Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
Transport and presentation crate
Description
The present invention deals with crates for transporting goods which enable
presenting the
goods transported within the crate to a consumer and making it easier for
him/her to access the
goods within the crate.
A multitude of products are transported in crates that are open toward the
top. For example, a
multitude of different shapes of crates are known in the beverage industry for
transporting
bottles of beverages or relatively small trading units of bottles of beverages
(for example so-
called sixpacks from production to the retail trade). In the retail trade, the
crates are typically
stacked, so that access can only be from the top, and so that, consequently,
products located in
a crate which is at a relatively low position within the stack can only be
accessed if all of the
crates located on top of it are removed. This is extremely awkward and
requires a lot of
strength and time. In addition, such crates typically are only intended for
transporting
commodities of a specific type, e.g. bottles, so that other crates must be
employed for
transporting other commodities.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide crates enabling more efficient and
easier access to
products being transported within the crate.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a crate having a base and at
least two pairs of
opposing side walls, a first one of the side walls being configured such that
it enables products
contained in the crate to be retrieved. To this end, the first side wall
extends ¨ from the base
upward in the vertical direction ¨ at least partly by a smaller retrieval
height only, which is
smaller than the height of one or more of the remaining side walls. The
retrieval height is
determined such that a lateral opening is defined, by the first side wall,
which is dimensioned
to enable accessing and/or retrieving products contained within the crate
through the lateral
opening. The crate further includes a blocking element which extends between
the two
opposing side walls adjoining the first side wall, and which is movable
between a first and a
second position, said blocking element being arranged, in the first position,
between the
opposing side walls and spaced apart from the first side wall, said blocking
element being
arranged, in the second position, to overlap with the first side wall, the
crate further including
A 02827125 2013-08-09
latching mechanism comprising a movable element configured to engage with the
opposing
side walls and/or the blocking element so as to latch the blocking element, in
its first position,
with the opposing side walls.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the movable element is
arranged at the
blocking element and includes a latch biased into a first position, said
movable element being
configured to move the latch from the first position into a second position
upon actuation, each
of the opposing side walls comprising a recess in which the latch engages in
its first position,
so that the blocking element is latched with the opposing side walls, and the
latch in the
second position not engaging in the recesses, so that the blocking element is
not latched with
the opposing side walls.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the blocking element includes
a bracket, a
first bar arranged at a first end of the bracket, and a second bar arranged at
a second end of the
bracket, those ends of the bars which face away from the bracket being
arranged, in a
rotational manner, at the opposing side walls. In such a configuration, the
latch includes, in
accordance with an embodiment, first and second latch elements which are
vertically movable,
the first latch element being arranged within the first bar, and the second
latch element being
arranged within the second bar. Alternatively, the latch may include first and
second latch
elements that are horizontally movable and are arranged within the bracket. In
accordance
with said embodiments, the movable element may include first and second
actuation elements
which cooperate with the first and second latch elements, respectively, for a
movement from
the biased, first position into the second position. In accordance with a
further embodiment,
wherein the latch elements are horizontally movable and are located within the
bracket, the
movable element may include a shared actuation element which cooperates with
the first and
second latch elements for a movement from the biased, first position into the
second position.
In such a case, a mechanism may further be provided which is configured to
translate the
horizontal movement of the shared actuation element into two opposite
movements of the first
and second latch elements, or latching elements.
In accordance with a further embodiment, the blocking element is arranged at
the opposing
side walls in a rotational and vertically translatable manner, the blocking
element comprising a
first latch element and a second latch element, and the opposing side walls
including third and
fourth latch elements. The latch elements are configured such that the first
and third latch
elements and the second and fourth latch elements engage with each other when
the blocking
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
3
element is arranged at a first vertical position, and so that the first and
third latch elements and
the second and fourth latch elements do not engage when the blocking element
is arranged at
its second vertical position. The movable element is movable between a first
position and a
second position, the blocking element being held at the first vertical
position when the
movable element is at its first position; and a movement of the blocking
element from the first
vertical position to the second vertical position being allowed when the
movable element is at
its second position.
In accordance with this embodiment, the blocking element may include a
bracket, a first bar
arranged at a first end of the bracket, and a second bar arranged at a second
end of the bracket,
those ends of the bars which face away from the bracket being arranged, in a
rotational and
vertically translatable manner, at the opposing side walls. Each of the
opposing side walls
includes a surface facing away from the low side wall and having a first
surface portion spaced
apart from the low side wall and a second surface portion being set back in
relation to the first
surface portion. In its first position, the blocking element is arranged at
the second surface
portion, there being a gap between the bracket and the first surface portion
when the blocking
element is arranged in the first vertical position, the movable element being
arranged, in its
first position, within the gap and thus preventing vertical movement of the
blocking element.
In accordance with embodiments, the blocking element includes a bracket
extending between
the opposing side walls, and two bars arranged at the opposite ends of the
bracket, a first end
of the bars being arranged at the opposite ends of the bracket, and a second
end of the bars
being arranged at the corresponding side wall in a rotational manner. The
opposing side walls
and the first side wall may include recesses for receiving the bracket and the
bars, it being
possible for the recesses to be such that the bars and the bracket are flush,
in the first and/or
second position(s) of the blocking element, with a surface of the opposing
side walls that faces
the first side wall, and/or with an outer surface of the one side wall. The
blocking element may
be arranged, at the second position, with a distance from the base which
corresponds to about
a third, half or two thirds of the height of the opposite side walls.
Moreover, the blocking
element may be configured to be additionally arranged, at a further position,
to be spaced apart
from the first side wall; in this case, the bars may be configured like
telescopes so as to
optionally arrange the blocking element at the second or the further position.
A 02827125 2013-08-09
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a crate of the above-
mentioned type further
comprises an insert for being arranged on the base of the crate, the insert
.being configured in
dependence on the products to be received in the crate.
In accordance with embodiments, the insert may be detachably connectable to
the base and/or
the side faces, preferably only while employing special tools. The insert may
be plate-shaped,
and a first surface of the insert, which faces the base, may be adapted to a
structure of the base.
That surface of the plate-shaped insert which opposes the first surface is
structured to match
the product to be received. The insert may include mandrels (quills, sleeves),
longitudinal
bars, transverse bars and/or depressions. Embodiments further provide a system
which
includes a crate in accordance with embodiments of the invention as well as a
plurality of
inserts structured for various products, it being possible for one of the
inserts to optionally be
arranged within the crate.
In accordance with said embodiments, a system that may be freely custom-
tailored is thus
provided which may readily be adapted to different products to be received
within the crate,
for example on the part of a service provider who provides the crates in
accordance with the
configuration desired by a client, and has the corresponding inserts available
and custom-
tailors the crates without inserts accordingly; it being provided in this case
that the inserts are
replaceable only by using a special tool which is in the possession of the
crate provider only.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the crate has an upper limit
from the first
side wall area (which may also be the entire side wall) extending from the
base upward and
having a relatively low retrieval height. This means that above said first
side wall area, there
will be not further nonpositive connection between the adjoining side walls.
In other words,
the first side wall is of a lower height, at least partly, than the
surrounding or some of the
surrounding side walls, so that reaching into the crate is also possible so as
to obtain easy
access to products located within crates which are located relatively low down
in the stack,
even if the crates are in the stacked state.
However, the height of the first side wall is dimensioned, in some
embodiments, such that the
specific products transported within the crate cannot fall out of the crate
during transport. In
some embodiments, the crate is intended to transport bottles or bottles that
are pre-packed in
relatively small trading units, which is why the first side wall has a height
sufficient to prevent
individual bottles from falling out of the crate. In some embodiments, the
height is between 1
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
and 10 cm. In some further embodiments, this height is between 2 and 5 cm, or
generally more
than 2 cm.
In some embodiments, the first side wall has ¨ at its edges adjoining the
adjacent side walls ¨
5 two side wall portions, respectively, which extend up to the height of
the adjoining side walls
so as to increase the crate's stability.
In further embodiments of the present invention, the crate has four side
walls, grip openings
being arranged at least in those side walls which adjoin the first side wall.
The grip openings
each have an area which is parallel to the base and an area which is
perpendicular to the base.
In some embodiments, the area perpendicular to the base is arranged in the
direction of the
first side wall. In some embodiments, in addition, the first opening portion,
which is horizontal
and extends essentially in parallel with the base, merges to the vertical
opening portion having
a radius large enough to be able to grip the crate in the radius as well. In
these embodiments of
the invention it is possible, as a consequence, to also grip and lift the
crate in the radius or in
the vertical opening portion, so that the crate will tilt backward when being
gripped. During
transport, this will reduce the likelihood of the objects, e.g. the bottles,
falling out of the crate
through the openings of the first side wall.
In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the crate further
comprises, in the
base area adjoining the first side wall, a larger bearing surface for the
products to be
transported than, on average, in the remaining area of the base. In other
words, this means that
if the base is not configured, for weight-saving reasons, to extend over the
entire surface area/
to have an all-over surface but consists of individual bars for example, the
number of bars per
unit area, i.e. the density of bars in the area adjoining the first side wall,
will be higher. This
results in that an item placed into the crate in the vicinity of the side
wall, for example a bottle
of beverage or a can having a large bearing surface, will be in contact with
the base. This
prevents the bottle or can of beverage from sliding or tilting into recesses
located between the
base bars, so that unwanted falling out of the can or the bottle during
transport is prevented.
In some embodiments, in addition, the side walls adjoining the first side wall
have a smaller
height ¨ at the front side where they adjoin the first side wall ¨ than at
that front side which
opposes the side wall. This means that in the direction of the opening, the
side walls bordering
on the opening are lower, so that, on the one hand, the space made available
for retrieval is
increased, and so that, on the other hand, the incidence of light and/or the
viewing angle into
CA 02827125 2013-08-09
the interior of the crate is increased so as to provide improved visualization
of the objects, e.g.
bottles or the like, that are being transported within the crate.
In some further embodiments, the remaining side walls which do not correspond
to the first
side wall are foldable in relation to the base, so that the crate may be
brought into a folded-up
state, wherein the remaining side walls bear on the base, or are located above
the base, such
that they are approximately parallel to said base. Consequently, the crate can
be transported at
lower cost and more efficiently when it is in the emptied state.
Some embodiments have an additional movable side wall area which extends above
the first
side wall in the vertical direction and may be either removed or folded down.
This may have
the advantage that in the folded-open state, the movable side wall area
additionally increases
stability and/or safety, so that no goods or products may fall out of the
crate. In addition, in the
folded-open or folded-down state, the movable side wall area may be used for
presenting
product information or the like.
In some embodiments, the movable side wall area is configured to be latticed
and/or formed
from a plurality of ridges, so that the crate may be cleaned by means of high-
pressure jetting
without separating the movable side wall area from the crate and/or without
unintentionally
detaching same from the crate due to the high pressure.
In some embodiments, the remaining side walls are further coated and/or
laminated, on their
inner surfaces, with a film containing product information that may be easily
viewed from
outside.
In some further embodiments, a light film is provided, so that, due to the
light reflection, the
objects and/or bottles transported within the crate may be better perceived
optically.
In some further embodiments, the three remaining side walls which do not
correspond to the
lower wall are equal in height, so that the crates may be stacked one upon the
other, the base
of one crate coming to lie on the three remaining side walls of the crate
beneath it. To this end,
specific recesses or contours may be provided both in the base and in the
upper ends of the
remaining side walls, into which the matching recesses or contours of the base
and of the
remaining side walls, respectively, engage so as to enable stackability and
ensure a reliable
position.
:A 132827125 201308-09
7
=
In some embodiments of inventive crates suitable for storing and/or
transporting and
presenting bottles of beverages or cans, the base comprises a plurality of
mandrels extending
from the base upward in the vertical direction. Mandrels are three-dimensional
objects located
on the base and shaped such that the bottles are held or secured by the
external bounding
surfaces of the mandrels, so that the bottles are effectively prevented from
falling out. In some
embodiments, the mandrels only have a small height in the vertical direction,
so that they may
also be referred to as mandrel stubs. The height and outer shape of some
mandrels is selected
such that they will, in connection with the first side wall, prevent the
bottles from falling out
through the lateral opening. However, to ensure retrieval, in some embodiments
the mandrels
are not higher, at their highest locations, than the first side wall. In some
embodiments, the
outer bounding surfaces of the mandrels have varying heights so as to adapt
them in the best
possible manner to the tasks set. To enable tilting out of the bottles in the
direction of the first
side wall while enabling high stability, the mandrels have a lower height in a
direction parallel
to the side wall than in the direction toward the first side wall, so that
tilting in parallel with
the first side wall is enabled, whereas tilting in a direction perpendicular
thereto is rendered
difficult, and the bottles are securely held.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained below in more
detail with
reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:
Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a crate for transporting bottles;
Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of Fig. 1, loaded with sixpacks;
Fig. 3 shows loaded, stacked crates in accordance with the
embodiment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 shows the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a bottom view;
Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of an inventive crate;
Fig. 6 shows a further embodiment of an inventive crate have
foldable side walls;
Fig. 7 shows the embodiment of Fig. 6 in the partly folded-in
state;
1:0327125 308-09
8
Fig. 8 shows the embodiment of Fig. 6 in the fully folded-in state;
Fig. 9 shows the embodiment of Fig. 6, loaded with bottles;
Fig. 10 shows the embodiment of Fig. 6, loaded with sixpacks;
Fig. 11 shows a top view of the embodiment of Fig. 6;
Fig. 12 shows a detailed view of mandrels used in some embodiments of
the invention;
Fig. 13(a) shows a crate in accordance with Fig. 1 with a blocking
element in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention in a first, open position;
Fig. 13(b) shows the crate of Fig. 13(a) with the blocking element in the
second, closed
position;
Fig. 14 shows a stacked arrangement of a crate of Fig. 1 and of a
crate of Fig. 13;
Fig. 15 shows a crate in accordance with Fig. 1, comprising a
replaceable insert;
Figs.16(a)-(d) show embodiments of inserts that may be employed in the crate
in accordance
with Fig. 16;
Fig. 17 shows a detail of a crate in accordance with an embodiment,
Fig. 17(a)
depicting a front representation of the left-hand side of the crate of Fig.
13(b),
and Fig. 17(b) depicting a sectional representation;
Fig. 18 shows an alternative embodiment of implementing the latching
mechanism,
Fig. 18(a) showing a front representation of the left-hand side of the crate
of
Fig. 13(b), and Fig. 18(b) showing a lateral sectional representation of a
detail
of the side wall;
Fig. 19 shows a further embodiment of implementing of the latching
mechanism, Fig.
19(a) showing a front representation of the left-hand side of the crate of
Fig.
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
9
13(b), and Fig. 19(b) showing a lateral sectional representation of a detail
of the
side wall;
Fig. 20 shows a different embodiment of a latching mechanism in
accordance with the
present invention; and
Fig. 21 shows a lateral sectional representation of the latching
mechanism of Fig. 20.
Fig. 1 shows an inventive embodiment of a crate 10 for beverages. In the
embodiment shown,
the base 12 is not configured to extend continuously over the entire surface
area, but consists
of a latticed structure. As may be seen from the bottom view of the crate of
Fig. 3, the base 12
is formed by a plurality of bars, or ridges. They are arranged in a
sufficiently dense manner so
that the goods to be transported, for example the bottle, cannot fall through
the base of the
crate or does not tip over in an uncontrolled manner when the edge of a bottle
tilts into one of
the cavities between the ridges.
In addition, the crate comprises two pairs of mutually opposing side walls
14a, 14b and 16a,
16b, respectively, which extend upward, i.e. in the vertical direction 18,
from the base 12. A
first one of the four side walls, in this example side wall 16b, extends into
the vertical
direction 18 by only a small retrieval height 20.
The retrieval height 20 is lower than the height of the remaining side walls
14a, 14b and 16a,
so that a lateral opening is formed which enables access to or retrieval of
bottles or products,
which are contained and transported within the crate, through the lateral
opening. No further
structure of the crate is located above the first side wall 16b. On the base
12 of the
embodiment shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of mandrels are arranged,
additionally, of which the
mandrel 22a and the mandrel 22b are accentuated by way of example. Therefore,
the lateral
opening for retrieving the products is created in that the first side wall 16b
has a lower height
than the adjoining or remaining side walls. Height here and in the following
figures is to be
understood to mean the dimension in the positive vertical direction 18. The
term "top"
designates a position in the positive vertical direction 18, the term "bottom"
designates a
position having a smaller coordinate in the vertical direction 18. Sides are
understood to mean
any directions which limit the crate in the directions parallel to the surface
of the base 12.
:A 02827125 2013-08-
A lateral opening is defined and/or formed by the first side wall 16b, which
lateral opening
enables access to retrieving the bottles transported within the crate. In
other embodiments,
other products may obviously be transported within the crate. In the crate of
Fig. 1, so-called
sixpacks may also be transported, i.e. prepacked trading units of six bottles.
5
In alternative embodiments which are not shown here, the side wall does not
have the low
retrieval height 20 across its entire length, but stationary side wall
portions extend into the
lateral opening from the adjoining side walls 14a and 14b, the lateral opening
remaining large
enough to ensure retrieval of the products or bottles. Such crates may have
increased stability.
The embodiment of a crate 10, shown in Fig. 1, further comprises a movable
side wall area 23
which is pivoted via hinges 24a to 24c with regard to a stationary first side
wall 16b. The
movable side wall area 23 is depicted in a folded-down position in Fig. 1,
where it is folded
downward with regard to the first side wall 16b. In the folded-upward
position, which will be
illustrated below by means of several further embodiments of the invention,
the movable side
wall area 23 extends upward in the vertical direction 18. In this manner,
safety may
additionally be increased in that any bottles located within the crate 10 will
not tilt outward.
Additionally, the movable part may be used for presenting product information
or the like.
The side walls 14a and 14b adjoining the first side wall 16b have grip
openings 28a and 28b,
respectively, at which the crate may be lifted up and carried. To this end,
the grip openings
comprise both a first opening area extending in parallel to the base, and a
second opening area
extending essentially in the vertical direction, the functions of which will
be explained in more
detail below with reference to Fig. 3.
In addition, the side walls 14a and 14b adjoining the first side wall 16b
comprise tapered edge
areas 30a and 30b at their ends pointing toward the first side wall, through
which edge areas
light may fall into the crates even when they are stacked one above the other.
In the
embodiment shown in Fig. 1, those ends of the side walls 14a and 14b which
adjoin the first
side wall 16b thus have lower heights than their opposite ends. It is self-
evident that even
though, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the recessed part of the side wall
is essentially
triangular, any other recess shapes may also be used for alternative
embodiments. In some
embodiments, the height of the side walls 14a and 14b adjoining the first side
wall 16b
continuously increases up to the maximum height. In alternative embodiments,
the increase in
height may also take place in stages or progressively, of course.
A 02827125 2013-08-09
11
The crate shown in Fig. 1 is stackable, i.e. :the contours of the upper ends
of the side walls 14a,
14b and 16a are configured such that, upon stacking, they will engage with the
contour or the
structure of the base of another crate (see Fig. 3, for example), so that the
crates may be
stacked one upon the other. Nevertheless, the lateral opening defined by the
first side wall 16b
enables retrieving bottles or trade units of bottles such as sixpacks from
inside the crate, even
if the latter is stacked.
In some embodiments of the invention, the inwardly facing faces of the side
walls 14a, 14b
and 16a are provided with a light color, so that, due to the incidence of
light caused by the
openings 30a and 30b, the bottles within the crate will be clearly visible for
the observer
observing from outside. In alternative embodiments, the faces are pasted with
product
information or advertisement.
The embodiment of the invention which is shown in Fig. 1 further comprises, on
at least one
of the side walls (in the case shown here, on the side wall 14b), a plurality
of ridges 32a to 32d
which run in the vertical direction and project inward from a side face and
which prevent the
bottles held by the mandrels inside the crate from coming into contact with
the side wall with
their entire side faces, and from soiling a large area of said side face. In
the embodiment
shown in Fig. 1, the ridges 32a to 32d are arranged such that the bottles abut
the outer wall
with their outermost radii at the positions of the ridges 32a to 32d. In this
manner, one can
prevent large areas of the inner surfaces of the side walls from being soiled,
since this is the
case for the ridges only.
Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of the crate 10 of Fig. 1 in a state in which it
is loaded with 3
sixpacks.
The sixpacks 40a, 40b and 40c each contain six individual bottles not depicted
here for
reasons of clarity.
In addition to the mandrels, which engage in the sixpacks from below ¨ the
sixpacks being
open at the bottom for this purpose ¨ , the sixpacks are also held by the
ridges 40a and 40b
which are arranged on the base 12 of the crate 10, as is shown in Fig. 1.
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
12
As becomes clear from the view of Fig. 3, which shows two crates 10 and 10a in
a stacked
state, the products or bottles may be retrieved from the lower crate 10 even
in the stacked
state. Of course, this also applies to the sixpacks 40a, 40b and 40c when they
are transported
and/or presented within the crates as an alternative option to individual
bottles. As becomes
evident from Figs. 2 and 3, the specific embodiment of a crate which is shown
in Fig. 1 has a
high level of flexibility with regard to the bottles to be transported, since
it is possible, with
the crate, to transport sixpacks, on the one hand, and individual bottles, on
the other hand. This
results from the arrangement, shown in Fig. 1, of the mandrels 22a and 22b and
of the ridges
42a and 42b.
It is self-evident that in other embodiments of the crate 10, the arrangement
of mandrels may
be selected differently. For example, in some embodiments, ridges may be
completely
dispensed with, and instead, only mandrels may be employed. However, in the
embodiment
depicted in Fig. 1, both are possible, since each individual bottle inserted
into one of the gaps
between mandrels and/or ridges is supported, in four directions in each case,
either by a side
wall of a ridge, by a mandrel, or by one of the side walls 14a, 14b, 16a, or
16b of the crate, so
that same is stably secured for transport.
As becomes clear in Fig. 3, it is now possible, due to the stackability of the
crates and due to
the possibility of lateral retrieval which is provided by the first side wall
16b, to offer for sale
different products in a column of stacked crates. In cooperation with the
mandrels, the side
wall 16b prevents the bottles from tilting out of the crate 10 during
transport, which is why the
side wall 16b is dimensioned such that it will prevent toppling out of the box
during transport.
At the same time, however, it remains sufficiently low for the bottles to be
able to be retrieved
from the crate in the forward direction, even if a further crate 10a is
located on top of the crate
10. In accordance with some embodiments, for this purpose the bottles may
initially be
slightly lifted and then be tilted out in the forward direction. In some
embodiments, this is
enabled by a particular configuration of the mandrels as will be described in
more detail below
with reference to Fig. 12.
Fig. 3 clearly shows a further property of some embodiments of the present
invention, namely
the particular configuration of the grip openings 28a and 28b. The grip
opening is bent and
extends both horizontally and vertically. In other words, the grip opening 28a
comprises an
opening area 50a extending in parallel to the base 12 and a second opening
area 50b extending
essentially in the vertical direction 18. The demarcation between the vertical
and horizontal
13A 02827125 2013-08-09
opening areas in Fig. 3 is to be understood as being merely exemplary. Thus,
the grip opening
28a also extends with a significant expansion in the vertical direction, so
that the grip opening
28a may be used by a person in the vertical opening area as well. In
alternative embodiments
of the invention, the grip opening 28a may obviously also be shaped
differently than in the
embodiment shown in Fig. 3. For example, it may also have a square or
rectangular cross-
section, so that the crate may be lifted both from the top by means of the
horizontal opening
area 50a and from the side by means of the vertical opening area 50b.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the vertical opening area is located on
that side which is
associated with the first side wall 16b, and it merges into the horizontal
opening area 50a at
the outer contour (i.e. at the contour pointing in the direction of the first
side wall) with a large
radius. This results in that, when the crate is lifted, it may also be gripped
in the radius, so that
the crate will tilt backward (in the direction of the side wall 16a) when the
vertical opening
area is located on that side which is associated with the first side wall 16b,
so that the
individual bottles are additionally prevented from falling out because of the
tilt of the crate
when it is being carried.
As is illustrated in Fig. 4, which shows a perspective bottom view of the
crate of Fig. 1, and in
Fig. 11, which shows a bottom view of a further embodiment of the invention,
in some
embodiments of the invention safety is additionally increased by a specific
design of the base
12 in that area 50 which adjoins the first side wall 16b.
In some embodiments of the invention, the base 12 is not formed to have an all-
over surface,
but is formed by an arrangement of ribs in order to save weight and facilitate
cleaning. Said
ribs cover the surface area of the base 12 such that the individual bottles
rest securely on the
base 12 with their bases. In the area 50 of the front edge, i.e. in the area
50 adjoining the first
side wall 16b, the number, or the area surface density, of the ribs is
increased as compared to
the remaining area, so that the bottles located there cannot tilt outward all
by themselves even
if, due to external influences, they are slightly tilted from their rest
position toward the first
side wall 16b. This is avoided by the ribs being placed so densely in the area
50 adjoining the
first side wall 16b that the edge of a bottle cannot tilt into the empty space
between two
adjacent ribs. In other words, in the area 50 adjoining the first side wall
16b, the base 12 has a
bearing surface for the bottles that is larger than the bearing surface made
available, on
average, across the base per unit of area so as to enable secure fastenting of
the bottles.
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
14
As is also clear from Fig. 4, the base 12 has ¨ in the area adjoining the side
walls 14a, 14b and
16a ¨ an elevation consisting of several ribs whose contours are configured
such that they will
engage, inside the side walls, in the contour of the side walls of a further
crate when the crate
is placed upon said other crate so as to ensure stackability and a secure
position in the stacked
state.
In addition, the base of the crate has a bar 52 in its center, which bar 52
extends from the side
wall 16a to the first side wall 16b, and whose ridges have a larger expansion
in the vertical
direction than the remaining ridges of the base. Said bar 52 serves to
additionally support the
first side wall 16b, which has a relatively low height, so as to increase the
crate's stability. The
bar 52 is centrally arranged, so that the bar, which extends further down than
the remaining
base, will not impede removal of the bottles from the lower crate in the
stacked state.
Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of the present invention, which differs from
the
embodiments discussed by means of the preceding figures essentially in that,
with the
embodiment shown in Fig. 5, other bottle sizes may be transported. While the
embodiment
shown in Fig. 1 is adapted to bottles having contents of 0.5 1, the embodiment
of a crate which
is shown in Fig. 5 is adapted to bottles having contents of 0.33 1. Therefore,
the embodiment
of Fig. 5 differs from the embodiment of Fig. 1 essentially in the arrangement
of the mandrels
and in the thickness of the side walls 14a, 14b and 16a, which has been
changed so as to hold
the bottles arranged inside the crate given the same outer volume of the
crate. For example, the
crate shown in Fig. 5 comprises five mandrels 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d and 54e, for
example, which
adjoin the first side wall 16b, so as to hold in the first row a total of six
bottles of contents of
0.33 1. In addition, the crate of Fig. 5 has merely one continuous ridge 56 in
the center of the
crate, so that alternatively, four sixpacks may be transported by using the
crate.
Unlike the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 4, the embodiment of Fig. 5 moreover
shows the crate
with a folded-upward, movable side wall area 23 at the first side wall 16b.
Since, apart from
that, the design features of the crate of Fig. 5 correspond to those of Fig. 1
and have identical
functionalities in each case, renewed discussion of the components which match
those of the
crate of Fig. 1 shall be dispensed with. Additionally, it is to be mentioned
here that the crate
shown in Fig. 5, just like the crate shown in Fig. 1, has at least one opening
58 at the side wall
16a opposing the first side wall 16b, said opening 58 extending through the
side wall 16a, so
that the crate may be attached or suspended on a wall or a shelf or the like
by means of the
opening.
15A 02827125 2013-08-09
To increase safety of the attachment, the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 5
each
additionally have an optional second attachment opening 60.
The embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is also configured for transporting 24 bottles
with a content
of 0.33 1 each, and largely corresponds to the embodiment shown in Fig. 5.
However, in the
embodiment of Fig. 5, the side walls 14a, 14b and 16a, or at least parts of
the side walls 14a,
14b and 16a, are arranged to be foldable by means of hinges in relation to the
base. They are
foldable such that they may be folded toward the base and will be essentially
parallel to the
base in a folded-down state, as is illustrated in Fig. 7 for the side wall
16a, which in the
folded-down state is parallel to the surface of the base 12. Fig. 8 shows all
of the side walls
14a, 14b and 16a in the folded-down state, so that in the folded-up state the
crate may be
readily transported back to the brewery or to a bottling company without
consuming a lot of
stowage space. This may considerably reduce transport costs.
Even though, with reference to Figs. 6 to 8, the foldable side walls 14a, 14b
and 16a are shown
only for a crate which is configured to transport 24 bottles of 0.33 1 each,
it is self-evident that
the crate for bottles of 0.5 1, which is shown in Fig. 1, may also be equipped
with foldable side
walls. Generally, in all of the embodiments presented here, the features
described or shown by
means of the individual embodiments may be mutually combined in any manner
desired so as
to obtain alternative further embodiments of inventive crates.
Fig. 9 illustrates the embodiment of Fig. 5 in the loaded state, wherein there
will be 24 bottles
in the crate.
Similarly to Fig. 5, in this case, too, the movable side wall area 23 is in
the folded-open
position so as to additionally secure the bottles of the frontmost row, or to
attach product
designations for transport on the exterior surface of the flexible part 23,
which are not relevant
to the presentation of the goods.
Fig. 10 shows the embodiment of Fig. 5 with an alternative form of loading,
namely with four
sixpacks 70a, 70b, 70c and 70d.
Fig. 11, finally, shows a top view of the embodiment of Fig. 5, it being
obvious that the
mandrel 54c has a different geometric shape than the mandrels 54a, 54b and 54d
or 54e so as
:A 02827125 2013-08-8
16
to enable insertion of sixpacks. In alternative embodiments, however, the
central mandrel 54c
may of course have the same shape as the remaining mandrels, such as mandrel
54a, for
example. Likewise, any other mandrels may have the shape of the mandrel 54c.
As may be gathered from the top view in Fig. 11, even for the case of the
crates designed for
24 bottles of beverage, the base 12 is designed, in the area 50 adjoining the
first side wall 16,
with a larger bearing surface than the average bearing surface of the entire
base, so as to
prevent the bottles from accidentally toppling out of the crate.
Fig. 12 shows an enlarged representation of the mandrels 54a to 54c so that
their specific
shapes may be seen which, in cooperation with the first side wall 16b, enable
holding the
bottles both in a secure manner and such that they may be retrieved in the
forward direction.
To achieve this, some embodiments of mandrels have an exterior surface whose
height is not
constant in the vertical direction 18. The hatched area 70 is to be understood
as the external
bounding surface of the mandrel 54a, i.e. that area or those area elements
which laterally
bound the mandrel, i.e. in all of the directions orthogonal to the vertical
direction 18.
The outer bounding surface 70 has a varying height, as was already described.
The mandrel is
less high in a first side face area 75 extending in parallel to the first side
wall 16b and securing
a bottle in the backward direction (in the direction 72 pointing away from the
first side wall
16b) than it is in a second side face area 76 securing the bottle against
tilting in a direction 74
parallel to the first side wall 16b.
With the mandrel 54a shown in Fig. 12, which has an essentially diamond-shaped
cross-
section, one tip of which points toward the first side wall 16b, the function
of preventing
backward tilting is thus performed by a first bounding surface area 75, which
closes the
mandrel essentially in the direction parallel to the first side wall 16b. A
second bounding
surface area 76 bounding the mandrel 54b in the direction of the first side
wall 16b prevents
tilting of the bottles in parallel to the first side wall 16b.
The first side face area 75 is lower than the second side face area 76 so as
to enable tilting
when the bottles are tilted forward without having to lift the bottle to such
an extent that it
possibly already abuts the base of a further crate stacked upon the crate in
question.
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
17
The second bounding surface area 76, however, prevents tilting in the
direction parallel to the
first side wall 16b and may therefore.be higher so as to increase stability.
Generally, both the
mandrels 54a and 54b and the mandrel 54c result in maximum stability while at
the same time
enabling tilting out toward the front in that the mandrels have a lower height
in the direction
parallel to the side wall than in the direction perpendicular to the side
wall.
In addition, the mandrels in Fig. 12 are provided with outer bounding subareas
which are
concavely curved inward between the tips of the essentially diamond-shaped
basic form, the
radius of the curvature essentially corresponding to the diameter of a bottle
so as to be able to
still securely hold the bottle.
With reference to Figures 13 and 14, a further embodiment of the invention
will be described
below, according to which a crate as was set forth, for example, with
reference to Figures 1 to
12 is provided with a further element, a blocking element, which serves as
transport
protection, for example. Fig. 13 shows a crate which essentially corresponds
to the crate of
Fig. 1, so that repeated description of the various elements already described
with reference to
Fig. 1 will be dispensed with. As may be seen, the crate of Fig. 13(a) further
includes a
blocking element 100 comprising a bracket 102 having two opposite ends. A
first end 102a of
the bracket 102 has a first bar 104 arranged thereat, and a second end 102b of
the bracket 102
has a second bar 106 arranged thereat. Those ends 104a and 106a of the bars
104, 106a, said
ends facing away from the bracket 102, are mounted in a rotational manner on
the opposite
side faces or end faces 14a and 14b. In the situation shown in Fig. 13(a), the
blocking element
or transport protection element 100 is in a position located between a first
position and a
second position. The crate shown in Fig. 13(a) is once again shown in Fig.
13(b), but now with
the blocking element 100 in a first position wherein the bracket 102 extends
between the side
walls 14a and 14b, said bracket 102 being arranged at a distance from the
lower side wall 16b.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 13(b), the bracket 102 is at half the height
of the side walls
14a and 14b, the present invention not being limited to this arrangement,
however. Rather, the
bracket 102 may be arranged to be either higher or lower, depending on the
circumstances.
The bars 104 and 106 are configured and mounted such that, when the bracket
102 is flipped
over from the position shown in Fig. 13(a) to the position shown in Fig.
13(b), the bracket 102
assumes a desired distance from the bottom, lower side wall 116b. As may be
seen from Fig.
13(b), the side walls 14a and 14b, or those surfaces of said two end walls
which face the low
side wall 16b, are structured to receive the bars 104 and 106 as well as that
area wherein the
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
18
bracket 102 is connected to the bars 104 and 106, i.e. the opposite ends 102a
and 102b of the
bracket 102, in recesses or cavities in such a manner that a flush front face
will result.
Fig. 14 shows a stacked arrangement of a crate of Fig. 1 on which a crate of
Fig. 13 is
arranged, the situation shown here being one wherein the bracket 102 is
arranged in a second
position in which it is arranged to overlap with the low side wall 14b. As may
be seen, the low
side wall 16b is also structured by recesses or clearances so as to receive
the bracket 102 in the
second position shown in Fig. 14 so that a flush front face of the side wall
16b will result.
As may also be seen from Figs. 13(b) and 14, the opposite ends 102a and 102b
of the bracket
102 are configured such that in the first position, which is shown in Fig.
13(b), they will
surround the corresponding side wall 14a and 14b so as to ensure latching and
secure
positioning of the bracket 102. Similarly, in the position shown in Fig. 14,
secure positioning
of the bracket 102 is achieved in that corresponding engagement elements
formed in the low
wall engage with the bracket 102.
The advantage of this embodiment consists in that an additional transport
protection element
has now been provided which is arranged, during transport, in the position
shown in Fig. 13(b)
and may thus have an impact on products located within the crate so as to
prevent movement
of same toward the opening, in other words, to provide a further barrier
against the products
falling out. The bracket is connected to the side faces or end faces of the
crate in a rotational
manner and may be moved from the closed position shown in Fig. 13(b) to the
open position
in a simple manner, so that free access to the products located within the
crate is possible.
The invention is not limited to the examples described by means of Figs. 13
and 14; rather,
instead of arranging the bracket 102 at approximately half the height of the
end walls, a
different position may also be selected, for example the distance from the low
wall 16b may
be selected to amount to a third of the height of the side walls or to two
thirds of the height of
the side walls. In addition, provision may be made, in accordance with an
embodiment, to
configure the bars 104 and 106 like a telescope so as to position the bracket
102, starting from
the situation in Fig. 14, at different heights along the height of the side
walls, so that the height
of the blocking element 102 may be adjusted in a flexible manner and in
dependence on the
products located within the crate.
¨
A 02827125 2013-08-09
19
By means of Figs. 15 and 16, a further embodiment of the invention will be
described below,
Fig. 15 showing a crate which was already described with reference to Fig. 1,
but differs in
terms of the configuration of the base 12. In the crate shown in Fig. 15, an
insert 112 is
provided which is arranged on the base of the crate so to be detachable from
same. The insert
112 shown in Fig. 16 includes an upper surface 112a on which a first bar 114
is shown which
extends in parallel to the opposing end walls 14a and 14b over the entire
depth of the crate to
the rear wall 16a. A further bar, the transverse bar 116, is provided, which
extends from the
side wall 14a at approximately half the height of the depth of the crate
toward the first bar 114.
The insert 112 may be provided, for example, to receive products packaged in
cardboard
boxes and having dimensions which correspond to the resulting compartments in
the insert
112. In addition to such products, any products may be provided for being
received in the crate
in accordance with Fig. 16, it also being possible, in accordance with the
invention, for various
inserts 112 to be detachably arranged within the crate.
By means of Fig. 16, some examples of the implementation of the inserts 112
will be
rendered, it being possible, for example, for the surface 112a in Fig. 16(a)
to be provided with
rectangular-shaped and circular depressions so as to simultaneously receive
products having a
corresponding footprint. Similarly to Fig. 15, Fig. 16(b) shows the
arrangement of bars on the
top surface 112a of the insert 112, and in accordance with Fig. 16(c),
mandrels may be
provided on the top surface 112a, similarly to what was described with
reference to Figs. 1 to
12. Fig. 16(d) shows a bottom surface 112b of the insert 112, elements 118a to
118d arranged
at the corners being shown which serve to engage with corresponding elements
or recesses in
the base 12 of the crate, said elements 118 preferably being configured such
that, following
locking with the crate base, detachment from the crate base is possible only
by using special
tools, so that a crate provider may custom-tailor the crates in different
manners as desired by
the clients without the clients using the crate having the possibility of
replacing the insert for
utilization with other products. In this manner, the crates may be custom-
tailored in
accordance with the requirement demands of the clients, and in particular, it
is possible to
flexibly react to increased demand for crates having specific inserts when, at
the same time,
crates for other products are not in such high demand.
Embodiments of the invention will be explained below in more detail with
reference to the
crates of Figs. 13 and 14. In accordance with said embodiments, the blocking
element of the
crates shown in Figs. 13 and 14 comprises a latching element having a movable
component so
as to ensure secure latching of the blocking element in its closed position.
:A 02827125 2013-08-
Fig. 17 shows a section of a crate in accordance with a first embodiment, Fig.
17(a) showing a
front representation of the left-hand side of the crate of Fig. 13(b). It
shall be noted at this
point that the right-hand side of the crate is not shown for simplicity's
sake, but may be
5 configured to correspond to the left-hand side. Fig. 17(b) shows a
sectional representation for
illustrating the latching mechanism.
As may be seen in Fig. 17(a), the blocking element 102 includes a bracket 102
which differs
from the bracket shown in Fig. 13 in that the bracket includes two bars 102c
and 102d
10 extending between the opposing side walls 14a and 14b (see Fig. 13). The
ends of the bars
102c and 102d are integrally connected to the vertical bars 104 and 106,
respectively, so that a
blocking element corresponding to the blocking element shown in Fig. 13 is
obtained. It shall
be noted that embodiments of the invention are not limited to this
configuration of the
blocking element 100 ¨ rather, a blocking element in the form of the blocking
element shown
15 in Fig. 13 which has only one bracket bar may also be employed;
alternatively, more than two
bracket bars may be utilized. The crate further includes a latching mechanism
200 arranged, in
the embodiment shown in Fig. 17(a), on the bracket 102, more specifically on
the bracket bar
102c adjacent to the side wall 14a. The latching mechanism 200 includes an
actuation element
202 and a housing 204 wherein the remaining elements of the mechanism are
accommodated.
20 The actuation element 202 is movable in the horizontal direction so as
to actuate a latch,
arranged within the housing, in the manner described below.
Fig. 17(b) shows details of the latching mechanism of Fig. 17(a). As may be
seen, the latching
mechanism includes a latch element 206 which is horizontally movable, as is
depicted by the
arrow in Fig. 17(b). The latching element 206 is movably mounted within the
housing 204 and
is biased, via a spring 208, into the position shown in Fig. 17(b). The
actuation element 202 is
effectively connected to the latch element 206 so as to effect, by a
corresponding horizontal
movement, a movement of the latch element 206 from the position shown in Fig.
17(b) to a
position drawn back to the right. The side wall 14a includes a recess 210
wherein the latch
element 206 is arranged in its first position shown in Fig. 17(b). In this
position, the blocking
element 100 is latched at the position shown in Fig. 17(a) and in Fig. 13(b).
Because of the
latch element 206, which is located within the recess 210, a movement of the
blocking element
100 into the position shown in Fig. 13(a) is prevented. To allow such a
rotational movement, it
is required to remove the latch 206 from the position shown in Fig. 17(b) by
actuating the
element 202 against the spring force of the spring 208. Once a corresponding
distance has
A 02827125 2013-08-09
21
been covered by actuating the element 202 by means of the latch, said element
will be located
outside the recess 210, and flipping over of the blocking element, for example
into the,position
shown in Fig. 13, is enabled, or allowed.
The advantage of the inventive configuration consists in that now safe
positioning of the
blocking element at the first position thereof is achieved, which prevents, in
particular during
transport, unintentional opening of the element and, thus, the products
contained within the
container from falling out. Utilization of such a latching mechanism with a
movable element is
advantageous as compared to a pure locking closure since secure latching is
achieved in this
manner. In the case of locking, the blocking element may open as a result of
impacts or shocks
to which the crate is exposed, or as a result of movements of the goods within
the crate.
With reference to Fig. 18, an alternative embodiment of the configuration of
the latching
mechanism is described. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 18, the latching
mechanism
includes a vertical latch element instead of the horizontal latch element
known from Fig. 17.
As is shown in Fig. 18(a), the latching mechanism 200 is arranged within the
blocking element
and includes a vertically movable actuation element 202. Fig. 18(b) shows a
lateral sectional
representation of a section of the side wall, the viewing angle being from the
side in the
direction of the side wall. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 18(b), the
latching element, or
latch element, 206 is movably arranged within a recess 212 of the blocking
element. The latch
element 206 is vertically movable, as is depicted by the arrow, and is biased
into the position
shown in Fig. 18(a) by a spring 208. The side wall 14a includes the recess 210
with which the
latch element 206 engages in its position shown in Fig. 18(b), so that a
movement of the
blocking element in the direction of the bent arrow is prevented. The latch
element 210 is
effectively connected to the actuation element 202, so that a downward
movement of same
results in that the latch element is moved downward against the spring force
of the spring 208
and will eventually exit the recess 210 so as to allow a movement of the
blocking element in
the direction of the bent arrow in Fig. 18(b).
Fig. 19 shows a further embodiment of the invention, which is similar to the
embodiment
shown in Fig. 18, wherein however ¨ unlike Fig. 18 ¨ the active elements of
the latching
mechanism are arranged within the side wall 14a. As is shown in Fig. 19(a),
the latching
mechanism 200 includes the actuation element 202, which is arranged in an
upper portion of
the side wall 14a. Fig. 19(b) shows a sectional representation similar to that
of Fig. 18(b). As
may be seen, the latching element 206 is now arranged within the recess 210 in
the side wall
:A 02827125 2013-08-07
22
14a and is biased, by means of the spring 208, in the direction pointing
downward in Fig.
19(4 Same may be vertically moved by means of the. actuation element 202,
which is
effectively connected to the latch element 206, as is shown by the double
arrow in Fig. 19(b).
The latch element 206 is represented in the biased position, wherein it
engages with the recess
212 in the blocking element, so that a movement of the blocking element in the
direction of
the bent arrow is avoided.
As may be seen, the side wall 14a and, likewise, the other side wall 14b,
which is not shown in
any more detail in Figs. 17 to 19, include a narrow surface 220 facing the low
side wall 16b
and including a first surface portion 220a spaced apart from the low side wall
16b, and a
second surface portion 220b arranged between the low side wall 16b and the
first surface
portion 220a, which second surface portion 220b is set back in the direction
of the rear wall
16b in relation to the first surface portion 220a, so that that surface 220 of
the side wall 14a
which faces the low wall 16b has a projection 222. In accordance with
embodiments, the side
wall 14a is configured such that the surface portions 220a and 220b are
mutually offset such
that the blocking element in its first position abuts the second surface
portion 220b, the
projection 222 being dimensioned such that the first surface portion 220a of
the wall 14a and a
surface of the blocking element which faces the low wall 16b are flush ¨ if
the blocking
element is in the first position ¨ so as to provide an essentially flush front
surface of the side
walls of the crate.
It shall be noted at this point that the inventive latching mechanism is not
limited to the
mechanisms described by means of Figs. 17 to 19; rather, they may also be
implemented
differently. For example, in the case of horizontal latching elements, a
shared actuation
element may be provided along the length of one of the bracket bars, a
suitable gear
mechanism being additionally integrated which effects a movement of the
actuation element in
opposite movements of the two latch elements effectively connected thereto, so
that upon
actuation of the latch element in one direction, unlatching of the latch
elements 206
cooperating with the two opposing side faces 14a and 14b is effected.
Likewise, the horizontal
latch mechanism may be built into one of the bracket bars, a corresponding
release mechanism
either also being part of the bracket bar or being part of the side wall.
Fig. 20 shows a further embodiment of a latching mechanism in accordance with
the present
invention. The blocking element 100 includes a recess 230 in the area wherein
the bracket bars
102c and 102d are connected to the vertical bar 104. In the embodiment shown,
the recess is
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
23
located between the upper bracket bar 102c and the lower bracket bar 102d. In
other
embodiments, the recess may also be provided at different positions. In
addition, the side wall
14a includes a hook-shaped projection 232, which in the direction of the low
side wall 16b, i.e.
in the forward direction, projects beyond the second surface portion 220b of
the side wall 14a.
In Fig. 20, the blocking element 100 is represented in its first position
wherein it closes the
opening defined between the side walls 14a and 14b. In this position, the bars
104, 106 of the
blocking element 100 abut the surface portion 220b of the narrow surface 220
of the side wall
14a, as was briefly explained above by means of Fig. 19(b). Unlike the
embodiments
described so far, in the embodiments described with reference to Fig. 20 the
blocking element
100 is not only rotationally mounted, but also vertically movable. In the
closed position shown
in Fig. 20, the hook portion of the projection 232 encompasses an outer
surface of the bar 104
through the recess 230, so that the blocking element 100 is prevented from
moving forward
into its opened position. The blocking element 100 is arranged, in its first
position, such that
there is a gap 234 between the bracket 102 and the projection 222 of the side
wall 14a.
So as to prevent, during transport of the crate, a vertical upward movement of
the blocking
element 100 into the gap 234 and, thus, to prevent unlatching, a movable
element 236 is
further provided which is arranged, on the upper bracket bar 102c, to be
rotationally movable
about an axis 238 so as to be able to be moved between the position shown in
Fig. 20 and a
further position. The movable element 236 includes a portion 240 which is
arranged within the
gap 234 and is removed from the gap 234 by a rotational movement of the
movable element
about the axis 238. As long as the portion 240 is located within the gap 234,
vertical
movement of the element 100 and, thus, its unlatching, or detachment of the
element 100 from
the hook-shaped projection 232, is prevented. To enable the blocking element
100 to open, the
movable element 234 is rotated so as to remove the portion 240 from the gap
234, whereby a
vertical upward movement of the blocking element is enabled, whereby the hook-
shaped
projection 232 will release the blocking element 100, so that the latter may
be flipped over.
Fig. 21 shows a lateral sectional representation illustrating the
configuration of the projection
232. As may be seen, the projection includes a hook-shaped portion 232, the
blocking element
104 being configured, at the corresponding location, for engagement with said
projection
232a. Alternatively, the projection 232 may also extend toward the outside
over the thickness
of the blocking element 104, so that the portion 232a will engage with an
outer surface of the
blocking element. A movement of the blocking element within the gap 234
results in that
engagement of the projection 232a with the outer surface 104a of the blocking
element 104 is
:A 02827125 2013-08-09
24
undone, so that a movement of the blocking element in the direction of the
bent arrow shown
in Fig. 21 is enabled. If such a movement is not desired, the blocking element
is arrested at the
position shown in Fig. 21 by means of the element shown in Fig. 20, and
because the portion
240 of the movable element 236 is arranged within the gap 234, vertical upward
movement of
the element is no longer possible.
Even though embodiments of the present invention were discussed above mainly
in the
context of crates for beverages, further embodiments of the present invention
may also be
utilized for other types of products, of course. For example, beverage cans as
well as any other
cylindrical objects such as hairsprays, deodorants or the like may be
transported by using the
inventive crates. In addition, the crates having lateral openings are also
suitable for entirely
different types of products, which may also deviate from a cylindrical basic
form. The crates
may be used universally for all kinds of products, since they enable the
products to be laterally
removed from the crate even in the stacked state. This major advantage is not
limited to the
type of goods transported.
¨
