EP0960821A2

EP0960821A2 - Carton and box pallet manufactured with it

Info

Publication number: EP0960821A2
Application number: EP99303125A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Brian Redwood-Smith
Original assignee: Smurfit Corrugated Ltd
Current assignee: Smurfit Kappa Corrugated UK Ltd
Priority date: 1998-04-23
Filing date: 1999-04-22
Publication date: 1999-12-01
Also published as: GB9808701D0; EP0960821A3

Abstract

A carton or carton part has a generally square or rectangular cross-section and is formed with depending portions (18) on two opposite side walls. The depending portions have engagement means (21) which can engage formations (42) on a pallet (40) to secure the carton to the pallet (40).

Description

This invention relates to cartons which are used in conjunction with pallets. This type of carton is sometimes known as a heavy duty pallet pack.
Heavy duty cartons or packs are relatively large containers which are used in conjunction with pallets so that they can be lifted and transported around on fork-lift trucks. Typically such cartons are formed from cardboard and are made by initially forming a cardboard blank having appropriate fold and cut lines. The blank can then be erected by folding it about the fold lines in order to form the carton. In known arrangements the cartons are secured to their associated pallets and known ways of securing the carton to the pallet include gluing, nailing, or clipping by means such as plastic clips. Such techniques for securing the carton to the pallet are not entirely satisfactory, since they are both time consuming and in some cases have the result that it is difficult to remove the carton from the pallet.
The present invention is concerned with an improved design of carton which facilitates connection and removal of a carton to a pallet.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a carton or carton part of generally rectangular or square cross section comprising four side walls and a base, wherein at least one pair of opposing side walls, each have a depending portion or portions which define an engagement means for engaging with a pallet on which the carton or carton part is to be mounted.
Each of the pair of opposing side walls may have a single downwardly depending portion and each engagement means may comprise an aperture or apertures which are arranged to receive protruding portions on the pallet. Each of said pair of opposing side walls may have a pair of spaced downwardly depending portions and each engagement means may comprise an aperture or apertures. The downwardly depending portions may be shaped to define feet to provide stacking strength to the carton or carton part. The carton may include a top. The top may be formed by flap portions connected by fold lines to the side walls. Alternatively the top may be a separate element completely removable from the carton.
One of the side walls may have a cut-out portion. In one embodiment a carTon comprises a carton part according to said one aspect, said carton part being generally tray-like, and a sleeve of rectangular or square cross-section which is supported by the carton part to form at least the upper part of the walls of the carton. The sleeve may be collapsible to a condition in which it can be accommodated in the carton part.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a blank which can be erected by folding to form a carton or carton part according to said one aspect, said blank being generally rectangular and having crease lines which define portions, which when the blank is folded, form the four side walls, and cut lines which define flaps, which can be folded to extend generally perpendicularly to the side walls to define said base, at least two of the flap portions having a cut line or lines of a pre-selected profile adjacent their junction with the respective side walls to define an area or areas which, in the folded carton, form said downwardly depending portions. The blank may also include flap portions which in the erected carton can be folded over to form a top for the carton.
The invention will be described now by way of example only, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
Figures 1a and 1b are perspective views of a carton according to a first embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a blank which can be folded to form the carton of Figure 1,
Figures 3a and 3b are perspective views of a second embodiment of a carton in accordance with the present invention,
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a blank which can be folded to form the carton of Figure 3,
Figures 5a and 5b are perspective views of an alternative form of carton,
Figures 6 to 8 are views showing a carton in accordance with the present invention attached to a pallet,
Figures 9a and 9b are perspective views of another embodiment in accordance with the invention,
Figures 10a and 10b are perspective views of another embodiment in accordance with the invention, and
Figure 11 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment in accordance with the invention.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a carton in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention has a generally rectangular cross section and comprises four rectangular side walls 10, 11, 12 and 14. The carton also includes a base 15 and a top 16.
Opposite side walls 10 and 12 each have downwardly depending portions 18. Each downwardly depending portion 18 is shaped to define three, longitudinally spaced, feet members 20. Each downwardly depending portion 18 has a length less than the length of its associated side wall, thereby defining support areas 19 at the opposite ends of the portions 18. Also each depending portion 18 has five longitudinally spaced apertures 21, which are generally trapezium shaped. The apertures 21 form engagement means which enable the carton to be securely mounted on a pallet. When the carton is mounted on a pallet, protruding portions on the pallet locate in the apertures 21 to effectively secure the carton to the pallet.
The carton shown in Figure 1 can be folded from a blank of the type shown in Figure 2. The blank comprises a generally rectangular sheet of cardboard 30 which has fold lines 31 which define panel portions 10, 11, 12, and 14 which correspond to the side walls 10, 11, 12, and 14 shown in Figure 1. The panel portion 14 has a small flap 14A. The blank also has cut lines 32 which define flap portions 34 which when the blank is erected, fold over to define the base 15 of the carton. The cut lines 32 also define further flaps 35 which, in the erected carton, are folded over to define the top 16.
The two base flaps 34 adjacent the side walls 10 and 12 each have a profiled cut line 38 which when the base flap 34 is folded over defines the downwardly depending portion 18. Also the portion 18 has the apertures 21 stamped in it. It should be noted that in Figure 2 two alternative forms of downwardly depending portions 18 are shown. That adjacent the side wall 10 corresponds to that shown in Figures 1a and 1b. That adjacent the side wall 12 is a modification which comprises two longitudinally spaced depending portions 18, each of which has two apertures 21 and one foot member 20. It will be appreciated that various configurations of depending portion 18 can be provided and their shape and arrangement will depend to a certain extent upon the configuration of the pallet with which the carton is to be associated.
It will be appreciated that in the erected carton overlapping elements of the blank are secured by gluing or stitching in a known manner. The flap 14A is secured to the inner face of the wall 10.
The carton shown in Figures 1 and 2 is designed for use with a corrugated type pallet.
Figures 6 and 7 shown a carton of the type illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 mounted upon a pallet 40. The pallet 40 is a corrugated type pallet and defines an upper generally rectangular support surface for the carton and has laterally outwardly extending protrusions 42 which are generally trapezium shaped and sized so that they locate snugly in the apertures 21 formed in the downwardly depending portions 18 of the carton. This configuration makes it relatively easy to mount the carton on the pallet and to provide an engagement therebetween simply by ensuring that the protrusions 42 locate within the apertures 21. As the carton is being located on the pallet, the downwardly depending portions 18 move outwardly to allow them to slide over the protrusions 42 until the protrusions are aligned with apertures 21 at which point the portion 18 moves back to allow the protrusions 42 to locate in the apertures 21. Also this type of engagement is easily releasable by outward movement of the depending portions 18, thereby enabling the carton, if necessary, to be removed from the pallet.
It should be noted that when the carton is loaded the weight of the contents rest on the folded in flaps in the areas 19 of the base and this helps to prevent the side walls of the carton from bulging along the seam from which the protruding portions 18 have been formed. The form of protrusion 18 shown in Figure 2 adjacent the wall 12, where in effect the middle foot 20 is removed, provides added strength to the flaps, thereby increasing the resistance to bulging in the middle of the side walls.
The feet 20 provide extra stacking strength when cartons with their pallets are stacked one on top of another.
Figure 3a and Figure 3b show an alternative form of carton which is designed particularly to be used with a wooden type pallet. The principal differences from that shown in Figure 1 are the shape of the apertures 21, which in this arrangement are slit shaped. Additionally in this arrangement the central foot member 20 is a full depth, whilst those 20A on either side are shallower. Also the carton is formed with end feet members 50 and 51 on each of the two opposed walls 10 and 12. These feet members aid with locking and also provide additional stacking strength. The blank from which the carton of Figure 3 can be formed is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 8 of the drawings shows a carton of the type illustrated in Figure 3 mounted on a wooden type pallet 55. As can be seen the wooden type pallet has laterally extending projections 58 which have a cross sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the slit like apertures 21 in the carton of Figure 3. Thus, when the carton is located on the pallet, the protrusions on the pallet engage in the apertures on the carton to form an engagement therebetween.
Figure 5 of the drawings shows a further modification. The carton is generally of the form shown in Figure 3, but does not include the flaps 35 which can be folded over to form the top of the carton. In this modification a completely separate top 60 is provided which is removable from the remainder of the carton.
Figure 9 shows an embodiment in which the front wall 110 of the carton is formed with a cut-out 111. the size and shape of the cut-out 111 can vary according to requirements. A panel 112 can be located so as to be visible through the cut-out 111 (see Figure 9b). The front panel 112 may be formed as part of the original blank and may be removable therefrom by breaking it away along a line of weakness 114. As shown in Figure 9b this embodiment of the carton can be provided with a lid 118.
Figure 10 shows an embodiment in which a lower carton part 130, which is generally tray-like, includes the downwardly depending portion 18 for engaging with the pallet. A separate sleeve 140 is provided which fits into the lower part 130 to define the four side walls 141, 142, 143, 144. Opposite side walls 142, 144 have a central crease line 145 which allows the sleeve to be collapsed so that it can be accommodated in the lower carton part 130, e.g. for transit. This embodiment can also have a lid 148.
Figure 11 shows an embodiment in which the blank from which the carton is formed includes additional cut lines 150 which when the carton is erected provide lock down flaps 151 by means of which the closure flaps 152 can be secured mechanically without the need for gluing or stapling.
The material from which the carton is formed is not critical. Typically it will be cardboard with the necessary strength to function as a heavy duty carton.

Claims

A carton or carton part of generally rectangular or square cross section comprising four side walls and a base, wherein at least one pair of opposing side walls, each have a depending portion or portions which define an engagement means for engaging with a pallet on which the carton or carton part is to be mounted.
A carton or carton part according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of opposing side walls has a single depending portion and each engagement means comprises an aperture or apertures which are arranged to receive protruding portions on the pallet.
A carton or carton part according to claim 1, wherein each of said pair of opposing side walls has a pair of spaced, depending portions, and each engagement means comprises an aperture or apertures.
A carton or carton part according to any preceding claim, wherein the depending portions are shaped to define feet to provide stacking strength to the carton or carton part.
A carton according to any preceding claim, wherein the carton includes a top.
A carton according to claim 5, wherein the top is formed by flap portions connected by fold lines to the side walls.
A carton according to claim 5, wherein the top is a separate element completely removable from the carton.
A carton according to any preceding claim, wherein one of said side walls has a cut-out portion.
A carton including a carton part according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said carton part is generally tray-like, and a sleeve of rectangular or square cross-section which is supported by the carton part to form at least the upper part of the side walls of the carton.
A carton according to claim 9, wherein said sleeve is collapsible to a condition in which it can be accommodated in the carton part.
A blank which can be erected by folding to form a carton or carton part according to any preceding claim, said blank being generally rectangular and having crease lines which define portions, which when the blank is folded, form the four side walls, and cut lines which define flaps, which can be folded to extend generally perpendicularly to the side walls to define said base, at least two of the flap portions having a cut line or lines of a pre-selected profile adjacent their junction with the respective side walls to define an area or areas which, in the folded carton, form said depending portions.
A blank according to claim 11, including flap portions which in the erected carton can be folded over to form a top for the carton.
A combination of a carton or carton part according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a pallet, said pallet having formations which engage with the engagement means of the depending portions to secure the carton to the pallet.
A combination according to claim 13, wherein the pallet has lateral protrusions which locate in correspondingly shaped apertures in the depending portion of the carton.