CN117022861A

CN117022861A - Tray and carrying case

Info

Publication number: CN117022861A
Application number: CN202311186944.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杨智凯; 陈士琦
Original assignee: AU Optronics Corp
Current assignee: AU Optronics Corp
Priority date: 2023-04-07
Filing date: 2023-09-14
Publication date: 2023-11-10

Abstract

A tray and a carrying case are disclosed. The tray comprises a tray body and at least one buffer structure. The tray body is provided with a body periphery, and the body periphery comprises at least one corner. The at least one buffer structure extends outwards from the position of at least one corner of the periphery of the body, and each buffer structure comprises a flexible supporting sheet and a plurality of deformable buffer parts which are arranged on the supporting sheet in a protruding mode. When the tray is in a use state, the supporting sheet is inclined relative to the tray body. The bearing box comprises a tray and a box body. The box body is provided with a bottom surface and an inner side wall surrounding the bottom surface. When the tray is in a use state, the tray is arranged in the box body, and the supporting piece is abutted with the inner side wall so as to incline relative to the tray body.

Description

Tray and carrying case

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a tray and a carrying case containing the tray.

Background

In order to reduce damage during the process of transporting articles, packaging boxes are often used for supporting and protecting. It is common practice to provide a plurality of baffles, paper or plastic liners, foam cushions, etc. as cushioning structures in the package.

Taking the case of a package carrying a panel as an example, the display panel is typically placed on a tray made of, for example, plastic, and then placed in a carrying case, and foam cushioning blocks are placed on the sides of the tray to limit translation. Considering the tolerance generated during manufacturing, the clearance needs to be reserved to avoid the situation that the tray cannot be put in due to interference with the inner wall of the carrying case, and particularly, the tray needs to be carefully placed when a plurality of trays are stacked.

However, the reserved gap easily causes the tray and the panel to shake in the carrying case. Therefore, how to effectively fix the tray becomes an important subject.

Disclosure of Invention

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a pallet that can be positioned in a carrying case more conveniently and efficiently.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a carrying case, which can more conveniently and effectively protect a carried panel.

The tray of the present disclosure includes a tray body and at least one buffer structure. The tray body is provided with a body periphery, and the body periphery comprises at least one corner. The at least one buffer structure extends outwards from the position of at least one corner of the periphery of the body, and each buffer structure comprises a flexible supporting sheet and a plurality of deformable buffer parts which are arranged on the supporting sheet in a protruding mode. When the tray is in a use state, the supporting sheet is inclined relative to the tray body.

The carrying case of the present disclosure includes a tray and a case. The box body is provided with a bottom surface and an inner side wall surrounding the bottom surface. When the tray is in a use state, the tray is arranged in the box body, and the supporting piece is abutted with the inner side wall so as to incline relative to the tray body.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a tray of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2A and 2B are a bottom view and a side view, respectively, of the region 601 in fig. 1.

Fig. 2C and 2D are schematic views of different embodiments of a buffer structure of a tray of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a carrying case of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a side view of region 602 of fig. 3.

Fig. 5A to 5C are schematic views of an embodiment in which the trays of the present disclosure are placed in a stacked manner.

Fig. 6A is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a carrying case of the present disclosure including a buffer block.

Fig. 6B is a schematic view of a different embodiment of the carrying case of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of an embodiment in which the buffer portions are straight ribs parallel to each other in the present disclosure.

Fig. 8A-9B are schematic illustrations of different embodiments of the buffer in the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a second break in the present disclosure.

Reference numerals illustrate:

tray body

Body perimeter

Corner

Side edge

Buffer structure

Side buffering structure

Support sheet

Buffer part

First wall

Second wall

Top plate

First break of the saddle stitch

Second saddle stitch break line

Buffering block material

500 … panel

601 … area

602 … area

700. box body

Bottom surface

Inner side wall

Tray

Carrying case

Height

Distance

Z. spacing

Detailed Description

The advantages and effects of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, by describing embodiments of the connection assembly disclosed in the present disclosure with reference to the following specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the following disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art may implement the present disclosure in other different embodiments based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of the present disclosure. In the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region or substrate is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element, it can be directly on or connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, "connected" may refer to physical and/or electrical connection. Furthermore, "electrically connected" or "coupled" may mean that there are other elements between the elements.

It will be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a "first element," "component," "region," "layer" or "section" discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings herein.

Moreover, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" and "upper" or "top" may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element as illustrated. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as being on the "lower" side of other elements would then be oriented on the "upper" side of the other elements. Thus, the exemplary term "lower" may include both "lower" and "upper" orientations, depending on the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements would then be oriented "above" the other elements. Thus, the exemplary terms "below" or "beneath" can encompass both an orientation of above and below.

As used herein, "about," "approximately," or "substantially" includes both the values and average values within an acceptable deviation of the particular values as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, taking into account the particular number of measurements and errors associated with the measurements in question (i.e., limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" may mean within one or more standard deviations of the values, or within ±30%, ±20%, ±10%, ±5%. Further, as used herein, "about," "approximately," or "substantially" may be used to select a more acceptable range of deviations or standard deviations depending on the optical, etching, or other properties, and may not be used with one standard deviation for all properties.

As shown in the embodiment of fig. 1, the tray 800 includes a tray body 100 and at least one buffer structure 200. In one embodiment, tray 800 is made of polyethylene terephthalate (polyethylene terephthalate, PET), however, other materials having flexibility may be used in different embodiments. The tray body 100 has a body periphery 101, and the body periphery 101 includes at least one corner 102. More specifically, in this embodiment, the tray body 100 is rectangular, four sides of the rectangle are connected to form a body periphery 101, and four corners of the rectangle are corners 102. However, in various embodiments, the tray body 100 may have other shapes depending on manufacturing, use, or design requirements. For example, in the case of using with a hexagonal cylindrical box, the tray body may be hexagonal in shape to correspond to the inner sidewall thereof, and the six corners are corresponding corners.

Fig. 1, 2A, and 2B illustrate embodiments, wherein fig. 2A and 2B are a bottom view and a side view, respectively, of the region 601 in fig. 1, and the buffer structure 200 extends outwards from the position of the corner 102 of the peripheral edge 101 of the body. Each cushioning structure 200 includes a flexible support sheet 210 and a plurality of deformable cushioning portions 220 protruding from the support sheet 210. As shown in fig. 2B, in an embodiment, when the tray body 100 is horizontal, the supporting piece 210 extends obliquely downward and outward for a first length from the position of the corner (see fig. 1) of the corresponding peripheral edge 101 of the body, and then extends outward. In other words, the support sheet 210 is inclined downward and then turned to extend horizontally. The buffer portion 220 may be disposed at a horizontally extending portion. In various embodiments, the support tabs 210 may flex upward relative to the tray body 100.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the buffer portion 220 is a straight rib with a square waveform profile formed by bending the supporting sheet 210, that is, is integrally formed with the supporting sheet 210, and provides additional deformability through its bending structure. Further, as shown in fig. 2B, the buffer portion 220 has a first wall 221, a second wall 222, and a top plate 223 connected to the top ends of the first wall 221 and the second wall 222. The first wall 221 and the second wall 222 are disposed side by side and respectively extend from the corners of the periphery 101 of the body transversely to the direction in which the supporting sheet 210 extends outwards; wherein the first wall 221 is closer to the corners of the body periphery 101 than the second wall 222. Through the connection of the top plate 223, the first wall 221 and the second wall 222 can swing and displace relative to each other to deform the buffer 220, so as to absorb the external force of compression or stretching, thereby achieving the buffer effect. In various embodiments as shown in fig. 2C and 2D, the buffer portion 220' may be an array of bumps, such as a cylinder, and may be adhered, welded, locked, etc. to the surface of the supporting sheet 210.

As shown in the embodiment of fig. 3, the tray 800 of the present disclosure is configured for use with a case 700, wherein the case 700 has a bottom surface 710 and an inner sidewall 720 surrounding the bottom surface 710. Further, the tray 800 and the case 700 constitute a carrying case 900 of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 and 5 are embodiments, in which fig. 5 is a side view of the area 602 in fig. 4, and the supporting plate 210 is inclined with respect to the tray body 100 when the tray 800 is placed in the case 700, that is, when the tray 800 is in the use state. Further, at this time, the supporting plate 210 abuts against the inner sidewall 720 and deflects upward, so that an elastic restoring force is generated due to deformation, so that a gap exists between the tray body 100 and the inner sidewall 720 without abutting against each other, and the tray body is effectively positioned in the carrying case 900, thereby providing a good shock-absorbing protection effect for the carried panel 500. When the supporting plate 210 is abutted against the inner sidewall 720 and deflects upward, the buffer portion 220 can also deform to provide a further elastic restoring force. In an embodiment, the top of the buffer portion 220 may be lower than the top of the periphery 101 of the body, so as to reserve a space for the buffer portion 220 to move when the supporting plate 210 is flexed. In addition, in general, the corners of the case are more susceptible to impact, and the corners 102 of the buffer structure 200 disposed on the tray body 100 correspond to the corners of the case, so as to reduce impact effectively.

When the tray 800 is put into the case 700 from top to bottom, the buffer structure 200 at the corner 102 of the tray body 100 naturally deflects upwards due to the contact with the inner sidewall 720, and generates an elastic restoring force caused by deformation, and the elastic restoring force acts on the corner 102 to support/buffer the tray body 100, thereby being effectively positioned in the carrying case 900. In other words, the user only needs to put the tray 800 into the box 700 from top to bottom, so that the tray body 100 can be effectively positioned in the carrying case 900, and the operation is convenient. Further, as in the embodiment shown in fig. 5A, trays 800 are often placed in a stacked manner. In the present disclosure, as shown in the embodiment of fig. 5B and 5C, the tray 800 can be directly put into the case 700 from top to bottom in a stacked state, without putting the cases one by one as in the prior art, and the operation convenience is significantly improved. In the embodiment shown in fig. 5B, when the distance between the tray body 100 and the inner sidewall 720 is wider, the deformation of the buffer structure 200 is smaller to form an inclined state, so as to achieve the effect of reducing the displacement of the tray 800 in the case 700. As shown in fig. 5C, when the distance between the tray body 100 and the inner sidewall 720 is narrower, the deformation of the buffer structure 200 is larger and the buffer structure is in a curved state, and the buffer portions 220 can even press against each other to provide additional elastic force for buffering, so as to further enhance the positioning effect of the tray 800.

In different implementations, other buffer elements may be further disposed between the tray body 100 and the inner sidewall 720 at positions other than the buffer structure 200 to enhance positioning, shock resistance, etc. More specifically, as shown in the embodiment of fig. 6A, the case 700 further includes a plurality of cushioning blocks 400, such as expandable polyethylene (expanded polyethylene, EPE), the cushioning blocks 400 being located outside the body periphery 101 and between adjacent cushioning structures 200 when the tray 800 is placed into the case 700. In other words, the tray body 100 is located between two opposite buffer blocks 400. The buffer structure 200 provides elastic restoring force to the corners 102 of the tray body 100, and the buffer block 400 provides supporting/buffering effect to the sides of the tray body 100, so that the tray body 100 is effectively positioned in the carrying case 900. In one embodiment, the hardness of the cushioning mass 400 is less than the hardness of the cushioning structure 200, and the impact absorbing effect of the soft and hard composite cushioning is achieved by different hardness. In various embodiments, the cushion block 400 may use a material having a compressible property such as foamable polypropylene (expandable polypropylene), silicone Gel (Silica Gel), thermoplastic polyester elastomer (thermoplastic polyester elastomer, TPEE), thermoplastic polyurethane (thermoplastic polyurethane, TPU), or the like. In various embodiments, as shown in fig. 6B, the tray 800 may further include at least one side buffer structure 200', 200″ extending outwardly from the side 103 of the body peripheral edge 101 connected to the corner 102, the side buffer structure 200', 200″ not abutting the buffer structure 200. Therefore, when the tray 800 is placed in the case 700 (see fig. 5A), the buffer structure 200 provides the supporting/buffering effect to the corners 102 of the tray body 100, and the buffer structures 200', 200″ provide the supporting/buffering effect to the sides of the tray body 100, without providing additional buffer blocks.

As shown in the embodiment of fig. 7, the buffer portions 220 are straight ribs parallel to each other, and have substantially the same length, thickness, height, and pitch. However, in various embodiments, the dimensions of the buffer 220 may be adjusted according to manufacturing, use, or design requirements. Among the buffer portions 220, the height closest to one of the body peripheral edges 101 is X, the distance from the body peripheral edge 101 is Y, and the pitch of the buffer portions 220 is Z. As shown in fig. 8A and 8B, the straight rib has a larger thickness nearer to the tray body 100, i.e., the thickness of the straight rib as the buffer portion 220 increases with the degree of the adjacent tray body 100, so that the buffer property can be increased by increasing the strength (the thicker the rib is, the less easily deformed) with the thickness. More specifically, as shown in fig. 8B, the buffer portion 220 has a first wall 221, a second wall 222, and a top plate 223 connected to the top ends of the first wall 221 and the second wall 222. The distance between the top ends of the first wall 221 and the second wall 222 is the thickness of the straight rib of the buffer portion 220. As shown in fig. 9A and 9B, the height of the straight rib closer to the tray body 100 is smaller, i.e., the height of the straight rib as the buffer portion 220 decreases with the degree of the adjacent tray body 100, so that the buffer property can be increased by the strength (the shorter the less easily the deformation) of the lower the height. More specifically, as shown in fig. 9B, the buffer portion 220 has a first wall 221, a second wall 222, and a top plate 223 connected to the top ends of the first wall 221 and the second wall 222. Wherein, the distance from the top to the bottom of the first wall 221 is the height of the straight rib of the buffer portion 220. In this embodiment, Y > X, thereby avoiding adverse effects caused by the cushioning structure 200 contacting the body periphery 101 when flexed upward; y > Z, by which the upwardly flexed cushioning structure 200 is more resilient; and Z+.X, can thereby make the upwardly deflected cushioning structure 200 spring back more easily.

As shown in the embodiment of fig. 9A and 9B, the supporting sheet 300 further includes a first perforation line 300 disposed between the tray body 100 and one buffer portion 220 closest to the body periphery 101. Accordingly, when the carrying case 900 (see fig. 5A) receives an excessive impact force, the support sheet 300 may be broken by the first perforation line 300 to reduce the impact from directly affecting the loaded panel 500. Wherein, the tray 800 can be made of polyethylene terephthalate, which is not only recyclable and environmentally friendly, but also has a fragile characteristic that facilitates the breaking of the first perforation line 300. In addition, the remaining impact force can be absorbed by the buffer block 400. As shown in the different embodiment of fig. 10, the supporting sheet 210 further includes second perforation lines 300', 300″ disposed between the buffer portions 220. Wherein, the arrangement density of the second seam breaking lines 300', 300″ is greater than that of the first seam breaking lines 300, and the seam lines gradually thinned from the outside to the inside relative to the tray body 100 can absorb the impact in sequence.

The present disclosure has been described with respect to the above-described embodiments, however, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of implementation of the present disclosure. It must be noted that the disclosed embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. On the contrary, modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the claims are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A tray, comprising:

a tray body having a body periphery including at least one corner; and

the at least one buffer structure extends outwards from the position of the at least one corner, and each at least one buffer structure comprises a flexible supporting sheet and a plurality of deformable buffer parts which are arranged on the supporting sheet in a protruding mode;

when the tray is in a use state, the supporting sheet inclines relative to the tray body.

2. The tray of claim 1, wherein when the tray body is horizontal, the supporting piece extends obliquely downward and outward by a first length from the corresponding position of the corner, and then extends outward.

3. The tray of claim 1, wherein a top of the plurality of cushioning portions is lower than a top of the periphery of the body.

4. The tray of claim 1, wherein the support tab flexes upward relative to the tray body when the tray body is horizontal.

5. The tray of claim 1, further comprising at least one side buffer structure extending outwardly from at least one side of the body peripheral edge connected to the at least one corner, the at least one buffer structure not being in abutment with the at least one side buffer structure.

6. The tray of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cushioning portions are straight ribs that are parallel to each other.

7. The tray of claim 6, wherein the straight ribs are substantially the same in length, thickness, height, and spacing.

8. The tray of claim 6, wherein the straight ribs have a greater thickness nearer the tray body.

9. The tray of claim 6, wherein the straight ribs have a smaller height closer to the tray body.

10. The tray of claim 6, wherein a height of one of the plurality of cushioning portions closest to the periphery of the body is X, a distance from the periphery of the body is Y, and Y > X.

11. The tray of claim 6, wherein a distance from the body periphery closest to the body periphery is Y, a pitch of the plurality of cushioning portions is Z, and Y > Z.

12. The tray of claim 6, wherein a height of one of the plurality of buffer portions closest to the periphery of the body is X, a pitch of the plurality of buffer portions is Z, and z+.x.

13. The tray of claim 6, wherein the direction of extension of the straight ribs is transverse to the direction in which the support sheet extends outwardly.

14. The tray of claim 1, wherein the supporting sheet further comprises at least one first perforation line disposed between the tray body and the plurality of cushioning portions.

15. The tray of claim 14, wherein the supporting sheet further comprises at least one second perforation line disposed between the plurality of cushioning portions.

16. The tray of claim 15, wherein the at least one second perforation line has an arrangement density greater than an arrangement density of the at least one first perforation line.

17. The tray of claim 1, wherein the plurality of buffers are bump arrays.

18. A carrying case comprising:

the tray of any one of claims 1 to 17; and

a case having a bottom surface and an inner sidewall surrounding the bottom surface;

when the tray is in the use state, the tray is arranged in the box body, and the supporting piece is abutted with the inner side wall so as to incline relative to the tray body.

19. The carrying case of claim 1, wherein the case further comprises a plurality of buffer blocks located outside the periphery of the body and between adjacent ones of the plurality of buffer structures when the tray is placed into the case.

20. The carrying case of claim 19, wherein the tray body is located between at least two of the plurality of cushioning blocks when the tray is placed into the case.

21. The carrying case of claim 19, wherein the plurality of cushioning blocks have a hardness less than a hardness of the plurality of cushioning structures.