Patent Publication Number: US-7721941-B2

Title: Packing case

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to the packing field. 
   More precisely, the present invention relates to a packing case manufactured from a material on which weakening lines can be formed, such as cardboard, plastic, etc., the packing case comprising a rectangular bottom, walls that are orthogonal to said bottom, and weakening lines so as to allow the packing case to be folded along these weakening lines. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The packing cases known in the state of the art are generally cases to be assembled by the user, right before they are used. The main advantage is that the unassembled case requires much less space than when assembled, which means a great saving in space at the warehouses where they are stored. 
   Therefore, these packing cases usually are cases which are initially shaped as a semi-rigid laminar piece, which at the moment of use is repeatedly folded until forming the case. 
   Generally, the known cases to be assembled require many and sometimes complicated assembly operations, which means added difficulties in the working process, causing an important loss of time. 
   This inconvenience has been approached by using several designs and starting blank patterns, although none of them has solved the problem of the immediate assembly of the case. 
   On the other hand, in the state of the art partially assembled folded cases are also known that are usually used with pallets and the same pallets, as well as wood frames, are used to make the assembly of the cases easier, as well as to provide stiffness to the same. Nevertheless, these cases do not solve the problem of a simple and fast assembly in any kind of case. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The packing case of the invention aims to solve the drawbacks set forth above concerning the assembly of cases. 
   The object of the invention is a packing case manufactured from a material on which weakening lines can be formed, such as cardboard, plastic, etc., the packing case comprising a rectangular bottom, walls that are orthogonal to said bottom, and weakening lines so as to allow the packing case to be folded along these weakening lines. 
   More precisely, the object of the invention is a packing case including: 
   a straight side weakening line in the center of each of two opposite folding walls of said case, said side weakening lines being vertically arranged along the entire extension of said opposite folding walls, 
   a straight bottom weakening line in the center of said bottom, said central bottom weakening line joining said side weakening lines together, and 
   two symmetrical sets of angled bottom weakening lines, each set being arranged at each end region of said bottom adjacent to each opposite folding wall, the weakening lines within each set being arranged parallel to one another with their vertex at said central bottom weakening line and their legs ending at the base of a respective one of said opposite folding walls. 
   Thus, in assembled condition, the packing case of the invention can be flattened in just one step and can also be expanded from that flattened condition in just one step, while maintaining its assembled condition, by outwardly pushing the bottom of the case and by folding said opposite folding walls inwards so as to move the other opposite walls together. 
   Therefore, the packing case of the invention has the advantage of being able to be kept in its assembled condition while occupying minimum space. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows, provided purely by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  respectively show a perspective view and a top plan view of the same case, with the cover removed; 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the same case in a partially folded condition; 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of the same case in folded condition; and 
       FIG. 4  shows a plan view of the starting blank of the same case, that is, the same case in unassembled condition. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a cardboard packing case  1  is shown in assembled condition, with a typical irregular rectangular bottom  10 , which has been provided with two notches  12   a ,  12   b  serving as handles located at the upper part of respective opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b.    
   A straight side weakening line  16   a ,  16   b  is arranged in the center of each of said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   h  of said case  1 , said side weakening lines  16   a ,  16   b  being vertically arranged along the entire extension of said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b . Said side weakening lines  16   a ,  16   b  enable said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b  to be folded inwards. 
   A straight bottom weakening line  20  is also arranged in the center of the bottom of the case, so as to join said side weakening lines  16   a ,  16   b  together. Said central bottom weakening line  20  enables said bottom  10  to be folded downwards. 
   Two symmetrical sets  18   a ,  18   b  of angled bottom weakening lines are arranged at respective end regions of said bottom  10  of the case, adjacent to each opposite folding wall  14   a ,  14   b . The weakening lines within each set  18   a ,  18   b  are arranged parallel to one another, with their vertex at said central bottom weakening line  20  and their legs ending at the base of a respective one of said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b . The number of angled bottom weakening lines within each set, as well as the distance therebetween, will vary according to the size and material of the case. In said case  1 , four angled bottom weakening lines are shown within each set  18   a ,  18   b.    
   By virtue of said symmetrical sets  18   a ,  18   b  of angled bottom weakening lines, said case  1  is flattened in assembled condition by concurrently folding said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b  inwards and folding said bottom  10  downwards. 
   Inversely, said case  1  can be expanded from that flattened condition by simply pulling the opposite walls  22   a ,  22   b  different to said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b  outwards. 
   Said operations may be more fully understood by referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
   In particular,  FIG. 2  shows said case  1  in a partially flattened condition, with said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b  partially folded outwards and said bottom  10  partially folded downwards; and  FIG. 3  shows said case  1  in a flattened condition, with said bottom  10  totally folded downwards. 
     FIG. 4  shows the starting blank  1 ′ of said case  1 , that is, case  1  prior to assembly, in order to further elucidate the structure of the case of the embodiment discussed above and the arrangement of the relevant features. 
   In  FIG. 4 , the same reference numerals are used to designate like features, except for a prime symbol indicating unassembled condition. 
   Said blank  1 ′ thus comprises a bottom  10 ′, opposite folding walls  14   a ′,  14   b ′, and opposite walls  22   a ′,  22   b ′. Said bottom  10 ′ is provided with two symmetrical sets  18   a ′,  18   b ′ of angled bottom weakening lines and with a central bottom weakening line  20 ′ joining two side weakening lines  16   a ′,  16   b ′ together. A plurality of notches  12   a ′,  12   b ′ are also provided which, upon assembly, will form said notches  12   a ,  12   b  of said case  1 . 
   Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining unchanged, embodiments and manufacturing details may vary widely from those described and illustrated purely by way of non-limitative example, without departing thereby from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 
   In the discussed embodiment the bottom  10  of the case  1  is of irregular rectangular shape, but it will be understood that the bottom of the case may be of regular rectangular shape. 
   In the discussed embodiment the packing case  1  is made of cardboard, but it will be understood that it is possible to use other materials that are commonly used in packing techniques, such as plastic for example. 
   In the discussed embodiment said case  1  is to be manually assembled right before use by repeatedly folding said blank  1 ′. However, a factory made case, that is, a case industrially assembled into a permanent configuration and delivered to the user either in flattened or expanded condition, may be used. 
   Finally, in the discussed embodiment notches  12   a ,  12   b  have been provided in the opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b . However, said notches  12   a ,  12   b  may be additionally or alternatively provided in the opposite walls  22   a ,  22   b  different to said opposite folding walls  14   a ,  14   b , or they may not be provided at all.