Patent Publication Number: US-9896255-B2

Title: Packaging member

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent application No. 2015-183181 filed on Sep. 16, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to a packaging member configured to package an article to be packaged. 
     In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, there may be a case in which a post-processing device to carry out stapling processing or punching processing on a sheet on which an image is formed is attached as an optional device. Such a post-processing device is disposed on a side of a sheet ejecting port of the image forming apparatus. Since the sheet ejecting port is usually formed at an upper portion of the image forming apparatus, a main body part to carry out stapling processing or punching processing is supported by a leg part at a same height as that of the sheet ejecting port. 
     Incidentally, when an article to be packaged, such as the image forming apparatus or the post-processing device, is packaged in a packaging box, in order to absorb an impact acting on the article to be packaged at the time of transportation or storage, a buffering member is interposed between the article to be packaged and the packaging box. Ina case where the image forming apparatus as the article to be packaged is packaged in the packaging box, there may be often a case in which a buffering member made of a pulp mold is interposed between upper corners and lower corners of the image forming apparatus and the packaging box. 
     In addition, in a case where an article to be packaged, having a high center of gravity, such as the post-processing device, is packaged in the packaging box, a buffering member is interposed not only between the periphery of the post-processing device and the packaging box but also between the main body part of the article and a bottom face of the packaging box so as to absorb an impact acting on the main body part at the time of dropping. 
     However, in a case where the post-processing device is packaged in the packaging box as described above, for example, if the packaging box is dropped with an upright posture, the impact acting on the main body part is absorbed by the buffering member interposed between the main body part and the bottom face of the packaging box; and however, if the packaging box is dropped with an oblique posture, it is impossible to sufficiently absorb an impact acting on the main body part from obliquely below by the buffering member interposed between the main body part and the bottom face of the packaging box. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a packaging member includes a packaging box and an intermediate buffering member. The packaging box is configured to house an article to be packaged. The packaging box has a bottom plate and a side plate erected from one edge of the bottom plate. The article has a main body part and a leg part configured to support the main body part. The intermediate buffering member is provided in a space formed between the bottom plate and the side plate of the packaging box and the main body part of the article, inside of the packaging box. The intermediate buffering member has a vertical direction supporting part and a positioning part. The vertical direction supporting part abuts against a lower face of the main body part and the bottom plate. The positioning part is coupled with the vertical direction supporting part. The positioning part prevents the vertical direction supporting part from being moved toward the side plate. The vertical direction supporting part has an inclined part extending from the lower face of the main body part in an oblique lower direction toward near a lower corner between the bottom plate and the side plate and abutting against the bottom plate. 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is shown by way of illustrative example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view showing a packaging member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view showing the packaging member according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view showing the packaging member inclined around its lower edge into a balanced posture, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view showing an intermediate buffering member of the packaging member according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4B  is a front view showing the intermediate buffering member of the packaging member according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a positioning part of the intermediate buffering member in the packaging member according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a vertical direction supporting part of the intermediate buffering member in the packaging member according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, a packaging member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a packaging member  5  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a packaging box  10  to house a post-processing device  1  which is the article to be packaged; and a buffering member  20  interposed between the packaging box  10  and the post-processing device  1 .  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  each are a view showing the post-processing device housed in the packaging box, wherein  FIG. 1  is a side view thereof and  FIG. 2  is a front view thereof. In the following description, left and right directions are based on a direction in which the post-processing device  1  is viewed from a front side. 
     First, the post-processing device  1  will be described. The post-processing device  1  includes: a main body part  2  configured to carry out post-processing on a sheet ejected from an image forming apparatus; and a leg part  3  configured to support the main body part  2 . 
     The main body part  2  has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. On a rear face facing the image forming apparatus, a receiving port  2   a  into which a sheet ejected from the image forming apparatus is received is formed. On a front face, an ejecting tray  2   b  is supported. Inside of the main body part  2 , a sheet conveying path configured to convey the sheet from the receiving port  2   a  toward the ejecting tray  2   b  is formed. In the middle of the sheet conveying path, a processing device to carryout post-processing such as stapling processing or punching processing is provided. Also, a lower face  2   c  of the main body part  2  has a rear side flat face and a front side upward inclined face. 
     The leg part  3  has: a pair of left and right columns  3   a ; a supporting member  3   b  horizontally extending from a lower end portion of a front face of each column  3   a ; and a coupling member  3   c  to couple the lower ends of each columns  3   a . Upper ends of the columns  3   a  are fixed to both side end portion of the rear side flat face of the lower face  2   c  of the main body part  2 . On a lower face of each supporting member  3   b , a caster is rotatably supported. With such a construction, the post-processing device  1  has a structure in which a center of gravity is positioned in the upper main body part  2 . 
     Next, the packaging box  10  will be described. The packaging box  10  includes a skid  11  and a lid case  12  to be inserted into the skid  11 . The skid  11  has: a rectangular bottom plate  11   a ; side plates  11   b  erected from each edge of the bottom plate  11   a ; and a foot truss  11   c  fixed to a lower face of the bottom plate  11   a . The foot truss  11   c  is formed by combining corrugated board skids into a lattice shape so as to engage with an engaging hook of a forklift. The lid case  12  has: side plates  12   b  to be inserted inside the side plates  11   b  of the skid  11 ; and flaps  12   a  connected to upper edges of the side plates  12   b . The side plates  12   b  of the lid case  12  are inserted inside the side plates  11   b  of the skid  11  and then the side plates  12   b  of the lid case  12  and the side plates  11   b  of the skid  11  are coupled to each other, and the packaging box  10  is thereby assembled. 
     Next, the buffering member  20  will be described with reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 3  is a side view showing the packaging box in a balanced posture;  FIG. 4A  is a side view showing an intermediate buffering member;  FIG. 4B  is a front view showing the intermediate buffering member;  FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a positioning member; and  FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a vertical direction supporting part. 
     The buffering member  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , has: a pair of upper buffering members  21  to be interposed between the main body part  2  and the lid case  12 ; a pair of lower buffering members  22  to be interposed between the leg part  3  and the skid  11 ; and an intermediate buffering member  23  to be interposed between the main body part  2  and the skid  11 . 
     The pair of upper buffering members  21  are interposed between an upper left corner and an upper right corner of the main body part  2  and the lid case  12 . The pair of lower buffering members  22  are interposed between the supporting members  3   b  of the leg part  3  and the skid  11 . The pair of upper buffering members  21  and the pair of lower buffering members  22  are made of a pulp mold, for example. 
     The intermediate buffering member  23  is disposed between the pair of supporting members  3   b  and the coupling member  3   c  of the leg part  3  and is interposed between the lower face of the main body part  2  and a lower corner C between the bottom plate  11   a  and the side plate  11   b  crossing each other on the front side of the skid  11 . The intermediate buffering member  23  has: a positioning part  25  abutting against the front side plate  11   b ; and a vertical direction supporting part  26  provided on the rear side (the post-processing device  1  side) of the positioning part  25  and abutting against the lower face  2   c  of the main body part  2  and the bottom plate  11   a  of the skid  11 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , the positioning part  25  is formed by: a pair of side walls  31  opposing to each other in the left and right directions; and a top wall  32  provided between upper edges of the side walls  31 . The positioning part  25  is formed into an inverted trapezoidal sectional shape with the lower face opened. Each side wall  31  has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape. The top wall  32  has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape. An angle a between a horizontal plane and a front side edge of each side wall  31  is at a right angle. 
     The vertical direction supporting part  26  has a height higher than that of the positioning part  25 . The vertical direction supporting part  26  is formed by: a pair of dual structured side walls  41  opposing to each other in the left and right directions; an end wall  42  provided between rear edges of the side walls  41 ; and a top wall  43  provided between upper edges of the side walls  41 . The vertical direction supporting part  26  has a hollow space with the front side and the lower side opened. Each side wall  41  has a substantially trapezoidal shape. The end wall  42  has an inverted trapezoidal shape. The top wall  43  has a rectangular shape. Each side wall  41  has a dual structure as described previously, and is formed by: a first side part  46   a  and a second side part  46   b  opposing to each other in the left and right directions; and an inclined part  47  which is a front side end face. An angle β between a horizontal plane and the inclined part  47  is at an acute angle, and is 60±5°, for example. 
     The positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  are assembled such that the positioning part  25  is housed in the hollow space of the vertical direction supporting part  26  and then engaged with each other. The positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  each are formed of a plate shaped packaging material such as a corrugated cardboard. 
     The positioning part  25 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , is formed by folding a corrugated cardboard  50  of a horizontally elongated rectangular shape with the direction of the corrugated ridges directed in the vertical direction. The corrugated cardboard  50  is divided by two parallel vertical folding lines  51  into the top wall  32  on the center and the side walls  31  on the both sides. The folding lines  51  is directed along the direction of the corrugated ridges of the corrugated cardboard. Along one edge (lower edge in  FIG. 5 ) of the edges perpendicular to the vertical folding lines  51  of each side wall  31 , two hook pieces  52  are formed at a predetermined interval. Also, each side wall  31  is formed with a rectangular coupling opening  53  inside of one hook piece  52 . By mountain-folding along each folding lines  51 , the corrugated cardboard  50  is assembled so as to have a reverse trapezoid-shaped section and then to form the positioning part  25 . When the positioning part  25  takes a posture with an opened face directed downward and with the edges formed with the hook pieces  52  directed on the rear side (refer to  FIG. 4A ), the angle a of a front side lower corner of each side wall  31  is a right angle. 
     The vertical direction supporting part  26 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , is formed by folding a horizontally elongated corrugated cardboard  60  with the direction of the corrugated ridges directed in the vertical direction. The corrugated cardboard  60  is divided by two vertical folding lines  61  into the end wall  42  on the center and the side walls  41  on the both sides. The end wall  42  is directed vertically parallel to the direction of the corrugated ridges. The two vertical folding lines  61  extend close to each other downward so that the end wall  42  is formed into a reverse trapezoid-shaped section. The end wall  42  is formed with a first engaging hole  62  and two second engaging holes  63  from the upper side inside of each vertical folding line  61 . The second engaging holes  63  are spaced from each other at a predetermined distance along the vertical folding line  61 . Also, at an upper edge of the end wall  42 , a top wall  43  is connected via a horizontal folding line  65 . At a tip end edge of the top wall  43 , an engaging piece  68  is connected via a horizontal folding line  67 . The engaging piece  68  is formed with notches  69  at both ends of the tip end edge. 
     Each side wall  41  is divided by two center vertical folding lines  71  into the inclined part  47 , the first side part  46   a  inside of the inclined part  47  and the second side part  46   b  outside of the inclined part  47 . The two vertical folding lines  71  extend close to each other downward so that the inclined part  47  is formed into a reverse trapezoid shape. The first side part  46   a  is formed with a rectangular through opening  77  at a substantial center portion. The second side part  46   b  is formed with a coupling piece  78  at a substantial center portion. The coupling piece  78  has a trapezoidal shape gradually widened downward. The coupling piece  78  is surrounded by a slit line  80  along its both side edges and lower edge so as to be able to be folded at a folding line  79  along its upper edge. Along the vertical folding line  71  between the inclined part  47  and the second side part  46   b , a notch  75  is formed from the upper edge. Further. The second side part  46   b  is formed with an engaging piece  76  connected to an upper portion of its outer edge. 
     When the corrugated cardboard  60  is assembled into the vertical direction supporting part  26 , first, the packaging material  60  is valley folded along the two center vertical folding lines  61 . Then, each side wall  41  is valley folded along the two center vertical folding lines  71  and then the engaging piece  76  of the second side part  46   b  is engaged with the first engaging hole  62  of the end wall  42 . In this manner, the side wall  41  is formed to have a dual structure by the first side part  46   a  and the second side part  46   b  opposing each other via the inclined part  47 . At this time, the coupling piece  78  of the first side part  46   a  and the through opening  77  of the second side part  46   b  oppose to each other. 
     Afterwards, the top wall  43  is valley folded along the horizontal folding line  65  with respect to the end wall  42  and the engaging piece  68  is valley folded along the horizontal folding line  67  with respect to the top wall  43 . Then, the notches  69  formed at the top edge of the engaging piece  68  are engaged with the notches  75  formed between the inclined part  47  and the second side part  46   b  of each side wall  41 . In this manner, the corrugated cardboard  60  is assembled into the vertical direction supporting part  26 . 
     In order to couple the thus assembled positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  to each other, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the positioning part  25  is supported with the opened face directed downward and the edge formed with the hook pieces  52  directed rearward. Then, the positioning part  25  supported at the above posture is inserted into the hollow space of the vertical direction supporting part  26  and then the side walls  31  of the positioning part  25  are respectively overlapped on the insides of the side walls  41  of the vertical direction supporting part  26 . Then, the hook pieces  52  of the positioning part  25  are engaged with the second engaging holes  63  formed on the end wall  42  of the vertical direction supporting part  26 . Further, through the through opening  77 , the coupling piece  78  is folded inward along the folding line  79  of the vertical direction supporting part  26  and then engaged with the coupling opening  53  of the positioning part  25 . That is, the hook pieces  52  of the positioning part  25  and the second engaging holes  63  of the vertical supporting part  26  and also the coupling opening  53  of the positioning part  25  and the coupling piece  78  of the vertical direction supporting part  26  are configured to form engagement parts by which the positioning part  25  and the vertical supporting part  26  are engaged with each other. By such engagement parts, the positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  are coupled to each other. In the coupled state, a front side end portion of the positioning part  25  protrudes forward through a space between the side walls  41  of the vertical direction supporting part  26 . 
     When the post-processing device  1  is packaged in the packaging member  5  having the above-described construction, first, the pair of lower buffering members  22  are disposed at the left and right corners of the skid  11  and the pair of supporting members  3   b  of the leg part  3  of the post-processing device  1  is placed on an upper face of the pair of lower buffering members  22 . 
     Afterwards, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the intermediate buffering member  23  is disposed between the pair of supporting members  3   b  and the coupling member  3   c  and is interposed between the post-processing device  1  and the skid  11 . In more detail, a lower edge of the intermediate buffering member  23  is abutted against the bottom plate  11   a  of the skid  11 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the top wall  43  of the vertical direction supporting part  26  is abutted against the front side upward inclined face R 1  of the lower face  2   c  of the main body part  2 . Further, the left and right upper corner portions of the end wall  42  are abutted against the inner upper corner portions R 2  of the front side faces of the columns  3   a  of the leg part  3 . Then, a lower portion of the end wall  42  is abutted against the front face R 3  of the coupling member  3   c  of the leg part  3 . Furthermore, the front edges of the side walls  31  of the positioning part  25  are abutted against the front sideplate  12   b  of the lid case  12 . When the intermediate buffering member  23  is thus interposed, the main body part  2  of the post-processing device  1  is thereby supported in the vertical direction by the vertical direction supporting part  26 . Also, the positioning part  25  prevents the forward movement of the vertical direction supporting part  26 . 
     In addition, in the vertical direction supporting part  26 , the inclined part  47  of each side wall  41  extends in an oblique lower direction from the lower face of the main body part  2  toward near the front side lower corner C of the skid  11  and abuts against the bottom plate  11   a . Herein, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the inclined part  47  is formed so as to be parallel to a perpendicular line P passing a lower edge T on the lower corner C side of the packaging box  10  and a center of gravity of the post-processing device  1  when the packaging box  10  in which the post-processing device  1  is packaged is inclined around the lower edge T into a balanced posture. 
     After the intermediate buffering member  23  is interposed between the post-processing device  1  and the skid  11 , the lid case  12  is inserted inside the skid  11 . Then, the side plates  12   b  of the lid case  12  and the side plates  11   b  of the skid  11  are coupled with each other by joints. Subsequently, after opening the flaps  12   a  of the lid case  12 , the pair of upper buffering members  21  are interposed between the left and right upper corners of the main body part  2  and the lid case  12  and then the flaps  12   a  are closed. 
     In the packaging box  10  in which the post-processing device  1  is packaged using the upper buffering members  21 , the lower buffering members  22  and the intermediate buffering member  23 , an impact applied to the post-processing device  1  due to a downward dropping is absorbed by the lower buffering members  22  and the intermediate buffering member  23 . In particular, an impact applied to the main body part  2  of the post-processing device  1  is absorbed by the intermediate buffering member  23 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , an impact absorbing action of the buffering member  20  when the packaging box  10  is dropped obliquely with the front lower edge T dropped first will be described. Incidentally, as described previously, since the side plates  12   b  of the lid case  12  are inserted inside the side plates  11   b  of the skid  11 , in actuality, the front lower corner C of the packaging box  10  is formed between the bottom plate  11   a  of the skid  11  and the side plate  12   b  of the lid case  12 ; and however, in the following description, conveniently, it is presupposed that the front lower corner of the packaging box  10  is formed between the bottom plate  11   a  and the front side plate  11   b  of the skid  11 . 
     When the packaging box  10  is dropped obliquely, an impact applied to the post-processing device  1  is also absorbed by the pair of upper buffering members  21  and the pair of lower buffering members  22 . In particular, an impact applied to the main body part  2  is mainly absorbed by the intermediate buffering member  23 . In the intermediate buffering member  23 , since the vertical direction supporting part  26  interposed between the main body part  2  and the bottom plate  11   a  is formed with the inclined part  47  that is parallel to the direction of the perpendicular line P passing the center of gravity of the main body part  2  in the oblique dropping posture, a rigidity against the oblique dropping direction is obtained and the main body part  2  can be therefore protected surely. Also, the main body part  2  is not only supported on the bottom plate  11   a  of the skid  11  by the vertical direction supporting part  26 , but also supported on the front side plate  11   b  of the skid  11  via the positioning part  25  coupled with the vertical direction supporting part  26  and the front side plate  12   b  of the lid case  12 . Therefore, the impact applied to the main body part  2  is dispersed and then absorbed into the vertical direction supporting part  26  and the positioning part  25 . Incidentally, the positioning part  25  maybe formed such that the lower edges of the side walls  31  abut against the bottom plate  11   a  of the skid  11  and then the lower corner edges of the side walls  31  abut against the lower corner C. Further, the vertical direction supporting part  26  may be formed such that the inclined part  47  abuts against the lower corner C. In this case, the positioning part  25  can be formed so as to abut against only the front side plate  12   b  of the lid case  12  without causing the positioning part  25  to abut against the bottom plate  11   a  of the skid  11 . 
     As described hereinabove, the packaging member  5  of the present disclosure can surely protect an article to be packaged, such as the post-processing device  1  having a high center of gravity, at the time of oblique dropping because of its high rigidity against the oblique dropping direction. 
     In addition, the positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  are respectively formed by folding the corrugated cardboards  50 ,  60 . Accordingly, the positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  can be simply and inexpensively formed without an increase in the number of parts or the assembling steps in comparison with a conventional buffering member interposed between the main body part and the bottom face of the packaging box. Further, since the positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  can be formed depending on the position and height or shape of the main body part  2 , it easy to adapt to post-processing devices  1  of various shapes. In addition, since the hook pieces  52  and the coupling openings  53  of the positioning part  25  are engaged with the second engagement holes  62  of the end wall  42  and the coupling pieces  78  of the side walls  41  of the vertical supporting part  26  respectively, it makes possible to improve the rigidity of the intermediate buffer member  23 . 
     Incidentally, in a case where the packaging box  10  drops obliquely from a rear side corner or left or right side corners, an impact applied to the post-processing device  1  can be absorbed by the pair of upper buffering members  21  and the pair of lower buffering members  22 . Also, in a case where the packaging box  10  falls down forward, since the intermediate buffering member  23  is interposed between the main body part  2  and the leg part  3 , and the front side plate  12   b  of the lid case  12 , the impact applied to the main body part  2  and the leg part  3  can be absorbed. 
     In addition, since the end wall  42  of the vertical supporting part  26  has the reverse trapezoid shape, it becomes possible to disperse an abutment portion of the end wall  42  against the post-processing device  1 . In detail, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the end wall  42  can abut against the inner upper corner portions R 2  of the front side faces of the columns  3   a  of the leg part  3  and the front face R 3  of the coupling member  3   c  of the leg part  3 . By dispersing the abutment portion of the end wall  42 , an impact applied to the post-processing device  3  can be dispersed and buffered. 
     In addition, although in the embodiment, the intermediate buffering member  23  is formed by combining two members of the positioning part  25  and the vertical direction supporting part  26  with each other, the intermediate buffering member may be formed of one packaging material. Further, although in the intermediate buffering member  23  of the embodiment, the shape of the endwall  42  of the vertical direction supporting part  26  is formed into the inverted trapezoidal shape in accordance with the shape of the post-processing device  1 , the shape of the end wall  42  and the side wall  41  may be appropriately changed in accordance with the shape of the post-processing device  1 . 
     In the embodiment, although the packaging box  10  has a configuration having the skid  11  and the lid case  12 , the configuration of the packaging box  10  is not limited thereto but is applicable to a corrugated cardboard box having a conventional structure. 
     Furthermore, although the embodiment is described as to the post-processing device  1  as an article to be packaged, it is possible to apply to an industrial equipment or a household electric appliance having a high center of gravity. 
     While the preferable embodiment and its modified example of the packaging member of the present disclosure have been described above and various technically preferable configurations have been illustrated, a technical range of the disclosure is not to be restricted by the description and illustration of the embodiment. Further, the components in the embodiment of the disclosure may be suitably replaced with other components, or variously combined with the other components. The claims are not restricted by the description of the embodiment of the disclosure as mentioned above.