NZ527866A - A method and apparatus for forming a box with gusset corners folded against outside of box, and blank forced into forming chamber - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for forming a box is disclosed. The first step of the method is to form a blank into a partially-erected box that has a base (3'), upright side walls (5'), upright end walls (7'), gusset corners (9') that are outside the interior of the box and side flaps (11') or end flaps (15') that extend upwardly from the side walls (5') or the end walls (7'). Adhesive material is then applied to the outer surface of the side walls (5') or the end walls (7') and the side flaps (11') or the end flaps (15') are folded outwardly and downwardly so that the gusset corners (9') are sandwiched between the folded down side flaps (11') and the side walls (5') or between the folded down end flaps (15') and the end walls (7'). The blank is initially forced into a forming chamber.

Description

52 78 6 6 This specification is divided out of New Zealand Patent Specification NZ 514120 (hereinafter referred to as "that invention") PATENTS FORM MO. 5 Fee No. 4: $250.00 Our Ref: 122599/28 MDL PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Intellectual Prooc -Q.Tiuj dT ICanceUed Date: — Init: 2.&.AUG /jjfp Intellectual Property Office of NZ 2 7 AUG 2003 RECEIVED ] A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A BOX WE AMCOR LIMITED, an Australian Company of 679 Victoria Street, Abbotsford, Victoria 3067, AUSTRALIA hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the (Followed by page 1A) 1 - 1A" A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A BOX The present invention relates to a method and art apparatus for forming a box.

The present invention relates particularly, although by no means exclusively, to a method and an apparatus for forming a box having a base, upright side walls and end walls, gusset corners that are folded against outer surfaces of the side walls or the end walls, anfl outwardly folded side flaps and end flaps that are adhered to the side walls and end walls and retain the gusset corners in position.

The above-described box is suited particularly for use in the production of baked food products, such as cakes.

In this context, the present invention also relates to a method of producing a food product which includes the steps of forming the above-described box, placing a food product mix in the box, and then baking the food product in the box.

One known and widely used method of forming a box from a blank is based on applying glue to appropriate panels of the blank and then folding the blank to erect the box and to glue together overlapping panels which hold together the erected box.

This method is not well suited to making boxes * that have outwardly folded gusset corners. Gusset corners are important in constructing leak-proof boxes. Outwardly folded gusset corners are important in situations where unhindered access to the interior of a box is required. One such situation is the manufacture of baked food products.

PCT/AUOO/00178 Another known but less widely used method o£ forming a box from a blank is based on folding a blank to erect the box and using mechanical interlocks formed in the blank to retain the corners in position and thereby hold 5 together the erected box.

This method is also not well suited to making boxes that have outwardly facing gusset corners. In particular, the method is not well suited to making such 10 boxes at high rates of production.

An object of the present invention is to provide em improved method and apparatus for forming a box with outwardly folded gusset corners.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of forming a box from a blank, which method includes the steps of: (a) forming the blank into a partially-erected box having a base, upright side walls, upright end walls, gusset corners that are outside the interior of the box, side flaps that extend upwardly from the side walls 25 and/or end flaps that extend upwardly from the end walls; (b) applying an adhesive material to the partially-erected box; (c) outwardly and downwardly folding the side flaps against the side walls or outwardly and downwardly folding the end flaps against the end walls so that: (i) the gusset corners are sandwiched between the folded down side flaps and the side walls or between the folded down end flaps and the end walls; and (ii) the folded down side flaps are adhered 5 to the side walls or the folded down end flaps are adhered to the end walls.

Preferably the blank includes a series of panels separated by fold lines and step (a) includes folding the 10 blank about the fold lines so that the panels form the base, the side walls, the end walls, the gusset corners, the side flaps and/or the end flaps.

Each gusset corner may be formed from any 15 suitable number of adjacent panels.

Preferably each gusset corner is formed from two adjacent panels.

Step (a) may be carried out with any suitable means.

Preferably step (a) includes forcing the blank into a forming chamber and thereby causing the blank to 25 fold about the fold lines.

The adhesive material may be any suitable adhesive material.

Suitable adhesive materials include glue and double-sided adhesive tape.

According to the present invention there is also provided a method of producing a food product which 35 includes the steps of: (a) forming a box as described above; (b) placing a food product mix in the box; and (c) baking the food product in the box in em 5 oven.

According to the present invention there is also provided an apparatus for forming a box from a blank which includes: (a) a box forming station for forming the blank into a partially-erected box having a base, upright side walls, upright end walls, gusset corners outside the interior of the box, side flaps extending upwardly from the side walls and/or end flaps extending upwardly from the end walls; (b) an adhesive material application station for 20 applying em adhesive material to the partially-erected box; and (c) a flap folding station for outwardly and downwardly folding the side flaps against the side walls or for outwardly and downwardly folding the end flaps against the end walls so that: (i) the gusset corners are sandwiched between the folded down side flaps and the side walls or between the folded down end flaps and the end walls; and (ii) the folded down side flaps are adhered 35 to the side walls or the folded down end flaps are adhered to the end walls.

It is preferred that the apparatus includes a transfer means for moving the blank to the box forming station and then moving the partially-erected box successively to the adhesive material application and flap 5 folding stations.

It is preferred that the apparatus further includes a meazis for contacting the upwardly extending side flaps or the upwardly extending end flaps as the partially-10 erected box leaves the box forming station and outwardly folding the side or end flaps.

It is preferred that the flap forming station includes an assembly for folding each flap.

It is preferred that each assembly includes an inner downwardly extending member, an outer downwardly extending member, a means which couples together upper sections of the members so that the outer member can swing 20 about the coupling outwardly and inwardly relative to the inner member, and a means for moving: (a) the members downwardly towards and upwardly away from the box at the station; and (b) the outer member outwardly and inwardly relative to the inner member ♦ In use of the above-described assembly, when a 30 partially-erected box with upwardly extending side or end flaps is at the flap-forming station, each assembly: (a) initially moves downwardly to a position at which the outer member is located inwardly of one of the side flaps or the end flaps; (b) the outer member then swings outwardly in a PCT/AUOO/00178 flicking motion and contacts and folds the side flap or the end flap outwardly; (c) simultaneously with step (b) the assembly moves downwardly and the outer member folds the side flap or the end flap downwardly and positions the downwardly-facing side flap or end flap between the outer and inner members; and (d) as the assembly continues to move downwardly, the outer member swings inwardly and forces the side flap or the end flap against one of the side walls or the end walls.

The present invention is described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a blank for forming a box in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the method and the apparatus of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a par ti ally-25 erected box formed from the blank shown in Figure 1 at a box forming station of the apparatus; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the finished box as produced in a flap forming station of the apparatus; 30 and Figure 4 illustrates the sequence of steps carried out at the flap forming station. 3 5 The blank shown in Figure 1 includes a series of panels separated by fold lines.

The preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention folds and glues the panels of the blank and forms the finished box shown in Figure 3.

The panels in Figure 1 are marked with reference numerals. When folded to form the finished box shown in Figure 3, the panel 3 shown in Figure 1 forms the base 31, the panels 5 form the side walls 51, the panels 7 form the end walls 7', the pairs of adjacent panels 9 form the 10 outwardly facing gusset corners 9', the panels 11 form the outwardly and downwardly facing side flaps 11', the panels 15 form the outwardly and downwardly facing end flaps 15'.

The blank is formed from corrugated board with a bleached lining on the surfaces that form the interior of the box and a polyolefin facing on the bleached lining. The purpose of the polyolefin lining is to provide a barrier to water and oil. This treated corrugated board is 20 particularly suitable for the production of baked food products and the preferred embodiment is described in this context. The blank may be formed from any other suitable material.

In the finished box shown in Figure 3 the gusset corners 9* are outwardly facing and are sandwiched between the side flaps 11' and the side walls 5*. It can readily be appreciated that an alternative arrangement is one in which the outwardly facing gusset corners are sandwiched 30 between the end flaps 3.5' and the end walls 7* .

The first step of the preferred embodiment of the method for forming the box shown in Figure 3 from the blank shown in Figure 1 is to fold the panels 15 through 180° to 35 contact the panels 7 and to glue together the panels 7, 15. In effect/ this step pre-forms what will become the outwardly and downwardly facing end flaps 15' of the finished box.

The blank is then folded and glued by a box forming apparatus and thereby formed into the box shown in 5 Figure 3. The apparatus includes a series of stations at which the blank is successively folded and glued to form the box.

The blank is positioned first at an inlet end of 10 the apparatus and is transported by means of a pneumatic ram along a horizontal slide to a box-erecting station is positioned to extend horizontally across an open forming chamber. A forming member, such as a punch, then moves downwardly and contacts the blank and forces the blank into 15 the forming chamber and thereby partially erects the box with the side walls 5', the end walls 7', and the gusset corner 9' folded against the side walls 5' . In this partially erected state the side flaps 11' extend upwardly from the side walls 5'.

The partially erected box is then moved by means of a second pneumatic ram through a gluing station (not shown) and glue is applied to the side walls 5' as the side walls 5' move past fixed gluing guns (not shown). The 25 applied glue is illustrated by the numeral 21 in Figure 2. The glue includes hot melt glue and cold glue. In an alternative arrangement the partially-erected box is stationary at the gluing station and the glue guns move past the stationary box.

The glued, partially-erected box is then moved by the second pneumatic ram to a side flap folding station and a flap folding assembly on each side of the box moves down and folds the side flaps 11' outwardly and downwardly 35 against the side walls 5' and sandwiches the corner gussets 9* between the side flaps ll1 and the side walls 5*.

Whilst at the side flap folding station the hot melt glue provides em initial tack weld to hold the side flaps against the side walls. Progressively, the cold glue sets and provides a full strength bond. The use of a combination of hot melt glue and cold glue is particularly 5 suited to baking food products.

The formed box is discharged from an outlet end of the box forming apparatus.

The above-described box forming apparatus also includes an indexing means which controls movement of blanks through the apparatus.

With reference to Figure 4, the assembly (shown 15 in very diagrammatic form) on each side of the box includes an inner and an outer flap-folding member in the form of plates 17a, 17b which are coupled together at upper sections of the plates.

Figure 4 illustrates the operation of the assembly to fold the side flap 11* shown in the Figure outwardly and downwardly against the side wall 5' shown in the Figure. Firstly, with reference to the left hand sketch, the assembly moves downwardly to a position at 25 which the outer member 17a is located inwardly of the side flap 11*. Secondly, the outer member 17a swings outwardly in a flicking motion and contacts and folds outwardly the side flap 11' . Simultaneously, the assembly moves downwardly and the outer member 17a folds the side flap 11* 30 downwardly. Finally, as the assembly continues to move downwardly, the outer member 17a swings inwardly and forces the side flap 11' towards and ultimately against the side wall 5' and holds it in this position for a sufficient time for the hot glue to establish a tack weld. In this 35 sequence of steps the inner member 17b acts as a reaction surface against which the side flap 11' is folded.

When the completed box is used in the production of baked food products, the box is then moved to a food product line and food product mix is placed in the box and the box is transported to em oven (typically a convection oven) and the product is baked in the box.

Any modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 11

Claims (11)

1. A method of forming a box from a blank, the blank having a series of panels separated by fold lines, which method includes the steps of: (a) forcing the blank into a forming chamber at a box forming station thereby causing the blank to fold about the fold lines and form a partially-erected box having a base, upright side walls, upright end walls, gusset corners that are outside the interior of the box, side flaps that extend upwardly from the side walls and/or end flaps that extend upwardly from the side and/or end walls; (b) applying an adhesive material to the partially-erected box; (c) outwardly and downwardly folding the side flaps against the side walls or outwardly and downwardly folding the end flaps against the end walls at a flap folding station while the partially erected box is stationary at the station so that: 12 (i) the gusset corners are sandwiched between the folded down side flaps and the side walls or between the folded down end flaps and the end walls; and (ii) the folded down side flaps are adhered to the side walls or the folded down end flaps are adhered to the end walls.

2. The method defined in claim 1 includes forming each gusset corner from two adjacent panels.

3. . The method defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein step (c) includes outwardly folding the side and/or end flaps by contacting the side and/or end flaps with flap folding members that swing outwardly in a flicking motion and contact and fold outwardly the side and/or end flaps.

4. The method defined in claim 3 further includes downwardly folding the side and/or end flaps by moving the flap folding members downwardly at the same time as the members move outwardly in the flickering motion, with the downward movement of the flap folding members causing the side and/or end flaps to fold downwardly against the side and/or end walls. 13

5. A method of producing a food product which includes the steps of: (a) forming a box in accordance with the method defined in any one of the preceding claims; (b) placing a food product mix in the box; and (c) baking the food product in the box in an oven

6. An apparatus for forming a box from a blank which includes a series of panels separated by fold lines, which apparatus includes: (a) a box forming station for forming the blank into a partially-erected box having a base, upright side walls, upright end walls, gusset corners outside the interior of the box, side flaps extending upwardly from the side walls and/or end flaps extending upwardly from the end walls, the box forming station including a forming chambers and a means for forcing the blank into the chamber and thereby 14 causing the blank to fold about the fold lines and form the partially-erected box. (b) an adhesive material application station for applying an adhesive material to the partially-erected box; and (c) a flap folding station for outwardly and downwardly folding the side flaps against the side walls or for outwardly and downwardly folding the end flaps against the end walls while the partially-erected box is stationery at the flap folding station so that: (i) the gusset corners are sandwiched between the folded down side flaps and the side walls or between the folded down end flaps and the end walls; and (ii) the folded down side flaps are adhered to the side walls or the folded down end flaps are adhered to the end walls.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 includes a transfer means for moving the blank to the box 15 forming station and then moving the partially-erected box successfully to the adhesive material application and flap folding station.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the flap forming station includes an assembly for folding each flap.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein each assembly includes an inner downwardly extending member, an outer downwardly extending member, a means which couples together upper sections of the members so that the outer member can swing about the coupling outwardly and inwardly relative to the inner member, and a means: (a) for moving the members downwardly towards and upwardly away from the box at the station; and (b) for moving the outer member outwardly and inwardly relative to the inner member; whereby in use of the assembly, when a partially-erected box with upwardly extending side or end flaps is at the flap-forming station, each assembly: 16 (a) initially moves downwardly to a position at which the outer member is located inwardly of one of the side flaps or the end flaps; (b) the outer member then swings outwardly in a flicking motion and contacts and folds the side flap or the end flap outwardly ; (c) simultaneously with step (b) the assembly moves downwardly and the outer member folds the side flap or the end flap downwardly and positions the downwardly-facing side flap or end flap between the outer and inner members; and (d) as the assembly continues to move downwardly, the outer member swings inwardly and forces the side flap or the end flap against one of the side walls or the end walls.

10. A method of forming a box from a blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 527g 6 6 17

11. An apparatus for forming a box from a blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. AMCOR LIMITED by its Attorneys JAMES & WELLS ln;:?!kctual Offi Intellectual Property Office of NZ 2 7 A'JG 2003 RPCSlVfcti