GB2250979A - Containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for packaging an article (12) of variable size and shape, e.g. a book, is formed with slots (7, 9) or the like for receiving a baseboard (11) on which the article is releasably secured, e.g. by means of a sleeve of heat-shrunk film. This enables a container to securely package articles of variable size without requiring any additional packing material. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINERS This invention relates to containers made of cardboard, corrugated board, or similar lightweight foldable sheet material. Such containers are frequently used for the packaging of articles of a kind which come in various different sizes, such as books, for sending them through the post for example. Of course, a container of appropriate size can be provided for each size of article concerned, but this is uneconomical.

However, if the same size of container is used for articles of different sizes, then in the case of smaller size articles some kind of additional packing must then be provided in the container to stabilise the contents, and this is inconvenient.

Viewed from a first aspect the present invention provides a container made of cardboard, corrugated board, or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, for use in packaging at least one article of variable size such as a book, which container is formed internally to provide at least one pair of elongate slots in two opposite walls thereof for receiving and holding two opposite edges of a baseboard to which such an article may be releasably secured.

Such an arrangement enables an article to be packaged to be releasably secured to a baseboard, in a suitable fashion to be discussed below, the baseboard preferably being formed of comparatively stiff but lightweight sheet material such as double faced corrugated board, or plastics sheet, and the baseboard then inserted and held in the internal slots in the container so that the article in turn, whatever may be its size relative to the container, is stably located in the container without the need to provide any additional packing.

It should be clearly understood that the said baseboard does not necessarily form part of the invention as set forth above in said first aspect, but can be provided separately In one form of the invention a said pair of slots are located in opposite side walls of the container immediately adjacent a base panel thereof, so that a baseboard received in the slots will lie on the base of the container, in face to face contact therewith, thereby maximising the space available for the article within the container and also providing a particularly stable location for the baseboard.Alternatively or in the addition, a said pair of slots may be located in opposite side: walls of the container adjacent a closable top thereof, so that an article secured to the baseboard will be suspended in the container The provision of two pairs of slots in these respective positions, with the articles secured thereto facing each other within the container, provides a particularly economical way of using the internal space to accommodate two articles.

Conceivably, however, a pair of slots could be so located that the baseboard is spaced from the base of the container, in the manner of a false bottom, or similarly spaced from the closable top thereof.

The said slots may conveniently be formed by making the said opposite walls of the container at least partially of double thickness and leaving suitable gaps in the material which forms the inner layer, to define the slots. Conveniently the said inner layer may be formed by a pair of flaps hinged to the other pair of side walls of a (rectangular) container and cut away on one or both sides thereof to define one or two pairs of slots. It should of course be understood that the slots need not be continuous; they could have gaps in them, so long as their extent is sufficient to hold the baseboard in stable fashion.

Viewed from a second aspect the invention provides a container made of cardboard, corrugated board, or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, for use in packaging at least one article of variable size such as a book, and including a baseboard, formed separately from the container, to which such an article may be releasably secured, the container being formed internally with means to receive the said baseboard and to hold it in a stable position therein.

It will thus be understood that in this second aspect the invention is not restricted to the container being formed with slots to receive and hold the baseboard. Any suitable means may be provided as part of the container structure to achieve this end. For example the container side walls could be provided with flaps which fold inwardly and interlock with the baseboard, lying on the base of the container, to hold it in position. Preferably, however, such means will comprise at least one pair of slots as aforesaid.

The scope of the invention also extends to a flat blank for making a container as set forth above in accordance with either the first or second aspect of the invention.

Referring now to the manner of releasably securing an article to the baseboard, this may be effected in any convenient way but it is particularly preferred that the article be secured by means of shrink-wrapped film applied in the form of an open ended sleeve. Preferably the sleeve is applied to the baseboard so that the ends which are to be engaged with the container slots are substantially covered by the film. Alternatively the sleeve may be applied so as to leave two opposite edges of the baseboard protruding beyond the film for engagement with the slots or other holding means in the container walls.

The scope of the invention further extends to a baseboard having an article such a book releasably secured thereto in the preferred manner just referred to, for use in a container according to the aforementioned aspects of the invention. Thus viewed from yet another aspect the invention provides a baseboard made of relatively stiff but lightweight sheet material such as cardboard, corrugated board, or plastics sheet, having at least one article such as a book releasably secured thereto on one side thereof by means of an open ended sleeve of heat-shrunk film extending around the baseboard and the article, two opposite ends of the baseboard being for engagement in receiving and holding means in a container.In a modification of this aspect of the invention the baseboard could have a further article or articles secured to the other side thereof by means of the same open ended heat-shrunk sleeve. It will be appreciated that in this modification the baseboard would then have to be received in a container in a position spaced from the base and top thereof, so as to accommodate the said articles.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for making a container according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the erected container made from the blank of Figure 1, and also showing a baseboard to be received therein, with a book secured thereto; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container with the baseboard received and held therein.

Referring to the drawings, the blank of Figure 1 is formed of double faced corrugated board, with the flutes extending left to right as the drawing is viewed, and comprises a base panel 1, two outer end wall panels 2 hinged to the base panel and hingedly carrying respective top flaps 3, two side wall panels 4 hinged to the base panel and hingedly carrying respective top closure panels 5, and four inner end wall flaps 6 hinged to the respective ends of the side wall panels 4.

Referring now also to Figures 2 and 3, the container is erected from the blank by first folding up the side wall panels 4 relative to the base panel 1,' then folding in the inner end wall flaps 6, and finally folding up the outer end wall panels 2 and glueing or otherwise securing them to the inner end wall flaps.

The inner end wall flaps 6 are of such a width that when they are so glued in position, with the other wall panels 2 and 4 perpendicular to the base, gaps 7 are left between the edges 8 of the flaps 6 and the top surface of the base panel 1, thus providing a pair of elongate inwardly facing slots 7 in the end walls, directly adjacent the base. Furthermore similar gaps 9, providing a similar pair of slots, are left between the opposite edges 10 of the flaps 6 and the underside of the top flaps 3 when the latter are folded inwardly, which is done before the top closure panels 5 are folded in to close the container.

A baseboard 11, also formed of double faced corrugated board material is of substantially the same length and width as the base panel 1. A book 12 is releasably secured to the baseboard by means of an open ended sleeve of heat-shrunk film, as shown, the width of the sleeve substantially covering the width of the baseboard ends 13. To insert the baseboard in the container, with the book uppermost, one end of the baseboard is inserted in one of the slots 7 and the baseboard is then pushed fully into the container, flexing slightly, until its other end pops into the other slot 7, so that the baseboard is now held in the container, resting on the base panel 1.

Alternatively the baseboard may be inserted the other way up, with the book facing downwards, by resting its ends in the slots 9 and then folding in and securing the top flaps 3 and the top closure panels 5. Again alternatively, two separate baseboards carrying respective books of suitable thickness may be mounted one in each of these positions, so that the books face each other within the container Theinvention, particularly in its embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings and particularly described above, has a number of advantageous features.

Thus it provide a particularly convenient way of packaging articles of various different sizes, such as books, in a common container without having to use additional packing material for smaller size articles.

Further, the erection of the container from its blank, and the securing of an article to the baseboard by shrink-wrapping, can be carried out by automatic machinery. Still further, the packaged article can be inspected by opening the top closure flaps which can then be re-closed for distribution or for return.

Claims (12)

1. A container made of cardboard, corrugated board, or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, for use in packaging at least one article of variable size such as a book, which container is formed internally to provide at least one pair of elongate slots in two opposite walls thereof for receiving and holding two opposite edges of a baseboard to which such an article may be releasably secured.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a said pair of slots are located in opposite side walls of the container immediately adjacent a base panel thereof.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein a said pair of slots are located in opposite side walls of the container adjacent a closeable top thereof.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a said pair of slots are so located that a said baseboard is located in use spaced from a base and/or a closeable top thereof.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said slots are formed by making the said opposite walls of the container at least partially of double thickness and leaving suitable gaps in the material which forms the inner layer to define the slots.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 wherein said container is rectangular and said inner layer is formed by a pair of flaps hinged to the other pair of side walls of said container and cut away on one or both sides thereof to define one or two pairs of slots.

7. A container. made of cardboard, corrugated board, or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, for use in packaging at least one article of variable size such as a book, and including a baseboard, formed separately from the container, to which such an article may be releasably secured, the container being formed internally with means to receive the said baseboard and to hold it in a stable position therein.

8. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

9. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 including a said baseboard received therein, said baseboard having an article releasably secured thereto.

10. A container as claimed in claim 9 wherein said article is secured to said baseboard by means of a shrink-wrapped film.

11. A baseboard for use with a container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 having an article secured thereto by means of a shrink-wrapped film.

12. A blank for making a container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8.