Hazardous goods container

Abstract

In a hazardous goods container (1) with a pallet base (4) produced as a twin-sheet component, with a folding wall ring (3) made of a thermoplastic material, and with a cover (2) produced as a twin-sheet component, wherein the folding wall ring in the erected functional state is releasably connectable at the top to the cover and at the bottom to the pallet base with the aid of locking devices (5) arranged on the cover and on the pallet base, and wherein each locking device has a movably mounted latch (9) which, in the locked state, passes through a complementary latch recess (8) of the folding wall ring, each latch recess is assigned a surface reinforcement which extends in planar fashion in the plane of the latch recess or parallel to the plane of the latch recess and is firmly connected to the folding wall ring, and which is provided with at least one cutout in alignment with a free cross-sectional area of the latch recess.

Description

[0001] Dangerous goods containers

[0002] The invention relates to a hazardous goods container with a pallet base which is produced as a twin-sheet component from a thermoplastic material, with a folding wall ring made of a thermoplastic material, and with a lid which is produced as a twin-sheet component from a thermoplastic material, wherein the folding wall ring, in the erected functional state, can be detachably connected to the lid on the top side and to the pallet base on the bottom side by means of locking devices arranged on the lid or on the pallet base, wherein each locking device has a movably mounted bolt which, in the locked state, penetrates a complementary bolt recess of the folding wall ring.

[0003] Such hazardous goods containers are generally known. Each hazardous goods container comprises a pallet base formed from two plastic shells made of thermoplastic material using a deep-drawing process to form closed cavities. A lid is also provided, similarly constructed from two plastic shells, forming cavities between these plastic shells, as a twin-sheet component made of thermoplastic material. The lid can be placed on one edge of the pallet base. A folding wall ring is also provided, made from a thermoplastic material with one or two shells. When in its upright position, it encloses a transport space for storing and transporting hazardous goods such as airbags, batteries, or similar items. When folded, the folding wall ring is placed on the pallet base and covered by the lid.When in its assembled state, the folding wall ring is inserted into the area near the edge of the pallet base and is closed at its top by the lid, which is placed on top of the folding wall ring. To secure the folding wall ring to the pallet base and to secure the lid to the top of the folding wall ring, locking devices are provided on the pallet base on the one hand and on the lid on the other. The folding wall ring has several slot-like locking recesses on both its underside and its top side, into which the locking device bolts can be inserted when the folding wall ring is to be locked to the pallet base and the lid. For this purpose, the locking device bolts are mounted in the pallet base or lid for linear movement, so that they can be inserted into or moved out of the locking recesses.The object of the invention is to create a dangerous goods container of the type mentioned above which ensures increased safety during the transport and storage of dangerous goods contained in the dangerous goods container.

[0004] This object is achieved in that each locking recess is assigned a surface reinforcement which extends flat in the plane of the locking recess or parallel to the plane of the locking recess and is firmly connected to the folding wall ring, and which is provided with at least one cutout aligned with a free cross-sectional area of ​​the locking recess. The surface reinforcement prevents edge areas of the locking recess from tearing out when the hazardous goods container is in its fully assembled, transported state, by placing the lid on the folding wall ring and the folding wall ring on the pallet base. The locking devices with their locks, which engage in the locking recesses, prevent the lid and / or pallet base from separating from the folding wall ring, so that the hazardous goods container can be handled as an assembled unit.Even if the hazardous goods container falls from a height of one or two meters, the surface reinforcements in the area of ​​the locking recesses ensure secure cohesion between the lid, folding wall ring, and pallet base. Tearing of the edge areas of the locking recesses on the folding wall ring, which could occur under heavy loads on the bars penetrating the locking recesses, is effectively prevented by the surface reinforcements. The solution according to the invention is particularly advantageously suited for the storage and transport of hazardous goods for the automotive industry, in particular for the storage and transport of batteries or airbags.

[0005] In one embodiment of the invention, a sheet-like structure made of a fiber-reinforced textile material is provided, which is embedded in the plastic material of the folding wall ring. If the folding wall ring is formed as a twin-sheet component in a double-shell design by simultaneously deep-drawing two plastic sheets to form cavities and welded plastic shells, the fiber-reinforced textile material can be inserted between the two plastic sheets in the deep-drawing tool during production of the folding wall ring. Alternatively, and particularly if the folding wall ring is made of a single-shell plastic, the fiber-reinforced textile material can be pressed from one side into the still-hot, flowable plastic material during production of the folding wall ring, whereby the textile material is also embedded in the plastic material of the folding wall ring after curing.The fiber-reinforced textile material is more durable than the plastic material of the folding wall ring. The cutout is created after the folding wall ring has been completed, with the fiber-reinforced textile material embedded in the locking recess, by removing, in particular milling, the fiber-reinforced textile material in the area of ​​the locking recess.

[0006] In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one plate part, particularly made of a material that is stronger than the plastic material of the folding wall ring, is provided as a surface reinforcement. The plate part has greater strength than the plastic material of the folding wall ring. The plate part is preferably made of sheet metal, particularly of sheet steel or of a light metal alloy. The cutout in the plate part is made by a suitable cutting process to create a cutout aligned with the free passage surface of the corresponding locking recess.

[0007] In a further embodiment of the invention, the plate part is folded over an edge of the folding wall ring and flanks a surface of the folding wall ring both on the outside and inside. The folding occurs at the edge area where the corresponding locking recess is also located. If the plate part is designed as a sheet metal part, this is preferably folded over by 180° around the corresponding edge of the folding wall ring and extends on both sides to the center of the folding wall ring, with the sheet metal component completely overlapping the locking recess on both sides. The folded metal sheet part has cutouts on the inside and outside, each of which is aligned with the locking recess in between. A folded plate part made of a different material is also provided with two aligned cutouts in a similar way.In the case of such a panel part, the folding can already take place during the production of the panel part, so that the panel part can be clipped onto the corresponding edge of the folding wall ring from above or below and then fixed.

[0008] In a further embodiment of the invention, mechanical fastening elements are provided that secure the panel part to the surface of the folding wall ring on the outside and / or inside. Riveted connections, screw connections, or similar mechanical fastening elements can be provided to securely fix the panel part to the folding wall ring.

[0009] In a further embodiment of the invention, in which each locking device has a cover plate for covering a guide space for the bolt, at least one securing element is provided which covers the cover plate on the outside at least in sections in a form-fitting manner. This prevents the cover plate from becoming loose under heavy loads and exposing the guide space, so that the bolt can emerge from the guide space and also detach from the pallet base or the lid. The at least one securing element is made of plastic or metal and is firmly connected to a surface of the pallet base or the lid. The securing element extends over the cover plate in such a way that the securing element forms a form-fitting retainer for the cover plate in its position as a wall of the guide space for the bolt.

[0010] In a further embodiment of the invention, a metal sheet is provided as the securing element. This sheet covers the cover plate and is attached to the pallet base or lid by means of mechanical fastening elements on the sides of the cover plate. A metal sheet strip is preferably provided as the securing element. Screws are preferably provided as mechanical fastening elements, which are screwed into threaded receptacles in the pallet base or lid. The metal sheet has corresponding openings through which the screws are inserted to be screwed into the threaded receptacles.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the invention, the latch is made of metal or a material that is stronger than the plastic material of the twin-sheet components. The latch can be made of steel or a light metal alloy. Alternatively, the latch is made of a material that is stronger than the plastic material of the twin-sheet components, in particular a high-strength plastic, a light metal alloy, or a steel part, advantageously a steel sheet.

[0012] Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the claims and from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated by the drawings.

[0013] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a dangerous goods container according to the invention,

[0014] Fig. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of a section II of the dangerous goods container according to Fig. 1,

[0015] Fig. 3 shows the dangerous goods container according to Fig. 1, but in a perspective obliquely from below, Fig. 4 shows an enlarged section IV of the dangerous goods container according to Fig. 3,

[0016] Fig. 5 shows a perspective view from the underside of a lid of the dangerous goods container according to Figs. 1 and 3,

[0017] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view from above of a pallet base of the dangerous goods container according to Figs. 1 and 3,

[0018] Fig. 7 shows an enlarged section VII of the pallet base according to Fig.

[0019] 6,

[0020] Fig. 8 shows an enlarged view of section VIII of the cover according to Fig. 5,

[0021] Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a folding wall ring of the dangerous goods container according to Figs. 1 and 3,

[0022] Fig. 10 shows an enlarged section X of the folding wall ring according to Fig. 9,

[0023] Fig. 11 shows an enlarged section XI of the folding wall ring according to Fig. 9,

[0024] Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a folding wall ring for a dangerous goods container according to Figs. 1 and 3,

[0025] Fig. 13 shows a detail XIII in an enlarged view of the folding wall ring according to Fig. 12 and

[0026] Fig. 14 shows a section XIV of the folding wall ring according to Fig. 12, also in an enlarged view.

[0027] A hazardous goods container 1 according to Figs. 1 to 11 has a pallet base 4, which is manufactured as a twin-sheet component from a thermoplastic material. Two plastic sheets are deep-drawn in a joint deep-drawing process, forming cavities and welding them together to form a one-piece body. The pallet base has a total of nine feet, which are created by appropriate shaping. A folding wall ring 3, which is also made from a thermoplastic material by deep-drawing, is detachably attached to the pallet base 4, either as a single-sheet component from a single plastic sheet or as a twin-sheet component from two plastic sheets to achieve a double-shell construction. The folding wall ring 3 is provided with film hinges at its corners and in the area of ​​its opposite, short side walls, which enable the folding wall ring 3 to be bent and folded together.

[0028] A cover 2 is placed on top of the folding wall ring 3. It is made of a thermoplastic material, similar to the pallet base 4, as a twin-sheet component. Its edge region overlaps the upper edge of the folding wall ring 3. In its erected functional state (Figs. 1, 3, and 9), the folding wall ring 3 is inserted into corresponding receptacles on an edge region of the pallet base 4, with the edge region of the pallet base 4 surrounding the folding wall ring 3 on the outside.

[0029] The folding wall ring 3 is positively connected to the lid 2 on the top side and to the pallet base 4 on the bottom side by means of locking devices 5. For this purpose, a total of four locking devices 5, each with a longitudinally displaceable latch 9, are integrated into the pallet base. A total of four locking devices 5, each with a latch 9, are also integrated into the lid 2. Similarly, the folding wall ring 3 has four latch recesses 8 on both its upper edge region and its lower edge region (Fig. 9), into which the latches 9 of the locking devices 5 engage when locked.In the locked state of the folding wall ring 3 with the lid 2 and the pallet base 4, the dangerous goods container 1 forms a uniformly handleable container body, wherein the folding wall ring 3 delimits a transport space of the dangerous goods container 1 laterally, the pallet base 4 delimits the transport space on the bottom side and the lid 2 delimits the transport space on the lid side.

[0030] To increase the security of the locked transport and storage state of the hazardous goods container 1, the bolts 9 of the locking devices 5 are made of a material that is stronger than the thermoplastic material, in this case metal, preferably in the form of a light metal alloy. The bolts 9 are linearly movable in corresponding guide spaces of the locking devices 5 between a locking position, in which they penetrate the bolt recesses 8, and a release position, in which they release the bolt recesses 8. Each bolt 9 has a sleeve-shaped tool engagement surface, which is accessible from a top side in the case of the lid 2 and from a bottom side in the case of the pallet base 4.Each locking device 5 also has a housing that forms the guide space for the linear displacement of the bolt 9. In the area of ​​the sleeve-shaped tool engagement surface of each bolt 9, the housing is provided with an elongated hole that limits the displacement of the bolt 9 by serving as a guide and as an end stop for the sleeve-shaped tool engagement surface of the bolt 9. Opposite the elongated hole, the housing of each locking device 5 has a cover plate 10 that closes the guide space. The cover plates 10 of the locking devices 5 are clearly visible in Figs. 5 and 6 and, in an enlarged view, in Figs. 7 and 8.

[0031] In order to prevent high loads, which can act on the respective bolt 9 of each locking device 5 in the locked state, from leading to a release of the respective cover plate 10, each cover plate 10 is secured to the respective twin-sheet component, i.e. to the pallet base 4 or the cover 2, by means of an additional securing element 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the respective securing element 11 is designed as a sheet metal strip which additionally supports the cover plate 10 in a form-fitting manner transversely to the direction of displacement of the bolt 9 in the region of the exit of the bolt 9 from the guide space. Each securing element 11 is firmly connected to the respective twin-sheet component, i.e. the cover 2 or the pallet base 4, by means of mechanical fastening means on opposite sides of the cover plate 10.

[0032] 1 to 11 is designed as a sheet-like structure made of a fiber-reinforced textile material. The sheet-like reinforcement is embedded in the plastic material of the folding wall ring 3 and extends from the edge of the folding wall ring 3 adjacent to the locking recess 8, i.e. from the upper edge of the upper locking recesses 8 and from the lower edge of the lower locking recesses 8, towards the center of the folding wall ring 3. The sheet-like reinforcement 12 in the form of the fiber-reinforced textile material was pressed from the outside into the still hot, flowable plastic material during production of the folding wall ring 3.Alternatively, when manufacturing the folding wall ring 3 as a two-shell twin-sheet component, the sheet made of fiber-reinforced textile material can also be introduced into the deep-drawing tool and welded between the two plastic shells. The sheet reinforcement 12 is designed as a rectangular sheet that extends across a width of the locking recess 8 and across the entire height of the locking recess 8, as well as toward the center over an additional height that corresponds to at least twice the height of the locking recess 8.

[0033] After embedding the surface reinforcement 12 in the plastic material of the folding wall ring 3 and subsequent cooling and stiffening of the folding wall ring 3, a cutout 13 is cut into the surface reinforcement 12 at the level of the locking recess 8, particularly by milling or another cutting process. The cutout 13 is shaped to match the locking recess 8 to allow the respective locking bar 9 to pass not only through the locking recess 8, but also through the cutout 13 of the surface reinforcement 12.

[0034] 12 to 14, a folding wall ring 3a is provided which is connected to a lid and a pallet base in the same way as is the case with the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 11. The folding wall ring 3a can therefore replace the folding wall ring 3 in the dangerous goods container 1 according to Figs. 1 and 3. Differences from the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 11 arise only in the folding wall ring 3a itself, with functionally identical parts or sections being provided with the same reference numerals but with the addition of the letter a. To avoid repetition, reference is made to the description of the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 11. The differences in the embodiment of the dangerous goods container according to Figs. 12 to 14 are highlighted below.

[0035] 12 to 14 is that corresponding surface reinforcements 12a for the locking recesses 8a in the area of ​​the bottom-side edge edges and in the area of ​​the lid-side edge edges of the folding wall ring 3a are designed differently than in the folding wall ring 3 according to Figs. 9 to 11. In the embodiment according to Figs. 12 to 14, the respective surface reinforcement 12a is created by a plate part in the form of a sheet metal part, which is applied to the outside of the folding wall ring 3a and folded over by 180° at the respective edge of the folding wall ring 3a and is also fastened to the inside of the folding wall ring 3a. For fastening the sheet metal parts forming the surface reinforcements 12a to the folding wall ring 3a, mechanical fastening elements in the form of screw or rivet connections are provided, which fix the sheet metal part to the plastic material of the folding wall ring 3a.The respective sheet metal part 12a is wider than the associated locking recess 8 and extends from the respective edge of the folding wall ring 3a to the center of the folding wall ring 3a, both on the outside and inside, across the respective locking recess 8a. Fig. 12 shows that the upper surface reinforcements 12a, which are applied to the inside and outside of the folding wall ring 3a and folded over in the area of ​​the upper edge, are significantly longer than the surface reinforcements 12a applied in the area of ​​the lower edge of the folding wall ring 3a. Each surface reinforcement 12a has a cutout 13a on both the outside and inside, the rectangular dimensions of which are matched to the dimensions of the locking recess 8a in order to allow the respective bolt 9 of the respective locking device 5 to penetrate therethrough.In the illustrated embodiment, the respective sheet metal part of each surface reinforcement 12a is formed by a one-piece sheet steel part that is folded over in the region of the respective edge. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a plastic plate part made of a plastic material that has greater strength than the plastic material of the folding wall ring 3a as the surface reinforcement instead of a sheet metal part. This plastic plate part can otherwise be designed identically to the sheet metal part of the surface reinforcement 12a according to Figs. 12 to 14 and can also be connected to the folding wall ring 3a by means of mechanical fastening elements.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Dangerous goods container (1) with a pallet base (4) made as a twin-sheet component from a thermoplastic material, with a folding wall ring (3, 3a) made of a thermoplastic material, and with a lid (2) made as a twin-sheet component from a thermoplastic material, wherein the folding wall ring (3, 3a) in the erected functional state can be detachably connected to the lid (2) on the top side and to the pallet base (4) on the bottom side by means of locking devices (5) arranged on the lid (2) or on the pallet base (4), wherein each locking device (5) has a movably mounted bolt (9) which, in the locked state, penetrates a complementary bolt recess (8, 8a) of the folding wall ring (3, 3a), characterized in that each bolt recess (8, 8a) has a surface reinforcement (12, 12a) which is arranged in the plane of the locking recess (8, 8a) or parallel to the plane of the locking recess (8,8a) is flat and is firmly connected to the folding wall ring (3, 3a), and which is provided with at least one cutout (13, 13a) in alignment with a free cross-sectional area of ​​the locking recess (8, 8a).

2. Dangerous goods container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that a sheet-like structure made of a fiber-reinforced textile material is provided as the surface reinforcement (12), which is embedded in the plastic material of the folding wall ring (3).

3. Dangerous goods container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one plate part, in particular a sheet metal part, is provided as surface reinforcement (12a) applied to the outside of the folding wall ring.

4. Dangerous goods container (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the plate part is folded over an edge of the folding wall ring (3a) and flanks a surface of the folding wall ring (3a) both on the outside and on the inside.

5. Dangerous goods container (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that mechanical fastening elements are provided which fasten the plate part on the outside and / or inside to the surface of the folding wall ring (3a).

6. Dangerous goods container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each locking device (5) has a cover plate (10) for covering a guide space for the bolt (9), characterized in that at least one A securing element (11) is provided which covers the cover plate (10) on the outside in a form-fitting manner, at least in sections.

7. Dangerous goods container (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that a metal sheet is provided as the securing element (11), which covers the cover plate (10) and is fastened to the pallet base (4) or the lid (2) laterally of the cover plate (10) by means of mechanical fastening elements.

8. Dangerous goods container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the latch (9) is made of a material, in particular of metal, which is stronger than the plastic materials of the folding wall ring (3, 3a), the lid (2) or the pallet base (4).

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