Patent Application
20240051704
The present invention relates to a container for the storage of a plurality of windows for household appliances, for example portholes for washing machines, dryers or washer-dryers. In particular, the present invention relates to the production of a container for the storage of a porthole made of glass (or a transparent material) for the front opening of a washing machine, dryer or washer-dryer.
The invention also relates to a method for piling a plurality of portholes.
However, the present invention could also be applied to any type of body to be piled having a perimeter flange and a projecting cap so as to form a substantially “cover-like” shape.
Currently, in the glass sector, the production of portholes for washing machines involves the final step of boxing in which the operators usually form piles generally of four or five portholes to be subsequently arranged in standard boxes which are commonly found on the market.
Sometimes, to keep the portholes in a stable position inside the box, the operators tend to form piles which have a slightly greater height than that of the box so that the walls of the latter compress and keep the portholes still in that position.
However, in this way, the box is not perfectly square as at least its face has a convexity towards the outside which makes the vertical piling of the boxes with one another not very stable. Consequently, such type of piling is generally avoided as the risk of the contents falling and breaking is extremely high.
Therefore, to be able to form transportable pallets, the operators usually arrange the boxes vertically so that the cap faces sideways rather than up or down. However, this arrangement of the boxes implies that the portholes are arranged laterally, discharging their weight on the only point of contact of their perimeter edge.
Therefore, this latter arrangement of the boxes is not free from drawbacks.
In fact, as well as discharging the weight at a perimeter point of the porthole which is generally rather weak, when the portholes are arranged laterally, they are in an unstable position as their centre of gravity does not fall within the projection of the porthole itself. Consequently, despite the box which contains them being arranged on a flat face, the latter is not in a stable balanced condition and the risks of falling and breaking persist. Therefore, it is necessary to pile the porthole boxes by adopting special strategies so that they support each other.
Additionally, inside the boxes condensation is normally formed as the portholes are usually boxed when they are still at a temperature comprised between 60° C. and 80° C. As a result of the vertical positioning of the boxes, the condensation tends to affect the structure of the box itself which, being made of cardboard, is weakened and the possibility of breaking and falling is higher.
Finally, the insertion of pre-formed piles of portholes inside the boxes implies that the operators have to manage the portholes with difficulty, as the weight of such piles varies between 10 kilograms and 30 kilograms, causing physical fatigue, the risk of accidents and the risk of the portholes falling and breaking.
In this context, the technical task underpinning the present invention is to propose a container and a method for piling a plurality of windows for household appliances, in particular portholes, which obviate the above-cited drawbacks of the prior art.
In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a container for the storage of a plurality of windows for household appliances and a method for piling a plurality of windows for household appliances that guarantee maximum safety in the storage of the windows for household appliances themselves. Therefore, specifically, the invention sets out to guarantee that the operators can operate in maximum safety in order to prevent muscle fatigue and/or accidents and, additionally, to prevent damaging windows for household appliances as they are handled without difficulties.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container for the storage of a plurality of windows for household appliances which can enable easy stacking with other containers of windows for household appliances so as to form stable pallets that can be transported.
The stated technical task and specified objects are substantially achieved by a container and method for piling a plurality of windows for household appliances, which comprise the technical features disclosed in the independent claims. The dependent claims correspond to further advantageous aspects of the invention.
It should be highlighted that this summary introduces, in simplified form, a selection of concepts which will be further elaborated in the detailed description given below.
The invention relates to a container for the storage of a plurality of windows for household appliances (50) having a projecting portion surrounded by a perimeter flange, in particular portholes, piled onto one another along a piling direction.
In particular, the container comprises a side wall for laterally delimiting a containment volume for the plurality of windows for household appliances about said piling direction. The container has a main opening configured to enable the insertion and piling of each window for household appliances in the containment volume and, additionally, a bottom configured to define a support surface for at least one perimeter portion of a window for household appliances. Preferably, the side wall is interposed between said bottom and said main opening. The bottom has a secondary opening substantially afforded centrally with respect to the support surface so as to be able to be crossed by a projecting portion of a window for household appliances arranged outside the container. More precisely, the bottom has an own flap movable between a first closing position, wherein the flap closes at least partially the secondary opening, and a second opening position, wherein the flap is distanced from the bottom for leaving the secondary opening at least partly open.
In other words, the container is advantageously able to firmly contain inside it a pile of windows for household appliances and, at the same time, guarantee easy stacking with other containers.
More precisely, the pile of windows for household appliances is kept laterally still by the side wall and, at the same time, is supported by the support surface on which the entire weight is discharged in a uniform way so as to prevent easy breaking of the container itself.
Additionally, when various containers are stacked onto one another along the piling direction, the presence of a movable flap at the secondary opening enables the projecting portion of the windows for household appliances of the container arranged at the bottom (which exceeds the main opening) to extend beyond the secondary opening of the container arranged at the top, keeping the movable flap in the second opening position firmly between the two piles so as to define a shock absorbing layer. The invention also relates to a method for piling a plurality of windows for household appliances along a piling direction, which comprises the following operating steps:
In this way, the operators can move a single window for household appliances at a time easily and safely, forming a pile directly inside the container.
Furthermore, thanks to the presence of the movable flap, the stacking of various containers onto one another enables there to always be a flap interposed between two different piles of windows for household appliances so as to arrange a shock absorbing layer able to absorb impacts and/or vibrations due, for example, to transport.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the approximate, and hence non-limiting, description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of a container for the storage of a plurality of windows for household appliances, as illustrated in the appended drawings, in which:
With reference to the drawings, they serve solely to illustrate embodiments of the invention with the aim of better clarifying, in combination with the description, the inventive principles on which the invention is based.
The present invention relates to a container for the storage of a plurality of windows for household appliances which, with reference to
In
Any modifications or variants which, in the light of the description, are evident to the person skilled in the art, must be considered to fall within the scope of protection established by the present invention, according to considerations of technical equivalence.
In the present detailed description, reference is substantially made to windows for household appliances which have a projecting portion surrounded by a perimeter flange such as, for example, portholes for a washing machine, a dryer or a washer-dryer.
Generally, windows for household appliances 50 (and in particular portholes) have a substantially flat perimeter portion enveloping a central portion along an extension axis orthogonal to the lying plane of the perimeter portion. More precisely, the projecting central portion can have different configurations, e.g. it may be conformed like a substantially semi-spherical cap, like a truncated cone shaped cap, or like a projecting cap with a substantially central concave depression.
The perimeter portion can also have different perimeter extensions. In fact, it can have a circular, square, triangular or D shape, or irregular variants thereof.
Preferably, the bottom 4 has a secondary opening 6 substantially afforded in a central position with respect to the support surface 5 so as to be able to be crossed by a projecting portion 52 (or cap) of a window for household appliances 50 arranged outside the container 1.
In particular, the bottom 4 has an own flap 7 movable between a first closing position, wherein the flap 7 itself closes at least partially the secondary opening 6, and a second opening position, wherein the flap 7 itself is distanced from the bottom 4 for leaving the secondary opening 6 at least partly open.
In other words, the container 1 is configured to contain a plurality of windows for household appliances 50 piled along a piling direction L coinciding with the extension direction of the side wall 2 of the container 1 itself.
The main opening 3 enables an operator to insert each window for household appliances 50 into the containment volume household appliances, one at a time, directly piling them into the container 1 or all together already piled.
The bottom 4 which is opposite the main opening 3, defines the support surface 5 for supporting the pile of windows for household appliances 50. More precisely, the bottom 4 is conformed so that at least the perimeter portion 51 of the first window for household appliances 50 of the pile abuts on the support surface 50. In other words, the first window for household appliances is in direct contact with the support surface 5 of the bottom 4 on which it discharges its own weight and the weight of the remaining windows for household appliances 50 piled on top. Consequently, the projecting portion 52 of each window for household appliances extends along the piling direction L towards and beyond the main opening 3.
Advantageously, the bottom 4 comprises a flap 7 arranged at a central portion of the bottom 4 itself, substantially encircled by the support surface 5 at the convex portion 52 of the windows for household appliances 50.
Even more advantageously, the aforesaid flap 7 is movable between the first closing position, in which it is coplanar with the support surface 5 so that the bottom 4 is substantially flat, and the second opening position, in which the flap 7 is inclined with respect to the support surface 5 so as to open an access window, i.e. the secondary opening 6, useful to enable the passage of the projecting portion 52 of a window for household appliances 50 contained in a further container 1.
In this way, when two containers 1 are stacked onto one another along the piling direction L, the projecting portion 52 of the last window for household appliances 50 of the pile of the container 1 arranged below is able to move from the first closing position to the second opening position the flap 7 of the container 1 arranged above so that the flap 7 itself is interposed between the two piles of windows for household appliances 50 defining a shock absorbing layer against impacts and vibrations.
Preferably, the flap 7 is afforded by a notch in the bottom 4 of the container 1.
In fact, generally, between the windows for household appliances of the same pile a layer of paper or cardboard is interposed, which is useful for cushioning the vibrations due to transport that could chip and/or ruin the windows for household appliances as they are made of glass.
Even more preferably, the flap 7 is at least partially connected to the bottom 4 at a connection portion 9 from which it extends to a central zone 15 of the secondary opening 6 so as to cover at least part of the top of the projecting portion of the window of the household appliance during the piling of the container 1 itself. The central zone 15 is substantially the surface portion arranged around the intersection between the lying plane of the flap 7 (when in the first closing position) which virtually closes the secondary opening 6 and the axis orthogonal thereto in which the radii intersect (if the secondary opening 6 is circular/oval shaped) or the bisecting lines of the secondary opening 6 (if the latter is, respectively, circular/oval shaped or polygonal).
In this way, the flap 7 is easily movable between the first closing position and the second closing position and, furthermore, during the stacking of various containers onto one another it remains advantageously interposed between the two different piles of windows for household appliances 50.
Additionally, advantageously, the flap 7 has a surface extension such as to guarantee the overlapping with at least a central zone 15 of the secondary opening 6, at least when the flap 7 is arranged in the first closing position.
In this way, when a first container 1 is piled above a second container 1 the flap 7 is sufficiently large to be able to be interposed between a first window for household appliances 50 of the pile of the first container 1 and a last window for household appliances 50 of the pile of the second container 1, in particular between the projecting portions of the windows for household appliances 50 (concave side of one and convex side of the other). Advantageously, therefore, the flap 7 defines a separating layer between the windows for household appliances 50 arranged in different containers 1. Therefore, the flap 7 is able to absorb any impacts and prevent any direct friction between the windows for household appliances 50 which could cause aesthetic and/or structural defects.
According to one aspect of the invention (not illustrated), the flap 7 extends from the connection portion 9 to an edge of the secondary opening 6 arranged on the opposite side to the connection portion 9.
In this way, the flap 7 substantially defines a strip that crosses the secondary opening 6 from one side to the other, through the central zone 15 of the latter.
According to another aspect of the invention, the flap 7 has a surface area equal to at least half that of the secondary opening (6).
According to a further aspect of the invention, the flap 7 has a surface area substantially equivalent to that of the secondary opening 6.
In this way, a larger surface area of the flap 7 corresponds to a larger area of the bearing that can be interposed between the windows for household appliances 50 piled onto one another.
Preferably, the flap 7 is at least partially counter shaped with respect to the secondary opening 6 so as to overlap with at least the central zone 15 of the secondary opening 6 itself.
Even more preferably, the flap 7 is counter shaped with respect to the secondary opening 6 so as to close it completely at least in the first closing position.
In this way, when it is in the first closing position, the flap 7 is able to completely close the secondary opening 6.
In this way, the segment 8 connected to the support surface 5 defines the fulcrum for the movement between the first closing position and the second opening position, whereas the remaining segments 8, separated from one another except for the central connection portion 9, are able to bend in order to adapt to the shape of the windows for household appliances 50.
Preferably, the flap 7 and the secondary opening 6 have a substantially circular conformation.
Even more preferably, the segments 8 have the same substantially triangular conformation.
In other words, part of the bottom 4 has a series of spoke-shaped notches which define the plurality of substantially segment-shaped flaps 7. In this way, the convex portion 52 of the window for household appliances 50 which crosses the secondary opening 6 is able to bend each flap 7 which will remain interposed with the inside of the convex portion 52 of the window for household appliances arranged in the container 1 of which the flaps 7 are a part.
Preferably, each of the segment-shaped flaps 7 has the same conformation as the others. Even more preferably, such conformation is substantially triangular.
Preferably, according to a possible aspect of the invention, each flap 7 can be detached from the bottom 4.
In this way, advantageously, each flap 7 can be separated from the bottom 4, e.g. when two containers 1 are piled onto one another, for remaining interposed between two windows for household appliances 50 and defining an absorption layer against impacts and/or friction.
According to an aspect of the invention, the side wall 2 defines a substantially rectangular perimeter for said containment volume V.
Even more preferably, the side wall 2 defines a square perimeter for containing the pile of windows for household appliances 50 which have a substantially circular perimeter portion 51. Therefore, in particular, the side wall 2 is formed by four sides having a substantially equal length to the diameter of the perimeter portion 51 of the windows for household appliances 50.
According to an aspect of the invention, the side wall 2 comprises reinforcement elements 10 arranged at the corners of the perimeter.
Preferably, the reinforcement elements comprise transverse partitions to the angular portions of the container 1 such as to guarantee greater structural rigidity in the points in which the weight of the pile of windows for household appliances 50 weighs more heavily, especially in the case in which various container 1 are stacked onto one another along the piling direction L.
According to another aspect of the invention illustrated in
According to a further aspect of the invention, the side wall 2 has at least one hollow 12 at the bottom 4 so as to house a projecting element 11 of a further container 1.
According to an aspect of the invention illustrated in
In this way, the containers 1 can house windows for household appliances 50 of different shapes, but all substantially having the same structure, i.e. a substantially circular perimeter portion 51 which surrounds a convex portion 52 which extends transversally to the aforesaid circular portion 51.
In any case, the container 1 previously described can also be used for the storage of objects other than the windows for household appliances 50 but which have the same rough characteristics, i.e. a support portion (i.e. the perimeter portion 51) and a portion projecting with respect to the support portion (i.e. the convex portion 52).
Preferably, the container 1 is made of cardboard.
Even more preferably, the container 1 is made of cardboard sheets with a thickness comprised between 3 millimetres and 10 millimetres.
The present invention also concerns a system of containers 1 stackable onto one another, preferably along a piling direction L. In particular, the containers 1 have at least some of the characteristics previously described, individually or in different combinations with one another (unless alternative to one another).
More precisely,
Differently,
Advantageously, the windows for household appliances 50 were piled one by one into a container 1 until reaching a predetermined number or a total predetermined height. Subsequently, after preparing a plurality of containers 1a, 1b, the containers were stacked onto one another along the piling direction L. Advantageously, thanks to the secondary opening 6 present on the bottom 7 of each container 1, the pile of windows for household appliances 50 of the lower container 1a moved the movable flap 7 of the container 1 arranged above from the first closing position to the second opening position, remaining interposed between the two piles of windows for household appliances 50 for defining a layer able to dampen vibrations and impacts.
Preferably, the containers 1 of the system of containers according to the present invention, comprise both projecting elements 11 and hollows 12. In this way, each projecting element 11 of a first container 1a is configured to be inserted into a corresponding hollow 12 of a second container 1b arranged above the first container 1a so as to define a stack aligned along the piling direction L.
Advantageously, the containers 1 are piled onto one another easily as the projecting elements 11 and the hollows 12 provide alignment and centring elements.
According to an aspect of the invention, the system of containers 1 previously described can have some alternative embodiments to one another, one of which is illustrated in
In particular, the system of containers 1 can be made like a single body having a vertical extension (“tower” configuration) as the largest dimension and internally subdivided into vertically overlapping modules each of which defines a container 1.
In other words, the piling direction L is vertical both for the windows for household appliances 50 and for the containers 1 among one another.
In accordance with such vertical “tower” configuration, for each pile of containers 1 the side walls 2 of the various containers 1 are defined by a part of side wall of the single body and, further, each bottom 4 of an intermediate container 1 (i.e. the one comprised between two containers in the pile) defines a partial cover for the container 1 below.
Alternatively, the system of containers 1 is made like a single body having a horizontal extension (“chessboard” configuration) as the largest dimension and internally subdivided into horizontally flanked modules each of which defines a container 1. In other words, the stacking direction between the containers 1 is orthogonal with respect to the piling direction L for the windows for household appliances 50 which is vertical. According to such horizontal “chessboard” configuration, each container 1 defines a module of a container with a larger dimension, wherein the bottom 4 is defined by a portion of the base of the single body, whereas the side wall 2 of each container 1 is defined by a portion of the side wall of the single body. The non-visible portions of the side walls 2 of the containers 1, i.e. the portions facing internally to the larger container, define a separation wall between each plurality of windows for household appliances 50 contained in each flanked container 1.
According to a further variant embodiment of the invention, the system of containers 1 comprises a single side wall 2 able to contain a grid of internal partitions able to simulate the “chessboard” configuration previously described. In other words, each section of the grid surrounded by a plurality of partitions, preferably 4, defines the equivalent of a container 1 for the storage of a plurality of windows for household appliances 50 piled onto one another along the vertical piling direction L.
The present invention further relates to a method for piling a plurality of windows for household appliances 50 having a projecting portion surrounded by a perimeter flange, in particular portholes, along a piling direction L.
In particular, the method comprises the following operating steps:
Preferably, the method also envisages a step of interposing a shock absorbing element, e.g. a layer of paper, between two windows for household appliances 50 of the same pile.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102020000031307 | Dec 2020 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2021/061944 | 12/17/2021 | WO |
