EP0819613A1 - Blank for making a packaging box with blocking means and packaging box - Google Patents

Abstract

The container, made from a flat panel of cardboard or plastics, is cut out and folded to form four walls (4,8), a base and a lid (26). Two opposite panels (28,32) at the top of the container fold inwards and interlock to act as a wedge for its contents. One of the two wedging flaps has a number of transverse slots (36), while the opposite one has a projecting tongue (24) to engage with one of the slots. A third flap (26) pivoted along the same edge (16) of the container forms the lid, having a tongue (40) which is inserted into the opposite side and is locked in place by a slot (42) and tab coupling.

Description

The present invention relates to blanks intended to be folded to form a packaging box, and packaging boxes.

There is a blank intended to be folded to form a packaging box of generally parallelepipedal shape intended to receive one or more articles. The blank has four walls having an edge intended to define a mouth of the box, flaps articulated at the edge of the walls in order to close the mouth, and shutters intended to define a bottom opposite to the mouth. When it is desired to wedge the conditioned article to prevent its movement inside the box during handling or transport, it is known to add to the box one or more added wedging elements, arranged in the front box. closing it for example. However, the addition of such wedging elements requires their contribution separately on the packaging line, which complicates the organization of the chain.

Document DE-94 01 893 presents a blank for producing a packaging box in which a first flap adjacent to the mouth has a tab at its terminal end, and a second flap adjacent to the mouth and opposite the first flap has a notch. The notch is adapted to receive the tab so that the first flap then extends into the box in a flat configuration of the first flap and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall. However, this blank has the drawback that it is necessary to produce a blank of different shape and dimensions as soon as the shape and dimensions of the object to be packaged vary.

An object of the invention is to provide a blank to constitute a packaging box with inclined wedging flap which can receive, as desired, objects of different dimensions between them.

In order to achieve this goal, there is provided according to the invention a blank intended to be folded to form a packaging box, the blank comprising four walls having an edge intended to define a mouth of the box, flaps intended to define a bottom opposite the mouth, and a first and a second flap adjacent to the mouth and articulated at the edge of two walls opposite to each other, the first flap comprising a tab at one terminal end of the flap, the second flap having a cutout adapted to receive the tab so that the first flap is immobilized inside the box in a flat configuration of the first flap and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall, in which the cutout is a slit , the second flap comprising at least two successive slots between the edge of the associated wall and one end of the flap opposite this edge, and each adapted to receive the tab so that the first flap is immobilized inside the box in a flat configuration of the flap and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall.

Thus, depending on the slot chosen to receive the tab, one of the flaps can have two different positions inside the box. The same blank can therefore be used to condition the choice of articles of different dimensions. The choice of slot depends on the dimensions of the article.

In addition, during packaging, the first flap can be pushed inside the box, the tab passing from slot to slot in the direction of the free end of the second component until automatically obtained the desired setting. The packaging operation is therefore very simple to carry out and it avoids having to position a single slot beforehand in a precise manner.

Advantageously, the blank comprises a third flap articulated at the edge of a third of the walls and intended to close the mouth.

Advantageously, the third flap comprises a flap intended to enter the box and a slot adjacent to this flap, the blank comprising a fourth flap articulated at the edge of a fourth of the walls and intended to be received in the slot of the third flap.

Advantageously, the flaps intended to constitute the bottom have cutouts making it possible to form the bottom by mutual assembly of the flaps.

According to the invention, there is further provided a packaging box made from a blank according to the invention.

A packaging box is also provided according to the invention comprising four walls having an edge defining a mouth of the box, flaps defining a bottom opposite to the mouth, and a first and a second flap adjacent to the mouth and articulated at the edge of- two walls opposite to each other, the first flap having a tab at one terminal end of the flap, the second flap having a cutout adapted to receive the tab so that the first flap is immobilized inside of the box in a planar configuration of the first flap and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall, in which the cutout is a slot, the second flap comprising at least two slots succeeding each other between the edge of the associated wall and one end of the flap opposite this edge, and each adapted to receive the tab so that the first flap is immobilized inside the box in a flat configuration of the shutter and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall.

Advantageously, the box comprises a third flap articulated at the edge of a third of the walls and intended to close the mouth.

Advantageously, the third flap comprises a flap intended to enter the box and a slot adjacent to this flap, the box comprising a fourth flap hinged at the edge of a fourth of the walls and intended to be received in the slot of the third flap.

• la figure 1 est une vue en plan d'un flan selon l'invention;
• la figure 2 est un vue en plan d'une boîte réalisée au moyen du flan de la figure 1, montrant l'embouchure; et
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe suivant le plan III-III de la boîte de la figure 2.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment given by way of nonlimiting example. In the accompanying drawings:

• Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a plan view of a box made by the blank of Figure 1, showing the mouth; and
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the plane III-III of the box in FIG. 2.

Referring to Figure 1, the blank is intended to be folded to form a packaging box in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped shown in Figures 2 and 3. This box is itself intended to receive an article such as a vehicle light automobile.

The blank is flat and made of cardboard. It has four rectangular walls respectively constituting a rear wall 2, a left side wall 4, a front wall 6 and a right side wall 8 of the box. These four walls extend one after the other in the order just given, being joined by three folds 10 parallel to each other, intended to extend along the height of the box, and constituting a edge of the walls. Wall right side 8 carries on its free edge parallel to the folds 10 a side tab 12 intended to be glued to the rear wall 2 after folding the blank.

The aforementioned four walls each have two edges 14, 16, respectively lower and upper with reference to the height of the box, and perpendicular to the folds 10. The blank has four lower flaps 18, 20, 22, 24 articulated by a fold at the edge lower 14 of the respective walls and intended to define a bottom of the box. These flaps have cutouts to form the bottom by simple mutual assembly of the flaps, without fixing means such as glue or staple. Such a set of four components is known per se. The rear lower flap 18 has a "U" shape, the flap being connected to the rear wall 2 by the fold at the base of the "U". The lower left lateral flap 20 has a general shape as a right triangle, the flap being connected to the left side wall 4 by the fold at a small side of the triangle. The lower front flap 22 has a general isosceles triangle shape, the flap being connected to the front wall 6 by the fold at the base of the triangle. The lower right lateral flap 24 has the general shape of a right triangle, the flap being connected to the right side wall 8 by the fold at a small side of the triangle while being oriented in the opposite direction relative to the flap 20.

The upper edges 16 of the walls are intended to define a mouth of the box. The blank has four upper flaps 26, 28, 30, 32 adjacent to this mouth. The flaps 26, 28, 30, 32 are articulated by a fold at the respective walls. For the flaps 26, 28, 32, the fold is at the upper edge 16 of the walls.

The first flap 32, upper right lateral flap, articulated to the right side wall 8, comprises a locking tab 34 at a free terminal end 33 of the flap opposite the edge 16 of the wall. The width of this tab is less than the width of the flap. “Dl” designates the distance separating the terminal end 33 of the first flap 32 from the upper edge 16 of the associated wall 8.

The second flap 28, upper left lateral flap, is articulated to the left side wall 4. The first and second flaps 32, 28 are connected to walls adapted to be opposite one another on either side of the mouth. The second flap 28 comprises several rectilinear slots 36, in this case five in number, adapted to receive the immobilization tab 34. Each slot 36 here constitutes a closed cut away from the edges of the flap. The slots follow one another between the upper edge 16 of the wall 4 and a free terminal end 38 of the second flap opposite this edge, the slots being parallel to the upper edge 16 of the wall. The respective ends of the slots are aligned with each other. The ends thus form two lines parallel to the edges of the flap perpendicular to the edge 16. For each slot 36, “d2” designates the distance separating the slot from the upper edge 16 of the associated left side wall 4. For clarity, in the figures, the distance d2 has only been shown for the fourth slot 36 starting from the edge 16. The immobilization tab 34 and the slots 36 constitute means for immobilizing the first and second flaps 32, 28 inside the box, the flaps then being each in planar configuration of the flap and in an inclined position relative to their respective walls 8, 4.

The upper edge 16 of the side walls 8, 4 carrying the first and second flaps 32, 28 extends along the width of the mouth of the box.

“D” denotes the distance separating the upper edges 16 of the two right and left side walls 8, 4 associated with the first and second flaps 32, 28. The distance D in this case is equal to the length of the upper edge 16 of the front wall 6.

The blank is dimensioned so that for each of the slits 36, there is the following inequality: $$\text{d1 + d2> D}$$

In other words, the sum of the distance dl separating the end 33 of the first flap 32 from the upper edge 16 of the associated wall 8 and the distance d2 separating each slot 36 of the second flap 28 from the upper edge 16 of the associated wall 4, is greater than the distance D separating the upper edges 16 of the two walls 8, 4 associated with the first and second flaps.

It follows that when the locking tab 34 is engaged in any one of the five slots 36, the first and second flaps 32, 28 are each immobilized inside the box, in an inclined position relative to the respective side walls 8 and 4 associated with each flap 32, 28 in the plane configuration of the flap. The two flaps 32, 28 then form between them an angle of less than 180 °, as shown in FIG. 3. It is therefore sufficient to choose that of the slots 36 allowing one of the first and second flaps or the two flaps in this position to come into abutment against the item received in the box. The article is therefore wedged at least in the vertical direction of the box. Depending on the rigidity of the cardboard chosen to constitute the blank, provision may be made for the flap or flaps 32, 28 abutting the article to flex more or less, or not at all. Each slit being closed, any untimely exit of the tab 34 is avoided from the slot 36 in which it is received, an exit which could occur if, on the other hand, the slot was open.

A packaging box is thus obtained comprising four walls 2, 4, 6, 8 having an upper edge 16 defining a mouth of the box, a first and a second flap 32, 28 articulated at the upper edge 16 of two of the opposite walls. one to the other, and a bottom opposite to the mouth. The first flap 32 includes an immobilizing tab 34 at a free terminal end 33 opposite the upper edge 16 of the associated right side wall 8. The second flap 28 has five slots 36 each adapted to receive the immobilization tab 34. The sum of the distance dl separating the end 33 of the first flap 32 from the upper edge 16 of the associated right side wall 8 and the distance d2 separating each slot 36 of the second flap 28 of the upper edge 16 of the associated left side wall 4, is greater than the distance D separating the upper edges 16 of the two walls 8, 4 associated with the two flaps. The five slots 36 follow one another between the upper edge 16 of the wall 4 associated with the second flap and the free terminal end 38 of the flap opposite this edge. In this box, the immobilization tab 34 and the slots 36 constitute means for immobilizing the flaps 32, 28 inside the box in planar configuration of each flap and in an inclined position relative to their respective associated walls 8 , 4.

The third flap 26, upper rear flap, hinged to the upper edge 16 of the rear wall 2 has a rectangular shape corresponding to that of the mouth which it is intended to completely close by itself. It has a flap 40 intended to penetrate in the box while bearing against the front wall 6, and has a slot 42 adjacent to this flap.

The fourth flap 30, upper front flap, is articulated to the front wall 6 by means of a fold 39 extending at a distance from the upper edge 16 and parallel to the latter. This flap has a width equal to the length of the slot 42 of the third flap 26, in which an end portion of the fourth flap 30, articulated at a base of the flap, is intended to be received. The fourth flap 30 thus locks the third flap 26 in the closed position. A tongue 44 is cut in the base of the fourth flap 30 in a semicircle adjacent to the end portion. This tongue facilitates the pulling of the fourth flap 30 out of the third flap 26 for unlocking.

All or part of the above folds may be preformed after cutting the blank.

Of course, many modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

You can change the number of slots 36.

The packaging box according to the invention which has just been described was obtained from the aforementioned blank according to the invention. Alternatively, a packaging box according to the invention may be produced by other means, for example by means of several folded blanks fixed to one another.

The blank may be made of a material other than cardboard, for example plastic. The bottom may be a partial bottom closing only part of the end of the box opposite the mouth.

The blank may be dimensioned so that the upper edge 16 of the right and left side wall (s) 8, 4 carrying a shutter to be immobilized such that above, extends along the length of the mouth of the box.

The conditioned article may be of any type and different from a motor vehicle light.

Claims (8)

Blank intended to be folded to constitute a packaging box, the blank comprising four walls (2, 4, 6, 8) having an edge (16) intended to define a mouth of the box, flaps (18, 20, 22, 24) intended to define a bottom opposite to the mouth, and a first (32) and a second (28) flaps adjacent to the mouth and articulated at the edge of two walls (8, 4) opposite one to the other, the first flap (32) having a tab (34) at one terminal end of the flap, the second flap (28) having a cutout (36) adapted to receive the tab (34) so that the first flap (32) is immobilized inside the box in a flat configuration of the first flap and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall (8), characterized in that the cutout (36) is a slot, the second flap (28) comprising at least two slots (36) succeeding each other between the edge (16) of the associated wall and an opposite end of the flap (38) this edge, and each adapted to receive the tab (34) so that the first flap (32) is immobilized inside the box in a flat configuration of the flap and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall (8) . Blank according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a third flap (26) articulated at the edge of a third (2) of the walls and intended to close the mouth. Blank according to claim 2, characterized in that the third flap (26) comprises a flap (40) intended to enter the box and a slot (42) adjacent to this flap, the blank comprising a fourth flap (30) articulated at the edge (16) of a fourth (6) of the walls and intended to be received in the slot of the third flap (26). Blank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the flaps (18, 20, 22, 24) intended to constitute the bottom have cutouts making it possible to form the bottom by mutual assembly of the flaps. Packaging box characterized in that it is formed from a blank according to one of the preceding claims. Packaging box comprising four walls (2, 4, 6, 8) having an edge (16) defining a mouth of the box, flaps (18, 20, 22, 24) defining a bottom opposite to the mouth, and a first and second flaps (32, 28) adjacent to the mouth and articulated at the edge of two walls (8, 4) opposite one another, the first flap (32) comprising a tab (34) at one terminal end of the flap, the second flap (28) having a cutout (36) adapted to receive the tab (34) so that the first flap (32) is immobilized inside the box in a flat configuration of the first flap and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall (8), characterized in that the cutout (36) is a slot, the second flap (28) comprising at least two slots (36) succeeding each other between the edge (16) of the associated wall and one end (38) of the flap opposite this edge, and each adapted to receive the tab (34) so that the p remier shutter (32) is immobilized inside the box in a flat configuration of the shutter and in an inclined position relative to the associated wall (8). Box according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a third flap (26) articulated at the edge of a third (2) of the walls and intended to close the mouth. Box according to claim 7, characterized in that the third flap (26) has a flap (40) intended to penetrate the box and a slot (46) adjacent to this flap, the box comprising a fourth (6) flap (30) articulated at the edge (16) of a fourth of the walls and intended to be received in the slot of the third flap (26).

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