Title of Invention

TRANSPORTING AND STORAGE CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS

Abstract

Transporting and storage container for liquids,having a pallet-like substructure which is designed for handling by a stacker truck,storage and retrieval unit or similar transporting means,having an inner container made of plastic and with a filling nozzle and an outlet nozzle which can be closed,and having a grid casing which butts against the inner container and is made of criss-crossing horizontal and vertical grid bars made of metal,characterized in that a flexible inner container (2) made of plastic and a securing means (26,37) which is fastened in a removable manner on the grid casing (10),for the oulet nozzle (8),which is provided on the inner container (2) and is made of plastic,for the connection of a removal fitting (butterfly valve 38) as required.

Full Text

The invention relates to transporting and storage containers for liquids, having a pallet-like substructure, which is designed for handling by a stacker truck, storage and retrieval unit or similar transporting means, having an inner container made of plastic and with a filling nozzle and an outlet nozzle which can be closed, and having a grid casing which butts against the inner container and also [sic] crisscrossing horizontal and vertical grid bars made of metal. Transporting and storage containers of the generic type which are known from DE 197 22 194 C2 and have a blow-moulded inner container made of plastic are used for storing and for transporting all types of liquids in the chemical, pharmaceutical, mineral-oil and foodstuff industries. The stringent legal environmental-protection regulations require transfer from disposable containers, such as pallet containers and drums or barrels, for transporting and for storing different types of liquids to reusable containers, a changeover to larger-volume containers with the aim of reducing the residual quantities, and the development of new reusable containers which, in terms of relieving the environment of harmful substances, can be reconditioned and of which the plastic constituent parts contaminated by the liquid transporting and storage contents can be disposed of in optimum fashion by a low-pollutant or even pollutant-free destruction operation, e.g. by incineration. The obj ect of the invention is further to develop the transporting and storage container of the generic type in terms of a cost-effective reconditioning capacity by inexpensive production and optimum disposal of the plastic inner container and in terfhs^of transportation safety which satisfies extremely high requirements. This object is achieved according to the invention by a transporting and storage container for liquids having the features as described herein. The advantageous developments of the invention are also described herein. Accordingly the present invention provides a transporting and storage container for liquids, having a pallet-like substructure which is designed for handling by a stacker truck, storage and retrieval unit or similar transporting means, having an inner container made of plastic and with a filling nozzle and an outlet nozzle which can be closed, and having a grid casing which butts against the inner container and is made of criss-crossing horizontal and vertical grid bars made of metal, characterized in that a flexible inner container made of plastic and a securing means which is fastened in a removable manner on the grid casing, for the outlet nozzle, which is provided on the inner container and is made of plastic, for the connection of a removal fitting (butterfly valve) as required. The transporting and storage container for liquids according to the invention is distinguished by the following advantages: Designing the inner container as a flexible container, whfch comprises an inner enclosure made of plastic sheet material and an outer enclosure made of a woven fabric material, makes it possible, in relation to liquid containers having an inner container blow-moulded from plastic, to reduce the empty weight and the transportation costs on account of the low thickness of the sheeting and of the woven fabric material and to decrease to a considerable extent the amount of plastic material contaminated by paints, varnishes and similar environmentally harmful liquids, with the result that the disposal of said plastic material does not pose any problems. The transporting container can be reconditioned cost-effectively at the production and liquid-filling companies by straightforwardly exchanging the inexpensive inner container, the small amount of space required for the flexible inner container, on account of the fact that it can be folded together, and the low production costs of the inner container making inexpensive storage possible. The production of the flexible inner container from a plastic sheet material and a woven fabric material preferably made of plastic is more cost-effective than the production of blow-moulded plastic inner containers using expensive blow-moulding machines, which require high investment costs. Finally, the securing means, which is to be fastened on a horizontal grid bar on the inside of the grid casing and is intended for the inner-container^ouciec nozzie, to which a removal fitting can be connected, satisfies the prescribed transportation-safety requirements for the liquid container equipped with a flexible inner container. The transporting and storage container for liquids according to the invention is explained hereinbelow with reference to schematic drawings, in which, Figure 1 illustrates a perspective illustration of a transporting and storage container, Figure 2 illustrates a perspective front view of the securing means for the outlet nozzle of the container according to Figure 1, Figure 3 illustrates a perspective rear view of the securing means according to Figure 2, Figure 4 illustrates a partial longitudinal section of the securing means, Figure 5 illustrates an exploded illustration of a securing means for the outlet nozzle of the container according to Figure 1 with a butterfly valve, Figure 6 illustrates a perspective illustration of the securing means, of the outlet nozzle and of the butterfly valve in the ready-assembled state, Figure 7 illustrates a longitudinal section through the securing means and the assembled outlet nozzle with connected butterfly valve, and Figure 8 illustrates an enlarged illustration of a detail VIII from Figure 7. The transporting and storage container 1 according to Figure 1, which is intended for liquids and can be used as a disposable container and a reusable container, has, as its main components, an exchangeable, flexible, cuboidal inner container 2 with rounded corners 3, which is made of an inner enclosure 4 made of plastic material, e.g. a polyethylene sheet material, and of an outer enclosure 5 which reinforces the inner enclosure and is made of a translucent woven fabric material, e.g. of a polyamide fibre, said inner container 2 being equipped with a filling nozzle 6 which can be closed by a screw cover 7 and with an outlet nozzle 8 which can be closed by a screw cover 9 and is intended for the connection of a removal fitting as required, and also has a grid casing 10, which is made of criss-crossing horizontal and vertical grid bars 11, 12 made of metal, and a pallet-like substructure 13 which is made of metal, has European-standard length and width dimensions, is equipped with a flat base tray 14 for accommodating with a form fit the liquid-filled inner container 2 and is designed for handling by a stacker struck, storage and retrieval unit or the like. The outer enclosure 5 of the inner container 2 comprises a casing blank, a base blank and a cover blank 15, 16, 17, which are sewn or adhesively bonded to welded border strips of the inner enclosure 4. Welded onto the blank of the inner enclosure 4 of the inner container 2 is a blank 18 which has borders which are formed as loops 19, 20 and are intended for hanging the inner container 2 on cover bars 22, 23 of the transporting container 1, said bars being fastened on the top frame 21 of the grid casing 10. The outlet nozzle 8 made of plastic has a weld-on flange 24 and is welded, by way of the latter, to the border region of the outlet opening 25 of the flexible inner container 2. The outlet nozzle 8 of the inner container 2 is fastened in a removable manner on the grid casing 10 of the transporting container 1 by way of a securing means 26, which is illustrated in Figures 2 to 4. The securing means 26, which is injection-moulded from plastic, has a bottom part 28, which stands on the outlet region 27 of the base tray 14 of the substructure 13 of the transporting container 1, a supporting leg 29, which stands vertically on said bottom part and has a through-passage opening 30 for the outlet nozzle 8 of the inner container 2, and a bearing leg 31/ which projects forwards in the outward direction in a roof-like manner from the supporting leg 29 and is intended for the flexible inner container 2. The bearing leg 31 of the securing means 26 has an outer border 32 which is designed in the form of a hook and is intended for fastening the securing means 26 on a horizontal grid bar 11 of the grid casing 10 of the transporting container 1. The outlet nozzle 8 of the inner container 2, said nozzle being inserted with play through the through-passage opening 30 in the supporting leg 29 from the inside of the grid casing 10 of the transporting container 1, butts, by way of the weld-on flange 24, against the inside 29a of the supporting leg 29 and is secured against release from the securing means 26 by a retaining plate 33 which, on the outside 29b of the supporting leg 29, with a corresponding opening 34, can be pushed in captive fashion onto an offset portion 35 of the outlet nozzle 8 and engages behind an annular shoulder 36 on the offset portion 35 of the outlet nozzle 8. The outlet nozzle 8 of the inner container 2, said nozzle being seated in the through-passage opening 30 of the securing means 26, is supported on the bottom part 28 of the securing means 26 by way of a projecting bottom edge 24a of the weld-on flange 24, and is thus secured against rotation in the through-passage opening 30. Figures 5 to 8 show a securing means 37 with an outlet nozzle 8 which is inserted therein and to which a butterfly valve 38 is connected as a removal fitting for the transporting and storage container 1 for liquids according to Figure 1. The securing means 37 according to Figures 5 to 8, which is injection-moulded from plastic and shaped slightly differently from the securing means 26 according to Figures 2 to 4, has a bottom part 28, which stands on the outlet region 27 of the base tray 14 of the substructure 13 of the transporting container 1, a supporting leg 29, which stands vertically on said bottom part and has a through-passage opening 30 for the outlet nozzle 8 of the inner container 2, and a bearing leg 31, which projects forwards in the outward direction in a roof-like manner from the supporting leg 29 and is intended for the flexible inner container 2. The bearing leg 31 is subdivided into an obliquely upwardly directed section 31a, which adjoins the supporting leg 29, and a section 31b which is integrally formed on said section 31a, is inclined slightly in relation to the vertical and has an outer border 32 which is designed in the form of a hook and is intended for fastening the securing means 37 on a horizontal grid bar 11 of the grid casing 10 of the transporting container 1. The outlet nozzle 8 of the inner container 2, said nozzle being inserted with play through the through-passage opening 30 in the supporting leg 29 of the securing means 37, butts, by way of the weld-on flange 24, against the inside 29a of the supporting leg 29. The outlet nozzle 8 has, at its inner end 8a, a plurality of locking elements 39 for locking the nozzle 8 to the securing means 37 against release from the through-passage opening 30 in the supporting leg 29 of the securing means 37. The plastic housing 40 of the butterfly valve 38 is pushed onto the outer end 8b of the outlet nozzle 8, it being possible for said end to be widened elastically, and by virtue of a clamping sleeve 42 made of plastic, which is pressed into the nozzle end 8b for example by means of a bolt 41, said plastic housing 40 is clamped firmly on the outlet nozzle 8. The locking elements 39 are designed as locking noses 43 which are distributed over the periphery on the inner end 8a of the outlet nozzle 8 and are arranged, so as to be resilient to a limited extent in the radial direction, at the free end 44a of resilient tongues 44 integrated in the inner end 8a of the outlet nozzle 8. In the installed state of the outlet nozzle 8, the locking noses 43 engage in an annular groove 45 of the supporting leg 29 of the securing means 37. The locking noses 43 have a sliding edge 43a which slopes up counter to the insertion direction a and slides along the inner border 45a of the annular groove 45 of the securing means 37 as the outlet nozzle 8 is inserted through the through-passage opening 30 of the securing means from the inside of the grid casing 10 of the transporting container 1. With corresponding dimensioning of the clamping sleeve 42, the latter can subject the resilient tongues 44 with the locking noses 43 to a spreading action in order to lock the outlet nozzle 8 to the securing means 37. The outer end 8b of the outlet nozzle 8 has spaced-apart annular extensions 46 or a thread, which respectively form or forms a labyrinth seal together with the wall 48 of the cylindrical through-passage opening 47 of the housing 40 of the butterfly valve 38. WE CLAIM : 1. Transporting and storage container for liquids, having a pallet-like substructure which is designed for handling by a stacker truck, storage and retrieval unit or similar transporting means, having an inner container made of plastic and with a filling nozzle and an outlet nozzle which can be closed, and having a grid casing which butts against the inner container and is made of criss crossing horizontal and vertical grid bars made of metal, characterized in that a flexible inner container (2) made of plastic and a securing means (26, 37) which is fastened in a removable manner on the grid casing (10), for the outlet nozzle (8), which is provided on the inner container (2) and is made of plastic, for the connection of a removal fitting (butterfly valve 38) as required. 2. Container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing means (26) has a bottom part (28), which stands on the substructure (13) of the transporting container (1), a supporting leg (29), which has a through-passage opening (30) for the outlet nozzle (8) of the inner container (2), and a bearing leg (31), which projects forwards in the outward direction in a roof-like manner from the supporting leg (29) and is intended for the flexible inner container (2), and in that the bearing leg (31) has an outer border (32) which is designed in the form of a hook and is intended for fastening the securing means (26) on a horizontal grid bar (11) of the grid casing (10). 3. Container as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein the outlet nozzle (8) has a weld-on flange (24) for welding to the border region of the outlet opening (25) of the inner container (2). 4. Container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outlet nozz'c (8) of the inner container (2) is seated in the through-passage opening (30) of the securing means (26) by way of a rotation-prevention means. 5. Container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outlet nozzle (8) of the inner container (2), said nozzle being inserted with play through the through-passage opening (30) of the securing means (26), butts, by way of the weld-on flange (24), against the inside (29a) of the supporting leg (29) of the securing means (26) and is secured against release from the securing means (26) by a retaining plate (33) which, on the outside (29b) of the supporting leg (29), with a corresponding opening (34), can be pushed in captive fashion onto an offset portion (35) of the outlet nozzle (8) and engages behind an annular shoulder (36) on the offset portion (35) of the outlet nozzle (8). 6. Container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outlet nozzle (8) of the inner container (2), said nozzle being inserted through the through-passage opening (30) of the securing means (37), butts, by way of the weld-on flange (24), against the inside (29a) of the supporting leg (29) of the securing means (37), and the outlet nozzle (8) has, at its inner end (8a), one or more locking elements (39) for locking the nozzle (8) to the securing means (37), and the housing (40) of H removal fitting (butterfly valve 38) can be pushed onto the outer end (8b) of the outlet nozzle (8), and the housing (40) of the shut-off fitting (butterfly valve 38) is clamped firmly on the outlet nozzle (8) by a clamping sleeve (42), which is pressed into the outer end (8b) of the outlet nozzle (8). 7. Container as claimed in claim 6, wherein locking noses (43) which are distributed over the periphery on the inner end (8a) of the outlet nozzle (8), are designed to be resilient to a limited extent in the radial direction and, in the installed state of the outlet nozzle (8), engage in an annular groove (45) of the securing means (37). 8. Container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the locking noses (43) are arranged at the free end (44a) of resilient tongues (44) integrated in the inner end (8a) of the outlet nozzle (8). 9. Container as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the locking noses (43) have a sliding edge (43 a) which slopes up counter to the insertion direction (a) and slides along the inner border (45a) of the annular groove (45) of the securing means (37) as the outlet nozzle (8) is inserted through the through- passage opening (30) of the securing means from the inside of the grid casing (10) of the transporting container (1). 10. Container as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the clamping sleeve (42) subjects the resilient tongues (44) with the locking noses (43) to a spreading action in order to lock the outlet nozzle (8) to the securing means (37). 11. Container as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the outer end (8b) of the outlet nozzle (8) has spaced-apart annular extensions (46) or a thread, which respectively form or forms a labyrinth seal together with the wall (48) of the cylindrical through-passage opening (47) of the housing (40) of the removal fitting (butterfly valve 38). 12. Container as claimed in any one ot claims 1 to ri, wnerein tne securing means (26) for the outlet nozzle (8) of the inner container (2) is injection-moulded from plastic. 13. Transporting and storage container for liquids, substantially as hereinabove described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1016-mas-2000-abstract.pdf

1016-mas-2000-claims duplicate.pdf

1016-mas-2000-claims original.pdf

1016-mas-2000-correspondance others.pdf

1016-mas-2000-correspondance po.pdf

1016-mas-2000-description complete duplicate.pdf

1016-mas-2000-description complete original.pdf

1016-mas-2000-drawings.pdf

1016-mas-2000-form 1.pdf

1016-mas-2000-form 19.pdf

1016-mas-2000-form 26.pdf

1016-mas-2000-form 3.pdf

1016-mas-2000-form 5.pdf