ES2218655T3 - REINFORCED BOX OF VARIOUS FLOORS. - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-tier carton for groups of articles is formed from upper and lower blanks (40, 10) of foldable sheet material in which the lower blank includes foldable flaps (F1 - F4) to enhance the stacking strength of the carton. The carton also includes upstanding locating tabs (T1' - T4') and complementary locating apertures (H1 - H8) provided in each carton by both blanks so that a pair of like cartons can be inter-engaged when stacked to improve stacking stability.

Description

Reinforced multi-story box.

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to a box that hosts a plurality of items, such as yogurt jars, that They can be placed in groups arranged on two or more floors.

Some forms of yogurt jars or others Similar packages are relatively flexible and susceptible to deformation and crushing and suffer from a major fault Stacking resistance. Therefore, the groups of sayings items as long as they are sold as a unit may break or warp with relative ease. Boxes have been used for host such relatively vulnerable items to protect them.

Some of the following patents refer to boxes that, when stacked on top of each other, will protect your content to some extent.

Each of US Patents No. 4,084,740 (Lorenz) and US 4,709,852 (Stoll) discloses a stackable box of Two piece construction. The inner cover 10 of the patent de Lorenz has first lugs (see figure 5) and a first notches 75 while its outer cover 12 presents upper openings 74 and second notches. The covers  interior and exterior 100 and 10 of the Stoll patent (see figure 7) are planned respectively with first and second lugs 172 and 84 that in cooperation create means non-slip

In US Patent No. 3,489,314, the placement of the lid 31 in the container body 1 is provided by projections 15 and openings 33.

US Patent No. 3,744,700 discloses a box which features a pair of U-shaped covers joined together to form a fully enclosed box. The lug 62.2 of one of the covers are inserted into slot 74.1 of the other cover to facilitate the placement of a box with respect to the other.

US Patent No. 3,596,758 discloses a box featuring partitions / beams 60 stamped on a side wall of the box 40 and folded in their positions between the items arranged inside the box.

US Patent No. 4,747,487 discloses a arrangement of fins 2, 40, 41 and 42 to create a corner anti-roll of a box.

US Patent No. 3,596,758 discloses a box which has a side wall 36 and upper walls and bottom 54 and 46 folded together to the top edges e bottom of the side wall 36. On the side wall 36 are stamped fins for retention of articles 60, which are folded in, as shown in figure 4, in the position in which they are arranged vertically between the walls upper and lower 54 and 46. On the other side wall 40 are stamped other retention fins 60 that are folded toward the inside the box. US Patent No. 1,911,215 discloses a similar arrangement.

US Patent No. 2,076,844, of Figures 10 and 12, illustrates a box that has retention fins of Articles 37 and 38 formed in a top wall 39 and 40 and folded down to fully extend between the side walls 34 and 35.

Each of US Patents No. 2,711,819 and US No. 3,394,860 discloses a two-piece construction box which includes an inner box component comprising a wall half and a pair of terminal walls. In US Patent No. 2,711,819, for example, the middle wall 8 and 9 has fins of retention of articles 12 and 13 stamped on it and folded in the position where they extend fully between the walls terminals 10 and 10. In US Patent No. 2,411,819, Figure 3 shows a double thick box wall that has a panel interior, that is, the middle wall 8 and 9, in which they are fins 12 and 13 stamped.

US Patent No. 4,213,559 discloses a box which has a double thickness wall comprising panels interior and exterior 86 and 24. On the inner panel 86 is formed an article retention flap 16. The opening in the panel interior 86 determined by retaining flap 16 is covered by the outer panel 24.

Summary of the invention

The present invention is intended to provide a box that has improved stacking resistance and reinforcement additional to provide protection in vulnerable areas such as the corners of the unit. In some of its forms, the invention aims to provide a box adapted to present improved stacking qualities so that they can be coupled mutually a plurality of boxes of this type to create a more stable stacking.

In one aspect of the invention, a box comprises a lower semi-finished and a semi-finished upper. The semi-finished bottom comprises a bottom panel and a pair of inner side panels. The upper semi-finished comprises a top panel and a pair of outer side panels. Sayings semi-finished upper and lower join together so that the inner and outer side panels create a pair of Opposite side walls of a double wall structure. The semi-finished upper also provides a corner reinforcement For packed items.

In another aspect of the invention, the semi-finished upper and lower do not necessarily create the double wall structure; however, each inner side wall It is provided on its upper edge with a first lug and on its bottom edge with a first notch while each panel outer side is provided on its upper and lower edges respectively with a second lug and a second notch. The second lugs are stamped on the top panel and of this mode determine upper openings in the upper panel. During the assembly of the box, the first lugs are introduced in the upper openings of the upper semi-finished for facilitate the placement of the upper semi-finished with respect to the lower semi-finished In a mounted arrangement, the first and second lugs are in parallel support contact to create non-slip means while the first and second notches are in mutual register to form a groove of coupling When two or more equal boxes are stacked one envelope the other, the non-slip means of each box are introduced in the coupling slot on the bottom of the adjacent box top so that the boxes are stacked in one arrangement stable.

In another aspect of the invention, a box features a side panel and a pair of upper and lower panels folded together on opposite edges upper e lower side panel. Said side panel has a fin of retention of articles stamped on it and united so Folding to it. The retention flap is folded inwards in the position where the entire route between the upper and lower panels to reinforce the box or provide the same a better structural stability. Said fin of retention is particularly useful for increasing resistance to stacking the box.

The present invention provides a housing box a plurality of articles, said box comprising a pair of semi-finished ones in which a semi-finished one provides a panel upper and a pair of box side panels while the another semi-finished one provides a base panel and a couple of side panels of the box and in which at least one of the semi-finished includes articulated fins that extend towards the inside of the box and extend between said panels upper and lower to improve the resistance of stacking the box. The two semi-finished ones can include some placement means on the top panel and on the base panel with which can couple each other of said equal boxes when stacked on top of each other to improve stability resisting relative movement between stacked boxes.

The box may include panel structures end at opposite ends that provide the corners reinforced box. The end panel structures the preferably provides one of the semi-finished ones.

A form of embodiment of the invention, by way of example, by making reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a series of stages of forming a box according to the invention from of two semi-finished folding sheet material;

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the semi-finished to form the box of figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a plan view of the other semi-finished to form the box of figure 1.

Referring first to the figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a stack of containers P comprising two floors t 1, t 2 in which each floor presents a group of articles formed by three rows of four items per row. In this particular case the items comprise soft wall plastic jars with upper highlights by which they are joined together in their upper ends.

Figure 2 shows in greater detail a lower semi-finished or wrap 10 that is formed from an elongated, relatively rigid material (compared to the top wrap 40) but foldable such as corrugated cardboard. The lower wrap 10 comprises, in series, a first fin upper 12, a first side panel 14, a lower panel 16, a second side wall 18 and a second upper fin 20 each of them articulated to the next along some lines of transverse fold 22, 24, 26 and 28 respectively.

Side panel 14 includes fins articulated F_ {1} and F_ {2}, which are articulated to bands of side panel 14a and 14b of side panel 14 along the fold lines 30 and 32 respectively. Said fins F_ {1} and F_ {2} are arranged on opposite sides of the panel strip center 14c of the side panel 14. Also, said panel 18 includes articulated fins F 3 and F 4, which are articulated to side panel bands 18a and 18b of said side panel 18 a along the longitudinal fold lines 34 and 36 respectively. The fins F_ {3} and F_ {4} are arranged in opposite sides of the center panel band 18c.

The fold line 24 is interrupted by the openings H 1 and H 2 at the base end of said bands side panel 14a and 14b and, and similarly deforms the fold line 26 is interrupted by openings H 3 and H 4 in the base end of said panel bands 18a and 18b to facilitate stable stacking as described below. For a reason similar, the lugs T_ {1} and T_ {2} are stamped on the flap upper 12 along the fold line 22 and the lugs T_ {3} and T_ {4} are stamped on top fin 20 at along the fold line 28.

In its use the stack of items is they sit on the base panel 16 as shown in figure 1 and the fins F_ {1} to F_ {4} are introduced in the space between between the rows of most extreme items on each floor and the Next rows of adjacent items. F_ {1} a fins F_ {2} extends the total height of the stack of items and reinforce its resistance to vertical stacking. As best appreciated in position C in figure 1 the upper fins 12 and 20 are fold to be arranged above the upper parts of the adjacent items from the upper floor t_ {2}. Therefore, the four lugs T_ {1} to T_ {4} protrude upward adjacent to the corners of the pile. The bottom wrap 10 used in the conformation of the box is then in its position correct.

In order to complete the box, a semi-finished upper or wrap 40 to the stack. The envelope upper 40 is shown in greater detail in figure 3 and is formed from a single semi-finished cardboard or material similar folding laminar.

The upper envelope 40 comprises, in series, a first base fin 42, a first side panel 44, a panel upper 46, a second side panel 48, and a second fin of base 50 each of them articulated to the next along the fold lines 52, 54, 56 and 58 respectively.

At each of the opposite ends of said side panel 44, corner panels 60 and 60a are provided which are articulated to said side panel 44 by means of lines of fold 62 and 62a. Said fold lines 62 and 62a are converging in one direction from the fold line 54 towards the fold line 52. In the corner panel 60 is articulated a side end panel 64 along the fold line 66 and at the corner panel 60a an end panel is articulated side 64a along the fold line 66a. The two lines fold 66 and 66a extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the envelope and thus, when the upper envelope 40 is put in position in the stack, the corner panels form some divergent columns in the corners of the stack that extend between the top and the base of the battery.

The other corner panels 68 and 68a are articulated at opposite ends of said panel 48 along of the fold lines 70 and 70a, respectively. Lines fold 70, 70a are convergent in one direction from said line from fold 56 to fold line 58. In the corner panel 68 a side end panel 72 is articulated along the fold line 74 and corner panel 68a is articulated a side end panel 72a along the fold line 74a. The fold lines 74 and 74a are coincident with the lines of fold 66 and 66a at the opposite end of the semi-finished.

Along one of the opposite ends of the upper panel 46 is articulated an upper end panel 76 along the fold line 78 and at the other end of the upper panel 46 a similar end panel 76a is articulated along the fold line 78a. The end panel 76 is articulated to the side end panel 64 by means of a corner panel 80 which is articulated to the respective panels of the upper panels and lateral along the fold lines 82 and 84. It is provided a similar arrangement to articulate the end panel upper 76 to the side end panel 72 under the panel corner 86 and fold lines 88 and 90. On the opposite side a similar structure is planned for the semi-finished one in which equal parts are designated by reference numbers same with the addition of a suffix "a".

Openings H 5 and H 6 interrupt the fold line 52 and similar openings H_ {7} and H_ {8} interrupt the fold line 58. When the envelope 40 is properly applied in the stack, the openings H5 and H 6 are in register with the openings H 3 and H 2 of the bottom wrap 10, and the openings H 7 and H 8 are in record with the openings H 3 and H 4. Also, the T_ {5} and T_ {6} lugs that are stamped on the wall upper 46 along fold line 54 and lugs T_ {7} and T_ {8} that are stamped on the upper wall 46 at along the fold lines 56 cooperate with the lugs of the lugs T_ {1} to T_ {4} that are lifted vertical from the upper fins 12 and 20 of the envelope lower 10.

The arrangement of lugs has two functions. First, the correct placement of the wrapper is facilitated top 40 over the stack because the vertical lugs T 1 to T 4 of the lower envelope 10 are coupled in the openings that are determined by the lugs T 5 to T 8 thus placing the upper panel 46 on the upper part of the battery Second, once placed in this way, the lugs T 1 T 5, T 2 T 6, T 3 T 7 and T_ {4} T_ {8} are arranged in face support relationship, and that mode four pairs of highlights are provided for placement verticals T_ {1} 'to T_ {4}' as shown in position E in Figure 1. These highlights for placement T_ {1} 'to T_ {4}' are arranged to penetrate respectively into the four pairs of openings H 1 H 5, H 2 H 6, H 3 H 7 and H 4 H 8 present in the base of a similar box when stacking a plurality of said boxes, one over the other, and creating in this way a stable stack of several boxes in which it brakes relative slippage between stacked boxes.

When the top wrap is being applied on the stack of items, as shown in position D in the figure 1, side panels 44 and 48 are carried at a ratio of overlap with said panels 14 and 18 respectively of the bottom wrap 10 so that a wall of double lining on each side of the packaging to increase protection Of content. In order to increase protection at the ends from the box the side end walls 64, 64a and 72, 72a are fold through the ends of the box with this mode the corner panels 60, 60a and 68, 68a in position in the which extend between the top and bottom of the battery. The upper end panel 76 is folded toward below and fixed (eg glued) to said end panels side 64 and 72 by the panel retention effect corners 80 and 86 and also the upper end panel 76a is fixed to the side end panels 64a and 72a by the retention effect of corner panels 80a and 86a. Of this this way the vulnerable corners of the box are protected against crashes These reinforced structures formed by panels 64, 64a, 72, 72a, 76, 76a, 80, 80a, 86 and 86a improve the rigidity of the box which contributes to stacking resistance and resists "balancing" the box when it is in transit. In the way finished as shown in position E of figure 1, the base fins 42 and 50 of the upper envelope 40 are fixed (by glued example) to the bottom panel 16 of the bottom wrap 10 so that said openings H 5 to H 8 are in register with the openings H 1 to H 4.

In order to facilitate the transport of the box a handle S is provided comprising a band 92 stamped on first place in the top panel 46 of the envelope 40 which includes damping fins for hand 94 and 96 respectively.

Claims (8)

1. Box housing a plurality of articles (P), said box comprising a pair of semi-finished products (10, 40) in which one of the semi-finished products (40) provides an upper panel (46) and a pair of side panels (44 , 48) of the box while the other semi-finished (10) provides a base panel (16) and a pair of side panels (14, 18) of the box, characterized in that at least one of said semi-finished (10, 40 ) includes articulated fins (F1, F2, F3, F4) that extend into the box and extend between said upper (46) and lower panels (16) to thereby increase the stacking resistance of the box. 2. Box according to claim 1, wherein both of said semi-finished ones include means of placement (T_ {1} to T_ {8}) in the upper panel (46) and (H_ {1} to H_ {8}) in the base panel (16) with which they can mutually engage a pair of such similar boxes when stacked on top of each other to increase stability by resisting relative movement between the stacked boxes. 3. Box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said panels (14, 18, 44, 48) of the two semi-finished ones (10, 40) are arranged in overlapping relationship, including said box end panel structures (64, 64a, 72, 72a, 76, 76a, 80, 80a, 86, 86a) at the opposite ends thereof that they provide the reinforced corners of the box, providing one of said semi-finished products (40) said panel structures of extreme. 4. Box according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the side panels (44, 48) of said a semi-finished (40) overlap with the panels (14, 18) of said other semi-finished (10), thus providing walls of double lining. 5. Box according to any of the claims above, in which said other semi-finished one is formed to from a material that is relatively rigid compared with that of a semi-finished one. 6. Box according to any of the claims above, in which the articles are housed in groups that form A plurality of floors. 7. Packaging comprising a box according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a plurality of articles. 8. A first semi-finished and a second semi-finished to form a box according to any of the claims 1 to 6.