Pallet container

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pallet container ( 10 ) having a thin-walled inner container ( 12 ) made of thermoplastic material for storing and transporting liquid or flowable filling materials, having a lattice profile supporting casing ( 14 ) that closely encloses the inner container ( 12 ) as a supporting casing, and having a base pallet ( 16 ) on which the inner container ( 12 ) rests and to which the lattice profile supporting casing ( 14 ) is firmly connected, wherein the lattice profile supporting casing ( 14 ) comprises intersecting vertical ( 20 ) and horizontal ( 22 ) profile rods which are connected together at their intersecting points by mechanical joining, such as clinching or punch riveting, and wherein the profile rods ( 20, 22 ) are additionally fixed in a rotationally secure manner at their connecting points ( 18, 24, 26 ) via a mechanical form fit ( 42, 43 ); or a form-fitting bearing region ( 42, 43 ).

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A pallet container, comprising:
 a thin-walled inner container made of thermoplastic material and configured for storage and transportation of a liquid or free-flowing content;   a lattice-profile supporting casing configured to closely embrace the inner container, said lattice-profile supporting casing including crossing-over vertical and horizontal profile bars which are form-fittingly connected to one another at crossover points by a mechanical form fit to thereby realize a rotationally secure mechanical fixation, said vertical profile bars—in respect of their positioning in the lattice-profile supporting casing—on their side which is directed toward the horizontal profile bars, and/or the horizontal profile bars on their side which is directed toward the vertical profile bars, have each a form-fit-forming bearing region for the mechanical form fit at their crossover points and are connected in the region of the crossover points by mechanical joining without any preliminary perforation of the profile bars; and   a base pallet configured for support of the inner container and for attachment of the lattice-profile supporting casing.   
     
     
         14 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the mechanical joining operation includes clinching or punch riveting using a semi-tubular rivet or punch riveting using a solid rivet. 
     
     
         15 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the vertical and horizontal profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing are provided with the mechanical form fit at their crossover points by supporting the horizontal profile bars in accommodating grooves of the vertical profile bars. 
     
     
         16 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the vertical and horizontal profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing are provided with the mechanical form fit at their crossover points by placing the horizontal profile bars in punched-out centering means of the vertical profile bars. 
     
     
         17 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein an upper one of the horizontal profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing bears on the vertical profile bars at upper ones of the lattice-profile crossover joints via shoulders or punched-out lower centering means of the vertical profile bars. 
     
     
         18 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein an upper one of the upper horizontal profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing bears on the vertical profile bars at upper ones of the lattice-profile crossover joints via a bearing limb of the upper horizontal profile bar. 
     
     
         19 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the vertical profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing bear on a bearing limb of a lower one of the horizontal profile bars at lower ones of the lattice-profile crossover joints. 
     
     
         20 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the vertical profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing bear on a lower one of the horizontal profile bars at lower ones of the lattice-profile crossover joints via punched-out shoulders. 
     
     
         21 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the vertical and horizontal profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing are made of different materials and/or comprise different cross-sectional profiles. 
     
     
         22 . The pallet container of  claim 21 , wherein the cross-sectional profiles include a bar profile, shaped profile, or hollow profile. 
     
     
         23 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the vertical and/or horizontal profile bars of the lattice-profile supporting casing have a continuous profile. 
     
     
         24 . The pallet container of  claim 13 , wherein the lattice-profile supporting casing comprises separate side parts which are of collapsible or foldable configuration.