GB2236095A - Pleated package - Google Patents

Abstract

A package comprises a peripheral lateral wall (11) formed from a plurality of side panels (12) and, at the lower end of these side panels (12), a transverse end wall (13). Over at least a part of their height, the side panels (12) are each provided with two oblique fold lines (14). The lateral parts (15) of these side panels (12) outside the oblique fold lines (14) are folded against each other into pleats (16) and are retained in position by means of a ring (20). <IMAGE>

Description

"Pleated packaging made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheet form, and the corresponding blank" The present invention relates in a general way to packagings made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheet form suitably cut and grooved, of the type comprising, on the one hand, a peripheral lateral wall formed from a plurality of side panels and, on the other hand, at one at least of the ends of these side panels, a transverse end wall.

Since, in practice, it is at the lower end of the side panels, this transverse end wall forms a base.

Most frequently, nowadays, there is provided, at the other end of the side panels and hence in this case at their upper end, another transverse end wall forming a lid.

Packagings of the type in question therefore have in general a globally prismatic outline, and, more particularly, with their transverse cross-section being quadrangular, an outline that is globally in the shape of a parallelepiped.

However, it has already been proposed that each of the side panels of these packagings be provided, over at least a part of their height, with two oblique folding lines which converge towards each other in the direction of their other end, and that, from one of the side panels to the next, the lateral parts of these side panels outside these oblique folding lines be folded against each other, thus forming pleats having a star-like radial extension with respect to the axis of the assemblage, in cooperation with means of closure capable of keeping the said lateral parts of these side panels folded into pleats in this way.

At present, however, this means of closure is constituted by a linking element, the fitting of which can only be carried out manually.

In a general way, the present invention has as its object a different arrangement, of a kind such as to enable the fitting of the necessary means of closure to be mechanized, if desired.

More precisely, it has firstly as its objective a packaging made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheet form suitably cut and grooved, of the type comprising, on the one hand, a peripheral lateral wall formed from a plurality of side panels and, on the other hand, at one at least of the ends of these side panels, a transverse end wall, each of the said side panels being provided, over at least a part of their height, with two oblique folding lines which converge towards each other in the direction of their other end, and having, from one side panel to the other, their lateral parts outside the said oblique folding lines folded against each other, thus forming pleats with a star-like radial extension with respect to the axis of the assemblage, with means of closure capable of keeping the said lateral parts of these side panels folded into pleats in this way, the said packaging being in a general way characterized in that the means of closure comprises a ring having notches by means of which it may be engaged with the lateral parts of the side panels folded into pleats.

If desired, the fitting of this ring may, with advantage, be mechanized.

In any case, it is particularly easy and quick to carry out this fitting.

Whatever the case may be, the general configuration of the packaging according to the invention has the advantage of departing from the shape of a simple prism, such a configuration, on the'contrary, being more like that of a pyramid, at least over its upper part.

This results in a particularly attractive appearance for the said packaging.

It also results in the packaging being especially suitable for the containment of objects with a certain degree of tapering at their upper end, as is the case, for example, with bottles.

In addition, the ring which forms its means of closure makes a favourable contribution to its general shape, improving its attractive appearance.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will also emerge from the description which will follow, given as an example, where reference is made to the appended diagrammatic drawings in which: figure 1 is a perspective view of a packaging according to the invention, with its means of closure in place; figure 2 is an exploded partial perspective view similar to that of figure 1, with the means of closure separated; figure 3 is a perspective view, seen from below along the arrow III of figure 2, of the said means of closure; figure 4 is a view from above of the packaging according to the invention, along the arrow IV of figure 2, without the said means of closure; figure 5 is a plan view of a blank suitable for the constitution of this packaging; figure 6 is a plan view of this blank, after it has been folded and glued in the workshop.

As illustrated in these figures, a packaging 10 according to the invention is of the type comprising, globally, on the one hand, a peripheral lateral wall 11 formed from a plurality of side panels 12 and, on the other hand, at one at least of the ends of these side panels 12, in this case at their lower end, a transverse end wall 13 forming a base.

In practice, the side panels 12 are all identical, the said side panels 12 having the same breadth and the same height.

They are four in number in the form of embodiment represented.

Over at least a part of their height, these side panels 12 are each provided with two oblique folding lines 14 which converge towards each other in the direction of their other end, i.e. of their end opposite the transverse end wall 13, in this case their upper end, and, from one side panel 12 to the other, the lateral parts 15 of these side panels 12 outside these oblique folding lines 14, i.e. the lateral parts 15 of these side panels 12 extending beyond their oblique folding lines 14 with respect to their median line (having no reference number) between these oblique folding lines 14, are folded against each other and thus form pleats 16 which have a star-like radial extension with respect to the axis A of the assemblage, i.e with respect to the vertical axis passing through the centre of the transverse end wall 13, such as is shown diagrammatically by a broken line in figures 2 and 3, and, in accordance with the procedures described in more detail later, there is also provided a means of closure 18 capable of keeping these lateral parts 15 of the side panels 12 folded into pleats in this way.

In the form of embodiment represented, the oblique folding lines 14 provided in the side panels 12 have their origin B on the lateral edges of the said side panels, at a distance from the transverse end wall 13, at the same level from one of these lateral edges to the other, and they intersect each other at C at the appropriate end of these side panels 12, i.e. at their upper end.

For example, the distance D separating the transverse end wall 13, and thus the lower end of the side panels 12, from the origin B of the oblique folding lines 14 provided on these side panels 12 is of the order of a third of the height H of these side panels 12 measured at the level of the meeting point C of these oblique folding lines 14, figure 5.

Whatever the case may be, these oblique folding lines 14 are alternately symmetrical with respect to the median line of the side panels 12 that they affect, and the lateral parts 15 that are bounded by the said oblique folding lines on these side panels 12 are globally in the shape of a triangle.

The result of the above is that, in the form of embodiment represented, the general configuration of the packaging 10 according to the invention corresponds to the superposition on a lower prismatic part with constant square cross-section of an upper part in the shape of a truncated pyramid with a square cross-section that becomes slimmer towards the top.

In other words, the edges 19 of the packaging 10 according to the invention are folded vertically from the origins B of the oblique folding lines 14 of its side panels 12.

The result of the above is also that, in the form of embodiment represented, the pleats 16 formed by the lateral parts 15 of these side panels 12 extend at roughly 90" to the axis A of the assemblage and are paired with the edges 19.

According to the invention, the means of closure 18 comprises a ring 20 having notches 21 by means of which it may engage with the lateral parts 15 of the side panels 12 folded in this way into pleats 16.

In practice, this ring 20, which is cylindrical, belongs to a cap 22, of which it forms the lateral wall.

The notches 21 which it possesses open out, by widening into a V shape, into the side opposite the base 23 of this cap 22.

The said notches are four in number, at the rate of one per pleat 16, and they are globally arranged at 900 to each other.

Their closed end is located at a distance d from the base 23 of the cap 22.

In the form of embodiment represented, this cap 22 comprises, in its interior, in contact with its base 23, a packing piece 25 which extends, in thickness, to the brim of the closed end of these notches 21, figure 3.

Preferably, and as is represented, beyond the ring 20 which thus comprises the means of closure 18 and radially with respect to the axis A of the assemblage, the lateral parts 15 of the side panels 12 folded into pleats 16 each include an extension 26.

The ring 20 therefore fits into the volume bounded on the inside by these extensions 26.

Preferably, and as is represented, the height h of these extensions 26 is at least equal to the distance d separating the closed end of the notches 21 of the ring 20 from the base 23 of the cap 22.

Thus, when it is in place on the lateral parts 15 of the side panels 12 folded into pleats 16, the cap 22 extends at most to the level of these lateral extensions 26 without protruding beyond them.

The packaging 10 according to the invention may with advantage be made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheet form suitably cut and grooved.

For example, and as represented in figure 5, in which by convention the lines to be cut are represented by full lines, the folding lines are represented by broken lines, and in which the same elements have been denoted by the same reference numbers as before, the corresponding blank 10' comprises, all in one piece, an alignment of side panels 12 each separated from each other by transverse folding lines 30.

One of the end side panels 12 of this alignment is extended, beyond a transverse folding line 30, by a binding strip 31.

In practice, the oblique folding lines 14 correspond to a folding direction which is the reverse of that to which the transverse folding lines 30 correspond.

If desired, and as is represented, there may be added to these, connecting their origins B as represented by dotted lines in figures 5 and 6, folding lines 32 perpendicular to the transverse folding lines 30.

However, it is not essential that these folding lines 32 should be provided at the start since they may be spontaneously formed at the actual time when the packaging is being assembled into a container.

On the side of the alignment that they form corresponding to their lower end, the side panels 12 are each extended transversely by flaps 33, beyond the folding lines 34 perpendicular to the transverse folding lines 30.

In a way known per se, these flaps 33 are suitable for the formation of the transverse end wall 13 forming the base.

In the form of embodiment represented, the flaps are of the type which corresponds to the formation of a base known as an automatic base.

Since the corresponding dispositions are well known in themselves, and do not form the subject of the present invention, they will not be described here.

At their other end, i.e. at their upper end, the side panels 12 are without any flaps.

In a way known per se, the blank 10' may with advantage, in the workshop, be closed up on itself in a tubular sleeve which can be delivered flat, as represented in figure 6.

To achieve that, it is sufficient to fold down on the rest of the blank 10' the side panel 12 extended by a binding strip 31 by folding around the corresponding transverse folding line 30, and then, after gluing this binding strip 31, folding down on this binding strip 31 the other end side panels 12.

Of course, the present invention is by no means limited to the forms of embodiment described and represented, but embraces any variant of the execution and/or of the combination of their various elements.

In particular, it is not essential that the oblique folding lines provided on the side panels of the packaging according to the invention should join up with each other at their appropriate end.

On the contrary, these folding lines could just as easily remain at a distance from each other at such an end, the pleats formed by the lateral parts of these side panels folded on each other then not extending up to the axis of the assemblage.

Moreover, the number of side panels of the packaging according to the invention is not necessarily equal to four, and the said number may in particular be greater.

Claims (11)

1. Packaging made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheet form suitably cut and grooved, of the type comprising, on the one hand, a peripheral lateral wall (11) formed from a plurality of side panels (12) and, on the other hand, at one at least of the ends of these side panels (12), a transverse end wall (13), each of the said side panels (12) being provided, over at least a part of their height, with two oblique folding lines (14) which converge towards each other in the direction of their other end, and having, from one side panel (12) to the other, their lateral parts (15) outside the said oblique folding lines (14) folded against each other, thus forming pleats (16) with a star-like radial extension with respect to the axis (A) of the assemblage, with means of closure (18) capable of keeping the said lateral parts (15) of these side panels (12) folded into pleats in this way, characterized in that the means of closure (18) comprises a ring (20) having notches (21) by means of which it may engage with the lateral parts (15) of the side panels (12) folded into pleats (16).

2. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the said ring (20) belongs to a cap (22).

3. Packaging as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, characterized in that, beyond the ring (20) which comprises the means of closure (18), the lateral parts (15) of the side panels (12) folded into pleats (16) each carry an extension (26).

4. Packaging as claimed in claims 2, 3, taken together, characterized in that the height (h) of the said extension (26) is at least equal to the distance (d) separating the closed end of the notches (21) of the said ring (20) from the base (23) of the cap (22).

5. Packaging as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the oblique folding lines (14) provided on its side panels (12) intersect each other on the appropriate end of the latter.

6. Packaging as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the oblique folding lines (14) provided on its side panels (12) have their origins (B) on the lateral edges of the latter.

7. Packaging as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the origin (B) of the oblique folding lines (14) provided on its side panels (12) is at a distance (D) from the transverse end wall (13).

8. A blank, made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheet form, of a type comprising, all in one piece, an alignment of side panels (12), characterized in that it is suitable for the constitution of a packaging in conformity with any one of the claims 1 to 7.

9. A blank as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that it is closed on itself in the form of a tubular sleeve which can be delivered flat.

10. Packaging as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. A blank as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.