Patent Publication Number: US-7913850-B2

Title: Transport and storage container for liquids

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a transport and storage container for liquids. The container includes an inner container of plastic material with a closable filling socket and a draining socket for connection to a removal fitting, an outer casing of metal mesh or sheet metal and an underframe constructed as a skid pallet or frame pallet which is configured to be manipulated by a lifting truck, a shelf operating device, or similar transport device, and wherein the skid pallet is equipped with a bottom resting with support legs on a metal skid and two outer skids for supporting the inner container, and the frame pallet is equipped with a base frame and support legs for the bottom. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A transport and storage container for liquids of the type described in DE 101 10 926 B4 is equipped with an underframe which is constructed as a pallet with skids which include a center skid and two outer skids of plastic material and a bottom of sheet metal resting on the support legs of the skids, wherein the inner container of plastic material of the transport container for receiving liquids is placed on the bottom of sheet metal. 
     Offered on the market are also transport containers for liquids which are equipped with a pallet of wood for supporting the inner container which is enclosed by a casing of sheet metal or a grate. 
     The empty weight of this known transport and storage container for liquids is relatively high. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to further develop the transport and storage container for liquids of the above-described type with respect to a higher stability and a reduction of the empty weight of the container. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the bottom of the underframe is constructed as an injection molded article of plastic material and is provided with longitudinal and transverse corrugations serving as a support for the inner container and for stiffening the bottom. 
     The construction of longitudinal and transverse corrugations in the bottom of the underframe of the container constructed as an injection molded article contributes to a substantial improvement of the stability of the bottom and, thus, to a high transport safety of the container. Because of the improved stability of the bottom, the thickness of the material of the bottom can be reduced. These features make it possible to reduce the empty weight and the transport costs of the container. The reduced material thickness of the underframe bottom of plastic material and the possibility of using recycled plastic material for manufacturing the bottom contribute to a reduction of the manufacturing costs of the container. The plastic material of the bottom ensures a better resistance to aggressive liquids, such as acids and lyes. By lowering and flattening the bottom which serves for supporting the inner container of plastic material of the underframe constructed as a skid pallet, an increase of the nominal volume of the container which is manufactured with different volumes with equal outer dimensions as compared to the standard containers offered on the market, without impairing the available free space for the supporting bottom of the underframe for the inner container of the transport and storage container which is necessary for the manipulation of the transport and storage container by means of a transporting device. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a transport and storage container for liquids with an underframe constructed as a pallet with skids; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the bottom of the underframe of the container; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the bottom of the underframe; 
         FIG. 4  is a center sectional view of the underframe bottom with a partial illustration of the inner container resting on the underframe bottom, taken along sectional line IV-IV in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a center sectional view of the underframe bottom with a partial illustration of the inner container, taken along sectional line V-V in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The transport and storage container  1  for liquids according to  FIG. 1  which can be used as a single-use or multiple-use container has as its principal components an exchangeable parallelepiped-shaped inner container  2  of plastic material with a front wall  3 , a rear wall  4  and two side walls  5 ,  6 , a lower and an upper bottom  7  and  8 , a filling socket  9  integrally formed on the upper bottom  8  and closable by means of a cover  10 , and a discharge socket  12  to be connected to a discharge fitting  13 . The container further includes an outer casing  14  constructed as a grate casing with intersecting horizontal and vertical grate rods  15 ,  16  of metal for receiving the inner container  2 , and an underframe  17  constructed as a pallet  18  with skids having length and width dimensions in accordance with European standards. The inner container  2  rests on the underframe  17 . 
     The lower bottom  7  of the inner container  2  constructed as a draining bottom is divided into two bottom portions  7   a ,  7   b  which are arranged symmetrically relative to the center axis of the bottom  19 - 19 , wherein the bottom portions  7   a ,  7   b  are inclined at a flat angle of inclination α within the range of 2° to 5° from the rear wall  4  toward the front wall  3  of the container, and wherein the bottom portions  7   a ,  7   b  are inclined from the two side walls  5 ,  6  of the container  2  at a flat angle of inclination β in the range of 2° to 5° toward the center axis  19 - 19  of the bottom. 
     The bottom  7  of the inner container  2  has a central flat discharge groove  20  which extends at a slight incline from the rear wall  4  of the container to the drain socket  12  arranged at the front wall  3  of the container for connection to the discharge fitting  13 . 
     The skid pallet  18  of the underframe  17  of the transport and storage container  1  is composed of a bottom  21  constructed as an injection molded article of plastic material for supporting the inner container  2  and a middle skid  22  and two outer skids  23 ,  24  of plastic material, wherein the middle skid  22  has a middle support leg  25  and a rear support leg  26 , and the two outer skids  23  and  24  each have a front, a middle and a rear support leg  27 ,  25 ,  26 , respectively, for supporting the bottom  21  which has the shape of a flat tub, and wherein the gripping arms of a lifting truck, a shelf operating device or similar transport device can be moved underneath the bottom  21 . 
     The bottom  21  of the underframe  17  adapted to the bottom  7  of the inner container  2  has an upwardly arched circumferential rim  28  and is divided into two bottom sections  21   a ,  21   b  arranged symmetrically relative to the center axis of the ground  29 - 29 , wherein the bottom portions  21   a ,  21   b  are inclined under a flat angle of inclination α in the range of 2° to 5° from the rear edge section  28   a  to the front rim section  28   b  and under an angle of inclination β in the range of 2° to 5° from the two lateral rim sections  28   c ,  28   d  to the center axis  29 - 29  of the bottom. 
     The two sections  21   a ,  21   b  of the bottom  21  of the underframe  17  have longitudinal and transverse corrugations  30 ,  31  as a support for the inner container  2  and for stiffening the bottom, wherein the transverse corrugations  31  are arranged in the area of the rear edge section  21   a  and the front edge section  28   b  of the bottom edge  28 . 
     A central middle indentation  32  provided between two longitudinal corrugations  30 ,  30  of the bottom  21  are formed for receiving the discharge groove  20  of the lower bottom  7  of the inner container  2 , wherein the indentation  32  is slightly inclined from the rear edge section  28   a  to the front edge section  28   b  of the bottom tub  28 . 
     The bottom  21  of the underframe  17  has in the draining area underneath the draining fitting  13  of the inner container  2  a trough-like indentation  33  which is open toward the front and which forms a front support leg with a U-shaped cross-sectional profile, whereon the bottom  21  rests on the center skid  22  of the underframe  17  with the front support leg. 
     The bottom  21  of the underframe  17  is provided with a central stiffening sheet  34  which is directed parallel to the transverse corrugations  31  of the bottom and is placed in supports  35  on the bottom side  36  of the two bottom sections  21   a ,  21   b.    
     The bottom  21  of the underframe  17  and the grate casing  14  of the transport and storage container  1  are screwed and/or welded to the support legs  25 - 27  of the middle skid  22  and the two outer skids  23 ,  24 . 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the transport and storage container for liquids, the underframe may be constructed as a frame pallet. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.