A CONTAINER FOR OBJECTS SUCH AS PACKAGED FOODSTUFFS FOR EXAMPLE

Abstract: The container is provided with a rear wall (1), side walls (2, 3) and a bottom (4) together with partitions (5) arranged horizontally therebetween and spaced throughout the height thereof. According to the invention, the rear wall (1) is provided with a trapdoor (16) arranged for vertical movement up and down in peripherally arranged guides therefor and preferably provided with a fixed eye-like gripping member (17) for mechanically-effecting this movement. When filling the container with objects via the rear wall (1), the trapdoor (16) is located in its open position. After filling, the trapdoor is closed and, just as in a supermarket, the objects can be extracted from the holder from the front side thereof. This front side is provided with fixed, shallow, upright rims to prevent the packaged products falling out. The partitions (5) can be folded vertically upward toward the rear whilst the side walls (2, 3) can be folded in such a manner that one container can be made to nest with others for storage and transport when empty.

Description: A container for objects such as packaged foodstuffs for example. The invention relates to a container for objects such as packaged foodstuffs for example and which container is provided with at least a bottom, a rear wall and two side walls together with a number of horizontally arranged partitions therebetween and spaced one above the other throughout the height thereof. A container of this type is known in practice and is used for the transport, storage, display and sale of the packaged products particularly foodstuffs such as milk, custard, pulped products and the like. In the dairies and filling plants, the packaged products are arranged in rows and columns on the horizontal partitions next to each other and alongside the packaging and/or filling machines. The filling of the container with the packaged products onto the horizontal partitions takes place via a front door which is hingably mounted .on the holder to swing through and angle of approximately 270 . Whilst the container is being filled, this door assumes an open position in which it lies against one of the sides walls in a latched condition. After the holder has been filled, the front door is swung back into its closed condition and latched therein and whereafter the container can be transported for storage and/or to a peint- of-sale such as a supermarket or like establishment. Here the front door is again swung open through 270° and latched against a side wall. Hereafter the container is pushed open- side first into a cold store which is accessable to the client from the sales area of the supermarket or shop so that the client can take the cooled packaged products from the front of the container as required. When all the oackaged have been taken from the uppermos one of the horizontally arranged partitions the latter can be folded back against the rear wall of the holder to provide better access by the public to the packaged products on the next partition below. When the container has been completely emptied it is again removed from the sales area. The p artitions are again unfolded to assume their horizontal positions and the front door again closed, and whereafter the container can again be transported to the factory or filling plant where, after possible- cleaning and/or sterilisation, ' it can be refilled with packaged products and again transported back to the place-of-sale etc. There are a number of objections to this type of container however. Firstly the frontdoor, latchable in both the open and closed condition, is expensive; prone to damage during transport and labour-expending insofar that through its use it must be manually extended into it working state and collapsed into its unused state at different times. The latter can lead to mistakes being made which in turn could lead to the packaged products falling out. Secondly, the foremost rows of packaged products standing on the different partitions are not protected from the possibility of falling out, something which can happen not only -in the dairy or filling plant but also in the supermarket or shop. When in the process of being filled in the dairy or filling plant, the container is repeatedly placed with one of the horizontally arranged partitions in front of the filling machine by a vertical transporting arrangement so that in the process of vertically transporting the container there is the possibility of one or more of the packaged products falling out. The foremost rows of packaged products are also unprotected when the holder stands in the supermarket or shop and on removal of one or more of these by the client, other packages too can fall out in an undesirable manner leading to a financial loss for the supermarket or shop as well as the need to clean the floor, cold store and the holder itself. It is the object of the invention therefor to remove these objections and provide a container of the type quoted in the introduction which on the one hand is devoid of a costly, vulnerable and labour-expending front door and which on the other hand is still protected against falling out of the products placed therein. This object is achieved according to the invention in that the rear wall is provided with a trapdoor arranged for vertical movement up and down in peripherally arranged guides therefor. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the trapdoor is provided with an eye-like gripping member extending from its upper end . The invention is now further to be described according to the invention and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective of the container when viewed from the rear . The container is provided with a rear wall generally indicated by the reference numeral 1 , the side walls generally indicated by the reference numerals 2 and 3 , and a bottom generally indicated by the reference numeral 4 . Three horizon¬ tally arranged partitions are further arranged one above the other at equipspaced intervals and parallel to the bottom, only the uppermost one of which is shown and generally indicated by the re ference numeral 5 for the sake of clari ty . As shown in the drawing, the s ide walls 2 and 3 each comprise a tubular member of rectangular cross-section . These side walls are designated 6 and 7 respectively and of which tubular member 6 is provided with horizontally and vertically arranged wire members ( 8 , 10 ) affixed thereto respectively and of which tubular member 7 is provided with vertically and horizontally arranged wire members ( 9 , 11 ) affixed thereto respective ly . The tubular members 6 and 7 are also provided with inwardly directed supporting-members fixed thereto and spaced at regular intervals one above the other to form corresponding pairs thereof and of which supporting-members 12a , 13a and 14a are particular to tubular member β and supporting members 12b , 13b and 14b are narticular to tubular member 7 . Each corresponding pair of supporting-members carries one of the horizontally arranged partition therebetween . Each of these horizontally arranged parti tions 5 , such as the top one shown from the rear in the drawing , is provided wi th an upright standing rim 15 on the ' self-service ' front side of the container This rim has a height which is preferably more than a half the height of the packaged product (not shown) and through which the latter is prevented from falling out of the container . The rear wall , generally indicated by the re ference numeral 1 , includes two peripherally arranged guides of an appropriate cross-section in which the trapdoor , generally OMPI * - 4 - indicated by the reference numeral 16 , is arranged for vertical movement up and down therein . The trapdoor is operated, preferably mechanically , by means of an eye-like gripping member 17 when it is in the dairy or filling plant . The trapdoor 16 is also provided with a kickplate 18 at its lower end and by which means an operator is assisted in applying leverage to tilt the container by placing a foot against the plate during transport or movement . Each horizontally arranged partition 5 is pre ferably of three-piece construction of which the first is a strip¬ like member 19 immovably affixed to the rear wall 1 in prolongation to the corresponding ones of the pairs of supporting-members 12 a , 12b to 14a , 14b inclusive only portions 20 and 20a of the lower ones of which are shown in the drawing . The pairs of supporting-members 12a , 12b to 14a , 14b each support two other parts 21 and 22 of the horizontally arranged partition particular thereto . These parts 21 and 22 are provided with a hinge-pin therebetween running oarallel to the rear wall ; part 22 is in turn pivotally fitted to the rear wall 1 by means of a hinge pin fitted therebetween and parallel thereto . The parts 2 1 and 22 of the hori zontally arranged partitions 5 are shown in their working pos itions , they can however be folded back into their res t position as a packet against the rear wall 1 by pivoting them about the axes of the hinge-pins therebetween . Latching means 23 are preferably provided to maintain the parti tions 5 as folded packets in their rest position . The bottom 4 is also divided into parts , part 24 is immovably affixed to the rear wall 1 and the forepart 25 is pivotally mounted on the part 24 also by means of a hinge- pin therebetween running paralle l to the rear wall 1 . The side walls 2 and 3 can be swung outward , in the directions of the arcuate arrows designated 28 and 29 , about the axes of the pairs of hinges 26a , 27a and 26b and 27b respectively and which are arranged between the said sides and the rear wall . The angle through which the sides can be swung outward should not exceed 45 and should pre ferably be between 20 and 30 approximate ly . Furthermore , it is pre ferable to provide latch ing ^ _, ■■ means on one or more of the horizontally arranged partitions 5 to latch the sides 2 and 3 in their working positions. The drawing shows that such latching means 30 arranged between the side walls 2 and 3 and the partition 5 comprises a tenon and mortise joint. The collapsible design of the container has the advantage that it takes up less space when folded into its rest position and through which transport is simpler and less costly. Whilst in the first instance the container according to the invention is destined for packaσed foodstuffs such as milk, custard pulped products and suchlike it is naturally possible to accommodate other products therein. Whilst one embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, this in no way limits the scope thereof. OMPI

Claims: CLAIMS What we claim is: 1. A container for objects such as packaged foodstuffs, which said container is provided with at least a bottom, a rear wall and side walls together with a number of horizontally arranged partitions therebetween and spaced throughout the height thereof and. " characterised in this, that the rear wall (1) is provided with a trapdoor (16) arranged for vertical movement up and down in peripherally arranged guides therefor. 2. A container as claimed in claim 1 characterised in this, that the trapdoor (16) is provided with an eye-like gripping-member at its upper end. 3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in this, thet the horizontally arranged partitions (5) are each provided on the frontside with a fixed, upright rim (15) . 4. A container as claimed in ant one of claims 1 to 3 inclusive characterised in this, that the said fixed, upright rim (15) is immovably fixed to the foremost portion (22) of the horizontally arranged partition (5) . 5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 inclusive characterised in this, that the height of the upright rim (15) is more than half the height of the packaged product. 6. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 inclusive characterised in this, the side walls (2,3) are fitted to the rear wall (1) by hinges (26,27) with vertically arranged hinge-pins. 7. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 inclusive characterised in this, that the angle through which the side walls can be outwardly swung is 45 maximum and preferably between 20 and 30 . 8. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 inclusive in which the horizontally arranged partitions and parts rest on supporting-members extending inwardly from the side walls, in which in their rest positions the said horizontally arranged partitions are folded back against the rear wall, and in which those parts of the horizontally arranged partitions adjacent the rear wall are affixed thereto RE and characterised in this, that one or more latchincr devices (23) are provided to maintain the movable parts (21,22) of the horizontally arranged partitions folded back in their latched rest position. 9. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 inclusive characterised in this, that the movable bottom-portion 25 can be folded back against the inside of the rear wall about the axis of the hinge arranged between the said bottom- portion (25) and another bottom-portion (24) located adjacent and fixed to the rear wall (1) . 10. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 inclusive characterised in this, that latching means (30) are provided for latching the side walls (2,3) to one or more of the horizontally arranged partitions in their working positions.

Inventors: VAN ROOSMALEN ROBERT GEERT LEO, VAN ROOSMALEN, ROBERT, GEERT, LEO
Applicants: NAUTILUS BV, NAUTILUS B.V.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: B62B3
IPC codes: A47F5, B62B3