GB2185964A - Corner arrangement for a cardboard carton - Google Patents

Abstract

Each corner of a cardboard carton is reinforced by a hollow triangular pillar of double thickness material formed by three parallel flaps (12, 13, 14) folded inwardly from one end of wall (8) and engaging upwardly projecting portions (2, 11) of adjacent walls (1, 8) at the corner of the carton and an inwardly folded lug 4. The lower end of the pillar rests on the bottom wall (6) of the carton while its upper end fits into the lower end of a hollow plastics cartridge (18) of triangular form provided at its upper end with a pillar (20) for locating a carton situated above it in a stack of cartons and a projection (21) which enters a hole (15) in the bottom of the carton next above to prevent slippage of the cartons when stacked. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved corner arrangement for a cardboard carton This invention relates two an improved cornerarran gementfor a cardboard carton for reinforcing purposes and to assist stacking.

This type of carton is usually used for transporting fruits and other perishable products, and has been progressivelythe subject of fresh ideas aimed atcon- siderablesimplification ofform and assembly in order to reduce the cost ofthe finished article and these have been applied in conjunction with improvements in the manufacture of the raw material used i.e. corrugated cardboard.

These improvements have been made while having regard, in the greatest possible degree, to the most important characteristics of strength, above all when the stacked cartons are required to withstand the weight ofthe boxes and their contents above them. Forthis purpose, regular use has been made of designs of corner posts offering high resistance to crushing and also the provision of a wide variety of solutions aimed at avoiding a breakdown ofthe stack on account of some of the cartons higher up slipping offthose lower down. In this case, the solutions provided by Spanish Utility Models Nos. 260 715 and 266431 filed by the applicants are already known.In these solutions, it has been possible to ensure that the mounted carton employs a single thickness of material except at the corners where the pillars are formed by doubling-over and the superimposition of a succession of flat surfaces which extend the side of the box and which are made up oftwo orthreethicknesses.

In assembly of the carton, the operations of gluing the sides and the front at each corner have been dispensed with because the upper parts of the components of each pillar are assembled with precision inside a socket of plastics material which takes the form of a prism having a triangular base and a bottom entrance adapted to receive the necessary parts ofthe pillar.

In the improved corner arrangement according to the present invention the same basic ideas as in the aforementioned Utility Models are retained with cer tain variationswhich provide a number of advan- tages. The front faces of the carton are provided with a succession of flaps which are folded to form triangular corner pillars.

This makes it possible to achieve maximum dev elopmentofthecarton over a rectangularfigurein which, peripherally speaking, it is possible to avoid a profusion of material which has hitherto raised the cost of the carton. The carton has been provided with appropriate means of ensuring the connection of superposed cartons and prevention of accidental destruction.

The carton corner assembly sockets have been lengthened to increase its distance from the carton above it. This means that a product of greater height may be used without any need to increase the dim ensionsofitsdeveloped blank and thus the height of the sides orfrontfaces.

In each cornerthere is an emptytriangular pillar of which each side is made ofdoublethickness material.

Forabetterunderstanding oftheinvention,itwill be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 7 represents a plan view of a corner of the carton blank; Figure2 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the various parts ofthe assembled carton whichcombinetoform a corner pillar; Figure 3 is a top view showing a plan ofthe assembly cartridge, and Figure 4 is a cross-section through the cartridge taken on the lineA-Ain Figure3.

From Figure lit will be seen that one side 1 has a projecting member2separated byafold line3from a lug 4 of the same height which is separated from the side 1 buy a cutting line 5.

This side 1 is separated from the carton bottom 6 byfold line7 similartothe line which separatesthe bottom member 6 from the front member 8 and is separated at the same time from its end portion by a cutting line9which extends inwardly from a notch 10.

The front member 8 has its outer edge stepped to define a projecting portion 11 of a height equal to that of the projecting portion 2 in relation to the edge of the side member 1 and this stepped portion ofthe front member 8 is extended into the end portion of the side 1 in the form of three successive flat parts 12, 13,14which are separated from one another and from thefrontmember by parallel linesaboutwhich the member can be folded inwards.

In each cornerofthe bottom member6 there isa diagonally extending hole 16which helpstocentrea plurality of superimposed cartons.

In the steps formed by the projecting part 2 of the side member 1 and the part 11 ofthefront member8, angled cuts 17 are provided which helpto retain an assembled cartridge 18which forms the corner of the carton. The components of the stepped parts are located as indicated in Figure 2, with the flat members 12, 13, 14folded to form a right-angledtriangle sothatthe end member 14 lies againstthe insidesur- face ofthe projecting partll,toform one handle thickness side ofthe right-angle ofthetriangular prism which constitutes the corner pillar, the other side ofthe right angle being formed bythesuperim- position of the flat member 12 on the projecting part 2 of the side member 1, while the hypoteneuse is formed by superimposition of the lug 4 on that part of the side member 1 which is bent back overtheflat member 14.

As can be seen, this triangular corner pillar is empty and, on assembly, it is located at its lowered overthe hole 16 in the bottom member 6, while its top end is fitted into the inside of the cartridge 18 of corresponding triangular shape, shown in Figures 3 and 4 and penetrates to a level 19 defined buy a bottom flat member formed by three corner portions 18a and by the bottom ofthreecut-outs 20afrom an upper part 20, projecting above the cartridge. The cut-outs 20a start adjacent an upper projection 21 which occupies the geometric centre of the upper part, extend radially outwardly and terminate atthe central part of each ofthe three sides. The three walls ofthe upper part 20 are reinforced when the corner portions 18a are in position, by pairs of cardboard strips 22.

Thecartridge 18 is mouldedfrom averylight- weight plastics material and has thin walls. it con- stitutes a very economical element which can be used for assembling a corner of the carton and which fits onto the triangular projecting part so that the box can be perfectlyfolded.

This cartridge 18 has two retaining projections 23 which extend from the walls, which form the two side members ofthe right-angle and on assembly, coincide with the angled cuts 17 made in the stepped portion 2 ofthe side member 1 and the stepped portion 11 ofthefrontmember8 (see Figure 2) and en- gage in a horizontal direction.

When a retaining cartridge is assembled (see Figures 3 and 4) on a corner ofthe carton shown in Figure 2, it provides an advantage in terms ofthe height of the carton when this is stacked, because the bottom corner ofthe carton placed on top will fit over the pillar 20 of the cartridge on the carton underneath. Correct positioning is thus ensured and any sliding will be prevented by the projection 21.

In this way, the separation between cartons can be increased by the height ofthe pillar 20 which is the samefor each cartridge 18 with no need to vary the dimensions of the carton blank ir srderto achieve greater height of the corner pillars. I his height is provided by the cartridges.

The size, shape and material of each of the elements which form part ofthe assembled carton may be subject to variation within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. A corner arrangement for a card boa rd carton comprising a strong pillar formed by folding three flaps extending paralleltothefrontwallofthebox, the lower end engaging the bottom ofthe carton while the upper end fits into a cartridge made of plastics material which is open at the bottom and has the form of a triangular prism provided with a projecting part on which can be centred a carton situated above itwhen the cartons are stacked, characterised in that said three flaps which extend parallel to the front face ofthe carton, are separated by fold lines about which they can be folded inwardlyandwhich are spaced apart in such a way that one flap constitutes one side of a right-angled triangle, another forms the hypotenuese and the third constitutes a reinforcing member which fits inwardly of a stepped portion projecting from the front wall and from which the flaps extend, which projecting portion, on assembly, constitutes the other side of the right angle ofthetri- angular prism which formsthe pillar, the upper end of said pillar being reinforced by parts projecting from the side of the box, to provide a double thick- ness of material on each of its three sides.

2. A cornerarrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein said parts projecting from the sides ofthe carton include a stepped projection which extends outside the flap forming said one side of the right angle and a flange extending from said stepped projection and along the outside oftheflapformingthe hypoteneuse.

3. A corner arrangement in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each corner ofthe bottom of the carton is provided with a diagonally extending holewhich,atthetime of assembly, is pla- ced beneath the em pty triang u lar pil lar so thatwhen a plurality of cartons are stacked it is possible to centre a carton and fit it onto the part projecting from the cartridge covering the pillar of the carton underneath.

4. A cornerarrangement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the stepped projecting parts of the side and front walls are provided with angled cuts which, on assembly, are located in the sides of the triangular pillar in order to retainthe assembled cartridge and to serve as location points for two teeth on the outside surfaces of the inner walls ofthe cartridge.

5. A corner arrangement according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the upper part of each triangular pillarfits into the corresponding cartridge to an extent determined by an internal flat member formed bythree stepped portions of the corners of the cartridge and also by the bottoms of three cut-outs from a bearing member which extends above the cartridge, which cut-outs extend radially outward from a projection at the geometrical centre of the bearing member and terminate atthe centre of each of the three sides and also characterised in that the three walls of the bearing member located on the stepped corner parts of the cartridge are reinforced by two outer angled mem- bers.

6. A corner arrangement for a cardboard carton, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.