EP0161971A1 - Packaging comprising a strap and lateral flaps - Google Patents

Abstract

A package comprises a strip (1) of corrugated cardboard to be wrapped around objects (A) placed on its inside surface. It is provided with two transverse flaps (13, 14) in face-to-face relationship and attached to the inside surface of the strip (1) on two side bands (8, 9) which extend from its longitudinal edges (2, 3) over a distance x, parallel to the longitudinal edges (2, 3) of the strip (1). The strip (1) comprises an end panel (7) which is cut in line with a transverse fold (6) in its central part, meaning that part lying between the two side bands (8, 9). The panel (7) is divided into two flaps (13, 14) by a median longitudinal slit (15). The panel (7) may be folded over the inside surface of the strip (1) by bending it about the transverse fold (6) and fastened to the side bands (8, 9) of the strip (1). The strip (1) is advantageously glued to itself in the transverse direction and to the two flaps (13, 14) when folded against an article in the package.

Description

Are already known packs obtained from a strip generally of corrugated cardboard, and comprising lateral flaps intended to be recovered ^A then folded over objects to be packaged placed on the strip itself.

It is known that a packaging of this type is particularly advantageous when its small faces are set back relative to the general outline of the packaging, because the packaged objects are thus better protected against impacts and lateral pressures.

To obtain such packaging, one starts from a strip generally made of cardboard which is cut so that the flaps are placed laterally with respect to the strip and are folded towards the so-called "internal" face thereof, along of lines situated in the extension of the longitudinal sides of the strip.

This manufacturing process has the disadvantage of creating scraps which are unusable and therefore discarded.

To avoid this drawback, we have already thought of using a rectangular strip, the cutting of which does not cause any fall and of bringing the flaps by cutting rectangles in another strip, which also does not create a fall.

A package of this type therefore has marked advantages with regard to the consumption of raw material, but it has the disadvantage of requiring the mounting of the two flaps added to the strip since this implies the use of non-standard machines. the cost of construction, depreciation and use of which diminish the advantage of the low cost price of the raw material.

Furthermore, packaging of the type indicated above is generally devoid of integrated closure means, so that it cannot be used with modern automatic packaging machines.

The present invention provides for taking the surface of the flaps in the extension of the strip itself, so that there is no significant drop and that the finished packaging is obtained without mounting of attachments and does not use generally only standard machines. The invention also provides for using the so-called "internal" face of the strip to secure the strip and the flaps and to ensure the closure of the packaging by bringing together the internal face and the external face of the strip after wrapping objects to wrap.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a packaging of the type comprising a strip advantageously of corrugated cardboard, intended to wrap objects placed on its so-called "internal" face and provided with two transverse flaps which face each other and which are fixed on said internal face of the strip from the longitudinal edges thereof to a substantial distance from these edges, characterized in that the strip comprises an end panel which is cut in line with a transverse fold but only in the central part of said panel considered between two lateral edges of substantial width and parallel to the two longitudinal edges of the strip, panel which is divided into two parts by a longitudinal longitudinal slot and which must be applied to the internal face of the strip by folding down according to the transverse fold and be fixed to said strip along the two lateral edges, the strip advantageously having to be kept folded by transverse gluing to itself on the one hand and with the two flaps folded against the objects to be packaged on the other hand.

• - la largeur du panneau est inférieure à celle de la bande afin qu'après rabattement de ce panneau, il subsiste deux zones latérales de la bande non recouvertes par ledit panneau;
• - l'emballage comporte au moins un élément de même épaisseur que la bande et placé contre la face interne de ladite bande hors de l'endroit où se trouve le panneau après rabattement;
• - l'emballage comprend deux éléments constitués par deux ailes rabattues et fixées contre la face interne de la bande le long de la partie de ses bords longitudinaux qui s'étend jusqu'à l'endroit où se trouve l'extrémité libre du panneau après rabattement, ces ailes constituant en outre des renforts;
• - la coupure transversale du panneau présente deux segments laissant subsister une étroite languette centrale, ou "pont", qui maintient ensemble les deux volets et l'extrémité de la bande proprement dite et qui est destinée à être rompue pour dégager les deux volets au moment de l'utilisation de l'emballage;
• - le panneau comprend deux encoches situées de part et d'autre de la fente longitudinale, de préférence face à face;
• - un adhésif est prévu sur les volets.

• La figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective montrant un emballage conforme à l'invention et destiné à être utilisé avec une machine de conditionnement.
• La figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective montrant un emballage conforme à l'invention et prêt à recevoir des objets à emballer.
• La figure 3 est une vue schématique en perspective illustrant l'utilisation de l'emballage de la figure 2.
• La figure 4 est une vue schématique montrant l'emballage des figures 2 et 3 terminé, enveloppant les objets et fermé.
• La figure 5 illustre un mode de réalisation particulier d'un emballage du même type que celui de la figure 2 et grâce auquel on peut utiliser des machines standards pour sa fabrication.
• La figure 6 montre un mode de réalisation de l'emballage conforme à l'invention et plus particulièrement destiné à être utilisé manuellement lors de l'opération d'emballage d'objets.
• Les figures 7 et 8 sont des vues schématiques montrant la différence de présentation entre deux types d'emballages conformes à l'invention, lorsque ces emballages sont empilés.
• La figure 9 montre schématiquement un mode de réalisation de l'invention adapté à l'emballage d'objets d'épaisseur connue par avance.
• La figure 10 est une vue schématique en perspective de l'emballage de la figure 9 terminé et fermé.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

• - The width of the panel is less than that of the strip so that after folding of this panel, there remain two lateral zones of the strip not covered by said panel;
• - The packaging comprises at least one element of the same thickness as the strip and placed against the internal face of said strip outside the place where the panel is located after folding down;
• - the packaging includes two elements constituted by two folded wings and fixed against the internal face of the strip along the part of its longitudinal edges which extends to the place where the free end of the panel is located after folding down, these wings also constituting reinforcements;
• - the transverse cut of the panel has two segments leaving a narrow central tab, or "bridge", which holds the two flaps together and the end of the strip proper and which is intended to be broken to release the two flaps at the time the use of the packaging;
• - The panel comprises two notches located on either side of the longitudinal slot, preferably face to face;
• - an adhesive is provided on the shutters.

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a package according to the invention and intended for use with a packaging machine.
• Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a package according to the invention and ready to receive objects to be packaged.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the use of the packaging of FIG. 2.
• Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the packaging of Figures 2 and 3 completed, wrapping the objects and closed.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a particular embodiment of a packaging of the same type as that of FIG. 2 and by means of which standard machines can be used for its manufacture.
• FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the packaging according to the invention and more particularly intended to be used manually during the operation of packaging objects.
• Figures 7 and 8 are schematic views showing the difference in presentation between two types of packaging according to the invention, when these packages are stacked.
• FIG. 9 schematically shows an embodiment of the invention suitable for packaging objects of known thickness in advance.
• Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of the packaging of Figure 9 completed and closed.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a package according to the invention which comprises a strip of corrugated cardboard 1 having two longitudinal sides 2 and 3 and two ends respectively 4 and 5 perpendicular to sides 2 and 3, so that the strip has a perfectly rectangular outline.

This strip is marked with a transverse fold line 6 which, with the longitudinal sides 2 and 3 and the end 5, determines a panel 7.

This is cut transversely to the right of the fold line 6 in its central part considered between two edges 8 and 9 of width x substantial and parallel to the two longitudinal edges 2 and 3. Here, this cut comprises two segments 10 and 11 which leave a narrow central tongue or "bridge" 12.

The panel 7 is divided into two flaps 13 and 14 by a median longitudinal slot 15 on either side of which there are two notches 16 and 17 located face to face. The two flaps 13 and 14 are held together by unsplit parts or "bridges" 15a. . Creasing lines 18 and 19 are provided parallel to each other, and longitudinally with respect to the strip 1, on the panels 13 and 14.

The panel 7 is intended to be folded along the line 6, then folded down on the so-called "internal" face of the strip 1, according to the arrows F, as is evoked in dotted lines which show an intermediate straightening position 7a and the final position 7b of application of the panel 7 against the internal face of the strip 1.

Before folding the panel 7, an adhesive must be placed along the two lateral edges 8 and 9, either on the strip 1, as shown in FIG. 1, or on the panel 7.

• - si l'usager dispose d'une machine de conditionnement, l'article terminé qui lui est livré peut être celui qui est représenté sur la figure 1, le panneau 7 n'étant pas rabattu et, bien entendu, l'adhésif n'étant pas mis en place, ou du moins, n'étant pas opérationnel.

The folding of the panel 7 according to the arrows F can be done in two different ways:

• - If the user has a packaging machine, the finished article which is delivered to him may be that shown in FIG. 1, the panel 7 not being folded down and, of course, the adhesive does not not being in place, or at least not being operational.

These packages are stacked in the machine and the packaging operation comprises, as a first phase, that which consists in making the adhesive operational (depositing glue or removing a protective tape from an adhesive previously deposited either on the strip 1 , or on the panel 7) on the two side edges 8 and 9 and fold down the panel 7 according to the arrows F. Then, the objects are packed as said below.

- If the user carries out the packaging manually, the finished article delivered to him may be that shown in FIG. 2, the panel 7 being folded against the strip 1 and kept glued by the adhesive according to the two side edges 8 and 9, either on the strip 1 or on the panel 7.

The user packs the objects as described below.

In FIG. 2, it can be seen that in reality, after the panel 7 has been folded down, the fold line 6 is reduced to two end segments and to that which is located in line with the tongue 12.

For greater clarity, the yawning of the cuts 10 and 11 has been exaggerated because this makes it clear that the flaps 13 and 14 are joined together and together with the strip 1 by the tongue 12.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, we see that to pack several objects A, we use either manually or mechanically the notches 16 and 17 to break the bridges 15a and lift the flaps 13 and 14 which straighten along the fold lines 13a and 14a provided substantially in line with the internal limit of the edges of adhesive 8 and 9.

The object or objects A are then placed directly on the internal face of the strip 1 and the object or objects A are folded over the flaps 13 and 14 which fold - along one of the creasing lines 18 and 19 in depending on the thickness of the object (s) A, as is known per se. It is this situation which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3 and which is carried out both with mechanical conditioning and with manual packaging.

There is an adhesive 20, such as glue, on the one hand near the edge 4 of the internal face of the strip 1 and, on the other hand, on the flaps 13 and 14. When using a packaging, the glue can be deposited automatically, by any known means, along lines or points. When acting manually it may be more advantageous to provide an adhesive 20 of the so-called "self-adhesive" type which supposes the presence of a protective tape 21, as is well known per se.

• . - d'une part la bande 1 maintient les volets 13 et 14 à leur place, quelle que soit l'épaisseur des objets à emballer A;
• - d'autre part la bande 1 est fixée à elle-même quelle que soit, également, l'épaisseur des objets à emballer A.

The strip 1 is folded transversely to itself, either by hand or mechanically, as close as possible to the edge 5 and the wrapping of the object (s) A is continued until the configuration of FIG. 4 which represents finished packaging. When the adhesive 20 is associated with a protective tape 21, this tape 21 is removed to unmask the adhesive 20. The finished packaging is kept closed by two combined means:

• . - On the one hand the strip 1 holds the flaps 13 and 14 in their place, whatever the thickness of the objects to be packaged A;
• - on the other hand the strip 1 is fixed to itself whatever, also, the thickness of the objects to be packaged A.

The packaging thus formed absolutely avoids the displacement of the objects and the deformation which could result therefrom for the flaps 13 and 14. It therefore provides a degree of protection unknown to this day.

Nevertheless, it is economical and simple.

Looking particularly at Figure 1, we see that the packaging has a perfect rectangular shape, without any extra thickness and without any protruding part.

It is, by construction, the most economical one-piece packaging, of the type comprising side flaps with safety edges (distance x) and adaptable to objects of variable height.

The folding of the panel 7 only interests part of the strip 1, so that the latter can be well maintained by its other part, by means of organs of manufacturing machines, packaging etc.

The establishment of the adhesive 20 on the flaps 13 and 14 after folding down the flap 7 is done on the same side as that close to the edge 4 and therefore without complication of the machines.

Naturally, the adhesive intended to secure the strip 1 and the flaps 13 and 14 can be placed either on the flaps 13 and 14 themselves, or on the internal face of the strip 1, approximately at the places referenced 20a and 20b in FIG. 2. This solution can be advantageous because the three locations 20, 20a and 20b are located at the same, invariable level, of the internal face of the strip 1.

When the packaging is closed mechanically, the adhesive is of the immediate action type, such as glue, the composition and positioning of which are perfectly controlled by the skilled person.

As is known, such packaging makes it possible to wrap one or more objects A of different thicknesses since the flaps 13 and 14 can bend exactly to the desired height according to one of their crease lines 18 and 19 and that the part of the strip 1 located between the end 4 and the edge 5 folds at the desired location by surrounding the assembly formed by the packaged objects A, by the flaps 13 and 14 folded down and by the lower part of the strip 1 serving basic.

The end 4 therefore applies to different places on the underside of the packaging (as seen in FIG. 4) depending on the thickness of the objects A and the adhesive 20 allows it to be fixed to one. any place on this face.

The packaging shown in Figures 1 to 4 requires somewhat special shaping machines because standard machines generally comprise longitudinal conveyor belts which rest on the packages, in the vicinity of their sides 2 and 3, and which would oppose the folding of the panel 7 along the transverse line 6.

To be able to use standard machines, one can adopt the embodiment of FIG. 5.

This packaging is characterized by the fact that the flap 7 is narrower than the strip 1, as a result of cuts of a few millimeters which release the strip 1 in lateral zones 1a and 1b. The width y of these zones is such that the panel 7 has a remaining width 1 smaller than the width L of the strip 1 and, therefore, smaller than the spacing of the sides of the belts located face to face. Thus, the belts act over the entire length of the packaging (strip 1 proper and zones 1a and 1b) while allowing the panel 7, entirely located between these belts, to be folded down without hindrance.

After the panel 7 has been folded down, the zones 1a and 1b remain clear and the belts of the machine continue their function: guidance and displacement.

The removal of material according to y only affects the width x according to which the flaps 13 and 14 are glued to the strip 1 and has no harmful consequence on the holding in place of the flaps 13 and 14 taking into account the efficiency modern adhesives.

The packaging of FIG. 6 is characterized by the fact that the sides 2 and 3 of the strip 1 have reinforcements 2a and 3a constituted by the wings of the strip 1 folded over the internal face of the latter, along the edges 2 and 3, and held together by an adhesive placed at the same time as that of the flanges 8 and 9.

The wings extend to the immediate vicinity of the edge 5 after the panel 7 has been folded down. There are therefore two small falls formed by the withdrawal of the part of the wings 2a and 3a which originally extended over the entire length of the strip 1 before folding the panel 7.

Before their folding, the wings 2a and 3a exceed the width of the panel 7 and cooperate with the conveyor belts of the machines, as has been explained above. The packaging is therefore properly maintained and guided. The panel 7, located between these belts can, here again, be folded transversely without discomfort against the strip 1.

The wings 2a and 3a are then folded in turn, but longitudinally, against the strip 1 as is known to the skilled person. They are preferably maintained by an adhesive previously deposited in the desired places.

After their folding, the wings 2a and 3a are located inside the contour of the strip 1 and constitute reinforcements which are of a nature to better protect the packaged objects.

The wings 2a and 3a do not extend to the edge 4 because the strip 1 is cut in a slight bevel to form a sort of transverse tab 1c provided, here again, with an adhesive 20 and a protective tape 21 along the edge 4.

The packages delivered to customers and of the type of those in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 have a double thickness at the location of the flaps 13 and 14. When they are stacked, they appear, seen from the side, as shown Figure 7. This asymmetrical arrangement is acceptable when the packaging must be used manually. First, for their delivery, they can be nested in groups, to compensate for angular shifts. Then, for their use, they can be unstacked one by one, without inconvenience, by an operator.

It is not the same when the packaging must be used by machines. In practice, neither such angular shifts nor an alternate presentation can be envisaged.

This is why the packaging of FIG. 6 is preferable when it is implemented mechanically.

Indeed, this packaging having wings 2a - 3a folded along the edges 2 and 3 only and not on the flap 7, the same thickness (double that of the original material) is distributed practically over the entire length of the strip 1 and the packages stack horizontally, all in the same direction, as shown in Figure 8.

It is the same, obviously, for packaging of the type of that of Figure 1 which is uniformly simple in thickness.

If the packaging is used for series of one or more objects having a constant thickness, it is possible to use an external closure system different from an adhesive and such as that illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

Figure 9 shows a package in the same situation as that of Figure 1 and the same elements have the same references.

Here, the part of the strip 1 which is to be covered by the folded panel 7 comprises a slot 30 while a closing tab 31 is provided at the end 4 of the strip 1.

After constitution of the packaging, and therefore after folding of the panel 7 on the strip 1 and gluing according to the strips of adhesives 8 and 9, the procedure is as explained above but the thickness of the objects to be packaged being known, the end 4 of the strip 1 is always located in the same place with respect to the face on which it is after wrapping, so that the tab 31 enters the slot 30 and is blocked there by tabs 32 and 33, thus that this is known per se.

Naturally, any other closure system can be adopted.

In FIG. 9, the variant is shown which consists in providing reinforcements 2a and 3a because the packaging of objects of invariable dimensions lends itself particularly well to mechanization and it is therefore better to provide this type of packaging with means allowing it to be stacked flat, after folding the panel 7, according to the diagram in FIG. 8.

Naturally, provision could also be made for means different from the wings 2a and 3a to double the thickness of the strip 1 outside of the location of the flaps 13 and 14. One could, for example, fold transversely on the internal face of the strip 1 a flap placed along the edge 4.

However, here too, single-layer packaging can be used when the panel 7 is folded down only at the time of packaging. Then, no element for compensating for the thickness of the panel 7 (such as the wings 2a and 3a) is necessary.

The constitution of a packaging in accordance with the invention does not cause any significant drop and its manufacture is more rational than that of known packaging of the same type.

• - si la bande 1 est en un matériau présenté en bobine, on peut se contenter de bobines moins larges, pour obtenir le même nombre d'emballages;
• - si la bande 1 est en un matériau présenté en plaques (le carton ondulé de type "double face" notamment), on obtient plus d'emballages par unité de surface.

For given dimensions of the objects to be packaged, the packaging according to the invention is more economical:

• - If the strip 1 is made of a material presented in a reel, one can be satisfied with narrower reels, to obtain the same number of packages;
• - If the strip 1 is made of a material presented in plates (corrugated cardboard of the "double-sided" type in particular), more packaging is obtained per unit area.

If, for example, the machines available accept 150 cm plates and if a package is 51 cm wide, we can only provide two side by side with a fall of 48 cm wide. The packaging according to the invention being narrower than those of the prior art, it is possible to place more than two of them in the same width and reduce the residual drop accordingly. We would gain, by the way, only 2 cm in width, we could place side by side three packages of 49 cm instead of two of 51 cm and we would reduce the fall from 48 cm to 3 cm, thus increasing 50% production of packaging with the same quantity of raw material.

This results in a significant saving and it is evaluated that to obtain a packaging of given dimensions and having flaps (13 - 14) of the same dimensions, a packaging of known type would require up to forty or fifty percent of cardboard additional depending on the format considered.

Standard machines known as "folder-gluers" allow the manufacture of packaging according to the invention as well as other products and they equip most workshops in which boxes are cut out of cardboard. The simplicity of manufacture of packaging according to the invention also makes it possible to operate these machines at a rapid rate and to obtain a cost price further lowered.

Claims (7)

1- Packaging of the type comprising a strip (1) advantageously of corrugated cardboard, intended to wrap objects (A) placed on its so-called "internal" face and provided with two transverse flaps which face each other and which are fixed on said internal face of the strip (1) from the longitudinal edges (2 and 3) thereof to a substantial distance (x) from these edges (2 and 3), characterized in that the strip (1) comprises a panel d end (7) which is cut in line with a transverse fold (6) but only in the central part of said panel (7) considered between two lateral edges (8 and 9) of substantial width (x) and parallel to the two edges longitudinal (2 and 3) of the strip (1), panel (7) which is divided into two flaps (13 and 14) by a longitudinal longitudinal slot (15) and which must be applied to the internal face of the strip (1 ) by folding in the transverse fold (6) and be fixed to said strip (1) according to the two lateral flanges (8 and 9), the strip (1) in front They must be kept folded by transverse gluing to itself, on the one hand, and to the two flaps (13 and 14) folded against the objects to be packed (A), on the other hand. 2- Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the width (1) of the panel (7) is less than that (L) of the strip (1) so that after folding down this panel (7) there remain two zones side (1a and 1b) of the strip 1 not covered by said panel (7). 3- Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one element (2a - 3a) of the same thickness as the strip (1) and placed against the internal face of said strip (1) out of place where the panel (7) is located after folding down. 4- Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises two elements consisting of two wings (2a and 3a) folded and fixed against the internal face of the strip (1) along the part of its longitudinal edges (2 and 3) which extends to the place where the free end (5) of the panel (7) is located after folding down, these wings (2a and 3a) also constituting reinforcements. 5- Packaging according to claim 1 characterized in that the transverse cut of the panel (7) has two segments (10 and 11) leaving a narrow central tongue, or "bridge", (12) which holds the two flaps (13) and 14) and the end of the strip (1) proper and which is intended to be broken to release the two flaps (13 and 14) when the packaging is used. 6- Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the panel (7) comprises two notches (16 and 17) located on either side of the longitudinal slot (15), preferably face to face. 7- Package according to claim 1, characterized in that an adhesive (20) is provided on the flaps (13 and 14).

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