Reusable container for the transfer of goods and for locating in a reusable container circulating system

• US 20040153209A1
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IFCO Systems NV (Brambles Holdings Unltd)
• Original Assignee: IFCO Systems NV (Brambles Holdings Unltd)
• Inventors: Müller, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US10/476,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153209A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/229
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/205 Means for the attachment of labels, cards, coupons or the like; cards or coupons for the other types of rigid or semi-rigid containers B65D25/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/493 by use of light responsive means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A returnable container for merchandise transloading and for location determination and/or identification in a returnable container circulation system in which the container (1) is circulated between various stations, including issue station of the circulation system, production sites, suppliers, traders, points of sale, storage and cleaning stations and the like, the container being provided with an identification means that contains specific information items for identifying the container and/or its contents and determining its location, where the read data are collected and evaluated at a central and/or local station, is characterized in that the identification means is constituted by a carrier that can be arranged on the container (1) and is provided with a specific colour code that individualizes the container.

Claims

1. A returnable container for merchandise transloading and for location determination and/or identification in a returnable container circulation system in which the container (1) is circulated between various stations, including issue station of the circulation system, production sites, suppliers, traders, points of sale, storage and cleaning stations and the like, the container being provided with an identification means that contains specific information items for identifying the container and/or its contents and determining its location, where the information can be interrogated by means of identity-reading devices and the ascertained data are collected and evaluated at a central and/or local station, characterized in that the identification means is constituted by a carrier that can be arranged on the container (1) and is provided with a specific colour code (3) that individualizes the container.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the carrier is designed with a geometrically structured colour code (3) such that information items will be defined both by the colour code and the geometric structure.

3. A container in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the colour code carrier is provided with a geometric structure subdivided into several sections (4a-4h), so that information items can be associated with the individual sections and/or the specific colours of the individual sections and downloaded by means of reading.

4. A container in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier is constituted by a disk, where the sections (4a-4h) are constituted by disk segments and the disk is preferably circular.

5. A container in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the disk is provided with at least one annular area subdivided into segments for the recording of information.

6. A container in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that several concentric annular area are provided on the disk.

7. A container in accordance with any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the segments and/sections are equal to each other.

8. A container in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier and/or the colour code is provided on at least one side wall of the container, preferably one each of the four side walls.

9. A container location system for containers in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the identity reading device is provided with at least one optical colour measurement instrument or is designed as an optical colour measurement instrument.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, characterized in that the identity reading device is provided with at least one camera (9, 10) for reading the colour code and/or the colour code carrier.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10, characterized in that the structures read by the cameras (9, 10) are evaluated by means of colour measurement devices as far as the colour code is concerned.

12. A system in accordance with any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that there is provided at least one store (11) for the read data and at least one computer (12) for the data evaluation.

13. A system in accordance with any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that all the stations of the container location system are joined by a data network and that store and computer are preferably situated at the central station.

14. A system in accordance with any one of claims 9 to 13,, characterized in that the camera (9, 10) for detecting the colour code (3) is arranged on a stand (7, 8) by the side of the haulage track (6) for the containers (1) and that the containers transported along the haulage track are oriented for reading the colour code.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14, characterized in that a stand (7, 8) with cameras (9,10) is arranged on both sides of the haulage track (6).

16. A colour code in accordance with claim 14 or claim 15, characterized in that the stand or the stands (7, 8) forms/form part of a portal (5) that straddles the haulage track (6).

17. A colour code for a container and/or a container location system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a carrier that is designed for recording at least one specific colour or chrominance that identifies the container or several colours or chrominances identifying the container.

18. A colour code in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that the colour code is underlain by a geometric structure that consists of several sections and the sections are occupied by colours for the identification of the container and/or its contents and determining its location.

19. A colour code in accordance with claim 17 or claim 18, characterized in that each colour code is associated with a container number and that the various stations of the pool system are provided with a device for detecting the container number and are linked with the central station in such a manner that container-specific information, especially the merchandise contents or the empty state of the container and/or the containers, can be transmitted to the central station.

20. A colour code in accordance with claims 17, 18 or 19, characterized in that the colour code is designed on a carrier made of plastic material, especially a circular carrier.

21. A colour code in accordance with any one of claims 17 to 20, characterized in that the colour code surface is provided with a transparent protective layer.