Transport package for containers having a circular cross section

Abstract

 A transport package for containers of circular cross section, in particular glass jars, is described, displaying a tray and a hood. In the side walls of the hood recesses are provided in those places where the containers placed side by side in the transport package have the largest expansion parallel to the bottom plate of the tray.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport package for containers of circular cross section displaying a tray and a hood.

[0002] In the most widely divergent fields, the most varying goods are packaged in containers having a relatively small volume. For the transport of these small containers special packages are required, which assemble these small containers into a larger unit. As a rule, these transport packages are in turn assembled into even larger units for the transport of large amounts of the particular goods.

[0003] What is described is a transport package for containers having a circular cross section, consequently a unit which assembles several of the smallest package units. These transport packages are commonly assembled again into even larger units, usually packaging pallets.

[0004] For the packaging of individual containers, transport packages can be used consisting of a lower part, which can also be referred to as tray, and an upper part. Usually, the upper part is placed over the lower part, thus forming a transport package which is closed on all sides.

[0005] It has appeared that special transport packages are needed for those containers that have a circular cross section, in particular for glass jars.

[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore a transport package for containers having a circular cross section, in particular glass jars, which display a tray and a hood. The side walls of the hood, which are arranged in parallel, display recesses in the places where the containers of circular cross section, which are placed side by side in the transport package, exhibit the largest expansion parallel to the bottom plate. This largest expansion therefore corresponds with the sum of the diameter of the juxtaposed containers. Usually, containers having a circular cross section are arranged side by side in one or more rows and are enclosed by the transport package, which essentially has a rectangular shape, since the transport packages and the units, into which the indiviual transport packages are assembled, usually have the shape of a cube or parallelepiped.

[0007] The transport package described herein now exhibits recesses in the side walls of the hood. These recesses can assume the shape of a turned U or also be rectangular. These recesses can extend as far as the under-side of the hood and, when several are provided side by side, can be given a shape reminiscent of a comb. When, however, the recesses do not extend as far as the under-side of the side wall of the hood, the recesses are entirely enclosed by the side walls of the hood.

[0008] Usually, the transport package has the shape of a cube or a parallelepepid. Consequently, the hood has a rectangular or square covering plate and at least two side walls facing each other. To increase the stability of the transport package, the hood can, however, display four side walls, whereby each time two side walls are arranged such as to face each other and are linked with one side to the covering plate.

[0009] The transport package consists of the lower part, which is referred to as tray, and the hood, which is placed over the containers having a circular cross section, in particular glass jars.

[0010] Since the transport package should adequately keep together the containers arranged therein, it is often desirable that lower part and hood be connected. This connection can be made with the aid of adhesive, which is applied in liquid state, or adhesive tape.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, however, the hood and the tray are connected by one or more flaps and the relevant insert recess. In the side wall, or side walls, of the tray trilaterally punched insert flaps are formed, which are linked on one side. The connecting side between insert flap and side wall is then either arranged in parallel to the bottom plate of the tray or at right angles thereto. The flap is preferably trapezoidal. In a further preferred embodiment, two trapezoidal flaps are provided side by side in such a way that the side of the trapezium, which is parallel to the two linked sides, is formed by a common incision.

[0012] When the hood is placed over the containers that are in the tray, the non-recessed parts of the side wall of the hood are placed into the tray at the lower edge of the side walls so that the non-recessed parts of the lower side edges of the hood are each time provided inside the side walls of the tray. In the places where insert flaps are formed by incisions in the side walls of the trays, insert recesses are provided in the side walls of the hood. These insert recesses are shaped such that the insert flaps of the side walls of the tray can be introduced into the insert recesses by folding. By introduction of the flap into the insert recess and folding of the flap, a firm connection between hood and tray is formed. The insert recess can be designed such that a corresponding opening is punched into side wall of the hood, or the insert recess can be punched only on three sides and linked on one side. Upon insertion of the flap, this is folded inwards together with the part of the side wall of the hood covering the insert recess. The folded parts, thus the insert flap and the part of the side wall where the insert recess is located, can then be secured tightly to the containers contained in the transport package, as a result of which, on the one hand, reinforcement of the connection between hood and tray is achieved and, on the other hand, a better fit of the containers contained in the transport package can be reached. Preferably, the incisions by which the insert flap or the insert recess is formed, are provided such that trapezoidal flaps or insert recesses are formed.

[0013] Dependent upon the size of the transport package a certain number of insert flaps and insert recesses are required. In the case of smaller transport packages, usually four insert flaps and insert recesses are provided, whereby two are each time facing each other. It has appeared that for forming the connection between hood and tray, those configurations are advantageous in which two trapezoidal cut-outs are provided for each connection, resulting in two trapezoidal insert flaps linked with each side to the side wall in such a way that the linked side is at 90° to the bottom plate of the tray. The side of the trapezoidal insert flaps facing the linked side, is formed with both trapezoidal flaps by a single incision. The advantage of this design is that, for one connecting unit, two sides are available by which the insert flaps are linked to the side wall. This results in a more stable mechanical connection between hood and tray.

[0014] The height of the side walls of tray and hood is designed dependent upon the height of the containers of circular cross section contained in the transport package. In a preferred embodiment, the transport package exhibits a hood, the side walls of which are twice the height of the side walls of the tray. It is particularly preferable that the height of the side walls of the tray be at most a quarter of the height of the hood.

[0015] A transport package usually consists of corrugated paper or cardboard. It is, however, also quite possible to manufacture the package from several plastic sheets having the required rigidity and firmness.

[0016] The outside dimension of a full transport package can be lowered through the transport package referred to above. The outside dimension of the transport package, when the containers are juxtaposed in rows in the transport package, then corresponds at least with the sum of the outer diameters of the containers plus the thickness of the packaging material. According to the invention, the external dimensions of the transport package can now be reduced by at least two layers of the packaging material. As a result of the recesses provided in the side walls of the hood, the containers of circular cross section, at the place of the largest expansion, directly abut against the side walls of the tray since, owing to the recess, the hood has no material in the places where the containers of circular cross section abut against the side wall of the tray. The flaps between the recesses of the side walls of the hood can, however, be introduced inside the side walls of the tray without causing the side wall of the tray to bulge. Accordingly, as a result of the reduction of the outside dimensions of the transport package, space can be saved, enabling optimum utilization of space in the transport package. This benefit will become especially conspicuous when several of these transport packages are placed side by side in a larger unit since, as a result, projections are avoided. Accordingly, more container units per pallet can be introduced without resulting in projections from the transport package that can no more be tolerated during transport.

[0017] As the recesses in the side walls of the hood can be exactly adapted to the containers to be packaged, enhanced stability of the whole transport package can be reached since the edges of the flaps formed between the recesses of the hood are direcly resting on the containers of circular cross section placed in the transport package. This increases the stability of the transport package, thus protecting it from toppling over.

[0018] Furthermore, savings in material can be obtained by an adequate arrangement of the blank of the hood. This can, for instance, be reached by placing, in the case of the blank for the hoods, two juxtaposed blanks in such a way that flaps and recesses interlock alternately so that the recess of one hood simultaneously forms the flap for the hood arranged next to it. This saving in material is, however, also advantageous when, after delivery of the goods, the transport package is removed and has to be disposed of.

[0019] A further advantage of the transport package according to the invention resides in that, even without the transport package having to be removed, it can be seen from the outside which goods are contained in the transport package. As a result, transport personnel can discern without difficulty what is contained in the transport package and confusions can be avoided to a great extent.

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by the following drawings, in which :

Fig. 1 shows a blank for a tray with unfolded side walls. Two short side walls (11), which are arranged facing each other, are linked to the bottom plate (10). The longer side walls (12) are linked to the two other side walls. These side walls have insert flaps (13), formed by recesses, linked by one side with the side wall (12).

Fig. 2 shows a hood having a covering plate (25) and two side walls (24), which are each time linked by a common side. On the edges facing away from the bottom plate, the side walls (24) exhibit flaps (21) which are separated by recesses (22). In some of the flaps, insert recesses (23) are provided into which - in assembled state - the insert flaps (13) of the tray are introduced.

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of a hood having two short side walls (26) facing each other. Also these side walls have a flap (27) placed between two recesses provided next thereto.

Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of the hood, in which the recesses (28) are provided such that they do not extend as far as the lower edge of the side face. This embodiment is especially suitable for those containers of circular cross section that are approximately spherical. When, namely, the circular cross section of the container near the bottom is smaller than the maximum diameter, the side wall of the hood can be passed between container and side wall of the tray without the side wall of the hood resulting in a larger outside diameter of the transport package.

Fig. 5 gives a cross-sectional view of the transport package according to the invention, in which the containers (30) contained in the transport package are standing on the bottom plate (10) of the tray. The side wall of the tray (12), in the lower area, immediately joins the side wall of the container. The covering plate (25) of the hood rests on the upper part of the container, and the side wall of the hood (24) extends as far as the collar of the container (30). In the gap between the individual containers (30), the side wall of the hood touches the bottom plate (10) of the tray.

Claims

1. Transport package for containers of circular cross section displaying a tray and a hood, characterized in that two side walls of the hood that are arranged in parallel, have recesses in those places where the containers arranged side by side in the transport package display the largest expansion parallel to the bottom plate of the tray.

2. Transport package according to Claim 1,
characterized in that the recesses in the side walls are provided on the under-side of the hood.

3. Transport package according to Claim 1,
characterized in that the recesses in the side wall do not extend as far as the under-side of the hood so that the recesses of parts of the side wall are enclosed on each side.

4. Transport package according to Claim 1,
characterized in that the hood has a rectangular covering plate.

5. Transport package according to Claim 1,
characterized in that the hood has four side walls, whereby two are arranged in parallel to each other.

6. Transport package according to Claim 1,
characterized in that the hood has an insert recess in at least one of the flaps provided between the recesses into which a flap formed by an incision in the side wall can be introduced that is linked by one side.

7. Transport package according to Claim 6,
characterized in that the insert recess and the flap are trapezoidal.

8. Transport package according to Claim 6,
characterized in that the flap is linked by one side parallel to the bottom of the tray or at right angles thereto.

9. Transport package according to Claim 6,
characterized in that the hood is provided with four insert recesses of which two are each time facing each other and that the tray is provided with the relevant flaps in the corresponding places of the side walls.

10. Transport package according to Claim 6,
characterized in that flaps are formed by incisions in the side wall of the tray consisting each time of two trapezoidal flap cut-outs facing each other, whereby the common incision of both flap cut-outs is at right angles to the bottom of the tray.

11. Transport package according to Claim 1,
characterized in that the height of the side walls of the tray is less than half the height of the side walls of the hood.

12. Transport package according to Claim 1,
characterized in that the height of the side walls of the tray is less than a quarter of the height of the side walls of the hood.

Drawing