Patent Application
20250042600
This application claims benefit to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2023 120 542.0, filed on Aug. 2, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a three-dimensional structure, in particular packaging, made of paper, cardboard, or plastics material.
When manufacturing three-dimensional structures out of a planar blank, it is already widely known to fasten various surface portions using a so-called insertion tab, the tab being inserted into a cut-out and thus being secured at least against shifting transversely. Shifting counter to the joining direction is prevented by an additional securing or fixing tab.
In a transportation aid manufactured from cardboard according to
DE 20 2017 100 554 U1, a projection on the edge is formed by a plurality of angulations connected by crease lines. The edge region of the outer angulation has an insertion tab that is inserted into an insertion slot in the angulation.
DE 20 2018 005 756 U1 describes a fast-assembly folding cardboard box in which bottom wall tabs are connected by insertion tabs that are inserted into matching insertion tab slots.
DE 20 2017 104 977 U1 discloses a cardboard box and a blank comprising a plurality of lateral surfaces interconnected by means of crease lines, while a bottom tab is connected to an insertion tab by means of one crease line.
A folding cardboard box according to DE 10 2018 118 248 A1 has a pivotally mounted stabilizing tab on the underside of the front wall of the box. The bottom of the box has a pocket for securing the folded state.
DE 20 2021 106 091 U1 describes a cardboard packaging comprising side walls, an outwardly protruding insertion tab being insertable into a slot in an opposite side wall.
EP 1 466 845 A1 discloses a wrapping made of paper or cardboard having inwardly foldable longitudinal tabs, a closure portion having an insertion tab that can be inserted into a slot.
EP 3 222 544 A1 relates to a folding box made of cardboard in which a bottom shell and a lid shell are pivotably interconnected by means of a fold line. An insertion tab protrudes from the upper edge of a bottom side wall and has a first locking element having a punched-out portion in a lid side wall and at least one second locking element.
CN 1 05 813 944 B already describes a paper product that forms a shell-shaped container when in the state of use. In this case, a lock-receiving portion accommodates a locking lug of a locking portion. A receiving portion protrudes into the interior of the container between a bottom surface and a side surface in the region of a fold line. Upon folding, the locking lug, by its end face, meets said lock-receiving portion so as to form an undercut.
In the prior art, it has proven disadvantageous that reliable fastening cannot be guaranteed by using tab connections, in particular insertion tab connections, without any additional securing, for example in the form of a fixing or securing tab.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a three-dimensional structure made of paper, cardboard, or plastics material. The structure includes a tab carrier that is planar at least in some portion, and at least one tab connection for fastening the tab carrier to a contact surface in a plane-parallel fastening position. The tab carrier has at least one tab that extends in a plane of the tab carrier and passes through a cut-out in the contact surface in the fastening position. The contact surface has a contact portion that is pivotable or bendable about a straight bending line. The bending line runs through the cut-out. At least one edge region of the cut-out is formed in the contact portion and is configured to be elastically deformable counter to a restoring force such that, as a result of a pivoting movement of the contact portion about the bending line, the edge region is capable of being brought into contact with an end face of the tab. As the pivoting movement continues, the edge region is capable of being elastically deformed and deflected by means of the end face of the tab. The end face forms an abutment. When the edge region is in an elastically deformed position, the tab enters the cut-out and forms an undercut with the contact portion.
Subject matter of the present disclosure will be described in even greater detail below based on the exemplary figures. All features described and/or illustrated herein can be used alone or combined in different combinations. The features and advantages of various embodiments will become apparent by reading the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate the following:
Embodiments of the invention can create an insertion tab connection that is reliable without any additional securing, even when the three-dimensional structure is under load. Embodiments of the invention can also create a blank and an insertion tab connection of this kind.
Embodiments of the invention provide a three-dimensional structure made of paper, cardboard, or plastics material. The structure includes at least one tab connection for fastening a tab carrier, which is planar at least in some portions, to a contact surface in a plane-parallel fastening position, the tab carrier having at least one tab that extends, in particular projects, in the plane of the tab carrier and passes through a cut-out in the contact surface in the fastening position, the contact surface having a contact portion that is pivotable or bendable about a bending line that is shaped, in particular impressed, into the paper, cardboard, or plastics material and configured to be straight, for example as a groove.
According to embodiments of the invention, in the three-dimensional structure, the bending line runs through the cut-out, and at least one edge region of the cut-out, said edge region extending into the cut-out and being formed in the contact portion, is configured to be elastically deformable counter to a restoring force such that as a result of a pivoting movement of the contact portion about the bending line, the edge region can be brought into contact with or strikes an end face of the tab, and as the pivoting movement continues, the edge region can be elastically deformed and deflected out of the plane of the contact portion by several millimeters, in particular between 1 mm and 5 mm or between 2 mm and 3 mm, by means of the tab end face, which forms an abutment, and when the edge region is in the elastically deformed position deflected out of the plane of the contact portion, the tab passes through the cut-out and forms an undercut with the contact portion.
Embodiments of the invention is based on the finding that additional securing of the tab is unnecessary when the tab, which is configured as a simple insertion tab and, in the current state of the art, can disengage from the cut-out counter to the joining direction unless secured further, forms a self-locking undercut with the edge region in the cut-out. All that is required in order to obtain the undercut fastening position is a simple pivoting movement of the contact portion. Since the pivot axis of the contact portion is determined by the straight bending line running through the cut-out, the edge region meets the end face of the tab during the pivoting movement. Since the forces that are active in this process act with a substantial force component in a direction orthogonal or perpendicular to the end face of the tab and thus in the direction of the main extension of the tab and the tab carrier, the comparatively high deformation resistance of the tab and the tab carrier mean that the edge region of the cut-out is deformed but the tab does not undergo any substantial deformation or deflection. The deformation creates a sufficient clearance for the tab to pass through, this clearance being obstructed when the edge region is in the non-deformed state such that, as a result, the tab reaches the rear side of the contact surface and forms an undercut.
According to embodiments of the invention, the tab does not disengage from the cut-out, for example, when the contact portion performs a pivoting movement in the opposite direction. Instead, the different relative orientation of the tab with respect to the edge region of the cut-out in the fastening position in comparison with the starting position before fastening means that no corresponding deformation force acts on the edge region. The tab therefore cannot disengage from the cut-out unless an additional external force is applied. Consequently, the tab connection remains releasable and merely requires the contact portion to be pivoted when establishing the fastening position. However, disengaging the tab from the fastening position through a back-pivoting movement requires an additional manual intervention in order to deform the edge region and also, where applicable, the tab, so the tab connection is not inadvertently released. A fixing tab for securing the tab, as known from the prior art, is therefore unnecessary. In addition, the tab connection according to embodiments of the invention has proven to be easy to handle in practice because the tab connection is produced by folding or bending the contact portion over and does not require any special intervention. The tab carrier and the contact surface can be any surfaces, in particular wall surfaces, bottom surfaces, or lid surfaces of a three-dimensional structure, for example a cardboard packaging.
An advantageous embodiment of the structure is achieved by each tab carrier having a plurality of tabs arranged in the same plane, which can preferably have matching dimensions. As a result, the fastening, in particular the stability under load of the tab connection thus produced, is considerably improved. Since the bending line runs through all the cut-outs assigned to the various respective tabs, these tabs are simultaneously fixed in place in the cut-out by the undercut such that, accordingly, no additional effort is needed when fastening the tab connection.
In addition, an expedient embodiment of the present invention is achieved in that the tab carrier is formed by a planar angulation of a first wall surface and the contact surface is formed by a planar second wall surface of the three-dimensional structure, the first and second wall surfaces enclosing an acute angle, in particular a right angle, when in the position of use. Since the tab connection connects various wall surfaces, even complex three-dimensional structures, in particular packaging made of cardboard or paper, can thus be produced in a very short time without needing any additional adhesive connection. The three-dimensional structure is thus produced by successively bending or folding over a plurality of contact portions along the relevant bending line, the tab connection according to embodiments of the invention virtually establishing itself without any additional intervention. Thus, once the three-dimensional structure has been constructed, an additional fastening is no longer needed; this applies to open three-dimensional structures and also to those that are closed or can be closed by a lid. According to embodiments of the present invention, a wall surface should be construed as any outer or inner surface, or a surface portion including insert or partition surfaces, that can form, for example, wall, bottom, or lid surfaces in the resulting structure.
It is advantageous that the tab connection can also be used in those wall surfaces of the three-dimensional structure that are intended to be connected but not at a right angle, thereby creating a multitude of design options. For example, the three-dimensional structure can be configured as a bumper packaging having a middle part and two cuboidal or trapezoidal side parts that are oriented at an obtuse angle to the middle part.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the bending line is formed by a groove, in particular a double groove, as a result of which the pivoting movement can be determined by the design alone and undesirable alterations by the user that may lead to a faulty connection are avoided. Moreover, the restoring force counteracting the pivoting movement can be further reduced by configuring the bending line as a double groove, which is advantageous especially in wall surfaces that require a pivoting movement of more than 90°.
The deformation of the edge region of the cut-out in the tab connection can be assisted by the choice of material used. On the other hand, it is advantageous if the edge region of the cut-out extends in the direction of the contact surface between a base line and a lateral line which is at a maximum distance from the base line. In this case, the base line limits the maximum width and the lateral line limits the minimum width of the cut-out. The exposing of the edge region thus achieved produces a further bending line in particular along the base line, about which the edge region can elastically deform accordingly in order to form the desired undercut as a result of the restoring movement.
In this case, the bending line runs between the base line and the lateral line, in particular in parallel with the base line, such that the base line and the lateral line are arranged in the plane of the contact surface on different sides of the bending line. Owing to the pivoting movement thus defined, the end face of the tab meets the edge region during the pivoting movement, during which the distance from the base line and the distance from the lateral line can either be the same or different. The relative distances can be adapted accordingly in accordance with the selected material and the geometric conditions, in particular the size of the tab.
By way of example, the edge region can be configured to have a rectangular or prismatic basic form. More preferably, the edge region of the cut-out is configured in a convex, in particular curved, manner and in this process follows in particular a constant course between the base line and the lateral line so as to thus largely avoid any potential damage, for example tears. It goes without saying that it is also possible to combine a plurality of basic geometric forms or a plurality of different shapes brought together in one tab.
Since the contact portion of the contact surface can pivot by more than 90° about the bending line, it is also possible to create prismatic three-dimensional structures which internally enclose an acute angle, in particular of less than 60° or less than 45°, in which case there is no need for adhesive connections in contrast with the prior art.
To reliably obtain the self-locking undercut of the tab in the cut-out, embodiments of the invention make use of a restoring force of the edge region. Preferably, the tab and/or tab carrier consists of a stiff or bendable material, but it is also possible to manufacture the three-dimensional structure from different materials in different regions.
Embodiments of the present invention can also create a blank for manufacturing the three-dimensional structure. The blank has at least one planar tab carrier and a contact surface for the tab carrier to contact in a plane-parallel manner, the tab carrier having at least one tab that extends, in particular projects, in the plane of the tab carrier and extends through a cut-out in the contact surface in the fastening position, the contact surface having a contact portion that is bendable about a straight bending line shaped, in particular impressed, into the blank, the cut-out being limited by an edge of the contact surface, and at least one edge region of the cut-out being formed in the contact portion opposite the tab or the tab carrier, the straight bending line running through the cut-out, and the cut-out edge region that extends into the cut-out being configured to be elastically deformable counter to a restoring force.
As a result, a self-locking tab connection is achieved for the first time in that the blank already has all the elements required to secure the three-dimensional structure in the constructed position, and no additional securing, for example adhesive connections, is needed. In this case, the cut-out is dimensioned such that it limits an initially inaccessible passage for the tab with respect to the relative angular position of the tab in relation to the contact portion during the pivoting movement about the bending line, and can only pass through the cut-out as a result of the deformation counter to the restoring forces of the edge region. This deformation is produced immediately on constructing the three-dimensional structure by folding up the blank, as a result of a bend along the bending line, the end face of the tab and the edge region of the cut-out, which are in the horizontal position in one plane as the blank, meeting one another such that the edge region is deformed.
Furthermore, embodiments of the invention provide a tab connection by which a planar tab carrier is fastened to a contact surface in a plane-parallel fastening position, the tab carrier having at least one tab that extends, in particular projects, in the plane of the tab carrier and extends through a cut-out in the contact surface in the fastening position, the contact surface having a contact portion that is pivotable about a straight bending line that is shaped, in particular impressed, into the three-dimensional structure, the cut-out being limited by an edge of the contact surface, and at least one edge region of the cut-out being formed in the contact portion opposite the tab or the tab carrier. Since the axis of the bending line runs through the cut-out, and the cut-out edge region that extends into the cut-out is configured to be elastically deformable counter to a restoring force, a pivoting movement of the contact portion about the bending line results in the edge region striking an end face of the tab and thus being elastically deformed such that, as the pivoting movement continues, the edge region is deflected by means of the tab end face, which forms an abutment, and the tab passes through the cut-out in the deflected position and forms an undercut with the contact portion.
A three-dimensional structure 1 according to embodiments of the invention made of cardboard having at least one tab connection 2 will be explained in more detail below on the basis of
Unlike in three-dimensional structures from the prior art, the wall surfaces 5, 6 are not connected by an adhesive connection in the region of this contact surface 7, but rather by two tabs 8 configured as insertion tabs. In this case, the tabs 8 are configured in one piece with the tab carrier 4, as an extension projecting on the edge, such that the tab 8 and the tab carrier 4 are located in the same plane.
To secure the plane-parallel fastening position of the tab carrier 4 on the contact surface 7, it is provided that each tab 8 is inserted into a corresponding cut-out 9 in the contact surface 7 in order to pass through it and avoid any undesirable shifting of the tab carrier 4 with respect to the contact surface 7. Obviously, merely inserting the tab 8 into a cut-out 9, regardless of the possible design, for example a slot shape, does not allow for a secure connection unless an additional measure prevents a restoring movement counter to the joining movement of the tab 8. Fixing tabs are often used for this purpose in the prior art.
According to embodiments of the invention, such additional securing elements can be omitted since the tab 8 is secured by a pivoting movement 10 of a contact portion 12, which is pivotable about a straight bending line 11, of the contact surface 7 and blocked with respect to any restoring movement. This inventive effect is achieved by the bending line 11 running through the cut-out 9 between the contact portion 12 and the contact surface 7. Consequently, during the pivoting movement 10 of the contact portion 12, the edge region 13 located in that contact portion 12 is also pivoted about the bending line 11 at the same time, as a result of which this edge region 13 collides with an end face 14 of the relevant tab 8. This, however, does not block the further pivoting movement 10, for example. Rather, the affected edge region 13 is elastically deformed counter to its material-based restoring force while the tab 8 maintains its original, planar shape in an unchanged manner. In particular, the stability under load of the tab 8 in the direction of its main extension, i.e., perpendicularly to its end face 14, is much larger than the stability under load of the edge region 13 on which the tab 8 acts at least approximately perpendicularly to the main extension. Therefore, as a result of a continued pivoting movement 10 of the contact portion 12, the edge region 13 is thus deformed until the tab 8 slides along the deformed edge region 13, passes through the cut-out 9, and ultimately assumes its end position on the rear side of the contact portion 12.
Thus, it is only when the edge region 13 is in the elastically deformed position that the tab 8 can pass into the cut-out 9, where it forms the desired undercut with the contact portion 12. At the same time, however, the deformed edge region 13 abuts the tab 8 owing to its restoring force. The clamping action exerted as a result frictionally secures the tab 8 against a restoring movement of the tab 8 out of the cut-out 9. In this fastening position, the contact portion 12 is preferably entirely bent over and is parallel to the contact surface 7, as a result of which the tab 8 is enclosed between the contact surface 7 and the contact portion 12. Consequently, the tab 8 is additionally protected against force applied externally. Planar contact of the tab 8 with the bent-over contact portion 12 is not important for securing the fastening position because this is already achieved by the clamping action of the edge region 13.
The elastic deformation of the edge region 13, which can be further improved by a suitable geometry of the edge region 13, is essential for the securing function. For example, instead of a straight boundary line 15, the edge region 13 can have a convexly shaped boundary line 16 (shown in dashes merely by way of indication) such that the edge region 13 of the cut-out 9 extends between a base line 17 and a lateral line 18 which is at a maximum distance from the base line 17. The bending resistance is reduced by this exposure of the edge region 13. In this way, the retaining force of the tab connection 2 can be optimally adapted to the particular intended use. A similar effect can also be achieved, for example, by lateral notches or channel-shaped recesses.
While subject matter of the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Any statement made herein characterizing the invention is also to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive as the invention is defined by the claims. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made, by those of ordinary skill in the art, within the scope of the following claims, which may include any combination of features from different embodiments described above.
The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2023 120 542.0 | Aug 2023 | DE | national |
