EP0114772B1 - Blank for making a package provided with a handle, and corresponding preformed package and package - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to packages made from a cardboard blank, corrugated cardboard, or other sheet material suitably cut and grooved, comprising in one piece, for the constitution of a body, a plurality of side panels successively articulated two by two by parallel fold lines, and, for the constitution of a cover, flaps each individually extending said side panels, beyond root fold lines perpendicular to the previous fold lines .

After filling such a package, said flaps are at least partially superimposed two by two, being suitably secured to each other, for example by gluing.

For subsequent access to its content, a detachable strip, precut for this purpose in continuity in at least some, successive, side panels, parallel to the fold lines roots of the flaps which extend these, near the said fold lines roots , usually allows to decapitate the whole, on at least three sides.

It is known, in particular from US-A-2836343 relating to the field of small packages, in particular cigarette packs, to produce a detachable strip capable of decapitating some of said side panels allowing the constitution of a cover by part thus detached from them, said cover then remaining articulated to the body of the corresponding packaging.

With such a packaging, it is desirable that the part thus detached from the body of the packaging at the opening of the latter can, at the option of the user, ensure the reclosing thereof, in particular if the entire contents of a such packaging is not consumed all at once, as is the case for example for detergents sold using relatively large capacity packaging.

Most often, in the so-called two-part packaging, there is associated for this purpose with the body of such a packaging an internal sheath which, projecting in height thereof, forms with it a rebate allowing the nesting of the cover also formed by the part previously detached from said body.

But it is not the same in so-called one-part packaging, in which, no internal sleeve being used, for simplification of the whole, the formation of such a rebate cannot be easily ensured without relatively complex special provisions.

The present invention generally relates to an arrangement making it possible to overcome this difficulty very simply and economically.

More specifically, it firstly relates to a blank of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other sheet material of the type described in the aforementioned document US-A-2836343, said blank comprising, in one piece, for the constitution of a package, a plurality of side panels successively articulated two by two by parallel fold lines, hereinafter called for simple convenience the main fold lines, and, beyond the root fold lines perpendicular to said lines main folding, flaps each individually extending at least some of said side panels, with, precut in at least some successive, side panels, parallel to the fold lines roots of the flaps extending these, a detachable strip, this blank being characterized in that, in each of two flaps extending two opposite side panels is cut a tongue, which itself comes from a line of root folding perpendicular to the lines of main folding, and the length of which, measured perpendicularly from a bend line su- perposableà to the root fold line of the corresponding flap or coincident therewith, is known ^per E- higher than that at which is established, with respect to said root fold line, that of the precut lines of the detachable strip which is closest to said root fold line, said tongue being intended to constitute a tab capable of projecting from the internal face of the cover to be formed , to close it again.

It follows that, at the opening, the current part of such a tab by itself forms a tab which, projecting from the underside of the cover previously detached from the body of the packaging, is capable of engaging in said body, and, thus ensuring good performance of this cover relative to the latter, effectively allows it to be closed again by the latter.

According to a development of this arrangement, within a such tongue is individualized, by a pre-cutting line, a detachable portion implanted so as to be able to be superimposed on the corresponding side panel when said tongue is folded over it by folding around from its root fold line.

Such a detachable portion of said tongue is in practice intended to form the reinforcement to be attached to a side panel when it must be secured thereto, by one of its ends, a handle.

But thus permanently provided, from the outset, on the blank concerned, such reinforcement advantageously does not require, for its implementation, any particular manipulation, which facilitates, and makes more economical, the installation of such a handle.

Anyway, with or without a detachable portion, the tongue according to the invention, coming from the very surface of a flap usually used anyway, advantageously does not entail any additional consumption of material, and therefore no additional cost.

The present invention also relates to the packaging produced using such a blank, as well as the packaging blank, advantageously available flat, previously obtained by bending the tubular sheath thereof.

• la figure 1 est une vue partielle en plan d'un flan suivant l'invention;
• les figures 2A, 2B sont des vues partielles en plan analogues à celle de la figure 1 et illustrent diverses phases du pliage du flan concerné conduisant à la réalisation d'une ébauche d'emballage suivant l'invention;
• les figures 3A, 3B sont des vues partielles en perspective illustrant diverses phases de la fermeture de l'emballage issu d'une telle ébauche;
• la figure 4 est une vue partielle en perspective de cet emballage, vu de l'intérieur, une fois cet emballage fermé;
• la figure 5 en est, à l'échelle supérieure, une vue partielle en coupe transversale, suivant la ligne V-V de la figure 4;
• la figure 6 est une vue partielle en perspective de l'emballage suivant l'invention ainsi fermé;
• la figure 7 est une vue partielle en perspective illustrant l'ouverture de l'emballage suivant l'invention;
• la figure 8 est une vue partielle en perspective illustrant sa refermeture;
• la figure 9 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 1 et se rapporte à une variante de réalisation.

The objects of the invention, their characteristics and their advantages, will also emerge from the description which will follow, by way of example, with reference to the appended schematic drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a partial plan view of a blank according to the invention;
• FIGS. 2A, 2B are partial plan views similar to that of FIG. 1 and illustrate various phases of the folding of the blank concerned, leading to the production of a packaging blank according to the invention;
• Figures 3A, 3B are partial perspective views illustrating various phases of the closure of the packaging from such a blank;
• Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of this package, seen from the inside, once this package closed;
• Figure 5 is a larger scale, a partial view in cross section along the line VV of Figure 4;
• Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of the packaging according to the invention thus closed;
• Figure 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating the opening of the packaging according to the invention;
• Figure 8 is a partial perspective view illustrating its reclosure;
• Figure 9 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 and relates to an alternative embodiment.

In general, and as illustrated in these figures, a blank 10 according to the invention is of the type comprising, in one piece, for the constitution of a package to which a handle must be attached independently. 11, a plurality of side panels 12 successively articulated two by two by parallel fold lines 13, said below for the sake of convenience, main fold lines.

In the embodiments more particularly shown, the desired packaging having to have in cross section a quadrangular contour, four side panels 12 are provided, namely two side panels of smaller width 12A, and two side panels of larger width 12B, which alternate with the previous ones.

In practice, each of these side panels 12A, 12B is generally quadrangular.

Beyond a fold line 14 parallel to the main fold lines 13, one of the extreme side panels 12, and in this case it is a wider side panel 12B, is extends, in a manner known per se, and for reasons which will appear below, by a joining strip 15.

Along one of the longitudinal edges of the alignment which they form, at least some of the side panels 12 extend, each individually, beyond the root fold lines 15 perpendicular to the main fold lines 13, by flaps 18.

In the embodiments shown, there is thus, in practice, a flap 18 for each of the side panels 12, respectively 18A for the side panels 12A, and 18B for the side panels 12B.

Their length is adapted to the width of these.

Their height, on the other hand, is roughly the same for all.

Like the side panels 12, they are all generally quadrangular.

Furthermore, and in a manner known per se, a detachable strip 27, delimited by precut lines 28, is precut in continuity in at least some, successive, side panels 12, parallel to the root fold lines 16 of the flaps 18 extending these, near said root fold lines 16.

In practice, such a detachable strip 27 affects three successive side panels 12, namely the two narrower side panels 12A, and the wider panel 12B framed by them; it also affects the joining strip 15.

According to the invention, in each of two flaps 18 extending two side panels 12 intended to form opposite side panels for the desired packaging, and these are, in the embodiments shown, flaps 18A extending the panels of side of lesser width 12A, a tongue 20 is cut out itself from a root fold line 21 perpendicular to the main fold lines 13, and whose length L _i , measured perpendicularly from a stackable fold line at the root fold line 16 of the corresponding flap 18A or merged with it, is greater than that L ₂ at which is established, relative to said root fold line 16, that of the precut lines 28 of the detachable strip 27 which is closest to said root fold line 16.

In the embodiment more particularly illustrated by FIGS. 1 to 8, the root fold line 21 of a tongue 20 according to the invention is distinct from the root fold line 16 of the flap 18A in which this tongue 20 is cut, it extends substantially parallel thereto, and, at a distance D1 from it substantially equal to that D2 separating it from said root fold line 16, said tongue 20 is assigned a fold line 24, which is substantially parallel to the previous two, but whose folding direction is opposite to that of the latter.

This fold line 24 can therefore be superimposed on the root fold line 16 of the corresponding flap 18A, and it is from this, in this embodiment, that the length L, specified above, of the relevant portion of a tongue 20.

In the embodiment shown, such a fold line 24 is embodied by a buttonhole cut 25 in its central region, to facilitate the corresponding folding.

Furthermore, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, the tongue 20 thus cut from a flap 18A extends along one of the sides of the latter, said side being that closest to the flap 18B framed by the flaps 18A in which such a tongue 20 is cut.

In other words, in this embodiment, the tongues 20 of the flaps 18A are established symmetrically on either side of the flap 18B framed by these flaps 18A, as close as possible to this flap 18B.

At the same time, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, within a tongue 20 according to the invention, there is individualized, by a precut line 22, a detachable portion 23 implanted so as to be able to be superposed on the panel side 12 considered when, as it will appear below, said tongue 20 is folded over it by folding around its root fold line 21.

In practice, in the embodiment shown, the detachable portion 23 of a tongue 20 according to the invention forms a lateral extension of the latter, so as to be located substantially at right of the median axis of the side panel 12A corresponding.

In addition, in this embodiment, the detachable portion 23 of a tongue 20 according to the invention is substantially square relative to the current part thereof, at the end of this tongue 20 furthest from its root fold line 21, and the precut line 22 which delimits it is substantially oblique with respect to said root fold line 21.

Anyway, the detachable portion 23 thus presented by a tongue 20 according to the invention is generally situated at a distance L ' ₁ from the folding pin 24 of this tongue 20 at least equal to the distance L' _z to which is established, relative to the root fold line 16 concerned, that of the precut lines 28 of the detachable strip 27 which is the farthest from said root fold line 16.

Furthermore, on the internal face of the side panels 12, a reinforcing strip 29 is continuously superimposed on the detachable strip 27, in the central region thereof.

For reasons of installation convenience, this detachable strip 27 extends over all of the side panels 12, perpendicular to the main fold lines 13.

In practice, it is however interrupted, for example by a notch 30, as shown, in line with that of the main fold lines 13 by which one of the side panels 12A extended by a flap 18A in which is cut a tongue 20 is connected to a side panel 12B extended by a flap 18B devoid of such a tongue.

Along the other of the longitudinal edges of the alignment they form, the side panels 12 can also each be individually extended, beyond the root fold lines perpendicular to the main fold lines 13, by clean flaps to jointly form a base for the desired packaging. These may for example be flaps of the type described above, but without a tab according to the invention.

Alternatively, it may be flaps specific to the constitution of an automatic background.

Alternatively, also, an independent background can be provided.

These various arrangements are well known in themselves and, not pertaining to the present invention, they will not be described in more detail here.

This is also the reason why they have not been shown in the figures.

Anyway, and in a manner also known per se, the blank 10 according to the invention can easily be made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, or other sheet material suitably cut and grooved, its crease lines constituting the lines of folding, and also the precut lines when, from place to place, they are sufficiently accentuated to cross it right through.

Before folding the blank 10 according to the invention, some of the portions are glued therefrom, as shown diagrammatically by hatching in FIG. 1.

These are, first of all, detachable portions 23 of the tongues 20 according to the invention.

It is, then, the part of the flaps 18A which, located between the root fold line 16 of such a flap 18A and the root fold line 21 of the tongue 20 cut therein, is in the extension of the current part of this tongue 20.

Finally, it is preferably, and as shown, a portion, of height less than L ₂ , of the tongues 20 beyond their fold line 24, from the latter towards their end .

After such gluing, the tongues 20 are folded over the side panels 12A, by folding 180 ° around their root fold line 21, FIG. 2A.

At the end of this folding, the root fold lines 21 of the tongues 20 are superimposed on the root fold lines 16 of the corresponding flaps 18A, and, taking into account the relative values of the lengths L ₁ , L ₂ , L ' ₁ , L' ₂ specified above, the detachable portions 23 of the tongues 20 are superimposed on the side panels 12A, on the internal face of the latter, below the detachable strip 27, in the median zone of said side panels 12A.

They are also joined together by gluing.

Jointly, the portion of the tongues 20 between their fold line 24 and their root fold line 21 is secured by bonding to the flap 18A concerned on the internal face of the latter.

Finally, by their portion located beyond their fold line 24, in the vicinity thereof, the tongues 20 are secured by gluing to the corresponding side panels 12A, above the detachable strip 27, this is that is to say between said detachable strip 27 and the corresponding root fold line 16.

The extreme side panel 12B is then folded down, by folding it 180 ° around the main fold line 13 which connects it to the adjacent side panel 12A, then, after bonding of the fastening strip 15 , at folding of the extreme side panel 12A, by folding it 180 ° around the main fold line 13 which connects it to the adjacent side panel 12B, FIG. 2B.

At the end of the folding into a tubular sheath thus applied to the blank 10 according to the invention, the two end side panels 12A, 12B thereof are secured to one another, by the fastening strip 15 provided for this effect.

The tubular packaging blank 32 thus obtained is, in a manner known per se, advantageously deliverable flat.

For the reasons explained above, it comprises, according to the invention, secured in advance to each of two opposite side panels 12A, the detachable portion 23 of the corresponding tongue 20.

In addition, by its portion between its root fold line 21 and its fold line 24, such a tongue 20 is secured to the flap 18A in which it is cut, and, by its portion located beyond its fold line 24, in the vicinity thereof, it is secured to the corresponding side panel 12A, above the detachable strip 27.

For volume of such a tubular packaging blank 32, it suffices, in a manner known per se, to exert, according to the arrows F in FIG. 2B, a pushing action on its opposite main fold lines 13.

On the packaging 34 thus obtained, the handle 11 is then placed.

For the implantation of such a handle 11, the packaging 34 advantageously has, in advance, a local reinforcement on the internal face of each of its two opposite side panels 12A on which such implantation must take place.

It is the detachable portion 23 of the tongue 20 coming from the corresponding flap 18A.

In a manner known per se, and as it is better visible in FIG. 5, the fitting of the handle 11 can for example be done using rivets 35, one for each of its ends to allow it to be swiveled around of these.

After closing the bottom of the packaging 34, and filling it, it is carried out two by two of its flaps 18, by angled folding of these around their root fold line 16, said flaps 18 being previously glued to join two by two to each other, FIG. 3B.

In practice, the flap 18B extending the side panel 12B end, which is the one to the right of one of the main fold lines 13 which is the notch 30 locally interrupting the reinforcing strip 29, is folded last, and forms therefore the top of the package 34.

To access the content thereof, the detachable strip 27 is removed, which leads to decapitating the body 36 of this packaging on three sides.

The only flap hinged to the latter is the flap 18B which forms the top thereof, with, joined by bonding thereto, the other flaps 18, the assembly constituting a cover 37 with the parts of the side panels 12.

It then suffices, by means of the slot separating it from the body 36, to exert a traction on this cover 37, to ensure the detachment from it, by the precut lines 22, of the detachable portion 23 of the tongues 20 which remain integral with it, and thus effectively allow the drawdown necessary for its opening, FIG. 7.

According to the invention, and taking into account the relative values of the lengths L ,, L ₂ specified above, the tongues 20 then form, by their remaining part, projecting from the flap 18B concerned or, in other words, from the cover 37 in the constitution of which the latter participates, lugs 39 which, each disposed respectively laterally along the edges of such a cover 37, in the corner areas of the latter opposite the hinge by which it is articulated to the body 36, are able to engage in this body 36, in contact with the corresponding side panels 12A, and thus allow the body 36 to be closed, FIG. 8.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, no local reinforcement of the side panels 12A is provided for the implantation of a handle, either that such local reinforcement is provided otherwise, or that another type of handle be adopted.

The tongues 20 according to the invention therefore do not have a detachable portion.

Furthermore, in this alternative embodiment, the root fold line of such a tongue 20 is coincident with the root fold line 16 of the flap 18A in which it is cut, and this is therefore counted from this fold line. root 16 that the length L is measured, to be taken into consideration.

Finally, in this variant embodiment, the tongues 20 according to the invention extend in the middle part of the flaps 18A concerned.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but encompasses any variant embodiment and / or combination of their various elements.

In particular, the respective roles of the side panels of greater width and those of smaller width, and, with them, respective roles of the corresponding flaps, can be reversed.

In addition, the application of the invention is not limited to only packages whose cross section is quadrangular, but can also be envisaged for example for packages whose cross section is hexagonal.

Claims (16)

1. A blank of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, or other material in sheet form, of the type comprising, in one piece, for making up a pack, a plurality of side panels (12) which are successively hinged in twos by parallel bend lines (13), hereinafter referred to for the sake of convenience as main lines, and, beyond root bend lines perpendicular to said main bend lines (13), flaps (18) each individually extending some at least of said side panels (12) with, pre-cut in at least some successive ones of the side panels (12), parallel to the root bend lines (16) of the flaps (18) extending same, a detachable strip (27), characterised in that a tongue portion (20) is cut out in each two flaps (18A) extending two opposite side panels (12A), which tongue portion (20) itself extends from a root bend line perpendicular to the main bend lines (13) and the length (L_i) thereof, as measured perpendicularly from a bend line which can be superposed in relation to the root bend line (16) of the corresponding flap (18A) or which is coincident therewith, is greater than the length (L₂) at which there is provided, with respect to said root bend line (16), that one of the pre-cut lines (28) of the detachable strip (27), which is closest to said root bend line (16), said tongue portion (20) being intended to form a tab for projecting on the inside face of the cover to be formed, for re-closure thereof.

2. A blank according to Claim 1, characterised in that the root bend line (21) of said tongue portion (20) is separate from the root bend line (16) of the flap (18A) in which said tongue portion (20) is cut out, that said root bend line (21 ) extends substantially parallel to said root bend line (16); and that, at a distance (D1) from the root bend line (21 ) substantially equal to the distance (D2) separating said root bend line (21 ) from the root bend line (16), said tongue portion (20) has a bend line (24) which is substantially parallel to the foregoing root bend lines (16, 21), but with a direction of bending which is opposite to the direction of bending of said root bend lines (16, 21 ) and which can be superposed in relation to the root bend line (16), said bend line (24) being the bend line from which the length (L1) is measured.

3. A blank according to Claim 1, characterised in that the root bend line of said tongue portion (20) is coincident with that(16) of the flap (18A) in which it is cut out, and it is therefore from said root bend line (16} that the length (L,) is measured.

4. A blank according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said tongue portion (20) extends along one ofthe sides of theflap (18A) in which it is cut out, said side being that which is closest to the flap (18B) bordered by those in which such a tongue portion (20) is cut out.

5. A blank according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that individualised within said tongue portion (20) by a pre-cutout line (22) is a detachable portion (23) so positioned as to be capable of being superposed in relation to the side panel (12A) in question when said tongue portion (20) is folded over thereonto by folding about its root bend line.

6. A blank according to Claims 2 and 5 in combination, characterised in that the detachable portion (23) of said tongue portion (20) is itself disposed at a distance (L'₁) from the bend line (24) of said tongue portion (20) which is at least equal to the distance (L'₂) at which there is provided, with respect to the root bend line (16) in question, that one of the pre-cutout lines (28) of the detachable strip (27), which is most remote from said root bend line (16).

7. A blank according to either one of Claims 5 and 6, characterised in that the detachable portion (23) of said tongue portion (20) is in the form of a lateral extension portion.

8. A blank according to Claim 7, characterised in that the detachable portion (23) of said tongue portion (20) is substantially at right angles. with respect to the body part thereof.

9. A blank according to any one of Claims 5 to 8, characterised in that the pre-cutout line (22) delimiting the detachable portion (23) of said tongue portion (20) is substantially inclined with respect to the root bend line thereof.

10. A blank according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein, on the internal face of the side panels (12), a reinforcing strip (29) is superposed in continuous form in relation to the detachable strip (27), characterised in that said reinforcing strip (29) is interrupted, for example by a cut-out, in line with that one of the main bend lines (13) by way of which one of the side panels (12A) which are extended by a flap (18A) in which a tongue portion (20) is cut out, is connected to a side panels (12B) which is extended by a flap (18B) which is without such a tongue portion.

11. A basic pack configuration of the kind produced by bending in the form of a tubular casing and fixing together of its end side panels, of a blank of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheet form comprising in one piece a plurality of side panels (12) which are successively hinged in twos by parallel bend lines (13), referred to herein for the sake of convenience as main bend lines, characterised in that, the blank from which it is produced being in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 10, its tongue portion (20) which is cut out in each of two flaps (18A) extending two opposite side panels (12A) beyond root bend lines (16) which are perpendicular to the main bend lines (13) is bent over against the corresponding side panel (12A), and is fixed thereto for example by glueing over the detachable strip (27), that is to say between said detachable strip (27) and the corresponding root bend line (16).

12. A basic pack configuration according to Claim 11, characterised in that, the blank from which it is produced being in accordance with any one of Claims 5 to 9, the detachable portion (23) provided in a tongue portion (20) which is cut out in each of two flaps (18A) extending two opposite side panels (12A) beyond root bend lines (16) which are perpendicular to the main bend lines (13) is secured for example by glueing to the side panel (12A) which is extended by the flap (18A) in question, on the inside face of said side panel (12A).

13. A basic pack configuration according to either one of Claims 11 and 12, characterised in that, the blank from which it is produced being in accordance with Claim 2, the portion of said tongue portion (20) between its root bend line (24) and that (24) which is provided thereon at a spacing from the latter is secured for example by glueing to theflap (18A) in question, on the inside face of said flap (18A).

14. A pack of the kind produced from a blank of cardboard, corrugated cardboard or other material in sheetform, comprising in one piece a plurality of side panels (12) which are successively hinged in twos by parallel bend lines (13) and a detachable strip (27) for permitting certain ones of said side panels (12) to be removed to form a cover (37) by means of the part which is thus detached from said panels, said cover (37) then remaining hinged to the corresponding body (36), characterised in that, the blank from which it is produced being in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 10, it is provided on the underneath face of the cover (37) with tabs (39) which, capable of being engaged into the body (36), permit closure thereof by said cover (37).

15. A pack according to Claim 14, characterised in that said tabs are each respectively disposed in the corners of said cover (37) which are opposite to the hinge by way of which it remains hinged to the associated body (36).

16. A pack according to either one of Claims 14 and 15, characterised in that, the blank from which it is produced being in accordance with Claims 5to 9, it is further provided on the inside face of each of two opposite side panels (12A), for the fitting of a handle (11) which is independently attached thereto, with a local reinforcing means (23) deriving from the flap (18A) which extends the side panel (12A) in question.

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