EP0231135B1 - Box pallets - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to packages of the pallet box type, in which parallel longitudinal sleeves, integral with the bottom of a cardboard, corrugated or similar container, receive reinforcement blocks made of a rigid or semi-rigid material, by example of expanded polystyrene, to form a pallet under the container and thus allow it to be transported using forklift trucks.

• d'une part, la nécessité de réaliser des fourreaux qui soient le moins coûteux possible et, en particulier, s'ils sont en carton, qui consomment le moins possible de matière première, et ce, que ces fourreaux fassent partie intégrante du fond du conteneur ou qu'ils soient rapportés ensuite sur celui-ci ;
• d'autre part, limiter et simplifier les opérations de montage des fourreaux, en particulier lorsque ceux-ci doivent être rapportés et fixés sur le fond du conteneur.

Many variants of such pallet boxes have already been proposed in the art, but they generally all raise the same kind of problems:

• on the one hand, the need to produce sheaths that are as inexpensive as possible and, in particular, if they are made of cardboard, which consume as little raw material as possible, and this, that these sheaths are an integral part of the bottom of the container or be brought back thereto;
• on the other hand, limit and simplify the assembly operations of the sleeves, in particular when the latter must be attached and fixed to the bottom of the container.

DE-A-27 29 265 describes a pallet box of this type comprising a container in the bottom of which are cut tabs adjoining this bottom and arranged in positions such that they can at least partially close off the ends of said ends. sleeves, said tabs being folded inside the sleeves under the stress of the reinforcement blocks and being pinched between them and the part of the sleeves in contact with the bottom of the container.

The present invention relates to a pallet box of this type, the container of which is a so-called "American" box and in which, in order to allow pre-assembly of the various components and the flat folding of the pallet box thus pre-assembled , the sleeves consist of two half-sleeves, which, after the pallet box has been placed in volume, are placed end to end and respectively secured to the external flaps of the box via said tabs, each half sheath receiving a block of independent reinforcement.

The subject of the invention is therefore a pallet box comprising a container of the American box type comprising a bottom formed by two adjoining external flaps by a fold line with two parallel walls and possibly doubled by two internal flaps adjoining the two other walls. , tongues being cut out in said external flaps in order to be engaged in the ends and / or associated sheath slots, arranged perpendicular to said parallel walls, said sheaths receiving reinforcement blocks made of a rigid material, which secure said external flaps and said sleeves by means of said tongues, this pallet box being characterized in that said sleeves consist of two independent half-sleeves, which, after the volume of the pallet box, are placed end to end and secured respectively said external flaps by means of said tabs, each half-sleeve receiving an independent reinforcement block, said half-sleeves being either independent or adjoining two by two by the wall intended to be applied against said flaps, with a transverse fold line formed in said wall between said half-sleeves.

At the end of manufacture of the pallet box, each half-sheath will thus be secured to the bottom flap with which it is associated thanks to the corresponding reinforcement block and it will however be possible to fold the pallet box flat:

either in the usual way for American boxes, that is to say with the side walls applied two by two against each other, in the case where the half-sleeves are independent, with the bottom flaps arranged in the extension of the walls to which they are attached, the half-sleeves and their reinforcement blocks being arranged outside the associated flaps,

either with the opposite walls to which the flaps carrying the half-sleeves applied against each other are adjacent, with said flaps arranged in their extension, when the half-sleeves are adjoining, median fold lines perpendicular to said reinforcement blocks in front, in this case, be provided in the other two walls and in the adjoining shutters, in order to allow them to be folded in accordion.

The pre-assembled pallet box can thus be stored, delivered to users and handled in a small volume and its volume setting by users will be as simple as that of the usual American boxes.

Of course, pallet boxes of this type can also be delivered to unassembled users, that is to say with their separate components, and, in this case, even if said half-sleeves are attached two by two, it will not be necessary to provide fold lines in the other walls and in the associated shutters.

Depending on the uses of the pallet box mounted, the flaps carrying the sleeves may be left independent or made integral by gluing or stapling the internal flaps, or even be made integral with one another by a gummed strip.

• La figure 1 est une vue éclatée de la partie de fond d'une caisse-palette selon l'invention, dans laquelle des demi-fourreaux solidaires du fond sont indépendants;
• La figure 2 représente la partie de fond de la caisse de la figure 1 en position d'utilisation;
• La figure 3 illustre le pliage des volets externes du fond de la caisse-palette représentée sur les figures 1 et 2, en vue de la mise à plat de celle-ci;
• Les figures 4 et 5 sont des vues analogues aux figures 1 et 2 d'une autre forme de réalisation;
• La figure 6 illustre le pliage de cette dernière forme de réalisation.

The appended schematic drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples, illustrate an embodiment of the invention. In these drawings:

• Figure 1 is an exploded view of the bottom part of a pallet box according to the invention, in which half-sleeves integral with the bottom are independent;
• Figure 2 shows the bottom part of the box of Figure 1 in the use position;
• Figure 3 illustrates the folding of the outer flaps of the bottom of the pallet box shown in Figures 1 and 2, for the flattening thereof;
• Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 of another embodiment;
• FIG. 6 illustrates the folding of this latter embodiment.

The pallet box 11 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is of the American box type, and its bottom consists of two external flaps 12 of corrugated cardboard or the like, adjoining two parallel side walls 13 and lined internally with two adjoining flaps 14 to the other two walls.

In the flaps 12 are cut, in the extension of the walls 13, tongues 15 and, in the middle part, two tongues 16, intended to make the flaps 12 integral respectively with a half-sheath 17. The half-sheaths integral with the flaps 12 are independent of each other, but associated two by two, in the extension of one another, to form sleeves within the meaning of the invention.

The half-sleeves 17 are of square section, in this case. They can be made of corrugated cardboard or any other semi-rigid material. They are intended to receive reinforcement blocks 18, in expanded polystyrene for example, of corresponding section.

The tongues 15, when they are in the position shown in the drawing, that is to say in the extension of the wall 13, are placed substantially at the ends of the sheath 17, while the tongues 16, when they are straightened parallel to the walls 13, can penetrate into slots 19, formed in the face of the sheath 17 called to be in contact with the flaps 12.

The establishment of the half-sleeves 17 on the associated flaps 12 is carried out by engaging the tabs 16 in the slots 19 and applying the half-sleeves against the bottom of the container. It then suffices to engage the blocks 18 in the half-sleeves 17, from their outer end, to fold inwards against the part of the half-sheath which comes into contact with the bottom of the container, first the tabs 15, then the tabs 16, which are thus pinched between the blocks 18 and the half-sheath. These tongues are therefore locked in position and consequently immobilize the half-sleeves 17, which are thus perfectly integral with the external flaps 12, without any auxiliary means of fixing having been used.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, in the position of use of the pallet box, the half-sleeves 17 and their reinforcement blocks 18 are in the extension of one another. Of course, the bottom of the pallet box is equipped with several pairs of half-sleeves and blocks arranged in parallel, on which the container can bear and which allow it to be moved using a transport or lifting trolley .

The half-sleeves 17 and the blocks 18 arranged in the extension of each other are however independent, so that it is possible to bring the flaps 12 equipped with the half-sleeves and their reinforcing block in the extension of the walls 13 adjoining, as well as the flaps 14 associated with the other two walls, in order to be able to fold the pallet box flat in the usual manner for American boxes.

In the embodiment represented in FIGS. 4 to 6, in which the members already described retain the same reference numbers assigned to the index ', the half-sleeves 17' are no longer independent, but have in common two by two , the wall intended to be applied against the flaps 12 ', with a transverse fold line 20' formed in this wall between the half-sleeves.

The mounting of the sleeves and the positioning of the reinforcement blocks 18 ′ are carried out in the same way as in the variant described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, and can be easily carried out by the users. If the pallet box must be delivered to them with its constituent elements pre-assembled, as in the case of the variant described above, it will be necessary, in this case, to provide on the walls adjoining the walls 13 ′ and on the flaps 14 'median fold lines such as 21', allowing the folding in accordion of these walls and these flaps, in order to apply the walls 13 'one against the other, with, in their extension, the flaps 12 '' carrying the pre-assembled sheaths and reinforcement blocks.

Note the great simplicity of these American boxes, which can be assembled and / or shaped by non-specialized personnel without using any tool whatsoever.

Claims (2)

1. A box pallet comprising a container (11, 11') of the American case type comprising a base formed of two outer flaps (12, 12') attached by fold lines to two parallel walls (13, 13') and optionally lined by two inner flaps (14, 14') attached to the other two walls, tongues (15, 15'; 16, 16') being cut in said outer flaps (12, 12') with a view to engagement in the ends of and/or slits in associated sleeves arranged perpendicularly to said parallel walls, said sleeves receiving reinforcing blocks (18, 18') of a rigid material, which firmly connects said outer flaps and said sleeves through the intermediary of said tongues, this box pallet being characterized in that said sleeves consist of two independent half sleeves (17, 17') which, after opening of the box pallet, are arranged end to end and firmly connected respectively with said outer flaps (14, 14') through the intermediary of said tongues (15), each half sleeve receiving an independent reinforcing block (18), said half sleeves either being independent or attached in pairs by the wall to be applied against said flaps, with a transverse fold line (20') formed in said wall between said half sleeves.

2. A box pallet according to claim 1, in which said half sleeves (17') are attached in pairs, characterized in that, with a view to permitting folding flat of the preassembled box pallet, the lateral walls to which the flaps (12') carrying said half sleeves are not attached and the flaps associated with said walls comprise a median fold line (21') perpendicular to said half sleeves.

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