Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
2195I37
A CRATE
THIS l~v~.-l~0~ relates co ~ crate. More particularly,
the invention relate~ to a bottle crate.
According ~o the inven~ion, there i9 provided a ~ottle
crate which includes
a body portion which de~ines a plurality o~ primary sockets
in each of which a lower portion of a ~ottle is recei~able~
a base portion, detach~bly attached to a ~ottom region o~
~he body po~tion, the base portion defining a plurality o~
se~n~ry soc~ecs in each o~ which an upper portion o~ a bottle
is receivable; a~d
complemen~ry at~aching formations carried by the ~ody
portion and the ba~e portion to facili~ate the detachable
attaching of the ~a~e portion to the b~dy por~ion.
The ba e portion may incl~e a plurality of secnnd~ry
socket defining mem~ers, each of which defines one of the
~eC~n~ry ~ookets, the arrange~ent being such that, when ~he ~ase
po~tion is attached to the bo~y por~ion, the sec~ndary socke~
de~ining m~mbers o~ the b~se portion are aligned with and in
re~i~te~ with the pximary sockets of the body portion.
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The at~aching ~ormations of ~e base portion ~ay
comprise clip-like elemen~s arrange~ at an operatively upper end
af each o~ at least certain of the secondary socket de~ining
member~. The bot~m region of the body portion may de~ine a
floor of each of ~he primary socke~, the att~h~ or~ations
o~ the body por~ion then comprising receiving formations de~ine~
in the floors o~ at least certain of the primary ~ockets, the
receiving formations receiving and holding the ~lip-like elements
therein. ~he re~eiving ~ormations may be reces~ed below an upper
surfa~e o~ the floor of sai~ p~imary sockets.
Further, the ~as~ portion may have side walls which
carry engaging elements which engage complementary engagea~le
formation* in t~e bottom region of the body portion. The
engagi~ elements may be in the form of clips which en~age
compleme~tary ribæ in the bottom r~gion of the body portion.
The floox of each pri~ary so~ket may be annular andlnay
have a raised inner periphery, ~he receiving forma~ions o~ said
primary so~kets being arranged in the xaised inner periphery and
bein~ recessed with respect to an upper su~ace o~ said ~aiæed
inner periphery. ThU~, the clip-like elements may ~e shaped to
be received in said recei~ing formations wit~out pro~ruding abo~e
the upper sur~ace o~ the ~loo~ o~ said primary socke~s.
T~e cra~, in accordance with the invention, i~
intended particularly ~or use in the tran~portation o~ so~tdrink
~ottles, more speci~ically, non-return type softdrink bottle~
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made of ~ synthetic plastic~ material. ~ertain type~ o~ such
~ottles ha~ a base region which carries a plu~ality of
protrusion~ thereon rendering such base region non-flat. Hence,
due to th~ slightly dished annula~ shape ~ the floo~, t~e
protr~ions o~ ~e bottle~ can be recei~ed out~ardly o~ the inner
periphery on a ~u~tantially planer region o$ the floor. Ill 90
doing, i~ oved 6tability is i~parted to a bot~le received in the
primary socket.
The floor o~ each primary socket, being annular, may
ha~e a central op~n;~ de~ined therein, t~e ope~ing being shaped
and ~ n~ioned to recei~e a clo~ure member o~ a bottle in a
su~jacent cra~e at least partially therein w~en the b~se por~ion
i8 not atta~hed to the body portionl To ~acilitate insertion o~
the c~osure ~emhe~ into the openi~g, guiding ~ormations may be
de~ined in a bottom surface of the ~loor of eac~ primary 60cket
about the or~n;~. The ~uiding formation~ ~ay extend r~dially
outwardly ~rom the opening.
The guiding ~ormations may be ~u~ee-plate like and may
have an angle~ portion ext~nA;ng toward~ the open;n~ to guide the
closure ~emhe~ o~ the bo~tle into the ope~ing and to bear against
a bottle ri~g arran~ed below the closure me~ber ~f the botcle.
An entrance to each ~econdary ~ocket ~ay de~ine a
be~Lring sur~ace w~ich b~ar~ agains~ a neck of the bottle, below
a closure m~mber 0~ the l:~ottle, in a ~ub~ acent cra~e, ln use .
The ~earing sur~ace ~nay comp~ise an aIlgled region in a bottom o~
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the base portion, ~he bearing surface h~vi~g a~ an~le
corresponding to an angle of the neck o~ the ~ottle in the
6U~j acent crate ~o seat on said neck to e~fect neck-loadi~ of
the bot~les in the ~u~j~cent crate ~en ~he ba~e portio~
attached to the body portion.
A length o~ each secondary soc~et may be ~h that, in
use, when the neck of the bottle is received in ~he ~econdary
~ocket, the closure m~mber o~ such bottle i8 spaced ~rom ~he
~loor o~ a pri~ary socket ~bove it.
The invention i8 now de~cribed by way o~ example wi~h
refer~n~e to t~e accompanying diagrammatic ~awings.
In the drawin~s,
Figure 1 show~ a three ~en-cional view o~ a bct~le crate,
in a~co~da~ce with the in~ention;
Figure 2 6how~ a plan view of a body po~tion of the crate;
Figure 3 show~ a bot~o~ view of the body portion of tlle
~rate;
Figure ~ shows a par~-~ectional view of the ~ody portion of
the ~rate taken along line IV - IV in Figure 2;
Figure 5 sho~ a sectional ~iew of ~he ~ody portion o~ the
crate taken al~ng line V - V in Figur~ 2;
Figure ~ sho~s a three ~imensional view of a ~a~e portion
o~ the crate;
Figure 7 ~how~ a plan view of the base portion of the cxa~e;
Fi~ure H show~ a bottom view of the ba~e portion o~ ~he
cra~e;
2 1 9 5 1 3 7
Pigure 9 shows a ~ide view of the b~se po~tion o~ the crate;
Figure lO s~ow~ a part-~ect~onal Yiew o~ the ba~e ~ortion
of ~he Crate taken along line X - X in Figure 7; and
Figure 11 shows a detailed, se~tional side view o~ the
clipping together o~ ~e base po~tion and ~he ~o~y portion of the
crate.
Re~erring ~o ~he draWin~B, a bottle cra~e, in
accordance with t~e in~ntion, is illustrated ~d i6 desi~nated
generally ~y ~he reference nu~eral lO. The crate 10 Comprises
a bod~ portion 12 which de~ines a plurality o~ ~rimary soc~e~s
14 in each of which a lower portion of a bottle (not shown) i~
receivable. ~ ba~e portion 16 i~ detach~ly a~ta_hed to a bot~o~
18 o~ the ~ody por~ion 12. The ~a~e portion 16 de~ines a
plurality of sec~ ry ~ockets 20 (~igures ~ to 10) in each o~
~hich an upper portion of ~ bottle i8 ~eceivable. T~e
arrange~nt i~ BU~ tha~, when the ~ase portion 16 i~ at~ached
to ~he bod~ portion 12, t~e ~econdary sockets 2~ lie below, and
in re~iste~ with, the pri~ary ~ockets 14.
As illustr~ted more clea~ly in Figure 1 of the drawin~3
the ~ody portion 12 comprise~ a pair of end panels 20, a pai~ o~
spaeed sid~ pO~ts 22 on ea~h side of the ~ody portion 12 and
pair of space~ central post~ 2~. The end panel~ Z0, side pos~
~2 and ce~tral ~o~t 24 de~ine the primary socke~s 14. ~s
illu~rated in the draw1ngs, ~ix such primary ~ockets 14 are
defined in ~e body portion 12.
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In addition, in respec~ of che end 60ckets 14, these
are each partially defined by an end ~all 25. The end walls 25
ar~ provided to improve the ~ength of the crate~ 10 and, hence,
the stackability of empey crate8 10. Thus, the end walls 25
~erve to inhibit buckling o~ the empty crates 10 when they are
s~acked.
Each primary ~ocket 14 has a floor 26 which is annula~
and whi~h is sli~htly dished, as illu~trated more cl~arly in
Figure~ 4 and 5 o~ the dr~wings, th~ floor 2~ having a raised
inner periphery 28 and a central opening 30. The ~loor 26 o~
each primary ~ocke~ lg is shaped to aCcom~A~te basal protrusion6
of a bottle thereon in a ~ubstanti~lly stable ~annPr with the
raised pe~iphery 28 of ths $100r 26 bearing against a central
part of a bottom o~ the ~ottle.
The base portion 16 is detac~ably att~ohed to t~e body
portion 12 via a plur~lity of co~plementary receiving ~ormations
32 and clip~ 34 tFigures 6 to 10) carried on the ~ody porti~n 12
~nd ~he ~ase portion 16, respectively. The receiving ~ormations
32 of the ~ody portion 12 are in the form o~ stepped slo~s
axranged in the raiBed periphery ~8 of the floor 26 of each
prima~y socket 14. ~he slot~ 32 are arranged in a
aircum~exentially sp~ced relatlonship in the ~loor 26 o~ eacn
primary soc~et 14.
Re~erring now to Figure 6 ~o 10 o~ the ~rawings, the
~ase portion 1~ of the c~ate 10 i~ described in greater detail.
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The ~ase po~tion 16 comprises a pair o~ opposed ~ide w~ 3~ and
a pair o~ opposed, ~owed end w~ 38. Cylind~ical form~tion$
40 are arranged within the wall~ 36, 38, the formations 40 ~eing
inte~connected by we~s 42. These ~ylindrical forma~ion~ 40
de~ine the secondary ~ockets 20 of the ba~e portion 16. rhe
clips 34 of the ~ase portion 16 are arranged at operati~ely upper
end~ o~ the cylindrical formation~ 40. It is to be noted that
the clipR 34 are ~o shaped t~at, when they eng~ge the ~lots 32
o~ the body portion 12, the~ a~e recessed below the raised
periphery 28 o~ the floor 26 o~ each primary ~ocket 14.
Accordin~ly, the clips 34 do not a~versely a~e~t the s~ability
o~ bottles received in the primary sockets 14.
Additionally, slots 44 are define~ at operatively uppe~
ends o~ each c~landrical ~ormation 40. ~hese slots 44 ~eceive
rei~orcin~ 6trut~ 46 (Figure 3) defined on an op~r~ti~ely outer
surface 48 o~ the ~loor 2~ of each primary ~ocket 14,
The struts 46 also co-operate with lo~t~n~ formations
50 carried by the webs 4~ o~ t~e base portion 16 ~or locating t~e
~ase portion 16 and the ~ody portion 12 wit~ respect to e~h
~t~er. To enh~n~e the rigidity o~ the crate ~rther~ webs 62 are
arranged on a~ a~ter 6ide o~ each c~lindrical formation 40.
Additionally, rein~orcing posts 64 are defined in the web~ ~2.
Clips 52 are ca~ried on each side wall 3~ of the b~s~
portion 16 . The6e clip6 5~ e~age ri~s 54 (Figure 3~ in the
bottom 18 o~ the body porti~n 12 to secure the ba~e porti~n 16
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to the body portion 12. To improve ~he stabil~ty of the c~e
10 further, rei~orcing ribs 56 are carried on an inner sur~ace
o~ each ~ide wall 36 of the base portion 16. Free ends of the
ribs 56 bear against an inner surace of the bottom 18 o~ tlle
~ody portion 12.
Referring now to Figure 10 o~ the drawings, it i~ to
~e noted th~t an entra~ce 58 to each 6econ~ary socket 20 has an
angled shoulder 60. The angle o~ the ~houlder ~0 correspond~ to
an angle of a neck of the bottle recei~ed in the ~eco~ry ~cket
20 ~o that the crate 10 i8 ~upported on ~he necks o~ ~he bot~l~s
of a subjacen~ crate 10 when loaded crate6 are stacked Further,
the length o~ each cylindrical formation 40 is euch that, when
the ~houlder 60 bear~ on the neck of the bottle, a clo~ure of the
bottle does no~ protrude beyond the upper end of the cylindrical
formation 40 and very lit~le, if any, ver~ical loading is
imparted to the clo~ure o~ the ~otele when the crates are
6tacked .
In u~e, a dual purpo~e cra~e 10 is pro~i~ed. By
clipping the base portlon 16 onto the bot~ol~l 18 of the body
portion 12, the cra~e~ 10, with bottles therein, can be ~tacked
in a neck-loading m~nnQr. Conver~ely, the base portion 60 can
be ~ ved ~rom the body portion 12. In the latter ca~e, a
closure o~ a bottle in ~ 8U~j ~cent crate is recei~ed in the
openin~ 30 o~ the floor portion 26 of a primary socket 14 of tl~e
upper cnrlt~; ner a~d the crate 1~, ~ith bottles therein, can be
et~cked in ~ clo~ure~ fl; ~ m~n~Q~ of the bottles. The
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rei~orcing ~truts 46, where they termin~te at the openings 30
~re chamfere~ to bear against the clo~ure and a ri~g o~ ~e
bottle below ~he closure to s~abilise the stacked, packed
crates.
Hence, iS is a particul~r advantage of the in~en~ion
that a d~al-purpose ~rate 10 is provided which can be u~ed either
in a clo-~ure-lo~ng mann~r or ~ neck-loA~in~ m~n~e~.
Additionally, d~e to ~h~ configur~tion o$ the ~loor 26 o~ the
primary sockets 14 of the body portion 12, bottles of ~axious
capacitie~ can be packed in the crate 10 and the cxate 10 i9 not
restricted to u~e with bot~les of one capaci~y Or size only.
