Paperboard protective corner and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A cardboard protective corner and a method of manufacturing a cardboard protective corner, the cardboard protective corner including a corner body made of a single cardboard sheet including a first side edge and a second side edge, the single cardboard sheet being folded onto itself to form the cardboard protective corner, the single cardboard sheet including a plurality of folds, both the first side edge and the second side edge being received in corresponding folds so as not to be exposed outside the cardboard protective corner, the cardboard protective corner and the method of manufacturing a cardboard protective corner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This technical field generally relates to protective corners for protecting products or goods, for example, from impacts during storage, transportation, or shipping, and methods of manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] L-shaped protective corners (also known as "edge protectors" or "angles") are typically placed along the corners or edges of products (typically rectangular products or products stacked on a pallet) to protect the products from damage during storage, transportation, or shipping from one destination to another.

[0003] Some existing protective corners are typically made from thick, high-density cardboard such as corrugated cardboard. Unfortunately, corrugated cardboard can be relatively expensive and time-consuming to manufacture.

[0004] Other existing protective corners can be made from multiple sheets of non-corrugated paperboard (i.e., not corrugated cardboard) that are wound around each other in an L-shape to form multiple plies of the corner. Typically, the sheets are wound around an L-shaped center core member. Unfortunately, this can require the manipulation of multiple paper sheets, making the process of manufacturing the protective corner relatively complex and time-consuming.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect, there is provided a cardboard protective corner, a corner body made from a single cardboard sheet including a first side edge and a second side edge, the single cardboard sheet being a non-laminated cardboard sheet having a thickness of about 6 pts to about 17 pts, the corner body being provided, the single cardboard sheet being folded onto itself to define a first wing and a second wing each having at least 5 layers from the single cardboard sheet, the first wing and the second wing having a corner end each with a plurality of folds, both the first side edge and the second side edge being nested in corresponding folds or arranged adjacent to corresponding folds so as not to be exposed outside the cardboard protective corner.

[0006] In at least one embodiment, the first and second wings are angled with respect to each other so as to form a central vertex therebetween, the vertex resisting a crushing force of at least 90 N.

[0007] In at least one embodiment, the thickness of the first and second wings is 2 mm or more, and the vertex resists a crushing force of at least 300 N.

[0008] In at least one embodiment, the thickness of the first and second wings is 2 mm to 5 mm, and the vertex resists a crushing force of 300 N to 5700 N.

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the single cardboard sheet is folded according to a first folding pattern to form a first multi-layer intermediate sheet, the multi-layer intermediate sheet is further folded according to a second folding pattern to form a second multi-layer intermediate sheet, and the second multi-layer intermediate sheet is bent at an angle of about 90 degrees to form the vertex of the cardboard protective corner.

[0010] In at least one embodiment, the second folding pattern is the same as the first folding pattern.

[0011] In at least one embodiment, the corner body extends between a first corner end and a second corner end, and the plurality of folds includes a first plurality of folds located at the first corner end, the first plurality of folds including an outer fold, a first intermediate fold nested within the outer fold, a second intermediate fold nested within the first intermediate fold, and an inner fold nested within the second intermediate fold.

[0012] In at least one embodiment, the plurality of folds further includes a second plurality of folds disposed at the second corner end, the second plurality of folds including a first outer fold and a second outer fold disposed adjacent to the first outer fold.

[0013] In at least one embodiment, each of the first wing and the second wing includes nine layers from a single cardboard sheet.

[0014] In at least one embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200 has a basis weight of about 100 g / m 2 ~ about 380 g / m 2 of.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the plurality of folds includes more than four folds.

[0016] According to another aspect, a method for manufacturing a cardboard protective corner is also provided. The method includes providing a single cardboard sheet having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the single cardboard sheet having a first side edge and a second side edge, and the single cardboard sheet further including a first side, a second side, and a central portion extending between the first side and the second side; folding the first side of the cardboard sheet over the central portion of the cardboard sheet; folding the second side of the cardboard sheet over the first side of the cardboard sheet, thereby creating a multi-layer intermediate sheet; folding the multi-layer intermediate sheet at a vertex to form a cardboard protective corner, wherein both the first side edge and the second side edge are nested within or disposed adjacent to corresponding folds so as not to be exposed outside the cardboard protective corner.

[0017] In at least one embodiment, the multi-layer intermediate sheet is a first multi-layer intermediate sheet including a first side, a second side, and a central portion, and folding the multi-layer intermediate sheet includes folding the first side of the first multi-layer intermediate sheet over the central portion of the first multi-layer intermediate sheet; folding the second side of the first multi-layer intermediate sheet over the first side of the first multi-layer intermediate sheet, thereby creating a second multi-layer intermediate sheet; and folding the second multi-layer intermediate sheet to form a cardboard protective corner.

[0018] In at least one embodiment, the method further includes moving the cardboard sheet longitudinally along a cardboard protective corner production line.

[0019] In at least one embodiment, moving the cardboard sheet longitudinally is performed simultaneously with at least one of folding the first side, folding the second side, and folding the multi-layer intermediate sheet.

[0020] In at least one embodiment, moving the cardboard sheet longitudinally includes moving the cardboard sheet longitudinally at a speed of about 0 m / s to 300 m / s.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, moving the cardboard sheet longitudinally includes moving the cardboard sheet longitudinally at a speed exceeding 200 m / s.

[0022] According to another aspect, there is further provided a cardboard protective corner, comprising a single cardboard sheet that is folded according to a first folding pattern to form a first multi-layer intermediate sheet, and the multi-layer intermediate sheet is further folded according to a second folding pattern to form a second multi-layer intermediate sheet, and the second multi-layer intermediate sheet is bent at an angle of about 90 degrees to form a cardboard protective corner having a first wing and a second wing, and the second folding pattern is the same as the first folding pattern.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, the single cardboard sheet has a width defined between a first side edge and a second side edge, and the first side edge and the second side edge are disposed between the layers of the first wing and the second wing so as not to be exposed outside the cardboard protective corner.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, the thickness of the first and second wings is 2 mm to 5 mm, and the apex resists a crushing force of 300 N to 5700 N.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] For the sake of simplicity and clarity, it will be understood that where appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated between drawings to indicate corresponding or similar elements or steps. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Further, this description should not be considered as limiting in any way the scope of the embodiments described herein, but rather should be considered as merely illustrative of the various implementations of the embodiments described herein.

[0027] For the sake of brevity and clarity, i.e., so as not to unduly clutter the drawings with reference numerals, not all drawings include reference numerals for all components and features, and references to some components and features may be found in only one drawing, and the components and features of the present disclosure illustrated in other drawings may be readily inferred therefrom. The embodiments, geometries, materials, and / or dimensions shown in the figures are optional and are provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0028] Furthermore, descriptions of positions such as "upper", "lower", "upper part", "bottom", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc. should be interpreted in the context of the figure unless otherwise indicated, and it will be understood that they correspond to the positions and orientations in the cardboard corner protectors and corresponding parts when used. Descriptions of positions should not be considered limiting.

[0029] The term "point" is used in the art to measure the thickness of a paper sheet or cardboard sheet, and 10 points corresponds to 0.010 inches or 0.25 mm.

[0030] Furthermore, the expressions "bending" and "folding" mean curving, deflecting, or forming a curvature of the paper sheet.

[0031] The cardboard protection corners described in this specification are mainly designed to protect the corners or edges of products such as cases stacked on pallets, household appliances, and furniture during storage, transportation, or shipment, by way of example only. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the cardboard protection corners may be used with other types of devices and / or products, and in other fields as well. The cardboard protection corners may also be referred to as edge protectors or angles.

[0032] Furthermore, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown with specific geometric configurations as described herein, but not all of these configurations and geometric shapes are essential to the present invention, and thus they should not be construed in their limiting sense, that is, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, a pallet 10 is provided with a load 20 thereon, and each corner of the load is protected by a cardboard protection corner 100. The pallet 10 may be any standard pallet commonly used for transporting goods, and the load 20 may be any type of load that requires corner protection, such as, for example, household electrical appliances, stacked boxes of wine, stacked boxes of tableware, or any other fragile item that requires a certain level of protection.

[0034] The cardboard protection corner 100 is an elongated piece of rigid cardboard that is typically bent at a 90° angle to form a first wing and a second wing, and the cardboard protection corner 100 can be used to protect the edges or corners of a unit load from scratches or other impacts during transportation. They may also be used to facilitate the packaging of stacked products with stretch film.

[0035] In some embodiments, the cardboard protective corner 100 can have a length L of about 1 m to about 6 m, or about 2 m to 4 m, preferably about 2 m. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the first wing w1 is equal to the length of the second wing w2 such that the cardboard protective corner 100 is symmetric. Alternatively, the length of the first wing w1 may be different from the length of the second wing w2 in an asymmetric configuration. The size of each wing w1, w2 can be 15 mm to 80 mm, preferably 20 mm to 60 mm, and most preferably about 50 mm.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 2, as further described below, a single cardboard sheet 200 is provided that can be used to form the cardboard protective corner 100 by folding the single cardboard sheet 200 onto itself. The single non-laminated cardboard sheet is supplied in the form of a roll, and the sheet has a length that is much greater than its width. According to one embodiment, the cardboard protective corner 100 is manufactured in a continuous manufacturing process in a plant, and the single cardboard sheet is unwound at a given speed by an automated and controlled unwind mechanism. The unwound cardboard sheet, sometimes referred to as a non-laminated cardboard sheet, is guided and folded using mechanical guides as the sheet is pulled and moved along the manufacturing line. The mechanical guides are typically rigid metal parts placed along the production line and are used to bend and fold the sheet moving along the manufacturing line into different sections or parts until the desired configuration is reached. The mechanical guides can have a V-shaped cross-section that gradually changes from a wider opening to a narrower opening to bend and fold the sheet as it contacts the guide. An adhesive can be applied at different steps of the process to hold the folded sections or parts together. In a preferred embodiment, the cardboard protective corner is cut from the folded sheet at the end of the process.

[0037] Referring further to FIG. 2, the cardboard sheet 200 includes a first surface 206 and a second surface 208 opposite the first surface 206. In one embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200 can have a length L of about 1 m to about 6 m, or about 2 m to 4 m, most preferably about 2 m, and a width w of about 27 cm to about 1.45 m, or about 36 cm to 1.1 m, most preferably about 90 cm. FIG. 2 shows a cardboard sheet having a fixed length L corresponding to the length of the finished cardboard protective corner, but in reality, the cardboard sheet used to manufacture the cardboard protective corner has an "indeterminate" length because it is continuously unwound from a paper roll during the manufacturing process. The cardboard protective corner is preferably cut to the length L only at the end of the manufacturing process, and thus, before cutting into separate cardboard protective corners separated by the cardboard, the sheet is the same length as the manufacturing line from the unwinding station to the cutting station. The width of the sheet is defined by the side edges 202, 204. Preferably, the cardboard sheet used to form the cardboard protective corner can be used directly from the paper roll without the need to change the width of the sheet, i.e., without the need to cut the sheet longitudinally, and as described above, a single sheet is used and folded to form the entire cardboard protective corner.

[0038] In one embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200 further has a thickness of about 6 pt to about 17 pt, or about 5 pt to about 15 pt, and the variation in thickness affects the resistance of the cardboard protective corner 100. In one embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200 is a single layer or ply of non-laminated and non-corrugated cardboard. The cardboard sheet can be made from virgin kraft paper, or recycled kraft paper, or a combination of both. Some water-resistant cardboard can also be used. Alternatively, the cardboard sheet 200 can include any other suitable cardboard. More specifically, in one embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200 is about 80 g / m 2 ~ about 350 g / m 2 , particularly about 100 g / m 2 ~ about 200 g / m 2 , most preferably about 140 g / m 2It can have the basis weight (or density) of the paperboard sheet 200. The density selected for the paperboard sheet 200 can be a compromise between a high density for rigidity and a low density for flexibility and foldability.

[0039] Of course, the folding steps described in the subsequent paragraphs must be considered to be performed in an automated manner on the production line as a continuous or "in-line" process.

[0040] In one embodiment, the paperboard sheet 200 can have a moisture ratio of less than 12%, preferably less than 9.5%, or preferably less than 8%, more preferably 4% - 8%. It is understood that the higher the ratio of humidity, the better the foldability of the paperboard sheet 200 and the prevention of tearing of the paperboard when folded. However, a higher moisture ratio can reduce the edge crush resistance of the paperboard protective corners.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, a paperboard protective corner 100 according to the first embodiment is provided. In this embodiment, the paperboard protective corner 100 includes a single non-laminated paperboard sheet 200 that is folded onto itself to form the paperboard protective corner 100. By using a single paperboard sheet instead of multiple sheets, the manufacture of the paperboard protective corner 100 is facilitated and the costs associated with the manufacture of the paperboard protective corner 100 can be reduced. In particular, by using a single paperboard sheet, the raw materials required to make the paperboard protective corner are reduced, re-cutting is limited (less waste of materials), and the overall manufacturing cost is reduced (less consumption of resources such as operators, electricity or water), and as a result, a green technology is obtained that helps to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacture of the paperboard protective corner. The use of a single sheet also requires only one paper roll, and thus only one unwind machine, to form the corner, reducing the space or floor area required in the plant to manufacture the paperboard protective corner. The proposed corner and related manufacturing process eliminate the complexity of managing multiple paper rolls in the production line. Synchronizing the unwinding of multiple rolls in the manufacturing process is a complex process, and problems with one roll can affect the management of the other rolls on the line. Restarting the production line when only one roll is involved, without the need to manage the synchronization of multiple rolls, limits production downtime and allows production to be restarted more quickly when there is a problem. Further, the paperboard sheet 200 may be made from non-corrugated paperboard and still form a paperboard protective corner that provides sufficient protective properties, thereby further reducing the manufacturing cost and complexity of the paperboard protective corner 100. Surprisingly, as will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 14, by using a single non-laminated paper sheet, it is possible to obtain an all-paper corner that has equivalent resistance to crushing force (applied to the apex) and is superior to conventional corners that typically include either a rigid core or a series of laminated sheets, depending on the folding method.

[0042] Referring further to FIGS. 3 and 4A-4E, the cardboard sheet 200 can be folded into a first multi-layer intermediate sheet, and the first multi-layer intermediate sheet can be further folded into a second multi-layer intermediate sheet having more layers than the first multi-layer intermediate sheet using the same or different folding patterns. Further, each time the cardboard sheet 200 is folded, a corner or fold is formed between adjacent folded sheet portions, which contributes to the reinforcement of the cardboard protective corner 100.

[0043] In the illustrated embodiment, the cardboard protective corner 100 includes a corner body 102 extending between a first corner end 104 and a second corner end 106. The corner body 102 includes a first wing 108 and a second wing 110 angled with respect to the first wing 108, and a central apex 112 is formed between the first wing 108 and the second wing 110. In this embodiment, the first wing 108 and the second wing 110 are angled at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to each other. Alternatively, the first and second wings 108, 110 can be angled at an angle greater than or less than 90 degrees.

[0044] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first wing 108 has a first wing length, and the second wing 110 has a second wing length substantially equal to the first wing length. In other words, the first corner end 104 is spaced from the central apex 112 by a first distance, and the second corner end 106 is spaced from the central apex 112 by a second distance substantially equal to the first distance.

[0045] It will be understood that the cardboard protective corner 100 shown in FIG. 3 is not limited to a particular length and can have any suitable length. In the illustrated embodiment, the cardboard protective corner 100 is formed by folding a cardboard sheet to form nine layers of cardboard.

[0046] The cardboard protection corner 100 includes only a single cardboard sheet 200 having a first side edge 202 and a second side edge 204. Thus, the cardboard protection corner 100 also includes only two side edges 202, 204. In the illustrated embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200 is folded such that the first sheet side edge 202 and the second sheet side edge 204 are not exposed externally, but instead are received inside the fold formed in the cardboard sheet 200. The exposed side edges of the sheet forming the cardboard protection corner can be peeled off more easily, which may affect the integrity of the corner.

[0047] By forming the cardboard protection corner such that the side edges of the sheet are inside and embedded in the wings, they are prevented from coming off or peeling away from the main body of the corner.

[0048] Specifically, the first corner end 104 of the cardboard protection corner 100 includes four folds, namely, an outer fold 114, a first intermediate fold 116 nested within the outer fold 114, a second intermediate fold 118 nested within the first intermediate fold 116, and an inner fold 120 nested within the second intermediate fold 118. In this embodiment, the second side edge 204 of the cardboard sheet 200 is adjacent to the inner fold 120 and is received within the second intermediate fold 118 along the inner fold 120.

[0049] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the second corner end 106 of the cardboard protection corner 100 includes a first outer fold 122 and a second outer fold 124 disposed adjacent to the first outer fold 122. The second corner end 106 further includes an intermediate fold 126 nested within the outer fold 122 and an inner fold 128 nested within the intermediate fold 126. In this embodiment, the first side edge 202 of the cardboard sheet 200 is received within the second outer fold 124.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, the cardboard protective corner 100 includes nine folds, with four at each corner end 104, 106 and the central vertex 112 forming the ninth fold. As described above, these folds function to strengthen and reinforce the cardboard protective corner 100. For example, in one embodiment, the vertex can have a resistance of at least about 90 N or at least about 20 lbs, specifically about 100 lbs or about 445 N to about 1280 lbs or about 5680 N, more specifically about 200 lbs or about 890 N to 400 lbs or about 1780 N, depending on the wall thickness of the cardboard protective corner. It should be noted that the wall thickness of the cardboard protective corner corresponds to the thickness of each of the first wing and the second wing that make up the corner body of the cardboard protective corner. The resistance of the vertex can be determined experimentally. For example, in one embodiment, the cardboard protective corner 100 may be placed on two blocks, each block having a width of 1.5 inches and separated by a distance D of about 8 inches, which substantially corresponds to the length of the cardboard protective corner being tested. A force F is applied to the central vertex 112 of the cardboard protective corner 100 thus mounted at a speed of about 2 inches per minute, and the force F measured at the moment the cardboard protective corner 100 breaks is the resistance. Alternatively, different distances D (or different lengths L of the cardboard protective corner), such as 10 inches for example, can be considered. The longest distance D (i.e., the longest length L of the cardboard protective corner) can result in a lower resistance force F. In one embodiment, the experimental values obtained for a particular length L of the cardboard protective corner can be extrapolated for different lengths L' of the cardboard protective corner, and experiments and measurements using cardboard protective corners of different lengths L' are recommended for accurate results. Alternatively, the resistance of the vertex and / or the cardboard protective corner 100 may be measured using any other suitable method. The use of a single continuous sheet rather than multiple layers of separate laminated sheets appears to enable the corner to resist well the crushing force applied to the vertex since there are no breaks and discontinuities in the material forming the entire cardboard protective corner.

[0051] Table 1 below shows exemplary results of resistance tests conducted according to the above test protocol on a plurality of paperboard protective corners (14 samples) having different corner wall thicknesses in the range of about 3.5 mm to about 5 mm and different humidity levels in the range of about 4.6% to about 5.4%. The plurality of paperboard protective corners are configured as described above. Specifically, tests were conducted on corners having a length L of about 8 inches (20 cm), having symmetric wings, both with widths w1, w2 of about 2 inches (50 mm).

Table 1

[0052] It can be observed that the corners having the above configuration have a higher, substantially higher resistance than conventional corners. For example, in the case of corners having a wall thickness of about 3.5 mm, the paperboard protective corners had an average resistance of about 2286 N. According to these results, it is understood that it is possible to manufacture a corner similar to the above-described paperboard protective corner having a wall thickness wt0 that has a substantially smaller wt0 than wt1, and thus substantially reduces the required amount of paperboard required to manufacture the paperboard protective corner, and has substantially the same resistance as a conventional corner having a wall thickness t1. Furthermore, this can also substantially reduce the weight and space occupied by each corner, and substantially reduce the costs associated with the transportation of the corners.

[0053] Referring further to Table 1, resistance tests were also conducted on the cardboard protective corners having wall thicknesses of about 4.5 mm and 5 mm as described above. It was observed that the resistance of the cardboard protective corners was about 3765 N to 4470 N, and about 5300 N to 5680 N, respectively. It should be noted that the average resistance force can be substantially a linear function or relationship of the wall thickness. Although Table 1 does not show the average resistance force for a wall thickness of 2 mm, it should be noted that by extrapolating the values in Table 1, the resistance of the cardboard protective corner having a wall thickness of 2 mm can be at least 300 N, or more preferably at least 350 N. In other words, the vertices of the cardboard protective corners having a wall thickness of 2 mm to 5 mm (or the thicknesses of the first wing and the second wing) can each resist a crushing force of 300 N to 560 N.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by receiving the end portions 202, 204 of the cardboard sheet 200 within the folds 118, 124, it is substantially prevented that the end portions 202, 204 become loose, thereby preventing the entire corner 100 from becoming loose. It also prevents the end portions 202, 204 from getting caught, which can damage the corner and also cause the end portions 202, 204 to come off.

[0055] First Embodiment - 9 Layers Referring now to FIGS. 4A - 4E, different steps of a process for manufacturing the cardboard protective corner 100 are shown, where a cardboard sheet 200 is first provided.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4A, the cardboard sheet 200 has a first surface 206 and a second surface 208 opposite the first surface 206. The cardboard sheet 200 includes a first side portion 210 disposed adjacent to the first side edge 202, a second side portion 213 disposed adjacent to the second side edge 204, and a central portion 214 extending between the first side portion 210 and the second side portion 213.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the cardboard sheet 200 is folded according to the first folding pattern. Specifically, the cardboard sheet 200 is folded such that the first side portion 210 and the second side portion 213 are folded onto the central portion 214. More specifically, the first side portion 210 is folded onto the central portion 214 such that the first surface 206 of the first side portion 210 extends onto the first surface 206 of the central portion 214. Next, the second side portion 213 is folded onto the first side portion 210 such that the first surface 206 of the second side portion 213 extends along the second surface 208 of the first side portion 210.

[0058] In this configuration, by folding the first side portion 210 onto the central portion 214, a fold corresponding to the inner fold 120 of the first corner end 104 is formed, and by folding the second side portion 210 onto the first side portion 210, a fold corresponding to the second outer fold 124 of the second corner end 106 is formed.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, the width w0 of the first side portion 210 and the width w2 of the second side portion 213 are substantially the same as the width w4 of the central portion 214 of the cardboard sheet 200. Alternatively, the first side portion 210 and / or the second side portion 213 can have a width that is substantially smaller than the width of the central portion 214. Thus, the width w of the paper sheet corresponds to the sum of the widths w0, w2, and w3. The folds are formed by mechanical guides and fingers that gradually bend the paper sheet as it passes through the guides from a paper roll that is continuously unwound at the start of the production line to form the folds 120 and 124.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 4C, by folding the first side portion 210 and the second side portion 213, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 300 is formed. More specifically, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 300 includes three layers corresponding to the first side portion 210, the second side portion 213, and the central portion 214 of the cardboard sheet 200.

[0061] In one embodiment, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 300 is then folded again onto itself to increase the thickness of the cardboard protective corner 100 and to provide additional folds to the cardboard protective corner 100 to further strengthen the cardboard protective corner 100. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 300 has a first multi-layer surface 302 and a second multi-layer surface 304, and further includes a first multi-layer side portion 306, a second multi-layer side portion 308, and a multi-layer central portion 310 extending between the first multi-layer side portion 306 and the second multi-layer side portion 308. All the multi-layer parts are formed from a single cardboard sheet 200. Specifically, the second side edge 204 of the cardboard sheet 200 and the inner fold 120 of the first corner end 104 are located at the first side portion 306, and the second outer fold 124 of the first side edge 202 and the second corner end 106 of the cardboard sheet 200 is located at the second end portion 308.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 4D and 4E, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 300 is folded according to a second folding pattern. In this embodiment, the second folding pattern is similar to the first folding pattern. Specifically, the first and second side portions 306, 308 are folded towards each other and onto the central multi-layer portion 310. More specifically, the first side portion 306 is folded onto the central multi-layer portion 310 such that the first surface 302 of the first side portion 306 extends onto the first surface 302 of the central portion 310. Next, the second side portion 308 is folded onto the first side portion 306 such that the first surface 302 of the second side portion 308 extends along the second surface 304 of the first side portion 306.

[0063] In the illustrated embodiment, the first multi-layer side portion 306, the second multi-layer side portion 308, and the central multi-layer portion 310 of the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 300 have substantially the same width. Alternatively, the first multi-layer side portion 306 and / or the second multi-layer side portion 308 can have a width that is substantially smaller than the width of the central multi-layer portion 310.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 4E, by folding the first multilayer side portions 306 and the second multilayer side portions 308 of the first multilayer sheet 300 over the central multilayer portion 310, a second multilayer intermediate sheet 400 is formed. More specifically, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 400 includes nine layers corresponding to the first multilayer side portions 306 and the second multilayer side portions 308 of the cardboard sheet 200 each including three layers and the central portion 310. Similar to the folding formed in the cardboard sheet, the folding of the first multilayer sheet 300 is formed inline, for example, using a mechanical guide and fingers that gradually bend as the paper sheet passes through the guide to form different folds. In particular, folding the first side multilayer side portion 306 over the central multilayer portion 310 forms three folds that continuously correspond to the first outer fold 122, the intermediate fold 126, and the inner fold 128 of the second corner end 106 from the outside to the inside, or from left to right in FIG. 4E, and folding the second multilayer side portion 308 over the first multilayer side portion 306 forms three folds that continuously correspond to the outer fold 114, the first intermediate fold 116, and the second intermediate fold 118 of the first corner end 104 from the outside to the inside, or from right to left in FIG. 4E.

[0065] In the illustrated embodiment, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 400 is then bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees substantially at its center as shown in FIG. 3 to form the central vertex 112 and the first wing 108 and the second wing 110 on both sides of the central vertex 112.

[0066] Referring now to FIGS. 5, 7, and 9, three cardboard protective corners 1000, 2000, and 3000 according to the second, third, and fourth embodiments are provided. In these embodiments, the cardboard protective corners 1000, 2000, and 3000 include a single cardboard sheet 200 that is folded over itself to form a cardboard protective corner 100 having nine layers from the same cardboard sheet.

[0067] Figures 6A - 6I, 8A - 8I, and 10A - 10G show different steps of the processes for manufacturing cardboard protection corners 1000, 2000, and 3000 respectively, and a cardboard sheet 200 is first provided.

[0068] Second Embodiment - 9 Layers Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6A - 6I, a second embodiment of a cardboard protection corner is shown, and is numbered with reference numerals in the 1000s corresponding to the reference numerals of the previous embodiment.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6A, the cardboard sheet 1200 includes a first side 1210 disposed adjacent to the first side edge 1202, a second side 1213 disposed adjacent to the second side edge 1204, and a central portion 1214 extending between the first side 1210 and the second side 1213.

[0070] In the illustrated embodiment, the width w10 of the first side 1210 is substantially equal to 1 / 9 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 1200, and the width w13 of the second side 1213 is substantially equal to 1 / 3 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 1200. The width w14 of the central portion 1214 is substantially equal to 5 / 9 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 1200.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the cardboard sheet 1200 is folded according to a first folding pattern. Specifically, the cardboard sheet 1200 is folded such that the first side 1210 and the second side 1213 are folded onto the central portion 1214. More specifically, the first side 1210 is folded onto the central portion 1214 such that the first surface 1206 of the first side 1210 extends onto the first surface 1206 of the central portion 1214. Next, the second side 1213 is folded onto the first side 1210 such that the first surface 1206 of the second side 1213 extends along the second surface 1208 of the first side 1210.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 6C, by folding the first side 1210 and the second side 1213, a first multi - layer intermediate sheet 1300 is formed.

[0073] In one embodiment, the second side portion 1213 includes a first sub-side portion 1302 disposed adjacent to the second side edge 1204 and a second sub-side portion 1305 disposed adjacent to the second outer fold 1124. The width of the second sub-side portion 1305 is substantially twice the width of the first sub-side portion 1302.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 6D and 6E, the first sub-side portion 1302 is folded onto the second sub-side portion 1305. More specifically, the first sub-side portion 1302 is folded onto the second sub-side portion 1305 such that the upper surface of the first sub-side portion 1302 extends over the upper surface of the second sub-side portion 1305.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 6F and 6G, the first multilayer intermediate sheet 1300 is folded according to a second folding pattern. Specifically, the first and second side portions 1304 and 1306 are folded toward each other. More specifically, the first side portion 1304 is folded onto the second side portion 1306 such that the upper surface of the first side portion 1304 extends over the upper surface of the second side portion 1306.

[0076] In the illustrated embodiment, the first side portion 1304 and the second side portion 1306 of the first multilayer intermediate sheet 1300 have a width ratio of substantially 2 / 3, that is, the width of the first side portion 1304 is substantially 2 / 5 of the total width of the first multilayer intermediate sheet 1300, and the width of the second side portion 1306 is substantially 3 / 5 of the total width of the first multilayer intermediate sheet 1300.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 6G and 6H, by folding the first side portion 1304 and the second side portion 1306 of the first multilayer sheet 1300 towards each other, a second multilayer intermediate sheet 1400 is formed. More specifically, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 1400 includes a first side portion 1401, a second side portion 1403, and a central portion 1402 extending between the first side portion 1401 and the second side portion 1403. The second multilayer intermediate sheet 1400 includes two layers with respect to the first side portion 1401 and the second side portion 1403, and includes five layers with respect to the central portion 1402. Specifically, both the first side edge 1202 and the second side edge 1204 of the cardboard sheet 1200 are located in the intermediate layers (the second and third layers starting from the upper layer respectively) of the central portion 1402 such that both the first side edge 1202 and the second side edge 1204 are newly covered by the folding of the first side portion 1401 and the second side portion 1403.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 6I, by folding the first side portion 1401 and the second side portion 1403 of the second multilayer intermediate sheet 1400 over the central portion 1402, a third multilayer intermediate sheet 1500 is formed. More specifically, the first side portion 1401 is folded over the central portion 1402 such that the upper surface of the first side portion 1401 extends over the upper surface of the central portion 1402, and then the second side portion 1403 is folded over the first side portion 1401 such that the upper surface of the second side portion 1403 extends over the lower surface of the first side portion 1401.

[0079] In the illustrated embodiment, the third multilayer intermediate sheet 1500 is then bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees substantially at its center as shown in FIG. 5 to form a central vertex 1112, a first wing 1108, and a second wing 1110 on both sides of the central vertex 1112.

[0080] Third Embodiment - 9 Layers Referring to FIG. 7, a third embodiment of the cardboard protective corner is shown, and the features are numbered with reference numbers in the 2000s corresponding to the reference numbers of the first embodiment.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 8A, the cardboard sheet 2200 includes a first side portion 2210 disposed adjacent to the first side edge 2202, a second side portion 2213 disposed adjacent to the second side edge 2204, and a central portion 2214 extending between the first side portion 2210 and the second side portion 2213.

[0082] In the illustrated embodiment, the width w20 of the first side portion 2210 and the width w23 of the second side portion 2213 are substantially equal to each other and substantially correspond to 1 / 9 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 2200. The width w24 of the central portion 2214 is substantially equal to 7 / 9 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 1200.

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the cardboard sheet 2200 is folded according to a first folding pattern. Specifically, the cardboard sheet 2200 is folded symmetrically such that the first side portion 2210 and the second side portion 2213 are folded toward the central portion 2214. More specifically, the first side portion 2210 is folded onto the central portion 2214 such that the first surface 2206 of the first side portion 2210 extends onto the first surface 2206 of the central portion 2214. The second side portion 2213 is also folded onto the first side portion 2210 such that the first surface 2206 of the second side portion 1213 extends onto the first surface 2206 of the central portion 2214.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 8C, by folding the first side portion 2210 and the second side portion 2213, a first multi-layer intermediate sheet 2300 is formed.

[0085] As shown in FIGS. 8D and 8E, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 2300 includes a first side portion 2310, a second side portion 2312, and a central portion 2308 extending between the first side portion 2310 and the second side portion 2312. Next, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 2300 is folded according to the same first folding pattern as FIGS. 8B and 8C. Specifically, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 2300 is folded symmetrically such that the first side portion 2310 and the second side portion 2312 are folded toward the central portion 2308.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 8E and 8F, by folding the first side portion 2310 and the second side portion 2312 of the first multilayer sheet 2300 toward the central portion 2308, a second multilayer intermediate sheet 2400 is formed. More specifically, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 2400 includes a first side portion 2410, a second side portion 2412, and a central portion 2408 extending between the first side portion 2410 and the second side portion 2412. The second multilayer intermediate sheet 2400 includes three layers for the first side portion 2410 and the second side portion 2412, and one layer for the central portion 2408. Specifically, both the first side edge 2202 and the second side edge 2204 of the cardboard sheet 2200 are located in the intermediate layer of the first side edge 2410 and the second side edge 2412 such that both the first side edge 2202 and the second side edge 2204 are newly covered by the folding of the first side portion 2410 and the second side portion 2412.

[0087] Next, as shown in FIGS. 8F and 8G, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 2400 is folded in the same first folding pattern as FIGS. 8B and 8C. Specifically, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 2400 is folded symmetrically such that the first side portion 2410 and the second side portion 2412 are folded toward the central portion 2408.

[0088] As shown in FIGS. 8G and 8H, by folding the first side portion 2410 and the second side portion 2412 of the second multilayer sheet 2400 toward the central portion 2508, a third multilayer intermediate sheet 2500 is formed. More specifically, the third multilayer intermediate sheet 2500 includes a first side portion 2510, a second side portion 2512, and a central portion 2508 extending between the first side portion 2510 and the second side portion 2512. The second multilayer intermediate sheet 2500 includes four layers for the first side portion 2510 and the second side portion 2512, and one layer for the central portion 2508. Specifically, the first side portion 2510 and the second side portion 2512 have a width substantially equal to the width of the central portion 2508.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 8I, by folding the first side portion 2510 and the second side portion 2512 of the third multilayer intermediate sheet 2500 over the central portion 2508, a fourth multilayer intermediate sheet 2600 is formed. More specifically, first, the first side portion 2510 is folded over the central portion 2508 such that the upper surface of the first side portion 2510 extends over the upper surface of the central portion 2508, and then the second side portion 2512 is folded over the first side portion 2510 such that the upper surface of the second side portion 2512 extends over the lower surface of the first side portion 2510.

[0090] In the illustrated embodiment, the fourth multilayer intermediate sheet 2600 is then bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees substantially at its center as shown in FIG. 7 to form a central apex 2112 and a first wing 2108 and a second wing 2110 on both sides of the central apex 2112.

[0091] Fourth Embodiment - 9 Layers Referring to FIG. 9, a fourth embodiment of the cardboard protective corner 3000 is shown, and the features are numbered with reference numbers in the 3000s corresponding to the reference numbers of the first embodiment.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 10A, the cardboard sheet 3200 includes a first side portion 3210 disposed adjacent to the first side edge 3202, a second side portion 3213 disposed adjacent to the second side edge 3204, and a central portion 3214 extending between the first side portion 3210 and the second side portion 3213.

[0093] In the illustrated embodiment, the width w30 of the first side portion 3210 and the width w33 of the second side portion 3213 are substantially equal to each other and substantially correspond to 2 / 9 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 3200. The width w34 of the central portion 3214 is substantially equal to 5 / 9 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 1200.

[0094] As shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C, the cardboard sheet 3200 is folded according to a first folding pattern. Specifically, the cardboard sheet 3200 is folded symmetrically such that the first side portion 3210 and the second side portion 3213 are folded toward the central portion 3214. More specifically, the first side portion 3210 is folded onto the central portion 3214 such that the first surface 3206 of the first side portion 3210 extends onto the first surface 3206 of the central portion 3214. The second side portion 3213 is also folded onto the first side portion 3210 such that the first surface 3206 of the second side portion 3213 extends onto the first surface 3206 of the central portion 3214.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 10C, by folding the first side portion 3210 and the second side portion 3213, a first multi-layer intermediate sheet 3300 is formed.

[0096] As shown in FIGS. 10D and 10E, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 3300 includes a first side portion 3310, a second side portion 3312, and a central portion 3308 extending between the first side portion 3310 and the second side portion 3312. Next, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 3300 is folded according to the same first folding pattern as FIGS. 10B and 10C. Specifically, the first multi-layer intermediate sheet 3300 is folded symmetrically such that the first and second side portions 3310, 3312 are folded toward the central portion 3308.

[0097] As shown in FIGS. 10E and 10F, by folding the first and second side portions 3310, 3312 of the first multilayer sheet 3300 toward the central portion 3308, a second multilayer intermediate sheet 3400 is formed. More specifically, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 3400 includes a first side portion 3410, a second side portion 3412, and a central portion 3408 extending between the first side portion 3410 and the second side portion 3412. The second multilayer intermediate sheet 3400 includes four layers with respect to the first and second side portions 3410, 3412 and one layer with respect to the central portion 3408. Specifically, both the first side edge 3202 and the second side edge 3204 of the cardboard sheet 3200 are located in the intermediate layer of the first side portion 3410 and the second side portion 3412 such that both the first side edge 3202 and the second side edge 3204 are newly covered by the folding of the first side portion 3410 and the second side portion 3412.

[0098] Next, as shown in FIGS. 10F and 10G, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 3400 is folded in the same first folding pattern as FIGS. 10B and 10C. Specifically, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 3400 is folded symmetrically such that the first and second side portions 3410, 3412 are folded toward the central portion 3408.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 10G, by folding the first and second side portions 3410, 3412 of the second multilayer intermediate sheet 3400 over the central portion 3408, a third multilayer intermediate sheet 3500 is formed. More specifically, first, the first side portion 3410 is folded over the central portion 3408 such that the upper surface of the first side portion 3410 extends over the upper surface of the central portion 3408, and then the second side portion 3412 is folded over the first side portion 3410 such that the upper surface of the second side portion 3412 extends over the lower surface of the first side portion 3410.

[0100] In the illustrated embodiment, the third multilayer intermediate sheet 3500 is then bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees substantially at its center as shown in FIG. 9 to form a center vertex 3112 and first and second wings 3108 and 3110 on both sides of the center vertex 3112.

[0101] As can be understood, all of the different embodiments described above are formed from two multilayer sheets. The wings of the cardboard protective corner comprise a total of nine layers from the same folded sheet, and the side edges of the sheet are located inside the wings and are hidden. The combination using a single continuous sheet folded at the corner end maintains the integrity of the raw material forming the corner, and thus can provide resistance to the crushing force applied to the apex of at least 90 N, preferably at least 200 N, preferably at least 300 N for a corner wall thickness of 2 mm, without adding a reinforcing core to the corner or using a laminate made from several separate sheets.

[0102] Fifth Embodiment - 5 Layers Referring to FIG. 11, a cardboard protective corner 100' according to another embodiment is shown. The cardboard protective corner 100' extends between a first side edge 202' and a second side edge 204' and is made from a folded cardboard sheet 200'. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12A - 12E, the cardboard protective corner 100' includes five layers. Specifically, the cardboard protective corner 100' includes a corner body 102' that extends between a first corner end 104' and a second corner end 106' and is folded at a 90 - degree angle to form a central apex 107'.

[0103] In this embodiment, the first corner end 104' includes a first fold 108' and a second fold 110' and a first side edge 202' of the cardboard sheet 200' received between the first fold 108' and the second fold 110'. The second corner end 106' includes an outer fold 112' and an inner fold 114' nested within the outer fold 112', and the second side edge 204' of the cardboard sheet 200' is received within the outer fold 112' along the inner fold 114'.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 12A, the cardboard sheet 200’ includes a first side portion 210’ disposed adjacent to the first side edge 202’, a second side portion 213’ disposed adjacent to the second side edge 204’, and a central portion 214’ extending between the first side portion 210’ and the second side portion 213’.

[0105] In the illustrated embodiment, the width w0’ of the first side portion 210’ and the width w3’ of the second side portion 213’ are substantially equal to each other and substantially correspond to 1 / 5 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 200’. The width w4’ of the central portion 214’ is substantially equal to 3 / 5 of the total width w of the cardboard sheet 200’.

[0106] In a preferred embodiment, the width w0’ of the first side portion 210’ can be made significantly smaller than the width w3’ of the second side portion 213’ to ensure that the first side edge 202’ of the cardboard sheet 200’ is well nested and well protected between the first fold 108’ and the second fold 110’.

[0107] As shown in FIGS. 12B and 12C, the cardboard sheet 200’ is folded according to a first folding pattern. Specifically, the cardboard sheet 200’ is folded in the opposite direction such that the first side portion 210’ is folded downward toward the central portion 214’ and the second side portion 213’ is folded upward toward the central portion 214’. More specifically, the first side portion 210’ is folded onto the central portion 214’ such that the second surface 208’ of the first side portion 210’ extends onto the second surface 208’ of the central portion 214’, and the second side portion 213’ is folded onto the central portion 214’ such that the first surface 206’ of the second side portion 213’ extends onto the first surface 206’ of the central portion 214’.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 12C, by folding the first side portion 210’ and the second side portion 213’, a first multi-layer intermediate sheet 300’ is formed.

[0109] As shown in FIGS. 12D and 12E, the first multilayer intermediate sheet 300' includes a first side portion 310', a second side portion 312', and a central portion 308' extending between the first side portion 310' and the second side portion 312'. Next, the first multilayer intermediate sheet 300 is folded in a second folding pattern. Specifically, the first multilayer intermediate sheet 300' is folded symmetrically.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 12E, by folding the first side portion 310' and the second side portion 312' of the first multilayer intermediate sheet 300' over the central portion 308', a second multilayer intermediate sheet 400' is formed. More specifically, the first side portion 310' is first folded over the central portion 308' such that the upper surface of the first side portion 310' extends over the upper surface of the central portion 308', and then the second side portion 312' is folded over the first side portion 310' such that the upper surface of the second side portion 312' extends over the lower surface of the first side portion 310'.

[0111] In the illustrated embodiment, the second multilayer intermediate sheet 400' is then bent at substantially its center at an angle of about 90 degrees as shown in FIG. 11 to form a central apex 107' and first and second wings 109' and 121' on both sides of the central apex 107'.

[0112] In this embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200' includes five folds including two folds at each corner end and a central apex 107' forming a fifth fold. Similar to the nine-layer cardboard protection corner, the side edges are hidden and nested inside the wings of the corner. This version of the cardboard protection corner is also manufactured in a continuous in-line process with the folds being formed as the cardboard sheet interacts with guides placed along the production line.

[0113] Sixth Embodiment - 11 Layers Next, referring to FIG. 13, a cardboard protective corner 100'' according to another embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the cardboard protective corner 100'' extends between a first corner end 102'' and a second corner end 104'', and includes five layers similar to the cardboard protective corner 100' shown in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, the first corner end 102'' includes a first fold 106'' and a second fold 108'', and the second corner end 104'' includes an outer fold 110'' and an inner fold 112'' nested within the outer fold 110''. However, in this embodiment, each fold 106'', 108'', 110'', 112'' is folded onto itself so as to form an inwardly extending fold 114'' disposed between two outwardly extending folds 116'', 118''. Thus, in this embodiment, each fold is transformed into three folds. Specifically, according to this configuration, the cardboard protective corner 100'' can include 11 folds. Such an embodiment applies resistance to the cardboard protective corner.

[0114] Adhesive It will be understood that an adhesive such as glue may be further applied to the cardboard sheet 200 so that the cardboard protective corner 100 can retain its final configuration. In one embodiment, the adhesive may be applied along the entire cardboard sheet 200 before folding. In another embodiment, the adhesive may be applied between each folding step as needed. For example, a station for applying the adhesive can be placed near or between the mechanical guides forming the folds. Alternatively, the adhesive may be applied in any other suitable manner. The adhesive can include polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, sodium silicate-based adhesives, or polyurethane-based adhesives. In some embodiments, a starch-based adhesive that consistently increases rigidity but is not hydrophobic can be used. The adhesive can be applied by roller coating, spraying, brushing, troweling, or any suitable tool.

[0115] Further embodiments Alternatively, in order to facilitate proper fixation to the item to be protected, the cardboard protective corner as described above may further include an adhesive strip applied along the length of the protective corner on the inner side of each of the first and second wings.

[0116] The cardboard protective corner as described above may further include a coating such as Michelman® aqueous coating to enable adhesion, gripping, or sticking on the product to which the cardboard protective corner is applied and to prevent the cardboard protective corner from slipping off the item to be protected.

[0117] Production line As described above, the cardboard protective corner 100 is preferably fabricated on a cardboard protective corner production line configured to be able to continuously manufacture a plurality of cardboard protective corners. Specifically, the cardboard sheet 200 is unwound from a paper roll and is substantially long so as to enable different folding and adhering steps to be performed along the line using static guides or mechanized fingers. The production line is configured to move the cardboard sheet 200 along a travel path substantially continuously in the longitudinal direction (corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the cardboard protective corner) during the manufacturing process, for example using rollers provided along the line. The production line further includes folding stations arranged along the travel path, and each folding station is configured to perform one or more of the folding operations disclosed above. For example, in one embodiment, the production line includes a first folding station configured to fold the first side portion 210 onto the central portion 214, a second folding station for folding the second side portion 213 onto the first side portion 210, a third folding station for folding the first side portion 306 of the multi-layer intermediate sheet 400 onto the central portion 310, a fourth folding station for folding the second side portion 308 onto the first side portion 306, and a bending station for bending the second multi-layer intermediate sheet 300 at an angle of approximately 90 degrees substantially at its center to form the central apex 112. In one embodiment, the production line can further include a cutting station located downstream of the folding station(s) for cutting the cardboard protective corner to a desired length.

[0118] In one embodiment, the folding station performs a folding operation while the cardboard sheet is continuously moving along the moving path. More specifically, the production line can be configured to perform the above-described folding operation while the cardboard sheet is moving along the moving path at a substantially constant speed. In this case, manufacturing the cardboard protective corner 100 using a single cardboard sheet can allow the cardboard sheet to move along the moving path at a substantially faster speed than when the corner is made from multiple cardboard sheets, and thus can increase the production speed of the cardboard protective corner. For example, in one embodiment, the cardboard sheet may be longitudinally moved along the moving path at a speed of about 0 m / s to 300 m / s, or at a speed exceeding 200 m / s. Alternatively, the cardboard sheet may be moved along the moving path at any other suitable speed.

[0119] In one embodiment, the cardboard sheet 200 can be an existing cardboard sheet having a standard width, and the folding operation disclosed above can form the cardboard protective corner 100 having a desired size. This makes it possible to manufacture a cardboard protective corner of a desired size without the need to pre-cut the cardboard sheet to reduce its width to obtain a cardboard protective corner of the desired size. Alternatively, the cardboard sheet 200 may be pre-cut to reduce its width in order to obtain a cardboard protective corner of a desired size.

[0120] It will be understood that the above-described configurations and folding patterns are provided merely as examples, and various alternative configurations may be considered. In all possible alternative configurations, the first side edge 202 and the second side edge 204 of the cardboard sheet 200 are neatly nested in the fold to prevent the first side edge 202 and the second side edge 204 from becoming free and easily peeling off.

[0121] The above description provides examples of embodiments, but it will be understood that some features and / or functions of the described embodiments may be modified without departing from the spirit and principles of the operation of the described embodiments. Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing be illustrative and non-limiting, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. It is a protective corner made of cardboard, A corner body made from a single sheet of cardboard including a first side edge and a second side edge, wherein the single sheet of cardboard is a non-laminated sheet of cardboard having a thickness of approximately 6 pts (0.15 mm) to approximately 17 pts (0.425 mm), comprising the corner body. The single cardboard sheet is folded on itself to define a first wing and a second wing, each having at least five layers from the single cardboard sheet, the first wing and the second wing each having a first corner end and a second corner end, each having a plurality of folds. Both the first and second side edges are nested within the corresponding folds or positioned adjacent to the corresponding folds so as not to be exposed to the outside of the cardboard protective corner. A cardboard protective corner, wherein the single cardboard sheet is folded according to a first folding pattern to form a first multilayer intermediate sheet, the first multilayer intermediate sheet is further folded according to a second folding pattern to form a second multilayer intermediate sheet, and the second multilayer intermediate sheet is bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to form the apex of the cardboard protective corner.

2. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 1, wherein the first wing and the second wing are angled relative to each other so as to form a central vertex between them, and the vertex resists a crushing force of at least 90 N.

3. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the first wing and the second wing is 2 mm or more, and the apex resists a crushing force of at least 300 N.

4. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the first wing and the second wing is 2 mm to 5 mm, and the apex resists a crushing force of 300 N to 5700 N.

5. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 1, wherein the second folding pattern is the same as the first folding pattern.

6. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 1, wherein the corner body extends between the first corner end and the second corner end, and the plurality of folds include a first plurality of folds located at the first corner end, and the first plurality of folds include an outer fold, a first intermediate fold nested in the outer fold, a second intermediate fold nested in the first intermediate fold, and an inner fold nested in the second intermediate fold.

7. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of folds further includes a second plurality of folds located at the second corner end, and the second plurality of folds includes a first outer fold and a second outer fold located adjacent to the first outer fold.

8. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 7, wherein the first wing and the second wing each comprise nine layers from the single cardboard sheet.

9. The single cardboard sheet 200 has a density of approximately 100 g / m². ２ ~Approx. 380g / m ２ A protective corner made of cardboard according to any one of claims 1 to 8, having the basis weight.

10. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of folds include more than four folds.

11. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 1, further comprising folding the second multilayer intermediate sheet according to a third folding pattern to form a third multilayer intermediate sheet, wherein the third multilayer intermediate sheet is bent at an angle of about 90 degrees to form the apex of the cardboard protective corner.

12. The cardboard protective corner according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of folds include five or nine folds.

13. The protective corner made of cardboard according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive applied to the cardboard sheet before folding.

14. A method for manufacturing a protective corner made of cardboard, wherein the method is To provide a single non-laminated cardboard sheet having a thickness of approximately 6 pts (0.15 mm) to approximately 17 pts (0.425 mm), comprising a first side edge and a second side edge, and to fold the single cardboard sheet on itself according to a first folding pattern to form an initial multilayer sheet by forming a first side, a second side, and a central portion extending between the first and second side. A method comprising bending a final multilayer sheet at an angle of approximately 90 degrees at its apex to form the cardboard protective corner, defining a first wing and a second wing each having at least five layers from the single cardboard sheet, wherein the first wing and the second wing each have a first corner end and a second corner end, each having a plurality of folds.

15. Folding the initial multilayer sheet is Folding the initial multilayer sheet to form a multilayer intermediate sheet, The method according to claim 14, comprising folding the multilayer intermediate sheet to form the final multilayer sheet.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the single cardboard sheet is moved longitudinally, the moving is performed simultaneously with at least one of folding the first side, folding the second side, and folding the multilayer intermediate sheet.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein moving the single cardboard sheet in the longitudinal direction includes moving the single cardboard sheet in the longitudinal direction at a speed of about 0 m / s to 300 m / s.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein moving the single cardboard sheet in the longitudinal direction includes moving the single cardboard sheet in the longitudinal direction at a speed exceeding 200 m / s.

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