EP2919618B1

EP2919618B1 - A pallet type container exhibitor system

Info

Publication number: EP2919618B1
Application number: EP12745509.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andrea Tempesta
Original assignee: Eurodisplay Design In Progress Srl
Current assignee: EURODISPLAY DESIGN IN PROGRESS Srl
Priority date: 2011-06-09
Filing date: 2012-06-08
Publication date: 2019-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2032-06-08
Also published as: ITRM20110289A1; WO2012168783A1; EP2919618A1; ES2748935T3

Description

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a container exhibitor system and, more particularly, to a container exhibitor system made of cardboard and palletized. The present invention is particularly directed to cardboard displays to place items on sale in shops and stores.

State of the Art

Up to now, there are known various types of cardboard displays to be used in stores, where products are shown with the utmost clarity and attractiveness, such displays are directed to all possible applications and usability.
According to a first type of known displays it is provided that they are multi-shaped and usually the same are addressed to make the public aware of a new product. Therefore, these kind of displays have the task of presenting and not necessarily to contain. They are shipped disassembled and subsequently assembled at the sale point. They are made from cardboard boxes made from a flat blank which is then assembled and filled at the store with the goods, such as books, wine, DVDs, containers, food, etc..
To the operator there is a first drawback that is given by the fact that the assembling operation can be long and troublesome, given the sequence of first having to mount the display and then having to arrange the goods in it.
In other cases and according to a second type of cardboard display, there is a need to transport the goods into the container itself (which will be transformed into the display of such goods after reaching the point of sale). These types of containers are known with the name of "PALL-BOX" and constitute a container specifically addressed to a large amount of product which is generally contained in bulk and being a substantially a low cost product.
Such a type of containers are shipped to the sale point already filled with the products inside thereof, and are often coupled to a pallet specifically sized for the container to which is coupled, and by a cap made of corrugated cardboard to protect the container and the goods during transport.
It is also known another type of cardboard palletized displays, which is constituted from a container wherein the goods are already contained and have been shipped, and where shelves or modules are contained therein, in order to show the products in a sorted and divided condition after the opening and positioning of the container at the sale point. Such a container is known for example from NL2003144 .
According to this type of palletized container/exhibitor there is provided that the same be sent already filled to the sale point, coupled together with a sized pallet and matched by a cap made of corrugated cardboard to protect the container and the goods during transportation.
For this type of cardboard container / exhibitor there is a drawback due to the fact that often the edges and/or the matching surface between the walls of the container and the pallet are subjected to premature wear or breakage caused by the friction during transporting, and also due to the hardness difference between the different materials. In addition, as a result of such breakage it is compromised the stability and the aesthetic appearance of the exhibitor itself, irreversibly compromising its functionality when it will delivered to the final destination.
Therefore, to the operators in this field there is the need of providing a cardboard palletized container exhibitor for products in an preset ordered manner which overcomes the above drawbacks, and which has an improved stability and functionality, and a remarkable hardness for the transportation of the same.

Brief description of the invention

Therefore, aim of the present invention is to solve the above drawbacks by providing a pallet type container exhibitor system, which provides an effective coupling between the vertical walls and the horizontal pallet arranged below the container exhibitor, so as to prevent a sudden deterioration or breakage of the edges at the coupling surfaces of the walls with the pallet.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pallet type container exhibitor system which gives the possibility of providing a pallet made of synthetic material which is effectively coupled to the vertical cardboard walls while ensuring the functionality of transporting the goods contained therein, in a preset ordered manner and subsequently to exhibit the same at the sale point upon opening the container.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a pallet type container exhibitor system that allows easier assembly of the same, a low weight, high strength, and low cost.
Thus, the present invention provides a pallet type container exhibitor system substantially according to the appended claims.

Detailed Description of the Invention

A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the a pallet type container exhibitor system according to the present invention will now be given, as a non limiting example, and referring to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figures 1A and 1B are perspective views from one side and from above of two embodiments of the a pallet type cardboard container exhibitor system according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a flat cardboard blank for the container exhibitor system of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cardboard blank of Figure 2 in the assembled condition according to the container exhibitor system of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a partially exploded detailed view of a part of the container exhibitor system of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of part of the container of Figure 4 according to the container exhibitor system of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a top plan view of a part of the container exhibitor system of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a perspective view from above and from one side of the part of the container of Figure 6 and according to the cardboard container exhibitor of the present invention.

With reference now to Figures 1A and 1B, there are shown two alternative embodiments of the a pallet type container exhibitor system according to the present invention.
According to the invention, there is provided an exhibitor 1 which comprises a pallet 2 for the transporting and supporting of the exhibitor. On the pallet 2 walls 3 of the exhibitor are made integral thereto (according to the present embodiments there are provided three walls 3). For the integral connection of the walls 3 to the surface of the pallet 2 there are provided fixing means 4 (better illustrated hereinafter).
In particular and according to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1A, the exhibitor 1 has internally arranged on a main wall 3, a plurality of supporting elements 5 of the goods to be displayed (the latter not shown in the figure).
According to this first embodiment, the goods are transported inside the container exhibitor 1 in a hanging manner onto the supporting elements 5. It is provided that the container exhibitor 1 is then shipped filled up to sale point, together with the pallet 2 and protected by a cap made of corrugated cardboard (not shown in the figures) to protect the goods during the transporting.
Upon delivering to the sale point, the cap is subsequently removed and the cardboard container exhibitor system is ready for the proposed use consisting of exposing the goods in an preset ordered manner.
With particular reference now to Figure 1B is illustrated therein an alternative embodiment of the pallet type container exhibitor system 1 of the present invention, wherein there is alternately provided a plurality of shelves 6 for the transporting and subsequent exposing of the goods in a preset ordered manner.
Also according to this embodiment, the goods are transported inside the pallet type container exhibitor system 1 in a preset ordered manner on flat supports 6. The pallet type container exhibitor system 1 is then sent filled up with the goods to the sale point, together with the pallet 2 and protected by a cap made of corrugated cardboard (not shown in the figures) to protect the goods during the transporting.
Upon delivering to the sale point, the cap is removed and the pallet type container exhibitor system 1 is ready for use for exposing the goods in an ordered manner.
With reference now to Figures 2 and 3, there is illustrated therein a flat blank which constitute the walls 3 of the container exhibitor 1 after assembled onto the pallet 2.
In more detail, the blank 3 is formed by three flat elements 30 mutually interconnected by means of crease lines 31.
At the edge regions of the blank 3 each flat element 30 has a respective edge region 32 provided with a series of holes 33 for cooperating with respective locking means 4 (better illustrated hereinafter). Each edge region 32 is interconnected via crease line to the respective flat element 30 to which it is associated.
With reference now to Figure 3 there is shown in there the blank 3 in the vertical operational condition. As can be understood in the figure, the flat elements 30 constitute the walls 3 of the container exhibitor 1 when they are mounted onto the pallet 2 (the latter not shown), while regions 32 constitute the link connected to pallet 2 for the walls 3 when the first cooperate with the locking means 4 (not in the figure and better illustrated hereinafter).
Here it should be noted that according to the present embodiment of the invention, the blank 3 (or the walls 3 of the container exhibitor 1) is made of a material such as cardboard. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this type of material (typically used for packages of this type), but rather is directed to any type of similar material, whether it be organic and/or synthetic.
With reference now to Figures 4 and 5, there is illustrated therein the functioning of the locking means 4 for the walls 3 onto the pallet 2. As can be understood in the figures, the locking means 4 comprises a bar 40 made of a material similar to that of the pallet 2, and it is provided with a plurality of anchoring elements or pins 41 (in the present embodiment three anchoring pins 41 being shown), the pins 41 being adapted to be inserted through the respective holes 33 of a respective region 32, and then the pins 41 being adapted to be inserted in a locked manner into respective holes 20 of complementary regions onto the pallet 2.
As can be seen in Figure 5, according to this arrangement the walls 3 of the container exhibitor 1 are made integral to the pallet 2 thanks to the locking of the relevant regions 32 by means of the bars 40, making the assembly of the container 1 particularly robust, and at the same time making the walls 3 significantly more resistant to buckling, and free of any relative movement or friction onto the surfaces of the pallet 2, therefore improving their durability and structural strength.
With reference now to Figures 6 and 7, is represented therein the pallet 2 according to the present invention, wherein Figure 6 represents the pallet 2 in a top plan view, while Figure 7 represents the pallet 2 in a perspective view from one side and from above.
According to the present invention, the pallet 2 has a plurality of holes 20 which are made at the peripheral regions 21 of the same pallet 2, and where said peripheral regions 21 are bounded by raised edges 22 integrally formed in the pallet 2.
The peripheral regions 21 are responsible for accommodating respective regions 32 of the walls 3 of the pallet type container exhibitor system 1, while the holes 20 are responsible for cooperating with the pins 41 of the clamping bars 40 and, therefore, by blocking the respective edge regions 32 of the walls 3 onto the pallet 2 (the walls 3 not being represented in the figures).
Here it should be noted that according to the present embodiment, the pallet 2 is made from a shaped synthetic material by a moulding method as die casting or the like, thus making the pallet 2 reusable if necessary and after the removal of the walls 3 for a subsequent use. Nevertheless, the present invention is not limited to this type of production process of the pallet 2 nor to the material of which it consists of.

Claims

A pallet type container exhibitor system (1) for transporting and displaying a variety of goods contained therein, comprising a flat horizontal part (2) for the supporting of said container exhibitor, and a plurality of flat members (30) arranged onto said flat horizontal part (2) and constituting a relevant plurality of vertical walls (3) of said container exhibitor,
wherein said container exhibitor further comprises locking means (20, 21, 22, 32, 33, 4, 40, 41) for the locking of said plurality of vertical flat members (30) onto said horizontal flat part (2), wherein said flat part is a pallet (2),
wherein said locking means further comprises a plurality of holes (20) obtained on respective peripheral regions (21) at the perimeter of said pallet (2);
wherein said peripheral regions (21) comprise raised edges (22) obtained on said pallet (2), said peripheral regions (21) being formed in such a manner as to house respective edge regions (32) of said flat members (30);
characterized in that said locking means further comprises at least one bar (40) provided with a plurality of locking members or pins (41), said pins (41) to be inserted and trespassing respective holes (33) of an edge region (32) of a flat member (30), and further to be inserted and locked in said complementary holes (20) of said peripheral regions (21) of said pallet (2).
Pallet type container exhibitor system (1) according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of flat members (30) are formed from a blank (3), said plurality of flat members (30) being mutually interconnected one to another by respective crease lines (31).
Pallet type container exhibitor system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said locking means comprises an edge region (32) obtained on each flat member (30) and provided with a series of holes (33), each edge region (32) being interconnected to a flat member (30) by a respective crease line.
Pallet type container exhibitor system (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one bar (40) it is made of the same material of said pallet (2).
Pallet type container exhibitor system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the material of said plurality of flat members (30) it is selected from a vegetable material and a synthetic material, and wherein the material of said pallet (2) it is a synthetic material.
Pallet type container exhibitor system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said container exhibitor (1) further comprises a plurality of internal supporting elements (5) for the transporting and the exhibiting of said goods to be exhibited.