EP1790495B1

EP1790495B1 - Tea calendar

Info

Publication number: EP1790495B1
Application number: EP05466006A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Milan Krivanek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-07-29
Filing date: 2005-05-30
Publication date: 2010-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2025-05-30
Also published as: EP1790495A2; US20060024410A1; DE602005024579D1; EP1790495A3; CZ14851U1; CN2843859Y; ATE486730T1; PL1790495T3; DE05466006T1

Abstract

A tea advent calendar (1) is disclosed comprising outer package (1) such as a box having perforated windows (3) and a hanger (9) disposed therein. Inside the box a lining is provided for attaching teabags in their wrappers. The perforated windows (3) may arranged on both the front and back side (4,5) of the box. The liner (2) is configured such that behind each window (3), the teabags are fixed in the lining and accessible after opening the relevant window.

Description

The invention relates generally to a tea advent calendar made of a box including a hanger and perforated windows for easy opening and removal of the teabag.
Advent calendars are well known in the arts. An advent calendar is a calendar for counting down the days from one date to the next, in particular if the next date is a special one. Usually an advent calendar is used for counting down the days to Christmas, usually from the start of December.
Such a calendar contains windows, and each window is associated with a specific day and is adapted for opening. Inside the window there is a picture, molded piece of chocolate, a sweet or a gift.
Typically, prior art advent calendars are single-sided. i.e., the window openings are disposed on the front side of the calendar.
In the document WO 95/23707 a photo calendar is proposed having a front panel with doors and a rear panel with windows. An inlay sheet with spaces for photos can be placed between the two panels facing either the front panel or the rear panel, in order to obtain a permanent decorative value of the calendar, and to better utilize the cost and effort spent during the preparation of the photos. The disposition of the spaces for photos must correspond to the disposition of the doors, which must be identical with the disposition of the windows accordingly.
A tea advent calendar is disclosed comprising housing such as a box having perforated windows and a hanger disposed therein. Inside the box a liner is provided for attaching teabags in their wrappers. The perforated windows may be arranged on both the front and back side of the box. The liner is configured such that behind each window, the teabags are fixed in the lining and accessible after opening the relevant window.
Embodiments of the liner may comprise two either separate sheets of cardboard or a single sheet of cardboard folded over on itself with perforations or slits for affixing the teabags in their wrappers such that the particular brand and flavor of the tea is visible to the user when the corresponding window is opened. In particular, the liner may be configured to releasably hold the tea bag by having a pair of opposing diagonal slit flaps formed therein into which the two diagonally opposite corners of the teabags with their wrappers are inserted. The slits may be arranged on both sides of the liner.
Another embodiment includes a liner for the tea advent calendar comprising either two separate sheets of cardboard or of a sheet of cardboard folded over on itself. In this embodiment, the liner includes cut-outs and slits for affixing the teabags in their wrappers formed as slit flaps and cut out trapezoids into which the two diagonally opposite corners of the teabags with their wrappers are inserted. The cut-outs and slits may be arranged on either or both sides of the liner.
In yet a further embodiment, the liner for the tea advent calendar comprises either two separate sheets of cardboard or of a sheet of cardboard folded over on itself. This embodiment includes slit flaps and slit bands with cut out openings in the form of a triangle into which the two diagonally opposite corners of the teabags with their wrappers are inserted. The cut-outs and slits may be arranged on both sides of the liner.
In yet a further embodiment, the tea bags may be affixed to the liner using adhesive material.
A hanger may be formed in the box in a standard shapes, such as a Euro hanger for hanging the calendar on Euro hooks in shops.
In preferred embodiments, the package is in the shape of a rectangular box having the dimensions of 265 mm x 420 mm x 13 mm. The package may include 12 perforated windows on each side of the package. In the middle at the top of the package there may be a perforated hole for hanging the tea calendar in the home.
The liner may comprise an oblong shape having the dimensions of 520 mm x 383 mm onto which, for example, 24 teabags in wrappers are fixed.
The liner is then inserted in to the package such that the tea bags affixed to the liner are aligned with a corresponding window.
The invention will now be described by way of example a with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a tea advent calendar which has 12 perforated windows for removing teabags with their wrappers on each side of the box with a hanger for hanging on hooks in shops,
Figure 2 shows the liner with slits for fixing the teabags with wrappers, which consist of slit flaps,
Figure 3 shows a liner with cut-outs and slits for fixing teabags with wrappers, which consists of slit flaps and cut-out trapezoids, and
Figure 4 shows the liner with slits and cut-outs for fixing the teabags with wrappers which consist of slit flaps and cut-out holes in the form of a triangle.

Persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other modifications and improvements will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. In the following description, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
Figure 1 shows a tea advent calendar configured in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. The calendar , shown in an unfolded fashion in FIG. 1, comprises an outer package 1, which may have 12 perforated windows 3 on each side 4 and 5 of the package 1. The package 1 may also include a hanger flap 9 having a standard hangar shape formed therein.
The package 1 may then be formed into a box shape and the various flaps affixed using adhesive known in the art. Inside the box 1, a liner 2 is located as will be described below.
Perforated windows 3 are arranged on the two opposite sides 4 and 5 of the outer package 1, under which teabags are located fixed in the liner 2 and accessible after the opening of the relevant window 3. It is contemplated that the number of windows formed therein may vary, such as to correspond to the days of a particular month or holiday season, or a desired pattern to present tea to a user, such as by flavor, region of origin, or other special characteristics.
In a preferred embodiment, the shape of the hanger 9 of the box 1 comprises a Euro hanger for hanging the calendar on Euro hooks in shops. Other shapes may be employed.
The perforated windows 3 can be grasped at a tab formed in the edge of the window 3, and by pulling from right to left or the other way around the window 3 can be pulled off, whereby the contents of the window 3 may then be displayed, i.e., a teabag with the wrapper visible to the user. Underneath the contents, it is contemplated that text may be revealed with a description of the tea or various descriptive or advertising texts.
In preferred embodiment, package 1 comprises an oblong box with dimensions of 265 mm x 420 mm x 13 mm. The material of the box could be made from, for example, fully recyclable paper, cardboard, or plastics as known in the art. In the centre of the upper part, there can be a perforated hole for hanging the tea calendar in households.
Figure 2 shows a diagram of a liner 2 of the tea advent calendar configured in accordance with teachings of this disclosure. The liner 2 includes a sheet that may be folded over itself at a perforation. It is contemplated that the liner 2 may comprise two separate cardboard sheets or one cardboard sheet folded over on itself.
The liner 2 of FIG. 2 includes a series of slit flaps and/or cut-outs 6 for receiving and releasably affixing teabags in contained in their wrappers. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the liner 2 includes a pair of opposing slit flap 6 pairs into which the two diagonally opposite corners of teabags with wrappers are inserted. The cut-outs are arranged on both surfaces of the cardboard sheet. The opposing pairs of slit flaps 6 are preferably configured to accept a convention tea bag that is contained in its wrapper. The slits may vary according to the size of tea bags desired to be used.
In preferred embodiments, the sheet is in the shape of an oblong with dimensions of 520 mm x 383 mm. The material of the liner 2 can be, for example, fully recyclable paper cardboard or any other suitable material.
Figure 3 is a diagram of a further embodiment of a liner 2. The liner 2 of FIG. 3 includes a sheet having a series of slit flaps 6 and cut-out trapezoids 7 pairs for fixing the teabags with wrappers. The slit flaps 6 and trapezoids 7 are arranged as diagonal opposing pairs such that the tea bag is aligned with a desired window in the outer package when the liner is inserted into the outer package.
Figure 4 is a diagram of a further embodiment of a liner 2. The liner 2 of FIG. 4 includes a sheet having a series of slit flaps 6 and cut-out triangular hole 8 pairs for fixing the teabags with wrappers. The slit flaps 6 and triangular holes 8 are arranged as diagonal opposing pairs such that the tea bag is aligned with a desired window in the outer package when the liner is inserted into the outer package.
It is also contemplated that the tea advent calendar may be configured to hold the tea bags in place through the use of adhesives, such as conventional glues known in the art.

Claims

A tea calendar, comprising:
- an outer package (1) having opposing front and back surfaces (4, 5), said front and back surfaces having a plurality of perforated windows (3) formed therein;

- a liner (2) including a cardboard sheet characterised in that said liner (2) has a series of slits formed therein, said series of slits being configured to receive and releasable affix a plurality of tea bags in their wrappers to said cardboard sheet;

- said liner (2) is configured to align said plurality of tea bags in their wrappers with a corresponding window (3) when disposed within said outer package (1),
said slits are arranged on both sides of said liner (2), behind each window (3) of said opposing front and back surfaces (4, 5) when the liner (2) is disposed within said outer package (1).
The tea calendar of claim 1, characterised in that said liner (2) comprises a single cardboard sheet folded over on itself.
The tea calendar of claim 1, characterised in that said liner (2) comprises two separate cardboard sheets.
The tea calendar of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said series of slits comprises a series of opposing diagonal slit flaps (6) pairs.
The tea calendar of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that said series of slits comprises a series of opposing slit flaps (6) and cut-out trapezoids (7) pairs.
The tea calendar of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that said series of slits comprises a series of opposing slit flaps (6) and slit bands (8) pairs.
The tea calendar of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that said liner (2) comprises an adhesive to which a plurality of tea bags in their wrappers is releasably affixable behind each window (3).
The tea calendar of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that said liner (2) further comprises text under said windows (3).
The tea calendar of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that said calendar further comprises a hanger (9) formed in said outer package (1).