EP1371573A1 - Tray-like carrier for manually transporting small objects such as drinking glasses - Google Patents

Abstract

The drink carrier has a blank folded to form two superimposed walls (1,2) spaced by a gap (E) and connected by hinged sidewalls (3,4). There are spacers (11-14) connected to the sidewalls and are pivotable between a rest position and extended position between the upper and lower walls. The upper wall has openings to receive a bottle, cup and straw.

Description

It is well known that objects placed on a tray for their transport over a short distance, especially for the beverage service, are in an extremely unstable situation.

It is the same meal trays distributed to passengers airline.

To remedy this instability, we have already thought of making anti-slip surface on which the objects should be placed, and for reasons of ease of manufacture and low cost, we often choose the solution consisting of placing a disposable sheet on a standard tray in a material with a high coefficient of friction.

This solution is very imperfect because if it avoids the sliding objects, it is absolutely ineffective to prevent their tipping, while this risk is greatest when the use is under conditions of great instability, which is the case with meals and beverages consumed in vehicles: cars, roadways iron, airplanes, etc.

However, the evolution of customs tends to spread the habit of small fast meals consumed in minimal comfort conditions: increased frequency of travel by train or plane, habit use of his car including purchase and consumption of sandwiches without to leave his car, meal taken while watching television, snacks taken during a professional meeting, etc.

These new living conditions are accompanied by concern for cost price which must be reduced drastically: trays, plates, cutlery and disposable cups in particular.

These cheap accessories are usually very light this which increases the risk of overturning and falling, not only during the transport of the trays but also during their use because the more an object is light and more it is sensitive to a small side impact: it is more difficult to spilling a glass that a cup of thin plastic wrap, even filled with a drink.

The present invention provides a very inexpensive solution and much more efficient than those that exist because it not only allows to prevent the falling of objects during small jolts due to the transport of trays but also to avoid accidental spilling when the very use of the objects in question: goblets, raviers, cutlery, and others accessory items.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a service support, kind platter for the manual transport of small objects such as cups and bottles, characterized in that it has two superimposed and separate walls by a space, walls which are joined to one another by lateral elements articulated to the two walls, spacers associated with the lateral elements being pivotally mounted between two positions, one called "erasure" in which they are parallel to the lateral elements and the other called "active" in which they are interposed between the two walls, one of these being crossing at least one opening for receiving an object to be transported.

• le support est réalisé dans une pièce unique en carton découpée et rainée pour constituer un flan marqué de quatre lignes de pliage longitudinales déterminant deux grandes parois et deux panneaux latéraux dans l'un au moins desquels est découpé au moins un volet qui forme une entretoise présentant trois côtés libres et un côté solidaire du panneau latéral par une ligne de pliage, et qui présente une hauteur sensiblement égale à celle dudit panneau latéral ;
• le support présente au moins un renfort longitudinal qui est situé dans l'espace séparant les deux parois et qui est fixé à ces deux parois par des pattes marquées chacune par une ligne de pliage afin de pouvoir se placer soit parallèlement aux deux parois rabattues l'une contre l'autre, soit perpendiculairement à ces deux parois écartées par l'espace de séparation ;
• le support présente au moins une ligne de découpage perpendiculaire aux lignes de pliage longitudinales et formée par fragilisation linéaire sécable d'un bord latéral à l'autre de l'ébauche ;
• l'ouverture a une forme ou des dimensions coordonnée(s) à celle(s) d'un objet à recevoir ;
• l'ouverture présente des languettes internes qui sont déterminées par des lignes de coupe radiales et qui diminuent la largeur de l'ouverture, ces languettes étant susceptibles de fléchir vers l'espace séparant les deux parois, par poussée de l'objet à recevoir dont le périmètre extérieur est supérieur à ladite largeur de l'ouverture ;
• les languettes sont régulièrement réparties sur toute la périphérie interne de l'ouverture et éventuellement localisées sur une partie seulement de la périphérie interne de l'ouverture, en un ou plusieurs endroits.

Particular embodiments are described and defined in secondary claims.

• the support is made in a single piece of cardboard cut and scored to form a marked blank of four longitudinal fold lines determining two large walls and two side panels in at least one of which is cut at least one flap which forms a spacer having three free sides and one side secured to the side panel by a fold line, and which has a height substantially equal to that of said side panel;
• the support has at least one longitudinal reinforcement which is located in the space between the two walls and which is fixed to these two walls by tabs each marked by a fold line in order to be placed parallel to the two walls folded the one against the other, perpendicular to these two walls separated by the separation space;
• the support has at least one cutting line perpendicular to the longitudinal fold lines and formed by breakable linear embrittlement from one side edge to the other of the blank;
• the opening has a shape or dimensions coordinated with that of an object to be received;
• the opening has internal tongues which are determined by radial cutting lines and which reduce the width of the opening, these tabs being capable of bending towards the space separating the two walls, by pushing the object to be received, the outer perimeter is greater than said width of the opening;
• the tongues are regularly distributed over the entire inner periphery of the opening and possibly located on only part of the inner periphery of the opening, in one or more places.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawing. Of course, the description and the drawing are given only as an indicative and non-limiting example.

• la figure 1, une vue schématique en perspective d'un support de service conforme à l'invention, en situation d'utilisation pour un flacon, un gobelet, une paille et une serviette ;
• la figure 2, une vue schématique en plan du flan découpé, rainé, plié et collé à partir duquel on obtient le support de service de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3, une vue schématique montrant la déformation en parallélogramme du flan de la figure 2 pour aboutir au support de service de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 4, une vue schématique en perspective du support de la figure 1, avant que celui-ci ne reçoive les articles visibles sur ladite figure 1 ;
• la figure 5, une vue schématique en plan d'un flan découpé, rainé, plié et collé à partir duquel on obtient un support analogue à celui de la figure 1, mais présentant quatre ouvertures pour des flacons et/ou des gobelets, et ayant par conséquent des dimensions plus grandes que celui de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 6, une vue schématique montrant la déformation en parallélogramme du flan de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 7, une vue schématique en perspective du support prêt à l'usage et obtenu par pliage en volume du flan de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 8, une vue schématique en plan d'une pièce découpée, à partir de laquelle on obtient un support conforme à celui de la figure 5, mais présentant une ligne de fragilisation sécable pour découper ce support en deux supports conformes à celui de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 9, une vue schématique analogue à celle de la figure 2, pour un support dont les ouvertures présentent des languettes localisées sur une partie seulement de la périphérie de ces ouvertures ; et
• les figures 10 et 11, deux vues schématiques en coupe faites respectivement selon les lignes IX - IX de la figure 7 et X - X de la figure 9, montrant le maintien en place d'un gobelet par les languettes.

The drawing comprises figures 1 to 11 representing respectively:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a service support according to the invention, in use situation for a bottle, a cup, a straw and a towel;
• FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the cut, grooved, folded and glued blank from which the service support of FIG. 1 is obtained;
• Figure 3 is a schematic view showing the parallelogram deformation of the blank of Figure 2 to the service support of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the support of Figure 1, before it receives the visible items in said Figure 1;
• FIG. 5, a diagrammatic plan view of a cut, grooved, folded and glued blank from which a support similar to that of FIG. 1 is obtained, but having four openings for bottles and / or cups, and having therefore larger dimensions than that of Figure 1;
• Figure 6 is a schematic view showing the parallelogram deformation of the blank of Figure 5;
• Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of the ready to use support and obtained by volume folding of the blank of Figure 5;
• FIG. 8, a diagrammatic plan view of a cut-off piece, from which a support according to that of FIG. 5 is obtained, but having a breakable weakening line for cutting this support into two supports conforming to that of FIG. figure 1 ;
• Figure 9, a schematic view similar to that of Figure 2, for a support whose openings have tabs located on only part of the periphery of these openings; and
• Figures 10 and 11, two schematic sectional views taken respectively along the lines IX - IX of Figure 7 and X - X of Figure 9, showing the holding in place of a cup by the tongues.

A service support according to the invention can be realized according to different manufacturing methods well known to those skilled in the art, in order to to obtain two walls superimposed and connected to each other by elements lateral articulated.

Leaf material can be used in which cutting out foldable blanks, but they can also be parts assemblies: plates made of wood, metal or synthetic material, joined together by rods, for example.

Here, each blank is cut from a cardboard plate corrugated, scored and possibly printed, then folded and glued to itself along one of its edges to form a blank delivered and stored flat, intended for volume and thus maintained at the time of use.

After putting in volume, one obtains the support of service of the Figure 1, which is shown here for the transport of a small bottle (or bottle) A, a cup (or glass) B, a straw C and a small towel D.

This service support is obtained by setting the volume of a blank comprising two walls 1 and 2 joined by side panels 3 and 4, along four fold lines 5, 6, 7 and 8 marked during the manufacture of the blank.

The fold line 8 determines a fastening lug 9 secured of the panel 4 and to which the bottom wall 2 is fixed by glue, in order to constitute the blank of Figure 2, folded in double thickness but presenting a minimum height and thus occupying a small volume allowing it to be stored flat in piles of reasonable size.

Each of the side panels 3 and 4 is cut out for determine two hinged flaps 11 - 12 and 13 - 14 each constituting a spacer having three free sides and one side secured to the side panel corresponding by a fold line respectively 15, 16, 17 and 18.

When the service rack is put in volume by folding the side panels 3 and 4 according to the arrows F1 and F2, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the user presses from the outside towards the inside on the shutters 11- 12 and 13 - 14 to rotate them according to their fold line respectively 15, 16, 17 and 18, so that they are placed in spacer to inside the contour of the service support, in the space E separating the two walls 1 and 2, these being then in contact with the upper and lower edges of each shutter, which prevents the folding of the blank, the latter being maintained in volume because the right angle at which the walls 1 and 2 extend compared to the side panels 3 and 4 can not be changed by folding the whole along the longitudinal lines 5, 6, 7 and 8, since the spacing between the walls 1 and 2 can not be diminished by the presence of the shutters 11 - 12 and 13 - 14 forming spacers.

The upper wall 1 is crossed by two large openings circular 21 and 22 diameter slightly greater than that of objects intended to be placed there, here a small bottle A and a cup B. In addition, this wall 1 is crossed by other openings, here two circular holes 23 and 24, as well as two large slots 25 and 26.

There are therefore openings of dimensions and provisions different, that we use selectively according to the objects we have to carry. Here, we put a straw C in the hole 24 and a small towel (or finger rinse) D in the slot 25.

Given the various utensils, cutlery and accessories may be used with the service support of the invention, understands that openings can be used with all kinds of objects different. In particular, it is possible to use only the opening 21 for a small bottle and hole 24 for a straw.

The single aperture or each of the openings that a service support according to the invention may have a coordinated shape to that of an object to receive: circular or polygonal section, wide opening, small hole, slot, etc.

The single aperture or each of the openings that a service support according to the invention may have dimensions contact information. This is particularly the case for cups and other accessories that are part of a service of which we know very precisely the shapes and sizes, while flasks and small bottles of trade have different shapes and sizes, for which it is necessary to adopt a shape and dimensions valid for different objects.

A service support according to the invention may have a any number of openings and there is shown another example on FIGS. 5 to 7 according to which the upper wall 1 has four openings circular circles 31, 32, 33 and 34 and four holes 35, 36, 37 and 38.

Because of the relatively large dimensions of this service support, it is good to strengthen its rigidity to maintain the walls 1 and 2 well apart from each other.

For this purpose, the service support has a reinforcement longitudinal 39 which is located in the space E separating the two walls 1 and 2 and which is fixed to these two walls by glued tabs 41 and 42 each by a folding line 43 - 44 in order to be able to parallel to the two walls 1 and 2 folded against each other (Figure 5), either perpendicularly to these two walls 1 and 2 spaced from each other by the separation space E (FIG. 7).

In Figure 6, we see an intermediate position that illustrates the deployment movement of the service support by pivoting side panels 3 and 4 with respect to walls 1 and 2, according to the fold lines longitudinal 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Folding allows positioning of the reinforcement in parallel to the walls. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the reinforcement 39 makes it possible to position the tray without spring effect, ie "flat", soft around 180 ° the angles formed by the reinforcement 39 and the legs 41 and 42. The reinforcement 39 is constituted by an extension of the lower wall folded "Z" is to say with the two legs 41 and 42 folded in opposite directions. So the folding is easily done and the tray maintains a substantially flattened. Indeed, the thickness of the plateau set "flat" is only three times the thickness of the material with this type of folding.

Depending on the dimensions and / or the service, it may have more than one reinforcement 39. Therefore, according to this mode of realization it comprises at least one longitudinal reinforcement 39.

Here, in one piece of folded cardboard, the walls 1 and 2, the side panels 3 and 4, and the longitudinal reinforcement 39 with its gluing tabs 41 and 42.

The gluing tab 41 is constituted by a margin located at a longitudinal edge of the piece of cardboard while the glue tab 42 is consisting of an intermediate part of that room situated between the line of folding 8 and folding line 44.

The glue tab 42 is secured along the longitudinal edge the opposite piece of cardboard to the previous one.

With this structure, the bottom wall 2 is in fact formed of two parts glued to each other 2a and 2b (Figures 6 and 7).

The four circular openings can be simple holes whose diameter corresponds, with a small game, to that of the objects to be placed there, as shown in Figures 1 to 4.

The four circular openings can also present, as in FIGS. 5, 7 and 10, internal tongues 45, determined by radial cutting lines 46 and which decrease the width L of the opening corresponding 31 - 32 - 33 - 34, these tabs 45 being capable of bend towards the space E separating the two walls 1 and 2, by pushing the object to receive B whose outer perimeter is greater than said width L of the opening (Figure 10).

In FIGS. 5 to 7 and 10, the tabs 45 are regularly distributed over the entire inner periphery of the corresponding opening.

For the flexion of the tongues 45 is easy when one pushes on the cup B perpendicular to their plane according to the arrow F3, a almost circular folding line 47 is drawn coaxially at the opening corresponding and in fact determines the edge of said opening.

In FIG. 8, the support is shown in the form of a blank E cut before folding and gluing, that is to say before constituting the blank intended to be volume-adjusted in accordance with Figures 5 to 7.

On the sketch of Figure 8, it appears that the wall superior still has four identical circular openings 31 to 34 and four holes 35a to 38a. In the illustrated example, the holes 35a to 38a are formed near the longitudinal edges B1 and B2 so as to clear the area longitudinal center of draft E.

A median and longitudinal weakening line 60 is formed in this central area. This line 60 joins the transverse edges B3 and B4 of roughing. It consists of aligned slits formed regularly to constant distance to compose a dotted line.

The four flaps 11a to 14a are arranged on the panels 3a and 4a, between the center line 60 and the longitudinal edges B1 and B2. FIG. 8 also shows the longitudinal reinforcement zone 39 with its legs 41 and 42, the fold lines 5 to 8, 43 and 44, and the walls 1 and 2. In the planar configuration of FIG. 8, that is, before folding and gluing, the bottom wall 2 is composed of two parts 2a and 2b.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8, the tabs 45 come from a hexagonal folding line 47a, the openings 31 to 34 remaining circular.

According to advantageous variants, it is possible to provide several lines of weakening parallel, to constitute more than two breakable supports. Moreover, the weakening line (s) can be centered (formed at a constant distance) or not, as needed. The brackets can be separated before folding and gluing, or after.

The service support of Figures 9 and 10 is similar to that Figures 1 and 2 to 4. It has, in addition to holes 23-24 and slots 25 - 26, two circular openings 51 and 52 each provided with tabs 53 which are determined by radial cutting lines 54 and which are located on only part of the inner periphery of the opening 51- 52 in one in law.

More than one set of tongues 53 could be provided, which would then be arranged in at least two different places.

So, according to this embodiment, the tongues 53 are located on only part of the inner periphery of the opening, in one or more places.

For the flexion of the tongues 53 is easy when one pushes on the cup B perpendicular to their plane according to the arrow F3, a fold line 55 is drawn parallel to the edge of the opening corresponding.

With this embodiment, the cup B is engaged in one openings 51 or 52 according to the arrow F3, by pushing towards the space E the tongues 53 which flex along the fold line 55, the cup B being placed on the one hand against the edge of the corresponding opening and on the other hand against tongues 53 flexed (Figure 10).

Claims (9)

Service support, of the tray type for the manual transport of small objects such as cups and flasks, characterized in that it has two superimposed walls (1 and 2) and separated by a space (E), walls (1 and 2) ) which are joined to each other by lateral elements (3 and 4) articulated to the two walls (1 and 2), spacers (11 - 14) associated with the lateral elements (3 and 4) being pivotally mounted between two positions, one called "erasure" in which they are parallel to the lateral elements (3 and 4) and the other called "active" in which they are interposed between the two walls (1 and 2), the one of which is traversed by at least one opening (21 - 22, 31 - 34, 51 and 52) for receiving an object to be transported (A, B). Support according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made in a single piece of cardboard cut and grooved to form a marked blank of four longitudinal fold lines (5, 6, 7 and 8) determining two large walls (1 and 2) and two side panels (3 and 4) in at least one of which is cut out at least one flap (11 - 14) which forms a spacer having three free sides and a side secured to the side panel (3 - 4) by a fold line (15 - 16 - 17 - 18), and which has a height substantially equal to that of said side panel (3 - 4). Support according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has at least one longitudinal reinforcement (39) which is located in the space (E) separating the two walls (1 and 2) and which is fixed to these two walls (1 and 2) by tabs (41 and 42) each marked by a fold line (43 - 44) in order to be placed either parallel to the two walls (1 and 2) folded against each other, or perpendicular to these two walls (1 and 2) spaced apart by the separation space (E). Support according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has at least one cutting line (60) perpendicular to the longitudinal fold lines (43, 44) and formed by breakable linear embrittlement of a transverse edge to the other (B3, B4) of the blank (E). Support according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening has a shape coordinated with that of an object to be received. Support according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening has dimensions co-ordinate with those of an object to be received. Support according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening (31-34, 51-52) has internal tongues (45-53) which are determined by radial cutting lines (46-54) and which decrease the width (L) of the opening (31 - 34, 51 - 52), these tabs (45 - 53) being able to flex towards the space (E) separating the two walls (1 and 2), by thrust of the object to receive (B) whose outer perimeter is greater than said width (L) of the opening (31-34, 51-52). Support according to claim 7, characterized in that the tabs (45) are evenly distributed over the entire inner periphery of the opening (31-34). Support according to claim 7, characterized in that the tongues (53) are located on only part of the inner periphery of the opening (51-52) in one or more places.

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