FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging box as defined in the preamble of claim 1 and to a method as defined in the preamble of claim 8 for manufacturing a packaging box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Previously known are several various ready assem- bled packaging boxes made from cardboard, metal or similar materials. The problem with these packaging boxes is their large space requirement in transportation and storage whilst empty. This adds to the transportation and storage costs . In addition, known are also packaging box blanks made of cardboard which are assembled in the site of packaging to form packaging boxes and which do not take up much space in transportation and storage. However, assembling these known packaging boxes is slow and cumbersome, and these are only suited for the packaging and storage of lightweight goods and not for the transport of heaver industrial goods.

In addition, previously known are assemblable packaging boxes specially made from materials other than cardboard to be used for the packages and transportation of heaver goods. However, assemblable and collapsible packaging boxes made from an ecological and recyclable material for use in the transportation of heavier goods are not known from before.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the invention to eliminate the drawbacks referred to above.

One specific objective of the invention is to dis- close a new type of packaging box which is lightweight and durable and which only takes up a little space whilst in storage or when transporting and which can be assembled

quickly and easily, for example, in conjunction with the packaging of a product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The packaging box of the invention is characterised by what has been presented in the claims.

The invention is based on a packaging box that is used to protect a product in transportation and/or storage. The packaging box includes separate first and second side walls and a bottom portion which can be assembled together to form a packaging box shaped like a rectangular polyhedron. According to the invention, the packaging box and the parts thereof are substantially formed from cardboard; and the first side walls of the packaging box consist of a wall surface and four L profile corner protectors, of which two have been arranged at the first end of the wall surface in the elevation and the other two at the second opposite ele- vational end of the wall surface. The L profile corner protectors include two sides, of which the first side includes a first and a second planar surface. The first L profile corner protector arranged at both ends of the wall surface is secured to the first surface of the wall surface from its first planar surface, whereby the first corner protector forms an outer corner together with the wall surface; and the second L profile corner protector is secured to the second surface of the wall surface from its second planar surface in parallel to the first corner protector so that the second sides of the corner protectors are disposed at a distance from one another thereby forming a groove between the second sides, and so that the second corner protector forms an inner corner with the wall surface. The second side walls consist of the wall surface, and can be arranged into the grooves formed in the first side walls from the elevational ends of the second side walls to form a rectan- gular framework that can be joined with the bottom portion for forming a packaging box.

Furthermore, the invention concerns a method for manufacturing the packaging box described above. In the

method, first and second side walls and a bottom portion are formed. The side walls can be joined to one another by means of the structure of the invention to form a framework and can be joined to the bottom portion to form a packaging box.

In this invention, in the L profile corner protector, the L profile is about 90 degrees, i.e. the angle between the sides of the corner protector is substantially right-angle . In one embodiment of the invention, the second side of the second L profile corner protector is narrower than the second side of the first L profile corner protector so that the sides extend to the same distance from the second surface of the wall surface. In one embodiment, the L profile corner protector is substantially as long as the height of the wall surface of the first side wall.

In one embodiment of the invention, the L profile corner protectors are secured to the first side wall by means of adhesive, rivets or similar binding agent or means. In one embodiment, the L profile corner protector is at least partly a self-adhesive corner protector, with an adhesive stripe arranged in the first or second planar surface of the first side of the corner protector, depending on the point of attachment of the corner protector to the first side wall.

In one embodiment of the invention, the packaging box includes a lid portion.

In one embodiment of the invention, the lid and/or bottom portions include a base plate and edgings enclosing the base plate, the edgings being disposed substantially at a right angle with respect to the base plate.

In one embodiment of the invention, the framework formed from the side walls is so dimensioned that it can be fitted within the edgings of the bottom and/or lid portion to form a packaging box.

In one embodiment of the invention, arranged in the corners of the edgings of the lid and bottom portions,

outside the edging, are reinforcements that enclose the corner from outside. In one embodiment, these reinforcements serve to attach the parts of the edging to one another when the edging has been formed from e.g. four parts. In an alternative solution, the edging is substantially uniform and has a maximum of one or two joints.

In this connection, a base plate is used to mean any kind of suitable planar plate which is used in both the bottom portion and the lid portion. Preferably, all the parts of the packaging box, in other words the side walls, the base plates of the lid and bottom portion, the edgings of the lid and bottom portion as well as the corner protectors are formed from any ecological and recyclable cardboard material suitable for the purpose, more preferably from multi-layer cardboard.

In one embodiment, the L profile corner protectors are formed from laminated multi-layer cardboard. The thickness, length and width of the sides of the L profile corner protectors can naturally vary according to the purpose of use.

In one embodiment, the packaging box includes, in addition, a separate suspension strap or ribbon for ensuring closure of the box.

In one embodiment of the invention, legs for a pallet or a structure with legs for a pallet can be arranged beneath the packaging box for lifting it from the pallet and facilitating its hoisting using e.g. a forklift. Preferably, the first two side walls of the packaging box, the two second side walls, the bottom portion and the possible lid portion are separate portions that can be easily assembled without tools or aids to form a packaging box of the invention. The side walls are joined to one another by means of L profile corner protectors to form a rectangular framework. The packaging box and method of the invention have considerable advantages compared to the prior art.

The invention has the advantage that the packaging box is formed from separate parts that can be easily assem-

bled in any situation or place to form a packaging box, thanks to the structure of the invention. Thanks to the invention, the packaging box can be delivered in parts, whereby less space is needed in transportation and storage. In that case, both the transportation and storage costs can be significantly reduced.

The packaging boxes can be assembled and disassembled quickly and easily. The packaging box can be disassem ^¬ bled again by detaching the parts from one another and stored as space-saving separate parts.

The structure of the packaging box is lightweight but still strong and durable. Heavy products can be loaded within it and heavy goods and packages can be loaded on top of it. Furthermore, the invention has the advantage that the dimensions of the packaging box being formed as well as those of the parts thereof are easy to adjust and modify in conjunction with the manufacturing process to suit the purpose of use. Preferably, the parts of the packaging box have been formed from an environmentally friendly material that can be recycled. The parts of the packaging box can be recycled and reused as cardboard or in the manufacture of cardboard.

LIST OF FIGURES

In the following section, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig- 1 represents one packaging box of the invention; and

Fig. 2 represents one detail of the packaging box shown in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The packaging box shown in Fig. 1 is designated to be used in the transportation and storage of a product for

protecting it. Fig. 2 shows the structure of the side walls of the packaging box in more detail.

The packaging box shown in Fig. 1 includes separate first 2 and second 3 side walls; a lid portion 4 and a bottom portion 5, which can be assembled together to form a packaging box 1 shaped like a rectangular polyhedron. The portions have been formed from multi-layer cardboard.

.The first side walls 2 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 have been formed from a wall surface 8 and four L profile corner protectors 9a-d, of which two 9a-b have been arranged at the first end 10 of the wall surface in the elevational direction, and the other two 9c-d have been arranged at the other opposite end 11 of the wall surface. The L profile corner protector is substantially equal to the height of the wall surface. The L profile corner protectors are formed from laminated multi-layer cardboard and include two sides 12, of which the first side 13 includes a first 14 and a second 15 planar surface. Both ends 10 and 11 of the wall surface 8 are provided with a first L profile corner protector 9a, 9c, which is secured to the first surface 16 of the wall surface from the first planar surface 14 of the corner protector by gluing. In that case, the first corner protector 9a, 9c forms an outer corner with the wall surface 8. Arranged at both ends 10 and 11 of the wall surface 8 is a second L profile corner protector 9b, 9d, which is secured by gluing to the second surface 17 of the wall surface from the second planar surface 15 of the corner protector in parallel to the first corner protector 9a, 9c, so that the second sides 18 of the corner protectors are dis- posed at a distance from one another. In that case, a groove 19 is achieved between the second sides 18. The second corner protector 9b, 9d forms an inner corner with the wall surface 8. The second side 18 of the second L profile corner protector 9b, 9d is narrower than the second side 18 of the first L profile corner protector 9a, 9c in order that the sides 18 extend to the same distance from the second surface 17 of the wall surface 8.

The second side walls 3 shown in Fig. 1 are formed from a wall surface 20, and can be arranged into the grooves 19 (Fig. 2) formed in the first side walls 2 from the elevational ends 21 of the side walls 3 to form a rec- tangular framework that can be joined with the lid 4 and bottom portions 5 for forming a packaging box 1.

The lid 4 and bottom portions 5 shown in Fig. 1 include a base plate 6 and edgings 7 enclosing the base plate, the edgings being disposed substantially at a right angle with respect to the base plate. Arranged in the corners of the edgings 7 of the lid 4 and bottom portions 5, outside the edging 7, are reinforcements 22, enclosing the corner from outside and joining the parts of the edgings to one another. In the embodiments of the figures, the framework formed from the side walls 2 and 3 is so dimensioned that it can be fitted within the inside of the edgings 7 of the bottom 5 and lid portions 4 to form a packaging box 1.

When assembling the packaging box, the bottom por- tion 5 is placed on a supporting surface with the base plate 6 facing the supporting surface and the edgings 7 that enclose the base plate facing upward. The first 2 and the second 3 side walls are placed within the edgings 7 that enclose the base plate 6, and the elevational ends 21 of the second side walls 3 are fitted into the grooves 19 formed in the elevational ends 10, 11 of the first side walls 2. Finally, the lid portion 4 is placed on top of the framework formed from the side walls 2, 3. Assembling the packaging box is easy and fast. The invention is not limited merely to examples of its embodiments referred to above; instead many variations are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined by the claims .