Patent Publication Number: US-9422078-B2

Title: Transport packaging

Description:
The present invention relates to a transport packaging and to a container for such a transport packaging. 
     Transport packagings are packagings that make it possible to transport objects and protect the objects during the transport as well as possible from damage. The transport packagings should be as inexpensive as possible. The transport packagings must be easy to handle and make possible a simple and reliable packaging of the matter to be sent. 
     Such transport packagings are frequently manufactured from stabilized paper types (pasteboard or in combination with cardboard or corrugated cardboard). The transport packagings are manufactured for different shipping material in different strengths and sizes. In order that they require as little space in a warehouse, they can usually be folded together. Parallelepipedic and open-at-the-top containers of pasteboard are known into which the objects to be transported are placed. The remaining empty space is filled up, for example, with filling material. The container is then closed with a cover. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,184 B1, e.g., shows a transport packaging in which shipping material is fixed in the transport packaging by a tightening strap. To this end the tightening strap runs over the shipping material partially outside of the transport packaging and is guided in two V-shaped opposing slots provided in the side wall of a container of the transport packaging. 
     The invention has the problem of creating a transport packaging that is especially simple to handle and in which the shipping material can be simply and reliably fixed. The cost for the transport packaging should remain low. 
     This problem is solved by a transport packaging with the features of the present invention. Advantageous further developments of the invention are cited in the subclaims. 
     The material weakening constitutes a theoretical separation seam in the sidewall of the container and runs from the free edge or from the upper edge of the sidewall in the direction of the bottom of the container. The theoretical separation seam is then pressed in during the tightening of the tightening strap so that a slot is produced and the tightening strap can penetrate into the interior of the container and fix objects present there. The material weakening is pressed in only over such a length as is necessary for fixing the object. The integrity of the container is therefore preserved as well as possible so that the object remains protected as well as possible. The material weakening can be realized in a very simple manner and therefore economically in a manufacturing process. In contrast to a slot that is already present in advance, it has the advantage that the container remains completely intact—without tightening strap—and can therefore be used even without a tightening strap if necessary without an undesired opening present in the sidewall of the container. Moreover, as already mentioned, the material weakening is pressed in only as is necessary by the tightening strap so that even in this case an unnecessarily large opening in the sidewall is avoided. The strapping of the container can furthermore take place automatically without an additional step for introducing a slot being required. Furthermore, the invention has the advantage that the container, in particular its s dewalls, is a stable pasteboard box when being packed with objects that can therefore be filled with objects in an especially problem-free manner. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the transport packaging according to the invention it is provided that the material weakening has a perforation. Such a perforation can be produced readily and economically on customary stamping machines. Moreover, a material weakening in the form of a tear perforation can be especially readily torn open by a tightening strap of the transport packaging. For example, after the packing of the container the tightening strap is placed around the entire circumference of the container in the area of the tear perforation and then drawn tight, during which the tightening strap separates the tear perforation but only until the tightening strap has reached the surface of the object present in the container. In this manner the object in the surrounding packaging is reliably fixed in a simple manner without additional filling material having to be used. 
     Of course, at least a part of the unused volume in the container can also be used, e.g., for inserting a support padding for transporting a sensitive, in particular pressure-sensitive object. A padding can also be used that completely surrounds the object. 
     Furthermore, it is advantageous if at least a pair of two parallel material weakenings are formed in the opposing sidewalls between which weakenings a flap is formed that can be pressed in at least partially by the tightening strap. Such a flap that can be folded into the interior of the container prevents the tightening strap from directly contacting the object to be transported and therefore serves as an “intermediate layer” or “padding” protecting the object. The flap is preferably designed to be somewhat larger than the width of the tightening strap. 
     It is also suggested that the material weakenings extend, starting from the free edge, over a length of approximately ⅔ of the height of the sidewalls. However, an actual length of the material weakening can also deviate from this or can vary within a certain frame and is adapted to a use or an application of the container. This represents a good compromise between a good stability of the container and a sufficient fixing even of flat objects in the container. 
     Another further development is distinguished in that at least two areas with at least one material weakening are provided per sidewall so that two tightening straps that are spaced from one another can be attached. To this extent in order to pack the object or the objects preferably two tightening straps are provided; however, the number of tightening straps is in principle as desired. This embodiment also has, in addition to the simple handling, the further advantage that transport packagings only have to be stored in rough dimensional differences. Although the transport packaging is perhaps too large for a certain object, it is ensured that the object can be reliably stored in the transport packaging. 
     The tightening strap is preferably manufactured from tear-resistant plastic, e.g., polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     Furthermore, an area of the material weakening directly adjacent to the free edge can run at an angle of approximately 45° to the free edge. This facilitates the penetration of the tightening strap into the material weakening and prevents a tearing out of the free edge of the container. 
     Furthermore, it is provided for the transport packaging of the invention that the object can be covered with a cover plate before the fixing with the tightening strap and that the cover plate has not quite the size of the bottom surface of the container and is manufactured from a flexible and shock-absorbing material. In the simplest and most economical case the cover plate is manufactured from the same material as the container, that is, for example, pasteboard. The cover plate significantly increases the protection of the objects to be transported, especially if several objects are to be transported in the container. They can be held together in an overlapping manner by the cover plate, and the active area of the tightening strap is distributed onto a greater surface. Even rather small individual parts are held without problems under the cover plate and cannot fall out, e.g., during a tilting of the entire transport packaging during transportation. If required, empty spaces in the container can be filled out with any filling material for an even greater protection of the shipping material. 
     Furthermore, it is provided for the transport packaging that it comprises a parallelepipedic cover open on one side. The cover is intended to serve as a closing cover of the container in order that a shipping of the transport packaging together with its contents can be carried out in a proper manner, e.g., as a package by any shipping company. The cover element is preferably constructed in such a manner that the material weakening of the container is covered. This avoids openings on the transport packaging through which the transport packaging can be damaged during a gripping. A filling out of a free space directly underneath the cover element with filling material can be eliminated since the shipping material is securely fixed by the tightening strap. 
     Other advantages result from the following description and the attached figures. 
     Of course, the previously cited features and those that are still to be explained in the following can be used not only in the particular indicated combination but also in other combinations or by themselves without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the figures and explained in detail in the following specification. In the schematic figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows a surrounding packaging of a transport packaging in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows the surrounding packaging of  FIG. 1  with shipping material and a provided cover plate; 
         FIG. 3  shows the surrounding packaging of  FIG. 2  with two tightening straps provided for fixing the shipping material; 
         FIG. 4  shows the surrounding packaging of  FIG. 3  with two tightened tightening straps; and 
         FIG. 5  shows the surrounding packaging of  FIG. 4  with a cover element as a complete transport packaging. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of a container  10  as part of a transport packaging  100 . The container  10  is substantially a parallelepipedic pasteboard box of pressed or otherwise stabilized paper or cardboard or corrugated cardboard that is open at the top in  FIG. 1 . The container  10  therefore has a bottom  12  that is rectangular in a top view, two opposing sidewalls  14  and two opposing front walls  16 . The sidewalls  14  each have two material weakenings that are arranged off-center in the form of tear perforations  20 , that run from a free upper edge  18  of the sidewall  14  vertically and parallel to one another over a length of approximately one half or two thirds of the height of the sidewalls  14  to the bottom  12 . 
     Therefore, the tear perforations  20  end at a certain distance from the bottom surface  12 . The tear perforations  20  all have the same length and constitute a theoretical separating seam in sidewalls  14 . Each two tear perforations  20  that are located close together form a pair, whereby after a tearing of the tear perforation  20  of a pair a flap  22  is formed that, e.g., can be bent into the inner space of the containers  10 . Of course, the tear perforations  20  can also be arranged in such a manner on the sidewall  14  that only a single flap  22  or more than two flaps  22  can form (not shown). 
     In the same manner pairs of tear perforations can also be provided in the front walls  16  (not shown). 
     In a simple embodiment that is not shown the container  10  can also have only a single tear perforation  20  or two tear perforations arranged apart from one another and off-center on two opposing sidewalls  14  or  16 . However in this case no foldable flap can be formed. 
     In  FIG. 2  the container  10  comprises transport material in the form of several objects  24  that were set or placed in the container  10  for transport. The transport material  24  is multipartite but can also be only one individual part. In order to protect the transport material  24  during the shipping, the transport packaging  100  has a cover plate  26  that can be placed on the transport material  24 . The using of the cover plate  26  is an alternative and can be eliminated, e.g., in the case of only one single object  24  to be packaged. The cover plate  26  is preferably manufactured from a flexible and shock-absorbing material, in the simplest case from the same material as the cover  10 . The cover plate  26  is preferably slightly smaller than the bottom  12  of the container  10 . For an even better protection during the transport the transport material  24  can be additionally secured with a flexible, filling material in the container  10 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the container  10  with the cover plate  26  covering the transport material  24 . In addition, two tightening straps  28  are provided for packaging that are placed in the vertical direction around the container  10  in the area of the provided flaps  22 . Therefore, the width of the flaps  22  is preferably somewhat wider than the width of the tightening strap  28 . The tightening strap  28  is preferably manufactured from tear-resistant plastic, e.g., from polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). 
     In  FIG. 4  the two tightening straps  28  are tightened together to a ring in that the ends are fixed to one another, e.g., with a closure casing (not visible) provided for this. The tightening straps  28  are firmly pulled together and automatically separate the tear perforations  20  provided on the sidewall  14  when they are pulled together. In order that the tightening strap  28  readily grips in the area of the flap  22 , e.g., the flap  22  can be slightly shortened on the top and/or a slope can be provided (not shown) in the area of the tear perforations  20  on the upper end. During the pulling together the tightening strap  28  separates the side wall  14  at the tear perforations  20  only until the tightening strap  28  has reached the surface of the cover plate  26 , during which the flaps  22  are bent and thus lie inside the container  10  between the tightening straps  28  and the cover plate  26 . The flaps  22  can function as an additional padding. The firmly tightened tightening straps  28  fix the transport material  24  located under the cover plate  26  so that a more secure and orderly transport of the transport material  24  is possible. 
     In a simple exemplary embodiment in which no bendable flaps are provided, the tightening strap  28  separates the tear perforation  20 . The flexible material of the sidewall is possibly slightly damaged at this time; however, the basic properties of the container  10  remain. 
     For the subsequent transport the container  10  is closed with a cover  32 . The cover  32  is preferably a parallelepipedic pasteboard box consisting of pressed paper or cardboard or corrugated cardboard that is open on one side. The cover  32  is dimensioned in such a manner that it can cover the container  10  with its sidewalls  34  and  36 . It is therefore set from above onto the container  10  until the free edge  18  of the sidewalls and front walls  14  and  16  rests on the cover  32 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the complete transport packaging  100  ready for shipping. The container  10  is closed by the cover  32 . The sidewalls  34  and  36  of the cover  32  cover as a safety measure the slots formed by the torn tear perforations  20  of the container  10 . The transport packaging  100  is therefore completely closed on all sides. The cover  32  can be fastened on the container  10  by other tightening straps or adhesive strips.