Bottle crate

Abstract

According to the invention, a crate 10 is provided for receiving bottles 40 to be received therein with a predetermined nominal diameter, wherein the crate 10 is adapted not to receive bottles with a nominal diameter that is smaller than the predetermined nominal diameter of the bottles 40 to be received. The crate comprises a crate frame 12, a crate base 6, and compartment walls 18, wherein the crate frame 12 forms side walls 14 of the crate 10 and the compartment walls 18, together with the side walls 14 of the crate frame 12, form a compartment with bottle receptacles 11 in the interior, and wherein each bottle receptacle 11 is designed to receive an individual bottle 40 to be received by the crate 10.Each area of the box bottom 16 corresponding to a bottle receptacle 11 has a circular opening 17 arranged centrally therein, the diameter Dopening of which is designed such that a bottle 40 to be received in the corresponding bottle receptacle 11 is held in this bottle receptacle 11, and that a bottle with a nominal diameter which is smaller than the predetermined nominal diameter of the bottles 40 to be received passes through the opening 17 and is not held by the bottle receptacle 11.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a box for holding bottles, wherein the box has a box base with bottle holders which have centrally arranged, circular openings so that bottles whose maximum diameter is smaller than a predetermined diameter are not held by the box base. State of the art

[0002] In the beverage trade, it is common practice to store and sell bottled beverages in containers, such as beverage crates. The bottle crates are normally made of plastic. These plastic bottle crates are traditionally divided into a grid and are rectangular in shape so that they are easy to stack for logistical purposes and can be fed into a uniform return deposit system. Such return deposit systems are already common practice in many countries. This means that as soon as a bottle crate has been refilled with empty bottles, the customer returns the crate and the empty bottles to the retailer and the customer receives a refund equal to the deposit paid in advance. This type of return deposit system ensures the sustainable use of the crates and bottles, as they can be recycled, i.e. cleaned and reused.

[0003] Beverage manufacturers often sell their beverages in various well-known bottle sizes and formats, which are then issued in bottle crates that can be distinguished by color and design, size, and / or container size, i.e., the number of bottles. However, this also means that the correct crates containing bottles in the appropriate format must be returned to the respective beverage manufacturer. Corresponding bottle crates contain, for example, 6, 12, 18, 20, or 24 bottles of a specific size. The size and shape of the respective bottle is usually selected according to the manufacturer and beverage, but often also corresponds to a norm or a specific standard. For example, neutral, reusable standard pool bottles for beer and beer mixes in Germany have long been listed by the VLB (Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei) Berlin (referred to among other things as "VLB-standardized") and, in some cases, also by DIN standards, such as the DIN 13487 standard.DIN 6198, DIN 6199, or DIN 6192. Bottle crates are not subject to any such standard; however, due to market and transport requirements, standard dimensions for various types of bottle crates have been established. For example, a beer crate containing 20 x 0.5 liter (liter) bottles typically has a base area of 400 mm x 300 mm and a height of between 260 mm and 300 mm, and a beer crate containing 24 x 0.33 liter bottles typically has a base area of 400 mm x 270 mm and a height of approximately 270 mm, in order to be able to be transported stacked on Euro pallets or brewery pallets with as little space as possible. In contrast, mineral water crates for 12 x 0.75 liter bottles typically have a base area of 355 mm x 270 mm and a height of 345 mm, while those for 6 x 1.5 liter bottles typically have a base area of 300 mm x 200 mm and the same height of 345 mm. Juice crates for 6 x 0.75 liter bottles or 6 x 1 liter bottles have an identical base area of 300 mm x 200 mm.

[0004] Bottle crates typically have a base that is either continuous or constructed as a dense network of base struts on which the bottles stand and are thus held in place within the crate. However, the network of base struts or the continuous base not only holds the bottles in the crate, but also stabilizes the structure of the crate and is thus an important component of conventional crates. The height of the crate can be dimensioned to roughly match the height of the bottles to be used, meaning that the bottles intended for this bottle crate do not protrude from the crate when the correct bottle is inserted into the corresponding crate.

[0005] A common bottle format for beer crates is a bottle with a volume or capacity of 0.33 liters ("0.33 l"). Various formats are known for bottles with a capacity of 0.33 liters, some of which are subject to DIN standards. So-called longneck bottles typically have a nominal diameter of 60.4 mm with a manufacturing tolerance of ±1.3 mm, thus a maximum outer diameter of 61.7 mm. Furthermore, 0.33-liter bottles are known in the Euro bottle and Sud bottle versions, which typically have a nominal diameter of 61 mm with a manufacturing tolerance of ±1.3 mm, thus a maximum outer diameter of 62.3 mm. Another common bottle format is a bottle with a volume or capacity of 0.5 litres. An example of this is the so-called 0.5 litre NRW bottle according to DIN 6075. According to the VLB (Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin) standard, a 0.5 litre bottle has a volume of 0.5 litres.The NRW bottle has a 26 mm neck opening, a height of 260 mm, and a nominal diameter of 67.5 mm, with a manufacturing tolerance of ±1.4 mm and a corresponding maximum outer diameter of 68.9 mm. The NRW bottle is widely used as a so-called VLB-standardized standard bottle. In 1990, it replaced the Euro bottle and has since been used, for example, for bottling all types of beer. It has a squat shape with a crown cork neck and is also known as a brewing bottle. The bottles are robust and stable, able to withstand the pressure of carbon dioxide and fermentation. Their reusable nature also makes them particularly durable and preferred for the return deposit systems mentioned above. Other, equally well-known bottle formats include bottles with a capacity of, for example, 0.2 litres, 0.75 litres or 1.0 litres, with corresponding nominal diameters of less than 67.5 mm or greater than 67.5 mm.Bottle formats also differ in the type of closure. For example, there are bottles with screw caps, crown caps, or swing tops. This is often independent of the respective capacity.

[0006] One problem that arises from the combination of different bottle formats and crates is that consumers often intentionally or unintentionally return the wrong bottles in a bottle crate, i.e. crates filled with bottles of an unsuitable format, to a point of sale to be submitted to the deposit system. For example, a larger bottle will not fit into one of the crate's numerous bottle receptacles, also known as bottle receptacles or bottle compartments, as the bottle compartments are usually dimensioned to accommodate the bottle. However, a much smaller bottle can be inserted into a bottle compartment that is actually intended for a larger bottle. Another problem with inserting unsuitable bottles is that such incorrect bottles are sometimes too high, i.e.protrude above the height of the bottle crate, as can be the case with longneck bottles or swing-top / perforated-mouth bottles, among others. In this case, the incorrectly loaded crates cannot be stacked without causing stacking problems or even breaking a bottle that is too tall.

[0007] Bottle crates with a crate frame, compartment walls, sleeves, and a base are known from DE 10 2011 106 254 A1 or EP 2 674 366 A1. These crates can accommodate bottles of specified dimensions. The crate frame determines the external dimensions of the bottle crate. The walls and sleeves form bottle receptacles inside the crate, keeping the bottles in the crate spaced apart. For example, if the crate is designed for 0.5-liter bottles, smaller 0.33-liter bottles, for example, will still fit in these bottle compartments due to the dimensions.If the incorrectly filled crate is returned to the beverage manufacturer, the manufacturer will receive, along with the returned bottle crate already covered by the deposit, bottles that are usually unusable for the manufacturer. These bottles must either be disposed of, which contradicts the idea of sustainability, or transferred to the appropriate beverage manufacturer, which involves unnecessary and undesirable effort and costs.

[0008] There is therefore a great need to solve the above-mentioned problems related to the return of the correct bottles to the beverage manufacturer. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention solves this problem with a bottle crate according to claim 1. More specifically, a crate for receiving bottles to be received therein with a predetermined nominal diameter is proposed, wherein the crate is adapted not to receive bottles with a nominal diameter that is smaller than the predetermined nominal diameter of the bottles to be received. The crate according to the invention comprises a crate frame and a crate base, wherein the crate frame forms the side walls of the crate. Furthermore, compartment walls are provided which, together with the side walls, form a compartment with bottle receptacles in the interior in a grid of rectangular fields, wherein each bottle receptacle is designed to receive a single bottle with a maximum diameter that fits the crate.Furthermore, each area of the crate base corresponding to a bottle receptacle has a centrally arranged, circular opening whose diameter D opening is designed such that a bottle to be accommodated in the corresponding bottle receptacle is held in this bottle receptacle, and a bottle with a nominal diameter smaller than the specified nominal diameter of the bottles to be accommodated passes through the opening and is not held by the bottle receptacle. In other words, the opening is designed such that bottles that are not the bottles to be accommodated fit through the opening, provided their nominal diameter is smaller than the nominal diameter of the bottles to be accommodated, i.e. their maximum outer diameter is smaller than the diameter of the opening.

[0010] In this context, "centrally arranged" means that each circular opening in relation to the rectangular compartment with the plurality of bottle receptacles in the corresponding bottle receptacle approximately describes a central inner circle whose circular axis lies on the central axis of the bottle receptacle.

[0011] In one embodiment, the diameter D opening lies in the range 90% D bottle_max < D opening < 95% D bottle_max . The diameter D opening of the opening therefore satisfies the equation 0.9 x D bottle_max < D opening < 0.95 x D bottle_max . In a further preferred embodiment, the nominal diameter of the bottle to be accommodated is 67.5 mm, and its maximum diameter D bottle_max is 68.9 mm due to a manufacturing tolerance of + / - 1.4 mm. This corresponds to the corresponding dimensions of a 0.5 liter NRW bottle.

[0012] The dimensions given in this description are to be understood as including standard tolerances. For the specifications relating to the crate dimensions, deviations from the nominal size in the range of +0.5% to -1.0% are considered within the permissible tolerance. For dimensions relating to a 0.5 liter bottle, manufacturing-related deviations of up to + / - 1.4 mm for the diameter and + / - 1.7 mm for the height are considered within the permissible tolerance. Tolerances can vary for different bottle types, as can be seen from the examples below.

[0013] For example, a 0.5-liter NRW bottle has a nominal diameter of 67.5 mm. With a manufacturing tolerance of + / - 1.4 mm in diameter, this results in a maximum diameter or maximum outer diameter of 68.9 mm and a minimum diameter or minimum outer diameter of 66.1 mm.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the bottle holders form a grid of 4 x 5 fields. Therefore, the proposed crate then has exactly 20 bottle holders. However, the fields can also be arranged in a grid with 3 x 6 or 4 x 6 fields. Accordingly, the proposed crate then has exactly 18 or 24 bottle holders, respectively. However, all common bottle crate grids are conceivable.

[0015] The maximum outer diameter D bottle_max of the bottle to be accommodated by the crate according to the invention is calculated as the respective nominal diameter plus the upper manufacturing tolerance. Thus, according to one embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the maximum outer diameter D bottle_max of the bottle to be accommodated by the crate according to the invention can be, for example, 67.5 mm nominal diameter plus the tolerance of 1.4 mm, i.e. 68.9 mm. The bottles with a nominal diameter of 67.5 mm are preferably 0.5 liter NRW bottles, each of which has a maximum outer diameter of 68.9 mm. The height of these bottles is 260 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.7 mm. The nominal diameter is 67.5 mm in each case, with, as described above, a tolerance of + / - 1.4 mm.In order to be able to accommodate bottles with a nominal diameter of 67.5 mm, each bottle receptacle of the crate according to the invention can have a compartment width in the range from 67.5 mm to 70 mm, particularly preferably in the range from 68 mm to 69 mm, for example 68.9 mm.

[0016] Other possible bottles that can be accommodated in the compartments of a box according to the invention are described below.

[0017] So-called 0.5 liter Steinie bottles have a N of 78.0 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.5 mm, as well as a height of 199 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.4 mm.

[0018] So-called 0.5 liter longneck bottles have a nominal diameter of 68.5 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.4 mm, as well as a height of 270 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.7 mm.

[0019] So-called 0.5 liter hole-mouth bottles have a nominal diameter of 69.6 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.4 mm, as well as a height of 255 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.7 mm.

[0020] So-called 0.5 liter Euro bottles have a nominal diameter of 70.5 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.4 mm, as well as a height of 228 mm with a tolerance of + / - 1.6 mm.

[0021] The dimensions of a crate described in this disclosure as an example for a 0.5 liter NRW bottle are adapted to the respective bottle type. For example, for a 0.5 liter Euro bottle, the width of the compartment is 70.5 mm to 72.5 mm, preferably 71.9 mm, etc. Each bottle holder can be designed such that a bottle with a larger nominal diameter than the nominal diameter of the bottle to be accommodated cannot be inserted into the bottle holder because the bottle would be too small.

[0022] The crate according to the invention allows for the storage of individual bottles. When a bottle is inserted into the corresponding bottle holder, the bottle base, which, due to its typically tapered shape at the bottom, usually has an outer diameter smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the bottle, penetrates the opening in the crate base to a certain depth. Ideally, the penetration depth should correspond to a maximum of one thickness of the crate base.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the crate has a length of 400 mm and a width of 300 mm. The height of the crate frame is between 260 mm and 300 mm, for example 270 mm. According to one embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the maximum height of a compartment wall starting from the crate base is in the range from 140 mm to 150 mm, with a height of 146 mm being particularly preferred. According to one embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the minimum height of a compartment wall starting from the crate base is in the range from 125 mm to 135 mm, with a height of 131 mm being particularly preferred. The height of the compartment walls is preferably selected in relation to the height of the bottles to be accommodated in the crate, which is, for example, 260 mm.

[0024] According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, at least one projection for securing a bottle base is arranged on the base of a bottle holder in the region of the opening, wherein the projection projects into the opening and can be connected integrally to the base. Furthermore, the projection can be provided around the opening, i.e. the projection can be an inward-projecting, circumferential overhang. The projection is designed to catch and clamp the base of a bottle as it is inserted into the opening and therefore takes on the function of a so-called clamping nose. This contributes to the positional stability of the bottle in the crate, and wobbling of the bottle in the bottle holder can be reduced or avoided. In addition, the projection serves to center the bottle in the bottle holder so that the bottle can be gripped more easily by a gripping device.

[0025] According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the crate frame has a first side and a second side. The compartment walls running parallel to the side walls of the first side intersect the compartment walls running parallel to the side walls of the second side at regular intervals at intersection points. The height of the compartment walls is at its maximum at an intersection point, i.e., it occupies a maximum height necessary for the compartment wall to sufficiently stably hold the bottles to be held. Halfway between two intersection points and in an area where the compartment walls run between an intersection point and a side wall, the compartment wall is at its minimum, i.e., it occupies a minimum height necessary for the compartment wall to sufficiently stably hold the bottles to be held. The height profile of the compartment walls essentially describes a zigzag shape.In one embodiment, in a region where the partition walls extend between an intersection and a side wall, the height of the partition walls is minimal starting at half the distance between the intersection and the side wall and remains at a substantially constant height. "Substantially constant" means that a slight increase in height may be present, for example, in the range between 0° and 5°.

[0026] In one embodiment, the first side can be a long side and the second side a short side, so that the box has a substantially rectangular but non-square shape. In another embodiment, the box is a square box, e.g., a so-called 30-box, for example, with external dimensions of 400 mm x 400 mm.

[0027] According to a further embodiment of the box according to the invention, openings are provided in the side walls so that a viewer from outside can see the contents of the box and can use the remaining web as a handle. The openings in the side walls can therefore serve as windows and / or as handles, depending on their size and arrangement. The box preferably has window openings on both the second and first sides. Optionally, ends of the compartment walls that extend towards the openings, i.e. would end in them, have a web, i.e. end in a web that serves as a replacement for the side wall missing at that point.

[0028] According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the compartment walls have stabilizing projections, in particular rounded stabilizing projections, which protrude into the bottle receptacle and are designed to stabilize and center a bottle located in the bottle receptacle. The stabilizing projections allow the bottles to stand upright in the crate, so that, for example, a gripper of a filling system can easily grasp the bottles from above. The optional rounded portions serve, among other things, to prevent any damp labels from being undesirably scraped or peeled off the bottles when the bottles are inserted into or removed from the crate.

[0029] According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the base has cutouts which are preferably arranged in the region of the intersection points of the compartment walls and which further preferably have a substantially diamond shape, wherein the substantially diamond-shaped cutouts have stabilizing webs projecting outwards from a crate interior. According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the base has cutouts which are preferably arranged in the corners of the regions of the crate base which correspond to the bottle receptacles adjacent to the side walls and which further preferably have a substantially triangular shape. The cutouts essentially serve to reduce the weight of the crate. According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the base has reinforcing ribs on its underside which run tangentially to the openings.These reinforcing ribs advantageously provide additional stability to the box according to the invention.

[0030] According to a further embodiment of the crate according to the invention, the compartment walls have windows or through-openings that connect the individual bottle receptacles to one another and, for example, enable easier insertion of the bottles to be inserted. These windows also serve to reduce weight. These windows are preferably arranged in the area of the intersection points of the compartment walls described above.

[0031] According to a further embodiment of the box according to the invention, an upper edge of the side walls has recesses. Furthermore, the box has a so-called stacking foot on the bottom, which extends outwardly from the box bottom and away from the interior of the box. The recesses in the upper edge of the side walls correspond to a contour of the stacking foot, so that two boxes can be stacked on top of each other. These recesses, which follow the contour of the stacking foot, are only necessary, for example, in the upper edges of the longitudinal side walls.

[0032] According to a further embodiment of the box according to the invention, the box is designed as a single-piece injection-molded part. Thus, the ribs are preferably made of the same material as the remaining parts of the box. The material of the box can be a plastic, whereby the plastic can be high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and / or polypropylene (PP).

[0033] The crate according to the invention allows for the storage of individual bottles of a specified size, for example, 0.5-liter NRW bottles with a nominal diameter of 67.5 mm or a maximum diameter of 68.9 mm. This ensures the reliable return of the correct bottles and crates to the correct manufacturer in a uniform return deposit system.

[0034] As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a" and "an" and "the" may also include their plurals, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Similarly, the words "comprise," "include," and "comprise" are to be understood as both "exclusive" and "non-exclusive," meaning "including, but not limited to...". The terms "multiple," "multiple," or "plurality" typically refer to two or more, i.e., 2 or >2, including further integer multiples of 1, with the terms "singly" or "alone" referring to one (1), i.e., "=1." Furthermore, the phrase "at least one" or "at least one" is to be understood as one or more, i.e., 1 or >1, also including integer multiples.Furthermore, the words "herein," "above," "before," "below," or "following," and words of similar import, when used in this description, are intended to refer to this description as a whole and not to specific parts of the description. Furthermore, the terms "approximately," "about," or "approximately" mean an amount that is approximately or nearly equal to the following value, with a maximum deviation of ~1% to 5%. These terms are used to denote an equivalent amount in the vicinity of the stated value.

[0035] Furthermore, certain terms are used for convenience and are not intended to limit the invention. For example, the terms "right," "left," "up," "down," "bottom," and "top" may refer to corresponding directions or positions in the figures used or their descriptions. The terminology used herein includes both the explicitly stated terms and their derivatives and terms of similar meaning. Spatially relative terms such as "below," "above," "over," "below," "proximal," "distal," and the like may also be used to describe the relationship of one element or component to another element or component.Such spatially relative terms may encompass various other positions and orientations of the elements or components in use or operation, in addition to the position and orientation shown in the figures. For example, if a device is viewed upside down in the figures, elements described as being "below" or "below" other elements or components would then be positioned "above" or "above" those other elements or components. The devices may also be oriented differently in space, for example, rotated 90° or oriented differently, and the spatially relative terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0036] The description of specific embodiments in this specification is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is the disclosure provided herein intended to be limited to the precise form disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples described herein are illustrative of the disclosure, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art. Specific technical elements of described embodiments may be combined with or substituted for technical elements in other embodiments. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate like elements to avoid repetition, and parts that one skilled in the art can implement without special knowledge may be omitted for clarity.If a figure contains reference numerals for clarity that are not explained in the part of the description associated with that figure, reference is made to preceding or subsequent sections of the description. While advantages associated with particular embodiments of the disclosure are described in connection with those embodiments, other embodiments may also include these advantages.

[0037] The embodiments described below are intended to illustrate various possible modifications of the present invention. As such, any specific technical details, as also discussed below, are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the present invention. Descriptions of "embodiment(s)" that do not fall within the scope of the appended claims merely represent possible exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered part of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope 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 illustrated in the figures. Short description of the characters

[0038] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. They show: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box according to an embodiment, viewed diagonally from above; Figure 2 is a side view of the first side of the Figure 1 shown box; Figure 3 a side view of the second side of the Figure 1 shown box; Figure 4 a plan view of the Figure 1 shown box from below, ie a bottom view; Figure 5 a top view of the Figure 1 shown box from above, ie a top view; Figure 6 a partially sectioned view of the Figure 1 shown box; Figure 7 a sectional view of the Figure 1 shown box along the section GG of Figure 6 ; Figure 8 a sectional view of the Figure 1 shown box along section DD of Figure 6 ; Figure 9 a sectional view of the Figure 1shown box along section EE of Figure 6 ; Figure 10 a detailed view of the lower part of a 0.5L NRW bottle; and Figure 11 a detailed view of the Figure 1 shown box in a perspective view from below. Embodiments of the invention

[0039] In the following description of the embodiments of the invention, identical elements are designated by identical reference numerals, whereby a repeated description of these elements is omitted in individual cases. The figures only schematically illustrate the subject matter of the invention.

[0040] Figure 1shows a crate 10 according to the invention for holding bottles in a perspective view obliquely from above. The crate 10 has a frame 12 with side walls 14 and a crate bottom 16. In a preferred embodiment, the crate bottom 16 is designed to be highly stable while being lightweight. The following can be seen in Figure 1 Furthermore, compartment walls 18, which are arranged parallel or perpendicular to the side walls 14 of the box 10 and connect them, so that in the interior, a compartment with bottle holders 11 in a grid of essentially rectangular fields is formed by the side walls 14 of the box frame 12 and the compartment walls 18 connecting them. Each bottle holder 11 is designed to hold a single bottle 40, in Figure 10shown, with a maximum outer diameter D bottle_max of, for example, 68.9 mm. Each area of the box base 16 that corresponds to a field of the grid and to a bottle receptacle 11 has a centrally arranged, circular opening 17, the diameter D opening of which is generally in the range of 90% D bottle_max < D opening < 95% D bottle_max . The box 10 also has a short and a long side and, in one embodiment, has outer dimensions of the base area of 300 mm x 400 mm. The side walls 14 of the box frame 12 and the compartment walls 18 form the compartment such that, in the embodiment shown, it has exactly 20 bottle receptacles 11 in a 4 x 5 grid. In other embodiments, fewer bottle receptacles 11, for example 18, or more bottle receptacles 11, for example 24, can be provided. Figure 2 and Figure 3show a side view of the long and short sides of the box 10, respectively. As particularly shown in Figure 3 As can be seen, the partition walls 18 can have windows or through openings 20. This results, among other things, in valuable material and weight savings. If the partition walls 18 also have the Figures 1 to 3shown zigzag shape (in side view), this can also lead to material and weight savings while at the same time ensuring stability. As can be seen from the figures, the height of the compartment walls 18 is approximately half the height of the side walls 14, whereby they fluctuate between a minimum and a maximum height according to the zigzag shape. The compartment walls 18 running parallel to the side walls 14 of the long side intersect or cross the compartment walls 18 running parallel to the side walls 14 of the short side at regular intervals, since all bottle receptacles 11 of the presently illustrated embodiment are of the same size. At these intersection points 21, the compartment walls 18 each reach their maximum height according to the zigzag shape.The height of the compartment walls 18 then decreases evenly up to half the distance between two intersection points 21, and then the height increases again up to the maximum height, thereby improving stability and bottle accommodation. Where the compartment walls 18 run between an intersection point 21 and a side wall 14, the height of the compartment walls 18 decreases evenly up to approximately half the distance between the intersection point 21 and the side wall 14 and then remains at a substantially constant height towards the side wall 14, finally ending in a stabilizing web 22. Openings 28, 30 are provided in the side walls 14, which serve as handle openings 28 or window openings 30. As shown in FIG. Figures 1-3 , 8 and 9The handle openings 28 are shown arranged in the side walls 14 of the short side of the box 10, and window openings 30 are arranged in the side walls 14 of the long side of the box 10. Generally, the compartment walls 18 have a small thickness, which is nevertheless sufficient to ensure stability and durability. If the side walls 14 have the handle openings 28 or window openings 30, the "bare" ends of the compartment walls 18 extending toward them can have the web 22 for stabilization and protection.

[0041] In Figure 2It is also clearly visible that the compartment walls 18 have stabilizing projections 26, in particular rounded stabilizing projections 26, which protrude into the respective bottle receptacle 11 and are designed to stabilize and center a bottle 40 to be inserted into the bottle receptacle 11. The stabilizing projections 26 allow the inserted bottles 40 to stand upright in the crate 10, so that, for example, a filling system can easily grip the bottles 40 from above. The rounded edges of the stabilizing projections 26 serve to prevent any moist labels from the bottles from being scraped or scratched off when the bottles 40 are inserted into or removed from the crate 10.

[0042] Figure 4 shows a bottom view of the box and Figure 5 a top view of the box. Figure 6is a partially sectioned view from above. Clearly visible are recesses 19 in the base 16, which can be regularly distributed across the base 16 and can further contribute to weight reduction. They are preferably arranged in the corners of the areas of the crate base 16 that correspond to the bottle receptacles 11 adjacent to the side walls 14. The recesses 19 preferably have a substantially triangular shape.

[0043] Further recesses 28 in the floor 16, which are larger than the triangular recesses 19, can preferably be arranged in the region of the intersection points 21 of the compartment walls 18. In one embodiment, these recesses 28 have a substantially diamond shape in plan view.

[0044] The remaining parts of the base 16 enclose the openings 17 in a circular manner. Flattening one side of the circle must be avoided to ensure that a bottle with a smaller diameter cannot fall through. Furthermore, a continuous circular shape is advantageous here to ensure increased stability. Accordingly, the circles should not have any interruptions, as otherwise a lateral impact from another crate (e.g., on a conveyor belt, etc.) can no longer be adequately absorbed.

[0045] In Figure 5It can be seen that an upper edge of the side walls 14, and here in particular of the longitudinal side walls 14, has semicircular cutouts 32, for example in the area of the longitudinal handle strips. The box 10 has a stacking foot 24 on the bottom 16, which, adapted to the circular openings 17, has a wavy shape at least on the longitudinal sides, which corresponds to the circular openings 17. The cutouts 32 in the upper edge of the box 10 correspond accordingly to the wavy contour of the stacking foot 24, so that when two boxes 10 are stacked on top of each other, the stacking foot 24 of the upper box 10 can be inserted into the upper edge of the lower box 10, thereby increasing stacking stability.

[0046] Figure 7A detailed view of the box 10 according to the invention along the section GG. Indicated by a dash-dot line, an NRW bottle 40 is inserted into the illustrated bottle receptacle 11. On the base 16 of the bottle receptacle 11, in the region of the opening 17, there is a projection for fixing a bottle base 15 of the bottle 40, which catches the base 41 of the bottle 40 as it is inserted into the opening 17 and clamps it. The bottle 40 is thus held firmly in the opening 17. The projection 15 for fixing projects into the opening 17, is integrally connected to the base 16 and runs around the inside of the opening 17. In this view, it can be clearly seen that a bottle with a smaller outer diameter will fall through the opening 17, whereas the illustrated bottle 40 with the larger outer diameter D bottle_max is caught and clamped.The diameter D opening of the opening 17 of the box 10 according to the invention satisfies the equation 0.9 x D bottle_max < D opening < 0.95 x D bottle_max .

[0047] Figure 8 is a sectional view of the Figure 1 shown box along section DD of Figure 6 , and Figure 9 a sectional view of the Figure 1 shown box along section EE of Figure 6 Both views provide a further detailed insight into the interior of the box 10 and show, in particular, the arrangement of the compartment with the zigzag compartment walls 18.

[0048] Figure 10 is a detailed view of the bottom of a 0.5 liter NRW bottle 40. More precisely, Figure 10a part of a bottle body or bottle belly 42 as well as a bottle base 41 of the 0.5 liter NRW bottle 40 are shown. As can be clearly seen from the illustration, the bottle belly 42 has a maximum outer diameter D bottle_max , which is 67.5 mm for a 0.5 liter NRW bottle. Towards the base 41, the outer diameter of the bottle tapers to a minimum outer diameter of the bottle body (without bottle neck) D bottle_min , which is significantly smaller than the outer diameter D bottle_max . The minimum outer diameter D bottle_min of the bottle body can, in one embodiment, correspond to the diameter D opening of the opening 17. According to the invention, the diameter D opening is likewise smaller than the maximum diameter D bottle_max . In particular, the diameter D opening can correspond to approximately 90% - 95% of the maximum diameter D bottle_max.This has the consequence that when a bottle 40 is inserted into the corresponding bottle holder 11 of the box 10, as shown in . Fig. 7 As shown, the bottle base 41 penetrates to a certain depth into the opening 17 in the box base 16, wherein the penetration depth in one embodiment corresponds at most to the thickness of the box base. However, the bottle 40 does not slip or fall through and is simultaneously held securely in the opening 17.

[0049] Figure 11is a section of a perspective view of the box 10 from below. It can be clearly seen here that the base 16 has reinforcing ribs 36 on its underside, running tangentially to the openings 17, as well as diamond-shaped webs reinforcing the stacking foot 24 and simulating the diamond-shaped recesses 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcing ribs 36 run both between the substantially diamond-shaped recesses 36 and between the outer stacking foot 24 and the substantially diamond-shaped recesses 36. The reinforcing ribs 36 provide the base 16 with additional stability, which can be advantageous, particularly with large openings 17.

[0050] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and the aspects highlighted therein. Rather, numerous modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, which are within the scope of one skilled in the art. List of reference symbols

[0051] 10 Crate 11 Bottle holder 12 Box frame 14 side wall 15 clamping nose 16 Box bottom 17 opening 18 Partition wall 19 essentially triangular recess 20 Window 22 web 24 Stacking foot 26 Stabilization advantage 28 Window / handle opening 30 Window / handle opening 32 wave-shaped recess 34 essentially diamond-shaped recess 36 Reinforcing rib 40 Bottle 41 bottle bottom 42 Bottle body / bottle belly D bottle_maxmaximum bottle outer diameter D bottle_min minimum bottle outer diameter D Opening Diameter of the opening

Claims

1. A crate (10) for receiving bottles (40) with a predetermined nominal diameter, the crate (10) being adapted not to receive bottles with a nominal diameter that is smaller than the predetermined nominal diameter of the bottles (40) to be received, the crate comprising: a crate frame (12), a crate base (16), and compartment walls (18), the crate frame (12) forming side walls (14) of the crate (10), and the compartment walls (18) forming, together with the side walls (14) of the crate frame (12), a compartment with bottle receptacles (11) in the interior, each bottle receptacle (11) being designed to receive a single bottle (40) to be received by the crate (10), characterized in that each area of ​​the box bottom (16) corresponding to a bottle receptacle (11) has a circular opening (17) arranged centrally therein, the diameter D Öffnungis designed such that a bottle (40) to be accommodated in the corresponding bottle receptacle (11) is held in this bottle receptacle (11), and that a bottle with a nominal diameter which is smaller than the predetermined nominal diameter of the bottles (40) to be accommodated passes through the opening (17) and is not held by the bottle receptacle (11).

2. Box (10) according to claim 1, wherein each bottle (40) to be accommodated has a maximum outer diameter D due to its predetermined nominal diameter. Flasche_max and the diameter D Öffnung the opening (17) satisfies the following equation: 0,9 × D Flasche _ max < D Öffnung < 0,95 × D Flasche _ max . in particular, wherein the maximum outer diameter D Flasche_max is 68.9 mm.

3. Box (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in thatat least one projection (15) for fixing a bottle base (41) is arranged on the base (16) of a bottle holder (11) in the region of the opening (17), wherein the projection (15) projects into the opening (17), preferably wherein the projection (15) is connected in one piece to the base (16), further preferably wherein the projection (15) is provided on the opening (17) so as to surround it.

4. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatthe box frame (12) has a first side and a second side, and in that the compartment walls (18) running parallel to the side walls (14) of the first side intersect the compartment walls (18) running parallel to the side walls (14) of the second side at regular intervals at intersection points (21), wherein a height of the compartment walls (18) is maximum at an intersection point (21) and minimum at half the distance between two intersection points (21), preferably wherein in a region in which the compartment walls (18) run between an intersection point (21) and a side wall (14), the height of the compartment walls (18) is minimum from half the distance between the intersection point (21) and the side wall (14) and remains at a substantially constant height.

5. Box (10) according to claim 4, characterized in thatthe base (16) has recesses (34) which are arranged in the region of the intersection points (21) of the compartment walls (18) and which preferably have a substantially diamond shape, wherein the substantially diamond-shaped recesses (34) further preferably have stabilizing webs projecting outwards from a box interior.

6. Box according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that openings (28, 30) are provided in the side walls (14), optionally wherein ends of the compartment walls (18) extending towards the openings (28, 30) end in a web (22).

7. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the compartment walls (18) have stabilizing projections (26), in particular rounded stabilizing projections (26), which project into the respective bottle receptacle (11) and are designed to stabilize and center a bottle (40) to be received in the bottle receptacle (11).

8. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the base (16) has recesses (19) which are preferably arranged in the corners of the regions of the box base (16) which correspond to the bottle receptacles (11) adjacent to the side walls (14), and which further preferably have a substantially triangular shape.

9. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the base (16) has reinforcing ribs (36) on its underside running tangentially to the openings (17).

10. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the partition walls (18) have windows (20).

11. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in thatan upper edge of the side walls (14) has recesses (32), wherein the box (10) has a stacking foot (24) on the bottom (16), and wherein the recesses (32) correspond to the contour of the stacking foot (24) so ​​that two boxes (10) can be stacked on top of one another.

12. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the bottle holders (11) form a grid of 4 x 5, 3 x 6, or 4 x 6 fields.

13. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the box (10) is designed as a one-piece injection-molded part.

14. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the material of the box (10) is a plastic, preferably wherein the plastic is selected from high density polyethylene (HDPE) and / or polypropylene (PP).

15. Box (10) according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein each bottle holder (11) is adapted to a bottle having a maximum diameter D Flasche_maxof 68.9 mm.

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