STACKING CRATE AND TRANSPORTING AND/OR STORAGE SYSTEM CONTAINING TWO OR MORE STACKING CRATES

Abstract

A stacking crate having a base, a wall delimiting a receiving space with the base, and a receiving opening delimited by the wall's edge. Extending elements shaped and mounted on the stacking crate move between rest and support positions solely by the force of gravity. In the support position, the elements are positioned to allow a rest face for placement of two stacking crates to rest one on top of the other to form a stacked crate stack. In the rest position, the extending elements allow the two stacking crates to be placed one inside the other to form a nested crate stack. The extending elements move into the support position when the base of the stacking crate is placed on a subsurface. When the edge of the stacking crate is placed on a subsurface, with the receiving opening facing downwards, the extending elements move to the rest position.

Claims

1. A stacking box comprising: a base; a wall starting from the base, extending transverse thereto in a direction, wherein the wall together with the base delimits a receiving space of the stacking box; a receiving opening delimited by an edge of the wall opposite the base; extending elements mounted on the stacking box, wherein the extending elements are displaceable back and forth between a rest position and a support position; wherein when the extending elements are in the support position they provide a rest face for placing the stacking box and an additional, structurally-identical stacking box one on top of the other, thereby forming a stacked box stack; wherein when the extending elements are in the rest position they enable the stacking box and the additional structurally-identical stacking box to be placed inside one another to form a nested box stack; wherein the extending elements are designed and mounted on the stacking box such that the extending elements are displaced into the support position driven solely by gravity when the stacking box is placed on the stacking box's base with the base oriented essentially horizontally on a substrate, and with the receiving opening of the stacking box facing essentially vertically upwards; and wherein the extending elements are displaced into the rest position driven solely by gravity when the stacking box is placed on the stacking box's edge with the receiving opening of the stacking box oriented essentially horizontally on the substrate and with the base of the stacking box oriented essentially vertically upward.

2. The stacking box according to claim 1, wherein the extending elements are arranged displaceably between the support position and the rest position in a region of the edge of the wall of the stacking box such manner that: the stacking box's extending elements in the support position project into a region of the stacking box's receiving opening such that the additional structurally-identical stacking box is placed down with the base of the additional structurally-identical stacking box on the stacking box's extending elements located in the support position so to form a stacked box stack; and the stacking box's extending elements in the rest position expose the region of the stacking box's receiving opening such that the additional structurally-identical stacking box is introduced into the stacking box's receiving opening with the additional structurally-identical stacking box's base entering first into the stacking box's receiving opening so to form a nested box stack, and the additional structurally-identical stacking box is inserted into the receiving space of the stacking box.

3. The stacking box, of claim 1, further comprising plate-like extending elements that are pivotably disposed on the wall of the stacking box in a region of the receiving opening and/or in a region of the base.

4. The stacking box claim 1, wherein the extending elements are mounted on the stacking box pivotably with hinges and are pivotable between the support position and the rest position.

5. The stacking box claim 1, wherein the base and wall are made of a plastic.

6. The stacking box claim 1, wherein the extending elements are made of a metal.

7. The stacking box of claim 1, formed so as to have mirror symmetry to a first and to a second median plane, respectively running orthogonal to the base and perpendicular to one another, or that in a top view from above, are formed with cross sections having point symmetry, respectively with a center of symmetry of the point symmetry forming the center of a cross-section contour.

8. The stacking box claim 1, further comprising supports formed on the wall and/or on the base of the stacking box for supporting the extending elements of the stacking box in the support position.

9. The stacking box claim 1, further comprising centering structures formed on the extended elements of the stacking box, and by counterstructures formed on the stacking box outside of the extended elements wherein the centering structures interact with the counterstructures of the additional structurally-identical stacking box in the stacked state so as to center the stacked additional structurally-identical stacking box in relation to the stacking box located thereunder.

10. A transport and/or storage system comprising at least two stacking boxes according to claim 1.

11. The stacking box according to claim 1, wherein the wall extends transverse to and circumferentially from the base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Additional features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments based on the enclosed figures. They show:

[0026] FIG. 1 a schematic sectional view of a stacking box according to the invention in an upright position suitable for stacking on a plurality of stacking boxes according to the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 the extending element in the support position in an enlarged detail depiction;

[0028] FIG. 3 in schematic form, the procedure for stacking on two stacking boxes form according to the invention to form a box stack;

[0029] FIG. 4 in schematic form, a box stack formed from two stacking boxes according to the invention placed on top of one another;

[0030] FIG. 5 in schematic form, a nested box stack formed from two stacking boxes arranged reversed, stacked inside one another;

[0031] FIG. 6 the extending element in the rest position in an enlarged detail depiction;

[0032] FIG. 7 in schematic form, a top view onto a stacking box according to the invention oriented with the receiving opening facing up for stacking up; and

[0033] FIG. 8 in schematic form, a view from below onto a stacking box according to the invention for stacked and nested placing-inside-one-another with the receiving opening facing down.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Possible embodiment variants of a stacking box according to the invention, and a transport and/or safekeeping system formed from at least two such stacking boxes, are shown in highly schematic drawings in the figures. The figures are highly schematic depictions and serve merely to illustrate the principle according to the invention and the essential elements. They are not to be understood as complete design drawings and also not to scale.

[0035] FIG. 1 first shows a stacking box 1 according to the invention in a first position. The stacking box 1 has a base 2 on which the stacking box 1 is placed in the position depicted in FIG. 1, on a ground, for example. Starting from the base 2, a wall 3 running around the exterior of the box extends upward in this first position, wherein the base 2 and wall 3 surround a receiving space 4. In principle, however, additional sections of the wall 3 delimiting the receiving space 4 can also be provided, which are separated from the wall running around the exterior, e.g. in the form of walls of columns or similar projecting upward from the base in an inner-lying section. The wall 3 ends at a circumferential edge 5 that surrounds a receiving opening 6. Extending elements 7 are arranged on the wall 3 in the region of the edge 5, in this context somewhat below the upper lip of the edge, here connected in a jointed manner to the wall 3 of the stacking box 1 by hinges 8. In the position of the stacking box 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the extending elements 7 are driven solely by gravity and to this extent are brought or displaced by necessary movement into the support position shown in FIG. 1. The extending elements 7 can also be displaced to a resting position insofar as they are pivoted about the hinge 8, as will be described in the following.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail so as to better emphasize the support position in which the extending element 7 is located in the position of the stacking box 1 shown in FIG. 1. It is apparent here as well that in the support position, the extending element 7 lies on a column 9 formed on the wall 3 of the stacking box 1 on a support surface 10 (compare FIG. 6) and is supported by this column 9.

[0037] It is evident from FIGS. 3 and 4 that two essentially structurally identical stacking boxes 1 according to the invention can be stacked on top of one another in a position as shown in FIG. 1 and accordingly with the extending elements 7 moved into the support position by gravity. This is emphasized in FIG. 3 with the arrow that indicates the movement to stacking on top of one another, FIG. 4 shows the state as stacked on top of one another. In this manner, two and also a plurality of the stacking boxes 1 according to the invention can be stacked on top of one another, wherein objects to be kept safe or transported can be arranged and stored in the receiving spaces 4 of the stacking box 1.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a stacking box 1 according to the invention upended to form a “stack of empty boxes” with rotated by 180° about a rotational axis that lies within the plane of the base 2 or that lies parallel thereto, in which the stacking box 1 is stacked inside itself in a nested manner. In this context, stacking boxes 1 according to the invention are placed on top of one another like cones, wherein the wall 3 and base 2 of a lower stacking cate 1 intrude into the receiving space 4 of a stacking box 1 placed thereupon.

[0039] This is possible in that, in the position of a stacking box according to the invention as shown in FIG. 5, rotated by 180° about said rotational axis compared to the position shown in FIG. 1, i.e. upended, the extending elements 7 are driven solely by gravity and therefore are displaced automatically from the support position shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 into the rest position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Driven by gravity, the extending element 7 flips about the hinge 8 from the stacking support 10 on the column 9 on which it previously rested in the support position, such that said extending element 7 is no longer in the way of a base 2 of a stacking box 1 located thereunder sliding into the receiving space 4 of a stacking box 1 placed thereupon, and that the stacking box 1 can be stacked nesting inside one another in the upended position.

[0040] A comparison of FIGS. 7 and 8 with the schematic depictions shown there makes clear once again how the displacement of the extending elements 7 functions solely driven by gravity. FIG. 7 shows a top view onto a stacking box 1 placed upon with the receiving opening oriented upward, i.e. in a position as in FIG. 1. The extending elements are pivoted into the support positions, so that another stacking box 1 can be placed upon it with the base 2 first. Conversely, FIG. 8 shows a view from below onto a stacking box 1 turned on its head, wherein now—again, solely driven by gravity—the extending elements 7 are located in the rest position as shown in FIG. 8, so that a stacking box 1 rotated in this manner can be placed on top of a stacking box 1 lying thereunder that is also arranged upended in order to form a nested and therefore room-saving stack of empty stacking boxes 1.

[0041] It should be clear at this point particularly that the embodiments of the stacking boxes and their components shown in the figures are depicted highly schematically and in a possible example. Thus extending elements are shown here that are merely arranged in the four corner regions of the rectilinear plan of the stacking box. Bar-shaped arrangements are equally conceivable, which for example extend along the narrow facing edges, or also those that run on the longitudinal edges or also circumferentially along all of the edges. The skilled person is not restricted here in any way, as long as the extending elements are displaced between the rest position and the support position solely driven by gravity through upending or placing right side up the stacking box 1, and in the support position the extending elements support an additional stacking box 1 with the objects arranged therein placed thereupon and can reliably maintain the load.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0042] 1 stacking box [0043] 2 base [0044] 3 wall [0045] 4 receiving space [0046] 5 edge [0047] 6 receiving opening [0048] 7 extending element [0049] 8 hinge [0050] 9 column [0051] 10 stacking support