TRANSPORT CONTAINER HAVING OFFSET SIDEWALL SLOTS

Abstract

A transport container for receiving and transporting goods within a transport or distribution system by conveyor belts and/or roller conveyors. The transport container includes a base from which four sidewalls extend. At least two opposing sidewalls each have a predefined code section to apply a machine-readable code, in particular a barcode or a QR code, and at least one opening, in particular a plurality of slots extending from the base to the upper edge of the sidewall. The openings in the two opposing sidewalls, in particular those openings which are located directly adjacent to and/or at the same height as the predefined code sections, are arranged offset from one another. A system can include the transport container, a conveyor system, and a scanning device.

Claims

1. A transport container for receiving goods in order to be able to transport the goods within a scope of a transport or distribution system via conveyor belts and/or roller conveyors, the transport container comprising: a bottom from which four sidewalls extend, the four sidewalls comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall opposite the third sidewall; a first code section with machine-readable code on the first sidewall; a second code section with machine-readable code on the second sidewall; at least one first opening provided in the first sidewall; and at least one second opening provided in the second sidewall, the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening being arranged offset from each other.

2. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the code sections on the first and second sidewalls are offset from each other.

3. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening each comprise a plurality of slots that are evenly spaced, and wherein the plurality of slots in the first sidewall are offset from the plurality of slots in the second sidewall.

4. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sidewalls are point-symmetrical with respect to each other.

5. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one first opening comprises a plurality of first openings, the at least one second opening comprises a plurality of second openings, the first code section is limited on each side by one of the plurality of first openings, and the second code section is limited on each side by one of the plurality of second openings.

6. A system comprising: a conveyor system; a transport container according to claim 1; and a scanning device arranged transversely to a transport direction of the transport container, the scanning device configured to read the machine-readable code on the first sidewall and second sidewall of the transport container, the scanning device being oriented in such a way that a read signal output by the scanning device hits, via the at least one first opening, either a load located in the transport container or an inner wall section of the second sidewall of the transport container.

7. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the transport container is configured for receiving letters or packages.

8. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the transport container is rectangular.

9. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the machine-readable code is a barcode or a QR code.

10. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening are each formed as a plurality of slots, the plurality of slots in the first sidewall extending from the bottom to an upper edge of the first sidewall, and the plurality of slots in the second sidewall extending from the bottom to an upper edge of the second sidewall.

11. The transport container according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one first opening comprises a plurality of first openings, and the at least one second opening comprises a plurality of second openings, at least some of the first openings being located directly next to and/or at the same height of the first code section, at least some of the second openings being located directly next to and/or at the same height of the second code section, said at least some of the first openings being arranged offset from said at least some of the second openings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0014] The present invention is described in more detail hereinafter based on an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the transport container according to the invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the transport container, wherein the slots of the rear sidewall in the top view are shown schematically next to the slots of the front sidewall in the top view; and

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the transport container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The figures are merely schematic in nature and only serve for understanding the invention. Identical elements are assigned the same reference signs. The embodiment is only given as an example and the invention is not limited to this.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows the transport container/container 1 in a perspective view. The container 1 has a rectangular bottom 2, from which four sidewalls 4 extend vertically, forming a circumferential sidewall of the container 1. The two opposite longitudinal walls 5 are divided into a plurality of code sections or sidewall sections 6. In this case, each longitudinal wall 5 has six sidewall sections 6. Each sidewall section 6 of the container 1 may have a machine-readable code 7, for example a barcode and/or a QR code. Here, by way of example, a barcode 7 is provided on one of the sidewall sections. The plurality of sidewall sections 6 is separated from each other by slot-like openings/slots 8. The openings 8 of one longitudinal wall 5 are offset from the openings 8 of the opposite longitudinal wall 5. Accordingly, the sidewall sections 6 of one longitudinal wall 5 are also offset from the sidewall sections 6 of the opposite longitudinal wall 5. The slots 8 extend between a container bottom 2 and an upper edge of the sidewalls 5 without being in contact with the container bottom 2 and the upper edge of the sidewalls 5. Thus, in this embodiment, the container 1 has a circumferential upper edge. Each sidewall section 6 is (slightly) offset from the lateral surface of the container 1 towards the inside of the container and is provided with a frame-like bar 9 extending its lateral edges and upper edge in the direction of its outer side.

[0020] It can be seen that the sidewall sections 6 are each divided into two by a transverse bar 10, which is formed continuously across all sidewall sections 6. Here, the transverse bar 10 is arranged in such a way that a lower first sidewall section area 12 of the sidewall section 6 is larger than an upper second sidewall section area 14. Thus, the larger (first) sidewall section area 12 may be provided with a barcode 7 (see FIG. 1). The smaller (second) sidewall section area 14, on the other hand, may remain free. At the same time, the second sidewall section areas 14 are separated from each other by indentations 15, which are aligned in the vertical direction with the slots 8. As can be seen in FIG. 1, however, these indentations 15 are no through-openings between the inside of the container and the outside of the container. The indentations 15 are also laterally limited by the frame-like bar 9. On the upper side, the indentations 15 are limited by the upper edge of the sidewalls 5.

[0021] A scanning device, which is not shown here, is provided outside the transport container 1, is spaced from a longitudinal wall 5 and is arranged transversely to the transport direction (transport direction here is in the direction of the longitudinal walls, see arrow A) of the container 1 and emits a light beam/laser beam which hits, for example, on a sidewall section 6 having a barcode 7 and then reads it. In this case, the slots 8 arranged next to this sidewall section 6 prevent a reading error when reading the barcode 7. Alternatively, the light beam passes through a slot 8 and in this case measures the fill level of the container 1. If the container 1 is empty, the beam hits a sidewall section 6 of the opposite longitudinal wall 5. If the container 1 is filled, the beam hits the corresponding transported goods, so that the reflection path of the beam in this case is shorter than with an empty container 1.

[0022] The container bottom 2 has a plurality of (three) cross-shaped through holes 16. The through holes 16 are arranged along the central longitudinal axis B of the container 1, which is centrally parallel to the longitudinal walls 5. The cross-shaped through holes 16 contribute to good ventilation of the container 1 and can also or alternatively serve as drainage openings when the container 1 is rinsed/cleaned, for example.

[0023] The other two sidewalls 4, which are no longitudinal walls 5, are referred to as front walls 18. Starting from the front walls 18, a bottom section 19 chamfered from the sidewalls 18 towards the center of the container extends along the bottom 2. This bottom section 19 has the shape of a symmetrical trapezoid whose longer base side is approximately as long as the length of the front wall 18. When cleaning/rinsing the container 1 with a liquid, the bottom section 19 may serve to direct the liquid towards the center of the container so that it can easily flow out of the container 1 via the through holes 16. A respective (ergonomic) handle 20 is formed axially symmetrically to the vertical center axis of the front walls 18, said handle 20 being configured as a continuous opening in the two front walls 18. A further code section 6 is arranged to each side of the handle 18, which is, however, not limited by slots. Here, one of these two code sections 6 has a barcode 7 in its first sidewall section area 12.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows the container 1 in a top view. The slots 8 of the rear longitudinal wall 5 can each be seen as a dashed line, which is shown between two slots 8 of the frontal longitudinal wall 5 (which is opposite the rear longitudinal wall 5). This illustration makes it clear that the slots 8 of the frontal longitudinal wall 5 are offset from the slots 8 of the rear longitudinal wall 5. Therefore, in the case of an empty container 1 as shown herein, the inside of the sidewall sections 6 of the rear longitudinal wall 5 can be seen through the slots 8 of the frontal longitudinal wall 5. Furthermore, it can be seen that the sidewalls 4 are recessed in their area near the bottom and thus form a circumferential stacking border 22. The width of the stacking border 22 advantageously corresponds to the width of the sidewalls 4. In this case, the container 1 can be placed on an identical or compatible container in such a way that its bottom area projects into the lower container, its stacking border 22 rests on the upper edges of the sidewalls of the lower container and the sidewalls 4 of the (upper) container 1 are aligned with the sidewalls of the lower container.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the container 1 in a top view without schematically depicting the rear longitudinal wall 5. Here, too, it can be seen that each slot 8 of the frontal longitudinal wall 5 is opposite a sidewall section 6 of the rear longitudinal wall 5. The stacking border 22 can also be seen.