GB2316395A

GB2316395A - Carton with a cable core and a blank therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2316395A
Application number: GB9617662A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edmund Christopher Arnold
Original assignee: AUTOMARINE CABLES Ltd
Current assignee: AUTOMARINE CABLES Ltd
Priority date: 1996-08-23
Filing date: 1996-08-23
Publication date: 1998-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-08-23
Also published as: GB9617662D0; GB2316395B

Abstract

A carton 10 with a core 46 for holding a cable coil comprises connected side walls 11-14 each connected to respective base flaps (18-21, fig 1) which are each connected to respective core-forming flaps 28-31 which extend upwardly between the side walls and engage with each other to form the core, preferably by means of cooperating slots (see figs 2-4). The core-forming flaps may have fold lines 42 and folding panels 43 with tabs 44 so that pairs of adjacent folding panels can interlock to form a reinforced core whose width is less than the width of the core-forming flaps.

Description

SPECIALISED CARTON AND BLANK FOR MAKING ThE SAME This invention relates to a specialised carton, and a blank and method for making the same.

The invention is particularly concerned with packaging elongated flexible articles, such as cables or pipes, for transit.

Cables for example are commonly mounted on spools or cable drums, which leave the outer surfaces of the cables exposed to abrasion and impact damage. On the other hand, ordinary packing cartons are not satisfactory for packaging cables or the like, as the coiled cable or flexible pipe is left unsupported, and thus is able to shift within the carton possibly causing instability in stacks of cartons.

A partial solution is to place a cable on a spool or drum within a carton, but this is expensive and wasteful of resources.

An object of the invention is to provide a specialised packaging carton for packaging elongated flexible articles, such as cables or pipes, which enables such an article to be adequately packaged and supported within the package.

A further object of the invention is to provide a single piece blank which can be folded and secured together to form such a carton.

According to the invention, a specialised carton comprises a plurality of side walls, connected to each other along adjacent side edges, and each connected to a respective base flap which is not connected to any other side wall, each base flap having a further flap member connected thereto which is foldable to extend upwardly within the space enclosed within said side walls, to interlock with other said further flap members to form a core member within said enclosed space.

Preferably there are four side walls, each connected to a respective base flap, and alternate said other flaps are provided with a slot in an end region thereof, and further the remaining two said other flaps, between said alternate flaps, are each provided with a slot extending through the junction of the respective other flap to the respective base flap, so that the ends of said alternate flaps provided with the slots in their end regions, may be folded to pass through the slots in the other flaps.

Preferably the edge regions of said other flaps are adapted to be folded over after the respective flaps have been passed through the respective slots, to thereby form a reinforced core structure of lesser width than said flaps, to extend upwardly within the space enclosed within the carton from the base.

The invention also provides a blank for making a carton according to the invention, comprising a respective first panel for each of said side walls, said first panels being disposed side by side, and interconnected by fold lines defining the boundaries of said first panels; a respective second panel for each of said base flaps, one said second panel being connected to each said first panel; and a respective core-forming part connected to each said second panel by a respective fold line.

Preferably there are four first panels provided, and four respective second panels, with four respective core-forming parts connected thereto. The core-forming parts are preferably arranged to be of two alternating configurations, a first configuration having a slot in an end region thereof, remote from the respective second panel, and the second configuration having a slot in an end region thereof adjacent the respective second panel, and possibly overlapping into the second panel.

The edges of said core-forming parts may be foldable about fold lines to be folded back towards the mid regions of said core forming parts, and may be formed with a series of tabs which can be interdigitated with corresponding tabs on the edge of an adjacent core forming part.

A preferred embodiment of blank, and carton made from the blank, according to the present invention will now be described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig 1 is a plan view of a blank according to one aspect of the invention, for forming a carton according to a further aspect of the invention; Fig 2 to 5 illustrate a number of intermediate stages in the assembly of the carton; and Fig 6 is a view of the finished carton from above.

Referring to Fig 1 in particular, a blank 10 for making a specialised carton according to the invention, comprises a planar or sheet of card, cut by known means such as a knife or die by a stamping process from an appropriate card stock.

In accord with the usual convention of drawings of card blanks, continuous lines signify a cut line, and a broken line a fold line. In this example, all folds are at right angles outwardly from the plane of the drawing.

The blank 10 comprises four rectangular panels 11, 12, 13 and 14 arranged in a row and separated by fold-lines 15, 16 and 17. These panels correspond to side walls of the finished carton (the same reference numerals being used in Figs 2 and 3). Each panel 11-14 has a respective second or base flap panel 18, 19, 20, 21 connected thereto by a respective fold line 22, 23, 24, 25. The second or base flap panels are separated by cut outs 26, 27 and 28. In turn each panel 18-21 has connected thereto, along the edge opposite to the edge defined by the respective fold line 22-25, a respective core forming part 28, 29, 30, 31; connected by a respective fold line 32, 33, 34, 35.

The core forming parts each accord to one of two types, arranged alternatingly, so that parts 28, 30 are of a first type, and parts 29, 31 are of the second type.

The first type, exemplified by core-forming parts 29, 31 is provided with an axial slot 36, 37 extending from halfway down part 29, 31, and across the respective fold line 33, 35 into the second or base flap 19, 21.

The second type, exemplified by core-forming parts 28, 30 is provided with an axial slot 38, 39, extending from halfway up part 28, 30 upwardly to the free end of the respective core forming part 28 or 30. In addition, each part 28, 30 is arranged to be foldable along a transverse fold line 40, 41 which is somewhat less than half way up the respective part 28 or 30.

In addition to the above described features, an edge region on each edge of each one of the core forming parts, and separated by a respective slot or indentation from the adjacent base flap, can be folded about a longitudinal fold line 42 extending the length of, and inset from the said edge. Also each edge is formed with a plurality of tabs 43 and notches 44 which are arranged to interdigitate with similar tabs and notches on the edge region of a juxtaposed edge of another core forming portion, on folding of the blank.

To make a carton from the blank, the panels 11-14 are folded to form side walls, and, the base flap panels folded to form a base eg as in Figs 2 and 3. The core parts 28, 30 are folded on fold lines 40, 41 and folded about the longitudinal fold line 42 and then passed through the slots 36, 37 in the lower parts of core forming parts 29, 31, and the upper parts of parts 28, 30 slotted into slots 36, 37 of core parts 29, 31 (Fig 4). This forms a box or carton with an upstanding core composed of the four core parts 28-31.

The edge regions are folded on lines 42, to produce a cruciform core structure as best seen in Fig 5, with the tabs and notches on abutting edge regions interdigitating.

The resulting carton, as shown in Fig 6 has four side walls, 11-14, a base 45, and an upstanding cruciform core 46 which extends up from the base 45 to the level of the upper edges of the side walls.

In use, the carton can be used to carry elongate flexible products such as wires, coated wires, cables of many gauges, ropes - particularly ropes of synthetic material, insulated electrical leads, and flexible hose pipes for water, air and other products.

The core 46 provides a spool core on which the flexible product can be wound, whilst the carton walls provide for protection from impact and abrasion.

Claims

1. A carton comprising a plurality of side walls, connected to each other along adjacent side edges, and each connected to a respective base flap which base flap is not connected to any other side wall, each base flap having a further flap member connected thereto, said further flap being foldable to extend upwardly within the space enclosed within said side walls, to interlock with other said further flap members to form a core member within said enclosed space.

2. A carton according to Claim 1, comprising four side walls, each connected to a respective base flap, first alternate ones of said other flaps being provided with a slot in an end region thereof, and the remaining two said further flaps, between said first alternate flaps, are each provided with a slot extending through the junction of the respective remaining other flap to the respective base flap, so that the ends of said first alternate flaps provided with slots in their end regions may be folded to pass through the slots in the remaining other flaps.

3. A carton according to Claim 2 wherein the edge regions of said remaining flaps are adapted to be folded over after the respective flaps have been passed through the respective slots, to thereby form a reinforced core structure of lesser width than said flaps to extend upwardly within the carton from the base.

4. A blank for making a carton according to any of Claims 1 to 3, comprising a respective first panel for each of said side walls, said first panels being disposed side by side and interconnected by fold lines defining the boundaries of said first panels; a respective second panel for each of said base flaps, one said second panel being connected to each said first panel, and a respective core-forming part connected to each said second panel by a respective fold line.

5. A blank according to Claim 4 wherein there are four first panels provided and four respective second panels, with four respective core-forming parts connected thereto.

6. A blank according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein said core-forming parts are arranged to be of two alternating configurations, a first configuration having a slot in an end region thereof remote from the respective second panel, and the second configuration having a slot in an end region thereof adjacent the respective second panel.

7. A blank according to Claim 6 wherein said slot in an end region of the second configuration of core-forming part overlaps into the respective second panel.

8. A blank according to Claim 6 or 7 wherein the edges of said core-forming parts are foldable about fold lines to be folded back towards the mid regions of said core forming parts and are formed with a series of tabs which can be interdigitated with corresponding tabs on the edge of an adjacent core-forming part.

9. A carton substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A blank for making a carton substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.