US-12622536-B2 - Foldable cardboard stand assembly system and compact box

US12622536B2US 12622536 B2US12622536 B2US 12622536B2US-12622536-B2

Abstract

The invention discloses an easily assemblable cardboard stand assembly system designed to streamline its setup process while ensuring a compact sized transport and/or storage box. The stand assembly system is foldable and complete (does not require assembly of parts when set up (erected) by a consumer and does not require disassembly for transport and/or storage). The stand assembly system comprises technical features that eliminate the need for additional mechanical connections, adhesive materials or double-sided tape points. The invention addresses the demand for an environmentally friendly, user-friendly and efficient cardboard stand assembly system.

Inventors

Ivan Glustsenko
Aleksei Naumtsik

Assignees

Piar OÜ

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20241107

Claims (5)

1 . A foldable cardboard stand assembly system, comprising: a plurality of shelves with a back-to-back arrangement; a plurality of outer vertical support elements; a support structure of the shelves; a first and second horizontal surface of the shelves: an outer edge; one or more locking mechanisms; a base; and a header element; wherein the back-to-back shelves are configured to form shelf modules, and the shelf modules are configured to form a shelf assembly when stacked vertically on top of each other; the shelf assembly comprising a separate upper portion and a lower portion; the shelf further comprises a first horizontal surface of the shelves, with a prong on an inner edge and one or more grooves at ends of the inner edges, and a second horizontal surface of the shelves with a foldable flap configured to connect the first and the second horizontal surfaces of the shelves with each other and having one or more folding lines at a junction of the first horizontal surface of the shelves and the prong; the first horizontal surface of the shelves and the second horizontal surface of the shelves configured to be folded horizontally to a narrower width using the one or more folding lines; a hole in the first horizontal surface of the shelves; the shelves support structure comprising vertical portions of the support structure at each end of the shelves the support structures being mirror images of each other, and a horizontal portion of the support structure connecting the support structures vertical portions, and; the vertical portions of the support structure comprising three faces bent to an angle, the three faces being a wider outer portion, a narrower inner portion, and a middle connecting portion; and the vertical portions of the support structure comprising folding lines at a junction of the wider outer portion, a middle connecting portion and the narrower inner portion; the wider outer portion, the narrower inner portion and the middle connecting portion being vertically foldable to a narrower width using the folding lines; the narrower inner portion having a horizontal prong extending into the interior of the shelf assembly, the horizontal prong configured to support the horizontal surfaces; a notch at a junction of the horizontal prong and an upper edge of the narrower inner portion, configured to lock the first horizontal surface of the shelves to the narrower inner portion of a vertical portion of the support structure; an incision of the first horizontal surface of the shelves being equal to the width of the narrower inner portion of a vertical portion of the support structure; an upper edge of the shelves being attached to the upper edge of the support structure's horizontal portion; the ends of the shelves being at an angle and aligning with the inner portions of a wider outer part and the middle connecting portion of the vertical portion of the support structure; outer vertical support elements at vertical ends of the shelf assembly being mirror images of each other, wherein: the outer vertical support elements comprise two wider outer sections and a narrower middle section between the wider outer sections and the wider outer sections being positioned at an angle to the narrower middle section and the outer vertical support element having folding lines at a junction of the wider outer section and the narrower middle section; the wider outer sections and the narrower middle sections being configured to be folded to achieve a narrower shape using the folding lines; one of the wider sections of the outer support element and the narrower middle sections having at least one incision, and at least one of the outer wider sections having at least one folding line, and the at least one incision on the wider section of the support element being a shaped line, and a straight line on the narrower middle section, and the at least one folding line being a straight line; the incision partially dividing the outer vertical support element into an upper portion and a lower portion of the outer vertical support element; the outer vertical support element being configured to be foldable vertically downwards at the location of the incision and the folding line; two opposite vertical prongs located on both sides of the wider portion of the outer vertical support element with the incision; a slot for insertion of the vertical prong on the lower portion of the outer vertical support element being located behind the vertical prong on the upper portion of the outer vertical support element, locking the parts of the outer vertical support element together; the vertical portion of the shelf support structure is connected to the outer vertical support element, and the upper shelf assembly portion and the lower shelf assembly portion are independently connected to the outer vertical support element; the base contains a support structure with extended edges; the header element being configured to be attached to the foldable flap and having a support leg, with a foldable extension of the support leg including a fastener and the header element is configured to provide additional interconnection between the first horizontal surface of the shelf and the second horizontal surface of the shelf, and to further secure the stand assembly system into a three-dimensional set-up state.
2 . Foldable cardboard stand assembly system according to claim 1 , comprising at least one set of intermediate shelf modules.
3 . Foldable cardboard stand assembly system according to claims 1 , comprising the shelf assembly having at least one intermediate part of the shelf assembly.
4 . Foldable cardboard stand assembly system according to claim 1 , comprising the outer vertical support element having at least one intermediate part.
5 . Foldable cardboard stand assembly system according to claim 1 , comprising a vertical prong located on the inner side of the lower portion of the outer vertical support element, and a vertical prong located on the outer side of the upper portion of the outer vertical support element.

Description

PRIORITY This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application 63/597,187 filed on Nov. 8, 2023, and to European application EP24191134.6 filed on Jul. 26, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention belongs to the field of cardboard structures and is particularly focused on an easily assemblable (erectable) cardboard stand assembly system, which allows for the use of a reduced transport box size, simplified assembly of the stand assembly system, and absence of supplementary mechanical connections, adhesives, or double-sided tape points. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional cardboard stand assemblies often involve multiple components, additional mechanical connections, or application of adhesives, which complicate the assembly and reduce the structural integrity of the final product. Moreover, conventional cardboard stand assemblies require large transport boxes which may increase logistics costs and environmental impact. Accordingly, there is a need for cardboard stand assemblies that are easy to assemble, without additional connections and which would allow for small-sized transportation packages. There is a known stand (display stand) for display and advertising of goods (PL221005B1, Holbox Poland Spolka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia, published on Sep. 24, 2012), which is a prism-like casing with shelves, which has a movable partition wall with an advertising board (header) and a base. A drawback of this solution is that the consumer must assemble the stand from parts, using additional connecting materials (adhesive, tape, etc.); moreover, the stand assembly is not foldable and requires a lot of space during transport and storage. There is a known “Exposition shelf unit” (PL66840Y1, Holbox Poland Spolka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia, published on Mar. 18, 2013), which is a parallelepiped made from rigid material with one-sided shelves where each shelf has a supporting element which has a base part. The support element is a cross beam attached to the two-part side wall. For this solution, shelves are only on one side of the stand, which leaves less space for displaying goods. Also, the stand cannot be folded, therefore it requires a lot of space during transport and storage. Closest solution to the invention is a display stand with shelves (BRPI1105293-7 A2, Holbox BV, published on Sep. 1, 2015), which comprises two parts of casing interconnected with a partition wall, connected by prongs and grooves, additionally comprising a base and a header. A drawback of this solution is that the consumer must assemble the stand from parts; moreover, the stand assembly system is not foldable and requires a lot of space during transport and storage. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to an easily assemblable (erectable) cardboard stand assembly system designed to streamline the assembly process while ensuring a compact sized transport and/or storage box for the stand assembly system. The stand assembly system has features that eliminate the need for additional mechanical connections, adhesive materials, or double-sided tape points in order to set up (erect) the assembly. The invention addresses the demand for an environmentally friendly, user-friendly and efficient cardboard stand assembly system. The foldable stand assembly system comprises precut and scored cardboard panels equipped with interlocking mechanisms. This mechanism facilitates a straightforward and secure assembly process of the stand assembly system without the need of external tools or adhesives, for instance, mechanical connections, adhesives or double-sided tape points. The cardboard stand assembly system is designed to fold easily, ensuring a compact transport and/or storage box size while allowing for efficient setup (in the assembled state) and folding (in the not assembled state) of the stand assembly system. The invention presents a foldable cardboard stand assembly comprising shelf assemblies that are vertically on top of each other, where the shelf assembly comprises shelves positioned back-to-back, which are mirror images of one another. The stand assembly system has outer foldable vertical support elements that are mirror images of one another, which include folding lines and incisions with inner horizontal prongs and grooves. The shelf has horizontal surfaces and a supporting structure, which together create a shelf module. The horizontal surfaces of the shelf are supported by the horizontal prong of the vertical support element, and they interlock with a groove in the prong. The stand assembly system has a bottom support element (a base) that is connected between the outer vertical support elements. The stand assembly has a fixable head piece. Structural stability of the stand assembly is ensured by its structural elements and locking mechanisms. The stand assembly is foldable both vertically height-wise (can be folded down) and horizontally depth-wise (c