FR2805521A1 - Collapsible crate for machine parts, fruit or vegetables is made up of pallet and four walls which fit into triangular brackets mounted on pallet with channels to accommodate lower corners of walls, similar brackets fitting over top corners - Google Patents

Abstract

The collapsible crate is made up of a pallet and four walls (3) which fit into triangular brackets (5) mounted on the pallet. These have channels (24) to accommodate the lower corners of the walls. Similar brackets (6) are fitted over the upper corners of the walls.

Description

The present invention relates to a typical packaging assembly comprising a pallet comprising an upper plate, removable side walls, and fixing means for assembling the side walls and the pallet in a mountable manner so that they form a box for receiving objects, the fixing means comprising lower fixing means for joining the lower ends of the pallet side walls and upper corner elements for joining the side ends of the side walls to one another, at angles which they form when they are assembled on the pallet, by fitting the upper corner elements on these walls, The invention applies, for example, to the packaging of mechanical parts but can also be applied to the packaging of fruits and vegetables.

packaging assembly of the aforementioned type is known from document EP-017. In this document, the lower fixing means include an outer peripheral skirt, surmounting the upper plate of the pallet, and lower angle attachments. These lower corner fasteners are elastically deformable and have lugs intended to penetrate into the upright regions of the side walls which extend downwards beyond the rest of the side walls. To assemble the side walls on the pallet, each corner clip must be elastically deformed to insert each lug into the corresponding opening. Then, the upper corner elements are fitted onto the side walls. To dismantle the side walls of the pallet, on @ proceeds in reverse.

The assembly and disassembly of the side walls and the pallet are therefore relatively complex.

An object of the invention is to provide a packaging element of the aforementioned type of easier assembly and disassembly.

Indeed, the invention relates to a packaging assembly of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the lower fixing means com take lower corner elements provided on the pallet plate for assembling the side walls on the pallet by interlocking from their lower ends into the lower corner elements by a simple descending movement. According to particular embodiments, the packaging assembly may include one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in any technically possible combination - the lower ends of the side walls extend appreciably so straight across most of the length of the side walls; - the lower and upper corner elements are substantially identical; each lower corner element comprises a lower fixing plate on the pallet plate and two arms for receiving the lower ends of the side walls of the pallet, and a free region of the fixing plate extends beyond the arms, at a point at an angle formed by the receiving arms, for receiving a fixing member; and the lower and / or upper corner elements comprise support parts of a protective sheet disposed inside the packaging assembly to guide the lower and / or upper edge of this sheet towards the inside the packaging unit.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example, and made with reference to the attached drawings, on which - FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a packaging unit according to the invention. invention assembled, - Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view - enlarged, glossing a lower corner element and part of a side wall of the assembly of Figure 1, and - Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the assembly of the side walls on the pallet.

There is shown in Figure 1 a packaging assembly 1 comprising a pallet 2, two large side walls 3, two small side walls 4, four identical lower fixing elements 5 attached to the pallet 2 and four identical upper fixing elements 6. In this fi gure 1, the assembly 1 is in the assembled configuration for receiving objects to be packaged, the walls 3 and 4 and the pallet 2 then forming a box 7.

The pallet 2 is for example made of wood and comprises three feet or rafters 10 surmounted by a rectangular plate 11 forms the bottom of the box The plate 11 can for example be produced by a single wooden plate or by succession of slats placed side by side or spaced apart .

Each side wall 3 or 4 comprises three horizontal longitudinal slats placed one above the other regularly spaced apart, and two vertical uprights 15 connecting together the lateral ends of the slats 14.

The slats 14 and the uprights 15 are for example made of wood and fixed between for example by nails.

As illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3, the uprights 15, which are identical, have a horizontal trapezoidal section and are arranged inside the packaging assembly 1 relative to the slats 14.

For each side wall 3 or 4, the uprights 15 extend only from the lower edge 17 of the lower batten 14 to the upper edge 18 of the upper batten 14.

Consequently, the lower end 19 of each side wall 3 4 is formed by the corresponding lower edge 17 and by the lower ends of the corresponding uprights 15. The lower end 19 is therefore substantially rectilinear all along the lateral wall considered, and the lateral wall in particular does not have feet projecting downward relative to the rest of the wall.

The upper end 20 of the side wall considered is formed by the corresponding upper edge 18 and by the upper ends of the uprights 1 The upper end 20 is therefore also substantially straight along the entire length of the side wall.

For each side wall 3 or 4, two transverse notches 21 with bottoms inclined upwards and outwards from the packaging assembly are formed in the lower batten 14, from the lower edge 17. same, two transverse notches 21 with bottoms inclined downwards and outside of the assembly 1 are formed in the upper slat 14, from the edge 18. Each notch 21 is formed in the vicinity of an upright 15.

Each lower fixing element 5 is a stud made for example of plastic material such as polypropylene.

As illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2, this element 5 comprises a plate 24 in the general shape of an isosceles right triangle and walls all project orthogonally from the same face thereof. walls delimit two lateral arms 26 for receiving the side walls. arms 26 extend from the right angle 27 of the plate 24, forming between substantially a right angle. These arms 26 each include in particular pa-. outer 28 which extends substantially over the entire length of a small side 29 of the plate 24.

Each arm 26 internally defines a receiving housing 30 of horizontal section corresponding to that of a lateral end of a lower slat 14 and the corresponding amount 15. This housing 30 is notably delimited by a corner 31 of horizontal section in a right triangle located in the vicinity of the right angle 27 of the plate 24, and by a transverse wall 32 of shape corresponding to that of the lower notches 21 of the side walls.

Each lower element 5 further comprises interior plates converging towards one another and joining in the vicinity of the hypotenuse of the plate 24. The edges 37 of the plates 35 remote from the plate are curved and approach the plate. 24 when one moves on edges 37 towards the hypotenuse 36.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, a free triangular region 40 of the plate 24 in the right angle 27 is not covered by the arms 26.

The lower fixing elements 5 are each arranged in a corner of the plate 11 of the pallet 2 with their plates 24 oriented downwards. Each plate 24 is fixed to the plate 11, for example using nails or other fixing members, one of which crosses the region 40 which is accessible from above. To this end, the corner 27 may have supporting shoulders for an apparatus for inserting such a member.

The arms 26 for receiving the side walls then extend along the sides of the plate 11 of the pallet 2 and project upwards therefrom.

The upper fixing elements 6 are distinguished from the lower fixing elements 5 only by the fact that their plates 24 have pins 42 on their surfaces opposite to those carrying the arms 26, that is to say on their upper surfaces, while possibly leaving regions bare to allow the passage of a strapping link. It will also be noted that in the configuration of FIG. 1, the upper fixing elements 6 are oriented in opposite directions with respect to the fixing elements 5.

The upper fastening elements 6 will therefore not be described below.

The assembly of the different elements of the packaging assembly 1 making it possible to arrive at the configuration for receiving objects represented in the figure will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 3.

The pallet 2 having previously been provided with the lower fixing elements 5, the lateral ends of each lateral wall 3 or 4 are fitted into the lateral arms 26 of the corresponding lower elements 5.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 for the large front side wall 3, for this purpose each side wall is positioned vertically above the corresponding side of the plate 11 and then the side wall is lowered, as shown by arrow 44 in FIG. 3 considered.

This simple downward translational movement causes the insertion of the lateral ends of the lower slat 14 and of the lower ends of the uprights 15 of the wall considered in the corresponding housings 30 of the lower fixing elements 5.

The side wall considered is then assembled to the plate 11 of the pallet by fitting its lower end 19 into two lower fixing elements 5 on the corresponding side of the plate 11, and in particular by penetration of the walls 32 of these elements 5 into the notches 21 of the lower batten 14.

This is done for example for all the side walls 3 and 4 to completely border the plate 11 by these walls.

Next, the upper fixing elements 6 are placed on the upper edges 18 of the side walls in each of the angles which they form.

For this, each upper fixing element 6 is moved downwards as illustrated by the arrows 46 in FIG. 3. This simple downward translation makes it possible to fit the lateral ends of the upper slats 14 into the corresponding arms 26 of the elements. upper fixing elements 6. Each upper fixing element 6 is then opposite a lower fixing element 5.

Thus, the packaging unit 1 is obtained in its configuration shown in FIG. 1.

To assemble the packaging unit 1, each upper fastening element 6 can also be placed as soon as two adjacent adjacent side walls 3 and 4 have been assembled on the pallet 2, as shown in FIG. 3, and not only after all the side walls 3 and 4 have been assembled on the plate 11 of the pallet.

To dismantle the side walls 3 and 4 of the packaging unit 1, it suffices to remove the upper fixing elements 6 to release the upper ends 20 of these side walls and then to pull these side walls up.

The packaging assembly 1 of FIG. 1 is therefore of relatively simple and economical structure, and allowing relatively easy and rapid assembly and disassembly, and requiring no use of nails, staples, or tools. Furthermore, the side walls and 4 have no imposed mounting orientation and can therefore also be assembled to the pallet 2 by their upper ends 20. This also contributes to simplifying the mounting of the packaging assembly 1 .

In addition, the use of lower and upper fixing elements 5 and 6 which are practically identical makes it possible to reduce the cost of such packaging.

It will be noted that the side walls 4 do not have lower fixing feet projecting downwards and therefore do not present the risks of rupture linked to the presence of such feet.

The pins 42 of the upper fastening elements 6 make it possible to limit lateral movements of a packaging assembly 1 arranged above the packaging assembly 1 of FIG. 1.

However, in a variant not shown, these pins 42 can be eliminated so that the lower and upper fixing elements 5 and 6 are identical, which further contributes to reducing the cost of the packaging assembly 1: The assembly of packaging 1 can be equipped, as partially shown in FIG. 3, with a protective sheet 50, for example made of polypropylene, placed inside the packaging assembly 1 to cover all the side walls 3 and 4. The tray 11 can then also be covered with such a sheet to prevent, with the sheet 50, that the conditioned objects do not come into contact with the wood of the box.

The edges 37 of the plates 35 of the upper and lower fixing elements 5 and 6 then serve as a support for this sheet 50 and guide the lower and upper edges of this sheet 50 respectively towards the inside of the packaging unit 1 .

In another variant, the sheet 50 can be replaced by a protective mesh, for example made of polypropylene, or two opposite side walls can each be provided with a full protective sheet and the other two, with a mesh.

According to yet another variant, side walls 3 and 4 can be solid and / or made of several materials.

Claims (1)

<U> CLAIMS </U> 1. Packaging assembly (1) of the type comprising a pallet (2) comprising an upper plate (11), removable side walls (3, 4), and fixing means (5, 6) for dismountably assembling the side walls (3, 4) and the pallet so that they form a box (7) for receiving objects, the fixing means comprising lower means (5) for fixing to assemble the lower ends (19) of the side walls to the pallet and upper corner elements (6) for joining upper ends (20) of the side walls to one another, at angles which they form when they are assembled on the pallet, by interlocking the upper elements of angle (6) on these walls, characterized in that the lower fixing means comprise lower angle elements (5) provided on the plate of the pallet (2) for assembling side walls on the pallet by fitting their s lower ends (19) in the lower corner elements (5) by a simple movement down @ ntConditioning assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower ends (19) of the side walls (3, s' extend substantially rectilinearly over most of the length of the side walls. 3. Packaging assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper and lower corner elements (5, 6) are substantially identical. 4. Packaging assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each lower corner element comprises a lower plate (24) for fixing on the plate (11) of the pallet (2) and two arms (26) for receiving the lower ends (19) of the side walls (3, 4) of the pallet, and in that a free region (40) of the fixing plate (24) extends beyond the arms (26), at a level point of one year (27) formed by the receiving arms (26), to receive a fixing member. Packaging assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lower and / or upper corner elements 6) comprise parts (35) of support for a protective cover (50) arranged inside the packaging unit) to guide the lower and / or upper edge of this sheet towards the interior of the packaging unit.