Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
WEDGE FOR IMMOBILIZING OBJECTS IN A BOX HAVING A SQUARE OR
RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a wedge element to immobilize objects in a
box of
cardboard, corrugated or similar solid fiber material, with a square or
rectangular cross-
section, particularly for shipping and transportation of said objects, such
boxes featuring
a flat bottom of polygonal shape (generally rectangular or square) and four
faces or side
walls.
The technical domain of the invention is that of machinery for the
manufacture, processing
or closing of packaging materials and that of the manufacture and application
of wedge
materials for such packaging.
The present invention concerns more particularly a wedge element intended for
being
placed inside boxes used for the preparation and shipping of orders for single
or multiple
articles and more generally for boxes the content of which occupies a variable
volume
from one box to the next, and, most of the time, significantly less than the
total volume of
the box, in which case said wedging material serves to immobilize the items
inside the
useful volume of the box.
Description of Related Art:
It is known that boxes of this type are created by machines from one or
several flanks of
pliable rigid sheeted material and that their upper part features various
flaps and turned-
down pieces assembled by gluing or adhesive tape or a lid fitted over said
upper part. A
characteristic of these boxes is that they offer a constant volume once they
have been
produced and closed.
Several means are applied by the users or are integrated into the box forming
or closing
machines to fasten by wedges the objects which vary by number and unit volume
from
one box to another.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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One is familiar, for example with wedging means constituted by heat-shrinking
plastic film
where one or several layers are secured to the bottom or the side walls of the
box during
its shaping. After the box has been filled, these films are lowered onto the
pile of objects
and then retracted by passing through a heating tunnel.
Such a process presents several disadvantages. As a matter of fact:
o this heat-shrink plastic film must necessarily be separated from the
carton
packaging prior to possible collection and recycling of the corresponding
waste; this collection is a complex and very costly operation;
o this wedging material is itself expensive;
o its application is difficult and requires either complex automated
machines
or a great number of man-hours; the cost of these operations is therefore
high.
Also known is the use of polystyrene particles or other light materials which
are spread
inside the box after insertion of the objects, in order to fill unused space.
Another fastening method consists of using inflatable plastic pockets which
are placed
inside the boxes to fill any unused space.
One is also familiar with the use of chips, particles, pelletized balls, . . .
of paper, carton or
wood which are put, in various forms, inside the boxes to fill unoccupied
space between
the objects.
Such production methods also present several disadvantages. As a matter of
fact:
o the distribution dosage of these wedging materials so they fill exactly
the
unused space is an operation that is difficult to automate which requires
either complex automated machines or a great number of man-hours; the
cost of these operations is therefore high;
o collection of these materials after opening the packaging requires a
number
of different elements and is thus an operation not easily taken care of by
the end user.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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And one is also familiar with wedging elements presenting themselves in the
form of a
sheet of cardboard, corrugated or equivalent solid fiber featuring a central
part which is
put into contact with the upper surface of the pile of objects placed inside
the box and
flexible flaps on at least two sides of the central part of the sheet which
are turned down
and fastened, for instance by gluing, against the inside face of the side
walls of said box.
Such wedging elements are, for example, described in the document EP-1 197
436.
Documents FR-2 828 169, DE-2 02 04 975, EP-1 452 453, EP-0 251 945, U.S. Pat.
No.
6,216,871, FR-1 575635, FR-919 469, U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,731, U.S. Pat. No.
2,883,046,
and FR-2 770 447 illustrate other implementations of wedging elements of this
type or the
technological background.
The implementation of the wedging element described in document EP-1 197 436
presents numerous advantages:
o This wedging element is not meant to fill up all the unused space inside
the
box; the quantity of material used is always the same and remains
moderate, even when the previously packaged objects occupy only a very
small portion of the volume of the box;
o This sheet can be made of a material similar to that used for producing
the
box itself, thereby greatly simplifying the recycling operations of the waste
resulting from the elements constituting such a packaging.
o Placement and fastening of this sheet inside the box are mechanical
operations which can be automated.
But the implementation of such a wedging element also presents some
inconveniences.
As a matter of fact:
o the flat central part of the wedging sheet must be sufficiently sturdy
and
rigid to resist the constraints involved in the transportation of the box and
maintain in a stable manner the products contained in it; under these
conditions, it is often necessary to exert considerable efforts to deform it
so
that the largest portion of its surface will be in contact with the upper
surface
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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of the pile of objects; these efforts are inevitably transmitted to some of
these objects and may damage them, if some of them are fragile;
o when the lid of the box is removed, this wedging sheet constitutes an
obstacle which prevents direct access to the packaged goods; for that this
sheet needs to be torn away, but this operation is made difficult due to the
absence of a grip area; to make this operation easier, it is known that the
manufacturers usually put a plastic ribbon, called a pull strap, on the lower
surface of box lids so as to facilitate opening of the lid by tearing the lid
along the line created by this ribbon; the problem is that this pull strap can
easily be put by the manufacturers only on the face of the lid on which
grooves (also called channels) are made which mark the location of the
folds of the flaps; on a lid, this face corresponds properly to the lower
face;
in the case of a wedging sheet as described, the face on which the grooves
are made corresponds to the upper face of the wedge; it is thus not possible
to easily place a pull strap on the bottom face of the wedge;
o the material used for producing such a wedging sheet is most often
corrugated board; this material, constituted in its so-called "single flute"
version by 3 layers of paper (two flat sheets enclosing a corrugated sheet),
poses a particular problem due to its anisotropic character: in effect, the
folding of the various flaps along the grooves positioned perpendicularly to
the flutes of the material does not pose a particular problem, whereas the
folding of the flaps along the grooves positioned parallel to the flutes of
the
material has a tendency to deviate from the theoretical folding line created
by the groove for the benefit of a most often polygon folding line,
corresponding to the smallest effort needed to fold the flap taking into
account the positions of the waves of the flute in the folding zone; the
result
of this deviation is an incorrect wedge geometry with dimensions between
the turned-down flaps which may vary by significant proportions (in the
order of the thickness of the wedging sheet, which is to say several
millimeters);
o the folding zone which connects the flaps to the central portion of the
sheet
is a zone of fragility; if special precautionary measures are not taken during
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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the production of this wedge sheet, there exists a major risk of tearing of
the material along this fold.
The problem at hand is therefore to provide a wedge in the form of a cardboard
sheet,
corrugated board or equivalent solid fiber material featuring a central
portion which is put
into contact with the upper surface of the pile of objects placed inside the
box and flexible
flaps, on at least two sides of the sheet, which are meant to be turned down
and fastened,
for example by gluing, to the internal face of the sidewalls of the box, this
sheet:
o must have a central portion that is sufficiently sturdy and rigid to
resist the
constraints during the transportation of the box and properly keep the
product in these conditions, but must also be sufficiently pliable so that the
largest portion of its surface can be put into contact with the upper surface
of the pile of objects without exerting any major stress on these objects;
o must allow a precise folding of the flaps along the theoretical folding
line at
their articulation with the central portion of the sheet, without making this
articulation overly fragile.
The device described in document FR-2 828 169 does not allow to efficiently
resolve the
problem previously described. This device is constituted by a plate made of a
semi-rigid
material, such as cardboard or corrugated board, comprising a polygonal
central portion
with at least two parallel sides that are articulated by folding lines, strips
or flaps the sides
of which that are opposite the side walls of the container or box containing
the items to be
shipped are provided with an adhesive enabling them to become integral with
said walls.
It is pointed out, incidentally, that the central portion features folding
lines parallel to two
of its parallel sides which make it possible to deform said plate to apply it
to portions of
different heights of mixed lots of items to maintain in position in the boxes.
According to
the implementation illustrated in FIG. 3 of document FR-2 828 169, the
polygonal central
portion of the wedge plate features only two folding lines or grooves parallel
to its short
sides. Said central portion features, on the other hand, two weakening lines
close together
parallel to its large sides, however, these are not folding lines but
perforating lines
associated with a pull strap provided with a tab or "snake head" for traction.
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Such a layout of the wedge sheet does not resolve the problem of efficient
wedging of
unusually shaped objects.
As a matter of fact,
o either the wedge sheet is made of material that is too rigid and, in this
case:
o it cannot mold very closely the uneven upper surface of the pile of
objects;
o it can exert significant pressure on said upper surface so that certain
fragile
objects may get crushed or damaged by this pressure.
o or the wedge sheet is made of too soft material and risks being split
open
if the score lines yield under the pressure, leading to the tearing of said
wedge sheet as it is being pushed into the box.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, an object is to provide a
wedge article
for immobilizing one or more objects that are placed in a box having a bottom
and at least
four side walls, the one or more objects forming an upper surface opposite the
bottom of
the box, the wedge article comprising:
a sheet having a central portion of a polygonal shape that is generally square
or
rectangular, said central portion having dimensions corresponding to the
bottom of the
box, said sheet having one or more flaps on each of at least two edges of said
central
portion, the one or more flaps attached by an articulation to said central
portion so as to
allow movement of the one or more flaps to conform against the sidewalls of
the box so
as to fasten the wedge article on the sidewalls of the box after the wedge
article has been
pushed down into the box, said central portion having a plurality of grooves
of curved or
straight segments of folding lines within said central portion to facilitate a
deformation of
the wedge article to conform to a shape of the upper surface, said plurality
of grooves
terminating at a periphery of said central portion, said plurality of grooves
not parallel with
the edges of said central portion and not all parallel with each other,
wherein said central
portion defines front and rear opposing edges parallel to each other and
defines left and
right opposing edges perpendicular to the front and rear opposing edges, the
front edge
being adjacent to and between the left and right opposing edges, the rear edge
being
between and adjacent the left and right opposing edges, at least two edges of
said central
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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portion being adjacent edges in which each of the at least two of the edges
have the one
or more flaps attached to said central portion by articulations, each groove
of the plurality
of grooves extending between the at least two edges that are adjacent to the
edges having
the one or more flaps, wherein each of the articulations has a given length
and wherein
each groove of said plurality of grooves does not terminate within the given
length of the
articulation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an object is to provide
a wedge
article for immobilizing one or more objects that are placed in a box having a
bottom and
at least four side walls, the one or more objects forming an upper surface
opposite the
bottom of the box, the wedge article comprising:
a sheet having a central portion of a polygonal shape that is generally square
or
rectangular, said central portion having dimensions corresponding to the
bottom of the
box, said sheet having one or more flaps on each of at least two edges of said
central
portion, the one or more flaps attached by an articulation to said central
portion so as to
allow movement of the one or more flaps to conform against the sidewalls of
the box so
as to fasten the wedge article on the sidewalls of the box after the wedge
article has been
pushed down into the box, said central portion having a plurality of grooves
of curved or
straight segments of folding lines within said central portion to facilitate a
deformation of
the wedge article to conform to a shape of the upper surface, said plurality
of grooves
terminating at a periphery of said central portion, said plurality of grooves
not parallel with
the edges of said central portion and not all parallel with each other, said
sheet comprising
parallel flutes, at least some of the articulations are not parallel to said
flutes, the
articulations that are not parallel to said flutes are preceded and followed
by curved
segment at the periphery of said central portion and adjacent a respective
articulation.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an object is to
provide a wedge
article for immobilizing one or more objects that are placed in a box having a
bottom and
at least four side walls, the one or more objects forming an upper surface
opposite the
bottom of the box, the wedge article comprising:
a sheet having a central portion of a polygonal shape that is generally square
or
rectangular, said central portion having dimensions corresponding to the
bottom of the
box, said sheet having one or more flaps on each of at least two edges of said
central
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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portion, the one or more flaps attached by an articulation to said central
portion so as to
allow movement of the one or more flaps to conform against the sidewalls of
the box so
as to fasten the wedge article on the sidewalls of the box after the wedge
article has been
pushed down into the box, said central portion having a plurality of grooves
of curved or
straight segments of folding lines within said central portion to facilitate a
deformation of
the wedge article to conform to a shape of the upper surface, said plurality
of grooves
terminating at a periphery of said central portion, said plurality of grooves
not parallel with
the edges of said central portion and not all parallel with each other, said
sheet comprising
a homogenous non-fluted material, the articulation being preceded and followed
by curved
segments at the periphery of said central portion and adjacent a respective
articulation.
Other possible aspect(s), object(s), embodiment(s), variant(s) and/or
advantage(s) of the
present invention, all being preferred and/or optional, are briefly summarized
hereinbelow.
For example, a possible solution to the problem at hand consists of creating a
wedge
allowing to block objects, in particular unusually shaped objects, in a box
featuring a
bottom and at least four faces or side walls connected to said bottom by
folding lines or
articulations, this wedge being constituted by a sheet of cardboard,
corrugated board or
other equivalent rigid and flexible material, featuring a central portion of
polygonal shape,
for example square or rectangular, of dimensions essentially equivalent to
those of the
bottom of the box, said central portion being attached, on at least two of its
parallel sides
to at least one and preferably several flexible flaps, by means of folding
lines or
articulations, said wedge being especially noteworthy in that its central
portion features
several grooves (also called channels and constituted by curved or straight
segments
along which the material is crushed and its thickness reduced), the two ends
of which
terminate at the periphery of said central portion and, preferably, at the
ends of the
articulations between the various flaps and said central portion or outside of
said
articulations, these grooves not being parallel to each other, nor to the long
sides of the
central portion of the wedge, nor to the short sides of said central portion.
According to an advantageous arrangement, the ends of the grooves terminate on
two
adjacent sides of the central portion of the wedge sheet.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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Advantageously, when the material used is corrugated board or any other
material with a
corrugated sheet, the articulations which are parallel to the flute, between
the various flaps
and the central portion, are not contiguous but are preceded and succeeded by
straight
or curved segments belonging to the periphery of the central portion of said
wedge and
essentially tangent to said articulations.
Advantageously, when the material used is corrugated board or any other
material with a
corrugated sheet, the articulations which are not parallel to the flute (or,
if the material is
homogenous, all articulations), between the various flaps and the central
portion, are not
contiguous but are preceded and followed by straight or curved segments the
ends of
which are essentially tangent to the periphery of said flaps at the points of
intersection with
said articulations.
From these arrangements, it results that the wedge can be made of a sturdy
rigid and
resistant material but that it can nevertheless be deformed, without exerting
a very great
effort, by folding the material around grooves which have been made on the
central portion
of said wedge. In an advantageous implementation, said central portion
features also a
score for starting a tear (constituted by a succession of curved or straight
segments along
which the material is perforated over all or part of its thickness) which
delimits a closed
contour with small surface.
Advantageously, said central portion features also other perforations spread
out over the
surface of said central portion beginning at the small closed contour of the
score for
starting a tear.
These other perforations delimit tear tabs for obtaining, by simple traction,
a large opening
of the central portion of the wedge, thus giving access to the articles
located inside the
box.
Advantageously, when the material used is corrugated board or any other
material with a
corrugated sheet, the articulations which are parallel to the flute, between
the different
flaps and the central portion, are characterized by the superposition of a
groove, and, on
at least a portion of the articulation, of a perforation, without these
perforations reaching
the end of said articulations.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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It ensues also that it is possible to proceed to the opening of the wedge by
removing
material located inside of the closed contour with a small surface; this
removal can be
made by pushing said material in or by tearing it out.
It is then possible to proceed to the removal of a large part of the central
portion of said
wedge by tearing up the material along the score lines which are spread out
over the
surface of said central portion and that it is thus possible to easily access
the objects which
had previously been placed inside the box.
It follows, on the other hand, that the flaps which are connected to the
possibly present
flute, can be easily and precisely turned down along the perforations which
have been
made at said articulations, in the alignment of the periphery of said central
portion, but that
these articulations are not overly made brittle to the extent that the end of
said perforations
is distanced from the end of said articulations.
And it also follows that the articulations which are not perpendicular to the
flute (or, if the
material is homogenous, all the articulations) between the flaps and said
central portion
are not made brittle to the extent where the end of said articulations is not
tangential to
the periphery of the material.
Thus, thanks to the invention, one has at one's disposal a wedge for perfectly
immobilizing,
in a stable manner, the objects inside the box, without exerting a high
constraint on said
objects and while producing an ecological packaging which can be easily
recycled after
use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The advantages obtained by this invention will be better understood through
the following
description which refers to the attached drawings illustrating, without being
in any way
limiting, a particular implementation of a wedge according to the invention.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an empty box usable for wedging objects with a
wedge
according to the invention, shown without its lid.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wedging element according to the invention,
before use.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wedge according to the invention, the flaps
of which have
been turned down before its insertion in the box to wedge objects.
FIG. 4 is a plan view, with partial removal, of a wedge according to the
invention.
FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detail and plan views of four different zones of a
wedge according
to the invention.
Reference to said drawings is made to describe an advantageous, although by no
means
limiting, example of production of a fastening wedge of the objects placed in
a box,
according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a type of box 1 which is composed of a bottom le and of four side
walls la,
lb, lc, and Id, this type of box being in current use for shipping parcels
containing various
articles of different shapes which, when placed in the box, may present a very
uneven
upper surface.
According to the example shown, the bottom le has a rectangular shape so that
the box
provided with this bottom has the shape of a parallelepiped rectangle. It is
shown that,
according to this example, the side walls la and lc are parallel to the width
of the box 1
and that the side walls lb and Id are parallel to the length of the box 1.
It is emphasized that the bottom and the side walls could have a different
shape, for
example a square shape or a generally square or rectangular shape with cut
angles.
This box 1 may be produced of solid fiber, corrugated board or any other
equivalent
sheeted material presenting the required qualities of rigidity and folding
possibilities.
FIG. 2 shows a wedge produced according to the invention. Said wedge 2
features a
central portion 2k of shape and dimensions essentially equivalent to those of
the bottom
le of the box 1, so it can slide without any notable play between the side
walls of said box
when it is pushed into the latter. Said wedge 2 also features flexible flaps
2a, 2h, 2c, 2d,
2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i, and 2j.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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Said wedge 2 may be constituted by a rigid sheet made of rigid and deformable
board,
corrugated board or of any other equivalent sheeted material identical or not
to that of
which the boxes are made that are likely to receive such a wedging element.
Shown are the articulations of the flaps constituted by grooves or channels
3a, 3h, 3c, 3d,
3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 31, and 3] which connect said flaps to said central portion.
Also shows are
grooves 4a, 4h, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, and 4j that said flaps are
equipped with, parallel
to said articulations. It is known that said grooves 4a, 4h, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f,
4g, 4h, 4i, and 4]
constitute folding lines which allow reducing the surface of said flaps that
is applied against
the inside face of said four side walls for the benefit of the surface put
into contact with
said pile of objects when it is not plane and has therefore a surface larger
than that of said
central portion 2k.
FIG. 3 shows said wedge 2 made according to the invention, constituted by the
central
portion 2k and the flexible flaps 2a, 2h, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i, and 2j.
On this figure,
said flaps have been turned upward around said articulations 3a, 3h, 3c, 3d,
3e, 3f, 3g,
3h, 3i, and 3j.
Shown are glue lines 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, and 5g, deposited respectively of the
outside face of
said flaps 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, and 2g, intended to be applied against the side
walls of the box,
when the wedge element has been pushed into the latter.
It is clear that glue lines or points (not shown) are also deposited on said
flaps 2a, 2h, 2h,
2i, and 2j.
It is known that after insertion of said wedge 2 in the box 1, [after] putting
said wedge in
contact with said pile of objects positioned in said box, and deformation of
said wedge 2
to optimally adapt to the shape of the upper face of said pile of objects,
said flaps find
themselves turned down and flattened against the inside face of the side walls
la, lb, lc,
and Id of said box I.
It is also known that there are means other than gluing to firmly attach said
flaps to said
side walls, such as stapling, fitting material parts into each other or any
other means to
obtain an equivalent result.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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FIG. 4 also shows said wedge 2 produced according to the invention, and shown
in the
flat, before folding and raising the peripheral flaps.
One sees the central portion 2k and the flexible flaps 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f,
2g, 2/i, 2i, and
2] connected to said central portion 2k by means of the articulations 3a, 3b,
3c, 3d, 3e, 3f,
3g, 3h, 31, and 3j.
According to a first characteristic arrangement of the invention, the central
portion 2k of
the sheet features a plurality of grooves 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d constituted by curved
and straight
segments along which the material the sheet is made of, is crushed and its
thickness
reduced. The two end or each groove 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d end at the periphery or in
proximity
of the periphery of said central portion 2 k of said sheet; on the other hand,
the two ends
of this groove or of each groove end, preferably, at the end of the
articulations 3a, 3b, 3c,
3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i, and 3] between said flexible flaps and said central
portion 2k, or
outside of said articulations.
According to the invention, the grooves 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d are not parallel to
each other, nor
to the sides of the central portion 2k of the sheet 2 (in the case of a
central portion of
square shape), nor with the long sides of the central portion 2k of the plate
2, nor with the
short sides of said central portion (in the case of a central portion of
rectangular shape).
According to an advantageous arrangement, the two ends of each groove 6a, 6b,
6c, 6d
end on two adjacent sides, respectively 3j-31-3h 3g-3f; 3g-3f 3e-3d-3c; 3e-3d-
3c 3b-3a;
3b-3a 3j-3i-3h, of the central portion 2k of the wedge 2.
The two ends of each groove 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d end at the ends of the
articulations 3a, 3b, 3c,
3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i, 3] between the flexible flaps and the central portion,
or outside of
said articulations.
Said groove 6a has one end essentially merged with one of the ends of said
articulations
3d and 3e of said flaps 2d and 2e and its other end terminates between the
ends of said
articulations 3f and 3g of said flaps 2f and 2g and away from the ends of two
successive
articulations. Likewise, said groove 6b has one end which terminates between
the ends
of said articulations 3f and 3g of said flaps 2f and 2g and away from the ends
of said
successive articulations and its other end is essentially merged with one of
the ends of
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
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said articulations 3h and 3! of said flaps 2h and 2i, said groove 6c has one
end essentially
merged with of the ends of said articulations 3! and 3] of said flaps 2! and
2] and away
from the ends of said successive articulations and its other end terminates
between the
ends of said articulations 3a and 3h of said flaps 2a and 2h, and said groove
6d has one
end which terminates between the ends of said articulations 3a and 3h of said
flaps 2a
and 2h and away from the ends of said successive articulations and its other
end
essentially merged with one of the ends of said articulations 3c and 3d of
said flaps 2c
and 2d.
It is understood that the grooves 6a, 6h, 6c, and 6d constitute folding lines
for said central
portion 2k, which facilitate the deformation of said wedge 2 which can assume
a large
variety of shapes in order to conform optimally to the shape of the upper
surface of said
pile of objects, in particular when said wedge is made of a sturdy and rigid
material.
As indicated previously, the central portion 2k of the sheet could feature
channels of
diverse shapes adapted to specific articles to be expedited and shipped in the
boxes.
One also sees, on FIG. 4, the score 7, in the form of a non-circular ring.
This score 7 is
constituted by a succession of straight or curved segments along which the
material is
scored over all or part of its thickness. Said score 7 delimits a closed
contour of small
surface. One understands that the portion of material included in this closed
contour is
attached to said central portion 2k but can easily be detached from said
central portion 2k
by pushing said material in or by tearing it out.
One also sees on FIG. 4 the score groups 8a, 8h, 8c, and 8d. One understands
that, when
the portion of material included in the closed contour delimited by said score
7 has been
detached, it is possible to open said central portion 2k, by exerting traction
beginning at
the opening caused by tearing away the portion of material delimited by the
score 7, so
as to detach and lift the material tabs 14a,14b, comprised between the pairs
of score 8a,
8h and 8c, 8d, and thereby to open a large part of the central portion 2k, one
now has
easy access to the articles previously placed in the box.
One also sees, on FIG. 4, the zones A, B, C, and D. These zones of said wedge
2 are
shown in greater detail on FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
15
Finally FIG. 4 shows zone E. In the particular presentation mode shown by FIG.
4, the
material used for the creation of said wedge 2 consists of corrugated board or
another
material integrating an undulated sheet. Said zone E shows a "peel-away" view
of said
wedge 2 which reveals the flute of said material.
One sees that in the particular presentation mode of FIG. 4, the articulations
3a, 3h, 3f,
and 3g are parallel to the flutes 15 of the corrugated board sheet, whereas
the articulations
3c, 3d, 3e, 3h, 3i, and 3] are perpendicular to said flutes 15.
FIG. 5 shows in detail zone A of said wedge 2 produced according to the
invention. This
figure shows the central portion 2k and the flexible flap 2f. FIG. 5 also
shows the
articulation 3f which connects said flap 2f to said central portion 2k.
It is known that said articulation 3f is parallel to the flute of the material
used for the creation
of said wedge 2 when it is made of corrugated board, and FIG. 5 also shows
that said
articulation 3f is constituted by the superposition of a groove 9f and a score
10f, itself
constituted by a succession of straight segments along which the material has
been
scored over all or part of its thickness.
One understands that the articulations 3a, 3h, and 3g, parallel to the flute
of the material
used for the creation of said wedge 2, are themselves constituted by the
superposition of
a groove and a score.
FIG. 6 shows in detail zone B of said wedge 2 created according to the
invention. FIG. 6
shows the central portion 2k and the flexible flap 2j. FIG. 6 also shows the
articulation 3]
which connects said flap 2] to said central portion 2k. FIG. 6 also shows the
flexible flap
2a and the articulation 3a which connects said flap 2a to said central portion
2k.
FIG. 6 also shows point 11ja which corresponds to one of the angles of the
rectangle
formed by said central portion 2k in the particular representation mode shown.
One sees
that said point 11ja is located at the intersection of the straight lines
aligned on said
articulations 3] and 3a. The same is true with respect to the angles of the
rectangle located
respectively at the intersection of the straight lines aligned on said
articulations 3b and 3c,
3e and 3f, and 3g and 3h.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
16
FIG. 6 also shows the point 3ja which corresponds to one of the two ends of
articulation
3j. Then again, one knows that said articulation 3] is perpendicular to the
flute of the
material used for the creation of said wedge 2.
FIG. 6 also shows the curved segment 13ja which belongs to the periphery of
said central
portion 2k. The characteristic of said segment 13ja is that it is tangential
to the periphery
of said flexible flap 2] at point 3ja. One realizes that thanks to this
characteristic said
articulation 3] is prevented from becoming brittle by the creation of a
starting point of a
fracture at point 3ja. One understands that other curved segments similar to
segment 13ja
are likewise tangents to the periphery of said flexible flaps 2c, 2e, and 2h.
FIG. 6 also shows that said articulation 3a is constituted by the
superposition of a groove
9a and a score 10a.
FIG. 6 also shows the point 3 aj which corresponds to one of the two ends of
the
articulation 3a.
It should also be remembered that according to one implementation said
articulation 3a is
parallel to the flute of the material used for the production of said wedge 2.
FIG. 6 also shows the straight segment 12ajwhich belongs to the periphery of
said central
portion 2k. A characteristic of said segment 12aj is that it is tangential to
said articulation
3a at the point 3aj. It is clear that this characteristic facilitates the
folding of said flap 2a
along said groove 9a and said score 10a beginning at point 3aj.
It is clear that other straight segments similar to segment 12aj are,
likewise, tangential to
said articulations 3b, 3f, and 3g.
FIG. 7 shows in detail the zone C of said wedge 2 produced according to
another
implementation of the invention. This figure shows the central portion 2k and
the flexible
flap 2a. FIG. 7 also shows the articulation 3a constituted by the
superposition of the groove
9a and the score 10a which connects said flap 2a to said central portion 2k.
FIG. 7 also
shows the flexible flap 2b and the articulation 3b constituted by the
superposition of the
groove 9b and the score 10b which connects said flap 2b to said central
portion 2k
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
17
It should also be remembered that said articulations 3a and 3b are parallel to
the flute of
the material used for the production of said wedge 2.
FIG. 7 also shows the grooves 6c and 6d made on said central portion 2k and it
can be
seen that the ends of said grooves 6c and 6d are located in the same zone as
the end
3ab of the articulation 3a and as the end 3ba of the articulation 3b, but
outside of said
articulations.
FIG. 7 also shows the straight segment 12ab which belongs to the periphery of
said central
portion 2k. The characteristic of said segment 12ab is that it is tangential
to said
articulation 3a, at point 3ab, and to be also tangential to said articulation
3b, at point 3ba.
It is clear that this characteristic facilitates the folding of said flap 2a
along said groove 9a
and said score 10a, beginning at point 3ab as well as folding of said flap 2b
along said
groove 9b and said score 10b, beginning at point 3ba.
It is clear that another straight segment similar to segment 12 ab is,
likewise, tangential to
articulations 3 f and 3 g.
FIG. 8 shows, in detail, the zone D of said wedge 2 produced according to
another
example of implementation of the invention. This figure shows the central
portion 2k and
the flexible flap 2h. FIG. 8 also shows the articulation 3h which connects
said flap 2h to
said central portion 2k. FIG. 8 also shows the flexible flap 2! and the
articulation 3! which
connects said flap 21 to said central portion 2k
It should also be remembered that said articulations 3h and 31 are
perpendicular to the
flute of the material used for the production of said wedge 2.
FIG. 8 also shows the groove 6b made on said central portion 2k and it shows
that the
end of said groove 6b is situated in the same zone as the end 3h1 of the
articulation 3h
and as the end 31h of the articulation 31, but outside of said articulations.
FIG. 8 also shows the curved segment 13hi which belongs to the periphery of
said central
portion 2k. It is characteristic of said segment 13hi to be tangential to the
periphery of said
flexible flap 2h at point 3ih. One realizes that thanks to this characteristic
said articulations
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
18
3h and 3! are prevented from becoming brittle by the creation of a starting
point of a
fracture at points 3h1 and 31h.
It is clear that other curved segments similar to segment 13hi are, likewise,
tangential to
the periphery of said flexible flaps 2! and 2j, 2c and 2d, and 2d and 2e.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-07-30
