WO2011110196A1 - Container with slide fastener for transporting items - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (1) for transporting items, with a lower shell (7) and with an upper shell (7'), which is connected to the lower shell (7) in such a way that it can be swung open, which shells are formed as box-like metal parts, in particular aluminium parts, and with a slide fastener (6) for closing and opening the container (1), extending at least partially around mutually assigned edge regions (11) of the lower shell (7) and the upper shell (7'). The invention proposes respectively embedding the edge regions (11) of the lower and upper shells (7, 7') and the edges (9) of stringer tapes (10) of the slide fastener (6) in a cast plastics connecting profile (4), which connects the slide fastener halves (5, 5') of the slide fastener (6) to the lower shell (7) and to the upper shell (7'). The plastics connecting profiles (4) are cast from a PU material, wherein the edges (9) of the stringer tapes (10) and the edge regions (11) of the lower and upper shells (7, 7'), and possibly edges (14) of an interior liner (13), are embedded in the PU material during the casting of the plastics connecting profiles (4). If the slide fastener (6) only extends part of the way around the container (1), the plastics connecting profiles (4) extend completely around the container (1) and form a film hinge (16), which connects the two shells (7, 7') to each other in such a way that they can be swung open and closed.

Description

 Rosemarie NÖCKER, Freudenstadt 8 March 2010

Rita FREY, Haiterbach S

868/02 PCT

Container with zipper for transporting objects

description

The invention relates to a container for the transport of objects, with a lower shell and with an upper shell hinged to the lower shell, which are formed as box-like parts, and with a zipper for closing and opening the container, at least partially encircling the container along extending from each other associated edge regions of the lower and the upper shell, wherein support strips of the zipper are embedded with edges each in a molded plastic connection profile which extends along the edge regions of the lower and the upper shell. The two in themselves equivalent shells of the container are only referred to the distinction in the application as a lower or upper shell. The term is based on the usual lying position of the container after filling one or both shells with objects and the subsequent closing of the container, wherein the zipper is arranged substantially horizontally to the ground.

It is known to use zippers with two separable zipper halves among other things as circumferential zippers on containers, bags, suitcases and the like. In such zipper The zipper closures usually have closures on a row of tooth-like coupling elements attached to a carrier strip, which can be engaged and disengaged for connecting and disconnecting the carrier strips of the zipper pulls by displacing a slider. There are also known as sliding closures, which have two continuous rib-shaped flexible plastic profiles instead of the coupling elements, which can be connected and displaced from one another by displacing a slider.

From EP 0 463 534 A1 there is known a container for properly storing a number of articles comprising a container body, a partitioned insert disposed in the container body and a container lid for closing the container body. The container has a zipper for opening and closing. The zipper has two zipper tapes each embedded in support members having a fork-shaped cross section made of an elastic material, which in turn are attached to peripheral edges of the container body and the container lid. In this case, the peripheral edges are loosely inserted into a space defined by upper and lower parts of the fork-shaped support members and sewn to the zipper tapes in slots of the upper and lower portions, with a thread extending through the support members and the zipper tapes embedded therein.

From DE 203 01 888 U1 also a case with a zipper is known, which is designed waterproof. The zippered case has at least one semi-hard or hard waterproof plastic shell. The zipper is at least partially circumferentially arranged around the case, wherein the zipper is sewn with its support strips with the edges of the case halves and the seam is covered with a waterproof material. A disadvantage of such shell cases is the damage to the plastic shells through suture holes and possible leaks at the suture holes.

The object of the invention is to propose a container with a zipper for transporting objects, in which the carrier strips of the zipper halves in each case in only one operation on the lower shell or the upper shell tensile strength and at the same time are sealingly attached. In the sense of the task under zipper also a sliding closure is understood, which colloquially is often also called a zipper. This object is achieved by a container for the transport of objects with the features of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments can be found in the dependent claims.

In the case of the container according to the invention, the edge region of the lower shell or the upper shell and edges of the carrier strips of the zipper halves are embedded in the respective plastic connection profile, the plastic connection profiles being integrally connected to the lower shell or the upper shell and the carrier strips of zipper halves. The plastic connection profile connects zipper halves of the zipper to the lower or upper shell. The container has such a plastic connection profile for each zipper half. According to the assignment to the lower shell or to the upper shell, the two plastic connection profiles are referred to below as the lower or upper plastic connection profile. Furthermore, from here, the lower shell and the upper shell together referred to as shells of the container, if no distinction is required.

The upper shell or the lower shell, preferably the upper shell and the lower shell of the container according to the invention are metal parts, in particular aluminum parts.

The lower and the upper plastic connection profile extends at least as far as the tear or sliding closure circumferentially along the edge regions of the lower and the upper shell. The two plastic connection profiles are materially connected to the shells of the container and the zipper or sliding closure halves, wherein the material for the plastic connection profile can be chosen rigid or rubber-elastic. The carrying strips of the zippered hooks can be, for example, textile or plastic strips.

The support strips of the zipper are embedded at the edges and the shells of the container at the edge regions in the associated Kunststoffverbindungs- profile. The plastic connection profile is produced in a casting process in a casting mold, in the cavity of which the margins of the zipper closures and the edge regions of the lower or upper shell protrude for a certain distance. The edges and the edge areas are enclosed in the pouring of the cavity with plastic material which forms the plastic connection profile. The plastic material that flows when filling the cavity preferably solidifies after a short process time in the casting mold. It can have one or more components.

For embedding in the plastic connection profile, the edges of the zipper closures and the edge regions of the lower shell or the upper shell are preferably at a distance from one another, wherein the flowable plastic material fills the respective distance between one of the zipper closures and the associated shell of the container when filling the casting mold and connect the zipper pulls with the shell. In particular, the edges of the zipper pulls are arranged opposite the edge regions of the lower shell or the upper shell, wherein they may have an offset to the edge regions of the lower shell or the upper shell, which is still to be regarded as "opposite".

In a variant of the container according to the invention, the zipper partially extends circumferentially around the lower shell and the upper shell and the plastic connection profiles extend completely circumferentially around the two shells. Along the edge regions of the two shells, which are adjacent to one another when the container is opened, the plastic connection profiles form a film hinge which connects the upper and lower shells pivotally, ie open and closed, to one another. The film hinge is a particular line-shaped or strip-shaped and in particular straighter or only weak curved portion that is so thin and / or flexible due to the material so as to pivotally connect the two shells in the manner of a hinge. In the area of the film hinge, the plastic connection profiles of the two shells are integral with one another. The film hinge can have a reinforcement in whole or in sections, for example in the form of a fabric insert. The connection of the two shells of the container by means of the molded plastic connection profiles, which are formed in a section as a film hinge, can be carried out independently of the embedding of the carrier strips of the zipper halves in the plastic connection profiles. The film hinge is produced when embedding the zipper halves together with the plastic connection profiles in a single operation in a mold having two cavities for the edge regions of the two shells of the container. The two cavities are in a portion of the edge regions of the upper and the lower shell, which are adjacent to each other in unfolded container, connected to each other via a flat recess into which flows the flowable plastic material when filling the cavities. The flat recess that connects the two cavities forms the film hinge.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a lower zipper half is arranged with the edge region of the lower shell and an upper Zipper half with the edge region of the upper shell in a plane. In this case, the zipper halves are preferably arranged at a distance to the associated lower shell or upper shell in the plastic connection profiles. They are aligned with each other. In one embodiment of the container according to the invention an inner lining is peripherally connected to the plastic connection profile, wherein edges of the inner lining are embedded in the plastic connection profile. The inner lining is closely adapted to the inner surfaces of the shells of the container and fixed in places on the lower shell and the upper shell. The edges of the lining can be inside at the edge areas of the shells of the container abut or have a distance to the edge regions. When embedding the edges of the inner lining in the plastic connection profile, a cohesive connection between the plastic connection profile and the inner lining is also produced. Advantageously, in one embodiment of the invention, the edges of the inner lining are sewn to the carrier strips of the zipper halves. This simplifies the precise positioning of the edges in the cavity for embedding in the plastic connection profiles. It has proved particularly expedient to arrange the edges of the inner lining in the casting mold in such a way that the edges bear against the edge regions of the lower or the upper shell. It is advantageous if the edges of the inner lining do not reach to the edge of the edge region of the respective shell of the container.

Preferably, the plastic connection profile consists of a polyurethane. Polyurethanes, referred to for short as PUR, can be adjusted from soft / rubber-elastic to hard.

The container for transporting objects according to the invention is preferably a metal tray case, in particular an aluminum tray case, which is preferably equipped with a textile zipper. The textile zipper is ideally impregnated when embedded in the plastic connection profiles of the plastic material, wherein a tensile solid-material connection is made. The box-like metal parts are formed as stable shells.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to two embodiments shown in the drawing. Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the claims and the accompanying drawings. The individual features may be implemented alone or in a plurality of combinations in embodiments of the invention. It shows, clamped in a frame-shaped mold in a schematic cross-sectional representation:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention

 Container in the form of an aluminum cup case without inner lining,

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the container according to the invention in the form of an aluminum cup case, in which the inner lining is at a distance from the carrier strips of the zipper halves; Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of the invention

 Container in the form of an aluminum case with lining, in which the inner lining is sewn to the carrier strips of the zipper halves, and

FIG. 4 shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of the container according to the invention in the form of an aluminum cup case, the

Shells are pivotally connected to each other via a film hinge.

Figures 1, 2 show the container 1 according to the invention, namely an aluminum shell case, generally so a metal shell case, clamped in a mold 2, which consists of two separable mold halves 2a, 2b. The mold 2 has a cavity 3 (mold cavity), which determines the shape of a plastic connection profile 4 for connecting a zipper half 5 or 5 'of a zipper 6 with a lower shell 7 or with an upper shell T of the container 1. The zipper halves 5, 5 'and the shells 7, T of the container 1 are clamped by the mold halves 2a, 2b in a parting plane 8. In this case, edges 9 protrude from carrier strips 10 of the zipper halves 5, 5 'and Edge regions 11 of the lower shell 7 and the upper shell 7 'in the cavity 3, which is filled with PUR plastic material or is. The edges 9 of the support strips 10 of the zipper halves 5, 5 'and the edge regions 11 of the shells 7, 7' are embedded in the plastic connection profile 4, whereby a positive and cohesive connection of the zipper 6 with the shells 7, T of the container 1 is formed ,

The zipper 6 serves to close and open the container 1, i. for connecting and disconnecting the shells 7, 7 '. The carrier strips 10 of the zipper halves 5, 5 'are textile strips and have on one of the shell 7, 7' facing away from each other associated, releasably connectable tooth-like coupling members 12 (so-called "staples", colloquially "zipper teeth") the edge region 11 of the lower shell 7 and the upper zipper half 5 'with the edge region 11 of the upper shell 7' arranged in a plane opposite each other on the narrow side at a distance.

The plastic connection profile 4, which has rubber-elastic properties due to the PUR material used, overlaps the edge regions 11 of the lower shell 7 or the upper shell T of the container 1 and the edges 9 of the carrier strips 10 of the associated zipper halves 5, 5 '. The plastic connection profiles 4 establish a flexible and watertight connection between the shells 7, T and the zipper halves 5, 5 'of the container 1.

The illustrated in Figure 2 second embodiment of the container 1 according to the invention substantially corresponds to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 set. It differs from the first embodiment by an inner lining 13, which rests against an inner side of the lower shell 7 or the upper shell T or has some distance from the shell 7, T. The plastic connection profile 4 connects an edge of the inner lining 13 and the support strip 10 of the zipper 6 with the edge regions 11 of the shells 7, T of the container 1. In this case, there is an edge 14th of the inner lining 13 on the inside of the edge region 11 of the lower shell 7 or of the upper shell 7 '.

In both embodiments, the textile support strips 10 of the zipper 6 are impregnated by the PUR material of the plastic connection profiles 4 and therefore stably connected to the edge regions 11 of the shells 7, T. In the production of the plastic connection profile 4, the zipper halves 5, 5 'of the zipper 6, the shells 7, T of the container 1 and the edges 14 of the inner lining 13 are held in a clamping manner by the mold halves 2a, 2b in the parting plane 8. The third embodiment shown in FIG. 3 differs from the second embodiment in that the inner lining 13 extends as far as the zipper halves 5, 5 'and the edges 14 of the inner lining 13 are sewn to the edges 9 of the carrier strips 10. In the casting mold 2, the zipper halves 5, 5 ', which are arranged in the parting plane 8, are laterally offset from the edge regions 11 of the shells 7, T.

The fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 has a zipper 6 which revolves only partially around the container 1, while the plastic connection profiles 4 extend completely peripherally around the upper shell T and the lower shell 7, the container 1. Figure 4 shows a portion of edge regions 15 of the two shells 7, 7 ', which has no zipper, so in Figure 4, the zipper 6 is not visible. In the region of the zipper halves 5, 5 ', which is not shown in the figure, the edge regions 11 of the shells 7, 7', the edges 9 of the support strips 10 of the zipper 6 and optionally the edges 14 of an inner lining 13 in the plastic profiles 4th as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

4 shows the container 1 with the arranged next to the upper shell 7 lower shell 7 ', clamped in a mold 2, the two circumferential cavities 3, 3', in which the edge regions 11, 15 of the two shells 7, T of the container. 1 protrude. The cavities 3, 3 'for casting the plastic connection profiles 4 are connected to each other via a flat elongated recess 17 in the mold 2, which extends along a portion of the edge regions 15 of the two shells 7, T, which are adjacent to each other when the container 1 is opened. The recess 17 forms a film hinge 16 of the container 1, which pivotally connects the two shells 7, T, ie open and closed, with each other. In the portion forming the film hinge 16, the mold 2 has, for example, four segments or five segments (not shown), as shown. To reinforce the film hinge 16, a fabric insert 18 may be embedded in the film hinge 16.

Claims

Rosemarie NÖCKER, Freudenstadt 8 March 2010 Rita FREY, Haiterbach S 868/02 PCT claims 1. container (1) for the transport of objects, with a lower shell (7) and with the lower shell (7) hinged upper shell (7 '), which are formed as box-like parts, and with a zipper (6) for closing and for opening the container (1) which extends at least partially circumferentially around the container (1) along mutually associated edge regions (11) of the lower and the upper shell (7, 7 '), wherein the edge regions (11) of the lower - or the upper shell (7, 7 ') are embedded in a molded plastic connection profile (4) which extends along the edge regions (11) of the lower and the upper shell (7, 7'), characterized in that except the edge regions ( 11) of the lower and the upper shell (7, 7 ') and the edges (9) of support strips (10) of the zipper (6) in the respective plastic connection profile (4) are embedded, that the plastic connection profiles (4) cohesively with the Edge areas (11) of the sub Chale (7) and the upper shell (7 ') and the support strip (10) of the zipper (5, 5') are connected and that the lower shell (7) and / or the upper shell (7 ') made of metal. 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the edges (9) of the support strip (10) of the zipper (6) the edge regions (11) of the lower and the upper shell (7, 7 ') opposite in the respective plastic connection profile ( 4) are embedded. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower shell (7) and / or the upper shell (7 ') consist of aluminum. Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the zipper (6) is partially encircling and the plastic connection profiles (4) are provided completely circumferentially around the container (1), and that the plastic connection profiles (4) in a portion of the edge regions ( 15) of the two shells (7, T) of the container (1), which are adjacent to each other when unfolded container (1) form a film hinge (16) which connects the two shells (7, 7 ') up and closed to each other , Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a lower zipper half (5) with the edge region (1 1) of the lower shell (7) and an upper zipper half (5 ') with the edge region (1 1) of the upper shell (7 ') are arranged in a plane. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the plastic connection profile (4) the zipper halves (5, 5 ') to the respective associated lower shell (7) or upper shell (7') are arranged at a distance. 7. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an inner lining (13) whose edges (14) are embedded in the plastic connection profile (4). 8. Container according to claim 7, characterized in that the edges (14) of the inner lining (13) bear against the inside of the edge regions (1 1) of the lower and the upper shell (7, 7 ').