DE29907652U1 - Packaging container - Google Patents

Description

A 54 935 c Note: "·*" · ··* ··

c-261 Corrugated cardboard Ansbach

29 April 1999 Duropack GmbH

Robert-Bosch-Strasse 3 91522 Ansbach

Packaging containers

The present invention relates to a packaging container with a vertical casing surrounding a polygonal cross-section and with a base part which has upwardly projecting flaps which are encompassed by the casing, wherein the packaging container is foldable and the base part has a diametrically running fold line for this purpose.

Collapsible packaging containers have the advantage that they can be folded flat before and after use and stacked to save space. For this purpose, the folded base part can be stored in the also folded cover. To set up the packaging container, the cover and base part are unfolded. The base part usually has flaps that adjoin one another in the circumferential direction, which protrude upwards when unfolded and are enclosed by the cover. The flaps give the packaging container additional stability. The packaging container often has an inner bag made of a flexible plastic material into which the goods to be packaged are filled. With known packaging containers, there is a risk that a gap will form between the cover and the flaps of the base part when they are unfolded, which on the one hand impairs the stability of the packaging container and on the other hand there is the possibility that the inner bag gets into the area between the cover and the flaps.

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The object of the present invention is to further develop a packaging container of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the risk is reduced that a gap forms between the casing and the flaps when the packaging container is unfolded.

This object is achieved according to the invention in a packaging container of the type mentioned at the outset in that the flaps arranged on each side of the fold line are fixed to one another, that one of these flaps is fixed to the casing and that the remaining flaps can be moved from the flap fixed to the casing in the direction of the casing when the packaging container is unfolded.

According to the invention, the base part is fixed to the casing on both sides of the fold line by means of a flap. This has the advantage that the packaging container can be handled as a unit when folded up. This simplifies storage of the packaging container. To set up the packaging container, the base part, which is folded into the casing with the fold line facing inwards, can be pulled out of the casing to such an extent that the fold line is positioned at the level of the lower edge of the casing and the base part is thus aligned relative to the casing. On both sides of the fold line, the respective flaps are fixed to one another and one flap is fixed to the casing. The flaps not fixed to the casing are raised by the fixed flap in the direction of the casing. For this purpose, the flaps not fixed to the casing can be moved by the fixed flap in the direction of the casing. In this way,

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ensures that when the packaging container is unfolded, there is practically no gap between the casing and the flaps. In addition, the fastening of the flaps to one another results in better stabilization of the packaging container, whereby the fixing of one flap to the casing on both sides ensures that the base part is held in place on the casing. The flaps being fastened to one another in conjunction with the firm fixing to the casing thus give the packaging container a kind of automatic setting up mechanism. When the packaging container is set up, the flaps are forced to rest against the casing of the packaging container by the flap fixed to the casing.

After use, the container can be folded up again and stacked flat.

The movement of the unfixed flaps by means of the flap fixed to the casing is preferably carried out in that the flaps arranged on each side of the fold line when the packaging container is folded up are folded in pairs, whereby the folding forms a forced guide for the flaps not fixed to the casing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flaps are folded in such a way that, starting from the flap fixed to the casing, the flaps immediately adjacent in the circumferential direction are each gripped by the fold. The flap fixed to the casing is thus connected to the flaps in the circumferential direction.

-A-

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The flaps immediately adjacent to it are folded in such a way that they engage under these immediately adjacent flaps. If the packaging container is set up, the flap fixed to the casing is raised up with the casing, and since it engages under the immediately adjacent flaps by means of the fold, these are also raised up in the direction of the casing. The flaps immediately adjacent to the fixed flap in turn form a similar fold with the flap immediately adjacent in the circumferential direction and thus engage under the adjacent flap so that this is also forced upright. This means that practically no gap can form between the casing and the flaps.

It is particularly advantageous if the flaps fixed to the casing are held to the casing by a spacer. The spacer creates a narrow gap between the flap fixed to the casing and the casing, which can accommodate part of the folds formed by the immediately adjacent flaps when the packaging container is folded together. This ensures that the flaps can unfold and stand up unhindered when the packaging container is set up, without hindering one another. The spacer can be made of cardboard, in particular corrugated cardboard.

Handling the packaging container is made even easier if the spacer is hinged to the flap fixed to the casing, so that the spacer forms a unit with the base part.

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It is particularly advantageous if the spacer is connected in one piece to the flap fixed to the casing. The spacer can therefore be manufactured together with the base part in one operation.

In an embodiment that can be produced inexpensively, it is provided that the flaps are glued together. Alternatively and/or additionally, it can be provided that the flaps are clamped together.

Preferably, the flaps fixed to the casing are glued to the casing. In this case, however, another method of fixing, such as clamping, would also be possible.

To achieve particularly good stability, it has proven to be advantageous if the container has an octagonal cross-section. This can be either an equilateral or a non-equilateral octagon.

It is particularly preferred that the container is made of cardboard, in particular corrugated cardboard. It is advantageous if the flaps each have an additional bending line in order to make it particularly easy to fold the flaps.

The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention serves to explain it in more detail in conjunction with the drawing. They show:

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Figure 1: A perspective, partially cutaway view of a packaging container with an inner bag;

Figure 2: a cut-out of the base part of the packaging container shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3: a perspective view of the unfolded base part;

Figure 4: a horizontal section of the packaging container along the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5: a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6: a sectional view of the packaging container according to Figure 4 when unfolding the packaging container;

Figure 7: a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Figure 6;

Figure 8: a top view of the base part with folded flaps;

Figure 9: a sectional view along the line 9-9 in Figure 8 and

Figure 10: a partial perspective view of the base part when unfolding the flaps.

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The drawing shows a packaging container, which is designated overall by the reference number 12. This has an octagonal cross-section and essentially consists of a column-shaped casing 14, a base part 16 and a lid 18.

The casing 14 essentially consists of eight adjacent rectangular side surfaces 20, which are connected in the usual way to form a closed, column-shaped body by means of a tab (not shown in the drawing) adjoining one of the side surfaces 20. The casing 14 can be folded flat, with two side surfaces 20 arranged as mirror images of each other in relation to a diagonal lying on top of each other. If the casing is to be unfolded, it is necessary to press together the longitudinal edges 21, 22 (see Figure 6) which laterally delimit the casing in the folded state. This results in the casing 14 unfolding transversely to this pressure direction, as is illustrated in Figure 6.

The base part 16 comprises an octagonal base wall 24 with a central opening 25 and a diagonal fold line 26 formed by a perforation. Base flaps 28 to 35 protrude from the base wall 24, which surround the base wall 24 in the circumferential direction and are each assigned to a side surface 20 of the casing 14. They can be folded along a bending edge that coincides with the outer edge of the base wall 24 into a vertical position shown in Figures 1 and 3. The fold lines 26 on one side of the

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The bottom flaps 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32, 33, 34, 35 arranged along the fold line 26 are glued together. The bottom flaps 28, 29 and 30 and the bottom flaps 35, 34 and 33 each have an overlapping area 38 arranged on the side. As is clear from Figure 3, the bottom flaps overlap in the circumferential direction in pairs on their inside and are glued in this overlapping area to the bottom flap that adjoins the respective side of the fold line 26 in the circumferential direction. In contrast to this, the bottom flaps 28 and 35 and 31 and 32, which are adjacent to one another in the circumferential direction but are arranged on different sides of the fold line 26, are not glued together; an overlapping area is not provided between them; instead, they have side edges 39 that are aligned at an angle to one another.

As is particularly clear from Figure 8, the bottom flaps 28 to 31 and 32 to 35 arranged on each side of the fold line 26 are additionally folded in pairs so that the bottom part 16 can be folded flat just like the jacket 40. For this purpose, the bottom flaps 28, 29 and 30 and 33, 34 and 35, which have an overlapping area 38, are additionally provided with two fold lines 41, 42 adjacent to the respective overlapping area 38, whereby the fold line 41 delimits the overlapping area and is aligned perpendicular to the bending edge 36, while the fold line 42 runs diagonally to it. Together with the upper edge 44 of the base part 16, the fold lines 41, 42 each define a triangular fold area 46. The folding of the glued base flaps now follows such that the base flaps 29

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and 34 engage under the bottom flaps 28 and 30 or 35 and 33 which are immediately adjacent in the circumferential direction. This is clear from the example of the bottom flap 29, in particular from Figures 8 and 10. The folding between the bottom flap 29 and the bottom flap 30 takes place in such a way that the fold line 42 is positioned in front of the bottom flap 30 in the folded state, i.e. between it and the bottom wall 24. In contrast, the fold line 41 takes up a position behind the bottom flap 29, i.e. on its rear side facing away from the bottom wall 24.

The folding between the bottom flap 29 and the bottom flap 28 is also carried out in such a way that the bottom flap 29 engages under the latter. For this purpose, the fold line 41 of the bottom flap 28 is folded into a position in front of the bottom flap 28, i.e. between the bottom flap 28 and the bottom wall 24, while the fold line 42 of the bottom flap 28 takes a position behind the bottom flap 29. This ensures that the bottom flap 29 engages under both the bottom flap 30 and the bottom flap 28.

A corresponding fold occurs between the bottom flap 34 and the bottom flap 33 as well as between the bottom flap 34 and the bottom flap 35.

A further fold is provided between the bottom flap 30 and the bottom flap 31 and - in a corresponding form between the bottom flap 33 and the bottom flap 32. In this case, the bottom flap 30 in the folded state engages under the bottom flap 31 in a similar way as it does in the bottom flap 29 and

- 10A
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is gripped. For this purpose, the fold line of the bottom flap 30 takes a position in front of the bottom flap, while the fold line 41 of the bottom flap 30 takes a position behind this bottom flap. As already explained, a corresponding fold takes place between the bottom flaps 33 and 32, i.e. the latter is gripped under by the bottom flap 33.

As can be seen from Figure 2, for example, the bottom flaps 29 and - in relation to the fold line 26, mirror-imaged thereto - the bottom flap 34 in the area of the upper edge 44 of the bottom part 16 are each adjoined by a tab 48, which protrudes outwards perpendicularly to the upper edge 44, with a middle edge 50 running parallel to the upper edge 44 and an outer edge 51, as well as with transverse edges 52 and 53 running transversely to the upper edge 44. The upper edge 44 of the bottom part 16 forms a bending edge in the area of the tabs 48, just like the middle edge 50, so that the tabs 48 can be folded in on themselves and glued to the outside of the bottom flaps 29 and 34 facing away from the bottom wall 24. This is particularly clear from Figure .

On their side facing away from the bottom flap 29 or 34, the tabs 48 are each glued to a side surface 20 of the casing 14. This is shown, for example, in Figure 6. The tabs 48 form a spacer arranged between the bottom flaps 29 or 34 on the one hand and a side surface 20 of the casing 14, via which the said bottom flaps are fixed to the casing 14.

- 11 A
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When the packaging container 12 is set up, the bottom flaps 29 and 34 fixed to the casing 14 are erected with the casing 14. Since these bottom flaps, as explained above, engage under the immediately adjacent bottom flaps 28 and 30 or 35 and 33 in the circumferential direction, these adjacent bottom flaps are also forcibly erected by the bottom flaps 29 and 34 fixed to the casing. This in turn has the consequence that the bottom flaps 31 and 32, which are engaged under by the bottom flaps 30 and 33 which are forcibly erected, are also forcibly erected in the direction of the associated side surface 20 of the casing 14.

The mutual gluing and folding of the bottom flaps arranged on one side of the fold line 26 of the bottom part 16, in combination with the fixing of one bottom flap on each side of the fold line 26, results in the bottom flaps 28 to 35 being automatically erected. This results in extremely easy handling of the packaging container 12. If it is to be set up, it is only necessary to set up the folded shell 14 by pressing on the long edges 21 to 22. In addition, to set up the packaging container 12, the folded bottom wall can be pulled out of the shell 14 by engaging in the central opening 25. In this case, the bottom flaps 29 and 34 fixed to the jacket 14 are raised, and these in turn raise the remaining bottom flaps 28, 30, 31 and 35, 33, 32, which are arranged on one side of the fold line 26. It can then

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An inner bag 55 shown in Figure 1 is then inserted into the packaging container. After the inner bag has been filled, it can be closed and the lid 18 can be placed on the casing 14.

Claims (10)

- 13 A 54 935 c 29 April 1999 c-261 CLAIMS FOR PROTECTION 1. Packaging container with a vertical casing surrounding a polygonal cross-section and with a base part which has upwardly projecting flaps which are encompassed by the casing, whereby the packaging container can be folded together and the base part has a diametrically running fold line for this purpose, characterized in that the flaps (28, 29, 30, 31 or 35, 34, 33, 32) arranged on one side of the fold line (26) are fixed to one another, that one of these flaps (29; 34) is fixed to the casing (14) and that the remaining flaps (28, 30, 31 or 35, 33, 32) can be moved from the flap (29; 34) fixed to the casing in the direction of the casing (14) when the packaging container (12) is unfolded. 2. Packaging container according to claim 1, characterized in that when the packaging container is folded together, the flaps (28, 29, 30, 31 or 35, 34, 33, 32) arranged on each side of the fold line (26) are folded in pairs, whereby the folding forms a forced guide for the flaps (28, 30, 31 or 35, 33, 32) not fixed to the casing. 3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that the flaps are folded in such a way that, starting from the flap (29; 34) fixed to the casing (14), immediately adjacent flaps in the circumferential direction are each engaged under by the fold. • · > · · ϕ > ϕ &phgr;&phgr;&phgr; . ·· ·· φφ - 14A
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c-261 4. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flaps (29; 34) fixed to the casing (14) are held on the casing (14) via a spacer (48). 5. Packaging container according to claim 4, characterized in that the spacer (48) is hinged to the flap (29; 34) fixed to the casing. 6. Packaging container according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the spacer (48) is connected in one piece to the flap (29; 34) fixed to the casing. 7. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flaps (28, 29, 30, 31 or 35, 34, 33, 32) arranged on one side of the fold line (26) are glued to one another. 8. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flaps (29; 34) fixed to the casing (14) are glued to the latter. 9. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the packaging container (12) has an octagonal cross-section. if;;; &iacgr;\·. - 15A
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c-261 10. Packaging container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the packaging container (12) consists of cardboard.