Packing component

Abstract

A packing component according to the present disclosure supports a bottom surface part of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner unit in a state in which the outdoor unit is packed. The packing component includes a vertically-laminated component in which a plurality of cardboard pieces are laminated in the vertical direction. The vertically-laminated component has a cavity part formed therein in which an upper opening is covered.

Description

Packaging parts

[0001] The present disclosure relates to packaging components for outdoor units of air conditioners.

[0002] Conventionally, when an outdoor unit of an air conditioner is packed, the bottom of the outdoor unit is supported by a part made of polystyrene foam (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-315473

[0004] In recent years, restrictions on the use of polystyrene foam in packaging parts have been put into place in response to environmental pollution caused by plastics. As a result, there has been a need to reduce the use of polystyrene foam when packaging outdoor units of air conditioners.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide packaging components that can reduce the use of polystyrene foam compared to conventional packaging components when packaging an outdoor unit of an air conditioner.

[0006] The packaging component disclosed herein is a packaging component that supports the bottom portion of an air conditioner's outdoor unit when the outdoor unit is packaged, and includes a vertically stacked component in which multiple cardboard boxes are stacked vertically, and a hollow portion with a covered upper opening is formed in the vertically stacked component.

[0007] The packaging component according to the present disclosure is made of cardboard and can protect the outdoor unit from impacts that may occur when the outdoor unit is transported, dropped, etc. Therefore, by using the packaging component according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the use of polystyrene foam when packaging outdoor units of air conditioners compared to conventional methods.

[0008] 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of packaging of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner using a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a stacking direction of cardboard sheets constituting a lattice-shaped component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a stacking direction of cardboard sheets constituting a vertically laminated component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a vertically laminated component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a periphery of an end of a vertically laminated component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a vertically laminated component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a view showing one of horizontally laminated components constituting a lattice-shaped component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a view showing one of horizontally laminated components constituting a lattice-shaped component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a method of assembling a packaging component according to an embodiment, and is an exploded perspective view illustrating a method of assembling a second horizontally laminated component and a vertically laminated component. 14 is a diagram for explaining how to assemble a packaging component according to an embodiment, and is an exploded perspective view for explaining how to assemble a second horizontally laminated component and a first horizontally laminated component that have been assembled to a vertically laminated component. 15 is an exploded perspective view for explaining how to assemble a second horizontally laminated component and a first horizontally laminated component at part Z in FIG. 13. 16 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a packaging component according to an embodiment supports a bottom portion of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. 17 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a packaging component according to an embodiment supports a bottom portion of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. 18 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a packaging component according to an embodiment supports a bottom portion of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. 19 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a packaging component according to an embodiment supports a bottom portion of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. 20 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a packaging component according to an embodiment supports a bottom portion of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. 21 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a packaging component according to an embodiment supports a bottom portion of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner.

[0009] Embodiment An example of a packaging component according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of packaging of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner using packaging components according to an embodiment. The outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner is packaged using, for example, packaging components 3, 10, an upper exterior material 1, and a lower exterior material 2. Packaging component 3 is provided on the top of the outdoor unit 100 and protects the top of the outdoor unit 100 when the outdoor unit 100 is packaged. Packaging component 10 is positioned opposite a bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100. The bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 has feet 105 used to secure the outdoor unit 100 to an installation location. Packaging component 10 supports the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 when the outdoor unit 100 is packaged and protects the bottom of the outdoor unit 100. The upper exterior material 1 and lower exterior material 2 are exterior materials that cover the outdoor unit 100, packaging components 3, and packaging component 10. The upper exterior material 1 constitutes the upper part of the exterior material, and the lower exterior material 2 constitutes the lower part of the exterior material.

[0011] Conventionally, the packaging component that supports the bottom surface portion 101 of the outdoor unit 100 has been formed from polystyrene foam. On the other hand, in this embodiment, in order to reduce the use of polystyrene foam when packaging the outdoor unit 100 compared to conventional packaging components, the packaging component 10 is formed from cardboard as follows.

[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a packaging component according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the stacking direction of cardboard sheets constituting a lattice-shaped component of the packaging component according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the stacking direction of cardboard sheets constituting a vertically stacked component of the packaging component according to the embodiment. The packaging component 10 includes a lattice-shaped component 11 and a vertically stacked component 30. The lattice-shaped component 11 is formed by stacking multiple cardboard sheets horizontally. The vertically stacked component 30 is formed by stacking multiple cardboard sheets vertically. The horizontal direction refers to, for example, the front-to-back direction or the left-to-right direction when the packaging component 10 supports the outdoor unit 100. The vertical direction refers to the up-and-down direction when the packaging component 10 supports the outdoor unit 100.

[0013] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a vertically stacked component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the periphery of an end of a vertically stacked component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a vertically stacked component of a packaging component according to an embodiment. Details of the vertically stacked component 30 of the packaging component 10 will be described below with reference to Figs. 5 to 7 and the above-mentioned Fig. 2.

[0014] The vertically laminated component 30 has, for example, substantially the same shape as the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 in a plan view. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 and the vertically laminated component 30 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in a plan view. The lattice component 11 is assembled to the upper part of the vertically laminated component 30. The portion of the vertically laminated component 30 that is on the outer periphery of the lattice component 11 is higher than the portion of the vertically laminated component 30 where the lattice component 11 is arranged. As described above, the vertically laminated component 30 is formed by stacking multiple cardboard boxes vertically. Therefore, the height of each position on the vertically laminated component 30 is adjusted by the number of cardboard boxes stacked. Note that when the lattice component 11 is assembled to the vertically laminated component 30, the upper surface of the vertically laminated component 30 is positioned slightly lower than the upper surface of the lattice component 11.

[0015] Furthermore, the vertically stacked component 30 has a hollow portion 31 with its upper opening covered. Specifically, a hole is formed in each cardboard sheet other than the uppermost cardboard sheet 32, and the uppermost cardboard sheet 32 ​​covers the hole, thereby forming the hollow portion 31 with its upper opening covered. The number of cardboard sheets covering the upper opening of the hollow portion 31 is not limited to one, and may be two or more. The hollow portion 31 is located below a corner 102 of the outdoor unit 100 when the outdoor unit 100 is supported by the packaging component 10. The outdoor unit 100 according to this embodiment has four corners 102. Therefore, four hollow portions 31 are formed in the vertically stacked component 30. Please refer to FIG. 1 for the corners 102 of the outdoor unit 100.

[0016] 8 and 9 are diagrams showing one of the laterally laminated components constituting the grid-shaped component of the packaging component according to the embodiment. FIGS. 8 and 9 show one of the laterally laminated components 22 (described later) among the laterally laminated components 20. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the second laterally laminated component 22, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the second laterally laminated component 22. FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrams showing one of the laterally laminated components constituting the grid-shaped component of the packaging component according to the embodiment. FIGS. 10 and 11 show a later-described first laterally laminated component 21 (described later) among the laterally laminated components 20. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the first laterally laminated component 21, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the first laterally laminated component 21. Details of the grid-shaped component 11 of the packaging component 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11 and the above-mentioned FIG. 2.

[0017] The lattice-shaped component 11 is formed by stacking multiple cardboard boxes horizontally, and includes multiple horizontally laminated components 20 that support the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100. The lattice-shaped component 11 is configured by arranging the horizontally laminated components 20 in a lattice pattern. Here, when the outdoor unit 100 is supported by the packaging component 10, two of the horizontally laminated components 20 support the feet 105 of the outdoor unit 100. Hereinafter, when distinguishing the horizontally laminated component 20 that supports the feet 105 of the outdoor unit 100 from the other horizontally laminated components 20, the horizontally laminated component 20 that supports the feet 105 of the outdoor unit 100 will be referred to as a first horizontally laminated component 21. Furthermore, hereinafter, when distinguishing the horizontally laminated component 20 that intersects with the first horizontally laminated component 21 from the other horizontally laminated components 20, the horizontally laminated component 20 that intersects with the first horizontally laminated component 21 will be referred to as a second horizontally laminated component 22.

[0018] The first laterally laminated component 21 has a protrusion 23 that protrudes upward at its upper part. The protrusion 23 is inserted into a recess 106 of a foot 105 of the outdoor unit 100 when the outdoor unit 100 is supported by the packaging component 10. For the recess 106 of the foot 105, see FIG. 17 described later. The first laterally laminated component 21 also has a cutout 24 formed at its lower part. The second laterally laminated component 22 is inserted into the cutout 24.

[0019] The second horizontally laminated component 22 has cutouts 25 formed in the top and bottom. A vertically laminated component 30 is inserted into the cutout 25 formed in the bottom of the second horizontally laminated component 22. A first horizontally laminated component 21 and the like are inserted into the cutout 25 formed in the top of the second horizontally laminated component 22.

[0020] Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining how to assemble a packaging component according to an embodiment, and is an exploded perspective view for explaining how to assemble a second horizontally laminated component and a vertically laminated component. Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining how to assemble a packaging component according to an embodiment, and is an exploded perspective view for explaining how to assemble a second horizontally laminated component and a first horizontally laminated component that are assembled to a vertically laminated component. Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view for explaining how to assemble a second horizontally laminated component and a first horizontally laminated component at part Z in Fig. 13.

[0021] When assembling the packaging component 10, the second laterally laminated component 22 and the vertically laminated component 30 of the lattice-shaped component 11 are first assembled by fitting the vertically laminated component 30 into the cutout 25 formed in the lower part of the second laterally laminated component 22. Then, the second laterally laminated component 22 assembled to the vertically laminated component 30 and the first laterally laminated component 21 are assembled. Specifically, the cutout 25 formed in the upper part of the second laterally laminated component 22 is fitted into the notch 24 of the first laterally laminated component 21. In other words, the cutout 24 of the first laterally laminated component 21 is fitted into the notch 25 of the second laterally laminated component 22. In this way, the second laterally laminated component 22 and the first laterally laminated component 21 are assembled.

[0022] Here, when assembling the second laterally laminated component 22 and the first laterally laminated component 21, it is sufficient that at least one of the notch 24 in the first laterally laminated component 21 and the notch 25 in the second laterally laminated component 22 is formed. That is, the first laterally laminated component 21 and the second laterally laminated component 22 can be assembled by fitting the other of the first laterally laminated component 21 and the second laterally laminated component 22 into the notch formed in one of the first laterally laminated component 21 and the second laterally laminated component 22. In this embodiment, a laterally laminated component 20 extending along the first laterally laminated component 21 is disposed near the first laterally laminated component 21. The laterally laminated component 20 extending along the first laterally laminated component 21 is assembled to the second laterally laminated component 22 in a configuration similar to that of the first laterally laminated component 21.

[0023] The remaining horizontally laminated components 20, including the first horizontally laminated component 21, are assembled to the second horizontally laminated component 22, which has been assembled to the vertically laminated component 30, thereby completing the lattice-shaped component 11 and assembling the lattice-shaped component 11 to the vertically laminated component 30. In this way, the packaging component 10 is completed.

[0024] 15 to 20 are diagrams illustrating a state in which a packaging component according to an embodiment supports the bottom of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. Specifically, FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state before the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the packaging component 10 housed in the lower exterior material 2. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the packaging component 10 housed in the lower exterior material 2. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower exterior material 2, the packaging component 10 housed in the lower exterior material 2, and the foot 105 of the outdoor unit 100 supported by the first horizontally laminated component 21 of the packaging component 10. FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-section taken along the longitudinal direction of the first horizontally laminated component 21 at the position of the first horizontally laminated component 21, with the lower exterior material 2, the packaging component 10, and the foot 105 cut therethrough. FIG. 18 is a side view showing a state in which the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the lattice component 11 of the packaging component 10. Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing a state in which the outdoor unit 100 is placed on the lattice-shaped component 11 of the packaging component 10. Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing the packaging component 10 and the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 housed in the lower exterior material 2. In Fig. 20, the locations that support the bottom surface 101 of the horizontally stacked component 20 are shown painted black.

[0025] If the outdoor unit 100 is dropped or otherwise damaged during transportation, the vertically stacked component 30 may be deformed by the impact of the drop, causing contact between the external components of the outdoor unit 100 and the vertically stacked component 30. In this case, the impact of the drop is transmitted to the external components of the outdoor unit 100 through the vertically stacked component 30. Because cardboard has lower cushioning properties than polystyrene foam, there is a concern that the external components of the outdoor unit 100 may be damaged. However, the vertically stacked component 30 of the packaging component 10 has a hollow portion 31 with a covered upper opening. Therefore, the vertically stacked component 30 is deformed by the impact of the drop, and when the vertically stacked component 30 comes into contact with the external components of the outdoor unit 100, the periphery of the hollow portion 31 is crushed. Therefore, the vertically stacked component 30 with the hollow portion 31 formed therein can mitigate the impact transmitted to the external components of the outdoor unit 100 through the vertically stacked component 30. Furthermore, the vertically stacked component 30 has an opening at the top of the hollow portion 31 covered with cardboard 32. Therefore, the vertically stacked component 30 can prevent the outer components of the outdoor unit 100 from coming into contact with the ground when the periphery of the hollow portion 31 is crushed. Therefore, the packaging component 10 according to this embodiment can protect the outdoor unit 100 from impacts acting on the outdoor unit 100 due to being dropped, for example.

[0026] The hollow portions 31 are preferably disposed below the corners 102 of the outdoor unit 100. If the vertically stacked components 30 are deformed by the impact of being dropped and the outer components of the outdoor unit 100 come into contact with the packaging components 10, the corners 102 of the outdoor unit 100 are most likely to come into contact with the vertically stacked components 30. Therefore, by disposing the hollow portions 31 below the corners 102 of the outdoor unit 100, the outdoor unit 100 can be further protected from impacts acting on the outdoor unit 100 due to being dropped, etc.

[0027] As described above, the grid-shaped component 11 is configured by arranging multiple horizontally laminated components 20, each of which is formed by stacking multiple cardboard boxes horizontally, in a grid pattern. The horizontally laminated components 20, each of which is formed by stacking multiple cardboard boxes vertically, are less likely to deform when subjected to impact than components formed by stacking multiple cardboard boxes vertically. Furthermore, because the grid-shaped component 11 is configured by arranging multiple horizontally laminated components 20 in a grid pattern, the strength can be improved, and deformation of the horizontally laminated components 20 can be further suppressed. Furthermore, the packaging component 10 supports the feet 105 provided on the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 from below with the two first horizontally laminated components 21 that constitute the grid-shaped component 11. If the outdoor unit 100 is dropped during transportation, the feet 105 are likely to receive a large impact. The packaging component 10 supports the legs 105 with two first horizontally laminated components 21 that are less likely to deform due to impact, and therefore the outdoor unit 100 can be further protected from impacts acting on the outdoor unit 100 due to being dropped or the like when being transported.

[0028] As described above, the grid component 11 according to this embodiment includes a laterally laminated component 20 that is located near the first laterally laminated component 21 and extends along the first laterally laminated component 21. Therefore, the grid component 11 according to this embodiment can better suppress deformation when an impact is applied, and can better protect the outdoor unit 100 from impacts acting on the outdoor unit 100 due to being dropped, for example.

[0029] Furthermore, the two first horizontally laminated components 21 have protrusions 23 that are inserted into the recesses 106 of the feet 105. That is, when the packaging component 10 supports the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100, the protrusions 23 of the first horizontally laminated components 21 are inserted into the recesses 106 of the feet 105. Therefore, the packaging component 10 can prevent the outdoor unit 100 from moving laterally due to an impact acting on the outdoor unit 100 due to a drop, etc. Therefore, the packaging component 10 can prevent the exterior components of the outdoor unit 100 from coming into contact with the ground, etc., when an impact is applied to the outdoor unit 100. That is, the packaging component 10 can prevent damage to the exterior components of the outdoor unit 100 and can further protect the outdoor unit 100.

[0030] The length of the second horizontally laminated component 22 of the lattice-shaped component 11 is as shown in Figure 18. Specifically, of the dimensions of the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100, the dimension in the direction in which the second horizontally laminated component 22 extends when the outdoor unit 100 is supported by the packaging component 10 is defined as the width dimension A. In this case, the length of the second horizontally laminated component is equal to or less than the width dimension A. In other words, when the bottom surface 101 and the second horizontally laminated component 22 of the outdoor unit 100 are observed from above when the outdoor unit 100 is supported by the packaging component 10, the second horizontally laminated component 22 is hidden by the bottom surface 101. Therefore, even if the second horizontally laminated component 22 is bent due to an impact or the like, the packaging component 10 can prevent damage to the side surface of the outdoor unit 100, thereby providing better protection for the outdoor unit 100.

[0031] Incidentally, a plurality of outdoor units 100 packed with packing parts 3, packing parts 10, upper exterior material 1 and lower exterior material 2 are stacked vertically for storage. At this time, a load of approximately 600 kg is applied to each outdoor unit 100. Therefore, the packing part 10 needs to be structured to withstand this load. Here, a horizontally stacked part 20, which is made by stacking a plurality of cardboard boxes horizontally, is 31,200 mm ２ Test results have shown that the horizontally laminated component 20 can withstand a load of 600 kg. Furthermore, the strength of the horizontally laminated component 20 decreases under high temperature and high humidity conditions. The high temperature and high humidity conditions expected in the storage location of the outdoor unit 100 are, for example, a temperature of 40°C and a relative humidity of 90%. Under these conditions, the strength of the horizontally laminated component 20 is reduced by half, and the area of ​​the horizontally laminated component 20 that can withstand a load of 600 kg is 6,400 mm ２ This becomes:

[0032] Therefore, depending on the storage location of the outdoor unit 100, the area where the horizontally stacked components 20 support the bottom surface portion 101 of the outdoor unit 100 is set to 31,200 mm ２ ~6400mm ２ By doing so, when a plurality of outdoor units 100 are stored stacked vertically, the packaging component 10 can withstand the load applied to the packaging component 10. ２ ~6400mm ２corresponds to 10% to 30% of the area of ​​the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100. For this reason, in this embodiment, the area over which the horizontally stacked components 20 support the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 is 10% to 30% of the area of ​​the bottom surface 101. This allows the horizontally stacked components 20 of the packaging component 10 to withstand the load applied to the packaging component 10 when multiple outdoor units 100 are stacked vertically for storage. Note that the packaging component 10 according to this embodiment includes multiple horizontally stacked components 20. In this case, the area over which the horizontally stacked components 20 support the bottom surface 101 of the outdoor unit 100 refers to the sum of the areas over which each horizontally stacked component 20 supports the bottom surface 101.

[0033] As described above, the packaging component 10 according to this embodiment is a packaging component that supports the bottom surface 101 of the air conditioner outdoor unit 100 when the outdoor unit 100 is packed. The packaging component 10 includes a vertically stacked component 30 in which multiple cardboard boxes are stacked vertically. The vertically stacked component 30 has a hollow portion 31 with a covered upper opening.

[0034] The packaging component 10 configured in this manner is made of cardboard and can protect the outdoor unit 100 from shocks that may act on the outdoor unit 100 if it is dropped or the like during transportation. Therefore, by using the packaging component 10 configured in this manner, it is possible to reduce the use of polystyrene foam when packaging the outdoor unit 100 compared to conventional methods.

[0035] 1 Upper exterior material, 2 Lower exterior material, 3 Packaging part, 10 Packaging part, 11 Lattice part, 20 Horizontally laminated part, 21 First horizontally laminated part, 22 Second horizontally laminated part, 23 Convex part, 24 Cutout, 25 Cutout, 30 Vertically laminated part, 31 Hollow part, 32 Cardboard, 100 Outdoor unit, 101 Bottom part, 102 Corner part, 105 Foot part, 106 Recessed part.

Claims

1. A packaging component that supports the bottom of an air conditioner outdoor unit when the outdoor unit is packed, the packaging component comprising a vertically stacked component in which multiple corrugated cardboard boxes are stacked vertically, the vertically stacked component having a hollow portion with a covered upper opening.

2. The packaging part according to claim 1, wherein the hollow portion is located below a corner of the outdoor unit.

3. A packaging component according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which a plurality of cardboard boxes are stacked horizontally and a plurality of horizontally stacked components are provided that support the bottom surface portion, the plurality of horizontally stacked components are arranged in a lattice pattern, and two of the horizontally stacked components support the feet provided on the bottom surface portion.

4. The packaging component according to claim 3, wherein the horizontally laminated component supporting the foot of the outdoor unit has a protrusion that is inserted into a recess in the foot.

5. A packaging component according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, of the horizontally laminated components, the horizontally laminated component that supports the foot portion of the outdoor unit is defined as a first horizontally laminated component, and the horizontally laminated component that intersects with the first horizontally laminated component is defined as a second horizontally laminated component, and when the dimension of the bottom surface portion that is the dimension in the direction in which the second horizontally laminated component extends when the packaging component supports the outdoor unit is defined as a width dimension, the length of the second horizontally laminated component is equal to or less than the width dimension.

6. A packaging component according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, among the horizontally laminated components, the horizontally laminated component that supports the foot portion of the outdoor unit is defined as a first horizontally laminated component, and among the horizontally laminated components, the horizontally laminated component that intersects with the first horizontally laminated component is defined as a second horizontally laminated component, and the first horizontally laminated component and the second horizontally laminated component are assembled by fitting the other of the first horizontally laminated component and the second horizontally laminated component into a cutout formed in one of the first horizontally laminated component and the second horizontally laminated component.

7. A packaging component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a horizontally laminated component made of multiple corrugated cardboards stacked horizontally and supporting the bottom surface portion, wherein the area of ​​the horizontally laminated component supporting the bottom surface portion is 10% to 30% of the area of ​​the bottom surface portion.

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