EP0410915A2 - Pallet-mounted container - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a pallet-mounted case which will apply particularly to the field of packaging. The pallet-mounted case (1) is formed from a rigid platform (2) of quadrilateral shape, mounted on runners (3). A container (4) is attached to the platform (2) and, according to the invention, this container (4) is formed from independent flanks, fixed on the rigid platform (2) and juxtaposed at the periphery of the said platform (2) so that their contiguous sides are connected by at least one assembly element (9-12; 18). According to one embodiment, the assembly elements are in the form of corner brackets (9-12) arranged in the angle formed by two flanks (5-8). In another embodiment, the assembly element is in the form of a belt (18) whose perimeter corresponds substantially to the periphery of the platform. The invention relates principally to the cardboard-packaging industry. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a pallet box. It will find its application in particular in the field of packaging.

With the decentralization of production sites vis-à-vis assembly sites, the packaging industry has undergone a profound transformation. The quality requirements demanded by customers as well as economic imperatives served as a guide for the development of new products such as, for example, the pallet box.

However, with the development of forklift trucks, the pallet has experienced considerable effort. It generally consists of a raised platform with pads which allow the easy introduction of forks under load. In addition, the pallet box is made up of a pallet as a basic element on which a perfectly adapted box has been fixed, that is to say comprising the same perimeter. The box, in particular made of cardboard generally double or triple groove, is rigid and makes it possible to guarantee the product placed inside.

The limited height of the pallet boxes means that, for economic reasons, it is essential to be able to stack them during transport and storage. This operation is particularly delicate since the load supported by the lower pallet can be considerable. There are different techniques to strengthen the rigidity of pallet boxes. The most common is to place wooden candles inside the box at the corners. This solution is hardly satisfactory because, on the one hand, there is a loss of space, then it is necessary to install the candles, which represents an additional manual operation and finally these candles cause an additional cost of the packaging.

In addition, to save space, the manufacturer of pallet boxes delivers a folded product to his customer, that is to say that the box is placed flat on the pallet, instructs the customer to deploy the box to assemble it.

The adoption of a folding for the box was laborious due to the many constraints encountered. First of all, the bottom of the box must be fixed to the pallet tray. The customer cannot take care of this operation, since the fixing must be rigid and requires specialized equipment such as stapler, nail machine or other. Thus, the American box type folding can therefore not be retained and it is an accordion folding technique of the side walls of the box which has been developed.

This implementation however gives rise to numerous drawbacks. First of all, there is a large number of folding edges on the edges of the box, or the folding edges are weak points which reduce the rigidity of the box. Then, the cardboard side necessary for the constitution of the box is very large. It requires a powerful material which is largely dimensioned and the tools for cutting necessary are expensive.

There is also a discontinuity between the walls of the body and the bottom which can be annoying for small parts that can escape.

To give rigidity to the box, in particular at the level of the walls, so that these do not bend under the force of the internal load, the orientation of the corrugated cardboard is directed so that the corrugations are oriented horizontally. However, it is necessary to oversize the thickness of cardboard, by a triple groove for example.

The development of a sophisticated and expensive pallet box can sometimes be justified if it has to be used repeatedly. It should however be stressed that to justify the rotations economically, it is necessary to start from a very high initial cost of packaging, which is generally not the case. Indeed, the customer after receiving the goods must empty the box, fold it up, store it, keep a return accounting and send the box back to the sender where shipping costs, billing and management. The resulting complexity is that many customers currently prefer to consider the pallet box as a lost package.

The main purpose of the present invention is to present a particularly efficient pallet box from a technical and economic point of view, thus allowing single use. Delivered to the customer folded to occupy a minimum of space, the box is assembled very quickly without any material being necessary.

The pallet box of the invention has a high resistance to stacking despite a thinner wall thickness than the traditional triple groove for example.

Despite the large box dimensions, their manufacture poses no problem and requires relatively small cutting press dimensions. This makes it possible to interest many cardboard manufacturers including the manufacture of the pallet box of the invention which, until now, was limited by their material.

One of the aims of the present invention is to propose a pallet box having a complete flat bottom increasing the squareness and resistance of the box avoiding the use in certain cases of so-called "peripheral" pallets.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear during the description which follows which is however given only for information and which is not intended to limit it.

According to the invention, the pallet box, which will find its application in the field of packaging, formed of a rigid plate of polygonal shape, in particular quadrilateral, mounted on pads or studs, on which a container is attached, is characterized by the fact that the container is formed of independent sides, fixed on the rigid plate, and juxtaposed at the periphery of the plate, the contiguous sides of said sides being connected by at least one connecting element.

According to a first embodiment, the joining of the contiguous sides of the said flanks is carried out by the installation of an angle iron, provided over the entire height of the container, at the angle formed by the said flanks. In another embodiment, said assembly element is constituted by a belt, the perimeter of which corresponds substantially to the periphery of the plate.

In addition, according to the invention, the said assembly element or elements constitute means for reinforcing the said container.

• - la figure 1 schématise la caisse palette de l'invention, selon un premier mode de réalisation, en position repliée,
• - la figure 2 schématise la caisse palette, de la figure 1, en position montée,
• - la figure 3 représente, en vue de dessus, la mise en place des différents flancs cartonnés destinés à former les parois de la caisse palette de la figure 1,
• - la figure 4 montre, en vue de dessus, les parois de la caisse de la figure 2, une fois assemblées,
• - la figure 5 représente en vue de face la caisse palette de la figure 2,
• - la figure 6 montre en vue de détail le repliage des flancs cartonnés, constituant du contenant de la caisse palette selon l'invention,
• - la figure 7 représente la mise en place des arêtes de pliage lorsque la caisse palette est montée,
• - la figure 8 schématise un détail de structure de la caisse facilitant son montage et son déploiement,
• - la figure 9 schématise une caisse palette selon un second mode de réalisation de la présente invention, en position repliée,
• - la figure 10 montre schématiquement en perspective un élément d'assemblage pour la caisse palette de la figure 9,
• - la figure 11 représente en vue de dessus la mise en place des différents flancs cartonnés destinés à former les parois de la caisse palette selon la figure 8,
• - la figure 12 montre en vue de dessus la caisse palette selon la figure 8, et précisément la structure des parois du contenant lorsque celui-ci est assemblé,
• - la figure 13 montre une vue en perspective d'une palette prévue pour une variante de la caisse palette de la présente invention,
• - la figure 14 montre une vue partielle au niveau du plot d'une palette montrant le positionnement des différents éléments de la caisse par rapport à la palette de la palette de la figure 13.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, accompanied by attached drawings, among which:

• FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically the pallet box of the invention, according to a first embodiment, in the folded position,
• FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically the pallet box, of FIG. 1, in the assembled position,
• FIG. 3 represents, in top view, the positioning of the various cardboard sides intended to form the walls of the pallet box of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4 shows, in top view, the walls of the box of FIG. 2, once assembled,
• FIG. 5 represents a front view of the pallet box of FIG. 2,
• FIG. 6 shows in detail the folding of the cardboard sides, constituting the container of the pallet box according to the invention,
• FIG. 7 represents the positioning of the folding edges when the pallet box is assembled,
• FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically a detail of the structure of the body making it easier to assemble and deploy,
• FIG. 9 diagrammatically shows a pallet box according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in the folded position,
• FIG. 10 schematically shows in perspective an assembly element for the pallet box of FIG. 9,
• - Figure 11 shows a top view of the establishment of the various cardboard sides intended for form the walls of the pallet box according to FIG. 8,
• FIG. 12 shows a top view of the pallet box according to FIG. 8, and precisely the structure of the walls of the container when the latter is assembled,
• FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a pallet provided for a variant of the pallet box of the present invention,
• FIG. 14 shows a partial view at the level of the stud of a pallet showing the positioning of the different elements of the box relative to the pallet of the pallet of FIG. 13.

The present invention relates to a pallet box which will find its application in particular in the field of packaging. It mainly concerns the cardboard industry.

The development of mechanical handling means, in particular fork lift trucks, has pushed manufacturers to use compatible packaging. In this area, the pallet formed by a raised tray is typical. However, it does not provide any lateral protection of the load and its stacking is dependent on it.

On the other hand, the cardboard box is generally stackable, it offers a guarantee for the contents but it is less convenient for handling. Thus, the pallet box makes it possible to combine the advantages of cardboard and the pallet and to eliminate their disadvantages.

Making the box in one piece requires very powerful cutting tools from the cardboard maker. This has direct repercussions on the cost price and the traditional pallet box can sometimes be considered as an expensive packaging.

The design of the pallet box of the present invention makes it possible to obtain a very efficient product in particular having an excellent resistance to stacking with a manufacturing cost very significantly lowered and a great convenience of use.

Figure 1 shows the pallet box 1, according to a first embodiment of the invention, in the folded position, as delivered to the user. It is formed of a rigid plate 2 which can be of polygonal shape but most often its geometry is quadrilateral and in particular rectangle.

The platform does not have to be necessarily full, it essentially serves for fixing the body and for setting up elevation means to allow the introduction of forks under the platform 2.

The elevation is generally ensured by pads 3 or studs. The main thing is that a passage is left between the elevation means to precisely allow the introduction of the forks of a handling machine.

The container 4, in particular of the box type, is completely folded flat against the surface of the plate 2 to occupy a minimum of space. Optionally, a cover can be placed on the folded box 4 as is sometimes encountered.

The volume occupied by the pallet box when it is folded is quite comparable to that traditionally encountered, the walls being flat on the tray.

Once deployed, the pallet box of the invention takes on the appearance, as illustrated in FIG. 2 for example. The plate 2 is raised on its periphery by side walls 5, 6, 7, 8 which form the box 4 and whose internal volume can be filled with material which constitutes the loading of the pallet box 1.

The pallet box of the invention is essentially distinguished by its construction. According to the invention, the container 4 is formed from flanks, cardboard or light laminate, independent 5, 6, 7 and 8 as illustrated in FIG. 3 or 10. The example chosen corresponds to a parallelepiped pallet box 1, however, other forms of polyhedra could also have been adapted, in which case the container 4 would be formed of as many cardboard sides as there were sides to the polyhedron.

The sides 5, 6, 7, and 8 are independent and this is very important for manufacturing because the cutting tools are simple. It is no longer necessary to produce cutting tools corresponding to the format of the deployed box but only to the format on each side of the edge 4.

The sides 5, 6, 7, and 8 are fixed at least partially on the rigid plate 2 of the pallet and are juxtaposed at the periphery of said plate 2. In the example chosen, the small sides 6 and 8 corresponding to the small side of the body are placed on the plate 2, while the large sides 5 and 7 corresponding to the long side of the body are arranged above the sides 6 and 8. The fixing of the sides 5, 6, 7 and 8 on the plate 2 can for example be done by stapling in which case the staples pass through a double thickness of cardboard sides.

The large sides 5 and 7 are arranged contiguously to form the bottom of the box, so the bottom is flat and increases the squareness of the box and its resistance.

The small sides 6 and 8 could also be joined, which would have the effect of completing the reinforcement of the bottom of the body. However, in practice, tests have shown that this is not necessary and therefore a saving of material can be achieved there.

The body, and in particular its side walls 4, is formed by straightening the sides 5, 6, 7 and 8, as illustrated in FIG. 4 so that their lateral sides become substantially contiguous.

According to the invention, the side walls are fixed in this position using at least one connecting element which definitively connects the side sides of the sides 5, 6, 7 and 8.

In addition, it should be noted that, according to the invention, the said assembly element or elements constitute means for reinforcing the said container and in particular its side walls, thus allowing the stacking of pallet boxes.

In practice, the lateral sides of the sides 5, 6, 7 and 8 are not strictly contiguous, an interval corresponding substantially to the thickness of a side is left between them to take account of the initial folding of the box when it this is empty.

According to a first embodiment, the assembly element is an angle iron arranged over the entire height of the container 4 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. The angle iron 9, 10, 11 or 12 is preferably made of corrugated cardboard triple groove, the grooves being arranged in the vertical direction. It is glued to the sides 5-8, cardboard or in light laminate, using an adhesive. For more convenience, the customer is supplied with a triple flute cardboard angle iron pre-glued with a hot-melt adhesive material covered with a non-stick paper.

When mounting the pallet box, the user straightens the sides and fixes them by applying the angles on which the protective paper has been removed. The installation is fast and the final fixation.

The angles 9, 10, 11, and 12 should preferably rest at their lower part on the plate 2 of the pallet. Indeed, in this case, the angles not only play an assembly role but also serve to reinforce the sides 5, 6, 7 and 8 during stacking. The gain in rigidity obtained is such that one can, for example, be satisfied with cardboard sides with double grooves for making the sides 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the body.

The orientation of the grooves for the formation of the side walls is preferably vertical for maximum rigidity of the sides of the body.

Figures 8 to 11 show the pallet box 1 of the invention according to another embodiment.

It is also formed of a rigid plate 2 of polygonal shape, which generally occurs under the shape of a rectangular pallet with several entrances, raised by means of pads 3 or studs in order to allow the introduction of the forks of a handling machine either in the longitudinal direction or in the transverse direction of the pallet .

The container 4 can be completely folded flat against the surface of the tray 2 to occupy a minimum of space before using the pallet box. In some cases, a cover, not shown in the figures for a good understanding, can be put in place on the folded box-pallet assembly. Thus, for the storage of such cases, there is a need for a reduced necessary volume, corresponding substantially to the volume of the pallet.

As shown in particular in Figure 10, the container 4 is also formed of independent cardboard sides 5, 6, 7, 8, which are on the one hand adapted to be fixed at least partially on the rigid plate 2 and on the other hand are juxtaposed at the periphery of the plate 2 so that they are capable of being deployed to form the side walls of the container 4.

Likewise, the container 4, and in particular its side walls, is formed by straightening the cardboard sides 5, 6, 7 and 8 so that their lateral sides become substantially contiguous to define the interior volume of the box.

According to this second embodiment, the side walls 5, 6, 7, 8 are fixed in this position by means of an assembly element 18 which is in the form of a belt whose perimeter corresponds substantially on the periphery of the plate 2

Such a belt is in particular illustrated in FIG. 9 and will advantageously be arranged externally with respect to the cardboard sides 5, 6, 7, 8, as shown particularly in FIG. 11.

In an advantageous embodiment, said belt 18 has a height Hc corresponding substantially to the height Hp of the side walls of the container, that is to say the height of the raised parts of the sides 5, 6, 7, 8.

In addition, to increase the efficiency of the belt and to strengthen the resistance of the box to stacking, said belt 18 will advantageously be supported, at its lower level, on the plate 2 of the pallet box.

In this case, it should be noted that the parts of the cardboard sides fixed on the plate 2 will be positioned with a certain setback 15, as shown in FIG. 10, so that the lower edge of the belt 18 can rest on the periphery of the plateau.

The various cardboard sides 5, 6, 7, 8 and the belt 18 are joined together advantageously by gluing.

Indeed, in a first variant, provision will be made for pre-glued areas 19 at the waist, on the inside, so that they can be brought into contact with the outside faces of the sides 5, 6, 7, 8 during the 'assembly.

In another variant, it is possible to envisage pre-glued zones 20 at the level of the external faces of the cardboard sides 5 to 8. A mixed solution could also be envisaged, that is to say by providing pre-glued zones 19 and 20 on the one hand on the belt and on the other hand on the different sides.

For convenience, and to facilitate mounting of the box on the site of use, the bonding zones 19; 20 will be previously produced during the manufacture of the box and a hot-melt adhesive material covered with a non-stick protective paper will be used.

Thus, during assembly of the pallet box, the user places the belt 18 on the plate 2 so that its lower periphery comes to engage on the recess 15 provided on the periphery of the pallet 2, then it removes the protective sheets for the pre-glued areas 19; 20, and it raises the upper parts of the sides 5, 6, 7, 8 in order to secure them internally in the belt 18, as shown in FIG. 11.

In addition, the said pre-glued areas 19 and / or 20 at the top of the container 4.

Thus, when using a cover, shown diagrammatically in phantom and identified at 21 in FIG. 11, the belt 18 will be sandwiched between the side walls of the cover 21 and the sides 5, 6, 7, 8, at the level of said upper part of the container.

Such an arrangement will have the effect of reinforcing the bonding effect because the adhesive zones 19 and / or 20 will be compressed due to the pressure of the goods in the container and the retention of the upper walls by the cover.

As regards the structure of the belt 18, a belt produced by folding and gluing a cardboard flank of the double or triple flute type will advantageously be used, depending on the resistance required.

In addition, when using pallet boxes with stacking, the groove is preferably placed vertically so as to increase the compressive strength of the cardboard side forming the belt.

This belt may also have, on two of its lateral faces fold lines 22, 23, shown diagrammatically in phantom in Figure 9, in order to be able to fold the belt flat and arrange it on the surface of the plate 2 equipped with the sides 5 , 6, 7, 8 folded, the whole possibly being covered by the cover.

Furthermore, it would be possible to envisage additional internal reinforcement means, at the angles of the container 4, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, in the form of angles 24 or spacers 25.

The angles will also consist of cardboard in a folded piece, or in two independent parts placed in abutment one on the other, and secured by gluing inside the side walls 5, 6, 7, 8.

As regards the bracing of the opposite faces of the container, use will be made, for example, of wooden strips 25 held on either side by cardboard elements 26 glued to the walls.

According to this second embodiment, it should be noted that the mounting of the pallet box will thus be facilitated because after the positioning of the belt on the tray, the independent sides will be joined together at the side faces of the belt.

This step will be relatively more convenient for the operator who will only have to carry out a positioning of two elements, namely a cardboard flank and the belt, instead of three elements as in the case of assembly angles, namely two adjacent sides and an angle iron.

In addition, such an embodiment will increase the mechanical resistance of the side faces of the container by the double thickness thereof, which will allow the use of cardboard sides of lower quality.

To facilitate the flat folding of the box, before it is mounted, the cardboard sides 5, 6, 7 and 8 have double folding edges 13 and 14 as illustrated in FIG. 6. The short sides corresponding to the sides 6 and 8 are first folded against the bottom of the box then the long sides corresponding to the sides 5 and 7 are folded over.

Generally, the pallet boxes are of low height so the short sides do not overlap while it is possible to have to superimpose the long sides. The internal folding edges 13 and 14 are separated by a distance corresponding to the thickness of a cardboard side.

The parts of the cardboard sides fixed on the plates are positioned with a certain setback 15, as illustrated in FIG. 6, relative to the periphery of the plate 2. This is essential so that, once the box is deployed, the sides 5 -8 will be placed directly above the platform 2 and their edges can rest on it as shown in Figure 7.

It is precisely this offset which separates the lateral sides of the sides 5, 6, 7, and 8 after assembly. The outer folding edges 13 and 14 rest on the plate 2 when the box is mounted.

Furthermore, these folding edges bringing an offset of the contiguous sides of the side walls 5-8 of the container, provision will advantageously be made for positioning the lateral sides before fixing the assembly elements to facilitate their installation.

These so-called means could for example be formed by zones in the form of ears or of legs 16, 17, provided in particular at the upper level of certain flanks 5-8 as illustrated in FIG. 8. In addition, the legs will be coated adhesive material to allow the sides to be joined together before the final fixing phase by the angles 9-12.

However, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the pallet box comprises wedging means 27 of the base of the container 4, provided at the level of the plate 2, as particularly shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

This is particularly advantageous in the case of large containers, to avoid loosening or dislodging of the independent flanks 5-8 and / or of said assembly element (s) 9-12; 18 connecting them.

In one embodiment, these said wedging means 27 are in the form of a projection 28, relative to the surface of the plate 2, provided longitudinally and laterally on each side of said plate 2.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, good results have been obtained by forming the said wedging means 27 and the said projection 28, by longitudinal L-shaped boards 29, placed on either side of the plate 2. The vertical wing of said L forming a projection 28 being directed towards the container 4 and substantially adjacent to the side edges 30 of the pallet 2.

More specifically, FIG. 14 shows in detail the constitution of the plate 2, composed of transverse 31 and longitudinal 32 boards, the setting board 27, 28 being fixed on the upper part of the tray

Furthermore, the lateral flanks 5 to 8 are provided, and the said assembly element (s) 9 to 12; 18, as described above, and such that the outer base of the container is wedged between the two wings 28 of said wedging boards.

Other implementations of the present invention, within the reach of those skilled in the art could also have been envisaged without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (23)

1. Pallet box which will find its application in the field of packaging formed by a rigid plate (2) of polygonal shape, in particular quadrilateral mounted on pads (3) or studs on which a container (4) is attached, characterized by the fact that the container (4) is formed of sides (5, 6, 7, and 8), independent, fixed on the rigid plate (2), and jxutaposed at the periphery of said plate (2), the contiguous sides of said sides being connected by at least one connecting element (9-12; 18). 2. Pallet box according to claim 1, characterized in that the assembly element or elements (9-12; 18) constitute means for reinforcing said container. 3. Pallet box according to claim 1, characterized in that the assembly element is an angle (9, 10, 11, or 12) disposed over the entire height of the container (4), at the angle formed by two sides (5-8). 4. Pallet box according to claim 3, characterized in that the angle iron (9, 10, 11 or 12) is supported, at its lower level, on the plate (2). 5. Pallet box according to claim 4, characterized in that the angle iron (9, 10, 11 or 12) is made of triple-fluted cardboard and glued to the sides (5, 6, 7 and 8). 6. Pallet box, according to claim 1, characterized in that the said assembly element (18), connecting the said independent sides (5-8), are in the form of a belt whose perimeter corresponds substantially at the periphery of the plate (2). 7. Pallet box according to claim 6, characterized in that said belt (18) is arranged externally with respect to said sides (5-8). 8. Pallet box according to claim 6, characterized in that said belt (18) has a height Hc corresponding substantially to the height Hp of the container (4). 9. Pallet box according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that said belt (18) is supported, at its lower level, on the plate (2). 10. Pallet box according to claim 6, characterized in that said belt (18) comprises pre-glued areas (19) in order to allow the belt to be secured (18) -walls (5-8). 11. Pallet box according to claim 6, characterized in that the flanks (5-8) comprise pre-glued areas (20) in order to allow the fastening of the belt (18) -walls (5-8). 12. Pallet box according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said pre-glued areas (19 and / or 20) are provided at the upper part of the container (4). 13. Pallet box according to claim 12, characterized in that it has a cover (21), said belt (18) being sandwiched between the side walls of the cover (21) and the sides (5-8) at the top of the container (4). 14. Pallet box according to claim 6, characterized in that it has means (24) of internal reinforcement of the container, arranged at the angles thereof. 15. Pallet box according to claim 6, characterized in that it has means (25) for bracing the faces opposite the container (4). 16. Pallet box according to claim 1, characterized in that the sides (5, 6, 7, and 8) have double folding edges (13, 14). 17. Pallet box according to claim 16, characterized in that the internal folding edges (13, 14) are separated by a distance corresponding to the thickness of a sidewall (5, 6, 7, or 8). 18. Pallet box according to claim 17, characterized in that the flank parts fixed on the plate (2) are positioned with a certain withdrawal (15) relative to the periphery of said plate (2). 19. Pallet box according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the folding edges (13, 14) of the sides (5, 6, 7, and 8) rest on the plate (2). 20. Pallet box according to claim 1, characterized in that the flanks (5 and 7) forming the long sides of the box are contiguous edges to form the bottom of said box. 21. Pallet box according to claim 1, characterized in that it has wedging means (27) of the base of the container (4) provided at the level of the plate (2). 22. Pallet box according to claim 21, characterized in that the said wedging means (27) are in the form of a longitudinal projection (28) provided laterally on each side of the plate. 23. Pallet box according to claim 22, characterized in that the said wedging means (27) are constituted by L-shaped longitudinal boards (28, 29) placed on either side of the plate, the wing (28) vertical of said L being substantially adjacent to the side edges (30) of the pallet (2).

Images