FR2624831A1 - Folding composite packing case - Google Patents

Abstract

Packing case comprising four walls 1, 2, 3, 4 and a bottom 5, characterised in that each wall 1-4 comprises the assembly of an external structure 7a, 7b, 7c, ..., an internal structure 7d, 7e, 7f and a connecting sheet 10 between these two structures and dimensionally stable with temperature, and the internal structure is formed from strips chosen to be made of a material which is free from the formation of residues and defibrillation on contact with the products placed in the case. This case is particularly convenient as a shuttle case, can be folded without tools and is particularly adapted for packaging parapharmacy products, flasks for laboratories, etc.

Description

 The subject of the present invention is a packaging case of the type comprising four walls and a bottom, intended for the packaging of various products1 in particular parts for automobiles, bottles of chemicals for laboratories, such a case being generally particularly advantageous in all the cases where it is necessary to use shuttle cases, that is to say reusable many times.

 The packaging of certain products such as parapharmacy bottles, aerosols, etc. raises cleanliness problems when using cardboard or wooden boxes, due to the appearance of deposits due to fibers on the products, coming from cardboard or wood, the hygiene of the products thus conditioned is therefore defective. In addition, it is necessary to be able to execute at least a certain number of shuttles at these boxes without repair, and preferably without appreciable muscular effort, the personnel called upon to use these boxes being most often female. Furthermore, these boxes must be stackable and not exceed the perimeter of their base when they are folded. Finally, it is desirable to be able to use them easily without tools.

 The invention therefore aims to achieve a box meeting these requirements.

 According to the invention, the packaging box is characterized in that each wall comprises the assembly of an external structure, an internal structure, and an intermediate sheet of plastic material connecting these two structures, and the internal structure is formed from blades chosen from a material free from residue formation and without defibrillation in contact with products in the box.

 According to a characteristic of the invention, the walls are articulated two by two with one another, and two opposite walls are moreover articulated on the bottom, so that the walls of each pair can be folded against each other and that the four walls can be folded horizontally on the bottom, means being further provided for ensuring the junction and locking of the four walls in a vertical position.

 Such a box can therefore be very easily and quickly folded up for storage or put in the position of use, and this without any additional tools, which is particularly advantageous.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear during the description which follows, given with reference to the appended drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof by way of nonlimiting example.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the packaging case according to the invention, the four walls being folded together on the bottom and a cover which can be arranged horizontally thereon;
- Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the body of Figure 1 partially unfolded, two walls being raised and the other two walls being folded in support on the bottom;
- Figure 3 is a perspective view of the box unfolded in the use position, without its cover;
- Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of an angle of the body of Figure 3, showing an embodiment of the means for joining and locking the walls.

 The packaging box illustrated in the drawings meets the specifications set out above: it comprises four walls 1, 2, 3, 4, a bottom 5 which may consist, for example, of a wooden pallet, and a cover 6.

 Each wall 1-4 is formed by the assembly of an external structure, a lower structure and a connecting sheet 10 between these two structures, made of a material which is very dimensionally stable at temperature. The interior structure is made up of blades chosen from a material free of residue formation and defibrillation in contact with the products placed in the box.

 In the example described, the external structure of each wall 1, 2, 3, 4 is formed by several respective rigid vertical blades 7a, 7b, 7c, 8a, 8b, 8c, 9a, 9b, 9c and 12a, 12b, 12c . These blades 7a, 7b, ... 12c can for example be made of wood. The internal structure of each wall or panel 1, 2, 3, 4 is formed by several blades 7d, 7e, 7f for the wall 1, 8d, 8e, 8f for the wall 2, three blades of which only the blade 9a is visible for the wall 3, and finally the blades 12d, 12e, 12f for the part 4. For each wall, the exterior and interior blades are three in number, this number obviously being able to vary.

In each wall, the two exterior and interior structures are assembled by the sheet 10, the four sheets 10 extending by a horizontal sheet 11 covering the base 5, forming a single continuous sheet. The joining of the sheets 10 with the respective blades is ensured by any suitable means, for example by gluing.

 The four walls 1, 2, 3, 4 are articulated two by two together, the wall 2 being thus articulated on the wall 1 and the wall 4 being articulated on the wall 3. In addition, the two opposite walls 1, 3 are articulated on the bottom 5 by flexible hinges formed by the junction of the sheets 10 and the bottom 11, the four walls being moreover dimensioned so as to be circumscribed on the bottom 5 when they are folded down thereon.

 Thus, the walls of each pair 1, 2 and 3, 4 can be folded against each other as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and folded horizontally on the bottom 5, means being further provided for ensuring the junction and locking the four walls in a vertical position.

These means can be produced in a manner known per se, for example by straps or by closures of the type known under the brand "Velcro" as shown. Because the walls 2 and 4 are already articulated on the walls 1 and 3, these locking means are only necessary at two diagonally opposite angles of the body, that is to say at the two angles or two contiguous walls are not articulated between them.

 Thus in the example described, the locking of the walls 1-4 in the vertical position can be ensured by complementary flexible fasteners 13a, 13b and 14a, 14b. The flexible tabs 13a are fixed along the vertical side of the wall 4 opposite its articulation with the panel 3 and can be folded down on complementary parts 13b fixed on the contiguous edge of the external structure of the panel 1 (blades 7c). Flexible fasteners i4a fixed on the vertical side of the wall 2 opposite its articulation on the wall 1, can be folded down on complementary parts 14b fixed to the adjacent vertical side of the wall 3.

 The body thus obtained is in the form visible in Figure 3, and can be capped with the cover 6, the vertices of which fit onto the corners of the external structures.

 The "barrier" material forming the sheet 10, 11 is chosen so as to undergo only very slight dimensional variations as a function of the temperature, and to be resistant to acids. It must also be waterproof to runoff, and allow multicolored markings. Its bottom 11 is stapled or glued to the pallet. 5. This material may for example be woven and mass-dyed polyproylene, warp and weft, or even cellular polypropylene, these two materials being naturally given only by way of nonlimiting examples.

 The blades 7d, 7e, 7f, 8d, ... 12f of the internal structures of the panels are chosen from a material which does not give rise to defibrillations or to the formation of residues on contact with the products placed in the box. This material can be one of the following given by way of non-limiting examples: sawn wood, peeled wood, cellulose fibers mixed with resins and urea-formaldehyde adhesives, coated with polyvinyl chloride or with melamine coatings , or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), other suitable materials which can obviously be used. In addition, the selected material must resist corrosion well, which is the case of the above materials.

 The cover 6 comprises for example an assembly of four angles 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d made of cardboard coated with melamine or PVC, or even in injected PVC, a plywood plate and on the inside, a suitable plastic film such as polypropylene woven. The cover 6 strengthens the holding of the box during stacking and makes it possible, when the box is folded, to ensure the protection of the panels 1, 2, 3, 4, and to facilitate the storage of the assembly. The four walls 1-4 are secured to the bottom 5, while the cover 6 is removable.

 The implementation of the box according to the invention follows directly from the above description: When it is in the storage position, the four walls are folded over one another and folded down on the pallet 5 (Figure? ). To put it in the position of use, the walls are unfolded and raised one after the other, and the two angles are locked. Opposite by folding down the flexible fasteners 13a and 14a on the complementary parts 13b and 14b. The box thus formed can be closed by the cover 6 which allows stacking, the box can thus support loads for example of 50 to 150 kg. The deployment of the walls and their folding back into the storage position can be carried out very easily and effortlessly, without any tools, which is particularly advantageous. The box according to the invention can thus be used a certain number of times without requiring any repair intervention, while meeting the specifications set out above.

 The invention is not limited to the embodiment and may include numerous variants of execution, the locking of the walls in particular being able to be ensured by any means equivalent to those described.

Claims (8)

 1 - Conditioning box comprising four walls (1, 2, 3, 4) and a bottom (5), characterized in that each pardi (1-4) comprises the assembly of an external structure (7a, 7b, 7c , ...), an interior structure (7d, 7e, 7f) and a sheet (10) connecting these two structures, dimensionally stable at temperature, and the interior structure is formed of blades chosen in one material free of residue formation and defibrillation on contact with products placed in the box.  2 - Box according to claim 1, Characterized in that the walls (1; 2, 3, 4) are articulated two by two with each other, and two opposite walls (1, 2; 3, 4) are moreover articulated on the bottom (5) so that the. walls of each pair (1, 2; 3, 4) can be folded against each other and the four walls can be folded horizontally on the bottom (5), means being further provided for ensuring the junction and locking the four walls in a vertical position.  3 - Box according to claim 2, characterized in that said means are arranged along the .deux angles of the walls (1, 4 and 2, 3) diagonally opposite and devoid of articulation, and are constituted for example by flexible bands complementary (13a, 13b; 14a, 14b) fixed respectively at each angle on a wall (3, 1) articulated at the bottom (5) and on the adjoining wall (2, 4) articulated at the opposite wall (1, 3).  4 - Box according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the blades (7d, 7th, 7f; 8d, 8e, 8f, ... i of the internal structure are made of one of the following materials. : sawn wood, peeled wood, cellulose fibers mixed with residues and urea-formaldehyde adhesives, coated with polyvinyl chloride or with melamine coatings, polyvinyl chloride.  5 - Box according to claim 4, characterized in that the plastic intermediate sheets (10) of the walls are completed by a similar sheet (11) covering the bottom, these sheets form a continuous sheet and are made for example of woven and dyed polypropylene in the mass or in alveolar polypropylene.  6 - Box according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a removable rigid cover (6), suitable for covering the four walls (1, 2, 3, 4) folded over the bottom (5) or upright, thus facilitating the storage or stacking of the box.  7 - Box according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover comprises an assembly of four angles (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d), a plywood plate and a plastic fiber, for example polypropylene.  8 - Use of the box according to one of claims 1 to 7 as a shuttle box for the transport of bottles, in particular of laboratory and parapharmacy, of automobile spare parts.