WO2001000493A1

WO2001000493A1 - Plastic container for the transportation and/or storage of goods

Info

Publication number: WO2001000493A1
Application number: PCT/NL2000/000429
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johannes Femminus Steenbergen
Original assignee: Schoeller Wavin Systems N.V.
Priority date: 1999-06-24
Filing date: 2000-06-20
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Also published as: AU5715700A; NL1012428C2

Abstract

Plastic container for the transportation and/or storage of goods, for example a bottle crate, comprising a base and vertical side walls, a label (24) and/or printed image being arranged on at least one of the side walls. To identify the container, an electronic transponder (26) is arranged between the side wall, on the one hand, and the label or printed image, on the other hand. The label or printed image, hides the transponder from view, so that there is little risk of it being damaged and the appearance of the container is not interfered with in any adverse way.

Description

Plastic container for the transportation and/or storage of goods

The present invention relates to a plastic container for the transportation and/or storage of goods according to the preamble of claim 1. The container is, for example, a crate or tray with a substantially rectangular base. In a particular design, the container is designed for the storage and transportation of bottles, for example for beer, cold drinks, etc. The present invention also relates to the production of a container of this nature.

A crate according to the preamble of claim 1, is known, from DE 196 13 494. This known crate has two opposite side walls which are provided with an imprint, for example, and indication of the name of the manufacturer, an indication of the goods held in the crate, and/or a decorative image.

The imprint is applied using a technique which is known in the specialist field as the "in-mould labelling" technique. In this technique, pre-printed labels made from a suitable plastic film are used, which form the ultimate imprint on the crate.

As described in DE 196 13 494, a label of this type - before the molten plastic is injected - is placed against a flat mould wall at the intended location in the injection mould and is then held in place. It is held in place by means of vacuum- application passages which are arranged in the flat mould wall and by means of which the label is sucked onto the mould wall around its periphery. Other known methods for holding the label securely against the flat mould wall comprise the use of static electricity or the use of a carrier film which releasably supports the pre-printed film on one side and on the other side is, for example, of adhesive design, so that this adhesive side can stick to the mould wall and can be pulled off following the injection-moulding of the crate.

Labels of this type are used in particular to attract the attention of the shopping public and to influence the impression made by the products on offer, which reasons are covered by the term "marketing" . In addition to the labels and/or printed image, crates of this type are frequently provided with an additional identification which is intended in particular to be recognized by automatic identification equipment. Identification of this nature is desirable in particular for logistics processes, for example, in order to enable a specific crate or a specific group of crates, for example belonging to a specific type of drink, to be selected from a large number of crates. The identification can also be utilized in equipment which handle and process the crates, for example for cleaning, or which place or remove goods (for example bottles or six-packs) into or from the crate. In the case of plastic containers, it is known to arrange a self-adhesive label with a readable bar code as an identification means, but this has the drawback that the bar code must always be arranged at a position which is easily visible, which has an adverse effect on the appearance of the crate. Furthermore, the label bearing this code may become damaged and therefore impossible to read.

In crates, it is also known to arrange an identification in the form of a specific relief in a defined area of each crate. The relief may, for example, be in the form of a pattern of small indentations on the outside of the crate. A relief pattern of this nature also disrupts the appearance of the container and, if the identification relief includes projecting parts, the relief in question can easily become worn and thus impossible to read, while, in the case of a relief comprising recesses, dirt and the like can build up in the recesses. Another problem with these known additional identification means is that some people take pleasure in damaging these identification means. It is known from WO 93/24381 to provide a container for the transportation and/or the storage of goods with an electronic transponder which can be read remotely and, if appropriate, can also be "written" remotely. The transponder is embedded in a wall of the container during the injection moulding of the container, the electronic parts of the transponder, such as the microchip and the antenna, firstly being accommodated in a protective housing. WO 93/24381 shows various methods with which - during the injection moulding - the protective housing together with the transponder accommodated therein is held in place in the injection mould. A first known method involves the flat sides of the housing being clamped between the opposite mould walls. A second known method involves the housing being held against a mould wall, in a manner which is not described, by means of a flat side. A third known method involves the housing being provided with pins which project outwards and come to bear against the mould walls. A fourth known method involves the mould being provided with moveable support means which hold the housing in the middle of the wall. Following the injection-moulding of the container, holes remain behind in the wall, where these support pins were previously located.

The object of the present invention is to provide a plastic container which, in addition to the label and/or printed image, is provided with an additional means for identifying the container. The invention also relates to the efficient production of containers of this type by means of an injection-moulding process .

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a container in accordance with the preamble of claim 1, which is characterized in that an electronic transponder is arranged between the side wall, on the one hand, and the label or printed image, on the other hand.

The invention also provides for the label and/or the printed image to hide the presence of a transponder in the container from view. As a result, the appearance of the container is not interfered with in any adverse way by the presence of the transponder. Furthermore, the public will be unable to see that there is a transponder in the container, so that the risk of anyone attempting to damage or remove the transponder is very low. It will be explained below that this arrangement of the transponder allows a particularly attractive production method for plastic containers having an electronic transponder.

As is known, electronic transponders may be of very thin design, as a type of flexible film. In this design, it is conceivable for the transponder to rest beneath the label and to form only a slight relief therein. If appropriate, the shape of the transponder is adapted to the printed image of the label, in order to give the label a slight relief in order to enhance the appearance of the label . In the context of the present application, the transponder may also comprise a relatively stable body on or in which the fragile electronic components of the transponder are accommodated, so that these electronic parts are protected from unintentional damage, at any rate before the transponder has been combined with the container.

Preferably, however, the transponder is embedded in a recess in the side wall of the container, preferably in such a manner that the transponder does not project noticeably beyond the said side wall.

In a highly advantageous embodiment of the container, the container is produced in a mould using an injection-moulding process or other moulding process and the side wall of the container comprises a panel-like body made from plastic, on the outer side of which a label made from plastic film is arranged, with the transponder beneath it, by - before molten plastic is introduced into a suitable mould - placing the label, which may have been pre-printed, along with the transponder which has been attached to the label on the side facing towards the side wall to be produced, at the intended location in the mould and then holding it securely in place at that location, the label and the transponder being securely bonded to the plastics material of the container and the transponder being embedded in the plastics material.

In one possible embodiment, the panel-like body of the side wall, in an area thereof which is covered by the label, has a relief with respect to the plane of the side wall. This puts the label in good stead for attracting the attention of the public.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for the production of containers of this type, as described in claim 7. In this method, use is made of a suitable (injection) mould, and a label, preferably made from plastics material, is arranged against a wall of the mould. Furthermore, the electronic transponder is attached to the label, preferably before the label has been placed into the mould but alternatively, if appropriate, after the label has been placed into the mould, so that the label serves as a temporary support for the transponder in the mould. Then, molten plastic is introduced into the mould, so that the transponder is completely or partially embedded in this plastic, after which the plastic cools and the container produced is removed from the mould.

In an advantageous design, the label is provided with a printed image before it is placed into the mould, although it is also conceivable for the label only to be provided with a printed image at a subsequent time or, as appropriate, not to be printed at all, for example because the label itself is already of the desired colour.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic, perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a crate according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a cross section on line A-A in Figure 1. Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic cross section through part of an injection mould for the injection moulding of the crate shown in Figure 1, and Fig. 4 shows a view corresponding to Figure 3, in a different position of the mould.

Figure 1 shows a plastic bottle crate 1 which has been produced by injection moulding and has a grid-like rectangular base 2 and four vertical side walls 3, 4, 5, 6 which are connected to one another at the corners of the crate 1. In the crate 1 is a compartment divider which forms compartments which are open at the top, each for holding a bottle. Each side wall 3- 6 is provided with a handle opening 7 for carrying the crate 1. It will be clear that this crate 1 serves only as an example. Thus the crate 1 could also be of different design, for example with a different compartment divider or an interior intended to hold groups of bottles packed in cardboard, such as six-packs. So-called half-height bottle crates, from which the bottles partially project at the top, or trays which only hold the bottom part of the bottles also fall within the scope of the invention. It would also be possible for the crate 1 to have no compartment divider at all and, in this case, to be designed more as a tray which can be carried by hand. The four side walls 3-6 of the crate 1 each have a panel-like body which, due to the injection-moulding, forms a unit with the remainder of the crate. Two of these panel-like bodies can be seen clearly in Figure 1, namely the panel-like bodies 10 and 11. These panel-like bodies 10, 11 are offset towards the inside, both with respect to the outer side of the corner parts 12, 13, 14 of the crate and with respect to a bottom edge 14 extending along the bottom side of the crate 1 and top edge 16 extending along the top side of the crate 1. The panel-like bodies 10, 11, as well as the panel-like bodies of the other two side walls of the crate 1, are each provided with a pre-printed label 24, 25 made from plastic film, which are applied using the in-mould labelling technique, as will be explained in more detail below. Beneath one of the labels, in this example label 24, there is an electronic transponder 26. One side of the transponder 25 bears against the label 24 and furthermore the transponder is embedded in the plastics material of the crate 1. As a result of this arrangement, the presence of the transponder 26 is not visible to the public from the outside, and the appearance of the crate 1 is not affected by the presence of the transponder 26. As a result of being embedded, the transponder 26 is well protected against damage, for example against damage caused by the crates being pushed past one another. In the cross-section shown in Figure 2, and also in the

Figures 3 and 4 which are yet to be explained, the thickness of the label 24 is exaggerated for the sake of clarity, as the person skilled in the art will be aware, labels for the in-mould labelling technique are usually very thin. Furthermore, it will be clear from the illustration shown in Figures 3 and 4 that the label 24 does not rest on the panel-like body, but rather is embedded therein. In the sketch shown in Figure 2, the label 24 appears to rest on the panel-like body, in particular on the flat section thereof, but this is caused by the thickness of the label being exaggerated in the drawing.

It can be seen from Figure 2 that the transponder 26 bears against the label 24 and is embedded in the panel-like body of the side wall. If appropriate, there may be a reinforcement, for example a small panel of plastic, between the label and the transponder, in order to protect the transponder against damage on that side. In one variant, the transponder itself has a sturdy housing. It will be clear that the label with the transponder behind it may also be situated at a different location of the crate. If appropriate, a plurality of transponders are provided for each crate, so that in the event of damage to one transponder it is still possible to identify the crate. The method for the production of the crate described above, in particular for applying its label and transponder, will be explained below with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

Figures 3 and 4 show a diagrammatic cross section through part of an injection mould for a crate, specifically in section transversely through the part which ultimately forms a side wall of the crate, i.e. in fact corresponding to the cross section shown in Figure 2.

Figures 3 and 4 reveal two mould parts of an injection mould for the production of the crate 1, namely a first mould part 31 and a second mould part 32. The first mould part has a mould wall 33, which defines the outer side of the side wall 3 of the crate 1, only the part for the panel-like body 22 at the location for the label 24 being shown in this figure. The second mould part 32 has a mould wall 34, which defines the inner side of the side wall 3 of the crate 1.

The mould wall 33 is in this case of planar design and is provided with a peripheral groove 36 which serves as a vacuum-application groove and is connected, via one or more passages 37 to a vacuum source (not shown) . The groove 36 may, for example, be formed as a narrow gap, for example with a width of the order of 0.1 millimetre. As a variant, the groove may be designed not as a groove which runs all the way around but as a succession of partial grooves or of vacuum-application holes.

Instead of a vacuum-application groove for holding the label securely in place, it is also possible for the label to be held in place by means of static electricity, in particular by charging the label . The mould wall 34 of the second mould part 32 is in this case likewise of planar design.

It can be seen in Figure 3 that the pre-printed label 24 is of such a size that it covers the vacuum-application groove 36 in the mould wall 33 and, as a result of a pressure-reduction being applied inside the said groove 36, is held in place against the first mould part 31. The label 24 can be applied as a result of the possibility of the second mould part 32 being moved to a distance from the first mould part 31, or removed altogether, in such a manner that the location for the label 24 can be reached by hand or by a mechanical label-positioning device.

After the label 24 has been put in place against the mould wall, the transponder 26 is attached to the label 24. This may, for example, be achieved by the fact that the label and/or the transponder are self-adhesive or in any other suitable way. In a variant, a transponder has already been fitted to the label before the label was placed in the mould.

It is important that the transponder be arranged on that side of the label which faces towards the side wall of the crate, so that the presence of the transponder is ultimately hidden from view by the label .

In this method, the label 24 serves as a temporary support or carrier for the transponder in the matrix, so that there is no need for other expensive measures for positioning the transponder at the desired location in the mould.

For injection moulding to take place, the second mould part 32 is now moved into the desired position with respect to the first mould part 31, which position is shown in Figure 4. To produce the crate 1, molten plastic is then introduced into the injection mould under high pressure. The label 24 is then pressed taut against the wall of the mould part 31 and the transponder is embedded in the injection-moulded plastic. If the transponder itself has a housing made from plastic, it is conceivable for this plastic to bond by fusion to the injection-moulded plastic, so that a very secure bond is obtained.

If necessary, it may be desirable to remove any air which is present between label and mould wall, in order to avoid air inclusion. This may, inter alia, be carried out by pressing the label against the mould wall by means of a soft, elastic pressure-exerting member, for example a block of foamed plastic or rubber, optionally using a robot.

The film of the label 24 adheres very strongly to the molten plastic of the crate 1, so that after the plastic has cooled sufficiently, the mould can be opened and the crate can be removed, with the label 24 being very securely fixed to the panel-like body 10 of the side wall 3.

To improve the adhesion of the transponder to the label, it is possible for an adhesive layer to be arranged between them. It is also possible for an adhesive layer, made from the same or a different adhesive material, to be arranged on that side of the transponder which is remote from the label, in order to promote adhesion to the injection-moulded plastic material. The adhesive layer may be formed by a (pasty) adhesive compound.

The transponder may also be provided with passages, such as perforations, grooves, channels or the like, for example in the area between the microchip and the antenna, in such a manner that plastics material can reach the rear side of the label via these passages and a direct bond can be obtained between the label and the plastic at the location of the transponder. Furthermore, in this way, the transponder is securely fixed and any air between the transponder and the label can escape, thus avoiding the formation of bubbles beneath the label . The adhesion of the transponder to the injection-moulded plastic can also be promoted by firstly - before it is positioned in the mould - enclosing the transponder in a plastic film which adheres more successfully to the injection-moulded plastic than the material of the transponder (housing) . The idea of enclosing the transponder with a film with a good adhesion can also be used if a transponder is being stuck to a wall of an existing plastic container.

Claims

1. Plastic container (l) for the transportation and/or storage of goods, comprising a base (2) and vertical side walls (3-6) , a label and/or printed image being arranged on at least one of the side walls, characterized in that a transponder is arranged between the side wall, on the one hand, and the label or printed image, on the other hand.

2. Container according to claim 1, in which the transponder is embedded in a recess in the side wall of the container.

3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, in which the side wall comprises a panel-like body made from plastic, on the outer side of which a label made from plastic film is arranged, with the transponder beneath it, by - before molten plastic is introduced into a suitable injection mould - placing the label, which may have been pre-printed, along with the transponder attached to that side of the label which faces towards the side wall to be produced, at the intended location in an injection mould and holding it securely in place at that location, the label and the transponder being securely bonded to the plastics material of the container.

4. Container according to claim 3, in which the panel-like body of the side wall, in an area thereof which is covered by the label, has a relief with respect to the plane of the side wall.

5. Container according to one or more of the preceding claims, which is provided with at least one handle for carrying the container, and preferably at least two opposite side walls are provided with a handle opening.

6. Container according to one or more of the preceding claims, which is a bottle crate, with a compartment divider being arranged inside a bottle crate.

7. Method for producing a container according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising the use of a suitable mould, in which method the label is arranged against one wall of the mould, characterized in that the electronic transponder is attached to the label before or after the label is placed into the mould, so that the label serves as a temporary support for the transponder in the mould, and in that molten plastic is then introduced into the mould, so that the transponder is completely or partially embedded in the plastic, after which the plastic cools and the container produced is removed from the mould.

8. Method according to claim 7, in which the label is provided with a printed image before it is placed into the mould.

9. Method for producing a container according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising the use of a suitable injection mould, having a first mould part (31) of which a mould wall delimits the outer side of the side wall of the container to be produced, and having a second mould part (32) which is moveable with respect to the first mould part (31) and, in an injection-moulding position thereof, together with the first mould part delimits a cavity corresponding to the shape of the side wall (3) of the container, the method comprising the steps of: - arranging a label against the said mould wall in such a manner that a peripheral edge region of the label bears against the mould wall, arranging a transponder on the label on that side of the label which is removed from the mould wall before or after the label is placed against the said mould wall, moving the first and second mould parts into the injection-moulding position, injecting molten plastic into the injection mould, in such a manner that the transponder is embedded in the plastic.

10. Method according to claim 9, in which the said mould wall is provided with an encircling vacuum-application groove which, via one or more associated passages (37) , is connected to an actuable vacuum source, and in which the label is placed against the said mould wall in such a manner that it covers the vacuum-application groove (36) and is held in place by a vacuum.

11. Method according to claim 9, in which the label is electrostatically charged before it is placed against the mould wall, so that the label is held securely against the mould wall by static electricity.

12. Method according to claim 9, 10 or 11, in which the label and/or the transponder is positioned with the aid of an elastically compressible positioning body which has a holding surface for holding a label and/or transponder which is to be positioned.