The present invention relates to a flattenable volume-optimized container, preferably made of corrugated cardboard, having a prism-shaped layout, according to the preamble of claim 1.
From European Patent Document 1 225 130 A1, an octagonal foldable container made of corrugated cardboard is known by means of which heavy and extremely heavy goods can be reliably transported. In order to be able to optimally utilize the space available, for example, on a pallet, the two sidewall parts to be arranged along the longitudinal sides of a rectangular pallet can be longer than the remaining six sidewall parts.
However, increasingly, there is the need for transporting not only very heavy goods but also lighter goods as cost-effectively as possible in such foldable or flattenable containers. For this purpose, it is imperative to be able to accommodate a volume that is as large as possible in such a container. Simultaneously, for the transport to the point of use, such a container should be foldable to a flat state in which it is as small as possible, and should be reliably and quickly unfoldable at the point of use without requiring complicated handling.
It is an object of the present invention to create a flattenable container which has a volume that is as large as possible, and, folded together to a small size, can be transported, can be unfolded without any assembly aid and can be produced in a dimensionally stable as well as machine-supported manner at reasonable cost.
According to the invention, this object can be achieved by means of a container indicated in claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention are the object of the subclaims.
According to the invention, a flattenable volume-optimized container, preferably made of corrugated cardboard, having a prism-shaped layout, is formed of at least eight mutually connected sidewall parts preferably formed from a single piece and connected to form a ring, of which sidewall parts, two respectively are essentially parallel to one another and have the same side length, wherein, with respect to the center point of the layout, the sidewall parts are arranged at least essentially point-symmetrically, and formed of at least one bottom part, which can be aligned at least essentially perpendicularly with respect to the sidewall parts and can be folded between the sidewall parts, and is hinged to at least two sidewall parts. The invention is characterized in that four of the sidewall parts have a length that is greater than the length of four other sidewall parts, and that two sidewall parts situated mutually opposite with respect to the center point each have a folding line on their side median, by which folding line the ring can be flattened, and which folding lines form the outer boundary of the flattened container.
As a result of the fact that four (and therefore not just two) of the at least eight sidewall parts are longer than four other sidewall parts, the container according to the invention can be designed with a greater volume relative to the same base area of a pallet. In order to nevertheless be able to flatten and then unfold such a container without any problems, one folding line respectively is provided in two sidewall parts, which are situated opposite one another with respect to the center point, on their respective side median—parallel to the folding lines between the individual sidewall parts —, which folding lines permit a flattening of the ring formed of the sidewall parts. As soon as the container according to the invention has been folded to a flat state, these two folding lines will form the outer boundary or be situated on the outer boundary.
The expression “at least essentially point-symmetrical” is to mean that an exact point symmetry of the arrangement of the sidewall parts is not important but that, for example, their respective angles with respect to the neighboring sidewall parts are designed such that the container can be flattened and unfolded again without any problem. Thus, for example, one or more sidewall parts could be designed “on one side” in a multipart or rounded fashion without a corresponding point symmetry “on the other side”.
According to a first advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least two sidewall parts called long sidewall parts have a first length, and two sidewall parts called medium-sized sidewall parts may optionally have a second length, which is shorter than the first length (or exactly as large as the first length), and four short sidewall parts have a third length which is shorter than the second length, two short sidewall parts each having the folding line. A first bottom part is provided, which is hinged to a first long sidewall part and to a first medium sidewall part, and a second bottom part is provided, which is hinged to a second medium sidewall part. This embodiment is therefore characterized in that only two bottom parts are provided and that the bottom can therefore be produced with a low input of material.
An advantageous further development of the above-mentioned first embodiment is characterized in that a first bottom tab adjacent to a first short sidewall part with a folding line, and a second bottom tab adjacent to a second short sidewall part without a folding line, are hinged to the first bottom part. In addition, a first bottom tab adjacent to a second short sidewall part with a folding line and a second bottom tab adjacent to a first short sidewall part without a folding line are hinged to the second bottom part. As a result of the two bottom tabs hinged to each bottom part, the stability of the bottom is significantly increased in the unfolded state of the container.
Another advantageous further development of the above-mentioned first embodiment is characterized in that the second bottom tabs each comprise a segment which, in the course of the unfolding of the container, comes to rest against the respective first and second medium sidewall part adjacent to the respective first and second short sidewall part without a folding line and supported thereon in a sliding manner, wherein, in the course of the unfolding of the container, the segment is increasingly folded over. As a result, the corresponding segments carry out the function of an assembly aid for the bottom during the unfolding of the container and ensure that the unfolding operation can be reliably carried out without any problems.
A second advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that a first bottom tab adjacent to a first short sidewall part with a folding line is hinged to the first bottom part; a first bottom tab adjacent to a second short sidewall part with a folding line is hinged to the second bottom part, and a third bottom part as well as a fourth bottom part are hinged to the first and to the second short sidewall part respectively without a folding line, which sidewall parts, in the flattened state, are arranged in the interior on the first and second short sidewall part respectively without a folding line and, in the course of the unfolding of the container, slide between the two bottom parts. The two bottom parts, which are therefore fixedly connected with the corresponding sidewall, result in an even more stable design of the container, because six of the eight sidewall parts are fixedly connected with a respective bottom part.
A third advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that a third bottom part and a fourth bottom part respectively are hinged to the first and to the second short sidewall part without a folding line and, in the flattened state, are arranged in the interior on the first and second short sidewall part respectively without a folding line, and in the course of the unfolding of the container, slide between the two bottom parts, and a fifth bottom part and a sixth bottom part are hinged to the first as well as to the second short sidewall part respectively with a folding line and, are arranged in the flattened state in the interior on the first and second short sidewall part with a folding line respectively and, in the course of the unfolding of the container, are pivoted to come to rest against the two bottom parts. The four bottom parts, which are therefore fixedly connected with the corresponding sidewall, result in an even more stable design of the container, because all eight sidewall parts are fixedly connected with a respective bottom part.
According to a fourth advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least two long sidewall parts have a first length; two medium sidewall parts optionally have a second length, which is shorter than this first length, and four short sidewall parts have a third length which is shorter than the second length, respective medium sidewall parts having the folding line, and a first bottom part is provided which is hinged to the two long sidewall parts. Since a single bottom part is sufficient for the fourth embodiment, the latter can be produced in a simple manner and with a low input of material.
A fifth embodiment is characterized in that a second bottom part is provided, which is hinged to the short sidewall parts adjacent to the one sidewall part with a folding line, and a third bottom part is provided, which is hinged to the short sidewall parts adjacent to the other sidewall part with a folding line. Because two further bottom parts are provided, which are each hinged to two sidewall parts, the stability of this embodiment of the container can be increased.
A sixth embodiment is characterized in that one bottom tab respectively adjacent to the respective sidewall part with a folding line is hinged to the second and to the third bottom part in such a manner that, in the course of the unfolding of the container, it is swivelled such that, in the unfolded state of the container, it is arranged on the sidewall part with the folding line. As a result, the container according to this embodiment can very easily and reliably be unfolded, and the two additional bottom tabs, which, in the unfolded state of the container, rest against the corresponding sidewall parts with a folding line, will additionally stabilize the container.
According to a variation of the above-mentioned embodiments, the two sidewall parts mutually opposite with respect to the center point are divided by the respective folding line on their side median into two sidewall segments respectively, which are angled with respect to one another. The angling of the two sidewall parts at the respective folding lines can—particularly in the case of a corresponding design of the relevant bottom parts—contribute to a further stiffening and thus an associated stabilization of the unfolded container.
When the container according to the invention is flattened, it can generally be unfolded by a simple pressing-together of the two opposite edges on which the (additional) folding lines are situated, without any further handling. It is understood that, for this purpose, the respective bottom parts should have the corresponding construction and be hinged to the corresponding sidewall parts.
Further advantages, characteristics and special features of the invention are indicated in the following description of advantageous but not limiting embodiments of the invention by means of the schematic and not true-to-scale drawings.
For facilitating the further explanation, the direction and orientation information here relate, for example, to a surface that is assumed to be horizontal and on which the unfolded container is placed. In the further course of the description, the term “horizontal” therefore describes the plane or direction parallel to this surface, while the term “vertical” describes a plane or direction vertical to this surface. Terms such as “right and left” relate to a vertical view onto the drawing plane.
The bottom parts 31 and 32 and the bottom part 41 respectively are—delimited by bold continuous lines, which partially coincide with the boundaries of the sidewall parts—shown such that, in each case, they mutually adjoin in a seamless manner. However, the bottom parts may also overlap or become narrower from one sidewall segment to the next or taper only between the sidewall parts, if a tightness of the bottom is not required and a corresponding reduction of the stability of the container is acceptable. The grooving or folding line, which permits the folding of the bottom parts, is, in each case, defined by a thin continuous line. Folding lines of sidewall parts are, in each case, also indicated by a thin continuous line. The center or the center point of the layout of the container is defined by the reference symbol M. In the subsequent
As illustrated, in the case of the container according to
Corresponding to the two folding lines F in the sidewall parts 23 and 27, the two bottom parts 31 and 32 have folding lines by means of which the container can be flattened.
In the case of the container according to
In the case of the container according to
Such containers can optimally utilize rectangular-shaped bearing surfaces, such as pallets, because they have a larger volume with respect to the containers known from the state of the art.
The above-mentioned statements analogously apply to the containers according to
In the following, parts which have the same reference number, are parts having an identical or an equivalent function.
During the unfolding of the container according to the invention, as a result of the design of the bottom tab 31b according to the invention, the bottom tab segment 31b2 rests with the bottom tab segment 31b3 fastened thereto first in the interior on the short sidewall part 21; then in the further course of the unfolding, comes to rest on the medium sidewall part 22, slides in the course of the unfolding along the sidewall part 22 and has the effect that the first bottom tab 31b comes to rest on the short sidewall part 21, and slides downward thereon, until the container is in the final unfolded state. The bottom tab segments 31b1, 31b2, 31b3, 31b4 therefore have the function of an assembly aid.
At least with respect to a first bottom tab 32a and a second bottom tab 32b, the second bottom part 32 has a point-symmetrical construction with respect to the first bottom part 31. As a result, the first bottom tab 32a comes to rest on the short sidewall part 27 with a folding line F, and the second bottom tab 32b is adjacent to the short sidewall part 25 and has bottom tab segments 32b1, 32b2, 32b3, 32b4, which slide along the medium sidewall part 26 until the container is completely unfolded.
According to the third embodiment illustrated in
It should be noted that the bottom parts illustrated above may be designed to mutually overlap, which is generally known. In addition, they may have suitable slots and further designs which permit an interlocking in the unfolded state—as well as, if applicable, an unlocking.
For a better illustration,
According to an illustration of the fourth embodiment in
According to the illustration of the fifth embodiment in
A particularly advantageous sixth embodiment is illustrated in
In the preceding description, it was assumed that the container is produced of corrugated cardboard. However, it may also be made of different materials, such as paper or a plastic material.
It should be noted that, because of the essentially given point symmetry of the sidewall parts with respect to the center point, in each case, only an even number of sidewall parts are present. Correspondingly, the present invention also includes containers with ten, twelve or even more sidewall parts. However, as mentioned above, the point symmetry may also be punctually cancelled in that, for example, a single sidewall part is divided in two angled sections, has a rounded construction or the like.
It should be noted that the characteristics of the invention described with reference to individual embodiments, such as bottom parts and bottom tabs, sidewall parts, sidewall part segments and fastening tabs as well as additional folding lines, may also be present in the case of other embodiments, unless otherwise indicated or automatically prohibited for technical reasons. With respect to such characteristics of individual embodiments described in combination, in addition, not necessarily all characteristics always have to be implemented in a respective embodiment.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2019 004 490.8 | Jun 2019 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2020/000119 | 6/26/2020 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2020/259865 | 12/30/2020 | WO | A |
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5630543 | Dugan | May 1997 | A |
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6386437 | Larson, Jr. | May 2002 | B1 |
20100065620 | Smith | Mar 2010 | A1 |
20160075466 | Wiley | Mar 2016 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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20101173 | May 2001 | DE |
202004007758 | Oct 2005 | DE |
102014017999 | May 2016 | DE |
965530 | Dec 1999 | EP |
1225130 | Jul 2002 | EP |
2684869 | Oct 2018 | ES |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20240017875 A1 | Jan 2024 | US |