FR2653185A1 - Adaptable hanging member for hanging packaging - Google Patents

Abstract

The hanging member according to the invention comprises two plates (3, 4) joined by a flexible connection (9), one of the plates being connected by a hinge (21) to an extended part (2) in the form of a hook. The plates (3, 4) are provided with snap-fitting members such as pegs (18, 19) which can be engaged in holes (15, 16). The plates are applied on either side of a peripheral border piece of packaging, the pegs (18, 19) passing through the fastening hole which already exists in the peripheral border piece of the packaging.

Description

 The present invention relates to packaging intended to be hung on a rod or a hook, such as packaging used in shelves on large surfaces.

 The current development of self-service outlets has led to the design of hull or blister packaging, in which the proposed product is enclosed, the hull or blister comprising a peripheral fringe or protruding border, pierced with at minus a hole The packaging, containing the product, is attached to a rod or hook-shaped support by passing the rod or hook through the hole in the peripheral fringe, the packaging remaining suspended below the support. Generally, several identical packages are strung on the same support rod.

 The peripheral edge holes may a priori be of very diverse shapes, to be compatible with rods or hooks supporting also very diverse shapes and sections.

However, the shapes of holes tend to normalize. A very widespread form is a hole comprising a horizontal oblong base connecting, in its central part, to a semicircular protuberance.

The support rod or the hook generally come to engage in the semicircular central projection of the hole.

 Another shape of hole is a substantially triangular shape with rounded edges, with a large horizontal base and a vertex directed towards the outer edge of the peripheral fringe; the rod or the hook generally come to be lodged in the top of the triangle.

 The walls of the package are generally made of cardboard or plastic and these walls are relatively thin and not very rigid. It is the same with the protruding peripheral edges, or peripheral fringes, which extend the edges of the walls. The mechanical strength of the edges is however sufficient to support the product in the packaging when the packaging is hung on a rod by the hole.

 However, such a method of attachment has the following drawback: the packaging can only be placed on a rod or removed from the rod by a movement in the longitudinal direction of the rod to its free end; when a customer wishes to remove a product placed in the bottom of a stack, he must first remove all the packaging that comes first, remove the packaging of the product he wants, and return the unwanted packaging. This results in tedious manipulations, likely to slow down the impulse to buy.

 One solution is to provide a possibility of lateral release of the packaging relative to the rod on which it is hung. This requires hooking. Unfortunately, the thicknesses of the walls of plastic or cardboard packaging are not sufficient to produce a hook by simple open cutting, the curved tongue formed by the open cutting not having sufficient mechanical rigidity to carry the product suspended in the 'packaging.

 Another drawback of the hanging structures currently used is that the holes provided in the peripheral fringes of the packaging necessarily have fixed dimensions, and do not systematically allow adaptation to any type of support. For example, the diameter of the support must necessarily be less than the size of the hole, failing which the entire packaging must be changed, which leads to unacceptable handling.

 The object of the present invention is to avoid the drawbacks of known attachment structures, by proposing an adaptable suspension member, attached to known packaging, and compatible with existing supports.

 An advantage of the invention is to allow the interchangeability of the suspension member: for the same packaging, it is possible to adapt members of different sizes capable of hanging on supports of different diameters and shapes.

 Another object of the invention is to allow the adaptation at will, on a package, of an adaptable suspension member of a type allowing the lateral release of the package relative to a support rod.

 Another object of the invention is to design such an adaptable suspension member, which can be adapted to known packaging without requiring the use of external tools or external assembly means, the adaptation of the suspension member carried out by a simple manipulation taking advantage of the existence of the suspension hole formed in the peripheral fringe of the packaging. The adaptable sus pension unit according to the invention comprises particular means of securing with the packaging itself, the means being adapted to the usual shape of the suspension holes. The same suspension organ ion according to the invention can for example be adapted indifferently and without modification to a packaging with a suspension hole of the substantially triangular type with rounded edges, or to a packaging with a suspension hole of the oblong base type and semi-circular central protuberances, as defined in standard DIN 55512.

 Another advantage of the invention is to stiffen the attachment zone of the packaging, promoting good maintenance and good orientation of the packaging on a support rod.

 Another object of the invention is to provide such an adaptable suspension member which, once positioned on a package, can be retracted into a position significantly reducing the size of the assembly. This possibility is advantageous in particular in the case of such packages, provided with suspension members, to be packaged by stacking in a box, for transport. This reduces the overall size of the box, for the same number of packages contained therein.

 Also, when used with a two-part package, namely a cover and a bottom, the package comprising a fringe consisting of the two peripheral edges of the cover and the bottom, the two edges being pressed one against the other and having holes facing each other to form the hanging hole, suspension member according to the invention also participates in the meeting of the cover and the bottom and can ensure the inviolability of the packaging in preventing separation of the cover and the bottom.

 To achieve these and other objects, the suspension member according to the invention, adaptable for hanging a package on a support, comprises a base provided with means for securing to the package, and an protruding part , integral with the base, shaped to allow its attachment to the support.More specifically, according to the invention - the base comprises a first flange and a second flange intended to be applied, in the assembly position, in opposition on both sides. another of a peripheral fringe of the packaging, - at least one of the first and second flanges is connected by a peripheral peripheral zone to said protruding part forming an attachment zone on the support, - the first and second flanges comprise each one joining face, intended to be pressed against said peripheral fringe of the packaging, the joining faces being provided with latching means allowing, in the assembly position, the joining of s first and second flanges against each other, - the latching means are arranged in the middle zone of the faces for securing the flanges and form, in the assembly position, a bridge of material connecting the two flanges perpendicular to the faces assembly, said bridge of material being adapted to pass through, in the assembly position, a pre-existing hole formed in said peripheral fringe of the packaging and thus to secure the packaging and the suspension member.

 According to an embodiment allowing a lateral release of the packaging, the projecting part forming an attachment zone on the support is a curved tongue in the shape of a hook. The adaptability of the suspension member according to the invention allows it to be made of a more rigid material or to a thickness greater than the materials constituting the packaging walls, so that sufficient rigidity can be obtained to constitute a hook that can support the packaging and its contents.

 According to an advantageous embodiment, the protruding part forming an attachment zone on the support is connected to the base by a flexible folding zone forming a hinge, to allow the orientation of said protruding part relative to the base, and in particular allowing its positioning in two orientations: an orientation in the hooking position substantially in the plane of the flanges, and a perpendicular orientation in a folded position. The perpendicular orientation allows stacking of several packages in the same box.

 The protruding part forming an attachment zone can be connected to one of the two flanges, or to the two flanges. When it is connected to the two flanges, the projecting part is formed by two parts added against each other, together forming a relatively rigid area for attachment. This increases the rigidity of this area. However, this embodiment does not favor the orientation of the attachment zone relative to the base.

 If we want to promote freedom of orientation relative to the base, we will preferably choose an protruding part which is connected to only one of the first and second flanges.

 Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, made in relation to the attached figures, among which - FIG. 1 represents a rear view, in the unassembled position, of 'a suspension member according to an embodiment of the invention - Figure 2 shows a front view of the suspension member of Figure 1 - Figure 3 is a top view of the suspension member according Figure 2 - Figure 4 illustrates a known form of packaging, in front view - Figure 5 shows the same known packaging on which is adapted a suspension member according to the invention - Figure 6 is a side view of the packaging-suspension unit assembly of FIG. 5 - FIG. 7 is a partial view in section AA of FIG. 5, on a larger scale - FIG. 8 illustrates the surface condition of a flange end allowing its grip - the fi gure 9 represents in section a latching lug according to an embodiment of the invention - FIG. 10 represents in section a latching hole according to an embodiment of the present invention - FIG. 11 is a side view in section along the plane BB of FIG. 2 - FIG. 12 illustrates, on a larger scale, the hinge zone between the protruding part of the attachment and the base of the suspension member - FIG. 13 is a top view of a member suspens ion according to the invention, in an anti-tearing embodiment - Figure 14 is a detailed sectional view of a anti-tearing lug of Figure 13, on a larger scale - Figure 15 is a detail view in section of a latching hole in FIG. 13 - FIG. 16 is a rear view, in the unassembled position, of a suspension member according to another embodiment of the invention - FIG. 17 is a view face of the assembly member of figure 16 - the figur e 18 is a top view of the assembly member of Figure 17 - Figure 19 is a partial side view in section of a latching lug of the suspension member of Figure 17 - Figure 20 is a partial side view in section of a latching hole for a suspension member according to FIG. 17; and - Figure 21 illustrates another form of hole and latching member according to the invention.

 In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, the adaptable suspension member according to the invention generally comprises a base 1 provided with means for securing to a package, and an protruding part 2, integral with the base 1, shaped to allow its attachment to a support.

 The base 1 comprises a first flange 3 and a second flange 4.

The flange 3, in the embodiment shown, is of substantially trapezoidal shape limited by a first edge or internal peripheral zone 5, and a second edge or external peripheral zone 6 respectively forming the small base and the large base of the trapezoid, same connected by two lateral oblique edges 7 and 8.

 The protruding part 2 is connected to the first flange 3 by the external peripheral zone 6 of the first flange 3.

 The second flange 4 has a shape similar to that of the first flange 3, as shown in the figures, so that it will not be described in more detail.

 The two flanges 3 and 4 are connected to each other by a flexible connection 9 between two respective ends of the external peripheral zones 6 of the first flange 3 and 10 of the second flange 4, for example the adjacent ends of the edges 8 and 11 flasks. As an alternative, a similar connection could be provided, in place of the connection 9, between the two other ends of peripheral zones 6 and 10, adjacent to the edges 7 and 12 of flanges.

 The connection 9 is advantageously constituted by a narrow strip of flexible material, forming an arch whose ends are connected to the respective ends of external peripheral zones 6 and 10 of flanges, and whose central part deviates above the peripheral zones 6 and 10, aligned relative to each other as shown in the figures.

 FIG. 1 represents, in rear view of the adaptable suspension member, the so-called external faces of the flanges 3 and 4 and of the projecting part 2. The free end of the second flange 4 comprises an area 13 of transverse gripping ribs , best shown in section in FIG. 8. The second flange 4 comprises a central hole 14.

 On the rear face of the first flange 3, there are two snap-fastening holes 15 and 16, offset laterally on either side of the axis II of the hook forming the protruding part 2. There is also a distinction between the holes 15 and 16, a blind hole 17 corresponding to the formation of a lug on the front face of the first flange 3, as will be explained in relation to FIG. 2.

 In Figure 2, there are the front faces of the flanges 3 and 4, or securing faces. On the second flange 4, there are the hole 14, and two snap lugs 18 and 19 offset laterally relative to the hole 14, positioned and shaped to be able to snap into the holes 15 and 16 of the first flange 3 when the suspension member is in the assembly position. On the first flange 3, there are two holes 15 and 16, and a positioning lug 20 corresponding to the blind hole 17, and shaped to engage in the hole 14 of the second flange 4.

 The junction zone between the projecting part 2 and the first flange 1 consists of a thinned part forming a hinge 21 along the external peripheral zone 6 of the first flange 1. The hinge 21 is advantageously offset laterally, in a first half of the external peripheral zone 6. The protruding part 2 is in the form of a hook, open opposite the hinge 21, and comprises peripheral ribs 22 and 23 for stiffening.

 The use of the adaptable suspension member, for its attachment to a package, is illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7.

 In Figure 4, there is shown schematically a possible form of packaging for receiving the suspension member according to the invention. It is a thermoformed packaging comprising a bottom 24 and a cover 25. The bottom 24 and the cover 25 each have a peripheral rim, in the parting line, the peripheral rims being intended to be pressed against each other. 'other when closing the cover 25 on the bottom 24. One side of the bottom 24 is connected to a corresponding side of the cover 25 according to a flexible hinge. The opposite side of the bottom 24 and the corresponding side of the cover 25 have respective flanges 26 and 27 each pierced with a hole. The two flange holes form, once assembled, the hanging hole 28 of the packaging. In the embodiment shown, the hanging hole 28 is of triangular shape with rounded corners, with a large base 29 parallel to the edges of the bottom 24 and of the cover 25, with a central apex 30 oriented outwards towards the edge of the edges 26 and 27, and with two lateral apices 31 and 32.

 The adaptable suspension member according to the invention is shaped to fit precisely on the peripheral packaging fringe formed by the flanges 26 and 27 provided with the hooking hole 28. For this, as shown better in FIGS. 6 and 7, the front face or securing face of the first flange 3 is positioned against a first face of the peripheral fringe formed by the edges 26 and 27 of the packaging, by introducing the positioning lug 20 into the hanging hole 28 in the vicinity of the central summit 30; the second flange 4 is folded down, by folding the connection 9, to press its front face or securing face against the second face of the peripheral fringe formed by the flanges 26 and 27, by introducing the pins 18 and 19 into the hole hooking 28, then by forcing them into the respective snap-on holes 15 and 16, the hole 14 coming to cover the positioning lug 20. After snap-fastening of the lugs 18 and 19 in the snap-on holes 15 and 16, the two flanges 3 and 4 are assembled to each other, and are secured to the packaging. The lugs 18, 19 and 20 form, in this assembly position, a material bridge connecting the two flanges 3 and 4 perpendicularly to the assembly faces, said material bridge crossing the attachment hole 28 of the packaging. The latching lugs 18 and 19 are positioned substantially in the vicinity of the lateral vertices 31 and 32 of the attachment hole 28. The three lugs 18, 19 and 20 participate together to take up the tensile forces between the suspension member according to the he invention and the package to which it is attached, and participate to maintain a correct orientation between the suspension member and the package. In particular, the pins prevent the suspension member from oscillating relative to the packaging in the direction represented by the double arrow 33.

 The latching means such as the pins 18-20 and the holes 14-16 are advantageously located in the middle part of the corresponding securing faces of the flanges.

 The assembly thus constituted by the packaging and the suspending member can be hung on a support 34 such as a rod or rod. When the packaging is removed from the support 34, the protruding hook-shaped part 2 can be folded back according to the hinge 21, for example in an orientation perpendicular to the joint plane of the bottom 24 and of the cover 25, reducing the overshoot of the adaptable suspension organ.

 Figure 9 shows a detail of the lug 18, shaped to snap into the hole 15 of Figure 10. In the form shown, the lug has a head provided with a peripheral end rib 35 s opposing its exit from the hole 15 after snap-fastening. The rib 35 is however little protruding, and a sufficient tensile force on the lug 18 can allow it to exit from the hole 15.

 In Figure 11, there is shown, in section along the plane B-B of Figure 2, the base assembly 1 - protruding part 2 forming the suspension member according to the invention. There are the positioning lug 20, and the stiffening ribs 23 and 22.

 FIG. 12 represents, on a larger scale, the hinge 21 connecting the base 1 and the projecting part 2.

 Figures 13 to 15 illustrate a second embodiment of the latching means between the first flange 3 and the second flange 4. In this embodiment, the latching lugs 18 and 19 have a tear-off head whose rib angular peripheral 35, clearly protruding, engages against the outer face of the first flange 3 after crossing the hole 15, preventing the withdrawal of the lug 18 from the hole 15. This embodiment, when used with a packaging as described in Figures 4 to 7, prohibits the separation of the edges 26 and 27 of the packaging, therefore prohibits the opening of the packaging and makes it inviolable. This means that opening the packaging requires the destruction of the pins 18 and 19.

 Figures 16 to 20 illustrate another embodiment of the adaptable suspension member according to the invention. In this embodiment, the internal face of the second flange 4 comprises a single protruding part 36, protruding from the internal face or securing face of the flange, and having a contour substantially of the same shape and slightly smaller than the contour of a pre-existing hanging hole in the packaging. The first flange 3 comprises, similarly, a single hole 37 for securing, having a contour corresponding to that of the protruding part 36 or that of the pre-existing hanging hole in the peripheral packaging fringe. The protruding part 36 has a peripheral end rib 38, favoring the snap-fastening and opposing the separation of the protruding part 36 relative to the hole 37.

 In this embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 to 20, the hole 37, the protruding part 36 and the packaging hole have a shape which is often encountered in current packaging, comprising a horizontal oblong base surmounted by a central semicircular part.

 Alternatively, it is possible to provide shapes of hole 37, of protruding part 36 and of packaging hole similar to those shown in FIG. 21 or in FIG. 4.

 In the embodiments which have been described, the flanges 3 and 4 are connected by the link 9. The advantage is to have an adaptable suspension member constituted in one piece.

 As an alternative, it is very possible to remove the connection 9, and provide two sub-assemblies, one consisting of the first flange 3 and the protruding part 2, the other consisting of the second flange 4.

 Also, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the positioning lug 20 and the hole 14 can be omitted, so as to keep only the latching lugs 18 and 19 and the holes 15 and 16.

According to this variant, all the efforts must be supported by the latching lugs 18 and 19, which must be dimensioned accordingly.

 The adaptable suspension member according to the invention can be adapted to any packaging made of cardboard, plastic or other material having a suspension hole, in particular a hole conforming to the main standards in force in European countries. The adaptation does not require any modification of the packaging.

 It is also possible to design another embodiment in which the suspension member would consist of two parts with contours similar to the assembly formed by the first flange 3 and the protruding part 2, the two parts being connected at a hinge. flexible disposed on the upper edge of the protruding part 2.

 The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations thereof contained in the field of claims below.

Claims (10)

 1 - Adaptable suspension member for hanging a package on a support, comprising - a base (1) provided with means for securing to the package, - an protruding part (2), integral with the base (1) , shaped to allow its attachment to the support, characterized in that - the base (1) comprises a first flange (3) and a second flange (4) intended to be applied, in the assembly position, in opposition on both sides and other of a peripheral fringe (26, 27) of the packaging, - at least one of the first (3) and second (4) flanges is connected by an external peripheral zone (6) to said projecting part (2 ) forming an attachment zone on the support, the first (3) and the second (4) flanges each comprising a securing face, intended to be pressed against said peripheral fringe (26, 27) of the packaging, the faces of attachment being provided with latching means (15-20) allowing, in the assembly position, the attachment of s first (3) and second (4) flanges against each other, - the latching means (15-20) form, in the assembly position, a material bridge connecting the two flanges (3, 4 ) perpendicular to the assembly faces, said material bridge being adapted to pass through, in the assembly position, a pre-existing hole (28) formed in said peripheral fringe (26, 27) of the packaging and thus to secure the packaging and the suspension member.  2 - Suspension member according to claim 1, characterized in that said projecting part (2) forming a hooking zone on the support is a curved tongue in the form of a hook, allowing hooking on a support rod (34) by lateral movement parallel to the flanges and the packaging fringe.  3 - Suspension member according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said projecting part (2) forming an attachment zone on the support is connected to the base (1) by a flexible folding zone forming a hinge ( 21), to allow the orientation of said projecting part (2) between a hooking position substantially in the plane of the flanges (3,4) and a folded position substantially perpendicular to the flanges.  4 - ion suspending device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, .characterized in that said projecting part (2) forming an attachment zone on the support is connected to only one (3) of the first and second flaccid.  5 - Suspension member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the latching means comprise - two lugs (18, 19) offset laterally, projecting from one of the two faces for securing the flanges ( 4), - two corresponding housings (15, 16), arranged in the other of the two joining faces (3), for receiving and retaining the pins (18, 19) by snap-fastening, - the pins (18, 19) being positioned to engage in the pre-existing hole (28) of the peripheral packaging fringe in the vicinity of the lateral ends (31, 32) of the hole (28).  6 - Suspension member according to claim 5, characterized in that the latching means further comprise a third lug (20), protruding from the securing face of one of the flanges (3) in an intermediate zone located between the attachment zones of the first two pins (18, 19), the third pin (20) being adapted to engage in a corresponding hole (14) in the other flange (4), the third pin (20) being arranged to bear against the outer edge (30) of the pre-existing hole (28) of the peripheral packaging fringe.  7 - Suspension member according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that lugs (18, 19) include anti-tearing parts (35) preventing their extraction from the corresponding housings (15, 16), ensuring inviolability of the packaging when the latter comprises a fringe consisting of two flanges (26, 27) added from a cover (25) articulated on a bottom (24).  8 - Suspension member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the latching means comprise a protruding part (36), projecting from the securing face of one of the flanges (4) and s 'engaging in a corresponding hole (37) of the other flange (3), the protruding part (36) and the corresponding hole (37) having contours of the same shape and slightly smaller than the contour of the pre-existing hole (28) peripheral fringe packaging.  9 - Suspension member according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the two flanges (3, 4) are connected to each other by a flexible connection (9) between two respective ends of their external peripheral zones (6, 10), so that, in the assembly position, the flexible connection (9) which connects the flanges (3, 4) is offset beyond the peripheral packaging fringe.  10 - Suspension member according to claim 9, characterized in that the flexible connection (9) is a narrow strip of flexible material, forming an arch whose ends are connected to the respective ends of external peripheral zones (6, 10) of flanges , and the central part of which deviates above the edges of external peripheral zones.