US3175683A

US3175683A - Transport package

Info

Publication number: US3175683A
Application number: US255272A
Authority: US
Inventors: Billing Anders Robert Leonard
Original assignee: Tetra Pak AB
Current assignee: Tetra Pak AB
Priority date: 1962-02-03
Filing date: 1963-01-31
Publication date: 1965-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-30
Also published as: GB986869A

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1963 Fig.1

INVENTOR A riders RL. BLLLLng BY 131M 1 3 PM ATTORNEYS arch 30, 1965 A. R. L. BILLING TRANSPORT PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1963 IINVENTOR Anders R.L.BCLLLH3 BY M ATTORNEYS March 30, 1965 A. R. L. BILLING TRANSPORT PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 31, 1963 INVENTOR Anders RLBLU m JZM J mm.

ATTORNEYS 3,175,683 TRANSPORT PACKAGE Anders Robert Leonard Billing, Lnnd, Sweden, assignor The present invention relates to a transport package for tetrahedron-shaped bodies having four equal sides, in the shape of equilateral triangles, together with blanks for such packages.

The tetrahedron-shaped packages, which are becoming more and more usual in the retail trade especially for liquid goods, have caused problems in connection with distribution and storage as these tetrahedron-shaped packages are difficult to stack or pack in transport packages in a rational and space-saving way. This problem, which is a very important one, from an economical point of view has, when dealing with regular tetrahedrons, mostly been solved by stacking the tetrahedron-shaped bodies in hexagonal prismatic containers in accordance with Swedish Patents Nos. 150,453 and 175,387.

This method of stacking is well suited for stacking of a large quantity of tetrahedrons, but on the other hand it is unsuitable for stacking of for instance three to ten tetrahedrons.

The transport package suggested herein which is based on a stapling method quite different to the mentioned patents, is, however, suitable for a smaller quantity, preferably three, five or six tetrahedron-shaped packages. The transport package in accordance with the invention is manufactured from a flat blank, which is divided into sections, individually separated by crease lines and which are characterized firstly by two congruent equally sided trapeziums with common base line and with a base angle, which is approximately the same as the base angle for the tetrahedron sides and with a height which in the main corresponds to the height of those, secondly by flaps which are connected with the trapezium sections along each one of their legs and each of the trapezium sections being, at the side opposite to the base, connected with an end section serving as a handle for carrying and further that at least one of these sections on either side is provided with sections, which are connected with the mentioned flaps, and that at least one of the two end sections is connected with the two nearest flaps.

Transport packages in accordance with the invention may be divided in two groups, viz. those which take a single row of tetrahedrons placed side by side and those 'which in principle consist of two packages of the first mentioned type put together and consequently take a double row of tetrahedrons.

The first mentioned transport package is characterized therein that an odd number, preferably three or five, tetrahedron bodies are placed side by side with their triangular side surfaces resting against one of the mentioned trapezium sections in such a way that the top of every other triangular surface is pointing upwards and every other downwards, and that the configuration in this way formed by the triangular surfaces in the main runs closely along the border lines of the trapezium section and further that the blank is arranged to be folded along the joint base line of the trapezium sections and to be bent into a position where the empty trapezium section is resting against the tetrahedrons placed on the first mentioned trapezium section, and further that the mentioned triangular flaps are arranged to be folded inwards against the tetrahedron-shaped bodies thereby forming the end walls of the package. The last mentioned double transport package is characterized therein that an odd number,

3,l75,h83 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 preferably three or five, tetrahedron-shaped bodies are placed side by side with their triangular side surfaces resting against each of the mentioned trapezium sections in such a way that the top of every other triangular surface is pointing upwards and every other downwards, and that the configuration in this way formed by the triangular surfaces in the main runs closely along the border lines of the two trapezium sections, and further that the blank is arranged to be folded along the joint base line of the trapezium sections and to be bent into a position where the tetrahedron-shaped bodies placed on both sections are resting against each other, and further that the triangular flaps are arranged to be folded inwards against the tetrahedron-shaped bodies thereby forming the end walls of the package.

In the following the invention is described in detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 show fiat blanks, provided with crease lines, for transport packages intended for three and six tetrahedrons, respectively,

FIG. 3 shows a finished transport package intended for three tetrahedron bodies,

FIG. 4 shows a package intended for six tetrahedron bodies and FIG. 5 in perspective shows how tetrahedrons are stacked in a hexagonal transport basket.

On the flat, crease-lined blank shown in FIG. 1 two equally sided trapezium sections are marked with 1 and 2, respectively. The

sections

1 and 2 are connected along their base lines by a crease line 3, running across the blank. The

sections

1 and 2 are further, at equal legs of the trapezium sections, connected with

flaps

4, 5, 6 and 7, of which the flaps 6 and '7 in turn are connected with the

triangular sections

8 and 9, respectively. Further the trapezium section 2 is connected with a rectangularly configured end section 12, which in turn is connected with firstly a handle part and secondly with

side sections

10 and 11, respectively, which are connected with the sections 8 and h, respectively. The trapezium section 1 is directly connected with the handle part 14 without any intermediate end section. For the blank, shown in FIG. 2, the same symbols are used as in FIG. 1. In this figure, however, the trapezium section 1 is connected with an end section 19 equal to the end section 12 connected to the trapezium section 2. The end section 19 connected to the trapezium section l'is in turn connected firstly with the

side sections

17 and 18 of the end section 19 and secondly with the handle part 14. Furthermore between the

sections

4 and 17 and between 5 and 18

triangular sections

15 and 16, respectively, are arranged which are connected with the mentioned sections.

FIG. 3 shows a transport package which has been made from the blank in accordance with FIG. 1 and corresponding reference marks as for that figure are therefore used. The tetrahedrons in the transport package are further marked with 20.

FIG. 4, which shows the blank in accordance with FIG. 2 in erected condition, has reference marks corresponding to those in FIG. 2. The tetrahedrons in the transport package are also here marked with 20.

The transport package according to FIG. 3 is intended for three tetrahedron bodies and is made from a creaselined, flat blank in accordance with FIG. 1.

The tetrahedron bodies 2a, which each consist of four equal, equilateral side surfaces, their heights being equal to the height of the trapezium section of the blank and the length of their sides being equal to the length of the trapezium sides, are placed closely together with the side surfaces resting against the section 1 in such a way that the base lines for the side surfaces of the outer tetrahedrons run closely along the base line 3 of the trapezium section 1, whilst on the other hand the intermediate tetrahedron is placed in such a way that its base line will run closely along the trapezium side, which is opposite to the base line 3. Furthermore the edge lines of the outer tetrahedrons run closely along the leg of the trapezium section 1. After placing the tetrahedron-shaped bodies 26 on the section it in the way described above, the blank is folded along the base crease line 3, whereby the trapezium section 2 is bent against the section 1 until the section 2 is in contact with the tetrahedrons 2t) placed on the section 1.

Thereafter the sections and 11 are folded against the inside of section 12 to which it may be fixed, for instance by gluing. Through the last mentioned folding and through the outsides of the

flaps

8 and 9, respectively, being folded against and fixed to the outsides of the

sections

10 and 11, respectively, the end wall flaps 6 and '7 will form an angle with the insides of the

trapezium sections

1 and 2, which approximately corresponds to the edge angles of the tetrahedrons, wherefore the

end wall flaps

6 and 7 will rest against the end wall sides of the outer tetrahedrons. For the purpose of keeping the package together the

handle parts

13 and 14 are thereafter placed against each other and fixed by gluing or wiring. In order to facilitate handling of the transport package the handle parts 13 and 14- are provided with holes to make a grip for the hand.

The transport package in accordance with FIG. 4 is intended for six tetrahedrons and equals two packages for three tetrahedrons put together. The flat crease-lined blank for this larger transport package, as shown in FIG. 2, is symmetrical around the joint base line 3 of the

trapezium sections

1 and 2 and therefore the finished transport package in accordance with FIG. 4 will be symmetrical with respect to a plane through the base line 3 and the

handle parts

13 and 14 when these are joined.

The transport package as shown in FIG. 4 is made through placing tetrahedron-shaped bodies with same relations of measurements compared with the

trapezium sections

1 and 2 as in the construction previously described, on the

sections

1 and 2 in such a way that three tetrahedrons are placed against each of the sections. The tetrahedrons 20 placed on the

section

1 and 2, respectively, are arranged in the previously described pattern, whereafter the blank is folded along the base line 3. The

sections

1 and 2 are folded against each other until the tetrahedrons 2t) placed on the section 1 are resting against the tetrahedrons placed on section 2.

In the same way as in the construction described before the insides of the

sections

10 and 11 together with 17 and 18, respectively, are folded against the insides of the

end Wall sections

12 and 19, respectively, and are fixed to these for instance by gluing. The outsides of the

sections

8, 9, 15 and 16 are bent against and fixed to the ousides of the

sections

10, 11, 17 and 18, respectively, whereby the

end wall flaps

4, 5, 6 and 7 are fixed in such a position in relation to the

trapezium sections

1 and 2 that the angle between each one of the mentioned flaps and the corresponding trapezium section approximately corresponds to the edge angle of the mentioned tetrahedron bodies. Finally the

end sections

12 and 19 are folded inwards over the tetrahedrons, and thereafter the

handle parts

13 and 14 are joined and fixed to each other by for instance wiring or gluing.

The transport packages made in this way have apart from their function in keeping the tetrahedrons together also proved to protect the tetrahedrons placed in the transport packages and consequently these are less liable to get damaged in handling during transport and storage. Furthermore a transport package of the type here mentioned is relatively inexpensive in relation to known transport packages for tetrahedrons.

The constructions shown herein have been found to be optimum with regard to size, but it is of course possible within the framework of this invention to make the pack- Q. age blank broader so that each one of the trapezium sections will take for instance five tetrahedrons.

The transport packages described for three and six tetrahedrons, respectively, may, if so Wished, be placed in a hexagonal transport basket of known type. The way of stacking the transport packages in these transport baskets will appear from the enclosed FIG. 5, which diagrammatically shows how a transport package for six tetrahedrons, here marked with Ztl, and two transport packages for three tetrahedrons, here marked with 21, are stacked in a hexagonal transport basket 22. As will be seen from the figure, a transport basket 22 may take either two transport packages each containing six tetrahedrons or four transport packages each containing three tetrahedrons.

I claim:

1. A transport package for and filled with containers in the form of regular tetrahedrons each having four sides constituted by identical equilateral triangles, said package comprising a plurality of wall panels interconnected by crease lines and arranged to enclose a plurality of said tetrahedrons, two of said wall panels being constituted by congruent equal sided trapeziums having a common base, a base angle substantially equal to the base angle of said tetrahedrons and a height substantially equal to that of said tetrahedrons, said trapezium configured Wall panels being arranged to form an angle with each other corresponding to the edge angle of said tetrahedrons which rest against and are supported by said trapezium configured wall panels, the sides of said trapezium configured wall panels opposite the bases thereof being each connected to a wall panel provided with an aperture and establishing a carrying handle, at least one of said latter two panels being indirectly connected to its appertaining trapezium configured panel by means of a rectangularly configured panel, end wall panels connected to the obliquely extending sides of said trapezium configured panels and which constitute the end walls of said package, and at least two of said end wall panels being secured in a position substantially perpendicular to at least said trapezium configured panels by means of two triangular panels connected along one side to said end wall panels, each said triangular panel being connected along its hypotenuse to a further panel folded against and secured to said rectangularly configured panel, and each said triangular panel being folded against and secured to the said further panel correlated thereto.

2. A transport package for and filled with three containers in the form of regular tetrahedrons each having four sides constituted by identical equilateral triangles, said package comprising a plurality of wall panels interconnected by crease lines and arranged to enclose said tetrahedrons, two of said wall panels being constituted by congruent first and second equal sided trapeziums having a common base, a base angle substantially equal to the base angle of said tetrahedrons and a height substantially equal to that of said tetrahedrons, said trapezium configured wall panels being arranged to form an angle with each other corresponding to the edge angle of said tetrahedrons which rest against and are supported by said trapezium configured wall panels, the side of said first trapezium configured wall panel opposite the base thereof being connected to another panel provided with an aperture and establishing a carrying handle, the side of said second trapezium configured wall panel opposite the base thereof being connected to one side of a rectangularly configured wall panel and the opposite side of said rectangularly configured wall panel being connected to another panel provided with an aperture and establishing a carrying handle, end wall panels connected to the obliquely extending sides of said first and second trapezium configured wall panels and which constitute the end walls of said package, two of said end wall panels connected to said second trapezium configured wall panel being secured in position substantially perpendicular thereto by means of two triangular panels connected along one side to said two end wall panels, each said triangular panel being connected along its hypotenuse to a further panel folded against and secured to said rectangularly configured panel, and each said triangular panel being folded against and secured to said further panel.

3. A transport package for and filled with six containers in the form of regular tetrahedrons each having four sides constituted by identical equilateral triangles, said package comprising a plurality of wall panels interconnected by crease lines and arranged to enclose said tetrahedrons, two of said wall panels being constituted by congruent equal sided trapeziums having a common base, a base angle substantially equal to the base angle of said tetrahedrons and a height substantially equal to that of said tetrahedrons, said trapezium configured wall panels being arranged to form an angle with each other corresponding to the edge angle of said teti'ahedrons which rest against and are supported by said trapezium configured wall panels, the sides of said trapezium configured wall panels opposite the bases thereof being each connected to one side of a rectangularly configured wall panel and the opposite side of each said rectangularly configured wall panel being connected to another panel provided with an aperture and establishing a carrying handle, end wall panels connected to the obliquely extending sides of each of said trapezium configured wall panels and which constitute the end walls of said package, said end Wall panels being secured in position substantailly perpendicular to said trapezium config ured wall panels by means of triangular panels connected along one side to said end wall panels, each said triangular panel being connected along its hypotenuse to a further panel folded against and secured to the appertaining rectangularly configured wall panel, and each said triangular panel being folded against and secured to the said further panel correlated thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 29,644 11/98 Davidson.

715,442 12/02 Van Horn 22922 2,173,494 9/39 Rous. 2,301,927 11/42 Brogden 22922 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A TRANSPORT PACKAGE FOR AND FILLED WITH CONTAINERS IN THE FORM OF REGULAR TETRAHEDRONS EACH HAVING FOUR SIDES CONSTITUTED BY IDENTICAL EQUILATERAL TRIANGLES, SAID PACKAGED COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF WALLS PANELS INTERCONNECTED BY CREASE LINES AND ARRANGED TO ENCLOSE A PLUALITY OF SAID TETHRAHEDRONS, TWO OF SAID WALLS PANELS BEING CONSTITUTED BY CONGRUENT EQUAL SIDED TRAPEZIUMS HAVING A COMMON BASE, A BASE ANGLE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE BASE ANGLE OF SAID TETRAHEDRONS AND A HEIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID TETRAHEDRONS, SAID TAPEZIUM CONFIGURED WALL PANELS BEING ARRANGED TO FORM AN ANGLE OF SAID TETRAHEDRONS WHICH REST SPONDNG TO THE EDGE ANGLE OF SAID TETRAHEDRONS WHICH REST AGAINST AND ARE SUPPORTED BY TRAPEZIUM CONFIGURED WALL PANELS, THE SIDES OF SAID TGRAPEZIUM CONFIGURED WALL PANELS OPPOSITE THE BASES THEROF BEING EACH CONNECTED TO A WALL PANEL PROVIDED WITH AN APERTURE AND ESTABLISHING A CARRYING HANDLE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LATTER TWO PANELS BEING INDIRECTLY CONNECTED TO ITS APPERTAINING TRAPEZIUM CONFIGURED PANEL BY MEANS OF A RECTANGULARLY CONFIGURED PANEL, END WALL PANELS CONNECTED TO THE OBLIQUELY EXTENDING SIDES OF SAID TRAPEZIUM CONFIGURED PANELS AND WHICH CONSTITUTE THE END WALLS OF SAID PACKAGE, AND AT LEAST TWO OF SAID END WALL PANELS BEING SECURED IN A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO AT LEAST SAID TRAPEZIUM CONFIGURED PANELS BY MEANS OF TWO TRIANGULAR PANELS CONNECTED ALONG ONE SIDE TO SAID END WALL PANELS, EACH SAID TRIANGULAR PENEL BEING CONNECTED LONG ITS HYPOTENUSE TO A FURTHR PANEL FOLDED AGAINST AND SECURED TO SAID RECTANGULARLY CONFIGURED PANEL, AND EACH SAID TRIANGULAR PANEL BEING FOLDED AGAINST AND SECURED TO THE SAID FURTHER PANEL CORRELATED THERETO.