INSPECTION SIDE PANEL FOR A CONTAINER

Abstract: An inspection side panel (5) for a container (1) to house a clear plastic film liner bag adapted to hold a liquid, the side panel (5) includes a transparent inspection segment (14) extending for substantially the whole height of the side panel (5).

Description: INSPECTION SIDE PANEL FOR A CONTAINER FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to means for monitoring the liquid level in a container. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION A common form of container for the storage and transport of liquid is one in which there is a pallet type base on which there is mounted four interlocked side panels. The side panels are typically metal frames covered with an opaque plastic sheet material which incorporates a UV inhibitor. The side panels can be demountable from the base or can be hinged thereto so that the side panels can fold down over each other and over the base. The side panels when erected on the base provide an open topped enclosure for a clear plastic film liner bag. A lid is provided for the open top of the container. Discharge is by gravity through as nozzle of the liner big which projects through an opening in one side panel of the container at an elevation slightly above the bag supporting upper face of the base of the container. The nozzle is adapted for the connection of a valve and a discharge pipe. One problem with such containers is that it is not possible to readily ascertain the level of the liquid in the liner big in the container. For practical reasons it is not possible to make the plastic sheet material which covers the frames of the side panels transparent. The main reason is that the plastic sheet material used has to be provided with s UV inhibitor because the containers are often placed in positions where they are exposed to sunlight. If the UV inhibitor was to be added to a clear plastic sheet of conventional (cost effective) material the sheet material would be rendered translucent thereby making it useless as a means for observing the liquid level in the film bag in the container. It would be no better than the coloured (opaque) UV enhanced sheet plastic material now in use. Although some plastics, such as polycarbonate and PETG, can withstand UV effects whilst remaining substantially transparent such material is too expensive to use to completely cover the frames of the container side panels. GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION Broadly stated the invention can be said to provide an inspection side panel for a container to house a clear plastic liner bag adapted to hold a liquid, said side panel including a transparent inspection segment extending for substantially the whole height of the said side panel. More specifically, the invention can be said to provide an inspection side panel for a container, where said side panel includes a transparent inspection segment extending for substantially the whole height of the said side panel, in combination with other side panels and a base to form a container to house a clear plastic liner bag for liquid, where all the side panels are of substantially the same height and are adapted with the base to allow the side panels to be mounted on and demounted from the base releasable securing means is provided to secure together adjacent side panels mounted on the base. In another specific form the invention provides an inspection side panel for a container, where said side panel includes a transparent inspection segment extending for substantially the whole height of the said side panel, in combination with three other side panels and a base to form a container to house a clear plastic liner bag for liquid, wherein the base is a rectangle with two plinths of the same height upstanding from a support surface of the base along two opposed side edges of the base, said side panels being arranged in pairs with one pair shorter than the other by the amount that top edges of the plinths stand above the base support surface, the shorter side panels are respectively coupled to said plinths so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base and the taller side panels one of which includes said inspection segment are respectively coupled each to both plinths at the other side edges of said base so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base and releasable securing means is provided to secure together adjacent side panels when upright relative to the base. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig.1 is a schematic illustration of a first form of container with which the inspection container side of this invention is associated, Fig.2 is a schematic illustration of a second form of container with which the inspection container side of this invention is associated, Fig.3 is a schematic illustration of a third form of container with which the inspection container side of this invention is associated, Fig.4 is a perspective view of a container side of the form illustrated in Figs.l and 2. and Fig.5 is a sectional view on the section line 5-5 of Fig.4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In Fig.1 there is shown a container indicated 1 with four side panels 2,3,4,5 and a base 6 of pallet type typically allowing access of fork lift truck tines from all four sides of the base. The side panels 2 to 5 are demountably secured to the base in any one of a number of ways, examples are disclosed in Australian patents numbered 665635 and 684859 by the present applicant. The side panels 2 to 5 are all of the same general construction comprising a frame of angle iron with a top rail 7, a bottom rail 8 and side posts 9 and 10 connecting the top and bottom rails. The container side 5 is a inspection side panel in accordance with the present invention and it differs from the other side panels in that is does not have all of the inner face of the panel forming frame covered with an opaque covering sheet 11 , as is the case with the side panels 2,3 and 4. In the case of the side panel 5, there is a supplemental post 12 spaced closely to the post 10 with the area defined by the supplemental post 12 and the post 9 and the top and bottom rails there between covered by a covering sheet 13 and the area defined by the supplemental post 12 and the post 10 and the top and bottom rail there between covered by a transparent sheet of plastic 14 selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate or PETG. There is an opening 15 in the covering sheet 13 adjacent the bottom rail 8 of the inspection side panel 5 to allow the discharge nozzle of a clear plastic liner bag housed in the container to extend beyond the inspection panel 5. The opening 15 lies in a zone of the covering sheet 13 defined by bars 16,17, an intermediate rail 18 and the bottom rail 8 of the inspection panel. This zone may include a nozzle retainer and is usually covered by a door to provide protection for the nozzle. All of the features just described can be seen in detail in Fig.4. From sectional view Fig.5 it will be seen that the covering sheet 13 and the inspection segment 14 are substantially coplanar thereby providing a smooth and continuous surface against which the liner bag in the container will press when filled with liquid. It follows that an observation can be readily made of the height of the liquid in the liner bag in the container can through the transparent inspection segment 14 and the clear plastic of the liner bag in the container. The covering 13 and the inspection segment 14 can be fixed to the frame members of the side panels by any suitable manner, for example by fasteners, by clamping or by adhesive. The container of Fig.1 would conventionally have a lid 19. The manner in which the four side panels are interconnected can vary but one arrangement is shown in Australian patent number 684859 by the present applicant. In Fig.2 there is shown a second form of container using an inspection panel of the invention. In this container the base 6 has two plinths 20 upstanding from the top face of the base and the side panels 3 and 5 are taller than the side panels 2 and 4. All four side panels are hingedly connected to the base allowing the taller sides to fold down one over the other and both over the base, followed by the shorter side panels which are likewise able to fold down and be erected to form sides for the container. The hinge connection between the four panel sides and the base can be of any suitable type but one arrangement is as shown in Australian patent number 676087 by the present applicant. Fig.3 shows a variation of the arrangement shown in Fig.2. In this arrangement the inspection panel is one of the short panels pivotally connected to the plinth 20, but it does not have a nozzle opening. There is a nozzle opening but it is located in the plinth 20 and is indicated 21. There is an inspection zone or window 22 provided in the plinth 20 to complement the inspection segment 14 of the inspection side panel 5. By means of the inspection segment 14 and the inspection window 23 the level of the liquid in the plastic liner bag in the container can be monitored until the liner bag is empty. It is to be understood that the inspection segment 14 has been representatively illustrated as being at one side of the inspection panel 5, and that the inspection segment 14 can be mounted in a position other than that illustrated. It is also to be understood that it is desirable, but not essential, for the inspection panel 5 to have or be disposed adjacent to an aperture allowing access to a liner bag nozzle from outside the container.

Claims: Claims: 1. An inspection side panel for a container to house a clear plastic liner bag adapted to hold a liquid, said side panel including a transparent inspection segment extending for substantially the whole height of the said side panel. 2. An inspection side panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inspection segment is made from a transparent plastic material. 3. An inspection side panel as claimed in claim 2 wherein the transparent plastic material is selected from the group comprising polycarbonate and PETG. 4. An inspection side panel as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 3 wherein the said side panel includes an opening at or adjacent to a lower edge of the said side panel to allow a liquid discharge nozzle of a liner bag housed in the container of which the side panel forms part to extend beyond the said side panel. 5. An inspection side panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 including a frame and a covering fixed to the frame, said covering comprising an opaque covering sheet covering the majority of the frame and said inspection segment covers the remainder of the frame. 6. An inspection side panel as claimed in claim 5 wherein the frame of said side panel includes a top rail and a bottom rail joined at corresponding ends by side posts and a supplemental post adjacent to one side post and end fixed to said top and bottom rails, said covering sheet extending over an area bounded by said supplemental post and the other of said side posts and the top and bottom rails extending there between, and said inspection segment extending over an area bounded by said supplemental post and said one side post and the top and bottom rails extending there between, with the covering sheet and the inspection segment of said side panel substantially coplanar. 7. An inspection side panel as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 6 in combination with other side panels and a base to form a container to house a clear plastic liner bag for liquid, where all the side panels are of substantially the same height and are adapted with the base to allow the side panels to be mounted on and demounted from the base, and releasable securing means is provided to secure together adjacent side panels mounted on the base. 8. An inspection side panel as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 6 in combination with three other side panels and a base to form a container to house a clear plastic liner bag for liquid, wherein the base is a rectangle with two plinths of the same height upstanding from a support surface of the base along two opposed side edges of the base, said side panels being arranged in pairs with one pair shorter than the other by the amount top edges of the plinths stand above the base support surface, the shorter side panels are respectively coupled to said plinths so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base and the taller side panels one of which includes said inspection segment are respectively coupled to said base at the other side edges of said base so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base and releasable securing means is provided to secure together adjacent side panels when upright relative to the base. 9. An inspection side panel as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 3 in combination with three other side panels and a base to form a container to house a clear plastic liner bag for liquid, wherein the base is a rectangle with two plinths of the same height upstanding from a support surface of the base along two opposed side edges of the base, said side panels being arranged in pairs with one pair shorter than the other by the amount top edges of the plinths stand above the base support surface, the shorter side panels one of which includes said inspection segment are respectively coupled to said plinths so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base and the taller side panels are respectively coupled to said base at the other side edges of said base so as to be able to be moved between overlying relationship over said base and an upright condition relative to the base, and releasable securing means is provided to secure together adjacent side panels when upright relative to the base, one of said plinths including a transparent inspection zone which complements the inspection segment of said inspection side panel when upstanding from the base. 10. An inspection side panel in combination with other side panels and a base as claimed in claim 9 wherein the base plinth with the transparent inspection zone includes an opening to allow a liquid discharge nozzle of a liner bag housed in the container to extend beyond the plinth. 11. An inspection panel in combination with other side panels and a base as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the inspection panel includes a frame and a covering fixed to the frame, said covering comprising an opaque covering sheet covering the majority of the frame and said inspection segment covers the remainder of the frame. 12. An inspection side panel in combination with other side panels and a base as claimed in claim 11 wherein the frame of said side inspection panel includes a top rail and a bottom rail joined at corresponding ends by side posts and a supplemental post adjacent to one side post and end fixed to said top and bottom rails, said covering sheet extending over an area bounded by said supplemental post and the other of said side posts and the top and bottom rails extending there between, and said inspection segment extending over an area bounded by said supplemental post and said one side post and the top and bottom rails extending there between, with the covering sheet and the inspection segment of said side panel substantially coplanar.

Inventors: KARPISEK LADISLAV STEPHAN, KARPISEK, LADISLAV, STEPHAN
Applicants: KARPISEK LADISLAV STEPHAN, KARPISEK, LADISLAV, STEPHAN
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65D25
IPC codes: B65D25, B65D77, G01F23