Abstract
A fixing element for orienting vertically stacked cuboid containers has first and second vertical sidewalls and a connecting element wherein the first sidewalls form a right angle with each other and the second sidewalls face the outer sides of the first sidewalls. The fixing element can be form fittingly fastened on the corners of a container, wherein a further container is arranged on the fixing element and is fixed in its horizontal position relative to the first container. The fixing element can be easily released again and reused. An embodiment is disclosed with a connecting element as spacer whereby a spacing of two containers is achieved. When two containers are thus stacked with their upper open sides facing each other a third container can be accommodated therein.
Claims
1. A fixing element for positioning cuboid, upwardly open containers having container borders in a vertical stack, comprising: an L-shaped element having first and second legs forming a right angle with each other, each said first and second legs having parallel extending inner and outer vertical sidewalls, wherein the inner and outer vertical sidewalls have a substantially equal vertical extent; first and second horizontal connecting elements extending from the inner vertical sidewalls to the outer vertical sidewalls, said first and second horizontal connecting elements being separated in vertical direction by a predetermined distance and each horizontal connecting element extending from the inner to the outer vertical sidewalls at a level close to but spaced apart from an uppermost and lowermost vertical end of the inner and outer vertical sidewalk respectively; a first, single horizontally protruding element arranged on the outer vertical sidewall of the first leg between an upper one of the horizontal connecting elements and the uppermost end of the outer vertical sidewall, said first horizontally protruding element protruding horizontally from the outer vertical sidewall of the first leg toward the inner vertical sidewall of the first leg; and a second, single horizontally protruding element arranged on the outer vertical sidewall of a second leg between a lower one of the horizontal connecting elements and the bottommost end of the outer vertical sidewall, said second horizontally protruding element protruding from the outer vertical sidewall of the second leg toward the inner vertical sidewall of the second leg, wherein a first distance between the first, single horizontally protruding element and the first horizontal connecting element and a second distance between the second, single horizontally protruding element and the second horizontal connecting element each correspond to a thickness of said container border on which said fixing element is applied.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
(1) Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
(2) FIG. 1a shows a perspective view of the fixing element according to the first embodiment of the invention.
(3) FIG. 1b shows another perspective view of the fixing element according to the first embodiment of the invention
(4) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the fixing element of FIGS. 1a and 1b taken on II in FIG. 1b.
(5) FIG. 3 shows the fixing element of FIG. 1 in a side view from the top.
(6) FIG. 4a shows a perspective view of a fixing element according to the invention used at the corner on the grid-shaped bottom of a cuboid container with a border having an inwardly oriented indentation.
(7) FIG. 4b shows a bottom perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4a and in particular the engagement of the sidewalls with the border on the grid-shaped bottom of the container.
(8) FIG. 4c shows an enlarged view of the fixing element of FIG. 4b.
(9) FIG. 4d shows another enlarged view of the fixing element of FIG. 4b.
(10) FIG. 5a shows a perspective view of the fixing element according to the invention according to the second embodiment of the invention with a connecting element as spacer.
(11) FIG. 5b shows another perspective view of the fixing element according to the invention according to the second embodiment of the invention with a connecting element as spacer
(12) FIG. 5c shows a top perspective view of a further embodiment of the fixing element according to the invention with a connecting element as spacer.
(13) FIG. 5c1 shows a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 5c
(14) FIG. 5c2 shows a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 5c taken along line I-I.
(15) FIG. 5c3 shows a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 5c taken along line II-II.
(16) FIG. 5c4 shows a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 5c taken along line III-III.
(17) FIGS. 5d-g show the use of the fixing element of FIGS. 5a and b on a cuboid container for fixing its position relative to the container and form spacing apart have two containers that lie on top of each other for the purpose of accommodating a third container.
(18) FIG. 6 shows a system of stacked cuboid containers, which are oriented by means of the fixing elements according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(19) Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.
(20) Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIGS. 1a and 1b, there is shown an example of the fixing element 1 according to the invention of a first embodiment for vertical orientation of square shaped containers. The first sidewalls 2 and the second sidewalls 3 are shown which are all vertically oriented and interconnected by a flat connecting element 4. The connecting element extends in each case horizontally from the center of the vertically extending sidewalls 2 to the vertical center of the second sidewalls 3 as also shown in the side a view in FIG. 2.
(21) In the shown example of the fixing element, as can be in particular seen in the top view in FIG. 3, the first sidewalls 2 are configured even and so as to form a right angle with each other corresponding to the shape of the inside of a container border. The connecting element 4 extends over the outer angle of 270 of the right angle formed by the first sidewalls 2. The first sidewalls are arranged separate from each other so that a free space exists at the tip of the right angle formed by the first sidewalls. The second sidewalls 3 face the tip of the right angle of the first sidewalls and also face the outer sides 2a of the first sidewalls 2, which means they face the outer sides of the walls 2, which form the outer angle. In the shown example they are configured rounded and are shaped corresponding to an indentation at the outside of the border of a container. The second sidewalls 3 can also be curved outwardly corresponding to an outwardly curved border. In addition, similar to the first sidewalls, the second sidewalls 3 can be configured as two even walls that form a right angle with each other and face the outer sides of the first sidewalls. As an alternative they can also form a single even surface which faces the outer tip of the right angle of the first sidewalls in case a container has a border with a corner portion which extends obliquely to the sidewalls. In each case the one or multiple second side sidewalls face the outer sides 2a of the first sidewalls 2 or the tip of the right angle.
(22) When the connecting element 4 is used as fixing element in cuboid containers i.e., containers with sidewalls that extend perpendicular to the bottom, the connecting element 4 can be joined to a corner part of the border 5a of a container 5 as is shown in FIGS. 4a-d, wherein the first sidewalls 2 of the fixing element 1 rest against the inner side of the border 5a and the second sidewalls 3 of the fixing element 1 rest against the outer side of the border 5a. For this the first and second sidewalls 2 and 3 are shaped according to the shape of the border 5a of the container 5.
(23) FIGS. 4a-d show a fixing element 1 according to the invention arranged on one of the corners at the lower border 5a with the flat connecting element 4 resting on the border 5a and the first sidewalls 3 and the second sidewalls 3 form fittingly resting against the outer or inner side of the border 5a. The border at the upper and open end and the lower border along the bottom 6 of the container 5 have an indentation 5b at their outer sides. The curved sidewall 3 of the fixing element 1 rests against this indentation 5b. The first straight and right-angled sidewalls 2 rest against the inner side of the border 5a and engage form-fittingly in the border of the grid-shaped or ribbed bottom 6 as shown in FIG. 4c. The rounded surfaces of the second sidewalls 3 form-fittingly rest against an indentation at the lower border along the bottom 6, wherein the indentation is configured in the same way as the indentation 5b at the upper border on the open end of the container. A fixing element 1 can be fastened on the corners on the lower border as well as on the corners on the upper border. FIG. 4d shows an enlargement of the formfitting arrangement of the first sidewalls 2 on the inner walls of the container border 5a of the container bottom 6.
(24) In order to fix multiple of the containers 5 in their relative horizontal position and to vertically orient these containers, fixing elements 1 are fastened at all four corners of the upper border of each container. The corners at the lower border of each container are placed on the fixing elements 1 of a container that is situated underneath and with this fixed in their position. This allows stacking any number of containers 5 vertically on top of each other.
(25) An embodiment of the fixing element 11 according to the invention according to FIG. 5a again has first inner sidewalls 12, which form a right angle with each other, and second outer second sidewalls 13, wherein the second sidewalls 13 face the outer sides 12a of the first sidewalls 12. The first and second sidewalls 12 and 13 are interconnected by a connecting element 14a, b wherein the connecting element 14a, b is configured as spacer. As such the connecting element 14a, b in this configuration has on one hand a horizontal flat part 14a, which extends from the center of the vertical extent of the first sidewalls 12 to the center of the vertical extent of the second sidewalls 13. In addition the connecting element has ribs 14b for reinforcing the fixing element 11 and for forming the spacer, with the ribs having a height corresponding to a desired spacing. As a result, the connecting element has a vertical thickness, which is equal to the height of the ribs 14b. A horizontal projection 16 extends from the second sidewall 13 over the vertical extent of the ribs 14b of the connecting element and towards the first sidewall 12. A distance is formed between the projection 16 and the ribs 14b of the connecting element, which corresponds to the thickness of the border of the container to which the fixing element may be applied.
(26) A second projection 15 extends from a further part of the second sidewall 13 toward the first sidewalls 12, wherein again a distance exists between the projection 16 and the vertical extent of the ribs 14b of the connecting element which distance corresponds to the thickness of the border of a container. The two projections 15 and 16 are diagonally offset relative to each other in that on one hand they are arranged at sidewalls that form a right angle with each other and on the other hand at different sides which means at the upper and lower side of the ribs of the connecting element.
(27) In a further embodiment of the fixing element 11 according to two views in FIG. 5c, the connecting element has no ribs. Instead, horizontal surfaces 14c and 14d extend at least partially from the second sidewalls 13 towards the first sidewalls 12, in each case at a height which is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the upper and lower border of the vertical sidewalls 12, 13. The surface 14c extends at a distance below the upper border of the sidewalls 12 and 13 and the surface 14d extends at a distance above the lower border of the sidewalls 12 and 13. FIG. 5c shows that surfaces 14c and 14d are spaced apart in vertical direction by a distance d (see also cross sectional views of FIGS. 5c2, 5c3 and 5c4). Similar to in the embodiment from FIGS. 5a and b, the projections 15 and 16 are again arranged at the borders of the second sidewall 13, wherein the projection 16 is arranged above the surface 14c or below the horizontal surface 14d and extends towards the first sidewalls. The distance between the horizontal surface 14c and the projection 16 and the distance between the horizontal surface 14d and the projection 15 corresponds in each case to the thickness of a container border on which the fixing element can be applied.
(28) For use on a cuboid container 5 as shown in FIGS. 5d-g, a fixing element 11 is placed on each corner of a container border 5a, wherein the ribs 14b of the connecting element come to rest on the border 5a, the first sidewalls 12 on the inside of the border, and the second sidewalls 13 on the outer sides of the border 12. The projections 15 and 16 serve for snap-in fastening at the border 5a in that the border 5a is clamped between connecting element 14a, b and the projection 15. When a second container 7 is placed on the container 5 the second container is fixed by clamping its border 7a between the projection 16 and the connecting element 14a, b. The clamping effect is sufficient so that a fixing of the containers 5 and 7 relative to each other is achieved. Depending on the strength of the material of the fixing element and the container border, the projection can be configured greater or smaller so as to achieve on one hand a sufficient clamping effect and on the other hand the fixing element 11 can be manually released again from the border without requiring tools.
(29) The fixing element 11 allows stacking of two containers 5 and 7 as shown in FIG. 5e in that the two containers are stacked with the respective open sides facing each other. As a result of the vertical height of the connecting element 11, a spacing of the two containers 5 and 7 is achieved so that a further third container 8 can be accommodated in the space that is formed by the two containers 5 and 7 as shown in FIG. 5d. This allows transporting empty containers when transporting of empties in a reduced volume. A further container 9 can be placed on the container 7 which is positioned inverted with the open side facing downward, wherein this further container can be fixed relative to the container 7 by means of a fixing element 1 of the first embodiment of the invention.
(30) Thus, any number of cuboid containers with flat bottoms can be stacked by means of fixing elements 1 without spacing and/or by means of fixing elements 11 with spacing and with or without accommodated container 8. FIG. 6 shows an example of such a combined system according to the invention. Here, two containers 5 and 7 are fixed at the bottom relative to each other with fixing elements 11 according to FIGS. 5a-g, wherein owing to the spacing between the borders of the two containers 5 and 7 a further container 8 can be accommodated between the two. On the upwards oriented bottom of the container 7, a container 9 is stacked by means of fixing elements 1 according to FIGS. 1-4. Onto this upwardly open container 9 a further container 10 is then positioned by means of the fixing element 1 according to FIGS. 1-4.
(31) While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
(32) What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein:
