DE8914375U1 - Flip-top box with music box - Google Patents

Description

12456* Dr.v.B/Schä/23

Consult Marketing Ludwig & Co. GmbH Brienner Strasse 54b

8000 Munich 2

Flip-top box with music box

A matchbox suitable as an advertising medium is known from the German utility model (€-86 29 044 Ul), which contains an outer box and an inner box that can be pulled out from it. On the bottom of the inner box is arranged an electronic miniature music box, which contains a photocell pointing towards the bottom and the inner box, which sets the music box in motion when it is illuminated. The bottom of the inner box has a hole at the location of the photocell, which enables the photocell to be illuminated by ambient light when the inner box is pushed out of the outer box. The area inside the outer box that is opposite the hole when the inner box is pushed in can be blackened. Despite this measure, however, if the ambient light is sufficiently bright, it cannot be avoided that the music box is set in motion even when the box is closed by light that falls into the inevitable gap between the bottom of the inner box and the outer box, especially since the relatively large bottom of the outer box in the boxes usually made today is made of plastic. Matchboxes made of cardboard usually tend to bulge outwards.

The present invention solves the problem of providing a box with a music box that is suitable, for example, as an advertising medium or promotional item, in which accidental, unwanted activation of the music box is practically impossible.

Further developments and advantageous embodiments of the box according to the invention are the subject of subclaims.

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A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. They show:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a flip-top box with music box according to an embodiment of the invention, seen in a plane I-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section in a plane II-II of Fig. 1 and

Fig. 3 is a reduced-scale view of an insert sleeve for the box according to Fig. 1 and 2, unfolded in plane.

Fig. 1 shows a so-called flip-top box made of cardboard with a cuboid-shaped main part (10) and a lid (12) hinged to it in one piece. The main part (10) has a front wall (14) and a rear wall (16) which is slightly higher than the front wall (14), so that the lid-side end (18) of the narrow side walls (20) runs diagonally from the back to the front and downwards. The lid (12) accordingly has a slightly shorter rear wall (22) and a slightly longer front wall (24) as well as trapezoidal side walls.

% On the inside of the rear wall (16) of the main part (10) there is arranged a miniature electronic music box unit which essentially consists of an electronic part (28) and an electroacoustic transducer (30), e.g. a piezo crystal, which are arranged on a carrier plate (32) made of cardboard. The carrier plate (32) is firmly connected to the rear wall (16) in the area of the transducer (30) by an adhesive layer (34) so that the latter can act as a soundboard. The adhesive layer (34) ends, however, a certain distance before the electronic part (28), so that the upper part of the carrier plate (32) can bend away from the rear wall (16). The support plate (32) has, in the part which projects upwards beyond the rear wall (16), a hole (36) through which an actuating device (38) of a mechanical switch projects to the rear.

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In the main part (10) of the box there is also a paper sleeve (40) which has a front part (40a), a rear part (40b), a side part (40c) connecting these parts and two overlapping end parts (40d) and (40e), as can be seen in Fig. 3. The front part (40a) has a cutout (42). The height of the sleeve (40) is such that its rear part (40b) covers the music box unit, while the contents of the main part (10) of the box, e.g. matches (44), are accessible from the front through the cutout (42). In the closed position of the lid, which is shown in dashed lines at 12a in Fig. 1, the rear wall of the lid presses against the actuating element (38) of the switch of the electronic part (28), whereby the music box is kept in the switched off state. However, if the lid is opened, its rear wall (22) releases the actuating element (38), which activates the music box. Unintended actuation of the music box is therefore impossible.

The described embodiment can be modified by using an electronic miniature music box with an electro-optical component, such as a photoresistor or a photocell as an actuating or switching element. In this case, this component is arranged behind the opening (36). In this case too, incorrect operation of the music box is practically impossible, since the lid (12) in conjunction with the sleeve (40) seals the box tightly on all sides. The thickness of the cardboard from which the box is made is generally sufficient to prevent unwanted operation of the music box by light penetrating the rear wall (22) of the lid (12), which can be supported by a print or the like if necessary.

If the box is intended for matches, the outside (46) of the base may be provided with a friction surface.

Claims (9)

DR/ «PIETER .V. .B ¹ BZOCp ." _: DIPÜ. ijNC^ PETlEFUSCHIUn-Z;: Dipl. ing. Wolfgang heusLer zuoiLAssiNBiiM PATENT ATTORNEYS telephone (089) 52 40 &ogr;&igr; IUROPatSCHIN PATINT OFFICE TELEX 922 638 IUROP^N PATENT ATTORNIVS BRlENNER STRASSE S2 TELECOMMUNICATIONS »OMBEZ MANDATES IN BREVETS EUROPlNS D*8OOO MUNICH 2 FAX (089) 5268 12456 Dr.v.B/Schä/23 Consult Marketing Ludwig & Co. GmbH Brienner Strasse 54b, 8000 Munich 2 Flip-top box with music box PROTECTION CLAIMS 1. Box with an electronic miniature music box, which has a switching device (38) which starts the music box when the box (10, 12) is opened, characterized in that the music box is attached to the inside of a rear wall (16) of a main part (10) of the box in such a way that a part of the music box carrying the switching device (38) extends beyond an opening-side end of the rear wall (16) of the main part (10) of the box and the switching device (38) can be actuated by a rear wall (22) of a hinged lid (12) of the box. 2. Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric music box has a carrier plate (32) which carries on its one side at one end an electronic part (28) containing the switching device (38) and an electroacoustic transducer (30) at a distance therefrom and which is connected with its other side in the region of the transducer (30) to the inside of the rear wall (16) of the main part of the box, but not in an area which extends a certain distance from said one end into the main part of the box. POSTGIROL MÖNCHEN NO. 6914S-IOf ·*.-·,. pANJiKpJflp HVfOBANR 'MÖNCHEN (BLZ 70020001) ACCOUNT 16 »157 SII SWIFT HYPO DE MM 3. Box according to claim 2, characterized in that the carrier plate (32) has a hole (36) in the region of the switching device. 4. Box according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the switching device is a mechanical switch. 5. A box according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the switching device contains an electro-optical component, such as a photoresistor. 6. Box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main part (10) of the box has an opening with an edge (18) sloping forwards and contains a sleeve-shaped insert (40) whose rear side (40b) covers the music box and whose front side (40a) has a recess (42). 7. Box according to claim 6, characterized in that the insert consists of a one-piece, folded strip and has two overlapping side parts (4Od, 4Oe). 8. Box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a friction surface on the outside and contains matches (44). 9. Box according to claim 8, characterized in that the friction surface is arranged on the bottom (46) of the box.