Packaging means for protecting articles against shock

Abstract: In packaging means of the kind comprising an outer box (11) and shells (12,13) made from moulded pulp for supporting and protecting an article within them, an important novel feature is that the shells (12,13) are interconnected by a cardboard piece (14) folded or cut from a cardboard sheet material. With this arrangement, both lateral and vertical support for the article can be provided by using pulp shells (12,13) of smaller dimensions than would otherwise be necessary. By combining moulded pulp shells with cardboard objects, a rigid unit capable of supporting and protecting the packed article is obtained. The well known shock absorbing quality of the moulded pulp article is combined with the stiffeners of the folded cardboard in a way which adds the good qualities of both materials in a way resulting in a better total packaging.

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a packaging means of the kind comprising an outer packaging element in the form of a box or similar in combination with at least one first thin-walled packaging element placed in the box and moulded or cast into a shape so as to contribute to support and protect an article inside the box. BACKGROUND ART When packaging articles or sets of articles, e.g. electronical equipment, in boxes, it is common practice to support and protect the articles concerned by means of specially shaped packaging elements made of paper pulp, inserted between the article(s) and the outer box. In the case of packaging elements made from paper pulp, their method of manufacture normally sets certain limits with regard to their spatial dimensions, making them less attractive for economical reasons and for flexibility in combining various articles into a package. From GB 1 006 213 it is known to provide a packaging according to the preambule of claim 1, comprising an outer box-like packaging element and a thin-walled packaging element in the form of a relatively thin sheet material, which is adapted to support and protect an article inside the outer packaging element by being inserted between at least one article and the inside of the outer packaging element. Moreover, the known packaging means comprises at least one second packaging element of stock sheet material forming a wall member inside the outer box-like packaging element. The package known from GB 1 006 213 only provides limited possibilities of combining the thin sheet material with the stock sheet material. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to provide a packaging means of the kind referred to above, with which it is possible to bridge gaps or fill spaces between the packed object and the outer box. In many cases, the customer demands a box with fixed external dimensions. The reason may be that the box has to fulfil certain standard measures in order to be packed on the so-called Euro-pallets, i.e. the box has to have a certain modulus. There may also be other reasons for the customer demand such as traditions and sales appealing packages. Simultaneously, by filling out spaced and bridging gaps it is of course also a measure to protect the object and to obtain a safe packaging. This is obtained with packaging means made in accordance with claim 1. By combining moulded pulp or similar with a part made from cardboard, a better protection of the packed article is obtained. The moulded pulp may protect the packed article in one direction, whereas the cardboard part may protect the article in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the moulded pulp. The moulded pulp is designed to absorb energy in the said one direction in a way known per se. Moreover, it is by the combined package possible to guide impact forces during a drop around sensitive areas. The cardboard may also act as additional dissipation material, absorbing and dissipating the kinetic energy during drop and vibration. In addition to this, the shock absorption is also obtained by using flaps on the cardboard which co-operate with protrusions on the moulded pulp article. The cardboard can be designed to make a close fit connection with the moulded pulp inserts whereby a form-stable unit is obtained. It may also be possible to let the packed object exceed the horizontal boundaries of the moulded pulp. This is obtained by having a larger horizontal extension of the cardboard compared to moulded pulp pieces leaving a safety zone for displacement during shock. The flaps cut out from the cardboard material can according to the invention be interconnected with the moulded pulp shell in a way which avoids high shear forces at the conjunctions between moulded pulp and cardboard, because the flaps act as load distributing means at the side faces of the protrusions. Moreover, the flaps will improve the fixation of the moulded pulp pieces inside the box. The flaps also increase the bending and buckling strength, especially for those areas at which the cardboard is not closed. If the cardboard is closed on all sides, the perpendicular area of this closure acts a stiffener. Moreover, the flaps may cover the whole side face of the protrusions and follow the side face up to the inside of the outer box thereby assisting the moulded pulp piece in absorbing shock and vibration from the outside. A second packaging element may be cut and bent in a form permitting parts of the sheet material to be in contact with all the side surfaces of the outer box from the inside. Advantageous embodiments of the packaging means according to the invention, the effects of which - beyond what is obvious - are explained in the following detailed part of the present description, are set forth in claims 2-8. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following detailed part of the present description, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments of packaging elements according to the invention shown in the drawings, in which Figure 1 in perspective shows a first embodiment of packaging means according to the invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a blank made from a stock sheet material before folding a box-like structure corresponding to the box in Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 in perspective shows a second embodiment of packaging means according to the invention, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view through the packaging means of Figure 4, Figure 6 in perspective shows a third embodiment of packaging means according to the invention, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a box 11 made e.g. from corrugated paper or stiff cardboard, an upper pulp shell 12, and a lower pulp shell 13. The pulp shells 12 and 13 are mutually spaced by a distance D by means of a spacing box 14 cut and folded from corrugated paper or stiff cardboard, its original flat shape being shown in Figure 3. In its top and bottom walls, the spacing box 14 has openings 15 accommodating the pulp shells 12 and 13 in the manner best seen in Figure 2. As will be seen from Figure 2, the pulp shells 12 and 13 are inserted from the internal space of the spacing box 14 through the openings 15, being kept in place in these openings, partly by tabs 16 formed on the edge of the opening 15 in the spacing box 14 and protruding into slots 17 formed in the side walls of the pulp shells 12 and 13, partly by flanges 18 formed on the pulp shells and resting against the article 29, and partly by flaps 19 formed in and bent outwards from the top and bottom walls of the spacing box 14. In Figure 1, the lower pulp shell 13 has been omitted; otherwise, the flange 18 on the lower pulp shell 13 would be visible. The spacing box 14 shown in Figure 1 is closed on all sides. The spacing box 14 is folded from the blank shown in Figure 3. Some of the advantages of the present invention is particularly evident from Figure 2. As can be seen from this Figure, the packaging means shown can accommodate an article 29 with a height considerably higher than the sum of the heights of the upper and lower pulp shells 12 and 13, respectively, the increase in possible height being represented by the distance D. This is especially important in view of the fact that in many plants with machinery for making pulp shells in the usual manner, i.e. comprising suction-moulding of paper pulp from a slurry against perforated moulds, the maximum height of pulp shells that can be produced is strictly limited by certain parameters of the machinery concerned. Correspondingly, the packed article may have a width W which exceeds the width of the horizontal dimension of the pulp shell 12 and 13. In mainly the same manner as the first embodiment described above, the embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5 comprises an outer box 21 made e.g. from corrugated paper or stiff cardboard, an upper pulp shell 22, a lower pulp shell 23, a box structure 24 folded from cardboard, and flaps 19 integral with the box 24. The pulp shells 22 and 23 are placed with their open sides facing each other, and in the lateral direction, i.e. directions parallel to the bottom and top of the box 21, they are held in place by a box 24, in the top and bottom of which there are various cut-outs and openings to fit closely about the various protrusions on the upper and lower pulp shells 22 and 23. In the vertical direction, the pulp shells 22 and 23 are held in place by abutment with the "roof " and "floor" in the box 21, so as to support and protect the article(s) (not shown) to be packaged in the box 21. To provide good abutment between the upper and lower pulp shells 22 and 23 they are provided with flanges 28 having a width considerably greater than the thickness of the pulp shells. The flaps 19 are resiliently bended against the protrusions on the pulp shells. In this way, a firm fit between the shells and the box structure 24 is obtained. This is partly due to the flaps on the sides of the protrusions, partly due to the cut-outs in the box 24 and the guidance of the protrusions in the cut-outs. If the flaps 19 exceed to the outer box - as shown at the protrusion 30 in Figure 4 - an improved resilient guidance is obtained. The space between the pulp shells 22 and 23 and the outer box 21 may contain non-sensitive articles such as instruction manuals, video cassettes, pouches, etc. Such articles may be held in place in cut-outs in the cardboard as illustrated by the electrical wire 31. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 4, wherein the abutment between the pulp shells 22,23 and the cardboard box 24 inside the outer box 21 is clearly shown. In Figure 6 is shown an embodiment mainly corresponding to the embodiment of Figure 4, however, containing four individual moulded pulp pieces 32-35 placed in cut-outs in openings (not shown) in the spacing box 24 made from corrugated cardboard. In this way, the total dimensions of the packaging means may be extended in an almost unlimited way and independent of the dimensions of the moulded pulp pieces. The maximum dimension of the moulded pulp piece is normally given and defined by the specific moulding machine used. The products of one packaging means may consist of a number of basic elements and a number of variable elements which e.g. are dependent on the country in which they are sold. It may be considerably cheaper to exchange one individual moulded pulp piece than the whole mould. Figure 7 illustrates a fourth embodiment by a sectional view. Once again, the outer box is designated by reference number 21, the packed article by reference number 29 and a lower moulded pulp piece by reference number 36. The lower pulp shell is supported by a cardboard element 37, which is folded from a blank with a central opening and legs extending from the plane defined by the cardboard element down to the bottom of the outer box 21. In this way, the cardboard assists the lower pulp shell 36 in absorbing loads exerted on the lower box surface. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 7 the article 29 has a flat upper side and is protected inside the box by a cardboard element 38 with legs extending from the upper surface of the article to the inner top surface of the box 21. It is also probable that both top and bottom comprise a moulded pulp piece 36 . LIST OF PARTS 11 outer box 12 upper pulp shell 13 lower pulp shell 14 spacing box 15 opening 16 tab 17 slot 18 flange 19 flap 21 outer box 22 upper pulp shell 23 lower pulp shell 24 spacing box 28 flange 29 article 30 protrusion 31 electrical wire 32-35 moulded pulp pieces 36 lower pulp shell 37 lower cardboard element 38 upper cardboard element

Claims: Packaging means of the kind comprising a) an outer box-like packaging element (11; 21) b) at least one first thin-walled packaging element (12,13; 22,23) moulded or cast into a shape so as to contribute to the support and protection of one or more articles inside the outer packaging element (11; 21) by being inserted between at least one article and the inside of the outer packaging element, and being characterized by c) at least one second packaging element (14; 24) made from folded stock sheet material with an opening in its top or bottom wall and combined with the at least one first packaging element (12,13; 22,23) so as to form a unit gapping and bridging the space between the article(s) and the outer packaging element, which unit supports and protects the article(s) inside the outer packaging element in a shock absorbing way. Packaging means according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one first packaging element (12,13; 22,23) is made from moulded pulp or a similar material. Packaging means according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one second packaging element is made from corrugated cardboard or similar sheet material. Packaging means according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the corrugated cardboard is cut and folded into a box structure with external dimensions corresponding to the inside of the outer box and placed in abutment with the box sides in approximately the mid-section of the box, and in that the article(s) is/are placed in cut-outs in the cardboard materials and protected by moulded pulp pieces between the outer box, said moulded pulp pieces being interconnected with the cardboard by being inserted and secured in openings (15) therein. Packaging means according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises an upper and a lower moulded pulp piece and a cardboard box structure in the mid-section of the outer box, said moulded pulp pieces being inserted into cut-outs in the upper and lower face of the cardboard box and guided by flaps (19) from the cardboard cut-outs. Packaging means according to claim 5, characterized in that the flaps (19) are resiliently bent against protrusions on the moulded pulp pieces along at least one side surface of the protrusions. Packaging means according to claim 6, characterized in that the flaps (19) cover the whole side face of the protrusions and follow the side face up to the inside of the outer box thereby assisting the moulded pulp piece in absorbing shock and vibration from the outside. Packaging means acording to claim 1, characterized by a second packaging element cut and bent in a form permitting parts of the sheet material to be in contact with all the side surfaces of the outer box from the inside.

Inventors: KULMITZER HORST, STEFFANN LOUIS, KULMITZER, HORST, STEFFANN, LOUIS
Applicants: HARTMANN AS BRDR, BRODRENE HARTMANN A/S
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: B65D81