FR2806701A1 - Folded container and blank has rectangular base panel with folded side-walls and flaps which have tab and slot connections with folded bellows section - Google Patents

Abstract

The packaging tray has a blank of rectangular section to form a base and four flaps to form the sidewalls (14,16) connected to the base by fold lines (20,22). Two sidewalls (16) have flaps (24) hinged to the blank by extensions (26) of the existing fold lines. Each flap can be attached to the corresponding adjacent sidewall by a tab and slot connection. A bellows fold (30) is placed between each flap and the adjacent sidewall (14). Claims include a tray made from the blank and a method of forming the tray

Description

The present invention relates to a gusseted tray and to the associated blank.

In known manner, a tray is made from a cardboard blank and comprises a quadrilateral-shaped bottom and four side walls, substantially perpendicular to the bottom, parallel in pairs.

These trays are generally used for packaging batches of objects from the production plant to the sales departments of the stores. The main characteristics sought for such packaging are a smaller footprint on the production site before use, good mechanical strength to maintain the batch of objects during handling and finally a quick reset after use to limit the volume of waste at the point of sale.

To limit the size at the place of production, these trays are each obtained from a flat blank preferably corrugated cardboard. In general, the blank comprises a quadrilateral-shaped central portion capable of forming the bottom, and four flaps each disposed at the edges of the central portion, capable of forming the side walls of the tray. To connect the adjacent walls, flaps are provided at the ends of two parallel walls and are capable of being fixed to the other walls.

According to a first embodiment, these flaps are fixed permanently, by gluing or stapling. Even if this embodiment makes it possible to obtain a solid fixation, it does not give full satisfaction because the flattening of the tray after use is made difficult because of the mechanical strength of the angles which is reinforced by this type of fastening.

In another embodiment, the flaps are temporarily fixed by hooking through appropriate cuts of the flaps and walls. Even if this solution allows a flat recovery easier than in the previous case, it is not satisfactory because existing hook fasteners are generally fragile and do not provide sufficient strength to the tray.

Moreover, for the flattening, the operator must undo picks one by one which necessarily takes time especially since picks are often made more resistant to undo to increase the strength of the binding.

According to another embodiment, the walls that do not carry the flaps each comprise a first flap connected to the bottom and a second flap connected and likely to be superimposed on the first. In this case, the flaps are arranged and held between the first and second flaps, the second flaps being clipped at each of their ends to be held pressed against the first. This embodiment does not give full satisfaction because the flattening is made difficult because of clipping. On the other hand, the required blank is more important which automatically generates an additional cost.

Also, the present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a tray that allows a quick and simplified flat recycling while maintaining good mechanical strength.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a blank comprising a central portion of rectangular shape, capable of forming a bottom, four flaps arranged at the edges of the central portion capable of forming first and second side walls respectively connected to the bottom by folding lines, each second wall having, at each of its ends, a hinged flap by means of a fold line in the extension of the fold lines of the first walls and capable of being fixed temporarily to the corresponding first wall by hooking obtained by appropriate cuts of said flaps and walls, characterized in that a bellows is provided between each flap and the first adjacent wall.

Preferably, for each angle, the hooking comprises a slot formed near each end of each first wall capable of receiving a tab provided at the corresponding flap.

According to one embodiment, each tongue is obtained by means of two cuts formed in the flap, a first at the angle of the flap forming a recess and a second at the bellows forming a recess between the tongue and the corresponding first wall. .

Advantageously, the slot is widened and forms with the fold line an angle of approximately 45 and, in addition, the end of the tongue is cut at an angle so as to be substantially parallel to the slot once introduced.

Preferably, the blank comprises a cutout, provided at the level of the first walls, extending from the slot towards the end of the first wall, substantially parallel to the fold line and capable of cooperating with the edge of the tongue coming from the first cut.

The invention also proposes a container obtained from the previously defined blank.

Finally, the invention proposes a flattening method of the tray of the invention, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - pivoting around the fold lines the first walls towards the bottom to undo picks and - rotate around the fold lines the first walls to the outside, to obtain automatically, thanks to the bellows, the flattening of the four side walls.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention, a description given by way of example only and with reference to the appended drawings in which - FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the blank according to the invention, - Figures 2A to 2D illustrate the shaping of the tray according to the invention.

In FIG. 2D, there is shown a tray 10 comprising a bottom 12 in the form of a quadrilateral and, perpendicular to the bottom, first side walls 14.1, 14.2 parallel to each other and second side walls 16.1, 16.2 also parallel to each other. According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2D, the bottom is rectangular, the first lateral walls being arranged at the level of the longer sides.

The tray according to the invention is obtained from a blank 18 preferably cut from a sheet of corrugated cardboard, visible in FIG.

This blank comprises a central portion of rectangular shape, capable of forming the bottom 12 and four flaps arranged at the edges of the central portion forming the first 14 and second 16 walls respectively connected to the bottom by fold lines 20 and 22.

Each second wall 16 comprises at each of its ends a flap 24 hinged to the respective wall by a fold line 26 in the extension of the fold lines 20.

Each flap 24 may be temporarily attached to the corresponding first wall by a hooking 28 obtained by appropriate cuts of said flaps and walls which will be detailed later.

According to the invention, a bellows 30 is provided between each flap 24 and the first wall 14 adjacent.

Each bellows 30, of triangular shape, is connected on the one hand, at the end of a first wall 14 by a fold line 32 located in the extension of the fold lines 22 and, on the other hand, to the flap 24 corresponding by a fold line 34 substantially to 451, disposed between the fold lines 26 and 32.

These bellows 30 allow a quick reset flat since it is enough to lay two parallel walls so that the other two walls are flat automatically.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the hooking 28 comprises a slot 36 formed near each end of each first wall 14 capable of receiving a tongue 38 provided at the flap 24 corresponding.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the tongue 38 is obtained by means of two cutouts in the flap, a first at the angle of the flap forming a recess 40 and a second to the right of the bellows 30 forming a recess 42 between the tongue 38 and the corresponding first wall 14.

To facilitate the introduction and exit of the tongue 38, the slot 36 is enlarged and forms with the fold line 20 an angle of approximately 45. In addition, the end 44 of the tongue 38 is cut at an angle so as to be substantially parallel to the slot once introduced as shown in FIG. 2D, to facilitate the insertion and the exit of the tongue.

To increase the strength of the hooking 28, a cutout 46, provided at the first walls, extends from the slot 36 towards the end of the first wall, substantially parallel to the fold line 20. It is likely to be parallel and to cooperate with the edge 48 of the tongue coming from the first blank 40.

Thus, the tongue is pinched between the first wall and the triangle-shaped portion delimited by the cutout 46 and the slot 36, said part tending to flatten by an elastic return effect the tongue against the first wall.

In addition, this cutout 46 also facilitates the exit of the tongue of the slot. Indeed, the triangle-shaped portion formed by the cutout 46 and the slot 36 tends to expel the tongue of the slot through the elastic return effect.

Finally to facilitate the assembly of the tray, the ends 50 of the first walls are bevelled.

This angled cut also makes it possible to slightly tilt the second walls inwards at the angles, which limits the bulging effect of the latter. In this case, the cutout 46 is slightly inclined by a few degrees so as to be always parallel to the edge 48 of the tongue coming from the first blank 40. In certain cases, to limit the thicknesses at the angles, each bellows comprises a recess 52 at the intersection of the fold lines 32 and 34.

The assembly and the flattening of the tray according to the invention are now described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2D.

In Figure 2A, the blank 18 of the tray is shown flat.

For mounting, the first walls 14 are arranged substantially perpendicular to the bottom 12. Thanks to the bellows 30, the flaps 24 are arranged perpendicular to the second walls 16. At this moment, the tongues 38 are introduced into the respective slots 36 for each angle as illustrated in Figures 2B and 2C.

We then obtain the tray 10 according to the invention shown in Figure 2D.

For the recovery flat, it is sufficient that the operator rotate the first walls 14 to the bottom 12 to undo the picks 28 and pull the tabs 38 of their respective slot. This rotation is made possible thanks to the recess 42. Thus, by performing a new rotation of the first walls 14 to the outside, the four side walls are automatically reset thanks to the bellows 30. It can be seen that the recoil and the flattening of the four side walls are obtained only by acting on the first walls.

As an example of use, this tray can be used to form a box by having two trays facing each other connected by a belt.

Of course, the invention is obviously not limited to the embodiment shown and described above, but covers all variants, particularly with regard to the dimensions of the tray and the material used.

Claims (10)

1. Blank comprising a central portion of rectangular shape, capable of forming a bottom (12), four flaps arranged at the edges of the central portion capable of forming first (14) and second (16) side walls respectively connected to the bottom by folding lines (20, 22), each second wall (16) having, at each of its ends, a flap (24) articulated by means of a fold line (26) in the extension of the fold lines (20) first walls and capable of being fixed temporarily to the corresponding first wall by means of a hooking (28) obtained by appropriate cuts of said flaps and walls, characterized in that a bellows (30) is provided between each flap ( 24) and the first adjacent wall (14). 2. blank according to claim 1, characterized in that for each angle, the hooking (28) comprises a slot (36) formed near each end of each first wall (14) adapted to receive a tongue (38) provided in flap level (24) corresponding. 3. blank according to claim 2, characterized in that each tongue (38) is obtained by means of two cutouts in the flap, a first at the angle of the flap forming a recess (40) and a second at the right of the bellows (30) forming a recess (42) between the tongue (38) and the corresponding first wall (14). 4. blank according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the slot (36) is widened and forms with the fold line (20) an angle of approximately 45 and that the end (44) of the tongue (38) is cut at an angle to be substantially parallel to the slot once introduced. 5. blank according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a cutout (46) provided at the first walls, extending from the slot (36) towards the end of the first wall, substantially parallel to the fold line (20) and capable of cooperating with the edge (48) of the tongue from the first blank (40). Tray obtained from the blank according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a bottom (12) of rectangular shape, pairs of first (14) and second (16) side walls respectively connected to the bottom by lines bending device (20, 22), each second wall (16) having, at each of its ends, a flap (24) articulated by means of a fold line (26) in the extension of the fold lines (20) of the first walls and capable of being temporarily fixed to the corresponding first wall by means of a hooking (28) obtained by appropriate cuts of said flaps and walls, characterized in that a bellows (30) is provided between each flap (24) and the first wall (14) adjacent. 7. Tray according to claim 6, characterized in that for each angle, the hooking (28) comprises a slot (36) formed near each end of each first wall (14) capable of receiving a tongue (38) provided in flap level (24) corresponding. 8. Tray according to claim 7, characterized in that each tongue (38) is obtained by means of two cutouts in the flap, a first at the angle of the flap forming a recess (40) and a second at the right of the bellows (30) forming a recess (42) between the tongue (38) and the corresponding first wall (14). 9. Tray according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that a cutout (46) is provided at the first walls, extending from the slot (36) towards the end of the first wall, substantially parallel to the folding line (20) and capable of cooperating with the edge (48) of the tongue. 10. A flattening process of a tray according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that it comprises the following steps which consist in: - pivoting around the fold lines (20) the first walls (14) to the bottom (12) to undo the hooks (28), and - rotate around the fold lines (20) the first walls (14) outward, to obtain automatically, thanks to the bellows ( 30), the flattening of the four side walls.