FR2880616A1 - Egg package case storing method for e.g. display shelf, involves placing cases vertically on support, where each case has stabilization units with two projections extended throughout height of two rows of cells of case - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves placing package cases (1) on their respective lateral sides on a support in order to maintain the cases vertically on the support. Each case has a plate (2) whose lateral sides having stabilization units (6) with two projections (7) extended throughout a height of two rows of cells of the case. The units are configured such that the cases have an angular distance of 10 degrees with vertical. An independent claim is also included for an egg package case for implementing a method for storing an egg package case.

Description

PROCESS FOR VERTICAL STORAGE OF PACKAGING BOXES FOR

  EGGS AND PACKING BOX FOR EGGS PERMITTING SUCH

STORAGE

  The present invention relates to the field of packaging eggs for storage on an exhibit rack type support.

  The present invention relates more particularly to a method of storing egg packaging boxes, and egg packaging boxes for such storage.

  Currently, the egg packaging boxes comprise a tray provided with cells for receiving the eggs and a lid mounted to move on said plate so as to cover said cells. These boxes are formed to have two rows of two, three or five eggs. Traditionally, these packaging boxes are arranged horizontally on the display shelves, and most often stacked on several levels.

  Such storage on shelves, however, has the disadvantage of not allowing a valuation to the buyer of exposed egg boxes. Indeed, informative inserts and / or promotional boxes for eggs are affixed conventionally on the covers of said boxes. However, when the buyer is facing the shelves supporting said egg boxes, the latter can not usually see directly the surface of the lids of the boxes. It is therefore necessary for him to take a box of eggs to take note of the information indicated to him on the lid.

  In order to overcome this disadvantage and to offer an informative surface directly to the buyer, it has been developed (see German patent application DE29906634) egg packaging boxes provided with a cover having a lateral wing covering a side faces of the tray, said wing supporting information for the buyer. The packaging box is then positioned on the rack so that the wing of the lid is arranged facing the buyer.

  Such an egg box, however, provides a limited information surface and makes opening easy.

  The present invention intends to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a new concept of storage of egg packaging boxes allowing optimized visual access to information and / or promotional inserts on the lids of packaging boxes, as well as a packaging box adapted for such storage.

  To do this, the present invention is of the type described above and is remarkable, in its broadest sense, in that each packaging box is placed on one of its lateral faces on a support, generally substantially horizontal, to maintain said box substantially vertically on said support.

  In what follows, the term "side faces", "lower side" and "upper side", means the same faces as a conventional egg packaging box, the lateral face consisting of the bottom of the plate formed by the lower faces of the cells, and the face upper being generally constituted by the upper face of the lid.

  Thus, by the expression vertical maintenance of a packaging box, as opposed to the current horizontal storage of egg cartons, it is intended to maintain the egg packaging box, not on the bottom of the tray, but on one of the side faces of said packaging box. The upper face of the cover on which are printed the consumer markings is arranged, not horizontally relative to the support on which is disposed said packaging box, but substantially vertically relative to said support.

  Said packaging boxes are arranged on said support either on a single level of storage or on several levels of storage.

  In the case where the packaging boxes are arranged on several storage levels, each storage level, according to an advantageous configuration of the invention, is spaced from an adjacent storage level by an intermediate support, plan or preformed to receive said packaging boxes.

  Advantageously, the support is a preformed support for receiving said packaging boxes. By support, is also understood, besides the support on which rests (s) the (or) different level (s) storage boxes packaging, the (or) support (s) intermediate (s) ) intended to separate the different storage levels. According to a particular embodiment, the support concerned will have a preformed upper face for receiving said packaging boxes. According to another embodiment, an intermediate element having imprints able to receive said packaging boxes will be placed on the support, said packaging boxes then being arranged in the corresponding preformed impressions.

  Advantageously, said packaging boxes are arranged on said support so as to expose the upper face of said packaging box.

  The present invention also relates to an egg packaging box for carrying out the storage method as described above, said box comprising a tray provided with cells for receiving the eggs and a lid mounted on said tray so as to cover said cells. The packaging box is notable in that a part of the periphery of at least one cell forms a lateral face of said plate, said peripheral portion comprising stabilizing means for maintaining the packaging box substantially vertically on a surface. support by supporting a flat surface of said stabilizing means on said support.

  Preferably, the stabilizing means consist of one or more plane zones extending over all or part of the height of said cell.

  According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the stabilization means consist of a projection of said cell, said projection extending over the entire height of said cell.

  According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the stabilization means consist of flattened areas of the periphery portion of said cell, said zones being preferably formed on the lower periphery portion of said cell.

  Advantageously, said peripheral portion of said cell comprising said stabilizing means has an angular difference with the vertical, less than or equal to 15 degrees, and preferably 10 degrees.

  Advantageously, the cover comprises complementary stabilizing means, which consist, according to a particular configuration of the invention, by point or continuous reinforcements on the peripheral edge of said cover.

  Advantageously, said complementary reinforcements consist of extra thicknesses of the peripheral edge of said lid.

  Advantageously, said complementary stabilization means consist of a return zone of the peripheral edge of said lid.

  According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the complementary stabilization is carried out by thickenings of the peripheral edge of said lid associated with a return zone of the peripheral edge of said lid.

  Advantageously, the packaging box further comprises locking means for locking the lid on said plate, said locking means being preferably arranged on one of the adjacent lateral faces or on the lateral face opposite to said lateral face of said plate .

  According to a particular configuration of the invention, the lid consists of two half-lids. In order to keep the two half-covers firmly closed on the tray, the latter comprise respectively a lateral extension intended to fit into notches formed in the widow's separation pads.

  The invention will be better understood by means of the description, given below purely for explanatory purposes, of exemplary embodiments of the invention, with reference to the appended figures.

  Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view from above of a packaging box according to a first embodiment; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view from below of a packaging box according to a second embodiment; FIGS. 3a and 3b schematize two vertical modes of holding a packaging box according to the invention; FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a particular configuration of the packaging box of FIG.

  Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view from above of an egg packaging box (1) according to a first embodiment.

  Said packaging box (1) comprises a tray (2) provided with two rows of cells for receiving the eggs, each row comprising three cells (3).

  The rows of cells are separated by separation pads (4), thus separating the eggs from each other.

  The side faces of said packaging box (1) are constituted, in this embodiment, by the lateral faces of said plate (1), themselves formed by a portion of the periphery of said cells (3).

  In order to maintain the packaging box (1) substantially vertically on a support, at least one of the lateral faces of said plate (2) comprises stabilization means (6) characterized by surface flatness. As will be seen later, it may be a specific flatness, points of contact or lines collaboratively defining a plane, a surface of levitation, etc. In particular, said stabilization means (6) consist of one or more plane zones extending over all or part of the relevant lateral face of said plate (2).

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the stabilization means (6) consist of two projections (7) having a flat surface, said projections (7) being formed on the two end cells (3) of each of the two rows to form the same side face of said plate (2).

  In order to provide good stability of the packaging box (1) when it is arranged in a vertical position on the support, said projection (7) advantageously extends over the entire height of said cells (3).

  It is of course obvious that the projections (7) can be formed on only a part of the height of the periphery of the cells (3) without departing from the scope of the invention.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Figure 2, said stabilizing means (6) consist of one or more flattened areas (8) of the periphery portion of the cells (3) concerned. Preferably, said zones are formed on the lower periphery portion of said cells (3).

  Advantageously, said stabilization means (6) are configured so that, when it is arranged on the support on one of its lateral faces, said packing box (1) has an angular spacing with the vertical, preferably of the order of 10 degrees.

  Such a configuration has the advantage of limiting the risk of falling from the packaging box (1) to the front.

  Such a configuration also allows storage on an exposure rack which would have a slight inclination.

  Said packaging box (1) further comprises a lid (5) fixed movably on said plate (2).

  Advantageously, said cover (5) comprises stabilization means complementary to the stabilization means (6) described above.

  Such complementary stabilizing means are used in particular when the stabilization means (6) of the packaging boxes consist of flattened areas of cells.

  Advantageously, said complementary stabilization means are constituted by point or continuous reinforcements on the peripheral edge of said lid, such as extra thicknesses.

  According to another configuration, said complementary stabilization means are constituted by a return zone of the peripheral edge of said lid.

  These stabilizing means are distributed on the peripheral edge of said lid to be in contact with the support when the packaging box (1) is arranged vertically.

  It is of course obvious that the lid of a packaging box object of the invention can accumulate the complementary stabilization means, and thus be provided on its peripheral edge of one (or more) reinforcement (s) punctual (s) ) and one (or more) zone (s) of return.

  In addition, it is also obvious that if each of the side faces of said plate have stabilizing means so as to allow vertical maintenance of said packaging box on each side, said lid of said packaging box will advantageously present complementary stabilization means along the entire length of its peripheral edge.

  FIGS. 3a and 3b schematize respectively two storage modes of a packaging box (1) comprising a plate (2) on which is fixed in a mobile manner a lid (5), said lid (5) being kept closed again on said plate (2) by locking means (9), of the protuberance type formed on the plate which is plugged into complementary openings formed in the cover (5).

  In Figure 3a, is schematized storage of the packaging box (1) on the lateral face opposite to the side face having said locking means (9).

  In Figure 3b is shown schematically a storage of the packaging box (1) on one of the side faces adjacent to the side face having said locking means (9).

  FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a particular configuration of the packaging box (1) of FIG.

  In this configuration, said packaging box (1) has a lid (5) consisting of two half-lids (50, 51).

  Each of the half-covers (50, 51) comprises a lateral extension (60, 61) for insertion into a substantially vertical notch (10) formed in each of the separation pads (4), said covers (50, 51) then being firmly held closed on said tray (2).

  The packaging boxes for eggs shown in the figures previously described are molded cellulose or cardboard boxes. It is of course obvious that the present invention is not limited to this type of packaging boxes, it also applies to packaging boxes made of another material and according to different manufacturing processes. It may be for example packaging boxes expanded plastic (expanded polystyrene, ...), thermoformed plastic (crystal polystyrene, _).

  Furthermore, the packaging boxes may include a lid formed either in one piece with the tray, or separate from it. In the latter case, it may be a cover consisting of a flat cardboard or a sheath.

  The invention is described in the foregoing by way of example. It is understood that the skilled person is able to realize different variants of the invention without departing from the scope of the patent.

Claims (18)

  A method of storing packaging boxes (1) for eggs, characterized in that each packaging box (1) is placed on one of its lateral faces on a support for holding said box substantially vertically on said support.   2. The method of storage according to claim 1, characterized in that said packaging boxes (1) are disposed on said support on a single level of storage.   3. A method of storage according to claim 1, characterized in that said packaging boxes (1) are arranged on said support according to several levels of storage.   4. A method of storage according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each level of storage is spaced from an adjacent storage level by an intermediate support, planar or preformed, to receive said packaging boxes (1).   5. A method of storage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support is a preformed support for receiving said packaging boxes (1).   A method of storage according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said packaging boxes (1) are disposed on said support so that the exposed face is the upper face of said packaging box (1). ).   7. Packaging box (1) for widowers for carrying out the storage method according to any one of the preceding claims, said box (1) comprising a tray (2) provided with cavities (3) for receiving the eggs and a lid (5) movably mounted on said plate (2) so as to cover said cells (3), characterized in that a part of the periphery of at least one cell (3) forms a lateral face said platen (2), said periphery portion including stabilizing means (6) for holding the packaging box substantially vertically on a support by supporting a planar surface of said stabilizing means (6) on said support.   8. Packaging box (1) for eggs according to claim 7, characterized in that the stabilizing means (6) are constituted by one or more planar zones extending over all or part of the height of said cell.   Packaging box (1) for eggs according to claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that the stabilizing means (6) consist of a projection (7) of said cell (3), said projection (7) extending over the entire height of said cell (3).   An egg packaging box (1) according to claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that the stabilizing means (6) consist of flattened areas (8) of the periphery portion of said cell (3). said zones (8) being preferably formed on the lower periphery portion of said cell (3).   Packing box (1) for widowers according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that said peripheral portion of said cell (3) comprising said stabilizing means (6) has an angular deviation with the vertical less than or equal to 15 degrees, and preferably 10 degrees.   12. Packaging box (1) for eggs according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that the lid (5) comprises complementary stabilizing means.   13. Packaging box (1) for eggs according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said complementary stabilizing means are constituted by point or continuous reinforcements on the peripheral edge of said lid (5).   14. Packaging box (1) for eggs according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the reinforcements consist of extra thickness of the peripheral edge of said lid (5).   15. Packaging box (1) for eggs according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that said complementary stabilizing means are constituted by a return zone of the peripheral edge of said lid (5).   16. Egg packaging box (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 15, characterized in that the lid (5) is constituted by two half-covers (50, 51).   17. Packaging box (1) for widowers according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the plate (2) comprises separation pads (4) of the eggs provided with notches (10), the two half-lids (50 , 51) respectively comprising a lateral extension (60, 61) for insertion into said notches (10) so as to be firmly held on said cells (3).   18. Packaging box (1) for eggs according to any one of claims 7 to 15, characterized in that it further comprises locking means (9) for locking the lid (5) on said tray (2). ), said locking means (9) being preferably arranged on one of the adjacent lateral faces or on the lateral faces opposite to said lateral face of said plate.