Lattice compartmental insert

Abstract

t (1) having longitudinal crosspieces (2) and transverse crosspieces (3), which are inserted into one another in the region of slits (4, 5) disposed in comb-like manner, and can be pivoted, relative to one another, about pivot axes that run along the slits (4, 5), whereby the slits (4) of the longitudinal crosspieces (2) have nose-shaped locking projections (7), which engage into correspondingly disposed locking openings on the transverse crosspieces. In order to facilitate insertion of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2, 3) into one another, without impairing the connection between longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2, 3) in the flat, laid-together storage and transport position and in the erected working position, the invention proposes that the locking openings (8) of the transverse crosspieces (3) are configured in rectangular manner, and are disposed, in each instance, in such a manner that a side edge of the rectangular locking opening (8) aligns with the progression of the related pivot axis, in such a manner that in the laid-together, flat state of the lattice compartment insert, for storage and transport purposes, the locking projection (7) of the longitudinal crosspiece (2), in each instance, engages behind the wall region of the transverse crosspiece (3) adjacent to this side edge of the locking opening (8).

Description

[0001]The invention relates to a lattice compartment insert having longitudinal crosspieces and transverse crosspieces, which are inserted into one another by way of slits disposed in comb-like manner on one side, whereby the lattice compartment insert can be laid together, flat, in the assembled state of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces, for storage and transport purposes, and can be erected for use, by means of pivoting the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces about pivot axes that run along the slits, and whereby

a.) the slits of the longitudinal crosspieces have a nose-shaped locking projection on a first side edge, in each instance, which projects into a recess on the opposite second side edge of the slit with its front region,b.) the transverse crosspieces are provided with locking openings through which the locking projections of the longitudinal crosspieces engage when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are inserted into one another, andc.) the locking projections of the longitudinal crosspieces, on the one hand, and the locking openings of the transverse crosspieces, on the other hand, are provided with interacting stops, which prevent the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces from being pulled apart when the lattice compartment insert is erected, by meeting one another.

[0002]Such a lattice compartment insert is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 529,173. An advantage of these lattice compartment inserts consists in the fact that the locking elements that are used hold the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces together, after they have been inserted into one another, not only in the erected position of the lattice compartment insert, but also when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are laid together, flat, for the purpose of storage and transport. This property is important, in particular, when these lattice compartment inserts are used in machines, i.e. in automatically operated packaging machines, where it must be ensured that when the lattice compartment inserts are erected by the machine, the cohesion of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces is not lost. Any disruption when the lattice compartment inserts are erected causes down-time and shut-downs of the packaging machine.

[0003]In the case of the aforementioned lattice compartment inserts, however, there are still problems resulting from the fact that the locking openings in the transverse crosspiece are all configured as narrow slits, into which all of the locking projections must be guided at the same time when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are inserted into one another. So that this succeeds in reliable manner, the side edges of the locking slits that lie opposite one another are configured as elastic tongues that can give way if the locking projections collide with the edges of the locking slits when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are inserted into one another. In this connection, it can easily happen that the locking projections and/or the elastic tongues are damaged, and this can particularly lead to disruptions during subsequent handling of the lattice compartment insert in packaging machines.

[0004]The same problems in putting together longitudinal and transverse crosspieces occur in connection with a similar lattice compartment insert that is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,090. Here, too, the locking openings in the transverse crosspieces are configured as narrow slits.

[0005]Furthermore, lattice compartment inserts are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,047 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,350, in which both the longitudinal crosspieces and the transverse crosspieces are provided with locking projections and locking openings, in each instance, which engage into one another when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are inserted into one another. In this way, the number of locking connections that is to be produced when longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are inserted into one another is doubled, and of course this makes the matter much more complicated and clearly increases the failure rate.

[0006]It is therefore the task of the invention to further develop the lattice compartment inserts of the type stated initially, to the effect that when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are inserted into one another, the danger of collision in the region of the locking elements is minimized, without the cohesion of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces in the storage and transport position or when they are being erected into the erected position being impaired.

[0007]To accomplish this task, the invention proposes, proceeding from the lattice compartment insert of the type stated initially, that the locking openings of the transverse crosspieces are configured in rectangular manner, and are disposed, in each instance, in such a manner that a side edge of the rectangular locking opening aligns with the progression of the related pivot axis, in such a manner that in the laid-together, flat state of the lattice compartment insert, for storage and transport purposes, the locking projection of the longitudinal crosspiece, in each instance, engages behind the wall region of the transverse crosspiece adjacent to this side edge of the locking opening.

[0008]Insertion of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces into one another is extraordinarily facilitated by means of the rectangular shape of the locking opening and by means of the special arrangement of the side edges of this locking opening in the alignment with the pivot axes, which in turn coincide with the progression of the slits in the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces. These can specifically be inserted into one another in a 30° pivot position along the slits, with only slight deformation of the locking projections. Afterwards, the locking projections project from the side edges of the locking openings assigned to the pivot axes into the free cross-section of the locking openings, without colliding with the edges of the locking opening. Subsequently, the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are pivoted by 150° in the direction towards the storage and transport position, to 180°, whereby the locking projections come to lie against the wall regions of the transverse crosspieces from behind, in each instance, which regions follow the side edges of the locking openings that lie in the alignment of the pivot axes. By means of the contact of the locking projections against these wall regions of the transverse crosspieces, secure locking of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces against one another is obtained even if the locking projections have only a relatively slight width. A slight width of the locking projections in turn facilitates entry of the locking projections into the locking openings when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces are inserted into one another. The good locking effect that is described is maintained when the lattice compartment insert is erected from the 180° storage and transport position into the 90° erected position.

[0009]In the following, an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in greater detail using the drawings. These show:

[0010]FIG. 1: a perspective view of a lattice compartment insert according to the invention, in the erected state;

[0011]FIG. 2: the lattice compartment insert shown in FIG. 1, in the laid-together, flat state, for storage and transport purposes;

[0012]FIG. 3: a front view of a partial region of the transverse crosspiece of the lattice compartment insert shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whereby the position of the nose-shaped locking projections of the longitudinal crosspieces is shown with broken lines;

[0013]FIG. 4: a front view of a partial region of a longitudinal crosspiece of the lattice compartment insert shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0014]In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 refers to a lattice compartment insert according to the invention, which consists of two longitudinal crosspieces 2 and two transverse crosspieces 3, which are inserted into one another by way of slits 4, 5 (cf. FIGS. 3 and 4). For storage and transport purposes, the lattice compartment insert 1 can be folded together from the erected state shown in FIG. 1 into the flat state shown in FIG. 2, whereby the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces 2 and 3 can be pivoted about pivot axes 100, along which the slits 4, 5 run.

[0015]The slits 4 of the longitudinal crosspieces 2 have a nose-shaped locking projection 7 on a first side edge 6, in each instance, which projects into a recess 10 on the opposite second edge 11 of the slit 4 with its front region 9. In this connection, the recess 10 has a width 14 that approximately corresponds to the width of the locking projection 7.

[0016]The transverse crosspieces 3, in contrast, are provided with rectangular locking openings 8, through which the locking projections 7 of the longitudinal crosspieces 2 engage when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces 2, 3 have been inserted into one another. The position of the locking projections 7 that engage through the rectangular locking openings 8 is indicated with broken lines in FIG. 3. The face side of the nose-shaped locking projection 7 of the longitudinal crosspiece 2, facing the slit 5 of the transverse crosspiece 3, serves as a first stop 12, so that in the erected state of the lattice compartment insert 1, the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces 2 and 3 are prevented from being pushed apart, by means of the contact of the first stop 12 with the edge of the locking opening 8 that acts as a second stop 13, facing the slit 5 of the transverse crosspiece 3.

[0017]The rectangular locking opening 8 having the side edges 101 and 102 and the width 103 is disposed in such a manner that the right side edge 101, in each instance (looking at FIG. 3) lies in the region of the pivot axis 100. In this way, the result is achieved, on the one hand, that in the erected state of the lattice compartment insert 1, the nose-shaped locking projection 7 supports itself laterally on the side edge 101 of the locking opening 8, so that a relatively stable connection between longitudinal and transverse crosspieces 2 and 3 is formed. On the other hand, the nose-shaped locking projection 7 engages behind the wall region 15 that follows the locking opening 8 on the right side edge 101, when the lattice compartment insert 1 is pivoted into the storage and transport position, specifically even if the locking projection 7 has only a relatively slight width, so that in the case of such a pivoting process, secure locking of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces 2 and 3 occurs in the laid-together state (cf. FIG. 2) of the lattice compartment insert 1.

[0018]For assembly of the lattice compartment insert according to the invention, the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces 2 and 3 are inserted into one another at an angle of about 30°, for example, at which the nose-shaped locking projections 7 project into the locking openings 8 of the transverse crosspieces 3 freely and without colliding with the edges of the locking openings 8.

[0019]Subsequently, the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces 2 and 3 are laid together in the opposite direction, i.e. pivoted by 150° to 180° (see FIG. 2), so that the nose-shaped locking projections 7 now engage behind the wall regions 15 of the transverse crosspieces 3, which regions follow the locking openings 8 (see FIG. 2).

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

[0020]1 lattice compartment insert [0021]2 longitudinal crosspiece [0022]3 transverse crosspiece [0023]4 slit (longitudinal crosspiece) [0024]5 slit (transverse crosspiece) [0025]6 first side edge [0026]7 nose-shaped locking projection [0027]8 locking opening [0028]9 front region [0029]10 recess [0030]11 second side edge [0031]12 first stop [0032]13 second stop [0033]14 width [0034]15 wall region [0035]100 pivot axis [0036]101 side edge [0037]102 side edge [0038]103 width

Claims

1. Lattice compartment insert (1) having longitudinal crosspieces (2) and transverse crosspieces (3), which are inserted into one another by way of slits (4, 5) disposed in comb-like manner on one side, whereby the lattice compartment insert (1) can be laid together, flat, in the assembled state of the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2, 3), for storage and transport purposes, and can be erected for use, by means of pivoting the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2, 3) about pivot axes (100) that run along the slits (4, 5), and wherebya.) the slits (4) of the longitudinal crosspieces (2) have a nose-shaped locking projection (7) on a first side edge (6), in each instance, which projects into a first recess (10) on the opposite second side edge (11) of the slit (4) with its front region (9),b.) the transverse crosspieces (3) are provided with locking openings (8) through which the locking projections (7) of the longitudinal crosspieces (2) engage when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2, 3) are inserted into one another, andc.) the locking projections (7) of the longitudinal crosspieces (2), on the one hand, and the locking openings (8) of the transverse crosspieces (3), on the other hand, are provided with interacting stops (12, 13), which prevent the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2, 3) from being pushed apart when the lattice compartment insert (1) is erected, by meeting one another,whereinthe locking openings (8) of the transverse crosspieces (3) are configured in rectangular manner, and are disposed, in each instance, in such a manner that a side edge (101) of the rectangular locking opening (8) aligns with the progression of the related pivot axis (100), in such a manner that in the laid-together, flat state of the lattice compartment insert (1), for storage and transport purposes, the locking projection (7) of the longitudinal crosspiece (2), in each instance, engages behind the wall region (15) of the transverse crosspiece (3) adjacent to this side edge (101) of the locking opening (8).

2. Lattice compartment insert according to claim 1, wherein the locking projections (7) freely project into the rectangular locking openings (8) of the transverse crosspiece (3) at an angle of 30.degree., when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2,3) are inserted into one another and when the longitudinal and transverse crosspieces (2, 3) are pivoted by 150.degree. into the 180.degree. position (storage and transport position), they come to lie against the wall regions (15) of the transverse crosspiece (3) from behind, which regions follow the side edges (101) of the locking openings (8) that lie in the alignment of the pivot axes (100), in each instance.

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