FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970)
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2006
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See section 10 and rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Modular packaging for an electric motor
INVENTOR
Name : Gupte Rajiv Kashinath
Nationality : Indian
Address : Crompton Greaves Limtied, Industrial Design Centre, Corporate
R&D and Quality, Kanjur Marg (East), Mumbai 400042, Maharashtra, India
APPLICANTS
Name : CROMPTON GREAVES LIMITED
Nationality : Indian Company
Address : CG House, Dr Annie Besant Road, Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400025, Maharashtra, India
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a modular packaging for an electric motor.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
An electric motor is generally packed for storage or transportation by first mounting it on a wooden pallet using nuts and bolts. The pallet comprises flat wooden pieces held together with wooden battens nailed to them. The motor shaft and corresponding front end shield and the back end shield are covered with corrugated paper. The motor is covered with a polyethylene bag and provided with a corrugated paper closure or sleeve around it. The motor is then located in a corrugated paper carton, covered with a paper sheet at the top and the flaps of the carton are closed against the paper sheet and sealed with tapes. Packing of the electric motor by the above packaging and unpacking of the motor are quite time consuming, besides requiring a lot of labour and effort mainly because of the bolting and unbolting involved. Tool like spanner is required for bolting and unbolting. Average time for mounting a motor on the pallet and removing it from the pallet is 6 and 5 minutes respectively. This is in addition to the time for making the pallet. As the packaging comprises several items cost of the packaging is increased and the items are to be procured from different sources. Also correspondingly large inventory control is required. The wooden pallet is prone to fungal attack and the nuts and bolts and nails are prone to rusting thereby reducing the storage life of the packaging. Treated wood can be used but this further increases the cost of the packaging. Use of wood also makes the packaging non-ecofriendly. The packaging looks clumsy and is also heavy mainly because of the wooden pallet and associated nuts and bolts. Being
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heavy, handling of the packaging is difficult. An electric motor of !4 hp capacity mounted on a typical pallet weights about 10 kg. A motor packed in the above packaging is not protected against impact from the sides and top. Also if the motor is accidentally tilted upside down with the motor hanging down from the pallet there are chances of breakage of the pallet and/or bolts under the weight of the motor. This can cause damage to the motor and also accidents. Therefore, the packaging comprising a motor needs to be carefully handled.
OBJECTS OF INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a modular packaging for an electric motor, which eliminates the wooden pallet and associated nuts and bolts and comprises reduced number of items and reduces the packing and unpacking time and also the labour and effort required for the packing and unpacking and is economical and does not require any tool for packing and unpacking the motor
Another object of the invention is to provide a modular packaging for an electric motor, which looks aesthetically good and is ecofriendly and has increased life and reduced weight.
Another object of the invention is to provide a modular packaging for an electric motor, which protects the motor from all the sides against impact and even when the motor is tilted down accidentally as it is still held balanced without causing any damage to the motor or accidents and which is easy and convenient to handle.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a modular packaging for an electric motor, the packaging comprising a planar bottom element, a pair of planner end elements and a planar top element arranged to form a packing space within, each of the bottom, end and top elements being provided with interlocking means and each of the end elements being provided with a hole therein corresponding to the ends of the electric motor, the motor being packed in the packaging with its ends supported in the holes in the end elements and the bottom of the motor located against the bottom element, the bottom, end and top elements being rigidly held together by interlocking the respective interlocking means, the packaging further comprising a pair of disc elements each provided with an opening corresponding to the projections on the end shields of the motor and the end shields being packed with the disc elements by locating the disc elements over the end shields with the projections of the end shields engaged in the respective openings, the packaging further comprising a cylindrical element provided with a groove corresponding to the motor shaft and the motor shaft being packed with the cylindrical element by engaging the cylindrical element over the motor shaft through the groove, all the elements being made of light weight mechanically strong material.
The following is a detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :
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Fig 1 is an exploded view of the modular packaging for an electric motor according to an embodiment of the invention;
Fig 2 is an isometric view of the modular packaging of Fig 1 in its assembled form without the motor;
Fig 3 is an isometric view of the modular packaging of Fig 1 in its assembled form with the electric motor packed in it;
Figs 4 and 5 are end views of the packaging of Fig 3 and
Fig 6 is a partly sectional view of an end element of the packaging of Fig 1.
As illustrated in Figs 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, the modular packaging 1 comprises a planar bottom element 2, a pair of planar end elements 3a, 3b and a planar top element 4 arranged to form a packing space within. Each of the elements 2, 3a, 3b and 4 is square shaped and is provided with dove tail joints comprising tenons 5 and mortises 6 at the sides thereof. The end elements are provided with holes 7a, 7b corresponding to the ends of the electric motor 8 which is packed in the packaging with its ends supported in the holes in the end elements. The bottom of the motor is located against the bottom element. The bottom, end and top elements are rigidly held together by interlocking them by push fitting the tenons 5 in the respective mortises 6 at the sides of the respective elements. The packaging further comprises a pair of disc elements 9a,
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9b provided with openings 10a, 10b corresponding to the projections 8a on the end shields 8b of the motor. The end shields are packed with the disc elements by locating the disc elements over the end shields with the projections of the end shields engaged in the respective openings. 8d is the condenser of the motor. The packaging further comprises a cylindrical element 11 provided with a groove 11a corresponding to the motor shaft 8c. The motor shaft is packed with the cylindrical element by engaging the cylindrical element over the motor shaft through the groove. The modular packaging with the electric motor located therein is further packed by covering it by a polyethylene bag or such other bag (not shown) and putting it in a corrugated paper carton (not shown) which is closed with its flaps.
The various elements of the packaging of the invention are made of a light weight mechanically strong material. Preferably the various elements are made of kraft paper. Each of the end elements preferably comprises 3 plies marked x, y and z fixed together one against another and the middle ply is corrugated in the horizontal direction to have a horizontal fluting direction and the end plies each is corrugated in the vertical direction to have a vertical fluting direction as shown in Figs 2, 4 and 6. Preferably each of the end elements comprises 3 plies each of 21 mm thick. Preferably the plies are fixed together by gluing them. Preferably the disc elements comprise the material removed from the end elements for forming the holes therein.
According to the invention, the modular construction of the packaging facilities packing of an electric motor easy and convenient within reduced time without any tools by
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simply supporting the ends of the motor in the holes in the end elements and locating the motor against the bottom element and interlocking the bottom, end and top elements. Unpacking of the motor is also easy, convenient and fast. Average time for packing a motor in a typical modular packaging and removing it form the packaging are about 3.5 minutes and 2 minutes respectively. The invention eliminates the wooden pallet and nuts and bolts and nails and associated disadvantages. Labour, effort and time required for packing and unpacking of the motor are reduced mainly because of the elimination of the wooden pallet and nuts and bolts. Because of the elimination of the wooden pallet and nuts and bolts, battens and nails, the packaging comprises reduced number of items correspondingly reducing the inventory control or requirement. Sources for procuring the items of the packaging are also reduced. The life of the packaging is increased and weight is reduced. An electric motor of lA hp capacity mounted on a typical packaging weights about 9.5 kg. The packaging is not clumsy and looks aesthetically good and is ecofriendly. As the disc elements are formed by the material removed from the end elements during forming of the holes therein, there is optimum and maximum use of the material and there is material saving. The end elements are horizontally and vertically reinforced by the horizontal corrugations in the middle ply and vertical corrugations in the end plies. Therefore, the end elements are strong to bear the weight of the electric motor in both the directions and the electric motor is well supported and held between the end elements. Impacts against the motor from all the sides are borne by the sidewalls of the holes in the end elements and additionally by the bottom and top elements from the bottom and top. Therefore, the motor is protected against impact and damage from all the sides. Even if the motor is tilted upside down
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accidentally or otherwise the motor will be still held in the holes in the end elements without causing any damage to the motor or accidents. The packaging is easy and convenient to handle and is very cost effective.
Kraft paper is biodegradable and environment friendly. Use of kraft paper makes the invention environmental friendly. The material of the packaging need not be, however, kraft paper only. The disc elements need not be formed from the end elements. Besides being dove tail joints the interlocking means can be of different construction like split half or spigot. The bottom, end and top elements need not be square shaped and can be rectangular, round, oval or polygonal shaped. Such variations in the construction of the packaging are obvious to those skilled in the art and are to be construed and understood to be within the scope of the invention.
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We Claim
1. A modular packaging for an electric motor, the packaging comprising a planar bottom element, a pair of planner end elements and a planar top element arranged to form a packing space within, each of the bottom, end and top elements being provided with interlocking means and each of the end elements being provided with a hole therein corresponding to the ends of the electric motor, the motor being packed in the packaging with its ends supported in the holes in the end elements and the bottom of the motor located against the bottom element, the bottom, end and top elements being rigidly held together by interlocking the respective interlocking means, the packaging further comprising a pair of disc elements each provided with an opening corresponding to the projections on the end shields of the motor and the end shields being packed with the disc elements by locating the disc elements over the end shields with the projections of the end shields engaged in the respective openings, the packaging further comprising a cylindrical element provided with a groove corresponding to the motor shaft and the motor shaft being packed with the cylindrical element by engaging the cylindrical element over the motor shaft through the groove, all the elements being made of light weight mechanically strong material.
2. A modular packaging as claimed in claim 1, wherein all the elements are made of kraft paper.
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3. A modular packaging as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the end elements comprises 3 plies fixed together one against another, each of the plies being 21 mm thick, the middle ply being corrugated in the horizontal direction to have a horizontal fluting direction and the end plies each being corrugated in the vertical direction to have a vertical fluting direction.
4. A modular packaging as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plies are glued together.
5. A modular packaging as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bottom, end and top elements are square shaped.
6. A modular packaging as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein the interlocking means comprises dove tail joints provided at the sides of the bottom, end and top elements.
7. A modular packaging as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 6, wherein the disc elements comprise the material removed from the end elements for forming the holes therein.
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8. Electric motor packed in the modular packaging as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7.
Dated this 27th day of June 2006
(Jose M A) of Khaitan & Co Agent for the Applicants
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ABSTRACT
A modular packaging (1) for an electric motor (8). The packaging comprises a planar bottom element (2), a pair of planner end elements (3a, 3b) and a planar top element (4) arranged to form a packing space within. Each of the bottom, end and top elements is provided with interlocking means (5, 6) and each of the end elements is provided with a hole (7a, 7b) therein corresponding to the ends of the electric motor. The motor is packed in the packaging with its ends supported in the holes (7a, 7b) in the end elements and the bottom of the motor located against the bottom element. The bottom, end and top elements are rigidly held together by interlocking the respective interlocking means. The packaging further comprises a pair of disc elements (9a, 9b) each provided with an opening (10a, 10b) corresponding to the projections (8a) on the end shields (8b) of the motor. The end shields are packed with the disc elements by locating the disc elements over the end shields with the projections of the end shields engaged in the respective openings. The packaging further comprises a cylindrical element (11) provided with a groove (11a) corresponding to the motor shaft (8c) and the motor shaft is packed with the cylindrical element by engaging the cylindrical element over the motor shaft through the groove. All the elements of the packaging are made of light weight mechanically strong material. (Fig 1).