Receptacles – Container contoured to fit a body part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-15
2001-07-10
Moy, Joseph M. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container contoured to fit a body part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257442
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a variable volume transport packaging structure of the kind defined in the preamble of claim
1
.
2. Description of the Related Art
So-called disposable paperboard cartons and the like are at present used to a large extent in packaging an assortment of products for transportation. These disposable cartons or boxes are bulky and when their contents have been removed and placed on display shelves in the store or shop concerned, it is necessary to dispose of the empty carton in some appropriate manner. This disposal is a relatively complex operation, since the person concerned must first cut the packaging material so that it can be folded to a minimum volume, and thereafter sent to a waste recycling plant, for environmental reasons. The use of disposable cartons and boxes is both complicated and expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the invention s to provide a transport packaging structure of variable volume that can be used to package many different types of goods units with corresponding variations in size. Another object of the invention is to provide a packaging structure that can be adapted to goods units of rectangular cross-section and of different sizes and different width/height cross-sectional ratios. Still another object of the invention is to provide a packaging structure that can be collapsed to a relatively small storage volume which will facilitate transportation of the empty or collapsed packaging structure to a recycling station or the like in which the packaging structure can be destroyed, recycled or reused.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a packaging structure that can be used as an auxiliary means which will enable the contents of the package (normally in the form of a plurality of consumer packages) to be moved to a display station, such as a display shelf or the like in a store or shop, without needing to leave the actual packaging structure in place until all of its contents have been removed.
These objects are achieved either fully or partially with a transport packaging structure of variable volume having four generally parallel and mutually adjacent angle pieces, each having two flanges which define an angle of generally 90° therebetween so as to form an inner corner which faces towards the interior of the structure. Mutually adjacent angle-pieces on at least three sides of the packaging structure are held together by at least one arm which functions to enable the two angle-pieces to be spaced apart at a selective distance therebetween.
According to further developments of the inventive packaging structure, arms may be provided on all four sides of the structure, mutually connecting adjacent angle-pieces, and the ends of the arms may be pivotally connected to respective angle-pieces. The arms may further be hinged between their respective ends, the arm links connected to the hinge being pivotal in a plane which lies adjacent to and parallel with the adjacent side of the packaging structure. In another embodiment, an arm may be provided at each end-part of one side of a packaging structure. In a further embodiment, the arms on one side of the packaging structure may function to hold the mutually facing legs of the angle-pieces essentially in a common plane. The structure may include locking means for locking the angle-pieces in mutually adjusted positions, particularly when the angle-pieces are fitted on the corner edges of a goods unit. Such locking means may include a securing band which surrounds the angle-pieces coacting with the goods unit. The structure may further be embodied with panels placed between pairs of mutually adjacent angle-pieces such as to form structure side walls, and may further include an end panel which covers the free cross-sectional space of the structure and which is removably fitted to one end of the packaging structure.
The invention is based on the realization that articles of a generally parallelepipedic shape and of rectangular cross-section can be packaged for transportation with the aid of four angle-pieces that are disposed to receive a respective corner edge of the article, such that one angle-piece receives a respective corner of the article as seen in cross-section. These angle-pieces shall therewith be held together to form a coherent unit. This is achieved by mutually connecting adjacent angle-pieces that delimit one and the same side of the article cross-section with a connecting and holding device that is connected at its ends to said two angle-pieces and which is adapted to permit the distance between said adjacent angle-pieces to be selectively adjusted. Such holding devices may be placed between all pairs of mutually adjacent angle-pieces, i.e. on all four sides of the goods cross-section, although it will be undersized that one side of such a holding device may be left free. The angle-pieces of the transport packaging structure can be brought readily into engagement with a respective corner edge of a goods unit by mutual parallel displacement of said angle-pieces, whereafter the angle-pieces can be fixed in position in relation to the packaged goods unit by means of a locking device. This locking device may have the form of a lashing, a bundle strap, securing straps, packaging tape or the like wound externally around the goods-holding angle-pieces in their longitudinal direction. When a thus packaged unit is transported to the place at which the packaged goods unit shall be removed, the package is easily opened by simply removing the locking device and lifting the package in the longitudinal direction of the angle-pieces. When the holding devices have the form of arms whose ends are coupled to respective angle-pieces by virtue of frictional forces acting therebetween, the arms are able to hold together the angle-pieces although with limited friction between said angle-pieces and the packaged articles when removing the locking device. This enables the transport packaging structure to form guide means which enables the packaged unit to be pushed or pulled axially from the packaging structure. This is of particular interest when the goods unit is comprised of a stack of packaging units or stacks of small packages (consumer packages) that lie side-by-side, irrespective of whether the stacks shall be pushed horizontally onto a shelf or shall be stacked vertically in a storage box, for instance in a chest freezer.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the holding devices have the form of arms that are hinged at at least one position between the ends thereof connected to the angle-pieces, this hinge enabling its associated arm to be collapsed generally in the plane defined by the adjacent side surface of the goods unit.
Embodiments at present preferred include two such arms disposed on each main side of the transport packaging structure, said arms being conveniently disposed in the proximity of a respective end of the angle-pieces.
The angle-pieces preferably consist of L-profiles of mutually equal lengths.
The angle-pieces may be held together by securing elements connected between diagonally opposing angle-pieces at the ends of said angle-pieces. A pair of such crossing securing elements at each end of the packaging structure will not only provide a means of locking the angle-pieces together in their individual positions, but will also prevent movement of an enclosed goods unit in the longitudinal direction of the angle-pieces.
In one embodiment of the invention, panels are placed between mutually adjacent pairs of angle-pieces, so as to form a rectangular packaging tube together with said angle-pieces. Naturally, end panels can be placed between the side panels at the ends of the angle-pieces, such that the side panels and end panels define a parallelepipedic container which is held together by the transport packaging structure, which in this case also functions to completely shield the enclosed goods unit from the surroundings. The panels also form reinforcements which prevent paralle
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Moy Joseph M.
UPC United Products Company AB
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