GB2198121A

GB2198121A - Stackable cardboard boxes

Info

Publication number: GB2198121A
Application number: GB08727763A
Authority: GB
Inventors: D Antonio Remartinez Vilella
Original assignee: Daniel Aguilo Panisello SA DAPSA
Current assignee: Daniel Aguilo Panisello SA DAPSA
Priority date: 1986-11-27
Filing date: 1987-11-27
Publication date: 1988-06-08
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-27
Also published as: BE1000224A7; ES1001655Y; GB8727763D0; FR2607473B1; FR2607473A1; ES1001655U; IT213071Z2; NL193315B; NL8702824A; PT7912U; IT8722796V0; DE8715751U1; LU87049A1; GB2198121B; PT7912Y; NL193315C

Abstract

Each corner of a cardboard box is reinforced by a hollow triangular pillar which is formed by folding panels (4), (5) at the end of a side (2) of the box to form the two outer layers of a triple-thickness hypotenuse of the triangle, the middle layer of the hypotenuse being formed by a further panel (11) on an adjacent side (1) of the box, folded inwardly through 45 DEG . <IMAGE>

Description

STACKABLE CARDBOARD BOX This invention relates to stackable cardboard boxes.

In order to improve the mechanical characteristics of cardboard boxes intended to hold perishable foodstuffs, and to economise in their production, a folding system has been developed which not only provides a hollow corner pillar of increased resistance to deformation by crushing, but also provides for the assembly of the box to be greatly simplified, thus reducing production costs.

Various systems have been employed in order to form corner pillars which maKe it possible for the box to support the weight of successive boxes and their contents placed on top, and maintain them in a centred position while at the same time avoiding the pillars being crushed.

With this in mind and using corrugated cardboard as the raw material, it is known to create very strong pillars by the folding-over of a succession of panels which extend one side of the box, the formation of the pillar involving various thicknesses of cardboard and the successive folding-over of layers of cardboard following a circle in the same direction.

The present invention involves an improved method of folding the succession of panels which extend from one of the sides of the box, so that the two end panels are folded down outwardly and onto themselves, in a circular direction, opposite to that which is normally used, and a fourth panel on the adjacent side of the box is folded inward and mechanically fixed between the aforesaid end panels to form the triple thickness hypotenuse of a triangular prismatic hollow pillar for supporting the weight of boxes stacked upon it, the panels promoting a t::eir upper end a owe the walls of the box, te rece-ve am be retied b a conventional cap.

This arrangement makes it possibile to provide the corner with a strength and rigidity which is far greater than that attainafi with known methods of folding, in that the end panels on one side of the box secure a panel, on the adjacent side, between them like a clamp, remaining firmly joined and facilitating a secure fixing when a plastic cap is placed over each of the four projecting pillars which constitute the four corners of the cardboard box.

The corner arrangement according to the invention, provides substantial improvements over conventional arrangements employs in cardboard boxes of the reinforcible and stackable type, the speed of assembly and resultant strength making it possible to provide a box which is useful and uncomplicated from the structural poin of view, while at the sane time affording maximum security and efficiency.

For a better understand of the invention, one embodiment thereof will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of one of the four corners of a box blank; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the corner shown in Fig. 1 during the folding process; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the corner shown in Fig. 2 after the folding process has been completed; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the four corners of a completed box incorporating a cap which covers and secures the hollow corner pillar.

As shown in Fig. 1, one of the four corners of the corrugated cardboard box blank includes two side members 1 and 2, cf whirr the r,erber 2 is extended to provide three panels 3, 4 and 5 of which the panels 3 and 4 are connected laterally to one another by inwardly directed fold lines 6 and 7, and the panel 5 is connected to the panel 4 by an outwardly directed fold line 8 so that once the sides 1 and 2 have been folded through 900 with respect to the bottom member 20 of the box blank, the panel 3 which is narrower than the other two panels 4 and 5, after being folded through 900, will form one side of a right-angled triangle 15, while the other two panels 4 and 5, will become the hypotenuse 14 once the panel 5 has been folded down onto the panel 4 along the outwardly directed fold line 8, as shown in Fig. 2.

The side 1 of the cardboard box is formed with a step 9 which, together with a step 10 on the side 2, defines an upstanding corner of the box. The stepped portion of the side 1 constitutes a panel 11 which, on erection of the box, is folded through 450 towards the inside of the box and is inserted between the end panels A and 5 of the side 2, to reinforce the triangular prismatic hollow corner pillar (13) so formed.

This system of folding provides a pillar 13 with a far greater resistance to collapse than the usual cardboard pillars obtained by successive foldings, in that the hypotenuse 14 has three thicknesses of material, since it includes the panel 11 on the side 1.

To avoid accidental dismantling of the box, a hollow plastic cap 16 is provided for securing the pillar 13. The triangular prismatic cap 16 has teeth on its inner walls which fit angled cuts 17 in the sides of the end member.

The cap 16 is provided on its flat upper end with a frustoconical stud 18 which projects from the geometrical centre of the cap 16 and which, in the stacked position of the box, enters a fixing orifce 19 extending diagonally of the better 20 of the box immediately above it and, whilst allowing the boxes to be properly centred prevents the upper box from accidentally slipping off the lower one.

Claims

CLhTh'.-:

1. A stackable cardboard box having a corner reinforcement comprising a hollow pillar which is a right-angled triangle in section.

and is formed by folding three parallel panels provided on an extension of one side of the box and separated from that side and from each other by fold lines, said pillar resting at its lower end on the bottom of the box and being retained at its upper end by a cap of plastics material provided with an upstanding stud which is adapted to enter a locating hole in the bottom of the box immediately above it when the boxes are stacked, characterised in that one of said panels is narrower than the others and is folded at right angles to said one side of the box to form one of the shorter sides of said triangle and the other panels are folded inwardly of said narrower panel and back upon one another to form the two outer layers of a triple layer hypoteneuse, the middle layer of which is formed by a fourth panel folded inwards at substantially 450 from the side of the box adjacent to said one side.

2. A box according to claim 1 wherein said cap is a close fit on the upper end of said pillar and is provided on its inside surface with teeth which engage slits cut in the sides of the pillar when the cap is in place.

3. A box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein adjacent sides of the box are stepped at their upper ends to provide a raised corner pillar and said cap extends downwardly over the step into engagement with the upper ends of the walls.

4. A box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said stud is of frustoconical form and is positioned at the geometrical centre of the upper surface of said cap, and said locating hole is of elongated form and extends diagonally of the bottom of the box

5. h stackable cardboard box, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawing.