Abstract:
The invention relates to a pallet comprising a plurality of boxes ( 1 ), these boxes containing pouches ( 2   a,    2   b,    2   c,    2   d ), the pouches being arranged flat in relation to the pallet. The invention also relates to this box, to the methods of manufacturing the pallet and the box, and to devices for manufacturing the box.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This Application is a National Stage of application PCT/EP03/00860 filed on Jan. 29, 2003, claiming priority to FR 02 14957 filed on Nov. 28, 2002 and FR 02 01909 filed on Feb. 13, 2002. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a novel box, in particular a palletizable box, to the pallet comprising this box, and to their methods of manufacture.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Various types of packaging are known such as primary packages contained in other packages called secondary packages. It is known, for example, to pack a cardboard box (secondary package) with units (primary package) such as pouches, in particular flexible pouches of the uniformly flat type, also referred to as three-sided or four-sided sealed pouches (pillow pouch), or of the “doypack” type.  
         [0004]     This secondary package (box) is placed on the shelf directly and sold with the primary packages (pouches) inside it. A package is thus obtained called a “multi-pack” which can hold a single variety or multiple varieties, the different pouches containing different products.  
         [0005]     This type of packaging poses a number of problems.  
         [0006]     The first problem is the problem of palletization. Two standards are at present applied in the trade. In the first case, the characteristic dimensions of the pallet are 800×1200 mm, whereas in the second case the characteristic dimensions are 1000×1200 mm.  
         [0007]     The number of pouches per box varies greatly, depending on the type of product and on how the latter is marketed. It is possible to have 7 pouches per box for a 1 pouch per day use. The number of pouches can also vary for the same product, for example during sales promotions (with 2 extra pouches free).  
         [0008]     In the prior art, the pouches are arranged vertically in the box. Thus, the width of the box is imposed by the dimensions of the pouches, which dimensions are chosen to be unique. The height of the box is likewise imposed. However, the length of the box varies depending on the number of pouches in it (the “case count”). Problems are therefore bound to be encountered with this type of box in terms of optimizing the pallet configuration since a box of variable length cannot optimize the occupation of the surface of the pallet for different “case counts”. The distribution or organization of the boxes in layers on the pallet has to be modified when this “case count” is modified.  
         [0009]     The second problem encountered is the manufacture of such boxes. They conventionally comprise side walls, a base and a lid, the base being integral with the side walls, whereas the lid can be added. For the manufacture of such boxes, use is made of a mandrel (metal preform) which shapes the material of the box by folding in a cavity. The cavity and the mandrel have, as characteristic dimensions, the width and length of the box. Thus, when the length of the box changes, it is also necessary to change the manufacturing tool. This increases the manufacturing difficulties and the final cost.  
         [0010]     The invention therefore relates to a secondary package which contains a plurality of flexible primary packages or pouches and which permits maximum occupation of the surface of the pallet and is easy to manufacture, irrespective of the number and type of pouches.  
         [0011]     The invention thus makes available a pallet comprising a plurality of boxes, these boxes containing pouches, wherein the pouches are arranged flat in relation to the pallet.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     According to one embodiment, the pouches are of the doypack type and are placed head-to-tail in the boxes.  
         [0013]     According to another embodiment, the pouches are of the uniformly flat type and are partially superpositioned.  
         [0014]     According to another embodiment, the boxes have widths and lengths corresponding to dimensions, which are submultiples of 400×600 mm.  
         [0015]     According to a further embodiment, the boxes open at their top.  
         [0016]     According to another further embodiment, the boxes open at their side.  
         [0017]     According to one embodiment, the boxes are obtained by folding with a mandrel, the mandrel having the same width and length as the boxes.  
         [0018]     According to another embodiment, the pallet measures are 800×1200 mm.  
         [0019]     According to a further embodiment, the pallet measures are 1000×1200 mm.  
         [0020]     The invention also relates to a box containing pouches, having widths and lengths corresponding to dimensions which are submultiples of 400×600 mm, the pouches being arranged flat in the plane defining said widths and lengths.  
         [0021]     According to one embodiment, the pouches are of the doypack type and are placed head-to-tail in the box.  
         [0022]     According to another embodiment, the pouches are of the uniformly flat type and are partially superpositioned.  
         [0023]     According to another embodiment, the box opens at the top.  
         [0024]     According to a further embodiment, the box opens at the side.  
         [0025]     According to another further embodiment, the box is obtained by folding with a mandrel, the mandrel having the same width and length as the box.  
         [0026]     The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a pallet according to the invention, comprising the following steps: 
        (i) provision of boxes containing pouches;     (ii) orientation of said boxes in such a way as to have the pouches flat in relation to the pallet; and     (iii) palletization of said boxes.        
 
         [0030]     The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a box according to the invention, comprising the following steps: 
        (i) provision of an empty box having at least two dimensions corresponding to dimensions, which are submultiples of 400×600 mm;     (ii) filling of said box with pouches, the plane of the pouches corresponding to the plane defining said at least two dimensions; and     (iii) closure of the box.        
 
         [0034]     According to one embodiment, step (i) comprises a step of folding with the mandrel, the mandrel having the same at least two dimensions as the box.  
         [0035]     According to another embodiment, step (ii) comprises inserting the pouches horizontally.  
         [0036]     The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method of manufacture according to the invention, comprising 
        (i) a conveyor belt delivering empty boxes, the boxes being arranged on the conveyor belt in a plane containing said at least two dimensions;     (ii) at least one conveyor belt delivering pouches and arranged substantially perpendicular to the conveyor belt delivering empty boxes, said pouches being arranged flat on said conveyor belt;     (iii) an arm arranged above said conveyor belts and comprising a gripper device at its end, said arm alternating between a position for gripping the pouches and a position for filling the box; and     (iv) a device for closing the box.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0041]     The invention is now described in greater detail in the following description and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:  
         [0042]      FIG. 1  shows a box according to a first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0043]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  show a pallet loading configuration;  
         [0044]      FIG. 3  shows a cross section through a box according to the invention;  
         [0045]      FIG. 4  shows the web before being folded into the box according to the first embodiment;  
         [0046]      FIG. 5  shows a device for filling the box according to the invention;  
         [0047]      FIG. 6  shows a box according to a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0048]      FIG. 7  shows the web before being folded into the box according to the second embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0049]      FIG. 1  depicts a package according to a first embodiment. The package is a cardboard box  1  containing a plurality of pouches  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c , etc. These are arranged horizontally in the box. The latter thus has a width and a length which are fixed by the characteristics of the pouch and therefore remain fixed irrespective of the number of pouches in the box. Alternatively, once the dimensions of the box have been chosen, it is possible to adapt those of the pouch. This box can therefore have dimensions “on the base” or on a pallet which are identical and which can in particular correspond to dimensions, which are submultiples of 400×600 mm. The dimensions are submultiples of 400×600 mm when they result from the division of the 400×600 mm rectangle. Thus, the following dimensions are submultiples: 300×400 mm (division by 2); 200×400 mm (division by 3); 200×300 mm (division by 4); 130×300 mm (division by 6); 200×200 mm (division by 6); 150×200 mm (division by 8); 100×300 mm (division by 8); 130×200 mm (division by 9); 130×150 mm (division by 12); 100×200 mm (division by 12); 100×150 mm (division by 16). These dimensions permit optimized stacking of the pallet in layers since it is always possible to reconstruct a base block measuring 400×600 mm. A pallet configuration is shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  which corresponds to 800×1200 mm and 1000×1200 mm respectively, with a “base module” of 400×600 mm.  
         [0050]     Such a box with pouches arranged flat when it is palletized therefore affords advantages in terms of palletization. As has been seen above, it is adapted to the two current standards. A variable number of pouches causes only the height of the box to vary, but not the layer or pallet base configuration which remains the same. A variation of the height of the box changes only the number of layers (which incidentally is already variable from one country to another, the maximum admissible heights of pallets varying from 2 m to 1.60 m). Automatic palletization is thus easy to implement because no control operation is any longer necessary, only the programming of the number of layers. The logistics are therefore improved.  
         [0051]     The pouches situated in the box are of a conventional type. They can be of the uniformly flat type or preferably of the “doypack” type (namely a square pouch having a surface forming a base and allowing the pouch to stand upright). The pouches of the doypack type will be preferred. Referring to  FIG. 3 , this shows a cross section through a package according to the invention. The doypack pouches are again labelled  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c , etc. They alternate in a head-to-tail arrangement. This permits better utilization of the available volume in the box. Indeed, the at least partial superpositioning of the doypack pouches makes it possible to increase the number of pouches per box (uniformly flat pouches losing a little useful volume at the four edges) and thus ultimately the number of pouches per pallet. The partial superpositioning of the pouches also permits adaptation of the box with respect to the length of the pouches, thus making it possible to allow for the characteristic dimensions of, for example, 130×200 mm (or any other submultiple of 400×600 mm close to the dimensions of the pouch in question). Such a doypack arrangement provides an interlocking effect.  
         [0052]     The manufacture of the box is conventional; the box is obtained by folding a cardboard web  3 , the layout of which is shown in  FIG. 4 . The box  1  is formed by folding of a cardboard web  3 . The latter has zones corresponding to the different parts of the box. The zone indicated by hatching is the zone which will be pushed firmly by the mandrel (not shown) into the corresponding cavity or impression (alternatively it is also possible to surround the mandrel with the web). This zone corresponds here to the base  11  of the box. It is flanked by two sides  12  and  13 . The base  11  and the sides  12  and  13  are provided with flaps  11   a  and  11   b ,  12   a  and  12   b ,  13   a  and  13   b , respectively. These flaps are adhesively bonded to one another to form the box, the flaps  11   a ,  12   a  and  13   a , on the one hand, and  11   b ,  12   b  and  13   b , on the other, thus forming the third and fourth sides  14  and  15 , respectively. The box is then filled with pouches by a suitable machine, the pouches being generally inserted flat. The lid  16  (attached before or after filling) is then closed. It is also possible to make the lid integral with the other faces of the box, in which case the lid  16  is in the continuation of one of the flaps  11   a  or  11   b.    
         [0053]      FIG. 5  shows a device for filling the box according to the first embodiment. It comprises, for example, a conveyor belt  21  delivering empty boxes and, perpendicularly, two conveyor belts  22  and  23  delivering pouches (arranged flat). According to a preferred variant, the pouches are placed the opposite way round on the conveyor belts in order to achieve a head-to-tail arrangement in the box. The device additionally comprises an arm  24  which rotates above the box and the pouches. The pouches are gripped, for example, with the aid of suction cups  25   a  and  25   b  arranged at the end of the arm. The arm thus alternately fills the box with pouches from one conveyor belt and then from the other conveyor belt. A device (not shown) for closing the box is also used in a conventional manner.  
         [0054]      FIG. 6  shows a package according to a second embodiment. The package is a cardboard box  1  containing a plurality of pouches  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c , etc. These are arranged horizontally in the box. In contrast to the first embodiment, the opening is via a face of the box. Alternatively, it is possible to turn the box a quarter of a turn in such a way that the opening is at the top, the pouches then being arranged vertically (it is this variant which is preferred for the second embodiment). The dimensions of the box remain given for the pouches being arranged flat. In the second embodiment, the box is used (preferred variant) in another sense than that for the palletization, in contrast to the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the pouches can have markings on their edge which makes it easier for consumers to identify them, particularly in the case of a multi-pack containing multiple varieties.  
         [0055]     The manufacture of the box according to the second embodiment is conventional; the box is obtained by folding a cardboard web  4 , the layout of which is shown in  FIG. 7 . The box  1  is formed by folding a cardboard web  4 . The latter has zones corresponding to the different parts of the box. The zone indicated by hatching is the zone which will be pushed firmly by the mandrel (not shown) into the corresponding cavity or impression. This zone corresponds here to the base  11  of the box. It is flanked by two sides  12  and  13 , the latter also being flanked by the upper part  16 . The base  11  and the side  13  and the top  16  are provided with flaps  11   a  and  11   b ,  13   a  and  13   b ,  16   a  and  16   b , respectively. These flaps are adhesively bonded to one another to form the box, the flaps  11   a ,  13   a  and  16   a , on the one hand, and  11   b ,  13   b , and  16   b , on the other, thus forming the third and fourth sides  14  and  15 , respectively. The box is then filled with pouches by a suitable machine. The box is filled via the opening side (here  12 ), the pouches this time being introduced vertically (for example via the top, the box being turned). In this case, the opening side is closed after filling and not the top, as in the first embodiment.  
         [0056]     The filling of these boxes according to the second embodiment is done as with the boxes according to the first embodiment, the device described with reference to  FIG. 5  also being adapted.  
         [0057]     The cardboard box can be replaced by a box made of another rigid material, such as polymer materials. In the invention, “box” means any package that can be stacked on a (rigid) pallet. Generally, these boxes are of substantially parallelepipedal shape. Other shapes distinct from a rectangle are also suitable, especially when they permit paving of the surface of the pallet. The boxes otherwise have the conventional characteristics of such secondary packages.  
         [0058]     The pouches can contain various types of products, in particular pastes, granules, liquids, which may or may not be foods. These products will preferably be moist food products. The pouches otherwise have the conventional characteristics of such primary packages.  
         [0059]     The invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been described, but instead it is open to numerous variants easily accessible to the skilled person.