Containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (11) for holding paints, varnishes, plastic dispersions, ready-mixed plasters or other substances requiring disposal, or foodstuffs. The container has an outer container (13) with a first base and a first shell (17) adjoining the first base, the first shell (17) having an opening (21) at its upper end (19), a lid (23) for closing and sealing the opening (21), and a lining (27) covering the inner surface of the outer container (13) and, together with the remaining contents, can be removed from the outer container (13) and disposed of. The lining is a dimensionally stable inner container (27) with a second shell (31) and a second base.

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a container for holding paints, varnishes, plastic dispersions, ready-mixed plasters or other substances requiring disposal or foodstuffs according to the preamble of claim 1. State of the art

[0002] Containers such as buckets, cans, or similar items made of metal or plastic for holding paints, varnishes, plastic dispersions, and ready-to-use plasters can, as is well known, only be completely emptied. Completely cleaning these containers is virtually impossible. Therefore, they must be used as disposable packaging and incinerated in a waste incineration plant.

[0003] In order to be able to reuse such containers or to submit them to a separate recycling process, containers with a lining in the form of a plastic film in the shape of a sack are known from the state of the art. The plastic film overlaps the edge of the container, can be clamped between the lid and the lid, and can be removed and disposed of along with the remaining contents. However, it is very time-consuming and time-consuming to insert the plastic film into the container without any creases and therefore smoothly. However, the lack of creases is a prerequisite for the contents to be able to be stirred mechanically without it tearing or wrapping around the stirrer. In addition, the film is not secured to the upper edge of the container after the lid is removed and runs the risk of falling into the container. Furthermore, cleaning the container with the inner sack using tools such as a trowel is not possible. Object of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved container with a lining which does not have the disadvantages mentioned above. Description

[0005] The stated problem is solved in a container for holding paints, varnishes, plastic dispersions, ready-mixed plasters, or other substances requiring disposal, or foodstuffs, by the features stated in the characterizing portion of patent claim 1. Further developments and / or advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent patent claims.

[0006] The invention is characterized by the fact that the lining is a dimensionally stable inner container with a second shell and a second base. The dimensional stability of the inner container has the advantage that it can be inserted into the outer container with little effort. The insertion can even be fully automated and therefore quick and efficient. Furthermore, the contents can be stirred with an agitator or completely emptied with a ladle without damaging the inner container or running the risk of wrapping around tools. A container is considered dimensionally stable if it is not pliable and has sufficient wall thickness to ensure stability and prevent it from collapsing.

[0007] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner container seals the inner surface of the outer container by virtue of the second shell being in sealing contact with the first shell at least at the upper end of the first shell by means of a sealing element. The sealing element ensures that the inner surface of the outer container is reliably sealed and that contents cannot penetrate between the inner and outer containers.

[0008] It has proven particularly useful if the second shell, adjacent to the sealing element, is dimensioned such that a gap is maintained between the first and second shells. The minimal contact between the inner and outer containers allows for easier insertion and removal of the inner container into the outer container. The bottom of the inner container rests on the bottom of the outer container.

[0009] Conveniently, the sealing element is located on the uppermost section of the second shell. This ensures that the outer container is sealed as high as possible by the sealing element, and the entire inner surface is protected from contact with the contents.

[0010] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the sealing element has a greater wall thickness than the rest of the second shell. The sealing element can therefore be considered a reinforced sealing ring that can exert sufficient contact pressure on the upper region of the first shell. The contact area with the first shell is kept as small as possible so that the resistance when inserting and removing the inner container from the outer container is only sufficient to ensure a reliable seal.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment, the sealing element in the cross-section of the second shell is an L-shaped collar. The collar enables reliable sealing with minimal material usage. For improved sealing, it is preferred if the collar cooperates sealingly with the first shell and the cover.

[0012] It has proven useful to position the collar in the sealing area between the first shell and the lid, particularly between the upper end of the first shell and a groove in the lid. This clamps the collar between the lid and the outer container, enhancing the sealing effect when the lid is closed. This is particularly advantageous when the contents are shaken with the lid closed.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment, an adapter element is formed at the upper end of the second shell, which adapter element is arranged between the upper end of the first shell and the lid and separates the lid from the outer container, wherein the adapter element can be positively connected to both the upper end of the first shell and the lid. The adapter element enables a firm connection of the inner container to the outer container and the lid. Removing and inserting the outer container is simple, as only the positive connection needs to be released or locked. Since the adapter element is placed on the upper edge of the second shell, the adapter element can be easily gripped in order to pull the inner container out of the outer container.

[0014] The adapter element conveniently interacts with the lid and the outer container to form a seal. For this purpose, the adapter element's upper surface is modeled on the upper end of the first shell, and its underside is modeled on the lid's edge. The sealing effect is therefore identical to the sealing effect between the outer container and the lid. Once the adapter element overlaps the upper end of the first shell, the inner surface of the outer container is completely sealed, making it impossible for it to become contaminated as long as the inner container is in place.

[0015] Advantageously, the adapter element is connected to the lid via a tamper-evident seal. This ensures that the commonly used tamper-evident seal between the lid and the outer container is also implemented when the inner container is in use.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment, the opening is sealed with a film by sealing it to the upper open end of the second shell. Since the film is sealed only to the inner container, the sealing film can be disposed of together with the inner container.

[0017] It is advantageous if the wall thickness of the inner container is no more than 1 mm, and preferably no more than 0.8 mm. This selected wall thickness ensures that the inner container is sufficiently dimensionally stable and stable to fulfill its intended purpose according to the invention, while still requiring minimal material usage.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the distance between the first shell and the second shell below the sealing element is at least 1 mm and preferably 1.5 mm. As a result, the second shell does not abut the first shell, and there is no surface friction when the inner container is pulled out of the outer container. Accordingly, the inner container can be easily separated from the outer container.

[0019] Advantageously, spacer elements are provided on the outside of the second shell and / or on the inside of the first shell. These spacer elements, preferably in the form of ribs, reliably prevent the buildup of a negative pressure between the outer and inner containers. The inner container can therefore be easily removed from the outer container without negative pressure hindering the separation of the containers.

[0020] Because the inner container is dimensionally stable, several inner containers can be stacked inside each other. The inner containers can be stored and transported in a space-saving manner and can be automatically inserted into the outer containers from the stack.

[0021] In another preferred embodiment, the inner container is made of a food-safe plastic, and the outer container is made of a recycled plastic. This significantly reduces the material used for the inherently much more expensive food-safe plastic, since only the thin-walled inner container needs to be made of it. The outer container can be made of a recycled and therefore cheaper plastic.

[0022] It is also preferred if the inner container is made of recycled plastic, especially PP, PS, rPET, PE, or ABS. The inner container must be disposed of together with any remaining contents and cannot be reused. Furthermore, the inner container is not visible from the outside. Therefore, it can be made of the most cost-effective and visually less attractive recycled plastic possible.

[0023] Because the inner container is advantageously injection-molded, thermoformed or blow-extruded, the inner container can be manufactured with the thinnest possible walls and at the lowest possible cost.

[0024] Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of several embodiments of the invention with reference to the schematic representations. These are not to scale: Figure 1: a detailed view of a container according to the invention in a first embodiment; Figure 2: a detailed view of the container according to the invention in a second embodiment; Figure 3: a detailed view of the container according to the invention in a third embodiment; Figure 4: a detailed view of the container according to the invention in a fourth embodiment; Figure 5: a detailed view of the container according to the invention in a fifth embodiment; Figure 6: a detailed view of the container according to the invention in a sixth embodiment; and Figure 7: a detailed view of the container according to the invention in the region of the container base.

[0025] In the Figures 1 to 7Detailed views of the cross-section through a container are shown, which is designated overall by the reference numeral 11. The container is intended for filling or storing paints, varnishes, plastic dispersions, ready-mixed plasters, or other substances requiring disposal, or foodstuffs.

[0026] The container 11 comprises an outer container 13, which can be, for example, a standard oval bucket for plastic dispersions or ready-mixed plasters. The outer container 13 comprises a first base 15 and a first shell 17 ( Fig. 7). The first casing 17 has an opening 21 at its upper end 19 through which the contents are poured and removed. To close the opening 21, the container 11 comprises a lid 23. So that the lid 23 can seal the container 11 in a way that prevents the contents from entering, the lid 23 and the upper end 19 form a labyrinth seal 25 with a plurality of grooves and projections that interact to form a seal.

[0027] To prevent the outer container 13 from coming into contact with the contents, the outer container is lined in the form of an inner container 27. The inner container 27 is therefore accommodated within the outer container 13. This is advantageous when the container 11 contains the aforementioned contents, the residues of which cannot be removed from the container 11 or can only be removed with great effort. The inner container 27 can then be easily removed from the outer container 13 and disposed of separately. The outer container 13, however, can be reused. The provision of the inner container 27 also makes it possible to fill the container 11 with food. In this case, the inner container 27 is made of a food-safe plastic and protects the food from the outer container 13.In this embodiment, the outer container 13 can be made of a lower-quality and correspondingly more cost-effective plastic, since it does not come into contact with the food. The inner container 27 can be made of recycled plastic, in particular PP, PS, rPET, PE, or ABS. The inner container 27 is preferably injection-molded, thermoformed, or blow-extruded.

[0028] The inner container 27 is dimensionally stable, i.e., sturdy and not flexible. The wall thickness must be sufficiently dimensioned to ensure the dimensional stability of the inner container 27, but for cost reasons, it should be as thin as possible. The wall thickness of the inner container is preferably 1 mm. Due to the dimensional stability of the inner container 27, the contents can be stirred with an agitator without damaging the inner container and causing leaks. The contents can also be scraped out of the dimensionally stable inner container 27, for example, with a ladle, without damaging the inner container 27. The inner container can therefore also be easily emptied of any residue. In addition, the dimensionally stable containers 27 can be stacked one inside the other and can be automatically inserted into the respective outer container 13. The inner container 27 has a second base 29 and a second shell 31 adjoining the second base 29.

[0029] To protect the inner surface of the outer container 13 from contamination by the contents, the second shell 31 has a sealing element 35 at its upper end 33. The sealing element 35 bears sealingly against the first shell 17. The second base 29 bears against the first base 15. The second shell 31 is dimensioned adjacent to the sealing element 35 such that a gap 36 exists between the first shell 17 and the second shell 31. The gap 36 is preferably 1.5 mm. Due to the gap 36, the inner container can be inserted into the outer container 13 and removed again with little resistance (low surface friction between the outer and inner containers). To prevent a negative pressure from developing between the outer and inner containers 13, 27, spacer elements in the form of ribs 38 are formed on the outside of the second shell 31.As a result, the first and second shells 17, 31 cannot be pressed together, which would lead to a negative pressure and, as a result, the inner container 27 can only be removed from the outer container 13 with great difficulty.

[0030] In the Figure 1 a first embodiment of the sealing element is shown, in which the sealing element 35 has a greater wall thickness than the rest of the second casing 31. Preferably, the sealing element 35 has a wall thickness of 2 to 3 mm.

[0031] In the Figures 2 , 3 , 4 and 6 A second embodiment of the sealing element is shown, in which the sealing element is a collar 35 of the second casing 31 with an L-shaped cross section. The collar 35 can rest on the inside of the first casing 17 and can be additionally sealed by a sealing ring 37 of the cover 23 ( Figure 3 ).

[0032] The collar 35 can also be arranged in the sealing area between the first jacket 17 and the cover 23 ( Figure 2 ). The collar 35 can be clamped between the upper end of the first casing 17 and a groove 39 of the cover 23 ( Figure 4 ).

[0033] In a third embodiment ( Figure 5) an adapter element 41 is formed at the upper end of the second casing 31. The adapter element 41 is arranged between the upper end 19 and the lid 23. The adapter element 41 separates the lid 23 from the outer container 13. The adapter element 41 is designed such that it can be positively connected both to the upper end 19 of the first casing 17 and to the lid 23. In order to realize the positive connection on both sides, the adapter element 41 is modeled on the upper end 19 and on the underside of the lid rim. As a result of this design, the adapter element 41 interacts in a sealing manner with the lid 23 and the outer container 13. In this embodiment, the outer container 13 is particularly well sealed from the inner container 27. Nevertheless, the completely emptied inner container 27 can be easily separated from the outer container 13, since the adapter element 41 serves as an attack element.In addition, when closed, it is visible that an inner container 27 is present.

[0034] The adapter element 41 can also be connected to the lid 13 via a tamper-evident seal, since in a prior-art container, the lid is also connected to the container via a tamper-evident seal before initial opening. This makes it immediately apparent whether the lid 23 has already been opened.

[0035] In Figure 6 It is shown that the opening 21 is closed with a film 43, which is sealed to the upper open end 33 of the second shell 31. It is advantageous if the sealing element is formed as the L-shaped collar 35 described above, since the collar 35 has an enlarged sealing surface. Since the film 43 is not peeled off but slit open to access the contents, the film 43 can advantageously be disposed of together with the inner container 27.

[0036] In the Figure 6 It is shown that the lid 23 has spacers 45. The spacers 45 rest on the film 43 and protect it. The spacers 45 also ensure that the inner container 27 is pressed into the outer container 13 as long as the lid 23 is in place. Legend:

[0037] 11Container 13Outer container 15First base 17First shell 19Top end of the first shell 21Opening 23Cover 25Labyrinth seal 27Inner container 29Second base 31Second shell 33Top end of the second shell 35Sealing element, L-shaped collar 36Spacer 37Sealing ring 38Spacer element, ribs 39Groove 41Adapter element 43Foil 45Spacer webs

Claims

1. Container (11) for holding paints, varnishes, plastic dispersions, ready-mixed plasters or other substances requiring disposal or foodstuffs, comprising - an outer container (13) with a first base (15) and a first jacket (17) adjoining the first base (15), the first jacket (17) having an opening (21) at its upper end (19), - a lid (23) for closing and sealing the opening (21), and - a lining (27) which covers the inner surface of the outer container (13) and is removable and disposable together with the remaining contents from the outer container (13), characterized by that the lining is a dimensionally stable inner container (27) with a second shell (31) and a second bottom (29).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe inner container (27) seals the inner surface of the outer container (13) in that the second jacket (31) bears sealingly against the first jacket (17) at least at the upper end (19) of the first jacket (17) with a sealing element (35), and in that the second jacket (31) is dimensioned following the sealing element (35) in such a way that a distance is present between the first jacket (17) and the second jacket (31).

3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the sealing element (35) is the uppermost shell piece of the second shell (31).

4. Container according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the sealing element (35) has a greater wall thickness than the rest of the second shell (31).

5. Container according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the sealing element in the cross-section of the second shell is an L-shaped collar (35).

6. Container according to claim 5 characterized in thatthe collar (35) is arranged in the sealing area between the first casing (17) and the cover (23), in particular between the upper end (19) of the first casing (17) and a groove (39) of the cover (23).

7. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at the upper end (33) of the second shell, an adapter element (41) is formed, which is arranged between the upper end (19) of the first shell (17) and the lid (23) and separates the lid (23) from the outer container (13), wherein the adapter element (41) can be positively connected both to the upper end (19) of the first shell (17) and to the lid (23).

8. Container according to claim 7, characterized in that the adapter element (31) cooperates sealingly with the lid (23) and the outer container (13).

9. Container according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the adapter element (31) is connected to the lid (23) via a tamper-evident closure.

10. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall thickness of the inner container (27) is at most 1 mm and preferably at most 0.8 mm.

11. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance (36) between the first jacket (17) and the second jacket (31) below the sealing element (35) is at least 1 mm and preferably 1.5 mm.

12. Container according to claim 11, characterized in that spacer elements (38) are provided on the outside of the second casing (31) and / or on the inside of the first casing (17).

13. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of inner containers (27) can be stacked inside each other.

14. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner container (27) is made of a food-safe plastic and the outer container (13) is made of a recycled plastic.

15. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner container (27) is made of recycled plastic, in particular PP, PS, rPET, PE or ABS and the inner container (27) is injection-molded, thermoformed or blow-extruded.

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