EP1209086A1

EP1209086A1 - Improved cardboard box for the transport of horticultural products

Info

Publication number: EP1209086A1
Application number: EP00500236A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Emilio Gimeno
Original assignee: Assidoman Iberoamericana SA
Current assignee: Assidoman Iberoamericana SA
Priority date: 2000-11-20
Filing date: 2000-11-20
Publication date: 2002-05-29

Abstract

The box is constituted from a laminated and monopiece body of stamped cardboard, with a central sector (1) constitutive of the bottom, a pair of smaller sectors constitutive of its end panels (3) and another pair of larger sectors constitutive of its side panels (4), both having lateral extensions (5-5') for the assembly of the box, which are fastened by means of adhesive to the complementary element. Either as a prolongation of its end panels (3) or as a prolongation of its side panels (4), they present folding strips with a pair of stamped lines determinant of a sector that folds over the internal face of the respective end panel (3) or in its case of the side panel (4), determining in both sides of that central and folding portion (6) equal portions or sectors (6') which remain located horizontally in the assembly of the box constituting a support for the stacking, with those sectors (6') prolonging into end fins (7) which fold over and remain located in cut-outs (8) established to that effect either in the side panels (4) or in its case in the end panels (3), with all of the extensions, portions and flanges fastening by means of adhesive.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a cardboard box of the type used in the transport of horticultural products, a box which has been conceived and structured with a series of improvements regarding the conventional ones, in order to attain a maximum mechanical resistance with a minimum use of material.
It is likewise the object of this invention to attain a box which offers optimum stability properties when being stacked with other identical ones, and that also ensures an optimum ventilation for the products contained inside, when in such a stacked situation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The normal evolution in the design of cardboard boxes with the above-mentioned application has lead to the generalized use of monopiece boxes, in which by means of stamped lines a bottom is defined from which, by means of folding lines, two end panels and two side panels emerge which must have mutual means of fastening in order to obtain the assembly of the box.
One of the usual solutions consists in prolonging the ends of the side panels with fins which fold around the end panels, duplicating the height of these and adding flanges to their free edge which, after folding the end panel on itself, with the insertion of the prolongations of the side panels, couple into openings established at the bottom of the box, thus attaining its assembly without adhesives, staples or any other element foreign to the laminated body of cardboard itself.
With this solution a box with reinforced end panels is obtained which, however, presents two fundamental problems, a complete absence of reinforcement at the level of the side panels and an excessive use of material.
A saving of material is attained making the end panels to be single, with these having the added prolongations at the ends and folding them over the side panels, fastening these latter pieces with staples, glue, or something similar, but this solution causes an absence of reinforcement in the end panels, which are precisely the elements of the box that are going to support greater stresses.

SPECIFICATION OF THE INVENTION

The box being acclaimed presents a series of improvements and constitutes a technological advancement in the field of application referred to in the previous section, resolving in a completely satisfactory way the problems expressed previously, in the different aspects mentioned.
More specifically, the box of the invention is constituted from the basic general structuring of a cardboard box of the type mentioned before, that is, from a laminated, monopiece body and preferably of cardboard, conveniently stamped, wherein is established a central sector, constitutive of the bottom of the box, which by means of folding lines prolongs into its end panels and its side panels, with said end panels having prolongations which fold toward the side panels and that fasten to these by means of adhesive.
From these characteristics, the box of the invention presents the particularity that either the end panels prolong, further on from their upper edge, into equal strips affected with a pair of oblique stamps which determine an ample central and longitudinal trapezoidal zone which in the assembly of the box remains attached by the internal face of the respective end panel, while the end and remaining parts stay located horizontally constituting a support bridge for another box stacked with the previous one, with the special particularity that those end parts of trapezoidal configuration and determinant of the support bridge in turn prolong into lateral fins which, folding over the external face of the lateral prolongations of the end panels and fastening to these by means of adhesive, remain fitted into cut-outs operatively practiced in the upper corners of the side panels, so that said fins remain perfectly fitted into the corresponding cut-outs, establishing a surface continuity between one and the other.
It is optionally provided that the mentioned folding strips, instead of emerging from the end panels may do so from the side panels, in which case the end and lateral fins fold over the end panels and fit into cut-outs in these.
In any case, the mentioned strips slightly strangle the opening of the box, with sufficient magnitude to establish supports which improve the stacking of the boxes, stacking which is stabilized with the collaboration of flanges which in the first case emerge centrally from the upper edge of the end panels and in the second case from the middle area of the upper edge of the side panels, fitting in both case into cut-outs operatively practiced in the lower edge of those elements. In any case a dovetailing effect is obtained between said flanges and cut-outs, ensuring transversal stability for the stacked boxes.
Likewise, provided as another characteristic of the invention is the fact that either the end panels, when these are the ones holding the folding strips, or the side panels, when these are the ones holding said strips, are oversized in height with respect to the other elements, so that in the stacking of the boxes ample side windows are defined, located either in correspondence with the end panels or in correspondence with the side panels which ensure an optimum ventilation of the inside of the box and, consequently, of its content.
Optionally, these airing windows, especially in the event that the folding strips are located on the end panels, may be obtained by means of ample trapezoidal cut-outs centered above the side panels, in which case the height of the end zones of the side panels may be coincident with that of the end panels.
The possibility has also been provided, on the free extremity of the upper edge of the prolongations of the end panels, for flanges to be established similar to those previously mentioned, that with complementary cut-outs of the lower edge of the side panels, increase the number of dovetail coupling points between boxes and, consequently, they improve the lateral stability for them.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description being made and with the object of assisting to have a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of a practical embodiment of it, enclosed as an integral part of said description are a series of drawings in which, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, the following has been represented:
Figure 1.- Shows according to a perspective view, a cardboard box for the transport of horticultural products, according to a possible embodiment in which the strips which strangle the opening of the box are placed at the level of the end panels, being the height of these equal to that of the side panels, affected by trapezoidal cut-outs on their upper edge, with the particularity that the extensions of the end panels which fold on the interior of the side panels present protruding and upper flanges at their ends which collaborate in the immobilization in the stacking along with the flanges derived from the end panels.
Figure 2.- Shows a similar representation as that of the previous figure, in an embodiment in which the sides are of less height than the end panels and their extensions which fold onto the internal face of the side panels lack the flanges provided in the box of the previous figure.
Figure 3.- Shows, in conclusion, a similar representation as that of the previous figure, in an embodiment in which the strips which strangle the opening of the box are placed at the level of the side panels.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the figures referred to, it can be seen how the cardboard box being acclaimed is constituted, as in itself it is conventional, by means of a laminated, monopiece body, preferably of cardboard, wherein by means of stamping a rectangular central sector (1) is defined, constitutive of the bottom of the box, from whose four edges and by means of folding lines (2), the end panels (3) and side panels (4) of the box emerge, with said end panels (3) also having lateral extensions (5) which bend or fold into the interior of the box, precisely toward the internal face of the side panels (4), to which they fasten by means of adhesive for the assembly of the box.
From this basic and conventional structuring the invention is centered on the fact that the end panels (3) that prolong, by means of their upper edge, into a folding strip by means of the folding line (3') whose folding strip presents a stamp that affects a great part of its length and that in the assembly it folds towards the interior and it determines a strip (6) that attaches to the internal face of the end panels themselves (3), determining an upper reinforcement of these, with the special particularity that the end parts (6') that are determined on each side of that central portion (6), determine horizontal surfaces, or what is the same, an upper support bridge for another box that is stacked on the previous one, having also provided that each sector (6') prolongs into a fin (7) which in turn folds over the external face of the extensions (5) which remain attached on the internal face of the side panels (4), that is, that these fins (7) fold over the side panels themselves, fastening by gluing to the extensions (5) and remaining located in cut-outs (8) operatively practiced on the upper corners of the side panels (4), so that said fins result coplanar with the corresponding side panel (4), as is clearly represented in figures 1 and 2.
However, and as shown in the embodiment of figure 3, the folding strips may emerge from the side panels (4) and its end fins (7) may fit into cut-outs (8) of the end panels (3), in which case they result coplanar with these latter ones. In this embodiment represented in figure 3, the extensions (5') for assembly of the box emerge from the side panels (4) instead of doing so from the end panels (3) as corresponds with the embodiment shown in two previous figures.
In the embodiment shown in figure 1, the end panels (3) and the side panels (4) have the same height, these latter having trapezoidal cut-outs (10) on its upper edge, determining ample windows for ventilation of the interior of the product contained in the boxes when these are stacked together. In this embodiment represented in figure 1, the end panels (3) have some central and upper flanges (10) complementary of cut-outs (11) provided in the lower part, to attain a correct centering in the stacking between boxes and at the same time a transversal immobilization between them. With these fins (10) other fins (10') collaborate provided at the ends of the upper edge of the extensions (5), which are likewise complementary of lower cut-outs (11').
Figure 2 shows and embodiment like that of the previous figure, where the side panels (4) are of slightly less height than the end panels (3), with the object that in the stacking, lateral airing windows are determined which, the same as the previous case, may be complemented with openings at the bottom and even on the walls of the box. In this embodiment of figure 2 the stabilization and immobilization in the stacking of the box is attained by means of only the flanges (10) of the upper edge of the end panels (3) and its lower cut-outs (11), lacking the flanges (10') and cut-outs (11') incorporated in the box of figure 1.
In figure 3, it is shown how the end panels (3) present an equal height as the side panels (4) and the stabilization in the stacking is attained by means of flanges (10" ) located on the upper edge of the side panel (4) and corresponding with lower cut-outs (11" ).
In any case, at the level of the opening of the box flanges are established, whether those referenced with the number (10,) (10') or (10" ), either centered on the end panels and emerging from the corresponding folding faces, or located in the middle area of the side panels and emerging from the corresponding folding strip, destined to fit in dovetail into complementary cut-outs of the lower part of the box.

Claims

Improved cardboard box for the transport of horticultural products, which being of the type constituted by means of a laminated body, preferably of cardboard, properly stamped to configure in it a central sector constitutive of the bottom of the box with which are related, by means of folding lines, sectors constitutive of its end panels and its side panels, characterized in that either in its end panels (3) or in its side panels (4) respective extensions have been provided with some intermediate and oblique stamp lines, determinant of a central portion or sector (6) which folds over the internal face of the corresponding end panel (3) or in its case of the side panel (4), with that central and folding portion or sector (6) determining trapezoidal and end portions (6') in the end panels and (6" ) in the side panels, forming a horizontal and upper support surface for the stacking of boxes, whose portions or sectors (6') in turn prolong into end fins (7) which fold over the external face of the extensions (5) of the end panels or (5') of the side panels, to which they fasten by means of adhesive, with said fins (7) fitted into complementary cut-outs (8) established in the first case in the side panels (4) and in the second in the end panels (3), so that the fins (7) and the side panels (4) in one case and the end panels in another, result coplanar and they establish a surface continuity.
Improved cardboard box for the transport of horticultural products, according to claim 1, characterized in that the end panels (3) centered on their upper edge have flanges (10) complementary of lower cut-outs (11) for the stabilization and immobilization in the stacking between boxes, collaborating with those flanges (10) and cut-outs (11) other flanges (10') and respective cut-outs (11'), with these established in the upper edge and end of the extensions (5) of the end panels (3) folded over the internal face of the side panels (4).
Improved cardboard box for the transport of horticultural products, according to previous claims, characterized in that the side panels (4) are of the same height as the end panels or (3) and they are affected with trapezoidal and intermediate cut-outs (9) to determine in the stacking between boxes airing windows for the product contained in them.
Improved cardboard box for the transport of horticultural products, according to claim 1, characterized in that the side panels (4) are of less height than the end panels (3) determining in the stacking airing windows for the product contained in them.
Improved cardboard box for the transport of horticultural products, according to claim 1, characterized in that the end panels (3) are of less height than the side panels (4) determining in the stacking airing windows for the product contained in them, with the side panels (4) having upper flanges (10" ) complementary of lower cut-outs (11" ) for the stabilization and immobilization in the stacking between boxes.