WO2010127758A1 - Container, particularly for producing and storing wine and fruit gums and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel container (1) allowing the production process, particularly for wine and fruit gum production, to be designed more effectively and at lower cost. To this end, ventilation channels (24, 26) are advantageously provided, allowing air circulation in the interior (4) of the container, even if the containers (1) are stacked.

Description

 Container, in particular for the production and storage of wine and fruit gum u. like.

The present invention relates to a container according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such containers are mainly used in the production of wine and fruit gums, but also for all kinds of so-called "Candy" products., A liquid and hot wine or fruit gum mass, which is usually made of glucose, granulated sugar, gelatin and Water is filled into the container and then cooled in the container to form a solid form, and other additives, such as flavors and colorants, may be added to the mass prior to cooling, cooling usually taking between 2 and 5 days. the mass also dries This cooling and drying step is very important in the production of wine and fruit gums, where room temperature and humidity are the main factors influencing the quality of the gum.

In order to prevent adhesion of the rubber mass to the containers and thus to allow removal of the finished rubber after it has cooled out of the container, the container interior is usually lined with starch powder, thus forming a so-called "powder box." At the same time, the starch powder can also be used for shaping can be used by negative impressions of the rubber products to be produced are pressed by embossing die in the starch powder.

The object of the present invention is now to specify a container which makes this production process more efficient and thus more cost-effective.

This object is achieved with a container according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of this subject are given in the dependent subclaims.

The container according to the invention has a container bottom, a container wall and a container interior, and at least one ventilation channel is provided which allows air flow between the container bottom and the container wall. The term "air flow between the tank bottom and the tank wall" means that air can pass from the area under the tank bottom to the area adjacent to the tank wall, and vice versa, and this transition occurs independently of air flow around the tank ensures that in a stacking several such containers air can pass from the stack outside into the container interior of a container in the stack, by an air flow from the stack side on the container bottom outside of a stacked container into the container interior of a container located directly under the stacked container In other words, it is in the ventilation duct around a channel which extends between the container wall and container bottom of a container, but does not extend into the container interior of this container with an opening.

This is especially important for the quality of wine and fruit gums. Since the wine and fruit gum mass is poured liquid and hot into the container, so far the containers had to be stored individually until the mass was both cooled and dried. With the container according to the invention, a substantially more efficient and cost-effective production of wine and fruit gum mass can now take place in that many such containers can be stacked on top of each other, thus substantially reducing the parking space. Namely, sufficient air can circulate for drying even in the stacked state by the ventilation channels and at the same time escape heat through the ventilation openings. Despite the stacking, the drying and cooling time is not adversely affected due to the ventilation openings and a high wine and fruit gum quality is achieved. The amount of circulating air can be selectively influenced by the number and size of the ventilation channels.

The ventilation channel can be formed as an opening, i. be provided with a surrounding wall, but may alternatively be provided that the ventilation channel is formed without a wall portion in the region of the container edge between the container wall and container bottom, so as a kind of notch, which allows the circulation.

In a further particularly advantageous embodiment, the container has a container lower part and there is provided an insert, wherein the insert can be arranged in the container lower part and firmly connected to the container lower part. Due to this advantageous embodiment, the entire container no longer comes into contact with the products to be picked up, thus it can be cleaned faster and reused more quickly when a large number of inserts are provided. In particular, in the production of wine and fruit gums already pre-powdered deposits can be kept ready, which are then inserted container bottom parts, from which the finished products and the used deposits were removed. This means that not so many containers have to be obtained, which makes the production process more cost-effective. In addition, the insert can be given special adapted to the objects to be stored in the container properties, the manufacturing process of the container is facilitated because the container base is produced for example in classical injection molding process and gives the container the necessary stability. In particular, the insert inside the container should cover the container bottom and at least partially the container wall.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the insert is releasably fixed with a fixing frame on the container base and in particular on the container wall. Due to this fixing frame, the insert itself does not have to have fixing elements, and thus the items to be preserved can be provided Elements are further reduced, because now for several successive containers to be used only one container base and a fixing frame and several deposits are necessary. Appropriately, the deposit between the fixing frame and the container base is arranged, since it can be secured in this way particularly secure. Advantageously, latching elements are provided for the releasable latching of the fixing frame and the container lower part, wherein these are designed in particular as clip-like latching elements.

Suitably, the lower container part, at least in the transition from the container bottom to the container wall in the container interior rounded edge regions. Then the lower container part can be produced more easily and in particular has no sink marks during the injection molding process. In addition, edge portions formed in this way can be cleaned more easily.

In a preferred embodiment, the insert is preformed with respect to the container base. Then fit insert and container base form-fitting together and the insert is supported over the entire base of the container bottom.

If the insert is formed of disposable material, it is particularly inexpensive to produce and it eliminates separate cleaning processes. However, the insert can also consist of reusable material.

Advantageously, the insert is at least partially flexible. For example, the edge with which the insert is fixed to the container lower part, be rigid and the rest flexible. Then the process of emptying the container is particularly easy, since the insert is then baggy in the container base and when the container falls, the bag can be removed from the container bottom. For this purpose, it can be facilitated expedient that in the container lower part to the container interior facing breakthroughs are provided which prevent a vacuum effect in relation to the deposit, these breakthroughs facilitate, of course, at the same time on the insertion of the insert into the container base.

Particularly preferably, the surface of the insert pointing into the interior of the container is designed to reduce the adhesion, in particular to prevent adhesion. Then the stored product in the container can be particularly easily removed from the container. It will be understood by those skilled in the art how to adjust such adhesion prevention with respect to particular products. By way of example, this can be done by setting the surface to be hydrophobic and / or by designing the surface structure such that the known lotus effect is established. To facilitate the handling of the container, at least two opposing handles are expediently provided in the container wall.

In order to support the stacking and to ensure safe against slipping, a stacking edge and / or a stacking edge can be provided on the container bottom, the stacking edge when stacking two identical containers in particular positively engages in the lower container or a stacking edge a corresponding The stacking edge of a lower container encloses form-lockingly.

The features of the present invention and other advantages will now be apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the drawings. Showing:

1 shows a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention,

2 is an exploded view of the container of FIG. 1,

Fig. 3 is a partial enlargement of a corner region of the container base of the container of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the bottom of the container base according to. Fig. 3.

In the figures 1 to 4, a preferred embodiment of the loading container 1 according to the invention is shown purely schematically. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 it can be seen that the container 1 has a container bottom 2 and a container wall 3, which surround the container interior 4, wherein the container interior 4 opposite to the container bottom 2 is accessible. In addition to the lower container part 5, the container 1 on an insert 6, which is arranged by means of a Fixierrandes 7 on the container wall 3 and the container bottom 2 and the container wall 3, both of which are arranged on the container base 5, covered. The container 1 preferably has a substantially quadrangular, in the present case a rectangular container bottom 2, and the container wall 3 comprises four container sides 8, 9, 10, 11.

In particular, from the exploded view of FIG. 2 it can be seen that the container 1 is preferably formed in three parts, specifically from the container bottom part 5, the insert 6 and the fixing edge 7. In connection with FIG. 3, it can be seen that the container bottom part 5 in the corner regions 12 each locking lugs 13 which engage in corresponding latching openings 14 of the fixing edge 7. The container base 5 further has an upper edge 15, which is arranged offset from the locking lugs 13 back. The insert 6 in turn has a collar 16 which engages around the edge 15 of the container base 5 in a form-fitting manner. The fixing frame 7, in turn, has a circumferential collar 17, which in turn engages around the encircling collar 16 of the insert 6 in a form-fitting manner and thus fixes the insert 6 to the container lower part 5 by interaction of the latching elements 13, 14. The encircling collar 17 of the fixing frame 7 has tongue-shaped bulges 18 in the edge regions which, in conjunction with a certain flexibility of the fixing frame 7, preferably made of plastic by injection molding, enable the locking between the locking elements 13, 14 to be released by unlocking.

The container base 5 is also preferably made of plastic by injection molding. The insert 6 can be made of a disposable material or reusable material and preferably has - as shown - a preformed shape which corresponds to the inner contour of the container base 5 in a form-fitting manner. Advantageously, this insert 6 is flexible to the effect that its bottom 19 against the bottom 20 of the container base 5 is also bag-like lifted, when the peripheral collar 16 is fixed to the container base 5 by means of Fixierrandes 7. For this purpose, it can be advantageously provided that the lower container part 5 openings (not shown), which allow the air inlet into the space between the insert 6 and container base 5 and thus prevent a vacuum effect. Of course, this configuration is also useful when joining, so inserting the insert 6 in the container base 5.

It can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the container lower part 5 has numerous stiffening ribs 21 both on the container wall 3 and on the container bottom 2, which additionally give the container 1 stability. Handles 22, 23 are furthermore provided on two opposite sides 8, 10 of the container wall 3, wherein the upper handles 22 for transporting the container 1 in the empty state and the lower container handles 23 preferably serve to transport the container 1 in the filled state.

To recognize is further that the lower handles 23 have a provided in the container bottom 2 ventilation channel 24 embracing web 25, wherein the ventilation channel 24 allows air circulation between the space below the container bottom 2 and the space next to the container wall 3, but no direct air supply to Container interior 4. In addition, further ventilation channels 26 are provided between the container wall 3 and the container bottom, which also contribute to the air circulation, but also do not constitute an opening in the container interior 4. In the perforations 24, 26 is thus only in the openings between the container wall 3 and the container bottom 2, which do not reach into the container interior 4. So that these apertures 26 do not cause weakening of the container bottom part 5, stiffening struts 21 are also provided between each two apertures 26.

Alternatively, it can also be provided that the web 25 is omitted, in which case the ventilation channel 24 is formed as a notch in the edge between the container wall 3 and the container bottom 2 is. The other ventilation channels 26 may be formed as such notches. However, the formation of the ventilation channels 24, 26 is preferred as breakthroughs as shown, since the containers 1 then have a higher stability.

From Fig. 4 it can be seen that the container bottom 2 is provided with a stacking edge 27 and a stacking edge 28. When stacking a plurality of containers 1 one above the other then the stack edge 27 rests on the peripheral collar 17 of the Fixierrahmens 7 and the stack edge 28 engages positively into the container interior 4 of the underlying container 1 a. Through the apertures 24, 26 is on the one hand allows pressure equalization, so that stacked container 1 can be easily unstacked again and on the other hand, a generous circulation between the container interior 4 of stacked containers 1 is ensured with the stacking outside, so that a high quality of the wine and fruit gum mass during the cooling and drying process is ensured. For the circulation to be facilitated, it is of course advantageous that the ventilation openings 24, 26 are not covered or sealed by the container wall 3 of a further container 1 stacked under this container 1 in the stacked state of the container 1, and the containers 1 are to be designed accordingly.

It can be seen especially from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 that the lower edge regions 29, 29 'of the container lower part 5 and thus also the lower edge regions 30, 30' of the insert 6 are provided with a rounded radius.

The insert 6 has a flexible bag shape and is due to their preforming on the container base 5 on all sides, so that it is supported by this. When using the container 1 as a powder box in the production of wine and fruit gums, the finished rubber can now be removed simply by overturning the container 1 and after replacing the insert 6 with a new one, a new manufacturing process can begin. Alternatively, of course, the insert used 6 can be used directly again. However, the deposit swap is faster to accomplish, since so already prepared with starch powder deposits 6 can be kept in stock.

The insert 6 is non-sticky equipped, wherein the surface of the insert 6 is formed hydrophobic. In addition, the surface could also be specially structured to effect a lotus effect.

The insert 6 is preferably formed from a plastic film which is food safe in the case of an application for the food industry. Incidentally, any suitable plastic film may be used, the thickness being in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm. This ensures the desired flexibility. But it is also possible that these plastic films as already preformed baggy Foils are used and already have some form of stability in it. For this application, in particular thicker films in the range of 0.5 to 1, 5 mm are used.

From the foregoing, it has become clear that with the present invention, a container 1 is provided, which can make the manufacturing process due to the stackability with ventilation effect more effective and cheaper, especially in the production of wine and fruit gums, yet a very good quality can be achieved , as a sufficient air and heat circulation is ensured. Of course, the container 1 can also be used advantageously for other applications, in particular when it comes to a sufficient air circulation in the container interior 4 in a plurality of stacked containers 1. In particular, a modular construction of container bottom part 5 and insert 6 facilitates container cleaning and adaptation of the container 1 to various products to be accommodated. The insert 6 can be given very specific surface properties, which cooperate positively with the product, but the container bottom part 5 in a cost-effective and conventional manufacturing process, such as injection molding, can not be awarded easily.

Claims

New claims 1. container (1), in particular for the production and storage of wine and fruit gum mass and the like., With a container bottom (2), a container wall (3) and a container interior (4), characterized in that at least one formed as a breakthrough ventilation channel (24, 26) is provided, which allows an air flow between the container bottom (2) and the container wall (3). 2. Container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (1) has a container lower part (5) and an insert (6), wherein the insert (6) can be arranged in the container lower part (5) and with the container lower part (5). 5) is firmly connected. 3. Container (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the insert (6) with a fixing frame (7) on the container lower part (5), in particular on the container wall (3) is releasably fixed. 4. Container (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the insert (6) between the fixing frame (7) and the container lower part (5) is arranged. 5. Container (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that Verrastungselemente (13, 14) for releasably locking of fixing frame (7) and container base (5) are provided, wherein the Verrastungselemente (13, 14) are formed in particular like a clip , 6. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container lower part (5) at least in the transition from container bottom (2) to the container wall (3) in the container interior (4) rounded edge regions (29, 29 '). 7. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (6) with respect to the container lower part (5) is preformed. 8. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (6) is formed of disposable material. 9. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert (6) is at least partially flexible, in particular completely flexible and is preferably formed from a plastic film. 10. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the container lower part (5) to the container interior (4) facing openings are provided. 1 1. A container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the container interior (4) facing surface (19) of the insert (6) adhesion-preventing, in particular adhesion-preventing is formed. 12. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two opposite handles (22, 23) in the container wall (3) are provided. 13. Container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the container bottom (2) a stacking edge (27) and / or a stacking edge (28) are provided, wherein the stacking edge (28) when stacking two identical containers (28). 1) in particular positively engages in the lower container (1).