Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CORRUGATED CARDBOARD SUPPORTS
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to improvements in corrugated cardboard
supports, particularly but not exclusively, corrugated cardboard pallets.
Pallets are in everyday use and are usually made from wood, polythene, plastic
or metal. The pallets may be of a general size, such as those used in the
retail and
retail goods manufacturing industries, or they may be made for specific
applications.
Their chief purpose is to safely store goods or product in quantity and allow
the goods
or product to be mechanically handled within manufacturing units. The pallets
also
act as shipping units, often via vehicle transport, to the retail outlet.
Again, at the
retail outlet the pallets are mechanically handled and stored prior to
transport to
individual stores. The pallet may then be used to display the goods or product
directly
on the shop floor, as a form of merchandising unit.
Pallets are nomnally of a high initial cost and there are systems of pallet
hire in
place. Pallets may also be purchased second hand, but are again costly, and
may be
prone to contaminants. They are bulky and are normally of a standard height
and size
so that both the manufacturer and retailer storage systems are compatible.
Wooden
pallets are heavy to manhandle and add to the crush weight of stored and
transported
goods or product because often several pallets of goods or product are stored
on top of
one another. A standard wooden pallet typically weighs between 25Kg and SOKg.
This means that manhandling is difficult and the weight can damage the goods
or
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product that the pallet rests upon. This type of pallet is also costly to
transport
because of its inherent weight.
A typical operation of a re-usable pallet may be as follows. Manufactured
product such as boxed dry goods are collated and stacked on to a standard
wooden
pallet. A man may then place a pallet on top of this stacked pallet and
proceed to
collate and place more boxed product on top of this. Depending upon how many
layers of product are used on each pallet, each single stack may contain
several
pallets. The stack is then normally enshrouded in stretch wrap to form a unit
that is
then mechanically handled by a manual pump truck or a mechanical fork lift
truck and
placed into storage. After a period of time, the product is ordered by a
retailer and the
unit is mechanically loaded onto a transport vehicle. At the retailer's depot,
the unit is
unloaded and stored for a further period. It is then loaded onto another
vehicle and
delivered into a retail shop, where it may be stored or placed direct for
merchandising
onto the shop floor.
The problem with the aforementioned operation is that the manufacturer does
not get the pallet back. This is very costly to the manufacturer and,
ultimately, the
consumer. After the product or goods are used from the pallet, the retailer
must then
dispose of the wooden pallet, which is bulky and heavy. The disposal of the
pallet
requires expensive transport and is costly to the environment since most
pallets end
up in landfill. It is estimated that there are around 5 wooden pallets in
existence for
each person in the British Isles.
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If a hire system is used, a pallet must be hired by a manufacturer. A system
of
tracking the pallets is required which is both labour intensive and costly.
The pallet is
then left with the retailer. The retailer may have a stock of empty pallets
which he
can give back to the manufacturer, requiring the loading of a vehicle to
transport
bulky, heavy and empty pallets back to the manufacturer at his own cost. A
manufacturer also has to pay to de-hire a pallet and, if one is lost, will
have to pay full
cost for it. The returned pallets can be hired out again in a repeat cycle. Re-
using
pallets also leads to problems of cleanliness and repair. Wooden pallets are
normally
put together with nails which may become exposed and damage the goods or
product
placed upon them. Furthermore, wooden pallets may produce large or small
splinters
that can either damage the product or even enter and contaminate the product,
especially food goods.
The standard height of most pallets, usually being about 160mm, dictates how
much product can be transported on a vehicle, such as a curtain slider. Wooden
pallets are heavy and may double in weight when wet, making manual handling
dangerous.
The Applicant's co-pending Application No.s WO 03/082685 and WO
03/082688 provide a solution to the above problems by the provision of a
collapsible
corrugated cardboard support and pallet. Whilst these are entirely
satisfactory for
their intended purpose, in some instances, the customer may not require the
pallet to
be collapsible. In such situations, it is desirable to provide a cheaper, less
complex
corrugated cardboard pallet. However, it is difficult to provide a cardboard
pallet that
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4 , ~:~~ z~so~~~
has sufficient internal strength to withstand the weights thgt are applied to
it and
mbust enough to withstand being mechanically handled and tzat~spvrted several
times.
US 4,269,34'7 describes a storage file far stoning file folders that uses a
blank.
havi~ end panels prozzded with a flap'
It is an object of the present invention to provide an imrroved corrugated
cardboard support that aims to overcome, or at least alleviate the
abovementioned
drawback.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide au improved
com~.gated cardboard pallet that aims to overcome, or at least aIlrviate, the
abovementioned drawback.
Accordingly, a rust aspect of the present invention provides a corrugated
cardboard blank. fox the construction of a support, the blank comprising two
maU0.
body fo~ning panels, a zuiddle panel between said body foznaing panels and two
end
panels, each main body forming panel and middle panel hawing opposing end
flaps,
characterised in that both end panels are provided with opposinb end flaps.
The panels and .flaps are separated fronn their adjoining panel or flag
bymeans
of fold lines.
It is tp be appreciated that a support is assembled from the blank by mlding
the appropriate parts of the blau>; and securing them together using suitable
means,
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most preferably an adhesive. Adjacent panels are folded substantially at
iiJ.rht
angles to each other such that one of the end panels.abuLs the edge of the
main body
panel to n-hick it is not connected. Glue is then applied to the outer surface
of this
end panel and the opposing end panel is .folded over this panel and secured
thereto by
5 suitable means. TJae end flaps of the panels ma'~ng up the box ~e folded
inwardly
and secured to each other to form a closed box.
The end panels of the blank are preferably substantially identical in sine. In
this mazuier, in the assembled box, the opposing end panel overlaps
substantially all
of the underlying end panel.
It is preferable for fluting to be formed in the longitudinal direction of the
blank, i.e. from one end panel to the other since this iuarneases the strength
of the box
forfned from the blank.
Preferably, each en.d flap is 25% to 50% ofthe height of its corresponding
panel, more preferably 40 to 50%.
The end flaps of the opposing end panel are preferably separated from the
panel by' reverse fold lines whereby, in the assemb).ed box, the flaps may be
folded
outwardly and secured to the panel.
A second a_qpect of the present itn ention pro~~ides a cortu;at~i cardboard
support comprising two substantially parallel opposing main body panels and
taro
pairs of opposing side malls wherein at least one side wall is at least double
the
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thicla~ess of the main body panels characterised in that said at least double
thickness
is provided by at least one side u~all having end flaps that are folded
outcvamily and
secured to said wall.
The provision of at least one side wall that is at least double the
t>aiclaoess of
the main body panels provides a support with inherent strength. In this
respect, the
main body forming panels receive the load and are supported by the side walls.
Preferably, the at least one side osall is double the thiclmess by the
provision
of a double layer of material. More preferably still, the overlapping outer
layez is
provided with end fl. aps for folding over and securing to the layer to
increase the
strength. and thickness of the wall still further. It is preferable for one
gait of
opposing side walls that do not have double thiclmess to be formed from end
flaps
extending from the other side walls and the main body foimi~ag panels.
It is to be appreciated that the blank according to the first aspect of the
present
invention is preferably used in forming a support accordiu_g to the second
aspect of the
present inveption. Additionally, the main panels and walls of the support may
be any
desired sine.
A third aspect of the present invention provides a corrugated cardboard
pallet,
the pal)et comprising a top sheet, a base sheet and at least one connecting
member
between said top and said. bpse sheets, the co~onecting member being foFmed
from a
blank according to the first aspect of the present invention or a boa
accordizsg to the
second aspect of the present inventio~t.
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In a preferred arrangement, nine supports are provided between said top and
base sheet, optionally being of different sizes. Preferably, the supports are
arranged at
each corner of the sheets, with a support positioned centrally between the
corner
supports along each side thereof and a further support being provided in the
centre
between the sheets. Preferably, the support provided in the centre is the
largest size of
support and the supports provided at the corners are the smallest in size.
The base sheet is preferably provided with regions that are relieved of
material
to provide access points from below the pallet. Preferably, two rectangular
areas are
relieved of material. Any suitable number of access points may be provided in
the
pallet, being formed through the base sheet and/or by the spacing between
adjacent
supports provided between the sheets of the pallet.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the components of the
pallet are secured together by means of adhesive only. A varnish may be
applied to
the top sheet, base sheet and/or supports to impart water resistance.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly
how it may be carried into effect reference will now be made, by way of
example
only, to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for a box according to one embodiment of
the present invention;
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Figure 2 is a perspective view of a partially erected box according to the
present invention assembled from the blank shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side plan view of the fully erected box shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a plan view of a top part for a pallet according to one embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a plan view of the base part for a pallet according to one
embodiment of the present invention
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an assembled pallet according to one
embodiment of the present invention utilising the parts shown in Figures 1 to
3, 4 and
5 ; and
Figure 7 is a view of the underside of the top part of the pallet showing the
location of the boxes.
Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a plan view of a blank 2
for the construction of a support box according to one embodiment of the
present
invention is illustrated. The blank is cut from a sheet of corrugated
cardboard and
creases are inserted into the blank to provide fold lines, represented by the
small
broken lines in Figure 1. Heavy long broken lines denote reverse fold lines.
The
blank has two main body forming panels 4, 6 connected by a middle panel 8. The
two
main body forming panels 4, 6 are each provided with an end panel 10, 12
respectively opposite said middle panel 8. Opposing free ends of each main
body
panel, middle panel and end panels are provided with end flaps 24, 26, 28, 30
and 32.
All the flaps are separated from their respective panel by fold lines except
for the end
flaps of one of the end panels, which are separated by means of reverse fold
lines.
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Alternatively, these end flaps may be separated from their end panel by means
of cut
and crease lines which are known in the art. Fluting is provided in the
longitudinal
direction, as denoted by arrow C in Figure 1.
Any size of panels may be used depending upon the required size of box but, it
is to be appreciated that all the panels are preferably of an identical
length. The main
body panels may be of a greater width than the middle and end panels, as shown
in
the drawings, with the main panels being identical and the middle and at least
one of
the end panels being of an identical size. Each end flap is preferably
approximately
half the height of the panel to which it is attached.
To form the box 100 adjacent panels are folded substantially at right angles
to
each other such that one of the end panels 10 abuts the edge of the main body
panel 6
to which it is not connected. Glue is then applied to the outer surface of
this end
panel 10 and the opposing end panel 12 is folded over this panel and secured
thereto
by means of the glue, thereby resulting in this side of the box being of
double
thickness. The end flaps 24, 26, 28, 30 of the panels making up the box are
folded
inwardly (see Figure 2), with the end flaps of the end and middle panels being
folded
inwardly first and the end flaps of the main body panels being folded over
these flaps
and secured thereto by means of adhesive to form a closed box. Additionally,
the end
flaps 32 of the end panel 12 are folded outwardly, as denoted by the arrow A
in Figure
2, and adhered to the outer surface of their end panel, as shown in Figure 3.
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The construction of the box 100 is such that it may withstand far greater
weight than a standard cardboard box due to the provision of the additional
end panel
overlapping its opposing end panel and the end flaps which fold outwardly and
are
secured to the end panel. Such an arrangement has not previously been
described
since it would appear to be wasteful of material. However, in the present
invention,
the provision of an effectively triple-walled box has surprisingly been found
to
provide a support that is fit for its intended purpose.
Furthermore, it has been found that the provision of fluting in the
longitudinal
10 direction C, shown in Figure 1, provides for a much stronger box thus
enabling the
box to support greater weights. This is opposite to the direction of fluting
provided in
conventional corrugated cardboard boxes.
The box according to the present invention may be used as a support, for
example acting as a display shelf to support goods that are for sale. The box
has
advantages over the prior art supports, such as being lighter to transport and
its ability
to be recycled. It is also made of cheap materials. The simple design of the
blank that
makes up the box provides a massive cost saving vis-a-vis the type of box
described
in the Applicant's co-pending Application No.s WO 03/082685 and WO 03/082688.
Additionally, there is far less waste, with slits simply being cut into the
machined
blank.
A preferred application for a box according to the present invention is the
construction of a pallet wherein a plurality of boxes are adhered to a top and
bottom
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sheet to provide a pallet that is cheap, lightweight and recyclable . Any
required size
of pallet may be provided and the larger the pallet, generally the more boxes
that will
be used in its construction.
Figures 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings illustrate one pallet according to
the present invention. This embodiment is made from eleven single sheets of
corrugated cardboard, which are stamped out as shown in Figure l, Figure 4 and
Figure 5. A solid rectangular sheet 280 is provided to form the top of the
pallet and a
further rectangular sheet 290 of substantially the same size is provided for
forming the
base of the pallet, this sheet having two rectangular sections 400, 420 that
are relieved
of material.
Nine boxes 300 - 380 according to the present invention are glued in their
erected form to the underside of the top sheet 280, as shown in Figure 7. This
figure
details the location of the nine double blind boxes that create the
compressive strength
of the pallet. In the embodiment shown, there are four different sizes of box
for each
pallet. A smallest size of box 300, 320, 360, 380 is placed at each corner of
the sheet.
A largest box 34 is placed in the centre of the pallet. Another size of box
310, 370 is
positioned centrally along two opposing faces of the pallet between the corner
boxes
and yet a further size of box 330, 350 is placed centrally along the other two
opposing
faces of the pallet. Glue is then applied to the panel 4 of the boxes and the
bottom
sheet 290 of the pallet is then stuck onto the flattened boxes.
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The orientation of the fluting on the top sheet may be any direction but the
orientation of the fluting with respect of the boxes is important to provide
overall
compressive strength of the pallet. The positioning of the boxes is such as to
provide
access for a mechanical forklift along all four edges of the pallet. The boxes
are also
positioned so that they will always be in the correct position to bear on
standard
warehouse racking systems. The mechanical handling forks can be introduced at
A or
B on either edge of the pallet, as illustrated in Figure 6. If a pallet truck
is used for
handling, then the wheels roll over the pallet base 290 and then sit against
the floor as
the pallet is elevated for moving.
The absence of any metal mechanical fastenings means that the pallet cannot
damage or contaminate any product or goods placed therein. Its reduced height
vis-a-
vis the conventional type of pallet means that extra product layers may be
gained for
transport. The cardboard may also be treated with varnish or other suitable
means to
make it water resistant and may be printed with descriptors or other
decoration, such
as in for use in a shop display merchandising unit.
A pallet according to the present invention has clear economical and
environmental benefits. A pallet according to the present invention may only
be about
100mm high, being almost half the height of a standard wooden pallet but tall
enough
to enable handling by all standard mechanical means.
The pallet according to the present invention is designed for single trip use.
Whilst the pallet is robust enough to be mechanically handled and transported
several
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times, it is envisaged that the pallet will be recycled after use. In this
respect, the
pallet is 100% recyclable. This saves on storage space and costly return
transport.
Furthermore, the pallet is far cheaper to make than other types of wooden
pallet
currently in existence, minimising the cost to the ultimate consumer.
On average, a pallet according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention weighs about 1-3 Kg. In contrast, a conventional wooden pallet
weighs
between 25-SOKg. Thus, the present pallet can be manually handled without any
worry of health and safety weight constraints. Its lightness also assists in
the
l 0 prevention of product damage when the pallet is used in mufti-stacked
LlnltS. It is
designed for two-way or four-way entry and can be handled by a manual pallet
pump
truck or various mechnical forklift trucks without modification. The pallet is
also
designed so that it can be placed safely in the majority of racking systems.
1 S A further benefit provided by a pallet according to the present invention
is that
its basic constructional design can be used to provide any size of pallet
required. By
varying the grade of corrugated cardboard used, the box or pallet can be made
to
withstand varying dead loads up to several tons.
20 Additionally, the provision of a pallet that is intended for a single use
reduces
the risk of any contamination of the product from the pallet. Wooden pallets
require
fumigation against wood boring insects. The single use aspect of the pallet
also
reduces incidental costs associated with the provision of manpower to control
the
pallets, clean the pallets and store and unload the pallets.
