Box for packaging an object

Abstract

According to the invention, the box for packaging an object, comprising at least two upper edges, comprising: lateral walls, a delimiting bottom, with the lateral walls, an internal volume able to receive said object, and a moving cover in relation to at least one of said lateral walls, so as to be able to occupy at least one closed position and one open position, in which said receiving volume is respectively closed and open,
characterized by the fact that the cover comprises, on its internal face oriented toward the receiving volume, at least two main flaps that are arranged opposite each other and that are designed to be applied respectively against the upper edges of said object, when the cover occupies the closed position.

Claims

1. A box, comprising: lateral walls having a dimension; a bottom panel connected to and defining, with the lateral walls, an internal volume able to receive an object; and a movable panel connected in relation to one of the lateral walls, so as to be able to occupy at least one closed position and one open position, in which the internal volume is respectively closed and open; wherein the movable panel comprises, on an internal face oriented towards the internal volume, at least two main flaps that: (i) are arranged opposite to each other and are formed by a longitudinal extension of the moveable panel, and (ii) are applied against edges of the object; wherein the box comprises two internal lateral walls arranged opposite to each other to define a housing able to receive the object with adjustment, each of the internal lateral walls being extended longitudinally at each end by two auxiliary damping flaps able to press against one of the internal lateral walls of the box; wherein the bottom panel comprises at least two additional damping flaps on which the object can rest; and wherein each of the auxiliary damping flaps has a notch configured to receive one of the additional damping flaps.

2. The box according to claim 1, wherein the main flaps each comprise an inclined face oriented towards an inside of the internal volume, and each of the inclined faces contacts a corresponding protruding edge of the object in the closed position of the moveable panel.

3. The box according to claim 2, wherein each longitudinal extension of the moveable panel is folded along two separate folding axes, so as to define the inclined face.

4. The box according to claim 2, wherein an inner end of each of the main flaps is free.

5. The box according to claim 1, wherein each of the main flaps comprises an orthogonal face to the moveable panel which is defined between two associated folding axes and which engages one of the lateral walls of the box when the moveable panel is in the closed position.

6. The box according to claim 1, wherein the main flaps are formed from a flexible material.

7. The box according to claim 6, wherein the flexible material is cardboard.

8. A method, comprising: providing a box having an internal volume able to receive an object, wherein the box comprises: lateral walls having a dimension; a bottom panel connected to and defining, with the lateral walls, the internal volume; and a movable panel connected in relation to one of the lateral walls, so as to be able to occupy at least one closed position and one open position, in which the internal volume is respectively closed and open; wherein the movable panel comprises, on an internal face oriented towards the internal volume, at least two main flaps that: (i) are arranged opposite to each other and are formed by a longitudinal extension of the moveable panel, and (ii) are applied against edges of the object; wherein the box comprises two internal lateral walls arranged opposite to each other to define a housing able to receive the object with adjustment, each of the internal lateral walls being extended longitudinally at each end by two auxiliary damping flaps able to press against one of the internal lateral walls of the box; wherein the bottom panel comprises at least two additional damping flaps on which the object can rest; and wherein each of the auxiliary damping flaps has a notch configured to receive one of the additional damping flaps.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the main flaps each comprise an inclined face oriented towards an inside of the internal volume, and each of the inclined faces contacts a corresponding protruding edge of the object in the closed position of the moveable panel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each longitudinal extension of the moveable panel is folded along two separate folding axes, so as to define the inclined face.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein an inner end of each of the main flaps is free.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the main flaps comprises an orthogonal face to the moveable panel which is defined between two associated folding axes and which engages one of the lateral walls of the box when the moveable panel is in the closed position.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the main flaps are formed from a flexible material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the flexible material is cardboard.

Description

(1) The figures of the annexed drawing will provide a good understanding of how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical references designate similar elements.

(2) FIG. 1 shows, in a diagrammatic perspective diagonal view, an embodiment of a packaging box in accordance with the present invention, its cover occupying an open position.

(3) FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of the receiving volume of the packaging box of FIG. 1, the cover not being shown.

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-section diagrammatic view along the line III-III of FIG. 2 of the packaging box, the cover being arranged in closed position.

(5) In FIGS. 1 to 3, according to an embodiment compliant with the present invention, a box 1 has been shown for packaging an object O having the form of a rectangular parallelepiped.

(6) Naturally, it will be understood that the present invention is in no way limited to objects having the aforementioned shape, but can be adapted to objects of any other shape.

(7) Moreover, and a previously stated, the dimensions and shape of the packaging box 1 are obviously defined according to the dimensions and shape of the object to pack O.

(8) In the following, and by convention, the packaging box 1 is defined by a width l, a length L and a depth p that extend respectively along directions x, y and z of orthonormal axes (x, y, z) associated with said box 1. Moreover, the notions front/back, left/right and top/bottom are defined in relation to the directions x, y and z: the directions of the arrows of the axes (x, y, z) showing the passage from front to back, left to right and bottom to top.

(9) As the figures show, the packaging box 1 comprises in a known manner: lateral walls 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D that define a peripheral belt, a bottom 3 that delimits, with the lateral walls 2A to 2D, an internal volume 4 designed to receive the object O, a cover 5 that is mobile in relation to the lateral walls 2A to 2D to be able to occupy at least one closed position (FIG. 3) and an open position (FIG. 1), in which the receiving volume 4 is respectively closed and open. It will be noted that the open position can correspond to a multitude of inclinations of the cover 5, apart from the one associated with the closed position (in which the cover has an angle of 90° with the direction z).

(10) In particular, the cover 5 is connected to the rear lateral wall 2C of the box 1 along a folding line 6 extending in the direction y. It comprises: a mobile front strip 7 able to be folded back against the lateral wall 2A, along a folding line 8 extending in the direction y, and support flanges 9 able to be introduced into the corresponding slots 10 formed at the front longitudinal extremities of the left 2B and right 2D lateral walls, when the front strip 7 is folded back against the lateral wall 2A (the cover thus occupying the closed position of FIG. 3).

(11) As a variant, the cover can be separate from the lateral walls and be attached to the peripheral belt of the packaging box.

(12) According to the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the cover 5 also comprises, on its internal face oriented toward the receiving volume 4, two main damper flaps 11, arranged at the left and right longitudinal extremities of the latter. The main flaps 11 are arranged opposite on the internal face of the cover 5.

(13) Naturally, as a variant, the number and position of the main flaps 11 could be different. Hence, it is possible, for example, to have two or more main flaps on the same edge of the cover, or else even design a main flap at the level of each extremity of the cover (there would be at least four main flaps in this last case).

(14) In the example, each main flap 11 is formed by a longitudinal extension of the cover 5, folded along two separate folding axes 12 and 13 parallel with each other and perpendicular to the folding axis 8.

(15) Hence, each of the main flaps 11 comprises: and inclined face 11A against which the corresponding projecting edges 14 of the object O can rest, when the cover 5 occupies the closed position (FIG. 3), and and orthogonal face 11B to the cover 5 defined between two folding axes 12 and 13. The orthogonal face 11B is applied against the internal face of the corresponding lateral wall 2B, 2D, once the cover 5 is in closed position.

(16) Moreover, the interior extremity 11C of each main flap 11 is free, which enables it to move in relation to the internal face of the cover 5 according to the constraints that are applied to it and simplifies the manufacture of the box 1 (no gluing for example being essential).

(17) Moreover, in the example and in accordance with the invention, the packaging box 1 comprises two internal lateral walls 15A and 15B which are arranged opposite each other (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

(18) Owing to the shape of the object to transport considered, the internal lateral walls 15A and 15B are, in the example, noticeably parallel to the lateral walls left 2B and right 2D, respectively.

(19) They define a housing 4A able to receive the object O with adjustment. In other words, the distance between the internal walls 15A and 15B can be advantageously defined according to the corresponding dimensions of the object O (its length in the example), so as to hold it supported in the receiving volume 4.

(20) Each internal wall 15A, 15B is extended longitudinally at each of its two front and back extremities, by an auxiliary damper flap 16 able to rest against the internal face of the corresponding lateral wall opposite 2A or 2C of the box 1. The width separating two auxiliary flaps 16 of a same internal wall 15A, 15B corresponds advantageously to the width of the object O. The inclination of the auxiliary flaps 16 prevents, or at least reduces, the movement of the object O from the front to the back, and conversely, in the direction x.

(21) In the example of FIGS. 1 to 3, the packaging box 1 further comprises two additional damper flaps 17 against which the object O can rest. In other words, it rests against the bottom 3 of the box 1 by means of the additional flaps 17.

(22) Each additional flap 17 is defined by an extension of the fold 18 partially forming the corresponding right 2D or left 2B lateral wall. The extension of the fold 18 is folded three times along three folding axes 19, 20 and 21 parallel to the direction x, such that the additional flap 17 comprises: an inclined lateral strip 17A defined between the folding axis 21 and the extremity of the extension of the fold 18. The inclined strip 17A can become parallel to the bottom 3 of the box 1, once the object is inserted into the housing 4A, and a lateral strip 17B noticeably orthogonal to the bottom 3.

(23) The additional flaps 17 extend along the direction x between the two lateral walls front 2A and back 2C.

(24) As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the low extremity of the internal lateral walls 15A and 15B coincides, at least partly, with the free extremity of the corresponding additional flap 17. Advantageously, the extension of the fold 18 and the associated internal wall 15A, 15B can only form a single part.

(25) Further, each auxiliary flap 16 has a notch 22, in which are received the lateral strips 17A and 17B of the associated additional flap 17. Hence, each auxiliary flap 16 remains free to move from the front to the back and conversely, while remaining in contact, or at least near, the internal face of the bottom 3.

(26) In the example, the main 11, auxiliary 16 and additional 17 flaps are formed in a flexible material, such as cardboard for example, which enables them to be deformed slightly when stress is applied to them.

(27) Preferably, the packaging box 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3 is formed from a single part, for example of cardboard. It is obtained by successively folding different elements along predefined folding lines. The manufacture of the packaging box 1 is thus greatly facilitated, no gluing being required.

(28) The main flaps 11 and the additional flaps 17 are dimensional by taking into account the dimensions of the object to package, such that once the object O is housed in the volume 4 and the cover arranged in the closed position, the main flaps 11 are slightly under stress by the projecting edges 14 (the free edge 11C of the flaps 11 is thus placed in contact with the internal face of the cover 5). Doing this, the object is held effectively supported inside the packaging box 1.

(29) Naturally, as a variant, the number and position of the additional flaps could be modified. For example, these additional flaps could be arranged in the direction of length (direction y) rather than in that of width (direction x). They could also be more or less inclined in relation to these directions.

(30) Hence, due to the present invention, closing the cover 5 places the main damper flaps 11 in contact with the projecting edges 14 of the object O, to push it against the bottom 3, by means of the additional flaps 17. The inclination of the main flaps 11 can enable a damping in at least two different directions, particularly perpendicular to each other. Moreover, the lateral walls 15A and 15B can provide, with the main flaps and the bottom 3, effective support for the object O without hampering the damping obtained by the main 11, auxiliary 16 and additional 17 flaps. The object O can thus be held supported while being damped in the case of shock, which preserves the internal components or elements of the latter.

(31) Naturally the present invention is in no way limited to the above-described embodiment.

(32) It will further be understood that the support and damping of the object to transport can be obtained only using the main flaps 11, the object resting directly on the bottom 3. In this latter case, the box 1 does not have auxiliary flaps 16, additional flaps 17 and internal lateral walls 15A, 15B.