Crate for forming a pile

Abstract: The invention concerns a crate for forming a pile consisting of alternating layers of crates and products carried by these crates. The crate is characterized by legs (3) projecting from the upper sides of at least some of the side walls (1) and by recesses (6) in corresponding places in the lower sides of the side walls for accommodating the legs of a crate positioned below that crate, wherein the shape of the legs and the recesses is such that, when these are joined together completely, the lower sides of the side walls of the upper crate are substantially in flush with the upper sides of the side walls of the crate below it. The legs and recesses are preferably positioned at the corners of the crate. The recesses may consist of canals closed all round, or alternatively, of depressions formed in the side walls.

Description: The invention concerns a crate for forming a pile consisting of a crate, products carried by this crate, another crate carried by these products, and so on, said crate having a rectangular bottom and four side walls, and legs projecting from the upper sides of at least some of the side walls and by recesses in corresponding places in the lower sides of the side walls for accommodating the legs of a crate positioned below that crate, wherein the shape of the legs and the recesses is such that when these are completely joined together, the lower sides of the side walls of the upper crate are substantially in flush with the upper sides of the side walls of the crate below it. Such a crate is known from WO-A-90/05679. This publication concerns a sturdy reusable plastic crate or tray suitable for transporting, storing and displaying sixteen-ounce bottles and other beverage containers. The top and bottom edges of the side walls have undulating configurations which allow trays to securely and compactly column nest with other trays when empty and to fully display the bottles therein and their labels when the trays are loaded and stacked in a pile. The problem with this known tray is that in order to acquire a stable pile of loaded trays the tray requires to be sturdy and rigid. To this end the floor of the tray according to the state of the art is formed in an open grid-work design of repeating patterns, each providing a fluid container support area. Each pattern is defined by a square with a pair of concentric circles inside thereof. A further circle member encircles each of the intersections of four adjacent squares. The bottom surface of the floor has upwardly recessed areas centred at each support area. These recessed areas are configured to receive up into them the tops of caps of bottles in a lower tray aiming to help retain the loaded trays in a stacked arrangement without free sliding of trays along the tops of the bottles in the lower trays. The invention aims now at providing a crate of the above type which is not required to be sturdy and which can be provided with a relatively flexile bottom without loss of stability when the crate is loaded and stacked in a pile of the same crates. According to the invention a crate is provided therefore which is characterized in that the recesses consist of canals formed in the side walls, that are closed all round. The crate according to the invention owns a particularly high stability in all directions as a result of the fact that the legs of a subordinate crate are accommodated within the canals formed in the side walls of a similar crate placed on top thereof. This allows that the crate itself can be manufactured with less rigidity particularly concerning the bottom than the crate of the state of the art. The stability of a pile of crates according to the invention will nevertheless be secured since the canals are closed circumferentially around the legs of a lower crate. Evidently, due to the less complicated design of the crate's bottom, the manufacturing costs of the crate according to the invention are substantially lower than the manufacturing costs of the crate according to the state of the art. Also, the crate according to the invention has improved ease of handling due to its lower weight. As opposed to the crate according the state of the art, the crate according to the invention is not required to apply any recessed areas at the bottom surface of the floor of the crate. Despite the absence of such recesses the stacked arrangement of a pile of crates according to the invention is secured without any free sliding along the tops of products contained in the crates. The invention will be elucidated hereinafter with reference to the drawings in which the crate according to the invention is shown. In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate of which the left side shows the construction according to the prior art, and the right side is construed according to the invention. The part represented on the left-hand side of Figure 1 showing the prior art construction belongs to a crate having four side walls 1 (which will in general be perpendicular to each other) and a generally rectangular bottom 2. This crate comprises, at the corners thereof, legs 3 projecting from the upper sides of the side walls 1, which consist of leg members 4 and 5 in the embodiment shown. The leg members 4 and 5 of a leg 3 extend in the faces of two side walls 1 converging on the corner concerned. In addition, recesses 6 have been formed in the side walls 1 at the corners 1 concerned, of which the shape essentially corresponds to the shape of the legs 3. This means that the upper rim 7 and the lower rim 8 of each leg member 4 and 5, respectively, are parallel to each other. This is, however, not necessary. The shape of the recesses 6 is such that the legs 3 of a crate placed below the crate concerned can be accommodated in them to a greater or lesser extent. On the right-hand side of Figure 1, an embodiment of a crate according to the invention is shown. This embodiment also comprises side walls 9 and a bottom 10. At the corners, legs 11 have been formed, consisting of leg members 12 and 13. The difference with the embodiment shown on the left is that the recesses now consist of canals 14, which are closed all round. While in the embodiment shown on the left in Figure 1, the cooperation between the leg 3 and a recess 6 is such that the leg 3 cannot be moved towards the crate, but can be moved away from the crate, a leg 11 of the embodiment shown on the right in Figure 1 can be moved neither towards nor away from the crate. Contrary to what is shown in Figure 1, the canals 14 do not have to penetrate the side walls 9 completely and may be closed on the upper side and thus form blind canals, which are only accessible from the lower side.

Claims: A crate for forming a pile consisting of a crate, products carried by this crate, another crate carried by these products, and so on, said crate having a rectangular bottom and four side walls, and legs projecting from the upper sides of at least some of the side walls and by recesses in corresponding places in the lower sides of the side walls for accommodating the legs of a crate positioned below that crate, wherein the shape of the legs and the recesses is such that when these are completely joined together, the lower sides of the side walls of the upper crate are substantially in flush with the upper sides of the side walls of the crate below it, characterized in that the recesses consist of canals formed in the side walls, that are closed all round.

Inventors: PIETERS JOSEPH LEOPOLD MARIA, STRIEN JOHANNES JAN, PIETERS, JOSEPH LEOPOLD MARIA, STRIEN, JOHANNES JAN
Applicants: DYNOPLAST BV, DYNOPLAST B.V.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B65D71
IPC codes: B65D21, B65D71