AU665537B2

AU665537B2 - Base stacking method

Info

Publication number: AU665537B2
Application number: AU17421/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wayne Athol Ford
Original assignee: CA Ford Pty Ltd
Current assignee: CA Ford Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1991-05-09
Filing date: 1992-05-05
Publication date: 1996-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 2012-05-05
Also published as: EP0583333A1; GB2269355B; WO1992019499A1; NZ242671A; CA2109199A1; AU1742192A; GB2269355A; GB9319570D0; JPH06507136A; EP0583333A4

Description

i 1 I 11 OPI DATE 21/12/92 AOJP DATE 28/01/93 APPLN. ID 17421/92 PCT NUMBER PCT/AU92/00205 IIIII lll AU9217421 INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 5 (11) International Publication Number: WO 92/19499 5/10, 25/00, 35/56 Al 57/22 (43) International Publication Date: 12 November 1992 (12.11.92) (21) International Application Number: PCT/AU92/00205 (81) Designated States: AT, AT (European patent), AU, BB, BE (European patent), BF (OAPI patent), BG, BJ (OAPI (22) International Filing Date: 5 May 1992 (05.05.92) patent), BR, CA, CF (OAPI patent), CG (OAPI patent), CH, CH (European patent), CI (OAPI patent), CM (OAPI patent), CS, DE, DE (European patent), DK, Priority data: DK (European patent), ES, ES (European patent), Fl, PK6071 9 May 1991 (09.05.91) AU FR (European patent), GA (OAPI patent), GB, GB (European patent), GN (OAPI patent), GR (European patent), HU, IT (European patent), JP, KP, KR, LK, LU, (71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): C.A. FORD LU (European patent), N.C (European patent), MG, ML PTY. LTD. [AU/AU]; 19 Clarice Road, Box Hill, VIC (OAPI patent), MN, MR (OAPI patent), MW, NL, NL 3128 (European patent), NO, PL, RO, RU, SD, SE, SE (European patent), SN (OAPI patent), TD (OAPI patent), TG (72) Inventor; and (OAPI patent), US.

Inventor/Applicant (for US only) FORD, Wayne, Athol [AU/AU]; 30 Dudley Road, Wonga Park, VIC 3115 Published With international search report.

(74) Agent: WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK AT- TORNEYS; 2nd Floor, The Atrium, 290 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, VIC 3122 (Au).

665537 (54) Title: BASE STACKING METHOD i 1 i.

(57) Abstract A method of packaging a number of furniture support bases (10) in a carton (26) is disclosed, said bases having a plurality of arms disposed about a central axis which comprises: placing a first set (27) of bases in said carton one by another in a substantially ordered stack; placing a second set (28) of bases in said carton one by another in a substantially ordered stack in a plane substantially parallel to and generally co-axially disposed in the same direction as the first set of bases; placing a third set (29) of bases in said carton one by another in a substantially ordered sta in a plane at right angles to the plane of the first set of bases; and placing a fourth set (30) of bases in said carton one by another in a substantially ordered stack in a plane at right angles to the plane of the first set of bases and generally co-axially disposed in the same direction as the third set of bases. A package of bases packed by the method is also disclosed.

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BASE STACKING METHOD This irvention relates to a method of packaging furniture support cases and relates particularly but not exclusively to a method of packing furniture support bases having a plurality of spaced arms disposed about a central boss portion to which the leg of the article of furniture is attached. The most common such furniture support bases include from four to six, preferably five arms equally spaced about the central boss porton ari may be made of any suitable synthetic plastics or metal material.

Presently furniture support bases are packaged for transport in cardboard cartons. The bases are either merely stacked one on top of another in a single stack or in two such stacks side by side with the arms of one stack of bases interposed between the arms of the other stack of bases. The stacking and packaging of bases in such a manner results in a large empty space volume in the carton. In the case of the single stack the occupied space volume is only about 11% of the total box volume and in the case of the side by side stacking the occupied space volume is about 13-15% of the total carton volume. The increase in occupied volume of the side by side stacking is not as great as may be expected as it is necessary to include spacing packaging to prevent damage in S, transit of the ends of the base arms.

A problem has existed for about three or four years since the introduction of synthetic plastics material furniture support bases in that transport costs for synthetic plastics material bases is up to two times the transport cost of the same number of equivalent sized metal bases in the identical sized carton. This is due to shipping and freight rates being determined on a volume as against weight rate for lighter weight larger volume cartons.

r 0aThe present invention seeks to overcome the problem of the costs of packaging for S 25 transport of furniture support bases and to reduce the costs of such bases to the user.

S: With reference to the foliowing a substantially ordered stack or set of bases is 2: intended to mean a stack or set of bases (whether in upper- to under-side relationship or otherwise) in which the central axes of the bases in the stack or set are generally coaAally disposed and any arm of a base is disposed in the same general direction as an arm of another base in the stack or set and in which the planes of the bases in the stack or set are substantially parallel. The "stack" of bases may be one base on top of another or one base side by side with another.

The present invention, therefore, in one preferred form provides a method of packing a plurality of furniture support bases each of which has a plurality of arms extending generally radially in a common plane about a central axis, which method

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2 comprises arranging the bases into four sets, each as hereinbefore described, so that the bases of a first pair of said sets are placed so that they have their central axes generally coaxial with each other and the bases of the other two sets are placed so that they form a second pair of said sets and also have their central axes generally coaxial with each other but at right angles to the central axes of the bases of said first pair of sets.

The present invention also in one preferred form provides a package comprising a plurality of furniture support bases, each of said bases having a plurality of arms extending generally radially in a common plane about a central axis, which package comprises four sets of said bases, each set being as hereinbefore described, arranged so that the bases of a first pair of said sets have their central axes generally coaxial with each other and the bases of the other two sets form a second pair of said sets and have their central axes generally coaxial with each other but at right angles to the central axes of the bases of said first pair of sets.

Preferably the arms of the bases in the first pair of sets are interposed between the arms of the bases in the second pair of sets.

Preferably the arms of the bases are equidistantly radially disposed about the central axis.

0 .0 Preferably the bases have from three to six, most preferably five arms.

44 Preferably there are n bases in each set. The value of the integer n is primarily S44 determined by the relative dimensions of the arms and central boss section of the support base and the angle of taper of the arms from the central boss section to the free ends of the arms. The value of n can be readily determined by trial and experiment but may in normal circumstances vary from three to six. For a base with five arms as illustrated, the value of n is 4.

Preferably the bases are arranged in a carton and that there is the same number of bases in each of the said sets of bases.

Preferably the sets of bases of the first pair of sets are disposed on opposite sides of the generally coaxial central axes of the bases of the second pair of sets.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it is not necessary to place the support bases in a carton. It is possible to arrange the bases as previously :escribed on a base and shrink vapped in plastic film. A frame could then be attached to the base to enable the packs tL. te stacked one on another.

Other preferred features of the invention will be determined from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

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0- I f: Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of bases stacked in a carton in accordance with known methods.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a base shown in fig. 1 in the direction A.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a base shown in Fig. 1 in the direction B.

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of bases stacked in a carton in accordtance with an alternative known method.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation view of bases stacked in a carton in accordance with the method of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of bases stacked in accordance with an alternate method of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 generally there is shown in plan view a stack of multi arm support bases 10 in a carton 11. The bases each comprise five arms 14 1' 1 6 C- C i pp.

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4 equidistantly disposed radially about a central boss section 12 having an axis 13. The axis 13 of the boss section 12 is substantially perpendicular to the general plane of the base 10 and is adapted to receive an upright member to be connected for example to a chair or table in subsequent manufacturing processes. The base 10 generally has an upper-side 15 and under-side 16. The bases are customarily stacked in under to upperside configuration but may be stacked in a random manner. It will be seen that there is a large unoccupied volume in a carton containing for example a ten high stack of bases. In Figs. 1 to 3 and particularly Fig. 1 the multi arm support base 10 can be considered to have the various arms 14 further identified as follows: arm 14h may be referred to as the "head", arms 14a may be referred to as "outstretched arms" and arms 141 be referred to as "legs" if the support base is seen to have a "human" caricature of a person with outstretched arms and legs akimbo. Whilst the above serves to differentiate between the otherwise identical arms it will be appreciated that the term "head" could be applied to any one of the arms with appropriate adjustment of the terminology applied to the other arms.

•As shown in Fig. 4 the bases 10 may be placed in the carton 17 in two side by side stacks with one arm (or "head") 14a of one stack of bases interposed between two adjacent arms ("legs") 14b, 14c of the other stack of bases. Such side by side stacking "of bases reduces the volume occupied by a set number of bases as compared to the stack of Fig. 1 but it is clear that there is still a large unoccupied volume remaining in the carton.

Referring to Fig. 5 there is shown in side elevation a package of bases 10 stacked i in accordance with the invention in a carton 20. The bases 10 are disposed in the carton ti 20 as follows. A first set 21 of four bases 10 are placed in the carton 20. A second set i 22 of four bases 10 is placed in the carton in a plane substantially parallel to the side of 25 the carton and in planes at right angles to the first set 21 of bases. The second set 22 of bases is disposed to one side of the axis 24 of the first set 21 of bases.

A third set of bases 33 is placed in the carton in similar manner to the second set 22 but on the opposite side of axis 24 of the first set of bases. The axes 25 of the second and third sets of bases are approximately co-axial. It will be appreciated that the nature and configuration of the bases results in the arrangement being not strictly co-axial as the bases may move to a certain extent when packed in the carton due in part to any taper on the arms 14 from the central boss 12 to the extremities of the arms.

A fourth set of 23 of four bases is then placed in the carton in planes substantially parallel to the planes of the first set of bases. The arms 25a of the first set of base; are 45 interposed between the arms 25b of the second set of bases and so on. The axis of the B

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fourth set of bases being substantially co-axial with the axis of the first set of bases.

Referring to Fig. 6 there is shown a plan view of an alternative method of the invention. The bases 10 which have five arms are stacked in carton 26 as follows.

A first set 27 of four bases 10 is inserted in the carton 26 in upper- to underside configuration with the upper-side of the outermost base 10a facing the side of the carton. A second set 28 of four bases 10 is inserted in the carton 26 in upper- to underside configuration with the upper-side of the outermost base 10b facing the side of the carton opposite to that of base 10 Oa.

A third set 29 of four bases 10 is inserted in the carton 26 in upper to underside configuration with the upper-side of the outermost base 10c facing a side of the carton adjacent that which base 10a or 10b faces. A fourth set 30 of four bases 10 is inserted in the carton 26 in upper- to under-side configuration with the upper-side of the outermost base 10Od facing the side of the carton opposite that of base The axes 31 of the bases of sets 27 and 28 are substantially co-axial. The axes 32 of the bases of sets 29 and 30 are substantially co-axial and at approximately right angles to the axes 31 of the bases of sets 27 and 28.

With reference to the "head', "arms', "legs" terminology referred to in relation to Figs. 1 to 3 the heads of the sets of bases 21 and 23 of Fig. 5 are disposed in opposite directions to each other. Similarly the heads of the sets of bases 27 and 28 in Fig. 6 are disposed in the opposite direction to the heads of the sets of bases 29 and In the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the axes 24 and 25 in Fig. 5 and the axes 31 and 32 in Fig. 6 are nQt coplanar.

Depending on the dimension of the bases between the upper and under-sides it is :thus possible to stack sixteen bases in a carton of the same size previously used for ten 25 bases.

It will be readily understood that whilst the bases in each set have been shown placed in upper- to under-side relationship, the bases do not have to be placed in such a relationship but may be placed in upper to upper or lower to lower relationship or any S other random or ordered relationship.

EXAMPLE

A base as depicted in Fig. 1 having a span diameter of 60 cm and a height of about 7.1 cm has a total enclosed volume of about 2700 cm 3 The span diametr is twice the radius of any arm from the central axis 13 to the tip of the arm. The following Table shows the carton size requirements for bases packed in accordance with Figs. 1, 4 and i.

1F 6 of the drawings.

Stack Box dimensions Vol(cm 3 No. of Method (cm) approx(3) bases (4) ig. 1 57 x 57 x 69 224,200 rig. 4 58 x 100 x 36 208,800 iq. 5 57 x 57 x 69 224,200 16 Thus as against packaging ten bases in a suitable sized carton with the bases merely stacked one on top of another it is possible to package sixteen bases in approximately the same size and volume box thus increasing the numerical capacity of the Iox by up to 60%. Transportation costs are thus substantially reduced as the pacKaging method of the invention enables up to 60% more bases to be transported for the same cost as previously. Such a reduction in the cost of transport per base permits significant cost savings to the consumer.

Whilst the various sets of bases have been referred to as a first, second, third or fourth set of bases the order in which the sets of bases are placed in a carton depends on VarioUS factors such as the number of arms of the multi-armed support bases in the seAs, Whether the sets of bases are inserted in the carton as shown in Fig. 5 or as shown in Fig.

6 arid whether the sets of bases are inserted into the carton via the "top" or via a "side" 15 of the carton.

Claims

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the arms of the bases in the first pair of sets are interposed between the arms of the bases in the second pair of sets.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, in which said bases are arranged in a carton. tr 4. A method as claimed claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the arms of each base are equidistantly radially disposed about the central axis of.the base. A method as claim in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which each base has from three to six arms.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5, in which each base has five arms. t
7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there are the same number of bases in each of said sets of bases. o*
8. A method as claimed in to claim 7, in which there are from three to six bases in each set of bases.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8, in which there are four bases in each set of bases. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the sets of bases of said first pair of sets are disposed on opposite sides of the generally co-axial central' axes of the bases of said second pair of sets. I 7.4i 8
11. A package comprising a plurality of furniture support bases, each of said bases having a plurality of arms extending generally radially in a common plane about a central axis, which package comprises four sets of said bases, each set being as hereinbefore defined, arranged so that the bases of a first pair of said sets have their central axes generally coaxial with each other and the bases of the other two sets form a seco: d pair of said sets and have their central axes generally coaxial with each other but at right angles to the central axes of the bases of said first pair of sets.
12. A package as claimed in claim 11,in which the arms of the bases in the first pair of sets are interposed between the arms of the bases in the second pair of sets.
13. A package according to claim 11 or 12, in which said bases are arranged in a carton.
14. A package as claimed in claim 11, 12 or 13, in which the arms of each base are equidistantly radially disposed about the central axis of the base. A package as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, in which each base has from three to six arms.
16. A package as claimed in claim 15, in which each base has five arms.
17. A package as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16, in which there are the same number of bases in each of said sets of bases.
18. A package as claimed in claim 17, in which there are from three to six %tat .bases in each of said sets of bases. S ,19. A package as claimed in claim 18, in which there are four bases in each set of bases. A package as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 19, in which the sets of bases of said first pair of bases are disposed on opposite sides of the generally co- axial central axes of said second pair of sets.
21. A method of packaging sixteen furniture support bases, each having a &T R.1 plurality of arms extending generally radially in a common plane about a central axis, in a carton which accommodates ten bases one upon another in a single set of co- j 9 axially disposed bases, which method comprises placing four sets of four bases in the carton, each set of bases comprising an ordered stack of bases with any arm of a base in the stack being disposed in the same general direction as an arm of any other base in the same stack, the sets of four bases being placed so that the central axes of the bases of a first pair of said sets of bases are generally co-axially disposed and the central axes of the bases of the other two sets of bases forming a second pair of said sets of bases are generally co-axially disposed generally at right angles to the central axes of the bases of the first pair of sets of bases.
22. A package comprising sixteen furniture support bases, each having a plurality of arms extending generally radially in a common plane about a central axis, in a carton which accommodates ten such bases one upon another in a single set of co-axially disposed bases, which package comprises four sets of four bases, each sec of bases comprising an ordered stack of bases with any arm of a base in the stack 1 being disposed in the same general direction as an arm of any other base in the same stack, the sets of four bases being arranged so that the central axes of the bases of a first pair of said sets of bases are generally co-axially disposed and the central axes of the bases of the other two sets of bases forming a second pair of sets are generally co-axially disposed generally at right angles to the central axes of the bases of the first pair of sets of bases.
23. A package comprising a number of furniture support bases in a carton, the package being constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
24. A method of packaging a number of furniture support bases in a carton, the method being substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 19th day of October, 1995 C A FORD PTY LTD WATERAARK PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD BR)AD HAWTHORN VICIORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA I