FR3001444A1 - Method for filling rigid or semi-rigid material package for storage and transport of e.g. articles for supermarkets, involves moving pallet element with respect to container to traverse space along side walls as filling till low position - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of filling a packaging assembly of a rigid or semi-rigid material comprising a container (10) having a plurality of sidewalls (11, 12, 13, 14) defining an internal space for receiving a content, and a pallet member (40) to be disposed in the inner space, at a low position of said container (10) to support said contents, the method comprising at least one step of moving said pallet member (40) ) relative to the container (10) so as to traverse the internal space along the side walls (11,12,13,14) as filling to the lower position.

Description

Filling a package assembly comprising a container and a pallet member. The invention relates to a method for filling a packaging assembly comprising a container and a pallet element. A packaging assembly is used primarily for the storage and transport of goods, for example articles intended for supermarkets, and comprises a container comprising side walls defining an interior space, and a pallet element able to support a content, such as products to conditioner, and arranged to receive forks of a conveyor for its displacement. Manual container filling involves movements and contortion positions that are harmful to a user who may experience pain and musculoskeletal disorders. In addition, for large containers, there is no guarantee that a user can reach the bottom of the container to deposit the objects or products to be packaged. In order to overcome these drawbacks, document FR 2 552 733 B1 is known which uses containers, such as those described in documents FR 2 752 220 B1 and FR 2 766 461 Bi. These documents include a lifting table system operating vertically inside the container and maintaining a plan to remove objects at a convenient altitude for the user down as filling.

At the end of filling, the table goes lower than the pallet to allow the evacuation of the whole. Documents FR 2 752 220 B1 and FR 2 766 461 B1 describe packages in which the pallet is prepositioned to a lower part of the container. The pallet defines a recess for the passage of a telescopic hydraulic jack supporting a tray of the lifting table. In the two cases mentioned, prior to the filling phase, the positioning of a pallet in the bottom part of the container requires, on the one hand, to return the container to install the pallet, then to perform the reverse movement so that the pallet rests on the ground or a support.

There is therefore a need for a method of filling a package assembly comprising a container and a simpler pallet member. The invention relates to a method of filling a packaging assembly of a rigid or semi-rigid material comprising a container having a plurality of sidewalls defining an internal space for receiving a content, and a pallet member to be disposed in the internal space, at a low position of said container to support said contents, the method comprising at least one step of moving said pallet member relative to the container so as to traverse the internal space along the side walls as and when as filling is completed, down to the bottom position. Thus, according to the invention, the pallet element comprises, for example, a solid plate in the upper part serving as a plan for depositing objects and descends according to a command from the user inside the container, for example in successive stages, at the as and when filling. Once the low position of the container reached, an arrangement of the lower part of the container, that is to say in a lower zone of the container, for example end of filling, can allow its attachment to the pallet element. Thus, the advantageously vertical displacement of the pallet element, inside the container, has several advantages. The method allows first easy filling without resorting to contortion movements of the user to place the products to be packaged at the bottom of the container. This method also avoids, on the one hand, the preliminary steps of returning the container, so that the bottom is in the upper part, place a pallet element on the bottom part and then return the container for the pallet in the functional position at the bottom of it. Therefore, the progressive filling of the container according to the invention and the positioning of the pallet element are performed concomitantly. In other words, rather than implementing a two-phase process (installation of the pallet element and filling), the invention thus proposes a method in which the two phases are carried out concomitantly. On the other hand, the pallet element serves as a bottom plate, which avoids the need for additional support elements that require unnecessary storage.

In addition, the method may make it possible to avoid at least some of the drawbacks described in document FR 2 552 733 Bi. In this document, the thickness of the frames or longitudinal members of the pallet imposes relatively small dimensions for the recess passage of the cylinder. The tray must be strong enough, so thick enough to withstand without excessive bending the load objects especially periphery, where the cylinder does not directly support function. The need to have this resistant plate has the disadvantage of increasing the production costs and the weight of the container and to generate any storage requirements. In addition, this plate occupies a certain volume which is deduced from the useful volume of the container. In addition, a constraint weighs on the user who must pay particular attention to the positioning of the objects on the board.

Indeed, the risk of tilting tray and objects is important in case of asymmetrical loading and outside the plumb of the table top lift. With the method described above, for example because the plate does not have to pass through the pallet member, the upper plate of the lifting table on which the pallet member is placed can be of substantially equal dimensions to the inner dimensions container, so that the risk of failover is eliminated. According to preferred embodiments of the method, the filling of the container can begin when the pallet element is in the upper position, high, that is to say opposite to that of the lower part of the container. By "low position" is meant a zone that can extend advantageously from a portion of the middle of the container to a lower end portion of filling. Preferably, the low position of the container may be located between the lower, end, filling end which represents 0% of the total height of the side wall, and the height of the middle portion representing 50% of the total height. of the wall, the lower position being preferably between 0% and 20% of the total height. Particularly preferably, the lower position may be located in lower end regions of the container, in a zone intended to be in contact with a support or the ground. By "upper position" is meant, for example, a zone extending from a portion of the middle of the container towards the initial upper part of filling the container. As above, the upper position or upper part can be defined with respect to the total height of a side wall, between 50% (middle zone of the container) and 100% of this height, preferably the upper position can be located between 80% and 100% of this height. The step of moving the pallet element as and when filling can be performed advantageously in successive stages.

In this case, the user can deposit products on a surface (directly or indirectly) supported by the pallet element, and once this filling is complete, the user moves the pallet element and the supported products. by the pallet element, towards the low position of the container along a path corresponding to the height of the stored products. It is thus possible to define successive layers of stored products. Alternatively, the displacement can be carried out continuously, for example according to a duration allowing the user to progressively fill the container through the pallet element.

Advantageously, the container can be opened at its base, in order to be able to position the pallet element in the lower part of the container and proceed with its displacement, for example vertical, along the side walls, so that the pallet element can traverse all the internal volume of the container. According to embodiments, the filling can very advantageously be performed at an open upper position of the container. Advantageously, the displacement step can be implemented by lifting means arranged to support the pallet element. According to embodiments, the pallet element can be classically located at the end of filling in the lower part of the container. The pallet member may define an outer surface, intended to be in contact or placed on one or more elevator means (s), which are arranged to support the pallet member. The method may comprise an initial step of moving the lifting means towards the upper part of the container, the step being followed by a positioning of the pallet element by its external surface on the lifting means. Alternatively, the method may comprise an initial step of positioning the pallet member on the elevating means, when these are in the lower position of the container, followed by the movement of the pallet member to the upper position of the container.

Advantageously, the lifting means may comprise a tray member for supporting the pallet member, for example a holding plate secured for example to a piston or a lifting table controlled for example by a jack system.

The invention is not limited to the choice of pistons and a jack system for the lifting means. These tools may conventionally be those available commercially. Advantageously, the tray element may have dimensions that are identical to or slightly smaller than those of a section of the internal space of the container. Preferably, the dimensions of the tray member are such that it conforms to the contour delimited by the interior space of the container, while avoiding inadvertent friction of the edge ends of the tray member with the internal contour of the container. . By "slightly lower" is meant, for example, variations of the order of a few percent, typically between 1% and 5%, in area or length / width. According to other embodiments, the tray element may have dimensions smaller than the internal space of the container. However, such dimensions must allow the tray member to support the pallet member. For this purpose, the dimensions of the tray element may be smaller than those of the pallet element by at most about 30%, preferably between 5% and 30% by surface or length / width of the pallet element. internal space of the container.

According to preferred embodiments, the dimensions of the tray element may also be identical to or slightly smaller than those of the pallet element. By "slightly lower" is meant variations for example of the order of a few percent, typically between 1% and 5%, as defined above. Lower dimensions may cause undesirable folding of the pallet member and cause instabilities in filling and storing the products to be packaged in the edge areas of the pallet member. The tray member is not limited in form and nature provided that it can perform its function of supporting the pallet member.

Advantageously, the tray element can define at at least two opposite ends a plurality of crenel-shaped cuts defining extension portions, or protruding, able to cooperate with fixed parts of a roller conveying device of the assembly. container / pallet element. Such crenellations or crenellations define extension portions, which may advantageously be arranged to cooperate with fixed parts of a conveyor. Each fixed part of the conveyor is usually separated, in a manner known per se, by mobile rollers, each roller pivoting about an axis parallel to a horizontal plane, a plurality of which forms a roller strip of a conveying device (or conveyor). According to this embodiment, the conveying device may comprise two or three roller strips, parallel to each other. These strips may advantageously be arranged to cooperate with at least two edge ends of the pallet element. When the lifting means are in the low position of the container, the cuts of the tray member may advantageously pass through the rollers and can then allow the extension parts to cooperate with the fixed parts of the conveyor. With such an arrangement, both edge ends of the outer surface of the pallet member can be in contact with the rollers, and the container / pallet member assembly can easily be routed to a filling area and be evacuated once. filling completed. In other words, in the low position, the tray member supporting the pallet member may therefore include a notch whose protruding parts may be inserted between the conveyor rollers, to allow the removal of said pallet on said rollers.

Preferably, the pallet member may comprise a content support plate and at least two longitudinal members or ribs secured to the support plate. The at least two longitudinal members are advantageously secured for example by gluing to a support plate which can thus define a support surface of the products to be packaged. The longitudinal members may advantageously be secured to the support plate so that the edge ends of the support plate are slightly greater than those of the longitudinal members. In other words, the edge ends of the plate and spars may not coincide.

The pallet element may also include a second support plate, which may define the outer surface of the pallet element, as defined above.

The pallet element is advantageously made of a rigid or semi-rigid material, such as rigid cardboard or corrugated cardboard. The at least two longitudinal members may advantageously be obtained by folding a panel of a first cardboard material according to parallel extrusions followed by a bonding assembly of parts in mutual contact at the end of this folding, as described in FIG. Application FR 2 836 454 A1. Such a pallet / spar arrangement has the advantage of reducing the costs of raw material and reuse. In order to enhance the stability and robustness of the pallet member, a third spar may be provided between the two other spars, preferably equidistant from each of them. The container is advantageously of a rigid or semi-rigid material, such as rigid cardboard or corrugated cardboard. The corrugated cardboard, of conventional use, is preferably used because it usually has, on the one hand, relatively large thicknesses which improves the protection of the contents, and, on the other hand, increased bending capabilities compared rigid cardboard. According to embodiments, the invention is not limited by the shape and dimensions of the container. This can be a cardboard package comprising for example at least four side walls and being provided with or without walls in the bottom part or in the upper part. In this case, two walls of the at least four walls, facing each other, can advantageously be in contact by their lower edge ends, in the vicinity of the ground, with for example two roller strips of the device. conveying, so that the conveyor / pallet element assembly can be moved. Two other walls, perpendicular to the two previous walls, may also be in contact, by their ends of lower edges, with the rollers of the conveying device, the contact zone then being defined by the width of the rollers. Advantageously, the container may comprise, at least one side wall, advantageously at least two side walls, in an area of the bottom portion of the container, a plurality of cutouts for the passage of a fork of a pallet truck or a handling device.

The cuts may therefore be provided for example on at least two opposite side walls, in the bottom zone of the container, for the passage for example of two forks of a handling device or pallet truck, or a forklift, in the interior space of the pallet element parallel to the side members. These two walls are advantageously those which are in contact with the two conveyor belts by means of the contact zone defined above. Preferably, at least two of the plurality of walls may have in one area of the bottom portion of the container a set of fold lines and cutouts defining a plurality of cooperating members of the container with the pallet member and a plurality of container / pallet element locking elements. Preferably, in order to be able to lock the container with the pallet member, the at least two walls may preferably be those that are in contact with the conveyor belts of a conveyor belt. A cooperation element, for example of the cooperation shutter type, can be arranged to be folded towards the internal volume of the container, by means of a fold line and by cutting lines, thus forming an "anti" system. "back" and preventing the removal from the top of the container. The cooperation element thus ensures a joining and a holding of the container with the pallet element, being able to avoid a relative movement of one with respect to the other. The locking elements, the number of which is not limited, may advantageously comprise dovetail-shaped tabs. These locking elements can be defined by folding and cutting lines on each side wall or on each cooperation element.

In order to ensure optimum locking of the container with the pallet element, the locking elements can advantageously be defined symmetrically, for example in pairs, with respect to the direction of the folding line of the cooperation element, whose at least is located on the cooperating element and at least one other on the side wall. This does not exclude an anti-symmetrical arrangement, that is, there may be a positioning offset between a locking member on the engagement member and another on the wall. These locking elements can therefore be mobile around the fold lines. According to one embodiment, in a first step, after positioning the container, for example on the conveyor belts of a conveyor, the cooperating flaps can be folded towards the inside of the container, in particular by a double fold line and be maintained along one of the side walls considered, thanks, for example, to the locking elements, that the user bends towards the outside of the container, in order to press the flaps against the wall, this position of the cooperation flaps allowing to avoid their attachment by the lifting means. Once the filling operation has been completed, the user returns the locking elements to their initial vertical position, thereby releasing the cooperation flaps, which, by the elasticity of the material, can bear against the vertical faces of the longitudinal members. Preferably, at least one side wall may be provided with pre-cut areas able to define at least one flap. Thanks to the presence of these pre-cut areas in the side wall, it is possible to define a flap, which is intended to pivot around a fold line, so that a user can, by pivoting the flap, introducing products to be packaged in the container usually at a central zone of the side wall, and not only by the upper part of the container. This arrangement can make it possible to accelerate the filling and, where appropriate, to position the products properly in the container to ensure stability. The method may further include a step of interposing an intermediate support or an additional pallet member between two layers of products stored during filling. It is further proposed a filling system of a packaging assembly of a rigid or semi-rigid material comprising a container having a plurality of side walls defining an internal space for receiving a content, and a pallet member to be arranged in the internal space, at a low position of said container, so as to support said contents, comprising lifting means arranged to move the pallet member relative to the container so that said pallet member traverses the internal space along the walls; sideways as filling up to the low position. The invention is now described with reference to the accompanying non-limiting drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a front view of an example of a conveying device on which a container and a pallet element are placed, at the time of performing a method according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a container and lifting means equipped with a plate, during the execution of a method according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example of a conveying device on which a container and a pallet element are placed in the upper filling position, when carrying out a method according to another embodiment of the invention. 'invention; FIG. 4 illustrates a process of joining the container to the pallet element, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 represents an overall front view of a cardboard container 10 comprising four lateral walls 11, 12, 13, 14 (the walls 12, 13, 14 are not visible) defining a laterally closed internal space, the walls being hinged together to form a conventional rectangular shape. The container 10 does not have a bottom portion here.

Two side walls 12, 14 (not visible), facing each other, are in contact at their ends of lower edges, in the vicinity of the ground, with the two strips 31, 32 with rollers of the conveyor device 30. , so that the conveyor assembly 30 / pallet member 40 cardboard can be moved. The other two walls 11,13 (not visible), perpendicular to the two walls 12,14, are also in contact at their lower edge ends with the rollers 31,32, the contact zone then being defined by the width of the rollers 31 , 32. The container 10 has a top open filling position and has four flaps 15,16,17,18 respectively secured to the side walls 11,12,13,14 (the walls 12,13,14 are not visible), which flaps form an upper closure part, to protect the container 10 during transport. The two side walls here 11 and 13 (not visible) have in an area of the bottom portion of the container 10, two cutouts 19,20 for the passage of a fork of a pallet truck (not shown) parallel to the side members 41.42.43 (not shown). According to FIG. 1, the zone 21 delimiting the two cutouts 19, 20 is placed in the middle zone of the end of the walls 11, 13 (not visible) and is in contact with a third roller strip 33 to facilitate the evacuation of the container 10.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a container 10 and lifting means 60 provided with a plate 50, during the execution of a method according to one embodiment of the invention. Inside and at the bottom part of the container 10, lifting means 60 are arranged, here a telescopic jack, which are arranged to support a plate 50. The lifting means 60 are actuated by a device for adjusting the height ( not shown) allowing a displacement here in successive stages of the pallet element 40. The plate 50 here has dimensions substantially identical to those of the interior volume of the container 10, but slightly lower which can allow to limit the friction against the walls of the container. container 10. The plate 50 defines at these two ends of edges directed towards the side walls 12, 14 (not shown) crenelike cuts 51 defining extension portions 52.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a conveying device 30 on which is placed a container 10 and a pallet member 40 in the upper initial filling position. The arrangement of the container 10 on the conveyor device 30 has been described in FIG. 1. The conveyor device 30, in addition to the three roller strips 31, 32, 33, comprises free or fixed portions 34 which accommodate the extension parts. 52 of the plate 50. The pallet element 40 is provided here with three longerons 41,42,43, the spar 43 being central, which extend over the entire width of the pallet member 40 in a direction parallel to the arrangement of the roll belts 31,32,33. When the pallet element 40, represented here in the upper position of the container 10, reaches the bottom of the container 10, the longitudinal members 41, 42, 43 cooperate with the roller strips 31, 32, 33 and allow the evacuation of the assembly. container 10 / pallet element 40 filled. A support plate of the content 44 is fixed by gluing on the three spars 41,42,43. A plate (not visible), opposite the plate 44, defines an external surface, the plate being intended to be placed on a support, the ground or on the lifting means 60. A support device 70, located in the bottom portion of the container 10, maintains the pallet member 40 after filling.

In Figures 4 (A), (B) and (C) all references are not indicated for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 4 (A) is a perspective view of the container 10, the two walls 12, 14 of which have respectively in their lower part a cooperating flap 91, 101 (not shown), foldable along folding lines 92 and 102 (not shown). ), and cutting 93,94 and 103,104 (not shown), respectively. The fold lines can be double in this case. Dovetail-shaped tabs 111, 112, 113 and 114 of the wall 12 and 121, 122, 123 and 124 (not shown) of the wall 14 are respectively defined on the flaps 91 and 101 (not shown), and on the walls 12,14. For example, the tongues 111 and 113 are here symmetrical with respect to the direction of the folding line 92. FIG. 4 (B) shows the container 10 placed on the roller belts 31, 32, the plate 50 of the lifting means 60 being in the upper, upper position of the container 10. The pallet element 40 with the support plate of the content 44 is secured to the three longitudinal members 41,42,43. Here, the plate 44 has edge ends of larger size at the edge ends of the longerons 41,42. The pallet element 40 is positioned on the plate 50 which allows to support it. A detail of this FIG. 4 (B) shows in position 1, the folding of the cooperation flap 91 of the wall 12, by the fold line 92, towards the inside of the container 10 which is pressed along the wall 12 by means of the tongues 111,113, that the user bends outward (position 2) through folding and cutting lines (not shown). The tabs 111,113 allow locking in position of the flap 91 ensuring that it will not be hooked by the elevator means 60 with the plate 50 during their movement (position 3). The filling operation completed, Figure 4 (C), the user puts the tongues 111,113 in a position corresponding roughly to their original position, slightly vertical, thus releasing the cooperating flap 91, which, by the elasticity of the material, abuts against the edge end of the vertical support plate 44 of the longitudinal members 41 (position 4).

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. A method of filling a package assembly of a rigid or semi-rigid material comprising a container (10) having a plurality of sidewalls (11,12,13,14) defining an internal space for receiving a content, and a pallet member (40) to be disposed in the inner space at a low position of said container (10) to support said contents, the method comprising at least one step of moving said pallet member (40) relative to the container (10) so as to traverse the internal space along the side walls (11,12,13,14) as filling up to the low position. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving step is carried out by elevator means (60) arranged to support the pallet member (40). 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the lifting means (60) comprises a tray member (50) for supporting the pallet member (40), preferably a holding plate (50) secured to a piston or a table elevator (50) for holding controlled by a jack system. A method according to claim 3, wherein the tray member (50) defines at at least two opposite ends a plurality of crenellated cutouts (51) defining extension portions (52) adapted to cooperate with fixed portions ( 34) of a roller conveyor device (30) of the container assembly (10) / pallet member (40). 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pallet member (40) comprises a support plate (44) of the content and at least two longitudinal members (41,42,43) secured to the support plate (44). 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least two longitudinal members (41,42,43) are obtained by folding a panel of a cardboard material according to parallel extrusions followed by a bonding assembly of parts in contact. mutuel at the end of this folding. 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the container (10) comprises, at least one side wall (11,12,13,14), in a zone of the bottom portion of the container (10). ), a plurality of cutouts (19,20) for the passage of a fork of a pallet truck or a handling device. 8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least two of the plurality of walls (11,12,13,14) have in a zone of the bottom portion of the container (10), a set fold lines (92,102) and cutouts (93,94,103,104) defining a plurality of cooperating members (91,101) of the container (10) with the pallet member (40) and a plurality of locking members (111,112,113,114,121,122,122,123,124) container (10) / pallet member (40). 9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a step of interposing a spacer or an additional pallet member (40) between two layers of products stored during filling. A filling system of a packaging assembly of a rigid or semi-rigid material comprising a container (10) having a plurality of side walls (11, 12, 13, 14) defining an internal space for receiving a contents, and a pallet member (40) to be disposed in the inner space, at a low position of said container (10), to support said contents, including elevator means (60) arranged to move the pallet member (40). ) relative to the container (10) so that said pallet member (40) traverses the internal space along the side walls (11,12,13,14) as filling to the lower position.