US20190112101A1 - Stackable box - Google Patents

Stackable box Download PDF

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Publication number
US20190112101A1
US20190112101A1 US16/061,765 US201616061765A US2019112101A1 US 20190112101 A1 US20190112101 A1 US 20190112101A1 US 201616061765 A US201616061765 A US 201616061765A US 2019112101 A1 US2019112101 A1 US 2019112101A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
box
flaps
flap
wall
walls
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US16/061,765
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English (en)
Inventor
Juan Vicente MULLOR MORENO
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of US20190112101A1 publication Critical patent/US20190112101A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
    • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
    • B65D21/06—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together with movable parts adapted to be placed in alternative positions for nesting the containers when empty and for stacking them when full
    • B65D21/062—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together with movable parts adapted to be placed in alternative positions for nesting the containers when empty and for stacking them when full the movable parts being attached or integral and displaceable into a position overlying the top of the container, e.g. bails, corner plates

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a stackable box for a variety of products, primarily fresh food (vegetables, breads, fruits, fish, etc.), which can be fitted into other similar boxes when it is empty.
  • Rectangular boxes made of plastic material and without a top lid used for loading fresh food such as vegetables, fish, etc. are known in the state of the art. To that end, there are arranged on a side of the loading point, filled, and transported to the next location, usually a logistics center, a food market, etc. Once empty, they must return to the starting location to initiate the cycle again.
  • a system capable of obtaining those same advantages but by moving only small elements instead of the entire box which can be quite heavy when it is full is also known.
  • This system is advantageous as it solves the preceding problems, although it is still susceptible to improvement.
  • the flaps project from the sides when the box is open, increasing the space used in the transport thereof, and causing the most fragile part of the box to be arranged in a cantilever manner.
  • the invention consists of a stackable box according to the claims.
  • the invention solves the problems of the state of the art with its different embodiments.
  • the stackable box has an inverted truncated pyramid shape and comprises a box body, with a base and respective walls.
  • the box body has the upper part open, and there are arranged in at least one pair of facing walls respective foldable flaps in the upper part.
  • the flaps have a first position in which they are arranged horizontally on the inside of the box, and a second position in which they are arranged outside the vertical projection of the box body. In other words, in a first position, they make the upper opening of the box body smaller to prevent the entry and fitting of a second similar box, whereas in the second position, they do not prevent the entry but rather is located close to the outer part of the corresponding wall.
  • the flaps are therefore located such that they adhere to or converge with the walls, below the support wall, without increasing the space used by the box.
  • the box body therefore has an angle of inclination in each wall, which will preferably be the same, and a thickness of the wall.
  • the width of the flaps measured from the articulation to the wall to the free end will be such that the projection over the horizontal of the flap in the second position (or the open position) is approximately the thickness of the upper edge of the corresponding support wall. As will be shown below, this thickness will be measured from the rotating shaft of the flap to the inner side of the wall.
  • the box may have an upper rim which increases the thickness of the wall in the upper part, and allows arranging the articulation of the flap in a cantilever manner.
  • This width of the flaps allows the nested arrangement to be the same or similar, in position, to a hypothetical nested arrangement of the independent box bodies. In other words, it does not change the height or the width of the nested arrangement.
  • the flap can be attached to its respective wall through one or more hinges or through one or more thin strips made of the same material, produced during box manufacture (generally by the injection of plastics).
  • This second type of attachment is generally referred to as “film attachment” and the flap and the corresponding wall therein in fact form a single body.
  • the flaps preferably have respective locking flanges on the walls contiguous to the one supporting the flap.
  • the flap can have protrusions and notches complementary to the notches and protrusions made in the base of the box body.
  • the flaps can also have ribs to increase their strength or favor the fall of the product.
  • FIG. 1 shows the view of two box models according to respective embodiments, where FIG. 1A shows the flaps in the closed position or first position, and FIG. 1B shows the flaps in the open position or second position.
  • FIG. 2 shows the detail of a third embodiment of the box with a hinge.
  • FIG. 3 shows the detail of another embodiment of the box with a film.
  • FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the stackable box, where the posts and cut-out areas are seen.
  • FIG. 5 shows the detail of several boxes of the embodiment with the flaps in the open position and nested together (A) and in the closed position and stacked on top of one another (B).
  • FIG. 6 shows the section explaining the position of the flaps in the first (closed) position and in the second (open) position, where the difference in height in both cases is seen.
  • the box of the invention comprises a box body ( 1 ), the base of which usually has a rectangular or square shape, and with the upper part completely open, i.e., its walls ( 2 ) have no element whatsoever protruding through the top part towards the inside of the box, with the exception of a possible reinforcement rib or the like which affects the entire height.
  • the walls ( 2 ) must allow the box bodies ( 1 ) to fit into one another, for which it is preferable for the walls ( 2 ) to be slightly inclined, the box body ( 1 ) having an inverted truncated pyramid shape.
  • the shape of the base of the pyramid is irrelevant, where it can be any polygon or curved figure.
  • the flaps will have a second position or open position (depicted in FIG. 1B ) in which they will be arranged outside the box, i.e., outside the vertical projection of the box body ( 1 ). Specifically, they will be arranged close to the corresponding wall ( 2 ) on the outer part thereof.
  • the flaps ( 3 ) may swing any number of degrees between the two positions. Therefore, the second position may be oriented downwards after a rotation of more than 270°.
  • the flap ( 3 ) can be articulated to the corresponding wall ( 2 ) by means of one or more hinges ( 4 ) or by means of one or more thin strips ( 5 ) made of the same material of the box. Since it is thin, it will be flexible and allow both positions. This strip ( 5 ) must achieve a balance between flexibility and breaking strength.
  • the flaps ( 3 ) can be made of a material different from that used in the box body ( 1 ).
  • the part of the flap ( 3 ) contacting the walls ( 2 ) contiguous to the one supporting it may comprise one or more locking flanges ( 10 ). These locking flanges ( 10 ) make it easier to maintain the closed position of the flaps ( FIG. 1A ) as long as no other box is stacked on top.
  • Protrusions ( 6 ) and/or notches ( 7 ) as well as ribs can be made in the flap ( 3 ) to help centering the upper box, which will have in the base thereof complementary notches and protrusions. In this manner, once a box is placed on top of the other, sliding will not occur because the protrusions ( 6 ) of the base have been introduced into the notches ( 7 ) of the flap ( 3 ) and/or vice versa.
  • the size or width that the flaps ( 3 ) must have with respect to the support wall ( 2 ) is seen. It depends on the thickness of the wall ( 2 ) which can be made larger in the upper part thereof with a rim.
  • the shaft of the articulation i.e., either the hinge ( 4 ) or the strip ( 5 )
  • the shaft of the articulation i.e., either the hinge ( 4 ) or the strip ( 5 )
  • the shaft of the articulation i.e., either the hinge ( 4 ) or the strip ( 5 )
  • a fastener may be arranged to assure the position between the flap ( 3 ) and the corresponding wall ( 2 ), for example by means of collaboration between a protrusion ( 6 ) in the flap ( 3 ) and a point of the wall ( 2 ), among other solutions. It is also possible for the flap ( 3 ) to be fixed in place by the mere placement of the box in a nested position.
  • the box will be made of any suitable material and color, with thermoplastics being the most common material. It may also be made of other materials. Reinforcement ribs, lightening elements or openworks, handles, height recesses may also be placed in the side walls (cut-out areas), as is known in the state of the art, without those applications deviating from the invention. It is of interest to make depressions and protrusions in the walls ( 2 ) so as to increase the strength thereof, for example with corrugations or posts, as well as to provide cut-out areas ( 9 ): planar areas ( 11 ) without openworks or ribs therein for placing labels or card holders or for printing logotypes.
  • the box can have rims or ribs in the mouth and in the base to increase its strength.
  • the bottom may have openworks for the discharge of liquids or passage of air, or cavities or shapes ( 8 ) for placing products such as fruits and vegetables.
  • These shapes ( 8 ) will be similar to the fruit or element for which the box is intended.
  • the invention is applicable to a box body ( 1 ) of any shape as long as it has two parallel opposite walls ( 2 ) for fixing the flaps ( 3 ).

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Stackable Containers (AREA)
  • Cartons (AREA)
  • Rigid Containers With Two Or More Constituent Elements (AREA)
  • Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
  • Bag Frames (AREA)
US16/061,765 2015-12-14 2016-12-12 Stackable box Abandoned US20190112101A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES201531379U ES1148658Y (es) 2015-12-14 2015-12-14 Caja apilable
ESU201531379 2015-12-14
PCT/ES2016/070879 WO2017103307A1 (es) 2015-12-14 2016-12-12 Caja apilable

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20190112101A1 true US20190112101A1 (en) 2019-04-18

Family

ID=54936268

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US16/061,765 Abandoned US20190112101A1 (en) 2015-12-14 2016-12-12 Stackable box

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US20190112101A1 (pt)
EP (1) EP3392159A4 (pt)
CN (1) CN208828310U (pt)
AU (1) AU2016372894A1 (pt)
BR (1) BR212018012119U2 (pt)
CA (1) CA3008339A1 (pt)
CL (1) CL2018001564U1 (pt)
ES (1) ES1148658Y (pt)
PE (1) PE20181266Z (pt)
WO (1) WO2017103307A1 (pt)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111619947A (zh) * 2020-04-06 2020-09-04 吴幼健 一种敞口式活动角物流箱

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4872574A (en) * 1987-11-17 1989-10-10 Lam David C S Container
US6276530B1 (en) * 1998-12-23 2001-08-21 Mckenzie Components Limited Container

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2175390A (en) * 1938-04-30 1939-10-10 George E Harrison Lug box
GR61201B (en) * 1976-03-09 1978-10-06 Dart Ind Inc Sausage container
DE3521894A1 (de) * 1985-06-19 1987-01-02 Peter Seitz Stapelbarer behaelter
GB2235429B (en) * 1989-08-23 1993-08-25 Lin Pac Mouldings A container assembly
ES1021085Y (es) * 1992-04-28 1993-03-16 Spla Industrial, S.A. Contenedor autopapilable.
DE4310392A1 (de) * 1993-03-30 1994-10-06 Schaefer Gmbh Fritz Schachtelbarer Transportbehälter
DE9409021U1 (de) * 1994-06-03 1994-07-28 Fritz Schäfer GmbH, 57290 Neunkirchen Behälter, insbesondere konischer Lager- und Transportkasten
US5452847A (en) * 1994-12-22 1995-09-26 United States Corrulite Corporation Stackable container with recessed hinged lid and hinge means therefor
SE518283C2 (sv) * 1999-03-03 2002-09-17 Arca Systems Ab En i flera nivåer trav- och stapelbar container
ES1055953Y (es) * 2003-07-15 2004-06-01 Beekenkamp Y Ponienteplast S A Envase encajable.

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4872574A (en) * 1987-11-17 1989-10-10 Lam David C S Container
US6276530B1 (en) * 1998-12-23 2001-08-21 Mckenzie Components Limited Container

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA3008339A1 (en) 2017-06-22
CL2018001564U1 (es) 2018-11-05
EP3392159A1 (en) 2018-10-24
EP3392159A4 (en) 2019-08-21
AU2016372894A1 (en) 2018-07-12
CN208828310U (zh) 2019-05-07
WO2017103307A1 (es) 2017-06-22
BR212018012119U2 (pt) 2018-10-09
PE20181266Z (es) 2018-08-03
ES1148658Y (es) 2016-04-01
ES1148658U (es) 2016-01-05

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STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION