EP0737623B1 - Corrugated cardboard package for motor vehicle body sheets or platelike elements in general - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is related to a package containing plate-like elements in general, such as motor vehicle body sheets (engine compartment hoods, doors, trunk covers etc.), glass plates and the like.

A package according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from US-A-3896932, disclosing a fender carton whose larger walls have each a single die-cut portion defining one respective wing forming a supporting saddle for the lower fender edge. The upper fender edge is bearing against spacer and cushioning wings defined by respective die-cut portions of the carton top wall. Holding straps run through the cuts of the larger walls under the saddle wings, and over the top wall. Accordingly, the fender is in practice suspended to the carton top in a somehow pendulum fashion. When handling the so packaged fender, damaging may occurr due to any swinging thereof relative to the carton. Moreover, in case the carton is laid top-down, i.e. with the fender upper edge placed downside, this edge may be subject to damaging.

A similar package is also known from US-A-3403778, comprising a cardboard box and a paperboard interliner member, having an I-shaped configuration and tab elements die-cut therein, provided within the box to support, through restraining bands, a windshield or like article. The article is thus held in spaced relation to all of the box walls. Accordingly this package, besides involving a two-piece cumbersome construction, does not afford proper stability and steadiness of the article within the box which, owing to the interliner member deformability, may be subjected to undesired motion relative to the box walls and to risks of damage.

The object of the invention is to provide a particularly simple and cheap package, which is however capable to ensure an efficient protection of the packaged sheet element during transportation, storage and handling operations.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a package the primary feature of which is set forth in the characterising portion of claim 1.

According to a further feature of the invention, at least one of said folded wings is formed with bent limbs for the containment and constraint of the corresponding area of the respective edge of the plate-like element.

The number and the arrangement of the above die-cut portions, and thus of the wings defined thereby astride of the opposite edges of the plate-like element may vary as a function of the design and shape of the plate-like element to be packaged.

Said annular retaining means may be constituted by straps or cables or ropes under tension. Alternatively, these annular retaining means may be formed by annular heat shrinkable plastic material elements.

The invention will now be disclosed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, purely provided by way of non limiting example, in which:

figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a corrugated cardboard package according to a first embodiment of the invention,

figure 2 is a vertically sectioned and enlarged view along line II-II of figure 1,

figure 3 depicts the plan blank of the cardboard member forming the package of figure 1, and

figure 4 is a perspective view of a variant of figure 1.

Referring initially to figures 1 through 3, reference numeral 1 generally designates a package according to the invention containing sheet elements in general, and more particularly the hood of a motor vehicle engine compartment. In the case of the shown example, the package 1 is designed as a flat box with two larger walls 2,3 whose area is slightly greater than that of the sheet element C and between which this sheet element C is interposed.

The box 1 is formed starting from a single die-cut and creased member, indicated by reference numeral 1a in figure 3. In this element 1a the larger wall 2 is connected laterally, through respective creasing lines, to two smaller lateral walls 4,5, which in turn are connected through corresponding creasing lines to respective larger and smaller portions 3a, 3b intended to constitute the other larger wall 3 of the box 1.

The portions 2, 4, 5, 3a and 3b are provided, parallely to the longitudinal edges of the cardboard member 1a, with respective creasing lines from which limbs 2', 4', 5', 3a' and 3b' are projecting, which are intended to form the remaining lateral walls 6,7 of the box 1.

A partially die-cut portion 8 defining a wing 9 is formed in the larger wall 2, at a relatively short distance from the wall 6.

Likewise, in the larger portion 3a of the other larger wall 3 a die-cut portion 10 is formed, which defines a wing 11.

In proximity to the other opposite wall 7, the larger wall 2 is formed with a recess 12 and with a partially die-cut portion 13 defining a wing 14. On the opposite sides of the recess 12 two opposite limbs 15 are further defined, through respective creasing lines.

Similarly, the larger portion 3a of the other larger wall 3 is formed, near to the wall 7, with a recess 16 and a partially die-cut portion 17 defining a wing 18.

The wings 11 and 18 are conveniently formed with respective parallel creasing lines, whose function will be clarified in the following.

In the set up condition of the box 1 shown in figures 1 and 2, the corrugated cardboard member 1a is folded so as to partially overlap the portions 3a, 3b, which are joined together by glueing so as to form the larger wall 3, parallely to the larger wall 2. The limbs 15 are bent inwardly and, following insertion of the sheet element C and retention thereof such as clarified here below, the limbs 2', 4', 5', 3a' and 3b' are folded and glued so as to form the walls 6 and 7 of the box 1.

In the fitted condition within the box 1, the sheet element C has respective opposite edges C1, C2 located substantially at the level of the wings 9, 11 and 14, 18 of the walls 2 and 3. The wing 11 is folded astride of the substantially central area of the edge C1 and the wing 18 is likewise folded astride the corresponding substantially central area of the other edge C2, such as depicted in figure 2. The wing 9 is folded beneath the wing 11, and the wing 14 is likewise folded over the wing 18, such as also shown in figure 2. Thus, the central areas of the edges C1 and C2 of the sheet element 2 are restrained between the wings 9,11 and 14,18, respectively, of the walls 2 and 3.

The previously mentioned creasing lines of the wings 11 and 18 allow same to cope with the shape of the sheet element 2, thus providing respective containment and constraint folded limbs for the corresponding edges C1, C2 of the sheet element C.

Then, the wings 9,11 and 14,18 are forcedly tightened against the edges C1, C2 of the sheet element C, by means of outer annular retaining members wound such as depicted in figure 1. In the case of the shown example, a plurality of plastic-material straps 19 under tension is employed. As an alternative, metal straps or plastic-material or metal bands or cables, or ropes or any other functionally equivalent system may be employed. Heat shrinkable plastic-material annular elements of a conventional type, wrapped round the wings 9,11 and 14,18 and stretched following heat shrinkage, may also be used.

In the packaged condition shown in figures 1 and 2, the sheet element 10 is thus firmly constrained relative to the walls 2 and 3, and is substantially suspended within the box 1, with a slight play between its perimeter and the smaller walls 4,5,6 and 7 of the box itself.

To the aim of making easier handling of the box 1 with the sheet element C fitted therein, apertures 20 acting like handles may be conveniently provided on the walls 2,3,4 and 5.

It is to be pointed out that the number and the arrangement of the wings of the larger walls 2,3 of the box 1 for the constraint of the opposite edges C1, C2 of the sheet element C may vary, with respect to the example shown in figures 1 through 3, as a function of the design and shape of the sheet element itself.

Thus, for instance, figure 4 shows a variant of the box 1, which can be for example employed for the hood C' of a motor vehicle engine compartment having the configuration illustrated therein, with respective opposite edges C1' and C2'. In figure 4, parts which are identical or similar to those previously disclosed with reference to figures 1 through 3 are indicated by the same reference numerals.

The wings 14 and 18 are divided such as shown, whereby the straps 19 (or equivalent tightening element) are in turn splitted in two distinct groups.

It is to be pointed out that, according to a further variant not shown in the drawings, the package might have an open configuration, instead of a closed box arrangement.

Finally, it is to be remarked that, while the preceding disclosure has been referred to packaging of a motor vehicle body sheet, the invention can be equally conveniently applied to any delicate plate-like element requiring an efficient protection during transportation, storage and handling.

Naturally the details of construction and the embodiments may be widely varied with respect to what has been disclosed and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention, such as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1. A package containing motor vehicle body sheets or plate-like elements in general (C), including a corrugated cardboard member (1a) defining a flat box (1) comprising two opposite larger walls (2,3) having an area substantially corresponding to that of the plate-like element (C) and two pairs of opposite smaller walls (4,5; 6,7), each larger wall (2,3) having one respective partially die-cut portion (13,17) defining a respective wing (14,18) folded astride of a substantially central area of one edge (C2) of the plate-like element (C), and annular outer retaining means (19) to forcedly tighten said folded wings (14,18) against said edge (C2) of the plate-like element (C), characterised in that each said larger wall (2,3) has a second partially die-cut portion (10,8) spaced apart from said respective die-cut portion (13, 17) and defining a respective second wing (11,9) folded astride of a corresponding substantially central area of a second edge (C1) of the plate-like element (C) opposite to said one edge (C2), and in that said annular outer retaining means (19) are wrapped around said second partially die-cut portions (10,8) of said larger walls (2,3), whereby in use said plate-like element (C) is only secured to and suspended on said larger walls (2,3) of the cardboard member (1a) without contacting any portions of said smaller walls (4,5; 6,7) thereof.
2. Package according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of said folded wings (11,18) is formed with bent limbs (11,18) for the containment and constraint of the corresponding area of the respective edge (C1, C2) of the plate-like element (C).
3. Package according to claim 1, characterised in that one of said two partially die-cut portions (8,10; 13,17) is single and the other (13,17) is double and defines corresponding spaced-apart pairs of folded wings (14,18).
4. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said annular retaining means comprise straps (19) or cables or ropes.
5. Package according to any of claims 1 through 3, characterised in that said annular retaining means comprise an annular plastic-material heat shrinkable member.

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