PT86010B - SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE ELEMENT FOR PACKAGING AND PACKING EQUIPPED WITH THESE ELEMENTS - Google Patents

Abstract

An element made from a rigid material for supporting and handling a package. This element comprises a lath (2), on one face of which are fastened two blocks (3) arranged so as to permit the passage of the prongs of a fork of a handling machine, a panel (4) in a semi-rigid material being fastened on the other face of the said lath (2), extending laterally on each side of the latter by a portion (4a, 4b) intended to be secured to a package to be equipped with this element. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a support and maintenance element for packaging, in particular for packaging of a semi-rigid material, such as corrugated cardboard. It also refers to packaging equipped with such elements.

It is known that packaging means known as pallet boxes are increasingly used in industry and commerce, comprising a carton or corrugated carton, the bottom of which is adjacent to a maintenance pallet. It is thus possible to easily move these packaging means with the help of fork carts and thus take them until placing them on the exhibition places for sale of the articles they contain, which is enough to open to make these available to potential buyers.

This type of pallet box is now very successful and is increasingly used in sales outlets in large areas, such as hypermarkets and supermarkets.

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Another type of packaging has recently been developed, as it presents great advantages in filling and displaying the sale of packaged items, without however being able to be associated with traditional maintenance pallets. It is a means of packaging cardboard or corrugated cardboard, in which the bands adjacent to the base of the side walls are folded perpendicularly to these walls and associated with each other in this position to support a card board or similar that forms the bottom. It can thus be moved vertically inside the package with the aid of a plunger system and is therefore possible, when the package is closed. see empty, bring the bottom to be level with the opening of the packaging to load it with a first layer of articles to be packed, lower it then the one corresponding to the thickness of that layer to put a second layer, and so on until the packaging is full and the bottom rests on the parts adjacent to the side walls. Conversely, for the expo. sale of the articles so packaged, it is possible to set the bottom of the packaging in a device that comprises an elastic replacement medium that raises this bottom as the packaging empties of the articles it contains, in order to always keep the exposed articles at the top of the packaging where they are visible to buyers and easily accessible to them.

Despite their real advantages, these packaging means have the disadvantage of not being able to become solidary with a classic pallet, as this would prevent access to the movable bottom. The absence of a fixed bottom in position also prevents the formation on this bottom of protruding parallel parts, reinforced internally by elements of plastic material that give this bottom a pallet profile that allows the packaging to be moved with a fork device.

The object of the present invention is to provide remedy for. this inconvenience, providing a support element that (

--2 can be attached to two support strips at the bottom adjacent to two parallel walls of a package of the type mentioned above, thus forming a kind of pallet without an upper part, which can be accessed from all sides by a fork maintenance device, which does not prevent access to the movable bottom part for the devices used in filling or when on display for sale.

For this purpose, the present invention has as its object an element of rigid material for the support and maintenance of a packaging, characterized by comprising a slat, on one of whose faces two separators are fixed arranged in such a way as to allow the passage of the teeth of a fork of a maintenance device, with a panel of semi-rigid material fixed on the other side of the said clapboard, projecting laterally on both sides of it to a part that is intended to be solidary with a packaging to be equipped with this element.

This support element can be made of wood or a plastic material.

The separators may rest directly on any infrastructure, but in a preferred embodiment of the support according to the present invention, this support will comprise two parallel strips joined by the said separators forming spacer pieces, the upper slat being equipped with the panel of semi-rigid material and the lower lath intended to rest on the ground.

panel of semi-rigid material may be made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or a flexible plastic material. Advantageously, the parts protruding laterally on each side of the upper batten will be articulated in the central part of the panel by a folding line arranged along the corresponding side edge, facing this batten. Preferably, the protruding sides laterally will have a rectangular shape and a transversal dimension equal to or less than about half the width of the upper lath, so that they can be folded and flattened on this lath and

be held in that position, for example by a self-adhesive tape in order to be able to provide the support element to users in a lightweight form and easy to use.

For the reasons that will be explained later, the panel of flexible or semi-rigid material can advantageously occupy only the central part of the lath of the support element of which it is solidary. Said panel may be attached to this batten by any means known in the art, namely by gluing or stapling.

support element according to the present invention is intended to become solidary with the bottom part of a package, to form, with a parallel element, a pallet whose upper part consists of the base of the package, which allows it to move with the assistance from the usual maintenance agencies and make it based on these elements for storage or exhibition for sale of the elements contained therein.

Another object of the present invention, therefore, consists of a package, which comprises a bottom and at least two parallel walls, it is equipped with two support elements of this type, characterized in that said elements with the lateral portion of the slat, in the to which the panel of semi-rigid material is fixed, further away from the central part of said bottom is respectively arranged substantially on the plane of said parallel walls and by one of the projecting parts of the semi-rigid panel of said elements being fixed on the associated parallel wall, while the other protruding part is attached to a part of the base of the package.

In the case of a fixed-bottom package, the projecting part of the flexible panel or a semi-rigid material that is not attached to a wall of the package may be fixed directly to the bottom.

In the case of a mobile bottom packaging resting on bands adjacent to the side walls and folded perpendicular to them, the support elements will be arranged by

- 4 under two of these parallel bands and the projecting part of the flexible panel that is not fixed on the corresponding wall will be folded against this band into the interior of the package and fixed on said band, with a view to be interposed between this and the east bottom. it can thus be moved within the packaging for the aforementioned filling operations, without interfering with the support elements, which will nevertheless allow dis. rent the package using a maintenance device.

Of course, the central part of the flexible material panel may also become attached to the base of the packaging, for example being glued to the strip under which the support element is placed.

'It can therefore become simple, in a simple way, with the packaging and be supplied to the user regardless of the packaging in which it can be easily fixed, once formed.

The attached drawings, which are of an exemplary and non-limiting nature only, are intended to illustrate the present invention, representing its figures:

Fig. 1, a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a support element according to the present invention;

Fig. 2, a similar view of this element with the sides of the flexible panel folded over the upper lath of this element;

Fig. 5 »a perspective view of the bottom of a package to which this support element can be attached; ,and

Fig. 4, this same package is equipped with two support elements arranged in parallel.

As seen in fig. 1, the support element (1) according to the present invention comprises two parallel strips (2), joined by two spacers (3), one placed at the level of the end of the strips (1) and the other spaced from the other end , in order to allow the easy insertion and release, in all positions, of the teeth of a fork of a maintenance device.

The rectangular panel (4) of a flexible or semi-rigid material is fixed to the outer face of the upper batten (2), with two similar parts (4a) and (4b), articulated in the central part (4c) by a folding line and whose width is at most roughly half that of the lath, protrude laterally in relation to this. It is thus possible to fold and flatten the parts (4a) and (4b), on the central part (4c), as shown in fig. 2, in order for the weapon to dispose of the element (1) or to provide it to users. A self-adhesive band can possibly be applied to the parts (4a) and (4b) to keep them in the folded position on the part (4c). We will notice that the panel (4) covers only the central part of the upper batten (2).

The support elements (1) are intended to fit a corrugated cardboard box (6), the bottom of which is shown in fig. 3 »In this box, the lower parts (7a) and (8a) of the walls (7) and (8) are folded into the inside of the boxes perpendicularly to these walls and are joined together by stapling or gluing their ends. The folded parts (7a) and (8a) thus form interlockings that support a plate (not shown) arranged inside the box (6). of which it forms the bottom and which can thus be moved vertically inside this box with the aid of a plunger system, as described above. It will be noted that the folded portions (8a) are outside the folded portions (7a) and that their ends form an overlap with them.

To make the supports (1) solid with the box (6) whose bottom plate has been raised, the reduced parts (7a) are arranged in the alignment of the upper strips (2) and the central part (4c) of the panel (4) to come into contact with the portion of the hinged parts (7a) that separate the ends of the

folded parts (8a), while these ends will be in contact with the free parts of the upper batten (2). This compensates for the excess thickness of the ends of the folded parts (8a). The parts in contact can become solidary with each other by gluing or bonding

The side part (4a) of the panel (4) is also applied against the corresponding wall (7), in which it is fixed by gluing or stapling.

Finally, the side part (4b) of the panel (4) is folded against the face of the folded part (7a) disposed inside the box and become solidary by gluing or stapling »

The box (6) thus equipped with parallel support elements (1) (fig.4) »in which the bottom plate can be placed each in place on the folded parts (7a) and (8a) thus has a comparable handling that of a conventional pallet, however having a bottom part perfectly accessible to the devices used to raise or lower the bottom plate <,

We will note the simplicity of the way of associating the support elements (1) and the box (ô), which allows us to supply these organs not associated with the users, leaving them with the care of assembling the box and fixing the support elements.

Claims (10)

- 1§ Element of a rigid material for the support and maintenance of a package, characterized by comprising a lath (2) on one of whose faces separators are fixed (3) arranged in such a way as to allow the passage of the teeth of a fork. a maintenance device, using a panel (4) of ub. semi-rigid material fixed on the other side of said lath (2), protruding laterally 'on each side of it by a part (4a, 4b) intended for. become solidary with a packaging to be equipped with this element » Element according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two parallel strips (2) joined by said separators (3) that form spacer pieces. 2, characterized in that the parts (4a, 4b) of the semi-rigid panel (4) that protrude laterally in relation to the part that takes this panel are articulated in the central part (4c) of this respect. by a folding line arranged substantially along the corresponding edge of the batten (2). 3, characterized in that the parts (4a, 4b) of the panel (4) that project laterally in relation to the central part (4c) of this panel have a rectangular shape and a width substantially equal to or less than half of the lath (2) that said panel is in solidarity. - 3® - Element according to one of claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the central part (4c) of the panel (4) extends longitudinally only through the central part of the lath (2) which 0 supports. - 4- - Element according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that one of said spacer elements (3) joins one end of said slats, while the second spacer element is spaced from the other end »/. · - 5® - Element according to one of claims 1 to - 6 ^ - Element according to one of claims 2 to - 7- - Packaging (6) comprising a bottom and at least two parallel walls (7), equipped with two support elements according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said elements are arranged in parallel under said package, with the side portion of the batten (2) supporting the panel (4) furthest from the central part of said bottom respectively arranged substantially on the plane of said parallel walls and by one of the projecting parts (4a) of the semi-rigid panel (4) said elements be attached to the associated parallel wall (7), while the other projecting part is fixed to a part of the base of the package. - 8® - Packaging according to claim 7, in which the bottom consists of a removable plate that rests on the folded parts (7a, 8a) adjacent to the base of the side walls (7 »8), folded perpendicularly to these for the interior of the package and associated with each other, characterized in that said support elements (1) are arranged under the two parallel folded parts (7a), by one of the projecting parts (4a) of said panel (4) being fixed on the adjacent wall (7) and by the other protruding part (4b) is folded against said folded part (7a) and attached to it. - 9 ^is - Packaging according to claim 8, characterized in that said panel (4) occupies only the central part of the upper batten (2) of said elements and is applied against said folded part (7a) between the ends of the perpendicular folded parts (8a ) applied externally against said folded parts (7a). - 10ê - Packaging according to one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that the central part (4c) of said panel - 9 "(4-) is also fixed against the part of the said folded part (7a) with which it is in contact. The applicant declares that the first application for this patent was filed in France on 29 October 1986, under Ns. 86 15078. Lisbon, October 28, 1987 THE OFFICIAL INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY AGENT - 10 SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE ELEMENT FOR E13ALACEM AND PACKAGING EQUIPPED WITH THESE ELEMENTS RESUME The invention relates to an element of a rigid material for supporting and maintaining a package. This element comprises a slat (2), on one of whose faces two separators (3) are fixed, arranged in such a way as to allow the passage of the teeth of a fork of a maintenance device, with a panel (4) of a semi-material - rigid fixed on the other side of the said lath (2) protruding laterally on both sides of it by a part (4a, 4b) intended to be solidary with a packaging to be equipped with this element.