SELF-ASSEMBLING TRAY

Abstract

A tray formed from a sheet divided into panels, adopting a three-by-three matrix configuration, provided with a central, an upper and a lower row, each with three panels, wherein the sheet has a central panel and two end panels at its intermediate row, one at each side of central panel, these three panels intended to form the bottom, while in the upper and lower rows, there is a central panel and respectively and two panels with handle at each side, wherein additionally the end panels from each row are refolded over central panels, wherein optionally the overlapping surface of panels is glued through one or several gluing points, such that a tray with a minimum production processing, made on a single machine, and erectable “in situ”, is obtained.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application EP 12382005.2, filed on Jan. 11, 2012, the contents of which application are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to boxes and trays made of cardboard, starting from a die-cut and cut sheet, and more particularly, to self-assembling boxes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The state of the art shows many cardboard boxes formed from die-cut and cut cardboard sheets, all of them having the feature that once the sheet is cut, folding and a subsequent gluing are required to ensure structural strength and stability.

The need to apply a number of gluing points on the overlapping surfaces, after folding the panels, the side walls, the front walls and the flaps, complicates the formation of the boxes. On one hand, if the boxes are factory-assembled, transporting empty boxes is bulky and expensive. On the other hand, if the boxes are transported before assembling, there should be machines for assembling the boxes in situ, which is a disadvantage.

There are other boxes that can be erected in situ, but they can be improved in some aspects. Generally these boxes have a complex geometry; they do not guarantee enough structural stability and strength.

Usually boxes are provided flat in order to optimize transport, and they are erected to form their container structures at the time of filling. This assembly can be done manually, which takes some handling time, or by a specialized machine, adapted to the design of the box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantage relating to the the formation of the box, to the complex geometries of the boxes, and to the lack of enough structural stability and strength. A further object of the invention is to ease the formation of the boxes, so they can be manually erected with a minimum handling time and as ergonomically as possible.

The object of this invention is a self-assembling tray, understanding by “tray” a multi-sided configuration open at the top, that is, a box without a top closure. This “self-assembling” tray can be erected directly from a single folded sheet, without having to perform any additional operation.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the die-cut, cut and scored sheet which forms the tray have a special configuration and design, such that the sheet is provided folded and optionally with a gluing at the central part of the base and it is possible to erect the tray just by pulling conveniently from the ends of the box in order to match the handles.

According to a further aspect, the self-assembling tray is formed from a die-cut and cut cardboard sheet and on which score lines have been made in order to assist subsequent folding of its panels during assembly. Optionally the starting sheet for the formation of the box could have a central gluing at the base, which could be done through one or several gluing points, preferably one.

The sheet used to form the tray has an essentially rectangular configuration divided into panels separated by score lines forming a three-by-three matrix. That is, the sheet has three rows of panels, each having one panel, where each panel has a different function.

Panels forming the bottom of the box are in the central row in the horizontal direction, looking at the sheet as seen in FIG. 1, while upper and lower rows are identical, and each of them having a central panel forming one of the front walls of the box, while the two end panels of each row are intended to form the side walls of the box, i.e. the sides on which handles are arranged.

The side walls are formed with two panels, one from the upper row and the opposing panel from the lower row, which overlap. Each of these panels has a cutting and a score line in an oblong form. By cutting partially along the score lines, an oblong aperture is formed, which will serve as a handle. Also as a result of the partial cutting a flap is formed. When the opposing panels in the upper and lower rows match each other, the oblong apertures also match. When the flaps are passed through the apertures, the result is that one of the panels is held by the other, thus ensuring structural stability of the tray.

The end panels in the intermediate row have a triangular configuration at their upper and lower part, where one of the sides of the triangular configuration is a score line separating the panels with handles from these panels forming the bottom, another side is free of connections to another part of the panel and the third is a score line which allows turning and pivoting of the panels with handle.

Furthermore, these panels forming the bottom can have a folding line at the line separating the end panels from the central panel, in case they are manually erected, or optionally they are provided with a gluing surface, which is provided on the overlapping part of the central area of the opposite panels from the central row, when the opposite panels are provided on the central panel, being glued through one or several gluing points along the overlapping surface, such that the bottom of the packaging is double.

Thanks to the described configuration, a packaging open at the top is obtained, which has a minimum processing during production, obtained from a single sheet which can be printed, die-cut and glued, which may optionally have a central gluing area at the base, all this being done in a single specific machine. Thus, ergonomics in assembly and production cost come together since the machine performs every operation in a single process. In addition, the packaging has a double bottom, resulting in a greater load capacity of the packaging without the bottom of the box collapsing.

The present invention will be better understood in view of the drawings and following detailed description of preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the die-cut, cut and scored sheet which forms the tray of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows the tray once folded and formed.

FIG. 3 shows the tray folded so as to be ready for transport and subsequent formation into a tray.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show the process of forming the tray starting from the sheet shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1, the initial die-cut, cut and scored sheet can be seen. This sheet is the starting point towards the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, from which a tray as the one shown in FIG. 2 can be self-assembled.

The sheet has an essentially rectangular configuration, divided into panels, adopting a three-by-three matrix configuration, having an upper row of three panels, aligned, followed by an intermediate row, of three panels as well, and finally a lower row of three panels, their connecting sides having the same dimensions.

On its intermediate row, the sheet has a central panel (1) and two end panels (2) at each side of the central panel (1), these three panels forming the bottom of the box.

The central panel (1) is connected to front panels (3) and (6) and to end panels (2) by a folding line (1.1).

In the upper row there is a central panel (3) and two panels at each side (4) and (5), each of them with a handle. In the lower row there is a central panel (6) and two panels at each side (7) and (8), each with a handle.

Panels (3) and (6) form the front panels of the tray, or front walls, while the panels with handle (4), (5), (7) and (8) are intended to form the side walls containing the handles.

Each of the panels with a handle (4), (5), (7) and (8) has:

• A folding line (4.2), (5.2), (7.2), (8.2) respectively at its junction with the panel (3) or (6).
• A folding line (4.1), (5.1), (7.1) an (8.1) respectively at its junction with panel (2).
• A cutting defining an oblong aperture (4.3), (5.3), (7.3) and (8.3) respectively, which serves as a handle; and a flap (4.4), (5.4), (7.4) and (8.4).

The panels (2) at the ends of the central row and which form the bottom together with central panel (1), have a triangular configuration at their upper and lower part at their junction with the panels with a handle, and a central area (2.3) polygonal in shape.

The upper triangular configuration of panels (2) has a side which is the folding line (4.1) or (5.1), another side which is a folding line (2.1) and which starts from a corner of the bottom panel's (1), at which corner there is a convergence of folding lines (5.1) with (1.2) or (4.1) with (1.2), and then converges with the other side (2.4), this other side (2.4) starting from the free end of folding line (4.1) or (5.1).

On the other hand, the lower triangular configuration of panels (2) has a side which is the folding line (7.1) or (8.1), another side which is a folding line (2.2) and which starts from another corner of the bottom panel (1), at which corner there is another convergence of folding lines (7.1) with (1.2) or (8.1) with (1.2), and then converges with the other side (2.4), this other side (2.4) starting from the free end of folding line (7.1) or (8.1) respectively.

FIG. 3 illustrates the sheet ready for its subsequent formation, for which purpose the end panels from each row, that is the two panels (2) and panels (4), (5), (7) and (8) are refolded over central panels (1), (3) and (6), and the overlapping surface of the central area (2.3) from panels (2) can be glued, with one or several gluing points to be applied preferably on the overlapping area of the central area (2.3).

Proceeding from the folded sheet as shown in FIG. 3, the self-assembly of the tray can be started by pulling panels (4), (5), (7) and (8), by matching their handles, for which purpose handles from said panels must be separated at a distance “D” from the respective folding line with side panel (3) or (6) so that such a distance “D” is half the height “H” of panels (2).

Once the panels with handles are matched so they form the side walls, the other panel flap is passed through the oblong opening of one of the overlapping panels, and this serves as an additional means of union and reinforcement of said panels, as shown in FIG. 6.

Finally, the formed tray is shown in FIG. 2.

The foregoing description is provided for illustrative and exemplary purposes; the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Rather, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications, as well as adaptations to particular circumstances will be possible within the scope of the invention as herein shown and described.

Claims

1. A self-assembling tray comprising:

a single sheet having score lines for folding;

wherein the sheet has an essentially rectangular configuration, the sheet being divided into panels with a three-by-three matrix configuration, having an upper row of three aligned panels followed by an intermediate row of three aligned panels, and a lower row of three aligned panels, all of the rows with the same dimensions at their junctions;

wherein the intermediate row of three panels includes a intermediate row central panel and two intermediate row end panels, one at each side of the intermediate row central panel, these three intermediate row panels folded to form the bottom of the self-assembling tray;

wherein the upper row of three panels includes an upper row central panel and two upper row end panels, one at each side of the upper row central panel, each of the upper row end panels having a handle defined therein;

wherein the lower row of three panels includes an lower row central panel and two lower row end panels, one at each side of the lower row central panel, each of the lower row end panels having a handle defined therein; and

wherein the upper, intermediate and lower row end panels are all folded over their respective upper, intermediate and lower row central panels.

2. The self-assembling tray of claim 1, wherein the intermediate row central panel is connected to the upper and lower row central panels through respective first intermediate folding lines, and to the central row end panels through respective second intermediate folding lines.

3. The self-assembling tray of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower row end panels each:

are connected to a respective of the of the central row end panels through a first folding line;

are connected to respective one of the upper or lower row central panels through a second folding line;

define an oblong aperture which serves as the handle and forms a flap.

4. The self-assembling tray of claim 3, wherein each handle is separated from the second folding line of its respective one of the upper or lower row end panels by a distance that is one half a height of the the respective one of the upper or lower row central panels.

5. The self-assembling tray of claim 1, wherein the central row end panels each have a triangular configuration at their upper and lower part at their respective connections to the upper and lower end panels, and a central area polygonal in shape.

6. The self-assembling tray of claim 4, wherein each of the triangular configurations has a first side defined by a first folding line connecting with the respective upper or lower row end panel, a second side defined by a second folding line extending outwardly from where an inner end of the first side meets a respective corner of the intermediate row central panel, and a third side extending between outer ends of the first and second sides.

7. The self-assembling tray, according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate row end panels each have a central area polygonal in shape, the central area of one of the intermediate row end panels overlapping the other and being glued thereto by at least one gluing point.