EP0950616A2

EP0950616A2 - Carrying strap for the transportation of boxes,trays or similar containers in horizontal position

Info

Publication number: EP0950616A2
Application number: EP99830201A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimo Fedele; Serena Fedele
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-04-10
Filing date: 1999-04-07
Publication date: 1999-10-20
Also published as: ITMC980038A1; ITMC980038A3; EP0950616A3; ITMC980038A0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a carrying strap for the transportation of boxes, trays or similar containers in horizontal position, basically made up of a strap (1) of polyethylene or strong paper and provided with a top handle; it is being provided that, when expanded, the lower end (3) of the strap (1) represents the surface on which the object (C) to be transported is placed in horizontal position, so that the object (C) is included and held between the two ascending walls (5) of the carrying strap (1).

Description

The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a carrying strap made of paper or plastic material for the transportation of boxes or containers in horizontal position.
The carrying strap has been expressly designed to facilitate the transportation of cardboard containers for fresh from be oven pizzas. For this reason, the description will mainly refer to the specific requirements involved in the distribution of takeaway pizzas, which are met by the device according to the invention.
However, it is understood that the carrying strap according to the invention can also to be used for the transportation of containers with sweets, cakes and similar items, as well a for the transportation of boxes with shoes or other clothing items, such a shirts or sweaters. The following description will allow to understand how the device can be used for the transportation in horizontal position of any type of box or container, as long as with limited weight Going back to the most typical use of the device, that is the transportation of standard containers for fresh from the oven pizzas, it must be said that so far this operation is quite delicate due to several reasons.
First of all, it must be noted that the bottom of the containers receives a considerable amount of heat from the fresh from the oven pizza, resulting in a temperature increase that makes it difficult for the user to touch it with his hand.
On the other hand, the need of holding the container in a perfectly horizontal position forces the user to us both hands, thus impairing all the other manual operations that he needs to carry out at the same time.
Obviously, the situation becomes more difficult when transporting several containers, such as three or four.
In the latter case, it is extremely difficult to hold the stack of containers in its correct position, especially while carrying out troublesome operations, such as getting into or out of a motor vehicle.
The device according to the invention has been devised as a means to allow the transportation of cardboard containers, also in stacks, in perfect horizontal position, by only using one hand and without having to support with the hand the bottom of the first container in the stack, which may be quite hot.
As clearly illustrated in the following description, the device according to the invention is represented by a special carrying strap characterized by high convenience, low cost and safe use.
The device according to the invention consists in a large strap of polyethylene or strong paper, provided with a top handle. In a preferred embodiment, it may be suitably punched in order to provide useful folding lines.
In its operational condition, the strap must be used in vertical direction.
When expanded, the lower end of the strap represents the surface on which the boxes to be transported are placed, while the upper end of the strap is provided with two symmetrical holes located on the two ascending walls, used as a handle.
As it can be easily understood from the enclosed drawings, in its operational condition the carrying strap according to the invention features a longitudinal cross-section having the shape of an isosceles triangle, in which the base is represented by the lower horizontal section of the strap and designed to provide the support for the containers to be transported, the two convergent sides are represented by the two symmetrical ascending side walls of the strap and the vertex is represented by the convergence point of the ascending walls of the strap, under which the above holes with handle function are located.
It is now easy to understand that the carrying strap according to the invention features a quite peculiar structure and use. First of all, the lack of a top opening makes it completely different from standard shoppers, shopping bags, etc. Secondly, be fact that be sidewalls are missing makes it possible to insert the containers to be transported through the side openings that are obtained because of the absence of the sidewalls, as mentioned above.
For major clarity be description according to be invention continues with reference to be enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense, in which:

figure 1 is an axonometric view of the carrying strap according to the invention loaded with a tray for sweets,
figures 2A, 2B and 2C are axonometric views of a preferred constructive version of the carrying strap according to the invention, provided with folding lines; in particular, figure 2A snows a partially unfolded carrying strap, figure 2B shows a completely unfolded carrying strap, in operational condition, ready to be loaded, figured 2C shows it in operational condition, loaded with a stack of takeaway pizza containers;
figures 3A, 3B and 3C are axonometric views of a particular constructive version of the carrying strap according to the invention, provided with two punched side bands used to fix the stack of containers during transportation;
figures 4A, 4B and 4C are axonometric views of another particular constructive version of the carrying strap according to the invention, provided with a punched central band used to fix the stack of containers during transportation.

With reference to figure 1, the carrying strap according to the invention is made up of a tubular strap (1) of polyethylene or strong paper provided with a top handle made up of an opposed pair of elliptical cuts (2) located in the central and upper part of the strap.
When expanded, the lower section (3) of the strap (1), represents be surface on which the box or tray is placed in horizontal position for transportation.
In the preferred version shown in figures 2A, 2B and 2C, the strap (1) is provided with folding lines that allow for obtaining the operational condition in a fast, assisted way.
With particular reference to figure 2A, be lower end of the strap is provided with three folding lines used to determine the creation of the horizontal bottom wall (3) on which be containers and boxes are laid for transportation.
Them are three transversal lines, of which two (3a) have lateral symmetrical positions, while the bird (3b) has a central position.
Other three transversal lines (4a and 4b) are located next to the upper end of the strap (1); two lateral symmetrical folding lines (4a) are located under the convergence point of the side walls (5) of be carrying strap and one central folding line (4b) is located on the top of the carrying strap, in the convergence point of the side walls.
The two sets of three folding lines are used to fold the device with minimum volume and maximum precision during packing, transportation and stocking.
For this purpose,the set of three folding lines (4a and 4b) located on the top are used to fold the vertex of the carrying strap downwards, so that the vertex is comprised and held between the two front and back ascending walls (5).
Likewise, the set of three folding lines (3a and 3b) located on the bottom of the strap (1) allow for folding upwards the bottom wall (3) like an accordion, so that the two halves of the bottom wall are held against be internal sides of the two ascending internal wall (5).
It is obvious that, after folding be top of the strap (1) downwards and the bottom wall (3) upwards, be two ascending walls (5) can be positioned one against the other, bus reducing the volume of the strap (1) to be volume of two paper or polyethylene sheets placed one on top of be other.
For major clarity it must be noted that figure 2A shows the strap (1) when be unfolding operation has been started, but not completed yet. The ascending walls (5) are open wide, while the top convergence point and the bottom wall (3) have been partially translated to be extracted from be two ascending walls (5), upwards and downwards, respectively.
Figure 2B shows the strap (1) in operational condition, with be bottom wall (3) placed in a perfectly horizontal position and the upper central folding line (4b) at its maximum height.
Figure 2C shows the strap (1) in operational condition, loaded with a stack of pizza containers (C); this figure clearly shows that the containers have been loaded using the side openings caused by the lack of side walls.
The three figures mentioned so far show the symmetrical pair of elliptical cuts (2) located on the two ascending walls (5), in intermediate position between the central folding line (4b) and the two side folding lines (4a). The two elliptical cuts (2) combined together originate the handle used for lifting and carrying the strap (1).
Figures 3A, 3B and 3C refer to another version of the strap (1) which guarantees excellent fixing mans for the stack of containers (C) loaded inside it.
This version of strap (1) features a similar structure as the strap described above. However, it features two bands (6) with adhesive internal side, that can be torn off from the edges of the two ascending walls (5), by means of a tear off line (6a).
After the bands (6) have been separated from be ascending walls (5) of the strap, they can be used to firmly fix the two ends of the stack of containers placed inside the strap, according to the sequence illustrated in figures 3B and 3C.
In particular, figure 3B shows one of the side bands (6) torn and rotated downwards, that it towards its operational position, while the second band is still incorporated into the two ascending walls (5) of the strap (1).
Figure 3C shows the two bands (6) in operational position, blocking the stack of containers (C) by partially embracing it, fixed both to the horizontal top wall of the last container in the stack and to the back vertical wall of the stack.
Figures 4A, 4B and 4C refer to another version of the strap (1), in which the top sections of the two ascending walls (5) are joined by means of a transversal linking line (7), above which the handle (2) is located.
Moreover, this model of strap features a central tear off band (8) obtained through two parallel tear off lines (8a) located along the whole top section of both the front and back walls (5), under the transversal linking (7).
In particular, figures 4B and 4C show the use of the central band (8). After its separation from the ascending walls (5), the band can be used to embrace and fix the stack of containers contained in the strap (1).
Figure 4C shows how the section of the band (8) separated from the front ascending wall (5) of the strap (1) is fitted against the upper wall of the last container (C) of the stack, while the section of the band (8) separated from the back ascending wall (5) is fitted against the back lateral wall of the stack of containers (C).
The band (8) is provided with an adhesive internal side to firmly adhere against the horizontal and lateral walls of the stack of containers (C).
However, it must be said that the removable tear off bands (6 and 8) of the last two versions of strap can also lack the adhesive internal side.
In this case they can be fixed to the walls of the containers (C) to be blocked inside the strap by simply using small sections of adhesive tape.

Claims

Strap for the transportation of boxes, trays or similar containers in horizontal position, characterized in that it comprises a strap (1) of polyethylene or strong paper provided with a top handle made up of two opposed elliptical cuts (2) located in the center and in the top part of the strap (1).
Strap for the transportation of boxes, trays or similar containers in horizontal position, according to claim 1, characterized in that it features two transversal sets of three folding lines, one in the upper part and the other in the lower part of the strap (1); it being provided that each set of three folding lines comprises two symmetrical lateral lines (3a and 4a) between which the third line (3b and 4b) is located; it being provided that two elliptical cuts (2) used as a handle are located in the two spaces between each lateral line (4a) of the upper set of three lines and the adjacent central line (4b).
Strap for the transportation of boxes, trays or similar containers in horizontal position, according to the previous claims, characterized in that the lateral edges of the two ascending walls (5) feature two tear off bands (6), provided or not with an adhesive internal side.
Strap for the transportation of boxes, trays or similar containers in horizontal position, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the top sections of the two ascending walls (5) are joined by means of a transversal linking line (7) above which the handle (2) is located; also provided with a central band (8), provided or not with an adhesive internal side, which can be torn off from the front and back walls (5) of the strap (1) under the transversal linking line (7).