BOTTLE CRATE WITH SPLIT PINNACLES IN FOAMED PLASTIC

Abstract

 Bottle crate comprising split pinnacles, extending upward from a bottom wall structure up to a predetermined height and defining storage spaces in the crate for storing bottles individually or in bottle packs. The split pinnacles each comprise at least two pinnacle parts which are provided for maintaining a predetermined clearance between the bottles of the predetermined type, to prevent that the bottles can contact each other, and which are spaced from each other by slots of a predetermined width for accommodating packaging material of the bottle packs. At least the bottom wall structure and the split pinnacles are part of an integrally produced unit made of foamed plastic and produced by injection moulding, the pinnacle parts having a wall thickness between 2.0 and 8.0 mm.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bottle crate made of foamed plastic for storage and transport of bottles. More in particular, the present invention relates to a plastic crate which comprises a bottom part, side walls and slotted split pinnacles wherein at least the bottom wall and the split pinnacles are formed integrally of foamed plastic.

Background art

[0002] Rectangular bottle crates such as beer crates, provided with a surrounding wall with recesses as carrying handles, are widely known.

[0003] Moreover, known bottle crates usually are made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and/or polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene (PE) by any known injection molded process. It has also been proposed to use foamed plastic. This is the case of the document EP 2 462 031 that describes a bottle crate wherein at least the side walls and the crate corners of the crate are formed of foamed plastic.

[0004] Furthermore, it is becoming more and more usual that bottles are grouped in package units, i.e. in carton packs containing two, four or six bottles for instance. To accommodate the bottles individually or for smaller package units in the form of carton packs, bottle crates can comprise split pinnacles extending upward from the bottom of the bottle crate, the split pinnacles being divided cross-like parallel to said crate side walls over the entire pinnacles height, so that the carton material of the packs can be accommodated in the slots formed by the cross-like division. Such split pinnacles are for example described in EP 0 714 833. The known split pinnacles are relatively thin structures with a high risk of breakage.

Disclosure of the invention

[0005] It is an aim of this invention to provide an alternative bottle crate having split pinnacles of sufficient strength.

[0006] According to the present invention, the aforementioned aim is achieved with the bottle crate showing the technical characteristics of the first claim. In particular, the bottle crate is optimized for accommodating the bottles individually as well as for smaller package units in the form of carton packs. The crate comprises a pair of longitudinal side walls, a pair of transverse side walls and a bottom wall structure. The crate comprises slotted or split pinnacles, extending upward from the bottom wall structure up to a predetermined height and provided for defining storage spaces in the crate for storing bottles of a predetermined type and preventing that adjacent bottles of this type that are stored in the crate can contact each other. The slots between the pinnacle parts are sized for accommodating packaging material of bottle packs.

[0007] According to the present invention, at least the bottom wall structure and the split pinnacles are part of a single body which is integrally formed of foamed plastic by means of injection moulding. In other words, the bottom wall structure and the split pinnacles are parts of an integral unit in foamed plastic, formed in a single step of an injection moulding process in which an agent or a gas is used for at least partly foaming the plastic used for manufacturing the unit. Each of the split pinnacles comprises at least two pinnacle parts having a wall thickness comprised between 2.0 and 8.0 mm.

[0008] It has been found that by constructing the pinnacle parts as integral parts with the bottom wall structure, in foamed plastic, and with the predetermined wall thickness between 2.0 and 8.0 mm, the strength of the pinnacle parts can be highly enhanced compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the range between 2.0 and 8.0 mm has been found suitable for obtaining the foaming of the plastic used for the pinnacle parts in the manufacturing process, thereby achieving a weight reduction compared to pinnacles or pinnacle parts manufactured in full, non-foamed plastic.

[0009] In embodiments of the bottle crate of the invention, the predetermined wall thickness of the pinnacle parts may be at least 3.5 mm and/or at most 7.0 mm.

[0010] In embodiments of the bottle crate of the invention, the side walls may also be part of the integrally formed unit, i.e. may also be manufactured in the same injection moulding process step as the bottom wall structure and the pinnacle parts, although this is not essential. The side walls may also be at least partly formed of foamed plastic.

[0011] In embodiments of the bottle crate of the invention, the pinnacle parts may have curved front faces, the front faces being the sides facing the adjacent bottle spaces and provided for in use contacting the bottles. The curved shape of the front face has the advantage that it can contribute to the overall strength of the pinnacle parts. The curved shape of the front face is preferably conform to the shape or diameter of the bottles.

[0012] In embodiments of the bottle crate of the invention, the pinnacle parts may have top sections with backwards inclined front faces. This means that in the top sections, the front faces of the pinnacle parts may be inclined in a direction away from the adjacent bottle space. Such top sections can facilitate the placement of bottle packs in the crate, since they facilitate the insertion of the split pinnacles in the space between the bottles.

[0013] In embodiments of the bottle crate of the invention, the pinnacle parts may have reinforcing ribs at the back, i.e. at the side opposite the front face. These reinforcing ribs can further enhance the strength of the pinnacle parts.

[0014] In embodiments of the bottle crate of the invention, the slots separating the pinnacle parts may have a predetermined width in such a way that the slots can take up two layers of cardboard, i.e. the cardboard packaging material of two carton packs. The predetermined width may for example be between 5.0 and 9.5 mm, more preferably in the range between 7.0 and 9.0 mm.

[0015] In an aspect of the invention, which may occur in combination with the other aspects described herein but not necessarily, a first set of split pinnacles may be provided, each having four pinnacle parts separated by two slots perpendicular to each other, together with a second set of split pinnacles, each having two pinnacle parts separated by a single slot. For example, the crate can be configured such that split pinnacle with only one slot are provided where the splitting of the pinnacle into four parts is not needed (depending on the bottle packs for which the crate is designed). In alternative embodiments, also a number of non-split pinnacles may be provided at locations where no slot is needed (again depending on the bottle packs for which the crate is designed). So in general, according to this aspect, splitting of pinnacles is avoided when it is not needed, by which the overall strength of the crate may be enhanced. In this aspect, the crate may be an injection moulded crate in foamed plastic or non-foamed plastic.

Brief description of the drawings

[0016] The invention will be further elucidated by means of the following description and the appended drawings.

Figures 1-3 show perspective views of a first embodiment of a bottle crate according to the present invention, respectively storing individual bottles, bottle packs and the empty crate.

Figure 4 shows a detail of figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 show horizontal cross sections of the crate with bottles of figure 1, respectively at a height above the pinnacles and at a height through the pinnacles.

Figure 7 shows a top view of a second embodiment of a bottle crate according to the present invention.

Figure 8 shows a detail of figure 7.

Modes for carrying out the invention

[0017] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0018] Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0019] Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein can operate in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

[0020] The term "comprising", used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It needs to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device comprising means A and B" should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

[0021] With reference to figures 1-6 a first embodiment of a bottle crate 1 according to the invention will be described.

[0022] The bottle crate 1 is optimized for accommodating individual bottles of a predetermined type, as shown in figure 1, as well as bottle packs, i.e. a number of such bottles packed together for example as carton packs, as shown in figure 2. Figure 3 shows the empty crate. The crate 1 comprises an enclosure 2 formed by a pair of longitudinal side walls 3, 4 and a pair of transverse side walls 5, 6 and a bottom wall structure 7. The crate comprises slotted or split pinnacles 8, extending upward from the bottom wall structure 7 up to a predetermined height, in particular about the "shoulder height" of the bottles. The pinnacles 8 are aligned longitudinally and transversely and spaced at substantially equal distances from each other. The pinnacles 8 define the storage spaces in the crate for the individual bottles and are designed to prevent that the adjacent bottles can contact each other. The split pinnacles 8 comprise in this embodiment each time four pinnacle parts 81-84, separate from each other, so that they form two perpendicular slots in between them, like a "+". The slots between the pinnacle parts are sized for accommodating the packaging material of the bottle packs.

[0023] As shown, the side and bottom walls 3-7 may be connected to each other at right angles. As shown in the figures, the outside plane of the side walls 3-6 may be slightly recessed with respect to the corners, so that decorations which are applied are protected. Such decorations, not shown on the figures, can be in-mould labels, stickers, laser printed decorations, relief structures on the side walls, screen printing or any known type of decorations. The side walls 3-6 may be provided with handles formed by handle openings. Said handle openings may have a rectangular shape and may be suitably reinforced by a peripheral flange protruding inwardly. At the inside, the side walls 3-6 may comprise reinforcement structures such that the crate 1 is capable of supporting a predetermined weight, usually at least 100 kg. At the top, the crate may comprise a top flange 9 which forms a supporting surface for supporting crates stacked on top of the crate 1. At the bottom, positioning structures (not shown) may be provided which define positions in which the crate 1 can be stacked on top of other crates. The bottom wall structure 7, as shown, may have a plurality of holes through the bottom wall for purposes of air circulation, removal of humidity, yeast process, etc.

[0024] The bottom wall structure 7 and the split pinnacles 8, and in the embodiment of figures 1-6 also the side walls 3-6, are part of a single body which is integrally formed of foamed plastic by means of an injection moulding manufacturing process. The single body is thus an integral unit in foamed plastic, also known as structural foam, and is formed in a single step of an injection moulding process. The foaming can be obtained by mixing a foaming agent into the plastic before the injection moulding step, or by injecting a gas to create gas bubbles in the plastic. The body may be made of any suitable plastic material, preferably high density polyethylene (HDPE) and/or polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene (PE) are used. Said foamed plastic can have a closed-cell or open-cell structure. Foams with a closed-cell structure can be produced by incorporating a blowing agent that decomposes at the fusion point of the plastic, releasing gas bubbles that are trapped during the gelling. Foams with an open-cell structure can be produced by incorporating an inert gas into the resin under pressure and then releasing the mixture to the atmosphere and curing the resulting foam. Such processes are widely known and therefore need not be explained in great detail here.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the foamed plastic is formed by injection moulding with an appropriate chemical blowing agent well known by the man skilled in the art mixed with plastic. For instance, 1% (percent by weight) of a chemical blowing agent is mixed with the plastic, preferably a plastic granulate. The granulate thus treated is then preferably prepared in an injection moulding machine.

[0026] In the embodiment of figures 1-6, the split pinnacles 8 comprise each four pinnacle parts 81-84 having a wall thickness of about 4.0 mm (measured from the front face to the back side). Generally it has been found, according to the invention, that with a wall thickness comprised between 2.0 and 8.0 mm the strength of the pinnacle parts can be sufficient and highly enhanced compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the range between 2.0 and 8.0 mm has been found suitable for obtaining the foaming of the plastic used for the pinnacle parts in the manufacturing process, thereby achieving a weight reduction compared to pinnacles or pinnacle parts manufactured in full, non-foamed plastic.

[0027] In the embodiment of figs. 1-6, the pinnacle parts 81-84 may have curved front faces, the front faces being the sides facing the adjacent bottle spaces and provided for in use contacting the bottles. The curved shape of the front face has the advantage that it can contribute to the overall strength of the pinnacle parts. The curved shape of the front face is preferably conform to the shape or diameter of the bottles.

[0028] As shown, the pinnacle parts 81-84 may have top sections 85 with backwards inclined front faces. This means that in the top sections 85, the front faces of the pinnacle parts may be inclined in a direction away from the adjacent bottle space. Such top sections can facilitate the placement of bottle packs in the crate, since they facilitate the insertion of the split pinnacles in the space between the bottles.

[0029] As shown, the pinnacle parts 81-84 may have reinforcing ribs 86 at the back, i.e. at the side opposite the front face. These reinforcing ribs can further enhance the strength of the pinnacle parts.

[0030] With reference to figures 7-8 a second embodiment of a bottle crate 10 according to the invention will be described. This second embodiment has generally the same construction as the first embodiment of figures 1-6. Hence, only the main differences, in particular the split pinnacles 11-13, of this crate 10 will be described.

[0031] The crate 10 comprises different slotted or split pinnacles 11-13, extending upward from the bottom wall structure 17 up to a predetermined height, in particular about the "shoulder height" of the bottles. The pinnacles 11-13 define the storage spaces in the crate for the individual bottles and are designed to prevent that the adjacent bottles can contact each other. A first set of the split pinnacles 11 comprises in this embodiment each time four pinnacle parts 111-114, separate from each other, so that they form two perpendicular slots in between them, like a "+". A second set of the split pinnacles 12-13 comprises each time two pinnacle parts 121-122, 131-132, so that they form a single slot in between them. For the pinnacles 12, the slot extends in longitudinal direction of the crate 10 and for the pinnacles 13, the slot extends in transverse direction of the crate. The pinnacles 12 and 13 have the same construction apart from their orientation on the bottom 17. For all the pinnacles 11-13, the slots between the pinnacle parts are sized for accommodating the packaging material of the bottle packs.

[0032] In the crate 10, the locations of the different split pinnacles 11-13 are chosen such split pinnacles with only one slot are provided where the splitting of the pinnacle into four parts is not needed, and the single slot is then oriented as desired. This selection of which split pinnacle 11, 12 or 13 is provided depends on the bottle packs for which the crate 10 is designed. One configuration is shown in figure 7, but it is clear that other configurations are possible. In alternative embodiments, also a number of non-split pinnacles (not shown) may be provided at locations where no slot is needed.

[0033] In the embodiment of figures 7-8, the split pinnacles 11-13 comprise each time two or four pinnacle parts 111-114, 121-122, 131-132 having a wall thickness of about 6.5 mm (measured from the front face to the back side).

[0034] As shown, the pinnacle parts 111-114, 121-122, 131-132 may have curved front faces, the front faces being the sides facing the adjacent bottle spaces and provided for in use contacting the bottles. The curved shape of the front face has the advantage that it can contribute to the overall strength of the pinnacle parts. The curved shape of the front face is preferably conform to the shape or diameter of the bottles.

[0035] As shown, the pinnacle parts 111-114, 121-122, 131-132 may have top sections 115, 125 with backwards inclined front faces. This means that in the top sections 115, 125, the front faces of the pinnacle parts may be inclined in a direction away from the adjacent bottle space. Such top sections can facilitate the placement of bottle packs in the crate, since they facilitate the insertion of the split pinnacles in the space between the bottles.

[0036] In the embodiments shown, the bottle crates 1, 10 are standard crates of size 300x400 mm but the principles of the invention can also be applied on non-standard crates, such as for example half-size crates of 200x300 mm.

Claims

1. A bottle crate (1; 10), comprising:

a pair of longitudinal side walls (3, 4), a pair of transverse side walls (5, 6) and a bottom wall structure (7; 17), together forming an enclosure (2) for the storage and transport of bottles; and

split pinnacles (8; 11-13), extending upward from the bottom wall structure up to a predetermined height and provided for defining storage spaces in the crate for storing bottles of a predetermined type both individually and packaged in bottle packs, the split pinnacles each comprising at least two pinnacle parts (81-84; 111-114, 121-122, 131-132) which are provided for maintaining a predetermined clearance between the bottles of the predetermined type, to prevent that the bottles can contact each other, and which are spaced from each other by slots of a predetermined width for accommodating packaging material of the bottle packs;

characterised in that at least the bottom wall structure (7; 17) and the split pinnacles (8; 11-13) are part of an integrally produced unit made of foamed plastic and produced by injection moulding, the pinnacle parts (81-84; 111-114, 121-122, 131-132) having a wall thickness between 2.0 and 8.0 mm.

2. The bottle crate of claim 1, wherein the predetermined wall thickness of the pinnacle parts is at least 3.5 mm.

3. The bottle crate of claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined wall thickness of the pinnacle parts is at most 7.0 mm.

4. The bottle crate of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls (3-6) are also part of the integrally produced unit.

5. The bottle crate of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side walls (3-6) are at least partly formed of foamed plastic.

6. The bottle crate of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pinnacle parts (81-84; 111-114, 121-122, 131-132) have curved front faces.

7. The bottle crate of claim 6, wherein the curved front faces are conform to the shape or diameter of the bottles of the predetermined type.

8. The bottle crate of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pinnacle parts (81-84; 111-114, 121-122, 131-132) have top sections (85; 115, 125) with backwards inclined front faces.

9. The bottle crate of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pinnacle parts (81-84) have reinforcing ribs (86) at the back.

10. The bottle crate of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined width of the slots is between 5.0 and 9.5 mm, preferably between 7.0 and 9.0 mm.

11. The bottle crate of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the crate (10) comprises a first set of the split pinnacles (11), each having four pinnacle parts (111-114) separated by two slots perpendicular to each other, together with a second set of the split pinnacles (12-13), each having two pinnacle parts (121-122,131-132) separated by a single slot.

12. The bottle crate of claim 11, wherein the second set comprises a first subset of the split pinnacles (12) of which the single slot extends in longitudinal direction of the crate (10) and a second subset of the split pinnacles (13) of which the single slot extends in transverse direction of the crate (10).

13. A method for manufacturing a bottle crate according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method comprises the step of injection moulding a unit, forming at least the bottom wall structure (7; 17) and the split pinnacles (8; 11-13) of the crate, by means of a plastic material containing a chemical foaming agent.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plastic material is high density polyethylene (HDPE) and/or polypropylene (PP) and/or polyethylene (PE).

15. The method of claim 13 to 14, wherein prior to the injection moulding step a mixture is formed whereof 1% is the chemical blowing agent.

Drawing