FR2619363A1 - PACKAGE WITH FOLDABLE SEPARATING TABS FOR SPACING ROWS OF ARTICLES - Google Patents

Abstract

A package accommodating a multiplicity of articles arranged in two or more rows has a top panel 20 and a base panel 16 spaced apart by two side wall panels 14, 18, thereby forming a tubular structure. The base panel has a multiplicity of straightened separation tabs t bent out of the base panel. Each straightened tongue has a central portion 30 hinged to a peripheral edge 34 of an opening a in the base panel from which the tongue is cut and opposing wing portions 42, 44 hinged to the central portion and supported by the base panel in the vicinity of the periphery 40 of the opening remote from the peripheral edge to maintain the tongue in the upright position.

Description

Packed with foldable release tabs to space out

  rows of articles The present invention relates to a package, preferably of the wrapping type, which comprises foldable separation tabs for spacing and separating basic portions of a row of articles from those of an adjacent row. The packaging is particularly suitable for packaging two or more rows of containers, of the type having upper collars and which are connected to similar containers by their upper collars

  to form a group of, for example, four containers.

  Because these containers are connected only by their upper flanges, their bases tend to tilt relative to each other around their connection by flanges. such containers are packed in two or more rows, this freedom of movement at their base causes a deformation of the packaging, in particular of an enveloping packaging,

  which can lead to the dislodging of containers.

  The present invention aims to eliminate this drawback by keeping the base portions of a row of such containers spaced from the base portions of a row

adjacent such containers.

  The invention provides a package receiving a multiplicity of articles arranged in two or more rows, which package includes a top panel and a base panel spaced apart by two side wall panels, thereby forming a tubular structure, the base panel having a multiplicity of straightened tabs

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  folded out of the base panel and forming an interrupted separation keel between the base portions of a row of articles housed on the base panel and the base portions of an adjacent row of articles housed on this base panel, characterized in that each

  straightened tongue has a central articulated portion

  strip on a peripheral edge of an opening in the base panel from which the tongue is cut and opposite wing portions articulated on this central portion, which are supported by the base panel in the vicinity of the periphery of this opening away from the peripheral edge for

  keep the tongue in the upright position.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description.

  detailed description, given by way of example only, of a preferred embodiment, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: - Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a carton is formed according to the 'invention; - Figure 2 is a perspective view of part of the blank showing the foldable skittle tongues in the partially upright position; - Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the foldable pins tabs in the upright position; - Figure 4 is a perspective view of a packaging carton formed from the blank shown in Figure 1, seen from one end; - Figure 5 is a perspective view of a packaging carton formed from the blank shown in Figure 1, seen from below and from one side; and - Figure 6 is a large-scale plan view of one of the foldable bowling tongues, shown

flat.

  Referring to the drawing, the flat elongated blank 10 shows

  felt in figure 1 is made of cardboard or a material

  in a similar foldable sheet and it comprises, successively-

  ment, a sizing strip 12, a first side wall panel 14, a base panel 16, a second side wall panel 18 and an upper panel, each panel being hinged as follows along transverse fold lines, respectively 22,24,26

and 28.

  The side wall panel 14 has a series of openers.

  tures "A" to retain the bases of the articles, which openings interrupt the fold line 24, while the side wall panel 18 has a similar series of openings "Ai" to retain the bases of the articles, which openings interrupt the line folding 26. These openings receive peripheral wall portions at the bases of the containers to be packaged and help to retain these articles in a manner

well known.

  The base panel 16 has a central row of

  "T1-T4" foldable tabs, all of which have the same structure

  re, and, therefore, we will now describe only the

  tongue tl in more detail with particular reference-

ment to Figures 1,3 and 6.

  The tongue tl has a segmented cut portion

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  in the base panel 16 so that a central part 30 of the tongue is articulated along the fold line 32 at an edge 34 forming a cord of the opening al that defines the tongue tl. The central part 30 of the tongue is partly defined by two parallel fold lines 36 and 38 starting at right angles from the opposite ends of the fold line

  32 to go to the curved edge 40 of the opening.

  Each fold line 36, 38 provides the connecting joint by which opposite fins 42, 44 are respectively connected by folding to the central part.

of the tongue tl.

  The tongue tl can be straightened from the flat position shown in Figure 1 to a position

  vertical that is best seen in Figures 3 and 4.

  For this purpose, the tongue tl is first folded out of the plane of the base panel 16 around the fold line 32 to arrive at the vertical position shown in Figure 2, in which the wings 42 and 44 are aligned with the central part 30 of the tongue, that is to say that they are in the same vertical plane as the latter. The wings are then folded relative to the central part 30 around the fold lines 36 and 38 away from the edge forming a cord 34 of the opening al. In doing so, the lower edges of the wings sweep the surface of the base panel 16 in the vicinity of the curved edge 40 of the opening al so that, when folded, the wings support the tongue in the upright position. To prevent wing tips from scratching the edge of the opening

  al, the tips are rounded, as seen respectively-

  ment in 42a, 44a, or otherwise chamfered or bevelled.

  The tongue is in its most stable upright state when the wings 42 and 44 are practically parallel to each other, as is the case when the carton "P" is loaded as seen in FIG. 4 All other tabs t2-t4 are straightened in a similar manner. The blank 10 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is used to form a package of two rows Rl and R2 of identical items "C" with four items in each row as seen in Figures 4 and 5. It can however be considered that '' a modified blank may form a cardboard box with a different number of articles in each row, for example two articles, and / or two or more stages

  of items stacked one above the other.

  When all the tabs tl-t4 have been straightened as seen in Figure 3, we can bring the items in place on the base panel and wrap the blank around the items to form the finished package, resulting in that the straightened tabs form an interrupted central separation keel, which separates the articles of a row installed on the base panel from the adjacent articles in the other row installed on this base panel. As soon as the articles have been placed on the base panel, the side wall panels 14 and 18 are folded around the respective fold lines 24 and 26 to be brought into vertical position and the glue strip 12 and the top panel 20 are folded around the respective fold lines 22 and 28 so as to overlap on the tops of the articles and they are fixed together, for example by gluing. The upper panel has holes 20a, 20b in which one can

  insert the fingers to facilitate carrying the package

age.

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  Referring again to FIG. 6, to be sure that the tongues can be retained in the vertical position, it is noted that the minimum length "1" of each portion of wing 42 and 44 is greater than the maximum width "w" the tongue opening, measured between

the cord and the curved edge oppose.

  It is envisaged that the straightening of the tongues can be accomplished by a relative movement between the containers and the blank when loading the containers. Thus, once the tabs have been brought into their vertical position, as can be seen in FIG. 2, the wing portions can be folded across the opening associated "a" by cooperation with the containers, when these are introduced on the base panel. of the blank during

  relative movement between the blank and the containers.

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Claims (5)

Claims   1. - Package receiving a multiplicity of articles arranged in two or more rows (R1, R2), which package comprises an upper panel (20) and a base panel (16) spaced by two side wall panels (14,18 ), thus forming a tubular structure, the base panel (16) comprising a multiplicity of straightened tabs (tl-t4) folded out of the base panel and forming a broken keel between the base portions of a row of articles housed on the base panel and the base portions of an adjacent row of articles housed on the base panel, characterized in that each straightened tongue (tl-t4) has a central part (30) hinged on one edge peripheral (34) of an opening (al-a4) in the base panel from which the tongue is cut, and portions of opposite wings (42,44) articulated on this central part, which are supported by the panel base in the vicinity of the periphery (40) of the eloi opening from the peripheral edge (34)   to keep the tongue in the upright position.   2. - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that each. tongue has a segmented portion cut out from the base panel, said central part (30) of the tongue being articulated along a fold line (32) on an edge forming a cord of the opening defining the tongue.   3. - Packaging according to claim 2, characterized in that the central part (30) is partially defined by two parallel fold lines (36,38) starting at right angles from the opposite edges of the fold line (32) at the level from the edge forming a cord to extend 26 1,9363   up to the opposite curved edge of the tongue, each parallel fold line constituting the connecting joint by which the opposite wing portions of the tongue are connected by folding to the central portion. 4. - Packaging according to claim 3, characterized in that the tips (42a, 44a) of the wing portions are rounded.   5. - Packaging according to one of claims 2 to 4,   characterized in that the minimum length (1) of each wing portion (42,44) of the tongue is greater than the maximum width (w) of the opening (a) defining the tongue, measured between the cord (34 ) and the periphery opposite curve (40).