EP2659806B1

EP2659806B1 - Base stand for 1/4 cardboard pallet

Info

Publication number: EP2659806B1
Application number: EP13165832.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pierangelo Borio
Original assignee: Ferrero OHG; Ferrero SpA; Soremartec SA
Current assignee: Ferrero OHG; Ferrero SpA; Soremartec SA
Priority date: 2012-05-04
Filing date: 2013-04-29
Publication date: 2016-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 2033-04-29
Also published as: PL2659806T3; PT2659806T; ITTO20120399A1; ZA201303039B; EP2659806A1; BR102013011048A8; BR102013011048A2; ES2587067T3

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a base or base stand for display units, of the type comprising:

a box body having a closed side wall, a top part designed to define a resting surface for one or more display units, and a bottom part;
a plurality of foot formations, associated to the bottom part of said box body, and designed to rest on the floor and to keep said base with its bottom part detached therefrom; and
a set of reinforcement panels for supporting said top part, which are arranged within said box body and are substantially orthogonal to said top part.

General technical problem

A base for display units of the type referred to above is for example described in the French patent application No. FR 2781304 , as likewise in the German utility model No. DE 94156663 . Specifically, in the bases described in the aforesaid documents the closed side wall referred to above is defined by a first pair of parallel opposite sides and a second pair of parallel opposite sides, whilst the aforesaid foot formations are formed by folded portions of the box body itself. The set of reinforcement panels envisages a first row of reinforcement panels, which are arranged parallel to a first pair of opposite sides of the side wall of the box body, and a second row of reinforcement panels, which slot into the panels of the first row and are parallel to the second pair of opposite sides of the side wall. The bottom parts of the box body envisage appropriate slits, which are engaged by bottom appendages of one of the two rows of panels so as to stiffen the underlying foot formations and anchor the set of reinforcement panels to the box body. Furthermore, in the aforesaid bases combined cardboard/wood or cardboard/plastic materials are used, where the wood or plastic materials are generally used for the resting feet.
DE9003424 discloses a base according to the preamble of Claim 1.
It is evident from the foregoing that the bases according to the known art are characterized by complex structures that are laborious to assemble.

Object of the invention

The object of the present invention is to improve the aforesaid type of bases, rendering them structurally simpler and constituted by a single material. A further object is to improve the above bases also from the standpoint of their stiffness and/or resistance to loads.

Summary of the invention

One or more of the objects referred to above are achieved via a base for display units having the characteristics of Claim 1.
The claims form an integral part of the technical teaching provided herein in relation to the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described purely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the base described herein;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the base of Figure 1 with its own top part open;
Figure 3 is a view from beneath of the base of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a view from above of the box body of the base of Figure 1, in the condition in which its top part is open;
Figures 5a and 5b are, respectively, a front view and rear view of a reinforcement panel of the base of Figure 1, in its folded condition for mounting on the box body;
Figure 6 is a view of the panel of Figure 5 in its splayed-out condition;
Figure 7 is a top plan view of the box body while it is being squeezed into a flattened condition thereof of minimal overall dimensions;
Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of the base described herein;
Figure 8a is a detail of the base of Figure 8;
Figure 9 illustrates the base of Figure 8 in an intermediate mounting condition;
Figures 10 and 11 are a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment of the base described herein, in a sequence of assembly of a part thereof.

Detailed description of the invention

In the ensuing description, various specific details are illustrated, aimed at providing an in-depth understanding of the embodiments. The embodiments may be provided without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, or materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials, or operations are not illustrated or described in detail so that various aspects of the embodiment will not be obscured.
The references used herein are provided merely for convenience and hence do not define the sphere of protection or the scope of the embodiments.
Designated by the reference number 100 in the figures is a base that may be used, in general, as base for exhibiting products, and in particular as base for display units for foodstuffs, such as, for example, confectionery products.
The base 100 described herein may be used in combination with display units of any type, morphology, and appearance.
In general, the aforesaid base is provided as cardboard-design product, and comprises a box body 2 having a side wall 3, a top part 4, and a bottom part 5. It should be noted that the shape of the box body is not in itself an important element with respect to the main innovative characteristics that will be described hereinafter.
In various embodiments, the side wall 3 is preferably closed according to the shape in plan view of a parallelogram, specifically a rectangle, and defines a first pair of parallel opposite sides 7, 8 and a second pair of parallel opposite sides 9, 10. The top part 4 closes the side wall 3 at the top, defining a resting surface, on which to set the display unit to be associated to the base 100. In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the top part of the box body is defined by a plurality of foldable flaps 4^I 4^II 4^III 4^IV, each carried by a respective side of the side wall.
The base 100 further comprises, associated to the bottom part 5, a plurality of foot formations 11, 12, 13, 14 (represented schematically in Figure 1), designed to rest on the floor and designed to keep the base 100 with its bottom part 5 detached from the floor so as to enable transportation of the display unit with a fork-lift truck.
In the example illustrated, the four foot formations are located in the proximity of the four corners of the box body.
Finally, the base 100 comprises a set of reinforcement panels 15, which are arranged within the box body 2. As occurs in the bases according to the known art, the aforesaid panels have in the first place the function of supporting the top part 4, i.e., preventing this from giving in as a result of the weight of the display unit itself or of the products arranged thereon.
According to an important characteristic of the base described herein, a first reinforcement panel has opposite lateral sectors folded so as to form a first foot formation and a second foot formation of the aforesaid plurality of formations, and likewise a second reinforcement panel has opposite lateral sectors folded so as to form a third foot formation and a fourth foot formation of the aforesaid plurality. The above foot formations are tubular in shape and extend in a direction substantially parallel to the side wall 3, as far as underneath the top part 4, possibly already in contact therewith even in the absence of weights on the top part, so as to be able to support it.
In various preferred embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the aforesaid first and second reinforcement panels are identical to one another and, as will be seen more clearly in what follows, are arranged in the base facing one another and specular with respect to one another. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a specific example of embodiment thereof. It is clear that the reinforcement panels 15 may in any case also differ from one another having, however, in common the general configuration referred to above.
In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, each reinforcement panel 15 comprises a central sector 15^I, connected to opposite sides of which are a plurality of flaps 15^II, foldable so as to form the two foot formations of the panel. In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated (see Figure 6), connected to each of the two opposite sides of the central sector is a series of flaps 15^II in succession, in a number such as to enable folding of these towards the central sector, to obtain the aforesaid formation. One or more of the aforesaid flaps has/have at the bottom a tab 15^III, designed to be folded within the tubular portion formed by the flaps themselves so as to fix the flaps in the aforesaid configuration. Furthermore, in this way there is bestowed upon the foot a greater water repellence and there is avoided the sponge effect that would otherwise arise if the cardboard structure were set directly on the floor with its channels open. In various preferred embodiments, one of the flaps moreover has a lateral tab 15^IV, designed to engage a slit 15^v made in the central sector of the panel, in order to fasten the foot formation to the central sector. In the example illustrated in the figures, the aforesaid series comprises six flaps 15^II in succession, of which the four closest to the central sector have the above bottom tabs 15^III, and the fourth flap 15^II moreover has the above lateral tab 15^IV.
As mentioned previously, the foot formations extend as far as underneath the top part of the box body so as to constitute a support for this part.
In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, in the base, once assembled, the two reinforcement panels are set parallel and aligned with respect to one another, according to a mutual opposed orientation. In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the central sector of at least one between the aforesaid first and second reinforcement panels is provided with a foldable top side 15^VI, which, in the condition where the base is assembled, is folded parallel to the top part of the box body. The aforesaid side is of a length such that, in this condition, it extends as far as the central sector of the other panel so as to rest with its distal edge on the central sector thereof (see Figure 2). The top side is designed to constitute a further support of the top part of the box body. In the case where each panel has a top side 15^VI, preferably the two top sides 15^VI of the two panels overlap one another at least partially, and have respective mutual-slotting portions. In particular, the top sides 15^VI have respective notches 15a designed to provide a bayonet coupling.
Furthermore, in various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the central sector of the two reinforcement panels comprises a foldable bottom side 15^VII, which, in the condition of use of the base, is folded parallel to the bottom part of the box body and set against it. The aforesaid side contributes to keeping the foot formations in place with respect to the box body. In preferred embodiments, in order to provide a particularly rigid structure, the foot formations are set in direct contact with the side wall of the box body.
In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the box body 2 is such as to be easily mountable on the two reinforcement panels 15 so as to contain within it the aforesaid panels, except for bottom portions of their foot formations, which, as may be seen in Figure 1, project instead underneath the bottom part 5. In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the bottom part 5 has a number of openings 5A, equal to the number of foot formations, through which the aforesaid formations project underneath the bottom part 5 itself.
In view of what has been said, mounting of the box body 2 on the reinforcement panels 15 envisages simply setting the reinforcement panels inside the box body, inserting the foot formations 11, 12, 13, 14 through the corresponding openings 5A, and appropriately folding the possible top and bottom sides 15^VI, 15^VI of the panels so as to anchor the box body rigidly thereon (as illustrated schematically in Figures 1, 2 and 3). Finally, the top part 4 of the box body is closed, and the base 100 is immediately ready for use. The operations indicated may be carried out in a simple and fast way without the aid of glues.
It should be noted that the base described herein has a simple, and at the same time rigid and strong, structure thanks to the provision of the particular reinforcement panels described above. In particular, the foot formations described above bestow considerable stiffness on the structure, albeit with a minimum use of material.
In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the box body 2 has a structure such that it can be flattened in a condition of minimal overall dimensions, which is particularly advantageous for transportation of the base in the disassembled condition. In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the side wall 3 can be folded along two of its opposite folding lines by bringing the pair of contiguous sides 8, 9 against the pair of contiguous sides 7, 10 (see Figure 7) so that the sides of each pair are splayed out in one and the same plane. In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated (see in this connection Figures 3 and 4), the bottom part of the container is defined by two complementary portions 5^I and 5^II, which, in the condition of use of the box body, come together to define the bottom part with the aforesaid openings 5A. These portions each have a folding line 5B, which is such that, when the side wall of the box body is flattened, they rise up, folding along the aforesaid line (see Figure 7), so as to assume a condition folded within the flattened side wall. Furthermore, the aforesaid portions 5^I and 5^II have respective regions that, in the condition of use of the box body, overlap and slot into one another (see the dashed lines of Figure 4). In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated (see Figure 4), each of the above portions 5^I and 5^II extends at two contiguous sides of the side wall 3, and the above folding line 5B extends in a direction oblique with respect to both of the aforesaid sides, coming to intersect the edge of intersection thereof. In various embodiments, each of the above portions 5^I and 5^II is formed by two flaps 51, 52, connected, in a foldable way, respectively to the bottom edges of the two contiguous sides of the side wall, and glued to one another to form the complementary portion; one of the flaps 51 and 52 has the aforesaid folding line 5B.
The base described herein can then be transported in a condition of minimal overall dimensions, in which the box body 2 is flattened, and the two reinforcement panels 15 can be either in the splayed-out configuration illustrated in Figure 6 or else in the folded configuration illustrated in Figure 5.
With reference now to Figures 8 and 9, illustrated therein is a base of the same type as the one described above with reference to Figures 1 to 7 (for this reason, in what follows the same reference numbers as those of the previous embodiment will be used). The aforesaid base envisages, in addition, a rear panel 21, mounted on the top part 4 of the base. To anchor the panel 21 to the base, the panel has bottom appendages 21a (illustrated with a dashed line in Figure 8) that are inserted into corresponding slits (not illustrated) in the top part 4. The panel 21 has the function, on the one hand, of bestowing on the overall structure an improved displaying capacity, and on the other hand, of being able to bear advertising information regarding the products on display arranged on the base.
In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the panel 21 has a principal direction of extension, and is mounted, on the base, in the upright condition. In various preferred embodiments, the aforesaid panel has, in a substantially intermediate region thereof, a transverse folding line 21', thanks to which the panel can advantageously be folded in two, for example for facilitating its transportation. In this case, to keep the panel 21 in the upright position, in the condition of use, associated thereto are one or two stiffeners 23 with claw section, designed to engage the opposite longitudinal edges of the panel in the region of the folding line 21'. In preferred embodiments, the aforesaid stiffeners are slidably mounted along the edges of the panel, and, to fix the panel in the upright position, it is sufficient to get them to slide along the aforesaid edges, until they engage respective stretches thereof above and below the folding line 21'.
In an embodiment alternative to the one illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the panel 21, instead of being formed by a single foldable element, is formed by two parts that can be coupled to one another via slotting. In particular, the panel 21 is formed by a first part 22 that can be mounted directly on the top part 4, for example with the same modality described above with reference to Figures 8 and 9, and by a second part 24 designed to engage via slotting the top edge of the part 22. In various embodiments, as in the one illustrated, the aforesaid top edge has one or more slits in which one or more bottom tabs 24' of the part 24 are to be inserted to achieve coupling between the two parts 22 and 24.
Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary, even significantly, with respect to what has been illustrated herein purely by way of non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the annexed claims. For example, where in the course of the present description mention has been made of slotting portions, it is possible to envisage, alternatively, the use of adhesive material. Furthermore, the tubular foot formations defined by the reinforcement panels may have a cross section with a profile different from the polygonal one illustrated in the figures, for example a circular profile.

Claims

A base for display units, comprising:
- a box body (2) having a closed side wall (3), a top part (4) designed to define a resting surface for one or more display units, and a bottom part (5);

- a plurality of foot formations (11, 12, 13, 14), associated to the bottom part of said box body, and designed to rest on the floor and to keep said base with its bottom part detached therefrom; and

- a set of reinforcement panels (15), for supporting said top part, which are arranged within said box body and are substantially orthogonal to said top part (4),
said set of reinforcement panels comprising:
- a first reinforcement panel (15) having opposite lateral sectors folded so as to form a first foot formation and a second foot formation of said plurality of formations; and

- a second reinforcement panel (15) having opposite lateral sectors folded so as to form a third foot formation and a fourth foot formation of said plurality of formations,
wherein said foot formations (11, 12, 13, 14) are tubular in shape and extend in a direction substantially parallel to said side wall (3), as far as underneath said top part (4), so as to be able to support it,
said base being characterised in that
the central sector of said first and second reinforcement panels comprises a foldable bottom side (15^VII), which is folded parallel to said bottom part (5) of said box body and set against it, and /or
said foot formations are set in direct contact with the side wall of said box body.
The base according to Claim 1, wherein each reinforcement panel (15) comprises a central sector (15^I), connected to opposite sides of which are a plurality of foldable flaps (15^II) so as to form the two foot formations of the panel.
The base according to Claim 2, wherein one or more of said flaps have at the bottom a tab (15^III) designed to be folded within the tubular portion formed by the flaps themselves so as to fix the flaps in said configuration.
The base according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two reinforcement panels are arranged parallel and aligned with respect to one another, according to a mutual opposed orientation, and wherein the central sector of at least one of said first and second reinforcement panels is provided with a foldable top side (15^VI), which is folded parallel to the top part of the box body, said top side (15^VI) being of a length such as to extend as far as the central sector of the other panel, and rest on the latter.
The base according to Claim 4, wherein each reinforcement panel comprises said top side (15^VI), and wherein the two top sides (15^VI) of the two panels overlap one another at least partially, and have respective mutual-slotting portions.
The base according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said bottom part (5) has a number of openings (5A), equal to the number of said foot formations, through which said formations project underneath said bottom part (5).
The base according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said side wall (3) can be folded along two of its opposite folding lines by bringing a first pair of contiguous sides (8, 9) against a second pair of contiguous sides (7, 10) so that the sides of each pair find themselves splayed out in one and the same plane, and wherein said bottom part (5) is defined by two complementary portions (5^I, 5^II) that come together to define said bottom part with said openings (5A), wherein said portions (5^I, 5^II) each have a folding line (5B), which is such that, when the side wall of the box body is flattened, said portions rise up folding along said line so as to assume a condition where they are folded within the flattened side wall.
The base according to Claim 7, wherein each of said portions (5^I and 5^II) is formed by two flaps (51, 52), which are connected, in a foldable way, respectively to the bottom edges of two contiguous sides of said side wall (3), and are glued together to form said complementary portion, wherein one of said flaps (51, 52) has said folding line (5B).
The base according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a rear panel (21) mounted on said top part (4) via slotting.
The base according to Claim 10, wherein said rear panel has a transverse folding line (21') via which said panel can be folded in two, or else wherein said panel is formed by two parts (22, 24) that can be coupled together via slotting.
The base according to any one of the preceding claims, obtained as cardboard-design product.