EP0324699A1 - Means for making an assembly of empty or full bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to means for making an assembly of empty or full bottles. This assembly comprises empty or full bottles (2) arranged vertically and superposed on one another, in different layers (3), each layer (3) being associated at the level of the bottoms and of the necks of the bottles with an insert (4, 5, 5a, 11) separating it from the adjacent layer (3) or from the outside of the assembly (1). Each insert (4, 5, 5a, 11) consists of an element having, on the one hand, a plurality of embossings (8, 8a) capable of interacting with the bottom of the bottles (2) forming a layer (3) so as to immobilise them with respect to one another, and, on the other hand, a plurality of centring orifices (9), each of which is capable of receiving the neck of a bottle (2) of the adjacent layer (3). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to means for producing a pack of empty or full bottles.

There is a known method of storing bottles in a vertical position inside various containers such as bins, racks, pallet boxes or on pallets or other support means which consists of superimposing them on each other at using a spacer placed between each layer of bottles. This interlayer consists of a panel of variable thickness often made of cardboard or a plastic material.

Pallet storage has the disadvantage of being unstable. It is therefore necessary to immobilize the bottles of each layer with respect to each other by using wedges, straps or else plastic covers.

Furthermore, it is impossible to superimpose a large number of layers of bottles, and to stack several pallets on one another without the risk of collapse.

The use of a panel as a spacer greatly limits the useful volume and, consequently, the storage capacity by increasing the size of the pack.

Containers with non-retractable walls occupy a large volume whether empty or full.

They do not provide stable storage of bottles.

It is therefore not possible to bring these bottles into a horizontal position without causing breakage. Such containers do not allow easy deconditioning of the bottles.

A method of storing bottles in a horizontal position is also known. In accordance with this, the bottles are placed in containers such as bins, racks, pallet boxes or the like, without using dividers.

Again the storage space is poorly exploited and the containers themselves are very bulky.

Handling and unpacking without breaking bottles is delicate and inconvenient to perform.

The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks mentioned above.

To this end, it relates to means for producing a pack empty or full bottles arranged vertically and superimposed on each other, in different layers, each layer being associated at the bottoms and necks of the bottles with an interlayer separating it from the adjacent layer or from the outside of the pack, characterized in that each spacer is constituted by an element having, on the one hand, a plurality of bosses able to cooperate with the bottom of the bottles forming a layer so as to immobilize them relative to each other and, on the other hand, a plurality of centering orifices each of which is capable of receiving the neck of a bottle of the adjacent layer.

Advantageously, there are provided connecting means securing the spacers to each other to allow manipulation of the pack in all directions, or even 360 ° rotations on itself.

The connecting means can be constituted by strapping or by any other known and appropriate means.

It is possible to switch this pack from the vertical starting position to the horizontal position without disorganizing the layers.

This pack of bottles may possibly rest on support means such as a pallet.

In the pack thus produced, the bottles are held in a completely stable manner.

In addition, the spacers according to the invention make it possible to carry out palletizing automatically and to increase the storage capacity, due to the particular arrangement of the bottles which they define in the pack.

When not in use, these dividers occupy very little space.

According to an advantageous arrangement of the invention, each insert has a generally rectangular shape, the bosses are arranged in a regular grid and define four to four a square whose center is common with that of a centering orifice.

This arrangement of the bosses and of the centering orifices on the spacers makes it possible to obtain a pack of parallelepiped bottles, stable and easy to handle.

Of course, the centering orifices have a variable height and are preferably of frustoconical shape so as to closely match the conical necks of the bottles.

According to the invention, the upper interlayer covering the upper layer of bottles has a thickness and, on its inner face, bosses of such height that they allow the pack to be turned over 180 ° on support means, the neck of each of the bottles in the pack being turned downwards.

In a first embodiment of the interlayer of the invention, the centering orifices are formed in the interlayer constituted by a panel and have a height substantially equal to the thickness of the latter, while the bosses are projecting relative to one of the faces of said panel.

According to a second embodiment, each spacer is constituted by a plate and each centering orifice is formed by a frustoconical rib whose part of larger diameter is connected to zones of the plate each of which is intended to support the bottom of a bottle, and of height greater than that of the plate in its support zones, each boss being constituted by the external face of the part of the rib projecting with respect to the rest of the plate.

The spacers are advantageously made by molding a plastic material.

Due to the stability that these means give the pack, the bottles can be easily unconditioned and placed in any desirable position.

This can be particularly useful in the field of wine packaging which requires that the corked bottles are, first of all, arranged vertically to dissipate the internal pressure, then placed horizontally to check the quality of the corking and finally, sent into the distribution circuit.

These perfectly centered and immobilized bottles in relation to each other are also perfectly suited to the Champagne wine-making method according to which the bottles must be stirred. Thanks to the means of the invention, it is no longer necessary to take each bottle individually to stir it, but the operation can be carried out at once on the entire pack.

It should also be noted that in the pack produced using the means of the invention, the bottles arranged in staggered rows do not touch; they are therefore all at substantially the same temperature due to the air circulation which can be established between them. This makes it possible to better control the autolysis of the wines thus stored, to control the rise in fermentation and to avoid breakage due to bottle explosions, as well as running-in of the bottles during handling in order to make them less brittle.

Finally, the rigidity and stability of the packaging thus formed allow stacking of the packs one on top of the other for storage and transport, hence a significant reduction in size and cost.

It should also be noted that a pack produced with the means of the invention can be set up directly in the sales department, in stores.

The spacers according to the invention adapt to most of the existing bottle configurations.

• Figure 1 est une vue de dessous d'un intercalaire,
• Figure 2 est une vue de côté de l'intercalaire de figure 1,
• Figure 3 est une vue de dessus de l'intercalaire de figure 1,
• Figure 4 est une vue de dessus du pack de figure 6, une fois réalisé ;
• Figure 5 est une vue de dessus d'une couche du pack de figure 6 adjacente à la couche de figure 4 ;
• Figures 6 à 9 sont des vues de côté montrant différentes positions d'utilisation du pack ;
• Figure 10 est une vue de détail en coupe partielle du pack de figure 6 montrant une première forme d'exécution de l'intercalaire ;
• Figure 11 est une vue similaire à figure 10 montrant une deuxième forme de réalisation de l'intercalaire.

In any case, the invention will be well understood and its advantages will emerge clearly from the description which follows, without limitation, of an exemplary embodiment as well as of a variant, of the means for producing a pack of empty or full bottles , with reference to the attached schematic drawing in which:

• Figure 1 is a bottom view of a spacer,
• Figure 2 is a side view of the interlayer of Figure 1,
• Figure 3 is a top view of the interlayer of Figure 1,
• Figure 4 is a top view of the pack of Figure 6, once made;
• Figure 5 is a top view of a layer of Figure 6 pack adjacent to the layer of Figure 4;
• Figures 6 to 9 are side views showing different positions of use of the pack;
• Figure 10 is a detail view in partial section of the pack of Figure 6 showing a first embodiment of the interlayer;
• Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 showing a second embodiment of the interlayer.

Figures 1 to 6 show the means according to the invention for producing a pack 1 of bottles 2 empty or full in which, as shown in Figure 6, these are arranged vertically and are superimposed on each other in different layers 3 .

These layers 3 are separated from each other by intermediate elements 4 , one of which 5 , upper, covers the upper layer 3 of the pack 1 and the other, lower, is arranged between the lower layer 3 and a pallet 6 on which it is based on the example of use in FIG. 6.

Connection means 7 , in this case formed strapping by metal or plastic strips surrounding the pack 1 so as to give it cohesion in all directions, including the vertical direction of the bottles 2 .

As is apparent from Figures 1 to 3 and 10, each intermediate element 4,5 is designed as a rectangular plate produced, preferably, by molding from a suitable plastic material.

This rectangular plate 4,5 includes a plurality of bosses 8 and centering orifices 9 .

The bosses 8 formed by studs projecting from one of the faces of the plate 4,5 are distributed in a regular grid and define four to four a square whose center is common with that of a centering orifice 9 .

As it appears in FIGS. 1 and 10, each centering orifice 9 has a frustoconical shape with a height substantially equal to the thickness of the plate 4.5 and intended to closely match the conical shape of the neck of a bottle 2 .

The face of the plate 4,5 not including the bosses 8 has grooves 10 intended to receive the straps of the straps 7 .

Figures 4 and 5 show that at each layer 3 , the bottles 2 are arranged in staggered rows, the bottom of each of them being immobilized by four bosses 8 while each centering orifice 9 remained free receives the neck a bottle 2 belonging to the adjacent lower layer 3 .

The bottles are thus held in position in a stable manner, on the one hand, by their necks engaged in their respective centering orifices 9 of a plate 4.5 and, on the other hand, by their bottoms, each of which is immobilized between four bosses 8 of another plate 4.5 .

The production of pack 1 can be done manually or automatically using straight bottle packers.

The means according to the invention make it possible to obtain a pack 1 of bottles benefiting from good cohesion and a robust structure.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, we can make it undergo a rotation of 90 ° to lay the bottles 2 in a horizontal position on the pallet 6 .

The thickness and the material used to manufacture each intermediate element 5 depend, of course, on the use of the pack 1 .

Indeed, for vertical storage (Figure 6), semi-rigid plates 4,5 are sufficient, while, for horizontal storage, rigid plates 4,5 are essential. Such plates 4,5 also allow the stacking of several pack 1 on each other (Figure 8), the bottles 2 being lying in a horizontal position.

In addition, the upper intermediate element 5a covering the upper layer 3 of bottles 2 can be designed with a thickness and bosses 8a formed on its inner face of height such that they allow the pack 1 to be turned over 180 ° on the pallet 6 , the neck of each of the bottles 2 of said pack 1 being turned downwards, as can be seen in FIG. 9.

This plate thickness 5a and this height of bosses 8a greater ensure the stability of the pack 1 thus arranged. Such a position can be particularly useful in the field of wine packaging.

FIG. 11 shows a second embodiment of the intermediate element belonging to the means of the invention.

The latter consists of a plate 11 made of a plastic material by molding.

Each centering orifice 9 is formed by a rib 12 of frustoconical shape, the part of larger diameter is connected to zones 13 of the plate 11 each of which is intended to support the bottom of a bottle 2 .

This rib 12 has a height greater than the average height of the plate 11 in its zones 13 .

Each boss 8 is formed by the external face of the part of the rib 12 projecting relative to the rest of the plate 11 .

The intermediate elements 4,5,5a, 11 can be made of plastic material by molding, but also of wood particles, pulp, cardboard or the like, by various molding techniques such as forming, injection, compression or thermoforming.

Claims (10)

1- Means (4,5,5a, 8,9,11,12) for the production of a pack (1) of empty or full bottles (2) arranged vertically and superimposed on each other, in different layers ( 3), each layer (3) being associated at the bottoms and necks of the bottles with an interlayer (4,5,5a, 11) separating it from the adjacent layer (3) or from the outside of the pack (1) , characterized in that each spacer (4,5,5a, 11) is constituted by an element having, on the one hand, a plurality of bosses (8,8a) capable of cooperating with the bottom of the bottles (2) forming a layer (3) so as to immobilize them relative to each other and, on the other hand, a plurality of centering orifices (9) each of which is capable of receiving the neck of a bottle (2) of the layer (3) adjacent. 2- means (4,5,5a, 8,9,11,12) according to claim 1, characterized in that there is provided connecting means (7) securing the spacers (4,5,5a, 11) each other. 3- means (4,5,5a, 8,9,11,12) according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting means (7) are constituted by strapping. 4- Means (4,5,5a, 8,9,11,12) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each interlayer (4,5,5a, 11) has a generally rectangular shape and in that the bosses (8,8a) are arranged according to a regular grid and define four to four a square whose center is common with that of a centering orifice (9). 5- Means (4,5,5a, 8,9,11,12) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the centering orifices (9) have a variable height. 6- Means (4,5,5a, 8,9,11,12) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the centering orifices (9) are of frustoconical shape so as to closely match the conical necks of the bottles (2). 7- Means according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the upper interlayer (5a) covering the upper layer (3) of bottles (2) has a thickness and, on its inner face, bosses ( 8a) of a height such that they allow the pack (1) to be turned over 180 ° on support means (6), the neck of each of the bottles (2) of the pack (1) being turned downwards. 8- Means according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the centering orifices (9) are formed in the interlayer (4,5,5a), constituted by a panel and in that they have a height substantially equal to the thickness of the latter, while the bosses (8,8a) are projecting from the 'one of the faces of said panel. 9- Means according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each spacer is constituted by a plate (11) and in that each centering orifice (9) is formed by a frustoconical rib (12) whose part of larger diameter is connected to zones (13) of the plate (11) each of which is intended to support the bottom of a bottle (2), and of height greater than that of the plate (11) in its zones -supports (13), each boss (8) being constituted by the outer face of the part of the rib (12) projecting relative to the rest of the plate (11). 10- Means according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the spacers (4,5,5a, 11) are made by molding a plastic material.

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