PACKAGING CASE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE PACKAGING CASE

Abstract

A packaging case includes a rectangular bottom plate, a pair of first lateral plates, a second lateral plate, a top plate, and a pair of third lateral plates. The pair of first lateral plates is connected, each via a first crease line, to two opposed sides of the bottom plate and each has an L-shaped first engagement groove. The pair of third lateral plates is connected, each via a fourth crease line, to two sides of the top plate parallel to the first lateral plates and each has an L-shaped second engagement groove bent oppositely to a bending direction of the first engagement groove in a state where the third lateral plates overlap the first lateral plates. When the second engagement groove is engaged with the first engagement groove, the first lateral plates and the third lateral plates are connected while alternately intersecting each other in thickness directions thereof.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-060002 (filed on Apr. 3, 2023), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a packaging case that is assembled from a sheet such as a corrugated board sheet and is used to pack a product or the like.

Conventionally, as a packing member for packing an article to be packed such as a main body of an electrical appliance or precision equipment or a replacement part thereof, there is known an assembly type packing case including a rectangular bottom wall and an upper wall disposed to be opposed to the bottom wall in an assembled state.

SUMMARY

A packaging case according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a rectangular bottom plate, a pair of first lateral plates, a second lateral plate, a top plate, and a pair of third lateral plates and is assembled by folding a sheet. The pair of first lateral plates is connected, each via a first crease line, to two opposed sides of the bottom plate and becomes upright with respect to the bottom plate in an assembled state. The second lateral plate is connected, via a second crease line, to another side of the bottom plate adjacent to the pair of first lateral plates and becomes upright with respect to the bottom plate in the assembled state. The top plate is connected, via a third crease line, to a side of the second lateral plate opposed to the bottom plate and becomes opposed to the bottom plate in the assembled state. The pair of third lateral plates is connected, each via a fourth crease line, to two sides of the top plate parallel to the pair of first lateral plates and overlaps the pair of first lateral plates in the assembled state. Each of the pair of first lateral plates has an L-shaped first engagement groove extending from an end edge thereof opposed to the first crease line toward the first crease line and bent toward the second lateral plate. Each of the pair of third lateral plates has an L-shaped second engagement groove extending from an end edge thereof opposed to the fourth crease line toward the fourth crease line and bent in a direction opposite to a bending direction of the first engagement groove in a state where the pair of third lateral plates overlaps the pair of first lateral plates. When the second engagement groove is engaged with the first engagement groove, the pair of first lateral plates and the pair of third lateral plates are connected while alternately intersecting each other in thickness directions thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a developed view of a packaging case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a procedure for assembling the packaging case, which is a partial perspective view showing a state where a second engagement groove of a third lateral plate is positionally aligned with a first engagement groove of a first lateral plate.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the procedure for assembling the packaging case, which is a partial perspective view showing a state where the second engagement groove is engaged with the first engagement groove.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the procedure for assembling the packaging case, which is a partial perspective view showing a state where a second top plate and the third lateral plate are slid from the state shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the packaging case in an assembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following describes an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the appended drawings. FIG. 1 is a developed view of a packaging case 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the drawings referred to below, a direction along one of sides of a rectangular bottom plate 2 (a longitudinal direction of the packaging case 1) is referred to as an X direction, and a direction perpendicular to the X direction (a width direction of the packaging case 1) is referred to as a Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging case 1 is assembled from a single sheet of sheet material (cardboard), such as a corrugated board sheet, punched into a prescribed shape and includes the bottom plate 2, a pair of first lateral plates 3, a pair of second lateral plates 4, a first top plate 5, a second top plate 6, and a pair of third lateral plates 7.

The bottom plate 2 is formed in a rectangular shape, and the pair of first lateral plates 3 is connected, each via a first crease line S1, to two sides of the bottom plate 2 extending in the X direction. The pair of second lateral plates 4 is connected, each via a second crease line S2, to other two sides of the bottom plate 2 extending in the Y direction.

Each of the pair of first lateral plates 3 has a first engagement groove 3a, an inclined side part 3b, and a first slit 3c that are formed therein. The first engagement groove 3a is formed at substantially a center of each of the first lateral plates 3 in a longitudinal direction thereof (the X direction, a direction along the first crease line S1). The first engagement groove 3a is formed in an L shape extending from an end edge of each of the first lateral plates 3 opposed to the first crease line S1 toward the first crease line S1 and bent toward one of the second lateral plates 4 (downward in FIG. 1).

The first engagement groove 3a is formed to be open upward in an assembled state of the packaging case 1 (a state where the first lateral plates 3 are upright with respect to the bottom plate 2). The first engagement groove 3a is tapered at an end near an opening thereof so as to have a groove width increasing toward the opening as viewed from a thickness direction of each of the first lateral plates 3. That is, the first engagement groove 3a is chamfered at two edges thereof near the opening. Furthermore, an inner corner of a bent part of the first engagement groove 3a is chamfered. In this embodiment, the end near the opening and the inner corner of the bent part of the first engagement groove 3a are chamfered at an angle of approximately 45°.

The inclined side part 3b is formed at one end (near the first top plate 5) of each of the first lateral plates 3. The first slit 3c extends linearly from the end edge of each of the first lateral plates 3 opposed to the first crease line S1 toward the first crease line S1. The first slit 3c is tapered at an end near an opening thereof so as to have a groove width increasing toward the opening as viewed from the thickness direction of each of the first lateral plates 3.

The first top plate 5 includes an inclined wall 5a, a first horizontal wall 5b, and second slits 5c. The inclined wall 5a is connected, via a fifth crease line S51, to the other of the second lateral plates 4. The first horizontal wall 5b is connected, via a fifth crease line S52, to the inclined wall 5a opposite to the other of the second lateral plates 4. The second slits 5c extend linearly from two locations at an end edge of the first horizontal wall 5b opposed to the fifth crease line S52 toward the fifth crease line S52. Each of the second slits 5c is tapered at an end near an opening thereof so as to have a groove width increasing toward the opening as viewed from a thickness direction of the first top plate 5.

The second top plate 6 includes an adjustment plate 6a and a second horizontal wall 6b. The adjustment plate 6a has a rectangular shape and is connected, via a third crease line S31, to the one of the second lateral plates 4. The second horizontal wall 6b is connected, via a third crease line S32, to the adjustment plate 6a opposite to the one of the second lateral plates 4. The pair of third lateral plates 7 is connected, each via a fourth crease line S4, to two of four sides of the horizontal wall 6b extending in the X direction (two sides thereof parallel to the first lateral plates 3).

Each of the pair of third lateral plates 7 has a second engagement groove 7a. The second engagement groove 7a is formed at a lower end of each of the third lateral plates 7 in a longitudinal direction thereof (the X direction, a direction along the fourth crease line S4). The second engagement groove 7a is formed in an L shape extending from an end edge of each of the third lateral plates 7 opposed to the fourth crease line S4 toward the fourth crease line S4 and bent in a direction opposite to the one of the second lateral plates 4 (downward in FIG. 1).

The second engagement groove 7a is formed to be open downward in the assembled state of the packaging case 1 (a state where the third lateral plates 7 are upright with respect to the second top plate 6). Furthermore, an inner corner of a bent part of the second engagement groove 7a is diagonally cut out. That is, similarly to the first engagement groove 3a, the inner corner of the bent part of the second engagement groove 7a is chamfered. A dimension from the third crease line S32 to the second engagement groove 7a is substantially equal to a dimension from the second crease line S2 to the first engagement groove 3a.

The following describes a procedure for assembling the packaging case 1 of the present disclosure. First, each of the pair of first lateral plates 3 is valley-folded along the first crease line S1 (folded frontward relative to a drawing plane of FIG. 1) so as to become upright with respect to the bottom plate 2.

Next, the other of the second lateral plates 4 (an upper one of the second lateral plates 4 in FIG. 1) is valley-folded along the second crease line S2 (folded frontward relative to the drawing plane of FIG. 1) so as to become upright with respect to the bottom plate 2. Further, the inclined wall 5a of the first top plate 5 is valley-folded along the fifth crease line S51 so as to lie along an upper end of the inclined side part 3b of each of the first lateral plates 3, and then the first horizontal wall 5b of the first top plate 5 is valley-folded along the fifth crease line S52 so as to be disposed substantially parallel to the bottom plate 2.

After that, the second slits 5c at the two locations on the first top plate 5 are each fitted into the first slit 3c of each of the pair of first lateral plates 3. Thus, there is formed a first housing portion 8 (see FIG. 5) enclosed with the bottom plate 2, the inclined side part 3b, the other of the second lateral plates 4, and the first top plate 5.

Next, each of the third lateral plates 7 is valley-folded along the fourth crease line S4 (folded frontward relative to the drawing plane of FIG. 1) so as to become upright with respect to the horizontal wall 6b of the second top plate 6. Further, the one of the second lateral plates 4 (a lower one of the second lateral plates 4 in FIG. 1), the adjustment plate 6a of the second top plate 6, and the second horizontal wall 6b of the second top plate 6 are valley-folded along the second crease line S2, the third crease line S31, and the third crease line S32, respectively, so that the second top plate 6 becomes opposed to the bottom plate 2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the second engagement groove 7a of each of the third lateral plates 7 is positionally aligned with the first engagement groove 3a of each of the first lateral plates 3. At this time, the first engagement groove 3a and the second engagement groove 7a, which are L-shaped, are opposed to each other in an up-down direction so as to be bent oppositely to each other in the X direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the second engagement groove 7a is brought into engagement with the first engagement groove 3a so that each of the third lateral plates 7 and a corresponding one of the first lateral plates 3 alternately intersect each other in thickness directions thereof. Specifically, the second engagement groove 7a is brought into engagement with the first engagement groove 3a so that a part of each of the first lateral plates 3 nearer to the inclined side part 3b than the first engagement groove 3a (a part thereof on the right of the first engagement groove 3a in FIG. 3) is situated more inwardly of the packaging case 1 than a corresponding one of the third lateral plates 7, and a part of the each of the first lateral plates 3 opposite to the inclined side part 3b with respect to the first engagement groove 3a (a part thereof on the left of the first engagement groove 3a in FIG. 3) is situated more outwardly of the packaging case 1 than the corresponding one of the third lateral plates 7.

In this state, the second top plate 6 and the third lateral plates 7 are slid in a direction toward the one of the second lateral plates 4 (a leftward direction in FIG. 3). Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the first engagement groove 3a and the second engagement groove 7a are fitted into each other up to the respective L-shaped bent parts thereof. As a result, each of the third lateral plates 7 and a corresponding one of the first lateral plates 3 are connected to each other in a horizontal direction (the X direction) and in the up-down direction, and thus there is formed a second housing portion 9 enclosed with the bottom plate 2, the one of the second lateral plates 4, the second top plate 6, and the third lateral plates 7. In the above-described manner, the packaging case 1 shown in FIG. 5 is assembled.

According to the packaging case 1 of this embodiment, in assembling the second housing portion 9, the second engagement groove 7a of each of the third lateral plates 7 is brought into engagement with the first engagement groove 3a of a corresponding one of the first lateral plates 3 so that the each of the third lateral plates 7 and the corresponding one of the first lateral plates 3 alternately intersect each other in the thickness directions thereof. This configuration can increase connection strength between the first lateral plates 3 and the third lateral plates 7 in the thickness directions thereof (the Y direction).

Furthermore, the first engagement groove 3a and the second engagement groove 7a, which are L-shaped, are engaged so as to face oppositely to each other in the horizontal direction. By restoring forces of the one of the second lateral plates 4 and the adjustment plate 6a folded along the second crease line S2 and the third crease line S31, respectively, the third lateral plates 7 are subjected to a force acting to pull the third lateral plates 7 toward the one of the second lateral plates 4 (leftward in FIG. 4). Furthermore, by a restoring force of the second horizontal wall 6b folded along the third crease line S32, the third lateral plates 7 are subjected to a force acting upward.

That is, by a restoring force of the folded sheet, the third lateral plates 7 are subjected to a force acting in such a direction as to enhance engagement between the first engagement groove 3a and the second engagement groove 7a, which are L-shaped. This can prevent an engaged state between the first engagement groove 3a and the second engagement groove 7a from being easily disengaged, thus increasing connection strength between the first lateral plates 3 and the third lateral plates 7 in the horizontal direction (the X direction) and in the up-down direction. Accordingly, it is no longer required that a cut and raised part or a cutout for maintaining the engaged state be formed in the first lateral plates 3 and the third lateral plates 7, thus simplifying an assembling operation.

Furthermore, the inner corners of the respective bent parts of the first engagement groove 3a formed in each of the first lateral plates 3 and the second engagement groove 7a formed in each of the third lateral plates 7 are diagonally cut out. Accordingly, when the first engagement groove 3a and the second engagement groove 7a are brought into engagement with each other, the inner corners thereof are prevented from getting caught, and thus the first engagement groove 3a and the second engagement groove 7a can be smoothly fitted into each other up to the respective L-shaped bent parts thereof.

Furthermore, the first engagement groove 3a formed in each of the first lateral plates 3 is tapered at the end near the opening thereof so as to have a groove width increasing toward the opening as viewed from the thickness direction of the each of the first lateral plates 3. Accordingly, the second engagement groove 7a can be smoothly brought into engagement with the first engagement groove 3a.

Furthermore, the second lateral plates 4, the first top plate 5, and the second top plate 6 continuously provided on the bottom plate 2 are folded to form the first housing portion 8 and the second housing portion 9, and thus without the need to combine a plurality of members together, the packaging case 1 partitioned into two housing portions can be assembled from the single sheet. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of members used and man-hours for assembly of the packaging case 1.

While in this embodiment, the second housing portion 9 is larger in size than the first housing portion 8, by changing shapes or sizes of the bottom plate 2, the first top plate 5, and the second top plate 6, it is possible to freely change shapes or volumetric capacities of the first housing portion 8 and the second housing portion 9 formed by folding them. Thus, it becomes possible for two articles to be packed different in size to be housed together.

In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the foregoing embodiment and can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, while the foregoing embodiment has described an example in which the packaging case 1 is formed of the single sheet of sheet material, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the second housing portion 9 including the bottom plate 2 and the second top plate 6 may be configured as a separate body from the first housing portion 8 including the first top plate 5.

Furthermore, while the foregoing embodiment has described an example in which, in a state where the second engagement groove 7a is engaged with the first engagement groove 3a, the part of each of the first lateral plates 3 nearer to the inclined side part 3b than the first engagement groove 3a is situated more inwardly of the packaging case 1 than a corresponding one of the third lateral plates 7, and the part of the each of the first lateral plates 3 opposite to the inclined side part 3b with respect to the first engagement groove 3a is situated more outwardly of the packaging case 1 than the corresponding one of the third lateral plates 7, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

For example, a configuration may be adopted in which, in the state where the second engagement groove 7a is engaged with the first engagement groove 3a, the part of each of the first lateral plates 3 nearer to the inclined side part 3b than the first engagement groove 3a is situated more outwardly of the packaging case 1 than a corresponding one of the third lateral plates 7, and the part of the each of the first lateral plates 3 opposite to the inclined side part 3b with respect to the first engagement groove 3a is situated more inwardly of the packaging case 1 than the corresponding one of the third lateral plates 7.

The present disclosure is usable in a packaging case assembled from a sheet such as a corrugated board sheet. Through the use of the present disclosure, a packaging case capable of being maintained in an assembled state can be provided using a simple configuration.

Claims

1. A packaging case assembled by folding a sheet, the packaging case comprising: a rectangular bottom plate;a pair of first lateral plates that is connected, each via a first crease line, to two opposed sides of the bottom plate and becomes upright with respect to the bottom plate in an assembled state;a second lateral plate that is connected, via a second crease line, to another side of the bottom plate adjacent to the pair of first lateral plates and becomes upright with respect to the bottom plate in the assembled state;a top plate that is connected, via a third crease line, to a side of the second lateral plate opposed to the bottom plate and becomes opposed to the bottom plate in the assembled state; anda pair of third lateral plates that is connected, each via a fourth crease line, to two sides of the top plate parallel to the pair of first lateral plates and overlaps the pair of first lateral plates in the assembled state,wherein each of the pair of first lateral plates has an L-shaped first engagement groove extending from an end edge thereof opposed to the first crease line toward the first crease line and bent toward the second lateral plate,each of the pair of third lateral plates has an L-shaped second engagement groove extending from an end edge thereof opposed to the fourth crease line toward the fourth crease line and bent in a direction opposite to a bending direction of the first engagement groove in a state where the pair of third lateral plates overlaps the pair of first lateral plates, and when the second engagement groove is engaged with the first engagement groove,the pair of first lateral plates and the pair of third lateral plates are connected while alternately intersecting each other in thickness directions thereof.

2. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein inner corners of respective bent parts of the first engagement groove and the second engagement groove are diagonally cut out.

3. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement groove is tapered at an end near an opening thereof so as to have a groove width increasing toward the opening as viewed from the thickness direction of the pair of first lateral plates.

4. A method for assembling a packaging case, the packaging case being assembled by folding a sheet and comprising: a rectangular bottom plate;a pair of first lateral plates that is connected, each via a first crease line, to two opposed sides of the bottom plate and becomes upright with respect to the bottom plate in an assembled state;a second lateral plate that is connected, via a second crease line, to another side of the bottom plate adjacent to the pair of first lateral plates and becomes upright with respect to the bottom plate in the assembled state;a top plate that is connected, via a third crease line, to a side of the second lateral plate opposed to the bottom plate and becomes opposed to the bottom plate in the assembled state; anda pair of third lateral plates that is connected, each via a fourth crease line, to two sides of the top plate parallel to the pair of first lateral plates and overlaps the pair of first lateral plates in the assembled state,wherein each of the pair of first lateral plates has an L-shaped first engagement groove extending from an end edge thereof opposed to the first crease line toward the first crease line and bent toward the second lateral plate, andeach of the pair of third lateral plates has an L-shaped second engagement groove extending from an end edge thereof opposed to the fourth crease line toward the fourth crease line and bent in a direction opposite to a bending direction of the first engagement groove in a state where the pair of third lateral plates overlaps the pair of first lateral plates, the method comprising steps of:valley-folding each of the pair of first lateral plates along the first crease line so that the each of the pair of first lateral plates becomes upright with respect to the bottom plate;valley-folding each of the pair of third lateral plates along the fourth crease line so that the each of the pair of third lateral plates becomes upright with respect to the top plate and valley-folding the second lateral plate and the top plate along the second crease line and the third crease line, respectively, so that the top plate becomes opposed to the bottom plate;bringing the second engagement groove into engagement with the first engagement groove so that each of the pair of third lateral plates and a corresponding one of the pair of first lateral plates alternately intersect each other in thickness directions thereof; andsliding the top plate and the pair of third lateral plates in a direction toward the second lateral plate so that the first engagement groove and the second engagement groove are fitted into each other up to respective L-shaped bent parts thereof.