EP1574441B1 - Sleeve of semi rigid material for protecting and locating an oblong article inside a package - Google Patents

Abstract

The box has a panel (9) with shutters (11, 15) at its respective ends. The shutter (11) transversally closes the end of the box. A locking unit maintains the shutter (11) in upright position. The shutter (15) has a cut out (6) receiving a projecting part such as neck, of an object. A shutter (17) is joined on the object by a folding line applied against the inner side of a panel (1) opposite to the panel (9). An independent claim is also included for a blank for fabricating an open-end box.

Description

The present invention relates to a sheath of a semi-rigid material such as cardboard or corrugated cardboard for the protection and wedging of an oblong object, in particular a bottle, inside a packaging. The invention also relates to a blank precut and repressed, a semi-rigid material for the realization of this sleeve.

It is common to house in a packaging made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like, a single bottle, which is then conveyed in this packaging to its recipient or to a place of exhibition for sale.

During transport and handling, the bottle must be protected against external shocks received by the packaging. It must, moreover, be perfectly wedged inside of it.

In order to meet these requirements, the Applicant has already proposed, in his French patent application FR-A-2,719,563 , a device made of a semi-rigid material, such as cardboard or corrugated cardboard, for the protection and setting of a bottle inside a packaging, this device comprising four substantially rectangular panels adjoining each other by substantially parallel longitudinal crimps, so as to be folded around the bottle, in contact therewith, to form a protective sheath of this bottle, this device being characterized in that it comprises, at each end of each said panels, a first flap adjoining the associated panel by at least one transverse fold line substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal fold lines, this first flap can thus be folded against the outer face of the adjoining panel not facing the bottle, to form an extra thickness outside this panel and thus avoid direct contact between this panel and the packaging.

By providing a hinged flap at each end of the panels of the device and by folding it against the outer face of this panel, that is to say against the non-facing side of the bottle housed in the sheath formed by these panels, one wedges thus perfectly the bottle and its sheath in the associated packaging and it avoids any direct transmission to the bottle or to the panels in contact with it shocks received by the packaging during transport or handling operations.

In this device, the flaps arranged at the ends of the panels may be adjoined to each other laterally by fold lines arranged in line with those by which the panels are adjacent to each other.

In a preferred embodiment described in FR-A-2,719,563 , the first flap adjoining each end of the panels is extended by a second flap, adjacent to the first flap by at least one fold line perpendicular to the longitudinal fold lines between panels, so as to be folded and pinched between the first associated flap and the outer face of the corresponding panel.

In this embodiment, thus increases the extra thickness constituted by the two superimposed flaps at each end of the panels, resulting in a better wedging of the sleeve constituted by these panels and better protection of the bottle housed in this sleeve.

The second flaps can be attached laterally to each other by fold lines arranged in the extension of those by which the panels are adjacent to each other, while, to facilitate the shaping of the device, a cut can advantageously laterally separate the first shutters contiguous.

• verrouiller le fourreau en position montée, alors que le fourreau précédemment décrit est dépourvu de tout moyen de verrouillage ;
• ménager à une extrémité du fourreau un moyen apte à s'opposer au passage de la bouteille qu'il contient, lorsque ce fourreau est manipulé en position verticale, pour être introduit verticalement dans un conditionnement ouvert vers le haut, alors que le fourreau précédemment décrit était disposé à l'horizontale dans son conditionnement.

While continuing its studies on this type of sheath, the Applicant then brought to it various improvements, aiming in particular to:

• lock the sheath in mounted position, while the sleeve described above is devoid of any locking means;
• to provide at one end of the sheath means adapted to oppose the passage of the bottle that it contains, when the sheath is manipulated in a vertical position, to be introduced vertically into an upwardly open package, whereas the sheath previously described was arranged horizontally in its packaging.

For this purpose, in his patent application French N ° 03.13231, filed on November 12, 2003 and not published at the filing date of the present application, it has described a sheath of the general type described above, intended to envelop an oblong object such as a bottle, this sleeve being characterized in that it comprises a locking means in the mounted position forming a body with at least one of said panels.

This locking means may be of any type known per se, but in a particularly simple embodiment, at least one lug is cut in a first panel of the sheath having a free longitudinal edge, while in a panel contiguous to the previous and also having a free longitudinal edge, is provided at least one cutout intended to receive the tab of the first folded panel towards the inside of the sheath against the face of the panel to which it is attached, the shape and dimensions of the cutout being such that the associated tab can be engaged only after being warped or otherwise deformed, the tab then taking up its original shape due to the relative elasticity of the cardboard, to be locked in position by the cut.

The tab and the cutout may have for example the general shape of a T , and the tab may in particular be hinged to the panel from which it is derived by a push parallel to those by which the panels are hinged together.

This mode of locking is particularly advantageous, since the tab and the cut-out intended to receive it are formed in panels of the sheath and therefore do not consume any additional quantity of semi-rigid material.

In addition, the tab can be deformed manually to be introduced into the cut and the locking of the sleeve is particularly easy to implement.

The present invention relates to a sheath of the same general type, but equipped with shutters adapted to close the ends of the sheath corresponding to the bottom and neck of the bottle.

The invention also aims to provide in one of these components a wedging means in position of the neck of the bottle.

Finally, the invention aims to provide a sheath of this type adapted to adapt to bottles whose body and / or neck have different diameters.

• à une extrémité correspondant au fond de l'objet oblong à conditionner dans le fourreau, un troisième volet articulé par une ligne de pliage transversale sur ce cinquième panneau et redressé perpendiculairement à celui-ci, afin d'obturer transversalement l'extrémité correspondante du fourreau, un moyen usuel de verrouillage étant prévu pour maintenir ce troisième volet en position redressée ;
• à l'autre extrémité de ce cinquième panneau un quatrième volet articulé sur celui-ci par une ligne de pliage transversale et redressé perpendiculairement au panneau attenant à l'intérieur du fourreau, ce quatrième volet comportant une découpe ou des amorces d'une découpe destinée à recevoir une partie en saillie de l'objet oblong conditionné, notamment le col d'une bouteille, un cinquième volet articulé sur le précédent par une ligne de pliage étant appliqué contre la face interne du panneau opposé au cinquième panneau.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a sheath made of a semi-rigid material such as cardboard or corrugated board of the general type described. above, for the protection and wedging of an oblong object, in particular a bottle, inside a packaging, characterized in that it comprises a fifth panel adjoining one of the other four panels by a folding line parallel to those by which these panels are hinged together, this fifth panel being pressed against the inner face of one of the four panels arranged perpendicular to that to which this fifth panel is attached, the fifth panel comprising :

• at one end corresponding to the bottom of the oblong object to be conditioned in the sheath, a third flap hinged by a transverse fold line on this fifth panel and straightened perpendicular thereto, in order to seal transversely the corresponding end of the sheath common locking means being provided to maintain the third flap in the upright position;
• at the other end of this fifth panel a fourth flap hinged thereto by a transverse fold line and straightened perpendicular to the panel adjoining the inside of the sleeve, this fourth flap comprising a cutout or primers of a cutout intended to to receive a projecting portion of the oblong conditioned object, in particular the neck of a bottle, a fifth flap articulated on the previous by a fold line being applied against the inner face of the panel opposite to the fifth panel.

Alternatively, the flap intended to be applied against the inner face of the panel opposite to the fifth panel may comprise a transverse upset, for straightening the end of this flap perpendicular to the various panels, so as to close the corresponding end of the sleeve.

To maintain in position the third shutter transversely closing the sheath at one end, there may be an additional flap or sixth flap articulated thereon by a transverse fold line and coming against the inner face of the opposite panel. In this additional flap may be formed one or more cuts joining the fold line by which it is articulated on the adjoining flap, this fold line may also include a cut line in order to allow this component to deform, to adapt to the diameter of the bottom of the oblong conditioned object.

At the opposite end of the sheath, the fifth flap adjacent to that in which a cutout is formed and which is applied against the inner face of an opposite panel of the sheath may advantageously be locked in position by a tongue protruding perpendicularly from this panel towards the inside of the sheath.

To keep the sheath in the assembled position, a locking member, in particular a tongue, may advantageously be cut in the panel against an inner face of which the fifth panel is applied and articulated to the one from which it is obtained by a folding line parallel to those by which the panels are hinged together, so that they can be folded inwardly of the sheath through a cutout in the fifth panel and engaged after warping or bending in a smaller size cutout in the panel adjoining the fifth panel, to project outwardly from the sheath.

The blank pre-cut and repressed in a semi-rigid material such as cardboard or corrugated board from which the sheath according to the invention is derived is another object of this invention.

• La figure 1 est une vue en plan du flan de carton ondulé prédécoupé et refoulé dont est issue cette forme de réalisation du fourreau conforme à l'invention ;
• Les figures 2 à 6 sont des vues en perspective illustrant différentes phases successives de mise en forme et d'assemblage du fourreau à partir du flan de la figure 1 ;
• La figure 7 est une vue en perspective du fourreau ainsi réalisé ;
• La figure 8 est une vue en perspective illustrant la mise en place d'un fourreau conforme à l'invention dans un conditionnement ;
• Les figures 9 et 10 sont des vues équivalentes aux figures 1 et 2 d'une variante, respectivement, du flan de départ et du fourreau conforme à l'invention, dans une seconde forme de réalisation.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of an embodiment thereof. In this description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a plan view of the corrugated cardboard blank pre-cut and discharged from which this embodiment of the sleeve according to the invention follows;
• Figures 2 to 6 are perspective views illustrating different successive phases of shaping and assembly of the sleeve from the blank of Figure 1;
• Figure 7 is a perspective view of the sleeve thus produced;
• Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating the introduction of a sleeve according to the invention in a package;
• Figures 9 and 10 are views equivalent to Figures 1 and 2 of a variant, respectively, of the starting blank and the sleeve according to the invention, in a second embodiment.

As described in the prior art mentioned above, the corrugated cardboard blank shown in FIG. 1 comprises four identical rectangular panels, 1, articulated together along their longitudinal edges by parallel upsets 2, making it possible to fold up all the panels. 1 perpendicularly to each other around a bottle not shown.

At each end of the panels is pivotally mounted a first part 3, around two parallel Upset 4, 4b, perpendicular to Upset 2. One could use a single upsetting, but by using two, separated by a narrow band, it is possible, in a manner known per se, to take into account the thickness of the corrugated board.

Similarly, the first sections 3 are extended by a second flap 6 hinged to the previous one by two parallel Upset 7, 7b, perpendicular to the lines 2 and separated by a narrow strip.

As seen in Figure 1, the second flaps 6 are folded against the first associated flaps 3, the flaps 3 are then folded against the face of the panels 1 not turned inwardly of the sleeve formed by these panels, to pinch and the shutters 6 between the shutters 3 and the panels 1. The shutters 6 and folded associated with a panel 1 are hinged to the flaps 6 contiguous and they thus hold each other in position, due to the elasticity of the corrugated board, without any Lock system.

In the embodiment shown, the flaps 6 are preferably hinged together by fold lines disposed in the extension of the ups and downs 2, while the adjacent flaps 3 are separated by cutouts 8, to facilitate the folding of the flaps.

According to the invention, a fifth panel 9 is articulated on one of the panels 1 by a fold line 10 parallel to the ups and downs 2 and is straightened perpendicularly to this panel 1 to come against the inner face of a panel 1 contiguous to the previous one, in the mounted position of the sheath.

On this panel 9, a flap 11 is hinged by a transverse fold line perpendicular to Upset 2 and 10 and disposed substantially at the level of lines 4 a, 4 b, this flap 11 having such dimensions that after being straightened perpendicularly to 9 panel, it at least partially closes the sleeve at the bottom of the bottle to be packaged in this sleeve.

On the flap 11, a flap 12 is articulated by a transverse fold line, that is to say perpendicular to the ups and downs 2, this flap 12 being intended to be engaged in the sleeve by the corresponding end thereof to come to bear against the inner face of the panel 1 opposite the panel 5, in order to lock the flap 11 in transverse position. To facilitate insertion of the flap 12 into the sheath, it can be divided into two parts 12 a, 12 b, by a folding line perpendicular to Upset 2.

As seen in Figure 1, the portion 12a can comprise a cutting line 13 parallel to Upset 2, while cut line 14 is formed in the central portion of upsetting by which the flap 11 and the portion 12 has are articulated between them. Obliquely arranged ups and downs furthermore bring together the ends of the cutting lines 13 and 14, all this to provide the flap 12 with a possibility of deformation in order to adapt to bottoms of bottles of different diameters.

At the other end of the panel 9, a flap 15 having a cutout 16 intended to receive the neck of the bottle packaged in the sleeve is articulated by a fold line perpendicular to the upsets 2, to straighten the flap 15 transversely to the inside the sheath.

A flap 17 articulated on the shutter 15 by a fold line perpendicular to the upsets 2, is applied inside the sleeve against the inner face of the panel 1 opposite the panel 9, in order to lock the flap 15 in position perpendicular to the panel 9. This flap itself comes into abutment against a tongue 18 protruding inwardly from the sleeve from the panel 1 opposite the panel 9. It could, of course, use another flap blocking means 17 , from the latter or the panel 1 opposite the panel 9, to maintain the rectified position.

It will be noted that cutting lines starting from the cutout 6 and diverging towards the outside thereof allow it to adapt to bottle necks of different diameters.

As shown, the flap 17 may optionally comprise a transverse fold line 26 delimiting at its end a portion of dimensions substantially equal to those of the inner section of the sleeve, so as to straighten this end portion perpendicular to the portion of the flap 17 applied against the flap 1, to seal the corresponding end of the sleeve. The part of the shutter 17 closing the sheath can be locked by any means known in the art, for example by a tongue of the same type as the tongue 18, projecting inwardly of the sheath from the panel 1 opposite the one against which is applied the panel 9 and under which will engage the free end of the folded end portion of the flap 17.

A tear strip 20 (see FIG. 1) can possibly extend transversely on the panels 1.

To lock the sheath in the mounted position, a tab 21, here T-shaped, is cut in the panel 1 against which is applied the panel 9 and articulated on the panel 1 by a fold line parallel to the upsets 2, so as to it can be folded inwardly of the sheath through a cutout 22 formed in the corresponding position in the panel 9. This lug 21 is then engaged by folding or by the warping in a cutout 23 of smaller dimensions, to project towards the outside of the sheath and thus be locked in position.

Shaping of the sheath will now be briefly discussed with reference to Figures 2 to 7.

The flaps 6 adjacent the flaps 3 are first folded against these flaps 3, which are themselves folded towards the panels 1.

The panels 1 are then folded to be brought perpendicular to each other, while simultaneously the panel 9 is brought against the adjoining panel 1 to which it is not attached, that the flaps 11 and 12 are brought into their final position inside the sheath, as well as the flaps 15 and 17 (Figures 4 to 7).

The tab 21 is then folded, first towards the inside of the sheath through the cutout 22 of the panel 9, and then outwards, through the cutout 23 of the panel 1 from which it is derived, to lock the sheath in position assembly (Figure 7).

As can be seen in FIG. 8, the sleeve 24, held vertically in a package 25 open at its upper part, in which it is housed in position, can be easily introduced. vertical, without the bottle contained in this sheath may escape in this position.

The packaging illustrated in FIG. 8 is only given by way of example and it can be of absolutely any type and contain a single bottle housed in a sheath according to the invention or a plurality of bottles housed in containers. separate sleeves.

In the embodiment variant of the sheath according to the invention illustrated by FIGS. 9 and 10, on which the members already described are designated by the same reference numerals, a shutter locking member 3 and 6 in the folded position against the panel 1 partner is expected.

This locking member 30 has the shape of an arrow, the rod is articulated by a fold line, at its end farthest from the tip, on two adjacent panels 6, while the tip is disposed in the blank of departure between the two flaps 3 associated with these flaps 6 and is directed towards the cutout 8, which separates these flaps 3 and extends between the associated panels 1.

When folding the shutters 6 and 3 against the panels 1, it is thus possible to engage the tip of the arrow of the locking member 26 in the corresponding cutout 8, at the end of assembly of the sleeve, deforming in this purpose the lateral parts of the tip, which then resume their shape, because of the elasticity of the carton, thus locking the flaps 3, 6 in the folded position.

Claims (12)

1. A sheath made of a semirigid material, such as corrugated cardboard for the protection and packing of a oblong object, in particular a bottle, inside a packaging, this sheath comprising four substantially rectangular panels (1), adjoining one another with substantially parallel longitudinal turned-over portions (2), so that they can be folded about the oblong object in contact therewith, this sheath comprising, at each end of each of the panels (1), a first flap (3) adjoining the associated panel (1) with at least one transverse turned-over portion (4a,4b) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal turned-over portions (2), it being possible for this first flap (3) to be folded over against the outer surface of the adjoining panel (1) not turned towards the bottle so as to form an increase in thickness on the outside of this panel and, preferably, a second flap (6) interposed between the associated first flap (3) and the associated panel (1), this sheath being characterised in that it comprises a fifth panel (9) adjoining one of the four other panels (1) with a folding line parallel thereto, by which these panel are articulated to one another, this fifth panel (9) being applied against the inner surface of one of the four panels (1) disposed perpendicularly to the one which is adjoined by this fifth panel, this fifth panel (9) comprising:

   - at one end corresponding to the base of the oblong object to be packaged in the sheath, a third flap (11) articulated by a transverse folding line on this fifth panel (9) and aligned perpendicularly thereto so as to close transversely the corresponding end of the sheath, a conventional locking means being provided to keep this third flap in the aligned position;

   - at the other end of this fifth panel a fourth flap (15) articulated thereto by a transverse folding line and aligned perpendicularly to the adjoining panel (9), inside the sheath, this fourth flap (15) comprising a cut-out (16) or openings of a cut-out intended to receive a projecting portion of the packaged oblong object, in particular the neck of a bottle, a fifth flap (17) articulated on the preceding one by a folding line being applied against the inner surface of the panel (1) opposite the fifth panel (9).
2. A sheath according to claim 1, characterised in that a sixth flap (12), which is applied against the inner surface of the panel (1) opposite the panel (9), is articulated by a transverse turned-over portion on the third flap (11) transversely closing the sheath at one end.
3. A sheath according to claim 2, characterised in that a transverse folding line divides the sixth flap (12) into two flaps (12a,12b).
4. A sheath according to claim 3, characterised in that a first cutting line (13), which is perpendicular to the folding line dividing the flap (12) into two parts (12a,12b), is disposed between this folding line and the one which by which the sixth flap (12) is articulated on the third flap (11), this latter line also comprising into central portion a second cutting line (14), the ends of which are joined by turned-over portions disposed obliquely to the opposite end of the first line (13) so that the corresponding part (12a) can be adapted, by being deformed, to the bodies of objects of different diameter.
5. A sheath according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the fifth flap (17) adjoining the one (15) which includes a cut-out (16), into which the neck of a bottle can be fitted, is locked into the position in which it is applied against the side of the panel (1) opposite the panel (9) by a tab (18) projecting towards the inside of the sheath from this panel (1), against which tab the flap (17) abuts.
6. A sheath according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that cutting lines (24) are provided in the panel (15) starting from the cut-out (16) and diverging from the latter so as to enable the cut-out (16) to be adapted to bottles of different diameter.
7. A sheath according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the transverse folding line (26) defines in the fifth flap (17) an end portion with dimensions substantially equal to those of the internal section of the sheath and designed to be aligned perpendicularly to the part of the fifth flap (17) so as to close the corresponding end of the sheath.
8. A sheath according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that a locking member, in particular a tab (21), is cut out from the panel (1), against an inner surface of which the fifth panel (9) is applied and is articulated to this panel by a folding line parallel to those by which the panels (1) are articulated on one another, so that it can be folded towards the inside of the sheath through a cut-out (22) provided in the fifth panel and be engaged, by deformation, in a cut-out (23) of smaller size provided in the panel (1) adjoining the fifth panel, so as to project towards the exterior of the sheath and then resume its initial shape, owing to the elasticity of the semirigid material, and thus lock the sheath in the assembled position.
9. A sheath according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that a locking member (30) is articulated by a folding line on two adjacent second flaps (6), this locking member (30) comprising one end disposed between the two adjacent first flaps (3) adjoining these flaps (6) and directed towards a cut-out (8) which separates these flaps (3) and extends between the panels (1) adjoining these latter, this end of the locking member (6) being of a shape and size such that it can be fitted by deformation, during the folding of the first and second flaps (3,6), into the cut-out (8) towards which it is directed so as to project from the other side of the associated panels (1) and then resume its original shape, owing to the elasticity of the semirigid material, thereby locking the first and second flaps (3,6) in the folded-over position.
10. A precut and turned-over blank made of a semirigid material, such as cardboard or corrugated cardboard, for forming a sheath according to claim 1, this blank comprising four substantially rectangular panels (1) which are articulated to one another by parallel turned-over portions (2) along their longitudinal edges and each comprising, at each of their ends, a first flap (3) articulated on the associated panel by at least one transverse turned-over portion perpendicular to the preceding ones and, preferably, a second flap (6) articulated on each flap (3) by at least one transverse turned-over portion, the turned-over portions (4a) by which the flaps (3) are articulated on the associated panel being in extension of one another, while the turned-over portions by which the second flaps (6) are articulated on the first flaps (3) are likewise disposed in extension of one another, this blank being characterised in that a fifth rectangular panel (9) is articulated by a folding line parallel to the turned-over portions (2) on an adjacent panel (1), this fifth panel (9) comprising at one end a third flap (11) articulated thereto by a transverse turned-over portion, whereas at the other end of the fifth panel (9) a fourth flap (15), in which a cut-out (16) is provided, is articulated by a transverse turned-over portion to the panel (9), and that a fifth flap (17) is also articulated by a transverse turned-over portion to the fourth flap (15).
11. A blank according to claim 10, characterised in that a locking member, in particular a tab (21), is cut out from the panel (1) comprising a free longitudinal edge, which tab is articulated to this panel by a turned-over portion to those by which the panels (1) are articulated to one another, whereas in the fifth panel (9) there is provided in a corresponding position a cut-out (22), the dimensions of which enable this locking member to pass therethrough, and in that in the panel (1) adjoining this fifth panel (9) there is provided also in a corresponding position a cut-out (23) which is of dimensions such that the locking member has to be folded or deformed to enable it to be fitted therein.
12. A blank according to either one of claims 10 and 11, characterised in that a locking member (30) articulated by a folding line on two adjacent second flaps (6) comprise an end disposed between the two adjacent first flaps (3) adjoining these flaps (6) and directed towards a cut-out (8) separating these first flaps (3) and extending between the panels (1) adjoining these latter, the shape and size of the end of this locking member being such that when the first and second flaps (3,6) are folded, this end can only be fitted, by temporary deformation, into the associated cut-out (8).

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