NL2001742C2 - Box with corner reinforcements and a blank for that purpose. - Google Patents

Description

P84729NL00

Title: Box with corner reinforcements and a blank

The invention relates to a box, in particular a box with corner reinforcements set up from a blank.

Such boxes are known. A known box comprises, for example, corner reinforcements which are formed from corner panels which are connected to first side wall panels along a first folding line. The corner panels are each subdivided into three strips by two further folding lines extending substantially parallel to the first folding line. The corner panels are glued to a second side wall panel with a first strip adjacent to the first fold line. The second strip is folded back against the first strip 10 and glued and the third strip is glued against the first side wall panel.

Boxes are furthermore known in which the corner panels are folded over into box-shaped corner reinforcements with, for example, a triangular, quadrangular or chevron-shaped cross section. In the latter two cases, the corner panels comprise at least three folding lines that subdivide the corner panel into four strips. Such corner reinforcements increase the rigidity and strength of the box, in particular the stacking or compression strength. Furthermore, material can be saved because a lighter or thinner blank can be used.

Such boxes are often folded from the blank after they have been set up so that the boxes can be transported to a user with a minimum volume. The boxes can be folded out on location so that they can subsequently be filled with desired products, such as cucumbers.

A drawback of these known boxes is that the fold-open resistance of the box is relatively large, which is not desirable from the viewpoint of ease of use. Furthermore, the corners of such a folded-open box 2 do not always remain in the desired starting position. The angle can spring back so that the box does not achieve the desired stability.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a box set up from a blank, which can be transported in the collapsed state and which can be easily unfolded, the box remaining in the desired shape after being unfolded so that the box is stable.

To this end the invention provides a box 10 of the type mentioned in the preamble, set up from a blank, characterized in that the box comprises a bottom panel surrounded by upright first and second side wall panels which are mutually connected by corner reinforcement forming corner panels, each side wall panel being connected to the bottom panel via a first folding line, wherein each corner panel is further connected to a fastening part provided on the first side wall panel, the fastening part extending at least partly from an other part of the first side wall panel in a direction to an inner space of the box such that the fastening part at least partially away from the remaining part of the first side wall panel, whereby a space is defined between the fixing part and at least the remaining part of the first side wall panel.

Due to this construction of the corner reinforcements relative to the side wall panels, that is to say, wherein the respective corner panels are connected to a pivotable fixing part of the first side wall panels, the box can easily be folded open. After all, because the fastening part can move away from the first side wall panels, the box is less rigid during folding open and the corner of the box can easily be set up. Furthermore, the respective fastening parts, which extend from the first side wall panels to an interior of the box, ensure that, in unfolded condition 3 of the box, the angle with respect to the bottom panel remains in an upright condition. The fastening part actually acts as a retaining member so that the corner cannot spring back to the folded position of the box. As a result, the box acquires a certain form stability and stacking strength after it has been folded open, which remains constant after the box is unfolded. The corner reinforcement according to the construction described above also ensures that the stacking strength of the box when it is not provided with a so-called bridge is sufficiently large to be able to stack boxes with products. This provides a box that can be manufactured from a blank with a smaller surface area while retaining stacking strength than when the box is provided with a bridge, which results in less material use and thus in lower material costs.

In order to further increase the stacking strength of the box, it is advantageous that, according to a further elaboration of the invention, each first side wall panel comprises a further folding line which extends substantially parallel to the first folding line, which further folding line places the first side wall panel in a first between the divides folding segment and divides a second segment located against the first segment, the attachment part being pivotally connected to the second segment. Such an embodiment of the first side wall panels provides double-layered panels that have a greater stacking strength than single-layer panels. Particularly in the case that the box is made of solid cardboard, such a side wall panel with an improved stacking strength is favorable. The segments can optionally be attached to each other, for instance by means of an adhesive connection, wherein the fixing part is not fixed so that it can move freely along, for example, a folding line which is perpendicular to the folding line of the first side panel. 30 4

When it is desired for the box to be provided with a brag, i.e. a flap arranged along a side wall of a box and situated substantially perpendicularly thereto, in a further advantageous elaboration of the invention the second side wall panel may be provided with a further fold line 5 extending substantially parallel to the first folding line, which further folding line divides the second side wall panel into a first segment located between the folding lines and a second segment forming a bridge, the second segment being provided with connecting parts connected thereto on sides situated near the first side wall panels which connecting parts are connected to the respective first side wall panels. Such a second segment of the second side face panel provides the bridge in an unfolded state of the box. Such a bridge can for instance be substantially parallel to the bottom panel and extend along an upper side of the second side wall panel between the two first side wall panels. The bridge is attached to the first side wall panels with the aid of the connecting parts. Depending on the shape and dimensions of the connecting parts, they can be fixed in different ways with the first side wall panels. The connecting parts can be inserted, for example, into the space described above between the fixing part 20 and the remaining part of the respective first side wall panels. This makes it possible that the box can be filled with the desired products and that the bridge can only be positioned and fixed after filling. As a result, the filling opening of the box is maximal during filling, as a result of which the products can easily be placed in the box. It is also possible that the connecting parts are glued to the first side wall panels. Such a box has a greater stacking strength than when the connecting parts are inserted. However, the filling opening therefore has a more limited size

The invention thus provides a flexible box that can easily be adapted to the wishes of the user.

5

The invention further relates to a blank for a box according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a substantially quadrilateral bottom panel, pairwise opposed first and second side wall panels which are pivotally connected to the bottom panel along fold lines, corner panels pivotally along first fold lines are connected to the first side wall panels, each first side wall panel comprising a further folding line extending substantially parallel to the first folding line, which further folding line the first side wall panel in a first segment located between the folding lines and a second segment located against the first segment divides, wherein the fixing part is pivotally connected to the second segment, at least to a side thereof located near the corner panel.

One such blank provides the same advantages and effects as those mentioned in the above-described box set up from a blank.

Further advantageous embodiments of a box according to the invention and a blank suitable therefor are described in the further subclaims.

20

Further elaborations of the invention are described in the subclaims and will be further clarified below with reference to the drawings. It shows:

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a blank according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically, in top view a corner set up from the blank of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows diagrammatically in plan view a corner provided from the blank of Figure 1 with a bridge; and 6

Figure 4 is a schematic top view of a blank, at least from an angle thereof, according to a second embodiment of the. invention.

Figure 1 shows a blank P for setting up a box 1 (see

Figures 2 and 3) according to the invention. The blank P is made of cardboard, in particular solid cardboard or corrugated cardboard. The blank P comprises a quadrangular bottom panel 2, a pair of opposed first side wall panels 4 pivotally connected to the bottom panel 2 along fold lines 3, and a pair of opposed second side wall panels 6 pivotally connected to the bottom panel 2, along fold lines 5, which extend substantially perpendicular to the aforementioned folding lines 3. Each first side wall panel 4 comprises a further folding line 7 which extends substantially parallel to the first folding line 3. This further second folding line 7 divides the respective side wall panels 4 into two segments 8a, 8b. The first segment 8a is located between the first and second folding lines 3, 7 and the second segment 8b extends from the second folding line 7 in a direction remote from the first segment 8a. The second segment 8b comprises two fastening parts 8c which are pivotally provided on either side of the segment 8b 20 and which are located near the respective corner panels 12. The fastening parts 8c can be pivotable over a folding line 24 and are separated from the first segment 8a by means of a partial incision 7a of the folding line 7. The second segment 8b and the fastening parts 8c provided thereon have substantially the same or smaller total length L1 then the first segment 8a. When forming the box 1, the second segment 8b including the mounting parts 8c is folded over the second folding line 7 to an interior I of the box 1, such that the second segment 8b comes to abut against the first segment 8b (see Figure 2). ), whereby the first side wall panel 4 is made of a double layer. Optionally, the second 7 segment 8b can be glued to the first segment 8a of the first side wall panel 4.

In this exemplary embodiment of the invention, the second side wall panels 6 are provided with a second folding line 9 which also divides the second side wall panel 6 into two segments 10a, 10b which are mutually pivotally connected. The second folding line 9 is provided substantially parallel to the first folding line 5 of the second side wall panel 6. The second segment 10b, the segment forming the bridge 26 (see Figure 3), extends from the second fold line 9 of the first segment 10a. The second segment 10b forming the bridge 26 has substantially the same length L2 as the first segment 10a. The second segment 10b forming the bridge 26 is provided on either side 10c with connecting parts 18 pivotally connected to the second segment 10b. These connecting parts 18 can be connected to the respective first side wall panels 4 in order to form a bridge 26 on two opposite sides of the box. 1, which bridges26 extend substantially in a plane parallel to the bottom panel 2. When mounting the box 1, such connecting parts 18 can be inserted between the fixing parts 8c and the first segment 8a of the first side wall panels 4 (see Figures 2 and 3) or can be glued with the first side wall panels 4 in an alternative embodiment of the invention. The bridges 26 can also be omitted in an alternative embodiment.

Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment shown, each second side wall panel 6 is provided with two diagonal folding lines 17. The box 1 to be set up from the blank P thus becomes a so-called standby box. This is a box 1 that can be supplied with the side wall panels 4,6 folded down. These side wall panels 4, 6 need only be pulled up and fixed in this position before use, by means of cams 19 which can be inserted into recesses 21 provided in the bottom panel 2 for this purpose. The diagonal folding lines 17, 8 cams 19 and / or recesses 21 can be omitted in an alternative embodiment. The corner reinforcements 22 (see Figure 2) and the fastening parts 8c attached thereto extend in the unfolded condition of the box 1 in the direction R1 to an interior of the box 1, whereby the angle with respect to the bottom part 2 is fixed.

The blank P further comprises four corner panels 12, each of which is divided into two segments 12a, 12b by means of a folding line 11a, 11b. The fold lines 11a, 11b extend substantially in line with the fold lines 7 between the first segments 8a and second segments 8b of the first side wall panels 4. It is to be noted that the term fold line in the present application must be interpreted broadly. For example, folding lines can be bending lines, perforation lines, half-cut folding lines or complete cutting lines. In this case, the folding line 11a, 11b partly comprises a complete cutting line 11a and partly a half-cut folding line 11b. The corner panels 12 are pivotally mounted on either side of the first segments 8a of the first side wall panels 4 with a first segment 12a, along first fold lines 15a. Each first segment 12a is divided into two strips S1, S2 by a further fold line 15b which extends substantially parallel to the first fold line 15a. Each second segment 12b is divided into similar strips S1, S2, S3 by means of folding lines 15b, 15c. The strips S1, S2, S3 of the second segment 12b of the corner panel 12 can be at least partially pivotally provided on the strips S1, S2 of the first segment 12a of the corner panel 12. The fold lines 15a, 15b, 15c can be of different types lines are, for example, bending lines, perforation lines or half-cut lines. The folding lines can also be, for example, partly bending lines and partly perforation lines. It is advantageous if, for example, folding line 15b of the first segment 12a of the corner panel 12 is a bending line and folding line 15b of the second segment 12b of the corner panel 12 is a perforation line. As a result, the folding resistance of the corner panel 12 over the folding line 15b, i.e. when the segment 12b is folded over the folding line 11a, lib and lies against the first segment 12a, is relatively low. This ensures that the corner panels 12 can be folded with relatively little force to form the final corner reinforcements 22 of the box 1.

Figure 2 schematically shows a corner of a box 1 which can be set up from the blank P according to Figure 1 in top view. To that end, the second corner panel segment 12b is folded up out of the plane of the drawing, along fold line 11a, 11b, and against the first corner panel segment 12a. The corner panel segments 12a, 12b can optionally be fixed, for example with glue. A double layer corner panel 12 is thus obtained, wherein the first corner panel segment 12a forms a first corner panel layer and the second corner panel segment 12b forms a second corner panel layer.

Subsequently, the corner panel 12, at least strip S2 and S3, is folded around the further fold line 15b (upwards from the plane of the drawing) and strip S3 is folded back in the opposite direction around the further fold line 15c. Thereafter, the respective second segments 8b of the first side wall panels 4 are folded around the folding line 7 (up from the plane of the drawing) and placed on the first segments 8a. The fixing parts 8c are pivotable both with respect to the first segment 8a and with respect to the second segment 8b in a direction upwards from the plane of the drawing. Optionally, the first and second segments 8a, 8b can be fixed relative to each other, for example with the aid of glue. The mounting part 8c is not fixed. The corner panels 12, at least the strips S3 thereof, are subsequently secured against the fixing parts 8c. After this, the corner panels 12 can be fixed in a conventional manner against the second side wall panels 6, for example with glue, wherein the strip S1 of the second segment 12b of the corner panel 12 can be fixed against the first segment 10a of the second side wall panel 6. When the corner panels 12 are fixed, a space 20 is created between the fixing parts 8c and the first segments 8a of the first side wall panels 4 in that the fixing parts 8c extend in the direction R1 to an interior I of the box 1. Furthermore, a space 25 can be created between the strips S1, S2 of the corner panels.

The box 1 thus obtained is thus provided with corner reinforcements 22, which extend against the fastening part 8c of the first side wall panel and against the second side wall panel 6. Surprisingly, it has been found that with such corner reinforcements 22 a high stacking strength can be obtained, wherein moreover the load-bearing capacity of the plano material is optimally utilized.

Figure 3 schematically shows a corner of a box 1 as set up and shown in Figure 2 in top view. Figure 3 further shows that the box 1 is provided with a bridge 26 forming segment 10b with the connecting parts 18 attached to the bridge 26 forming segment 10b are provided in the space 20 are inserted. To form the bridge 26, before the box 1 is assembled, the second segment 10b of the second side wall panel 6 is folded up over fold line 9 from the plane of the drawing as well as the connecting parts 18. After the box 1 has been set up by a user and is filled with products, for example cucumbers, the connecting parts 18 are inserted into the space 20 and the segment 26 forming bridge 26 is located substantially parallel to the bottom panel 2 of the box 1. The connecting parts 18 can also be provided with, for example, an outward side of the first segment 8a of the first side wall panel 4 are glued. Such connecting parts 18 can then have a different shape or 11 different dimensions than the connecting parts 18 as shown in Figure 1, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a blank P 5 according to the invention, at least one corner thereof. The remaining angles are identical but mirrored around the X and Y axes. In Figure 4, parts corresponding to the blank P in Figure 1 are indicated by corresponding reference numerals. The main difference with respect to the blank P from Figure 1 is that the connecting parts 18 of the second side wall panels 6 have substantially a larger surface area than the connecting parts 18 according to the first embodiment of the blank P according to the invention. Such connecting parts 18 are not suitable for being inserted into the space 20 but can be attached to an outer side of the first side wall panel 4, at least of the first segment 8a of the side wall panel 4, for example with the aid of glue. Such boxes have a relatively high stacking strength. Of course, the connecting members 18 in other embodiments of the invention may have different shapes and dimensions.

Of course, the corner panels 12 in other embodiments of the invention can also have a different shape and different folding lines. Other ways of folding these corner panels 12 are also possible. Thus, the third strip S3 of the corner panel 12 can be folded in the same direction as the strip S2 of the corner panel 12. The third strip S3 is then attached with its other side against the fastening part 8c of the first side wall panel 4. In this way a tubular corner reinforcement 22 with a triangular cross-section is obtained.

The above-described and shown exemplary embodiments have in common that the corner panels 12 can be folded over with relatively little folding resistance, when the folding line 15b comprises partly a bending line and partly a perforation line or a half-cut line 12. The required folding force is of the same order of magnitude as the folding force required for folding over the other (single-layer) blank parts.

The invention is in no way limited to the exemplary embodiments shown in the description and the drawing. All combinations of (parts of) described and / or shown embodiments are considered to fall under the inventive concept. Moreover, many variations thereof are possible within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

The corner panel 12 can for instance be constructed from separate blank parts, wherein only one of these parts is pivotally connected to a side wall panel 4, 6. The other blank parts can be attached to each other prior to setting up the blank P, for example by gluing. The corner panels 12 can also be constructed from more than two layers.

The corner panel 12 can be subdivided into more than three strips by means of further folding lines. Such a corner panel 12 can be folded into any corner reinforcement 22 known per se, for example a tubular corner profile with a triangular or polygonal cross-section, wherein in each case a strip of the corner panel 12 is connected to the fixing part 8c. Such a corner reinforcement 22 can also be provided in a box that cannot be folded. Such a box has a relatively high stacking strength and shape stability with a relatively small use of material.

These and many variations are understood to lie within the framework of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims (13)

A box set up from a blank (P), comprising a bottom panel (2) surrounded by upright first (4) and second (6) side wall panels interconnected by corner reinforcement (22) forming corner panels 5 (12), each side wall panel (2) 4, 6) is connected to the bottom panel (2) via a first fold line (3, 5), wherein each corner panel (12) is further connected to a fixing part (8c) provided on the first side wall panel (4), the fixing part (8c) 8c) at least partially extends from an other part (8a) of the first side wall panel (4) in a direction (R1) 10 to an interior space (I) of the box (1) such that the fixing part (8c) is at least partially away from the remaining part (8a) of the first side wall panel (4) whereby a space (20) is defined between the fixing part (8c) and at least the remaining part (8a) of the first side wall panel (4). 15 Box according to claim 1, wherein each first side wall panel (4) comprises a further folding line (7) extending substantially parallel to the first folding line (3), which further folding line (7) the first side wall panel (4) in a first segment (8a) located between the folding lines (3, 7) and a second segment (8b) located against the first segment (8a), wherein the fastening part (8c) is pivotally connected to the second segment (8b). 3. Box as claimed in claim 2, wherein the corner panel (12) is pivotally connected to the first segment (8a) of the first side wall panel (4) via a first folding line (15a). The carton of claim 3, wherein each corner panel (12) comprises at least one further fold line (15b, 15c) extending substantially parallel to the first fold line (15a), the at least one fold line (15b, 15c) being the divides the corner panel (12) into several strips (S1, S2, S3). 5 5. Box as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein each corner panel is provided with a first corner panel layer and a second corner panel layer which is substantially adjacent to it and which is connected to the first corner panel layer along a further provided perpendicular to the first folding line (15a) folding line (11a, 11b). Box according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the at least third strip (S3) is connected to the fixing part (8c) of the side wall panel (4), Box according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second side wall panel (6) is provided with a further fold line (9) which extends substantially parallel to the first fold line (5), which further fold line (9) the second side wall panel (6) ) divides into a first segment (10a) located between the folding lines (3, 7) and a second segment 20 (10b) forming a bridge (26), the second segment (10b) dividing on sides located near the first side wall panels (4) (10c) is provided with connecting parts (18) connected thereto, which connecting parts (18) are connected to the respective first side wall panels (4). Box according to claim 7, wherein the connecting part (18) extends in the space (20) between the fixing panel (8c) and the first segment (8a) of the first side wall panel (4) around the bridge-forming second segment (10b) to connect to the first side wall panel (4). A blank for a box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a substantially quadrangular bottom panel (2), first and second side wall panels (4, 6) oppositely arranged in pairs, which can be pivoted along folding lines (3, 5) with the bottom panel (2) are connected, corner panels (12) which are pivotally connected along first fold lines (15a) to the first side wall panels (4), each first side wall panel (4) comprising a further fold line (7) extending substantially parallel on the first folding line (3), which further folding line (7) the first side wall panel (4) in a first segment 10 (8a) located between the folding lines (3, 7) and a second segment located against the first segment (8a) ( 8b), wherein the attachment part (8c) is pivotally connected to the second segment (8b), at least to a side thereof located near the corner panel (12). The blank of claim 9, wherein each second side wall panel comprises a second fold line (9) substantially parallel to the first fold line (5) that divides the second side wall panel into at least two segments (10a, 10b) that are pivotally connected to each other, a second segment (10b) forming a bridge (26) on either side (10c) is provided with connecting parts (18) pivotally connected to said segment (10b) and adapted to be connected to the respective first side wall panels (4). 11. Blank as claimed in claim 10, wherein each connecting part (18) is adapted to be used between the first (8a) and the second (8b) segment, at least the mounting part (8c) thereof, of the respective first side wall panel (4). are stung. A blank as claimed in any one of claims 9-11, wherein each corner panel 30 (12) comprises at least one further fold line (15b, 15c) extending substantially parallel to the first fold line (15a), the at least one fold line (15b, 15c) divides the corner panel (12) into several strips (S1, S2, .S3). The blank of claim 12, wherein each corner panel is provided with a first corner panel layer (12a) and a second corner panel layer (12b) connected pivotally to the first corner panel layer (12a) along a substantially perpendicular to the first fold line (15a) provided folding line (11a, 11b). 10