EP0842092A1

EP0842092A1 - Stackable cardboard tray and blank for making same

Info

Publication number: EP0842092A1
Application number: EP96926450A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gilbert Jaffrenou; Eric Cario; Gérard Mathieu
Original assignee: Otor SA
Current assignee: Otor SA
Priority date: 1995-08-02
Filing date: 1996-07-23
Publication date: 1998-05-20
Also published as: FR2737469B1; CZ26098A3; FR2737469A1; HUP9901397A3; WO1997005025A1; HUP9901397A2; PL324782A1

Abstract

A tray (1) and a blank for making a cardboard tray, including main surrounding walls provided with two opposite first flaps forming end ledges or corner brackets (4), and two opposite second flaps (7) folded down over and attached to the inner surface (8) of the respective main wall. Each of the second flaps (7) comprises at least one pre-cut rectangular tab (9) joined to the respective main wall along a fold line to form an intermediate supporting bracket of which the lower portion is secured to the inner surface (8) of said wall.

Description

PLATEAUGERBABLEENCARTONETFLANPOURLAREALISAΗOND'UNTELPLATEAU

5 The present invention relates to a tray of cardboard sheet material of the type comprising a belt of main walls provided with flaps, namely two first opposite main walls located opposite each other of the tray

10 each provided with a first flap or set of flaps, separated by two second main walls each provided with a second flap folded towards the inside of the plate and fixed on the internal face of the corresponding second main wall.

It also relates to a blank making it possible to obtain a tray of the type described above.

It finds a particularly important although not exclusive application in the field of storage and transport trays for fruit.

20 and vegetables, poultry and other food products which require resistant packaging, suitable for storage in a refrigerated environment.

Such trays must have good resistance because these packages are stacked on top of each other.

25 others in environments with particularly severe humidity and temperature conditions.

We already know (FR-A-2,463,065) of packaging comprising lateral parts reinforced with

30 sidewalk flaps.

Such packaging does not, however, allow stacking in superimposed layers arranged perpendicularly to one another. In addition, they do not always have sufficient compressive strength in several different directions. The present invention aims to provide a tray and a blank of cardboard sheet material which better than those previously known meet the requirements of practice in particular in that it allows easy mounting of a packaging having excellent mechanical resistance, in particular to compression, allowing stacking of two layers of parallelepipedal plates arranged one on the other, the plates of two successive layers being arranged perpendicularly to each other, or in layers offset transversely with respect to each other, or else palletizing or storing two half-trays on a large tray according to the invention.

To this end, the invention provides in particular a tray of the type described above, characterized in that each second flap comprises at least one rectangular tongue precut in said second flap over the transverse width of said second flap, connected to the corresponding main wall by a fold line and comprising a first portion forming a determined angle alpha with said main wall, a second oblique portion directed towards said main wall and a third end portion, integral with the internal face of said main wall, of so as to form an intermediate support angle on the upper edge of the main wall corresponding to said second flap. In advantageous embodiments, one and / or the other of the following arrangements are also used:

- The first flaps are also folded towards the inside of the tray and fixed on the internal face of the first corresponding main wall, each first flap comprising in an identical manner to the second flap at least one rectangular tongue precut in said first flap, connected to said first corresponding main wall by a fold line, and forming an angle;

- The first flaps or set of flaps form sidewalks or corner angles;

- the angle alpha is between about 90 ° and about 110 °;

- the angle alpha is equal to about 100 °;

- The first flaps or sets of flaps form corner angles from ears respectively located on either side of the respective central parts of said first flaps and connected to said central parts by fold lines perpendicular to the edges of the plate , each ear extending towards the outside of the first corresponding flap over a sufficient distance so that at least half of said ear is located opposite and in line with the adjacent main wall;

- The second flaps and / or first flaps each have a single tongue forming an angle, centered relative to the corresponding flap;

- at least one tongue forming an angle extends over a length greater than or equal to half, by example equal to two thirds of the length of the corresponding main wall.

Advantageously, the width of the tab (s) is between the fifth and the tenth, for example of the order of one seventh of the length of the second or of the first corresponding flap.

It is in this case and for example centered relative to the flap.

It can also be placed 1/3 from one side.

The flaps, or two flaps out of four facing each other, then include for example two tabs on each side.

- The tray has an octagonal section with cut corners, said cut corners being formed by intermediate walls located between the main walls.

The invention also proposes a blank for the formation of a tray, comprising a rectangular central flap provided on each side with a rectangular main flap, namely two first main flaps opposite ears or with secondary flaps, and two second main flaps with secondary flaps, said ears or said secondary flaps being connected to the edge of said main flaps opposite the central flap, characterized in that the secondary flaps respectively connected to the two second main flaps each have at least one rectangular tongue precut over the entire transverse width of said secondary flap, said tongue being connected to the corresponding main flap by a fold line. Advantageously, said secondary flaps connected respectively to the second main flaps each have a single rectangular precut tab centered with respect to said corresponding secondary flap.

In another advantageous embodiment, the first two main flaps comprising ears, each ear extends above the main flap to which said ear is attached, then outwards, parallel to said main flap and over a distance equal to the width transverse of the adjacent main flap.

Each ear may also include a second part connected to the first part, constituted in the manner just described, by a fold line and extending perpendicular to said first part towards the adjacent main flap over a distance for example equal to half the width of a main flap. In another advantageous embodiment, the secondary flaps of the first main flaps each comprise at least one rectangular tongue precut over the entire transverse width of said secondary flap, said tongue being connected to the corresponding first main flap by a fold line.

Advantageously, the two second main flaps further comprise two lateral end flaps located on either side, and connected by fold lines to the lateral sides of said second main flaps. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows of the particular embodiments given by way of nonlimiting example.

The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tray according to an embodiment of the invention.

- Figure 1a is a perspective view of a tray according to another embodiment of the invention.

- Figure 2 is a top view of the tray of Figure 1.

FIG. 3 is a section view on a large scale of the tongue forming the angle iron of FIGS. 1, 1a and 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank according to an embodiment of the invention, making it possible in particular to obtain the tray of FIG. 1.

- Figure 4a is a plan view of a blank according to another embodiment of the invention, to obtain the tray of Figure 1a.

- Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the first stages of manufacturing a tray according to the invention with a blank according to Figure 4. Figures 1 and 2 show a parallelepipedal tray 1 open upwards, in corrugated sheet double-sided comprising a bottom 2 and a belt of main walls 3 provided with two opposite sidewalks 4 or four reinforced corner angles (not shown), for example having vertically two to three thicknesses of cardboard, in known manner, and formed to from two sets first flaps respectively secured to two first opposite main walls 5.

The two other opposite main walls 6, or second main walls, each comprise a second flap 7, for example rectangular, respectively connected to said corresponding wall 6 by a fold line, the second flaps 7 being fixed to the internal face 8 of their main wall. corresponding by bonding, for example using an adhesive of the type known by the English name "hot melt".

According to the embodiment of the invention more particularly described here, each second flap 7 comprises a tongue 9, for example rectangular forming an angle, located in the middle of each of the second flaps, to constitute an intermediate support during stacking of the plates.

In the case where the width of the tray is equal to half its length, this stacking can then be easily carried out by successive layers of trays arranged perpendicular to each other.

To simplify and in the following description, the same reference numbers will be used to designate the same elements. FIG. 1a shows a tray 1 similar to tray 1 which does not include sidewalks 4 and / or corner angles, but first flaps 7 'of identical type to the second flaps 7, that is to say rectangular and fixed to the internal faces of the first corresponding main walls 5 by gluing.

Each first flap has a tongue 9 ′, for example rectangular forming an angle, of width (dimension of the tongue parallel to the fold line) equal to 1/3 or 1/4 of the length

(dimension of the flap parallel to the fold line) of the flap 7 ', located in the middle of each of the first flaps, to constitute an intermediate support during stacking of the trays.

This angle is for example identical to the angles 9. It can also be smaller or larger, Figure 3 shows in section on a larger scale the angle 10 of Figure 1 formed by the tongue 9 cut on its sides 11 and connected to the main wall 6 by a fold line 12.

The sides 11 can be partially precut or even weakened to be easily detachable from the rest of the second flap, the tongue thus constituting a frangible zone.

The angle iron 10 has a first portion 13 forming an angle α of 95 °, before any compression stress, with the main wall 6, a second portion 14 at an angle, folded towards the inside of the plate at an acute angle relative to the first portion 13 and directed towards the internal face 8 of the main wall 6 and a third end portion 15, glued to the internal face 8 for example substantially halfway up the wall 6.

Advantageously, the corrugated cardboard grooves at the angle are parallel to the bottom of the tray. In Figure 4 there is shown a blank 16 for the constitution of a tray, according to one embodiment of the invention. The blank comprises a central flap 17 provided with four main flaps, namely two opposite first main flaps 18, with secondary flaps 19 suitable for forming end sidewalks 20 and two second main flaps 22.

Each end of the sidewalk 20 comprises a part 21 extending above the main flap 18 and outwards, parallel to said main flap over a distance equal to the width 1_ of the adjacent main flap 22.

The second adjacent main flaps 22 constitute the other two main flaps and each comprise, according to the embodiment of the invention more particularly described here, a secondary flap 25, end, rectangular, of reinforcement, connected to the second main flap 22 over its entire length by a fold line 26.

Each end flap 25 has a tab 27, of small dimension, centered, for example equal to one tenth of the length of the corresponding flap, precut over the entire transverse width of said flap 25, on two sides 28 perpendicular to the fold line 26, the tongue remaining attached to the upper edge of the second main flap 22 by the fold line 26.

Advantageously, the second main flaps 22 further comprise two rectangular lateral end flaps 29, for reinforcing the corners of the tray, for example intended to be glued inside the flaps 18 during the formation of the tray, the portions 23 of the ears 19 being intended to be glued to the outside of the second main flaps 22, when the tray is formed.

FIG. 4 bis represents a blank of the type described with reference to FIG. 4 without a sidewalk or an ear but comprising secondary flaps 25 'respectively connected to the first two main flaps 18, each comprising a rectangular tongue 27' cut out on its edges lateral to the rest of the secondary flap over the entire width of the secondary flap and connected to the main flap 18 by a fold line in a similar manner and as described with reference to FIG. 4.

We will now describe a process for manufacturing a plate obtained from a blank 16 according to FIG. 4 with reference to FIG. 5.

After injection in 30 of glue on the external end 31 of the end flaps 25, the end flaps 25 are folded in 32 on the main flaps 22, while pinching and bending the tabs 27 to give them their angle form which are then compressed vertically to ensure bonding.

The flaps 22, the end flaps 29 are then folded at 33 at 90 °, then the flaps 18 which come outside of said end flaps 29.

The sidewalks are then formed from the secondary flaps, the end portions 21 (see FIG. 4) of the sidewalks (or of the ears if applicable) being glued to the external face of the wall 22. The present invention does not is not limited to the embodiments more particularly described here.

On the contrary, it embraces all variants falling within the framework of equivalences and / or in particular those where the first main walls are not connected directly to the second main walls but via intermediate walls, for example the case where the platform is octagonal with sidewalks, the case where the secondary flaps are trapezoidal and not rectangular, the case where at least one tongue extends over a large part of the length of the corresponding side wall so as to form an enlarged lateral angle, of support.

Claims

1. Tray (1) of cardboard sheet material comprising a belt of main walls (3, 5, 6, 18, 22) provided with flaps, namely two first opposite main walls located opposite and opposite other of the tray each provided with a first flap or set of flaps (19, 20, 25 ') separated by two second main walls each provided with a second flap (7.25) folded towards the inside of the tray and fixed on the internal face (8) of the corresponding second main wall (6), characterized in that each second flap (7.25) comprises at least one rectangular tongue (9, 27) precut in said second flap over the entire transverse width of the second flap, connected to the corresponding main wall (6) by a fold line (26) and comprising a first portion (13) forming a determined alpha angle with said main wall (6), a second portion (14) directed bias towards said main wall and a third portion (15), end, integral with the internal face (8) of said main wall, so as to form an angle.

2. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the first flaps are also folded inwards of the tray and fixed on the internal face of the corresponding first main wall, each first flap identically comprising at least one pre-cut rectangular tongue in said first flap, connected to said corresponding main wall by a fold line, and forming an angle.

3. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the first flaps or set of flaps form sidewalks or corner angles.

4. Tray according to claim 3, characterized in that the first flaps or sets of flaps (19) form corner angles (4) from ears (19) respectively located on either side of the central parts respective of said first flaps and connected to said central parts by fold lines (24) perpendicular to the edges of the plate, each ear extending towards the outside of the corresponding first flap over a distance sufficient for at least half of said ear is located opposite and to the right of the adjacent main wall (22).

5. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the angle alpha is between about 90 ° and about 110 °.

6. Tray according to claim 4, characterized in that the angle alpha is equal to about 100 °.

7. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second and / or first flaps (7, 25, 25 ') each have a tongue (9, 27) forming an angle, centered with respect to said corresponding flap ( 7, 25, 25 ').

8. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one tongue forming an angle extends over a length greater than or equal to half the length of the corresponding main wall.

9. Tray according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has an octagonal section with cut corners, said cut corners being formed by intermediate walls located between the main walls.

10. Blank (16) for constituting a tray, comprising a rectangular central flap (17) provided on each side with a rectangular main flap, namely two first main flaps (18) opposite ears (19) or secondary flaps (20), and two second main flaps with secondary flaps, said ears or said secondary flaps being connected to the edge of said main flaps opposite the central flap (22), characterized in that the secondary flaps respectively connected to the two second main flaps (22) each comprise at least one rectangular tongue (27) precut over the entire transverse width of said secondary flap (25), said tongue being connected to the corresponding main flap by a fold line (26).

11. Blank according to claim 10, characterized in that the secondary flaps connected respectively to the second main flaps (25) each comprise a single tongue (27) precut rectangular centered relative to the end flap (25) corresponding.

12. Blank according to any one of claims 10 and 11, characterized in that the first two main flaps (18) comprising ears (19), each ear (19) extends above the main flap to which said said is attached. ear then outwards, parallel to said main flap and over a distance equal to the width of the adjacent main flap (22).

13. A blank according to any one of claims 10 and 11, characterized in that the secondary flaps of the first main flaps each comprise at least one rectangular tongue precut over the entire transverse width of said secondary flap, said tongue being connected to the first corresponding main flap by a fold line.

14. Blank according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the two second main flaps (22) further comprise two lateral end flaps (29) located on either side and connected by lines folding the lateral sides of said second main flaps.