FR2678244A1 - SHEATH-TYPE OVERPACKING FOR A GROUP OF OBJECTS SUCH AS PRIMARY CONTAINERS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sleeve-like overwrap for a group of articles such as primary containers, made from a blank and comprising a top wall (106), two side walls (102, 104) and two half-sides. bottom walls (108a, 108b). Each bottom half-wall comprises at each longitudinal end a flap (136a, 138a, 136b, 138b) articulated on it, a bellows (144, 146) being provided between each flap and the adjacent side wall to bring said flap in an orientation inclination determined with respect to the bottom half-wall during the volume setting of the blank. A flap (136a, 138a) provided on one (108a) of the bottom half-walls is substantially shorter than the associated flap (136b, 138b) provided on the other bottom half-wall so that there is a overlap area of the two shutters, in which the shutter (136a, 138a) is located outside the shutter (136b, 138b) to stabilize the latter and define a continuous-looking pediment at the base of each end opening .

Description

1 - The present invention relates to a sheath-type overpack for

  group a set of objects such as

beverage containers.

  In general, when you group such a set of objects in the same overwrap, each object has its own barcode, while on the cardboard of the overwrap is printed a different barcode, identifying the group of objects Thus, when the overpack is presented to a barcode reader, for example at the point of sale terminals of a store, it is imperative to ensure that only the code to bars associated with the object group

can be read.

  In the case of cylindrical boxes for drinks r the bar code is generally provided at the base of the boxes To avoid these codes being read accidentally by code reading machines in place of the code printed on the cardboard, it is known to '' equip the sheath with a strip, pediment or the like which, by partially closing the open ends of the

  scabbard, hides the barcodes of the containers themselves

  same. However, the production of such a strip proves difficult when, as is generally desired, the sheath is closed on itself at the level of two bottom half-walls locked or glued with one another. The present invention aims to provide an overpack of the type mentioned in the introduction which, while closing at the level of two bottom half-walls, has a pediment of satisfactory construction and appearance, and this in no way complicates the

  process or means for setting the volume of the sheath.

  To this end, it relates to a sheath-type overwrap for a group of objects such as 2 - primary containers, of the type produced from a single blank of foldable material and comprising a top wall, two side walls and two bottom half-walls assembled together, characterized in that each bottom half-wall comprises at each end in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve a flap articulated on said half-wall, a bellows means being provided between each flap and the adjacent side wall to bring said flap in a tilt orientation determined relative to the bottom half-wall when the blank is placed in volume, in that the length of a flap provided on one bottom half-walls is substantially shorter than the length of the associated flap provided on the other bottom half-wall and located at the same end of the sheath, the lengths of said flaps being such that there is an overlap zone rement of the two flaps, in which the shorter flap is located outside the longer flap to maintain the latter in a stable position and define a pediment of continuous appearance at the base of each end opening

longitudinal of the sheath.

  Other aspects, aims and advantages of the present invention will appear better on reading the

  following detailed description of an embodiment

  preferred thereof, given by way of nonlimiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. t is a plan view of a blank for overpack according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the blank of Figure 1 once set in volume, Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank for overpack according to a second embodiment of the invention, 3 - Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the blank of FIG. 3 once set in volume, FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank for overwrapping according to a third embodiment of the invention, FIG. 6 is a view in partial perspective of the blank of FIG. 5 once set in volume, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of a blank for overwrapping according to a fourth embodiment of

the invention.

  It will be noted at the outset that, from one figure to another, identical or similar elements or parts

  have been designated by the same reference signs.

  Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a blank, for example of cardboard, intended to be set in volume to take the form of an overwrapping sheath of a group of objects, and in this case two rows parallel of three cylindrical beverage containers

or the like.

  The blank 100 has two side walls 102, 104, a top wall 106 and two bottom half-walls 108 a, 108 b intended to be assembled together, as

we will see it in detail later.

  Between the top wall 106 and the side walls 102, 104 are provided two intermediate bevelled walls 110, 112 in which are formed, over their entire width, openings 114 in which the ends can engage laterally

upper containers.

  In the top wall 106 of which two flaps 116 formed articulated on fold lines 118 and intended to be pressed towards the interior space of the sheath to facilitate transport Fold lines 120 to 130, mutually parallel and in the longitudinal direction of the sheath, separate the various zones described above. Openings 132 4 for clamping the containers are also provided in the bottom parts 108 a, 108 b along the fold lines 120, 130 which separate said parts of

bottom of the side walls.

  The bottom half-walls 108 a, 108 b in this case comprise mutual locking means consisting of three tabs 134 a projecting from the free longitudinal edge of the half-wall 108 a and able to cooperate with three sets of slots 134 b provided in the half-wall 108 b These locking means, which do not constitute a feature of the invention, will not be described in detail and can be replaced

by any other appropriate means.

  According to an essential aspect of the invention, each side half-wall is bordered at its two longitudinal ends by flaps, respectively 136 a, 138 a and 136 b, 138 b, intended during the setting in volume of the blank to form two pediments located at the base of the scabbard and

  able to hide the bases of the containers.

  Each flap is articulated on the associated bottom half-wall by a fold line 140 and is connected to the associated longitudinal end edge of the adjacent side wall by three successive zones 142, 144 and 146, four fold lines 148, 150 , 152 and 154 being

  provided between these zones, the flap and the side wall.

  Furthermore, an opening 156 in the general shape of a rhombus is delimited by: a beveled edge situated between the fold line or 130 and the fold line 140, a straight interior edge of the zone 142 adjacent to the flap, an inner inclined edge of the zone 146 adjacent to the side wall 102 or 104, and a lower right edge of the side wall

adjacent 102 or 104.

  - The zone 142 adjacent to the flap constitutes, during the setting in volume, an extension of the pediment located in a vertical plane but inclined, for example by an angle close to 450, relative to the pediment in the direction of the adjacent side wall. The zones 144 and 146 constitute a bellows, by folding one against the other and against the inner face of the side wall (folding at 1800 along lines 152 and 154) and allowing the folding of the blank at 900

according to lines 120 or 130 and 140.

  As can be seen, the horizontal length

  The flaps 136 a, 138 a located at the level of the half

  bottom wall 108 a is substantially less than the length Lb of the flaps 136 b, 138 b associated with the other bottom half wall 108 b For example, the ratio between La

  and Lb can be between 1: 3 and 1: 6.

  In addition, during the setting in volume, it is made so that the free end of each flap 136 b, 138 b (lower end in FIG. 1) comes to engage behind the homologous flap 136 a, 138 a These , much shorter and therefore much more rigid, thus ensure that the largest flaps are maintained 136 b, 138 b to prevent them from yawning outwards by the play of a certain elasticity of the

blank material.

  The appearance of the overpack put into volume is partially illustrated in FIG. 2 It can be observed that the flaps (in this case the flaps 136 a, 136 b define at the base of the opening of the sheath an aspect pediment

  homogeneous and of satisfactory rigidity.

  It should be noted that the pediment is produced directly during the sheathing operation around a group of containers R More precisely, it is only necessary, when folding the blank around the containers, to ensure that the bellows 144, 146 fold well towards the inside of the 6 - sheath to automatically shape the pediments Locking the two half-walls of

  background is sufficient to maintain the overpack in this state.

  Thus no bonding is necessary to maintain the pediments in position In this respect, it is the containers themselves which, by pressing the bellows zones 144, 146 against the inner face of the side walls, give the pediments their stable position, in plans

essentially vertical.

  FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention. All of the elements described above are found there, in a different form for

some of them.

  The essential aspect of this variant resides in that the zone 146 of each bellows extends practically over the entire height of the associated side wall, and also constitutes a bellows element for a gusset provided at the junction between said side wall.

  and the upper wall of the sheath.

  Each gusset, designated by the reference 160, is delimited: by an inclined fold line 162 of transition with the top wall 106, by a fold line 164 essentially perpendicular to the line 162, and

  by a curved cutting line.

  The bellows associated with each gusset 160 is constituted by the aforementioned zone 146 and by an adjacent zone 158 articulated on said zone 146 by a fold line 166 The fold line 164 is at the transition between zone 158 and the gusset In addition, a triangular opening 168 is jointly delimited by the

  zones 160, 158, 146, 104 and 112, as illustrated.

  When the blank is placed in volume, it suffices to initiate a movement of the zone 146 common to the two bellows inwards to automatically ensure 7 - the shaping of the associated pediment flap, at the bottom, and the associated gusset 160 , above Here again, the pressure exerted by the adjacent container in zone 146 folded back to 1800 is sufficient to keep the pediment flap and the gusset in their correct position, illustrated on the

figure 4.

  The purpose of the gussets 160 is, in particular, by closing the upper corners of the two end openings of the sheath, to properly enclose the group of

containers in it.

  The embodiment of FIG. 5 is based on that of FIG. 3, from which it takes all the elements, the difference residing in that the top wall 106 is bordered at each longitudinal end by a flap 172 which is there articulated by a fold line 174 Each flap 172 is further extended laterally by two wings 172 ′, 172 ", fold lines 176 being provided between said wings and the flap. When the blank is placed in volume, the pivoting of the flaps around their fold lines 174 so that, when the gussets 160 will start to pivot around their fold lines 162, the wings 172 ′, 172 "are behind said gussets In this way, at the end of the setting in volume, each flap 172 and its wings are held by the gussets in a position inclined downward at approximately 900 relative to the top wall 106, so thus defining an upper pediment Such a pediment can have ur object in particular to hide a barcode provided in the upper region of the containers, or

aesthetic reasons.

  The blank of Figure 5 once set in volume is partially shown in Figure 6 It is observed that the wings 172, 172 "are intended, by pivoting slightly around the fold lines 176 relative to the 8 central flap 172, well marry the inclination of the gussets 160, itself obtained by the inclination of the

fold lines 162.

  FIG. 7 represents a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 3 All the elements of FIG. 3 are found there, with the same functionalities,

  but in some cases in a different form.

  Mainly, there is provided between each bellows zone 146 common to the adjacent pediment flap and the gusset and the adjacent side wall 102 or 104 an oblong opening 170 extending approximately half in the zone 146 and half in the wall lateral As a corollary, the line of

folding 154 is divided in half.

  In this way, when the zone 146 is folded in 1800 towards the inside during the setting in volume of the blank, a notch is defined approximately halfway up the sheath. Such a notch may be desirable to facilitate identification by the consumer. of

products grouped in the sheath.

  Another difference from the embodiment of FIG. 3 is that an additional zone 142 'is provided between each zone 142 and the adjacent bellows zone 144, the zones 142 and 142' being separated by a fold line 149 for example

parallel to line 148.

  Thus the transition between each pediment a side wall is effected with greater progressiveness, the inclination of the zone 142 'relative to the pediment being greater than the inclination of the zone 142 relative to this same pediment. , contour

  cylindrical containers are more closely matched.

  Of course, the present invention is not

  in no way limited to the embodiment described above

  above and represented on the drawings, but the man of 9 - art will know how to make any variant or modification

conforms to his spirit.

-

Claims (8)

  1 Sleeve-type overpack for a group of objects such as primary containers, of the type produced from a single blank of foldable material and comprising a top wall (106), two side walls (102, 104) and two bottom half-walls (108 a, 108 b) assembled to each other, characterized in that each bottom half-wall comprises at each end in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve a flap (136 a, 138 a, 136 b, 138 b) articulated on said half wall, a bellows means (144, 146) being provided between each flap and the adjacent side wall to bring said flap in a tilt orientation determined relative to the bottom half wall during the setting up of the blank, in that the length (La) of a flap (136 a, 138 a) provided on one (108 a) of the bottom half-walls is substantially shorter than the length (Lb) of the associated flap (136 b, 138 b) provided on the other bottom half-wall and located at the same end mity of the sheath, the lengths of said flaps being such that there is an overlap zone of the two flaps, in which the shorter length flap (136 a, 138 a) is located outside the longer length flap ( 136 b, 138 b) to maintain the latter in a stable position and define a pediment of continuous appearance at the base of each opening   longitudinal end of the sheath.   2 Overwrap according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio between the length of the shortest flaps (136 a, 138 a) and the length of the longest flaps (136 b, 138 b)   is between about 1: 3 and about 1: 6.   3 Overwrap according to one of claims 1   and 2, characterized in that each bellows means comprises two zones (144, 146) articulated together by a fold line (152) and articulated respectively on each flap (136 a, 138 a, 136 b, 138 b) and on the associated il - lateral wall (102; 104) by two other lines of folding (150, 154).   4 Overwrap according to claim 3, characterized in that it is provided between each flap and the adjacent zone (144) of the bellows means associated with at least one intermediate zone (142, 142 ') inclined both with respect to the pediment and relative to the wall adjacent side.   Overpack according to claim 4, characterized in that there is further provided in each upper corner of each longitudinal end opening of the sheath a gusset (160), each gusset being articulated on the top wall by a fold line ( 162) and being connected to the adjacent side wall by bellows means (158, 146), the bellows means (144 146) associated with a flap and the bellows means (158, 146) associated with an overhanging gusset a common area (146), articulated on the wall adjacent side.   6 Overwrap according to claim 5, characterized in that between the two gussets (160) located at the two upper corners of the same opening is provided a flap (172) articulated on the top wall and whose ends are located behind the gussets, so as to be maintained by said gussets in a substantially inclined orientation relative to the wall   from above and define an upper pediment.   7 Overwrap according to claim 6, characterized in that each gusset (160) is articulated on the top wall by an inclined fold line (162) and in that at each flap (172) articulated on the top wall are associated two wings (172 ', 172 ")   conforming to the inclination of the gussets behind them this.   8 Overwrap according to one of claims 3   7, characterized in that the zone (146), articulated on 12 - a side wall, of each bellows means is held intimately pressed against the inner face of   said side wall by an object (R).   9 Overwrap according to one of claims   previous, for a set of cylindrical containers for drinks.