AN ARRANGEMENT IN A CARDBOARD BOX

Abstract: An arrangement in a cardboard box (10) wherein a number of supporting feet (13) arranged on a plate (14) are passed through the bottom (11) of the box with the plate engaging the inner side of the bottom so that the cardboard box has a pallet bottom.

Description: AN ARRANGEMENT IN A CARDBOARD BOX The invention relates to an arrangement in a cardboard box with a pallet bottom. Palletising of goods is a necessity today as far as part loads are concerned. The most common pallet is made of wooden laths and clogs nailed together and is relatively expensive to manufacture. Since the pallet frequently is handled without care, it is often necessary to replace the pallet and this in combination with -occuring losses - the wood of the pallet may be attractive for other purposes - occa¬ sions an item off which is not uncommon, in the calculation of transporting pelletised goods. Efforts have been made in order to reduce costs by manufac¬ turing pallets of other materials than wood - plastic material as well as cardboard have been proposed - but so far no proposal has been made in this direc¬ tion, which seriously threatens the dominating posi- tion that the wooden pallet has today. The invention is a contribution to the efforts of replacing the conventional wooden pallet by a simple arrangement which can be manufactured at low cost, e.g. of scrapped thermoplastic material such as scrapped polyvinyl chloride. In this connection the invention is based on the concept of combining supporting feet with a cardboard box such that the feet form together with the card¬ board box an integrated unit which combines the pack- ing and pallet function. This has been done earlier but the combinations of this type which have been proposed so far have had the conventional wooden pallet as a model and efforts have been made to construct the lower portion of the cardboard box substantially as a pallet of this type. The German -BUREA QMPI published patent applications 1 531 784 and 2 732 675 and the U.S. patent specifications 3 949 874 and 4 091 923 illustrate cardboard boxes of this type having a built-in or attached pallet. According to the invention another course has been chosen according to which the cardboard box ' proper is of a conventional construction and can be combined with a simple and light device in a simple manner by the user of the cardboard box in order to provide the box with a bottom functioning as a pallet, and this can be done without using tools or other auxiliaries. In accordance with the invention there is pro¬ vided an arrangement in a cardboard box with a pallet bottom, which has obtained the characteristics appearing from claim 1 in order to attain the pur¬ poses mentioned above. The invention also relates to an insert for such a cardboard box, which is to be located in the box in order to arrange the pallet bottom and which is of a simple construction and is cheap in order that the cardboard box can be manufactured at low cost. In order to explain the invention in more detail embodiments thereof will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the arrangement of the invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section¬ al view along line II - II in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a cardboard box arranged according to * the invention in a mod¬ ified embodiment thereof, FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view along line IV - IV in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view and side view along line V - V in FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an insert according to the invention as seen at an angle from below, FIG. 7 is an enlarged axial cross sectional view of a supporting foot and discloses the attach¬ ment of the supporting foot in a plate fragmen- tarily shown, FIG. 8 is a side view of a supporting foot, FIG. 9 is a plan view of a supporting foot, FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a first step in applying the plate with supporting feet to a cardboard box, FIGS. 11 and 12 disclose two following steps of the application, and FIG. 13 discloses the cardboard box provided with the pallet bottom. In FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a cardboard box 10 of a conventional construction which can be closed at the top and the bottom by means of flaps 11 at the longitudinal sides and flaps 12 at the transverse sides. Supporting feet 13 are arranged on a plate .14 and are passed through openings 16 in the two flaps 11 forming the lower side of the bottom of the card- board box, while the plate 14 engages the upper side of the flaps 11 and the flaps 12 of the bottom are shut down over the plate 14. Consequently, the box has four supporting feet which should be located at the same mutual spacing as the clogs of a standard pallet such that the box can be lifted by means of a fork truck in the same manner as the pallet. The plate 14 and the supporting feet 13 prefer¬ ably are made of a thermoplastic material, and for this purpose such scrapped plastic material can be used as is obtained in the manufacture of other OMPI products of thermoplastic material. The plate 14 can be made of unbroken or perforated plastic, and it can also be constructed as a netting or a grid. The supporting feet 13 can be solid but preferably they are hollow. The plate with the supporting feet can be manufactured by injection moulding, but it is also possible to apply extrusion, the supporting feet 13 in that case being made by vacuum forming, pressure forming or pressing of the extruded plate 14 formed as a continuous web, while the plate is still soft. The only modification of the cardboard-box 10 that has to be made is that openings are formed for the supporting feet 13. In the flaps 11 of the bottom of the cardboard box markings can be arranged as a weakening of the material or a perforation at the places where the openings should be located, so that the box material can be pushed out in order to provide said openings. However, this is not done when the box is to be used without supporting feet. The cardboard box 10 can be filled with the contents thereof when standing on the supporting feet because the plate with the supporting feet will be locked in the position thereof by the goods which is placed initially on the inside flaps 12 of the bottom of the cardboard box. Alternatively, it is possible to support the cardboard box on a support located inwardly of the supporting feet, said support keeping the supporting feet raised from the floor while the box is being filled. For example this is necessary if one pair of supporting feet 13 is arranged on a separate plate which is located under one flap 12 of the bottom while the other pair of supporting feet 13 is arranged on another separate plate which is placed under the other flap 12 of the bottom. The cardboard J UREAI OMPI box provided with supporting feet can be stabilised by strapping the box on the outside in the conven¬ tional manner. In the embo iment according to FIGS. 3 to 5 the plate 14 is arranged on the upper side of the inside flaps 12 of the bottom. The flaps 11 as well as the flaps 12 of the bottom in that case must have open¬ ings 15 and 16, respectively, for the passage of the supporting feet 13. On top of the plate 14 a card- board sheet 17 is arranged, tabs 18 at the longitudi¬ nal edges of said sheet being passed through slots 19 in the longitudinal sides of the cardboard box 10 to keep the plate with the supporting feet in position. The box usually is sufficiently yieldable to allow insertion of the tabs 18 into the slots 19. This can be done before the bottom is closed with the card¬ board box turned upside-down, the plate 14 with the supporting feet 13 being located on the sheet 17 and the bottom of the box being closed by means of the flaps 11 and 12. The basic principle of the invention is that the supporting feet are arranged on a plate arranged inside the cardboard box, and preferably several supporting feet are arranged on one plate, the supporting feet and the plate forming together an insert to by arranged in the box. According to FIG. 6 such an insert comprises a plate 14 which preferably consists of corrugated cardboard but can, of course, also consist of another stiff material, e.g. plywood or plastic material. It is provided with six support¬ ing feet 13 which comprise injection moulded hollow bodies of plastic material constructed as will be seen in more detail in FIGS. 7 to 9. Each supporting foot has the shape of a trun- cated cone forming an outwardly projecting circular ' BU E OMPI annular flange 20 at the large end thereof. The supporting foot is open at said end while the small end is closed by a bottom 21 which is braced against the side wall of the supporting foot by means of webs 22. At the large end of the supporting foot the wall thereof has four tabs 23 each with an end portion 24 which is directed oblikely outwards from the side wall of the supporting foot towards the underside of the flange 20. These tabs can be elastically pushed back from the outside. The supporting foot 13 is passed through an opening 25 in the plate 14 from one side thereof to engage said side at the flange 20. When the support¬ ing foot is being passed through the opening 25 the four tabs 23 will be pushed back at the oblikely projecting end portions 24 thereof at the edge of the opening, but when the supporting foot reaches the proper position the tabs will spring back so that the end portions 24 can engage with the plate 14 at the other side thereof and accordingly can prevent the supporting foot from falling off the plate when the plate is turned upside-down. Preferably, the distance between the lower side of the flange 20 and the ends of the tabs should be slightly larger than the thick- ness of the plate 14. When the supporting feet 13 have been attached to the plate 14 in the manner described the insert thus obtained is applied to a cardboard box in the manner shown in FIGS. 10 to 12. The cardboard box 10 can be of a conventional construction closed at the top and bottom thereof by means of flaps. Thus, the bottom comprises flaps 11 at the longitudinal sides and flaps 12 at the transverse sides. The insert 13, 14 is applied with the cardboard box in a position turned upside-down. The flaps 11 are formed with Q PΓ circular openings 16 which are located and dimen¬ sioned such that they can receive a row of supporting feet 13 on the insert. Initially, one row of support¬ ing feet 13 is passed through the openings 16 in one flap 11 and then said flap and the plate 14 are shut down onto the two flaps 12, FIG. 10, previously shut down. Then, the other flap 11 is shut down over the insert, the other row of supporting feet 13 being passed through the openings 16 in said flap, FIG. 11. Finally, the bottom is sealed by means of an adhesive tape 26, FIG. 12, and the cardboard box is now provided with a pallet bottom as will be seen from FIG. 13. When the cardboard box 10 is filled with goods, such goods will prevent the supporting feet 13 from being pushed into the box when the box rests on the floor at said feet. Possibly, a further plate can be located inside the cardboard box on the flaps 12 in order that the pressure against the supporting feet 13 shall be transmitted to the goods via such plate. The .cardboard box can be lifted easily by means of a fork truck as is illustrated in FIG. 13 where the fork is indicated by dot-and-dash lines. The supporting feet can also be arranged on sev- eral separate plates. For example, each supporting foot can have its own plate. The location of the plate with the supporting feet can be obtained by means of the flaps of the bottom or by means of a separate sheet in the manner described above, but it is also conceivable to arrange the location of the plate with the supporting feet also in other ways without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the plate 14 proper can have tabs which are inserted into slots in the box or the plate can be attached to the bottom of the box by means of staples or the like. OMP

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Arrangement in a cardboard box with a pallet bottom, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that a number of supporting feet (13) arranged on a plate (14) are passed through the bottom (11) of the cardboard box (10) with the plate engaging the inner side of the bottom. 2. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that each supporting foot (13) is arranged on a separate plate (14). 3. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, c h a r - a c t e r i s e d in that two or more supporting feet (13) are arranged on a common plate (14). 4. Arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the plate (14) is arranged as a network. 5. Arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in a cardboard box (10) the bottom of which com¬ prises four folded overlapping flaps (11, 12), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the plate (14) is arranged between an outer flap (11) and an inner flap (12) shut down against said outer flap, the support¬ ing feet being passed through openings in the outer flap (11). 6. Arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that a sheet (17) e.g. a cardboard sheet is located in the plate (14) inside the cardboard box (10). 7. Arrangement as claimed in claim 6, c h a r - a c t e r i s e d in that the sheet (17) is inserted at tabs (18) into slots in the side walls of the cardboard box (10). 8. Arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the bottom (11) has markings consisting e.g. of a weakening of the 5URE OMPI cardboard material or a perforation for forming open¬ ings (15, 16) for the passage of the supporting feet (13). 9. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, c h a r - a c t e r i s e d in that a plate (14) and a number of supporting feet (13) attached to the plate form an insert the plate of which is adapted to engage the inner side of the bottom (11) of the cardboard box the supporting feet being passed through the bottom. 10. Arrangement as claimed in claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that each supporting- foot (13) is passed through an opening (16) in the plate (14) from one side thereof and is formed to engage at said shoulder said one side of the plate. 11. Arrangement as claimed in claim 10, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the shoulder com¬ prises an annular flange (20) on the supporting foot (13) at one end thereof. 12. Arrangment as claimed in claim 10 or 11, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the supporting foot (13) forms projecting tabs (23) which can be elastically depressed from the outside, to engage at these tabs the opposite side of the plate (14). 13. Arrangement as claimed in claim 12, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the free end por¬ tions (24) of the tabs (23) are directed oblikely outwards from the supporting foot (13) towards the lower side of the flange (20). 14. Arrangement as claimed in any of claims 11 to l3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that each supporting foot (13) is formed as a hollow body open at one end thereof where the flange (20) is arranged, while the other end has a bottom (21). 15. Arrangement as claimed in claim 14, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the tabs (23) are ' BURE4 Q PI formed by portions of the wall of the hollow body (13). 16. Arrangement as claimed in claim 14 or 15, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the hollow body (13) is formed as a truncated cone having the large diameter at said one end. 17. Arrangement as claimed in claim 16, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the hollow body (13) comprises an injection moulded plastic body while the plate (14) consists of corrugated cardboard or the like.

Inventors: SKOENVALL TAGE, SKOENVALL, TAGE
Applicants: WALDENSTROEM JAN AB, JAN WALDENSTROEM AB
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B65D25
IPC codes: B65D19