EP3507199A1

EP3507199A1 - Collapsible box and set of collapsible boxes

Info

Publication number: EP3507199A1
Application number: EP17758881.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Oscar Javier CASTRO GARCIA; Juan Raul MARTINEZ NAVA
Original assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Current assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Priority date: 2016-09-05
Filing date: 2017-08-31
Publication date: 2019-07-10
Also published as: WO2018041952A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a collapsible box (1) with a bottom (50), a first sidewall (10) and a second sidewall (20) extending parallel to the first sidewall (10), wherein the box (1) is configured to automatically collapse under vertical pressure in a substantially uniform manner, wherein, when the box (1) is collapsed, the first sidewall (10) comprises a first pleat (13) and the second sidewall (20) comprises a second pleat (23), wherein a height of the first pleat (13) substantially equals a height of the second pleat (23). According to the invention the first pleat (13) is directed inwardly to the interior of the box (1) and the second pleat (23) is directed outwardly opposite to the interior of the box (1). The invention also relates to a set of collapsible boxes (1).

Description

Collapsible Box and Set of Collapsible Boxes

The invention relates to a collapsible box with a bottom, a first sidewall and a second sidewall extending parallel to the first sidewall, wherein the box is configured to automatically collapse under vertical pressure in a substantially uniform manner. The invention further relates to a set of such collapsible boxes.

The US 201 1/0309134 A1 discloses a collapsible box formed from cardboard with four sidewalls and a rectangular bottom. Each sidewall comprises several scores which extend parallel to the bottom along the width of the sidewall. The scores are configured to facilitate the collapsing of the box or carton when for instance another box is set on the carton to form a stack. The weight of the upper box presses down on the lower box which, due to the scores in the sidewalls, collapses in a substantially uniform manner. When the lower box has been collapsed, the sidewalls comprises pleats which are defined by the scores. The pleats of opposite sidewalls of the box have a same distance to the bottom.

With the help of the scores and the pleats, respectively, the vertical size of the box can be adjusted in dependence on the filling degree of the box. If for instance the content of the box does not completely fill the interior space of the box, the box, when being pressed down, will be collapsed up to a level at which a lid of the box abuts against the content. The downwardly directed force is then mainly supported by the content of the box.

For transportation and warehousing purposes, cartons are often set on a pallet on which more than one layer constituted by several cartons are stacked on each other. Although the above mentioned scores and the pleats resulting thereof should allow the cartons to be collapsed in a substantially uniform manner, the non-uniform collapsing cannot be excluded completely. Cartons higher in the stack are therefore prone to slanting and - worst case - to falling down from the stack. Therefore, there is a need to stabilize stacked cartons on the pallet when being collapsed due to vertical pressure.

One object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible box which can be collapsed in a substantially uniform manner and contributes to the stability of a set of collapsible boxes placed side by side and loaded by a vertical force. The object is achieved with a collapsible box having the feature of claim 1. Embodiments and developments of the invention are the subject matter of the claims which depend on claim 1 .

According to the invention, when the box is collapsed, a first pleat of the first sidewall is directed inwardly to the interior of the box while a second pleat of the second sidewall is directed outwardly opposite to the interior of the box. The first pleat and the second pleat have the some distance to the bottom of the box. When a first box and an identical second box are placed adjacent to each other, wherein the first sidewall of the second box abuts the second sidewall of the first sidewall, the outwardly directed pleat of the second sidewall can extend into a recess or gap created by the inwardly directed pleat of the first sidewall of the second box. The engagement between the first pleat and a second pleat provides an interlocking of these two adjacent cartons placed side by side. The interlocking between the two cartons leads to a compact unit within a stack of boxes, thus increasing the stability of the stack when the boxes are subject to vertical pressure. The interlocking functions in different directions. Firstly, there is a kind of positive fit in a vertical direction. Secondly, when the outwardly directed pleat is clamped or trapped by the inwardly directed pleat, frictions forces between the pleats hinders the adjacent boxes to be moved relative to each other in a horizontal plane.

The collapsing box according to the invention can preferably be used to pack powder like detergent powder. Once bagged and packed, the volume of detergent powder decreases due to different reasons. Therefore, the volume of the powder at the moment of packing differs from the final volume at the warehouse.

In case of using a carton which is completely filled up with a detergent powder, the powder itself can carry most of a vertical load in a stack of cartons. The carton as such has to bear only a part of the load, what allows the carton to be designed simple and cost effective. However, if the detergent powder loses a part of its initial volume, the interior of the carton will not be filled up completely anymore. Consequently, the sidewalls of the cartons have to bear the complete load. Because of the collapsibility of the carton, the load on top of the carton causes the sidewalls to collapse in a uniform matter by creating pleats so that the height of the carton becomes smaller, until the powder within the carton comes in contact with the lowered lid of the carton and therefore begins to absorb again at least a part of the top load. Although the volume of the detergent powder decreases with the time, the combination of the collapsible box with the powder filled therein guarantees that powder always contributes to the absorption of the top load. This leads to savings during the entire supply chain.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the first sidewall comprises at least two scores extending parallel to the bottom, wherein an upper score is located on an inner surface of the first sidewall and wherein a lower score is located on an outer surface of the first sidewall. The upper score causes the material of the sidewall to be bent inwardly while the lower score causes the material of the sidewall to be bent outwardly. In combination with an edge of the box between the sidewall and the lid, wherein a vertical distance between the edge and the upper score preferably corresponds to a distance between the upper score and the lower score, the scores defines the inwardly directed pleat. Instead of the edge there can be provided a further score located above the upper score so that these three scores define the pleat.

The second sidewall can comprise at least two scores extending parallel to the bottom, wherein an upper score is located on an outer surface of the second sidewall and wherein a lower score is located on an inner surface of the first sidewall. Analogously to the scores of the first sidewall, the two scores can be combined with an edge between the lid and the second sidewall or with a further parallel extending score in order to define the outwardly directed pleat.

When being collapsed by a top load, the first sidewall can comprise more than the first pleat, for instance two, three or four pleats. Preferably all pleats of the first sidewall are directed inwardly, preferably all pleats have a same buildup. In other words, the outer surface of the first sidewall defines a main plane of the first sidewall wherein all pleats do not extend beyond this plane but extend starting from the plane in the direction of the interior of the box. However, all pleats of the first sidewall do not necessarily have to be directed inwardly. According to the invention the first sidewall shall have a pattern of pleats which corresponds to a counter pattern of pleats of the second sidewall so that, at respective heights of the sidewalls, any of the pleats of the first sidewall can engage into the recess of the corresponding counter pleat of the second sidewall and vice versa.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the box comprises a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall extending parallel to the third sidewall and perpendicular to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, respectively. The bottom of this embodiment is rectangular. When the box is collapsed, the third sidewall comprises a third pleat and the fourth sidewall comprises a fourth pleat, wherein a height of the third pleat substantially equals a height of the fourth pleat, and wherein the third pleat is directed inwardly to the interior of the box and the fourth pleat is directed outwardly opposite to the interior of the box. Similar to the first sidewalls and the second sidewall, the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall can comprise more than only one pleat when being collapsed.

The third pleat on the third sidewall and the fourth pleat on the fourth sidewall can create a further interlocking between boxes placed adjacent to each other. Assuming that nine carton are placed in three rows each of the rows comprises three cartons, there will be an interlocking between cartons of the same row (by the first pleat and the second pleat) and an interlocking between adjacent rows (by the third pleat and the fourth pleat). The height of the third pleat and the fourth pleat can substantially equal the height of the first pleat and the second pleat. Alternatively, the pleats of the third sidewall and the fourth sidewall can have a vertical offset to each other.

Another object of the invention, the providing a set of collapsible boxes, wherein the set has an enforced stability, is achieved by the subject matter of claim 6. Embodiments of this invention are described in the claims depending on claim 6.

According to the invention a first box and at least a second box are placed side by side, wherein a second sidewall of the first box abuts on a first sidewall of the second box, wherein, when the boxes are collapsed by vertical pressure, the outwardly extended pleat of the second sidewall of the first box extends into a recess of the second box, the recess being formed by the inwardly directed pleat of the first sidewall of the second box.

In one embodiment of the invention at least a third box is placed side by side to the first box, wherein a fourth sidewall of the third box abuts on a third sidewall of the first box, wherein, when the boxes are collapsed by vertical pressure, an outwardly extended pleat of the fourth sidewall of the third box extends into a recess of the first box, the recess being formed by a third inwardly directed pleat of the third sidewall of the first box.

The first box and the second box can be part of a row of boxes which are placed on a pallet, wherein a sum of a length of the boxes of the and a horizontal extension of a pleat of the last box of the row mainly equals to a length of the pallet. This avoid an overhang of the pallet when the boxes are subject of vertical load and have been collapsed.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the Figures:

Figure 1 : is a side view of a box being not collapsed;

Figure 2: shows the box of Figure 1 in a collapsed condition;

Figure 3: is a side view (partly) of a first sidewall of the box of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4: is a side view (partly of a second sidewall of the box of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a side view of boxes placed on a pallet;

Figure 6 is a top view of boxes placed on the pallet;

Figure 7 a section of two sidewalls; Figure 8 shows schematically sidewalls of Figure 7 when folded, and

Figure 9 is a top view of another arrangement of boxes placed on a pallet.

Figures 1 to 4 show a box made from cardboard which is indicated by the reference sign 1. Figure 3 shows an upper part of a first sidewall 10 of the box 1 . The first sidewall 10 comprises two scores spaced apart from each other, wherein an upper score 1 1 is located at an inner surface of the first sidewall 10 and a lower score 12 is located at the outer surface of the first sidewall 10 The scores 1 1 , 12 extend along the entire width of the first sidewall 10. Figure 4 shows a second sidewall 20 which also comprises an upper score 21 and a lower score 22. However, contrary to the first sidewall 10, the upper score 21 of the second sidewall 20 is provided at the outer surface thereof (see continuous line), while the lower score is provided at the inner surface which is faced to the interior of the box 1 (see dotted line).

Figure 1 shows a fourth sidewall 40 which completely hides a third sidewall 30 (see Figures 3 and 4). The box 1 comprises a bottom 50 and a lid 60 wherein the bottom 50 and/or the lid 60 can be constituted by a plurality of bottom panels and lid panels, respectively. Preferably, the box 1 is made from a single cardboard blank.

An edge between the first sidewall 10 and the lid 60 is indicated by 61. The distance between the edge 61 and the upper score 1 1 substantially equals to the distance between the scores 1 1 , 12. An edge 62 between the second sidewall 20 and the lid 60 is spaced apart from the upper score 21 , the distance between the edge 62 and the upper score 21 being equal to the distance between the upper edge 21 and the lower edge 22.

As shown in Figure 1 , the box shall be filled with a powder 2. However, in Figure 1 the interior of the box 1 is not completely filled up with the powder 2. Although the box 1 might completely be filled up at the moment of bagging, a gap 3 between the lid 60 and a fill level 4 has been arisen due to a natural reduction of the powder volume. When the box 1 is subject to a vertical load F, for instance caused by another carton stacked on top of the box 1 , the sidewalls 10, 20 (and the sidewalls 30, 40) are compressed as far as the lid 60 comes into contact to the powder 2 so that the powder can at least partly bear the load F. However, as a consequence of the compressed sidewalls, the first sidewall comprises a first pleat 13 which is defined by the scores 1 1 , 12 as well by the edge 61 between the first sidewall 10 and the lid 60. The pleat 13 is directed inwardly into the interior of the box 1. The second sidewall 20 comprises a second pleat 23 which is directed outwardly. A tip 14 of the first pleat 13 and a tip 24 of the second pleat 23 are on the same height and are directed in the same (horizontal) direction. Figures 5 and 6 show a plurality of boxes 1 which are set on a pallet 5. Figure 5 is a side view showing three boxes 1a, 1 b and 1 c arranged in a first row. In the arrangement of the boxes the first sidewall 10 of the box 1 b abuts the second sidewall 20 of the box 1a. The sidewall 10 of box 1 c faces the sidewall 20 of box 1 c. The boxes 1a, 1 b and 1 c are compressed by forces F so that pleats 13, 23 have been generated. As shown in Figure 5, the second pleat 23 of the second sidewall 20 of the box 1 a is an engagement with the first pleat 13 of the box 1 b. The pleat 23 extends into a recess which is formed by the inwardly directed pleat 13 of box 1 b. The interlocking between the boxes 1a, 1 b and 1 c contributes to a stable set of boxes on the pallet 5. In order to avoid an overhang due to the pleat 23 of box 1 c, the boxes are dimensioned in this manner that a small buffer 6 is provided. For instance, the buffer 6 can be 20 to 50 mm, preferably 25 to 35 mm. The horizontal extension of the pleat 14 can range to the value of the buffer 6. Assuming a value for the buffer 6 of 30 mm, the change in height of the box 1 (not collapsed with straight sidewall vs. collapsed sidewalls with pleats completely folded) could be 60 mm (two times of the buffer 6).

Figure 6 is a top view of a further embodiment. The pallet 5 carries nine boxes 1 a to 1 i in this embodiment. The boxes 1 a to 1 i are arranged in three parallel rows (1a tol c; 1d to 1f; and 1g to 1 i). In this embodiment there is an interlocking not only provided between the boxes of a same row, but also an interlocking between boxes of adjacent rows. For instance, a fourth pleat of the fourth sidewall 40 of the box 1a engages with a third pleat of the third sidewall 40 of the box 1d (the pleats of boxes 1a, 1d not shown in Figure 6), wherein the interaction between the pleats of the boxes 1a, 1d are similar to the interaction between the pleats 13, 23 as described above. However, Figure 6 shows the fourth pleats 41 (each outwardly directed) of the boxes 1 g, 1 h and 1 i. Also shown in Figure 6 are the second pleats 23 of the boxes 1 c, 1f and 1 i. So an interlocking between adjacent boxes 1 are possible in two direction, namely within a row of boxes and between adjacent boxes. This lead to a compact and stable configuration of collapsible boxes.

Figure 7 shows in detail the section of the first sidewall 10 of the second box 1 b and the second sidewall 20 of the first box 1a. The first sidewall 10 comprises three scores wherein two outer scores 12, 15 are located on the outer surface 16 of the first sidewall 10. Between the outer scores 12, 15 a middle score 1 1 is provided on an inner surface 17 of the first sidewall 10. When a vertical force F acts on the first sidewall 10, the sidewall 10 is likely to be folded in the manner as indicated in Figure 8. The pleat 13 is directed to the interior of box 1 b.

The second sidewall 20 of the box 1 a comprises two outer scores 22, 25 on the inner surface 26 and one middle score 1 1 on the outer surface 27. The arrangement of the three scores 21 , 22 and 25 forces the second sidewall 20 to be folded in the manner shown schematically in Figure 8 (left side).

Figure 9 is a top view showing another arrangement of boxes 1a to 1 h which are placed on a pallet. A width W of the pallet equals 1000 mm while a length L of the pallet equals 1200 mm. The arrangement of boxes comprises a first row with the boxes 1a, 1 b and 1 c and a second row with boxes 1d, 1 e and 1f. Between these rows, oriented perpendicularly to the boxes of the first row and the second row, two boxes 1g and 1 h are provided. As shown in Figure 9, the boxes 1g and 1 h can be spaced apart from each other so that a gap 6 exists between the boxes 1g, 1 h. Further, there can be a small distance between the boxes 1g and 1 h and the rim of the pallet. For the sake of convenience, buffers in order to avoid an overhang due to the pleats as described above are not shown in Figure 9.

The boxes 1a to 1 h may constitute one of several layers which are arranged on top of each other. For instance, five layers each consisting of eight boxes 1a to 1 h can be stacked on each other. Consequently, 40 boxes can be arranged on the pallet.

As already described above, the boxes can be filled with powder. The powder can be filled directly into each of the boxes or into bags, which, after having been filled up with powder (for instance 800 to 1000 g in each bag), in turn are set into each box. For instance, 20 bags (preferably arranged in five layers, each layer is consisted of two times two boxes) can be set into each box so that in sum 800 bags can be transported on a single pallet. The arrangement according to Figure 9 has been proven to maintain the interlocking benefits as described above and to have a good stability and area utilization.

Reference List

1 box/carton (1a to 1 i)

2 powder

3 gap

4 fill level

5 pallet

6- gap

10 first sidewall

1 1 score

12 score

13 pleat

14 tip

15 score

16 outer surface

17 inner surface

20 seconde sidewall

21 score

22 score

23 pleat

24 tip

25 score

26 inner surface

27 outer surface

30 third sidewall

40 fourth sidewall

41 pleat

50 bottom

60 lid

Claims

1. Collapsible box (1 ) with a bottom (50), a first sidewall (10) and a second sidewall (20) extending parallel to the first sidewall (10), wherein the box (1 ) is configured to

automatically collapse under vertical pressure in a substantially uniform manner, wherein, when the box (1 ) is collapsed, the first sidewall (10) comprises a first pleat (13) and the second sidewall (20) comprises a second pleat (23), wherein a height of the first pleat (13) substantially equals a height of the second pleat (23), characterized in that the first pleat (13) is directed inwardly to the interior of the box (1 ) and the second pleat (23) is directed outwardly opposite to the interior of the box (1 ).

2. Collapsible box (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first sidewall (10)

comprises at least two scores (1 1 , 12, 15) extending parallel to the bottom (50), wherein an upper score is located on an inner surface (17) of the first sidewall (10) and wherein a lower score is located on an outer surface (16) of the first sidewall (10).

3. Collapsible box (1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second sidewall (10) comprises at least two scores (21 , 22, 25) extending parallel to the bottom (50), wherein an upper score is located on an outer surface (27) of the second sidewall (20) and wherein a lower score is located on an inner surface (26) of the second sidewall (20).

4. Collapsible box (1 ) according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a third

sidewall (30) and a fourth sidewall (40) extending parallel to the third sidewall and rectangular to the first sidewall (10) and the second sidewall (20), respectively, wherein, when the box (1 ) is collapsed, the third sidewall (30) comprises a third pleat and the fourth sidewall (40) pleat comprises a fourth pleat (41 ), wherein a height of the third pleat substantially equals a height of the fourth pleat (41 ), and wherein the third pleat is directed inwardly to the interior of the box (1 ) and the fourth pleat (41 ) is directed outwardly opposite to the interior of the box (1 ).

5. Collapsible box (1 ) according to claim 4, that the height of the third pleat and the fourth pleat (41 ) substantially equals the height of the first pleat (13) and the second pleat (23).

6. Set of collapsible boxes (1 ) according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein a first box (1 ) and at least a second box (1 ) are placed side by side, wherein a second sidewall (20) of the first box (1 ) abuts on a first sidewall (10) of the second box (1 ), wherein, when the boxes (1 ) are collapsed by vertical pressure, an outwardly extended pleat (23) of the second sidewall (20) of the first box (1 ) extends into a recess of the first sidewall (10) of the second box (1 ), the recess being formed by an inwardly directed pleat (13) of the first sidewall (10) of the second box. Set of collapsible boxes (1 ) according to claim 6, wherein at least a third box (1 ) is placed side by side to the first box (1 ), wherein a fourth sidewall (40) of the third box (1 ) abuts on a third sidewall of the first box, wherein, when the boxes (1 ) are collapsed by vertical pressure, an outwardly extended pleat (41 ) of the fourth sidewall (40) of the third box (1 ) extends into a recess of the first box (1 ), the recess being formed by a third inwardly directed pleat of the third sidewall (30) of the first box (1 ).

Set of collapsible boxes (1 ) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the first box (1 ) and the second box (1 ) are part of a row of boxes which are placed on a pallet (5), wherein a sum of a length of the row of boxes and a horizontal extension of a pleat of the last box (1 ) of the row mainly equals to a length of the pallet (5).