Transport Container From Plastics With Cover

Abstract

A thin-walled transport container made from plastic material, is provided with detachable supporting faces near two oppositely situated walls for supporting the bottom of a similar container to be stacked thereon and is situated below the upper edge of the walls. The supporting faces constitute a part of a cover to be placed on the container.

Description

The invention relates to a transport container with thin walls and made of plastic, comprising a bottom and four upstanding walls. Such transport containers can be manufactured in an inexpensive way from thin plastic sheets by the aid of techniques known per se, like blowing and vacuum molding. The utilization of this thin walled material has, however, as a consequence that owing to the small difference between the inner and outer size a number of identical containers cannot be stacked without special measures being taken. For, when the containers are simply stacked, they will slide into one another due to the small difference between the inner and outer diameter. When no expensive collapsible dies are used, it is, by the aid of the aforementioned technique, impossible to form an outwardly directed flange wall in the vicinity of the bottom of a container, since then the container cannot be discharged from the die.

It has already been suggested to combine a plastic thin-walled container with an outer container of cardboard in such a way that the assembly permits stacking. This solution is in itself satisfactory for relatively large containers, as they are used for the transport of vegetables and fruit to and from the market, although the presence of the cardboard outer container causes an increase of the price of the unit. For transport of containers which are principally destined for transporting small quantities of vegetables and fruit this solution is less suitable since then such a container becomes too expensive. Moreover such containers, when empty, cannot be fitted into one another.

It is an object of the invention to provide a thin-walled transport container which can be manufactured at a very low price, while measures have been taken permitting the proper stacking of the containers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a thin-walled container capable of being stacked which, even when the container is made of very thin material, has a relatively great resistance against distortion and allows the stacking of a number of filled containers without damage to the lowermost container, which must withstand the total weight.

A transport container according to the invention is characterized in that adjacent at least two oppositely situated walls a detachable supporting face for the bottom of a similar container to be stacked thereon is provided, said supporting face being situated below the upper edge of the wall concerned and, on its sides directed to the adjacent container walls, merging into upstanding edges which are continued in bent over edge portions gripping around the upper edges of the container walls.

The transport container in itself may be manufactured at a low cost price and, if constructed with slightly inclined walls they can well nest into one another, which means that for storage and transport a number of containers of equal dimensions can be slid into one another, whereby a large number of containers occupy little room. The supporting members may also be individually capable of nesting and be mounted very easily. This is advantageous in that prior to the utilization of the packing, the stock of packing material takes up a small space, while after having been used the supporting members can again be removed from the containers and also then a great number of containers takes up little space. Furthermore the supporting members, since they constitute separate parts may have a different color from that of the container resulting in an attractive appearance.

In many cases it is desired that the containers not only meet the aforementioned requirements but are moreover provided with a cover, the arrangement being such that the filled containers, which are provided with a cover, should be capable of being stacked on each other, while the loose covers should also be capable of nesting into one another. Because such containers are often manufactured with large dimensions and thus should be capable of accommodating a weight of several kilograms it is desired that the containers in a condition ready for use should have a great resistance against torsion and bending. These containers should finally be manufactured at the lowest possible price and must therefore have a simple shape which permits the manufacture thereof by the aid of a vacuum molding process.

A transport container according to the invention and meeting these requirements is characterized in that at least two oppositely situated walls of the container are profiled in the direction of the height thereof, while the two supporting faces constitute a part of a cover to be disposed on the container, the surface of the cover being countersunk with respect to the upper edge of the container and the surface of the cover being surrounded by upstanding edges fitting within the container walls, the upstanding edges merging into edge portions which grip over the bent over upper edges of the container, the edges adjoining the profiled container walls being correspondingly profiled.

The combination of the container with the cover presents a rigid box-shaped, unit which is resistant to distortion, while the cover may serve as a reception space for condensate amassed in the container situated on top thereof and discharged via apertures in the bottom of the latter container.

Preferably the upper ends of the nonprofiled walls lie, for a part of their length, under the level of the underside of the depressed portion of the cover. In this way there is a space between the underneath face of the cover and the lowered portion of the longitudinal walls which permits the container to be ventilated, while moreover the contents of the container are visible.

When an entirely closed cover is not required, an aperture may be made in the depressed surface of the cover through which the contents of the container are visible at a glance.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation specific forms in which the invention may be embodied.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the container according to the invention with two supporting members provided therein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the supporting members as used in the container according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of two stacked containers each with a cover according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container with a cover according to FIG. 3, a part thereof, however, being cut away; and

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the container with a cover, a part thereof being cut away in this case too.

The thin-walled container, denoted as a whole by the reference numeral 1, manufactured from plastic sheet has short end walls 2, 2' in which a corrugated profile is formed. The upper ends of the four container walls are outwardly bent over; in the figure the bent over edge of the long sidewall 4 is indicated by the reference number 3. This bent over edge has an upwardly inclined portion 5, 6 respectively in the proximity of the end walls 2, 2' respectively.

A supporting member 9 is placed around this upwardly inclined portion and around the bent over edge 7, 8 respectively. This supporting member is shown in detail in FIG. 2. It consists of a narrow and oblong bottom portion 10 which, on three sides, merges into the upstanding edges 11, 12, 13. Via flat upper edge portions 14, 15 and 16 these upstanding edges merge into clamping edges 17, 18, 19 respectively gripping around the wall portions of the container.

The supporting member 9 is very easily mounted by pressing the same around the wall portions concerned. The member can be made sufficiently rigid in order to insure that two of such members can stand the weight of a loaded container bearing thereon by its bottom portions. It becomes furthermore possible to give the supporting members a color which differs from the color of the plastic from which the container is manufactured, whereby a specially decorative container is obtained.

The container as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 has a bottom 20 in which a number of discharge apertures 21 for water is provided. The bottom merges into the upstanding outwardly inclined, i.e. corrugated short walls 22 and into the nonprofiled long walls 23. As shown in the figures the horizontal part 24 of the short walls 22 and portions of the long walls 23 situated in the vicinity of the corners merge via a flanged edge 25 into a downwardly directed edge 26 protruding outside the container. The raised portion of the long walls 23 merges, via a bridge portion 27, into the lower situated upper edge 28 of the long walls. The figures show how this upper edge 28 is situated below the level of the upper edge 24 of the profiled short walls.

Each container is covered by a cover which as a whole is denoted by the reference numeral 29. This cover consists of an end edge 30, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the edge portions 24, 25 and 26 of the container such that this edge portion fits snugly around the container; it merges into a supporting face 31 which bears on the upper edge 24 of the container. The longitudinal end portions 32 of the cover lie at the same level as the portion 31. These end portions surround a depressed portion 33 which, as shown in FIG. 3 shows, is spaced from the bottom of a container placed on the cover. The space between the bottom 20 and the depressed portion 14 of a cover 29 serves to receive the condensate discharged via the apertures 21 in the bottom 1.

As FIG. 3 shows there is a certain spacing between the lower end of the outer edge 34 of the cover and the upper edge 28 of the longitudinal side of the container. Hereby it becomes possible to ventilate the contents of the container while it nevertheless is protected by the cover 29. Through this spacing the contents of the container are visible.

Since the cover grips firmly over the short sides and encloses also an upstanding portion in the vicinity of the corners of the long sides, the container combined with the cover constitutes a rigid unit which has a great resistance against torsion and bending. On stacking, the stacked containers are properly held in place, to wit by the upstanding portion 30 extending on the entire short side, and by the smaller upstanding portion 35 available in the corners of the long sides. In this way it is achieved that also in the event of strong vibrations the containers cannot shift with respect to each other.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the container which may be combined with a cover. This figure, too, represents only a fragmentary perspective view of the container, viz. a corner portion, the other part of the container being cut away. The short sides of the container, one of which is only represented, are vertically profiled with alternate ridges and grooves as denoted by 37; the upper edge 38 of the sidewall merges into the bent over portion 39. The longitudinal walls 40 of the container, likewise only one of which is partially represented, have over a small part from the short sides the same height as the upper edge 38 of the short walls but via the bevelled portion 41 these upper edges merge into the lower portion 42. The profile 37 of the short wall 36 is continued over a short distance into the profile 43 of the longitudinal wall 40.

The bottom 44 is provided with discharge apertures 45 for water. A cover may again be placed on the container viz., the cover 46, which, with flanged edges 47, grips over the upper edges 38 of the short end walls 36 and the portions of the long walls 39 situated at the same level. The short walls of the cover have a profile corresponding with the profile of the short walls 36. The profile 49 is also continued over a short distance in the long walls.

On stacking a container on the cover, the corresponding portions of the profiles 36 and 48 fit into each other and the same is true for the profiles of the longitudinal walls of the container and the cover. A container 46 stacked on the cover 46 is hereby secured against displacement in both directions. Since the corners 50 are inwardly bevelled, it is easy to place a container on the cover of the underlying container.

FIG. 5 shows an aperture which can be formed in the cover 46 so that the contents of the container are visible.

Claims

Having thus described the invention and manner of its operation what I claim as my invention is:

1. A stackable thin-walled transport container made of plastic material and comprising at least two oppositely situated walls which are vertically corrugated along their length, and walls connecting the corrugated walls and being at least partly smooth along their length, a detachable cover adapted to be placed on the container, said cover having a central part which is depressed with respect to an upper rim thereof and is surrounded by upstanding edges which snugly fit within the inside of the container walls, said upstanding edges merging into edge portions which extend over and grip the upper edges of the container, the edges of the cover adjoining the corrugated container walls being correspondingly corrugated, while said at least partly smooth walls of the container have upper rim portions which are constructed so that, with the cover in place, a part of their length lies below the level of the underside of the recessed part of the cover.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein an aperture is provided in the depressed part of the cover.