Modular top frame

Abstract

The modular top frame has a plurality of rails that are interconnected with corner members and has a top and a bottom surface between the inner and outer perimeter of the top frame. The corner members are assembled with two corner parts which have an outer side, a central rib and reinforcing ribs. The corner members have retainer pins in pin receiving apertures positioned along and adjacent to the outer side and the central rib so that when the corner parts are positioned one over the other, the retainer pins and the pin receiving apertures join the corner parts. The corner members have improved resistance to torsional and bending stresses. The top frame has an outside and an inside perimeter and the provides an area between the outside and inside perimeter equal to or greater than 48% of area of the outside perimeter.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Not ApplicableSTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not Applicable.REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX[0003]Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]1. Field of the Invention[0005]The present invention relates to the field of palletized units for transporting containers. In particular, the present invention relates specifically to a top frame used with palletized units for transporting containers.[0006]2. Description of the Known Art[0007]Typically in the beverage industry, empty containers, such as cans and plastic and glass bottles, are manufactured at one location and must be transported to another location where they can be filled and capped. To package these empty containers for shipment, a first layer of the containers are placed on a pallet. Typically, the pallet may be made from a heavy duty plastic material or wood. Since these containers have no top on them, their tops are open to foreign con...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024]The top frame of the present invention has side members which are extruded one piece side rails. The side rails have opposing ends, an inner and outer side and a top and a bottom side. To strengthen the side rails, reinforcing portions or ribs extend between the top and bottom of the rails. The reinforcing ribs and top and bottom sides and the inner and outer sides of the side rails define longitudinal apertures extending between the opposing ends of the side rails. By providing such a modular construction, the number and size of the reinforcing ribs may be readily modified to meet the requirements for any specific application. Furthermore, the material from which the side rails are made may also be modified to meet those specific requirements. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rails are manufactured from a glass filled polycarbonate material which gives them the desired strength to weight ratio. In addition, the side rails have flat top and bottom sides which allows them to be used with either side in contact with the top tier sheet.

[0025]The top frame of the present invention has a sufficient contact area with the containers in the palleted units to distribute the load over a sufficient area of the containers so as to allow higher stacking. The top frame of the present invention also provides a design that allows three typical palletized units to be vertically stacked. The top frame has an outside perimeter and inside perimeter. It has been found that the area between the outside and inside perimeter must be equal to or greater than at least 48% of area of the outside perimeter. The corner connectors of the present invention provides for restraining twisting of the rails as their width increase and maintain them in contact with the empty containers so that this area parameter can be achieved.

[0029]The corner members are constructed of two identical corner parts. This modular design allows the corner parts to be manufactured in the same mold and are designed to be assembled with each other with one corner part on the top and another corner part on the bottom. Such a design allows for lower molding cost, and the use of different materials for the corner members and the rails. Preferably, the corner members are made from glass filled nylon or other materials that are stronger than the material from which the rails are made and provide additional resistance to force is exerted on the rails. By allowing the use of different materials, the corner members can be made from a stronger material than the rails to resist the forces on the rails created when the banding is tightened so that the surface of the rails in contact with the containers remains in contact with them.

[0031]To reinforce the corner parts, a central rib is provided extending between the junction portion to the central portion of the corner part. The outer side portion of the corner part on one side of the central portion is a mirror image of the outer side portion of the corner part on the other side of the central rib except for the retainer pin receiving apertures and retainer pins as will be hereinafter described. The corner parts also have additional ribbing as will be hereinafter described to further strengthen the corner member and resist torsional and bending forces thereon.

[0033]It has been found that by positioning the retainer pin receiving apertures and retainer pins as herein described that the corner members of the present invention have improved strength characteristics to provide an improved top frame of the present invention. A series of retaining pin apertures and retainer pins are alternately positioned adjacent and on each side the central rib. On one side of the central rib a retaining pin aperture is provided and on the other side of the central rib a complementary retaining pin is provided and vice versa. Each of the retaining pin apertures and retaining pins are positioned so that when the corner parts are assembled the retainer pin is received in its complementary retaining pin aperture. On one side of the central rib the retaining pin apertures and retaining pins alternate along the central rib and vice versa.

[0035]In order to further strengthen the corner parts and consequently the corner members, a series of strengthening ribs are provided in each of the corner parts and also in the finger portions thereof the strengthening ribs increase the resistance of the corner members to bending and torsional forces.

Problems solved by technology

These lighter bottles have lower crush strength properties and are not able to support the weight that the prior containers with heavier walls can support.

Storage cost are another important factor when storing and transporting palleted container packaged units.

The more palleted units that can be stacked on each other requires less storage space area and consequently decreases the storage costs.

In some cases, the disassembly process is performed by automated equipment and certain types of equipment are not able to automatically disassemble top frames that have cross members.

In addition, heavier top frames put additional weight on the palletized containers and exert additional crushing forces on them.

In the past, wooden top frames have been used but have left contaminants in the containers, have been heavy to move and expensive to replace.

This known top frame design, when used in connection with lighter containers having lower crush strength properties, do not allow higher stacking of the palleted units.

These known top frames do not have sufficient contact area with the containers to distribute the load over a sufficient area so as to allow higher stacking.

In fact in some cases, the edges of the buttons may tear the top tier sheet if such movement is attempted.

These cored out sections do not allow a pallet of this design to be used with either the top or bottom sides of the pallet in contact with the top tier sheet.

Furthermore, these cored out sections trap contaminants that may enter the empty containers before they are filled and are difficult to clean when returning them to the container manufacture.

In addition, the manufacturer of these frames and the frames in the prior example, require a very large molding machine with extensive clamping pressures and expensive large mold cost.

Also, in such a unitary construction only one material may be used and in critically stressful areas, other materials may not be used.

Frames with no cross members allows for “chimney stacking”, that is, positioning a stack of smaller frames inside a stack of larger frames which decreases the cost of shipping.

Furthermore, the use of cross members is not compatible with some automatic de-palletizing equipment.

Some automatic depalletizing equipment cannot operate with crossmembers on the top frame.

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