Reusable transport container

Abstract

The invention relates to a reusable transport container which is designed to be selectively brought into a collapsed space-saving state and a folded-open packaging state. The transport container comprises a base (13), a cover (14), two lateral walls (10, 11), a rear wall (18) which connects the base (13) to the cover (14), and a front wall (12). According to the invention, the transport container has a shipping flap (23) which is connected to the front wall (12) and which can be positioned on the transport container in the space-saving state such that an outer face of the shipping flap (23) is visible from the outside, said outer face being suitable for permanently applying a postal address. The shipping flap (23) can additionally be positioned inwardly on the front wall (12) in the packaging state. In this manner, the shipping flap is not visible from the outside in the packaging state and is positioned inwardly on the front wall in a protected manner. Additionally, the shipping flap can be used when fixing the transport container in the space-saving state.

Description

[0001] Reusable transport container

[0002] The present invention relates to a reusable transport container that is designed to be selectively converted into a folded, space-saving state and an unfolded package state. The reusable transport container comprises a base, a lid, two side walls, a rear wall connecting the base to the lid, and a front wall.

[0003] In the mail order business, cardboard shipping packaging has so far been predominantly used. The shipping packaging is usually sealed with adhesive tape, which has to be removed or cut when opened in order to remove the packaged goods. This usually causes damage to the packaging, which severely limits the possibility of multiple use. Even undamaged cardboard shipping packaging is in most cases disposed of by recipients via the paper waste collection system due to a lack of immediate need for reuse and / or a lack of storage space. Cardboard shipping packaging therefore regularly gives rise to large quantities of waste. The collection and processing of packaging waste by no means leads to a closed resource cycle, since the fibers from which the cardboard is made become shorter with each recycling run and therefore do not have consistent properties.In addition, recycling processes can be disrupted or even prevented by various finishing processes carried out on the cardboard material, in particular surface treatments, and by contamination, for example from adhesive tape. The use of cardboard shipping packaging therefore involves a significant waste of resources. It is already generally known to use reusable transport containers of the type mentioned above for shipping goods. These containers can be set up as a package and folded together to save space. In the package state, an interior space is provided to accommodate the goods being transported. In the space-saving state, the transport container takes up a significantly smaller volume and can therefore, in the best case, be easily returned to a central collection point via the normal mail flow of a shipping company.For this purpose, the postal address of the central collection point must be printed on the transport container in the space-saving mode. For example, it may be possible to insert a return label into the transport container when shipping goods. The recipient can affix this label to the transport container after removing the goods and placing the transport container in the space-saving mode.

[0004] Starting from the above-mentioned prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved reusable transport container. This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims. The transport container according to the invention has a shipping flap connected to the front wall, which can be positioned on the transport container in the space-saving state in such a way that an outer side of the shipping flap, suitable for the permanent application of a postal address, is visible from the outside, wherein the shipping flap can be positioned on the inside of the front wall in the package state.

[0005] First, some terms used in the present disclosure will be explained. In the unfolded package state, a receiving space for the transported goods is formed within the transport container. In the folded, space-saving state, the transport container has significantly smaller dimensions in at least one dimension than in the package state, thus enabling shipment via the mail stream of a transport service provider.

[0006] When packaged, the front wall, the back wall, the side walls, the base, and the lid each form opposing surfaces that define the external shape of the transport container. These surfaces can, for example, form a cuboid. The terms base and lid are used here to easily distinguish between these two surfaces. In principle, the orientation of the transport container in space can, of course, be freely chosen (the base can, for example, be oriented upwards), so that the terms base and lid do not imply any restriction in this respect.

[0007] The reusable transport container can be made from a blank of a sheet material. The edges between adjacent wall sections of the transport container can be formed by fold lines along which the wall sections are connected to one another and can be aligned relative to one another. In particular, the base can be connected to the rear wall via a fold line and the rear wall can be connected to the lid via a fold line. The fold lines can be produced in a manner that is basically known and depends on the material used. When a plastic sheet material is used, the fold lines can be produced, for example, by a linear thermal treatment or by creating linear incisions along the fold lines.The fold lines are designed in such a way that restoring forces which arise due to the elasticity of the sheet material when the sheet material is folded along the fold lines are reduced.

[0008] To ensure proper delivery of the transport container, it is important that only a single shipping address is visible on the outside of the transport container (both in the parcel state and in the space-saving state). If multiple shipping addresses are visible, this can lead to undesirable disruptions during the shipping process, particularly during automated sorting of letters or parcels.

[0009] With this in mind, a postal address, for example, of a central collection point for transport containers, can be permanently affixed to the outside of the shipping flap connected to the front wall. The visibility of the outside of the shipping flap in the space-saving mode means that the transport container can always be safely returned to the central collection point, particularly via the normal flow of letters or parcels. This eliminates the need to affix and subsequently remove a return label, saving the paper required for the return label and simplifying the shipping process.

[0010] In addition, the possibility of positioning the shipping flap on the inside of the front wall in the package state represents a simple and secure way of preventing the return address of the collection point from being visible when the transport container is sent in the package state to a recipient of the transported goods (in addition to the recipient's address).

[0011] In one embodiment, the shipping flap has an inner side with a closure element located there. The closure element can be engaged with a corresponding closure element attached to the transport container in order to fix the shipping flap to the transport container in a space-saving state. The additional connection of the shipping flap to the transport container can further improve the positioning and visibility of the shipping flap.

[0012] It can be provided that the transport container is held in the folded, space-saving position by the engaged closure elements. The shipping flap has a dual function in this embodiment. In addition to permanently displaying the return address, the shipping flap enables the transport container to be secured in the folded, space-saving position. This is advantageous because the material of the transport container, due to its elasticity, often tends to unfold on its own when folded. This can be additionally counteracted by the above features.

[0013] The corresponding closure element can be arranged on an outer side of the base or on an outer side of the lid. It has been shown that, in particular, in the case of a space-saving fold to produce the space-saving state, in which the base or the lid is folded towards the front wall so that the outer side of the base or the lid is positioned adjacent to the outer side of the front wall, secure fixing in the space-saving state is possible. A fold line along which the base or the lid is folded towards the front wall can in this case run along an edge between the base or the lid and the rear wall.

[0014] The shipping flap can be connected to a free edge of the front panel. In particular, the shipping flap can be connected to the front panel or to the free edge via a fold line. The free edge refers to the edge of the front panel opposite the edge connected to the base or to the lid.

[0015] In one embodiment, at least one of the side walls comprises a lower side element connected to the base via fold lines and an upper side element connected to the lid via fold lines. Preferably, the lower side element and the upper side element are positioned next to one another in the package state and / or at least partially overlap with one another. In particular, the lower and the upper side element can at least partially bear against one another. In this case, the side wall is formed by two elements positioned directly next to one another and partially in contact. The side elements lying against one another generate friction which is fundamentally suitable for keeping the transport container in the closed state without additional closure elements. The stability and the closure security of the transport container is thereby significantly improved in the package state.The features described above, that at least one of the side walls has a lower side element connected to the base via fold lines and an upper side element connected to the lid via fold lines, may have an independent inventive character without the transport container having to have the shipping flap connected to the front wall as described above.

[0016] At least one of the side elements can be connected via a fold line to a support flap which can be aligned substantially perpendicular to the at least one side element when the package state is produced in order to hold the side element in an upright position relative to the base or the lid. The support flap can project beyond the side element in particular in the direction of the rear wall and at least partially overlap with the rear wall when the package state is produced. The support flap can on the one hand simplify the production of the package state. In addition, the support flap increases the stability of the transport container in the package state.

[0017] In one embodiment, the front wall comprises a lower front element connected to the base via a fold line, and an upper front element connected to the lid. The lower front element and the upper front element can be positioned next to one another in the package state and at least partially overlap one another. In particular, the lower front element and the upper front element can at least partially bear against one another. In this case, the front wall is formed by two elements positioned directly next to one another and partially in contact. The side elements lying against one another generate friction which is fundamentally suitable for keeping the transport container closed without additional closure elements. The stability and closure security of the transport container are significantly improved in the package state.The features described above, namely that the front wall has a lower front element connected to the base via a fold line and an upper front element connected to the lid, may have an independent inventive character without the transport container having to have the shipping flap connected to the front wall as described above. In particular, this design can also be combined with the embodiment described above, in which the side wall has two side elements, in order to improve stability and closure security not only in the area of ​​the side walls, but also in the area of ​​the front wall.

[0018] In the embodiment described above, it can further be provided that the shipping flap can be positioned between the upper front element and the lower front element in the package state. In particular, it can be provided that the shipping flap rests on an inner side of one of the front elements and an outer side of the other of the front elements. By enclosing the shipping flap between the two front elements, the shipping flap is securely enclosed and thus protected from damage. In particular, it is prevented that the shipping flap protrudes inwards into the receiving space and comes into contact with the goods being transported.

[0019] The reusable transport container can be further developed in that a closing element is positioned on an outer side of the side wall, which closing element can be brought into engagement with a corresponding closing element when the transport container is in the space-saving state in order to hold the transport container in the space-saving state. The corresponding closing element can in particular be located on an outer side of the front wall. Furthermore, a distance between the closing element and an edge which forms the transition from the side wall to the lid can be less than 2 cm, preferably less than 1 cm, more preferably less than 0.5 cm. The closing elements additionally help to ensure that the transport container is held securely in the folded space-saving state and does not unfold in an undesired manner.By having only a small distance between the locking element and the edge, it can also be prevented that letters get caught in the transport container when it is returned to the central collection point with the flow of letters.

[0020] An outer side of the base and / or an outer side of the lid can be provided with a non-stick coating. Shipping labels applied to the outer side can thus be removed easily and without leaving any residue. The non-stick coating can be characterized in particular by the fact that the surface roughness of the non-stick coating is lower than the surface roughness of the sheet material, whereby the surface roughness can preferably be determined according to DIN EN ISO 1302:2002 or ISO 21920-1:2021.

[0021] The reusable transport container can have a height of 30 mm or less in the folded, space-saving state. This enables the transport container to be shipped with the normal mail flow. When unfolded, the height can be significantly greater than 30 mm, for example between 50 mm and 200 mm. The width of the transport container in the folded, space-saving state is preferably in a range between 120 and 250 mm. Furthermore, the length of the transport container in the folded space-saving state is preferably between 200 mm and 355 mm. The aforementioned dimensions enable the transport container in the space-saving state to be shipped with the normal mail flow. However, it is possible that the container in the space-saving state is intended for return shipment in the mail flow and in this case can have significantly larger dimensions even in the space-saving state.The advantages of the invention also apply in this case.

[0022] The invention further relates to a kit comprising a reusable transport container according to the invention and a security sticker which is suitable for being applied at least in sections to an outer side of the front wall and an outer side of the base or lid in such a way that a free edge formed between the base or lid and the front wall is at least partially enclosed. In this way, the transport container can be secured against unauthorized opening in the package state. The security sticker can be designed in a manner known in the art to irreversibly indicate an opening attempt. In this way, the recipient can always see whether the transport container has already been opened. Due to the security sticker, no further closure elements or structural precautions are required to close the transport container in the package state.

[0023] The kit can be further developed by further features which have already been described above in connection with the transport container according to the invention.

[0024] Finally, the invention relates to a method for producing a reusable transport container, in which a blank is produced from a sheet material, and wherein fold lines are created in the sheet material in such a way that a reusable transport container according to the invention is created. Furthermore, it can be provided that at least one of the side walls has a connecting tab, which is connected to a corresponding connecting tab of the front wall and / or the rear wall by a joining process.

[0025] The transport container is preferably made of a plastic sheet material, for example solid plastic sheets or hollow-wall plastic sheets. The plastic material is preferably thermoplastic and can be made of polypropylene, for example. The joining process can in particular be an ultrasonic welding process. This process is highly economical compared to other joining methods and has the advantage that no visible weld points are created, thus achieving an appealing aesthetic appearance. In addition, adhesive can be omitted, so that the recyclability of the plastic material is not impaired. Fold lines can be created, for example, by mechanical or thermal action on the plastic material or by cutting lines in the plastic material.The method can be further developed by further features which have already been described above in connection with the transport container according to the invention.

[0026] The invention is explained below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0027] Figure 1: a cut of a plastic sheet material with fold lines which enable the production of a transport container according to the invention;

[0028] Figure 2: a three-dimensional side view of the transport container according to the invention of Figure 1 in a folded-out package state with the lid open;

[0029] Figure 3: a three-dimensional side view of the transport container according to the invention of Figure 1 in a folded-open package state with the lid closed;

[0030] Figure 4: a plan view of the transport container according to the invention of Figure 1 in a partially folded state;

[0031] Figure 5 : a three-dimensional view of the inventive

[0032] Transport container of Figure 1 in a partially folded state;

[0033] Figure 6: a plan view of the transport container according to the invention of Figure 1 in the folded space-saving state.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a plan view of a blank made from a plastic sheet material, which is suitable for producing a reusable transport container according to the invention. The plastic sheet material is a polypropylene hollow chamber panel, the hollow chambers of which are aligned from bottom to top in Figure 1. The elements of the blank described below are separated from one another by fold lines, which enable the adjacent elements to be tilted around the fold line. The fold lines are illustrated in Figure 1 with the help of solid lines and with the help of dashed lines. The blank comprises a base 13, which is connected to a rear wall 18 via a fold line. The rear wall 18 is in turn connected to a lid 14 via a fold line.The base 13 is further connected to lower side elements 15, 16 via fold lines, and the lid 14 is connected to upper side elements 19, 20 via fold lines. Furthermore, the base 13 is connected to a lower front element 17 via a fold line, and the lid 14 is connected to an upper front element 21 via a fold line. The upper front element 21 is also connected to a shipping flap 23 via a fold line. Positioned on the inside of the shipping flap, visible in Figure 1, is a closure element 31, which in this case is designed as a hook-and-loop fastener.

[0035] The hollow chambers of the hollow chamber panel material are aligned parallel to the main fold lines between the elements 17, 13, 18, 14, 21, 23, which simplifies folding.

[0036] The upper side elements 19, 20 each have a connecting section 24 pointing in the direction of the upper front element 21. Furthermore, connecting tabs 25 are connected to the upper front element 21 via fold lines, each of which protrudes laterally (upward and downward in Figure 1) beyond the front element.

[0037] For the production of the reusable

[0038] To assemble the transport container, first the connecting tabs 25 are raised relative to the upper front element 21, and then the upper side elements 19, 20 and the upper front element 21 (with the connecting tabs 25 located thereon) are also raised. The connecting sections 24 are then fastened to the inside of the connecting tabs 25 (visible in Figure 1) using an ultrasonic welding process. The connection thus created between the side elements 19, 20 and the front wall 21 means that the elements can be erected and folded together. In addition, the stability of the transport container is improved.

[0039] The lower side elements 15, 16 and the lower front element 17 also comprise connecting sections 24 or connecting tabs 25, which are connected to one another in an analogous manner.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the reusable transport container according to the invention in the package state with the lid 14 open. In the state shown, the lower side elements 15, 16 and the lower front element 17 connected thereto are erected so that these elements form approximately a right angle with the base 13. The upper side elements 19, 20 and the upper front wall 21 are also erected so that these elements form approximately a right angle with the lid 14. In the state shown, the support tabs 22 are aligned approximately at a right angle to the lower side elements 15, 16 in order to hold the side elements 15, 16 in the erected state. In Figure 2 it can also be seen that a return address 28 is applied to the outside of the shipping flap 23.

[0041] The transport container is in an open state in Figure 2. The transport container can be closed by moving the rear wall 18 towards the side elements 15, 16 and bringing it into abutment with the rear edge 26 of the side elements 15, 16 and at the same time pivoting the lid 14 about the fold line 27. During this movement, the lower side elements 15, 16 and the lower front wall 17 slide along the insides of the upper side elements 19, 20 and the upper front element 21 until the upper edges of the elements 15, 16, 17 rest on the inside of the lid 14.

[0042] Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional view of the reusable transport container according to the invention in the package state with the lid 14 almost closed. When the lid 14 is completely closed, the lower side element 15 rests on the inside of the upper side element 19 and overlaps it. This applies analogously to the side elements 16 and 20 and to the lower and upper front elements 17 and 21. The side elements thus form side walls 10 and 11 of the transport container. The front elements thus form a front wall 12 of the transport container. Because the walls 10, 11, 12 are each formed by two adjacent wall elements, the stability of the transport container is increased and the containment security is improved.

[0043] The shipping flap 23 shown in Figure 2 can be folded inwards around the free edge of the upper front element 21 when the lid 14 is closed, so that the shipping flap 23 is positioned on the inside of the front wall 12 and the return address is not visible from the outside. At the same time, the shipping flap is arranged between the lower front element 17 and the upper front element 21, where it is securely held and protected and does not come into contact with any goods being transported that may be in the transport container. The following explains with reference to Figure 4 how the transport container, starting from the state shown in Figure 2, is brought into the folded space-saving state. Figure 4 shows a plan view of the transport container according to the invention in a partially folded state. In order to achieve this state, starting from Figure 2, the rear wall 18 and the lid 14 are first laid flat in a plane with the base 13.The side elements 15, 16, 19, 20 can then be folded inward, as shown in Figure 4. Due to the connection of the side elements 15, 16, 19, 20 to the lower or upper front element 17, 21, the front elements 17, 21 also lie flat, with the side elements 15, 16, 19, 20 additionally being folded along the dashed lines shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0044] In a next step, the base 13, together with the lower side elements 15, 16 and the lower front element 17, is pivoted along the fold line 29 indicated by dashed lines in Figure 4 and placed on the rear wall 18, the lid 14, and the upper side elements 19, 20. A corresponding intermediate position is illustrated in Figure 5. Also visible in Figure 5 is a closure element 32, which is designed to engage with the closure element 31 shown in Figure 1 and is attached to the outside of the base 13.

[0045] When the above-mentioned elements 13, 15, 16, 17 are completely placed on the elements 18, 14, 19, and 20, the closing elements 34 can be brought into engagement with the corresponding closing elements 33. The closing elements 33, 34 fix the transport container in the folded, space-saving state. A distance between the closing element 33 and the respective edge forming the transition between the side walls 19 or 20 and the lid 14 is 0.5 cm. This prevents letters from getting caught and stuck between the elements 17 and 19 or 20 placed on top of one another in the mail stream during dispatch of the transport container. The closing elements 33, 34 are designed as hook-and-loop fasteners.When fully placed as described above, the shipping flap 23 does not remain in the position shown in Figure 4, but can be folded up beforehand in order to then be placed on the outside of the base 13 visible in Figures 5 and 6. The closure element 31 positioned on the inside of the shipping flap 23 (see Figure 1) can be brought into engagement with the closure element 32 described above. In this way, the shipping flap 23 serves to additionally fix the transport container in the folded, space-saving state. At the same time, the return address 28 permanently affixed to the outside of the shipping flap 23 is clearly visible.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Reusable transport container which is designed to be brought into a folded, space-saving state and into an unfolded package state, with a base (13), a lid (14), two side walls (10, 11), a rear wall (18) connecting the base (13) to the lid (14) and a front wall (12), characterized in that the transport container has a shipping flap (23) connected to the front wall (12), which can be positioned on the transport container in the space-saving state in such a way that an outer side of the shipping flap (23) suitable for the permanent application of a postal address is visible from the outside, wherein the shipping flap (23) can be positioned on the inside of the front wall (12) in the package state.

2. Reusable transport container according to claim 1, wherein the shipping flap (23) has an inner side with a closure element (31) located there, which can be brought into engagement with a corresponding closure element (32) fastened to the transport container in order to fix the shipping flap (23) to the transport container in the space-saving state.

3. Reusable transport container according to claim 2, wherein the transport container is held in the folded space-saving state by the engaged closure elements (31, 32).

4. Reusable transport container according to one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the corresponding closure element (32) is arranged on an outer side of the base (13) or on an outer side of the lid (14).

5. Reusable transport container according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shipping flap (23) is connected to a free edge of the front wall (12).

6. Reusable transport container according to claim 5, wherein the shipping flap (23) is connected to the free edge via a fold line.

7. Reusable transport container according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one and preferably both of the side walls (10, 11) comprise a lower side element (15, 16) connected to the base (13) via fold lines and an upper side element (19, 20) connected to the lid (14) via fold lines, wherein the lower side element (15, 16) and the upper side element (19, 20) are positioned next to one another in the package state and at least partially overlap one another.

8. Reusable transport container according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the side elements (15, 16, 19, 20) is connected via a fold line to a support tab (22) which, when the package state is produced, can be aligned substantially perpendicular to the at least one side element (15, 16, 19, 20) in order to hold the side element (15, 16, 19, 20) in an upright position relative to the base (13) or the lid (14).

9. Reusable transport container according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the front wall (12) comprises a lower front element (17) connected to the base (13) via a fold line and an upper front element (21) connected to the lid (14), wherein the lower front element (17) and the upper front element (21) are positioned next to one another in the package state and at least partially overlap one another.

10. Reusable transport container according to claim 9, wherein the shipping flap (23) is positionable between the upper front element (21) and the lower front element (17) in the package state.

11. Reusable transport container according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a closing element (33) is positioned on an outer side of the side wall (10, 11), which closing element can be brought into engagement with a corresponding closing element (34) in the space-saving state of the transport container in order to hold the transport container in the space-saving state, wherein the corresponding closing element is located on an outer side of the front wall (12).

12. Reusable transport container according to claim 11, wherein a distance between the closing element (33) and an edge which forms the transition from the side wall (10, 11) to the lid (14) is less than 2 cm, preferably less than 1 cm, more preferably less than 0.5 cm.

13. Reusable transport container according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein an outer side of the base (13) and / or an outer side of the lid (14) is provided with a non-stick coating.

14. Kit comprising a reusable transport container according to one of claims 1 to 13 and a security sticker which is suitable for being applied to an outer side of the front wall and an outer side of the base (13) or the lid (14) at least in sections such that a free edge formed between the base (13) or the lid (14) and the front wall (12) is at least partially enclosed.

15. A method for producing a reusable transport container, in which a blank is produced from a sheet material, and wherein fold lines are produced in the sheet material in such a way that a reusable transport container according to one of claims 1 to 13 is produced.

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