EP0626318B1 - Collapsible packaging box - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a folding packaging case. It will find its application in particular in industries using wood as a raw material for the manufacture of packaging.

Many packaging cases are used today to group or protect a manufactured product placed inside the case.

For the production of these packages, corrugated cardboard or wood are used today in particular.

Wood offers certain advantages, in particular with regard to resistance and it will therefore be more likely to protect the products which will be packaged, these products being for example manufactured or in bulk.

Two types of packaging are currently used in industry, these are lost packaging and returnable or reused packaging with return. Today, there is a growing interest in reusing packaging to avoid a waste of raw materials. Also, in this case, the wood is superior to cardboard since it will be more easily reusable.

However, when the packaging is reused, it is necessary to transport the empty packaging and in this case it must therefore occupy a very small volume to minimize transport costs.

So far we have had the idea of making folding packaging boxes that use rigid panels, for example wooden, which occupy a small volume at the time of return.

The applicant has developed in particular in its French patent No. 2,594,797 a very attractive folding box made from flexible hinges and side panels, a bottom and a folding cover. In terms of handling, to facilitate the transport of these boxes, there is generally provided at the base a pallet which can be maneuvered using a forklift truck.

The structure of the folding packaging case described in French patent n ° 2,594,797 allows in particular, in addition to packaging and handling, to stack the boxes. The presence of a rim at the bottom and the cover makes it possible to mount the peripheral panels, the bottom and the cover to build a packaging case, the different elements of which are blocked with respect to each other when it is mounted. .

The presence of two fold lines arranged on the opposite side panels of the box makes it possible to fold it under good conditions. The box which is the subject of French patent n ° 2,594,797 has therefore given full satisfaction with regard to packaging, handling and stacking since it has excellent qualities of mechanical resistance.

However, in certain uses, the body which is the subject of this patent no. 2,594,797 cannot always be manufactured, in particular for example for particular applications when the dimensions of the product to be packaged are more reduced.

Indeed, the container which is the subject of French patent n ° 2,594,797 can be produced for example in dimensions from 1 meter to 1.20 meters, dimension of its base, over a height of the order of 0.75 meters.

If the user wishes a higher or much lower height, it is still possible to build the box but it then has a drawback because the cover in the folded position is no longer level with the pallet and there is for example an overflow from 10 to 20 centimeters.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks and one of its first aims is to be able to produce a folding box having the possibility of folding the cover completely in line with the pallet.

Another object of the invention is to produce a folding box with a folded cover allowing easy handling and the absence of attachment since the elements in the folded position of the cover do not project beyond the pallet.

Another object of the invention is to produce a folding box in all possible formats with a cover folded in line with the pallet allowing a reduction in volume of the assembly which will be advantageous during empty transport in the fully folded position.

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

• deux lignes de pliage disposées sur deux panneaux latéraux opposés,
• une charnière souple, réalisée sur le fond, d'une hauteur permettant le repliage des panneaux, caractérisée par le fait qu'elle comprend :

• un couvercle en deux parties dont les largeurs respectives sont adaptées pour que les deux parties soient susceptibles d'être chacune positionnée au droit de la palette lorsque la caisse est en position totalement repliée,

afin de réaliser une caisse repliable ne dépassant pas de la surface de la palette en position totalement repliée lorsque la hauteur des panneaux latéraux n'excède pas la largeur de la surface du fond associée à la palette.The folding packaging box, intended for the packaging of manufactured or bulk products, having a bottom associated with a pallet, a cover, four side panels folded by means of flexible hinges arranged at the edges of the parallelepiped, capable of being folded over a pallet without protruding from the surface thereof when the height of the side panels does not exceed the width of the bottom surface associated with the pallet,

• two fold lines arranged on two opposite side panels,
• a flexible hinge, made on the bottom, of a height allowing the folding of the panels, characterized by the fact that it comprises:

• a cover in two parts, the respective widths of which are adapted so that the two parts are each capable of being positioned in line with the pallet when the box is in the fully folded position,

in order to produce a collapsible box not exceeding the surface of the pallet in the fully folded position when the height of the side panels does not exceed the width of the bottom surface associated with the pallet.

• la figure 1 est une vue générale de la caisse avec palette à dimensions normales selon l'art antérieur du brevet français n° 2.594.797,
• la figure 2 est une vue de côté de la caisse selon la figure 1 en position de repliage,
• la figure 3 est une vue de la caisse selon l'invention,
• les figures 4 et 5 sont des vues de côté de la caisse selon la figure 3 dans différentes positions de repliage.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the following description, accompanied by drawings among which:

• FIG. 1 is a general view of the box with a pallet with normal dimensions according to the prior art of French patent n ° 2,594,797,
• FIG. 2 is a side view of the box according to FIG. 1 in the folded position,
• FIG. 3 is a view of the box according to the invention,
• Figures 4 and 5 are side views of the box according to Figure 3 in different folding positions.

The present invention relates to a collapsible packaging case which will constitute a packaging for ensuring the protection or storage of manufactured or bulk products. We can thus use all or part of the entire volume of the case or package products very heavy or lighter.

The material which will be used for the preparation of the box according to the present invention is wood, but it is also possible to envisage other materials or composite materials.

The body is made by means of hinged panels and one can for its design refer to French patent No. 2,594,797 of the applicant. This patent is an integral part of this description and reference may be made to it with regard to the various construction elements but also with regard to the production of hinges or joints.

This packaging box (1) illustrated in FIG. 1 has a parallelepiped external shape and when it is assembled, it is constituted by a bottom (2), a front panel (3), a rear panel (4) and two panels. side (5 and 6), as well as a hinged cover (7). The various panels are articulated by flexible joints which are, for example, in the form of continuous strips of fabric fixed at the edges of the parallelepiped.

The bottom (2) is mounted on a pallet box generally designated by (8) composed for example in a known manner by studs (9 and 10) or beams. This pallet (8) allows the case (1) to be carried by means of a forklift truck. The pallet will remain attached to the box during its use, storage, handling or transport after being used.

So that this transport can be carried out under the most economical conditions possible, provision has been made to fold the parallelepiped and the cover onto the pallet box (8).

The two side panels (5 and 6) are made in two parts which can be articulated on themselves and the articulations (11 and 12) illustrated in FIG. 1 allow the front panel (3) to be folded down towards the rear panel (4).

At the rear, a flexible hinge (13) of a certain height has been provided to allow folding front panel, rear panel and side panels. The dimensions of this flexible hinge will preferably be adapted to the thickness of the panels to allow proper folding.

Figure 2 shows the body in an almost folded position and it will still be necessary according to arrow F ₁ to rotate all four panels by placing them on the bottom (2) then according to arrow F ₂ rotate the cover (7) .

For normal dimensions of panels, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, that is to say when a box is produced in accordance with French patent n ° 2,594,797, it can be seen that the end (14) of the cover (7), when the box is in the folded position, will come directly above the wall (15) of the pallet.

Thus, in this position, since the cover will not protrude from the pallet, the box cannot be hung during its transport and it will occupy a minimum of volume.

Thus, for a standard container with usual pallets, if we make a length of 120 centimeters and a width of 100 centimeters for a height of 75 centimeters, and taking into account the thickness of the panels used, we will obtain a cover ( 7) the end of which will come in line with the part (15).

If one wishes to keep the same basic dimensions, 120 x 100, but the user wishes a much lower height, for example 30 centimeters, the present invention makes it possible to manufacture a collapsible packaging case whose lid in the folded position does not protrude from the pallet to avoid increasing the volume transported or to avoid hitting certain handling elements during handling.

FIG. 3 shows a box of folding packaging which is similar to that of FIG. 1, but the cover (7) of which has been adapted.

This cover (7) is now produced in two parts (16 and 17) which are respectively articulated by flexible hinges on the rear panel (4) and on the front panel (3). These flexible hinges, of the same type as those described in French Patent No. 2,594,797 are for example positioned over all or part of the length of the edges (18 and 19).

Referring to Figure 4, we see that we fixed the bottom (2) on the pallet (8) off center. Indeed, the end (20) of this bottom comes directly above the wall (15) of the pallet while the other end (21) is located below the wall (15). In this embodiment, the bottom (2) has a dimension smaller than that of the pallet.

Figure 4 illustrates the folding position of the cover (7) and we see for example the first part (16) be folded around the joint (18) so that its end (20) comes in the folded position at the plumb with the face (15) of the pallet. This balance is shown by arrow F in Figure 5.

The other part (17) of the cover pivots around its hinge (19) and it comes into the fully folded position, as illustrated in FIG. 5, so that its end (21) comes directly under one of the faces (15) of the pallet.

We see in Figure 5 that the box in the fully folded position occupies a very small volume but also that the cover does not protrude from the pallet. It is therefore possible to transport the packaging in an unused position under the best possible conditions of safety and economy.

Depending on the dimensions of the box to be produced, it is possible to use a cover made up of two parts (16 and 17) which may be of equal or different dimensions. Note in Figure 4 that the two elements (16 and 17) of the cover are folded along two opposite sides. We can still fold the two elements of the cover on the same side, for example in position (16).

Naturally, 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 (6)

1. Foldable conditioning box (1) for the packaging of manufactured products or loose goods, having a bottom (2) associated to a pallet (8), a cover (7), four side panels (3 to 6) folded by means of flexible hinges arranged at the level of the edges of the parallelepiped, capable of being folded on a pallet without exceeding the surface of same when the height of the side panels does not exceed the width of the surface of the bottom (2) associated to the pallet, having two folding lines (11, 12) arranged on two opposite side panels (5, 6) and a flexible hinge (13) provided for on the bottom (2), with a height allowing the folding of the panels, characterized in that it includes a cover (7) made of two parts (16, 17) the respective widths of which are adapted for both parts (16, 17) to be capable of being each positioned in front of the pallet when the box is in fully folded position, in order to manufacture a foldable box which does not exceed the surface of the pallet in fully folded position when the height of the side panels does not exceed the width of the surface of the bottom (2) associated to the pallet.
2. Foldable conditioning box for the packaging of manufactured products or loose goods according to claim 1, characterized in that both parts (16, 17) of the cover (7) are identical.
3. Foldable conditioning box for the packaging of manufactured products or loose goods according to claim 1, characterized in that both parts (16, 17) of the cover (7) are different.
4. Foldable conditioning box for the packaging of manufactured products or loose goods according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom (2) has sizes, length and width, smaller than the corresponding sizes of the pallet (8).
5. Foldable conditioning box for the packaging of manufactured products or loose goods according to claim 1, characterized in that both parts (16, 17) of the cover (7) are folded towards the same side.
6. Foldable conditioning box for the packaging of manufactured products or loose goods according to claim 1, characterized in that both parts (16, 17) of the cover (7) are folded according to two opposite sides.

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