GB2311058A

GB2311058A - Pallet Boxes

Info

Publication number: GB2311058A
Application number: GB9705181A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Bell
Original assignee: Danisco Pack Ltd
Current assignee: Smurfit Kappa Group PLC
Priority date: 1996-03-14
Filing date: 1997-03-13
Publication date: 1997-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 2017-03-13
Also published as: GB2311058B; GB9605370D0; GB9705181D0

Abstract

A box formed from a foldable blank comprises a base formed from panels 13 and at least two transverse and parallel pockets formed in and extending externally of, the base, said pockets containing a crush-resistant filling. The pockets are formed integrally from the blank by folding about lines 6-8, interlocking projections 14 on the bottom panels 13 of the box engaging recesses 4 in the inner walls of the pockets to hold the pockets form stable.

Description

BOXES This invention relates to boxes, and in particular to cardboard boxes.

It has long been so that an article or a predetermined number of articles have been placed within a cardboard box to facilitate storage and transportation of the articles. Boxing of products provides numerous advantages, but conventional boxes are not individually suited to mechanised handling. To facilitate mechanical handing of multiples of x boxes, in both transport and storage, there is the widespread use of pallets on which a number of boxes can be stacked, and, for example, fork-lift trucks employed to load and unload stacked pallets on to and from transport vehicles, and to position pallets in and remove them from storage areas.

Stacked pallets have notable advantages when handling multiple numbers of boxes in storage areas, but with the transportation of boxes, pallets have the considerable disadvantage of being of themselves heavy, particularly when of traditional wooden construction, with the consequential and inevitable reduction of product weight the vehicle could otherwise carry.

The object of the present invention is to provide a box of a relatively rigid foldable material that avoids the disadvantages mentioned above.

According to the present invention, a box formed from a foldable material, comprises a base, at least two transverse and parallel pockets formed in and extending externally of, the base, said pockets containing a crush- resistant filling, the pockets being formed integrally with the box, by providing a blank from which the box can be erected by folding, opposed side faces of the box being so formed as to permit the forming of the pockets by folding, interlocking projections on bottom flaps of the box engaging recesses in the inner walls of the pockets to hold the pockets form stable.

It will readily be understood that the filled pockets serve the purpose of feet on which the box stands and holds the box base clear of the ground, or the top of a box on which the box of the invention is stood, to allow the passage of the forks of a fork lift truck to lift the box and those boxes stacked on it.

The box of the invention therefore provides a base that serves the purpose of a pallet.

It avoids the need to employ a separate and conventional pallet, and hence increases significantly the weight and value of actual products that can be carried by a particular vehicle.

The folded pockets are open to the interior of the box, and readily able to accept an appropriate filler, such as, for example, a block of polystyrene. Other crush resistant fillers can be employed, such as packings of rolled or folded cardboard, and it would even be possible to use a solid filler such as a wooden block, but care would have to be exercised to balance the strength that would be provided with the additional weight that would be involved.

In common with conventional folded cardboard boxes, the combined pallet and box of the invention has a weakness in the base caused by the absence of rigidity at the adjacent edges ofthe folded base. To combat this, the base flaps could be so formed as to allow the creation of a third pocket or foot parallel to the pockets formed from the opposed side faces, or a separate floor to the box can be provided, and inserted into the box after its erection.

To assist an operative to erect a box single-handed, a simple jig can be provided, structured to hold the bottom naps in engagement with the respective recesses in the inner walls of the pockets.

One embodiment ofthe invention will now be described with respect to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from below of a part-erected box; and Figure 2 is a transverse section through one of the pockets of the box of the invention.

In Figure 1 there is shown a partly erected box on which slits are represented by solid lines and fold lines indicated by chain dotted lines. The box comprises identical opposite sides 1 and identical opposite sides 2. The sides 1 are each slit at the junctions 3 between adjacent sides 1 and 2, and are slit at 4 to provide after folding a locating flange 5 and each side 1 has three fold lines 6, 7 and 8. Referring now to the sides 2, offset slits 9 and 10 are provided to each side along with fold lines 11 and 12 which combine to provide a carton base member 13 with integral locking flanges 14 and strengthening strips 15.

Commencing from the position shown in Figure 1, and to create the disposition of elements illustrated in Figure 2, the strengthening strips 15 are each folded inwardly about their respective fold lines 11, and the lower end of each side 1 is folded outwardly about the fold line 6 and inwardly about each of the fold lines 7 and 8 to create in a parallel disposition in relation to each side 1 a rectangular foot member 16 in which can be placed a filler/strengthening material 17, and held in place by the outwardly facing locating flange 5 formed by the bending about the fold line 6. Each carton base member 13 is folded inwardly about its respective fold line 12 and the locking flanges 14 inserted into the slot formed by the slit 4 after folding about the fold 6.

Consequently, there is provided by the invention a most effective means of providing a carton with integral feet to hold the base of the box clear of the floor or other support structure on which the box might be placed and with the inherent strength of the folded card added to by the presence of a filler/strengthening material 17 within each foot, a box is provided that has an effective integral pallet improving greatly the mechanical handling characteristics of the box.

To improve still further the strength of the box particularly at its base, a separate floor member 18 can be provided that can simply be laid into the box after its erection.

Claims

1. A box formed from a foldable material, comprises a base, at least two transverse and parallel pockets formed in and extending externally of, the base, said pockets containing a crushresistant filling, the pockets being formed integrally with the box, by providing a blank from which the box can be erected by folding, opposed side faces of the box being so formed as to permit the forming of the pockets by folding, interlocking projections on bottom flaps of the box engaging recesses in the inner walls of the pockets to hold the pockets form stable.

2. A box as in Claim 1 wherein the folded pockets are opened to the interior of the box and provided with an appropriate filler/strengthening material.

3. A box as in Claim 2 wherein the filler/strengthening material is a polystyrene block.

4. A box as in Claim 2 wherein the folded pockets are filled with rolled or fold cardboard.

5. A box as in Claim 2 wherein the folded pockets are filled with a solid filler, e.g. wood.

6. A box as in any of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the bottom flaps of the box are so formed as to be able to combine to form a third pocket located generally centrally of the box base

7. A box as in any of Claims 1 to 6 wherein a separate floor is provided internally of the box and laid therein after the erection of the box.

8. A box substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.