Cell box and cell box device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12234081-B2
Application number	US-202318138108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2023
Priority date	Apr 25, 2022
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

A cell box includes a bottom plate on which an object to be packed is placed, a sidewall formed at a peripheral edge of the bottom plate, and a spacer that is switched between a first state where one end of the spacer protrudes by a first distance from a sidewall toward a side of an accommodation space accommodating the object to be packed, and a second state where the one end does not protrude from the sidewall toward the side of the accommodation space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cell box for packing an object to be packed, the object to be packed including a display panel connected to a printed circuit board via a flexible substrate, the cell box comprising:
a bottom plate, wherein the object to be packed is placed on the bottom plate when the object to be packed is packed in the cell box;
a plurality of sidewalls formed at a peripheral edge of the bottom plate; and
a spacer configured to be switched between a first state in which one end of the spacer protrudes by a first distance from one sidewall among the plurality of sidewalls toward a side of an accommodation space configured to accommodate the object to be packed, and a second state in which the one end protrudes by a second distance shorter than the first distance from the one sidewall toward the side of the accommodation space or the one end does not protrude from the one sidewall toward the side of the accommodation space,
wherein the spacer is provided slidably with respect to a sliding surface provided on the one sidewall and is slidable along a first direction intersecting an inner face of the one sidewall,
the spacer is configured to be switched between the first state and the second state by sliding along the first direction,
the one sidewall includes a sliding hole extending from an inner surface of the one sidewall through to an outer surface of the one sidewall along the first direction and configuring the sliding surface, and
the spacer is provided slidably along the sliding hole.

2. A cell box for packing an object to be packed, the object to be packed including a display panel connected to a printed circuit board via a flexible substrate, the cell box comprising:
a bottom plate, wherein the object to be packed is placed on the bottom plate when the object to be packed is packed in the cell box;
a plurality of sidewalls formed at a peripheral edge of the bottom plate; and
a spacer configured to be switched between a first state in which one end of the spacer protrudes by a first distance from one sidewall among the plurality of sidewalls toward a side of an accommodation space configured to accommodate the object to be packed, and a second state in which the one end protrudes by a second distance shorter than the first distance from the one sidewall toward the side of the accommodation space or the one end does not protrude from the one sidewall toward the side of the accommodation space,
wherein the bottom plate includes a flat surface and an inclined surface, the object to be packed being placed on the flat surface when the object to be packed is packed in the cell box, the inclined surface being inclined so that a depth of the accommodation space increases toward the one sidewall,
the spacer includes, on a side of the one end, a pressing surface being inclined facing or contacting the printed circuit board when the spacer is in the first state, and
the pressing surface is substantially parallel to the inclined surface.

3. The cell box according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spacer includes:
an outer end face formed on an outer face side of the spacer; and
an operation portion formed in the outer end face and configured to be used at a time of changing a state of the spacer.

4. The cell box according to claim 3 ,
wherein the operation portion includes a pair of insertion holes into which fingers of an operator are inserted.

5. The cell box according to claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of objects, including the object to be packed, is layered and placed on the bottom plate, and
in the first state, the spacer presses the printed circuit board of an object to be packed that is layered uppermost among the plurality of objects.

6. The cell box according to claim 2 ,
wherein the one sidewall includes:
an upper face formed on a side opposite the bottom plate; and
a sliding groove formed in the upper face, extending along the first direction, and configuring a sliding surface, and

the spacer is provided slidably along the sliding groove.

7. The cell box according to claim 1 ,
wherein the display panel has a rectangular shape when viewed along a direction perpendicular to a display surface of the display panel, and
the spacer is arranged at a position facing a long side of the rectangular shape.

8. The cell box according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spacer includes a positioning projection, and a positioning groove configured to be fitted to the positioning projection is formed on the sliding surface of the one sidewall, or
the one sidewall includes the positioning projection on the sliding surface, and the positioning groove is formed on the spacer.

9. The cell box according to claim 8 ,
wherein the positioning groove includes:
a first positioning groove configured to be fitted to the positioning projection when the spacer is in the first state; and
a second positioning groove configured to be fitted to the positioning projection when the spacer is in the second state.

10. The cell box according to claim 6 ,
wherein the spacer includes a fall prevention projection, and a fall prevention groove configured to be fitted to the fall prevention projection is formed in the sliding groove, or
the one sidewall further includes the fall prevention projection in the sliding groove, and the fall prevention groove is formed on the spacer.

11. The cell box according to claim 10 ,
wherein one of the fall prevention projection or the fall prevention groove is formed along a sliding direction of the spacer on a side surface of the sliding groove, and
another one of the fall prevention projection or the fall prevention groove is formed along the sliding direction of the spacer on a spacer side surface of the spacer facing the side surface of the sliding groove.

12. A cell box device comprising:
a pallet;
a plurality of cell boxes, including the cell box according to claim 1 , being layered on the pallet; and
a lid provided covering an uppermost cell box among the plurality of cell boxes.

Assignees

• Sharp Display Technology Corp

Inventors

• Okuyama Koji

Classifications

• B65D81/05 Primary

  maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents ({B65D81/022, B65D81/025, } B65D81/03 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D71/0096

  the dimensions of the supports corresponding to the periphery of the load, e.g. pallets · CPC title

• B65D57/004

  the articles being substantially flat panels, e.g. wooden planks · CPC title

• B65D85/30 Primary

  for articles particularly sensitive to damage by shock or pressure · CPC title