Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
1299148
The invention relates to a method for producing a
packaging unit comprising a plurality of folding boxes
designed to accommodate packaged articles.
In, for example, the electrotechnical industry,
appliances manufactured are always packaged in individual
boxes. The resulting boxes are then generally placed in
larger boxes and are arranged in rows, side-by-side or one
above -the other, to form a large packaging unit, in oraer to
facilitate storage, transportation and dispatcn. Produc-
tion, filling and closing of the individual boxes involves aconsiderable amount of labour and time. In addition to
this, the individual boxes must then be sorted or grouped
together and counted when an order is to be prepared for
shipping. The large number of different electrotechnical
appliances now available leads to major problems in storage
if individual boxes must be counted in order to determine
the stock. Individual boxes also have to be opened and then
closed again for inspection purposes, for example in the
transit stage. Finally, it is also inconvenient for the
ultimate consumer to have to open each box by hand in order
to remove each appliance for further processing. These
awkward and time-consuming production and handling methods,
resulting from individu~l packaging, do not arise only in
connection with electrical appliances, but also in many
other technical fields and even in the packing of
commodities in daily use.
It is therefore the purpose of the invention to
provide a method for producing a packaging unit comprising a
plurality of folding boxes whereby, on the one hand, produc-
tion of the unit is substantially simplified and whereby,
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the other hand, storage, shipping and, finally, handling en
route and on the ultimate consumer's premises is also
facilitated.
In accordance with the invention there is provided
an arrangement for the multiple packaging of components
comprising a plurality of individual boxes, each said box
having four sides and two ends, one of said ends having a
pivotal flap formed therein for sealing said end and the
other end comprising an open area communica-ting with the
interior of each said box and opposite said end with said
pivotal flap; each said individual box arranged such that
said open ends are on a common side and each box having at
least one of said sides adjacent another side of another box
such that the boxes form a singular array; a U-shaped member
having a middle section corresponding in shape to the open
areas of the aligned boxes and two end sections projecting
from the middle section on opposite sides thereof and at
right angles thereto such that the end sections overlap
opposite sides of the boxes and the middle section is adja-
cent and over an open area of each said box, and means foradhering the end sections of the U-shaped member to the
sides of the boxes, said U-shaped member having individual
score lines formed therein and corresponding with the sides
of the individual boxes such that once said U-shaped member
is adhered to the boxes, individual boxes or groups of boxes
may be broken away from the remaining box or group of boxes
by breaking the U-shaped member at the score lines.
Also in accordance with the invention there is
provided a packaging arrangement for uniformly sealing a
plurality of aligned individual boxes to form a single
multiple packing array, where each said box has an open end
1299141~
and a closed end, said apparatus comprising a rectangular
sheet having a middle section and two end sections project-
ing at opposite ends therefrom, said middle section defined
by a pair of parallel fold lines formed therein, such that
said sheet when folded about said fold lines, at right
angles to the middle section, forms a substantially U-shaped
member with said middle section forming a plane correspond-
ing in dimension to the dimension of the aligned open ends
of said boxes; said rectangular sheet having formed therein
means for separating the rectangular sheet at predetermined
sections, each said section corresponding in dimension to
the dimension of an individual box in the packaging array;
whereby the U-shaped member may be placed over the open ends
of the plurality of boxes and adhered thereto to seal the
open ends of the boxes and form a sealed package
structurally supporting and sealing the individual boxes.
Further in accordance with the invention there is
provided a method for producing a packaging arrangement for
uniformly sealing a plurality of aligned individual boxes to
form a single multiple packaging array, where each said box
has an open end and a closed end, and including the steps
of:
arranying a plurality of said boxes in a row
closely side-by-side;
fitting a common cover to the open bottom of said
boxes and to two adjacent outer lateral sides after the
cover has been provided with perforations for the purpose of
breaking off folding boxes which remain closed;
~99~48
and wherein the perforations are provided in one
lateral part of the cover on each side of a longitudinal
strip extending over all the boxes in the packaging
arrangement.
The invention will be better understood by an
examination of the following description, toge-ther with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a blank of a
folding box;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a folding box in
an intermediate stage of the folding
process;
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a folding box
with the cover slightly open and the
bottom - at the top - open;
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a row of folding
boxes showing the cover before it is
fitted thereto;
FIGURE 5 is an end-elevation of a folding box and
cover in an intermediate stage before
being joined together;
FIGURE 6 is an end-elevation according to Figure
5, showing the folding box and covèr
assembled;
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1299148
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a packaging unit
in which the longitudinal strip is partly
torn off and some of the folding boxes
are open; and
FIGURE 8 is a perspective view showing the manner
in which individual folding boxes are
broken off the packaging unit.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a blank 1 for a
folding box which has the advantage of being stamped out of
pasteboard or, in the case of larger boxes, out of cardboard
or, if necessary, out of strip-plastic or some other suit-
able strip material. The same materials may also be used
for the blank of cover 22 which will be explained herein-
after. Blank 1 comprises four wall parts 2,3,4 and 5 and a
cover 9. A push-in tab 10 is made integral with cover 9.
Small notches 19,20 are provided at the end of fold-line 18
between cover 9 and push-in tab 10. Cover tabs 7,8 are
integral with wall parts 3,5 adjacent wall part 2 of cover
9. Finally, an edge tab 6 is integral with wall part 2, so
that the edges of blank 1, which are adjacent after box 21
has been folded (Figure 3), can be connected together by
means of the said edge tab and adhesive, as shown in Figures
3 and ~. This blank 1, with the parts indicated herein-
before, may be produced in a single stamping operation.
Fold lines 11 to 18, shown dotted, are provided between
individual parts. These fold lines may be produced during
the stamping operation, or in a separate operation by light
pressure with the edge of a press-tool or by grooving, in
order to ensure accurately folded boxes. Folding may also
be completely automatic. The same also applies to the
application of glue for the gluing of edge tab 6.
~299148
A significant factor in connection with the fold-
ing boxes produced in accordance with the invention is that
the said boxes, as such, have no bottoms, i.e., that the
bottoms remain open.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a folding box,
cover 9 and tab 10 being shown at the bottom in the slightly
open position. Prior to any further processing, however,
the cover is closed by means of the tab. Boxes 21, thus
prepared, are then preferably arranged in a row loosely
side-by-side wlth the open bottom at the top and this may
also be accomplished completely automatically. It has been
found particularly advantageous to combine ten folding boxes
into one packaging unit.
As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the open bottoms and
the two adjacent outer lateral walls 3,5 are enclosed by a
common cover 22. This cover is made from a rectangular
blank which is provided, at the edges visible in Figure 4,
with fold lines corresponding to Figure 1, thus allowing the
blank to be folded into a profile having a U-shaped cross-
section as shown in Figure 4. The said U-shaped profile has
a bottom part 23 corresponding to the total area of the open
bottoms of folding boxes 21 arranged side-by-side. Located
at the two longitudinal edges (fold lines) of bottom part 23
are lateral parts 24,25 which completely cover outer lateral
walls 3 and S of folding boxes 21. The cover is provided
with perforations 26,27 and 28 which may be applied during
the stamping operation. These perforations lie in the
planes corresponding to the intermediate planes between two
adjacent folding boxes, and in such a manner that the said
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boxes can be broken oEf the packaging unit individually or
in groups and in the closed condition, as will be explained
in greater detail hereinafter.
One particularly advantageous conriguration of the
packaging unit according to the invention consists in the
provision, at one lateral part 24 of cover 22, of a longi-
tudinal strip 29 which extends over all of the folding boxes
in the packaging unit. The said longitudinal strip arises
from perforations 30,31 on both sides which are preferably
in the form of toothed perforations, as shown quite clearly
in Figures 4, 7 and 8. Like perforations 26 to 28, per~
forations 30 and 31 may be produced during the operation of
stamping out the blank for the cover.
In order to obtain a packaging unit from the fold-
ing boxes arranged loosely side-by-side according to Figure
4, common cover 22 must be connected to all of the boxes in
the packaging unit. This is preferably accomplished by
means of layers of adhesive 32 and 33 which are applied,
according to Figures 5 and 6, between lateral parts 24 and
25 of cover 22, on the one hand, and outer lateral walls 3,5
of folding boxes 21 on the other hand. Adhesive layer 32
covers the whole area between lateral part 25 of cover 22
and adjacent lateral walls 5 of the folding boxes. Between
the other lateral part 24 and lateral walls 3 a layer of
adhesive is applied only in the area between longitudinal
strip 29 and the outer edge of lateral part 24. Late al
part strip 34 (Figure 5) of part 24 thus carries no layer
adhesive and strip 29 is therefore not glued to toothed
perforations 30 and 31. It is desirable for the said strip
to be staggered eccentrically in lateral part 24 of cover 22
1299~48
in an upward direction according to Figure 7, in such a
manner that a narrow edge part 35 remains between strip 29
and bottom paxt 23.
Above-mentioned perforations 26 to 28 and 30,31
may be in the form of rows of punched holes. However, the
said perforations are preferably cut or slotted, in such a
manner that, in spite of the objects contained in the
packaging unit, the latter does not break or open locally in
an unwanted manner during normal handling.
As will readily be understood from the foregoing,
a packaging unit is produced mainly by first preparing
blanks for the folding boxes and blanks for the cover com-
prising fold lines and perforations. This is followed by
folding the boxes and arranging them in a row one behind the
other. The cover is then also folded, is preferably pro-
vided with the layers of adhesive as described hereinbefore,
ls fitted to the folding boxes, and is finally connected
thereto to form a packaging unit. Before fitting the cover,
it is desirable to place the articles to be packaged in the
individual boxes, the said boxes being set up with the cover
at the bottom and the open bottoms at the top. The articles
to be packaged can then be in-troduced into the boxes fully
automatically through the open bottoms. All of the boxes
are completely closed as soon as the cover is fitted.
The packaging unit described hereinbefore offers a
variety of advantages. In the first place it is substan-
tially easier to handle than existing folding boxes, as
already explained at the beginning hereof. A single box can
be broken off the packaging unit at transverse perforations
26 to 28 and, in this condition, the folding box still
remains ciosed on all sides, but may be opened by opening
12991a~8
cover 9 and cover tabs 7,8 in order tO remove the packaged
article. Instead of this, however, a related group of boxes
may be broken off the packaging uni-t. It is aiso possible,
especially for purposes of inspection, but also when it is
desired to open up the whole packaging unit quickly - and
this applies more particularly to the ultimate consumer
involved in processing -the packaged articles, i.e. electro-
technical appliances - to separate longitudinal strip 29,
partly or whol]y, with the aid of perforations 30,31, as
shown in Figure 7. This releases bottom parts 23 and edge
parts 35 and these can be folded open - jointly if perfora-
tions 27 are not torn, or individually if bottom parts 23
are separated from each other by opening perforations 27
(Figure 7). If the longitudinal strip is completely
removed, the packaging unit still remains as such because
remaining lateral parts 24 and 25 still hold the folding
boxes together. It is possible, merely by rotating the
packaging unit, to open bottom parts 23 individually or
jointly, thus allowing the packaged articles to fall out.
When longitudinal strip 29 is torn off merely to check the
packaging unit as a whole, edge parts 35 of bottom parts 23,
like cover 9, may be closed again by means of push-in tab
10 .
Although a particular embodiment has been des-
cribed, this was for the purpose of illustrating, but not
limiting, the invention. Various modifications, which will
come readily to the mind of one skilled in the art, are
within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended
claims.
