EP0337840A1 - Modular units, apt to be stacked with units of same type , but with different volume, to form a palletizable batch - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a modular unit, made from a semi-rigid material and capable of being stacked on a pallet (8) with units of the same type but with different volumes, this unit having the general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprising, protruding from the upper section of two parallel walls, at least one stacking tenon (6) and, in a corresponding position in the bottom of the unit and at the base of the said walls, at least one opening (3) capable of receiving such a tenon. According to the invention the length of the walls (1) on which the said tenon (6) appears is a multiple of a modulus equal to the length or width of the said pallet divided by an integer. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a modular packaging, capable of being stacked with packaging of the same type, but of different volume, to form a palletizable batch. It relates more particularly to packaging of this type, made of a semi-rigid material such as cardboard or corrugated cardboard.

We know that it is usual, for handling, long distance transport and delivery to customers, to gather on the same handling pallet, in superimposed layers, identical packaging, arranged in such a way that the lower layer covers substantially the entire surface of the pallet.

Generally used for this purpose packaging having the general shape of rectangular parallelepipeds, from a single blank of corrugated cardboard suitably cut and folded and whose length and width are submultiples of those of the pallet. In order to be able to be assembled in a stacked position, these packages generally include studs which project at the upper part of two parallel side walls, while cutouts are provided in positions corresponding to the base of these walls and in the bottom of the 'packaging. It is thus possible to superimpose identical packages by engaging the tenons of the packages of a layer in the cutouts of the packages of the immediately upper layer, thereby making them integral with one another. A film of heat-shrinkable material can then be used to lock the batch of packages in position on the pallet.

It is however frequent that products of different volumes and in different quantities must be delivered to the same user, with the consequence, if one makes the shipment using identical packaging delivered on a pallet, that one is led to complete only very partially some of the packaging, which significantly increases the packaging and transport costs and weakens the batch shipped.

Furthermore, it is frequent, for manufacturing reasons and so that the user can easily and quickly identify the products or articles delivered to him, that identical objects are packaged in the same type of packaging, for example having a length, width and / or height determined, characteristic of the packaged product, allowing both continuous production and identification of this packaging on the pallet. However, such a packaging method makes it difficult and fragile to deliver different packages in a stacked state, on the same pallet, and consequently complicates the operations of transporting the packaging and locating the products.

The present invention aims to provide a solution to these problems by proposing modular packaging of the type defined above, which can be produced in different volumes and which can nevertheless be stacked on a handling pallet with packaging of the same type, but of different volume, to form a batch easy to handle, to move, even over long distances, and to identify.

Another object of the invention is to propose a packaging of this type, which can be assigned to a single type of product and which can easily be distinguished, on the transport pallet, from the other packagings of the batch.

To this end, the invention relates to a modular packaging, in a semi-rigid material, capable of being stacked on a pallet with packaging of the same type, but of different volume, this packaging having the general form of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprising, projecting from the upper part of two parallel walls, at least one stacking lug and, in the corresponding position, in the bottom of the packaging and at the base of said walls, at least one opening suitable for to receive such a post, this packaging being characterized in that the length of the walls on which said post is present is a multiple of a module equal to the length or the width of the said pallet divided by an integer, in that the number of studs in this wall is the same multiple of the number of studs in the base module, and in that the crenellated profile of the base module is repeated regularly as many times as there are multiples of the base module in the length of the wall, the length of the walls without studs being equal to that of the corresponding dimension of the pallet or to a submultiple of it, decided once and for all in order to fix a dimension common to all packaging and allow the coincidence of studs and associated openings in the same vertical plane

With such arrangements, it is understood that by having in the extension of one another the stud walls of different packages of the same height of the same layer, said studs define a regular crenellated profile which cooperates with the openings made in the packages of the layer immediately above by engaging in these openings. It is also understood that, the lengths of the walls of the different packages being equal to the corresponding length of the pallet divided by whole numbers, it will always be possible to make the corresponding dimension of the batch of packages coincide with the corresponding length of the pallet.

It will be noted that, if the multiple of the module chosen to determine the length of a wall is a divisor of the integer by which the module has been defined, the resulting walls will all be of identical size. In the perpendicular direction, it will also be possible to juxtapose the walls without tenons so as to have a total length equal to the corresponding dimension of the pallet, since the division of this other dimension of the pallet will have been fixed once for all so as to define a dimension common to all conditions and to be able to vary the way of dividing the first dimension.

Advantageously, the walls devoid of tenons of all the packaging will be of equal length, corresponding to the division of the other dimension of the pallet by an integer. If the number chosen for the division is two, then the sender and the user will be able to see all of the packaging by going around the pallet. They will thus be able to easily identify the products that they will deliver or that will be delivered to them, especially if the parallel faces of the packaging are notched to reveal the products.

Of course, nothing imposes that the packages all have the same height and we can use packages of different heights, provided that these heights are equal to the same module or to a multiple of it. It is thus possible, for example, to superimpose two identical packages of a unit height and juxtapose them in an adjoining position with a packaging of double height, so that the stud edges arranged at the highest level are in line with one another to form a continuous and regular crenellated profile, allowing stacking of another layer of packaging.

The packaging according to the invention can, of course, be adapted to all the usual models of pallets, for example rectangular pallets of dimensions 80 cm x 120 cm, 100 cm x 120 cm, 40 cm x 60 cm, 80 x 60 cm, 100 x 60 cm or 50 x 60 cm, which can be divided for example into two, lengthwise, and into 2, 3, 4, 5, etc ..., as required, in the direction width, to define the lower surface of the associated packaging. In this case this surface will thus be equal to 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10 etc ... of that of the pallet, the stud walls of these packages comprising, starting from the smallest surface , 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 tenons (or multiples) depending on the case.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un emballage conforme à l'invention apte à occuper le quart de la sur­face d'une palette de dimensions 80 x 120 cm ;
• Les figures 1a, 1b et 1c sont des vues partielles en plan du coin supérieur d'une paroi à tenons de trois variantes de l'emballage de la figure 1 ;
• La figure 2 est une vue de dessus de cette palette recouverte de quatre emballages du type de celui de la figure 1 ;
• Les figures 3 et 4, d'une part, 5 et 6, d'autre part, 7 et 8, en dernier lieu, sont des vues analogues à celles des figures 1 et 2, dans le cas d'emballages dont la sur­face de base est égale, respectivement, au sixième , au huitième et au douzième de celle de la palette de 80 x 120 cm de la figure 2 ;
• Les figures 9, 10 et 11 sont des vues en perspective, illustrant les possibilités de gerbage sur une même palet­te de lots de conditionnements de tailles différentes conformes à l'invention.

Various embodiments of the invention will be described below by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package according to the invention capable of occupying a quarter of the surface of a pallet of dimensions 80 x 120 cm;
• Figures 1 a, 1 b and 1 c are plan partial views of the upper corner of a wall peg three variants of the packaging of Figure 1;
• Figure 2 is a top view of this pallet covered with four packages of the type of that of Figure 1;
• Figures 3 and 4, on the one hand, 5 and 6, on the other hand, 7 and 8, lastly, are views similar to those of Figures 1 and 2, in the case of packages whose surface of base is equal to one-sixth, one-eighth and one-twelfth, respectively, of that of the 80 x 120 cm palette in Figure 2;
• Figures 9, 10 and 11 are perspective views, illustrating the possibilities of stacking on the same pallet of packages of packages of different sizes according to the invention.

The packaging shown in Figure 1 is a container having the general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped which is open at its upper part. This tray, of a type known per se, comes from a single blank of corrugated cardboard, suitably cut and creased. It comprises two longitudinal walls 1, mutually parallel, and two transverse walls 2, of the same height as the walls 1, to which they are perpendicular. The walls 1 and 2 are adjoined by fold lines at the bottom 3 of the package and they are erected perpendicular to this bottom.

Flaps 4, adjoining the transverse walls 2 along their vertical edges, are folded against the internal face of the walls 1, which they cover substantially half their length, and are laminated against these walls. Cutouts in the walls 1 and in the flaps 4 define grip handles 5 there.

Stacking pins, 6, are formed projecting from the upper part of the walls 1 in positions corresponding to those of cutouts 7, formed at the base of these same walls and in the bottom 3. In known manner, the pins 6 are intended to come and engage in the cutouts 7 of an immediately superior packaging, when one sheaves on a pallet 8 (FIG. 2) several layers of packaging, with a view to their handling and their remote transport. In the present case, the tenons 6 are spaced from each other by regular intervals of pitch i , at the top of the walls 1, and those which are situated at the lateral ends of these walls are separated by a distance i / 2 from the vertical edge. In the case of FIG. 1, where the bottom 3 of the packaging has an area substantially equal to a quarter of that of the pallet of FIG. 2, the walls 1 have six tenons 6.

In Figures 3 to 11, elements similar to those of Figures 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In the case of FIGS. 3 and 4, where the packaging shown can be placed on the pallet 8 in two parallel rows of three packages, the wall 1 comprises four studs 6 and four cutouts 7.

In the case of FIGS. 5 and 6, where the package can be placed on the pallet 8 in two parallel rows of four packages each, the wall 1 has three studs 6 and three cutouts 7.

Finally, in the case of FIGS. 7 and 8, where the packaging can be placed on the pallet 8 in two parallel rows each comprising six packages, the wall 1 only has two pins 6 and two cutouts 7.

It can therefore be seen that, in accordance with the invention, the walls 1 comprising tenons have a length which is a multiple of a module m equal to the corresponding dimension of the pallet, in this case 120 cm, divided by an integer , which here is equal to 12, but which could be a different number, and that the number of tenons 6 and of cutouts 7 which they comprise is the same multiple of number of studs in the basic module, which in this case only has one stud.

In the case of the drawings, the tenon 6 is arranged in the middle of the module m , but it could occupy any other position, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 1 c , which are plan views of the upper corner left of the wall 1, with the pins 6 a , 6 b and 6 c , disposed respectively at the end of the edge of this wall, at the opposite end of the module m , and in an intermediate position between these two positions , but not in the middle of the module.

It will be noted that the walls 1, which, in FIG. 1, were those of greater length and which had therefore been described as longitudinal walls, may, depending on the case, have lengths shorter than those of the walls 2 and then become walls transverse.

The heights of these packages can be different, but must themselves be multiples of the same module, in order to be able to superimpose these packages in layers and sub-layers of thickness equal to this module or multiple thereof.

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show, by way of example, how it is possible, by judiciously arranging the packages in accordance with the invention:
to completely cover the surface of a pallet 8 with packages of different dimensions, whose stud walls 6 are in line with one another and whose upper edges are arranged so as to form a continuous crenellated profile, the tenons are able to engage in the cuts of the packaging of a superimposed layer and thus allow stacking and palletizing of different packaging;
- to produce, within the same packaging layer, partial sublayers comprising packages of lesser height, the total height of these sublayers being equal to that of the adjacent packaging;

With the packaging that has been shown, different products or articles can be housed in packaging of different volumes, which it is thus easy to identify, both when the batch is palletized by the sender and when receipt of this batch by the user.

The invention therefore provides a particularly simple means for constituting lots of packages of different dimensions, which it is nevertheless possible to stack on the same pallet.

Claims (4)

1.- Modular packaging, in a semi-rigid material, capable of being stacked on a pallet (8) with packaging of the same type, but of different volume, this packaging having the general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and comprising , projecting from the upper part of two parallel walls, at least one stacking lug (6) and, in the corresponding position, in the bottom of the packaging and at the base of said walls, at least one opening (3) suitable to receive such a post, this packaging being characterized in that the length of the walls (1) on which the said post (6) is present is a multiple of a module equal to the length or the width of the said divided pallet by an integer, in that the number of studs (6) that this wall comprises is the same multiple of the number of studs of the basic module, and in that the crenellated profile of the basic module is repeated regularly as many times as 'there are multiples of the basic module in the length of the wall (1), the length of the walls (2) having no tenons being equal to that of the corresponding dimension of the pallet or to a submultiple of it, stopped once and for all in order to fix a common dimension to all the packaging and allow the coincidence of the pins (6) and openings (3) associated in the same vertical plane. 2.- Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the walls (2) devoid of studs have a dimension equal to the corresponding dimension of the pallet (8) or half thereof. 3.- Packaging according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that its height is equal to a module or a multiple thereof. 4.- Packaging according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the length (2) of the walls devoid of studs (6) is equal to half the corresponding dimension of the pallet.

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