GB2349871A - Packing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage device comprises preferably a pair of main units 10, 23 formed from a flat sheet of material. Each main unit has a pair of base panels 11, 12, a pair of side panels 13, 14 connected to the base panels, and two pairs of end flaps 15-17 and 16-18 connected to the side panels. The device can open up to a substantially rectangular box and close up to a substantially flat form with the pairs of base panels folded together and each pair of end flaps folded together. Each main unit has an internal divider formed from a part of a side panel and comprising a pair of flaps 30, 31 which extend across the main unit to the other side panel and fold similarly to the pairs of end flaps. The device may be used for packing goods in the boot of a car.

Description

2349871 This invention relates to a packing system for goods, particularly

though not exclusively for storage in a vehicle.

When packing loose goods in the boot of a car, very often the subsequent movement of the car will cause the goods to slide and roll about the car, sometimes leading to damage of the goods. Even if the goods are not damaged, it is inconvenient to find them dispersed across the whole area of the boot. The goods most likely to be carried in the boot of a car, such as groceries, bottles, and nursery plants, may also cause untidiness and damage to the fabric of the boot itself if they are allowed to break or become upturned.

At the point of sale, these goods are usually placed in plastic bags, or more occasionally in cardboard boxes. When the goods are in plastic bags, they are still inclined to roll around the boot and fall out of the bags, unless the bags are tied up together, which is time consuming and makes unpacking more difficult. When the goods are in cardboard boxes, the boxes are usually large, and therefore awkward and heavy to handle if they are anything approaching full. Also, unless the goods are tightly packed, they are at liberty to roll around the box, and the box may slide around the boot.

Some supermarkets supply baskets which may be used to do the shopping with and then placed directly in the boot. The goods may of course roll around in the basket, and the basket may slide around the boot, and additionally the baskets are very bulky. and also heavy to handle if they are anything approaching full.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a convenient means of containing and protecting goods in the boot of a vehicle.

According to the invention there is provided a storage device comprising a main unit having pair of base panels, a pair of side panels connected to the base panels, and two pairs of end flaps connected to the side panels, such that the device can open up to a substantially rectangular box and close up to a substentially flat form with the two base panels folded together and each pair of the two - a - pairs of end flaps folded together- The main unit may conveniently include at least one internal divider formed from a part of a side panel end comprising a pair of flaps which extend across the main unit to the other side panel and fold similarly to the pairs of end flaps. Preferably the device comprises a plurality of main units connected together, with adjacent side panels of adjacent end units permanently fixed together.

The storage means is initially formed as a flat blank of suitable cardlike material, which is manipulated into a connected form; we will refer to this initial manipulation as assembling. The connected form can then be reversibly manipulated between two states; we will refer to this manipulation as opening and closing, and the two states as open and closed. In the open state the storage means is ready for use, ie for placing begs and the like therein; in the closed state it is substantially flat.

In is preferred form, the present storage means combines two important features; it is formed from a single piece of flat board-like material, and it can be closed, ie collapsed flat, and then opened into its operational shape without requiring significant manipulation.

If desired, optional removable partitions may also be provided. For this, the partition can conveniently be a simple flat rectangular sheet with vertical slots reaching half-way up, with the sides of the main unit of the system having corresponding vertical slots reaching half-way down.

Further significant features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a packing system embodying the invention and various modifications thereof, given by way of example and with reference to the drawing, which is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the device is assembled.

The system is formed from a single flat blank of material which is thin, reasonably rigid in reponse to forces below a reasonable limit, but which can have lines or creases formed in it along which it can be repeatedly folded and unfolded. Many different materiels are suitable for the manufacture of the system. In some circumstances cardboard would be adequate, but suitable plastics materials, metal, hardboard, or the like are more robust. Corrugated paper that is, a corrugated layer of paper sandwiched between two flat layers - is particularly suitable. Water-sensitive materials, such as cardboard, hardboard, or corrugated paper, may with advantage be coated with or encased in impervious plastics materials. Plastics materials or coatings permit parts which are to be in permanent contact to be heat-welded together, though suitable glues can also be used for this. If material which is degraded by water is used, such material is preferably coated with a waterproof coating.

The structure of one main section 10 will be described first. In the open state, this main section provides a rectangular box, with a flat base consisting of two base panels 11 and 12, two long sides consisting of side panels 13 and 14 respectively, one end formed from end flap panels 15 and 171, and the other end formed from end flap panels 16 and 18.

To assemble this open structure from the flat blank, the blank is folded along the fold lines or creases shown as long dashed lines. All these folds are in the some direction; they can be regarded as valley folds. In addition, end flap 15 is provided with a tongue 20 and end flap 17 is provided with a teb and slot 2 1. The tongue 20 is inserted through the slot 21 to link the two flaps 15 and 17. The flaps 16 end 18 are similarly linked.

To close this structure, the side panels 13 and 14 are moved together. This folds the line or crease (shown chain dotted) between the two base panels 11 and 12 downwards Ce a valley fold), and unfolds the lines or creases between the base panels 11 end 12 and their adjacent side panels 13 and 14 respectively. This also folds the two end flaps 15 and 17 together, with the tongue 21 and flap 20 acting as a hinge between these flaps. Flap 15 moves outwards, unfoldIng the line or crease between it and the side panel 13. The end flap 17 folds similarly, coming together with flap 15. The flaps 16 and 18 at the other end of the main section similarly fold together.

If desired, the base panels 11 and 12 could instead be folded upwards (although this option Is not compatible with the inner dividers discussed later). Similarly, the end flaps could be folded inwards (although this option Is not 'compatible with the base panels folding upwards).

The structure is opened by simply reversing the closing operation.

The packing system shown consists of two main sections 10 and 11. These are of similar shape, so the details of the second main section 11 need not be described. The two main sections are formed from a single blank as shown, with the adjacent side panels 13 and 25 of the two main sections being joined as shown. This line or crease is an upward (mountain) fold, and can conveniently be produced by two adjacent folds, shown as dotted lines, to allow for the thickness of the material and allow the two panels to lie conveniently face to face without strain. If deired, the two adjacent panels 13 and 25 may be permanently fixed togeher.

To close the system, the two main sections are folded up individually, so that they lie side by side. Once the two panels 13 and 25 have been folded together in the initial assembling of the structure, they remain together permanently thereafter, and they can, if desired, be welded together, eg along their ends. To open the system, the two main sections are each opened.

It will be evident that, by adding further main sections, the structure may be extended to have several main sections.

Each of the main sections 10 and 11 has an internal divider. Considering main section 10, the internal divider is formed from two flaps 30 and 31, which are cut out from the side panel 11. Flap 30 is connected to the panel 13 along its left-hand edge (shown as a broken line) and to flap along its right-hand edge (shown as a chain dotted line); the other edges of these flaps are cut free of the panel 13. Flop 31 has a tongue 32 an its f ree end, and side 14 has a slot 33.

To assemble this divider, the flaps 30 and 31 are folded out as a unit (ie without folding along the line or crease between them) from the panel 13, and the tongue 32 is introduced into the slot 33.

When the main section is closed, flap 30 folds back into the plane of the panel 13, and flap 31 hinges around the tongue 32 and slot 33 to lie flat against the panel 14. As a result, the flaps 30 and 31 fold together along the line or crease joining them, somewhat as the base panels 11 and 12 fold together on closing the main section. Opening is the reverse of closing.

The tongue 32 may be welded to the outside of the panel 14. If this is done, then a crease will have to be provided between the tongue and the flap 31, to allow the flap to hinge about the slot 33.

The internal dividers in the panels 13 and 25 are located diagonally opposite each other, so that the "hole" in each of these panels is closed by the other panel. The dividers are slightly shorter in height then the panels, so that the panels retain strips (albeit relatively narrow) above and below the holes; this increases the strength of the system. Further, the dividers are slightly narrowed, as shown, towards the point where they are closest, to increase the strength of the panels 13 and 25 at their top centre.

The combined length of the two flaps 30 and 31 must obviously equal the width of the main section, ie the combined width of the two base panels I I and 12 and the combined length of the end flaps 13 and 15. Obviously also the length of the main section, measured along say the panel 11, must be greater than twice the width of the main section.

If the system has further main sections, then an internal divider can be provided for each main section. There will be one pair of main sections where the two internal dividers will be on adjacent side panels, as shown; for the other main sections, only one of the two adjacent side panels will have an internal divider formed in it. If desired, the divider for main section 10 may be formed in the panel 14 instead of the panel 13, and a supplementary panel provided beyond the panel 14 to fold back against panel 14, closing the resulting hole in that panel. If a single main section is used, then a flap covering the hole In the side panel left by the divider is preferably provided.

Obviously, additional dividers can be provided across one or more of the main sections if desired.

If desired, the various elements can attached to each other by any other convenient means such as stitching, welding, or hook and eye material in place of the tongue and groove technique described above.

Pockets may be provided on the side panels, end panels, and/or dividers if 'desired. Such pockets may be open, or may be provided with flaps so that they are closable. The pockets may be of any convenient size, eg for holding bottles or papers.

In use, the system is placed on the floor of the car boot. The size of the system will depend on a number of considerations, such as the size of the car boot that it is Intended to fit and the quantity of goods which are likely to require carrying, but a typical size might be 60 cm transversely by 40 cm longitudinally and 30 cm In height.

The base panels may be designed so that there is sufficient friction between the system and the floor of the boot to restrain any Inclination to slide whilst the car is accelerating or decelerating. This may simply consist of of a nonslip rubber surface, or areas of adhesive tape, or double-sided adhesive tape, affixed to the lower surfaces of the base panels, with an adhesive surface downwards. Since many car boots have a carpeted surface on their floors, areas of hook and eye material could be affixed to the lower surface of the base panels. To ensure good stability, adhesive strips could be arranged in a rectangle slightly away from the edges of the system. Many other standard methods of reducing slip would also be suitable.

Although primarily intended for use in the boot of a car, there is no reason why the system cannot be used in other vehicles such as vans or coaches, and of course the system may be used for general purpose storage in addition to its main use, and as such could be equipped with handles on the base and well structure for carrying.

For storage and packaging purposes, a lid may be provided. Such a lid may be formed from the same blank, eg being attached along the outer edge of the side panel 14.

1 A storage device comprising a main unit having pair of base panels, a pair of side panels connected to the base panels, and two pairs of end flaps connected to the side panels, such that the device can open up to a substantially rectangular box and close up to a substantially flat form with the two base panels folded together and each pair of the two pairs of end flaps folded together.

2 A storage device according to claim 1 including at least one internal divider formed from a part of a side panel and comprising a pair of flaps which extend across the main unit to the other side panel and fold similarly to the pairs of end flaps.

3 A storage device comprising a plurality of main units according to either previous claim connected together, with adjacent side panels of adjacent end units permanently fixed together.

4 A storage device according to any previous claim which is initially formed as a flat blank of suitable card-like material and then manipulated into shape.

A storage device substantially as herein described with reference to the drawing.

6 Any novel and Inventive feature or combination of features specifically disclosed herein within the meaning of Article 4H of the International Convention (Paris Convention).