BOTTLE CASE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a bottle crate for holding beverage bottles and / or beverage bottle containers, comprising a base for holding the beverage bottles and / or beverage bottle containers and a surrounding frame formed by two opposing long side walls and two opposing short side walls, wherein all side walls of the frame have a height of 240 mm to 260 mm.

[0002] Beverage bottles and beverage bottle containers are known. These bottles differ in their nominal capacity, for example, 0.25 l, 0.33 l, or 0.5 l, with other nominal capacities also being known. Furthermore, the bottles differ in their shape and in the material they are made of, such as glass or plastic. In the field of beer bottling, glass bottles of various shapes are predominantly used, such as longneck bottles, stubby bottles, Euro bottles, or NRW bottles in the Vichy style. These bottle shapes differ in diameter and / or height while having the same nominal capacity. The invention is directed towards the storage of Euro bottles in a bottle crate. These Euro bottles have a nominal capacity of 0.33 l and can, for example, have a height of 188 mm to 205 mm.Beverage bottle packs, especially those made from Euro bottles, typically consist of four or six bottles enclosed in a cardboard sleeve. These packs are also known as "four-packs" or "six-packs".

[0003] Although the use of 0.33-liter Euro bottles is increasing among breweries, bottles with a nominal capacity of 0.5 liters are still predominantly used. Therefore, Euro bottles were initially sold in crates designed for 0.33-liter longneck bottles. The side height of these crates, for example, is 260 mm, which is fundamentally too high for 0.33-liter Euro bottles. This creates a less than ideal impression for the customer compared to conventional bottle sizes.

[0004] To avoid this, special crates were developed whose side height is adapted to the height of Euro bottles. These crates, for example, have a height of 220 mm. However, this leads to a technical disadvantage during empty bottle acceptance and processing at breweries: the different crates can no longer be handled together due to their varying dimensions. Instead, the crates must be manually sorted for transfer to an automated empty bottle system, a process that is comparatively time-consuming. During empty bottle processing, the bottles must, for example, be removed from the crates and subjected to a cleaning process. It may also be necessary to remove any remaining closures, such as crown caps.

[0005] From DE 20 2020 101 629 U1, a bottle crate of this type is known with a bottom arranged higher than the underside of the surrounding frame.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing a bottle crate in which stability is increased.

[0007] To Solution This problem is solved by a bottle crate according to claim 1. The inventive design solves the problems known from the prior art in a particularly effective manner. Firstly, the crate according to the invention is compatible with standard crates for 0.33 l beverage bottles with regard to its side height, with respect to automated empty bottle handling. This eliminates the need for manual sorting. Secondly, the Euro bottles are positioned in the inventive crate in a visually appealing, elevated position for the customer. Automated uncorking is also made possible.

[0008] Furthermore, the bottle crate according to the invention, with its raised base, offers the advantage that it can be handled mechanically with bottle crates of different heights and processed together in a brewery. In particular, the bottle crate according to the invention is stackable with other commercially available bottle crates, allowing it to be handled with crates of different heights in beverage logistics. For example, bottle crates according to the invention can be stacked with other bottle crates in the beverage trade. This offers the particular advantage that pallets with different bottle crates can be stacked together in the empty bottle area, resulting in a significantly reduced need for stacking space and reduced handling effort, as separate sorting of the different bottle crates is no longer necessary.It should be noted that the described advantages and features apply particularly to bottle crates designed to hold beer bottles.

[0009] According to a preferred feature of the invention, the height of all side walls is 240 mm to 260 mm, in particular 249 mm, and the vertical distance between the underside of the frame and the top of the base is 15 mm to 25 mm, in particular 18 mm, measured from a support surface for the bottles to the lower edge of the frame. The lower edge of the bottle crate forms the support surface of the bottle crate and is supplemented by a stacking rim that adjoins the lower edge of the frame and is formed integrally with the frame. This design of the bottle crate has proven to be a particularly advantageous combination of the bottles' height within the crate and the crate's ease of handling.

[0010] The stacking rim of the bottle crate according to the invention has a height of 8 mm to 12 mm, in particular 10 mm, and is set inwards by 10 mm to 15 mm, in particular 13 mm, relative to the outer surfaces of the short side walls and by 20 mm to 25 mm, in particular 22 mm, relative to the outer surfaces of the long side walls. According to the invention, the short side walls of the bottle crate according to the invention have a thickness of 7 mm to 12 mm, in particular 9 mm, and the long side walls have a thickness of 17 mm to 22 mm, in particular 19 mm, in certain sections and 10 mm to 15 mm, in particular 12 mm, in the remaining sections. According to the invention, the sections of the long side walls with the greater thickness adjoin the short side walls directly, these sections having a total length of 22 mm, and an 18 mm section with a lesser thickness is arranged between two sections with greater thickness.This increases the stability of the bottle crate according to the invention. At the same time, the area of ​​the side walls with the reduced thickness is ergonomically designed in such a way as to achieve an improved carrying comfort.

[0011] The bottle crate according to the invention is suitable for bottles, particularly Euro bottles with a nominal capacity of 0.33 l, as well as for bottles with a nominal capacity of 0.5 l. Due to the raised base, the upper part of the bottles is positioned within a receiving area of ​​the bottle crate according to the invention. This gives the buyer the impression that the bottles and the crate are perfectly matched. A distance of 20 mm to 25 mm between the upper edge of the bottles and the upper rim of the bottle crate according to the invention also creates the impression of a marketing-wise advantageous fill level. At the same time, the handling of the bottle crate is improved in bottling operations, logistics, and retail.Conventional automatic corking devices in front of bottle washing machines usually have an immersion depth in the bottle crate of a maximum of 25 mm and can therefore also be used with the bottle crates according to the invention.

[0012] According to the invention, the frame and base are formed in one piece. Preferably, both parts are made of plastic. The forming process can be carried out, in particular, by injection molding. It is especially preferred that the bottle crate has only a single base. The combination of a single bottle crate formed in one piece with the frame offers particular advantages in terms of manufacturing, weight, stability, and user-friendliness. For example, crates with insertable bases are known from the prior art. However, these insertable bases are regularly lost and are susceptible to damage of all kinds, as well as contamination, and thus require increased cleaning, which is why these insertable bases have not been able to gain market acceptance.

[0013] According to a preferred feature of the invention, a vertical gap of 20 mm to 35 mm is provided between the underside of the frame and the underside of the base. It is preferred that a free space, preferably a continuous one, is formed between the frame and the underside of the base.

[0014] This, particularly in combination with the height of the top of the base, provides a base of sufficient material thickness with regard to weight and mechanical stability. The bottle crate according to the invention can also be easily demolded after a plastic injection molding process. The base of the bottle crate according to the invention preferably has a thickness of 10 mm to 15 mm, preferably 13 mm, and consists of intersecting ribs and the resulting perforations.

[0015] According to a preferred feature of the invention, at least one quill extending upwards from the bottom is formed within the frame of the bottle crate. The number of quills is preferably adaptable to the number of beverage bottles and / or beverage bottle containers to be arranged in the bottle crate. Preferably, a plurality of quills are arranged in a row.

[0016] Alternatively or in combination with quills, the bottle crate according to the invention can have at least one compartment. A compartment represents an additional receptacle formed in the crate for a single bottle or for a plurality of bottles, in particular a container. A compartment serves in particular to secure bottles and / or containers against slippage. A compartment has at least one side wall, preferably four side walls. One side wall of the compartment can be formed by a side wall of the bottle crate. Preferably, the side walls of the compartment that are not formed by the side wall of the crate extend vertically to a position below the upper edge of the frame.

[0017] The invention is explained below with reference to the drawings, using an exemplary embodiment which is not to be interpreted as limiting for those skilled in the art. The drawings show: Fig. 1 an external view looking at a short side wall of a bottle crate according to the invention; Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view of the bottle crate according to the invention. Fig. 1 in the same spatial orientation.

[0018] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a bottle crate 1 according to the invention comprising a circumferential frame 6, which is formed by two opposing long side walls 2, 3 and two opposing short side walls 4, wherein only one side wall 4 is in Figure 1 The long side walls 2, 3 and the short side walls 4 are each parallel to each other and connected to one another, with the short side walls 4 being oriented at right angles to the long side walls 2, 3. The frame 6 is shown here as a single piece with a Figure 2 The floor shown is 7.

[0019] The bottle crate 1 also has a window 8 in each side wall 2, 3 and 4. The window 8 serves as a handle for gripping the bottle crate 1 by a user or an automated conveying system.

[0020] The side walls 2, 3 and 4 of the frame 6 have a height H1, taking into account manufacturing tolerances ( Figure 2 ) of 249 mm. The side walls 2, 3 and 4 are supplemented by a stacking rim 5, which has a height of 10 mm and is set inwards relative to the outer surfaces of the side walls 2, 3 and 4. The base 7 is raised above the underside 9 of the surrounding frame 6. The vertical distance H2 ( Figure 2 The distance between the underside 9 of the frame 6 and the top side 10 of the base 7 is 30 mm in this case.

[0021] The upper surface 10 of the base 7 serves as a support surface for Euro bottles. The maximum height 11 of the individual bottles when arranged on the upper surface 10 of the base 7 is also shown. In this case, the height 11 is 20 to 25 mm below the upper surface 12 of the frame 6. A bottle crate 1 filled with Euro bottles thus creates an attractive impression on potential customers. The bottle crate 1 is designed to hold 24 individual bottles or four six-packs or six four-packs. It can also be designed to hold 20 individual bottles.

[0022] Base 7 and frame 6 are in this case formed from a single piece of plastic. Bottle crate 1 has only a single base in the form of base 7, which consists of individual, intersecting struts forming an open honeycomb structure with square openings.

[0023] A continuous gap is formed between the underside 13 of the base 7 and the underside 9 of the frame 6. This advantageously saves base material, resulting in a weight reduction and facilitating the demolding process during injection molding. The vertical distance between the underside 9 of the frame 6 and the underside 13 of the base 7 is 12 mm. Please note that this illustration is schematic only and not to scale.

[0024] The base 7 thus has a cross-sectional thickness of 42 mm above the stacking edge 5. This ensures the necessary stability.

[0025] The base 7 need not be made of solid material. Rather, it is preferred that the base 7 be formed from crossed struts.

Claims

1. Bottle crate (1) for receiving beverage bottles and / or beverage bottle packs, comprising a bottom (7) for receiving the beverage bottles and / or beverage bottle packs as well as a circumferential frame (6) formed by two mutually opposite long sidewalls (2, 3) and two mutually opposite short sidewalls (4), wherein all sidewalls (2, 3, 4) of the frame (6) have a height (H1) of 240 mm to 260 mm, characterized in that the frame (6) and the bottom (7) are formed in one piece and the bottom (7) is arranged in a raised manner relative to the bottom side of the circumferential frame (6), wherein the vertical distance (H2) between the bottom side (9) of the frame (6) and the top side (10) of the bottom (7) is 25 mm to 60 mm, wherein the short sidewalls (4) have a thickness of 7 mm to 12 mm and the long sidewalls (2, 3) have a thickness of 17 mm to 22 mm in sections and a thickness of 10 mm to 15 mm in the rest, wherein the sections of the long sidewalls (2, 3) having the larger thickness directly adjoin the short sidewalls (4), wherein these sections have a summarized length of 22 mm and wherein a section having a smaller thickness of 18 mm is arranged between two sections having a larger thickness.

2. Bottle crate according to claim 1, wherein the height of all sidewalls (2, 3, 4) is 255 mm to 259 mm, in particular 249 mm.

3. Bottle crate according to claim 1 or 2, wherein between the bottom side (9) of the frame (6) and a bottom side (13) of the bottom (7) a vertical distance of 8 to 20 mm, in particular 18 mm, is formed.

4. Bottle crate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a continuous free space is formed between the frame (6) and a bottom side (13) of the bottom (7).

5. Bottle crate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a stacking frame (5) formed in particular by a continuous strip adjoins the bottom side of the frame (6), which stacking frame is arranged offset to the inside with respect to the outer surfaces of the sidewalls (2, 3, 4).

6. Bottle crate according to claim 5, wherein the stacking frame (5) and the frame (6) are formed in one piece.