FR2754522A1 - Wedging packaging for complex shaped article - Google Patents

Abstract

The cardboard packaging box comprises four vertical rectangular walls (2,3,4,5) fixed around a horizontal bottom (6) to form the container (10'). A thermo-retractable film (7) packages the load. A plane rigid element (11) is forced down between two vertical walls (3,5) to fix a central zone of the thermo-retractable film on the box bottom. The rest of the film forms, either side the rigid element, a free curtain of material (8,9) extending from the lines of contact between the rigid element and the vertical walls. This curtain extends over a length sufficient to totally envelope the load when the film is retracted.

Description

PACKAGING FOR THE SETTING AND / OR CONDITIONING OF A
ARTICLE OR LOT OF ARTICLES OF COMPLEX FORM AND / OR
INDETERMINE VOLUME
The present invention relates to a packaging of the cardboard box type provided with a shrink film which is integral with it, intended for the packaging and / or wedging of articles intended to be delivered in number or in very variable volume or also for packaging and / or the setting of fragile and / or complex shaped charges.

 Such packaging is particularly suitable for objects such as boxes, bottles, medicines or various documents, taken in groups or individually in the same packaging, particularly intended for the delivery of a user or a retailer such as a bookseller, pharmacist and more generally the retail trade.

 It is easy to understand that wholesalers, in order to prepare the order for their retailers, need to package lots of very different articles by nature in packaging which must nevertheless withstand sometimes difficult conditions of transport and delivery; taking into account the cost of standard cases, it quickly became difficult to use such packaging for packaging batches of articles of this nature, as this would imply systematically using ranges of packaging whose storage would be extremely expensive and therefore unsuitable for this form of distribution.

 Numerous solutions are already known to this type of problem which have long proposed to package batches of articles inside a case or a container, in particular of cardboard, covered with a sheet of heat-shrinkable plastic linked to the internal face of the bottom of the box and / or to the internal face of the two opposite vertical walls; in this way, it suffices to place the objects to be packaged inside a cardboard bottom, then cover them with the plastic sheet which will finally be completely shrunk on the products by passing through a heating tunnel for example , with the consequence of keeping said products securely stowed at the transport crate. Such solutions are normally very advantageous since they require only a single case with a minimum volume of cardboard, providing substantial savings in materials in addition to obvious savings in packaging storage which has become unique.

In this sense we know the French patent
FR-2.426.620 according to which, for packaging a batch of products, two plastic sheets are used which overlap by one of their ends above the load so as to be heat welded therein at the level of the overlap zone, the other of their ends which is not in contact with the load being glued to the internal face of the bottom or close to the bottom on the internal face of a side wall of a cardboard box obtained from a simple blank forming the bottom of the box from which extend two lateral faces which have previously folded down onto the load before folding down the two plastic sheets which will come by welding to maintain the assembly.

This particular packaging suffers from a serious defect in the mechanical strength of the assembly; indeed, all the packaging is linked to the resistance to take-off or tearing of the connections of the plastic sheets with the bottom or the side walls of the cardboard box. It is well known that such packages are subjected to high stresses during handling and transport frequently leading to the rupture of the plastic film connections with the cardboard base.

 In this regard, other solutions have been proposed, this time based on the surprising observation that the resistance to peeling or tearing off of heat shrinkable sheet materials during handling and / or transport operations was improved when the connection of said heat-shrinkable materials to the box was made outside of said box on at least one external face (bottom or side wall) thereof, the edge of said face, which is covered by said thermo-material retractable in sheet, acting as a means opposing the stresses exerted by the weight of the load.

In this sense, several solutions have already been proposed, in particular in French patent FR-A-86.01435 describing a packaging case consisting of a case, for example of cardboard and of a heat-shrinkable sheet material for packaging and maintaining in place of a filler, characterized in that the heat-shrinkable sheet material is linked by at least one of its edges to the external surface of a wall of the case in the vicinity of the edge of said wall, and is developed at outside from said edge towards the edge of said wall and then inside the case opposite the internal surface of said wall while moving away from the latter towards the load to be packaged. There is also a similar solution in the French patent
FR-A-85.16217 according to which the heat-shrinkable sheets are inserted between the internal faces of the walls and portions of these same walls folded towards the inside of the box.

 The latter solutions have the drawback either of requiring a cover in the first case, or of providing originally for a special cutting which is costly in material and generates an additional cost in the stock management of such packaging; in addition, these solutions are mechanically more complicated insofar as they require two sheets of plastic significantly complicating the mounting operations.

 A last solution has been proposed in French patent FR-2,577,001 which describes an American box or the like using a heat-shrinkable plastic film secured to the bottom of the box, characterized in that the plastic film is pinched between the external flaps. adjoining two parallel walls of the box and constituting the bottom proper of the packaging, and the internal flaps, adjoining the other two walls and lining the bottom internally.

 The latter solution has the advantage of being able to be mechanized relatively easily since the heat-shrinkable film can be inserted continuously from a reel and furthermore the solution does not require any bonding of said film to the bottom of the box, thus overcoming the drawbacks. cited above.

 On the other hand, the latter solution is not satisfactory since it is only adaptable to American boxes with a full bottom, excluding for example boxes with reduced flaps but also trays with glued corners outside or inside or even boxes American junction boxes whose closure is ensured by an independent glued cover.

To overcome these latter drawbacks and in accordance with the invention, a cardboard or similar material packaging box is proposed for the storage, handling and / or transport of any load comprising at least
- a succession of at least four generally rectangular or square vertical walls, of cardboard or the like, arranged and maintained to form a lateral belt around a horizontal bottom normally made of cardboard or the like to which it is secured, and
a film of heat-shrinkable plastic material in one piece, intended for the packaging of said load,
said box being characterized in that a flat and rigid element is force-fitted between at least two vertical walls preferably facing one another to plywood and therefore fix, an advantageously central zone of the heat-shrinkable film on the bottom of the body so that the rest of the film provides on one side and the other of said planar element a curtain of free material extending from the contact lines between said element and the vertical walls, over a length sufficient to wrap fully load by thermal shrinkage of the film.

 It is well understood that such a solution has many advantages compared to all previous teachings insofar as it is possible to equip any cardboard boxes, cases, trays or cases forming a receptacle with a heat-shrinkable film intended to wrap any load without risking the problems of detachment or tearing off during handling or impact during transport; Likewise, the solution recommended by the invention is equally suitable for continuous manufacturing insofar as a shrink film is used in one piece or for manufacturing entirely manual and punctual since it It suffices to provide, in addition to a reel of heat-shrinkable film, planar elements which are cut when the time comes to the dimensions of the bottom of the tray, of the box, or of any other container of corrugated cardboard, compact or other sheet material, mounting the film is done simply by force insertion between two opposite side walls of the container to be fitted.

 Of course and according to another essential characteristic of the invention, when the planar element constituting the double bottom of the container is obtained from a simple blank of corrugated cardboard, it is then advisable to orient the direction of the grooves as it will be explained further.

 According to a particularly advantageous variant of the invention, the fixing of the film can also be obtained by a simple snap-fastening of the double bottom in the side walls of the primary container; this variant is particularly well suited to containers of the double wall type.

 Finally, according to other important characteristics, the planar element may, totally or partially, cover the bottom of the primary container and it may or may not be envisaged direct bonding of said element with the bottom of the primary container by crossing the film, depending on whether the 'packaging thus constituted will be used for example for wedging heavy, expensive, fragile or complex shapes; in this regard, the planar element may have a greater thickness to constitute a reinforced double bottom or even to receive imprints intended to better position the base of the objects.

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the description which will be given by way of nonlimiting examples of several preferred variants of the box in accordance with the invention with reference to the appended drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box in accordance with a first variant of the invention showing the components of the box before mounting according to the arrows F,
- Figure 2 is an elevational view of a section II-II of Figure 1 when the planar element is plywood on the bottom of the box; in addition, part of the articles has been shown in solid lines after the plastic film has been shrunk and in thin dashed lines the two plastics curtains before loading of the article or articles,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second variant of the box in accordance with the invention showing the planar element before mounting along F and snap-fastening between two opposite vertical walls of the box,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view IV-IV of FIG. 3 showing in full lines the box with its double snap-in bottom and in thin broken lines the two plastics curtains before loading the articles,
FIG. 5 shows in perspective a variant of a planar element intended for a box in accordance with the second variant formed from a stack of three cardboard blanks incorporating an imprint intended for wedging an object,
- Figure 6 is a sectional and elevational view of a box provided with a planar element according to Figure 5 showing by way of example the setting and conditioning of a headlight optic.

 According to Figures 1 and 2, the box 1 for packaging a batch of articles corresponding to the preparation of an order comprises according to a first variant of the invention, a corrugated cardboard belt or the like made from four 2,3,4,5 panels, for example rectangular, arranged vertically and joined to one another by their length, the walls 2,4 and 3,5 opposite being normally, although not necessarily, identical in order to form in the space, a rectangular parallelepiped; this belt is provided in its lower part with a bottom 6 secured in all known ways to each of the walls 2,3,4,5 to form a receptacle 10 open upwards. It is obvious that the receptacle 10 can be obtained from a normal American box (RSC) or from a simple half-American or even from a tray with a bottom glued for example on entablatures; of course the choice of a parallelepipedic box 1 corresponding to the vast majority of uses, is not limiting and one could perfectly conceive of producing receptacles 10 comprising more than four vertical walls to meet a particular need in the handling or transport.

 Inside the receptacle 10 there is first of all a sheet of heat-shrinkable plastic 7 of dimension such that it substantially covers the bottom 6 of said receptacle while opening out along two opposite vertical walls 3,5 to overflow widely outside the body 1 and form two curtains 8.9 which will come once the load deposited in the receptacle 10 cover the objects with a minimum overlap between the two curtains 8.9 to provide a weld after passing through a heating tunnel such that it will be said later.

 A flat and rigid element 11 is then forcibly inserted inside the receptacle 10 provided with its heat-shrinkable film 7, the two curtains 8,9 of which have been folded down outside the vertical walls 3,5 so as to come ply the film 7 on the bottom 6 of the receptacle. Of course, the element 11 which comes to lock the film 7 at the bottom 6 of the receptacle 10 is correctly dimensioned to be force-fitted between the two vertical walls 3.5 overlapped by the two curtains 8,9, thus providing a real wedging of the film 7 respectively between edge 12 of element 11 and wall 3 and between edge 13 and wall 5.

 It is easy to understand that such an assembly, particularly easy to carry out, is an effective solution for packaging an article or a batch of articles with a volume not determined in advance that it suffices to have it on the face. upper element 11 and cover with two curtains of plastic 8.9 to obtain a solid packaging after welding and heat-shrinking in a heating tunnel for example of film 7 and two curtains 8.9 arranged in slight overlap.

 According to an alternative embodiment of the box in accordance with the invention, it is entirely possible to proceed with a bonding of the element 11 on the bottom 6 of the receptacle 10, bonding which will be done naturally by crossing the film 7 .

 According to a general characteristic of the invention, the planar element 11 must be rigid to provide maximum blocking of the film 7 between the side walls 3.5 of the receptacle 10; advantageously this planar element 11 will be cut from corrugated cardboard, preferably although not necessarily, to the dimensions of the bottom 6 of the receptacle 10 in order to constitute a real double bottom.

To provide the necessary rigidity to the corrugated cardboard, the planar element 11 will be inserted in such a way that the direction of the grooves 14 is perpendicular to the lines of contact with the vertical walls 3,5 between which said element 11 is forcibly inserted.

 In accordance with FIGS. 3 and 4, a second variant of the box in accordance with the invention will now be given, observing that in order to simplify reading thereof, the parts of figs 3 and 4 which are common to the two variants bear the same references as in the figures. 1 and 2.

 As in the first variant, the receptacle 1 will advantageously be formed from four side walls 2,3,4,5, preferably of rectangular shape held together to form a belt for example of corrugated cardboard or the like secured to a bottom 6 , to form in a very usual manner, a receptacle 10 ′ such as a normal American box (RSC) or a half-American or also a tray with single walls or double walls commonly used in the packaging field.

 As in the previous variant, it is arranged inside the receptacle 10 'a sheet of heat-shrinkable plastic 7, the two ends of which form curtains 8, 9 of free material projecting widely on either side of the receptacle 10 'beyond two opposite vertical walls 3.5 over a length allowing to completely cover the articles to be packaged as has already been explained above.

 In this second variant, the planar element 11 ′ coming, as in the previous variant, against the central part of the film 7 on the bottom 6 of the receptacle 10 ′ naturally presents all the characteristics of the planar element 11 of the first variant, but it is additionally provided with pins 15,16 extending outward in the plane of the element 11 'from the opposite edges 12,13 of said element 11' coming into contact with two side walls 3,5 of the receptacle 10 'contributing to the blocking of the two curtains 8.9.

 These two studs 15,16 on the element 11 'are provided to collaborate with two grooves 17,18 extending horizontally at the base of the two opposite vertical walls 3,5 of the receptacle 10' to form a latching locking of the element 11 'after it has been force-fitted and plywood on the bottom 6 of the receptacle 10'.

 The two grooves 17, 18 are arranged in the lower part of the vertical walls 3.5 just above the junction line between said walls 3.5 and the bottom 6, over a length at most equal to the length of said walls and normally over a length sufficient to firmly hold the element 11 'against the bottom 6 of the receptacle 10. Thus the element 11' snapped into the grooves 17, 18 of the opposite side walls 3.5 not only against the greenhouse by its edges 12, 13 the film 7 against the same vertical walls 3,5 but by the play of the two tenons 15,16 forms corners which irreversibly embed the base of the curtains 8,9 in the grooves 17 and 18. In this way, any traction on the film 7, for example in the event of a fall, impact or rough handling will be compensated not only by the wedging effect of the part 11 ′ as in the first variant but also by the wedge effect of the tenons 15, 16 embedded in the grooves 17.1 8 vertical walls 3.5.

 It will then be understood that in this variant, it is not necessary to complete the fixing of the heat-shrinkable film 7 to the bottom 6 of the receptacle 10 'by a bonding which has become unnecessary. Such mounting of the element 11 in the receptacle 10 ′ by snap-fastening is particularly suitable for the receptacle of the double-walled container type making it possible to mask the two grooves 17,18 only externally formed on the interior wall of the vertical walls 3,5.

 Naturally one could imagine alternative embodiments providing for example that a single wall 3.5 has a groove 17 or 18 even if such an assembly is obviously less reliable than that which has just been described.

 Here again, the element 11 ′ must have obvious rigidity for the reasons already mentioned in the first variant. To this end, the tenons 15,16 will be cut in the direction of the grooves, that is to say as an extension of the two edges 12,13 against blocking the two curtains 8,9 on the opposite side walls 3,5.

 Finally and in accordance with FIGS. 5 and 6, a variant of the packaging according to the invention is provided, more particularly intended for wedging objects in a rectangular container usually obtained either by blocks of expanded polystyrene which are bulky, require tools. expensive and difficult to remove, either by cut cardboard wedges which are complicated and require time for their volume; in addition, as many types of cushioning are needed in stock as there are types of object to be protected.

 These drawbacks are eliminated by using, for wedging, boxes 1 "conforming to one or other of the variants previously exposed in which the planar element 11" is adapted in thickness, in particular for heavy objects 19; this reinforcement, which incidentally allows the use of lighter cardboard that adjusts all the better in height, length and width, provides a decisive advantage in terms of setting.

 According to an essential characteristic of the wedging, and with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the imprint 20 of the object 19 to be wedged is cut in the thickness of the element 11 "to marry, for example, the base of said object 19.

 Of course, the element 11 "can be obtained by stacking several blanks 21 of cardboard of which at least the upper blank 22 includes the imprint 20 and at least the lower blank 23 is such that it can come into contact with the vertical walls. 3.5 and, if necessary, just fit into the groove (s) 17,18, it can also be glued to the bottom 6 through the film 7; of course the element 11 "can also be obtained directly by forming or molding of material such as expanded and thermoformed polystyrene.

 It is quite obvious that all solutions derived from one or other of the variants with or without snap-fastening of the planar element 11, 11 ′, 11 ", for example by replacing one or the other of the pins 15, 16 by several successive tenons on one and / or the other of the edges 12, 13 of the element 11 ', 11 "would not depart from the field of the invention, the skilled person being able to punctually adapt the two variants main above also do not depart from the scope of the invention all special embodiments aimed at obtaining a box of generally polygonal shape, that is to say comprising more than four sides and this, provided that the element 11 , 11 ′ or 11 ″ can be forcibly inserted between at least two walls which are not necessarily parallel but which provide a counter-clamping of the heat-shrinkable film 7 between said element and said vertical walls.

 The invention is particularly suitable either for the preparation of punctual orders whose content cannot be fixed in advance, or for the wedging of particular, heavy, expensive or fragile objects such as, for example, headlight optics for cars, mechanical assemblies, IT equipment, electronics, lighting, etc.

Claims (10)

 1 - Packaging box (1,1 ', 1 ") made of cardboard or similar material for the storage, handling and / or transport of a load comprising at least  - a succession of at least four vertical walls (2,3,4,5) generally rectangular or square, of cardboard or the like, arranged and maintained to form a lateral belt around a horizontal bottom (6) normally made of cardboard or analog to which it is secured to form a receptacle (10,10 ', 10 ") and,  a film (7) made of a heat-shrinkable plastic material in one piece, intended for the packaging of said load,  characterized in that a flat and rigid element (11,11 ′, 11 ″) is force-fitted between at least two vertical walls (3,5) preferably facing each other for plywood and therefore fixing, an area advantageously central heat-shrinkable film (7) on the bottom (6) of the box (1,1 ', 1 ") so that the rest of the film (7) provides on one side and the other of said planar element (11,11 ', 11 ") a curtain of free material (8,9) extending from the contact lines between said element (11,11', 11") and said vertical walls (3,5) , over a sufficient length to completely envelop the load by thermal shrinkage of the film (7).  2 - packaging box (1.1 ") according to the preceding claim characterized in that the planar element (11.11") is glued to the bottom (6) of the box by direct bonding through the film (7) that it helps to fix.  3 - Box (1 ', 1 ") according to claim 1 characterized in that over at least part of their length, at least one of the two bases of the vertical walls (3,5), between which is forcibly inserted the planar element (11 ', 11 ") corresponding to the line of junction with the bottom (6) of the receptacle (10', 10") comprises a groove (17,18) of height at most equal to the thickness of said element ( 11 '), the latter being provided, on all or part of each of its edges (12,13) opposite the or the groove (17,18), with a stud (15,16) which collaborates with said grooves to provide the latching of the element (11 ', 11 ") once in place against the bottom (6) of the receptacle (10', 10").  4 - Box (1 ', 1 ") according to the preceding claim characterized in that the element (11', 11") has a stud (15,16) on each of its edges (12,13) opposite the walls vertical (3,5) between which is forcibly inserted the element (11 ', 11 "), said walls being provided at their base with a corresponding groove (17,18).  5 - Box (1 ', 1 ") according to any one of claims 3 or 4 characterized in that each stud (15,16) can be continuous or discontinuous over all or part of the length of the slices (12,13) of the element (11 ′, 11 ″) provided with such tenons, the corresponding groove or grooves (17,18) possibly being respectively continuous or discontinuous.  6 - Box (1 ") according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that in the thickness of the element (11") there is cut an imprint (20) corresponding to the base of an object ( 19) for its setting.  7 - Box (1 ") according to the preceding claim characterized in that the element (11") is obtained by stacking several blanks (21) of cardboard of which at least the upper blank (22) includes the imprint (20) and at least the lower blank (23) is such that it can come into contact with the vertical walls (3,5) and, if necessary, fit right into the groove or grooves (17,18).  8 - Box (1,1 ', 1 ") according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the planar element (11,11') or the lower blank (23) of the element (11") is corrugated cardboard, the direction of the grooves (14) is perpendicular to the contact lines with the vertical walls (3,5) between which said element (11,11 ') or the blank (23) is force-fitted.  9 - Box (1 ") according to claim 6 characterized in that the element (11") is obtained directly by forming or molding a material such as expanded polystyrene.  10 - Box (1,1 ', 1 ") according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the planar element (11,11', 11") completely covers the bottom (6) of the box to constitute a double bottom.