Intermediate bulk container, namely combined IBC and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to an intermediate bulk container (combined IBC), comprising a tray (20) having a tray body (25) made of plastic and a cage (30), in particular a tubular cage, which is fastened to the tray (20) and is made of metal, in which cage (30) an inner container (35) made of a dimensionally stable plastic or flexible material is mounted, the IBC is optionally provided with a corner protector and / or an edge protector, and the tray (20) is provided with at least one reinforcing strip (80) made of plastic. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such an IBC (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to the preamble of claim 1, i.e. an intermediate bulk container having the dangerous goods code UN31HA1 or a similar structure, as well as a method for manufacturing such an IBC according to the preamble of claim 9 and a method for converting such an IBC according to the preamble of claim 12. Background Art

[0002] For example, IBCs for transporting piece goods in the form of boxes or crates are known from WO 2004 / 022459 A2. For example, FIG. 26 of WO 2004 / 022459 A2 shows a structure of a foldable frame in the form of a box or crate mounted on a pallet, in which piece goods can be transported, which are held on the pallet by the foldable side walls of the crate there.

[0003] In addition, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) with the hazardous goods code UN31HA1 are known and are used in particular for packaging and transporting, for example, liquid and free-flowing substances. Such modular IBCs are also commonly used for transporting and producing chemicals, foods, cosmetics and medicines and also for agricultural products and building materials. Such modular IBCs can have the hazardous goods code UN31HA1 and are therefore (unlike the box-shaped IBCs disclosed, for example, in WO 2004 / 022459 A2) also permitted to be used for the transport of hazardous goods. The IBCs described in WO 2004 / 022459 A2 are already structurally determined and cannot be used for such applications at all due to the folding structure of the box there.

[0004] Modular IBCs approved for use with hazardous goods usually have a capacity of 500 liters (l) to 3,000 liters, but can reach 5,000 liters or more if required, and consist of a pallet on which a cell is mounted. Flexible or rigid packaging containers can be placed inside the cell depending on the filling to be packaged. The pallet of such an IBC usually has a volume of about 1.2 m 2 The IBC has a base area and has a length or width in the range of about 100 cm to 120 cm. However, these dimensions are only rough guidelines and should indicate that IBCs are packaging containers that include medium packaging volumes and are designed for a weight range from half a ton to several tons.

[0005] Furthermore, so-called modular IBCs are also known, which have a structure that is essentially the same as an IBC with the dangerous goods code UN31HA1, but, if necessary, do not have corner and / or edge protection, depending on requirements and filler, and, if necessary, also depending on requirements and filler, only have a lighter or thinner-walled and / or flexible inner container, but these lighter modular IBCs are subject to essentially the same stability requirements with regard to pallet deflection.

[0006] A problem with such modular IBCs known from the prior art is that they must be suitable for receiving and safely storing large amounts of filling material with corresponding weight and volume and therefore ensure a high stability so that the IBC does not deform or flex too much or even break in the worst case in the filled state.

[0007] Particular problems arise in particular when the IBC must be suitable not only for accommodating piece goods but also for accommodating liquids, since in this case the load forces are particularly high in the central region of the pallet, where any reinforcements are required to counteract the deformation work. This constitutes a particular problem in the hitherto known IBCs for accommodating liquids and in particular for accommodating hazardous goods, primarily because IBCs for accommodating piece goods have proven to be structurally unsuitable for accommodating liquids of the aforementioned volume or weight classes, due to the relatively uniform surface loading there by solid bodies, such as filled drums, cardboard boxes or piece goods.

[0008] In order to meet the high stability requirements placed on pallets supporting IBCs, according to the prior art, such pallets are usually reinforced with metal profiles, such as in particular steel struts and steel profiles. The pallet base of the IBCs commonly found to date is itself usually made of plastic and must be reinforced with metal, usually steel, in order to achieve the required stability.

[0009] However, this mixed structure of plastic and steel components has two major disadvantages, namely, on the one hand, the high weight due to the metal or steel components and, on the other hand, poor recyclability, because before the pallets of the intermediate bulk containers can be recycled, the plastic and metal materials must always be separated, which is very complicated or sometimes not possible at all when the metal is produced integrally in the plastic. Summary of the invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate bulk container which avoids the above-mentioned disadvantages, is suitable for accommodating hazardous goods and liquids and can also be produced simply and cost-effectively and can be easily recycled, and also to propose a method for producing such an IBC and a method for retrofitting conventional IBCs whose trays have metal parts.

[0011] This object is achieved by an IBC according to claim 1 , a method for producing such an IBC according to claim 9 , and a method for retrofitting an IBC known from the prior art according to claim 12 .

[0012] In particular, the object is achieved by an intermediate bulk container (IBC) comprising a pallet with a pallet body made of plastic and a cell cage, in particular a tubular cell cage, fixed to the pallet and made of metal, in which an inner container made of dimensionally stable plastic or a flexible material is accommodated, and the IBC optionally has corner and / or edge protection, and the pallet has at least one reinforcement strip made of plastic. According to the invention, the inner container here forms a unit that is essential for the IBC according to the invention together with the outer container, i.e. the cell cage.

[0013] An important point of the invention is that the pallet body of the pallet forming the IBC is made purely of plastic and that, for manufacturing the pallet, the pallet body is provided with at least one reinforcement strip made of plastic.

[0014] According to the invention, the at least one reinforcing strip made of plastic therefore replaces the metal parts that were hitherto necessary for reinforcing pallets for intermediate bulk containers, which were hitherto necessary on the pallet bodies of known pallets for intermediate bulk containers.

[0015] In numerous experiments, the invention has proven that the use of such reinforcement strips made of plastic on pallets for intermediate bulk containers enables, in a surprisingly simple manner, pallets for intermediate bulk containers to have similar or better stability properties than have hitherto only been achievable with metal parts, such as steel struts and steel profiles. Thus, the invention can break down the old prejudice that only metal reinforcements, in particular steel reinforcements, can be used to achieve such strengths for pallets for intermediate bulk containers.

[0016] A significant advantage of the IBC according to the invention is that it is not only easy to recycle, but also suitable for containing liquids, the IBC comprising a tray provided with reinforcing strips made of plastic and a tubular cell made of metal fixed to the tray, in which an inner container sealed against liquids is installed or arranged. Accordingly, according to the invention, protection is claimed for an IBC which can be classified or classifiable according to the UN31HA1 dangerous goods code and is therefore suitable for containing, transporting and / or storing dangerous goods or, in the absence of such classification, also for containing, transporting and / or storing liquids and, if necessary, free-flowing and / or pourable objects, which are not subject to dangerous goods regulations.

[0017] An essential feature of these IBCs is that both the IBC according to the invention for hazardous goods and the essentially identical IBC for non-hazardous goods (the corresponding structures of both IBCs are always essentially identical) have, in addition to the pallet which is stabilized against deflection by means of reinforcing strips, a cell fixed to the pallet, in which an inner container which is constructed as a unit with the cell is arranged. If hazardous goods are to be accommodated, transported and / or stored in the IBC according to the invention, the IBC according to the invention can also have corner and / or edge protection. Furthermore, if the IBC according to the invention is provided for accommodating hazardous goods, the inner container of the IBC according to the invention can be designed to be slightly more stable, in particular more dimensionally stable and, if necessary, thicker-walled than an IBC which is not provided for handling hazardous goods.

[0018] Furthermore, within the scope of the present invention, an IBC, a method for producing such an IBC and a method for converting a conventional IBC into an IBC according to the invention are claimed, which IBCs claimed according to the invention are suitable without exception for containing liquids and thus meet the special requirements for the tightness of the IBCs. Thus, the IBC according to the invention can be closed tightly, unlike, for example, box-shaped or box-shaped IBCs, which may be open at the top and may even have no cover.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one reinforcing strip is fixed on the upper side and / or on the lower side and / or in the middle part and / or in the cavity or recess of the pallet body, respectively. In all cases of applying reinforcements, it is important that the surface on the pallet for application is flat, planar and not wavy, in order to ensure the best possible connection of the reinforcing strip and the pallet.

[0020] Thus, in this way, according to the invention, on the one hand, pallets of different stability can be provided for intermediate bulk containers and thus IBCs according to the invention can be manufactured and provided specifically for different requirements and weight classes, in particular gross weights, and the reinforcing strips required for the IBC according to the invention can also be used sparingly, the pallet according to the invention of the intermediate bulk container according to the invention being reinforced only at locations that are particularly subject to load. Thus, as required, only one or as required a plurality of corresponding reinforcing strips can be provided on the easily accessible lower side of the pallet body, while the upper side of the pallet body does not need to be reinforced at all. Conversely, according to the invention, it is also possible for only the upper side or both sides of the pallet body to be stabilized by means of one or more reinforcing strips. It is also likewise possible for one or as required a plurality of corresponding reinforcing strips to be installed in the middle part and / or on and / or in the recesses of the pallet body.

[0021] The pallet of the IBC according to the invention can also be particularly well reinforced in that one or more reinforcing strips are attached to the side surface of the pallet body and fixed there and thus extend perpendicularly with respect to the pallet load generated by gravity in terms of their surface extension. Such reinforcing strips, which are mounted on the pallet in a vertical direction, counteract the deflection of the pallet under load particularly well.

[0022] According to the invention, the at least one reinforcing strip is bonded and / or welded to the pallet body and / or is covered or surrounded on the pallet body by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip and the pallet body, so that according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing strip is actually wrapped by the plastic layer and connected to the pallet body. In this way, according to the invention, it is extremely simple to install the reinforcing strip required for reinforcing the corresponding pallet body, or for manufacturing a pallet consisting of a pallet body and a reinforcing strip, on the pallet body, which, for example, only requires simply pasting the reinforcing strip on the pallet body. In order to improve the connection between the reinforcing strip and the pallet body, the reinforcing strip (which itself is made of plastic) can also be welded to the pallet body or surrounded or wrapped. According to the invention, the latter, i.e. welding or wrapping, is particularly advantageous if both the pallet body and the reinforcing strip are made of a sealable material, which can be welded to each other, or the reinforcing strip can be connected by a similarly sealable material in the form of a wrapping layer surrounding the reinforcing strip.

[0023] In order to achieve a better stability of the pallet according to the invention of the intermediate bulk container according to the invention, the reinforcement strips can additionally also be laminated to the pallet body and optionally covered by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcement strips and the pallet body, so that the reinforcement strips are not visible from the outside and only the laminate and / or plastic layer can be seen.

[0024] According to an alternative embodiment, gluing and / or welding the reinforcement strip to the pallet body can also be omitted if the reinforcement strip is merely cast onto the pallet body by means of a plastic material and laminated onto the pallet body or laminated into the plastic material.

[0025] Due to the fact that both the tray body and the reinforcing strips are made of plastic, according to the invention not only the weight of the IBC according to the invention is reduced compared to hitherto customary IBCs, but also its recyclability is significantly improved since material separation of the tray of the IBC is no longer necessary prior to recycling.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing strip is composed of a fabric made of a fiber composite material.

[0027] According to the invention, the fiber composite material consists of a combination of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, in particular nylon 6, nylon 12 or nylon 66, polyethylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyphenylene sulfide and / or polycarbonate with fibers made of carbon, glass, basalt, polyamide (in particular aromatic polyamide), liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and / or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

[0028] Thus, depending on the filling material to be packaged and the stability requirements placed on the intermediate bulk container, a suitable material combination can be selected for the reinforcing strip which provides the intermediate bulk container with the respectively desired stability.

[0029] The stability of the IBC according to the invention results from the tensile and breaking strength of the fiber composite material used according to the invention, which is firmly and immovably connected to the pallet body in the form of corresponding reinforcing strips in a materially bonded manner and forms a unit with the pallet body in the form of an IBC pallet.

[0030] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing strip is braided or knitted. For this purpose, the reinforcing strip is made of a plurality of individual fibers or individual strips, which are braided or knitted with each other to form a planar body, which gives the planar body a particular stability, especially with regard to stiffness, tensile strength, stretchability and splicability.

[0031] In this context it should be pointed out that the dimensions of the reinforcing strips used for the production of the IBC according to the invention are generally in the range of 3 mm to 100 mm, preferably in the range of 5 mm to 90 mm and particularly preferably in the range of 20 mm to 80 mm. The thickness of the reinforcing strips used according to the invention is preferably in the range of 0.5 mm to 6 mm, preferably in the range of 0.8 mm to 3 mm and particularly preferably in the range of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm. According to the invention, the fiber volume is preferably in the range of 30% to 80%, preferably in the range of 45% to 65% and particularly preferably in the range of 50% to 60%. By means of this design of the reinforcing strips used according to the invention, in addition to an optimal stabilization of the pallet body of the IBC according to the invention, particularly good handling can be ensured, in particular for mounting the reinforcing strips on the pallet body.

[0032] Another feature according to the invention, which contributes in particular to the ease of producibility of the IBC according to the invention, and in particular the pallet required therefor, is that the reinforcement strips according to the invention are fixed to the pallet body cavity by means of self-adhesive materials of similar or identical size and can then be connected to the pallet body in almost a single working step to produce the pallet.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcement strip has at least one self-adhesive surface or is alternatively or additionally fixed to the pallet body, in particular to a cavity or recess of the pallet body, by means of an adhesive, preferably a self-adhesive material, in particular a planar body, in particular of the same surface size as the reinforcement strip.

[0034] Furthermore, the reinforcement strips can alternatively or additionally also be fixed shortly before and / or during the manufacture of the pallet or the pallet body, for example held in place in the pallet cavity by means of a special vacuum device.

[0035] Alternatively, the reinforcement strips can also be applied to and / or at the pallet body after the pallet body has been manufactured, preferably by welding. In all cases of applying reinforcements, it is important that the surface used for this is flat, planar and not wavy.

[0036] The basic body of the pallet, ie the important elements of the pallet body, remain unchanged. When manufacturing the pallet, one or more surfaces of the pallet on which the reinforcement is applied can be manufactured by means of structural elements and / or inserts in an injection mold.

[0037] In summary, it can therefore be determined that the IBC according to the invention has no reinforcements on its tray, especially mounted by means of other connecting elements, especially no struts made of metal. In this way, simple recyclability of the tray of the IBC according to the invention is ensured in any case.

[0038] Furthermore, the object according to the invention is achieved by a method for producing an intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to the above description, wherein the following steps are performed:

[0039] - manufacturing the pallet body from plastic;

[0040] - fixing at least one reinforcement strip on the upper side and / or on the lower side and / or in the middle part and / or in the cavity or recess of the pallet body, respectively, to produce the pallet;

[0041] - securing the cells, especially tubular cells, to the pallet; and

[0042] - an inner container made of dimensionally stable plastic or flexible material is placed and / or installed in the cell, in particular the tubular cell; and

[0043] - Optionally install corner and / or edge protection on the IBC.

[0044] In particular, if the IBC according to the invention is used to accommodate, transport and / or store dangerous goods, i.e. liquids that are subject to dangerous goods regulations, then according to the invention corner and / or edge protection is installed on the IBC. In this case, the wall of the inner container can also be designed to be slightly thicker and optionally slightly more dimensionally stable than in the case of an IBC that is to accommodate, transport and / or store liquids that are not classified as dangerous goods. In the latter case, according to the invention, depending on the desire and requirements, the installation of corner and / or edge protection can also be omitted, which also serves to improve stackability and optimize fall protection.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing strips can in principle be arranged at the same position of the pallet body as the corresponding metal support rods and / or steel profiles in the common pallets known from the prior art; but according to the present invention, in principle the pallet can be provided with corresponding reinforcing strips on basically all loaded areas and thereby stabilized, and according to another embodiment of the present invention, in principle the corresponding reinforcing strips can also be arranged overlapping or intersecting on the pallet body.

[0046] A particularly preferred arrangement of the respective reinforcing strips consists, for example, in positioning the reinforcing strips between the respective outer (in particular two) skids or feet of the pallet and here again in the central region which is furthest from the respective skids or feet of the pallet. The reinforcing strips can here, for example, extend from one skid or foot to the other skid or foot, or also encompass the respective skid or foot altogether, wherein the respective outer dimensions of the intermediate bulk container according to the invention, i.e. the K-IBC, must be taken into account in order to ensure their stackability and their ability to be arranged side by side in an optimal manner.

[0047] As described above, to manufacture an IBC according to the present invention, the reinforcing strip is connected to the pallet body by bonding and / or welding and / or is fixed to the pallet body by surrounding or wrapping with a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip and the pallet body.

[0048] Furthermore, the object according to the invention is achieved by a method for retrofitting a conventional intermediate bulk container (IBC), the pallet of which has at least one metal reinforcement, and the IBC has a cell cage made of metal, in particular a tubular cell cage, fixed to the pallet, in which an inner container made of dimensionally stable plastic or flexible material is accommodated, and the IBC optionally has corner and / or edge protection, wherein the following steps are performed:

[0049] - remove metal reinforcements from pallets of IBCs; and

[0050] - At least one reinforcement strip is fastened to the upper side and / or the lower side and / or in the middle part and / or in the cavity or recess of the pallet body, respectively, in order to reinforce the pallet of the intermediate bulk container, preferably also at least where the metal reinforcements were originally located.

[0051] In this way, according to the invention, existing IBCs known from the prior art can be retrofitted or assembled in order to obtain an IBC according to the invention and all its advantages. For this purpose, according to the invention, only the hitherto customary metal reinforcements on the IBC pallets known from the prior art need to be removed and replaced by reinforcement strips in order, on the one hand, to make the IBC easier to recycle and, on the other hand, to significantly reduce the deadweight of the IBC. The commercial advantages of the invention arise in particular from the elimination of steel reinforcements, whereby the handling and recycling of the pallet is simpler and its manufacture is more cost-effective and more sustainable due to lower CO2 emissions and also by the elimination of transportation costs, in particular for heavier components.

[0052] Further embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The present invention will be explained below with reference to the embodiments described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an intermediate bulk container according to the present invention;

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a pallet of an IBC known from the prior art, the pallet being provided with metal reinforcements;

[0056] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a tray of an IBC according to the present invention in a top view; and

[0057] Figure 4-7 A schematic diagram showing a tray of an IBC according to the invention seen from obliquely front / above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for identical and identically acting parts.

[0059] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a modular intermediate bulk container according to the invention is shown, which comprises a pallet body 25 forming a pallet 20, to which a cell 30 is fixed, in particular screwed and / or clamped, and in which an inner container 35 is inserted, which forms a unit with the tubular cell 30. Figure 1 The IBC exemplarily shown in FIG. 1 is an intermediate bulk container (IBC) having the hazardous goods code UN31HA1.

[0060] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a pallet of an IBC known from the prior art, on whose pallet upper side 40 of the pallet body 25 a metal reinforcement 70 can be seen which prevents the pallet from buckling under load.

[0061] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a pallet 20 of an IBC 10 according to the invention is shown in a top view. It can be seen that now a reinforcement strip 80 is provided on the pallet body 25 on the side in the area of ​​the steel reinforcement 70 in the prior art pallet according to FIG.

[0062] Figure 4-7 The schematic diagram of the tray body 25 shows Figure 3 The pallet 20 in FIG. 2 is shown. It can be seen that two reinforcing strips 80 are respectively mounted on the pallet body 25 in the central region between the legs 60 of the pallet 20. Figure 4 In the embodiment, a reinforcing strip 80 is horizontally mounted on the upper side 40. Figure 5 The two reinforcing strips 80 are mounted horizontally on the upper side 40. Figure 6 The two vertically fixed reinforcing strips 80 are mounted in a recess in the middle portion 55 or the central area and are Figure 7 One of the reinforcement strips 80 is mounted horizontally in a recess in the middle portion 55 or central area of ​​the tray body 25 .

[0063] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the two reinforcing strips are arranged according to Figure 3 The positioning arrangement shown is arranged on a pallet 20. The pallet 20 is then placed with its lateral feet 60 on two bases assigned to the respective feet and loaded with a water weight of 1060 kg in a first test and with a water weight of 2100 kg in a second test. The deflection of the pallet base is measured using a mirror and a laser sensor. It was found that the pallet according to the invention deflects by 10 mm when loaded with 1060 kg and by 11 mm when loaded with 2100 kg. This deflection of the pallet 20 corresponds essentially to the deflection when a conventional C-shaped metal reinforcement 70 is used to stabilize the pallet 20 instead of the reinforcement strip 80 used according to the invention, in which case the corresponding deflection values ​​are 8 mm and 9 mm respectively, with all the disadvantages of metal reinforcements.

[0064] Therefore, the present invention generally also relates to the following contents:

[0065] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an intermediate bulk container (10) (i.e., IBC) comprises a pallet (20) having a pallet body (25) made of plastic and a cell cage (30) fixed to the pallet (20), wherein the pallet (20) has at least one reinforcing strip (80) made of plastic.

[0066] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an intermediate bulk container according to the first aspect, wherein the at least one reinforcing strip (80) is respectively fixed on the upper side (40) and / or the lower side (50) and / or in the middle part (55) and / or in the recess (55) of the tray body (25).

[0067] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an intermediate bulk container according to any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is bonded and / or welded to the pallet body (25) and / or is covered and / or surrounded on the pallet body (25) by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the pallet body (25).

[0068] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the intermediate bulk container according to any one of the preceding aspects, the reinforcing strip (80) is composed of a textile fabric made of a fiber composite material.

[0069] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an intermediate bulk container according to the fourth aspect, wherein the fiber composite material is composed of a combination of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, especially nylon 6, nylon 12 or nylon 66, polyethylene terephthalate, ethylene glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyphenylene sulfide and / or polycarbonate and fibers made of carbon, glass, basalt, polyamide (especially aromatic polyamide), liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and / or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

[0070] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an intermediate bulk container according to any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is woven or knitted.

[0071] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, an intermediate bulk container according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) has at least one self-adhesive surface and / or is fixed to the pallet body (25), in particular to the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25), by means of an adhesive, preferably a self-adhesive material, in particular a material having the same area size as the reinforcing strip (80), in particular a planar body.

[0072] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, an intermediate bulk container according to any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the tray (20) has no reinforcements, in particular support rods, made of metal.

[0073] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing an intermediate bulk container (10) (i.e., IBC) according to any one of the preceding aspects is provided, wherein the following steps are performed:

[0074] - manufacturing the tray body (25) from plastic;

[0075] - fixing at least one reinforcing strip (80) on the upper side (40) and / or on the lower side (50) and / or in the middle part (55) and / or in the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) respectively, in order to produce the pallet (20);

[0076] - Fasten the cage (30) to the tray (20).

[0077] According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a method according to the ninth aspect is provided, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is fixed to the pallet body (25) by bonding and / or welding and / or is fixed to the pallet body (25) by covering and / or surrounding with a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the pallet body (25).

[0078] According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a method according to any of the ninth or tenth aspects, wherein the reinforcing strip (80) is held in place in the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) by means of at least one vacuum device shortly before and / or during manufacture of the pallet body (25).

[0079] According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, a method for retrofitting an intermediate bulk container (10) (i.e., IBC), the pallet of which has at least one metal reinforcement, is characterized by the following steps:

[0080] - removing the metal reinforcement (70) from the pallet (20) of the IBC (10); and

[0081] - at least one reinforcement strip (80) is fastened to the upper side (40) and / or the lower side (50) and / or in the middle part (55) and / or in the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) to reinforce the pallet (20) of the intermediate bulk container (10), preferably also at least where the metal reinforcement (70) was originally located.

[0082] It should be pointed out here that all the components described above, especially the details shown in the drawings, whether viewed individually or in any combination, are claimed as important contents of the present invention. Those skilled in the art are familiar with their variations. Reference numerals list

[0083] 10Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC)

[0084] 20 pallets

[0085] 25 Pallet Body

[0086] 30 grid cage

[0087] 35 inner container

[0088] 40 Upper side of the tray body

[0089] 50 The lower side of the tray

[0090] 55Concave part / middle part of the tray body

[0091] 60 feet

[0092] 70 Metal reinforcement

[0093] 80 reinforcement strips

Claims

1. An intermediate bulk container (IBC) comprising a pallet (20) having a pallet body (25) made of plastic and a cell cage (30), in particular a tubular cell cage, fixed to the pallet (20) and made of metal, in which an inner container (35) made of dimensionally stable plastic or flexible material is installed, and the IBC optionally has corner and / or edge protection, and the pallet (20) has at least one reinforcing strip (80) made of plastic.

2. The intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least one reinforcing strip (80) is respectively fixed on the upper side (40) and / or on the lower side (50) and / or in the middle part (55) and / or in the recess (55) of the tray body (25).

3. An intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The reinforcing strip (80) is bonded and / or welded to the pallet body (25) and / or is covered and / or surrounded on the pallet body (25) by a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the pallet body (25).

4. An intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The reinforcing strip (80) is composed of a textile fabric, which is made of a fiber composite material.

5. The intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to claim 4, characterized in that The fiber composite material consists of a combination of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, in particular nylon 6, nylon 12 or nylon 66, polyethylene terephthalate, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyphenylene sulfide and / or polycarbonate with fibers made of carbon, glass, basalt, polyamide, in particular aromatic polyamide, liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and / or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).

6. An intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The reinforcement strip (80) is braided or knitted.

7. An intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The reinforcing strip (80) has at least one self-adhesive surface and / or is fixed to the pallet body (25), in particular to the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25), by means of an adhesive, preferably a self-adhesive material, in particular of the same surface size as the reinforcing strip (80), in particular a planar body.

8. An intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The pallet (20) has no reinforcement elements, in particular struts, made of metal.

9. Method for manufacturing an intermediate bulk container (IBC) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following steps: - manufacturing the tray body (25) from plastic; - fixing at least one reinforcing strip (80) on the upper side (40) and / or on the lower side (50) and / or in the middle part (55) and / or in the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) respectively, in order to produce the pallet (20); - fixing the cell (30), in particular the tubular cell, on the pallet (20); - an inner container (35) made of dimensionally stable plastic or flexible material is placed and / or installed in the cell, in particular the tubular cell; and - Optionally install corner and / or side protection on the IBC.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The reinforcing strip (80) is fixed to the pallet body (25) by bonding and / or welding, and / or the reinforcing strip is fixed to the pallet body (25) by covering and / or surrounding the reinforcing strip with a plastic layer connecting the reinforcing strip (80) and the pallet body (25).

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 or 10, characterized in that The reinforcing strip (80) is held in place in a cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) by means of at least one vacuum device shortly before and / or during the manufacture of the pallet body (25).

12. Method for retrofitting an intermediate bulk container (IBC), the pallet of which has at least one metal reinforcement, and the IBC having a cell (30), in particular a tubular cell, fixed to the pallet (20) and made of metal, and the IBC optionally having corner and / or edge protection, in which an inner container (35) made of dimensionally stable plastic or flexible material is installed, characterized by the following steps: - removing the metal reinforcement (70) from the pallet (20) of the IBC (10); and - at least one reinforcement strip (80) is fastened to the upper side (40) and / or the lower side and / or in the middle part (55) and / or in the cavity or recess (55) of the pallet body (25) to reinforce the pallet (20) of the intermediate bulk container (10), preferably also at least where the metal reinforcement (70) was originally located.

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