EP0965530B1 - Container made of foldable material for flat storage - Google Patents

Abstract

The folded sheet container blank has a side wall (A) connected to the badse panel by two separate connections. The container has a flat condition for storgae and an erected condition for packaging. In the folded condition, the side wall is folded into two parts (A1,2) connected by two folds (1).

Description

The invention relates to a container made of collapsible material so that it can be stored flat and in a stack, and more particularly a container that can take a prismatic shape and be made of corrugated cardboard.

Containers used in the industry for the transport and storage of various products, for reasons of economy as well as weight, are indeed made by cutting flat in preferably corrugated cardboard plates multi-groove to be able to present good mechanical strength. Also for reasons of robustness, these containers have a side wall having flat faces delimited by vertical edges when they are intended to contain products likely to cause significant creep, and thus a polygonal base, for example hexagonal or octagonal.

Such containers, despite their lightness and low cost, may have a capacity greater than one cubic meter and be filled with granular products, or even powdery or liquid if they are lined internally with a bag of flexible waterproof material, for example plastic material known in the art as "know".

By the utility model DE 94 19102 a container is known whose bottom and side wall (or mantle, or belt) are cut from a plate, for example from corrugated cardboard and pre-assembled by gluing or otherwise in the factory, and which is foldable so that it can to be delivered and stored pre-assembled and flat. The bottom is cut and grooved in a special way so that the container can be quickly put in volume. But, the establishment of the bottom however requires the handling of flaps.

The object of the present invention is to propose a container of the aforementioned type, but whose bottom can be put in place by a simple unfolding of the side wall of the container.

To this end, the invention relates to a container of foldable material, comprising a continuously extending side wall having at least two folds, and a bottom secured to the side wall, wherein the side wall and the bottom are secured to one another. to one another in two securing regions separated from the container. The container is deformable between a storage position in which it has a generally flat shape and a use position in which the bottom and the side wall define a filling volume. In the storage position, the side wall is folded into two side wall portions connected by the two folds, and the bottom is inserted between the two side wall portions by being folded accordionally into at least four flaps, one after the other. one side wall part to the other being connected by folds, an end flap of the bottom being secured to one of the side wall portions by a flap, and an opposite end flap of the bottom being secured to the other sidewall part by another flap. In the position of use of the container, the bottom is flat and has flaps folded upwards, and it comprises at least two incisions each extending between an end flap and an intermediate flap, and three fold lines constituting folds when the container is in the storage position, the end flaps of the bottom being each delimited in succession by a side of the bottom which carries a fastening flap, an incision, a fold line connecting it to an intermediate flap, and sides of the bottom extending between this fold line and the side of the bottom which carries a fastening flap.

With this structure, a simple external pressure on the two opposite folds of the side wall or a simple separation of the side wall portions is sufficient to bring the container in volume and to cause the unfolding of the bottom which is secured to the side wall by two flaps.

• la paroi latérale est constituée d'au moins deux parties de paroi latérale raccordées par deux plis ;
• la paroi latérale comporte des lignes de pliage et des volets s'étendant de part et d'autre des lignes de pliage, les lignes de pliage et les volets constituant respectivement des plis et des faces du conteneur lorsqu'il est en position d'utilisation ;
• la paroi latérale, en position d'utilisation, présente une forme prismatique ;
• le fond est muni de rabats dont deux sont des rabats de solidarisation à la paroi latérale, et les autres ne sont pas fixés à la paroi latérale ;
• le fond comporte des volets intermédiaires entre les volets d'extrémités, au moins deux incisions, et trois lignes de pliage constituant des plis lorsque le conteneur est en position de magasinage, les volets intermédiaires du fond étant chacun délimité en succession par une ligne de pliage le reliant à un volet d'extrémité, une ligne de pliage reliant les deux incisions, une incision, et un côté du fond reliant cette incision à la ligne de pliage de départ ;
• le fond comporte des plis et des lignes de pliage définis à l'avance par des lignes rainées, des lignes rainées correspondant à des plis reliant les volets à des rabats ainsi qu'une ligne rainée reliant deux incisions étant réalisées dans la face interne du fond, et des lignes rainées prolongeant les incisions étant réalisées dans la face externe de celui-ci ;
• le fond a la forme d'un octogone dont les côtés sont parallèles deux à deux ;
• le fond a la forme d'un octogone dont les côtés sont parallèles et égaux deux à deux et qui est inscriptible dans un rectangle, deux côtés parallèles étant perpendiculaires à deux autres côtés parallèles auxquels ils ne sont pas consécutifs, et approximativement égaux à ceux-ci, les autres côtés étant approximativement égaux entre eux ;
• le fond présente des incisions et des lignes de pliage, et au moins une incision et une ligne de pliage se succèdent approximativement rectilignement.

The container may also have one or more of the following features:

• the side wall consists of at least two side wall portions connected by two folds;
• the side wall comprises fold lines and flaps extending on either side of the fold lines, the fold lines and the flaps respectively constituting folds and sides of the container when it is in the position of use ;
• the side wall, in use position, has a prismatic shape;
• the bottom is provided with flaps, two of which are fastening flaps to the side wall, and the others are not attached to the side wall;
• the bottom comprises intermediate flaps between the end flaps, at least two incisions, and three fold lines constituting folds when the container is in the storage position, the intermediate flaps of the bottom being each delimited in succession by a fold line connecting it to an end flap, a fold line connecting the two incisions, an incision, and a side of the bottom connecting this incision to the starting fold line;
• the bottom comprises folds and fold lines defined in advance by slotted lines, grooved lines corresponding to folds connecting the flaps to flaps and a grooved line connecting two incisions being made in the inner face of the bottom, and grooved lines extending the incisions being made in the outer face thereof;
• the bottom has the shape of an octagon whose sides are parallel two by two;
• the bottom has the shape of an octagon whose sides are parallel and equal two by two and which is writable in a rectangle, two parallel sides being perpendicular to two other parallel sides to which they are not consecutive, and approximately equal thereto, the other sides being approximately equal to each other;
• the bottom has incisions and fold lines, and at least one incision and one fold line succeed each other approximately rectilinearly.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un conteneur selon l'invention replié en position de magasinage ;
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective du conteneur de la figure 1, dans une position prise lors d'une phase de dépliage pour l'amener en position d'utilisation, avec une partie de paroi latérale arrachée ;
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique en perspective sous un autre angle, du conteneur de la figure 1 dans une position prise ultérieurement à celle de la figure 2, proche de la position d'utilisation, avec une partie de paroi latérale arrachée ;
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique en plan d'une feuille de fond en position déployée, destinée à constituer le fond d'une première forme de réalisation d'un conteneur selon l'invention ; et
• la figure 5 est une vue schématique en plan d'une feuille de fond en position déployée, destinée à constituer le fond d'une deuxième forme de réalisation d'un conteneur selon l'invention.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting examples and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container according to the invention folded in the storage position;
• Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the container of Figure 1, in a position taken during an unfolding phase to bring it to the use position, with a side wall part torn off;
• FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view from another angle of the container of FIG. 1 in a position taken later than that of FIG. 2, close to the position of use, with a torn side wall portion;
• Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a bottom sheet in the deployed position, intended to form the bottom of a first embodiment of a container according to the invention; and
• Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a bottom sheet in the deployed position, intended to form the bottom of a second embodiment of a container according to the invention.

The collapsible material container, for example corrugated cardboard, shown in the drawings, has a side wall A and a bottom B secured to one another in two separate securing regions, the container, and is deformable between a position storage in which it has a generally flat shape (Figure 1) and a use position in which the bottom and the side wall define a filling volume.

The side wall A extends continuously, and in the "collapsed container" position, that is to say in the storing position, it is folded so as to have a flat shape in two parts A1, A2 approximately superposed planes connected by two folds 1.

In the embodiments shown, in the position of use, the side wall is defined by the translation parallel to itself of a generatrix whose direction is perpendicular to the bottom, then plane, whose contour serves as a basis for translation this generator; thus, in the storage position, the two sides A1, A2 side wall are rectangular, and the two folds 1 are parallel opposite edges of these two side wall portions.

Depending on the shape of the bottom B, the two side wall portions may comprise fold lines 2 succeeding between the two end folds. In the storage position, as the side wall has only two parts approximately superimposed flat, the flaps 3 extending on either side of the fold lines 2 are then in the same plane, and no fold corresponds to the lines of Folding 2. The number of fold lines 2 and their spacing between each other and with respect to the folds of ends 1 depends on the shape of the bottom.

In the present case where the bottom B has an octagonal shape, each side wall portion A1, A2 comprises three intermediate fold lines 2 parallel to the two end plies 1, and thus, in the position of use, the side wall A has eight folds and has a prismatic shape with eight side faces.

The locations of these folds defining as many flaps 3 and thus faces along the side wall of the container, are defined in advance by the presence of grooved lines, here eight parallel slotted lines made in the inner face of the side wall .

Bottom B has an outline corresponding to the desired container shape; here it is a convex polygon with an even number of sides. The polygon of the examples shown in the drawings is an octagon.

Advantageously, this octagon has sides parallel and equal two by two.

In the storage position, the bottom B is inserted between the two parts A1, A2 superimposed side wall being folded accordion forming at least four flaps 4, 5, 6, 7 polygonal succeeding one side wall portion to the other being connected by folds previously defined by fold lines 8, 9, 10 (Figures 4 and 5).

The securing regions of the side wall and the bottom are constituted, on the side wall, along an edge of two flaps 3 respectively belonging to the two side wall portions A1, A2, and, on the bottom, on two flaps. 11 connected by respective folds to the two end flaps 4, 7 of the bottom respectively; these respective folds correspond to fold lines 12, 13 extending along sides here parallel of the two polygons constituting the end flaps 4, 7.

The fastening can be carried out by gluing or else by stapling or by another means, an end flap 4 of the bottom thus being secured to one of the side wall portions A1 by a flap 11 disposed externally thereto, and a flap 7 opposite end of the bottom being secured to the other part A2 side wall by another flap 11 also disposed externally; as these flaps are arranged outside the side wall, the connection of each of them to its end flap is effected by means of two parallel folds to account for the thickness of the side wall.

The edge of the flaps 3 of the side wall along which the fastening region extends is an edge extending between two fold lines or folds, and these respective edges of the two flaps naturally belong to two sides facing each other. between the folds 1, of the two side wall portions.

In the present case where the bottom has the shape of an octagon, its flaps 4, 5, 6, 7 successive, four in number, are connected by three folds (in storage position) or fold lines 8, 9, 10 (in use position).

On each side of the octagon forming the bottom, corresponds a fold which, in the position of use of the container, connects the bottom to a flap applying against the side wall A, two of these flaps being the fastening flaps 11 fixed against the outer face of the side wall, while the other flaps 14 are not fixed to this wall and simply apply against its inner face. Note that the two fastening flaps extend along two parallel sides of the octagon. In the case of an octagon irregularly having sides parallel and equal in pairs (Figures 1 to 4), for example four of a first length and four of a second length, with successively along the octagon two sides of different lengths, the flaps of fastening 11 may for example be connected respectively to two long sides, to which two other sides equal and parallel to each other are perpendicular; in these figures, the octagon is thus writable in a fictional rectangle whose sides constitute the respective supports of four sides of the octagon, and the fastening flaps are connected to the two long sides which extend parallel with the most small spacing; for convenience, the region adjacent to the intersection of the diagonals and medians of the rectangle which defines the center of the bottom, will hereinafter be referred to as the "central region of the bottom".

In order to constitute the four flaps 4, 5, 6, 7, the octagonal bottom shown in the figures has a number of incisions 16, 17 and fold lines 8, 9, 10 intended to become folds in the position of shopping.

More specifically, from one end of each of the two sides of the octagon which is connected to a fastening flap 11, part an incision 16, 17 which extends approximately in the direction of the central region of the bottom but does not reach the medians of the rectangle; these two ends from where an incision, which define vertices of the octagon and each also constitute an end of the incisions, are symmetrical with respect to the center of the bottom; the opposite ends of the incisions are interconnected by a fold line 9; these same opposite ends incisions starting from a fastening flap are also each connected by a fold line 8, 10, at the end of the side of the octagon which is close to that which carries the opposite fastening flap and extends from the opposite incision 17, 16.

The four flaps 4, 5, 6, 7 of the bottom are thus defined between the sides of the bottom serving as supports for the flaps 11, 14 (here the sides of the octagon), the three fold lines 8, 9, 10 (other than those of the flaps) and the two incisions 16, 17. It will be noted that in general, an incision 16, 17 and the fold line 8, 10 which extends it do not succeed each other in a straight line, although it is possible to optimize the geometry of the bottom so that at least one incision and this fold line extend almost linearly or even linearly.

Each end flap 4, 7 of the bottom is thus delimited in succession by a side of the bottom which carries a fastening flap 11, the incision 16, 17 which starts from this side of the bottom, the fold line 8, 10 which extends the incision to another side of the bottom, and the (two) sides of the bottom that connect this fold line to the side that carries the fastening flap (starting side).

Each intermediate flap 5, 6 is delimited in succession by a fold line 8, 10 extending an incision 16, 17 to one side of the bottom, the fold line 9 connecting the two incisions, the other incision 17, 16, and the bottom side connecting this other incision to the fold line 8, 10 starting.

As a result, in the storage position, the end flaps 4, 7 each extend from an edge of a side wall portion A1, A2 towards the opposite edge of the same side wall portion, at their folding line 8, 10, that of the intermediate flaps 5, 6 which is adjacent; this adjacent intermediate flap extends from this fold line 8, 10, towards the edge of the starting side wall portion, to the folding line 9 connecting the two incisions, which extends approximately parallel to the edges of the sidewall portions.

The locations of the folds and fold lines 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 determining the bottom flaps and their flaps 11, 14, are defined in advance by the presence of slotted lines.

The slotted lines corresponding to folds connecting the flaps to the flaps and that corresponding to the fold line 9 connecting the two incisions are made in the inner face of the bottom, while those corresponding to the fold lines 8, 10 extending the incisions in the direction of an edge of the bottom are made in the outer face thereof.

Advantageously, the shape of the flaps is optimized so as not to hinder the unfolding of the container or their unfolding mutual, and for this purpose the flaps may for example each comprise a straight edge and a rounded edge.

The container shown in Figures 1 to 4, for example, has a bottom having the shape of an irregular octagon with equal sides and parallel two by two, writable in a rectangle whose ratio of the lengths of the sides is approximately equal at 1.2. The ratio of the length of the long side of the rectangle, to that of the long side of the octagon, is approximately equal to 2.2, and the ratio of the length of the long side of the rectangle to that of the short side of the octagon about equal to 3.

The ratio of the length of the long side of the rectangle to that of one of the incisions is approximately equal to 4, and the ratio of the length of the same side of the rectangle to that of the other incision is approximately equal to 3.65 ; finally, the ratio of the length of the long side of the rectangle, to the distance between the end of the incision and the end of the side carrying the fastening flap opposite to that from which this incision leaves, is about 3.2 for the first incision and 3.5 for the second.

FIG. 5 (in which the elements corresponding to elements of FIG. 4 bear the same numerical mark) shows a container bottom in the shape of a regular octagon; here, an assembly consisting of an incision 17 and a fold line 10 is very clearly broken line, while the other set 16, 8 is almost straight.

The ratio of the distance between two parallel sides of the octagon, at the distance between the end of each of the incisions and the side of the octagon belonging to the intermediate flap 5, 6, is approximately equal to 3.4; the ratio of the distance between two parallel sides of the octagon, at the distance between the end of the incision and the nearest sides of the octagon which are perpendicular to those bordering the intermediate flaps 5, 6, is about 2.6 for one of the incisions and 3.2 for the other. It is thanks to this dissymmetry that the container can be completely folded for its flat shopping.

The implementation of the two forms of containers is identical.

As we have seen, the container being initially in the storage position, thanks to an external pressure on the two opposite folds of the side wall A or a separation of the side wall portions A1, A2, the container is placed in volume and unfolding the bottom B is unfolded.

When the bottom is unfolded to be flat, its eight flaps 11, 14 are folded upward at an angle of approximately 90 ° with the bottom, the flaps 14 which are not glued to the outside remain simply at least approximately folded vertically inside the container, against the side wall.

The volume maintenance of the container, here prismatic octagonal bottom, is then acquired, and does not require gluing of the flaps 14 of the bottom other than the fastening flaps 11. The filling also contributes to maintaining the volume of the container.

This container being generally intended to be mounted or placed on a pallet transport, its dimensions are chosen for example according to the dimensions of the standard pallets (for example a little more than 1 m between two parallel sides of the bottom in use position) .

After use, the empty container can be put back flat for later reuse, or storage and transport at less volume for example for disposal, since it can be made of cardboard, material recyclable par excellence.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown, and it will be possible to provide others without departing from its scope, and in particular to produce containers having a different shaped bottom, with a other number of sides.

Claims (10)

1. Container made of pliable material, comprising a side wall (A) extending continuously and having at least two folds (1), and a bottom (B) attached to the side wall, the side wall and the bottom being attached to each other in two separate attachment regions, of the container, the container being deformable between a storage position in which it has an overall flat shape and a position of use in which the bottom and the side wall delimit a filling volume, in the storage position, the side wall (A) being folded, constituting two side wall parts (A1, A2) connected by the two folds (1), and the bottom (B) being inserted between the two side wall parts by being folded in concertina fashion, forming at least four flaps (4, 5, 6, 7) following one another from one side wall part to the other, being connected by folds, one end flap (4) of the bottom being attached to one of the side wall parts by a fold-over section (11), and an opposite end flap (7) of the bottom being attached to the other side wall part by another fold-over section (11), characterised in that, in the position of use of the container, the bottom (B) is flat and comprises fold-over sections (11, 14) folded upwards, and it comprises at least two incisions (16, 17) each extending between an end flap (4, 7) and an intermediate flap (6, 5) and three fold lines (8, 9, 10) constituting folds when the container is in the storage position, the end flaps (4, 7) of the bottom each being delimited in succession by a side of the bottom which has an attachment fold-over section (11), an incision (16, 17), a fold line (8, 10) connecting it to an intermediate flap (5, 6), and sides of the bottom extending between this fold line and the side of the bottom which has an attachment fold-over section.
2. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the side wall (A) consists of at least two side wall parts (A1, A2) connected by two folds (1).
3. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the side wall (A) comprises fold lines (2) and flaps (3) extending either side of the fold lines, the fold lines (2) and the flaps (3) constituting respectively folds and faces of the container when it in the position of use.
4. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the side wall (A), in the position of use, has a prismatic shape.
5. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the bottom is provided with fold-over sections, two of which are fold-over sections (11) attaching to the side wall (A), and the others are not fixed to the side wall.
6. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the intermediate flaps (5, 6) of the bottom are each delimited in succession by a fold line (8, 10) connecting it to an end flap (4, 7), a fold line (9) connecting the two incisions (16, 17), an incision (17, 16), and a side of the bottom connecting this incision to the initial fold line.
7. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the bottom (B) comprises folds and fold lines (8, 9, 10, 12, 13) defined in advance by grooved lines, grooved lines corresponding to folds (12, 13) connecting the flaps (4, 5, 6, 7) to fold-over sections (11, 14) and a grooved line connecting two incisions (16, 17) being made in the inner face of the bottom, and grooved lines continuing the incisions being made in the outer face thereof.
8. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the bottom (B) has the shape of an octagon whereof the sides are parallel in pairs.
9. Container according to Claim 8, characterised in that the bottom (B) has the shape of an octagon whereof the sides are parallel and equal in pairs and which can be fitted into a rectangle, two parallel sides being perpendicular to two other parallel sides with which they are not consecutive, and approximately equal thereto, the other sides being approximately equal to each other.
10. Container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the bottom has incisions (16, 17) and fold lines (8, 9, 10), and at least one incision (16) and one fold line (8) follow one another approximately in a straight line.

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