Patent Publication Number: US-8991601-B2

Title: Plate-shaped member holding system, plate-shape member packing device, and method for holding a plate-shaped member

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a plate-shaped member holding system, a plate-shape member packing device, and a method for holding a plate-shaped member, which are capable of stably holding a plate-shaped member out of contact with its surroundings to prevent it from being damaged during transportation. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     When a plate-shaped member, such as a glass sheet formed as a plate, is transported, it is required not only to protect the plate-shaped member in order to prevent it from being damaged during transportation but also to hold the plate-shaped member in a stable state even if vibration is applied from outside during transportation. In a conventional method for holding a plate-shaped member, retainers made of a foamed polystyrene material are brought into contact with substantially central portions of a front side and a rear side of a plate-shaped member, and a pair of plate-shaped holders made of wood is disposed on both sides of the plate-shaped member. Opposite ends of the paired retainers, which are disposed in parallel so as to clamp the retainers, are coupled with metal stoppers to hold the plate-shaped member (see, e.g. Patent Document 1).
     Patent Document 1: JP-A-10-264979   

     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems that the Invention is to Solve 
     However, in the above-mentioned conventional holding method, the wood members and the metal members are combined together to firmly hold the front and rear sides of a plate-shaped member by clamping the retainer in a pressing state by the plate-shaped holders as the wood member. The holding system itself is quite heavy, causing a problem in that operations for housing a plate-shaped member into a box with the plate-shaped member held by the holding system and for taking the plate-shaped member out of the box require much labor, imposing a great burden on workers. 
     From this point of view, it has been demanded to stably hold a plate-shaped member by a plate-shaped member holding system that is made simpler and lighter. 
     Further, in particular, a glass sheet for vehicles have been generally assembled to a vehicle body as an assembly with plural parts combined. For this reason, a plate-shaped member, such as a glass sheet for vehicles, has a deformable part, such as a molding, fitted to a peripheral edge thereof in many cases. It has been more important to provide a system for not only transporting a plate-shaped member without damaging it but also transporting a plate-shaped member configured as an assembly without deforming parts mounted to the plate-shaped member. 
     In the conventional holding system, the respective parts are made of different materials, and the respective parts must be collected for recovery, being independent from one another. This causes a problem in that the recovering work for the holding system after taking a plate-shape member out of a box is troublesome, making the reuse of the holding system difficult. 
     In consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plate-shaped member holding system, a plate-shape member packing device, and a method for holding a plate-shaped member, which are capable of solving the above-mentioned problems. 
     Means of Solving the Problems 
     In order to attain the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides the following solutions: 
     The present invention attains the object by providing a plate-shaped member holding system comprising a holder and a fixing member, the holder including a pair of retainers for clamping a plate-shaped member from both sides of a front side and a rear side thereof and a pair of supports for supporting the retainers; the fixing member comprising an engagement recess engageable with the supports; and the paired support being configured to be pressed in directions to be brought closer to each other in a course of being put into the engagement recess, whereby the paired retainers hold the plate-shaped member from both sides of the front and rear sides. 
     The present invention also attains the object by providing a plate-shaped member holding system, wherein the engagement recess has contacting surfaces configured to be brought into contact with outer sides of the paired supports at an angle, and/or the supports have tapered portions configured to be brought into contact with inner surfaces of the engagement recess at an angle, and wherein the paired retainers are configured to be pressed in directions to be brought closer to each other by utilizing a relative difference and a relative contacting angle between a distance from one of the contacting surfaces to the other contacting surface and a thickness of the tapered portions. 
     It is preferred that the fixing member be configured to be fixed in a package including a space for housing the plate-shaped member. 
     It is preferred that the fixing member be reinforced by a rectangular parallelepiped reinforcing member engaged with outer lateral sides of the fixing member in four directions, in order to be prevented from being deformed outward. 
     It is preferred that each of the holders and the fixing member be formed of a folded corrugated cardboard assembled in a shape, and that the holders and the fixing member have respective folded portions configured to be developed in a flat shape. 
     It is preferred that the holder be configured to generate pressing forces to press the paired retainers in directions to bring the paired retainer much closer to each other for holding the plate-shaped member by utilizing a weight of the plate-shaped member to engage the paired supports with the engagement recess of the fixing member, whereby the paired retainers are provided with a holding force. 
     It is preferred that the holder have a guide member disposed on a rear side of a portion thereof with the retainer of one of the supports disposed therein. 
     The present invention also attains the object by providing a plate-shaped member holding system comprising a pair of retainers configured to be brought into contact with a front side and a rear side of a plate-shaped member; a pair of holders formed of a compressed paper material in a bar shape, each of the holders being configured to support each of the paired retainers at an intermediate portion thereof in an extending direction, the holders being mounted so as to extend in parallel along a surface of the plate-shaped member; and a pair of couplers configured to generate pressing forces in directions to bring the paired retainer closer to each other and to couple ends of the paired holders projecting outside a peripheral edge of the plate-shaped member in order to clamp the plate-shaped member, each of the couplers being formed of a paper material. 
     The present invention also provides a plate-shaped member packing device comprising the plate-shaped member holding system defined in any one of Claims  1  to  8 , the plate-shaped member holding system being configured to be disposed on at least one side of the plate-shaped member and to be fixed to a box for housing the plate-shaped member. 
     The present invention also attains the object by providing a method for holding a plate-shaped member, comprising providing a holder and a fixing member, the holder including a pair of retainers for clamping a plate-shaped member from both sides of a front side and a rear side thereof and a pair of supports for supporting the retainers, and holding only a surface portion of the plate-shaped member by the holder; the method further comprising bringing the paired retainers into contact with the front and rear sides of the plate-shaped member, the paired retainer being disposed in the holder; engaging the paired supports of the holder with a engagement recess formed in the fixing member, the supports extending to support the paired retainers; and putting the paired support into the engagement recess in an engaging direction to bias the paired retainers in directions to bring the paired retainers closer to each other so as to clamp the plate-shaped member from both sides of the front and rear sides. 
     In the present invention, the method for holding a plate-shaped member may comprise fastening the fixing member to a package. 
     Effects of the Invention 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a plate-shaped member holding system comprising a holder and a fixing member, the holder including a pair of retainers for clamping a plate-shaped member from both sides of a front side and a rear side thereof and a pair of supports for supporting the retainers; the fixing member comprising an engagement recess engageable with the supports; and the paired support being configured to be pressed in directions to be brought closer to each other in a course of being put into the engagement recess, whereby the paired retainers hold the plate-shaped member from both sides of the front and rear sides. Accordingly, it is possible to stably hold a plate-shaped member by such a relatively simple arrangement. Thus, it is also possible to reduce the weight and the cost of the plate-shaped member holding system since the parts required for the system decreases. 
     The plate-shaped member holding system according to the present invention can transport a plate-shaped member without damage because of holding the plate-shaped member only at a face portion thereof, having no touch with a peripheral edge thereof. The plate-shaped member holding system according to the present invention can also transport a plate-shaped member, having no touch with parts mounted to the plate-shaped member, such as a molding. Thus, the plate-shaped member holding system according to the present invention can transport a plate-shaped member, as it is, in such a state that the plate-shaped member has a deformable part, such as a molding, mounted to the peripheral edge thereof. 
     In the plate-shaped member holding system according to the present invention, it is easy to exchange respective parts since the plate-shaped member packing device according to the present invention is formed of plural parts. In this manner, it is possible to exchange the holder with a different one according to the shape of a plate-shaped member to be packed, or to exchange only a deteriorated part with a new one. Thus, it is possible to effectively reuse the respective parts forming the plate-shaped member packing device. 
     In the plate-shaped member holding system according to the present invention, each of the holders and the fixing member may be formed of a folded corrugated cardboard assembled in a shape, and the holders and the fixing member may have respective folded portions configured to be developed in a flat shape. In such a case, after taking a plate-shaped member out of a box, it is possible to recover the plate-shaped member holding system and deal with the plate-shaped member holding system as a recycle material as in a corrugated cardboard box, and it is possible to reduce the adverse effect to the environment. 
     In the plate-shaped member holding system according to the present invention, the holder may be configured to generate pressing forces to press the paired retainers in directions to bring the paired retainer much closer to each other for holding the plate-shaped member by utilizing a weight of the plate-shaped member to engage the paired supports with the engagement recess of the fixing member, whereby the paired retainers are provided with a holding force. In such a case, it is possible to hold the plate-shaped member more firmly even if vibration is propagated during transportation. Thus, it is possible to protect the plate-shaped member from wobbling motion during transportation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the plate-shaped member holding system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the plate-shaped member holding system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  contains views showing steps of mounting a holder to a glass sheet and fitting the holder into an engagement recess; 
         FIG. 4  contains perspective views showing first and second examples of a fixing member; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the plate-shaped member holding system and the plate-shaped member packing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the plate-shaped member holding system and the plate-shaped member packing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  contains perspective views showing steps of mounting a guide member to a holder and mounting the guide member and the holder to a glass sheet; 
         FIG. 8  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a step of putting a glass sheet into a box by utilizing the guide member; 
         FIG. 9  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the third embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  contains perspective views showing the plate-shaped member holding system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the plate-shaped member holding system according to the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  contains perspective views showing a modified embodiment of the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  contains views showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the modified embodiment of the fourth embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded perspective view showing the plate-shaped holding system according to a fifth embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view showing how the plate-shaped holding system according to the fifth embodiment has been assembled; 
         FIG. 16  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the plate-shaped member holding system according to the fifth embodiment; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the plate-shaped member holding system according to the fifth embodiment; and 
         FIG. 18  contains views showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the plate-shaped member holding system according to the fifth embodiment 
     
    
    
     EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               10 ,  70 ,  80 ,  100 ,  110  and  150 : Plate-shaped member holding system 
               12 ,  72 ,  82 ,  112 ,  114 ,  170  and  190 : Plate-shaped member packing device 
               20 : Glass sheet (Plate-shaped member) 
               22 : Glass surface 
               30 : Holder 
               32 : Retainer 
               34 : Support 
               36 : Coupler 
               40 : Fixing member 
               42 : Engagement recess 
               44 : Contacting portion 
               50 : Box (package box) 
               52 : Inner space 
               54 : Fastening member 
               90 : Guide member 
               102 : Bridging portion 
               120 : Reinforcing member 
               140  and  160 : Backboard 
               144  and  164 : Flap 
               152 : Retainer 
               154 : Holder 
               156 : Coupler 
               180 : Enforcing member 
           
         
       
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Now, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, X, Y and Z directions are indicated by arrows, wherein the X direction is a thickness direction (depth direction) of the plate-shaped member packing device according to the present invention, the Y direction is a transverse direction (left-to-right direction) of the plate-shaped member packing device according to the present invention and the Z direction is a height direction (vertical direction) of the plate-shaped member packing device according to the present invention. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the plate-shaped member holding system according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the plate-shaped member holding system shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the plate-shaped member holding system  10  includes a holder  30  for holding a plate-shaped member, and a fixing member  40  configured to have the holder  30  fitted thereinto. Now, explanation will be made about a case where the plate-shaped member is a glass sheet  20 . 
     The holder  30  includes a pair of retainers  32  for clamping front and rear sides of a glass surface  22  of the glass sheet from both sides, a pair of supports  34  for supporting both retainers  32 , and a coupler  36  for coupling the paired supports  34 . 
     Each of the retainers  32  is formed of an elastic material (such as a foamed polystyrene material or rubber) in a parallelepiped shape in order to prevent the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet from being damaged. Each of the retainers  32  has a bonding material (not shown), such as a two-sided adhesive seal, stuck thereon in order to form an antislip film. The antislip film to be stuck is preferably formed of a polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) material. 
     The retainers  32  are configured to have a sufficient contact area required for obtaining a holding force for holding the glass sheet  20 , although the retainers are smaller than the glass sheet  20 . Each of the retainers  32  may have a glass sheet contacting portion formed in a curved shape so as to conform to the shape of a glass sheet  30  to be held. 
     Each of the paired supports  34  and the coupler  36  is prepared by folding a corrugated cardboard. Each of the supports  34  has a retainer  32  stuck on an inner side at a leading edge thereof. The coupler  36  couples the paired supports  34  at a position outside an outer peripheral edge  24  of the glass sheet  20  so as to be out of contact with the glass sheet  20 . 
     The coupler  36  is configured to have a width in the X-direction set so as to be narrower than the distance L between the paired supports  34  with the retainers  32  stuck thereon. Each of the supports  34  coupled by the coupler  36  has a tapered portion  34   a  formed at a base end thereof therein so as to be inclined at a certain angle θ 1  with respect to a corresponding glass surface of the glass sheet  20 . It should be noted that each of the tapered portions  34   a  is disposed so as to be out of contact with the outer peripheral edge  24  of the glass sheet  20 . 
     The fixing member  40  is formed of, e.g. a corrugated cardboard and has an engagement recess  42  formed therein so as to receive the supports  34 . The engagement recess  42  has contacting portions  44  formed on an inner wall thereof so as to have contact with the supports  34 , and each of the contacting portions  44  has a tapered surface  44   a  formed thereon so as to be inclined at a certain angle θ 2  with respect to a corresponding glass surface of the glass sheet  20 . In the shown embodiment, the above-mentioned inclination angles are set so as to have a relationship of θ 1 &gt;θ 2 . 
     When the paired supports  34  are fitted into the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40 , the tapered portions  34   a  are brought into contact with the contacting portions  44  formed on the inner wall of the fixing member  40 , being engaged between the opposite portions of the inner wall of the engagement recess  42 . At that time, the paired retainers  32  are pressed in directions to be brought closer to each other by a relative difference between the distance L between the supports  34  before engagement and the distance L between the supports  34  after engagement, and by a relative contacting angle between each of the contacting portions  44  and each of the paired supports  34 . When the holder  30  is pushed downward by the weight of the glass sheet  30 , the engagement recess  42  presses the paired supports  34  inwardly to firmly bias the paired retainers  32  in directions to be brought closer to each other since the engagement recess  42  is configured to have the tapered surfaces  44   a  inclined so as to gradually decrease the distance between the contacting portions  44  (a width thereof) in a downward direction. The paired retainers  32  firmly clamp the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  30 , utilizing the biasing force. 
     Although explanation has been made about a case where the engagement recess  42  has the contacting portions  44   a , the supports  34  have the tapered portions  34   a , and the engagement recess  42  and the supports  34  are configured to be combined so as to have the certain angles θ 1  and θ 2 , such an inclination may be disposed in only the engagement recess  42  or only the paired supports  34 . 
     When the engagement recess  42  or the paired supports  34  have an inclination at a certain angle in the Z-direction, it is possible to smoothly perform the engagement. Since the holder  30  is pushed downward by the weight of the glass sheet  30 , it is possible to apply a pressing force to the glass sheet  20 . 
     Even if a downward shift is applied to the holder  30  by, e.g. vibration during transportation, the supports  34  can shift downward, keeping contact with the contacting portions  44  of the engagement recess  42 , to absorb a shock since the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40  has a bottom formed so as to be sufficiently away from the coupler  36  of the holder  30 . At that time as well, the paired supports  34  are firmly pressed inwardly because of shifting downward. By this arrangement, even if the supports  34  shift slightly downward, it is possible to maintain a sufficient holding force for the glass sheet  20 . When the plate-shaped member holding system  10  is fitted to a lower portion of the glass sheet  20  even in a stage prior to housing the glass sheet  20  into a box (package box)  50 , it is possible to support the glass sheet  20  in an upright position, utilizing the plate-shaped member holding system  10  as a support, since the plate-shaped member holding system is configured so that the supports  34  applies a stable holding force by engagement with the engagement recess  42 . 
     In the plate-shaped member packing device  12  according to the present invention using the plate-shaped member holding system  10 , the fixing member  40  is put into an inner space  52  in a box as the box  50  for housing the glass sheet  20  and is fixed to the box  50  forming the box by fastening members (such as staples)  54  in such a state that the fixing member  40  sets down on the bottom of the box  50  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Thus, the glass sheet  20  is fixed to the box  50 , being out of contact with the box  50 , in such a state that the glass sheet is held from both sides by the retainers  32 . 
     When each of the box  50 , the holder  30  and the fixing member  40  is formed of a corrugated cardboard, it is possible that the box, the holder and the fixing member are deteriorated by temperatures or humidity due to a long period of store in, e.g. a storehouse after delivery. However, even if the supports  34  shift downward, having contact with the contacting portions  44  of the engagement recess  42 , due to a decrease in the strength of the holding system caused by deterioration, it is possible to maintain the holding force of the paired supports  34  at a sufficient level since the supports  34  are brought into contact with the tapered surfaces  44   a  in the course of shifting downward. Thus, it is possible to stably store the glass sheet  20  for a long period of time by the plate-shaped member holding system  10 . 
     The plate-shaped member holding system  10  configured as described above holds the glass sheet  20  only on the glass surface  22  (surface portion) and has no contact with the outer peripheral edge  24 . By using the plate-shaped member holding system  10 , it is possible not only to transport the glass sheet  20  without damage but also to transport the glass sheet  20  without contact with parts mounted to the glass sheet  20 . By the plate-shaped member holding system  10 , it is possible to transport the glass sheet  20  without dismounting deformable parts mounted to the outer peripheral edge  24  of the glass sheet, such as a molding. 
     It is easy to exchange parts with different ones in the plate-shaped member holding system  10  since the plate-shaped member packing device  12  is formed of plural parts. For example, it is possible to effectively reuse the plate-shaped member holding system since the holder  30  can be exchanged with a different one according to the shape of a glass sheet  20  to be packed or only a deteriorated part can be exchanged with a new one. 
     Now, the steps of a method for holding a plate-shaped member by use of the plate-shaped member holding system  10  configured as described above will be explained in reference to  FIGS. 3(A)  to (D). First, in step  1 , one of the retainers  32  is brought into contact with a lower side (rear side) of the glass sheet  20  with the holder  30  being unfolded as shown in  FIG. 3(A) . At that time, the other retainer  32  and the coupler  36  are positioned outside the outer peripheral edge  24  of the glass sheet  20 . 
     The holder  30 , which is formed of a corrugated cardboard, has creases  35  (indicated by dotted lines in  FIG. 3(A) ) pressed thereon between the coupler  36  and each of the supports  34 . By folding the holder along the creases  35 , the other retainer  32  is moved to be brought into contact with an upper side (front side) of the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  20  in Step  2  as shown in  FIG. 3(B) . In this state, the other retainer  32  is floating above the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  20  since no holding force is applied to the paired supports  34 . 
     The glass sheet  20  is set in an upright position so that the holder  30  is positioned at a lower side of the glass sheet  20  in Step  3  as shown in  FIG. 3(C) . The fixing member  40  having the engagement recess  42  is put on a floor under the holder  30 . It should be noted that the retainers  32  are temporarily fixed to be prevented from falling out by being simply pressed against the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  20 . 
     The supports  34  of the holder  30 , which has been temporarily fixed to the lower side of the glass sheet  20 , is fitted into the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40  in Step  4  as shown in  FIG. 3(D) . At that time, the supports  34  are subjected to inward pressing forces since the tapered portion  34   a  are brought into contact with the contacting portions  44  of the engagement recess  42 . In this manner, the paired retainers  32 , which are disposed on the inner sides at the leading edges of the supports  34 , clamp the front side and the rear side of the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  20 . Thus, the glass sheet  20  is subjected to forces in directions for the paired retainers  32  to be brought closer to each other by the holder  30  engaged with the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, the glass sheet  20  is held, being pressed from both sides of the glass surface  22 . 
     After the plate-shaped member holding system  10  with the glass sheet held therein is put into the inner space  52  of the box  50 , having the lower side of the glass sheet  20  held by the holder  30  and the fixing member  40  as shown in  FIG. 2 , the box  50  is fastened and fixed to the fixing member  40 . As explained above, it is possible not only to transport a plate-shaped member without damage but also to transport the plate-shaped member without deforming the parts mounted to the plate-shaped member since the plate-shaped member holding system  10  holds only the surface portion of the plate-shaped member without having contact with the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped member. 
     In accordance with the plate-shaped member holding system  10 , it is possible to assemble the glass sheet  20  to the plate-shaped member holding system so as to hold the glass sheet  20  in an upright position by a relatively simple operation as described above. It is also possible to effectively and stably house the glass sheet  20  in the inner space  52  of the box  50  without trouble. 
     Since each of the holder  30  and the fixing member  40  of the plate-shaped member holding system  10  is formed of a paper material, such as a corrugated cardboard, it is possible for a recycle service to recover the plate-shaped member holding system along with an box  50  for easy reuse as recycle materials after taking a glass sheet out of the box  50 . The non-slip films (not shown) are stuck on the retainers  32  so as to be easily peelable when the films are not pressed against something. Thus, it is easy to sort the respective materials, improving recyclability. 
     It is easy to exchange parts with different ones in the plate-shaped member holding system  10  since the plate-shaped member packing device is formed of plural parts. It is possible to exchange the holder with a different one according to the shape of a plate-shaped member to be packed or to exchange only a deteriorated part with a new one. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively reuse the respective parts forming the plate-shaped member holding system. 
       FIGS. 4(A)  to (C) are perspective views showing a first example of the fixing member  40 . As shown in  FIG. 4(A) , the fixing member  40 A according to the first example is prepared by bonding and stacking plural corrugated cardboards  40   1  to  40   n . Each of the corrugated cardboards  40   1  to  40   n  is punched out so as to form an engagement recess  42  and contacting portions  44  as described above. The number of the stacked corrugated cardboards  40   1  to  40   n  may be selectively determined according to the weight of a glass sheet  20 . Thus, it is possible to increase the number of the corrugated cardboards forming the fixing member  40 A as the weight of a glass sheet  20  increases. It is possible to configure the fixing member  40 A so as to have a depth size L A  set at a value corresponding to any kinds of glass sheets  20 . 
       FIG. 4(B)  is a developed view showing a second example of the fixing member  40 , and  FIG. 4(C)  is a perspective view showing how the second example of the fixing member  40  is assembled. When the fixing member  40 B according to the second example is developed, it is seen from  FIG. 4(B)  that the fixing member is formed of an elongated corrugated cardboard  60 . The corrugated cardboard  60  may be cut out of a single large corrugated cardboard, the corrugated cardboard  60  has openings  62  punched out therein so as to have tapered portions, and the corrugated cardboard has creases formed thereon (as indicated by dotted lines in  FIG. 4(B) ). In the corrugated cardboard  60 , wall portions  64   1  to  64   4 , upper portions  66   1  and  66   2 , and a bottom portion  68  are continuously formed, being bounded by the creases  63 . 
     When the developed corrugated cardboard  60  is folded along the creases  63 , the fixing member  40 B is assembled with the four wall portions  64   1  to  64   4  upright between the upper portions  66   1  and  66   2  and the bottom portion  63  as shown in  FIG. 4(C) . The wall portions  64   1  to  64   4  are assembled to form an engagement recess  42  by the openings  62 . 
     As described, the fixing member  40 B can be easily assembled by folding the single corrugated cardboard  60 . When the fixing member is unfolded as a developed corrugated cardboard  60  as shown in  FIG. 4(B)  after taking out a glass sheet  20  out of an box  50 , it is possible to recover the fixing member for recycling. 
     Although explanation has been made about a case where the retainers  32  hold a glass sheet at a substantially central portion of the holder  30 , the opposing retainers  32  may have different thickness according to the shape of a plate-shaped member to be held. 
     This modification is suitably applicable to hold a curved glass sheet or a glass sheet with, e.g. dissymmetrical moldings mounted to front and rear sides thereof. 
     Although explanation has been made about a case where the holder  30  includes the coupler  36  outside the outer peripheral edge  24  of the glass sheet  20 , the paired supports  34  may be uncoupled. When the paired supports of the holder  30  are coupled by the coupler  36 , it is possible to improve workability and to decrease the number of required parts. When the holder  30  are configured without the supports being coupled, it is increase design freedom for the holder and to economically exchange only one of the paired members. 
     The corrugated cardboard means one with a liner board bonded to a single side or both sides of a corrugating medium. Although the corrugated cardboard is mainly formed of paper, the corrugated cardboard may be formed of another material as in a polypropylene corrugated cardboard (so-called PP corrugated cardboard). The following embodiments can also have the same advantages as the above-mentioned advantages unless they depart from the scope of the present invention. 
     After the holder is engaged with a larger holder or larger holders before being engaged with the fixing member, the holders may be engaged with the fixing member. By this arrangement, it is possible to increase the force for pressing a plate-shaped member and to deal with a heavy plate-shaped member. Although the holder may have four layers or more stacked therein, it is preferred in terms of easy handling that the holder have two or three layers stacked therein. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the plate-shaped member holding system  70  and the plate-shaped member packing device  72  according to a second embodiment. In  FIG. 5 , parts similar or identical to the parts according to the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and explanation of those parts will be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the plate-shaped member holding system  70  according to the second embodiment includes a fixing member  74 , which has plural engagement recesses  42  formed at intervals. The fixing member  74  is prepared by stacking corrugated cardboards or folding corrugated cardboards as in the fixing member  40  according to the first embodiment. The fixing member  74  is housed in and fastened to an box  50  (indicated by dashed dotted lines in  FIG. 5 ), which is enough to house plural glass sheets  20 . 
     When plural glass sheets  20  are put into the box  50 , the glass sheets  20  with holders  30  temporarily fixed thereto are put from above, one by one, into the box  50  with an upper portion thereof opened, and the temporarily fixed holders  30  are fitted into the engagement recesses  42 . Thus, the plural glass sheets  20  are held, being disposed with certain intervals in the box  50 , and the holders  30  are fixed to the fixing member in such a state that the supports  34  of the holders are brought into contact with the contacting portions  44  of the engagement recesses  42 . 
     Even when the plural glass sheets  20  are housed into a single box  50 , the plate-shaped member packing device  72  using the plate-shaped member holding system  70  function effectively as described above. In this manner, it is possible to pack the plural glass sheets  20  efficiently. 
     Although explanation of  FIG. 5  has been made about a case where the engagement recesses  42  are disposed at four positions in the fixing member  74  to pack the four glass sheets  20 , the plate-shaped member packing device may be configured so as to house four or more of glass sheets  20  in the box  50  according to the sizes of the glass sheets. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 6  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the plate-shaped member holding system  80  and the plate-shaped member packing device  82  according to a third embodiment. In  FIG. 6 , parts similar or identical to the parts according to the above-mentioned embodiments are indicated by the same reference numerals, and explanation of the those parts will be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the plate-shaped member holding system  80  according to the third embodiment is configured so as to combine a guide member  90  with the holder  30 . The guide member  90  is interposed between a support  34  and the box  50  to guide the holder  30  so as to place the position of the holder in alignment with the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40 . Although the guide member  90  is normally disposed only between the box  50  and one of the paired support  34  forming the holder  30 , the guide member may be disposed between the box  50  and each of the supports  34 . 
     In the plate-shaped member packing device  82  according to the third embodiment, a glass sheet  20  with the holder  30  temporarily fixed thereto is put into the box after the fixing member  40  is disposed on the bottom in the box  50 . After that time, the guide member  90  is slid along an inner wall of the box  50 , placing the coupler  36  of the holder  30  in alignment with the engagement recess  42 . In this manner, it is possible to put the glass sheet  20  into the box  50  without damaging the glass surface  22  even if the packing operation is extremely difficult as in a case where the glass sheet has a relatively large area and is heavy. 
     In the plate-shaped member packing device  82  using the plate-shaped member holding system  80  with the above-mentioned guide member  90 , even if vibration is applied in a horizontal direction in a case where the glass sheet  20  is transported in an upright position, the guide member  90  can prevent the holder  30  from being swayed in the horizontal direction. Even if vibration directed to the horizontal direction is propagated to the box  50 , e.g. when the freight truck is running on an unpaved road, it is possible to hold the glass sheet  20  without the vibration in its glass surface  22  being amplified, since the holder  30  is supported by the guide member  90  to prevent the glass sheet from being significantly swayed about the holder  30 . 
     Now, a method (procedure) for mounting the guide member  90  will be described in reference to  FIGS. 7(A)  to (D). First, the holder  30  and the guide member  90  are prepared, being developed, as shown in  FIGS. 7(A)  to (D). The guide member includes a fixing portion  92  to be fixed to the rear side of a support  34 , a stopper  94  to ensure a certain gap between the support and the inner wall of the box  50 , a contacting surface  96  to be brought into contact with the inner wall of the box  50 , and engageable portions  98  to be engaged with engagement apertures  92   a  formed in the fixing portion  92  after being bent at right angles from both sides of the contacting surface  96 . The guide member  90  is formed of a corrugated cardboard and has creases  99  (indicated in dotted lines in  FIG. 7(A) ) pressed at the boundary between adjacent parts thereon. 
     In the next step, the rear side of the support  34  is fixed to the fixing portion  92  of the guide member  90  through a fixing material, such as an adhesive or a two-sides adhesive seal, as shown in  FIG. 7(B) . At that time, the support  34  is disposed at a position between the paired engagement apertures  92   a  and  92   a , each of which is formed in the fixing portion  92  so as to extend in parallel in an elongated shape. It should be noted that the distance between the paired engagement apertures  92   a  and  92   a  is set to be slightly wider than the width of the support  34 . When the paired engagement portions  98  are combined with the fixing portion  92  so as to have fitted portions inserted into the paired engagement apertures  92   a , the fitted portions have leading edges brought into contact with both sides of the support  34  (see  FIG. 7(D) ). 
     In the next step, the retainer  32  of the support is temporarily fixed to the rear side of the glass surface of the glass sheet  20 , and the stopper  94  and the contacting surfaces  96  of the guide member  90  are folded outside along the creases  99  as shown in  FIG. 7(C) . 
     In the next step, the paired engagement portions  98  are folded inward and are engaged with the paired engagement apertures  92   a  of the fixing portion  92  as shown in  FIG. 7(D) . Thus, the stopper  94  and the engagement portions  98  are folded at right angles with respect to the support  34  and the box  50 . The contacting surface  96  of the guide member  90  is supported so as to be brought into contact with the inner wall of the box  50  by the stopper  94  and the engagement portions  98 . 
     In the next step, the glass sheet  20  is put into the box  50  through the opening of the box in such a state that the box  50  with the fixing member  40  fixed to the bottom thereof is put in a horizontal position as shown in  FIG. 8 . At that time, the glass sheet  20  is put into the box from a side thereof with the holder  30  and the guide member  90  mounted thereto. It should be noted that the contacting surface  96  of the guide member  90  is configured so that the distance between the fixing portion  92  and the contacting surface corresponds to the position of the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40  by the provision of the stopper  94  and the engagement portions  98 . 
     When the glass sheet  20  is put into the box  50  in the X-direction (see  FIG. 8 ) with the contacting surface  96  of the guide member  90  sliding on the inner wall of the box, the height Lc of the holder  30  accords with the height Ld of the engagement recess  42  (Lc=Ld). By this arrangement, even if the glass sheet  20  has a large area and is heavy, it is possible to relatively easily put the glass sheet  20  into the box in order to engage the holder  30  with the engagement recess  42  with the glass sheet being supported in a horizontal position by the guide member  90 . 
     Thus, it is possible to pack the glass sheet  20  more effectively by mounting the guide member  90  to the holder  30 . When the glass sheet  20  is transported, being housed in the box  50 , the guide member  90  suppresses the swaying movement of the glass sheet  20 , preventing the glass sheet  20  from being damaged by vibration. 
     Since the guide member  90  is formed by folding a corrugated cardboard, it is possible to easily reuse the guide member along with the holder  30  and the fixing member  40  as recycle materials by unfolding the guide member after use. It should be noted that the guide member  90  may be formed integral with the holder  30 , using a single corrugated cardboard.  FIG. 9  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modification of the third embodiment. In  FIG. 9 , parts similar or identical to the parts according to the third embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals, and explanation of those parts will be omitted. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the plate-shaped member holding system  100  according to the modification of the third embodiment is configured so that a bridging portion  102  is shaped out of the wall portion of the fixing member  40 , and the bridging portion passes through through holes  56  and  58  formed in the box  50 , followed by being bent in a U-character shape. Thus, the fixing member  40  is fixed to the box  50 . In this manner, a glass sheet  20  held by the plate-shaped member holding system can be fixed in any direction containing a front-to-rear direction, a vertical direction and a left-to-right direction. Thus, it is possible to stably hold the glass sheet  20  in the inner space  52  of the box  50  even if vibration or a shock is propagated during transportation. 
     Fourth Embodiment 
       FIG. 10(A)  is an exploded perspective view showing the plate-shaped member holding system  110  according to a fourth embodiment.  FIG. 10(B)  is a perspective view showing how the plate-shaped member holding system  110  according to the fourth embodiment is assembled.  FIG. 11  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing how the plate-shaped member holding system  110  according to the fourth embodiment is assembled. It should be noted that in  FIGS. 10(A)  and (B) and  FIG. 11 , parts similar or identical to the parts according to the above-mentioned embodiments are indicated by the same reference numerals, and explanation of those parts will be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10(A) , the plate-shaped member holding system  110  according to the fourth embodiment is configured to have the holder  30  and the fixing member  40  combined with a reinforcing member  120 . The reinforcing member  120  is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped frame and is formed of a material having a high mechanical strength, which is prepared by compressing a corrugated cardboard or a paper material to increase the strength. The reinforcing member  120  is configured to include a space  122  for receiving the fixing member  40  and walls  124  to  127 , which are upright to form such a rectangular parallelepiped frame so as to surround the four directions of the space  122 . Walls  125  and  127  of the walls  124  to  127 , which confront the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40 , have notches  125   a  and  127   a  formed in a U-character shape therein so as to receive a glass sheet  20 . 
     When the fixing member  40  is put into the space  122  through an upper opening of the reinforcing member  120 , the reinforcing member is engaged with the lateral sides of the fixing member  40  in the four directions, reinforcing the fixing member  40  so as to prevent the fixing member from being spread even if the engagement recesses  42  of the fixing member receives the weight of the glass sheet  20 . In this embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 10(B)  and  FIG. 11 , the reinforcing member  120  is put on the bottom of the box  50 , having the fixing member  40  put in the space  122 , and the holder  30  is engaged with the engagement recess  42 , being temporarily fixed to a lower portion of the glass sheet  20 . 
     Thus, the reinforcing member  120  suppresses the deformation of the fixing member  40  outward. As a result, the reaction force against the holder  30  from the contacting portions  44  of the engagement recess  42  is increased. In this manner, the plate-shaped member holding system  110  more firmly presses the retainers  32  against the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  20  as the supports  34  of the holder  30  are fitted into the engagement recess  42 . Thus, the pressing force of the holder  30  is increased, further firmly holding the glass sheet  20  in comparison with the above-mentioned embodiments. 
     The fixing member  40  according to this embodiment has tapered surfaces  130  formed on lateral sides thereof in contact with the walls  124  and  126  of the reinforcing member  120 . The tapered surfaces  130  are inclined so as to have a wider width toward the top and a narrower width toward the bottom as shown in the dotted lines in  FIG. 10(B) . When the load of the glass sheet  20  is applied in the Z-direction, not only a holding force generated between the holder  30  and the engagement recess  42  of the fixing member  40  is applied to the retainers  32 , but also a holding force generated between each of the tapered surfaces  130  of the fixing member  40  and each of the walls  124  and  126  of the reinforcing member  120  is applied to the retainers  32 , increasing the total holding force for the glass sheet  20 . 
     By combining the holder  30 , the fixing member  40  and the reinforcing member  120  in the plate-shaped member holding system  110  as described above, it is possible to more firmly hold the glass sheet  20 . In the plate-shaped member packing device  112  according to the fourth embodiment, the walls  124  and  126  of the reinforcing member  120 , and the box  50  are fastened together by fastening members  54 , being unified. Thus, the glass sheet  20 , which has been housed in the inner space  52  of the box  50 , can be stably fixed to the box  50 . 
     Since the reinforcing member  120  is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped frame made of a material having a high mechanical strength prepared by compressing a corrugated cardboard or a paper material to increase the strength in this embodiment, it is possible to reuse the reinforcing member along with the holder  30  and the fixing member  40  as recycle materials by developing the reinforcing member after use. 
       FIG. 12(A)  is a perspective view showing a case where plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110  are used. If the glass sheet  20  has a relatively long side, it is possible to stably hold the glass sheet  20 , even if the glass sheet is heavy, by disposing the plate-shaped member holding systems  110 , e.g. two plate-shaped member holding systems, on a lower portion of the glass sheet as shown in  FIG. 12(A) . 
       FIG. 12(B)  is a perspective view showing a modification of the fourth embodiment. If the glass sheet  20  has a relatively great height, the plate-shaped member holding systems  110  are disposed at plural locations of an upper portion and the lower portion of the glass sheet  20  as shown in  FIG. 12(B) . The plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110  are coupled on a backboard  140  (formed of a corrugated cardboard), which is upright on the rear side of the glass sheet  20 . In this modification, the reinforcing members  120  of the respective plate-shaped member holding systems  110  are mutually coupled together by being fastened to the backboard  140 . 
       FIG. 13(A)  is a perspective view of a plate-shaped member packing device  114  using the modification of the fourth embodiment.  FIG. 13(B)  is a vertical cross-sectional view of the plate-shaped member packing device  114  using the modification of the fourth embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 13(A)  and  FIG. 13(B) , the plate-shaped member packing device  114  using the backboard  140  and the plate-shaped member holding systems  110  is configured so that the backboard  140  is put into the inner space  52  of a box  50  to prevent the relative positions of the respective plate-shaped member holding systems  110  from shifting. 
     The backboard  140  includes a supporting surface  142  for fastening the respective plate-shaped member holding systems  110  thereto, and a flap  144 , which is formed by folding an upper portion of the supporting surface  142  in a horizontal direction. When the glass sheet  20  is housed and packed in the inner space  52  of the box  50 , the glass sheet  20  is held by the plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110 . Thus, the glass sheet  20 , which has been held by the plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110 , can be put into the box  50  (indicated in dashed dotted lines in  FIG. 13(A) ) through the upper opening of the box, as it is, by holding the flap  144 . By this arrangement, it is possible to more easily pack the glass sheet  20  by using the backboard  140  even if the glass sheet is large. The flat  144  is folded at an angle of 90 degrees to close the opening of the box  50 , a lid  51  of the box is overlapped with the flap  144 , and the flap  144  and the lid  51  are fastened together by fasteners  54 , such as staples. 
     By fastening the flap  144  of the backboard  140  to the box  50  as described above, the plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110  for holding the glass sheet  20  is stably supported without wobbling. Thus, it is possible to reliably hold the glass sheet  20  since the plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110  are prevented from shifting even if vibration or a shock is applied during transportation. 
     The glass sheet  20  housed in the box  50  is held at three positions in the upper and lower portions thereof by the plate-shaped member holding systems  110 , and the reinforcing members  120  of the respective plate-shaped member holding systems  110  are put into the box  50 , being brought into contact with the inner wall of the box  50 . Thus, the glass sheet is firmly held so as to be prevented from wobbling even if vibration is applied in any direction of the front-to-rear direction, the left-to-right direction and the vertical direction (the X direction, the Y direction and Z direction). 
     When the glass sheet is taken out after delivery, it is possible to take out the glass sheet by holding the flap  144  and drawing the backboard  140  along with the glass sheet out of the box  50 . At that time, the glass sheet  20  is taken out, being held by the plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110  fastened to the backboard  140 . Thus, it is possible to easily take out the glass sheet  20  by using the backboard  140  to couple the plural plate-shaped member holding systems  110 . The backboard  140  may be formed of a folded corrugated cardboard. The backboard may be formed in any shape other than the above-mentioned shape. It is possible to easily reuse the backboard along with the box  50  as recycling materials after use. 
     Although explanation has been made about a case where the plate-shaped member holding systems  110  are fixed to the backboard  140 , the plate-shaped member holding systems  110  may be fixed directly to the box without using the backboard. The backboard  140  and the flap  114  may be formed as separated members. The backboard  140  may be formed without having the flap  114 . The fixing of the plate-shaped member holding systems  110  to the backboard and the fastening of the flap  114  of the backboard to the box may be made at plural locations by use of fastening members  54  as required. Each of the fastening members  54  may be formed of an adhesive tape, an adhesive, such as a hot melt, or any one of the other fastening materials. 
     Fifth Embodiment 
       FIG. 14  is an exploded perspective view showing the plate-shaped member holding system according to a fifth embodiment.  FIG. 15  is a perspective view showing how the plate-shaped member holding system  150  according to the fifth embodiment is assembled.  FIGS. 16(A)  and (B) are a vertical cross-sectional view and a perspective view, which show a plate-shaped member packing device using the plate-shaped member holding system  150  according to the fifth embodiment. In  FIG. 14  through the  FIGS. 16(A)  and (B), parts similar or identical to the parts according to the above-mentioned embodiments are indicated by the same reference numerals, and explanation of those parts will be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , the plate-shaped member holding system  150  according to the fifth embodiment includes a pair of retainers  152 , a pair of holders  154 , and a pair of couplers  156 . The retainers  152  are stuck to intermediate portions of the holders  154  in longitudinal directions of the holders so as to be brought into contact with both sides of the glass surface of a glass sheet  20 . Each of holders  154  is formed of a compressed paper material in a bar shape having a U-character shape in section, having an increased strength in comparison with a general-purpose corrugated cardboard. Each of the couplers  156  is formed of a rectangular frame made of, e.g. a corrugated cardboard. 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 , the plate-shaped member holding system  150  is assembled so as to bring the paired retainers  152  into contact with a front side and a rear side of the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  20  by bridging the paired holders  154  in parallel so as to extend along the glass surface of the glass sheet  20 . Ends of the paired holders  154 , which project outside the peripheral edge  24  of the glass sheet  20 , are engaged with the couplers  156  to couple the paired holders  154 . In this manner, the paired holders  154  generate pressing forces to press the paired retainers  152  in directions to bring the retainers closer to each other by the couplers  156  engaged with the ends of the paired holders. Accordingly, the paired retainers  152  are flexed so that the corresponding ends of the paired holders  154 , which are disposed in parallel, are brought closer to each other by the couplers  156 . This flexure causes elastic deformation, providing the retainers  152  with holding forces for holding the glass sheet  20 . As a result, the glass surface  22  of the glass sheet  20  is clamped from both sides by the retainers  152 . 
     The couplers  156  serve as supports for supporting the glass sheet  20  in an upright position even in a stage before housing the glass sheet  20  in a box  50 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 16(A) , the couplers  156  fasten the ends of the paired holders  154 . When the glass sheet is housed into the box  50 , the holders  154  slide on the inner walls of the box  50 , guiding the glass sheet  20  into the box. After the glass sheet  20  is housed in the inner space  52 , the holders are engaged with the upper portion and the bottom portion of the box  50  to stably hold the glass sheet  20 . For example, the couplers  156  are engaged with an upper portion and a lower portion of the inner space  52  of the box  50  and are fixed to the box  50  by fastening members  54  in this embodiment. In this manner, the plate-shaped member packing device  156  using the plate-shaped member holding system  150  is mounted to the glass sheet  20  so as vertically extend with respect to the glass sheet. As a result, the ends of the paired holders  154  are fixed to the box  50  through the couplers  156 , stably and firmly holding the glass sheet  20  in the inner space  52 . 
     Each of the holders  154  and the couplers  156  according to the fifth embodiment may be formed of a paper material, such as a corrugated cardboard. After taking the glass sheet  20  out of the box  50 , it is possible to easily reuse the holders and the couplers along with the box  50  as recycle materials by recovering the holders and the couplers along with the box by a recycle service. 
     For example, if the glass sheet  20  is of elongated shape in a horizontal direction and is heavy, it is preferred that plural (at least two) plate-shaped member holding systems  150  be used to hold the glass sheet  20  as shown in  FIG. 16(B) . In such a case, it is preferred that the plural plate-shaped member holding systems  150  be disposed so as to be as symmetrical with each other as possible. By this arrangement, it is possible to equally distribute the load to the respective plate-shaped member holding systems  150 , preventing an excessive load from being applied to only one of the plate-shaped member holding systems  150 . 
       FIG. 17(A)  is a perspective view showing a modification of the fifth embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 17(A) , the couplers  156  of the plate-shaped member holding system  150  according to this modification are coupled to a backboard  160  (formed of a corrugated cardboard), which is upright on the rear side of one of the holders  154 . 
     In this modification, the respective upper and lower couplers  156  are coupled together, being fastened to the backboard  160 , which is disposed in parallel with both holders  154  on the rear side of the one holder. The backboard  160  serves as a support when putting the glass board into the inner space  52  of the box  50 . 
     The backboard  160  includes a supporting surface  162  for fastening the respective couplers  156  thereto, and a flap  164 , which is prepared by folding an upper portion of the supporting surface  162  in a horizontal direction. When the glass sheet  20  is housed and packed in the inner space  52  of the box  50 , the glass sheet  20  is held by the plate-shaped member holding systems  150 , which are fastened to the backboard  160 . Accordingly, the glass sheet  20 , which is held by the plate-shaped member holding system  150 , can be put into the box  50 , as it is, through the upper opening of the box  50 , as it is, by holding the flap  164 . 
     The backboard  160  may be formed of a folded corrugated cardboard. The backboard may be formed in a different shape from the above-mentioned shape. It is possible to easily reuse the backboard along with the box  50  as recycle materials after use. 
     In accordance with a plate-shaped member packing device  170  using the plate-shaped member holding system  150  and the backboard  160  as shown in  FIG. 17(B) , it is possible to easily perform a packing operation by holding the backboard  160 . 
     The flap  164  is folded at an angle of 90 degrees to close the opening of the box  50 , and the flap  164  is fastened to a lid  51  of the box by fastening members  54 , such as staples, in such a state that the lid  51  is overlapped with the flap  164 . 
     By fastening the flap  164  of the backboard  160  to the box  50  as described above, the plate-shaped member holding system  150  for holding the glass sheet  20  is stably supported so as to be prevented from leaning or wobbling. Thus, the glass sheet  20  is reliably held since the glass sheet is prevented from being shifted even if vibration or a shock is applied to the glass sheet during transportation. 
     The plate-shaped member holding system  150  housed in the box  50  is supported by the backboard  160 , having the upper and lower couplers  156  engaged with the box  50 , and the backboard  160  is fastened to the box  50 . Thus, the glass sheet is held so as to be prevented from wobbling even if vibration is applied in a front-to-rear direction, a left-to-right direction or a vertical direction. 
     When taking out the glass sheet  20  after delivery, it is possible to take out the glass sheet  20  and the plate-shaped member holding system  150  fastened to the backboard  160  by holding the flap  164  and drawing the backboard  160  out of the box  50 . Thus, it is possible to easily take out the glass sheet  20  by using the backboard  160  to support the plate-shaped member holding system  150 . 
       FIG. 18(A)  is an exploded perspective view showing a second modification of the fifth embodiment.  FIG. 18(B)  is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a plate-shaped member packing device using the second modification of the fifth embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 18(A) , the plate-shaped member packing device  190  according to the second modification is configured so that the couplers  156  of the plate-shaped member holding system  150  are engaged with engagement portions  182  of auxiliary members  180 . The auxiliary members  180  are configured so as to have a wider width than the couplers  156  in a left-to-right direction and to have an area of about three times of the couplers  156  in a top side and a bottom side thereof. Thus, the auxiliary members  180  stably support the plate-shaped member holding system  150  by being engaged with the couplers  156  as shown in  FIG. 18(B) . Each of the auxiliary members  180  is formed of a folded corrugated cardboard formed in a triangular shape as seen from a lateral side, which can be recycled as in the other parts. 
     When the plate-shaped member holding system  150  is configured to assemble the auxiliary members  180  to the couplers  156 , the auxiliary member  180  can be engaged with the inner wall of the box  50 , supporting the plate-shaped member holding system  150  in an upright position in the inner space  52  as shown in  FIG. 18(B) . Thus, it is possible to firmly hold the glass sheet  20  without wobbling even if vibration is applied from any direction of a front-to-rear direction, a left-to-right direction and a vertical direction during transportation. 
     In the plate-shaped member packing device  190  including the plate-shaped member holding system  150  and the auxiliary members  180 , the auxiliary members  180  are fastened to the lid  51  and the bottom  53  of the box  50  by fastening members  54 . Since the auxiliary members  180  for holding the upper and lower ends of the plate-shaped member holding system  150  are unified with the box  50 , and since the plate-shaped member holding system  150  are fastened to the lid  51  through one of the auxiliary members  180  in this manner, the plate-shaped member holding system  150  can be supported without shifting or leaning. 
     When taking out the glass sheet  20  after delivery, it is possible to draw the plate-shaped member holding system  150  out of the box  50  by holding the plate-shaped member holding system, since the couplers  156  are not fixed to the inner wall of the box  50 . Since the plate-shaped member holding system  150  is separated from the auxiliary member  180  on the bottom by this operation, it is possible to easily take out the glass sheet  20 . 
     Each of the auxiliary members  180  is formed of a folded corrugated cardboard. Each of the auxiliary members may be formed in a shape other than a triangular shape (such as a rectangular shape). It is possible to easily reuse the auxiliary members along with the box  50  as recycle materials after use. 
     Although explanation has been made about a case where each of the holders  54  is shaped in a U-character shape in section, each of the holders is not limited to have such a shape. Each of the holders may be formed in any shape in section, such as a circular or angular tubular shape in section, an L-character shape in section, a V-character shape in section, a figure-of-eight shape in section, or a combination thereof. Each of the holders  154  may have a cross-sectional shape changing in the longitudinal direction thereof according to a desired mechanical strength. 
     Although explanation has been made about a case where each of the fastening members  54  is formed in an angular tubular shape, each of the fastening members is not limited to have such a shape. The fastening members may have a different shape according to the shape of the holders  154 . The fastening members may be formed of an adhesive tape, an adhesive, such as a hot melt, or any other fastening material. 
     Although explanation of this embodiment has been made about a case where the plate-shaped member holding system  150  is fixed to the backboard  160 , the plate-shaped member holding system  150  may be fixed directly to the box  50  without using the backboard. The backboard  160  and the flap  164  may be prepared as separate members. It is acceptable to use a backboard  160  having no flap  164 . 
     Although explanation has been made about a case where the plate-shaped member holding system  150  and the backboard  160  have a substantially equal width each other, the backboard  160  may have a wider width in order to be stabilized in the inner space  52 . The fastening of the backboard  160  and the flap  164  to the plate-shaped holding system  150  and the box may be made at plural locations, as required, by use of the fastening members  54 . Each of the fastening members  54  may be formed of an adhesive tape, an adhesive, such as a hot melt, or any other fastening material. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     Although explanation of the above-mentioned embodiments have been made about in a case where the plate-shaped member holding system and the plate-shaped member packing device are used to pack a plate-shaped member formed of a glass sheet, the present invention is not limited to such an application. The present invention is also applicable to hold a plate-shaped member other than a glass sheet, which is formed of a material susceptible to vibration or a shock, or which is preferably transported without having a peripheral portion brought into contact with anything (such as a liquid crystal substrate, a substrate for a plasma display or a metal plate). 
     Although explanation of the above-mentioned embodiments has been made about a case where each of the retainers  32  or  152  is formed of an elastic member, the present invention is not limited to such a case. For example, when a plate-shaped member is formed of a material having a high surface hardness and unsusceptible to a scratch, such as a metal sheet, each of the retainers  32  or  152  may be formed of a corrugated cardboard. In such a case, it is possible to reuse the retainers  32  or  152  as recycle materials. 
     The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-117131 filed on Apr. 20, 2006 including specification, claims, drawings and summary is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.