EP1308391B1

EP1308391B1 - Metallic box to be made by an only plate sheet

Info

Publication number: EP1308391B1
Application number: EP02021089A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Germano Bonaveri
Original assignee: Sercom Srl
Current assignee: Sercom Srl
Priority date: 2001-10-31
Filing date: 2002-09-23
Publication date: 2008-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 2022-09-23
Also published as: EP1308391A1; ITMO20010210A0; ITMO20010210A1; DE60226686D1; ATE396116T1

Abstract

A metallic box is provided, consisting of a bottom (1) and of four sides (2,3), realized in an only piece; the assembling of the box is quickly realized manually by folding the sides along folding lines, whereby the reciprocal bond is actuated in the final part of the folding by retaining and blocking elements (6,8) of the contiguous sides, said elements making part of the only produced piece. <IMAGE>

Description

In the production of the metallic boxes some factors weigh on the cost of the same box and on the cost of the furniture of that this box is part. An important cost item for the furniture producer is given by the box encumbered volume during the forwarding, moving and storage phases. The very good solution from this point of view is that the box, during these phases, was substantially shaped to plane sheet while its final shape is to be realized only in the use moment or when the box is to be mounted inside the furniture. The constraint way of the side between them is another determining cost item. According to some prior arts screws, rivets or welding are used, or other additional parts to be specifically produced are used.
Other known solutions provide part to be plastically folded in running like flaps or other to realize the connections. Moreover, in the previous art are known solutions, as described in the patent FR-A-2 419 651 and in the patent DE-297 22 345 U , that realize such bond with joints between punchings and slits. These solutions have the limit to present a scanty resistance to the opening, the force necessary to open the sides is about the same necessary to close them. So a limited resistance locking is actuated. Other solution with three sides is known as described in the patent WO 00/59341 A , this actuates a strong locking but it needs a further fold onto the back side and this makes the use conditional on only three sides. Other solution is described in the patent WO 92/13771 A where the blocking is realized for further folding of a flat after the passing through a slot.
None of the known prior arts give a connection where the single work to be made for the mounting was the folding of the four sides for plastic deformation and the bond is directly actuated between the folded sides, without other part to be added and where the retaining and the locking are actuated on all the four sides without further foldings. The present invention refers to a metallic box according to claim 1.
The box, comprising a bottom and four side walls, is realized in a single sheet and its assembling is quickly realized also manually for folding of plastic type of the side walls longways the facilitated folding lines and where the mutual bond is actuated in the final part of the folding making to correspond retaining and locking components of contiguous side walls, said components making part of the single produced sheet and where such retaining and locking means are both realized with partial shearing and they actuate a locking for resisting to very high forces. In sheets 1 and 2 are illustrated four drawings that give a technical solution of the invented means. Figure 1 is plan view of the developed box as it appears after the production phase. Figure 2 is view of the box with three side walls already folded and bond together with the fourth one during the folding phase.
Figure 3 is view of a detail where the bond elements between two contiguous side walls are pointed out. Figure 4 is section view A-A of the figure 2 to show in detail the elements that actuated the retaining and the locking. In figure 1 the main components are to be noted. A bottom 1, two opposite side walls 2 each of them having near the ends two locking openings 5 and two retaining rims 6, two opposite side walls 3 having a retaining flap 7 and a locking projection 8, facilitated folding lines 4 between the bottom and each of the four side walls. Said folding lines to be actuated by shearing, hemming, line cut of other as long as the aim was realized to locally reduce the resistance to the plastic deformation necessary for the folding. Drillings and different openings are illustrated able to permit the connection of guides of other parts. The assembling phase, illustrated in figures 2 and 3, starts with the folding long the suitable facilitated folding lines of the two opposite side walls 2 that are placed at 90° in comparison with the bottom. Subsequently it starts to fold one of the two side walls 3; near the 90° the male retaining flaps 7 of the side wall begin to engage with the corresponding retaining parts of the contiguous side walls 2 consisting each one to a rim 6 that with the concomitant action of the inside face of the side wall form a female part.
Figures 3 and 4 show that shortly before the flap 7 reaches the movement limit inside the rim 6, a male locking projection 8, to be realized by partial shearing on the side wall 3, meets a female locking element consisting of an opening 5 into which the male projection 8 comes to engage realizing a bond that stops each movement. In the same way the other side wall 3, that in figure 2 is in folding, is folded as far as in retaining and locking with the contiguous side walls 2. In the illustrated version the position of the retaining locking parts is so that the movement which creates the bond must be a "re-open" movement; in other words the side wall 3 is folded over the 90° till the flat 7 has completely got over the rim 6 and it is able to insert itself into the same rim with an opposite way movement. This particular retaining locking way has the advantage of the bigger resistance against forces that tend to open the box, such as against said forces reacts the direct contact between the end of the flap and the end of the rim (see figure 4). It is to be noted that the illustrated shape of the retaining and locking parts do not limit the possibility to realize the invented box with other possible shapes of these details and with different positions: for example the locking opening 5 and the retaining rim 6 may be separated instead of to be realized with the same partial shearing; in the same way the retaining flap 7 and the male locking projection 8 may be separated instead of to be realized with the same partial shearing. Moreover, the retaining flaps 7 may be realized also on the side walls 2 that are first folded and the retaining female parts 6 may be realized onto the contiguous side walls 3. In the same way the male locking projections 8 may be realized onto the side walls 2 for first folded and the female locking openings 5 onto the contiguous side wall 3.

Claims

Metallic box made from a single sheet of metal comprising a bottom and four side walls, folding lines being provided between the bottom and the respective side walls for facilitating the folding, the box being realised by folding the sides along the folding lines, each side wall being bonded to the adjacent side walls by a mutual retaining action between a male retaining component provided one side wall and a female retaining component provided on the adjacent side wall and by a mutual locking action between a male locking component provided on one side wall and a female locking component provided on the adjacent side wall,
the retaining and locking components being formed on one side wall by partially shearing an opening (5) in the wall and thereby forming a retaining rim (6) in the form of a flap, and on the adjacent side wall by partially shearing a locking projection (8) in a folded retaining flap (7) of said adjacent side wall, the retaining action between provided by the cooperation of the retaining rim (6) with the retaining flap (7),
whereby the locking action is obtained during the "re-open" movement of the respective side wall by bringing said respective side wall back to its final locking position after it has been folded beyond the final locking position.
Metallic box according to claim 1, characterized in that for the retaining and locking actions between the contiguous side walls, the small necessary deformations permit to the same to be in the elastic characteristics of the material.
Metallic box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that already during the die forming is possible to realize openings with different shapes with the aim to fix guides or other parts.