horizontal plates 32 and 33, between which we fixed. vertical plates 34 parallel to the side faces of the frame 2. The mounting of the vertical plates 34 between the horizontal plates 32, 33 can be made for example by snapping or riveting, at the place of use of the container 1. The plates 32, 33 , 34 may be metallic or of rigid plastic material. The lower horizontal plate 32 is fixed or placed on the horizontal metal bars 3 of the frame 2 or on the upper surface of the pallet 10, the distribution of the weight then being different. It may also be chosen, depending on the desired weight distribution, one or other of the configurations.

  The upper horizontal plate 33 can be fixed to the horizontal bars 6 located in the middle of the lateral faces of the frame 2 and possibly also to the bars 7 constituting the central grid; it may otherwise not be fixed to the frame 2860504 2, the arrangement of the plates 32, 33, 34 between them ensuring the holding of their structure.

  In the upper part, there are flexible hanging bins 40, made of a flexible material, which may be a plastic material or a fabric, for example, here fourteen in number. Each flexible rack 40 consists of a sheet 43 extending between two holding bars 41, parallel to the lateral faces of the frame 2. Each sheet 43 is suspended between the two bars 41 supporting it and defined by the fact of gravity a cavity 40 in which can be loaded parts. In the embodiment of Figure 1, each bar 41 comprises at each of its ends a collar 42, intended to slide and participate in the retention of the bar 41 in a groove, provided with two shoulders. A groove is formed in each upper horizontal bar 3 of the front and rear faces of the frame 2, not shown. Thus, the bars 41 are free to move in translation along said bars 3. The bars 41 could also slide on the bars 3 without grooves. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each flexible rack 40 has a wall 43 in common with the neighboring rack (with the exception of the outer walls of the end compartments), each wall 43 being suspended from a bar 41. More specifically, each bar 41 is fitted into a tubular bead 44 located at the top of each wall 43, formed by folding the sheet 43. Although interconnected, these flexible bins 40 are of variable volume, by moving the bars 41, in order to be adapted to the types of parts with which they are loaded.

  On the upper face of the frame 12 is mounted a cap 50, constituted in the same way as the pallet of a thermoformed plastic material. The cap 50 may be in this embodiment simply put down or fixed by well known means. Its upper surface comprises recesses 51 adapted to receive the feet 11 of the pallet 10 of another container 1, in order to stack the containers 1 on each other.

  On each side face of the frame 2 is fixed a plate 60, 61 of solid plastic or cellular. The honeycomb plates 60, 61, obtained by extrusion, have the advantage of a low density for a good resistance. They are fixed to the bars 3 of the frame 2 by well known means, for example by riveting. On the rear face of the frame 2 is also fixed a plate 62. The various plates 60, 61, 62 are dimensioned so as to cover the entire surface of the face on which they are fixed, inside the bars 3.

  Figure 2 shows the container 1 of Figure 1 once assembled. The lateral and rear faces of the frame 2 are covered by the plates 60, 61, 6, 2860504 62 and the upper face by the cap 50. The entire structure rests on the pallet 10. Only the front face is not covered , leaving access to the rigid bins 31 and the flexible bins 40. It is thus possible to load parts in the bins 31, 40 by the front face. The loading is therefore a lateral loading.

  Figure 3 shows a detail of a different embodiment of the container 1 of the invention. In this embodiment, the flexible bins 40 'are made differently, as well as the cap 50' and part of the frame 2 '.

  The flexible bins 40 'are also designed from flexible sheets 43'. These are identical in all respects to the sheets 43 of the embodiment of the container 1 of FIG. 1, with the difference that they do not have an upper tubular bead, but that each wall 43 'is pierced, in the upper position and at each of its ends, in order to receive a metal eyelet 44 '. It is possible to arrange, in addition to the eyelets 44 ', an upper tubular bead housing a binder stiffening rod 40'.

  On the frame 2 'are mounted two rods 41'. Each rod 41 'is fixed on the frame 2' near a bar 3 'horizontal upper front or rear side, parallel to the latter; The sheets 43 'are suspended from the rods 41' by the metal eyelets 44 ', free to slide on the rods 41'. This suspension mode, different from the sheets 43 ', performs the same function as before, namely that the sheets 43' define between them flexible bins 40 'whose volume can be adjusted by sliding the sheets 43' parallel to the horizontal bars 3 front and rear faces, sliding here ensured by the eyelets 44 'on the rods 41'.

  In this embodiment of Figure 3, the cap 50 'is removably attached to the frame 2'. For this purpose, the frame 2 'comprises, preferably on each upper horizontal bar 3' front and rear faces, two keeper rings 52 'and intended to cooperate with two sliders located inside the rim of the cap 50' . Thanks to this structure, it is possible to mount the cap 50 'to the frame 2' in a fixed manner, but also to disassemble very easily, for example for loading or unloading flexible bins from above. As before, the cap 50 'comprises recesses 51' for stacking containers 1 on each other.

  It is also possible to provide removable locking means of the frame 2, 2 'on the pallet 10, for example, in the same way as previously, by a system of strikers arranged on the frame 2, 2' intended to cooperate with slides on the pallet 10.

  FIG. 4 represents a last embodiment of the container 1 of the invention. In the latter, the container 1 is identical to the container 1 of Figure 1 and is further provided with a curtain 20. The latter is in the form of a plastic sheet 20, here transparent. It is fixed by its upper edge to the upper horizontal bar 3 of the front face of the frame 2. It can be, as in Figure 4, raised and deposited on the cap 50 of the container 1. It can also be folded on the front face of the container 1; for this configuration, it may optionally be provided means for attaching the curtain to the frame 2, by rings, slide fasteners or any other form of appropriate attachment.

  Thanks to the curtain, it is possible, once the container 1 loaded with parts, to protect its load from dust or moisture during its warehouse or its transport.

  It should be noted that the different figures show different embodiments of the container 1 of the invention, but that the different features of these embodiments can be kept individually or combined with each other. The preferred embodiment of the container of the invention would include in particular the removable attachment means of the lid, the curtain and one or other of the implementations of the suspension flexible bins.

  The use of the container 1 of the invention will now be described. The various constituent elements of the container 1 which have been described so far are brought in disassembled form to the place of use of the container 1. The elementary elements are compact, since they consist mainly of a pallet 10, a cap 50, 50 ', bars 3, 3', 5, 6, 7, plates 32, 33, 34, 60, 61, 62, bars 41 or rods 41 ', flexible sheets 43, 43', means fasteners such as bolts or rivets and possibly a curtain 20. These elements are easily stackable and their transport is done without loss of space, as would be the case with elements already mounted.

  Once mounted, the container is used in a conventional manner, the parts to be mounted being loaded and unloaded in the rigid bins 31 or flexible 40, 40 'laterally, or possibly from the top if desired and that the cap 50 'is removably attached.

  The containers 1 are easily transportable, thanks to forklifts carrying them as pallets, since the set of each container 1 rests on a pallet 10. In this regard, it should be recalled that the holding of the frame 2, 2 'on the pallet 10 is simply provided by its wedging in 8 2860504 the housings 12, 13 formed on the plate 14 of the pallet 10, the containers 1 being intended to remain vertical. The containers can easily be stacked.

  The cap 50, 50 'is not a necessary element and is not necessarily present on the container 1.

  The choice of arranging the container 1 with rigid bins 31 in the lower position and flexible bins 40 in the upper position belongs to the user. It is possible to arrange the frame 2, 2 'so as to mount two sets of rigid bins or two sets of flexible bins. It is also conceivable that the container 1 is not divided into two parts by a grid and that there is only a series of bins.

  The bins may include color codes to assist in the selection of the parts to be loaded or unloaded according to their order on the assembly line.

  Finally, it should be noted that the structure of the container 1 of the invention comprises only certain metal parts; its weight is greatly reduced.

Claims (2)

9 2860504 Claims   1-container for the transport of articles, comprising a self-supporting frame (2, 2 '), means for compartmentalization (30) of the interior of the frame (2, 2'), characterized in that it comprises a pallet support (10), means ((5, 12), (3, 13)) for immobilizing the frame (2, 2 ') relative to the pallet (10), the frame (2, 2') being formed of rigid bars (3, 3 ') fixed to each other in part by mechanical fasteners.   2- Container according to claim 1, wherein the means for immobilizing the frame (2, 2 ') relative to the pallet (10) comprise recesses (12) formed in the pallet (10) cooperating with feet (5). ) vertical solidarity of the frame (2, 2 ').   3- Container according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the immobilization means of the frame (2, 2 ') relative to the pallet (10) comprise gutters (13) formed in the pallet (10) cooperating with horizontal bars (3) of the frame (2, 2 ').   4- Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, comprising removable locking means of the frame (2, 2 ') on the pallet (10).   5- Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, comprising covering plates (60, 61, 62) attached to the frame (2, 2 ').   6- Container according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a cap (50, 50 ') attached to the frame (2, 2').   7- Container according to claim 6, the cap (50 ') is fixed to the frame by means (52') of removable attachment.   8- Container according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pallet (10) and / or the cap (50) are made of thermoplastic plastic material.   9- Container according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the compartmentalization means comprise rigid bins (31) and / or flexible hanging bins (40, 40 ').   10- Container according to claim 9, wherein the flexible bins (40) are suspended by bars (41) sliding on the upper horizontal bars (3) of the front and rear faces of the frame (2).   Container according to claim 9, wherein the flexible bins (40 ') are suspended by eyelets (44') sliding on rods (41 ') parallel to the front and rear faces of the frame (2').   12- Container according to one of claims 1 to 11, comprising a curtain (20) covering its loading face.   13- Container according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the fixing means comprise bolts and / or rivets.   14- Use of a container according to one of claims 1 to 13, for the transport of spare parts for mounting industrial products.   15- Use of a container according to claim 14, wherein the industrial products belong to the automotive industry.