FR2827581A1 - Rigid pack with base and lid e.g. for bottles has bottom of base joined to side and end walls in trihedral configuration - Google Patents

Abstract

The pack, comprising a base (3), a separate lid (4) that fixes to the base, and a handle (100) made from a perforated strip detached from the base, has the bottom panel (8) of the base joined to side (10, 12) and end (54) walls by inner flaps to make corners with a trihedral configuration. The base is made from a single cut and folded panel e.g. of corrugated cardboard, with side and end walls joined by folded and glued flaps on the inside of the corners. The lid is made from a separate panel in a similar shape to the base and fastened to it.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a closed package for packaging a group of containers, of the type comprising a bottom part, a cap part separate from the bottom part and fixed to it, and a handle comprising at least a first region cut out from a first of the parts.

 The invention applies in particular to the packaging of bottles, in particular beer.

 To avoid the degradation of beer over time, it is useful that the bottles that contain it are packaged in a completely closed package.

 Generally, such a closed package, commonly called a suitcase, is obtained from a single blank of folded and glued cardboard to form a sheath with open ends. This sheath is set in volume to place the containers there. Then, we just close the ends of the sheath to get the packaging closed.

 These sleeves are packaged in special cases and then delivered to the companies producing the bottles. These companies then ensure the volume, filling and closing of the sleeves.

 The associated logistics costs are relatively high, in particular because of the special packaging that the sleeves require.

 The direct volume of the single blank around the bottles would solve the logistical problems mentioned above. However, it would imply the use, by the companies producing bottles, of complex and expensive packaging machines.

 FR-2 707 260 is also known for a closed package of the aforementioned type. A grip handle is cut from the top wall of the cap portion. To transport the packaging containing containers, a consumer grasps this handle.

s'ouvre fréquemment avec le risque de voir les récipients s'échapper et se briser sur le sol. It has been found that the resistance of such packaging to the operations of gripping its handle and transport is particularly low, so that it

opens frequently with the risk of the containers escaping and breaking on the ground.

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 This risk is all the more important as the containers to be packaged are heavy or numerous. Thus, such packaging is ill-suited for packaging a large number of beer bottles.

 An object of the invention is to solve this problem by providing a packaging of the aforementioned type which better withstands the operations of gripping its handle and transport and which generates reduced costs.

 To this end, the subject of the invention is a package of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the first part comprises an end wall, a central wall and two adjacent walls extending the central wall on either side, the end wall and the central wall forming with each adjacent wall a respective trihedron, in that the central wall is rigidly connected to the adjacent walls and the adjacent walls are rigidly connected to the end wall, and in that the first region extends into the central wall and into the adjacent walls.

 According to particular embodiments, the packaging may include one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in any technically possible combination: - the central wall and the adjacent walls have come in one piece with the wall d end along fold lines, - the central wall came in one piece with the adjacent walls along the fold lines, - the adjacent walls include flaps, made in one piece with the central panel along the fold lines, and panels glued to the flaps, - the end wall is a lower or upper end wall on which the ends of the containers are intended to bear, and the central and adjacent walls are side walls intended to border the containers laterally , - the first region extends sufficiently in at least one adjacent side wall to come, when a consumer grasps the poig born, apply against the side wall of a container placed in the trihedron delimited by said adjacent side wall, by the central side wall and by the end wall,

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 - The first region extends in said adjacent side wall beyond a longitudinal central axis along which said container extends between its lower end and its upper end, - the first part comprises a belt of side walls extending over the entire periphery of the end wall, - the first part is the bottom part, the lower ends of the containers being intended to bear on the end wall.

 The invention further relates to an assembly comprising two cut blanks and provided with fold lines to allow respectively the setting in volume of the bottom part and the cap part of a package as defined above.

 The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example, and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a package closed according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the box of the packaging of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a cardboard blank to form the box of the Figure 2, - Figure 4 is a partial schematic view, enlarged and in section taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3, - Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cover of the packaging of Figure 1 , - Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of a cardboard blank to form the cover of Figure 5, - Figure 7 is a partial, schematic view, enlarged and in section taken along the plane VII-VII of the Figure 1, - Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 illustrating a variant of the packaging of Figure 1, - Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a package according to a second embodiment of the invention, and - Figure 10 is a schematic plan view of a carton blank to form the box of the packaging of figure 9.

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 Figure 1 illustrates a closed package 1 containing a group of containers 2 of which only some have been shown.

 These containers 2 are for example beer bottles.

 The closed package 1 comprises a box 3 covered by a cover 4.

 The box 3, illustrated more particularly by FIG. 2, was obtained from a cardboard blank 6, previously cut and provided with grooves, and illustrated by FIG. 3.

 This blank 6 is symmetrical with respect to a transverse median axis, which is vertical in FIG. 3.

 The blank 6 comprises a rectangular bottom wall panel 8 extended at its long sides by a side wall panel 10 and by a side wall panel 12, which is of reduced height than the panel 10.

 The panels 10 and 12 are connected to the bottom wall panel 8 by severely interrupted cutting lines 14 which form fold lines. These lines 14 are horizontal (as seen in Figure 3).

 The panel 10 is extended at its short sides, that is to say to the right and to the left in FIG. 3, by flaps 16 in the shape of a rectangular trapezoid. Each flap 16 is connected to the panel 10 by a vertical fold line 18 (as seen in FIG. 3).

 The panel 12 is extended at its short sides, that is to say to the right and to the left in FIG. 3, by flaps 20 in the shape of a rectangular trapezoid. These components are each connected to the panel 12 by vertical fold lines 22 (as seen in FIG. 3).

 The bottom wall panel 8 is extended at its short sides, that is to say to the right and to the left in FIG. 3, by side wall panels 24. Each panel 24 is connected to the panel 8 by a vertical fold line 26 (as seen in Figure 3).

 A severely interrupted middle cutting line 28 is provided in each panel 24. This line 28 forms a folding line. It is parallel to line 26 and divides the panel 24 into a first zone 30 adjacent to line 26 and which is rectangular in shape, and into a second zone 32 of form converging towards the outside of the blank 6.

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 Two interrupted cutting lines 34 extend longitudinally in the side wall panel 10 and in the adjacent flaps 16. The lines 34 have cusps 35 at their longitudinal ends.

 The lines 34 delimit between them a first region 36 in the form of a band and whose longitudinal ends 38 located in the flaps 16 are slightly divergent.

 The ends 38 of the first region 36 each extend over substantially half the length of the corresponding flap 16.

 The cusps 35 are oriented towards the transverse median axis of the blank 6 and towards the outside of the first region 36.

 A tab 40 is also cut in the side wall panel 10 to be adjacent to the first region 36. This tab 40 is delimited by one of the cutting lines 34 and by another curved cutting line 42.

 As illustrated in FIG. 4, the blank 6 is made of corrugated cardboard comprising a flat sheet 44, which will form an inside face in the box 3, a corrugated sheet 46 and a flat sheet 48, which will form an outside face in the box 3 .

 The corrugated sheet 46 is located between the two flat sheets 44 and 48. Typically, the grammage of the cardboard of the blank 6 is between approximately 350 g / m2 and approximately 500 g / m2, for example approximately 425 g / m2.

 The blank 6 comprises a straight reinforcing strip 50 which extends over the entire length of the side wall panel 10 and adjacent flaps 16.

This strip 50 extends in the region 36 and therefore over its entire length. The strip 50 is disposed between the flat sheet 44 and the grooved sheet 46 of the blank 6. This strip 50 is for example made of polypropylene fibers coated with glue. It was inserted between the flat sheet 44 and the corrugated sheet 46 during the process for manufacturing the cardboard of the blank 6.

 This strip 50 is orthogonal to the direction in which the grooves 52 of the grooved sheet 46 extend.

 To form the box 3 of FIG. 2 from the blank 6 of FIG. 3, the panels 10 and 12 are folded with respect to the lower wall panel 8 using the lines 14 until they are orthogonal to the panel 8 The flaps 16 and the flaps 20 are then folded inwardly of the lower wall panel.

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 The side wall panels 24 are then pivoted so that they are orthogonal to the bottom wall panel 8. The flaps 16 and 20 are then bonded by their external faces to the internal faces of the first zones 30 of the side wall panels 24.

 The body 3 thus obtained comprises a bottom wall or bottom 8, two large opposite side walls 10 and 12 and two small opposite side walls 54. The walls 54 are each formed by a panel 24 and the corresponding flaps 16 and 20. The side walls 10, 12 and 54 form a belt 56 extending continuously around the entire periphery of the bottom 8.

 The side walls 10, 12 and 54 and the bottom 8 together delimit four trihedra each located in an angle with the bottom 8. In particular, the walls 8, 10 and 54 define two trihedra T1 and T2 situated in front in FIG. 2.

 The side walls 10, 12 and 54 came in one piece with the bottom wall 8 along the fold lines 14 and 26. The side walls 54 came in one piece with the side wall 10 along the fold lines 18, and on the other hand with the side wall 12 along the fold lines 22.

 Thus, the side walls 10, 12 and 54 and the bottom wall 8 are rigidly connected to each other.

 The cover 4, illustrated more particularly by FIG. 5, is obtained from a cardboard blank 60, previously cut and provided with grooves and illustrated by FIG. 6.

 The blank 60 is symmetrical with respect to a median longitudinal axis oriented vertically in FIG. 6.

 The blank 60 comprises a rectangular upper wall panel 62 extended at its long sides, that is to say upwards and downwards in FIG. 6, by panels of inclined walls 64, then by two panels side walls 66 and 67 respectively, and finally by two flaps 68.

 The inclined wall panels 64 are connected to the panel 62 by two horizontal fold lines 70 (as seen in Figure 6). These panels 64 are in the form of an isosceles trapezoid diverging towards the outside of the blank 60.

 The side wall panels 66 and 67 are connected by two horizontal fold lines 72 (as seen in Figure 6) to the panels 64. The panels 66 and 67 are rectangular.

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 The flaps 68 are connected to the side wall panels 66 and 67 by interrupted cutting lines 74 forming fold lines. These lines 74 are horizontal in FIG. 6. The flaps 68 are slightly convergent towards the outside of the blank 60.

 The panels 64 are extended to the right and to the left in Figure 6, that is to say at their inclined edges, by flaps 76 of substantially triangular shape. Each flap 76 is connected to the corresponding panel 64 by an oblique fold line 78.

 The upper wall panel 62 is extended at its short sides, that is to say to the right and to the left in FIG. 6, by flaps 80 in the form of an isosceles trapezoid diverging towards the outside.

 These flaps 80 are connected to the upper wall panel 62 by vertical fold lines 82 (as seen in Figure 6).

 Finally, cutouts are provided in the panel 62 to delimit there a diamond 84 intended to be torn, after pressing two tabs 86 cut in the flaps 80 and located in opposite angles of the diamond 84, to allow access to the containers 2 covered by the cover 4 in the packaging 1.

 The blank 60 is symmetrical with respect to a transverse median axis, oriented horizontally in Figure 6, except for what will be described later.

 Two interrupted longitudinal cutting lines 88 are provided in the side wall panel 67 (below in FIG. 6).

 Two short interrupted transverse cutting lines 90 connect the lines 88, a short distance from their ends 92. The lines 88 and 90 delimit between them a second region 94 in the form of a band and the ends of which are divergent. This second region 94 is extended at its ends by flaps 96 delimited by the ends 92 of lines 88 and by lines 90. These flaps 96 are articulated to the rest of the side wall panel 67 by fold lines 97 vertical (as seen in Figure 6).

 A tab 98 is cut in the panel 67 in the vicinity of the second region 94. This tab 96 is delimited by one of the two lines 88 and by a curved cutting line 99. This tab 98 is adjacent to the second region 94.

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 The cardboard used to form the blank 60 is a compact cardboard, that is to say non-corrugated cardboard. Thus, this cardboard 60 comprises for example several superimposed layers or flat sheets.

 Typically, the cardboard used for the blank 60 has a grammage of between approximately 250 g / m2 and approximately 400 g / m2 and for example approximately 360 g / m2.

 In order to form the cover 4, the inclined wall panels 64 and the side wall panels 66 and 67 are pivoted downwards with respect to the upper wall panel 62 by means of the fold lines 70 and 72.

 The flaps 76 are then folded inwardly of the upper wall panel 62 using the fold lines 78. The flaps 80 are then pivoted downwards using the fold lines 82, then the flaps 76 are glued by their external faces. on the inside of the flaps 80.

 The end flaps 68 are folded inwards from the top wall panel 62 thanks to the fold lines 74.

 Thus, the flaps 68 are substantially parallel to the upper wall 62 and the side walls 66 and 67 are substantially orthogonal to the upper wall 62. The walls 64 and the flaps 80 are inclined at an angle less than 90 relative to the wall upper 62.

 In the packaging 1 of FIG. 1, the containers 2 are arranged in the box 3 and bear on its lower wall 8 by their bottoms or lower ends.

 The containers 2 are supported on the upper wall 62 of the cover 4 by their necks or upper ends.

 The body 3 and the cover 4 are fixed to each other by: - bonding of the flaps 68 of the cover 4 under the bottom wall 8 of the body 3, - bonding of the flaps 80 of the cover 4 on the second zones 32 of the side walls 54 of the box 3, these zones 32 being folded slightly towards the inside of the box 3, thanks to the fold lines 28 (FIG. 2), to follow the inclination of the flaps 80, - bonding of the wall side 66 of the cover 4 on the side wall 12 of the box 3, and - bonding of the side wall 67 of the cover 4 on the side wall 10 of the box 3.

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 More specifically, the side wall 67 of the cover 4 is glued to the side wall 10 of the body 3 on the one hand under the first and second regions 36 and 94, and on the other hand above these regions 36 and 94. Bonding is also ensured between the overlapping regions 36 and 94, the second region 94 having dimensions greater than those of the first region 36 as seen in FIG. 1.

 When a consumer presses the tabs 98 and 40 which also overlap, he can grasp the first region 36 of the box 3 and the second region 94 of the cover 4 and pull them outwards. The side panel 10 of the body 3 (FIG. 2) then breaks along the lines 34 and the side panel 67 of the cover 4 (FIG. 5) breaks along the cutting lines 88 and 90.

 The second region 94 then detaches from the rest of the panel 67 and follows the first region 36 towards the outside of the package 1. The regions 36 and 94 then form a grip handle 100 (FIG. 1) projecting from the rest of the packaging 1.

 As can be seen in FIG. 7 for the left end 38 of the first region 36 of the handle 100, the ends 38 then partly conform to the side walls 102 of the containers 2 arranged in the corners or trihedrons before T1 and T2 (figure 2) of the body 3. This is obtained by the fact that the ends 38 of the first region 36 extend in the walls 54 towards the rear beyond the longitudinal axes A of the containers 2 placed in the corners T1 and T2 .

 Thus, when a tensile force is exerted on the handle 100, these ends 38 are applied against the side walls 102 of the containers 2 located in the corners T1 and T2 and tend to push them towards the inside of the packaging 1.

 It has been found that the packaging 1 resists particularly well the operations of gripping the handle 100 and transporting.

 This is in particular due to the following characteristics: - presence of a reinforcing member 50 integrated in the carton of the box 3,

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 - cutting of the first region 36 in three side panels 10 and 54 adjacent to the body 3, these three panels being rigidly linked to each other and to the bottom wall 8 of the body 3, - use of corrugated cardboard and therefore resistant to form the box 3, - cooperation of the ends 38 of the handle 100 with the containers 2 located in the corners T1 and T2 of the box 3, this cooperation limiting the concentrations of stresses, - presence of cusps 35 provided at the ends of the lines cutting 34 delimiting the first region 36 in the box 3, - use of a box 3 comprising a belt of side walls 56 laterally bordering the containers 2 around the entire periphery of the bottom wall 8 of the box 3.

 It will be noted that these characteristics can be used independently of one another to increase the resistance of the packaging 1.

 With regard to the cooperation of the ends 38 of the handle 100 with the containers 2, it will be noted that this characteristic can be obtained without the ends 38 extending in the walls 54 beyond the longitudinal axes A of the containers 2. C 'is in particular the case when the containers have a different section from the circular section shown in Figure 7, for example a polygonal section. It then suffices that the ends 38 extend sufficiently in the side walls 54 to come, when a consumer grasps the handle, to apply against the side walls 102 of the containers 2 arranged in the corners T1 and T2.

 In addition, the packaging 1 induces reduced costs. This is due in particular to the following characteristics: use of a less resistant and less costly material for the cover 4 than for the box 3, the box 3 ensuring the majority of the recovery of forces during the gripping operations of the handle 100 and transporting the packaging 1, - integration of the reinforcing strip 50 into the cardboard box 3 during the manufacturing process of this cardboard and not in a subsequent step of manufacturing the packaging 1,

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- réalisation de l'emballage 1 en deux parties distinctes initialement séparées.

- Realization of the packaging 1 in two distinct parts initially separated.

More precisely, the packaging 1 being produced in two separate parts 3 and 4, the blanks 6 and 60 corresponding to it can be supplied flat to a company having a machine for setting up the volume of these blanks. Due to the reduced size of these blanks, such a machine is simple and of reduced cost.

Furthermore, the blanks 6 are less expensive to package and deliver than the sheaths of the prior art which require special packaging in the box.

On the contrary, the blanks 6 and 60 can be stored on pallets at the outlet of the blank cutting and printing machines 6 and 60.

The logistics costs associated with packaging 1 are therefore reduced.

It will be noted that other pairs of materials than corrugated cardboard and compact cardboard make it possible to reduce the overall cost of the packaging 1 by using a less expensive material for the cover 4 than for the box 3.

Thus, the packaging 1 makes it possible to condition a large number of beer bottles at low cost. Typically, the packaging 1 makes it possible to package a group of twenty-four bottles 2 distributed in four rows of six bottles.

FIG. 8 illustrates a variant of the packaging 1 of FIG. 1 in which the flaps 76 of the cover 3 are connected to the flaps 80 by oblique fold lines 103. Each flap 76 is divided in two by an oblique fold line 104. The flaps 76 thus form gussets which are folded inside the cover 3 and which are glued to the flaps 80 to reach the structure of FIGS. 1 and 5.

In another variant not shown, the upper wall 62 of the cover 3 comprises a network of openings for passage of the upper ends of the containers 2.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention according to which the handle 100 is provided on a small side wall 54 of the body 3 and no longer on the side wall 10 of the body 3 and on the side wall 67 of the cap 4.

Thus, and as can be seen in FIG. 10, the blank 6 used to form the box 3 no longer comprises flaps 16 and 20.

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 On the other hand, the side wall panels 24 are extended at their short sides, that is to say upwards and downwards in FIG. 10, by flaps 105 in the shape of a rectangular trapezoid.

 These flaps 105 are each connected to the corresponding panel 24 by a horizontal fold line 106 in FIG. 10.

 The first region 36, and therefore the interrupted cutting lines 34, extend transversely in the right panel 24 (as seen in FIG. 10) and in the corresponding flaps 105. Likewise, the tab 40 is arranged in the same panel 24.

 In this embodiment, and as can be seen in FIG. 9, the handle 100 is formed simply by the first region 36. It will be noted that the cover 4 no longer has a second region 94.

 It will also be noted that the orientation of the grooves in the cardboard of the blank 6 has been modified relative to that of FIG. 3, so as to ensure that the reinforcing member 50 is orthogonal to the direction in which the grooves extend.

 In this embodiment, the ends 38 of the handle 100 cooperate with the containers 2 arranged in the right corners of the box 3, as described above.

 Thus, the packaging according to the second embodiment also makes it possible to package a large number of containers 2 with reduced costs.

 Typically, the number of containers 2 that the package 1 according to this second embodiment can package is less than that that the package of Figures 1 to 8 can package. Thus, the packaging 1 according to the second embodiment can condition a group of twelve bottles 2.

Claims (10)

1. Closed package (1) for packaging a group of containers (2), of the type comprising a bottom part (3), a cap part (4) separate from the bottom part and fixed to it, and a handle (100) comprising at least a first region (36) cut out in a first (3) of the parts, characterized in that the first part (3) comprises an end wall (8), a central wall (10; 54 ) and two adjacent walls (54; 10, 12) extending the central wall on either side, the end wall (8) and the central wall forming with each adjacent wall a respective trihedron (T1, T2), that the central wall (10; 54) is rigidly connected to the adjacent walls (54; 10,12) and the adjacent walls (54; 10,12) are rigidly connected to the end wall (8), and in this that the first region (36) extends in the central wall (10; 54) and in the adjacent walls (54; 10,12).  2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the central wall (10; 54) and the adjacent walls (54; 10,12) are integrally formed with the end wall (8) along fold lines .  3. Packaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the central wall (10; 54) came integrally with the adjacent walls (54; 10, 12) along fold lines.  4. Packaging according to claim 3, characterized in that the adjacent walls (54; 10,12) comprise flaps (16,20; 104), integrally formed with the central panel (10; 54) along lines of folding, and panels (24) glued to the shutters.  5. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end wall (8) is a lower or upper end wall on which ends of the containers (2) are intended to bear, and in that that the central (10; 54) and adjacent (54; 10,12) walls are side walls intended to laterally border the containers (2).  6. Packaging according to claim 5, characterized in that the first region (36) extends sufficiently in at least one adjacent side wall (54; 10,12) to come, when a consumer grasps the handle (100), press against the side wall (102) of a container (2) disposed in the trihedron (T1, T2) delimited by said adjacent side wall (54; 10,12), by the central side wall (10; 54) and by the end wall (8). <Desc / Clms Page number 14>  7. Packaging according to claim 6, characterized in that the first region (36) extends in said adjacent side wall (54; 10,12) beyond a longitudinal central axis (A) along which said container (2 ) extends between its lower end and its upper end.  8. Packaging according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the first part (3) comprises a belt (56) of side walls extending over the entire periphery of the end wall (8).  9. Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first part is the bottom part (3), the lower ends of the containers (2) being intended to bear on the end wall (8).  10. Assembly comprising two blanks (6.60) cut out and provided with fold lines to allow respectively the setting in volume of the bottom part (3) and of the cap part (4) of a packaging according to one of the preceding claims.