Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 03008339 2018-06-13
1
STACKABLE BOX
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a stackable box for a variety of products,
primarily
fresh food (vegetables, breads, fruits, fish, etc.), which can be fitted into
other similar boxes
when it is empty.
State of the Art
Rectangular boxes made of plastic material and without a top lid used for
loading
fresh food such as vegetables, fish, etc. are known in the state of the art.
To that end, there
are arranged on a side of the loading point, filled, and transported to the
next location,
usually a logistics center, a food market, etc. Once empty, they must return
to the starting
location to initiate the cycle again.
These empty boxes must be able to be piled up with minimum space. To that end,
asymmetrical boxes have been developed, such that when the upper box has the
same
orientation as the lower box, it is introduced therein, reducing the total
volume, but when it
is rotated, it is supported on the upper part thereof, which allows arranging
boxes that are
full with alternating orientations in columns without affecting the content.
A system capable of obtaining those same advantages but by moving only small
elements instead of the entire box which can be quite heavy when it is full is
also known.
This system is advantageous as it solves the preceding problems, although it
is still
susceptible to improvement. Specifically, the flaps project from the sides
when the box is
open, increasing the space used in the transport thereof, and causing the most
fragile part of
the box to be arranged in a cantilever manner.
Patent document GB 2289884 A discloses a stackable box comprising a box body,
with a base and corresponding side walls, and with the upper part open. The
box body has an
inverted truncated pyramid shape which allows the fitting thereof into another
similar
stackable box, constituting a nested arrangement. The stackable box includes a
pair of
CA 03008339 2018-06-13
2
foldable flaps located in the upper part of at least two of the facing side
walls. The flaps are
movable by means of articulated attachments the rotating shafts of which are
arranged in a
cantilever manner with respect to the side walls between a first position, in
which the flaps
are arranged horizontally on the inside of the box, and a second position, in
which the flaps
they are arranged under the vertical projection of the support wall supporting
the box body
and close to the side wall.
According to the mentioned patent document GB 2289884 A, when the flaps are in
the first position, the flaps act as a support for another similar stackable
box that is arranged
on top. When the flaps are in the second position, the box body can be fitted
into the box
body of another similar stackable box with a part of the flaps inserted
between the side wall
of the upper box and the side wall of the lower box, which changes the height
of the nested
arrangement with respect to a hypothetical nested arrangement of the same box
bodies
without flaps.
Disclosure of the Invention
The invention consists of a stackable box according to the claims. The
invention
solves the problems of the state of the art with its different embodiments
The stackable box has an inverted truncated pyramid shape and comprises a box
body, with a base and respective walls. The box body has the upper part open,
and there are
arranged in at least one pair of facing walls respective foldable flaps in the
upper part. The
flaps have a first position in which they are arranged horizontally on the
inside of the box,
and a second position in which they are arranged outside the vertical
projection of the box
body. In other words, in a first position, they make the upper opening of the
box body
smaller to prevent the entry and fitting of a second similar box, whereas in
the second
position, they do not prevent the entry but rather is located close to the
outer part of the
corresponding wall. The flaps are therefore located such that they adhere to
or converge with
the walls, below the support wall, without increasing the space used by the
box.
CA 03008339 2018-06-13
3
The box body therefore has an angle of inclination in each wall, which will
preferably be the same, and a thickness of the wall. The width of the flaps,
measured from
the articulation to the wall to the free end will be such that the projection
over the horizontal
of the flap in the second position (or the open position) is approximately the
thickness of the
upper edge of the corresponding support wall.
As will be shown below, this thickness will be measured from the rotating
shaft of
the flap to the inner side of the wall. To facilitate same, the box may have
an upper rim
which increases the thickness of the wall in the upper part, and allows
arranging the
articulation of the flap in a cantilever manner.
This width of the flaps allows the nested arrangement to be the same or
similar, in
position, to a hypothetical nested arrangement of the independent box bodies.
In other
words, it does not change the height or the width of the nested arrangement.
The flap can be attached to its respective wall through one or more hinges or
through
one or more thin strips made of the same material, produced during box
manufacture
(generally by the injection of plastics). This second type of attachment is
generally referred
to as "film attachment" and the flap and the corresponding wall therein in
fact form a single
body.
The flaps preferably have respective locking flanges on the walls contiguous
to the
one supporting the flap.
Likewise, the flap can have protrusions and notches complementary to the
notches
and protrusions made in the base of the box body. The flaps can also have ribs
to increase
their strength or favor the fall of the product.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The following drawings are included to better understand the invention.
Figure 1 shows the view of two box models according to respective embodiments,
where Figure 1A shows the flaps in the closed position or first position, and
Figure 1B
shows the flaps in the open position or second position.
CA 03008339 2018-06-13
4
Figure 2 shows the detail of a third embodiment of the box with a hinge.
Figure 3 shows the detail of another embodiment of the box with a film.
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the stackable box,
where the posts and cut-out areas are seen.
Figure 5 shows the detail of several boxes of the embodiment with the flaps in
the
open position and nested together (Figure 5A) and in the closed position and
stacked on top
of one another (Figure 5B).
Figure 6 shows the section explaining the position of the flaps in the first
(closed)
position and in the second (open) position, where the difference in height in
both cases is
seen.
Embodiments of the Invention
An embodiment of the invention will be described briefly below as an
illustrative and
non-limiting example of said invention.
The box of the invention comprises a box body 1, the base of which usually has
a
rectangular or square shape, and with the upper part completely open, i.e.,
its walls 2 have
no element whatsoever protruding through the top part towards the inside of
the box, with
the exception of a possible reinforcement rib or the like which affects the
entire height. In
any case, the walls 2 must allow the box bodies 1 to fit into one another, for
which it is
preferable for the walls 2 to be slightly inclined, the box body 1 having an
inverted truncated
pyramid shape. The shape of the base of the pyramid is irrelevant, where it
can be any
polygon or curved figure.
There will be arranged in at least one pair of opposite walls 2 of the box
body 1
respective foldable flaps 3 which, in a first position or closed position, are
arranged almost
horizontally and on the inside of the box. In that first position (depicted in
Figure 1A), when
a box is placed on top of the other, the upper box will be supported on the
flaps 3 of the
lower box.
CA 03008339 2018-06-13
The flaps will have a second position or the open position (depicted in Figure
18) in
which they will be arranged outside the box, i.e., outside the vertical
projection of the box
body 1. Specifically, they will be arranged close to the corresponding wall 2
on the outer
part thereof. The flaps 3 may swing any number of degrees between the two
positions.
5 Therefore, the second position may be oriented downwards after a rotation
of more than
270 .
The flap 3 can be articulated to the corresponding wall 2 by means of one or
more
hinges 4 or by means of one or more thin strips 5 made of the same material of
the box.
Since it is thin, it will be flexible and allow both positions. This strip 5
must achieve a
balance between flexibility and breaking strength. When the attachment is by a
hinge 4, the
flaps 3 can be made of a material different from that used in the box body 1.
The part of the flap 3 contacting the walls 2 contiguous to the one supporting
it may
comprise one or more locking flanges 10. These locking flanges 10 make it
easier to
maintain the closed position of the flaps (Figure 1A) as long as no other box
is stacked on
top.
Protrusions 6 and/or notches 7 as well as ribs can be made in the flap 3 to
help
centering the upper box, which will have in the base thereof complementary
notches and
protrusions. In this manner, once a box is placed on top of the other, sliding
will not occur
because the protrusions 6 of the base have been introduced into the notches 7
of the flap 3
and/or vice versa.
Considering Figures 5 and 6, the size or width that the flaps 3 must have with
respect
to the support wall 2 is seen. It depends on the thickness of the wall 2 which
can be made
larger in the upper part thereof with a rim.
Preferably, it will be assured that manufacturing tolerances do not prevent
the nested
arrangement.
For the flap 3 to be perfectly hidden from sight, it is recommendable for the
shaft of
the articulation, i.e., either the hinge 4 or the strip 5, to be arranged in a
slightly cantilever
manner with respect to the wall 2.
CA 03008339 2018-06-13
6
A fastener may be arranged to assure the position between the flap 3 and the
corresponding wall 2, for example by means of collaboration between a
protrusion 6 in the
flap 3 and a point of the wall 2, among other solutions. It is also possible
for the flap 3 to be
fixed in place by the mere placement of the box in a nested position.
The box will be made of any suitable material and color, with thermoplastics
being
the most common material. It may also be made of other materials.
Reinforcement ribs,
lightening elements or openworks, handles, height recesses may also be placed
in the side
walls (cut-out areas), as is known in the state of the art, without those
applications deviating
from the invention. It is of special interest to make depressions and
protrusions in the walls 2
so as to increase the strength thereof, for example with corrugations or
posts, as well as to
provide cut-out areas 9: planar areas 11 without openworks or ribs therein for
placing labels
or card holders or for printing logotypes. The box can have rims or ribs in
the mouth and in
the base to increase its strength.
Likewise, the bottom may have openworks or through openings for the discharge
of
liquids or passage of air, or cavities or shaped recesses 8 for placing
products such as fruits
and vegetables. These shaped recesses 8 will be similar to the fruit or
element for which the
box is intended.
The invention is applicable to a box body 1 of any shape as long as it has two
parallel
opposite walls 2 for fixing the flaps 3.
