PALLET CONTAINER

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to a pallet container for storing and transporting fluid or flowable filling materials are disclosed. The pallet container can comprise a container including an upper base that defines a plane; a frame surrounding at least some of the container and including horizontal and vertical rods joined to form at least one pair of opposing walls; and a cross-member that is detachably attached to the pair of opposing walls, defines a length along a line of curvature that is greater than a distance between the pair of opposing walls, and is oriented on a second plane that is parallel to the first plane.

Claims

1. A pallet container for storing and transporting fluid or flowable filling materials, the pallet container comprising: a container including an upper base that defines a first plane; a frame surrounding at least a portion of the container, the frame including horizontal tubular rods and vertical tubular rods, the horizontal tubular rods being joined to the vertical tubular rods to form a pair of opposing walls and an upper region that is adjacent to the upper base of the container; a base pallet connected to the frame opposite the upper region of the frame and configured to support the container; and a cross-member detachably attached to the pair of opposing walls, the cross-member extending across the upper region when attached to the pair of opposing walls and defining a length along a line of curvature that is greater than a distance between the pair of opposing walls, wherein the cross-member is oriented on a second plane that is parallel to the first plane of the upper base.

2. The pallet container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a curve of the cross-member defines a resilient spring element.

3. The pallet container of claim 1, wherein a concave portion of the cross-member faces a center point of the frame that is on the second plane.

4. The pallet container of claim 1, wherein the cross-member is hollow.

5. The pallet container of claim 1, wherein the cross-member is detachably attached to the pair of opposing walls via a first threaded fastener attached to a first end face of the cross-member and a second threaded fastener attached to a second end face of the cross-member.

6. The pallet container of claim 1, wherein: the cross-member is a first cross-member defining a first length along a line of curvature; and the pallet container further comprises a second cross-member extending across the upper region when attached to the pair of opposing walls and defining a second length along a line of curvature that is greater than the distance between the pair of opposing walls, the second cross-member being oriented on the second plane.

7. The pallet container of claim 6, wherein the second cross-member is detachably attached to the pair of opposing walls.

8. The pallet container of claim 6, wherein a first concave portion of the first cross-member faces a center point of the frame that is on the second plane and a second concave portion of the second cross-member faces the center point of the frame that is on the second plane.

9. The pallet container of claim 6, wherein: a first end of the first cross-member is attached to a first wall of the pair of opposing walls at a first position along the first wall that is offset from a first midpoint of the first wall; a second end of the first cross-member is attached to a second wall of the pair of opposing walls at a second position along the second wall that is offset from a second midpoint of the second wall; a first end of the second cross-member is attached to the first wall at a third position along the first wall that is offset from the first midpoint; and a second end of the second cross-member is attached to the second wall at a fourth position that is offset from the second midpoint.

10. The pallet container of claim 9, wherein: a first distance between the first position and the first midpoint is approximately equal to a second distance between the second position and the first midpoint; and a third distance between the third position and the second midpoint is approximately equal to a fourth distance between the fourth position and the second midpoint.

11. A pallet container for storing and transporting fluid or flowable filling materials, the pallet container comprising: a container including an upper base that defines a first plane; a frame including horizontal rods joined to vertical rods, the frame surrounding at least a portion of the container and including a pair of opposing walls and an upper region that is adjacent to the upper base of the container; a base pallet connected to the frame opposite the upper region of the frame and configured to support the container; and a cross-member extending across the upper region and defining a length along a line of curvature that is greater than a distance between the pair of opposing walls, the cross-member being oriented on a second plane that is parallel to the first plane.

12. The pallet container as claimed in claim 11, wherein a curve of the cross-member defines a resilient spring element.

13. The pallet container of claim 11, wherein a concave portion of the cross-member faces a center point of the frame that is on the second plane.

14. The pallet container of claim 11, wherein the cross-member is hollow.

15. The pallet container of claim 11, wherein the cross-member is detachably attached to the pair of opposing walls.

16. The pallet container of claim 11, wherein: the cross-member is a first cross-member defining a first length along a line of curvature; and the pallet container further comprises a second cross-member extending across the upper region and defining a second length along a line of curvature that is greater than the distance between the pair of opposing walls, the second cross-member being oriented on the second plane.

17. The pallet container of claim 16, wherein the second cross-member is detachably attached to the pair of opposing walls.

18. The pallet container of claim 16, wherein a first concave portion of the first cross-member faces a center point of the frame that is on the second plane and a second concave portion of the second cross-member faces the center point of the frame that is on the second plane.

19. The pallet container of claim 16, wherein: a first end of the first cross-member is attached to a first wall of the pair of opposing walls at a first position along the first wall that is offset from a first midpoint of the first wall; a second end of the first cross-member is attached to a second wall of the pair of opposing walls at a second position along the second wall that is offset from a second midpoint of the second wall; a first end of the second cross-member is attached to the first wall at a third position along the first wall that is offset from the first midpoint; and a second end of the second cross-member is attached to the second wall at a fourth position that is offset from the second midpoint.

20. The pallet container of claim 19, wherein: a first distance between the first position and the first midpoint is approximately equal to a second distance between the second position and the first midpoint; and a third distance between the third position and the second midpoint is approximately equal to a fourth distance between the fourth position and the second midpoint.

Description

[0017] The invention is explained and described in greater detail below with reference to embodiments which are schematically illustrated in the drawings, in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pallet container according to the invention,

[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of the upper region of the pallet container according to the invention according to FIG. 1,

[0020] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a transverse cross-member configured as a resilient element,

[0021] FIG. 4 is a side view of another embodiment of a transverse cross-member,

[0022] FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of the right end region of a transverse cross-member with a threaded nut inserted,

[0023] FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial view of the left end region of the transverse cross-member according to FIG. 4,

[0024] FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial view with a transverse cross-member being connected to the upper region of a tubular grid frame,

[0025] FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view with an end-side screw connection of a transverse cross-member to the upper region of the tubular grid frame,

[0026] FIG. 9 is another enlarged partial side view of an end-side screw connection of a transverse cross-member,

[0027] FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view with an end-side screw connection of the transverse cross-member according to FIG. 9, and

[0028] FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the end-side screw connection of the transverse cross-member according to FIG. 9.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a pallet container 10 according to the invention (also referred to as an IBC=Intermediate Bulk Container) for storing and transporting fluid or flowable filling materials. The pallet container 10 comprises a thin-walled, rigid plastics inner container 12 made from thermoplastic plastics material, for example, HDPE, a tubular grid frame 14 which tightly surrounds the plastics inner container 12 as a supporting covering and which comprises horizontal and vertical tubular rods 18, 20 which are welded to each other and a base pallet 16 on which the plastics inner container 12 is positioned and to which the tubular grid frame 14 is securely connected. Two rod-shaped transverse cross-members 22 are provided above the plastics inner container 12 and are fixed with their two ends to two mutually opposite side walls of the upper tubular grid frame 14. The two transverse cross-members 22 are configured as resilient spring elements 24 in an arcuately curved form. A particular constructive embodiment of the transverse cross-members 22 is distinguished in that, in their fastening points 26, 28, the transverse cross-members are screwed with the end faces of their ends in a secure but releasable manner against two mutually opposite tubular rods 18, 20 in the upper region of the tubular grid frame 14 and the threaded screws 48 axially lead into the ends of the transverse cross-members 22, 42, which ends are provided with an internal thread 44, 46.

[0030] The transverse cross-members 22, 42 are constructed not to be rectilinear or linear between their two fastening points 26, 28, but instead in a curved manner and have a comparatively large curve 34. In this case, the length of the transverse cross-members 22 between their two fastening points 26, 28 is constructed in a completely unusual manner to be greater than the direct spacing between the two fastening points 26, 28 at the ends of the transverse cross-members 22.

[0031] In order to obtain optimum resilience and spring-like action of the transverse cross-members 22, 42, the length of the transverse cross-members is, according to their line of curvature between their two fastening points, between 1% and 5% greater than the direct spacing (corresponding to a chord) between the two fastening points. The size of the curve and the arcuately curved form of the transverse cross-members is thereby brought about as a resilient spring element.

[0032] For standard pallet containers which have a filling volume of 600, 1000 or 1200 liters and which have the same dimension in terms of width and length, the spacing of the two fastening points 26, 28 from each other is approximately 960 mm and the effective length of the transverse cross-members 22 is approximately 993 mm. For the same standard pallet containers, the curved transverse cross-members 22 are intended to have a great radius of curvature between 300 mm and 700 mm, preferably 500 mm.

[0033] The above-described constructive embodiment of the invention can be seen in greater detail in FIG. 2 as an enlarged cut-out. In this case, it is shown that the arcuately curved transverse cross-members 22-in the fitted state-are positioned flat in a horizontal plane on the upper base 38 of the plastics inner container 12, wherein the large curves 34 of the two transverse cross-members 22 are orientated so as to be directed away from each other. In this case, the arcuately curved transverse cross-members 22 are each guided through a retention lug 40 which is formed from the upper base 38 of the plastics inner container 12, wherein the retention lugs 40 are arranged at the center of and engage over the fitted curved transverse cross-members 22. During handling and particularly during transport of pallet containers according to the invention and the loads which occur in this instance, the arcuately curved form allows the transverse cross-members to resiliently give way in the vertical direction, on the one hand, in the event of bulging of the upper base upward and downward-for example, also in the case of an internal pressure test or drop test-and can adapt to the bulging, so to speak, they follow the shape of the upper base.

[0034] The two ends of the transverse cross-members 22 are screwed by means of the threaded screws 48 in the fastening points 26, 28 on their end faces at the upper end of two adjacent, vertical tubular rods 20 in the compressed region closely below the uppermost horizontally extending tubular rod. In this case, the fastening points 26, 28 of the arcuately curved transverse cross-members 22 are-in comparison with previously conventional linear transverse cross-members-displaced further toward the center of the upper region of the tubular grid frame at a location where the greatest bulges with the greatest tensile loads occur and are to be absorbed. In this advantageous manner, the fastening points 26, 28 of the two transverse cross-members 22 are located at the upper end of two directly adjacent vertical tubular rods 20. With the conventional linearly constructed transverse cross-members, such a central connection would not be possible.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a curved transverse cross-member 22 designed as a spring element with a large radius of curvature of approximately 500 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the transverse cross-members 22, 42 have a round tubular profile with a diameter between 14 mm and 22 mm, preferably 16 mm, and a wall thickness between 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm, preferably 0.8 mm.

[0036] According to another construction type, however, the transverse cross-members 22, 42 may also have a square tubular profile with a side length between 14 mm and 20 mm, preferably 16 mm, and a wall thickness between 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm, preferably 0.8 mm.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a side view of another embodiment of a transverse cross-member 42 with two curves which have in the end regions thereofwhen viewed in the fitted statea downwardly formed small curve 36 with a comparatively small radius and upwardly directed ends and (as can be seen in detail in FIG. 8) are each screwed with their end faces from below against the uppermost circumferential horizontal tubular rod 18. One end of the transverse cross-member 42 with two downwardly formed small curves 36 with a small radius is illustrated as an enlarged partial view in FIG. 6. A threaded nut 30 with an internal thread 44 (for example, M8 or M10) is securely and non-releasably inserted in the open ends of the hollow tubular profile of the transverse cross-member 42 with two curves 36. The non-releasably inserted threaded nut 30 can simply be pressed in, compressed or welded in.

[0038] The enlarged illustration in FIG. 5 shows the right end of a transverse cross-member 22 (with a large curve) with the inserted threaded nut 30 which can also be non-releasably pressed in, compressed or welded in.

[0039] One possible fixing method, in which a threaded screw 48 is screwed into the end of the hollow tubular profile of the transverse cross-member 22 at the end face can be seen in FIG. 7. In this case, the transverse cross-member 22 is fixed close below the uppermost horizontal tubular rod 18 by means of the threaded screws 48 which are screwed in from the exterior at the end face-in the horizontal direction-at the upper flattened ends of two mutually opposite vertical tubular rods 20.

[0040] Another possible fixing method with screwed connection of the end faces of the transverse cross-member 42 with two small curves 36 is shown in FIG. 8 as an enlarged illustration. In this case, the two ends of the transverse cross-members 42 are strongly compressed in the radial direction, wherein a corresponding internal thread 46 is formed directly in the compressed portions 32. In this case, the transverse cross-members 42 with the smaller curves 36 at the end regions thereof are fixed with their end faces from below against the uppermost horizontal tubular rod 18 by means of a threaded screw 48 which is screwed in from above-in the vertical direction. Advantageously, the uppermost horizontal tubular rod 18 is slightly recessed at the top at the bore hole and the threaded screw 48 is configured as a flat-head, countersunk head or raised countersunk screw so that it does not project upwardly. The compressed portions 32 with a correspondingly formed internal thread 46 can naturally also be produced in the case of the transverse cross-member 22 (with only one large curve), as will be further explained below. The horizontal or vertical tubular rods 18, 20 of the tubular grid frame 14 are provided with a corresponding hole for the threaded screws 48 for screwing the threaded screws 48 into the ends of the transverse cross-members 22, 42.

[0041] The end-face screw connections of the transverse cross-members have the great advantage that the screw tips of the threaded screws are located completely in the hollow tubular profile of the transverse cross-members 22, 42 and are covered so that handling pallet containers according to the invention can no longer result in injuries, as was often the case with previously conventional open screw connections with projecting screw tips.

[0042] Previously conventional linear transverse cross-members can be screwed directly in the center axis with screws at the end only with difficulty. When the screws are tightened, the transverse cross-member also rotates and it would have to be fixed for assembly. This fixing is advantageously dispensed with in the case of the arcuately curved shape of the transverse cross-members according to the invention.

[0043] In the preferred embodiment of the transverse cross-members 22, 42 according to the invention, the two ends of the transverse cross-members 22, 42 are strongly compressed in the radial direction, wherein a corresponding internal thread, for example, M8, is formed directly in the compressed portions 32.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a side view of the screw connection of a transverse cross-member 22 with a compressed portion 32 as an enlarged view. In this case, the transverse cross-member 22 is screwed close below the uppermost circumferential horizontal tubular rod 18 with its end face against a vertical tubular rod 20 of the tubular grid frame. The vertical tubular rod 20 is flattened in the region of the fastening point and has a through-hole for a screwed-in threaded screw 48 which is axially screwed into the compressed portion 32 which is provided with an internal thread. In order to ensure a good, comprehensive end-face contact of the transverse cross-members 22 with the corresponding vertical tubular rods 20, the flattened region is constructed in these vertical tubular rods 20 to be longer than in the adjacent vertical tubular rods (without transverse cross-members), wherein the free length of the completely flattened region 50 of the vertical tubular rods 20 is intended to be between 18 mm and 45 mm, preferably 32 mm, below the uppermost horizontally extending tubular rod 18. In a specific embodiment, the total length of the completely flattened region 50 is approximately 48 mm2 mm, wherein the center of the through-hole for the threaded screw 48 is spaced apart from the upper edge of the flattened region 50 by approximately 38 mm2 mm.

[0045] FIG. 10 again shows a cross section of the transverse cross-member screw connection from FIG. 9. In this case, the threaded screw 48 is provided with an integrated disk having an enlarged diameter for a greater contact surface with the flattened region 50 of the vertical tubular rod 20. Below the flattened region 50, a transition region follows which extends as far as the square base profile of the hollow tubular rod 20 (with a cross-sectional profile of 1616 mm). By extending the flattened region 50 downward, the transition region is also displaced by a corresponding amount further downward in comparison with the adjacent vertical tubular rods.

[0046] Finally, FIG. 11 again shows a perspective partial view of the upper base of the plastics inner container 12 with a central screw cap. In this instance, the extended flattened region 50 of the vertical tubular rod 20 is again visible with the transverse cross-member 22 placed thereon. In this preferred embodiment, the transverse cross-members 22 (42) has a round or oval tubular profile with a diameter between 14 mm and 22 mm, preferably 16 mm, and a wall thickness between 0.7 mm and 1.2 mm, preferably 0.8 mm. With this type of screw connection, the threaded screws which are screwed axially into the transverse cross-members on the end face disappear completely in the hollow tubular profile of the transverse cross-members.

[0047] In all the disclosed variants, the two ends of the transverse cross-members 22, 42 are screwed with their end face to the uppermost horizontal tubular rod 18 or at four vertical tubular rods 20 of the tubular grid frame in a secure but releasable manner in order to exchange the plastics inner container 12.

[0048] The different curved versions of the transverse cross-members 22, 42 as a spring element allow a different design of the attachment with a horizontal or vertical screw connection of the two ends of the transverse cross-members 22, 42 to the upper tubular grid frame 14.

[0049] The described embodiments of the transverse cross-members and the fastening possibilities can readily be combined with each other and exchanged for each other in the context of the present invention.

CONCLUSION

[0050] As a result of the end-face screw connection of the transverse cross-members 22, 42 according to the invention with completely covered threaded screws-which virtually disappear in the ends of the transverse cross-members 22-in a pallet container 10, the upper region of the tubular grid frame 14 can be configured more safely in a comparatively simple manner with regard to any risk of injury and the operational safety during handling of filled pallet containers can be significantly increased.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0051] 10 Pallet container

[0052] 12 Plastics inner container

[0053] 14 Tubular grid frame

[0054] 16 Base pallet

[0055] 18 Horizontal tubular rods (14)

[0056] 20 Vertical tubular rods (14)

[0057] 22 Transverse cross-member

[0058] 24 Spring element (22)

[0059] 26 Fastening point (22)

[0060] 28 Opposite fastening point (22)

[0061] 30 Screw nut (22)

[0062] 32 Compressed portion (22)

[0063] 34 Large curve (22)

[0064] 36 Small curve (22)

[0065] 38 Upper base (12)

[0066] 40 Retention lug (38)

[0067] 42 Transverse cross-member with 2 curves

[0068] 44 Internal thread (30)

[0069] 46 Internal thread (32)

[0070] 48 Threaded screw (30, 32)

[0071] 50 Extended flattened region (20)