FR2606370A1 - Composite pallet box - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composite pallet box, intended for the transport and storage of various objects and, in particular, allowing stacking over several levels. It will be applied in the packaging field. The composite pallet box 1 is formed: - from a substantially parallelepipedic container 2 made of strong cardboard or of light laminated material, comprising four lateral sides 4, forming the lateral walls, prolonged by internal flaps 5 and by external flaps 6 in order to constitute the bottom of the container, - from support runners 3, attached to the bottom of the container 2, allowing the taking of the pallet box having one or more housings 7 allowing the insertion of a corresponding external flap 6, crosswise to the flaps 6, in such a way as to slip the support runner 3 between the external flap or flaps 6 and the internal flaps 5. Furthermore, the pallet box comprises means of compensating for the thickness of the support runner 3 contained between the outer flap or flaps 6 and the internal flaps 5 in order not to reduce the strength of the container when stacked.

Description

 The invention relates to a composite pallet box, intended for the transport and storage of various objects. It will find its application in the field of conditioning and packaging.

 For many years, pallet boxes made of various materials have been known which allow the handling and storage of more or less heavy, fragile or bulky objects, with ease, by the use of forklift trucks.

 These pallet boxes are formed by a container proper which allows the objects to be received, as well as by support pads, attached to the bottom of the container, allowing the pallet box to be taken up by means of said trolleys.

 These pallet boxes are made of various materials such as cardboard. in wood, metal or by combining these various materials.

 Nowadays, an acceptable compromise has been found between mechanical strength and cost by making the pallets from a cardboard container or even from light laminate and cardboard support pads. in wood, or in molded material.

 Such embodiments are generally advantageous in terms of cost price, but are not without posing certain manufacturing problems originating especially from the assembly of the container and the support pads.

 In this regard, a first type of embodiment consists of nailing a container of the American box type "cardboard on a pallet or on wooden support pads. However, these boxes lack resistance at the connection of the elements.

 This is why other types of pallet boxes have been developed which do not require nailing or the like of the support pads on the container.

 In fact, in this case, the container is formed from an American cardboard box having at least four lateral sides, which constitute the side walls of the container, extended by internal flaps and external flaps to constitute the bottom. Furthermore, the support pads are suitable for the outer flaps of the bottom and generally have one or more housings allowing the insertion of a corresponding outer flap, transversely to the said flaps, so as to slide the support pad between the outer flap (s) and the interior flaps.

 Such embodiments give good results when the cardboard used is light cardboard and when the pallet boxes are not stored one above the other.

 Indeed, if we came to stack on several levels such pallet boxes, because the bottom of the container type American box is not initially intended to receive support pads, there is deformation of the lateral flanks at their edges with the bottom and consequently crushing and deflection of the side walls.

In other words, as the support pads are slid between the outer flaps and the inner flaps, there are harmful fold lines at the edges of the bottom caused by the excess thickness of the support pad between the flaps. These different folds do not allow the lateral flanks to withstand compression forces, due to the stacking of other pallet boxes, because the flank tends to "wrap" around the edge of the bottom due to the primers of folding down the sides,
The object of the present invention is to provide a composite pallet box. intended for the transport and storage of various objects, the said pallet box being able to be stacked on several levels, the structure of the container is designed to accept support pads slid on the flaps forming the bottom of the container, without however reducing the resistance of the side walls to allow stacking.

 One of the aims of the present invention is to provide a composite pallet box formed on the basis of a container made of strong cardboard or of light laminate, and of wooden support pads attached at the bottom, which has a resistance quite comparable to pallet boxes entirely made of wood and whose cost is significantly reduced.

 Another object of the present invention is to provide a composite pallet box which, by its structure, is foldable and removable and despite the use of materials generally considered as "disposable", have a resistance such that the pallet box can be recovered then reused.

 Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear during the description which follows, which is however only given for information and which is not intended to limit it.

According to the present invention, the composite pallet box, intended for the transport and storage of various objects, capable of being stacked on several levels, formed
- a container, substantially parallelepiped, obtained by folding a basic material of strong cardboard or light laminate, comprising four lateral flanks, forming the lateral walls of the container, extended by internal flaps and external flaps to constitute the bottom ,
- support skids, attached at the bottom of the container, allowing the pallet box to be taken up by means of forklift trucks, having one or more housings allowing the insertion of a corresponding outer flap, transverse to said flap , so as to slide the support pad between the outer flap or flaps and the inner flaps, is characterized in that it includes means for compensating for the thickness of the support pad between the outer flap or flaps and the inner flaps in order to do not reduce the resistance of the container during stacking.

 The present invention will be better understood on reading the following description accompanied by the accompanying drawings which form an integral part thereof.

 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a pallet box formed of a container and support pads.

 Figure 2 shows a perspective view showing an embodiment of the container of the pallet box.

 Figures 3a to 3d show different types of support pads able to be attached under the container of Figure 2 to form a pallet box.

 FIG. 4 shows a container on the bottom of which the support pads are attached.

 FIG. 5 shows, in perspective view, a detail of the composite pallet box according to the present invention.

 FIGS. 6a to 6c respectively show front views of a characteristic detail of the pallet box of the present invention according to the arrows Via, b and c respectively in FIG. 5.

 FIGS. 7a to 7c respectively show front views of a characteristic detail of the pallet box of the present invention according to the arrows VIIa, b, and c respectively of FIG. 5.

 Figure 2 shows in perspective a detail of the structure of the container and its folding according to the present invention.

 FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the unfolded container produced according to the present invention.

 Figure 10 shows a partial view of another container mode seen in the unfolded plan.

 The present invention relates to a composite pallet box, intended for the transport and storage of various objects which, by virtue of its structure, will allow it to be stacked on several levels.

 It will be made in particular from a basic material of strong cardboard or light laminate to constitute the container and from support pads of wood or molded material. Thus, we will arrive at a very interesting compromise between mechanical strength and production cost.

 FIG. 1 shows, in general, a composite pallet box 1 essentially formed by a container 2, which is substantially parallelepiped, and support pads 3 attached at the bottom of the container 2.

 Such an embodiment is advantageous and commonly used in the industry for handling small loose objects, or heavy, fragile, bulky objects. Such pallet boxes are easy to use because they can be advantageously moved by forklift trucks.

 FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a cardboard container 2 of the "American box" type which is substantially parallelepipedic, obtained by folding a basic material of strong cardboard or of light laminate.

 Such a container generally comprises four lateral flanks 4, forming the lateral walls of the container 2, extended by internal flaps 5 and external flaps 6 to constitute the bottom of the container.

 It should be noted that the container may have a similar structure at the level of the upper opening in order to completely protect the goods contained. In addition, the designation interior flaps 5 comes from the fact that these are folded and seen from the interior of the container 2 while the "exterior" flaps 6 are folded and seen from the exterior of the container.

 Figures 3a to 3d show different embodiments of support pads 3. However, other configurations could be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

 These support pads, depending on their use, and the desired resistance, may advantageously be constituted by boxes formed by folding cardboard (FIG. 3a for example) or from molded material (for example FIG. 3b) or from boards and studs. wood (Figures 3c and 3d).

 However, and whatever their constitution and configuration, the support pads 3 will have one or more housings 7, formed by slots in the case of cardboard folding, a recess in the case of molding, or spaces formed between the pads in the case of wooden skates.

 These housings 7 will allow the insertion of a corresponding external flap 6, transversely to said flap 6, so as to slide the support shoe 7 between the external flap or flaps 6 and the internal flaps 5, as shown in particular in FIG. 4.

 It should be noted that, in this figure, the support pads 3 are slid over the outer flaps then forming the long side of the container; however, one could consider placing the support pads on outer flaps forming a small side, as is the case for example in FIG. 1.

 According to the present invention, in order not to reduce the resistance of the container 2 when stacking the pallet boxes 1, the latter will include means for compensating for the thickness of the support pad 3 between the outer flap (s) 6 and the inner flaps 5 .

 Thus, the support shoe will find a housing provided for this purpose in order to prevent it from being placed between the said flaps by deformation thereof, which in the case of the "American body" resulted in the deformation of the lateral flanks 4 at the bottom edges.

 For this, the container 2 of the present invention is constituted according to the known principles of the "American box", however, there is an essential difference in the folding of the bottom. This is illustrated in particular in FIGS. 5 to 10.

 Recall that the container 2 has four lateral sides 4, two of which are adjacent to the inner flaps 5 and two adjacent to the outer flaps 6 of the bottom of the container.

 In one embodiment, according to the present invention, said compensation means are constituted by an offset marked d in the figures between the folding edges 8 formed between the outer flaps 6 and the corresponding lateral flanks and the folding edges 9 formed between the inner flaps 5 and the corresponding lateral flanks, at the bottom of the container 2. In this case, the flanks corresponding to the outer flaps 6 will have a height greater "H" than that "h" of the lateral flanks corresponding to the inner flaps 5 ; this is illustrated in particular in FIGS. 5 and 9.

 Thus, to increase the resistance during stacking of pallet boxes on several levels, the lateral sides of the container, working in compression, will have their increased resistance because they do not have folding edges on their surface except those 8, 9 authorizing the folding of the flaps forming the bottom, and possibly those authorizing the folding of the flaps of the cover.

 Figures 5 to 9 illustrate an embodiment incorporating the characteristics which have just been stated.

 In this embodiment, the container is advantageously obtained by folding a basic material of strong cardboard such as a double or triple fluted cardboard and from wooden support pads of the type of those represented in FIG. 3c or 3d. .

 As regards the container 2, there are, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the four lateral flanks X, the internal flaps 5 and the external flaps 6 forming the bottom of the container.

 Regarding the support pads 3, they are for example formed of one or two flanges 10 and 11, substantially constituted by wooden planks, joined together by spacer pads 12 and 13 disposed at the ends of the flanges.

 It should be noted that, in order to be able to thread the outer flaps 6 into the housing 7 created between the elements 10 to 13 forming the support pad 3, and in order to be able to make the support pad and the lateral sides 4 of the container 2 flush, the latter will consist of a flat sheet, the cutout of which is illustrated in FIG. 9 on which the dashed lines simulate the folding edges.

 In this view, there are in particular the lateral flanks 4, the interior flaps 5, the exterior flaps 6, the offset at the bottom between the folding edges 8 and 9. In addition, at the exterior flaps 6, the has fold lines 15 defining two lateral flaps 14 as well as cutouts forming openings 16 corresponding substantially to the section of the studs 12 and -13 of the support shoe, said flaps 14 being placed in the extension of said openings 16.

 This advantageous arrangement will allow the introduction of the support pads on the outer flaps 6 by folding the flaps 14 so that they retract and allow the sliding of the flap 6 in the housing 7 of the pad. Then, when the pad is positioned in the openings 16, the flaps are folded down to lock the position of the shoe.

 Such an embodiment is illustrated in perspective in Figure 5 which shows the shoe in place at a lower corner of the container and thanks to the offset "d" between the folding edges 8 corresponding to the outer flaps 6 and the folding edges 9 corresponding to the inner flaps 5, one can accommodate, without constraint or deformation of the flaps, the sole 10 of the support pad.

The different figures 6a to 6c and 7a to 7c show the respective positions of the sides, flaps, and pads, respectively in profile view or in front view according to the arrows
VI and VII of figure 5.

 In addition, it should be noted that, in this case, the lateral flanks 4 corresponding to the interior flaps 5 are in abutment on the ends of the support pads 3.

 FIG. 10 shows a second embodiment which will in particular make it possible to thread pads of the type of those represented in FIG. 3a or 3b according to the operation illustrated in FIG. 4, thanks to the cutouts 16 made on the lateral sides of the flaps 6.

 Naturally, other implementations of the present invention could have been envisaged, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (6)

 1. Composite pallet box (1), intended for the transport and storage of various objects, able to be stacked on several levels, formed:  - a container (2), substantially parallelepiped, obtained by folding a basic material of strong cardboard or light laminate, comprising four lateral flanks (4) forming the side walls of the container, extended by internal flaps (5) and outer flaps (6) to form the bottom.  - support skids (3), attached to the bottom of the container (2), allowing the pallet box to be taken up by means of forklift trucks, having one or more housings (7) allowing the insertion of an external flap (6) corresponding, transversely to said flap (6), so as to slide the support shoe (3) between the external flap (s) (6) and the internal flaps (5), characterized in that it includes means to compensate for the thickness of the support pad (3) between the outer flap (s) (6) and the inner flaps (5) so as not to reduce the resistance of the container during stacking.  2. Composite pallet box according to claim 1, the container (2) having four lateral flanks (4), two of which are adjacent to the inner flaps (5) and two adjacent to the outer flaps (6) of the bottom, characterized in that the said compensation means consist of an offset "d" between the folding edges (8) "corresponding outer flaps-side flanks" and the edges (9) "corresponding interior flaps-side flanks" at the bottom of the container, the flanks (4) corresponding to the outer flaps (6) having a height 'H' greater than that "h" of the flanks corresponding to the inner flaps (5).  3. Composite pallet box according to claim 2, characterized in that the lateral sides of the container do not have folding edges on their surface at the bottom except those (8, 9) allowing the folding of the flaps (5, 6) forming the bottom.  4. Composite pallet box according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral flanks (4) corresponding to the inner flaps (5) are in abutment on the ends of the support pads (3).  5. Composite pallet box formed from a container obtained by folding a sheet of strong pre-cut cardboard, and support pads, advantageously made of wood, characterized in that the said outer flaps (6) have cutouts on their lateral sides. (16) to allow the insertion of said corresponding flap (6) transversely into the housing (7) provided of said support pad.  6. Composite pallet box. said support pads being constituted by at least two riser studs (12, 13) disposed at the ends of a cross sole (10), according to claim 5, characterized in that said cutouts (16) correspond to the section heightening studs (12 or 13). and that said outer flaps (6) have on their lateral sides foldable flaps (14) placed in the extension of the cutouts (16) to allow insertion into the support shoe by temporary retraction of the flaps.