BOTTLE CRATE AND CONTAINER CARRIER

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a box for receiving bottles comprising a first type of quill and a second type of quill, wherein each quill has at least one web with an end surface directed outwards from the center of the quill for stabilizing a bottle placed in a bottle holder, wherein no plane extending from the end surface of a web to the center of the quill is parallel to a side wall of the box, and the first type of quill is configured such that the end section of each quill of the first type, which is furthest from the bottom of the box, has a central notch for receiving a part of the container support, and each quill of the first type has a maximum height from the bottom of the box to the outer end of the end section that corresponds approximately to the shoulder height of the bottle to be received, wherein the maximum height is preferably between 100 mm and 130 mm, more preferably between 110 mm and 120 mm, and even more preferably 116 mm.The invention relates to a combination of the box with a container carrier, in particular for bottles, made of a foldable flat material. The second type of quill has a maximum height of approximately 30% to 40%, preferably 33% to 35%, of the maximum height of the first type of quill, and each bottle, once placed in a bottle holder, is surrounded by at least two quills, at least one of which is a quill of the first type. State of the art

[0002] In the beverage trade, it is common practice to stock and sell bottled beverages in defined container sizes. These characteristic container sizes are multipacks made of a foldable flat material, especially cardboard, containing four, six, or eight bottles, or bottle crates, usually made of plastic, containing a larger number of bottles (for example, 20 or 24). The plastic crates are dimensioned according to a standardized grid, allowing them to be easily stacked for logistical purposes and processed using a uniform deposit return system.

[0003] EP 1 630 103 A1 discloses a box according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] Given the legislation promoting the switch from single-use to reusable packaging, bottles sold in multipacks are now also preferably reusable. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the bottles can be transported safely and protected from breakage during return transport. When delivered, the bottles in a multipack are stabilized by the multipack itself. To enable efficient storage and delivery of the multipacks, they are preferably placed in crates.

[0005] There is therefore a need for a bottle crate suitable for accommodating bottles both in the state they are grouped together in multipacks and as individual bottles removed from the multipack and generally empty, in such a way that they can be transported safely and quietly. It is thus the object of the present invention to propose a solution for providing such a crate.

[0006] There is also a need for a container carrier suitable for being incorporated into the box of the present invention.

[0007] The present invention provides both a box and a container carrier that solves the above-mentioned problem. Disclosure of the invention

[0008] A box for holding bottles is proposed. The box comprises a frame, a first type of pin, a second type of pin, and a base, with the frame forming the box's side walls. The interior of the box, formed by the frame, the first type of pin, and the second type of pin, contains a grid of bottle holders, each holder designed to accommodate a single bottle, and combinations of multiple bottle holders designed to accommodate a multipack.

[0009] The housing of the present invention is characterized in that each quill has at least one web with an end surface extending outwards from the center of the quill for stabilizing a bottle inserted into a bottle holder. No plane extending from the end surface of a web to the center of the quill runs parallel to a side wall of the housing. The first type of quill is designed such that the end section of each quill of the first type, which is furthest from the bottom of the housing, has a central indentation for receiving a portion of the container support. Each quill of the first type has a maximum height from the bottom of the housing to the outer end of the end section that corresponds approximately to the shoulder height of the bottle to be received, wherein the maximum height is preferably between 100 mm and 130 mm, more preferably between 110 mm and 120 mm, and even more preferably 116 mm.The second type of quills has a maximum height of approximately 30% to 40%, preferably 33% to 35%, of the maximum height of the first type of quills. Each bottle, once placed in a bottle receptacle, is surrounded by at least two, preferably three, and most preferably four quills, at least one of which is a quill of the first type.

[0010] In the present invention, a quill is understood to be a structural element whose central axis extends substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall in the direction of a surface defined by the upper edges of the side walls forming the box frame. The upper edge of the side wall is the edge distal to the bottom wall. Preferably, the cross-section of the quill tapers in the direction perpendicular to the bottom wall, preferably with a taper of up to 5°.

[0011] A quill of the present invention has at least one web. According to the present invention, a web is a leaf-shaped structural element extending from the center of the quill and having a surface located furthest from the center of the quill. This surface is situated around the circumference of a bottle receiving area and is capable of holding and thus stabilizing a bottle placed within the bottle receiving area. This prevents, or at least minimizes, noise caused by adjacent bottles clanging against each other and, in extreme cases, the breakage of one or more bottles. To perform this stabilizing function most efficiently, the quill, and especially the surface of the web of the quill that can come into contact with the bottle's circumference, should have a height approximately equal to the shoulder height of the bottle to be stabilized.

[0012] The shoulder height of a bottle is the point at which the bottle's circumference begins to taper towards the neck. Bottles can strike each other at this point if not prevented from doing so. The shoulder height is therefore a likely point of breakage.

[0013] However, it is not desirable, especially from the point of view of saving material and the associated weight savings, which lead to considerable cost savings, that every pin in the bottle crate has a height that reaches up to the shoulder height of a bottle.

[0014] On the contrary, it is an essential component of the present invention that such a quill, with a height of approximately up to the shoulder height of the bottle, is sufficient for each bottle to be stabilized to ensure low noise and prevent breakage. This quill is referred to in the present invention as a quill of the first type.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each quill of the first type has four webs extending outwards from the center of the quill and, viewed in cross-section, arranged crosswise, preferably around a centrally located hollow tube.

[0016] Furthermore, the quill of the first type according to the invention has a central indentation in the end section furthest from the bottom of the housing. This end section tapers from the center of the quill to the end of the end section towards the outwardly facing end surface, thus forming the central indentation.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the central notch at the end section of the quills of the first type has a height of 20 mm to 30 mm, preferably 25 mm. The angle between two edges of the tapered end section of two opposing webs forming the central notch can be 28° to 44°, preferably 36°. Such a quill of the first type is also referred to here as a "crown quill".

[0018] The purpose of the central notch is to receive, guide, and stabilize an area of ​​a container carrier when inserting the container carrier into the box.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the end section of a quill of the second type, which is furthest from the bottom of the box, also has a central indentation for receiving a part of the container support, which has a height of 8 mm to 12 mm, preferably 10 mm. Each web of the quill of the second type can taper from the center of the quill to the end of the end section towards the outwardly facing end surface in order to form the central indentation.

[0020] The insertion of the container carrier is thus facilitated by the side wall, the intermediate wall (if present), and the pins with notches, since the side wall, the intermediate wall (if present), and the pins with notches serve as positive guides.

[0021] According to the invention, the box is designed such that each bottle, when placed in the box, is also surrounded by at least one further quill of a second type, the height of which, however, is only about 30% to 40% of the height of the quill of the first type. This saves material, weight, and costs without significantly impairing the stabilizing function.

[0022] To enhance the stabilizing function, the box of the invention can also be designed such that each bottle, when placed in the box of the invention, is also surrounded by at least two further pins of a second type. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the box of the invention is designed such that each bottle, when placed in the box of the invention, is surrounded by at least three further pins of a second type.

[0023] The pins of the second type can have the following embodiments: Firstly, the pin of the second type can have four webs, with each pair of adjacent webs arranged perpendicular to one another. These pins can be located in a central area of ​​the bottom wall. The central area of ​​the bottom wall is the area that has a distance from the side walls of the box frame sufficient to allow a bottle to be inserted into a defined bottle-receiving area at the edge of the box bottom without protruding into the central area. The pins of the first type are also located in the central area.

[0024] Secondly, the quill of the second type can have two webs arranged perpendicular to each other. These quills can be located in an edge area of ​​the base wall that borders the side walls.

[0025] Thirdly, the quill of the second type can only have one web. These quills can be located in the corner areas of the bottom wall where two side walls meet.

[0026] As described above, a key aspect of the invention is that the end surfaces of the struts can provide stabilization for bottles placed in the crate. For this to work, the end surface must be able to contact the circumference of the bottle if the bottle moves from a vertical position, i.e., tilts. Therefore, the struts must be aligned approximately towards the center of the bottle and not parallel to a side wall of the crate.

[0027] Preferably, each plane extending from the end face of a web to the center of the quill is offset by 42° to 48°, preferably by 45°, to a side wall of the box.

[0028] The box of the present invention preferably has a first pair of opposing side walls and a second pair of opposing side walls, wherein the first pair is longer than the second pair. The plan view of the box is thus preferably rectangular.

[0029] To stabilize the box frame, the box according to the invention can have a first partition wall that runs parallel to one side of the box frame and connects the opposite side walls of the box. Preferably, the first partition wall lies on a central axis of the box frame and connects the second pair of side walls, which is shorter than the first pair.

[0030] For further stabilization, the box of the invention can further comprise a second partition wall which runs parallel to one side of the box frame and connects the opposite side walls of the box, and which is offset by 90° relative to the first partition wall, wherein preferably the second partition wall lies on a central axis of the box frame.

[0031] Preferably, the box of the present invention is formed with a structure with bottle holders in a grid of 4 x 6 fields, wherein preferably six of these bottle holders are formed in an arrangement of 2 x 3 fields for receiving a container carrier with six of these bottles, or four of these bottle holders are formed in an arrangement of 2 x 2 fields for receiving a container carrier with four of these bottles, or eight of these bottle holders are formed in an arrangement of 2 x 4 fields for receiving a container carrier with eight of these bottles.

[0032] The box of the present invention allows for the storage of both individual bottles and so-called multipacks, which represent a container consisting of several of these bottles, i.e., a container carrier as previously mentioned. Examples of such multipacks are the well-known six-packs and four-packs, in which six or four bottles, respectively, are connected to form a single container via a bottle carrier. Multipacks in which eight bottles are connected to form a single container via a container carrier, particularly for bottles, are also known on the market. Typically, the bottle carrier is made of a foldable flat material such as cardboard. However, other designs are also conceivable, for example, made of plastic.

[0033] A container carrier, i.e., a multipack, can be inserted into the box according to the invention to produce a container carrier-box combination according to the invention, wherein the recesses in the container carrier have received the quills. As mentioned above, the insertion of the container carrier is facilitated by the side wall, the intermediate wall (if present), and the quills with notches, since the side wall, the intermediate wall (if present), and the quills with notches serve as positive guides.

[0034] The container carrier, in particular for bottles, is designed for insertion into the box according to the invention and is made of a foldable flat material, wherein the container carrier is a box-shaped container carrier with a bottom wall and longitudinal walls.

[0035] The bottom wall of the container support can have at least one first recess for receiving a quill of the first type of the bottle box of the present invention, wherein the cross-section of the first recess is rectangular, preferably square, and wherein no plane formed by a side of the rectangle is parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal wall.

[0036] Furthermore, the container carrier-box combination is characterized in that the bottom wall and the longitudinal walls have recesses for receiving pins of the second type, so that each bottle, as soon as it is placed in a bottle holder, is surrounded by at least two, preferably three, more preferably four recesses for receiving pins, wherein at least one recess is a recess for receiving a pin of the first type.

[0037] In one embodiment, the container carrier is a so-called "wrap-around" design, which also includes a lid wall. The lid wall has at least two recesses that allow the container carrier to be lifted by engaging these recesses. The consumer can thus, for example, easily remove the container carrier from the box by inserting two fingers into each of the recesses.

[0038] The wrap-around container carrier is preferably dimensioned to hold 4, 6, or 8 bottles.

[0039] In a further embodiment, the container carrier of the combination is a so-called "open basket," wherein the container carrier is a box-shaped, open-topped container carrier which additionally has end walls and a central wall section parallel to both longitudinal walls. The central wall section has a carrying handle in its upper portion and at least one transverse web parallel to the end walls between the central wall section and the longitudinal walls to form a structure with bottle receptacles in a grid, wherein each bottle receptacle is designed to hold a single bottle, and wherein the at least one transverse web for forming a structure with bottle receptacles in a grid is arranged only in the upper half-space of the box-shaped, open-topped container carrier.The bottom wall, the end wall and the longitudinal walls have recesses for receiving pins of the second kind, so that each bottle, once it is placed in a bottle receptacle, is surrounded by at least two, preferably three, more preferably four recesses for receiving pins, wherein at least one recess is a recess for receiving a pin of the first kind.

[0040] The open basket container carrier is preferably dimensioned to hold 4, 6, or 8 bottles. The embodiment for 6 bottles is most preferred.

[0041] The container carrier of the combination according to the invention is preferably formed from a single piece of flat material, preferably cardboard.

[0042] In the embodiment of the open basket container carrier, the central indentation of the quill of the first type has received the crossbar.

[0043] The dimensions given in this description are to be understood as including standard tolerances. For the dimensions of the box, deviations from the nominal dimensions of +0.5% and -1.0% are considered within the permissible tolerance. For dimensions relating to a bottle, deviations of up to + / - 1.3 mm in diameter and + / - 1.5 mm in height are considered within the permissible tolerance.

[0044] The box preferably has openings in its side walls, which, depending on their size and arrangement, serve as windows and / or handles. Preferably, the box has handle openings on the short sides and window openings on the long sides. The window openings allow a side view of the bottles and / or multipacks inside the box. The size and arrangement of the windows can be chosen such that, in particular, any printing on the multipacks is legible from the outside without having to remove the multipack from the box.

[0045] The bottom of the box is preferably designed as a network of base struts, so that the bottom of the box has high stability at a comparatively low weight.

[0046] Preferably, a centering aid is arranged on the bottom of the box for each of the bottle holders.

[0047] Preferably, the base of each bottle holder has a recess to act as a centering aid, ensuring that the bottle is centered when inserted into the corresponding holder. This is particularly important when the bottles are not contained in a container but are inserted individually into the crate, for example, when returning empty bottles. The recess preferably extends 0.5 mm to 3 mm into the base of the crate.

[0048] As an alternative to a recess in the base, each of the bottle holders can also have a raised section that engages in a curve of the bottle base, serving as a centering aid for centering the bottles.

[0049] Preferably, the box is designed as a single-piece injection-molded part.

[0050] Preferably the material of the box is a plastic, wherein the plastic is preferably selected from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and / or polypropylene (PP). Advantages of the invention

[0051] The proposed crate allows for the storage of both individual bottles and multipacks containing several bottles, all within the same crate. This provides a high degree of flexibility in the composition of the crate contents, while still requiring only a single crate type.

[0052] Furthermore, the design of the crate ensures that the bottles placed in the crate, whether additionally stabilized by a multipack or not, whether empty or full, do not or hardly collide with each other, thus reducing the likelihood of noise and glass breakage.

[0053] The design of the box, with its described positive guides, also facilitates the insertion of one or more container carriers into the box.

[0054] Furthermore, the combination of quills of different heights in the box enables an efficient stabilization function, while simultaneously taking into account material, weight, and cost savings.

[0055] As used here and possibly in the attached claims, the singular forms "ein" / "eine" / "einer" and "der" / "die" / "das" can also include their plurals unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the words "umfassen" (to include), "haltenten" (to contain), and "aufweisen" (to exhibit) are to be understood as both "exclusively" and "not exclusively," i.e., in the sense of "including, but not limited to...". The terms "mehrere" (several), "Vielfaches" (multiple), or "Vielzahl" (multiple) usually refer to two or more, i.e., 2 or >2, including further integer multiples of 1, where the terms "einn" (single) or "allein" (alone) refer to one (1), i.e., "=1". Furthermore, the expression "mindestens eins" (at least one) or "öigstens eins" (at least one) is to be understood as one or more, i.e., 1 or >1, also including integer multiples.Furthermore, when the words "herein", "above", "before" and "below" or "following" and words with similar meanings are used in this description, they should refer to this description as a whole and not to specific parts of the description.

[0056] The description of specific embodiments in this document is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is the disclosure given herein intended to be limited to the exact form disclosed. While the specific embodiments and examples described herein serve to illustrate the disclosure, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art in this technical field. Specific technical elements of described embodiments may be combined with or replaced by technical elements in other embodiments within the scope of the claims. In the drawings, identical reference numerals denote identical elements to avoid repetition, and parts that a person skilled in the art can implement without special knowledge may be omitted for the sake of clarity.While advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure are described in connection with those embodiments, other embodiments may also have these advantages.

[0057] The following embodiments are intended to illustrate various possible modifications of the present invention. As such, all specific technical details, as also discussed below, are not to be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present invention. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations can be made without deviating from the scope of protection of the present application as defined by the appended claims. Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments shown in the figures. Brief description of the characters

[0058] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. They show: Figure 1 is a perspective schematic representation of the box according to the invention. Figure 2 Figure 1 is a schematic exterior view of the box of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the box in cross-section, showing an interior view of the box. Figure 4 is a to Figure 3 A similar further schematic side view of the box in cross-section, showing an interior view of the box, wherein a container carrier of the invention with a bottle is inserted in the box. Figure 5 Figure 1 is a schematic view of the box of the invention in a top view. Figure 6 Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a container carrier of the invention. Figure 7 is a bottom view of a container support of the invention; and Figure 8is a schematic representation of a cutting pattern for a container carrier of the invention. Embodiments of the invention

[0059] In the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, identical elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions of these elements are omitted in individual cases. The figures represent the subject matter of the invention only schematically.

[0060] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box according to the invention. Figure 1Figure 1 shows a box 10 according to the invention for holding bottles and / or multipacks. The box 10 has a frame 12 with side walls 14 and a base 16. Pins of the first type 20 are also visible inside the box. The box also has a handle opening 28 and a window opening 30. Pins of the second type 22 are also visible inside the box, as well as partition walls 18. Of course, other pin arrangements are possible in further embodiments of the box. Figure 1 The box shown is set up to receive 4 container carriers, each capable of holding 6 bottles.

[0061] Figure 2Figure 1 is a schematic exterior view of the box of the invention, seen from the long side wall. Visible are the window opening 30, the side wall 14, which forms part of the box frame 12, and the box base 16. Inside, a quill of the first type 20 and a partition wall 18 can be seen through the window opening 30.

[0062] Figure 3 Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the box in section, showing an interior view of the box. Pins of the first type 20 and pins of the second type 22 are visible, as well as a partition wall 18 in section. A bottle holder 11, surrounded by pins, is also visible. The window opening 30 and handle openings 28 are also shown in section.

[0063] Figure 4Figure 1 is another schematic side view of the box in section, showing an interior view of the box, in which a container carrier of the invention with a bottle 40 is inserted. The multipack 42, which has section lines 422 and a handle cutout 422, is visible. Also visible is contact point 21, at which a quill of the first type 20 is in contact with a corresponding part of the multipack to stabilize it.

[0064] Figure 5 Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a box of the invention. Bottle holders 11 are visible, surrounded by pins of the first type 20 and the second type 22. In the example of the Figure 5 The box 10 is designed to hold four multipacks, each containing six bottles, and has two partition walls 18.

[0065] Figure 6 is a schematic side view of a container carrier of the combination according to the invention, which consists of the in Figure 8The pattern shown is obtained by folding. Clearly visible are the parallel crossbars defined by the cutting lines 422, forming a structure with bottle holders in a grid, each bottle holder designed to accommodate a single bottle, and the crossbars forming this grid structure are arranged only in the upper half-space of the box-shaped, open-topped container carrier. Also clearly visible are the double-walled handle structure with the handle cutout 421, as well as the recesses for secondary pins 425 located around the circumference of the container carrier.

[0066] Figure 7This is a bottom view of a container support of the combination according to the invention. The recesses for pins of the second type 425 can again be seen around the perimeter. The bottom view also shows the recesses for pins of the first type 424, which are located in the central area of ​​the bottom of the container support.

[0067] Figure 8 Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a cutting pattern for a container carrier of the combination according to the invention, which is designed to hold 6 bottles.

[0068] The container carrier is also referred to as Multipack 42. The pattern has fold lines 423. When creating the container carrier from the pattern, the pattern is folded along the fold lines. The pattern also has cutting lines 422. When creating the container carrier from the pattern, the cutting lines allow the formation of crossbars parallel to the end walls to form a structure with bottle holders in a grid, each bottle holder being designed to hold a single bottle, and the crossbars for forming a structure with bottle holders in a grid are arranged only in the upper half-space of the box-shaped, open-topped container carrier. The pattern also has handle cutouts 421, which, after folding, form a double-walled handle structure. Furthermore, the pattern has recesses for first-type pins 424 and recesses for second-type pins 425.The pattern also features interlocks 426, which allow the container carrier obtained by folding to remain in a closed form.

[0069] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described here and the aspects highlighted therein. Rather, within the scope specified by the claims, a multitude of modifications are possible that fall within the scope of the claims. Reference symbol list

[0070] 10 Box 11 Bottle holder 12 Box frame 14 Side wall 16 Box bottom 18 Partition wall 20 Spindle of the first type 21 Contact point Spindle - Multipack 22 Spindle of the second type 28 Handle opening 30 Window opening 40 Bottle 42 Multipack 421 Handle cutout 422 Cutting line 423 Folding edge 424 Recess for first-type quill 425 Recess for second-type quill 426 Interlock

Claims

1. Crate (10) for accommodating bottles (40), the crate comprising a crate frame (12), a first type of pinnacles (20), a second type of pinnacles (22), and a crate base (16), wherein the crate frame forms side walls (14) of the crate, wherein within the interior, a structure with bottle receptacles (11) is formed in a grid by the crate frame, the first type of pinnacles, and the second type of pinnacles, wherein each bottle receptacle is configured to accommodate a single bottle, and wherein a combination of several bottle receptacles is configured to accommodate a container carrier (42), wherein each pinnacle has at least one rib with an end face directed outward from the centre of the pinnacle for stabilising a bottle inserted into a bottle receptacle, wherein no plane extending from the end face of a rib to the centre of the pinnacle is parallel to a side wall of the crate; and the first type of pinnacles is configured such that the end section of each pinnacle of the first type, which is furthest from the crate base, has a central notch for receiving a part of the container carrier; and each pinnacle of the first type has a maximum height from the crate base to the outer end of the end section, which approximately corresponds to the shoulder height of the bottle to be accommodated, wherein the maximum height is preferably between 100 mm and 130 mm, more preferably between 110 mm and 120 mm, and most preferably 116 mm; and each bottle, once inserted into a bottle receptacle, is surrounded by at least two, preferably three, and most preferably four pinnacles, with at least one pinnacle being a pinnacle of the first type, characterised in that the second type of pinnacle has a maximum height that is about 30% to 40%, preferably 33%-35%, of the maximum height of the first type of pinnacle.

2. Crate according to claim 1, further comprising at least one first partition wall (18), which runs parallel to a side of the crate frame and connects the opposing side walls of the crate, wherein preferably the first partition wall lies on a central axis of the crate frame.

3. Crate according to claim 2, further comprising a second partition wall (18), which runs parallel to a side of the crate frame and connects the opposing side walls of the crate, and which is offset by 90° relative to the first partition wall, wherein preferably the second partition wall lies on a central axis of the crate frame.

4. Crate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the structure with bottle receptacles is formed in a grid of 4 x 6 fields, wherein preferably six of these bottle receptacles in an arrangement of 2 x 3 fields are configured to accommodate a container carrier with six of these bottles, or four of these bottle receptacles in an arrangement of 2 x 2 fields are configured to accommodate a container carrier with four of these bottles, or eight of these bottle receptacles in an arrangement of 2 x 4 fields are configured to accommodate a container carrier with eight of these bottles.

5. Crate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each pinnacle of the first type has four ribs extending outward from the centre of the pinnacle and, in cross-section, are arranged in a crosswise manner, preferably around a centrally located hollow tube.

6. Crate according to claim 5, wherein each rib of the pinnacle of the first type tapers in the end section furthest from the crate base, from the centre of the pinnacle to the end of the end section towards the outward-facing end face, thereby forming the central notch.

7. Crate according to claim 6, wherein the central notch at the end section of the pinnacles of the first type has a height of 20 mm to 30 mm, preferably 25 mm, wherein preferably the angle between two edges of the tapering end section of two opposing ribs forming the central notch is 28° to 44°, preferably 36°.

8. Crate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the end section of each pinnacle of the second type, which is furthest from the crate base, has a central notch for receiving a part of the container carrier, which has a height of 8 mm to 12 mm, preferably 10 mm, wherein preferably each rib of the pinnacle of the second type tapers in the end section furthest from the crate base, from the centre of the pinnacle to the end of the end section towards the outward-facing end face, thereby forming the central notch.

9. Crate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each plane extending from the end face of a rib to the centre of the pinnacle is offset by 42° to 48°, preferably 45°, relative to a side wall of the crate.

10. Combination of the crate according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and a container carrier (42), in particular for bottles (40), made of a foldable flat material, wherein the container carrier is a crate-shaped container carrier with a base wall and longitudinal walls, wherein the container carrier is characterised in that the base wall has at least one first recess (424) for receiving a pinnacle of the first type of a bottle crate, wherein the cross-section of the first recess is rectangular, preferably square, and wherein no plane formed by a side of the rectangle is parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal wall; and that the base wall and the longitudinal walls have recesses (425) for receiving pinnacles of the second type, so that each bottle, once inserted into a bottle receptacle, is surrounded by at least two, preferably three, and even more preferably four recesses for receiving pinnacles, with at least one recess being a recess for receiving a pinnacle of the first type, wherein the container carrier is inserted into the crate, wherein the recesses in the container carrier have received the pinnacles, wherein preferably the central notch of the pinnacle of the first type has received the cross rib.

11. Combination according to claim 10, wherein the container carrier further comprises a lid wall, wherein the lid wall has at least two recesses which allow the container carrier to be lifted by engaging with the recesses, wherein the container carrier is preferably dimensioned to accommodate 4, 6, or 8 bottles.

12. Combination according to claim 10, wherein the container carrier is a crate-shaped, open-topped container carrier which additionally has end walls, has a central wall section in the container carrier parallel to both longitudinal walls, wherein the central wall section has a carrying handle in an upper section, has at least one cross rib parallel to the end walls between the central wall section and the longitudinal walls to form a structure with bottle receptacles in a grid, wherein each bottle receptacle is configured to accommodate a single bottle, and wherein the at least one cross rib for forming a structure with bottle receptacles in a grid is arranged only in the upper half-space of the crate-shaped, open-topped container carrier, and the base wall, the end wall, and the longitudinal walls have recesses for receiving pinnacles of the second type, so that each bottle, once inserted into a bottle receptacle, is surrounded by at least two, preferably three, and even more preferably four recesses for receiving pinnacles, with at least one recess being a recess for receiving a pinnacle of the first type.

13. Combination according to claim 12, wherein the container carrier has 4, 6, or 8 bottle receptacles, preferably 6 bottle receptacles.

14. Combination according to any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the container carrier is made from a single piece of flat material, preferably cardboard.