DE29818395U1 - container - Google Patents

Description

Frank Hessemer, 66271 Kleinblittersdorf

"Container"

The invention relates to a container, in particular for the presentation of goods, e.g. perishable fruit.

Fruit and vegetables are often offered in stalls designed for this purpose in relatively flat boxes with a small capacity, from which the customer usually takes the goods themselves. This is usually checked and, as a result, goods of poorer quality are left in the box from the outset or put back in it.

The invention is based on the object of creating a new container which enables a more efficient presentation of offers compared to the prior art described above.

The container according to the invention that solves this problem is characterized by a container base that can be moved vertically while changing the container depth and by devices for positioning the height of the container base depending on the quantity of goods in the container.

This inventive solution makes it possible to make the container relatively deep with a large goods capacity, whereby the height of the container base can be adjusted to ensure that the presentation height of the goods on top remains approximately the same regardless of how full the container is. With the container base lowered, the container could be so deep that goods on the container base would not be accessible at all. The customer can therefore easily access the goods regardless of how full the container is. By maintaining the presentation or access height, it is advantageously avoided that the container, for example,

Fruit that has been put back during the test falls into the container from a greater height and causes pressure marks that promote rot.

A container according to the invention with a large capacity can advantageously be used as a harvest collection container. The goods can thus be transported from the place of production to the end consumer without relocation that would impair the quality of the goods.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the positioning device mentioned is designed to raise the container base depending on the reduction in its weight load caused by the quantity of goods. A simple design for such a positioning device uses springs that can be tensioned through the container base and are distributed over the container base to evenly distribute the load.

Advantageously, the container has a pallet as an integral component so that it can be moved efficiently using suitable lifting and transport equipment.

The container base expediently has suitable receiving recesses such that when the container base is lowered to the maximum, the compressed springs are arranged within the receiving recesses of the pallet, with the container base sitting on the pallet part of the container. This measure achieves efficient use of space in the container interior above the pallet. With an almost linear spring characteristic, the springs expand as the load from the quantity of goods in the container decreases in such a way that the goods resting on top are always arranged at approximately the same height.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the container base is provided at the edge with devices for rolling and/or sliding on the container wall. These devices prevent the container base from jamming inside the container. Appropriate guide or sliding tracks can be provided on the container wall opposite the rollers or sliding devices.

The container is preferably made of such a material and has such a capacity that it can be used as a harvest collection container.

In a further embodiment, one or more container inserts can be arranged one above the other in the container, wherein the container bottom is formed by the bottom of the lowest container insert.

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The invention will now be explained and described in more detail using an embodiment and the accompanying drawings relating to this embodiment. They show:

Fig. 1 shows a container according to the invention in a vertical sectional view with the container bottom completely lowered,

Fig. 2 shows the container of Fig. 1 with the container base raised, Fig. 3 shows the container of Figs. 1 and 2 in a top view, and Fig. 4 shows a detailed view of the container according to Figs. 1 to 3.

In the figures, the reference number 1 designates a container with four vertical side walls 2 to 5 and a container bottom 6.

A pallet part 7 is integrated into the container 1, which is made of a plastic material, wherein the vertical side walls 2 to 5 of the container 1 are integrally connected to the pallet part 7.

The pallet part 7 has recesses 8 and 9 on its underside for the engagement of lifting supports of a lifting transport device.

The reference numerals 10 to 14 designate coil springs arranged between the pallet part 7 and the container base. To accommodate the coil springs 10 to 14, recesses 15 to 19 are provided in the pallet part 7, against the base of which the coil springs 10 to 14 each rest with one end, while the other end of the coil springs presses against the underside of the container base 6.

Reference is now made to Fig. 4, where the reference number 20 designates a roller arranged on the edge of the container base 6. The roller 20 is recessed into an edge recess of the container base 6 and protrudes from its edge surface 21 against the container wall 2, resting against the container wall 2. Rollers corresponding to the roller 20 are arranged distributed around the circumference of the container base 6. In the present embodiment, a total of eight rollers are provided, each arranged in the corner areas of the container base 6.

When the container is fully loaded, e.g. with apples, the container base 6 rests on the pallet part 7 and the springs 10 to 14 are fully compressed under the weight of the load, so that they are completely seated in the receiving recesses 15 to 19 of the pallet part 7.

are sunk. In this state of maximum lowering of the container bottom 6, in the embodiment shown here, the container 1 has a depth of about 1 m.

The fully loaded container can be transported directly from the fruit growing field, where it serves as a harvest collection container that immediately receives the harvested fruit, to the consumer without further relocation of the fruit collected in container 1 and can be set up at a fruit and vegetable sales stand.

The height of the container is such that the goods on top are arranged at a suitable height for presentation and can be easily accessed by the customer.

Goods that are to be sorted out after inspection can be easily put back into the container, whereby the arrangement of the fruit at a suitable height prevents the fruit from falling over a large distance into the container, creating pressure marks that promote rot.

As the container empties, the weight load on the container base 6 and thus on the springs 10 to 14 decreases. The springs expand accordingly, so that the container base 6 is raised, whereby the position of the goods on top remains more or less unchanged. In the container shown with a maximum depth of 1 m, without the lifting container base, the goods would at some point no longer be accessible from above as the container empties.

In the position of the container bottom 6 shown in Fig. 2, the end position of the container bottom 6 is approximately reached, which is assumed when the container bottom is not subjected to any weight load from goods.

During the lifting of the container base 6, the rollers 20 ensure that the container base does not become jammed due to tilting, for example due to uneven load distribution.

The spring lifting device shown has the advantage that the container base is automatically raised when the container is emptied. In contrast to such a lifting device, however, lifting devices that can be operated by means of a motor drive could also be provided. The use of pneumatic or hydropneumatic lifting devices is also conceivable.

Claims (12)

Expectations: 1. Containers, particularly for the presentation of goods, e.g. perishable fruit, characterized by a container base (6) that can be moved vertically while changing the container depth and devices (10-14) for positioning the height of the container base (6) depending on the quantity of goods in the container (1). 2. Container according to claim 1,
characterized, that the positioning device (10-14) is provided for raising the container base (6) depending on the decrease in the quantity of goods in the container while maintaining the presentation height of the goods on top of the container. 3. Container according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized, that the positioning device (10-14) is provided for raising the container base (6) depending on the reduction in its weight load due to the quantity of goods. 4. Container according to one of claims 1 to 3,
characterized, that the positioning device comprises springs (10-14) that can be tensioned through the container bottom (6). 5. Container according to one of claims 1 to 4,
characterized, that the container (1) contains a pallet part (7) as an integral component. 6. Container according to claim 5,
characterized, that the container base (6) rests on the pallet part (7) when the container base (6) is lowered to its maximum and the compressed springs (10-14) are arranged within a recess (15-19) provided in the pallet part (7). 7. Container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the container base (6) is provided at the edge with devices (20) for rolling and/or sliding on a container side wall (2). 8. Container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the container side wall is provided with guide and/or sliding tracks for the container bottom (6). 9. Container according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the container (1) has a capacity suitable for its use as a harvest collection container. 10. Container according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the container (1) has a maximum depth of approximately 1 m and a minimum depth of approximately 10 cm. 11. Container according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a plastic material. 12. Container according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that several container inserts are arranged one above the other in the container and the container base is formed by the base of the lowest container insert.