Plastic container, comprising a circumferential rim with a receiving space for a flexible card

Abstract

 A plastic container, such as a crate, bin or the like, comprises a circumferential rim with a receiving space (13) for a flexible card (4), such as an identification card with a bar code, for example. This receiving space is formed by a horizontal U-profile, of which the legs are outwardly oriented and the body of which forms the rear wall of the receiving space. Over part of the length of the receiving space, slots (12) have been formed on the legs of the U-profile for receiving the longitudinal rims of the card, and at the ends of the receiving space, slots have been provided for receiving the end rims of the card. The rear wall of the receiving space is provided with a recess into which the card may be pressed. After installation of the card, a filling element (14) is pressed into the receiving space, so that the card can no longer be removed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a plastic container, such as a crate, bin or the like, comprising a circumferential rim with a receiving space for a flexible card, such as an identification card with a bar code, for example, said receiving space being formed by a horizontal U-profile, of which the legs are outwardly oriented and the body of which forms the rear wall of the receiving space, wherein, over part of the length of the receiving space, slots have been formed on the legs of the U-profile for receiving the longitudinal rims of the card, and wherein, at the ends of the receiving space, slots have been formed for receiving the end rims of the card.

[0002] Such a container is known from the German Gebrauchsmuster 93 06 662.7. The corresponding card, which is made of plastic provides, for example, data on the contents, the manufacturer, the destination, the owner, etc., which information may be provided in the form of a bar code or the like. Although the card in this known container, as a result of the recessed mounting thereof in the receiving space and the almost complete enclosure thereof in the slots, can only be removed from the receiving space with difficulty, the removal of the card is not impossible. This is due to the fact that the card, in particular at its end rims, only extends to a very limited extent into the corresponding slots. It is not possible to increase the length of the card, as it will then no longer be possible to fit the end rims of the card into the corresponding slots.

[0003] The invention aims to provide a plastic container of the type referred to above, wherein these drawbacks have been overcome in a simple way.

[0004] To this end, the container according to the present invention is characterized in that the rear wall of the receiving space comprises a recess into which the card can be pressed, wherein a filling element is provided which is movable between a position in which the filling element is situated outside the recess and an operational position in which the filling element at least partly fills the recess.

[0005] In this way, it is achieved that the card may have such a length, that the end rims are completely enclosed in the corresponding slots of the receiving space, as a result of the fact that, on fitting the card into the receiving space, it may be accommodated over part of its length in the recess.

[0006] The removal of the card after installation thereof is entirely ruled out by pressing the filling element, after installation of the card, into the recess, so that it is no longer possible to press the card thereinto.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment the filling element has been manufactured as an integral part of the container. Hereby, it is achieved that, on the one hand, the provision of a filling element barely leads to an increase in manufacturing cost, while, on the other hand, the filling element cannot get lost.

[0008] According to a favourable embodiment, the filling element is connected, through a connecting rim, with the lower leg of the U-profile at the site of the recess, said connecting rim being considerably thinner than the leg. Consequently, and by using appropriate means, the filling element can be pressed directly into the recess by breaking the connecting rim.

[0009] Preferably, the filling element consists of a semicircular pin with a flat rear side facing the rear wall, it is further favourable if the recess of the rear wall is provided with a recessed seat for the rear side of the pin. Owing to this, it is not possible to manipulate the pin after it has been pressed into the recess.

[0010] The invention is further explained with the aid of the drawings, in which an embodiment of the container according to the invention is represented.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the plastic container according to the invention.

[0012] Figure 2 shows the circumferential rim of the container of figure 1 on a larger scale.

[0013] Figure 3 is a partly represented horizontal section of the circumferential rim of figure 2 during the introduction of a flexible card.

[0014] Figure 4 is a section of the circumferential rim corresponding to that of figure 3, after the filling element has been fitted into the recess.

[0015] Figure 5 is a vertical section of the circumferential rim of figure 2, wherein the filling element is still connected with the circumferential rim.

[0016] Figure 6 is a section corresponding to that of figure 5, wherein the filling element is situated in the recess.

[0017] Figure 1 shows in perspective a plastic container 1, which is designed to receive a number of pot plants, not represented. The container 1 comprises a circumferential rim 2, provided with an integral receiving space 3 for a flexible card 4, which can be most clearly seen in figures 3 to 6. The card 4 may, for example, be implemented as an identification card on which information on, for example, the provenance or the destination of the products held in the container has been registered in a bar code.

[0018] The receiving space, which is shown in greater detail in the figures 3 to 6, is formed by a horizontal U-profile 5, of which the legs 6, 7 are outwardly oriented and the body 8 of which forms the rear wall of the receiving space. Over part of the length of the receiving space 3, the legs 6, 7 have been provided with a rim 9 which, together with the rear wall 8, defines slots for receiving the longitudinal rims of the card 4. At both ends of the rims 9, the card 4 can be slid into the receiving space. As appears from the section according to figures 3, 4, the receiving space 3 is closed at both ends by an end wall 10, wherein additional rims 11 have been provided, which, together with the rear wall 8, define slots 12 for receiving the end rims of the card 4.

[0019] The rear wall 8 comprises a recess 13 into which the card, as it is introduced into the receiving space 3, can protrude, as a result of which the one end rim of the card 4 which, during the introduction of the card, is the last to be pressed into the receiving space, can be readily placed behind the rim 11 in the slot 12. Thus, it is achieved that the card 4 extends into the slots 12 over some length, so that the card 4 is completely locked, nearly around its entire periphery, behind the rims 9 and 11, respectively.

[0020] In order to prevent the card 4 from being readily removed by pressing the card back into the recess 13, the container 1 described comprises a filling element formed as a semicircular pin 14, with which the recess 13 can be partly filled, as shown in figures 4 and 6. This pin 14, which has a flat rear side 15, is manufactured as an integral part of the container 1 and is connected through a connecting rim 16 with the lower leg 7 of the receiving space 3. This connecting rim 16 is formed as a plastic film and is considerably thinner than the remaining part of the leg 7. After installation of the card 4 in the receiving space 3, the pin 14 can be pressed readily into the recess 13 by breaking the connecting rim 16. As a result of this, it is no longer possible to press the card into the recess 13, so that removal of the card from the receiving space 3 is ruled out.

[0021] Figures 3 and 4 show that the recess 13 of the rear wall 8 has been provided with a recessed seat 17 for the pin 14, in which the rear side 15 of the pin 14 is lodged, after the pin 14 has been pressed into the recess 13. Owing to this, displacement of the pin within the recess 13 is impossible.

[0022] As appears from figures 4 and 6, the pin 14 also provides a support for the card 4 at the site of the recess 13, so that the card 4 is supported in a substantially level fashion in the receiving space 3. Hereby a reliable reading of the bar code pressed on the card 4 is assured.

[0023] The pin 14 presents at its upper end a bevel 18 (see figures 5 and 6), so that the pin 14, on being pressed into the recess 13, is prevented from impinging on the lower rim of the card 4. The pin 14 further presents at its lower end a reduced end part 19, which is connected to the remaining part of the pin 14 through a shoulder 20. Once the pin 14 has been pressed into the recess 13, this reduced end part 19 will be situated in the opening formed in the lower leg 7 as a result of the pin being pressed through, such that the pin 14 will be situated with the shoulder 20 on the bottom of the receiving space 3 formed by the leg 7. Thus, it becomes impossible to remove the pin 14 from the receiving space 3.

[0024] The foregoing shows that the invention provides a plastic container, which comprises a circumferential rim with a receiving space, into which, on the one hand, a card can be readily introduced which, after having been introduced, will be locked nearly around its entire periphery in the receiving space, and which, by providing the pin for filling up the recess, renders removal of the card from the receiving space impossible. The manufacturing cost of the container described is scarcely raised, owing to the fact that the pin can be manufactured as an integral part of the container. Moreover, as the pin is integrally associated with the container, it cannot get lost.

[0025] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described in the foregoing, which can be varied in different ways without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, it will be appreciated that, instead of being semicircular, the pin 14 may also have other sectional shapes.

Claims

1. Plastic container, such as a crate, bin or the like, comprising a circumferential rim with a receiving space for a flexible card, such as an identification card with a bar code for example, said receiving space being formed by a horizontal U-profile, of which the legs are outwardly oriented and the body of which forms the rear wall of the receiving space, wherein, over part of the length of the receiving space, slots have been formed on the legs of the U-profile for receiving the longitudinal rims of the card, and wherein slots have been formed at the ends of the receiving space for receiving the end rims of the card, characterized in that the rear wall of the receiving space comprises a recess into which the card may be pressed, wherein a filling element is provided which is movable between a position in which the filling element is situated outside the recess and an operational position in which the filling element at least partly fills the recess.

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the filling element has been manufactured as an integral part of the container.

3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the filling element is connected, through a connecting rim, to the lower leg of the U-profile at the site of the recess, said connecting rim being considerably thinner than the leg.

4. Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filling element consists of a semicircular pin with a flat rear side facing the rear wall.

5. Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the recess of the rear wall has been provided with a recessed seat for the rear side of the pin.

6. Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the filling element is bevelled at the end thereof adjacent to the receiving space.

7. Container according to claim 6, characterized in that the filling element presents, at the other end thereof, a reduced end part, which is connected with the filling element through a shoulder.

Drawing