FR2765193A1 - Cardboard foot support for pallets - Google Patents

Abstract

The support is obtained from a cut blank (3) to form a ground support with continuous parts separated by folding lines. Two of these parts are extended by tabs which engage in slots. One of the parts is arranged to constitute with the other parts a ground support bottom (3a). The ground support bottom is constituted by a rectangular part located between two other parts (3b,3c) which form the side faces of the structure. These two other parts are extended by hinged flaps (3d,3g,3h) forming the transverse faces of the structure.

Description

CARTON SUPPORT FOOT, ESPECIALLY FOR PALLETS
HANDLING.

 The invention relates to the technical sector of packaging and transport of goods.

 More particularly, but not limited to, the invention applies to the production of pallets for the transport and storage of various loads.

More generally, the invention applies to any product having at least one element on which are fixed support feet to the ground.

 There are currently several types of pallets on the market. We can cite for example the pallets made of wood, consisting of two trays made from planks and braced by studs acting as feet.

This results in a high cost and a high weight. In addition, these pallets require a large space to be transported and stored. Finally, these wooden pallets are not recyclable.

 Cardboard pallets are also known, the feet of which are made of wood or other material. In this case, the entire pallet is not fully recyclable, given the difference in the nature of the materials between the legs and the tray.

 It has also been proposed to produce pallets entirely of cardboard, both at the level of the tray and at the feet. However, the solution is not entirely satisfactory since the feet must, as in the previous solutions, be fixed to the cardboard surface by stapling, gluing, screwing. These provisions require, before recycling the product, to separate the feet, in order to remove the intermediate fixing elements, which cannot be treated at the same time as the cardboard.

To overcome these drawbacks, pallets made entirely of cardboard of the type defined for example in the patent application have been proposed.
FR 1 311 981, which describes a cardboard tray having a variable number of slots in which are engaged and folded tabs integral with support legs on the ground. These cubic-shaped legs are obtained by folding a strip of cardboard and have internally along a diagonal two flat surfaces which respectively have in their upper part a recess in which are placed the ends of the fixing lugs previously engaged in the slots. to be folded down inside the general structure of the base element. These provisions therefore avoid the use of attached fixing elements between the cardboard legs and the support plane also made of cardboard.

 However, this design of the foot as such does not provide sufficient impact resistance. It appears in particular that the feet do not have a bottom, so that they are directly in contact with the ground by the straight edges of the periphery of the basic structure. This results in certain fragility. These feet which are not sufficiently resistant can therefore easily be deformed when the entire pallet is moved by sliding on the ground or the like, and when the forks of a lifting device accidentally enter the feet during handling. from the palette.

 The object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks in a simple, safe, effective and rational manner.

 The problem which the invention proposes to solve is to make a support leg entirely of cardboard of the type of those having arrangements for being fixed on a flat support element, in particular of cardboard, and which has a very high impact resistance in particular. .

 To solve such a problem, it was designed and developed a cardboard support leg obtained from a cut blank to form a support structure on the ground with continuous parts separated by a fold line, at least two of these parts being extended by two tabs capable of being engaged in slots that has a planar element in particular and folded back together in another slot to be directed inside the structure. According to the invention, at least one of the parts is arranged to constitute, concomitantly with the folding of the other parts constituting the structure with the hooking lugs, a support base on the ground.

 Given these constructive provisions, it appears unlike the solutions disclosed by the state of the art, that each support leg is supported on the ground by a bottom which therefore constitutes a much larger bearing surface ensuring the whole foot greater stability and better resistance, in particular in the event of displacement by sliding of the whole of the pallet, and in the event of significant shocks likely to be applied to the foot.

 To resolve the problem posed of constituting a ground support base, while having the objective of being able to produce a cardboard support foot obtained from a blank cut out with a minimum of scrap, the ground support base is consisting of a generally rectangular part located between two other parts intended to constitute, after folding, the lateral faces of the structure, said two other parts being extended by articulated flaps capable of constituting, after folding, the transverse faces of the structure and the hanging tabs.

 From this embodiment, to achieve the basic structure as such, each of the small transverse sides of one of the two parts located on either side of the bottom, has an articulated flap extended laterally by two others folding flaps of rigidity, while each of the small transverse sides of the other part has an articulated flap capable of being juxtaposed with the other flap in the folded position, to form the transverse faces.

 To resolve the problem posed of securing and locking the support leg relative to the planar element, in order to constitute a pallet for example, the lateral edges of the two parts located on either side of the bottom are each extended by at least one lug consisting of one or more sections to form the locking lugs in combination or not with bearing zones cooperating with the underside of the planar element.

 In view of these provisions, in the event that the locking tabs are produced in several sections, the assembly of the foot thus formed can be produced in great length, capable of corresponding very substantially to the width or to the length of the flat element capable of constituting the tray of a pallet as such.

 In another embodiment, the bottom support on the ground is constituted by hinged folding flaps formed in the extension of two other parts, opposite the lugs. In this second embodiment, to solve the problem posed of constituting a ground support base and a connection with the other parts of the basic structure, each articulated flap has a ground support part and a part intended for be folded back inside the structure, so that after folding of the parts constituting the periphery of the basic structure, the flap part folded back inside said structure is arranged vertically in juxtaposition position by acting as locking support to the hanging tabs.

 The periphery of the basic structure consists of four continuous parts, the first and third parts being extended laterally, on one side, by the articulated flaps, while the second and fourth parts are extended laterally, on the other side, by the lugs. The first and second parts are generally rectangular, while the second and fourth parts are generally square.

 These characteristics and others will become apparent from the following description.

The invention is set out below in more detail, in a nonlimiting manner, in the figures of the drawings in which:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view during folding of the support leg, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

 - Figure 2 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 1, in the case of a foot of great length.

 - Figure 3 is a plan view and before folding of the various constituent parts of the cardboard plane, after the production of the leg according to Figure 1.

 FIG. 4 is a plan view and before folding of the various constituent parts of the cardboard plane, after the production of the stand according to FIG. 2.

 - Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the support leg corresponding to Figure 1.

 FIG. 6 is a view in longitudinal section of the support leg corresponding to FIG. 1.

 - Figure 7 is a perspective view of the foot during folding, according to another embodiment.

 FIG. 8 is a plan view before folding of the various constituent parts of the cardboard blank for making the stand, according to FIG. 7.

 - Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the attachment of the foot (according to Figure 7) relative to a planar element.

 - Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10.10 of Figure 9.

 - Figure 1 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the invention to the production of a transport pallet.

 In a known manner, each leg is obtained from a cardboard blank (1) or (3) suitably cut to form a support structure on the ground with hooking lugs intended to be engaged in slots ( 2a), (2b) and (2c) which have a flat support element (2) also made of cardboard. The blank (1) or (3) therefore constitutes two zones (A) and (B), the zone (A) defining, after folding, the rigid support structure on the ground, while the zone (B) defines the fixing parts .

 In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, the blank (3) very substantially has in its middle part, a central part of generally rectangular shape (3a) intended to constitute a support for the ground of the basic structure. . This bottom (3a) is extended laterally and symmetrically by two other parts (3b) and (3c) of general shape also rectangular. These two other parts (3b) and (3c) are intended to constitute, after having been folded down with respect to the separation and folding lines (3al) and (3a2), the lateral faces of the structure.

 The short sides (3bl) and (3b2) of the part (3b) are each extended by an articulated flap (3d). Each flap (3d) is itself extended laterally and very substantially symmetrically by two other foldable flaps (3e) and (3f). The free end of the flap (3e) has a tongue (3el) intended to cooperate with a notch (3fl) that the other flap (3f) exhibits when the structure is folded as such, as will be indicated in the rest of the description.

 The small transverse sides (3cl) and (3c2) of the other part (3c) are also extended by an articulated flap (3g) able to be juxtaposed with the other flap (3b) in the folded position, to form a combination a transverse face of the entire structure.

 According to another characteristic, the lateral edges (3b3) and (3c3) are each extended by at least one tab (3h) formed to be folded down respectively with respect to the edges (3b3) and (3c3) which constitute pre-folding lines. Each tab (3h) has, parallel to the fold line (3b3) or (3c3), two other fold lines (3hl) and (3h2) to be engaged through the end slots (2a) and (2b) and be folded down and folded back into the middle slot (2c) of the planar element (2).

 Given this design, it is possible to make a very long support leg, capable of corresponding to the width or the length of the planar element (2). For this purpose, the basic design of the cardboard blank (3) is the same, with the only difference that the tabs (3h) are made up of several precut sections (3h3), (3h4), (3h5), (3h6), (3h7) ..., as shown in particular in Figure 4. In this case, the end sections and the intermediate section may constitute the locking and latching tabs as such, while the other two sections, after being folded back inside the structure, are capable of constituting support zones cooperating with the underside of the planar element (2).

According to this embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, the shaping and the positioning of a support leg relative to the planar element (2) is essentially carried out as follows:
- The flaps (3d) are folded symmetrically with respect to the side (3b), the end flaps (3e) and (3f) being themselves folded angularly very substantially at 90 "relative to the two flaps (3d). side (3b), with the flaps (3d) folded down as indicated, is itself folded down relative to the bottom (3a), the flaps (3f) resting on said bottom (3a). The other side (3c) is then folded in the direction of the bottom (3a), each of the flaps (3g) coming in juxtaposition of the flaps (3d) in a vertical position.

 - The flaps (3e) are then folded against the flap (3g), the tabs (3el) cooperating with the openings (3fl) to ensure the locking of all the flaps. In this folding position, the blocking in position of the base structure with its bottom (3a), its lateral faces (3b) and (3c) and its transverse faces (3f) is finished.

 - The legs (3h) are then engaged in the slots (2a) and (2c) of the planar element (2) and, after having folded said legs relative to their respective fold lines (3hl) and (3h2), engaging and folding the end portions in the intermediate slot (2b).

 The procedure is the same in the case of a very long support leg (Figures 2 and 4). As clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, the blank (3) thus precut has a minimum of falls.

 According to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 7 and following, the blank (1) consists of four continuous parts (lal), (la2), (la3) and (la4) each separated by a fold line (4). Two of these parts, namely the parts (la2) and (la4) are extended laterally by lugs (lb) and (lc) capable of being engaged in the slots (2a) and (2b) that the planar element ( 1) and folded back together in the other slot (2c).

 The two other parts (lal) and (la3) are extended laterally on the side opposite the locking tabs (lob) and (1 c) by articulated flaps (1 d) and (le), capable of constituting by folding, relative to the other parts (lal), (la2), (la3) and (la4) in particular, a bottom support on the ground. Each flap (ld) and (le) has a support part on the ground as such (1 dl) (lel), and a part (ld2) (le2) intended to be folded down inside the structure. After folding of the parts (lal), (la2), (la3) and (la4) constituting the periphery of the basic structure, the flap parts (ld2) and (le2) are folded back inside the structure and arranged vertically in the juxtaposition position, acting as a locking support for the lugs (lb) and (il). In this position, the parts of flaps folded vertically inside the structure, are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the base support plane defined by the parts (ldl) and (lel).

 It appears, as shown particularly in Figure 2, that the first and third parts (lal) and (la3) receiving the articulated flaps (ld) and (le) are generally rectangular in shape, while the second and fourth parts (la2 ) and (la4) are generally square, or substantially square. The height (h) of the parts (la2) and (la4) is slightly greater than the height (hui) of the parts (lal) and (la3) to take account in particular of the thickness of the planar support element (2). Note that the parts (ld2) and (le2) of the articulated flaps (ld) and (le) have a height (hl) equal to the height (hl) of the parts (lal) and (la3).

 The fourth part (la4) is extended by a locking tab (lof) capable of being engaged after conformation of the periphery of the basic structure by successive folding of the parts (lal), (la2), (la3) and (la4) in a slit (lg) presented by the first part (lal). The parts (ld2) and (le2) of the hinged flaps folded inside the structure, have from their free edge a notch (lh) (li) for positioning the ends of the locking tabs (lb) (il ).

The conformation and the positioning of a foot relative to the planar element (2) is carried out as follows:
- the parts (1 dl) and (lel) are folded 90 "from the fold line separating them from the parts (lal) (la3).

 - the parts (ld2) and (le2) of the hinged flaps are folded 90 "relative to the two fold lines separating them from the parts (1 dl) and (ld2).

 - We fold all the parts (lal) (la3) and the articulated flaps (lb) (1 d) and (le) shaped as indicated above, at 90C relative to the fold lines of the part (la2).

 - the part (la4) is folded down relative to the fold line to engage the locking tab (lof) in the slot (lg) of the part (lal), and it is locked by engaging the tab in a notch (lj ) of part (la4).

 - then the assembly tabs (lb) and (lc) are engaged in the slots (2a) and (2c) of the planar element (2) and the end part is folded back into the intermediate slot (2b), said tabs having for this purpose notches (lbl) and (lcl) for overlapping the parts (ld) and (le).

 In this second embodiment, it therefore appears, whatever the embodiment of the cardboard blank, that the basic structure as such has a support base on the ground making it possible to significantly increase the stability and resistance of the entire foot.

Claims (10)

- 1 - Cardboard support leg obtained from a cut blank (1) or (3), to form a support structure on the ground with continuous parts separated by fold lines, at least two of these parts being extended by two legs capable of being engaged in slots that a planar element (2) has in particular and folded back together in another slot to be directed inside the structure, characterized in that at least one of the parts is arranged to constitute concomitantly with the folding of the other parts constituting the structure with the hooking lugs, a bottom of support on the ground (ldl-lel) or (3a). - 2 - Support leg according to claim 1, characterized in that the ground support base (3a) consists of a generally rectangular part located between two other parts (3b) and (3c) intended to constitute, after folding, the lateral faces of the structure, said two other parts (3b) and (3c) being extended transversely and by articulated flaps (3d), (3g) and (3h) capable of constituting, after folding, the transverse faces of the structure and the lugs. - 3 - Support leg according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the small transverse sides (3bl) and (3b2) of one of the two parts (3b) located on either side of the bottom (3a), has an articulated flap (3d) extended laterally by two other folding stiffness flaps (3e) and (3f), while each of the small transverse sides (3c1-3c2) of the other part (3c) has an articulated flap (3g) able to be juxtaposed with the other flap (3d) in the folding position, to constitute the transverse faces of the structure. - 4 - Support leg according to claim 2, characterized in that the lateral edges (3b3) and (3c3) of the two parts located (3b) and (3c) on either side of the bottom (3a) are each extended by at least one lug (3h) made up of one or more sections to form the locking lugs in combination or not with support zones cooperating with the underside of the planar element (2). - 5 - Support leg according to claim 1, characterized in that the ground support base (ld-le) consists of hinged foldable flaps formed in the extension of two other parts (lal-la3), opposite of lugs (lb-lc). - 6 - Support leg according to claim 5, characterized in that each articulated flap has a support part on the ground (ldl-lel) and a part (ld2-le2) intended to be folded down inside the structure of so that after folding of the parts constituting the periphery of the base structure, the flap part folded back inside said structure is arranged vertically in the juxtaposition position, acting as a locking support for the latching tabs (lb- lc). - 7 - Support leg according to claim 5, characterized in that the periphery of the basic structure consists of four continuous parts (lal-la2-la31 a4), the first and third parts being extended laterally, on one side, by the articulated flaps (1 d- le), while the second and fourth parts are extended laterally, on the other side, by the hooking lugs (lb tic). - 8 - Support leg according to claim 7, characterized in that the first and third parts (lal) and (la3) are of generally rectangular shape, while the second and fourth parts (la2) and (la4) are of general shape square. - 9 - Support leg according to claim 8, characterized in that the fourth part (la4) is extended by a locking tab (lof) capable of being engaged, after conformation of the periphery of the base structure, in a slot (lg ) that presents the first part (lal). - 10 - Support leg according to claim 5, characterized in that the parts of the flaps constituting the bottom and folded inside the structure have, from their free edge, a notch (lh-li) for positioning the ends of the locking tabs (lbl-lcl).