DE19543719A1 - Folding box setting up and filling process - Google Patents

Abstract

The setting up and filling process is for a box (1) with a bottom (2) and side walls (4-7) bounding an aperture and able to be linked at the ends by connecting elements. Two opposite first side walls (4,6) are set up and held first, and the contents (19) are put in from an open side. The remaining side walls are then set up and linked. Of the side walls erected first, one, or both, is first set in an intermediate position and held there, bounding an enlarged filling aperture (23). After the filling of the box, they are turned up to their final position.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a folding box according to the Preambles of claims 1, 2 and 4.

A folding box is a typical mass product that is largely is manufactured automatically and packed with one or more Packaging objects form a packaging unit. Filling the Folding box, d. H. the introduction of the packaging item (s) into the Folding box, is also largely automated.

An existing folding box is suitable for various packaging items, which can be placed in the folding box in an orderly or unordered manner. Here A difficulty arises, especially when the packaging items orderly, especially in layers in the folding box. This is it usual to put the packaging items from above into the folding box or from to push one side into the folding box, with one side wall of the Folding box must be folded down. Take due to manufacturing tolerances the packaging objects have different longitudinal and / or transverse dimensions a which, if larger than the longitudinal and / or transverse dimension of the Folding box opening is the difficulty of inserting it into the folding box specifies because when inserting the packaging objects on the edge of the Bump the side walls or against the side facing them when inserted horizontally Butt end edges of the associated side walls. This does not make packaging only difficult because the packaging objects tip over and get mixed up can, but the packaging items can also be damaged, e.g. B. can show pressure marks and grinding marks on the packaging, which then lead to impairment of the packaging items, if they are sensitive, as is the case with confectionery in particular. To the For example, with chocolates, grinding marks or pressure marks would be a considerable one Impairment mean. In addition, there is also at the grinding or pressure points the risk of contamination of the folding box.

The problem described above arises with folding boxes with both vertical Side walls as well as with side walls sloping inwards. In the latter case possible impairments of the packaging items are even more serious because  these in point contact with the upper edges of the side walls stand and therefore damage can occur all the easier.

The invention has for its object a method and a folding box to further develop the types specified at the outset so that a more gentle introduction of the Packing items is possible.

This object is solved by the features of claims 1, 2 or 4.

In both methods according to the invention, at least two are mutually exclusive opposite side walls of the folding box erected into an intermediate position, in which their upper edges are more distant from each other than in whose end position is the case. In this intermediate position, the Packaging items both individually and in layers from above or horizontally easier to insert because of the risk of striking against the associated edges of the side walls meet, is eliminated. The packaging items can thus be damaged in the folding box are introduced. Then the side walls in question continue erected or bent into its end position and connected to each other. The The folding box then forms a packaging unit with the packaging items, which is completed by a cover or a cover and stored or sold can be.

The folding box according to claim 4 is characterized by a simple and inexpensive to manufacture construction, which leads to the further advantage that the connection devices between the side walls against a limitation unfold the side walls so that the side walls in the Intermediate position are secured against unfolding. This will fill up much easier because of special measures to support the side walls outside are not required.

The folding box according to the invention thus also leads to the advantages, as already for the inventive method have been described. The Items can be packed individually or in layers both from above and can also be inserted or inserted from the side without the input Difficulties described are to be feared, since the side walls in question for limit insertion to a larger insertion opening. After introducing the Items of packaging can erect the side walls in their end position or  bent and firmly connected by suitable measures. For this purpose, it is possible to use both a mechanical connection, e.g. B. another Snap connection, or to realize an adhesive connection.

Within the scope of the invention, the packaging objects need to be introduced by above not necessarily an erection of all side walls in the intermediate position, it is sufficient if two opposite side walls for insertion be raised to the intermediate position. For example, in a row The opposite should be introduced along the row or rows Side walls are erected accordingly. With a layered introduction of the Packing items, it is advantageous to insert all sidewalls into the To raise the intermediate position.

When inserting from the side, it is sufficient to move the feed direction on both sides arranged side walls for insertion into the intermediate position. After the transverse side walls can then be inserted one after the other or be erected at the same time and connected to the other two side walls.

The subclaims contain features that are too simple and inexpensive produce producible designs and facilitate the connection of the side walls and improve.

The invention and further advantages achievable by it are described below of preferred embodiments and drawings explained in more detail. It shows

Figure 1 is a folding box according to the invention in a perspective view from above.

Fig 2 shows a blank in plan view as the first intermediate product.

Fig. 3 is a second intermediate product of the folding box in a perspective plan view can be set up from the folding box;

FIG. 4 shows the carton in an intermediate stage of erection;

3 shows the folding box in a further intermediate stage of its erection, in which it is filled with packaging items;

FIGS. 6 to 8, the packaging box in further intermediate stages of completion;

Figure 9 shows a blank in plan view as the first intermediate product of a folding box in a modified configuration.

FIG. 10 is a principle of Figure 4 corresponding second intermediate product of the folding box in a modified configuration.

Figure 11 shows the modified folding box in a loading completion intermediate stage in the end view.

Fig. 12, the packaging box of FIG. 10 in the end position of its side walls in the front view.

The folding box, generally designated 1 , consists of a bottom wall 2 of square or here rectangular shape, from the edges 3 of which side walls 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 extend upwards, which are connected to one another in their mutually facing regions, and one with their upper edges 8 Limit the upper receiving opening 9 of the folding box 1 with the width a. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the side walls 4 to 7 are glued together by connecting tabs 11 .

The folding box 1 is made of a one-piece blank 12 of cardboard as a first flat intermediate product 13 of FIG. 2, which has two bottom wall portions 2 a, 2 b and side wall portions 4 a to 7 c, and so a between the two side wall portions 6 a, 6 b extending bending line 14 is folded onto one another and glued so that a second flat intermediate product 15 according to FIG. 3 results, from which the folding box 1 can be produced in an erected manner. The side wall part 4 b is folded around a bending line 14 a, along which it is connected to the side wall part 4 a, and preferably glued to it.

Because of the double-layer design, the folding box 1 is stabilized. In the second intermediate product 15 , only the side wall parts 4 a, 4 b and 6 a, 6 b here on the broad side are glued to one another. The remaining parts of the double layer lie loosely on top of each other. The inner side wall part 4 b is connected along a bending line 14 b lying in the associated edge 3 with an overlap strip 16 which overlaps the inner bottom part 2 b or underlaps it in order to achieve a continuous smooth bottom inner surface. On a bending line, the inner narrow side wall parts 5 b, 7 b here are extended by side wall parts 5 c, 7 c, which are folded over the associated outer side wall parts 5 a, 7 a and are then located outside, so that the outer bottom wall part 2 a arranged side wall parts 5 a, 7 a in the finished state of the folding box 1 are middle side wall parts. The connecting tabs 11 are not double and connected along bending lines with the outer side wall parts 6 a, 6 b. As usual, the bending lines are shown with semicolon lines.

To connect the side walls 4 to 7 in the erected state, the connecting tabs 11 are provided, which in the present embodiment are arranged in one piece on the outer side wall parts 4 a, 6 a by lateral extensions.

As can be clearly seen from FIG. 1, the side walls 4 to 7 of the finished folding box 1 are arranged inclined inwards by an acute angle W ( FIG. 12) of approximately 10 to 15 °, so that they converge upwards. Correspondingly obliquely, the side edges 18 of the side wall parts 4 a, 4 b to 7 a, 7 b and also the outer side wall parts 5 c, 7 c are arranged, the latter being arranged opposite obliquely, so that in the folded position of the outer side wall parts 5 c , 7 c whose side edges 18 match the side edges 18 of the central side wall parts 5 a, 7 a.

The bending lines of the so-called fold lines shown in dash-dot lines are already prefabricated on the blank 12 .

The folding box 1 can during its completion according to FIG. 1 or during its erection with packaging items shown in FIG . B. filled chocolates. In the former case, this is done from above, individually, in rows or layers, or during their erection from one side, here from a narrow end. The latter is described below in a manufacturing process in a suitable packaging machine using seven stations according to FIGS. 3 to 8 and 1.

In the first station S1 according to FIG. 3, the second intermediate product 15 is in a flat arrangement in the packaging machine, not shown.

In the station S2 according to FIG. 4, two opposite side walls, here the wide side walls 4 , 6 are erected into an approximately vertical intermediate position and held in this position by parts of the packaging machine, not shown.

In the next station S3 according to FIG. 5, the folding box 1 prepared so far is filled from one side with packaging objects 19 , which are arranged in a horizontal position 21 and by means of a horizontally movable slide 22 or the like, via the folded-down side wall parts 5 b, 5 c are inserted between the side walls 4 , 5 erected in the intermediate position. Simultaneously or beforehand, the opposite side wall, here the narrow side wall part 7 b, is erected so that the packaging items 19 can be pushed up to this side wall part 7 b. It is also possible that the erection of the side wall portion 7 b at the station S2 to perform.

This filling process can be carried out very gently for the packaging objects 19 , since the side walls 4 , 6 delimit an intermediate opening 23 , the width b of which, owing to the intermediate position of the side walls 4 , 6, is somewhat larger than the width a of the finished opening 9 in the inward incline Position of the side walls. As a result, the packaging articles 19 can be pushed into the folding box 1 with a large amount of movement, whereby there is no fear of contact with the upper edges of the side walls 4 , 6 and thus grinding marks or damage to the packaging articles 19 .

In the next station S4 of FIG. 6, the lateral filling opening is closed by a b erecting the corresponding inner side wall panel 5, wherein the outer side wall part 5 c is not yet folded down outwards. First, in the same station S4 or in the next station S5, the associated locking tabs 11 are folded in and glued to the inner side wall parts 5b. This is preferably done at both associated ends of the folding box 1 .

In the next station S6 according to FIG. 8, the middle side wall parts 5 a, 7 a are erected and glued to the other side wall parts, e.g. B. with the locking tabs 11th Then the outer side wall parts 5 c, 7 c are folded down and glued to the middle side wall parts 5 a, 7 a. The latter is preferably carried out in a further station S7, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 1. The filled folding box 1 is then located at the next station S7 as a packaging unit.

The second embodiment according to FIGS. 9 to 12, in which the same or comparable parts are provided with the same reference numerals, differs from the above-described first embodiment in that no adhesive connection is provided between the side walls 4 to 7 , but a mechanical connection in the form a plug-in and clamping device, preferably a latching device 25 , which are identical to one another, so that only one latching device 25 need be described below.

Each latching device 25 consists of an associated connecting bracket 11 on one side wall, here on the associated outer side wall parts 4 a, 6 a, a slot 26 in the adjacent side wall, here in the middle side wall parts 5 a, 7 a, and in each case a latching nose 27 that protrudes from the associated connecting bracket 11 against the pivoting-in movement when the associated side wall is erected. The locking lugs 27 are arranged so that they lock the associated side wall 4 to 7 not in their final position, but in their approximately vertical intermediate position. That is, in the locked state, the side walls 4 , 6 are limited against pivoting back out of their approximately vertical intermediate position, in which they define a filling opening 9 a with a larger dimension b, which permits gentle filling from above. On the other hand, it is possible to pivot the side walls 4 , 6 inwards from their intermediate position into their inclined end position, the connecting lugs 11 with the latching lugs 27 continuing to dip into the plug-in slots 26 (see FIG. 12). In this position, the locking lugs 27 when the slotted leg 26 b is present are located below the slotted leg 26 b or protrude beyond it and reach behind the associated side wall part 5 a, 7 a, see FIG. Fig. 12.

In the context of the invention, it is possible to realize the locking without the locking lugs projecting transversely to the connecting straps 11 , that is to say only with the connecting straps themselves. In such an embodiment, the latching z. B. given when only the upright slot leg 26 a existing slot 26 the dipping therein connecting plate 11, in the intermediate position of the associated side walls 4, 6 located at the upper end of the slot 26 a, and thus a further pivoting of the side walls 4 at a 6 locks, a further swiveling into the inward inclined end position is possible.

This configuration has the advantage that the side walls 4 , 6 remain in this position due to the material tension after erection in the intermediate position, so that the packaging objects can be filled from above or from the side into a larger filling opening 9 a. In the latter filling, it is possible first to erect only the side walls 4 , 6 in the intermediate position and to connect them to the side wall 7 or the central side wall part 7 a, so that the side walls 4 , 6 remain in their intermediate position. Then the filling of the folding box 1 can be carried out gently with the side wall 5 folded down according to the embodiment described above. Then, the inner and central side wall part 5, a, b erected 5 and the connecting plates 11 are locked to both ends of the carton box 1, wherein the side walls reach 4, 6 in their inclined end position. As the next manufacturing step, it is only necessary to fold down the outer side wall parts 5 c, 7 c and connect them to the other side wall parts, preferably by gluing.

The erection of the side walls 4 , 6 in the intermediate position has another advantage. Due to the slight spacing of the side walls 4 , 6 in this position from the adjacent side wall parts 5 b, 7 b, the latter are held less stable in the locked state of the associated locking devices 25 , so that the side walls 5 , 7 are also at a greater distance d from one another , and also in this dimension there is a slightly enlarged filling opening 9 a in the intermediate stage described above, which also facilitates filling in this dimension.

It is advantageous in terms of handling for closing the latching devices 25 to form the plug-in slots 26 in an angular shape with an upright slot leg 26 a and an approximately horizontal slot leg 26 b directed inward from the upper end thereof. The upright slot legs 26 a can diverge upwards. It is also advantageous to round the upright slot legs 26 a concavely, as shown, or to round them convexly. The latching lugs 25 are arranged so that they engage behind the associated insertion slot 26 in the region of the corner 26 c resulting from the angular configuration. The locking lug 27 can engage behind the upper slot leg 26 b, a secure locking being ensured. In the present embodiment, the upright slot legs 26 a extend up to or near the bottom wall 2 .

The locking lugs 27 each have a distance e from the associated side wall part 4 a, 6 a, which is greater than the distance f of the corner 26 c from the associated side edge 18 . This enables the above-described clearance between the intermediate position of the side walls 4 , 6 and the end position.

It is furthermore advantageous to arrange the latching lug 27 with its latching edge so that it inclines an acute angle W1 of approximately 60 to 90 ° with the associated upper edge of the connecting bracket 11 . This further improves the interlocking of the latching binding.

Claims (15)

1. A method for erecting and filling a folding box ( 1 ) with a bottom wall ( 2 ) and side walls ( 4 to 7 ) which can be erected by this on prefabricated bending lines and which delimit a folding box opening ( 9 ) with their upper edges and in their mutually facing end regions Connecting elements ( 11 ) can be connected to one another, in which at least two opposite first side walls ( 4 , 6 ) are erected and held, then parts ( 19 ) are introduced into the folding box ( 1 ) from an open side, and then not yet upright side walls (5, 7) set up and connected to the other side walls (5, 7), characterized in that from the first two upright side walls (4, 6), one or both side walls (4, 6) are first set up in an intermediate position and are kept in which they limit an enlarged filling opening ( 23 ), that then the parts ( 19 ) inserted eight, and that the two former side walls ( 4 , 6 ) are then pivoted from their intermediate position into their end position and the remaining side wall or side walls ( 5 , 7 ) are erected and the adjacent side walls ( 4 to 7 ) are connected to one another. 2. A method for erecting and filling a folding box ( 1 ) with a bottom wall ( 2 ) and side walls ( 4 to 7 ) which can be erected by this on prefabricated bending lines and which delimit a folding box opening ( 9 ) with their upper edges and in their mutually facing end regions Connecting elements ( 11 ) can be connected to one another, in which the side walls ( 4 , 6 ) are erected and held and then parts ( 19 ) are introduced into the folding box ( 1 ) from above, characterized in that of the side walls ( 4 to 7 ) two opposite side walls ( 4 , 6 ) are raised and held in an intermediate position in which they limit an enlarged filling opening ( 9 a), that the parts ( 19 ) are then inserted into the folding box ( 1 ) and that then in the intermediate position of the side walls ( 4 , 6 ) swung into their end position and, if necessary, not yet erected side walls ( 5 , 7 ) icht and the adjacent side walls ( 5 to 7 ) are connected to each other. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the side walls ( 4 , 6 ) in the intermediate position of adjacent side walls ( 5 , 7 ) are held in particular by latching or hooking against pivoting out. 4. folding box, in particular for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, with a bottom wall ( 2 ) of this erectable on bending lines side walls ( 4 to 7 ) which are connected to each other in their facing end regions by a connecting device, characterized in that of the side walls ( 4 to 7 ) at least two opposite side walls ( 4 , 6 ) or all side walls can be detachably connected with the associated connecting devices in an intermediate position in which they limit an enlarged filling opening ( 9 a; 23 ). 5. Folding box according to claim 4, characterized in that the connecting devices are formed by hooking or latching devices ( 25 ). 6. Folding box according to claim 5, characterized in that the hooking or latching devices ( 25 ) each have a nose ( 27 ), which is arranged on a one of the side wall ( 4 , 6 ) connecting tab ( 11 ), and a slot ( 26 ) in the other side wall ( 5 , 7 ), into which the nose ( 27 ) can be inserted and locked or limited against pivoting back of the side wall ( 4 , 6 ). 7. Folding box according to claim 6, characterized in that the lugs ( 17 ) are formed by the free ends of the connecting tabs ( 11 ) or against the direction in which the side walls ( 4 to 7 ) are erected by the associated connecting tabs ( 11th ) protrude. 8. Folding box according to claim 7, characterized in that the lugs ( 27 ) each enclose an acute angle (W1) with the associated side edge of the connecting flap ( 11 ). 9. Folding box according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the slot ( 26 a) extends transversely to the bottom wall ( 2 ). 10. Folding box according to claim 9, characterized in that the insertion slot ( 26 ) is an angular slot with an upper slot leg ( 26 b) which extends to the associated connecting flap ( 11 ) facing away. 11. Folding box according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the insertion slot ( 26 ) with respect to the associated connecting tab ( 11 ) having side wall ( 4 , 6 ) is concavely or preferably convexly rounded. 12. Folding box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two adjacent connecting devices ( 18 ) on one and the same side, in particular the end face, are arranged and are covered by a wall strip ( 5 c, 7 c), in particular adhesive strips. 13. Folding box according to claim 12, characterized in that the wall strip ( 5 c) via an inner side wall part ( 5 d, 7 d) with a double bottom wall ( 2 d) and outwards against the outer surface of the associated side wall ( 5 , 7 ) folded and connected to it. 14. Folding box according to claim 13, characterized in that the wall strip ( 5 c, 7 c) is glued. 15. Folding box according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it is folded from a one-piece blank ( 12 ), in particular cardboard.