Package making – Methods – Forming a cover adjunct or application of a cover adjunct to...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-08
2003-11-11
Sipos, John (Department: 3721)
Package making
Methods
Forming a cover adjunct or application of a cover adjunct to...
C053S472000, C053S474000, C053S489000, C053S139500, C053S238000, C053S319000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06643992
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention presented here relates to a process and a machine for fastening objects previously arranged inside a box made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, or a material made of similar sheets, having a square or rectangular cross-section.
The technical domain of the invention is that of packaging machines, manufacturing machines or machines for closing packages or manufacturing or implementing fastening materials for such packages.
The invention presented here is most particularly related to the positioning of a fastening material inside boxes used for the preparation of multi-item operations and most generally of boxes whose contents have a volume that is variable from one box to the other, where this fastening material has the function of immobilizing these contents during the later manipulations of the box, for example, until it is received by the addressee.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that the boxes of this type are formed by machines from a panel made of sheet material consisting of different folding panels or flaps assembled by gluing or by adhesive tape.
Boxes are known which, after being formed, are composed of five sides, either a bottom of a square or rectangular shape and an enclosure wall composed of four lateral sides. The known boxes of this type are called “American half-boxes”, “trays” or “open boxes (caisses cloche)”. These boxes are, after filling, closed by a cover. Covers are known which have four folding panels that are folded up and glued onto the sides of the box. Also, covers are known which have different previously shaped folding panels; these covers are inserted over the box and affixed to the box by gluing or by a metallic or plastic bond.
Boxes are known which, after forming, are composed of five sides, such as the boxes previously described, and of four upper folding panels. Each of these folding panels is connected to one of the lateral sides of the box by a folding line. The known boxes of this type are called “American boxes”. These boxes are, after filling, closed by folding back the four upper sides that are held in position by gluing or by a metallic or plastic bond.
The boxes described above have the characteristic of providing a constant volume after manufacturing and closing.
Several mechanisms are employed by users or integrated in the machines for shaping and closing the boxes, in order to fasten the different objects whose number and unit volume varies from one box to the other.
Plastic thermo-retractable films (shrink-wraps) are known that have one or more sheets affixed with the bottom or the lateral sides of the box when it is formed. After filling the box, these films are folded back on the stack of objects and then retracted (shrunk) by passing through a heated tunnel.
Particles made of polystyrene are known which are spread on the inside of the box after filling, in order to fill the unused volume.
These manufacturing processes have numerous disadvantages because:
these fastening materials must be necessarily disconnected from the packaging carton before the collection and recycling of the corresponding waste materials; this collection is thus a complex and very expensive operation;
the materials used for fastening are themselves expensive; and
their implementation is difficult and makes necessary either complex automated machines, a large number of hours of labor; the cost of these operations is thus high.
Also known are shavings, particles, chipboard balls, etc., of paper, cardboard, or wood, which are, in various forms, arranged inside the boxes in order to fill the unused volume.
These manufacturing processes also have several disadvantages because:
the dosage of the distribution of these fastening materials, in a manner so as to exactly occupy the unused volume, is an operation that is difficult to automate which requires either complex automated machines or a large number of hours of labor; the cost of these operations is thus high; and
the collection of these materials after opening the package requires the gathering of a multitude of scattered elements and is thus an operation that is not very easy to do for the end user.
The problem posed thus consists in obtaining a mechanism for fastening the objects to the inside of the boxes used for the shipment of parcels whose useful volume is variable, and in making sure that this fastening mechanism and its implementation are not very expensive and generate a minimum of restrictions for those who create the packaging prior to shipment and for those who open the packaging upon receiving the parcel.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The solution to the problem posed consists in obtaining a process for inserting inside of a box composed of a bottom having a square or rectangular shape or approximately square or rectangular, and of at least four lateral sides, a cardboard sheet, corrugated cardboard or equivalent sheet material, this sheet put in contact with the upper surface of the stack of objects arranged in the box and then connected solidly to this box in a manner so as to ensure that the objects are fastened.
The process used in order to insert this sheet inside the box is characterized in that:
this sheet has a central part in the shape of a square or rectangle, or approximately square or rectangular, having dimensions that are approximately equivalent to those of the bottom of this box, in a manner so as to be able to be introduced into this box and moved in translation in a direction to the bottom of it;
this sheet consists of, around this central part, and on at least two of the two opposing sides, and preferably, on its four sides, at least one and preferably, several flexible folding panels;
this sheet is inserted and pushed into the box, in deforming it, if necessary, in a manner so that the inside of the central part comes in contact with stack of objects and approximately fits the shape of the upper surface of this stack of objects; and
these folding panels are folded up and affixed against the inner side of the lateral walls of the box, so as to create the solid fixation of the fastening sheet on these lateral walls and, as a result, the fastening of the objects housed in this box.
In a preferred embodiment mode of the process of the invention, on the lower side of the flexible folding panels, prior to introducing the fastening sheet of the box, one or more dots or beads of glue are arranged so as to create, after the introduction and the pushing of the fastening sheet into the box, the application of the flexible folding panels pasted against the internal side of the lateral walls of the box and the drying of the glue, a solid fixation of the fastening sheet on the lateral walls of the box.
In an advantageous embodiment mode, these folding panels of the sheet comprise one or more folding lines parallel to the joints of the folding panels relative to the central part of the sheet, these folding lines making it possible to reduce the surface of these folding panels applied against the four lateral sides of the box and to use the surface that is thus available in order to compensate for the increase of the surface of the central part of the sheet associated with its deformation when it is put in contact with the upper surface of the stack of objects.
According to another characteristic arrangement of the process of the invention, the fastening sheet is pressed at several points of the surface of its central part, against the upper surface of the objects housed in the box, in a manner so as to be deformed and to fit the shape of the upper surface.
Advantageously, these sheets are previously stored in the form of a stack of identical sheets arranged inside an inclined bin and the sheet located at the bottom part of this bin is unstacked individually by the action of a mobile plate equipped with suctions that are positioned so as to allow the sheet to be disconnected from the stack of sheets and to arrange the sheet on a horizontal plane made of several rails, and the arrangement of the dots or beads
Durand Claude
Esnault Christian
B Plus Development (S.A.)
Harrison & Egbert
Sipos John
LandOfFree
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