Stackable container

Abstract

A stackable container includes a step-shaped edge at upper ends of side walls and, on the outer side of the side walls, a projection resting on the step-shaped edge. Openings at lower edges of the side walls open into a collecting channel which extends along the base and is connected in one piece with the base and which collects small quantities of liquids passing through the openings. The projection covers the collecting channel and, together with the outer wall of the collecting channel and the step-shaped edge of the container located therebeiow, forms a free space, into which larger quantities of liquids can pass and flow into the lower container. Extinguishing water, sprayed over the stack of containers in the event of a fire, can thus pass from the upper container into the lower containers of the stack and extinguish a fire in a lower region of the stack.

Claims

1. A stackable container, comprising: a base formed in one piece with a collecting channel and extending along an outer side of the base, said collecting channel having an outer wall; and side walls extending vertically upwards from the base and each having a lower end and an upper end, with the upper end of at least one of the side walls having a step-shaped edge defining an outer vertical face which extends upwards outside a lateral extension of the collecting channel, and defining an uppermost, horizontal end face, said at least one side wall having a plurality of through-openings which are distributed along the lower end of said at least one side wall and bear against the base, said through-openings configured to open on the outer side of said at least one side wall into the collecting channel, with the outer wail of the collecting channel sized to extend above a plane of an upper end of the through-openings, said at least one side wall having, on the outer side thereof, an outwardly directed projection which extends over the collecting channel and has a horizontal end face at a lower end thereof, with the horizontal end face of the projection having a position and lateral extension which at least overlap with a position and lateral extension of an uppermost, horizontal end face of a step-shaped edge of a side wall of a subjacent said container.

2. The stackable container of claim 1, wherein another one of said side walls in opposition to said at least one side wall has a same configuration as said at least one side wall.

3. The stackable container of claim 2, wherein the through-openings are arranged along a lower edge of the opposite ones of said side walls, with the collecting channel extending along the two opposite side walls.

4. The stackable container of claim 2, wherein the through-openings are arranged along a lower edge of the opposite ones of said side walls, with the collecting channel extending along all of the side walls.

5. The stackable container of claim 1, wherein all of the side walls have a same configuration with a plurality of through-openings arranged circumferentially along all of the side walls, with the collecting channel extending circumferentially along all of the side walls.

6. The stackable container of claim 1, wherein the base includes recesses arranged in line with the through-openings along edges of the base, said recesses configured to open into the collecting channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a stack of two containers according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the two stacked containers of FIG. 1 and in particular the design according to the invention of the lower part of the upper container interacting with the upper edge of the lower container.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a detail view, indicated by III in FIG. 2, of the lower edge of the upper container interacting with the upper edge of the lower container.

(4) FIG. 4 shows the detail of FIG. 3 in a cross-sectional view with a small quantity of liquids which pass into the collecting channel.

(5) FIG. 5 shows the detail of FIG. 3 in a cross-sectional view as in FIG. 4 with a large quantity of extinguishing liquids which pass over the collecting channel into the lower container of the stack.

(6) In the figures, the same reference signs have been used in each case for the same elements, and initial explanations relate to all figures unless expressly stated otherwise.

Exemplary Embodiments of the Invention

(7) FIG. 1 shows a stack of two containers 1 according to the invention, comprising four vertical side walls 2 which surround a rectangular base 3. The outer lower base surface is denoted by 3a and will be explained in greater detail in connection with the following figures.

(8) The side walls 2 each have at their upper ends of the container 1, which is open at the top, a step-shaped edge having a first, lower horizontal face 2a, a vertical face 2b, and a second, upper horizontal face 2c which forms the uppermost end of the edge.

(9) At the lower edge of the side walls 2, openings 4 which pass through the side wails are distributed along the length thereof. The base 3 includes recesses 4b which are arranged in line with the through-openings along edges of the base and which are configured to open into a collecting channel 3d.

(10) FIG. 2 shows the stack of containers 1 from FIG. 1 in cross-section. The step-shaped design of the upper edge of the side wall 2 is shown on the upper container 1. An outwardly directed projection 2d is arranged in the lower region of the side wall 2. The collecting channel 3d is integrated with the base 3 of the container 1. On the lower container 1, it is possible to see how the projection 2d projects beyond the outer wall 3c of the collecting channel 3d and covers the latter.

(11) The stacking of the upper container 1 on the lower container 1 is made possible by means of a horizontal face on the projection 2d and the upper horizontal face 2c of the step-shaped edge of the side wall. This will be explained in the detail of area III, which is shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 3.

(12) The detail view in FIG. 3 shows the base 3 of an upper container with a lower base plane 3a and two of the side walls 2 with openings 4 along the lower edge of the side wails 2. In this exemplary embodiment, the openings 4 extend not only in the side wall 2 but also over part of the base 3 via the recesses 4b.

(13) At the lower plane 3a of the base 3, the collecting channel 3d is integrated in one piece with the base 3. Said collecting channel 3d is formed by an outwardly projecting overhang 3b and a vertical outer wall 3c which extends upwards from the overhang 3b. The wall 3c advantageously extends beyond the plane of the upper end of the openings 4, so that liquid from the openings is retained in the collecting channel 3d. This is shown in FIG. 4. The collecting channel 3d extends in its length along all sides of the base 3 on which openings 4 are present.

(14) A roof-like projection is arranged on the outer side of the side wall 2 and extends in the lower region of the side wall 2, and in this exemplary embodiment is formed by an outwardly directed face 2d and a wall 2e extending downwards from the end of the face 2d. The shape of the projection as a whole can be arbitrary. In this example, it has a right-angled shape. However, it may be curved or may slope downwards. What is essential for the projection is that the lower end 2e thereof has a horizontal end face 2f.

(15) The end face 2f rests on a horizontal face 2c of the step-shaped edge of the side wall 2 of the lower container 1. The step-shaped edge is formed by a first, lower horizontal face 2a, a vertical wall 2b extending upwards therefrom, and the second, upper horizontal face 2c. The horizontal face 2f of the projection and the horizontal face 2c of the edge ensure that the containers 1 according to the invention can be stacked. To this end, the lateral position thereof relative to the side wall 2 and the lateral extensions thereof must at least overlap.

(16) At the same time, the projection 2d, 2e together with the step-shaped edge 2a, b, c and the collecting channel 3d form a free space, through which liquids can flow into the lower container, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 5. This is particularly the case when larger quantities of liquid, as in the case of extinguishing a fire, pass from the upper container, through the openings 4, into the collecting channel 3d, but flood the latter and pass over the wall 3c. The extinguishing liquid then passes directly through the free spaces between the collecting channel 3d and the edge faces 2a and 2b into lower containers of the stack. Due to the closed free space, the liquid does not pass to the outside. For this, it is essential that the lateral extension horizontal face 2a of the step-shaped edge of the side wall 2 outside of the lateral extension of the collecting channel 3d. In other words, the vertical face 2b of the step-shaped edge extends outside of the vertical wall 3c of the collecting channel 3d. In addition, the lower base plane 3a in the region of the collecting channel 3d must not rest on the horizontal face 2a of the lower container.

(17) The lower, horizontal end face 2f of the projection 2d rests on the horizontal face 2c of the step-shaped edge. To this end, the lateral extension of the projection must be designed according to the lateral extension of the face 2c of the edge in that the two horizontal faces at least overlap. Preferably, the lateral extension of the horizontal face 2f of the projection lies entirely in the region of the uppermost, horizontal face of the step-shaped edge, in order to enable easier stacking.