EP3816065A1 - Packaging for a watch - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging (1) for transporting a watch comprising a box (2) in the form of a straight block, said box (2) representing the outer envelope of the packaging (1), one of the large side surfaces of the right pad of the box (2) acting as a cover (2a), said cover (2a) being connected to the rest of the box (2) by a hinge (2a '), the packaging (1) comprising also a first damping element (5) and a second damping element (6) placed in the box (2), said first damping element (5) having essentially the shape of a straight cylinder with bases in the form of a half-disc, the longitudinal axis of the first damping element (5) being oriented essentially parallel to the normal of the surface of the box facing the cover (2a), the perimeter of the lateral surface of the first damping element (5) corresponding to the perimeter of a curve described by the bracelet and the dial of the watch to be transported such that the watch to be transported can be fixed on the side surface of the first damping element (5), the second damping element (6) being insertable in a portion of the volume between the first damping element (5) and the internal surface of the box (2) so that the watch to be transported cannot come into contact with the box (2). In the package (1), the volume of the box (2) occupied by the first damping element (5) and the second damping element (6) is less than 80% of the total internal volume of the box (2).

Description

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of packaging for watches and more especially to the field of transport packaging for watches. More specifically, the present invention relates to a transport packaging for watches which allows the protection of a watch during transport while using a minimum of materials harmful to the environment.

State of the art

Between the watch manufacturer and the point of sale, a watch must sometimes be transported over several thousand kilometers. It is therefore essential that the watch, which can have a value of several tens of thousands of Swiss francs, can be transported in a safe manner, that is to say in such a way as to prevent it from being damaged during transport.

For the transport of a watch, it is known from the prior art to use a packaging which comprises a box, usually made of cardboard, and several damping elements for the protection of the watch. The packaging known from the prior art are designed in such a way that the internal volume of the cardboard box is completely, apart from the volume reserved for the watch, filled by the damping elements. In the packaging known from the prior art, these damping elements are generally made from one or more materials that are harmful to the environment. The packaging for the transport of known watches is therefore not durable and is harmful to the environment.

Packages known from the prior art normally comprise four damping elements. A first element having a section in the form of a half-disc and dimensioned in such a way that the watch to be transported can be fixed around this first damping element. The second damping element provided in the packaging of the prior art for its part has a shape of a straight block, usually a cube, which comprises in its middle a through recess, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the first damping element. For transport and in order to protect the watch, the latter is therefore mounted around the first damping element and with the latter introduced into the recess of the second damping element. For optimum protection, the packaging of the prior art has a third and a fourth damping element which have the shape of more or less thin plates and whose shape corresponds to the surfaces of the second damping element crossed by the recess.

The box of known packaging for its part has dimensions which correspond to the second, third and fourth damping elements, for the dimensions of the height (thickness) of the length and of the width, it therefore also has the shape of a block. straight and most often the shape of a cube. One of the sides of the right pad normally acts as a cover which is connected to the rest of the case by a hinge which allows the closure and opening of the cover and therefore access to the watch.

During transport, the third damper element is placed in the bottom of the box, the second damper element is placed on the third damper element and the first damper element with the watch fixed around are introduced into the recess of the second damper element. Finally, the fourth damper element is placed on the first and second damper elements. The box is closed thanks to its cover and maintenance, the whole, of the shock-absorbing elements.

A plastic pocket, credit card format, is attached to the back of the packaging to contain the warranty card that follows the watch from the manufacture to the point of sale. This additional element is negative in terms of environmental protection, by its material and its application (gluing).

Although the known packaging of the prior art described in detail above allow safe transport of a watch, they have several disadvantages. First and as mentioned above, they need a large volume of shock absorbing material harmful to the environment. Second, they are designed in such a way that it is impossible to have visual access to the contents of the package from outside the box. This is due not only to the fact that the case does not have a transparent surface, but above all due to the fact that, for the protection of the watch, it is completely surrounded by damping elements which are of course not transparent. There have therefore already been incidents in which a package that contained a watch was thrown into the trash because it was presumed that this package was empty. In order to limit the risk that packaging containing a watch is thrown in the trash, it is customary to affix a sticker on the packaging indicating that the packaging contains a watch. This is problematic when it comes to recycling because the glue and the sticker itself are usually not made from recyclable materials. Third, the packaging is made up of a self-adhesive plastic sleeve, attached to the box by gluing, and therefore not suitable for recycling.

Finally, the packages known from the prior art have a total external dimension which does not correspond to the dimensions of the handling plates of the assembly lines normally used in the watchmaking field. This implies that the handling trays of assembly lines cannot be used optimally, that is to say with a maximum number of packages and watches. This also implies that, during the movement of these handling trays, the packages can move and possibly fall off the trays, moreover, the trays cannot be stacked on top of each other, because the previous article protrudes, in height, the overhang of the tray. This can lead to poor stabilization of the packaging in the tray and between the trays themselves and consequently causes a lack of rationalization in terms of logistics.

There is therefore a need for a packaging for the transport of watches making it possible to guarantee a secure transport of a watch while using a minimum amount of material harmful to the environment and allowing visual access to the watch transported from the outside. of the packaging.

Summary of the invention

An aim of the present invention is therefore to provide packaging for the transport of an inventive watch which makes it possible to overcome the limitations mentioned above.

According to the invention, these aims are achieved by virtue of the objects of the independent claim. More specific aspects of the present invention are set out in the dependent claims as well as in the description.

More specifically, an object of the invention is achieved by means of a packaging for the transport of a watch comprising a box in the form of a straight block, said box representing the outer envelope of the packaging, one of the large side surfaces. of the right pad of the box acting as a cover, said cover being connected to the rest of the box by a hinge, the packaging also comprising a first damping element and a second damping element placed in the box, said first damping element having essentially the same shape of a straight cylinder with half-disc-shaped bases, the longitudinal axis of the first damper element being oriented substantially parallel to the normal of the surface of the box facing the cover, the perimeter of the lateral surface of the first damping element corresponding to the perimeter of a curve described by the bracelet and the dial of the watch to be transported so that the watch to be transported r can be fixed on the lateral surface of the first damping element, the second damping element being insertable in a portion of the volume between the first damping element and the internal surface of the case in such a way that the watch to be transported cannot come into contact with the box. In this packaging, the volume of the box occupied by the first damping element and the second damping element is less than 80% of the total internal volume of the box.

Thanks to such packaging, it is possible to transport a watch safely over several thousand kilometers. The packaging of the present invention has the further advantage that it requires only two damping elements for securing and protecting the watch. This allows first of all to limit the total volume taken up by the damping elements which, in order to guarantee optimum protection of the watch, are generally made of materials that are harmful to the environment, such as hydrocarbon-based materials. Advantageously, the volume of the box occupied by the first damping element and the second damping element is less than 70% of the internal volume of the box, even more advantageously less than 65% of the internal volume of the box.

In addition, having only two damping elements allows for faster and easier packaging of watches in transport packaging. Indeed, the packaging of watches, especially high-end watches, is still done by hand. The greater the number of shock-absorbing elements, the larger the packaging of the watch in the packaging.

In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the box includes an opening in one of its side surfaces, and the second damper member is configured to allow visual access from outside the box through the opening. . Thanks to this the packaging is designed in such a way as to allow visual access to the watch from the outside of the packaging. This makes it possible to quickly check whether the packaging contains a watch or not and thus ensures that a packaging containing a watch is not inadvertently thrown in the trash. The watch can also be easily identified in this packaging, if it is stored on a shelf, since the opening is on the side of the case and not on the lid.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the curved portion of the lateral surface of the right cylinder of the first damping element comprises a timing notch in which the dial of the watch to be transported can be wedged, the wedging notch being configured such that the watch face is held substantially parallel to the side surface of the case including the opening. This makes it possible to optimally protect the dial and to ensure that during transport the dial of the watch is always wedged in the notch of the first damping element. This also ensures that the watch face is always oriented relative to the opening the box in such a way that the dial can be viewed from outside the box. This helps identify which watch model is contained in the box.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second damping element comprises a first reinforcement and a second reinforcement, said first reinforcement and said second reinforcement being connected by a flexible band, the second damping element being configured such that it can be wound at least partially around the lateral surface of the first damping element, the transverse axis of the flexible strip being oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first damping element. This allows particularly simple packaging of the watch in the packaging.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first reinforcement and the second reinforcement are in the form of a prism or a straight block, with the longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first damping element. and whose height corresponds to the height of the box. Thanks to this, the first and second reinforcements of the second damper element can be optimally positioned in corners of the box, which ensures that the damper elements are perfectly wedged in the box. This ultimately ensures that the watch does not move during transport.

In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the height of the flexible strip of the second damping element is smaller than the height of the box, advantageously less than three quarters of the height of the box, even more advantageously less than two. third of the height of the box. This makes it possible to create between the flexible strip and one of the side surfaces of the box, ideally the lid of the box, a volume in which a spare strap or tools can be placed. Thus, thanks to the packaging of the present invention, it is possible to transport accessories of the watch at the same time as the watch.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover comprises a flap with a window of transparent material, the flap being configured to orient when closing the box parallel to the face. side surface of the box including the opening and such that the window is aligned with the opening. Thanks to the flap and the window, it is possible to cover the opening while still allowing visual access to the watch from the outside of the packaging.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the window is held by frictional force in a notch of the cover flap. This avoids having to glue the window and therefore reduces the use of materials harmful to the environment, such as the glues normally used in these applications. In addition, this makes it possible to be able to easily separate the window from the rest of the packaging and thus to separately recycle the various elements of the packaging.

In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the window is made from polyethylene terephthalate or from polylactic acid, thus, the window is made from a recyclable or even biodegradable material.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first damper element and / or the second damper element is made from polyethylene or polyurethane. For example, the first damping element and / or the second damping element is made of polyethylene foam, which makes it possible to have 100% recyclable damping elements while guaranteeing very good protection of the watch during transport. The first damping element and / or the second damping element can alternatively be made of polyurethane foam, which has the advantage of allowing optimum protection of the watch and of having damping elements which can be upgraded.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second damper element and / or the box is made of cardboard. This makes it possible to have a second damping element and / or a box in a 100% recyclable material.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second cushioning element is made of biodegradable cork, wool, cotton or felt or any other biodegradable cushioning material. This makes it possible to have the entire box in 100% biodegradable materials.

In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the cover comprises on its outer surface a notch for fixing a warranty card of the watch to be transported. Thanks to the fact of providing a notch in the cover for the insertion of the warranty card of the transported watch, it is possible to avoid having to provide a pouch normally made of plastic, and therefore made of a material harmful to the environment, and glued to the packaging for transporting the warranty card with the watch.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the box has a width and a depth such that the surface corresponding to eight boxes aligned in two columns of four boxes corresponds to the shape of a handling plate usually used in watch assembly lines. . This makes it possible to arrange eight packages on a handling plate usually used in watch assembly lines. The fact that this packaging is of a compact size, the economy in terms of transport and therefore in terms of the environment must be taken into account. This compact packaging is also an advantage in terms of point-of-sale storage and savings in the sales area.

Brief description of the drawings

• La figure 1 représente une vue en perspective d'un emballage selon un mode de réalisation préféré de la présente invention lorsque le couvercle de celui-ci est ouvert et les éléments amortisseurs présents dans la boîte ;
• La figure 2 représente une vue en perspective est explosée des éléments de l'emballage selon le mode de réalisation préféré de la présente invention ;
• La figure 3 représente une vue en perspective du deuxième élément amortisseur ;
• La figure 4 représente une vue en perspective du premier élément amortisseur et du deuxième élément amortisseur lorsque ce dernier est enroulé autour du premier élément amortisseur ;
• La figure 5 représente une vue de dessus du premier élément amortisseur et du deuxième élément amortisseur lorsque ce dernier est enroulé autour du premier élément amortisseur ;
• La figure 6 représente une vue en perspective d'un emballage selon le mode de réalisation préféré de la présente invention lorsque le couvercle de celui-ci est fermé ; et
• La figure 7 représente une vue de dessus d'un plate de manutention utilisé dans les lignes de montage horlogères comprenant huit emballages selon le mode de réalisation préféré de la présente invention.

The peculiarities and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in more detail in the context of the description which follows with an exemplary embodiment given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation with reference to the four appended drawings which represent:

• The figure 1 shows a perspective view of a package according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention when the lid thereof is open and the damping elements present in the box;
• The figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the packaging elements according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
• The figure 3 shows a perspective view of the second damper element;
• The figure 4 shows a perspective view of the first damper element and of the second damper element when the latter is wound around the first damper element;
• The figure 5 shows a top view of the first damping element and of the second damping element when the latter is wound around the first damping element;
• The figure 6 shows a perspective view of a package according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention when the lid thereof is closed; and
• The figure 7 shows a top view of a handling platform used in watch assembly lines comprising eight packages according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

The figure 1 presents a packaging for the transport of a watch 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, the cover 2a of the packaging is open in order to have access to the damping elements inside the packaging 1. The figure 2 as for it shows a view of the package 1 in which the different elements of the package 1 are separated.

With reference to figures 1 and 2 , the packaging 1 comprises a box 2, advantageously made of cardboard, in the form of a straight block. Of course, the box 2 could be provided in other materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polylactic acid (PLA) or in aluminum. One side of the pavement right of box 2 acts as cover 2a. The cover 2a is connected to the rest of the box by a hinge 2a '. Advantageously, the hinge 2a 'is formed directly by a fold of a cardboard template on the basis of which the box is formed. As mentioned above, box 2 is formed on the basis of a jig (not shown here) which allows box 2 to be formed without the need for glue. This makes it possible to avoid the use of glue which is a material harmful to the environment. In addition, this makes it possible to easily and quickly “dismantle” the box 2 after its use for optimal recycling.

As can be seen in the figures 1 and 2 , a flap 2b is provided attached to the cover 2a by means of a hinge 2b '. This flap 2b and the hinge 2b 'make it possible to close the box 2 and prevent the latter from opening by itself. The flap 2b includes, as illustrated in the figures 1 and 2 , a window 3 which aligns with an opening 4a of a side surface 4 of the box. As will be explained below, the window 3 allows visual access to the interior of the packaging 1 and especially to the watch (not shown here) which is contained therein. In order to limit the harmfulness of the packaging 1 on the environment, the window 3 is advantageously provided in a recyclable material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polylactic acid (PLA) In addition, the window 3 is not glued to the flap 2b but it is only inserted in a first notch 2b "of the flap 2b and held in this notch by friction. This makes it possible to easily separate the window 3 from the packaging 1 and thus to allow its recycling.

The package 1 also comprises a first damping element 5 and a second damping element 6. As can be seen in figure 2 , the first damping element 5 has a section 5a in the form of a half-disc. The shape and dimensions of the first damping element 5 are chosen such that a watch, dial and bracelet (not shown here) can be fixed around it. In order to protect the watch, and in particular its dial, the first damping element 5 has a timing notch 5b in which the dial can be placed and held. Referring again to the figure 1 , it can be noted that when the first damping element 5 and the second damping element 6 are placed in the box 2, the first damping element 5 is positioned in such a way that through the window 3 it is possible to have direct access to the watch, and in particular to the watch face. This makes it possible to examine the inside of the packaging and verify the presence of a watch and to quickly identify without having to open the packaging which watch model has been placed in the packaging.

As illustrated in the figure 3 , the second damping element 6 comprises a first reinforcement 6a and a second reinforcement 6b, both in the form of a prism, connected by a strip 6c. Advantageously, the reinforcements 6a and 6b as well as the strip 6c are made from the same part. The band 6c is designed so that it can be flexed so that the second damper element 6 can take a shape as shown in the figures. figures 4 and 5 and can wrap at least partially around the first damping element 5. Referring again to the figure 1 , it will be understood that when the first damping element 5 and the second damping element 6 are placed in the box 2, the second damping element 6 has two functions. The first is to keep the first damper element in place 5, that is to say to wedge it, or at least to damp any movement inside the box 2. The second function of the second damper element 6 and to protect, mainly thanks to the reinforcements 6a and 6b, the strap of the watch. The second damping element 6 also ensures that the watch face cannot come into contact with the case. As can easily be understood from figure 1 , the second damping element 6 thus makes it possible to protect the watch while guaranteeing visual access to the interior of the packaging through the window 3.

Advantageously, the strip 6c of the second damping element 6 is, as illustrated in figure 3 , lower than the reinforcements 6a and 6b. This makes it possible to create, when the package 1 is assembled, between the first damping element 5 and the wall 7 of the box 2, a space 8 which can be used to place there, for example, a spare strap or tools for adjustment. of the watch.

Advantageously, the first damping element comprises a first handling notch 5c and a second handling notch 5d. These notches 5c and 5d make it possible to introduce fingers therein, which makes it possible to easily remove the first damping element 5 and the watch from the packaging 1.

In order to guarantee optimum protection of the watch, the first damper element 5 and the second damper element 6 are made of a damping material such as a compact foam, preferably a polyethylene (PE) foam or a polyurethane (PU) foam. PE foam has the advantage of being 100% recyclable while PU foam allows better protection of the watch while being able to be upgraded.

It is important to note that the second damping element 6 can also be provided in cardboard. In this case, the reinforcements 6a and 6b are designed by folding a cardboard template provided for this purpose. The cardboard strip 6c which then connects the reinforcements 6a and 6b is sufficiently flexible to achieve the effects mentioned above. Of course, the fact of providing the second damping element 6 made of cardboard makes it possible to further reduce the use of materials harmful to the environment.

Other materials can be used for the two damping elements 5 and 6, such as cork, wool, cotton, felt can also be provided. This makes it possible to make these elements biodegradable with minimal impact on the environment.

The figure 6 shows package 1 when it is closed. As can be seen in this figure, the cover 2a includes a warranty card slot 2a "which allows a warranty card to be attached directly to the package 1. The provision of a slot for the warranty card directly in the box. cover makes it possible to avoid having to use, as in the packaging known from the prior art, plastic pouches glued to the packaging. Indeed, the use of plastic pouches and glue increases the impact of the packaging on the packaging. the environment.

In order to facilitate the conveying of the packages in a watch assembly line, the package 1 according to the present invention advantageously has dimensions, more precisely a width L and a depth P, such that eight packages can be arranged on the surface of a handling plate normally used in the watchmaking field 9, the net internal dimensions of this standard plate are 290mm long by 256mm wide by 60mm high as illustrated in the figure 7 . The dimensions of the packaging 1 are chosen in such a way that the surface of the tray 9 is used as much as possible which ensures that the packaging 1 cannot move and possibly fall to the ground or collide inside of the board when moving.

It is obvious that the present invention is subject to numerous variations as to its implementation. Although a non-limiting embodiment has been described by way of example, it will be understood that it is not conceivable to exhaustively identify all the possible variations. It is of course conceivable to replace a means described by an equivalent means without departing from the scope of the present invention. All these modifications form part of the common knowledge of a person skilled in the art in the field of packaging for watches.

Claims (14)

Packaging (1) for the transport of a watch comprising a box (2) in the form of a right pad, said box (2) representing the outer envelope of the packaging (1), one of the large side surfaces of the right pad of the box (2) acting as a cover (2a), said cover (2a) being connected to the rest of the box (2) by a hinge (2a '), the packaging (1) also comprising a first damping element (5 ) and a second damping element (6) placed in the box (2), said first damping element (5) having essentially the shape of a straight cylinder with bases in the form of a half-disc, the longitudinal axis of the first element damper (5) being oriented essentially parallel to the normal of the surface of the box facing the cover (2a), the perimeter of the side surface of the first damper element (5) corresponding to the perimeter of a curve described by the bracelet and the face of the watch to be transported so that the watch to transport r can be fixed on the lateral surface of the first damping element (5), the second damping element (6) being insertable in a portion of the volume between the first damping element (5) and the internal surface of the box (2) of such so that the watch to be transported cannot come into contact with the box (2),
characterized in that ,
the volume of the box (2) occupied by the first damping element (5) and the second damping element (6) is less than 80% of the total internal volume of the box (2). A package (1) according to claim 1, wherein the box (2) includes an opening (4a) in one of its side surfaces, and wherein the second damper member (6) is configured to allow visual access from the box. 'outside the box (2) through the opening (4a). A package (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the curved portion of the lateral surface of the right cylinder of the first damping element (5) comprises a timing notch (5b) in which the dial of the watch has transport can be wedged, the wedging notch (5b) being configured such that the watch face is held substantially parallel to the side surface of the case including the opening (4b). A package (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second damping element (6) comprises a first reinforcement (6a) and a second reinforcement (6b), said first reinforcement (6a) and said second reinforcement (6b) being connected by a flexible strip (6c), the second damping element (6) being configured such that it is at least partially windable around the side surface of the first damping element (5), the transverse axis of the strip flexible (6b) being oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first damping element (5). Packaging (1) according to claim 4, wherein the first reinforcement (6a) and the second reinforcement (6b) have the shape of a prism or a straight block, with the longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the axis longitudinal of the first damping element (5) and the height of which corresponds to the height of the box (2). A package (1) according to any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the height of the flexible strip (6c) of the second damping element is smaller than the height of the box (2), preferably smaller than three quarters of the height of the box, even more preferably less than two thirds of the height of the box (2). Package (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the cover (2a) comprises a flap (2b) with a window (3) of transparent material, the flap (2b) being configured to orient itself during the packing. closing the box parallel to the side surface of the box including the opening (4) and such that the window (3) is aligned with the opening (4). A package (1) according to claim 7, wherein the window (3) is held by a frictional force in a notch of the flap (2b) of the cover (2a). A package (1) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the window (3) is made from polyethylene terephthalate or from polylactic acid. A package (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first cushioning element (5) and / or the second cushioning element (6) is made from polyethylene, polyurethane, cork, wool, cotton or of felt. A package (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the second damping element (6) and / or the box (2) is made of cardboard. A package (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the first and the second damping element is made of cork, wool, cotton or felt, in particular of biodegradable felt or any other biodegradable damping material. Packaging (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the cover (2a) comprises on its outer surface a notch for the attachment of a warranty card of the watch to be transported. A package (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the box (2) has a width and depth such that the corresponding area eight boxes (2) aligned in two columns of four boxes (2) corresponds to the shape of '' a handling platform used in watch assembly lines.

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