GB2359805A - Packaging system - Google Patents

Description

2359805 PACKAGING SYSTEM The present invention relates to a packaging

system for the purposes of transportation and display of articles. In particular, the present invention is concerned with cartons that are especially suited to protecting articles in transit and whilst on display in which the articles are heavy in weight and may additionally have appreciable depth as well as length and breadth. The present invention is especially, but not exclusively, concerned with packaging for door furniture such as door handles, which are frequently sold in pairs.

Previous packaging techniques for heavier articles in particular have involved completely enclosing the articles in a box and using materials such as polystyrene to restrain and protect the articles within the box. This arrangement necessitates the printing of an image on the exterior of the box to identify its contents. Although it is known to provide a window in the packaging, these tend to be small so as to maintain the structural integrity of the box. Alternatively, such articles have been vacuum packed in clear plastic but this packaging technique presents its own problems most notably the difficulty experienced in opening the packaging.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a strong packaging carton suitable for use with heavier articles that enables the articles to be clearly seen whilst still providing adequate protection.

The present invention provides a packaging system comprising a base and upstanding walls defining a display space therebetween for receiving one or more articles and retaining means arranged for engagement with opposing portions of the one or more articles in the display space, characterised in that the display space is open at one end so that a major portion of the one or more articles in the display space is visible and in that the retaining means is connected to or forms part of the upstanding walls.

Preferably, the retaining means are unitary with the upstanding walls and may comprise a pair of slots located in opposing upstanding walls for receiving opposing edges of the article. The retaining means may additionally include a central retaining member for engagement with a portion of the one or more articles. The central retaining member is preferably generally rhomboid in shape.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an assembled carton in accordance with the present invention containing a pair of door handles; and Figure 2 is a diagram of the blank used to form the carton of Figure 1.

As can be seen from Figure 1, a carton 1 contains a pair of door handles 2a, 2b that are of conventional construction, each consisting of a door plate, a spindle projecting outwardly from the door plate and a handle located at the opposite end of the spindle to the door plate. The door handles have a depth that is approximately the same as the length of the door plate and this prevents the door handles from being flat-packed. The base and walls of the carton 1 define a display space in which the door handles are located. The display space is open at one end and thereby provides a window to the contents, in this case the pair of door handles. The carton 1 also includes retaining means for holding the pair of door handles in position within the carton, as is described in greater detail below.

A central retaining member 3 and peripheral retaining means 4a, 4b are provided which engage and hold opposing ends of each door handle. The central retaining member 3 is shaped so as to engage simultaneously a top corner of the door plate of a first door handle 2a and a lower corner of the door plate of the second door handle 2b. Although rectangular door plates are shown in Figure 1, it will be appreciated that this packaging is equally suited for use with alternative designs of door handles and door plates.

The peripheral retaining means are in the form of a pair of retaining slots 4a, 4b. The first peripheral retaining slot 4a (not visible in Figure 1) in the inner wall of the carton 1 acts to engage with a lower edge portion of the door plate of the first door handle 2a and a similar peripheral retaining slot 4b, positioned diagonally opposite the first retaining slot 4a, is provided to engage with an upper edge of the door plate of the second door handle 2b. The arrangement of the retaining member 3 and the retaining means 4a, 4b described above serves to present the pair of door handles in a staggered formation with the door plates arranged approximately parallel with one another.

The central retaining member 3 presents the profile of a rhombus with the edges of the rhombus being connected along fold lines to vertical sections 3a, 3b that have a height slightly greater than the thickness of the door plates. The vertical sections are, in turn, connected along fold lines to the internal floor 5a, 5b of the carton. The fold lines connecting the central retaining member 3, the vertical sections and the internal floor 5a, 5b may include one or more lines of perforations which give the folds a sharp edge.

Perforations may also be used to form the retaining slots 4a, 4b in the internal end walls of the carton.

The upstanding walls of the carton 1 are defined by internal end panels, 6a, 6b, external end panels 7a, 7b, internal side panels 8a, 8b and external side panels 9a, 9b. The base of the carton 1 is formed from an external base panel 10 and two internal base panels 5a, 5b. All of the panels are interconnected along fold lines to maximise the overall strength of the carton. Top panels 11 a, 11 b are also provided and define, in combination with the internal and external end panels, enclosed end spaces into which the ends of the door plates project through the retaining slots 4a, 4b. In order to secure the end panels in place second end panel anchors 13a, 1 3b are provided which extend from the ends of the top panels 11 a, 11 b over the external side panels 9a, 9b and are secured by anchor holding tabs 14.

In Figure 2, the blank used to form the carton of Figure 1 is shown. The blank is preferably fabricated from paper board such as is conventionally used in the packaging industry but alternative materials may be used as desired. The blank is pre-printed and pre-cut with all the necessary slots and perforations.

The blank has at its centre a panel which will form the external base panel 10 of the carton. This external base panel is folclably connected to the end and side panels, with the opposing long edges of the external base panel 10 being foldably connected to first long edges of the external side panels 9a, 9b. The opposite second long edges of the external side panels 9a, 9b are foldably connected to the internal side panels 8a, 8b. The external base panel 10 may additionally include a loop (1 Oa) cut into the panel, as shown, to provide a means for displaying the carton 1 and its contents on a hook or peg.

One of the internal side panels 8b is also foldably connected to the first of the internal base panels 5a. The internal base panel 5a is connected to the internal side panel 8b along only a portion of the long edge of the internal side panel 8b, opposite to its connection to the external side panel 9b. An edge of the internal base panel 5a, perpendicular to the folding connection of the internal base panel to the internal side panel 8b, is foldably connected to the central retaining member 3 via the first of the vertical sections 3a. The second of the vertical sections 3b foldably connects the central retaining member 3 to the second internal base panel 5b. The rhombus shape of the central retaining member 3 serves to provide a diagonally arranged bridge between the first and second internal base panels. The second internal base panel 5b is also connected to a securing flap 12. A slot 23 is provided in the free edge of the first internal base panel 5a opposite the fold line of the base panel 5a with the internal side panel 8b. A similar slot 22 is provided in the second internal base panel 5b on an edge opposite to the edge of the first internal base panel 5a having the slot 23.

The opposing short edges of the external base panel 10 are foldably connected respectively to the external end panels 7a, 7b. The edges of each of the external end panels 7a, 7b, opposite to the fold line with the external base panel, is in turn foldably connected to respective top panels 11 a, 11 b and similarly the top panels 11 a, 11 b are foldably connected to the internal end panels 6a, 6b. The free edge of each internal end panel 6a, 6b, which is opposite to the fold line with its respective top panel, has a cut extending from the free edge towards the opposite fold line. The cut defines two portions of the internal end panel that can be folded separately of one another. The cut extends into the internal end panel a distance substantially equal to the depth of the top panel 11 a, 11 b. On each of the internal end panels 6a, 6b, one of the two portions formed by the cut has had an edge section removed to form the retaining slots 4a, 4b.

First end panel anchors 15 are provided on opposing edges of the external end panels 7a, 7b and similarly second end panel anchors 13 are provided on opposing edges of top panels 11 a, 11 b with anchor securing tabs 14 provided at the outermost edges of the second end panel anchors 13. The are four securing tabs 14 in total.

To form the carton 1 from the blank, the external end panels 7a, 7b are raised so as to be approximately perpendicular to the external base panel 10 and the first end panel anchors 15 are folded inwards so that their base edges lie along a respective long edge of the external base panel 10. External side panels 9a, 9b are also raised to be substantially perpendicular to the external base panel 10 and then internal side panels 8a, 8b are folded inwards through 180 to enclose the first end panel anchors 15. The folding of the internal side panels is assisted by a double crease that is provided between the internal and the external side panels.

The internal side panel Ba is provided with a locating tab 20 on its free outer edge which locates with a recess 16 provided on the long edge of the external base panel 10 and which serves to hold the internal side panel 8a in place. This also raises the remaining free edge of the internal side panel 8a slightly above the inner face of the base panel 10. When internal side panel 8b is folded over, the internal base panels 5a, 5b and the central retaining member 3 are arranged to overlie the external base panel 10. The free edge of the internal base panel 5a, opposite its fold line with the internal side panel 8a, engages in the space between the base panel 10 and the free edge of the internal side panel 8a adjacent the locating tab 20.

A locating tab 17 is provided on the outer side edge of the second internal base panel 5b and is arranged to engage with an aperture 18 provided in the internal side panel 8a. When the internal side panel 8b is in position, the internal base panels 5a, 5b are arranged to be substantially parallel to and in contact with the external base panel 10. However, both vertical sections 3a, 3b that connect the internal base panels to the central retaining member 3 are folded so as to project upwardly from the internal base panels 5a, 5b thereby raising the central retaining member 3 away from the external base panel 10 a distance sufficient to permit the door plates to fit between the central retaining member 3 and the external base panel 10- The securing flap 12 that is connected to an edge of the second internal base panel 5b is arranged to lie adjacent and parallel to the external end panel 7b thereby further anchoring the internal base panels 5a, 5b and the central retaining member 3 in position. Also, the second internal base panel 5b overlies the securing tab 21 thereby further anchoring the internal side panel 8a in position.

Top panels 11 a, 11 b are folded inwards to lie substantially parallel to but above the external base panel 10 and the internal end panels 6a, 6b are folded downwardly towards the base panel thereby defining the end spaces within which portions of the door plates are to be located. Each of the retaining slots 4a, 4b is formed by folding the two portions of the internal end panels 6a, 6b either side of the cut. The slots 4a, 4b are preferably formed with the door handles already in position within the carton so that the internal end panels are folded over those portions of the door plates that project into the space defined by the internal and external end panels, the top panel and the base panel.

Finally, the second end panel anchors 13 are folded over the outside of the external side panels 9a, 9b and the anchor securing tabs 14 are inserted into tab receiving slots 19 provided along the long side edges of the external base panel 10. The securing tabs 14 pass through the receiving slots 19 and either align with the slots 22, 23 in the internal base panels 5a, 5b or locate between the external base panel 10 and the internal base panels 5a, 5b. Each of the slots 22, 23 are located adjacent respective retaining slots 4a, 4b and results in each base panel 5a, 5b having oppositely directed ramps each directed downwardly towards its respective slot 23, 22 and retaining slot 4a, 4b.

The carton produced by the blank shown in Figure 2 is particularly strong as a result of the retaining member being unitary with the walls of the carton. In this way the load of the articles contained within the carton is distributed over the whole carton structure. Moreover, joints formed using adhesives etc. are avoided. It will also be apparent that the carton further provides reliable means for holding the articles in position within the carton whilst still ensuring a major portion of each article remains unobscured. This is achieved by providing apertures or slots in the carlon which engage with at least part of an edge of each article.

It will, of course, be apparent that the carton described herein and the blank from which the carton is constructed may be altered whilst still achieving the benefits described above. For example, the position and shape of the anchors, tabs and slots may be altered depending upon the desired size and shape of the carton and/or the shape of the one or more articles to be displayed within the carlon.

Claims (6)

1. A packaging system comprising a base and upstanding walls defining a display space therebetween for receiving one or more articles and retaining means arranged for engagement with opposing portions of the one or more articles in the display space, characterised in that the display space is open at one end so that a major portion of the one or more articles in the display space is visible and in that the retaining means is connected to or forms part of the upstanding walls.
2. 2. A packaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining means are unitary with the upstanding walls.
3. A packaging system as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the retaining means comprises a pair of slots located in opposing upstanding walls for receiving opposing edges of the article.
4. 4. A packaging system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the retaining means includes a central retaining member for engagement with a portion of the one or more articles.
5. 5.

   A packaging system as claimed in claim 4 adapted to display a pair of articles, the central retaining member being unitary with the upstanding walls and arranged to provide diagonally opposed apertures each for receiving an edge of one of the pair of articles.
6. 6. A packaging system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the central retaining member is generally rhomboid in shape.