EP1405801B1 - Package made of corrugated cardboard having vertical walls in stacked position - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to corrugated cardboard packages having walls disposed vertically in the stacking position. The invention more particularly relates to improvements made to such packaging, for the purpose of transferring to the packaged articles the load exerted vertically on these packages.

In his request for FR-A-2,814,147 , the Applicant has already described, for the same purpose, a package of the type comprising vertical side walls and horizontal walls which are articulated on the vertical walls by horizontal fold lines, characterized in that on each of said vertical walls are formed foldable panels extending along said fold lines, said panels being capable of bending spontaneously towards the inside of the package when it is subjected to vertical compression.

According to one embodiment, said panels are formed by marking on the vertical walls two grooves or perforainages parallel to the fold lines.

According to another embodiment, double sections are formed in the vicinity of the horizontal fold lines.

According to a third embodiment of the invention, the panels consist of crushing zones extending along the fold lines.

In all these cases, said panels may initially be in the plane of the vertical walls, but they may also be given a slight inclination to help them bend.

It is understood that when the cardboard in the horizontal walls is deformed and that, as a result, the upper horizontal wall of the package tends to approach the lower wall, this movement is accompanied by a folding towards the inside the panels with respect to the plane of the vertical walls, or an increase of the inclination in the case where the panels are initially inclined, the inclination of the panels being until the products actually support the applied load. On the other hand, the vertical walls do not undergo any deformation and remain perfectly vertical and flat. We can therefore say that the sides behave like real localized deformation absorbers, which completely all the deformation of the horizontal walls and which prevent this deformation is transmitted to the vertical walls.

With the aforementioned arrangements, relatively light cardboard can be used, without the risk of weakening the side walls of the packaging, and thus saving material.

Foldable panels of packaging FR-A-2,814,147 therefore constitute areas of lower resistance to vertical compression, amenable to local deformation that does not affect the vertical side walls of the package. This earlier application also indicates that the areas of least resistance to vertical compression can be obtained by local crushing of the corrugated board.

Continuing our work, the Applicant has established that by using, for the production of the vertical walls and the associated local deformation zones, a corrugated board whose grooves are arranged horizontally, the deformation of the local deformation zones is considerably facilitated.

The invention therefore relates to a corrugated cardboard package comprising side walls intended to be arranged vertically and walls perpendicular to the preceding ones, on which they are articulated by upsets forming horizontal fold lines, each of said side walls. having zones of least resistance to vertical compression, which extend along or parallel to said ups and downs, said package being characterized in that, in the side walls and in the areas of least resistance to vertical compression, the corrugated corrugations are oriented horizontally.

Note that this horizontal arrangement corrugated corrugations in the walls to be placed vertically in use, goes against the teachings of the prior art. Indeed, according to the known technique, in order to enhance the vertical compressive strength of packages intended to be stacked, the flutes of the vertical walls are systematically oriented vertically, to act as so many vertical reinforcements. This is also illustrated by the aforementioned patent application, in Figure 1 of which the corrugated corrugations are shown with a vertical orientation.

The Applicant has established that by arranging the corrugated corrugations of the vertical walls horizontally, the mechanical strength and the rigidity of the corner portions of these walls, which form vertical dihedrums, are considerably increased, so that, when a batch of packages thus perfected is loaded onto a pallet and wrapped in a stretchable or retractable plastic film, it avoids the local deformations which usually occur along the vertical edges of the packages in contact with the movie.

As has been explained above, the areas of lower resistance to vertical compression may be foldable panels, such as those previously described by the Applicant, but may also be of a different type, as will be seen in the detailed description which will follow of the invention, in which reference will be made, by way of example, to the attached schematic drawings.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une caisse en carton ondulé du type à rabats conforme à l'invention ;
• La figure 2 est une vue en plan du flan de carton ondulé prédécoupé et refoulé dont est issue la caisse de la figure 1, montrant les refoulages qui sont ménagés pour y définir des pans pliables ;
• La figure 3 est une vue en élévation latérale de l'emballage de la figure 1 ;
• Les figures 4 à 17 sont des vues analogues à la figure 3 d'autres emballages conformes à l'invention ;
• Les figures 15 et 19 sont des vues de détail illustrant des modes d'affaiblissement complémentaires des zones de moindre résistance à la compression verticale.

On these drawings:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a corrugated cardboard box flap type according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a plan view of the corrugated cardboard blank pre-cut and discharged from which the box of Figure 1, showing the ups and downs which are formed to define foldable panels;
• Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the package of Figure 1;
• Figures 4 to 17 are views similar to Figure 3 other packaging according to the invention;
• Figures 15 and 19 are detail views illustrating complementary modes of weakening areas of lower resistance to vertical compression.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, which illustrate the invention in its application to a flap box, but it should be understood that the invention applies equally to any other type of packaging intended to be stacked.

The box shown in Figure 2 is made from the cardboard blank 10 shown in Figure 1. As described in the application FR-A-2,814,147 this blank is substantially rectangular and it comprises two longitudinal fold lines 12, 14, extending over the entire length of the blank, equidistant from the longitudinal edges. Internally by relative to these fold lines and in the vicinity of these are marked respectively two creases or perforainages 16, 18, which define with these lines strips, respectively 58 and 60, which form the foldable panels described in the aforementioned patent application.

On the central strip of the blank which is between the fold lines 12, 14 are marked four transverse fold lines 20, 22, 24, 26, perpendicular to the longitudinal fold lines. On the cardboard strips external to the longitudinal fold lines are cut six notches 28, respectively aligned with the transverse fold lines 22, 24, 26. The longitudinal and transverse fold lines define on the central strip two longitudinal walls 30, 32, alternating with two transverse walls 36, 38, and a glue lug 39. These walls 30, 32, 36, 38, are intended to be in the vertical position when using the body. The notches 28 define on the outer bands four inner flaps 40, 42, and 44, 46, which are hinged respectively on the transverse walls 36, 38, and four outer flaps 48, 50, and 52, 54, which are respectively articulated on the longitudinal walls 30, 32.

According to the invention, and against the uses of the technique, the corrugated cardboard corrugations of the body are arranged horizontally in the side walls 30, 32, 36 and 38, when they are in the vertical position , as well as foldable panels.

The shaping of the box is done as described in the previous application, by winding the blank by folding along the transverse fold lines 20, 22, 24, 26, then by gluing the glue tab 39 on the end of the box. longitudinal wall 32, so as to form a parallelepiped volume. The inner flaps 40, 42, 44, 46 are then folded towards the inside of this volume around the longitudinal fold lines 12, 14, and arranged perpendicularly to the adjacent transverse walls 36, 38. Similarly, the outer flaps 48, 50 , 52, 54 are folded around the longitudinal fold lines 12, 14 and glued to the inner flaps. At the same time as it folds each of the outer and inner flaps, the forming machine bends a small angle α inwards (see Figure 1) the strips 58 and 60 which are respectively between longitudinal fold lines 12, 14, and associated creases or perforains 16, 18.

As seen in Figure 1, in the box thus produced, the strips 58 and 60 form sloping sections along the eight horizontal edges of the box.

When several of these crates are stacked, packing occurs in the areas of the inner and outer flaps that are in contact with the bottoms of the other crates. These deformations of the carton cause the upper bottom 40, 44, 48, 52 to be brought closer to the lower bottom 42, 46, 50, 54. This results in an accentuation of the inclination of the panels 58, 60, which are on all sides. vertical of the body, relative to the plane of these faces and a slight offset to the outside of the side walls.

By bowing further, the panels 58, 60 thus accompany the deformation of the bottoms and absorb the entirety of this deformation, this phenomenon being greatly reinforced by the fact that the corrugated corrugations of the panels 58 and 60 are arranged horizontally, which greatly facilitates the deformability of these sections, while the side walls 30, 32, 36 and 38 of the body remain perfectly flat and vertical.

As stated in the aforementioned patent application, it is not necessary to impose on the panels 58 and 60 an initial inclination with respect to the adjacent walls and flaps, since the panels tend to incline, even if they are initially in the plane of the adjoining side walls.

Instead of simple foldable panels, it is also possible to use double panels or multiple panels, as stated in the aforementioned patent application.

Finally, as already stated in this earlier application, the foldable panels can be replaced by zones whose weakening of the vertical compressive strength is obtained by crushing the corrugated board.

The packaging which has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 thus comprises inclined faces 58 and 60, in the upper and lower parts of the packaging, resulting from the presence of an additional grooving or perforation arranged horizontally or from a crushing area of the corrugated cardboard.

Many other forms of achievement, within the scope of the application FR-A-2,814,147 mentioned, may include, in accordance with the present invention, vertical walls whose corrugated corrugations are oriented horizontally. Some of them are illustrated in particular in Figures 3 to 17 and will be presented briefly below:

Figure 4: inclined sides 4a, obtained by addition of a creasing or additional perforainage or a crush zone in the bottom of the package, and zones 4b of weakness in the plane of the vertical walls at the top, obtained by adding additional creasing or perforainage or a crushing zone.

Figure 5: 5 weakening zones in the plane of the vertical walls of the bottom of the package, obtained by creasing or additional perforainage or a crush zone, and inclined faces 5b, obtained by addition of a creasing or additional perforainage or a crushing zone at the top.

Figure 6: zones of weakening 6 a , 6 b , in the plane of the vertical walls, in the top and the bottom of the packaging, obtained by adding a crease or a supplementary perforainage or a zone d 'crushing.

Figure 7: weakening zones 7 a, 7 b, 7 c, in the plane vertical walls, in the upper and lower parts of the packaging and in an intermediate zone obtained by addition of creases or additional perforainages or crushing zones, with a cutout 7 d formed in the intermediate zone to allow the deformation of the corrugated cardboard.

Figure 8: weakening zones 8 has, in the plane of the vertical walls in the bottom of the package, obtained by addition of creasing or additional perforainage or a crush zone, and double weakened zones 8 b in the plane of the vertical walls in the upper, obtained by addition of two creases or two additional perforainages weakening or creasing and an additional perforainage.

Figure 9: 9 weakening zones in the plane of the vertical walls at the top of the package, obtained by addition of a creasing or additional perforainage or a crush zone, and double zones weakening 9b , in the plane of the vertical walls at the bottom, obtained by adding two creases or two additional perforations or additional creasing and perforating.

Figure 10: double zones of weakening 10 a , 10 b in the plane of the vertical walls, in the top and the bottom of the package, obtained by adding two creases or two additional perforainages or additional perforainage.

Figure 11: Double weakening zones 11 in the plane of the vertical walls, above, obtained by addition of two creases or two additional perforainages or creasing and an additional perforainage, and inclined faces 11 b in the bottom of the package, obtained by adding a crease or additional perforainage or a crushing zone.

Figure 12: Double weakened zones 12a in the plane of the vertical walls at the bottom, obtained by addition of two creases or two additional perforainages or creasing and an additional perforainage, and inclined faces 12 b, the top of the package, obtained by adding a crease or additional perforainage or a crushing zone.

Figure 13: Double weakening angled zones 13 a, 13 b, obtained by adding two creases or two additional perforainages or creasing and an additional perforainage in the top and bottom of the package.

Figure 14: Double weakened zones 14a in the inclined bottom of the package, obtained by addition of two creases or two additional perforainages or creasing and an additional perforainage and weakened zones 14 b in the plane of the vertical walls at the top.

Figure 15: Double inclined weakened zones 15a in the top of the package, in the plane of the vertical walls, obtained by addition of two creases or two additional perforainages or creasing and an additional perforainage, and weakened zones 15 b in the plane of the vertical walls at the bottom.

Figure 16: Double inclined weakened zones 16a in the bottom of the package, obtained by addition of two creases or two additional perforainages or creasing and an additional perforainage, and double weakened zones 16 b in the plane of the vertical walls at the top, obtained by the addition of two creases or two additional perforages or additional creasing and perforating.

FIG. 17: double attenuation zones inclined 17 a at the top of the package, obtained by addition of two additional creases or two additional perforations or creasing and perforainage, and double zones of weakening 17 b in the plane of the vertical walls at the bottom, obtained by adding two or two additional creases or creasing and additional perforainage.

Of course, the embodiments that have just been mentioned are not limiting in nature.

As shown in Figures 18 and 19, which are partial views corresponding to the portion of Figure 1 surrounded by a circle, the notches 28 which separate the contiguous flaps 44 and 52 of Figure 1 may naturally have different shapes.

The invention therefore provides a considerable improvement to the packaging that is the subject of the application for FR-A-2,814,147 this improvement does not involve any additional manufacturing cost, since it simply implies a particular orientation, but contrary to the teachings of the prior art, the corrugated corrugations of the vertical walls of these packages.

Claims (7)

1. Packaging of corrugated cardboard comprising side walls (30, 32, 36, 38) designed to be disposed vertically and walls perpendicular to those mentioned above, to which they are articulated by back-folds (12, 18) forming horizontal fold lines, each of said side walls comprising zones (58, 60) of reduced resistance to vertical compression which extend along said back-folds or parallel thereto, said packaging being characterised in that, in the side walls (30, 32, 36, 38) and in the zones (58, 60) of reduced resistance to vertical compression, the flutes of the corrugated cardboard are oriented horizontally.
2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterised in that certain at least of the zones of reduced resistance to vertical compression consist of panels (58, 60) inclined relative to the adjoining vertical walls (30, 32, 36, 38).
3. Packaging according to claim 1, characterised in that certain at least of the zones of reduced resistance to vertical compression consist of double or multiple panels inclined relative to the adjoining vertical walls (30, 32, 36, 38).
4. Packaging according to either one of claims 2 and 3, characterised in that the inclined panels (58, 60) are contiguous with the horizontal fold lines by means of which the vertical walls (30, 32, 36, 38) are articulated to other parts or elements (40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54) of the packaging.
5. Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that certain at least of the zones of reduced resistance to vertical compression are situated in the plane of the associated vertical walls (30, 32, 36, 38).
6. Packaging according to claim 5, characterised in that certain at least of the zones of reduced resistance to compression comprise two or more parts separated from one another by horizontally disposed grooving or perforated grooving.
7. Packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that certain at least of the zones of reduced resistance to vertical compression result from local crushing of the corrugated cardboard.

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