Book packaging container

A book packaging container, comprising four walls (10), a floor (9) and cover flaps (11) which can be folded into a container closing cover after wrapping the books, said walls, floor and cover defining a space having a certain size and shape. The floor (9) of a container or a separate base sheet (3) laid upon the floor of a container is fitted with carton or cardboard flaps (5) whose bases are located adjacent to an edge (13) between the opposite end walls (10) and the floor (9) of a container. The flaps (5) have a length which only slightly less than that of the container, whereby the ends of said flaps (5) can be fastened in an overlapping (7) fashion against each other on top of a bundle of books (6).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a book packaging container, comprising 
four walls, a floor and cover flaps which can be folded into a container 
closing cover after wrapping the books, said walls, floor and cover 
defining a space having a certain size and shape. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Book clubs, for example, mail books to their subscribers in such book 
packaging containers or parcels. The size of books to be mailed and the 
thickness of book bundles vary and, thus, more or less empty space is left 
between a bundle of books and the walls of a container. However, it is 
necessary to eliminate the movement of books inside the container as 
effectively as possible for preventing damage to the books as a result of 
rubbing against each other and colliding against the walls of a container. 
Hence, it is prior known to furnish a container with various paddings. 
Those are nevertheless inconvenient and often also littering. Prior known 
is also a plastic bag which expands through the action of chemicals 
(instafoam). The use of such a bag is also inconvenient and disposal of 
the bag creates an environmental problem. In addition, threading of a 
plastic wrapper strip between the floor flaps is also prior known for 
binding a pile of books with the wrapper strip into an integral bundle 
against the floor. However, the further handling of a package is 
inconvenient since the plastic must be separated therefrom before the 
cardboard material can be recycled or incinerated. Another drawback is 
that the wrapper strip must be previously inserted in the container 
forming machine. Yet, most of the containers are manufactured by using 
machines which lack this feature and, hence, those who use the containers 
have to settle with the above-mentioned paddings. 
An object of the invention is to provide an improved book packaging 
container, wherein the elimination or restriction of movements for a 
bundle of books of varying dimensions can be effected without the above 
drawbacks. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This object is achieved by means of the invention in such a manner that the 
floor of a container or a separate base sheet laid upon the floor of a 
container is fitted with carton or cardboard flaps whose bases are located 
adjacent to an edge between the opposite end walls and the floor of a 
container, said flaps having a length which is more than the sum of the 
half-height and the half-length of a container but less than the length of 
a container, whereby the ends of the flaps can be fastened in an 
overlapping fashion against each other on top of a bundle of books. 
A preferred embodiment of the invention, which during the course of packing 
can be affixed as a supplement to a conventional cardboard container, is 
characterized in that a separate base sheet made of carton or cardboard is 
of a size that matches the floor of a container, such that the base sheet 
abuts with its edges against the walls surrounding the floor of a 
Container, and that the bases of said flaps join the base sheet at a small 
distance from the ends of the base sheet. 
These type of supplemental base sheets can be manufactured to match various 
container sizes simply in such a manner that said flaps consist of the 
same continuous web of carton or cardboard as said base sheet and that 
said small distance is provided by double-folding the web into end or 
flank reinforcements for the base sheet, the superimposed plies being 
glued together at said reinforcements. 
Since the flaps and the base sheet bind the books into an integral bundle 
whose lateral movements are eliminated by the base sheet, said base sheet 
need not necessarily be glued securely to the floor of a container. 
However, if the supplement consists of very thin carton or if the vertical 
movement of a bundle Of books should also be eliminated, it is preferred 
that the base sheet be glued securely to the floor of a container. 
A solution, which is capable of being manufactured both during the course 
of assembling a container and as a supplement to be affixed to a finished 
container, is characterized in that said separate base sheet and said 
flaps are made of single corrugated cardboard whose smooth face is 
fastened to the inner surface of the floor of a container. 
A solution, which is only capable of being manufactured during the course 
of assembling a container, is characterized in that said flaps are made of 
the same continuous cardboard material as the container and are formed 
from the extensions of floor closing flaps. 
In order to facilitate mechanical closing of the flaps it is preferred that 
the flaps be different in length. 
In view of a closing operation effected both manually and mechanically, it 
is preferred that the outer edge adjacent to the end flank of the shorter 
flap be provided with an adhesive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The packaging container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 include two separate 
sections, namely a container 1 and a wrapper unit 2, possibly coming from 
different manufacturers. 
The container is made e.g. of corrugated cardboard and includes four walls 
10, a floor 9 and cover flaps 11. The floor 9 may also consist of four 
flaps the same way as the cover. 
The wrapper unit 2 comprises a base sheet 3 and flaps 5, which are made of 
the same continuously extending carton or cardboard web as the base sheet 
3. In the end areas of the base sheet 3, however, the web is double-folded 
and glued into end reinforcements 4 for the base sheet 3. At the same 
time, this provides a small distance equal to the width of reinforcements 
4 between the base of flaps 5 and the ends of sheet 3. 
The flaps 5 must have a sufficient length to enable them to extend in an 
overlapping fashion over the top of a bundle of books 6 placed upon the 
base sheet 3, as shown in FIG. 2 with reference numeral 7. However, the 
flaps 5 must be shorter than the length of container 1 and at least one of 
the flaps 5 must be shorter than the distance between the bases thereof to 
enable the flaps 5 to rest tightly on top of each other upon the base 
sheet 3. Thus, the wrapper units 2 can be stored as tight bundles for 
delivering such units mechanically therefrom into a container while 
opening the flaps 5. Prior to inserting aunit 2 into a container 1, the 
adhesive points are sprayed on the outer face of the base sheet 3 or on 
the inner face of the container floor 9. 
One of the flaps is longer than the other and thus, in a mechanical closing 
process, with the flaps folding almost simultaneously, the shorter flap 
will always end up underneath. Thus, the outer face of its end portion may 
be provided with an adhesive tape 14 or adhesive points sprayed in the 
packaging machine. 
The size of base sheet 3 is substantially equal to the inside dimension of 
container floor 9, whereby the base sheet 3 abuts against the walls 10 
surrounding the container floor. Hence, the unit 2 need not be glued to 
the container floor provided that said unit 2 is made of a rigid carton or 
cardboard. The distance of the bases of flaps 5 from the end walls 10 
ensures that books 6 that are typically shorter than the length of a 
container will also be secured by the flaps 5 on the container floor. 
The case of FIG. 3 differs from what is described above in that the 
material of an inner wrapper 2a comprises a single corrugated cardboard 
which provides a base sheet 3', which is fastened with an adhesive 8 to a 
container floor 9 and, thus, there is no need for end flanks abutting 
against the end walls 10. However, if the inner wrapper 2a is supplied as 
a supplement separate from the container, it is preferably provided with 
end folds 4 abutting against the container end walls 10, as in the 
embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
The embodiment of FIG. 4 differs from those described above in that the 
flaps 5 are made of the same continuous cardboard material as the 
container 1 and are formed from the extensions of closing flaps for the 
floor 9. In order to locate the bases of flaps 5 also in this embodiment 
at a small distance from an edge 13 between the end wall 10 and the floor 
9, it is possible to provide a bending crease 12 at the base of flap 5. 
Between the edge 13 and the bending crease 12 said floor plies 9 can be 
glued to each other for bracing the floor edge and corners of a container. 
In the cases of FIGS. 3 and 4, the dimensioning and operation of flaps 5 
can be otherwise equal to what is described in conjunction of FIGS. 1 and 
2.