GB2055349A - Partitioned boxes - Google Patents

Abstract

A box contains a set of interfitting partition panels (18 and 21). One of the partition panels (18) has an attachment piece (20) which is secured to a side wall of the box at a lap joint where two portions of the side wall overlap one another and are secured together. The box can be collapsed to a substantially flat condition with the partition panels (18, 21) in place. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Partitioned box and method of fitting the box with a partition panel The box is of the kind which is made from a folded blank of stiff material, e.g. corrugated board, and includes a manufacturer's lap joint, i.e. a joint formed by securing together two overlapping side portions of the box, typically a first side wall panel of the box and a flap supported by a second side wall panel of the box. Normally the first side wall panel overlaps the flange. The partition panel which is a fitment preferably forms one panel of an assembly of slotted interlocking partition panels which may be of corrugated board. The partition panel or panels divide(s)the box into a plurality of compartments or cells each of which may be loaded with a separate article, e.g. a bottle or jar.

In a typicai method of fitting a box with an assembly of slotted interlocking partition panels, a box blank is folded to form an open top box and an assembly of partition panels is glued and then manually inserted into the box to become bonded in position. Due to customary tolerances it is difficult for the panel assembly to become bonded in its correct position and this may cause problems in the case where the box and its partitioning fitment are required to be collapsed in a substantially flat condition for storage or transport empty.

The present invention utilises in a novel manner an existing feature of the box under erection to assist the correct location of the fitment in the box. It also provides a method of fitting the partition panel or panels which is suitable for mass production lines.

(i) A box made from a folded blank of stiff mater ial and including a manufacturer's lap joint formed by securing together two overlapping side portions of the box, wherein a separate partition panel is held in position within the box by means of an attachment piece which is hinged to the partition panel and is sand wiched between the overlapping side portions of the lap joint.

(ii) A method of fitting a box of the kind which is made from a folded blank of stiff material and includes a manufacturer's lap joint with a se pa rate partition panel comprising the steps of, a) producing a partition panel which hingedly supports an attachment piece, b) sandwiching the attachment piece between two overlapping side portions of the folded blank which when secured together form the lap joint, c) and securing together the overlapping side portions to provide a lap joint which holds the attachment piece and thus the partition panel in position within the box.

The overlapping side portions are preferably secured together to form the lap joint by means of stitching or staples which also pass through the attachment piece.

The partition panel preferably forms part of an assembly of slotted interlocking partition panels.

The attachment piece is preferably a flap extending along one side of the partition panel.

The overlapping portions may be a first side wall panel which overlaps a flap of a second side wall panel.

By way of example the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which, Figure 1 shows a flat blank for making a rectangular box, Figure 2 shows five partition panels slotted for interlocking, Figure 3 is a plan of the box fitted with an assem blyofthe partition panels, Figure 3a is a detailed plan on a larger scale of one corner of the box, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the box fitted with the assembly of the partition panels, Figure 5 is a perspective view of another assembly of partition panels.

The box blank of Figure 1 is of corrugated board provided with fold lines shown in chain line. The blank consists of four side wall panels 10-13, sets of top and bottom closure flaps 14, 15 respectively and an end flap 16 for a manufacturer's lap joint.

Referring to Figure 2, there are shown two partition panels 18 provided with three slots 19 and flaps 20 and three shorter partition panels 21 provided with two slots 22. The five panels are also of corrugated board.

The invention may be carried out in the following manner. Firstly the five slotted partition panels are assembled to provide an assembly of interlocking panels in known manner wherein the two panels 18 are parallel and the three panels 21 are parallel Gnd interlock with the panels 18 at right angles.

The assembly or fitment is then collapsed to a substantially flat condition. The flat box blank is laid on the horizontal flat bed of a stitching machine and the collapsed fitment is laid on the side wall panels 11, 12 with one flap 20 uppermost. The side wall panel 13 which supports the flap 16 is folded over on top of the fitment, the adjacent flap 20 is folded back to overlap the flaps, the remaining side wall panel 10 is folded over to overlap the adjacent flap 20 and finally the resulting collapsed sleeve or body portion and fitment are fed endwise past a stitching head of the machine which completes the manufacturer's lap joint, the metal stitches 24 passing through the panel 10, the adjacent flap 20 and the flap 16. Thus the flap 16 serves a location guide for the flap 20.The stitched flap 20 constitutes a hinged attachment piece for securing the fitment or assembly of slotted interlocking partition panels to the sleeve or body portion of the box blank. The attachment piece 20 is thus sandwiched between two overlapping side portions of the body portion, viz. between the side wall panel 10 and the flap 16 of the side wall panel 13.

The collapsed sleeve and fitment are then stored or sent to a customer. When required for use, the sleeve is opened out to a rectangular shape, the fit ment automatically unfolding with the sleeve to its original condition in which the panels 18 are at right angles to the panels 21, and the bottom closure flaps 15 are glued and folded inwards to form a bottom end closure. Figures 3 and 3a show clearly the sandwiched form of attachment of the fitment to the box. With the top closure flaps 14 folded outwards as shown in Figure 4, the partitioned box is loaded with articles, one in each cell formed by the fitment, and finally the flaps 14 are glued and folded inwards to close the top of the loaded box.

Figure 5 shows an assembly of five slotted interlocking partition panels 18, 21 in which the panels 18 have their flaps 20 folded to point in the same direction. The flap 20 of the further away panel 18 is used as the attachment piece for the fitment.

The box blank material and the partition panels may be of other stiff but foldable material, e.g. solid board or a stiff plastics material.

The fitment may be of any other suitable design so long as there is at least one partition panel and a hingeable attachment piece.

In a modified form of the attachment of the fitment the relevant flap 20 sandwiched between the flap 16 and the overlapping side wall panel 10 is not pierced by the lap joint stitches 24 but is held in place solely by a clamping action exerted on it by the flap 16 and the panel 10.

In a further modified form of the attachment of the fitmentthe stitching may be replaced by stapling.

Claims (10)

1. A box containing a partition panel, the box having a side wall incorporating a lap joint where two portions of the side wall overlap one another and are secured together, the partition panel having an attachment piece which is secured to the side wall at the lap joint

2. A box as claimed in claim 1, in which the attachment piece is hinged to the rest of the partition panel.

3. A box as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the partition panel is one panel of an interfitting set of partition panels.

4. A box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, which is collapsible to a substantially flat condition without removing the partition panel.

5. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the overlapping portions comprise a first side wall panel and a flap attached to a second side wall panel.

6. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the overlapping portions are secured together by stitching or staples which pass through the overlapping portions and the attachment piece.

7. A method of assembling a box containing a partition panel, comprising forming a lap joint in a side wall of the box by overlapping two portions of the side wall and simultaneously securing the two portions to one another and to an attachment piece of the partition panel, whereby the attachment piece is secured to the side wall at the lap joint.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, in which the two side wall portions and the attachment piece are secured together by stitching or stapling.

9. A box substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of assembly a box substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.