AU7840887A - Multiple packing arrangement - Google Patents

Description

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MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONALBUREAUOF STANDA ROS-1963-A

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FORM 1 SPRUSON FERGUSON

I~ri U COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 LODGED AT SUB-OFFICE SEP 1987 APPLICATION FOR A STANDARD PA EENTSy Sydney Square D Starkstrom GmbH, of D-5277 Marienheide-Rodt, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, hereby apply for the grant of a standard patent for an invention entitled:

Multiple Packing Arrangement

which is described in the accompanying complete specification. t- #t P I r t-

*I *i Details of basic application(s):- *I t Basic Applic. No: Country: Application Date:

*I It t TI 908769 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 18 September 1986 4i: E 86 11 6901.9 (EPO) FED. REP. OF GERMANY 4 December 1986 *t

1 I~I I IIIUI I The address for service is:- I ATTACHED Spruson Ferguson MAILOFFER MAIL OFFICER.. Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower 31 Market Street Sydney New South Wales Australia

DATED this FIFTEENTH day of SEPTEMBER 1987 IS 44 4 SSA S

S~i Square D Starkstrom GmbH 0

Re tered Ptent Attorney Reaistered Patent Attorney

THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS OUR REF: 32530 S&F CODE: 56831

5845/2

(12) PATENT ABSTRACT (11) Document No. AU-A-78408/87 (19) AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE

(51)4 INTERNATIONAL PATENT CLASSIFICATION 071/00 B65D 021/02 B65D 005/54 (21) Application No. 78408/87 (22) Application Date 15.09.87 Priority Data (31) Number (32) Date (33) Country 908769 18.09.86 US UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 86116901 04.12.86 DE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY (43) Publication Date 24.3.88 (71) Applicant SQUARE D STARKSTROM GMBH; (72) Inventor NAME NOT GIVEN (74) Attorney or Agent SPRUSON FERGUSON (54) Title MULTIPLE PACKING ARRANGEMENT (57) Claim For the purpose of producing a packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes designed to accommodate packaged articles, more particularly electrotechnical articles, it is proposed, in order to simplify production, storage, despatching and handling on the premises of the ultimate consumer, that a folding box having four wall-parts, a cover, and an open'bottom be folded out of each blank; that a plurality of folding boxes be arranged in a row closely side by side; and that a common covering be fitted to the open bottom and to the two adjacent outer lateral walls, after the said cover has been provided with perforations for the purpose of breaking off folding boxes which remain closed. 1. A method for producing a packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes designed to accommodate packaged articles, more particularly electrotechnical appliances, characterized in that a folding box having four wall-parts, a cover, and an open bottom is folded out of each blank, that a plurality of folding boxes Is arranged in a row closely side by side, and that a common cover is fitted to the open bottom and to the two adjacent outer lateral walls, after the said cover has been provided with perforations for the purpose of breaking off folding boxes which remain closed.

S F Ref: 32530 FORM

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int Class

Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published:

6 Priority: 4

Related Art: '4

4, 4

Name and Address 4,i of Applicant: Square D Starkstrom GmbH

D-5277 Marienheide-Rodt FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

Address for Service: Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia

Complete Specification for the invention entitled:

Multiple Packing Arrangement

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us

5845/3

ABSTRACT For the purpose of producing a packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes designed to accommodate packaged articles, more particularly electrotechnical articles, it is proposed, in order to simplify production, storage, despatching and handling on the premises of the ultimate consumer, that a folding box having four wall-parts, a cover, and an open bottom be folded out of each blank; that a plurality of folding boxes be arranged in a row closely side by side; and that a common covering be fitted to the open bottom and to the two adjacent outer lateral walls, after the said cover has been provided with perforations for the purpose of breaking off folding boxes which remain closed.

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SBR/JS/0412P

The invention relates to a method for producing a packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes designed to accommodate packaged articles, more particularly electrotechnical appliances. In the electrotechnical industry, appliances manufactured are always packaged in individual boxes. The resulting boxes are then generally placed in larger boxes and are arranged in rows, side by side or one above the other, to form a large packaging unit, in order to facilitate storage, transportation and despatch. Production, filling and closing of the individual boxes involves a considerable amount of labour and time. In addition to this, the individual boxes must then be sorted or grouped together and counted when an order is to be prepared for shipping. The large number of different electrotechnical appliances now available leads to major problems in storage if individual boxes must be counted in order to determine the stock. Individual boxes also have to be opened and then closed again for inspection purposes, for example in the transit trade. Finally, it is also inconvenient for the ultimate consumer to have to open 9*9* each box by hand in order to remove each appliance for further processing. These awkward and time-consuming production and handling methods, resulting from individual packaging, do not arise only in connection with electrical appliances, but also in many other technical fields and even in the packing of commodities in daily use. It is therefore the purpose of the invention to provide a method for producing a packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes whereby, on the one hand, production of the unit is substantially simplified and whereby, on the other hand, storage, shipping and, finally, handling en t( C route and on the ultimate consumer's premises is also facilitated. According to the invention, this purpose is accomplished in that a folding box having four wall-parts, a cover and an open bottom is folded out of each blank, in that a plurality of folding boxes is arranged in a octc row closely side by side, and in that a common cover is fitted to the open bottom and to the two adjacent outer lateral walls, after the said cover has been provided with perforations for the purpose of breaking off folding boxes which remain closed. Advantageous configurations of the method may be gathered from sub-claims 2 to 5. Worthy of special emphasis is the fact that, in each lateral part of the cover, perforations are provided on each side of a longitudinal strip extending over all of the folding boxes in the packaging unit. The invention also relates to a packaging unit comprising a plurality

SBR/JS/0412P of folding boxes designed to accommodate packaged articles, more particularly electrotechnical appliances, the said unit being characterized in that a plurality of folding boxes is arranged in a row closely side by side; in that each folding box is folded from a blank comprising four wall-parts, a cover and an open bottom; in that the open bottoms and the two adjacent outer lateral walls of the folding boxes are enclosed in a common cover; and in that the said cover is provided with perforations in such a manner that the folding boxes may be broken off individually or in groups in the closed condition. Advantageous configurations of the packaging unit may be gathered from sub-claims 7 to 17. An example of embodiment of a packaging unit according to the invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the drawings attached hereto, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a blank for a folding box; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a folding box in an intermediate *9* stage of the folding process; 0 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a folding box with the cover slightly open and the bottom at the top open; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a row of folding boxes showing the cover before it is fitted thereto; Fig. 5 is an end-elevation of a folding box and cover in an intermediate stage before being joined together; Fig. 6 is an end-elevation according to Fig. 5, showing the folding box and cover assembled; ."tCt Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a packaging unit ii which the longitudinal strip is partly torn off and some of the folding boxes are open; and S" Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the manner in which individual ,tiJ folding boxes are broken off the packaging unit. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a blank 1 for a folding box which has the advantage of being stamped out of pasteboard or, in the case of larger boxes, out of cardboard or, if necessary, out of strip-plastic or some other suitable strip material. The same materials may also be used for the blank of cover 22 which will be explained hereinafter. Blank 1 comprises four wall-parts 2.3.4 and 5 and a cover 9. A push-in tab 10 is made integral with cover 9. Small notches 19,20 are provided at the end of fold-line 18 between cover 9 and push-in tab 10. Cover-tabs 7,8 are integral with wall-parts 3,5 adjacent wall-part 2 of cover 9. Finally, an

SBR/JSi/412P -4- edge-tab 6 is integral with wall-part 2, so that the edges of blank 1, which are adjacent after box 21 has been folded (Fig. can be connected together by means of the said edge-tab and adhesive, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This blank 1, with the parts indicated hereinbefore, may be produced in a single stamping operation. Fold-lines 11 to 18, shown dotted, are provided between individual parts. These fold-lines may be produced during the stamping operation, or in a separate operation by light pressure with the edge of a press-tool or by grooving, in order to ensure accurately folded boxes. Folding may also be completely automatic. The same also applies to the application of glue for the gluing of edge-tab 6. A significant factor in connection with the folding boxes produced in accordance with the invention is that the said boxes, as such, have no bottoms, i.e. that the bottoms remain open. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a folding box, cover 9 and tab being shown at the bottom in the slightly open position. Prior to any S further processing, however, the cover is closed by means of the said tab. Boxes 21, thus prepared, are then preferably arranged in a row loosely side by side with the open bottom at the top and this may also be accomplished completely automatically. It has been found particularly advantageous to combine ten folding boxes into one packaging unit. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the open bottoms and the two adjacent outer lateral walls 3,5 are enclosed by a common cover 22. This cover is made from a rectangular blank which is provided, at the edges visible in Fig. 4, with fold-lines corresponding to Fig. 1, thus allowing the blank to be folded into a profile having a U-shaped cross-section as shown in Fig. 4. S The said U-shaped profiled has a bottom part 23 corresponding to the total area of the open bottoms of folding boxes 21 arranged side by side. Located at the two longitudinal edges (fold-lines) of bottom-part 23 are r lateral parts 24,25 which completely cover outer lateral walls 3 and 5 of tt,3o folding boxes 21. The cover is provided with perforations 26,27 and 28 c C which may be applied during the stamping operation. These perforations lie in the planes corresponding to the intermediate planes between two adjacent folding boxes, and in such a manner that the said boxes can be broken off the packaging unit individually or in groups and in the closed condition, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter. One particularly advantageous configuration of the packaging unit according to the invention consists in the provision, at one lateral part 24 of cover 22, of a longitudinal strip 29 which extends over all of the folding boxes in the packagi;g unit. The said longitudinal strip arises

SBR/JS/0412P from perforations 30,31 on both sides which are preferably in the form of toothed perforations, as shown quite clearly in Figs. 4,7 and 8. Like perforations 26 to 28, perforations 30 and 31 may be produced during the operation of stamping out the blank for the cover. In order to obtain a packaging unit from the folding boxes arranged loosely side by side according to Fig. 4, common cover 22 must be connected to all of boxes in the packaging unit. This is preferably accomplished by means of layers of adhesive 32 and 33 which are applied, according to Figs. and 6, between lateral parts 24 and 25 of cover 22, on the one hand, and outer lateral walls 3,5 of folding boxes 21 on the other hand. Adhesive layer 32 covers the whole area between lateral part 25 of cover 22 and adjacent lateral walls 5 of the folding boxes. Between the other lateral part 24 and lateral walls 3 a layer of adhesive is applied only in the area between longitudinal strip 29 and the outer edge of lateral part 24. 0. "lateral-part strip 34 (Fig. 5) of part 24 thus carries no layer adhesive 0 and strip 29 is therefore not glued to toothed perforations 30 and 31. It is desirable for the said strip to be staggered eccentrically in lateral 0*09 part 24 of cover 22 in an upward direction according to Fig. 7, in such a S* manner that a narrow edge-part 35 remains between strip 29 and bottom part 20 23. Above-mentioned perforations 26 to 28 and 30,31 may be in the form of rows of punched holes. However, the said perforations are preferably cut c or slotted, in such a manner that, in spite of the objects contained in the cr packaging unit, the latter does not break or open locally in an unwanted manner during normal handling. 1 As will readily be understood from the foregoing, a packaging unit is produced mainly by first preparing blanks for the folding boxes and blanks for the cover comprising fold-lines and perforations. This is followed by folding the boxes and arranging them in a row one behind the other. The cover is then also folded, is preferably provided with the layers of adhesive as described hereinbefore, is fitted to the folding boxes, and is finally connected thereto to form a packaging unit. Before fitting the cover, it is desirable to place the articles to be packaged in the individual boxes, the said boxes being set up with the cover at the bottom and the open bottoms at the top. The articles to be packaged can then be introduced into the boxes fully automatically through the open bottoms. All of the boxes are completely closed as soon as the cover is fitted. The packaging unit described hereinbefore offers a variety of advantages. In the first place it is substantially easier to handle than

SBR/JS/O412P

S existing folding boxes, as already explained at the beginning hereof. A single box can be broken off the packaging unit at transverse perforations 26 to 28 and, in this condition, the folding box still remains closed on all sides, but may be opened by opening cover 9 and cover-tabs 7,8 in order to remove the packaged article. Instead of this, however, a related group of boxes may be broken off the packaging unit. It is also possible, especially for purposes of inspection, but also when it is desired to open up the whole packaging unit quickly and this applies more particularly to the ultimate consumer involved in processing the packaged articles, i.e. electrotechnical appliances to separate longitudinal strip 29, partly or wholly, with the aid of perforations 30,31, as shown in Fig. 7. This releases bottom parts 23 and edge-parts 35 and these can be folded open jointly if perforations 27 are not torn, or individually if bottom parts 23 are separated from each other by opening perforations 27 (Fig. If the Slongitudinal strip is completely removed, the packaging unit still remains as such because remaining lateral parts 24 and 25 still hold the folding boxes together. It is possible, merely by rotating the packaging unit, to open bottom parts 23 individually or jointly, thus allowing the packaged articles to fall out. When longitudinal strip 29 is torn off merely to check the packaging unit as a whole, edge-parts 35 of bottom-parts 23, like cover 9, may be closed again by means of push-in tab

SBR/JS/0412P

Claims (1)

1. The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A method for producing a packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes designed to accommodate packaged articles, more particularly electrotechnical appliances, characterized in that a folding box having four wal'-parts, a cover, and an open bottom is folded out of each blank, that a plurality of folding boxes is arranged in a row closely side by side, and that a common cover is fitted to the open bottom and to the two adjacent outer lateral walls, after the said cover has been provided with perforations for the purpose of breaking off folding boxes which remain closed. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that fitting of the cover is effected by means of a layer of adhesive. 3. A method according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that perforations are provided in one lateral part of the cover on each side of S a longitudinal strip extending over all of the folding boxes in the packaging unit. 4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the layer of adhesive is applied in the area between the longitudinal strip and the outer edge of the lateral part of the cover. A method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the articles to be packaged are inserted through the open bottoms of the boxes before the cover is fitted. S- 6. A packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes designed to accommodate packaged articles, more particularly C (I electrotechnical appliances, characterized in that a plurality of folding boxes is arranged in a row closely side by side; in that each folding box is folded out of a blank with four wall-parts, a cover, and an open bottom; in that the open bottom and the two adjacent outer lateral walls of the S folding boxes are enclosed in a common cover; and in that the cover is

   r S f provided with perforations in such a manner that the fqiding boxes may be broken off individually or in groups in the closed condition. 7. A packaging unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover consists of a blank which is folded to form a profile having a U-shaped cross-section, 8. A packaging unit according to claim 7, characterized in that the U-shaped profile comprises a bottom part coresponding to the total area of the open bottom of the folding boxes arrangd side by side; and in that located at the two longitudinal edges of the bottom are lateral parts which totally cover the outer lateral walls of the folding boxes.

   SBR/JS/0412P

   S9. A packaging unit according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that provided at one lateral part of the cover is a longitudinal strip which extends over all of the folding boxes and which is adapted to be separated wholly or partly by means of perforations on both sides, so that the bottom parts are adapted to be folded out, in the separated area, from the folding boxes. A packaging unit according to claim 9, characterized in that the perforations are in the form of toothed perforations. 11. A packaging unit according to one of claims 6 to characterized in that provided between the lateral parts of the cover and the outer lateral walls of the folding boxes are layers of adhesive. 12. A packaging unit according to claim 11, characterized in that the layer of adhesive is applied over the whole area between the one lateral part of the cover and the adjacent lateral walls of the folding S boxes, but is applied, between the other lateral part and the lateral S walls, only in the area between the longitudinal strip and the outer edge of this lateral part. 13. A packaging unit according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the longitudinal strip is staggered eccentrically in the lateral part of the cover in such a manner as to leave a narrow edge-part between the said longitudinal strip and the bottom-part. 14. A packaging unit according to one of claims 6 to 13, f characterized in that a push-in tab is formed on the cover of each folding box; in that notches are provided, at the ends of the fold-line, between the cover and the said push-in tab; and in that cover-tabs are formed on the two wall-parts adjoining the wall-part of the cover. A packaging unit according to one of claims 6 to 14, characterized In that the edges of the blank, adjacent after the folding boxes have been folded, are connected together by means of a gluable ccVcoE edge-tab. IL C 16. A packaging unit according to one of claims 6 to characterized in that the blanks are stamped out of paperboard or cardboard, while the fold-lines are pressed or scored, and the perforations are cut or slotted. 17. A packaging unit according to one of claims 6 to 16, characterized by ten folding boxes arranged loosely in a row side by side.

   SBR/3S/0412P

   DATED this ELEVENTH day of SEPTEMBER 1987 Square D !tarkstrom GmbH

   Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON

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