SPACER FOR STACKING OPEN CONTAINERS

Abstract

A spacer for stacking first and second containers on each other. The spacer includes an elongated base body having a first support plate with a first support surface and a second support plate with a second support surface. Plunger portions project from the base body in opposite directions. The plunger portions are designed to plunge into respective recesses inside wall rims of the first and second containers stacked on top of each other or upside-down of each other. Fastening elements project from the base body to laterally enclose respective side walls of the first and second containers. The first and second support surfaces are designed to rest on the respective side wall rims of the first and second containers when the plunger portions plunge into the respective recesses of the first and second containers. The first and second support plates are spaced parallel from each other.

Claims

1. A spacer for stacking first and second containers on each other, said spacer comprising: a base body that is elongated, the base body comprising a first support plate having a first support surface and a second support plate having a second support surface; at least two plunger portions projecting from the base body in opposite directions, the at least two plunger portions being configured to plunge into recesses in side wall rims of the first and second containers when the first and second containers are stacked on top of each other; and fastening elements which project from the base body in order to laterally enclose respective side walls of the first and second containers, the first and second support surfaces being configured to rest on the side wall rims of the first and second containers when the plunger portions plunge into the recesses of the first and second containers, and the first and second support plates being spaced from one another and being parallel to one another.

2. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the fastening elements project from the base body at an edge of the base body.

3. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the fastening elements enclose a side wall of the container on both sides.

4. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the plunger portions each have a wall that meanders in a plan view.

5. The spacer according to claim 4, wherein each wall spans a rectangle that is adapted to a size of one of the recesses in the side wall rims.

6. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the first and second support plates are connected by a connection portion.

7. The spacer according to claim 6, wherein a slit is provided in the connection portion and extends transversely to a longitudinal direction of the base body or in a horizontal direction.

8. The spacer according to claim 6, wherein the connection portion is formed as a wall extending vertically from the first support plate to the second support plate.

9. The spacer according to claim 6, wherein the connection portion is offset at least in portions from a longitudinal axis of the first and second support plates.

10. The spacer according to claim 6, wherein the plunger portions protrude from the first support plate and from the second support plate to a side of the support plates facing away from the connection portion.

11. The spacer according to claim 6, wherein the connection portion is connected to the first support plate and the second support plate by reinforcement ribs.

12. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the fastening elements protrude from the support plates and are arranged obliquely opposite each other.

13. The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the fastening elements and the plunger portions are arranged off-center with respect to the longitudinal extent of the base body.

14. The spacer according to claim 13, wherein the plunger portions are positioned in a different longitudinal half of the base body than the fastening elements.

15. A system comprising: a plurality of spacers according to claim 1; a first container; and a second container identical to the first container, the plurality of spacers comprising four plungers with plunger portions that plunge into recesses in a side wall portion of the first container and fastening elements that enclose side walls of the first container, the second container being placed inverted on the first container in such a way that plunger portions of the four plungers plunge into recesses in the second container and the fastening elements enclose side walls of the second container, so that the first container and the second container are held relative to each other and spaced apart by the spacers.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the base body is as wide as an upper edge of the side walls of the first and second containers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an isometric illustration of a spacer according to the disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the spacer according to the disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a further isometric illustration of the spacer according to the disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the spacer according to the disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the spacer according to the disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the spacer according to the disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 7 shows the spacer according to the disclosure, which is placed on a container;

[0039] FIG. 8 shows the container with four spacers according to the disclosure;

[0040] FIG. 9 shows two stacked containers with spacers according to the disclosure; and

[0041] FIG. 10 shows a side view of the stacked containers of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows an isometric illustration of a spacer 1 for placement on a container 100, more precisely on an upper rim or a side wall rim 102 of the container 100 (cf. FIG. 8). The spacer 1 has an elongated base body 2. The elongated base body 2 has a first elongated, rectangular support plate 3 with a first support surface 4 and spaced parallel thereto, a second elongated, rectangular support plate 5 with a second support surface 6. The first support plate 3 and the second support plate 5 are each connected by a connection portion 8. The connection portion 8 is a thin wall or rib extending perpendicular to and between the two support plates 3 and 5 and is meander-shaped. Slanted reinforcement ribs 16 are provided at several points between the connection portion 8 and the first support plate 3 on the one hand and the second support plate 5 on the other hand.

[0043] Respective plunger portions 10 protrude from the first support surface 4 and the second support surface 6 perpendicularly to them and in opposite directions. The two plunger portions 10 are each formed as a thin wall perpendicular to the support surfaces 4 and 6. In a plan view, the thin wall has a meandering shape that spans a rectangle, as shown in FIG. 5. In the area of the two plunger portions 10, the connection portion 8 between the two support plates 3 and 5 has the same shape as the plunger portions 10.

[0044] On opposite rims of the support plates 3 and 5, retainer ribs projecting vertically and in the same directions as the plunger portions 10 are provided, which serve as fastening elements 14 to enclose or hold between them the upper rim or side wall rim 102 of the container from two opposite sides. The fastening elements 14, which protrude from the first support plate 3, are arranged diagonally opposite each other or respectively spaced apart in the longitudinal extension of the first support plate 3. The same applies to the fastening elements 14 projecting from the second support plate 5, wherein the fastening elements 14 of the two support plates 3 and 5 are diagonally opposite each other in order to counteract a rolling torque on the spacer 1 arranged between two containers 100 and 200 in both directions.

[0045] With respect to the longitudinal extension of the base body, both the plunger portions 10 and the fastening elements 14 are arranged off-center, i.e. the plunger portions 10 are located on one longitudinal half of the base body 2 and the fastening portions 14 are located on the other longitudinal half of the base body 2 or at one longitudinal end and at the other longitudinal end of the base body 2, respectively.

[0046] The first support surface 4 and the second support surface 6 are prepared and configured to rest on a side wall rim 102 of a side wall 101 of the container 100. The plunger portions 10 are shaped to fit into a rectangular recess 104 in the side wall rim 102 of the container 100. The formation of the plunger portions 10 as a thin wall is due to the production by injection molding. Accordingly, it is conceivable that the plunger portions 10 have a different shape. The fastening elements 14 protrude laterally from a plan view of the support surfaces 4, 6. The fastening elements 14 are arranged in such a way that they enclose the side wall 101 of the container 100.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the spacer 1. It is shown that the plunger portions 10 and the fastening elements 14 protrude outward from the first support plate 3 and the second support plate 5. The reinforcement ribs 16 respectively connect the first support plate 3 and the second support plate 5 to the connection portion 8.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows an isometric illustration of a rear side of the spacer 1. A rear view of the spacer 1 is shown in FIG. 4. Here, too, the first support plate 3 and the second support plate 5 are each connected to the connection portion 8 via the reinforcement ribs 16.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the spacer 1 and the first support plate 5. The meandering shape of the plunger portion 10 is shown. It is also clear that the fastening elements 14 each protrude laterally from a plan view of the two support plates 3, 5.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the spacer 1. The fastening elements 14 protrude laterally/horizontally from the support plates 3, 5. I.e. the fastening elements 14 are not arranged within an imaginary cuboid base body. The fastening elements 14 and the plunger portions 10 both protrude vertically from the support plates 3, 5. Along an elongated axis of symmetry of the spacer 1, a portion of the connection portion 8, which is simultaneously a side wall of the spacer 1, has a slit 18. The slit 18 has a wide opening, extends in a horizontal direction and converges in the direction of extension. A beginning of a film for wrapping stacked containers 100 can be clamped in the horizontal slit 18.

[0051] FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of FIG. 8 and how the spacer 1 is placed on a side wall 101 of the container 100. The container 100 is an open container with a bottom 106 and four side walls 101 projecting from the bottom 106. The container 100 also has two recesses 104 in the upper rim or side wall rim 102 on each of the two long side walls 101, which serve as automation openings and into which grippers (not shown) of an automation system for handling the container 100 in a logistics chain can engage.

[0052] The spacer 1 is placed on the upper rim or side wall rim 102 of the container 100 in such a way that one of the two plunger portions 10 is fully plunged into the recess 104 and the corresponding support surface 6 rests on the side wall rim 102 of the container 100. The plunger portions 10 are adapted to the size of the recesses 104, such that they are seated in the recesses 104 without much lateral play and define the position of the spacer 1. In addition, the fastening elements 14 enclose the side wall 101 of the container 100 from the inside and from the outside. Thus, the spacer 1 lies firmly defined on the side wall rim 102 or the container 100, respectively.

[0053] FIG. 8 shows how four spacers 1 are placed on the open container 100 in such a way that the spacers 1 each extend from the recesses 104 in the side wall rims 102 to the respective container corner or in the direction of the short side walls 101. The length of the spacers 1 essentially corresponds to the distance from the recesses 104 to the next (short) side wall 101. This ensures that the (identical) container 200 (see FIG. 10) stacked above and resting on the spacer 1 does not protrude far, or more precisely only by one side wall thickness, beyond the spacer 1, so that it is ensured that the containers 100, 200 do not tip open or over when a (vertical) force acts on the short side walls 101.

[0054] It should be noted that the spacer 1 should be positioned in such a way that the opening of the slit 18 faces outward, so that the film for wrapping the container 100 can be inserted into the slit 18 from the outside and clamped therein.

[0055] FIG. 9 shows how a further identical second container 200 is placed in reverse on the first container 100 with the spacers 1. The plunger portions 10 of the spacers 1 plunge into recesses 204 of the second container 200. The support surface 4 rests on a side wall rim 202 of the second container 200. The fastening elements 14 of the spacer 1 comprise side walls 201 of the second container 200. In this way, the second identical container 200 is stacked in a fixed position on the first container 100.

[0056] FIG. 10 shows a side view of the stacked containers 100, 200. It is clear that there is a space between the containers 100, 200 due to the spacers 1.