The invention concerns a frame for the storage of bottles/containers for keeping liquid, comprising means for supporting the bottles in a horizontal plane and sides which partially define a space in which the bottles are dis- posed, and a method for the storage of bottles/containers for keeping liquid, comprising means for supporting the bottles in a horizontal plane and sides which partially define a space in which the bottles are disposed. The in- vention also concerns the use hereof.

In connection with the storage, transport and distribution of bottles with large volume, and the bottles envisaged here are those which contain up to 40-50 I liquid, it is known to use shelf systems which constitute a form of assemble rack, in which rack the bottles are kept in storage. When the bottles are to be brought out to the customers, there is thus required a manual lifting of the bottles from the rack over on to a truck and the like, after which the bottles are transported out to that vehicle in which the further transport of the bottles is to take place. These vehicles are specially arranged vehicles in which shelves are built for receiving these special bottles of large dimensions. In the cases where only a smaller number of bottles are to be brought out, for example to smaller customers, it is still necessary to use one of these large vehicles for the transport, which is not economical.

Another possibility is that the vehicle is completely filled with bottles, after which transport is effected to the various recipients. A relatively un- economic transport is also involved in this case, in that the vehicle with its complete load must be driven from place to place. Finally, when the re-

cipient has been reached, a manual handling of the bottles is necessary, in that these are again removed individually from the rack, and are either carried manually into, for example, offices and so on, or transported by means of a truck or the like. The essential point here is that it requires a manual handling from the actual shelf where the bottle is tying, and further to the final place of delivery.

The bottles are to be found mainly in use in refreshment units as known from offices with water dispensation for general use. The storage of the bottles at the place of delivery also requires some form or another of specially-built rack system, where systems both for the storing of three and six bottles are also known.

In order to handle these large bottles, it is thus necessary to have special rack systems for the transport, and which consist as an integrated part of the vehicle, which means that it is necessary to have specially-built vehicles and to have special rack systems for the storage of the bottles out at the customer, i. e. especially in office environments, and finally to have rack systems for the storage of the bottles at the actual place of storage. Any form of handling from the one place to another requires manual labour, which is a very heavy and tiring work task for the relevant personnel.

It is the object of the invention to provide a frame for the storage of bottles/containers for keeping liquid which solves the above-mentioned problems, and thus to provide a system which can be used for the storage, transport and disposal of the bottles at the place of delivery, and whereby manual handling is avoided, in that the system will be applicable for move- ment by means of a truck, where a single frame at a time can be moved from the one place to another. Moreover, the frame also gives rise to a more flexible possibility of transport, in that the frame can be transported in its full size from the stores to a transport vehicle, and where this means of

transport does not need to be a specially-built vehicle but e. g. a pick-up, where the frame is placed in the luggage compartment. It is thus not neces- sary to carry out a special construction, nor is it necessary to use a larger transport vehicle to effect a delivery of smaller volumes of liquid.

Finally, it is achieved that there is a minimum of wasted space, while at the same time the one open side makes it easy to load the containers.

This object is achieved with a frame of the kind disclosed in the intro- duction, and where the supporting means provide for the storing of the bottles exclusively in one layer, that at least two of the sides comprise up- per and lower means for engagement and/or abutment respectively against an upper and a lower, identically-configured frame, and that the frame comprises three vertical, substantially bent sides with a height which corre- sponds at least to the largest diameter of a bottle.

The way in which the invention works is that at the actual place of storage, where a frame is lying, this frame is filled with a layer of bottles, after which a new frame is placed over the first frame, and the bottles are again placed on frame number two in the formation of a new layer. A rack is thus built up in sections, which means that the building-up of the rack can be carried out in any place of storage regardless of height, in that the limitation lies solely in the strength dimensioning of the frame itself (the lowermost). All of the frames are of identical configuration, which means that it is of no signifi- cance whether a frame stands on top of or lies under another frame. The frame will generally be of a height which is somewhat greater than the diameter of a bottle, so that there is room both for the bottles and the tines of a fork-lift truck.

By providing a frame according to the invention and as disclosed in claim 2- 4, a secure assembly of the frames on top of one another is achieved.

By providing a frame according to the invention and as disclosed in claim 5, the possibility is achieved of being able to handle the frames with a fork-lift truck.

The invention also concerns a method for storage, transport and distribution of bottles/containers and as further disclosed in claims 6-8, and preferably while making use of the frame according to claims 1-5.

Finally, the invention concerns the use of the frame system as disclosed in claim 9. Here, focus is placed mainly on bottles which contain a large volume, i. e. at least 10 litres, preferably around 40-50 litres, in that it is these bottles which give rise to a storage and distribution problem at whole- salers and customers.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, where fig. 1 shows an example embodiment of a frame according to the invention, fig. 2 shows two of the frames shown in fig. 1 stacked one on top of the other, fig. 3 shows the frames stacked and seen from the rear, and fig. 4 shows a second example embodiment of a frame according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an example of a frame 1 produced in accordance with the in- vention, comprising a support surface in the form of slats 9 for the bottles 2 which are required to be stored and transported, the foremost end of said

slats being fastened to a transverse slat 3, and where the space in which the bottles are stored is created by three surrounding sides 4', 4"and 4"' which are assembled at angles of 90° to one another in the formation of a crate closed on three sides, and where the fourth side is open, and where the bottles 2 can be pushed in. In this area there is also an inclined plate 8 which is welded to the foremost cross-brace 3, said plate extending down- wards in an incline manner so that the bottles lie up against this plate, whereby a distinct contact against the frame is ensured. The back-stop is formed by the rearmost side 4", which in common with the remaining sides is plane and extends vertically.

The two longitudinal sides 4', 4"'end with a horizontal contact surface 12 which in turn bends around in an upwards-converging end flange 13 in which a number of rectangular cut-outs 5 are provided, so that when a frame 1 is stacked on top of another frame it is possible for the tines of a fork-lift truck to be introduced into these openings, which are thus not closed when the frames are stacked. In that the two opposing sides have these converging end fanges, it is ensured that the frames 1 do not slip, in that during the stacking of the next frame 1, the lower end edge 15 of the next frame 1 will position itself on top of the horizontal contact surface 12 and will be guided by the converging end flanges 13.

Such a stacking is seen in fig. 2, where the end edge 15 of the one frame 1 lies up against the horizontal contact surface 12 of the lower frame 1. The neck of the bottle 2 will lie up against the incline plate 8, whereby it is en- sured that the bottle does not slide out.

It is expedient to provide reinforcements 15'in the form of plate pieces which are welded/fixed to the horizontal contact surface and to the end flange 13. These reinforcements are expediently placed opposite the cut-

outs 5, whereby they lock the frame which is placed on top of them, so that this frame does not slide in the forwards or rearwards direction.

Fig. 3 shows three frames 1 according to the invention stacked one on top of the other, and where in all these sides there are cut-outs 5 of such a di- mension that the tines of a fork-lift truck can take hold. In this way, an easy transportation of the individual frames is ensured.

The stacking can be effected by means of a truck, in that this conveys a frame and guides it down over the frame placed on the ground, so that the female part in frame number two surrounds the male part in frame number one. This procedure is repeated until the stack has reached the desired height.

Fig. 4 shows a second example embodiment of the frame 1 according to the invention, where the contact surface is formed in substantially the same manner as shown in fig. 1, i. e. by slats 9 which are formed by the bending of rectangular plate pieces. This bend is of 90°, and between two such 90° slats there is room to place a bottle. Here, the manner in which the two frames 1 are stacked is different, in that parts are involved which are de- cidedly male and female, so that the upper means 6 comprise a female part in the form of a recess 14, while the lower means 7 comprise a male part in the form of a distinct end edge 15 which can be pressed down into the re- cess itself. These recesses are disposed with at least one at the front edge, i. e. towards the foremost cross-brace 3, and a further recess 14 at the rearmost plate 4". In that the sides 4', 4"and 4"'appear as closed plates, it is ensured that it is easier to use a truck for the lifting of the individual frames.

The frame is rectangular in appearance, in that it has a length of 120 cm and a breadth of about 100 cm, and where the breadth part of the 100 cm

thus indicates the length measure for where the incline plate 8 is seen.

The incline plate is moreover placed by being welding to the foremost cross-brace 3, in that an incline plate is provided between two slats, be- tween which two slats a bottle is placed.

In connection with the storage of bottles, it will be typical to place the bottles in the first frame, after which frame number two is filled with bottles and is now placed on top of the first frame with bottles. A complete rack system is thus built up containing the desired number of bottles. In the case where the bottles are to be distributed from the wholesale store out to the custom- ers, a truck will take hold in the upper frame and convey the frame with bottles out to the vehicle, which can be a vehicle of any kind, but where the most essential factor will be solely that this can house a frame which has a dimension of approx. 1.2 x 1.0 m2. Several frames can be stacked up in the vehicle according to requirements, after which the vehicle transports frames with bottles to the recipient.

In the case where the recipient shall have only a few bottles, it will be typi- cal to be able to take a single bottle at a time, or it can be envisaged that if the customer has greater requirements, a frame with e. g. four bottles can be removed from the vehicle and placed in the recipient's stores. The bottles find typical application in units for refreshments, such as those in offices where it is typical to see large water bottles standing with the outlet dowel turned downwards in a valve, and from which liquid can be tapped off as required.

The advantage of the system is thus that the same frame system can be used regardless of whether this is at wholesale stores, for transport or whether it is in connection with the actual storage out at the offices. This is a completely new labour-saving method in which to effect a distribution of liquid, and savings are achieved in both manpower and investments in the

expensive, specially-designed vehicles for wholesale stores, in which ve- hicles the bottles have hitherto been transported.

The system shall thus be used for smaller liquid consumption. The system according to the invention for the transport of a given amount of liquid gives rise to a space volume which is ten times smaller than that which is seen in the existing transport vehicles.