EP1772387A1

EP1772387A1 - Reinforced case for fruit and vegetable products

Info

Publication number: EP1772387A1
Application number: EP06005862A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giorgio Ghelfi
Original assignee: Ghelfi Ondulati Srl
Current assignee: Ghelfi Ondulati Srl
Priority date: 2005-10-06
Filing date: 2006-03-22
Publication date: 2007-04-11
Also published as: ITMI20051878A1

Abstract

A reinforced case for fruit and vegetable products in general comprises a case bottom, a front wall, a rear wall, two sidewalls defining four inner corners, and being characterized in that it further comprises at least an insert element arranged in each of said inner corners and made by paperboard strip elements including a plurality of mutually glued paper sheets which are so pressed as to provide a multiple layer paperboard material having a very high mechanical strength.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a reinforced case, specifically designed for containing fruit and vegetable products in general, but which can also be applied in other fields.
As is known, for handling fruit and vegetable products, wood, plastics and corrugated paperboard material cases are conventionally used.
Prior paperboard cases, in particular, are made starting from a single paperboard sheet element, in which are formed suitable die-cutting and folding lines.
The case is brought to its tridimensional use configuration by folding the sheet along said lines and coupling to one another the sheet flaps by glueing spots.
The above assembling operation is automatically performed by suitable "tray-assembling" machines.
Prior corrugated paperboard cases have, with respect to cases made of other materials, a less mechanical strength, mainly under high moisture conditions, as it frequently occurs in refrigerating cells.
Thus, the users are compelled to package their goods or articles in said paperboard cases only at a time slightly preceding the case sending, to prevent the cases from being stored in refrigerating cells.
Thus, it would be desirable to enhance the paperboard case strength, to allow them to be safely stored in refrigerating cells, conveyed and handled during their delivery.
Actually, in all the above mentioned operations, it is very important that the products are properly protected by the packing.
To solve this problem, prior case construction have been up to now modified starting from a paperboard or cardboard sheet material having an enlarged size, to allow the case walls to be "doubled" or for making angular reinforcement construction to be applied to the already assembled cases, at strengthening points thereof.
Thus, it is possible to improve the strength and used paperboard material amount ratio, owing to the possibility of reducing, the vertical compression resistance being the same, the weight in gram of the paperboard material and, accordingly, of the overall starting material amount to be used for making the case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide a case for vegetable products permitting increased mechanical properties compared with conventional corugated paperboard cases and offering an economic and handling advantage both for the box factory and the user.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a reinforced case, of a low making cost, by using suitably constructed and arranged rigid structures, designed for autonomously assuring a very high vertical pressure strength or resistance, as required, while allowing a great reduction of the corrugated paperboard material to be used, with respect to that used for making conventional packing arrangements, having like mechanical properties.
The above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a reinforced case, specifically designed for fruit and vegetable products in general, comprising a case bottom, a front wall, a rear wall, two sidewalls defining four inner corners, characterized in that said case further comprises at least an insert element arranged in each of said inner corners and made of pressed paperboard or other material strip elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a reinforced case according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of that same reinforced case;
Figure 3 is a partial elevation and cross-sectional view of two stacked cases;
Figure 4 is a full elevation and cross-sectional view of two stacked cases;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a reinforce case according to a further aspect of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a bottom perspective view of the case shown in the preceding figures; and
Figure 7 is a further bottom perspective view of two stacked cases.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the reinforced case according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1, comprises a case bottom 2, a front wall 3, a rear wall 4 and two sidewalls 5, which are all formed by folding a single paperboard or the like material panel, to provide a monolithic article of manufacture, having an improved strength, the used paperboard material amount being the same.
Each wall comprises, at the end portion thereof, a shoulder 7 defining four bearing bases, or bottoms, one at each of the four corners of the case, of a similar case stacked on the top of the case 1.
More specifically, the front wall 3 and sidewalls 4 comprise turned portions, respectively indicated by the reference numbers 33 and 44, designed for doubling the thickness of said walls, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the case.
Thus, the amount of used material being the same, a case having a very great constructional strength will be provided.
According to the present invention, at each said corner, angular insert element 8 are applied, said insert elements being made by paperboard strip elements including a plurality of paper sheets glued to one another and then pressed, to provide a multiple layer paperboard material having a very high strength.
In particular, the pressed paperboard angular insert are vertically introduced into the case, thereby arranging said angular inserts with a vertical arrangement at the respective four inner corners of said case.
The angular inserts 8 are urged at the four inner corners of each case or container, and are then pressure glued at the inner sides of said corners.
Advantageously, each angular insert 8 projects at the top, with respect to the shoulder 7, thereby it can be engaged in a suitable recess 9 formed on the bottom 2 of the like case 1, stacked onto the first.
Figures 5-7 show a reinforced case according to a further aspect of the present invention, and generally indicated by the reference number 101, which comprises, likewise to the preceding case, a bottom 102, a front wall 103, a rear wall 104 and two sidewalls 105, which are all formed by folding a single paperboard or like material panel, in a per se known manner.
Each wall comprises, at the end portions thereof, a shoulder 107 adapted to provide four bearing bases, one at each of said four corners of said case, of a like case stacked on the top of the case 101.
According to the present invention, at each said corner a plurality of angular inserts 108 are applied, said inserts being constituted by paperboard strip elements including a plurality of glued paper sheets, which are glued and pressed onto one another, thereby providing a multiple layer paperboard material having a very high mechanical strength.
More specifically, the paperboard strip elements are folded in three sectors and are vertically engaged into the case, thereby arranging them vertically at the respective four inner corners of the case.
Said angular inserts 108 are urged to the four inner corners of each case and the two outer sectors are then pressure glued at the inner sides of said corners.
Advantageously, the inner sector of each said angular insert 108 projects at the top from the shoulder 107 thereby it can be engaged in a suitable recess 109 formed on the bottom 102 of a like case 101, stacked onto the first.
It has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
In fact, the invention provides an improved reinforced case having the general advantages of the trays reinforced by compacted paperboard angular element, with respect to prior trays without reinforcement elements.
The above mentioned advantages are herein increased or improved by using the compacted multilayer paperboard material which, in particular, has very good strength characteristics, in particular in condition of a high moisture.
Said paperboard material is applied only at the case corners, thereby leaving free the central hole which will operate as a handle.
In fact, in prior trays, including corrugated paperboard material head inserts, the handle was covered, thereby making the handling of the case more difficult.
Another important advantage of the improved reinforced case according to the present invention is that the compacted multilayer paperboard angular inserts are cut to a proper size to be engaged in the corners of the case near the case forming machine, and, more precisely, in a module arranged between the forming machine and the case stacker.
In the prior system, using corrugated paperboard head inserts, said inserts were die-cut and packaged in the case or box making shop, and sent in an extended condition to the clients for assembling the cases in a packaging store: this would involve, by the box making shop, the managing of the making and handling of two separated articles of manufacture (that is the cases and inserts).
The reinforced case according to the present invention can be made by a making machine engaging and glueing the angular reinforced elements to the cases and being also adapted to perform the cutting operation to cut to a desired or target size the angular supports, starting from angular elements having a length up to 2.5 meters, which are already available at packaging stores, since they are used for binding and stabilizing the pallets supporting the related articles.
Yet a further advantage of the present invention is that it allows to make the compacted multilayer paperboard insert to be engaged in the case corners near the case forming machine, and this starting from an angular element which would be already available in the stores for other purposes.
Thus, a great economic and managing advantage both for the box making shop and client is provided, owing to the elimination of a two operation method.
Moreover, starting from angular element having a comparatively large length, the furnishing operation for providing the stores with the modules for applying the angular insert will be much less frequent.
In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, according to requirements and the status of the art.

Claims

A reinforced case, specifically designed for fruit and vegetable products in general, comprising a case bottom, a front wall, a rear wall, two sidewalls defining four inner corners, characterized in that said case further comprises at least an insert element arranged in each of said inner corners and made of pressed paperboard or other material strip elements.
A reinforced case, according to claim 1, characterized in that each said wall comprises, at the end portions thereof, a shoulder adapted to provide four bearing bases, one in each of said four corners of said case, of a like case stacked on the top of the first case.
A reinforced case, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said angular inserts are vertically introduced into said case thereby arranging said angular inserts at said respective inner corners of said case.
A reinforced case, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said angular inserts are urged at said inner corners of each said case and are pressure glued at the inner sides of said corners.
A reinforced case, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each said angular insert projects at the top from said shoulder thereby each said angular insert can be engaged in a recess formed on a bottom of a like case, stacked onto the first.
A reinforced case, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said paperboard strip elements forming said inserts are folded in three sectors and vertically introduced into the case, thereby arranging said inserts vertically at said four inner corners of said case, said angular inserts being urged at said four inner corners of each case and the two outer sectors being pressure glued at the inner sides of said corners.
A reinforced case, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner sector of each said angular insert projects at the top from said shoulder to be engaged in a recess formed on the bottom of a like case stacked onto the first.
A reinforced case, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said reinforced case has a monolithic structure, including a box-like body made by folding a paperboard sheet, in a single piece, as die-cut, folded and glued.
An improved reinforced case, according to one or more of the preceding claims, and characterized in that it comprises one or more of the disclosed and/or illustrated characteristics.