EP0326451B1 - Cardboard package or the like in the form of an open tray - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cardboard or similar packaging, in the form of an open box.

It is known that many such packages are used for packaging, transport, storage and for display for the sale of objects such as fruit, vegetables, cheese, etc. These packages include generally a rectangular or square bottom, bordered by two longitudinal sides and by two transverse sides, each of which is connected to said bottom by a fold line. Each longitudinal side is extended at each of its ends by a flap articulated around a fold line orthogonal to that connecting said longitudinal side to said bottom and said flaps are secured to said transverse sides, for example by gluing.

In order to be able to stack such packages, provision is made in the bottom of each of these, generally in the vicinity of the middle of the fold lines connecting said transverse sides to said bottom, notches for the introduction of stacking pins carried by the identical packaging, placed immediately below.

In known packages of this type, the four flaps are identical and each of them has a protuberance, which, associated with the protrusion of another flap, forms such a stacking stud. Due to manufacturing tolerances, the association of two protuberances to form a single stacking nipple raises difficulties, since it is practically impossible to give said stacking nipple a constant transverse dimension. This results in poor centering of stacked packaging. It may even result in an impossibility of stacking, if the stud has a large transverse dimension preventing it from entering the cooperating notch.

In addition, said growths are at the origin of material falls during the manufacture of blanks of said packages.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks.

To this end, according to the invention, the packaging of cardboard or the like in the form of an open box comprising a rectangular or square bottom, bordered by two longitudinal sides and by two transverse sides, each of which is connected to said bottom by a fold line, each longitudinal side being extended at each of its ends, by a flap articulated around a fold line orthogonal to that connecting the longitudinal side corresponding to said bottom, and said bottom comprising in the vicinity of the middle of fold lines connecting said sides transverse to said bottom of the notches for the introduction of stacking nipples of an identical package on which said packaging rests, these nipples being composed of a single layer of cardboard or the like and formed by protrusions of the flaps associated with the transverse sides , is remarkable in that, among the two flaps associated with a transverse side, only one of them has a length greater than half the length of the corresponding transverse side and has a projection which, by itself, forms such a stacking nipple.

Thus, thanks to the invention, such a stacking nipple has a fixed dimension and position. This results in high stacking precision.

Furthermore, in order to avoid material falling between two consecutive blanks of packaging, it is advantageous for the two flaps, having a length greater than half the length of the corresponding transverse side and comprising such a protrusion, to be arranged the same side of the longitudinal axis of said packaging.

In order to avoid excess thicknesses, the two flaps not comprising said protuberance preferably have a length less than half the length of the corresponding transverse side.

In addition, to obtain stacking without nesting of said packages, it is preferable that said packages have a trapezoidal cross section, so that their opening is narrower than their bottom.

The figures of the appended drawing will make it clear how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical references designate similar elements.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cardboard blank for making a known package, of the type to which the present invention relates.

FIG. 2 shows, in schematic perspective, the type of packaging corresponding to the blank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section along the line III - III in FIG. 2, of the packaging obtained from the blank in FIG. 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a carton blank for making an example of the packaging according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a section corresponding to line III-III of FIG. 2 and to the packaging according to the present invention obtained from the blank of FIG. 4.

The blank 1 of corrugated cardboard, shown in FIG. 1, has a rectangular bottom 2, bordered by two longitudinal sides 3 and 4 and by two transverse sides 5 and 6.

The longitudinal sides are respectively connected to the bottom 2 by fold lines 9 and 10, parallel to each other, but perpendicular to the fold lines 7 and 8.

Furthermore, the longitudinal side 3 is extended, at its end close to the transverse side 5, by a flap 11.5, and, at its end close to the transverse side 6 by a flap 11.6. Similarly, the longitudinal side 4 is extended by flaps 12.5 and 12.6, respectively adjacent to the transverse sides 5 and 6. The flaps 11.5, 11.6, 12.5 and 12.6 are connected to the corresponding longitudinal side 3 or 4 by a respective fold line 13 , 14,15 or 16 orthogonal to the fold line 7 or 8 connecting this longitudinal side to the bottom 2. The fold lines 13 to 16 are therefore parallel to the fold lines 9 and 10. They are not arranged as an extension of those here, but slightly offset towards the center of the bottom 2 with respect to said fold lines 9 and 10.

The flaps 11.5, 11.6, 12.5 and 12.6 are identical and two by two symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis L - L of the blank 1. They each have a protrusion 17, directed outwards opposite the transverse flap 5 or 6 correspondent.

In the bottom 2, in the vicinity of the middle of the fold lines 9 and 10, there are provided notches 18, intended, as will be seen below, to receive the stacking projections each consisting of two symmetrical protuberances 17.

In the transverse sides 5 and 6, there are provided cutouts 19 intended to serve as a handle. Corresponding cutouts 20 are provided in sections 11.5, 11.6, 12.5 and 12.6. Between each of these and the corresponding transverse flap 5 or 6 are provided triangular notches 21, in order to allow containers of trapezoidal section to be obtained.

In Figure 1, there is also shown in phantom a blank 22 identical and consecutive. It can thus be seen that because of the protuberances 17, material falls 23 are inevitable between the blanks 1 and 22.

In particular when the packaging obtained from the blanks 1 and 22 is intended to contain cheeses (not shown), openings 24 are provided in the said blanks.

The shaping of the blanks 1 and 22, with a view to producing the known packages 30 or 32 illustrated in FIG. 2, is explained below.

First, the longitudinal sides 3 and 4 are orthogonally folded around the fold lines 7 and 8, as well as the flaps 11.5, 11.6, 12.5 and 12.6 around the fold lines 13 to 16 and the transverse sides 5 or 6 around fold lines 9 and 10, so that said flaps 11.5, 11.6, 12.5 and 12.6 lie opposite said transverse sides 5 or 6. Then, said flaps are fixed to said transverse sides, for example using an adhesive material. A package 30 or 32 is then obtained in the form of a box, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2. Due to the triangular notches 21, said packages 30 or 32 have a trapezoidal section. In this configuration, the two notches 20 of associated flaps 11.5, 12.5 or 11.6, 12.6, form an opening superimposed on the cutout 19 of the corresponding transverse flap 5 or 6.

When the pairs of flaps 11.5, 12.5 and 11.6, 12.6 are brought together by folding, there is formed in the central part of the transverse sides of such packages, a projection 31 which can cooperate with a notch 18 in the bottom of another identical package (see Figure 2). The packages 30 and 32 are therefore stackable.

This property is accentuated because of their trapezoidal cross section, which results in their bottom being wider than their opening (see also Figure 2).

As clearly shown in Figure 3, in such a package 30 or 32 obtained from a known blank (1 or 22), the stacking projection 31 is formed by the bringing together of the two protuberances 17 of a pair 11.5 - 12.5 or 11.6 - 12.6 of flaps. As a result of manufacturing inaccuracies, such a projection 31 may then have a variable width l , which, possibly, may be too large for said projection 31 to be able to penetrate into the corresponding notch 18.

FIG. 4 shows a blank 40 according to the invention, making it possible to avoid this drawback, as well as the loss of material 23, shown in FIG. 1 .

The blank 40 according to the invention comprises the same elements 2 to 10 and 13 to 16, 18, 19, 21 and 24 as the blank 1 of FIG. 1. On the other hand, the flaps 11.5, 11.6, 12.5 and 12.6, are not plus two to two symmetrical. For example, the flaps 11.5 and 11.6 are identical to each other and have a length D greater than half the length E of the corresponding transverse flap 5 or 6. In addition, these flaps 11.5 and 11.6 each have a protrusion 41 which, when the flaps are folded over said transverse sides 5 or 6, is in the central position to form the stacking projection 31 alone (see FIG. 5). In this case, the flaps 12.5 and 12.6, which are also identical to each other, have a length d less than half the length E of the corresponding transverse flap.

Thus, each projection or stacking stud 31 has a fixed width (that of the projection 41) and a fixed positioning (determined by the length D of the flaps 11.5 and 11.6).

Furthermore, thanks to the fact that the flaps 11.5 and 11.6 carrying the protuberances 41 are arranged on the same side of the longitudinal axis L-L, it is possible to avoid the loss of material 23 occurring between two consecutive blanks. In FIG. 4, it has been shown that a consecutive blank 45, identical to the blank 40, could be placed immediately adjacent to it and possibly, part of the protrusions 41 of the blank 45 can bite on the small flaps 12.5 and 12.6 of the blank 40.

Claims (5)

1. Cardboard packaging or the like in the form of an open box comprising a rectangular or square bottom (2) bordered by two longitudinal sides (3, 4) and by two transverse sides (5, 6), each of which is connected to said bottom (2) by a fold line (7, 8, 9 or 10), each longitudinal side (3, 4) being extended at each end by a flap (11.5, 11.6, 12.5 or 12.6) hinged about a fold line (13, 14, 15 or 16) at right angles to the line (7 or 8) connecting the corresponding longitudinal side (3 or 4) to said bottom (2), and said bottom (2) being provided, near the middle of the fold lines (9, 10) connecting said transverse sides (5, 6) to said bottom, with notches for the introduction of stacking tabs of an identical packaging on which said packaging rests, these tabs being composed of a single layer of cardboard or the like and being formed by protuberances on the flaps associated with the transverse sides, characterised in that, of the two flaps (11.5, 12.5 or 11.6, 12.6) associated with a transverse side (5 or 6) only one (11.5, 11.6) of them has a length greater than half the length of the corresponding transverse side (5, 6) and is provided with a protuberance (41) which by itself forms such a stacking tab.
2. Packaging according to Claim 1, characterised in that the two flaps (11.5, 11.6) having a length greater than half the length of the corresponding transverse side and being provided with such a protuberance are disposed on the same side of the longitudinal axis of said packaging.
3. Packaging according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the two flaps ( 12. 5, 12. 6 ) not provided with said protuberance (41) have a length less than half the length of the corresponding transverse side.
4. Packaging according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it has a trapezoidal cross-section.
5. Packaging according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that it is made of corrugated cardboard.

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