EP0003949B1 - Chain of eight interconnected equally sized parallelepipeds - Google Patents

Description

Cuboid chains corresponding to the type of patent claim 1 are known, for example, from FR-A-2 120 325 and are characterized in that they ensure reliable cohesion even with frequent use at their hinge-like connection points. Experience has shown, however, that the additional wall strips provided on the hinge-like articulation points are not sufficient for the light cuboid bodies unfolded from the usual cardboard material to maintain the mutual position provided for after each transformation of the cuboid chain. In particular, it must be taken into account that individual cuboids located on the outside of the entire body due to the strength of the cardboard material from the position initially brought about, for example parallel to an adjacent cuboid, around their hinge-like articulation point in order to relax the cardboard material bent over at the articulation point by one gap more or less large angles. Even if it is known to facilitate bending of adjacent cardboard areas by means of a perforation running along the connecting edge, it has been shown that the known perforations lead too quickly to a breakup of the previously connected cardboard areas and thus to a tearing of the rectangular chain, which accordingly the intended use as toys and promotional items should be maintained in a ring, despite repeated convertibility.

The invention has for its object to perfect the above-mentioned chain so that a better articulation is achieved at the hinge-like articulation points despite maintaining reliable cohesion.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the teaching reproduced in the characterizing part of patent claim 1.

It has surprisingly been found that if the additional wall strips are interrupted by the proposed elongated holes, an excellent articulation is achieved, even though the connecting straps connecting on both sides of the elongated holes remain sufficiently firm even after a multiple transformation of the rectangular chain and ensure their reliable cohesion.

In a design of the cuboid chain according to claim 2, there is the particular advantage that the cuboid overall body can be fed in a simple manner to a conventional filling device, through which the one after the other in a row or else all eight cuboids easily filled in a single pass with the lid walls open can be, the elongated holes located in the wall strips of the articulations give the joints greater deformability, so that the cuboid overall body remains easily spread out on its base under the filling device.

The measure reproduced in claim 5 results in a particularly simple convertibility of the just filled cuboid overall body into a cuboid body that is particularly suitable for shipping and presentation as a gift, in that now only the two opposite pairs of parallel cubes of the filled total body open upwards by 180 ° the two middle pairs of cuboids are folded around.

The cohesion of the cuboid body created in this way can then be achieved in a simple manner by means of small adhesive sheets, one of which is glued to the top and one to the bottom of the cuboid overall body in the middle over the four corners of the four cuboids facing each other.

So far, the idea had been followed for more than 14 years that the known convertibility into whole bodies of different outer surfaces was only suitable as single bodies as cubes, which, because of their completely identical outer surfaces, were inevitably always adjacent to one another with the same size in any other possible combination. In contrast, it was surprisingly found with the present invention that, in the known manner, interconnected cuboid bodies with surface pairs of different sizes according to the teaching of claim 7 can be transformed into even more different overall bodies and thus offer an even greater transformation effect and an even greater incentive to buy than this is the case with the cube chains that have become known so far. In addition, the cuboid shape deviating from the cube shape makes it possible to largely adapt the shape of the sales package formed by the cuboid to the sales item to be accommodated, for example a small toy or a bar-shaped chocolate article.

Other advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in further subclaims.

From US-A-3 092 301 it is already known to provide two rectangular box-shaped containers with a rectangular plan with lid walls that can be folded out from a cardboard blank and connected via an articulation point running along the axis of symmetry of the blank, both of which are located at the top when containers are placed next to one another. However, the articulation point there only consists of a folded edge of the blank, which in the case of repeated swiveling movements of the neighboring containers to each other, as is provided for the cuboids of the convertible cuboid chain concerned here, would easily tear.

• Fig. 1 eine aus langgestreckten Quadern mit quadratischen Stirnflächen geformte Quaderkette in einer perspektivisch gehaltenen Seitenansicht schräg von oben (eine der von oben sichtbaren quadratischen Deckelwände ist zur besseren Sichtbarmachung von Einzelheiten aufgeklappt dargestellt);
• Fig.2 die Quaderkette gemäß Fig. 1 in einer verwandelten Form, bei der die Deckelwände jeweils durch benachbarte Quader verdeckt sind (in einer gleichen perspektivischen Ansicht wie Fig. 1);
• Fig.3, 4 und 5 drei zur Bildung eines Quadersatzes von zwei gleichen, die Quaderkette bildenden Quadersätzen dienende ausgebreitete Kartonzuschnitte in jeweils einer Draufsicht auf ihre an den aufgefalteten Quadern innen liegenden Flächen;
• Fig. 6 einen Quadersatz der Quaderkette nach einer teilweisen Auffaltung der fertig verklebten Schachtelteile der einzelnen Quader (in einer den Fig. 1 und 2 entsprechenden perspektivischen Ansicht);
• Fig. 7 den Quadersatz gemäß Fig. 6 nach einer völligen versandgerechten flachen Zusammenlegung (in einer Draufsicht in Richtung des Pfeiles VII der Fig. 6).

In the drawing, the invention is illustrated for example; it shows

• 1 shows a rectangular chain formed from elongated cuboids with square end faces in a perspective side view obliquely from above (one of the square top walls visible from above is shown unfolded for better visibility of details);
• 2 shows the cuboid chain according to FIG. 1 in a transformed form, in which the cover walls are each covered by adjacent cuboids (in the same perspective view as FIG. 1);
• 3, 4 and 5 three cardboard blanks serving to form a cuboid set of two identical cuboid sets forming the cuboid chain, each in a plan view of their inner surfaces on the unfolded cuboids;
• 6 shows a block set of the block chain after a partial unfolding of the glued box parts of the individual blocks (in a perspective view corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 2);
• FIG. 7 shows the set of cubes according to FIG. 6 after a flat fold-up (ready for shipment) (in a plan view in the direction of arrow VII of FIG. 6).

Of the eight cuboids 1 to 8 shown in FIG. 1, each consists of an elongated body with a square top wall (D ₁ to D _s ), an equally large (not visible in FIG. 1) bottom wall and four equally large rectangular side walls, of 1 in each case a side wall S ₄ , S ₅ , Sε, S ₇ and S _{8 of} the cuboids 4 to 8 is marked. While the one pair (A _i ) of the same opposite flat outer surfaces A _I , A ₂ and A _{3 of} each cuboid is square in the usual way, the two pairs of outer surfaces A ₂ and A _{3 of} each cuboid have a rectangular shape.

The cuboids 1 to 8 are connected by eight hinge-like articulation points 9 to 16 to form a convertible cuboid chain, which together with the assignment shown in FIG. 1 results in a cuboid overall body of a shape similar to the individual cuboid. The cuboid chain consists of two cuboid sets with four cuboids each, according to FIG. 1 from a cuboid set with cuboids 1 to 4 and a further cuboid set with cuboids 5 to 8.

Each set of cubes is unfolded from three cardboard blanks 17, 18 and 19 (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 5), one cardboard blank 17 being unfolded into the two cuboids 2 and 3 and the other cardboard blank 18 being folded into the two cuboids 6 and 7 . 3 to 5, the reference numerals given in parentheses are assigned to the corresponding further cuboids 5 to 8. The cardboard blank 17 is formed symmetrically with respect to its central transverse axis 20, which also receives a hinge-like hinge point 13 or 14, the hinge point, as well as all further hinge points 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15 and 16, of the parallelepiped chain according to one of the connected side edges 2 and 3 on the one hand the side edge 21 of the cuboid 6 and on the other hand the side edge 22 of the cuboid 7, there are additional wall strips 23 of cardboard material approximately four times the wall thickness of the cardboard material. This additional wall strip 23 forms sufficient material between the side edges 21 and 22 formed in the usual manner by a fold line in each case, which absorbs the articulated movements between the cuboids without the cardboard material of the actual cuboids needing to be used. In addition, the wall tires 23 of the hinge-like articulation points 13 and 14 according to FIGS. 2 and 3 are shortened by three elongated holes 24 arranged alongside one another along the connected side edges 21 and 22 to form three connecting straps 25a, 25b and 25c, while the wall strips of all other hinge-like articulation points 9 to 12 are shortened by an elongated hole 24a running in the central region of the connected side edges to form two connecting lugs 25'a and 25'c located at the two ends of the connected side edges (cf. FIGS. 1 and 5). The connecting tabs 25 formed in the longitudinal direction of the wall strips 23 are approximately half as long as the elongated holes 24 and have a length corresponding to approximately fifteen times the wall thickness of the cardboard material. It has been shown that the flexibility of the articulation points is further increased by such elongated holes that. even the empty outer cuboid pairs 1, 5 and 4, 8 of the cuboid overall body shown in FIG. 1 sink to the base of the cuboid chain by their own weight, and the correct cuboid shape of the overall body shown in FIG. 1 is thus obtained even with empty cuboids. This is important because the cuboid chain in the form of the entire body shown in FIG. 1 must be movable by a filling device with only simple, conventional brackets if the cuboids are to be filled in a simple manner by means of the filling device in a single pass.

For this simple filling possibility, it is also important that the cuboids 1 to 8, at least in a position combined into such a total body, as shown in FIG. 1 with all eight cuboids side by side, all cover walls D _i to Dε which can be easily opened upwards exhibit. Such a position of the lid walls inevitably arises automatically when the carton blanks 17, 18 and 19 are unfolded and put together.

To unfold the two cuboids of each cardboard blank 17, the two outer glue tabs 26 and 27 are glued to the associated side walls of the respective cuboid 2 or 3, which are connected on both sides of the articulation point 13, after the two blank ends have been unfolded and folded against each other, while in the same way by means of one glue flap 28 and 29 unfolded cuboid 1 and 4 by means of an adhesive flap 30 or 31, which also forms a hinge-like hinge point 9 or 10 and projects outwards, with the adjacent side wall 32 or 33 of the cuboid 2 or 3 (see FIG . 2) be connected. In this case, a flap 34 which can be folded into the unfolded cuboid 1 is simultaneously designed as an eyelet part, while the unfolded cuboid 4 has, in addition to the adhesive flap 31, a further flap 35 which, at the same time, adjoins via an articulation point 16 and protrudes outwards Cuboid 1 of the same cuboid 8 of the further cuboid set is designed in the place of its tab 34 which can be plugged in and hooked into the eyelet part of this tab. In this way, the two sets of cuboids 1, 4 and 5 to 8, each of which are inseparably connected, can be easily detachably connected to one another, which not only has the advantage of a simple assembly of the complete cuboid chain, but also the further advantage that, if desired each square set can also form its own complete sales package. In the latter case, it is only necessary to fold the tab 35 all the way into the cuboid.

So that the lid walls D _i to D _8, which also serve for later access to the cuboid contents, can be pivoted openly from their closed position, each of them has in the central region of its side edge 37 which transitions into an insertion flap 36 (see FIG. 4) and at the same time forms a fold line a punched out from the cardboard material of the insertion flap 36 and projecting beyond the side edge 37 to the outside of the handle attachment 38. In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the front and rear side walls of the individual cuboids 1 to 8 according to FIG. 2, of which the side walls S ₅ , Sε, S ₇ and S _{8 are} visible in FIGS. 1 and 2, each with a window cutout 43 provided, which is expediently supplemented by a glued-in transparent film 44 to form a transparent window. In addition to these windows or instead of the same, the window sections 45 indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 2 can also be provided, or instead of windows, wall parts 46 that can be separated out along a perforation 45 ′ could also be provided.

Finally, window cutouts could also be provided which have an irregular shape, e.g. B. have a fruit or a flower, as indicated in Fig. 2 with a dash-dotted window section 47 in the form of a cherry.

If the cuboid chain is shaped after its filling to the cuboid body shown in Fig. 2, in which the cover walls D ₁ to D _{8 are} all inaccessibly covered within the transverse central plane of the whole body, then the whole body can be held together for shipping in a simple manner in that a small round adhesive sheet 48 is glued at the top and bottom in the middle over the four corners of the four cuboids 1, 4, 5, 8 and 2, 3, 6, 7 facing each other.

For the practical use of the rectangular chains described, it is also important that they are as inexpensive as possible from the packaging manufacturer to the first customer, who, for example, fills the individual cuboids with sales items, i. H. space-saving folded, can be shipped. For this purpose, it has been found to be advantageous to prefabricate the two sets of cubes, which can be simply plugged together in the aforementioned manner, in the manner shown in FIG. H. to be glued completely ready and to be pushed together as flat as possible in FIG. 7 with the flaps and cover walls unfolded in the plane of the adjacent side wall. The first purchaser only needs to push the sets of cubes folded flat together back into successive cuboid hollow bodies and can then easily close the individual containers in the manner customary in cartons by swiveling in the flaps and lids, in which case only the sets of cubes belonging together as shown in FIG. 4 and 5 apparent eyelet-shaped and hook-shaped tabs 34 and 35 are to be hooked into one another in the manner described above.

The width of the wall strips 23 each forming a hinge-like hinge point could also correspond to three or five times the wall thickness of the cardboard material instead of four times.

Claims (16)

1. An annularly closed chain comprising eight interconnected equally sized parallelepipeds (1 to 8) comprising pre-notched folded-up cardboard blanks which are rigid by virtue of insertion flap portions (36) and for each parallelepiped at least one adhesive flap portion (26, 27) which is stuck in place, each two successive parallelepipeds in the chain being hinged together at a hinge location (14) along equal-length side edges (21, 22), and each being hinged to a respective equal-length side edge of adjoining parallelepipeds on both sides in the chain, to form one of two groups of parallelepipeds, at two further hinge locations (11, 12) which are spaced from said side edges (21, 22) and which extend transversely with respect thereto and which are also disposed in symmetrically opposite positions when the parallelepipeds are disposed in succession in a row, wherein the two outermost parallelepipeds (5, 8) of one group are hinged to the corresponding two parallelepipeds (1, 4) of the other group along a respective side edge which is spaced from its hinge location (11 and 12 respectively) and which extends transversely with respect thereto, and the hinge locations (9 to 16) comprise additional wall strip portions (23) of the cardboard material, of a width substantially corresponding to from three to five times the wall thickness thereof, which are connected on both sides to the associated parallelepipeds by way of a respective fold line which also forms the adjacent side edge thereof, characterised in that the additional wall strip portions (23) are interrupted by slots (24) and the connecting flap portions (25) which are formed between the slots are about half the length of the slots (24) in the longitudinal direction of the wall strip portions (23) and are also of a length which approximately corresponds to fifteen times the thickness of the cardboard materials.

2. A chain according to claim 1 characterised in that the parallelepipeds (for example 8) each have at least one cover wall portion (D₈) which can easily be pivoted open and, when the chain is in a shape which has been transformed into a general parallelepiped assembly with all eight parallelepipeds (1 to 8) disposed one beside the other, the cover wall portions (D₁ to D_a) are disposed at the upper side thereof, in a comman cover plane.

3. A chain according to claim 2 characterised in that the cover plane contains respective ones of the two smallest outside faces (A₁) of each parallelepiped (for example 8).

4. A chain according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that all cover wall portions (for example D₄) disposed in the cover plane can be folded open about side edges (for example 4a) of the parallelepipeds (1 to 8), which side edges extend parallel to the narrow side of the general parallelepiped assembly.

5. A chain according to one of claims 2 to 4 characterised in that the general parallelepiped assembly, in its form which has the cover portions (D_i to D₈) at its top side, has a respective pair of hinge locations (9, 11 and 10, 12) in the cover plane between the outermost pairs of parallelepipeds (1, and 4, 8) which are disposed opposite in the longitudinal direction of the assembly, and the two pairs of parallelepipeds (2, 6 and 3, 7) which adjoin same in directions towards its centre, each in a respective common transverse direction.

6. A chain according to one of claims 2 to 5 characterised in that, in the middle region of its side edge (37) which goes into an insertion flap portion (for example 36), each cover wall portions (D₁ ... Dε) has a gripping lug portion (38) which is punched out of the cardboard material of the insertion flap portion (36) and which projects outwardly beyond the side edge (37) (see Figure 4).

7. A chain according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that, of the three pairs of identical oppositely disposed flat outside faces (Ai, A₂ and A3) of each parallelepiped (for example 8), at least two pairs (A₂ and A3) are of a rectangular shape differing from a square.

8. A chain according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that it is produces from two identical sets each comprising three cardboard blanks (17, 18 and 19), of which one (17) can be folded up to form two parallelepipeds (2, 3 and 6, 7 respectively) which are disposed in succession in the chain, and the other two blanks (18 and 19) can bei folded up to form respective ones of the parallelepipeds (1 and 4 respectively; 8 and 5 respectively) of the set of parallelepipeds formed thereby, adjoining respective ones of the two firstmentioned parallelepipeds in the chain, on respective sides thereof.

9. A chain according to claim 8 characterised in that one cardboard blank is formed symmetrically with respect to its central transverse axis (20) at which a hinge location (13 or 14) is also disposed.

10. A chain according to claim 8 or claim 9 characterised in that the two outer parallelepipeds (1 and 4, 5 and 8 respectively) of each set of parallelepipeds is secured by adhesive to one (2 and 6 respectively; 3 and 7 respectively) of the two interconnected parallelepipeds (2,3 and 6, 7 respectively) by means of a respective adhesive flap portion (30 and 31 respectively) which also forms a hinge location, on the one side, and on the other side, is engaged by means of respective flap portions (34 and 35 respectively) forming an eye portion and a hook portion respectively, into a flap portion (35 and 34 respectively), forming a hook portion and an eye portion respectively, of the outermost parallelepiped (5 and 8 respectively), which is adjacent thereto in the chain, of the other set of parallelepipeds, and further characterised in that each flap portion (35) forming a hook portions also forms a hinge location (16 and 15 respectively).

11. A chain according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that at least one parallelepiped (for example 5) has a side wall with a window cutout (43,45).

12. A chain according to claim 11 characterised in that a window cutout (47) is of irregular shape, for example a fruit or a flower.

13. A chain according to claim 11 or claim 12 characterised in that at least a part of the window cutouts (43, 45) is closed by a transparent film (44) which is stuck into the parallelepiped (for example 5 and 8).

14. A chain according to one of the preceding claims characterised in that at least one parallelepiped (for example 8) has a side wall having perforations (45') defining a removable wall portion (46). -

15. A chain according to claim 2 and one of claim 11 to 14 characterised in that a respective window cutout (47) or removable wall portion (46) is arranged in that side wall (49) of each outer parallelepiped (1 and 4, 5, 8 respectively) in a set of parallelepipeds, that side wall being opposite said cover wall portion thereof (D₁ and D₄, D₅, D₈ respectively).

16. A chain according to one of claims 2 to 15 characterised in that the filled chain is held together in the form of a parallelepiped assembly which is formed by folding over the outer two pairs of parallelepipeds (1, 5 and 4, 8) of the chain of parallelepipeds which previously formed a general parallelepiped assembly with the cover wall portions (D_i ... D₈) at the top, on to the cover wall portions (D₂, D₆ and D₃, D₇) of the four middle parallelepipeds (2, 6 and 3, 7) by sticking a respective adhesive sheet (48) over the four corners, which face towards each other in the middle at the top and bottom thereof, of the four parallelepipeds (1, 4, 5, 8 and 2, 3, 6, 7) thereat.

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