Device for protecting large-volume receptacle and method for the production thereof

Abstract

A device for protecting a large-volume container for liquid, slow-flowing, powdered, or granular materials during storage and transport, has a pallet support body to support the container from underneath and a jacket body, which is connected to the pallet support body and which surrounds the sides of the container. The support body and the jacket body are made as an integral unit consisting of a three-layer plastic wall. The three-layer plastic wall has a compact outer layer, a compact inner layer, and a foamed intermediate layer. The device is produced by extruding a predetermined length of a tubular preform with a three-layer wall of plastic into an opened mold. Several vertical, rod-shaped spreading elements are positioned inside the tubular preform. The tubular preform is expanded by moving the spreading elements in a radially outward direction relative to the tubular preform by a predetermined outward movement. A mold core is introduced from below into the expanded tubular preform and the opened mold is closed to form a mold cavity between the mold and the mold core so that the tubular preform is positioned in the mold cavity. The inner layer of the three-layer wall is then foamed to bring the compact inner layer and the compact outer layer into contact with the walls of the mold cavity to in order to shape the device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.