FR2767786A1 - CASE FOR WET PRODUCTS SUCH AS SHELLS - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a box formed from a cardboard blank comprising: - a rectangular base panel (10); - a first pair of panels forming side walls (12) hinged to the base panel (10); - a second pair of panels forming side walls (14) hinged to the base panel (10); - at least one (and preferably both) of the pairs of side wall panels being trapezoidal (s); - a pair of inclined connecting panels (22, 24), between the side edges of the panels forming side walls adjacent to each corner of the body; each patch panel being hinged to a side wall panel, each pair of patch panels (22, 24) being hinged along a hinge line (122, 124) dividing the angle formed between the side edges of the legs in half. panels forming contiguous side walls.

Description

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  CASE FOR WET PRODUCTS SUCH AS SHELLS

  The present invention relates to cases formed from a cut and pleated blank of foldable sheet cardboard material. The boxes of the invention are provided in particular for transporting products

wet such as seashells.

  A known type of box that is used to transport shells is formed from a blank cut and pleated from hard cardboard. The blank defines a rectangular base, a first pair of side flaps which are hinged to a pair of opposite side edges of the base and a second pair of side flaps which are

  hinged to the other pair of side edges of the base.

  The two pairs of side flaps are trapezoidal, that is to say that they have upper edges which are

  longer than their edges which are articulated at the base.

  The blank further defines a pair of angled connecting panels between the side edges of the side flaps adjacent to each corner of the body. Each connection panel is articulated to a side flap and the two connection panels are articulated along a line which divides the angle formed between

  the side edges of the adjoining side flaps.

  In the upright box, the side flaps make

  protruding upwards and outwards from the base.

  The side edges of two adjacent flaps are close to each other at the corners of the box and the two connecting panels between these flaps are folded together inside the box to provide a bellows angle . The connection panels joining the adjacent side flaps extend over part or even over the entire height of the side flaps. The box is thus produced without any opening up to the height of the connection panels. The surface of the hard cardboard which is inside the box is covered with a water-resistant material, as a result, the box is leak-tight up to the height of the connection panels at each corner. We know how to make a pair of handles in two opposite side flaps of a cuboid boot by making a substantially U-shaped cutout in each of the two side flaps. Each cut defines a flap in the side wall. The flap is articulated to the rest of the side flap along a hinge line between the ends of the cutout and can be turned inside the box on its hinge, so that an opening is made in the side flap. The fingers of a person carrying the box can be inserted into this opening. The simple realization of this type of handle and the fact that it is cut from the material of the box makes it inexpensive and

easy to make.

  Making carrying handles on a boot intended for a wet product is less simple. It would obviously be unpleasant and unhygienic to ask the person carrying the crate to introduce their fingers to

inside the box.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a box formed from a blank cut and pleated from foldable sheet cardboard material, which blank defines a rectangular or square base panel, a first pair of panels forming side walls hinged to a pair of opposite side edges of the base panel, a second pair of side wall panels hinged to the other pair of side edges of the base panel, at least one (and preferably two) pairs of side wall panels being trapezoidal, their upper edges being longer than their edges hinged to the base panel, a pair of inclined connection panels, between the lateral edges of the panels forming side walls at each corner of the body, each connection panel being articulated to a panel forming a side wall, each pair of connection panels being articulated along a hinge line dividing in two the angle formed between the side edges of the panels forming contiguous side walls, the panels forming the side walls of the upright body projecting upwards from the base, the side edges of the panels forming side walls being close to the one from the other at the corners of the box, the two connecting panels, at each corner, being folded together inside the box; the body comprising at least one cover panel hinged to the upper edge of a side wall panel, which cover panel forms at least part of a cover for the body, and one or more panels are provided in the cover panel cutouts defining at least one flap, which flap is hinged to the rest of the cover panel along one or more hinge lines and can be turned along said hinge line (s) to project upward from the cover of the body erected to provide a handle for lifting the body, the body further comprising means for retaining the cover panel in a position of

  closing when the box is lifted by the handle.

  The means for retaining the cover panel in the closed state, when the box is lifted by the handle or handles, may include one or more pairs of tabs and slots engaged with each other in the cardboard material leaf. Alternatively, they may include one or more flanges, clips or elastic bands which are

wrapped around the body.

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  Preferably, a separate sheet is attached to the cover under the handle or handles, to close the opening formed by the handle or handles. This sheet can be transparent, for example a piece of cellulose acetate sheet. Each of the two connecting panels, between the panels forming adjacent side walls, may extend over the entire height of the panels forming the side walls or may extend upward from the base over only part of the height of the panels forming side walls. In each case, the box can be made without any opening up to the height of the lower connection panel: if the box is made from an appropriately water-resistant material, it is therefore waterproof leaks up to this height. Thus the box is suitable for transporting a wet product, such as shellfish and in particular oysters, because the water dripping from the shellfish cannot escape from the

checkout.

  Preferably, the two connection panels, at

  each corner of the body, are of different sizes.

  One of them extends only along a part of the side edge of its panel forming an adjacent side wall and is hinged thereto. The other is larger and extends along most of (preferably all of) the side edge of its adjacent side wall panel and is hinged thereto. In the upright box, the larger of the two patch panels, at the corner, extends above the smaller one and can be attached to the adjoining side wall panel above the smaller of the patch panels . This forms a direct connection between the

  two panels forming side walls.

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  We will now describe by way of example preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 shows the blank for a first box according to the present invention; FIG. 2 shows the first box, the cover being open and part of it having been removed; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on line III-III at a certain angle of the first box; Figure 4 shows the first box, the cover being closed and the handles projecting upwards from the cover; and Figure 5 shows part of the blank intended for a

  second box according to the present invention.

  Figure 1 shows a cut and pleated blank of hard sheet cardboard which can be used to make a case according to the present invention. Hardboard is a solid hardboard formed by laminating a number of thinner layers. Each of the two faces of the hard cardboard sheet is provided with a

  surface layer which is a sheet of kraft paper.

  The side which will be oriented towards the inside of the upright box further comprises a screen against water provided on its surface, so that water cannot penetrate the cardboard material from inside the box. checkout. The water barrier can consist of a polyethylene surface coating applied to kraft paper. In another embodiment, a screen against water is provided on the two main faces of

the sheet of hard cardboard.

  As seen in Figure 1, the blank defines a base panel 10 hinged to the two side wall panels 12 along the hinge lines 112, and to the two side wall panels 14 along

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  hinge lines 114. The panels 14 are trapezoidal, a cut upper edge 16 being longer than the hinge line 114. One of the other two panels

  12 is articulated along a line 118 to a lug 18.

  The other of these panels 12 is articulated along a line 118 to a panel 20. The panel 20 forms a cover of the upright box. The side wall panels 12 are also trapezoidal and the hinge lines 118 are longer than the lines

hinges 112.

  Two almost semi-circular cutouts 21 are provided in the cover panel 20, concentric with a circular cutout 23 and surrounding it. Between them, the cuts define

  curved flaps 26 in the cover panel 20.

  The flaps 26 are articulated to the rest of the cover panel 20 along the hinge lines 127, 128. A sheet 25 of transparent material is attached to the face of the cover panel 20 which will be inside the box and forms a closure window

  formed by the cutout 23, and under the flaps 26.

  A pair of connection panels is provided at each corner of the body. A smaller connecting panel 24 is articulated to the adjacent wall panel 14 along the hinge line 124. This hinge line 124 does not extend over the entire height of the wall panel 14. It is extended by a cut edge 126 The larger of the connecting panels 22 is hinged along the line 122 to a side wall panel 12. The smaller connecting panel 24 is hinged to the larger connecting panel 22 along a hinge line 128 which divides in half the angle formed between the fold lines 124, 122. The upper edge of the smaller wall panel 24 is a cutout 30 which separates it from a

  larger patch panel 22.

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  Referring in particular to FIG. 2, to erect the box, the panels forming the side walls 12, 14 are brought upwards to a vertical position but still inclined towards the outside, so that, at each corner of the box , the side edge 122 of the panel 12 is adjacent to the edge 124, 126 of the panel forming the adjacent side wall 14. Each pair of connection panels 22, 24 folds along the

  hinge line 128 and rotates inside the body.

  As best seen in the cross-sectional view of Figure 3, the smaller connection panel 24 sits against the panel 14 and is

  covered by the larger connection panel 22.

  The upper part of each larger connection panel 22 is located directly against the panel forming the side wall 14 and is glued to the latter with glue applied to the surfaces 34 on these panels forming the side walls 14. A tongue 36 projects towards the bottom from the top of each of the larger patch panels 22, as shown

can see it in the drawings.

  It can be seen from Figure 1 and Figure 2 that the box has no holes or cutouts through the blank material, below the level of the cutouts 30 which define the top edges of the patch panels 24 smaller. Consequently, the upright box can contain water up to the level of the upper part of the smaller connection panels 24. The crate is intended to contain shellfish such as oysters. When placed in the crate, a little water will drip from them and will be collected at the base of the crate: this water will not be able to leak due to the construction of the crate as it

has just been described.

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  As shown in Figure 4, the two curved flaps 26 in the cover panel 20 can be folded along their hinge lines 126, 128 so that they protrude upward from the cover panel 20 of the upright body . Together, these two flaps 26 provide a pair of handles for the body. Elastic bands 36 can be wrapped around the body to keep the body closed, i.e. to keep the cover panel in contact with at least two panels forming the side walls of the body when a load is applied to the handles . Figure 5 shows a second box according to the present invention. In this box, the connection panels 24 are larger, so that a hinge line 132, between the panels 14 and 24, extends over

full height of panels 14.

  When this box is erected, each of the two connection panels 22, 24 folds along the

  hinge line 128 and rotates inside the body.

  They can be held in place by gluing the panels 24 to the side wall panels 14 or otherwise secured in place if desired.

wish.

  Obviously, the cutouts defining the flaps in the cover do not have to be (semi-) circular, but they could be such that they form flaps forming angular or ellipsoid handles, a correspondingly profiled window lying between and under them. Likewise, the cover need not be formed by a single panel but by two or more panels hinged to the panels forming respective side walls, the flaps forming handles being on one or more of these panels, provided however that these

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  other forms and embodiments remain in the

scope of the invention.

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Claims (5)

  1. Box formed from a cut and pleated blank of a foldable sheet cardboard material, which blank defines a rectangular or square base panel (10), a first pair of panels forming side walls (12) articulated to a pair of opposite side edges of the base panel (10), a second pair of side wall panels (14) hinged to the other pair of side edges of the base panel (10), at least one (and preferably two) pairs of panels forming side walls being trapezoidal (s), their upper edges being longer than their edges hinged to the base panel, a pair of inclined connecting panels (22, 24), between the side edges of the panels forming side walls adjacent to each corner of the body, each connection panel being hinged to a side wall panel, each pair of connection panels (22, 24) being hinged along a hinge line (122, 124) dividing in half the angle formed between the side edges of the panels forming contiguous side walls, the panels forming the side walls of the upright body projecting upwards from the base, the side edges of the panels forming walls lateral being close to each other at the corners of the box, the two connecting panels (22, 24), at each corner, being folded together inside the box; the box comprising at least one cover panel (20) hinged to the upper edge of a side wall panel, which cover panel (20) is at least part of a cover for the box, and provision has been made in the panel forming cover (20) one or more cutouts defining at least one flap (26), which flap (26) is articulated to the rest of the panel there 2767786 forming cover (20) along one or more hinge lines and can be turned the along said hinge line (s) to protrude upward from the raised box cover to provide a handle for lifting the box, the box further having means for retaining the cover panel in a position of closing   when the body is lifted by the handle.   2. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for retaining the cover panel (20) in the closed state when the box is lifted by the handle or the handles comprise one or more pairs of legs and slots in taken together with the cardboard sheet material, forming a lock to keep the lid closed. 3. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for retaining the cover panel (20) in the closed state when the box is lifted by the handle or the handles comprise a   or several flanges or fasteners around the body.   4. Box according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the cover panel (20) has a separate sheet (25) glued to its lower side under the handle or handles so   to cover the cutouts defining the flap (s).   5. Box according to claim 4, characterized in   that the sheet (25) is transparent.