U.S. patent application number 17/189616 was filed with the patent office on 2021-09-02 for inner container made of plastic and transport and storage container for liquids having an inner container made of plastic.
The applicant listed for this patent is PROTECHNA S.A.. Invention is credited to Udo Schutz.
Application Number | 20210269233 17/189616 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005446502 |
Filed Date | 2021-09-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210269233 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schutz; Udo |
September 2, 2021 |
INNER CONTAINER MADE OF PLASTIC AND TRANSPORT AND STORAGE CONTAINER
FOR LIQUIDS HAVING AN INNER CONTAINER MADE OF PLASTIC
Abstract
The invention relates to an inner container (15) made of plastic
for transporting and storing liquids, the inner container (15)
having an outlet socket (18) for connecting an outlet fitting (17)
on a front side, a bottom wall (20) connecting two side walls (23,
24), a rear wall (22) and a front wall (16) of the inner container
(15) and serving to support the inner container (15) on a pallet
floor (21) of a transport pallet (11) provided with an outer jacket
(14) for receiving the inner container (15), and a top wall (25)
located opposite the bottom wall (20) and provided with a filling
opening, wherein the side walls (23, 24) each have a horizontal
corrugation (47, 48), the horizontal corrugations (47, 48) being
disposed in a shared central horizontal plane.
Inventors: |
Schutz; Udo; (Selters,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
PROTECHNA S.A. |
Fribourg |
|
CH |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005446502 |
Appl. No.: |
17/189616 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 88/1656 20130101;
B65D 88/54 20130101; B65D 88/22 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/16 20060101
B65D088/16; B65D 88/54 20060101 B65D088/54; B65D 88/22 20060101
B65D088/22 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 2, 2020 |
DE |
10 2020 105 525.0 |
Claims
1. An inner container (15) made of plastic for transporting and
storing liquids, the inner container (15) having an outlet socket
(18) for connecting an outlet fitting (17) on a front side, a
bottom wall (20) connecting two side walls (23, 24), a rear wall
(22) and a front wall (16) of the inner container (15) and serving
to support the inner container (15) on a pallet floor (21) of a
transport pallet (11) provided with an outer jacket (14) for
receiving the inner container (15), and a top wall (25) located
opposite the bottom wall (20) and provided with a filling opening,
characterized in that the side walls each have a horizontal
corrugation (47, 48), the horizontal corrugations (47, 48) being
disposed in a shared central horizontal plane.
2. The inner container according to claim 1, characterized in that
the front wall (16) has two diagonal corrugations (45, 46) below a
horizontal wall axis (52) of the front wall (16), the horizontal
wall axis (52) being disposed in a shared horizontal plane with the
horizontal corrugations (47, 48), the diagonal corrugations (45,
46) extending between a lower container edge (55) and the wall axis
(52) and approaching each other.
3. The inner container according to claim 2, characterized in that
the rear wall (22) has two diagonal corrugations (45, 46) below a
horizontal wall axis (52) of the rear wall (22), the horizontal
wall axis (52) being disposed in a shared horizontal plane with the
horizontal corrugations (47, 48), the diagonal corrugations (45,
46) extending between a lower container edge (55) and the wall axis
(52) and approaching each other.
4. The inner container according to claim 3, characterized in that
the front wall (16) and the rear wall (22) each have two diagonal
corrugations (43, 44) above the wall axes (52) of the front wall
(16) and the rear wall (22), the wall axes (52) being disposed in a
shared horizontal plane with the horizontal corrugations (47, 48),
the diagonal corrugations (43, 44) extending from the upper
container edge (54) to the horizontal wall axis (52) and
approaching each other.
5. The inner container according to claim 2, characterized in that
the diagonal corrugations (43, 46; 44, 45) on the front wall (16)
and the rear wall (22) each run parallel to a surface diagonal.
6. The inner container according to claim 2, characterized in that
each two diagonal corrugations (43, 46; 44, 45) coming from a
shared lateral container edge (50, 51) form a pair of corrugations
(57, 58, 59, 60) and have longitudinal axes forming an isosceles
triangle with the container edge (50, 51).
7. The inner container according to claim 6, characterized in that
the diagonal corrugations (43, 46; 44, 45) of each pair of
corrugations (57, 58, 59, 60) are disposed at an angle of
45.degree. to the lateral container edge (50, 51).
8. The inner container according to claim 6, characterized in that
the diagonal corrugations (43, 46; 44, 45) of a pair of
corrugations (59, 60) have longitudinal axes intersecting with the
horizontal wall axis (52) in a shared horizontal intersection
M.
9. The inner container according to claim 6, characterized in that
the pairs of corrugations (57, 58) disposed on the front wall (16)
and the rear wall (22) have a distance x between the horizontal
intersections S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 of their longitudinal axes with
the horizontal wall axis (52).
10. The inner container according to claim 2, characterized in that
distal corrugation ends (61) of the diagonal corrugations (43, 44,
45, 46) extend into the lateral container edge (50, 51).
11. The inner container according to claim 2, characterized in that
distal corrugation ends (61) of the diagonal corrugations (43, 44,
45, 46) extend into container corners (33, 34).
12. The inner container according to claim 2, characterized in that
the diagonal corrugations (43, 44, 45, 46) have a corrugation
bottom (64) continuously rising toward a wall surface (63) at their
proximal corrugation ends (62).
13. The inner container according to claim 2, characterized in that
corrugation ends (65) of the horizontal corrugations (47, 48)
extend into the container edges (50, 51).
14. The inner container according to claim 13, characterized in
that the horizontal corrugations (47, 48) have a concave
corrugation bottom (64) which has an enlarged profile radius (67)
for forming corrugation widenings (66) at the corrugation ends
(65).
15. The inner container according to claim 14, characterized in
that the corrugation widenings (66) have at least a radial
corrugation (68) running in the corrugation bottom (64).
16. The inner container according to claim 14, characterized in
that at least a horizontal corrugation (69) is formed in the front
wall (16) and the rear wall (22) adjacent to the corrugation
widenings (66).
17. A transport and storage container for liquids, the transport
and storage container comprising an inner container made of plastic
according to claim 1.
18. A method for folding an inner container according to claim 1,
characterized in that a point load P is externally applied to the
surface centers of the front wall (16) and the rear wall (22) and a
linear load L is externally applied along the horizontal
corrugations (47, 48) of the side walls (23, 24) in such a manner
that the front wall (16) and the rear wall (22) are moved toward
each other and the side walls (23, 24) are moved toward each other,
a surface load F being simultaneously exerted on the bottom wall
(20) and the top wall (25) in such a manner that the bottom wall
(20) and the top wall (25) move toward each other.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of German Patent
Application No. 10 2020 105 525.0 filed on Mar. 2, 2020, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an inner container made of
plastic for transporting and storing liquids, the inner container
having an outlet socket for connecting an outlet fitting on a front
side, a bottom wall connecting two side walls, a rear wall and a
front wall of the inner container and serving to support the inner
container on a pallet floor of a transport pallet provided with an
outer jacket for receiving the inner container, and a top wall
located opposite the bottom wall and provided with a filling
opening.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The containers of the kind described above are used as a
replaceable component of transport and storage containers serving
to transport and store liquids and typically employed as what is
known as circulation containers, which are filled repeatedly.
[0004] Inner containers of this kind are produced by blow molding
and typically have a capacity of approximately 1000 liters,
transport and storage containers provided with the inner containers
thus allowing correspondingly large amounts of liquid to be
transported and stored, space-saving arrangement during transport
and storage being possible owing to the fact that the inner
containers are received in an outer jacket of the transport and
storage pallet and are stackable as a result.
[0005] The amount of space required for arranging or accommodating
the known inner containers is basically independent of whether the
inner containers are full or empty. This proves disadvantageous in
particular if the inner container and the transport and storage
pallet provided with the outer jacket are produced at different
manufacturing sites and the transport and storage containers cannot
be completed by "potting" the inner containers in the outer jacket
until the components have been brought together, i.e., in
particular until the empty inner containers have been transported.
In this context, the large capacity and the accompanying voluminous
design of the inner containers proves disadvantageous since the
voluminous design of the inner containers results in a ratio
between the transport volume and the transport weight that is
unfavorable in terms of transport costs.
SUMMARY
[0006] Hence, the object of the present invention is to propose an
inner container that makes low transport costs for the empty
container possible without negative effects on the capacity.
[0007] According to the invention, the side walls each have a
horizontal corrugation, the horizontal corrugations being disposed
in a shared central horizontal plane of the inner container.
[0008] The positions of the corrugations in the side walls as per
the invention define folding lines of the inner container which
allow the inner container to fold to a defined base area defined by
the bottom wall when external loads act on the container walls in
such a manner that a point load is externally applied to the
surface centers of the front wall and the rear wall and a linear
load is externally applied along the horizontal corrugations of the
side walls, causing the front wall and the rear wall to be moved
toward each other and the side walls to be moved toward each other,
a surface load being simultaneously exerted on the bottom wall and
the top wall in such a manner that the bottom wall and the top wall
move toward each other.
[0009] So the inner container is reduced in height by the folding
process, the horizontal corrugations in the side walls causing the
side walls to fold in a defined manner against the elastic
restoring forces of the inner container and ensuring that the top
wall and the bottom wall are disposed one on top of the other
essentially congruently after folding.
[0010] When the inner container is compressed to its folded size,
the compressed inner container can be secured in the folded
configuration by means of belts and stacked with the bottom wall in
the horizontal position or, if needed, disposed in a horizontal row
of a plurality of folded inner containers with the bottom wall in
the vertical position in order for the folded inner container to be
stored or transported.
[0011] When folded inner containers and transport pallets provided
with an outer jacket are transported together, the folded inner
containers can advantageously also be disposed in a stack within
the outer jacket on the transport pallet.
[0012] If, according to an advantageous embodiment, the front wall
additionally has two diagonal corrugations below a horizontal wall
axis of the front wall, the horizontal wall axis being disposed in
a shared horizontal plane with the horizontal corrugations, the
diagonal corrugations extending between an outer container edge and
the wall axis and approaching each other, a defined disposition of
the outlet socket or of an outlet fitting already connected to the
outlet socket is possible in the folded state of the inner
container as a result of the folding process.
[0013] Preferably, the rear wall also has two diagonal corrugations
below a horizontal wall axis of the rear wall, the horizontal wall
axis being disposed in a shared horizontal plane with the
horizontal corrugations, the diagonal corrugations extending
between a lower container edge and the wall axis and approaching
each other, enabling identical folding of the front wall and the
rear wall.
[0014] Particularly precise mutual covering of the front wall and
the rear wall and, thus, particularly high reproducibility of the
folded size of the inner container can be achieved if the front
wall and the rear wall each have two diagonal corrugations above
the wall axes of the front wall and the rear wall, the wall axes
being disposed in a shared horizontal plane with the horizontal
corrugations, the diagonal corrugations extending from the upper
container edge to the horizontal wall axis and approaching each
other.
[0015] This results in a disposition of four diagonal corrugations
on the front wall and four diagonal corrugations on the rear wall,
which means that the point load acting on the surface centers of
the front wall and the rear wall will cause the outlet socket
formed on a lower wall portion of the front wall or the outlet
fitting already connected to the outlet socket to move into a space
formed between the bottom wall and the top wall upon folding, the
outlet socket or the outlet fitting being accommodated in said
space, the filling opening formed in the top wall maintaining its
position relative to the top wall during the folding process. So
the inner container is reduced in height by the folding process,
the diagonal corrugations in the front wall and the rear wall and
the horizontal corrugations in the side walls leading to defined
folding of wall portions of the front wall and the rear wall and
the side walls against the elastic restoring forces of the inner
container.
[0016] If the diagonal corrugations on the front wall and the rear
wall each run parallel to a surface diagonal, the inner container
can be folded with particularly low folding forces.
[0017] It proves particularly advantageous if each two diagonal
corrugations coming from a shared container edge form a pair of
corrugations and have longitudinal axes forming an isosceles
triangle with the container edge, such that, in cooperation with
the horizontal corrugations of the side walls, the wall folds
formed during folding are located in a shared horizontal plane
between the bottom wall and the top wall of the inner
container.
[0018] If the diagonal corrugations of a pair of corrugations are
disposed at an angle of 45.degree. to the container edge, the
folding process can be carried out with as little folding load as
possible.
[0019] Preferably, the diagonal corrugations of each pair of
corrugations have longitudinal axes that intersect with the
horizontal wall axis in a shared horizontal intersection, enabling
further reduction of the folding load.
[0020] If the pairs of corrugations disposed on the front wall and
the rear wall have a distance X between the horizontal
intersections of their longitudinal axes with the horizontal wall
axis, in particular the distance between the side wall folds of the
folded inner container is set accordingly.
[0021] It is particularly advantageous if the distal corrugation
ends of the diagonal corrugations extend into the container
edge.
[0022] Preferably, the distal corrugation ends of the diagonal
corrugations extend into the container corners, making a
particularly small height of the inner container folded to the
folded size possible.
[0023] If the diagonal corrugations have a corrugation bottom
continuously rising toward a wall surface at their proximal
corrugations ends, the diagonal corrugations continuously flatten
out at the corrugation ends, which means that there is no
reinforcement counteracting the folding at the end of the folding
line formed by the diagonal corrugation.
[0024] Preferably, the corrugation ends of the horizontal
corrugations extend into the container edges, the folded size in
the plane of the bottom wall and of the top wall thus being
adjusted to the planar size of the bottom wall or of the top
wall.
[0025] Preferably, the horizontal corrugations have a concave
corrugation bottom which has an enlarged profile radius for forming
corrugation widenings at the corrugation ends, which means that the
formation of kinks, i.e., plastic deformation, is avoided in the
area of the container edges where multiple folds meet during the
folding process.
[0026] It is particularly preferred if the corrugation widenings
have at least a radial corrugation running in the corrugation
bottom, a reinforcement thus being created in the area of the
vulnerable container edges. If, moreover, at least a horizontal
corrugation is formed in the front wall and in the rear wall
adjacent to the corrugation widenings, the defined formation of the
fold in the area of the front wall and the rear wall can be
supported additionally.
[0027] According to the invention, the folding of the inner
container takes place in the following way: a point load is
externally applied to the surface centers of the front wall and the
rear wall and a linear load is externally applied along the
horizontal corrugations of the side walls in such a manner that the
front wall and the rear wall are moved toward each other and the
side walls are moved toward each other, a surface load being
simultaneously exerted on the bottom wall and the top wall in such
a manner that the bottom wall and the top wall move toward each
other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0028] Hereinafter, the invention will be described in more detail
based on an example of an embodiment illustrated in the
drawing.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a transport and storage container for liquids
with an inner container made of plastic inserted into an outer
jacket of a transport pallet;
[0030] FIG. 2 is an isolated illustration of the inner container
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0031] FIG. 3 shows the inner container of FIG. 2 in a folded
state;
[0032] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the inner container
for clarifying the folding process;
[0033] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the inner container
with diagonal corrugations disposed on a front wall and a
horizontal corrugation disposed on a side wall;
[0034] FIG. 6 is an isometric illustration of an embodiment of the
inner container;
[0035] FIG. 7 is a front view of the inner container illustrated in
FIG. 6;
[0036] FIG. 8 is a side view of the inner container illustrated in
FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a transport and storage pallet 10 having, as
essential components, a transport pallet 11 on which an outer
jacket 14 is disposed, outer jacket 14 being realized as a cage
having vertical bars 12 and horizontal bars 13. An inner container
15 made of plastic is disposed on transport pallet 11 within outer
jacket 14, inner container 15 having an outlet socket 18 provided
with an outlet fitting 17 in a front wall 16 on a front side, as
shown in FIG. 2 in particular.
[0038] Outlet socket 18 is located in a lower wall portion 19 of
front wall 16 in an area of transition to a bottom wall 20 of inner
container 15, bottom wall 20 of inner container 15 being disposed
on a pallet floor 21 of transport pallet 11. Bottom wall 20
connects front wall 16 to a rear wall 22, which is formed on the
rear side of inner container 15, and two opposing side walls 23 and
24. A top wall 25 provided with a filling opening 26 is formed
opposite bottom wall 20. For securing inner container 15 when it is
received in outer jacket 14, traverses 27 connected to an upper
circumferential edge 28 of outer jacket 14 extend above top wall
25.
[0039] FIG. 3 shows inner container 15 in the folded state, in
which inner container 15 has a defined folded configuration 29
having wall folds 30 which are formed in side walls 23 and 24 and
which extend into the drawing plane parallel to container bottom 20
in the illustration of inner container 15 according to FIG. 3.
Moreover, inner container 15 has container edge folds 31 and 32
which extend from an upper container corner 33 to side wall fold 30
and from a lower container corner 34 to side wall fold 30 and which
are formed in a front plane of inner container 15. Furthermore,
when in the folded state, inner container 15 has inner folds 35 and
36 which extend from an upper container corner 33 into a fold space
37 and from a lower container corner 34 into a fold space 38. Fold
spaces 37 and 38 are formed between an edge fold 40 formed on an
upper container edge 39 of inner container 15 and adjacent
container edge fold 31 and between an edge fold 42 formed on a
lower container edge 41 of inner container 15 and adjacent
container edge fold 32.
[0040] For a defined formation of folded configuration 29, inner
container 15 illustrated in FIG. 2 has diagonal corrugations 43,
44, 45 and 46 in its front wall 16 and its rear wall 22 and
horizontal corrugations 47 and 48 in its side walls 23 and 24,
respectively, horizontal corrugations 47 and 48 being located in a
central horizontal plane of inner container 15. For clarification
of the folding process, diagonal corrugations 43, 44, 45 and 46 are
illustrated as surface diagonals in the schematic illustration of
FIG. 4.
[0041] When the folding process is carried out, point loads P,
linear loads L and surface loads F externally act on inner
container 15 as illustrated in FIG. 4, point loads P acting in
opposite directions being exerted on central surface portions 49 of
front wall 16 and rear wall 22, linear loads L acting in opposite
directions being exerted on side walls 23 and 24 along horizontal
corrugations 47 and 48 and surface loads F acting in opposite
directions being exerted on bottom wall 20 and top wall 25.
[0042] Diagonal corrugations 43 to 46 and horizontal corrugations
47 to 48 define folding lines when external loads act on inner
container 15 as illustrated in FIG. 4, such that front wall 16 and
rear wall 22 are elastically deformed inward along diagonal
corrugations 43 to 46 and inner folds 35 and 36 illustrated in FIG.
3 form along diagonal corrugations 43 to 46 and side walls folds 30
illustrated in FIG. 3 form along horizontal corrugations 47 and 48.
Furthermore, vertically running lateral container edges 50 and 51
of non-deformed inner container 15 (FIG. 2) are turned into
container edge folds 31 and 32.
[0043] When inner fold 35 is formed, approximately triangular
surface areas A and B, which are designated A and B in FIG. 4 for
clarification of the folding process, are moved into a position in
which they cover each other; likewise, surface areas C and D are
moved into a position in which they cover each other when inner
fold 36 is formed. Furthermore, horizontal corrugations 47 and 48
and front wall 16 and rear wall 25 move toward each other along a
wall axis 52 which runs through the intersection of the
longitudinal axes of the corrugations in FIG. 4, both wall portions
A and B and wall portions C and D moving into a position in which
they cover each other.
[0044] FIG. 5 shows another schematic illustration of diagonal
corrugations 43, 44, 45 and 46 in a disposition identical to FIG.
2, in which diagonal corrugations 43 and 44 extend between an upper
container edge 54 and horizontal wall axis 52 and diagonal
corrugations 45 and 46 extend between a lower container edge 55 and
horizontal wall axis 52. Diagonal corrugations 43 and 56 and
diagonal corrugations 44 and 45 together form pairs of corrugations
57 and 58 which, like pairs of corrugations 59 and 60 formed by
diagonal corrugations 43 and 46 and diagonal corrugations 44 and
45, respectively, and illustrated in FIG. 4, together each form an
isosceles triangle with lateral container edges 50 and 51, the
diagonal corrugations each being disposed at an angle of 45.degree.
to container edges 50 and 51.
[0045] Unlike diagonal corrugations 43 to 46 illustrated in FIG. 4,
whose disposition coincides with the surface diagonals and whose
longitudinal axes meet in a shared horizontal intersection M
coinciding with the surface center in the case of the illustration
of FIG. 4, the longitudinal axes of diagonal corrugations 43 and 46
and diagonal corrugations 44 and 45, which form pairs of
corrugations 57 and 58 in FIG. 5, intersect in horizontal
intersections S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 on wall axis 52, intersections
S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 having distance X from each other. Distance X
prevents side wall folds 30 coming from container edges 50 and 51
from meeting when the folding process is carried out and plastic
deformation from occurring in central surface portion 49.
[0046] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, corrugation ends 61 of diagonal
corrugations 43 to 46 extend into container edges 50 and 51,
respectively, more specifically into upper container corners 33 and
lower container corners 34, respectively. At their proximal
corrugation ends 62, diagonal corrugations 43 to 46 have
corrugation bottoms 64 continuously rising toward a wall surface 63
of front wall 16 and rear wall 22, respectively.
[0047] Corrugation ends 65 on both sides of horizontal corrugations
47 and 48 extend into container edges 50 and 51, horizontal
corrugations 47 and 48, like diagonal corrugations 43 and 46,
having a concave corrugation bottom 64 which has an enlarged
profile radius 67 for forming corrugation widenings 66 on
corrugation ends 65.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 8 in particular, corrugation widenings 66
of the embodiment example at hand are provided with a plurality of
parallel radial corrugations 68 formed in corrugation bottom 64 and
formed closely together across the entire length of corrugation
bottom 64 within corrugation widening 66.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 7 in particular, front wall 16, like
opposite rear wall 22 (not shown), has a plurality of horizontal
corrugations 69 adjacent to corrugation widenings 66 of horizontal
corrugations 47 and 48, horizontal corrugations 69 extending along
horizontal wall axis 52 in wall portion 70 of front wall 16 and
rear wall 22 limited by pair of corrugations 57 formed by diagonal
corrugations 44 and 45 and pair of corrugations 58 formed by
diagonal corrugations 45 and 46, respectively.
* * * * *