GB1582211A - Packaging element - Google Patents

Description

(54) PACKAGING ELEMENT (71) We, N.V. PHILIPS GLOEILAMPEN FABRIEKEN, a limited liability Company, organised and established under the laws of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, of Emmasingel 29, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The invention relates to a packaging element destined to maintain a comparatively fragile object spaced from the walls of a packaging box, the said element being formed partly from a body of a foamed plastics material and partly from a non-compressible material.

It is known to dispose between each apparatus and its packaging box angular elements having a double function, first fixation of the apparatus in the box and second protection against possible shocks.

The methods of handling and storing heavy and bulky apparatus, for example, electrodomestic appliances, by means of pallets and storage by direct superposition of the boxes, have necessitated a reinforcement of the cardboard packaging boxes against compression.

Said reinforcement has been obtained by providing the elements of moulded foamed material with a rigid frame. Such elements are known from French patent 1,598,984. The reinforcement is in the form of a bar, for example of wood, extending from one end to the other of the corner piece. Said bar is held in place by bridges of moulded foamed material provided on the rear side of one of the wings forming the corner piece. According to the embodiment described, said bar is incorporated in the element during the manufacture.

Said construction permits the stacking of boxes without risking damage of the apparatus contained in them. The ends of the bars project from the surface of the packed apparatus in such a manner that the weight of the box immediately above is applied on the said ends.

The packaging element according to the invention aims at providing an element which is constructed in such manner that the incorporation of the bar during a moulding operation is not necessary and may be done at the site of utilization. This provides an economy in carrying out the moulding which may be automated, whereas the device of the moulded bar described in the aforementioned patent obliges a moulding at best semi-automatic, since at the commencement of each moulding cycle an operator must insert manually and with precision a bar in the mould.

According to the invention, there is provided a packaging element destined to maintain a comparatively fragile object spaced from the walls of a packaging box, the element being formed partly from a body of a foamed plastics material and partly from a bar of non-compressible material, characterized in that the body of foamed plastics material forms at least partly a parallelepipedic shape comprising on two opposite longitudinal faces recessed parallelepipedic apertures alternated on each of the said faces, the ends of the apertures being open so as to form a channel extending along the length of the body, said channel being capable of receiving the bar.

According to an embodiment the body includes side wings and the said apertures are formed in at least one of the wings constituting the packaging element.

From the description and the accompanying drawing, given hereinafter by way of example, the invention will be well understood. In the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of an element according to the invention, Figure 2 is an elevation from the right of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line CC of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line AA of Figure 1, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line BB of Figure 1.

Figure 1 is an elevation of an embodiment of a packaging element according to the invention.

The element is destined to be placed vertically in a corner of the packaging box and thus it includes two wings or parts of wings forming between them an angle of 900. Figure 4 shows the shape of the element of which the wing 1 rests against the corner of the box. The wing 2 has been reduced to two portions forming an abutment and sufficient to prevent any sliding movement of the apparatus against the wing 1.

For reasons outside the scope of the invention and aiming at an economy of material used, the wing 1 has a side 3 which is at least partly cut according to a succession of trapeziums.

The element shown is the body of foamed plastics material and it forms a parallelepipedic shape 4 comprising on its two opposite longitudinal faces 5 and 6 (Figure 2) parallelepipedic apertures which are recessed and which alternate apertures, for example 70 and 71, being adjacent according to their sides 8 and 9 at the longitudinal faces 5 and 6 so as to form a longitudinal channel 10.

Figure 3 which is a cross-sectional view taken on the line CC of Figure 1 shows how the parallelepipedic apertures, for example 70 and 71, are distributed on the faces 5 and 6 of the element. For reasons of clarity the sides of the apertures are shown by broken lines. So the aperture 70 made on the face 5 is bounded by the bottom 11 on the side of the face 6 and the aperture 71 made on the face 6 is bounded by the bottom 12 on the side of the face 5. These two apertures 70 and 71 are alternate and adjacent according to their sides 8 and 9 (shown by the broken lines) which form a passage between the two apertures.Since similar apertures have been provided all along the foamed plastics body, a longitudinal channel is formed which is substantially rectangular according to this embodiment, in which channel a bar can be inserted of a material, for example wood or rigid plastics material, having a section equal to that of the channel. The length of the bar should be at least equal to the length of the element and should exceed the height of the packaged apparatus.

Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the element according to the invention taken on the lines AA and BB of Figure 1 for an aperture opening in the face 6 and for an aperture opening in the face 5. As may be seen from these and the preceding Figures, the reinforcement bar can be held in the channel 10 by the sides 3 and 4 having no apertures and by the corresponding parts at the bottom of the apertures or regularly disposed on the faces 5 and 6.

In addition to the advantage offered by introducing the reinforcement bars at the site of packaging, the disposition of the apertures as well as their shape provide a simplification of the moulding operation for the foamed plastics body. Actually, the element may be formed from a mould of only two parts, each of the parts comprising a series of parallelepipedic teeth. The teeth of one of the parts of the mould interdigitate with those of the other part to provide a longitudinal interior channel.

It is easy to comprehend that the shape of the apertures may vary. The relative thicknesses of the various walls may be modified according to the specific problem of packaging to be solved.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A packaging element destined to maintain a comparatively fragile object spaced from the walls of a packaging box, the element being formed partly from a body of a foamed plastics material and partly from a bar of non-compressible material, characterized in that the body of foamed plastics material forms at least partly a parallelepipedic shape comprising on two opposite longitudinal faces recessed parallelepipedic apertures alternated on each of the said faces, the ends of the apertures being open so as to form a channel extending along the length of the body, said channel being capable of receiving the bar.

2. A packaging element as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the body includes side wings and that said apertures are formed in at least one of the wings constituting the packaging element.

3. A packaging element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. cut according to a succession of trapeziums. The element shown is the body of foamed plastics material and it forms a parallelepipedic shape 4 comprising on its two opposite longitudinal faces 5 and 6 (Figure 2) parallelepipedic apertures which are recessed and which alternate apertures, for example 70 and 71, being adjacent according to their sides 8 and 9 at the longitudinal faces 5 and 6 so as to form a longitudinal channel 10. Figure 3 which is a cross-sectional view taken on the line CC of Figure 1 shows how the parallelepipedic apertures, for example 70 and 71, are distributed on the faces 5 and 6 of the element. For reasons of clarity the sides of the apertures are shown by broken lines. So the aperture 70 made on the face 5 is bounded by the bottom 11 on the side of the face 6 and the aperture 71 made on the face 6 is bounded by the bottom 12 on the side of the face 5. These two apertures 70 and 71 are alternate and adjacent according to their sides 8 and 9 (shown by the broken lines) which form a passage between the two apertures.Since similar apertures have been provided all along the foamed plastics body, a longitudinal channel is formed which is substantially rectangular according to this embodiment, in which channel a bar can be inserted of a material, for example wood or rigid plastics material, having a section equal to that of the channel. The length of the bar should be at least equal to the length of the element and should exceed the height of the packaged apparatus. Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the element according to the invention taken on the lines AA and BB of Figure 1 for an aperture opening in the face 6 and for an aperture opening in the face 5. As may be seen from these and the preceding Figures, the reinforcement bar can be held in the channel 10 by the sides 3 and 4 having no apertures and by the corresponding parts at the bottom of the apertures or regularly disposed on the faces 5 and 6. In addition to the advantage offered by introducing the reinforcement bars at the site of packaging, the disposition of the apertures as well as their shape provide a simplification of the moulding operation for the foamed plastics body. Actually, the element may be formed from a mould of only two parts, each of the parts comprising a series of parallelepipedic teeth. The teeth of one of the parts of the mould interdigitate with those of the other part to provide a longitudinal interior channel. It is easy to comprehend that the shape of the apertures may vary. The relative thicknesses of the various walls may be modified according to the specific problem of packaging to be solved. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A packaging element destined to maintain a comparatively fragile object spaced from the walls of a packaging box, the element being formed partly from a body of a foamed plastics material and partly from a bar of non-compressible material, characterized in that the body of foamed plastics material forms at least partly a parallelepipedic shape comprising on two opposite longitudinal faces recessed parallelepipedic apertures alternated on each of the said faces, the ends of the apertures being open so as to form a channel extending along the length of the body, said channel being capable of receiving the bar.

2. A packaging element as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the body includes side wings and that said apertures are formed in at least one of the wings constituting the packaging element.

3. A packaging element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.