Transport packaging arrangement for home appliance

Abstract

 The invention relates to at transport packaging arrangement for home appliances (2) and a method for packaging a home appliance (2) in the transport packaging arrangement, wherein the transport packaging arrangement comprises: four lateral edge protection members (10a-d), at least one base protection member (12), and at least one top protection member (14), wherein each of the protection members (10a-d, 12, 14) is adapted to prevent damages to the home appliance (2) to be packaged in the transport packaging arrangement, wherein the transport packaging arrangement further comprises a plug support element (16) adapted to receive an electrical plug (6) of the home appliance (2) to be protected and adapted to secure the electrical plug (6) during transportation of the packaged home appliance (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a transport packaging arrangement for a home appliance and a method for packaging a home appliance in a transport packaging arrangement.

[0002] EP 2 431 298 B1 discloses a transportation package for a home appliance. The transportation package comprises vertical edge protective members and at least one horizontal support member arranged at an outer surface of the appliance. The respective end portions of the support member are received in recesses of two neighboring protective members. The protective members may be made of Styrofoam.

[0003] EP 1 955 967 B1 discloses a packaging for parallelepiped-shaped products like home appliances. The packaging comprises four vertical corner members, wherein at least two corner members comprise a seat to receive a horizontal cross-member to be placed in the two seats. The cross member is molded from high-density expanded polystyrene, complexed and provided with a film of polystyrene.

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved transport packaging arrangement and method for packaging a home appliance in a transport packaging arrangement as well as a home appliance provided in the transport packaging arrangement.

[0005] The invention is defined in claims 1, 16 and 17, respectively. Particular embodiments are set out in the dependent claims.

[0006] According to claim 1, a transport packaging arrangement for home appliances is provided. A home appliance may be a laundry treatment apparatus (e.g. a washing machine, a dryer or a washer-dryer), a dish-washer, a food storing apparatus (e.g. a freezer or refrigerator), a range hood, an oven hood or a food treatment apparatus (e.g. a cooking apparatus, an oven or a steam cooker).

[0007] The packaging arrangement comprises four lateral edge protection members, at least one base protection member, and at least one top protection member. In particular, each of the lateral edge protection members is adapted to receive (and thereby protect) one of the (vertical) lateral edges of a home appliance, the at least one base protection member is adapted to receive a base of the home appliance and the at least one top protection member is adapted to be placed on top of the home appliance. Each of the protection members is adapted to prevent damages to the home appliance to be packaged in the transport packaging arrangement. In particular the transport packaging arrangement provides an outer frame for protecting the packaged home appliance. Some of the protection members may be connected or may be formed unitary, i.e. as one-piece. For example by means of a single mold for forming two, three, four or more of the protection members in one step.

[0008] The packaging arrangement comprises a plug support element which is adapted to receive an electrical plug of the home appliance to be protected. The plug support element is adapted to secure and/or fix the electrical plug during handling and transport of the packaged home appliance. In particular the plug support element is adapted to receive at least a portion of an electrical plug, e.g. a plug may be at least partially inserted into a recess of the plug support element. Thereby the plug support element secures the electrical plug to an extent, in that the plug is fixed or secured to the plug support element during the packaging process and the electrical plug cannot fall or slip out of the plug support element after fixing or securing the plug therein during further handling of the (packaged) appliance, e.g. when wrapping the appliance in a wrapping foil and/or during transport of the packaged appliance. I.e. the plug support element provides that during packaging of the appliance the plug is placed and oriented at a desired or advantageous position. In other words, the plug support element prevents that the electrical plug dangles freely and gets in the way during packaging the appliance, whereby the plug and/or the packaging arrangement may be damaged.

[0009] Relations of orientation (like top, base, bottom, side, rear, front) relate to the orientation of the transport packaging arrangement relative to a transport and storing orientation of the home appliance which is to be protected by the packaging arrangement. Preferably or normally, the transport and storing orientation is the operational orientation of the home appliance in use. E.g. 'front' is the side of the home appliance a user accesses in regular user operation, like the side of a dryer, washing machine or dish-washer where a respective door to a treatment chamber of the appliance is located. In an embodiment the transport packaging arrangement may be (horizontally and/or vertically) mirror-symmetric or angularly symmetric by 90° or 180° turns (horizontally and/or vertically). In particular more than one plug support element may be provided, for example to provide more than one possible location for securing an electrical plug during packaging a home appliance.

[0010] Preferably the plug support element is adapted in its shape according to a normed or standardized shape of the electrical plug. The normed shape of an electrical plug is dependent on the norm valid in the country of destination, wherein the respective normed shape is known as such. Examples for normed electrical plug shapes are Schuko plug (plug-type F), plug-type A, B, E, J, K etc., Euro-plug and IEC-60906-1. Alternatively or additionally the plug support element forms the or a receptacle having a shape which at least partially forms a counter-shape of the electrical plug of the home appliance to be packaged. Preferably the receptacle or shape is adapted to receive two or more outer shapes of plugs corresponding to two or more different norms.

[0011] In an embodiment and/or for adapting to different norms, one or more resilient or elastic ribs are provided with flexibility to adapt different degrees of deflection such that it can adapt to smaller and larger outer dimensions of plugs of different norms. More preferably a free space formed by an inner shape or recess of the plug support element is smaller than an outer dimension of plug (or power cord portion). Thereby the plug support element is compressed when an electrical plug is inserted, whereby a clamping force and/or an extraction resistance is provided which safely holds the plug in (the recess of) the plug support element.

[0012] Preferred the plug support element is adapted to receive the electrical plug up to a receiving depth such that the electrical plug, when inserted into the plug support element, does not protrude or extend from the outer packaging dimensions when a home appliance is packaged within the transport packaging arrangement. Additionally or alternatively the plug support element is oriented or arranged such that the electrical plug, when inserted into the plug support element, does not protrude or extend from the outer packaging dimensions when a home appliance is packaged within the transport packaging arrangement. E.g. such that the (inserted) electrical plug does not extend over the outward facing surface(s) of the lateral, top and/or base protection members which protect the appliance. In case an electrical plug protrudes from the outer packaging dimensions, there is a risk of damage for the packaging arrangement and the plug during handling of the packaged appliance, i.e. a protruding plug could get caught during transport. This preferred embodiment minimizes the risk of such damage.

[0013] The plug support element may be shaped or comprises a receptacle to receive therein a portion of the power cord which connects the electrical plug to the home appliance to be packaged. Preferably the cord portion is a portion of the power cord which is located close to or the end connected to the electrical plug. Thereby it is prevented that the respective power cord dangles freely and gets in the way during packaging a home appliance.

[0014] The plug support element may comprise at least one clamping device for clamping the electrical plug or a portion of the electrical plug when inserted in the plug support element, such that the electrical plug is safely secured or fixed by the plug support element. For example the clamping device may be formed of elastic portions of the plug support element.

[0015] Preferably the plug support element forms a receptacle for receiving at least a portion of the electrical plug and additionally or alternatively a portion of the power cord connecting the electrical plug and the home appliance, wherein the plug support element may comprise one or more ribs and additionally or alternatively one or more elastic elements formed at the inner surface of the receptacle, and wherein the one or more ribs and/or elastic elements are adapted to retain the electrical plug and/or the portion of the power cord within the receptacle. One or more ribs or elastic elements may provide a clamping force, in particular when they are elastic. Preferred the free space formed between ribs or elastic elements is smaller than an outer dimension of a plug or power cord to be received, whereby a compression of ribs or elastic elements provides the clamping force and/or (anti-)extraction resistance for the plug/power cord. In particular the receptacle forms a seat for an electrical plug and/or a respective power cord.

[0016] The plug support element may be provided as a separate member that is adapted to be assembled with the other protection members of the transport packaging arrangement for packaging the home appliance. Thereby the plug support element may be placed at the desired or convenient position during packaging an appliance for securing the electrical plug / power cord. Alternatively the plug support element may be formed or provided as part of or as an integral part of one of the other protection members. For example the plug support element may be formed or provided as part of or as an integral part of one of the lateral protection members, in particular one of the rear lateral protection members. In this context the meaning of integral refers to integrated, a single unitary piece or prefabricated as single piece, e.g. by mounting, fixing, gluing etc. For example the plug support element may be part of one of the lateral edge protection members, the or one of the base protection members, the or one of the top protection members. Preferably the plug support element is formed together with the respective protection member as a single piece, e.g. by injection molding.

[0017] The plug support element may comprise one or more pin holes which are respectively adapted to receive one or more electrical pin connectors of the electrical plug. For example an electrical pin may have a rectangular cross-section, a circular cross-section or, in general, a non-circular cross-section depending on the respective norm for the electrical plug. According to a preferred embodiment, the pin hole(s) provide the 'clamping' element in that a cross section of a pin hole of the support element is smaller than the outer cross section of the electrical pin connectors of the plug to be inserted into the respective pin hole. For example the one or more pin holes may be resilient to provide the clamping effect. The plug support element may comprise one pin hole for each electrical pin of a plug to be inserted into the plug support element. Alternatively, a single pin hole or (wide) hole or aperture may be provided, which is adapted to receive all electrical plug pins of an electrical plug. I.e. an aperture which may have any shape which is adapted to receive all pins is provided. In this embodiment, a clamping effect for the electrical plug may be generated by the shape of the recess of the support element which receives the plug body (from which the electrical pins protrude) as described above.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment, when the plug support element is positioned in the assembled transport packaging arrangement, the insertion direction for inserting the electrical pin connector(s) into the pin hole(s) is(are) oriented: (i) from the outside of the transport packaging arrangement towards the packaged home appliance, or (ii) in a direction parallel or essentially parallel to the side surface of the transport packaging arrangement. In both cases it is provided that the electrical pin connectors of a plug do not project or protrude from the packaging arrangement, such that the pins are protected during packaging and transport of the packaged appliance.

[0019] One, two, three or all four lateral edge protection members may be formed as a pillar or column. Additionally or alternatively the packaging arrangement may further comprise at least one bar-shaped lateral protection member. The bar-shaped lateral protection member is preferably arranged between two of the lateral edge protection members, overlaps with lateral edge protection members at the end portions of the bar-shaped lateral protection member and/or runs in a horizontal direction. One or two of the lateral edge protection members may be provided with at least one seat, wherein each of the seats is adapted to receive one end of the at least one bar-shaped lateral protection member. Thereby the bar-shaped lateral protection member protects a side surface of a packaged appliance and additionally connects at least two adjacent or neighboring edge protection members, whereby the packaging arrangement is stabilized. Preferably at least one of the bar-shaped lateral protection members is made of wood or of a corrugated or folded cardboard.

[0020] The packaging arrangement may further comprise at least one edge reinforcing protection member, wherein at least one of the edge reinforcing protection members is (i) a top or bottom edge reinforcing protection member, which is arranged at a top or bottom edge of the assembled transport packaging arrangement and which extends between two of the lateral edge protection members, or (ii) a lateral edge reinforcing protection member provided at an edge of one of the lateral edge protection members. A top or bottom edge may refer to an horizontal or essentially horizontal edge of the packaged appliance, when the appliance is in an operational position, in contrast to the above described lateral edge protection members, which are arranged to protected a vertical or essentially vertical edge of the appliance to be packaged, when the appliance is in an operational position.

[0021] Preferably one, two, three or all four lateral edge protection members are formed as a pillar, wherein each of the pillar-shaped lateral edge protection members can be inserted in a respective receptacle formed at the base protection member. For example the receptacle in the base protection member is mating in form with a lower end of a lateral edge protection member, such that the lower end of the respective lateral edge protection member is securely held and/or received by the base protection member.

[0022] At least one of the bar-shaped lateral protection members may be adapted to and/or may be oriented such as to keep at least a portion of the power cord connecting the electrical plug to the home appliance within the outer dimensions of the transport packaging arrangement. For example the bar-shaped lateral protection member holds at least a portion of the power cord close to the packaged appliance, such that the power cord does not protrude from the packaging arrangement. Thereby it is prevented that the power cord gets caught or gets in the way during packaging and transport.

[0023] At least one of the protection members may have at least one outer surface structure element adapted to prevent lateral slipping of a wrapping foil after wrapping the transport packaging arrangement by the wrapping foil. Preferably one or more outer surface structure elements are provided on outer surface(s) of lateral edge protection members, more preferably all four lateral edge protection members have at least one surface structure element. For example the outer surface structure element(s) are preferably arranged at outwards facing edges of the lateral edge protection members.

[0024] Preferably the packaging arrangement further comprises at least one edge reinforcing protection member, which further improves the mechanical stability of the transport packaging arrangement. At least one of the edge reinforcing protection members may be (i) a top or bottom edge reinforcing protection member, which is arranged at a top or bottom edge of the assembled transport packaging arrangement and which extends between two of the lateral edge protection members, and/or (ii) a lateral edge reinforcing protection member provided at an edge of one of the lateral edge protection members. The at least one edge reinforcing protection member is provided in addition to and preferably as a separate element with respect to the top, lateral edge or base protection members. Preferably, the edge reinforcing protection member is a folded or L-shaped member. According to a preferred embodiment the edge reinforcing protection member is made of cardboard or alternatively made of plastic, e.g. high-density expanded resin or plastic like polystyrene.

[0025] At least one of the lateral edge protection members may have a seat formed at its upper or lower end for receiving one end of one of the top or bottom edge reinforcing protection members, respectively. Preferably two of the lateral edge protection members each comprises a seat such that each seat receives an end of one of the top or bottom edge reinforcing protection members. The seat(s) may be formed such that when a top/bottom edge reinforcing protection member (or a respective end thereof) is inserted in the seat(s), the inserted edge reinforcing protection member is flush with an outer surface of respective lateral edge protection member or is such that it does not extend or protrude from the outer dimensions of the transport packaging arrangement. Thereby damage to a wrapping foil during a wrapping process is prevented. Additionally or alternatively at least one of the lateral edge protection members may have a seat formed at its outer edge for receiving one of the lateral edge reinforcing protection members. In this case, the lateral edge reinforcing member is arranged in a horizontal direction, wherein the seat may be formed such that the reinforcing member, when inserted, is flush with an outer surface of respective lateral edge protection member or is such that it does not extend or protrude from the outer dimensions of the transport packaging arrangement as described above.

[0026] One or more of the following may be formed of polystyrene: one, more or all of the lateral edge protection members, the plug support element, the base protection member, the top protection member, and one, more or all of the bar-shaped lateral protection members. Preferably one or more of the above mentioned elements are formed of polystyrene foam to form a packaging arrangement which is easy to handle, light-weight and shock-proof.

[0027] The packaging arrangement may further comprise a wrapping foil which forms an outer wrapping of the transport packaging arrangement when arranged around the home appliance to be protected, wherein the wrapping foil is wrapping the other members of the transport packaging arrangement at least partially at the lateral sides. In particular the wrapping foil protects the lateral edge, top and/or bottom protection members and fixes the respective protection members to the packaged appliance.

[0028] The wrapping foil, when wrapped around the transport packaging arrangement, may be securing or may be additionally securing the electrical plug in the plug support element. Preferably the plug support element secures the electrical plug to an extent, that the plug is fixed to the plug support element during the packaging process and more preferably then the wrapping foil finally secures the plug for the transport.

[0029] Preferably the wrapping foil is wound at least one turn around the transport packaging arrangement, in particular 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2 or more turns. Additionally or alternatively the wrapping foil is a shrink-pack or shrink foil or a thermo-retractile wrap. According to a preferred embodiment the wrapping foil has an adhesive characteristic, preferably adhering to other components of packaging arrangement after it has been heated.

[0030] When wrapped around the transport packaging arrangement, the wrapping foil may (i) extend between the top and bottom protection member, or (ii) wrap the lateral sides of the transport packaging arrangement. Preferably the wrapping foil extends over all lateral sides and/or covers completely the lateral sides. According to a preferred embodiment, an upper (lower) rim of the wrapping foil extends from the lateral side beyond the top (lower) edge of the transport packaging arrangement. Thus the upper and lower edges of the wrapping foil extend over the base and top protection member, whereby a vertical slipping of the wrapping foil down (or up) the packaging arrangement is prevented.

[0031] In the following an exemplary method for packaging a home appliance in a transport packaging arrangement as specified above is described. The method comprises the following steps, wherein the order or sequence of the following steps is interchangeable:

• arranging the at least one base protection member at or below the bottom of the home appliance,
• arranging the four lateral edge protection members each one at another lateral edge of the home appliance,
• arranging the at least one top protection member at or above the upper side of the home appliance,
• positioning a plug of the home appliance in the plug support element,
• connecting the protection members to each other such as to form a stable transport packaging arrangement.

[0032] As mentioned above, the method steps may be executed in any arbitrary order. In particular the sequence of the steps may be adapted to the respective requirements or dimensions of the home appliance to be packaged and/or may be adapted to provide an easy and timesaving packaging of the appliance. When the respective elements of the packaging arrangement are connected, the transport packaging arrangement forms a protective outer frame for the home appliance.

[0033] Preferably, the step of connecting the protection members comprises wrapping the pre-assembled transport packaging arrangement by a wrapping foil. In particular the wrapping foil is to be understood as being part of the transport packaging arrangement, wherein wrapping is preferably the last step of packaging a home appliance.

[0034] The home appliance being packaged in a transport packaging arrangement as described herein provides a more secure handling and transport good by lowering the risk of damaging the electrical plug and/or electrical power cord and/or the packaging arrangement and/or a wrapping foil provided as part of the packaging arrangement. The packaging arrangement may have any feature or feature combination or feature subcombination as disclosed herein.

[0035] Reference is made in detail to preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures, which show:

Fig. 1

a perspective side view of a home appliance packaged in a transport packaging arrangement,

Fig. 2

a perspective side view of the transport packaging arrangement of Fig. 1,

Figs. 3a-b

a perspective side view (Fig. 3a) and a partially cut side view (Fig. 3b) of a lateral edge protection member with a plug support element of the packaging arrangement of Fig. 1,

Figs. 4a-b

a perspective side view of a transport packaging arrangement comprising an edge reinforcing protection member (Fig. 4a) and a perspective side view of an edge reinforcing protection member (Fig. 4b), and

Figs. 5a-b

exploded top and bottom views of the transport packaging arrangement of Fig. 4a.

[0036] Fig. 1 shows a perspective side view of a home appliance 2 packaged in a transport packaging arrangement and Fig. 2 shows a perspective side view of the transport packaging arrangement of Fig. 1. In this example the depicted home appliance 2 is a laundry dryer. Examples for other home appliances which may be packaged with a (correspondingly dimensioned) transport packaging arrangement as described below are a washing machine, a washer-dryer, a dish washer, a freezer, a refrigerator, an oven, a steam cooker, a range hood or an oven hood.

[0037] Relations of orientation (like top, base, bottom, side, rear, front) relate to the orientation of the transport packaging arrangement relative to a transport and storing orientation of the packaged home appliance 2. For example, Fig. 1 depicts the appliance 2 and its packaging arrangement in its transport or storing orientation. Normally the transport and storing orientation is the operational orientation of the home appliance in use. E.g. 'front' is the side of the home appliance a user accesses in regular user operation, like the (front)side of a dryer, washing machine or dish-washer where a respective door to a treatment chamber of the appliance is located.

[0038] The packaging arrangement comprises four pillar-shaped lateral edge protection members 10a-d, a base protection member 12 and a top protection member 14In Fig. 1 the top cover 3 of the appliance is shown, while Figs. 5a-b show the top protection member 14. The lower ends of the edge protection members 10a-d are received in respective seats 36a-d (Fig. 5b) of the base protection member 14, such that the base protection member 14 fixes or receives the lower ends of the edge protection members 10a-d. Correspondingly the upper ends of the edge protection members 10a-d are received in and fixed by the top protection member 14 (see Fig. 5a).

[0039] The transport packaging arrangement comprises a plug support element 16, which is formed integral with the (rear) edge protection member 10a. The plug support element 16 comprises a plug aperture or plug receptacle 18 for receiving an electrical plug 6 of the packaged appliance 2 therein. The plug support element 16 is adapted to secure and fix the electrical plug 6 during packaging and transporting the home appliance 2.

[0040] Fig. 3a shows a perspective side view of the plug support element 16 and Fig. 3b a partially cut side view of the plug support element 16 in its end position in the packaging arrangement of Fig. 1. The plug support element 16 or the plug receptacle 18 comprises a pin hole 22 which is adapted to receive the plug pins 8. As shown in Fig. 3b, the plug receptacle 18 has a size or dimension which provides that the inserted plug 6 does not extend over an outer surface of the packaging arrangement or the edge protection member 10a. Thereby it is prevented that during packaging or transport of the packaged appliance 2 the plug 6 gets caught and/or pulled out of the receptacle 18. Further, the pin hole 22 is arranged such that the plug pins 8 are directed towards the appliance 2, such that the plug pins 8 are securely held and protected in the pin hole 22.

[0041] The plug receptacle 18 comprises several elastic ribs 20a-d which are compressed when the plug 6 is inserted in the plug receptacle 18. By means of the resulting compression force of the elastic ribs 20a-d the plug 6 is securely held in the plug receptacle 18.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3b a power cord 4 connecting the electrical plug 6 to the appliance 2 is partially received in a power cord receptacle 24 of the plug support element 16. In particular the power cord receptacle 24 has a size or depth which provides that the inserted power cord 4 does not extend over an outer surface of the packaging arrangement or the edge support element 10a, whereby it is prevented that the power cord 4 gets caught or gets in the way, e.g. when wrapping the packaged appliance in a wrapping foil.

[0043] The transport packaging arrangement further comprises two bar-shaped lateral protection members 26a-b, which are extending in a horizontal direction across a side surface (here: rear surface) of the packaged appliance 2 (Fig. 1). The respective ends of the bar-shaped protection members 26a-b are received and held in respective seats 28a-d of neighboring edge protection members 10a-b. For attaching the bar-shaped protection members 26a-b to the edge protection members 10a-b, the members 26a-b may be glued into the seats 28a-d or alternatively the seats may comprise elastic ribs as described above which hold the members 26a-b by means of compression force. In this embodiment the lower bar-shaped protection member 26a is made of corrugated or folded cardboard and the upper bar-shaped protection member 26b is made of wood. The bar-shaped protection members 26a-b protect the side surface of the packaged appliance 2, stabilize the transport packaging arrangement and additionally hold the power cord 4 close to the appliance 2, i.e. prevent that the power cord 4 dangles freely or protrudes from an outer surface of the packaging arrangement.

[0044] After assembly of the above described protection members, a wrapping foil (not depicted) is wrapped around the packaged appliance 2 e.g. as shown in Fig. 1 (after the top protection member 14 is put on top of the appliance 2). As exemplary marked at rear edge protection member 10b, each of the lateral edge protection members 10a-d comprises at least one outer surface structure 30a-b (here: two recesses or retention elements) which provide a seat for retaining and holding a wrapping foil after it has been wrapped around the appliance 2. For example a wrapping foil is a shrink-pack or shrink foil or a thermo-retractile wrap, i.e. when heating the wrapping foil the foil shrinks and holds together the above described protection elements.

[0045] Fig. 4a shows a perspective side view and Figs. 5a-b show exploded top and bottom side views of a transport packaging arrangement according to another embodiment. In comparison to the above described transport packaging arrangement, the packaging arrangement of Fig. 4a and Figs. 5a-b additionally comprises an edge reinforcing protection member 32 which protects/reinforces a (horizontal) top edge of the appliance 2. Alternatively the edge reinforcing member 32 may be arranged at a (horizontal) bottom edge of the appliance 2 or the base protection member 12 of the packaging arrangement. Aside from the additional edge reinforcing protection member 32, the elements of the packaging arrangement of Fig. 4a and Figs. 5a-b correspond to the above described elements of the packaging arrangement of Figs. 1 to 3 and the same reference signs are used.

[0046] Fig. 4b shows a perspective side view of the edge reinforcing protection member 32, which may be made of cardboard or plastic, e.g. high-density expanded resin or plastic like polystyrene. The edge reinforcing member 32 has an L-shaped cross-section which provides mechanically robust protection for the edge of the packaging arrangement to which it is attached.

[0047] In the embodiment as depicted in Fig. 4a, the edge reinforcing member 32 is attached to the top ends of two (rear) edge protection members 10a-b. After assembly of the elements of the packaging arrangement, the top protection member 14 covers the edge reinforcing protection member 32. In each of the top ends of the rear edge protection members 10a-b a seat 34a-b is provided for the respective end portion of the L-shaped reinforcing protection member 32. The seats 34a-b are formed such that the L-shaped edge reinforcing member 32 is flush with the structure itself, i.e. the reinforcing member 32 does not extend over the outer surface of the edge protection members 10a-b. According to an alternative embodiment (not depicted) an edge reinforcing protection element 32 as shown in Fig. 4b may be attached to one or more of the outer (vertical) edges of the lateral edge protection members 10a-d to stabilize the packaging arrangement. Also in case the L-shaped edge reinforcing member 32 is placed on a the lateral edge protection member 10a-d, a seat is formed in the respective lateral edge protection member 10a-d, such that the L-shaped edge reinforcing member 32 is flush with the the lateral edge protection member 10a-d. In this way a wrapping foil is not damaged when it is wrapped over the L-shaped edge reinforcing member(s) 32.

[0048] As described above, the protection members and elements as depicted in Fig. 4a (with the top protection member 14) are pre-assembled such that a home appliance to be packaged is contained in the packaging arrangement as shown in Fig. 1. Subsequently a wrapping foil (not depicted) is wrapped around the pre-assembled packaging arrangement. As the plug support element 16 fixes the plug 6 and power cord 4, it is prevented that the electrical plug 6 dangles freely during packaging the home appliance 2. In particular the plug/power cord is fixed during wrapping the appliance 2 in wrapping foil, such that there is no risk that the plug 6 gets wrapped in an undesired or arbitrary position between the appliance and the wrapping foil, e.g. in a position where the plug pins 8 protrude from and damage the wrapping foil.

Reference Numeral List

[0049] 

2

home appliance

3

top cover of appliance

4

power cord

6

electrical plug

8

plug pins

10a-d

lateral edge protection member

12

base protection member

14

top protection member

16

plug support element

18

plug receptacle

20a-d

elastic rib

22

pin hole

24

power cord receptacle

26a-b

bar-shaped lateral protection member

28a-d

seat for bar-shaped lateral protection member

30a-b

surface structure / retention element

32

edge reinforcing protection member

34a-b

seat for edge reinforcing protection member

36a-d

seat for lateral edge protection member

Claims

1. Transport packaging arrangement for a home appliance (2) comprising:

four lateral edge protection members (10a-d),

at least one base protection member (12), and

at least one top protection member (14),

wherein each of the protection members (10a-d, 12, 14) is adapted to prevent damages to the home appliance (2) to be packaged in the transport packaging arrangement,

characterized by comprising

a plug support element (16) adapted to receive an electrical plug (6) of the home appliance (2) to be protected and adapted to secure the electrical plug (6) during transportation of the packaged home appliance (2).

2. Arrangement according to claim 1,
wherein the plug support element (16) is adapted in its shape according to the normed shape of the electrical plug (6), or
wherein the plug support element (16) forms the or a receptacle (18) having shape which at least partially forms a counter-shape of the electrical plug (6) of the home appliance (2) to be packaged.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plug support element (16) is adapted to receive the electrical plug (6) up to a receiving depth such that the electrical plug (6), when inserted into the plug support element (16), does not protrude or extend from the outer packaging dimensions when the home appliance (2) to be packaged is packaged within the transport packaging arrangement.

4. Arrangement according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the plug support element (16) is oriented or arranged such that the electrical plug (6), when inserted into the plug support element (16), does not protrude or extend from the outer packaging dimensions when the home appliance (2) to be packaged is packaged within the transport packaging arrangement.

5. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims, wherein the plug support element (16) is shaped or comprises a receptacle (24) to receive therein a portion of the power cord (4) which connects the electrical plug (6) to the home appliance (2) to be packaged.

6. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims, wherein the plug support element (16) comprises at least one clamping device for clamping the electrical plug (6) or a portion of the electrical plug (6) when inserted in the plug support element (16).

7. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims,
wherein the plug support element (16) forms a receptacle (18) for receiving at least a portion of the electrical plug (6) or a portion of the power cord (4) connecting the electrical plug (6) and the home appliance (2),
wherein the plug support element (16) comprises one or more ribs or elastic elements (30a-b) formed at the inner surface of the receptacle (18), and
wherein the one or more ribs or elastic elements (30a-b) are adapted to retain the electrical plug (6) or the portion of the power cord (4) within the receptacle (18).

8. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims, wherein the plug support element (16) is provided as separate member that is adapted to be assembled with the other protection members of the transport packaging arrangement for packaging the home appliance (2).

9. Arrangement according to any of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the plug support element (16) is formed or provided as part of or as an integral part of one of the other protection members.

10. Arrangement according to any of the claims 1 to 7 or 9, wherein the plug support element (16) is formed or provided as part of or as an integral part of one of the lateral protection members (10a-d).

11. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims, wherein the plug support element (16) comprises one or more pin holes (22) which are respectively adapted to receive one or more electrical pin connectors (8) of the electrical plug (6).

12. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims, wherein, when the plug support element (16) is positioned in the assembled transport packaging arrangement, the insertion direction for inserting the electrical pin connector(s) (8) into the pin hole(s) (22) is(are) oriented:

from the outside of the transport packaging arrangement towards the packaged home appliance (2), or

in a direction parallel or essentially parallel to the side surface of the transport packaging arrangement.

13. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims,
wherein one, two, three or all four lateral edge protection members (10a-d) are formed as a pillar, and/or
further comprising at least one bar-shaped lateral protection member (26a-b), wherein one or two of the lateral edge protection members (10a-d) is provided with at least one seat (28a-d), wherein each of the seats (28a-d) is adapted to receive one end of the at least one bar-shaped lateral protection member (26a-b).

14. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims, further comprising at least one edge reinforcing protection member (32), wherein at least one of the edge reinforcing protection members (32) is:

a top or bottom edge reinforcing protection member (32), which is arranged at a top or bottom edge of the assembled transport packaging arrangement and which extends between two of the lateral edge protection members (10a-b), or

a lateral edge reinforcing protection member provided at an edge of one of the lateral edge protection members (10a-d).

15. Arrangement according to any of the previous claims, further comprising a wrapping foil forming an outer wrapping of the transport packaging arrangement when arranged around the home appliance (2) to be protected, wherein the wrapping foil is wrapping the other members of the transport packaging arrangement at least partially at the lateral sides.

16. Method for packaging a home appliance (2) in a transport packaging arrangement according to any of the previous claims, comprising the steps of:

arranging the four lateral edge protection members (10a-d) each one at another lateral edge of the home appliance (2),

arranging the at least one base protection member (12) at or below the bottom of the home appliance (2),

arranging the at least one top protection member (14) at or above the upper side of the home appliance (2),

positioning an electrical plug (6) of the home appliance (2) in the plug support element (16),

connecting the protection members (10a-d, 12, 14) to each other such as to form a stable transport packaging arrangement.

17. Home appliance selected among
a laundry treatment apparatus, in particular a washing machine, a dryer or a washer-dryer,
a dish washer,
a food storing apparatus, in particular a freezer or refrigerator,
a range hood,
an oven hood, or
a food treatment apparatus, in particular a cooking apparatus, an oven or a steam cooker,
characterized by
being packaged by or in a transport packaging arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 15.

Drawing