A packaging article based on cardboard composite for glass transportation

Abstract

Discloses herein is a packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) for packaging and transportation of the glass and glass articles. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) comprises plurality of modular units in multiple dimensions adapted to form a packaging unit and each modular unit comprises a corrugated sheet (200) provided with at least one kind of natural fibre for stiffness. The corrugated sheet (200) includes fluted layer; said natural fibre layer being incorporated in the corrugated sheet as a composite. This corrugated sheet is further configured to have an environmental protection layer that can be moisture resistant, termite / mite resistant, anti-microbial resistance or dust resistant. The disclosed solution is 100% sustainable packaging and this could be achieved using cardboard composite box which is completely circular, re- usable, ease of use and maintenance.

Description

[0001] A PACKAGING ARTICLE BASED ON CARDBOARD COMPOSITE FOR GLASS TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a packaging solution, particularly, this disclosure relates to packaging article for packaging and transportation of the glass and more particularly it relates to composite packaging article for packaging and transportation of the glass.

[0003] BACKGROUND

[0004] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed disclosure, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[0005] Sustainability in transportation or logistics sector is a key aspect of late. Sustainable solutions are becoming a part and parcel of every organization, globally, and the transportation and logistics activity is a way towards this goal for both supplier and customer. Two of the directions this may be achieved are through reduction in weight of transporting material and using a recyclable or decomposable material. For a complete circularity in packaging material reuse or repurpose, the product supplier, product customer, packaging supplier, logistics partner and recycling partner need to go hand-in-hand. Moreover, Government agencies in different locations are providing incentives and push towards such solutions and introducing regulations to enhance reusability / recyclable solution.Reference is made to CN210311509 that discloses a carton being used in transportation of car arc glass board, top cap including box and box top joint, the box inner chamber is provided with car arc glass board, fixedly connected with bottom plate between two side table wall central points in box inner chamber bottom, the position fixedly connected with roof that the box side table wall is close to the up end, two fixture blocks of the equal fixedly connected with in roof and bottom plate both sides, the fixture block rotates through the pivot and is connected with branch.

[0006] A further reference is made to CN215437874 that discloses a recyclable automobile glass package which comprises a surrounding plate, a top cover, a bottom support and a fixing support, wherein automobile glass is placed on the fixing support, the fixing support is arranged on the bottom support, the top cover is arranged above the automobile glass, the surrounding plate is arranged around the automobile glass in a surrounding mode, the fixing support comprises a bracket for supporting the automobile glass, an adjusting structure for adapting to the automobile glass and a fixing structure for stabilizing the automobile glass.

[0007] It has been observed that all available prior art tries to address the architecture of the box, and handling in the application area. None of the solutions talk on the material of the packaging essentially on use of natural fibre. Reference is made to FIG. 1 that shows the conventional packaging of automotive glass. The wooden pallets used for transportation and glass are not completely 100% circular, require repair for reuse, and comes at the cost of deforestation. In view of the prior art discussed hitherto, it has been observed that there is a requirement of a packaging article that provides the inclusion of sustainable packaging material. Specifically, there is a need 100% sustainable packaging which could be achieved using cardboard composite box which is completely circular, re-usable and ease of use and maintenance.SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a solution to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide a sustainable packaging material.

[0010] These and other objects of the invention are achieved by the following aspects of the invention. The following disclosure presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This presents some concept of the invention in a simplified form to a more detailed description of the invention presented later. It is a comprehensive summary of the disclosure, and it is not an extensive overview of the present invention. The intend of this summary is to provide a fundamental understanding of some of the aspects of the present invention.

[0011] In an aspect of the present invention is provided a packaging article for packaging and transportation of the glass and glass articles. Said packaging article comprises plurality of modular units in multiple dimensions adapted to form a packaging unit. Each modular unit comprises a corrugated sheet provided with at least one kind of natural fibre for stiffness. Said corrugated sheet includes fluted layer and the natural fibre layer being incorporated in the corrugated sheet as a composite. The corrugated sheet is further configured to have an environmental protection layer that can be moisture resistant, termite / mite resistant, anti-microbial resistance and dust resistant. The environmental protection layer includes atleast anyone of the following materials a wax, an acrylic, a polyurethane, an epoxy, a varnish, and certain types of wood oils like linseed, tung, and Danish oil. The natural fibres may include any of jute, flax, and hemp alone or a combination of the same. The natural fibres are processed with resin to make it stiff and rigid basis the required dimension of the modular unit. The corrugate sheetcomprises flutes stacked between at least two walls of a packaging first material with the natural fibre composite being adhered therebetween with water-based adhesives. In addition, the corrugated sheet comprises more than one flutes layer. The corrugate sheet is coated with a moisture resistant coating on its outer layer, said outer layer being exposed to air. The plurality of modular units is assembled in either or both of the following ways between columnar sections and wider section, between row sections and flatter sections and using adhesives or continuous wrapping of the corrugated sheet. The packaging article is assembled for lower loads. The plurality of modular units may be assembled in sections segregated into load bearing sections and supporting sections. The load bearing sections comprises packaging modular unit of a second material and the supporting section comprises packaging modular units of corrugated sheets. This packaging article is assembled for medium loads. Again, the plurality of modular units maybe assembled by adhesively binding the packaging modular units of corrugated sheets to packaging modular unit of the second material. The second material may be a wood, a polymer, a metal, a rubber, a medium density fiber (MDF) or a combination thereof. The shape, and overall dimensions of the packaging article is dependent on the load being packed therewith.

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention are related to the field of packaging using cardboard box for glass and glass articles, essentially automotive windshield / glasses. It covers the methodology to include the natural fibers in the cardboard box which will enable to handle more weight and improves the structural integrity. The present invention is directed at the inclusion of natural fibre stack in the corrugated box. This natural fibre stack is configured to act as a dampener and provide rigidity to the entire system during transportation.The significant features of the present invention and the advantages of the same will be apparent to a person skilled in the art from the detailed description that follows in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

[0013] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[0014] The following briefly describes the accompanying drawings, illustrating the technical solution of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, for assisting the understanding of a person skilled in the art to comprehend the invention. It would be apparent that the accompanying drawings in the following description merely show some embodiments of the present invention, and persons skilled in the art can derive other drawings from the accompanying drawings without deviating from the scope of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional packaging means according to prior art of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a packaging module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIGs. 3A-3C illustrate different combinations of packaging according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates the comparative FEA results for an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, thedimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the disclosure.

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present disclosure is now discussed in more detail referring to the drawings that accompany the present application. It would be appreciated by a skilled person that this description to assist the understanding of the invention, but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.

[0022] The terms and words used in the following description are not limited to the bibliographical meanings and the same are used to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, the terms / phrases are to be read in the context of the disclosure and not in isolation. Additionally, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0023] The present invention, in an embodiment discloses a packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) for packaging and transportation of the glass and glass articles. Said packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) comprises plurality of modular units in multiple dimensions adapted to form a packaging unit. Each modular unit comprises a corrugated sheet (200) provided with at least one kind of natural fibre for stiffness. Said corrugated sheet (200) includes fluted layer and the natural fibre layer being incorporated in the corrugated sheet as a composite. The corrugated sheet is further configured to be moisture resistant, termite / mite resistant, anti-microbial resistance and dust resistant. The natural fibres may include any of jute, flax, and hemp alone or a combination of the same. The natural fibres are processed with resin to make it stiff and rigid basis the required dimension of the modular unit. The corrugate sheet comprises flutes stacked between at least two walls of a packaging first material with the natural fibre compositebeing adhered therebetween with water-based adhesives. The corrugate sheet is coated with a moisture resistant coating on its outer layer, said outer layer being exposed to air. The plurality of modular units is assembled in either or both of the following ways between columnar sections and wider section, between row sections and flatter sections and using adhesives or continuous wrapping of the corrugated sheet. The packaging article is assembled for lower loads below 100 kg. The plurality of modular units may be assembled in sections segregated into load bearing sections and supporting sections. The load bearing sections comprises packaging modular unit of a second material and the supporting section comprises packaging modular units of corrugated sheets. This packaging article is assembled for medium loads in the range of 100 kg to 500kg. Again, the plurality of modular units maybe assembled by adhesively binding the packaging modular units of corrugated sheets to packaging modular unit of the second material. The shape, and overall dimensions of the packaging article is dependent on the load being packed therewith.

[0024] The one or more embodiments of the present invention is directed towards an environmentally friendly cardboard box for automotive windshield and glass packaging. This packaging solution comprises of corrugated box, cover and the pallet which may be used to lift the main assembly(box). For structural integrity and impart strength for enabling the box to handle weight of the glass / windshield during transportation or to take care of the man handling corrugated box maybe developed by incorporating the natural fibers. The natural fibre may be any of Jute or Flax. Natural fibres are preferred as a composite for the package due to their ease of availability, environmental friendliness, and biodegradability. These fibres will add strength to the cardboard box or pallet system by increasing the stiffness and rigidity. This consequently helps in enabling safe transportation. The fibre may be part of the liner or the flute element and may also be limited to some layers which depends on the structural requirement of the box.In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the solution provides the process of manufacturing essentially the method including the natural fibre in the corrugated box as a stack. The cardboard composite structure may be further re-inforced by using this along with the wooden frames of existing pallets. The disclosed invention addresses the problem of wooden packaging which is not completely sustainable and has a drawback of deforestation, processing wastage of woods, fungus issue. Overall, with this cardboard composite box will be capable of withstanding heavy loads above 500 kg, enables safe transportation of glass and ensures 100% sustainability.

[0025] The one or more embodiment of the present invention is directed at a packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) for packaging and transportation of the glass and glass articles. Said packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) comprises plurality of modular units in multiple dimensions adapted to form a packaging unit. Each modular unit comprises a corrugated sheet (200) provided with at least one kind of natural fibre for stiffness. The corrugated sheet (200) includes fluted layer. This natural fibre being incorporated in the corrugated sheet as a composite. The corrugated sheet is further configured to be moisture resistant, termite / mite resistant, anti-microbial resistance and dust resistant. The addition of natural fibre in the corrugated cardboard box as stack adds stiffness to the box. The natural fibres such as jute, flax, hemp are processed as a sheet and also same material may be included in the existing kraft pulp which has a good hardness and tensile strength. The final architecture may be cardboard kraft liner paper (201) followed by flute and followed by natural fibre composite (202) and then again followed by flute as seen in FIG. 2. The natural fibre composite may be adhered to the liner paper.

[0026] It is disclosed in an embodiment of the invention that cardboard boxes are made from a type of paper-based material known as corrugated cardboard. The manufacturingprocess of the same includes pulping, kraft paper production, corrugated paper creation using die, cutting, printing, finishing, assembly, conventionally. Cardboard boxes are advantageously lightweight, and strong, making them ideal for packaging and shipping a wide range of products. In order to meet the structural and transportation needs, the natural fibres are added in the standard cardboard box to make it more suitable for packaging. In the process, the natural fibre composite (NFC) is prepared, to be added in the corrugated stack. Based on the dimension of the corrugated box, NFC may be taken and subjected to resin flow to make it rigid and stiff. Said resin flow may be epoxy resin or any hardener can be used. These epoxy resin may be impregnated with the natural fibres and final sheet like sheet is taken out. The final product of NFC may be used as a composite which will be added to the corrugated box for stiffness addition and ensure rigidity for heavy loads. For adhesion, water based adhesive glues will be used in order to stack these composites to the corrugated flutes. The outer layer of moisture resistant coating based on starch to enable longer life and protect wood also from degradation.

[0027] Reference is made to FIG. 3 A that discloses a configuration where packaging (310, 311) with cardboard composite sections have been shown. In a preferred embodiment, all members of the packaging are replaced with cardboard composite sections (301) of different cross-sections based on load and stiffness needs. Application basis, this is suitable for low weight and smaller glasses such as and not limited to quarterlites, sidelites or for small batches. In a preferred embodiment, it would be a packaging with least weight and assembly time. In this case, the assembly is provided between columnar sections and wider section. The flat sections may use adhesives or continuous wrapping cardboard composite.

[0028] Reference is made to FIG. 3B that provides a hybrid packaging (312) with cardboard composite (301) and wood (302) sections. In this configuration, the different sectionsare segregated into load bearing and stiffening / supporting sections. The load bearing sections are wooden sections, and the stiffening / supporting sections are cardboard composite sections of different cross-sections based on load and stiffness needs. This could be used for medium loads and can reduce the overall weight and thereby reduce carbon footprint.

[0029] Reference is made to FIG. 3C that provides packaging (313) with wood and cardboard composite hybrid sections. In this preferred embodiment, it is the best customizable configuration and has the best features of both wood based and cardboard compositebased solutions. The different possible combinations of wood and cardboard are depicted in FIG. 3C. The configuration is achieved by adhesively binding the cardboard layer to the wooden section. This is the best customizable configuration and has the best features of both wood based and cardboard composite-based solutions. The configuration may be achieved by adhesively binding the cardboard layer to the wooden section.

[0030] FIG. 4 refers to the various finite element analysis (FEA) simulations for the packaging unit. FEA simulation provides an understanding of the strength of the natural fiber. In an exemplary embodiment, small prototype of 500mm* 500mm box have been developed and included material properties of cardboard paper and natural fiber properties. In this embodiment, 50N of load has been applied and evaluated. Evaluation is performed by the displacement of the box. From computer-aided engineering (CAE) results, it is evident that cardboard with natural fiber exhibits similar displacement when compared to wooden box. The moisture in the paper board is the main problem of corrugated box when it is exposed to different humidity conditions. These issues are resolved using moisture resistant coating / barriers.Thus, the one or more embodiments of the disclosed solution provide the use of wooden material as a reinforcement to the cardboard box in case of certain packaging needs. This reinforcement gives a more rigidity and the stiffness to the overall structure. In terms of use cases, the disclosed solution can be used as cardboard composite box for transporting windshield / glasses with the total weight ranges up to lOOOKg. For export segments, shipping of windshields using cardboard composite box. For all after market segments / one time use wooden box consignment, cardboard box may be used as an alternative which comes at the less cost and less weight.

[0031] Conventionally used wooden pallets for windshield transportation / glass are come with several setbacks. These are not completely 100% sustainable and require repair for reuse. This comes at the cost of deforestation. The average energy consumed per ton of wood subjected to reduction is 12± 6.6kWh / t. The CO2 emissions during wood processing and during transportation are high because of the heavy weight. The wooden box procured are single time use, end of the life could not be assessed either it could be incinerated or landfill. These issues are mitigated with the solution of the disclosed invention.

[0032] Some advantages of the present invention are enlisted in the following:

[0033] • The disclosed invention reduces the packaging weight (as compared to conventional wooden pallets) to at least 30%, thereby, resulting in lower carbon footprint via. fuel savings and material usage.

[0034] • The disclosed invention facilitates 100% for 5-7 re-uses as compared to prior art.

[0035] • The disclosed solution is 100% conversion and economical Paper towels, napkins, tissues.

[0036] • There are barely any chances of pest infections and related issues for the present invention.Note that not all of the activities described above in the general description, or the examples are required, that a portion of a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more further activities may be performed in addition to those described. Still further, the order in which activities are listed is not necessarily the order in which they are performed.

[0037] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature of any or all the claims.

[0038] The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The specification and illustrations are not intended to serve as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that use the structures or methods described herein. Certain features, that are for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in a sub combination. Wherever, method steps are indicated, it is meant as a means for conveying the steps involved and it may or may not be sequential in nature. Further, reference to values stated in ranges includes each and every value within that range. Many other embodiments may be apparent to skilled artisans only after reading this specification. Other embodiments may be used and derived from the disclosure, such that a structural substitution, logical substitution, or another change may be madewithout departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0039] The description in combination with the figures is provided to assist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein, is provided to assist in describing the teachings, and should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of the teachings. However, other teachings can certainly be used in this application.

[0040] As used herein, the terms “comprise(s)”, “comprising”, “include(s)”, “including”, “has”, “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of features is not necessarily limited only to those features but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to such method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive-or and not to an exclusive-or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present), and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

[0041] Also, the use of “a” or “an” is employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural, or vice versa, unless it is clear that it is meant otherwise. For example, when a single item is described herein, more than one item may be used in place of a single item. Similarly, where more than one item is described herein, a single item may be substituted for that more than one item.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and notintended to be limiting. To the extent that certain details regarding specific materials and processing acts are not described, such details may include conventional approaches, which may be found in reference books and other sources within the manufacturing arts.

[0043] While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.

[0044] List of reference numerals appearing in the accompanying drawings and the corresponding features:

[0045] 310, 311, 312, 313: packaging article

[0046] 200: corrugated sheet

[0047] 201: paper

[0048] 202: composite with natural fibre

[0049] 301: composite cardboard

[0050] 302: wood

Claims

CLAIMS1. A packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) for packaging and transportation of the glass and glass articles, wherein said packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) comprises:plurality of modular units in multiple dimensions adapted to form a packaging unit; wherein each modular unit comprises:a corrugated sheet (200) provided with at least one kind of natural fibre layer for stiffness; wherein said corrugated sheet (200) further comprises a fluted layer ; said natural fibre being incorporated in the corrugated sheet as a composite.said corrugated sheet is further configured to have an environment resistant layer2. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said environment resistant layer is moisture resistant, termites / mite resistant, anti-microbial resistance or dust resistant or a combination thereof.

2. The packaging article (310, 311 , 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said natural fibres includes any of jute, flax, and hemp alone or a combination of the same.

3. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein natural fibres are processed with resin to make it stiff and rigid basis the required dimension of the modular unit.

4. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein corrugate sheet comprises flutes stacked between at least two walls of a packaging first material with the natural fibre composite being adhered therebetween with water-based adhesives.

5. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein corrugate sheet is coated with a moisture resistant coating on its outer layer, said outer layer being exposed to air.

6. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular units are assembled in either or both of the following ways: between columnar sections and wider sections;between row sections and flatter sections; andusing adhesives or continuous wrapping of the corrugated sheet.

7. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said packaging article is assembled for lower loads.

8. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular units are assembled in sections segregated into load bearing sections and supporting sections;wherein load bearing sections comprises packaging modular unit of a second material; andthe supporting section comprises packaging modular units of corrugated sheets.

9. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 8, wherein said packaging article is assembled for medium and heavy loads.

10. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular units is assembled by adhesively binding the packaging modular units of corrugated sheets to packaging modular unit of the second material.

11. The packaging article (310, 311, 312, 313) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape, and overall dimensions of the packaging article is dependent on the load being packed therewith.

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