Patent Publication Number: US-2010116706-A1

Title: Packing case of corrugated cardboard for protecting objects in general, in particular for the braun coffee maker, with space for accessories above

Description:
The invention concerns a packaging means made of corrugated cardboard. 
     It is well known how difficulties arise over transporting heavy objects and their accessories which, though bulky, are also fragile, partly because such packages are often repeatedly overturned and are liable to receive shocks from practically all directions during the transport process. 
     The above invention eliminates or lessens these drawbacks while at the same time affording satisfactory protection for the packaged objects against external blows from all sides, even if the case becomes completely overturned, as will be explained hereinafter. 
     Subject of the invention is a packing case substantially parallelepiped in shape, designed to protect packaged objects, in particular the Braun coffee maker and its accessories. 
     The lengthwise extension of the two pairs of opposing walls of the case creates, by forming substantially rectangular bands and by bending back the extension of the first pair of walls, two protective volumes, here called spacers, for the packaged object and its accessories, the lengthwise extension of the second pair of walls, also creating bands to close the case at the top. 
     The bands that form the spacers comprise three rectangular strips joined by bending creases: 
     a first strip joined to the walls of the case is made to lie perpendicular to said walls;
 
a second strip is made to lie parallel to said walls;
 
a third strip, substantially the same size as the first, is made to bend back inside the spacer and lie perpendicular to said walls.
 
     In the centre of the bending crease between the first and second spacer strips, are slits, perpendicular to the crease, sufficiently wide to receive tongues, made at the ends of the closing bands, and can be inserted in the slits when slight pressure is applied. 
     The closing bands comprise two substantially rectangular strips joined by bending creases. 
     The first rectangular strip is joined to the walls of the case and is formed above the spacers, its width being substantially half the width of the case. 
     Close to one end of the second strip is an arched slit into which will be fitted a vessel constituting one of the accessories of the packaged object. 
     The case comprises a lower structure and an upper structure. 
     The lower structure presents a rectangular base of a size corresponding to the internal dimensions of the case, and two lateral bodies of a substantially square or rectangular cross section, formed by bending back at about 90° the ends of the base around five parallel bending creases in such a way as to create five substantially rectangular strips. 
     The terminal strips become superimposed and held in place by a dovetail joint. 
     The ends of the third strips, parallel to the first strips, are bent inside at 90° to give better resistance to shocks received at the sides. 
     The width of the fifth set of strips is greater than that of the first strips; in this way the base of the lower structure remains raised above the bottom of the case thus creating yet another protective volume. 
     In the centre of the second strip, substantially parallel to the bottom of the structure, curved recesses are made to receive the ends of the body to be protected, in this case the Braun coffee maker. 
     The upper structure is formed of corrugated cardboard bent in the shape of a “U” on the longitudinal edges so creating a double wall along the longitudinal sides of the case. 
     The third strip of the spacers, perpendicular to the walls of the case, matches with the base of said upper structure. 
     The second strip of one of the bands for spacers, set at about 90° to the base of the upper structure, presents a curved recess the radius of which is such that the curve substantially fits around the edge of a receptacle-type accessory for the Braun coffee maker. 
     The invention offers evident advantages. 
     The box-shaped means obtainable with the parts described, protects the packaged object by creating several protective volumes all round the object. 
     The lateral volumes at the ends of the lower structure are formed at about 90° in relation to the spacers. 
     The packaged object is therefore protected by the bottom of the box, by the base of the lower structure, by the lateral volumes created by the lower structure, by the base of the upper structure and by the upper spacers perpendicular to the lateral volumes created by the lower structure. 
     This means that the bottom of the case is exceptionally strong, formed as it is by superimposing the partially overlapping bands with the rectangular and trapezoidal bands, and with the two triangular bands. 
     The packaged objects and their accessories are therefore protected by several volumes able to absorb even violent shocks received from any direction, using simple and inexpensive means quick and easy to assemble. 
     By employing low cost materials needing very little labour, delicate objects can be effectively protected from whatever harm might be caused during storage and transport. 
    
    
     
       Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer by the following example of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures. 
       Plate I 
         FIG. 1  The packing case of corrugated cardboard designed specially for the Braun coffee maker, with bands for creating horizontal spacers and other bands for closing the case, perspective. 
       Plate II 
         FIG. 2  Lower structure for the packing case, perspective. 
         FIG. 3  Lower structure placed on the bottom of the packing case, perspective 
       Plate III 
         FIG. 4  The coffee maker fitted inside the lower structure, perspective. 
       Plate IV 
         FIG. 5  The upper structure for accessories, perspective. 
         FIG. 6  The upper structure in  FIG. 5 , inside the case, above the coffee maker, perspective. 
       Plate V 
         FIG. 7  The case after creation of horizontal spacers by closing the bands concerned, and after placing a coffee-maker accessory between the spacers, perspective. 
         FIG. 8  The case when closed with one closing band, perspective. 
         FIG. 9  The case when completely closed, perspective. 
     
    
    
     The corrugated cardboard case  10  ( FIG. 1 .) comprises the pair of bands  12  and  14  for creating horizontal spacers, with bending creases  16 ,  18 ,  20  forming the initial strip  22  and terminal strip  24  and comprises, perpendicular to the first pair, a pair of closure bands  30  and  31 , with bending creases  32 ,  36  and terminal strip  34 . 
     Visible at the ends of said strip  34  are the tongues  38  made by cuts  40 , with the curved inlet  42  in the centre. 
     In a central position along the bending creases  18 , the spacer-forming bands  12  and  14  present perpendicular slits  26  into which the tongues  38 , made in the closing bands  30  and  31 , are fitted when the case is being closed. 
     The bottom of the case  10  is formed by superimposing the ends of the following bands: 
     longitudinal rectangular band  44  with bending crease  46  and a pair of terminal tongues  48 ;
 
longitudinal trapezoidal band  50 , opposite the first hand, with bending crease  52  and terminal tongue  54 ,
 
pair of lateral triangular bands  56  with bending creases  58  and terminal tongues  60 .
 
     The bottom of the case is assembled by superimposing the tongue  54  on the trapezoidal band  50  over the rectangular band  44  between the lateral tongues  48 , and by superimposing the ends of the lateral triangular bands  56  on said trapezoidal hand  50 , by passing them under the lateral tongues  48  on the rectangular band  44 . 
     The packing case presents walls  70 ,  72 ,  74 ,  76 . 
     Visible in walls  70  and  74  are openings  80  in which a person&#39;s hands can be inserted to lift out the case. 
     The lower structure  90  ( FIG. 2 ) is placed in the bottom of the case, said structure having a rectangular base  92  and two lateral bodies  94  and  96  of a substantially rectangular cross section, formed by repeatedly bending over at 90° the ends of the base  92 . 
     For the sake of simplicity, even numbers  100 ,  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108  are used to indicate the sides of said lateral bodies  94  and  96 . 
     Sides  108  are placed over sides  100 . 
     Sides  104  are shorter than sides  108  to allow the ends  110  to be bent over and fixed in place by a tongue  112  that fits into a rectangular slit  114  made in the opposite side  108  the position of which is indicated by a graphic break  116  on the first side  100  of the body  96 . 
     The opposite sides  100  and  108  are fixed in place by the dovetail joint  118 . 
     The upper sides  102  of bodies  94  and  96  present substantially central cavities  120 ,  122  with a semicircular bottom. 
     The lower structure  90  is created in the bottom of the case  10  as seen in  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 4 , Plate  3 , shows the position of the coffee maker  124 . 
     Bodies  126 ,  128  projecting from the substantially cylindrical coffee maker body  124 , fit into the curved recesses  120 ,  122  created in the centre of the lateral bodies  94  and  96  of the lower structure  90  ( FIG. 3 ) described above. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the upper structure  132  comprising a base  134  with two substantially identical sides longitudinal  136 ,  138 . 
     In the base  134  of said structure are holes  140 ,  142 ,  144  into which will fit the projecting ends of the coffee maker  124 , such as the head  126  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     Said upper structure  132  is placed inside the case  10  on top of the coffee maker  124 , as also seen in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 7  shows the case  10  with the spacer-forming bands  12  and  14  folded back inside the case to coincide with the inner upper structure  132 . 
     The receptacle-shaped part  150 , constituting an accessory for the coffee maker  124 , is placed between the two spacers  12  and  14 . 
     The upper end of said part  150  fits inside the arched slit  28  made in the spacer  12 . 
     To close the case it is sufficient to fold over the closure bands  30  and  31 . 
       FIG. 8  shows how the band  30  is closed by pressing the tongues  38 , created by the cuts  40  made in the end of the closure bands  30  and  31 , inside the slits  26  of the spacers  12 ,  14 . 
       FIG. 9  shows how the second closure band  31  is also folded over after which the box will be completely shut.