FR2776267A1 - Cardboard packaging for transporting bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

The cardboard packaging has a single blank (1) folded along a median line (8). There are rectangular panels (2-5,9,10), the central panels (9,10) each having a tab (22,27) one of which (22) folded is into two half tabs (22a,b). The second half tab is folded so that it and the other tab (27) are superposed inside the space obtained by folding the blank along its median line. The tabs are then supported against the opposite panel (10,9) to form a lozenge shaped handle.

Description

The present invention relates to a cardboard packaging for the

  grouping and / or transporting a batch of pseudo-cylindrical objects and more particularly packaging for a batch of bottles, for example a batch of four or

  eight bottles of drink, wine, milk or mineral water, arranged vertically.

  Currently there are packaging for a batch of bottles which simply consist of a folded cardboard blank provided with a gripping device which may be of simple thickness. This gripping device is then in the form of a cutting of said blank thus sparing the passage of the hand. This device is not satisfactory: its small thickness makes it uncomfortable and fragile as soon as the weight of the

  packaged product exceeds one kilogram.

  Other gripping devices are of greater thickness. They can consist of a cutout arranged in the cardboard blank constituting the packaging after folding of this blank onto itself. The result is an improvement in

  comfort and rigidity of the handle thus obtained.

  However, these devices are not entirely satisfactory when the packaging contains, for example, a batch of four beverage bottles whose total weight is around five kilograms: the handle is peeled off or torn while not providing sufficient comfort for transport exceeding ten minutes, the double or even quadruple thickness of cardboard at the level of the handle remaining

insufficient thickness.

  Patent application No. 97 14698 filed on November 24, 1997 by the

  The present applicant relates to packaging which partially overcomes these various drawbacks.

  The proposed packaging consisting of a single cardboard blank of rectangular shape comprises in particular two identical central panels arranged on either side of a transverse median fold line each provided with a tongue connected to the corresponding panel by a single line folding, these tabs being folded and superimposed inside the space obtained by folding the blank along the transverse midline so that their free end comes to bear against the internal face of the opposite central panel to form a handle of triangular section whose base formed by the

  two overlapping tabs support the fingers of the hand.

  This packaging, while improving comfort in the transport of batches of bottles of medium weight, is still poorly adapted as soon as the weight of these batches increases. In fact, as soon as these batches include approximately six bottles, that is to say a total weight of the order of ten kilograms, the fingers of the hand tighten, the extremity of the last phalanges coming to bear against the internal face of the hand , at the level of the birth of the first phalanx: the handle therefore no longer rests on the flat surface of the second phalanx in a substantially horizontal position, but at the level of the articulation between the two first phalanxes which form an acute angle between them in which the

  base of the triangular handle cannot be accommodated without causing slight discomfort.

  The present invention therefore relates to a packaging for the grouping and transport of objects of pseudo-cylindrical shape such as bottles

  overcoming these various drawbacks.

  The packaging of the present invention, consisting of a single cardboard blank of rectangular shape comprising a transverse center fold line, a longitudinal axis of symmetry, rectangular shaped panels, the extreme panels intended to constitute the bottom of the packaging being connected to the following panels by means of splits in the upper middle part by a slot, the central panels each comprising a tongue connected respectively to said corresponding panel by a single fold line situated for the two tongues at the same distance from said transverse median fold line, is characterized in that the width of one of these tabs is equal to twice the width of the other tab, this tab comprising a median transverse fold line dividing it into a first half -tip connected to said corresponding central panel and a second half-tab, these tabs es being folded and said second half-tab and the other tab being superimposed inside the space obtained by folding said blank along the transverse center line of the blank so that their free end comes to bear against the face internal of the opposite panel to form a handle, the section of which is in the form of two isosceles triangles of horizontal common base formed, one by the tongues, the other by the upper part of the two central panels, the apex of the triangle formed by the two tabs coming to be housed at the joint between the first two phalanges of the fingers of the hand carrying said packaging. Another characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that said central panels each also comprise a solid part in the form of a rail profile adjacent to said tongues and integral with the corresponding panel only by means of a fold line located at its lower part, these solid parts being folded along said fold line inside said space in which said tabs are housed after folding, in order to overlap and be

  held in a horizontal position by gluing.

  Another characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that said central panels each comprise two cutouts, symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal axis of symmetry, in the form of lowercase b and d respectively of lowercase printing comprising a part having the shape of three quarters a circle each provided, after folding and horizontal positioning of said parts in the form of a rail profile, for the

  passage of the neck of one of the bottles placed in said packaging.

  Another characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that the respective dimensions of the width of said tongues and of the distance separating their fold line from the median fold line of the blank are chosen so that said

  handle obtained has a diamond-shaped section.

  The various objects and characteristics of the invention will now be

  detailed in the description which follows, given by way of nonlimiting example, in

  referring to the appended figures which represent: - Figure 1, the diagram of the plan view of an example of cutting a package produced in accordance with the present invention; - Figure 2, the diagram of the plan view of an embodiment of a handle reinforcement of the packaging of Figure 1, produced in accordance with the present invention; - Figure 3, the right view of the upper part of the packaging of Figure 1 at the start of the folding operations; - Figure 4, the right view of the upper part of the packaging of the

  Figure 1 at the end of the folding operations.

  We will first describe, referring to the diagram in Figure 1, a

  cutting of a packaging produced in accordance with the present invention.

  To improve understanding, the diagram in FIG. 1 shows the fold lines by dashed lines and the notches by lines

in solid lines.

  The cutout in FIG. 1 consists of a cardboard blank 1 comprising panels 2 and 3 with side faces respectively connected to substantially rectangular end panels 4 and 5 intended to form the bottom of the packaging by means of an unreferenced part comprising splits 6 which can be divided, for example in the upper middle part by a slot such as 7. The bottom of the packaging therefore consists of the union of the two ends 4 and 5 of the blank 1 held in position by gluing or by a locking closure device not shown because it leaves the

part of the invention.

  The panels 2 and 3 of the side faces are also connected to a transverse folding center line 8 located substantially in the center of the blank 1 respectively by means of oblique central panels 9 and 10 substantially

  symmetrical to each other with respect to said center line 8.

  The panel 9 comprises two cutouts 11 and 12 symmetrical to each other with respect to an axis 13 of longitudinal symmetry of the blank 1. The cutout 11 consists of a first opening 14 having the shape of three quarters of a circle delimited by a transverse fold line 15 and a longitudinal edge 16 extending to a transverse notch 17. This cut 11 is therefore in the form of a small printing block b, the other symmetrical cut 12 having in the form of an inverted b or a lower case d. The vertices of these two letters are joined by the transverse notch 17, while the bases of these letters are joined by a line

tangential folding 18.

  The transverse notch 17 is joined to a transverse fold line 19 by means of two longitudinal notches 20 and 21 thus defining a tongue

  22 which is joined to the panel 9 only by the fold line 19.

  The panel 10 comprises a set of two cutouts 23 and 24 identical and respectively symmetrical to the cutouts 11 and 12 of the panel 9 with respect to

to the transverse median axis 8.

  Each of the panels 9 and 10 therefore has two almost circular openings 11, 12 and 23, 24 provided for the passage of the necks of the bottles. These cuts delimit a surface of cardboard 25 and 26 having substantially the shape of a rail profile of railroad connected respectively to the panel 9 and 10 only at the level of the fold line such as 18 since the line 17 is a notch. Above each

  of the two notches such as the notch 17 is therefore defined a tongue 22 and 27.

  The width of the tongue 22, that is to say the distance between

  the notch 17 and the fold line 19 is equal to twice the width of the tongue 27.

  The tongue 22 further comprises a median transverse fold line 28 which divides it into two half tongues of the same width, a first half tongue 22a connected to the central panel 9 by the fold line 19, and a second half tongue

  22b extending from the center fold line 28 to the notch 17.

  An integrated handle is formed in particular by using these tabs 22 and 27 by folding the cardboard blank constituting the packaging as will be shown by the

after.

  Each of the central panels 9 and 10 also comprises, in the vicinity of the notch 17, between the latter and the circular cutouts 11-12 and 23-24, a line of

  transverse folding called ease, 29 and 30.

  According to a variant of the invention, in order to reinforce the upper part of the packaging at the level of the handle formed, as will be seen below, by the tongues 22 and 27, a handle reinforcement is added to the cutout 1 that we are going now

  describe with reference also to the diagram in Figure 2.

  The handle reinforcement 31 of FIG. 2 is a cardboard blank which is in the form of two capital letters C 32 and 33 arranged back to back, that is to say so

  symmetrical to each other with respect to a central longitudinal slot 34.

  The handle reinforcement 31 is intended to be glued to the central part of the blank 1 of FIG. 1, the central longitudinal slot 34 being applied to the transverse median fold line 8, the ends of the C 32 and 33 constituting a reinforcement which comes then position themselves between the longitudinal edges of the central panels 9 and 10, the notches

  longitudinal 20 and 21 and the ease folding lines 29 and 30.

  In the most common packaging the addition of this reinforcement is not an absolute necessity, also, according to the request, this reinforcement can be omitted, supplied separately or

supplied glued on the blank 1.

  We will now describe, also referring to the diagrams of the figures

  3 and 4, the folding operations of the blank 1.

  To constitute the packaging, the blank of FIG. 1 is first folded by approximately 90 ° along the transverse median fold line 8. The tabs 22 and 27 are then folded inwards, closing the previous folding up to at an angle of about 60: the half tab 22b and the tab 27 are superimposed, the free end of the half tab 22b abutting against the internal face of the opposite panel 10. The total width of the tab 22 being greater than the distance then separating the two fold lines 19 of the two tabs, the tab 22 is folded at its fold line 28, the two half tabs 22a and 22b therefore forming an angle, acute or obtuse according to the respective dimensions of the different elements of the central part of the

  blank 1, the interior of which faces the transverse center fold line 8 of blank 1.

  A handle, the section of which is in the form of two isosceles triangles with a common base, not shown, connecting the fold lines 19 of the two tongues is thus formed by the assembly of the two tongues 22 and 27 overlapping half and the part of each of the panels 9 and 10 between the fold line 19 of these tabs and the transverse median fold line 8. The half tab 22b and the tab 27 are

  held in position by gluing one against the other.

  According to a preferred variant, this handle has substantially the shape of a rhombus, the width of each of the half tongues 22a and 22b and the tongue 27 being substantially equal to the distance between the fold line 19 of these tongues and the

  transverse fold center line 8.

  The panels 9 and 10 are then folded at the fold line such as 18 by pushing the portions 25 and 26 in the form of a rail profile inwards as shown in the diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 4, until the juxtaposition of these portions, in

substantially horizontal position.

  The circular cutouts such as 23 and 24 provided for the passage of the necks of the bottles are then also in an almost horizontal position. The portions 25 and 26 are held against each other by gluing. During this last folding, we create an empty space delimited by the line of

  folding 18, the folding line 19 and the outer edges of the cutouts 11, 12, such as the edge 16.

  This space defines the passage of the hand, the articulation of which between the first two phalanges of the four fingers, when the packaging is gripped by the handle previously formed, rests on the lower V-shaped portion of the tongue 22, at

  level of the center fold line 28, according to the example in FIG. 4.

  The packaging which has just been described therefore makes it possible to group and transport batches of bottles while being provided with a gripping system constituted by a section handle substantially in the form of a diamond offering comfort of use.

  that is not found in known packaging.

  In addition, this handle offers increased rigidity and solidity. In fact, in such packaging, the distribution of forces (weight of the product transported) is such that it tends to bring the panels 9 and 10 together. This result is canceled by the action of the two tabs 22b and 27 glued together and pressing against the internal faces of the respective panels 9 and 10, directly or through the

half tab 22a.

  This effort to bring the panels 9 and 10 closer together is transferred to the part of the packaging located below these panels, therefore ultimately at the height of the bottles, thereby increasing their retention in the transport position. This transfer of forces to the lower half of the packaging is further facilitated by the assembly of the two portions 25 and 26 in the form of a rail profile, the parts of which are close to their ends.

  free are juxtaposed and glued.

  It is obvious that the preceding description was given only as a

  non-limiting example and that other variants can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, it is easy to obtain a packaging for 8 bottles by making a blank consisting of two parts identical to blank 1,

arranged side by side.

  The packaging of the invention can be used for grouping and

  transport of batches of bottles, batches of 4 or 8 bottles of wine, for example.

Claims (4)

  1 - Cardboard packaging for bottles arranged vertically, consisting of a single blank (1) of rectangular-shaped cardboard comprising a transverse folding center line (8), a longitudinal axis of symmetry (13), rectangular-shaped panels ( 2,3,4,5,9, 10), the end panels (4, 5) intended to constitute the bottom of the packaging being connected to the following panels (2, 3) by means of gills (6) fractionable in the upper middle part by a slot (7), said central panels (9) each have a tongue (22, 27) connected respectively to said corresponding central panel (9, 10) by a single fold line (19) located, for the two tabs, at the same distance from said transverse median fold line (8), characterized in that the width of one of these tabs (22) is equal to twice the width of the other tab ( 27), this wide tongue (22) comprising a transverse fold line med iane (28) dividing it into a first half-tab (22a) connected to said corresponding central panel (9) and a second half-tab (22b), these tabs (22, 27) being folded and said second half-tab (22b ) and the other tab (27) being superimposed inside the space obtained by folding the blank (1) along the transverse center line (8) of the blank so that their free end comes to bear against the inner face of the opposite central panel (9,10) to form a handle, the section of which is in the form of two isosceles triangles of common horizontal base formed, one by the tongues (22, 27), the other by the upper part of the two central panels (9, 10), the top (28) of the triangle formed by the two tabs coming to be housed at the articulation between the first two   phalanges of the fingers of the hand carrying said package.   2 - Packaging as defined in 1, characterized in that said central panels (9,10) also each include a solid part in the form of a rail profile (25, 26), adjacent to said tabs (22, 27) and secured to the corresponding panel (9, 10) only by means of a fold line (18) located at its lower part, these solid parts being folded along said fold line (18) inside said space in which said tabs (22, 27) are housed after folding, in order to overlap and be kept in horizontal position by collage.   3 - Packaging as defined in 2, characterized in that said central panels (9, 10) each comprise two cutouts (11, 12), symmetrical with respect to said longitudinal axis of symmetry (13), in the form of b respectively ( 11) and d (12) lowercase printing comprising a part having the shape of three quarters of a circle and provided each, after folding and horizontal positioning of said parts (25, 26) in the form of a rail profile, for the passage of the neck of one of the bottles placed in said packaging.   4 - Packaging as defined in 2, characterized in that the respective dimensions of the width of said tabs (22, 27) and the distance separating their fold line (19) from the median fold line (8) of the blank (1) are chosen so that   said handle obtained has a diamond-shaped section.   - Packaging as defined in 2, characterized in that it also comprises a handle reinforcement (31) consisting of a cardboard blank having the form of two capital C letters (32, 33), arranged back to back on the side and on the other side of a central part provided with a central longitudinal slot (34) intended to be glued to the central part of the blank (1), said central longitudinal slot (34) being applied to the transverse median fold line (8 ), the ends of the Cs (32, 33) constituting a reinforcement which then comes to be positioned between the longitudinal edges of the central panels (9,10), the longitudinal notches (20 and 21) and ease folding lines (29 , 30) arranged in the vicinity of the transverse notches (17), between these transverse notches (17) and said   cutouts in the form of three quarter circles (11-12, 23-24).