EP3868678A1

EP3868678A1 - Box made of paper material, provided with a qr code on the inner face of a fin which is superimposed on a wall of the same box

Info

Publication number: EP3868678A1
Application number: EP21158058.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francesco MASTALIA
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-02-21
Filing date: 2021-02-19
Publication date: 2021-08-25
Also published as: IT202000000860U1

Abstract

A three-dimensional box (2) made of paper material of the like, which is usable as a container, is provided with a QR code (30) positioned on the inner face of a fin (18) which is superimposed on one of the side faces (16) of the box, and stays in place by virtue of an end tab (22) which fits into a notch (25) made on the shorter adjacent face, without affecting the opening of the cover. Therefore, said QR code is not visible from the outside, and is readable by a common smartphone, only after lifting the tab, which operation is independent of whether or not the box is opened.

Description

The present invention relates to a papermaking product consisting of a three-dimensional box or case, made of paper material, which is usable as a container, provided with a QR code positioned on the inner face of a fin which is superimposed on one of the side faces of the box, and stays in place by virtue of an end tab which fits into a notch made on the shorter adjacent face, without affecting the opening of the cover. Therefore, said QR code is not visible from the outside, and is readable by a common smartphone, only after lifting the tab, which operation is independent of whether or not the box is opened.
As known, the QR code is a two-dimensional barcode, i.e., with a matrix, consisting of black modules arranged inside a white, interactive and multimedia square pattern: when framed with the camera of a mobile phone, with the aid of specific software, they allow accessing internet sites, online information and videos instantly and therefore can be used to open web pages, view digital business cards and much more, by creating a direct connection, through the network, between whoever holds said container/box and, depending on the case, the manufacturer of the good contained, whoever sent it by post or whoever gave it as a gift. This allows removing any printed explanatory leaflet, advertising leaflets or cards with any content from the box, while ensuring the receipt of general information and personal messages, even without opening the box.
This has been achieved according to the invention by a box having the peculiar feature that both the box as such and the insertion of the QR code are achievable both manually and by machining operations with industrial papermaking machines, starting from a flat extension obtained on a single sheet of paper material, such a term meaning a material such as paper, cardboard or similar materials, which is configured to allow the application of a QR code to the inner face of a fin which, from a position in which it is superimposed on one of the side faces of the box, can be unfolded, thus leaving a QR code positioned on the inner face thereof visible.
According to the invention, the QR code can be applied directly by printing or gluing. Only after having extracted a tab at the end of the fin, which, inserted into a notch in the side wall opposite to that from which the tab originates, keeps the same fin adherent to the long side wall during closing, framing the QR code with a smartphone and connecting to the network is possible.
Therefore, accessing information on the modes of use of the box contents and/or communications related thereto, both before physically opening the box itself and afterwards, is possible.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be more easily understood from the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, merely by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment thereof.
In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a box once completed, closed and ready for shipment, with the QR-code fin superimposed on the front side of the box, and the closing tab thereof engaged in a side notch;
fig. 2 is another perspective view of the same side of the box in fig. 1, with the cover closed and the fin raised, which leaves the QR code visible for being framed by the smartphone;
fig. 3 is another perspective view of the same side of the box with the cover raised showing an inner divider;
fig. 4 is a top perspective view of the box with the cover raised which highlights the detail of the fold forming the divider;
fig. 5 shows, on a reduced scale, the flat extension of the sheet of the box preferably, but not exclusively, made of a paper material, seen from the side forming the interior of the box with the back of the cover where the QR code is positioned by printing or gluing;
fig. 6 shows the subsequent preparation step with the first folding around the fold line 1;
fig. 7 shows the second fold around the fold 2;
fig. 8 shows the folding around the fold 3;
fig. 9 shows the fold of the tab of the fin in the notch of the short side wall.

With reference to the figures, the box of the present invention, in a preferred embodiment, is a box-like container 2 (fig. 1) divided by an inner separator 28 into two contiguous chambers, characterized by the presence of a wing 30 which originates from one side of the front wall 16 and is foldable thereon, completely or partially covering it. According to the present model, such a container is created from the extension 6 obtained in a sheet, preferably but not exclusively, of cardboard or the like, shown in fig. 5.
In particular, observing said fig. 5, said extension 6 comprises:
a rectangular portion 10 forming the rear wall of the box, and which is connected on each of the two short sides opposite to a rectangular portion 12 and a rectangular portion 14, respectively, which are identical in size and foldable on parallel fold lines X₃, X₄, which form the side walls of the box.
Two further fold lines X₁₁, X₁₂, perpendicular to the previous fold lines X₃ and X₄, define a cover 23 and a bottom 24, respectively, each provided with a free edge 23', 24' which is foldable over the respective fold lines X₁₃, X₁₄, forming the vertical flap for said cover 23 and the vertical flap of the bottom 24, respectively.
On the upper and lower sides, the two portions 12-14 are provided with upper fins 19,20 and with conveniently shaped lower fins 21 and 22, respectively, which are foldable on the predetermined fold lines X₇, X₈ and X₉, X₁₀, according to usual procedures, to form the folding flaps for the upper mouth of the box and for the bottom of the box.
In turn, on the short side opposite to that of folding X₃, the portion 14 is connected to a rectangular portion 16, and the portion 12 to a portion 18 which are equal in size, and which form, folded on the respective fold lines X₂ and X₅, the first, 16, the front wall of the box, and the second, a fin 18, which is foldable onto said front wall 16 of the box.
According to a peculiar feature of the invention, the QR code is positionable on the inner face of said fin 18 by gluing or by direct printing. During the transport steps, the fin 18 is kept adherent to the front wall 16 by virtue of an end tab 22 which can be fixed in a notch 25 conveniently obtained on the side portion 14, thus preventing the QR code from being read.
As seen in fig. 2, the QR code 30 is positioned on the inner face of the portion 24: the positioning thereof occurs in the initial machining step, when the extension 4 is still laid flat and before starting the folding operations in sequence.
Once the box is closed, the presence of the QR code is not visible from the outside and cannot be framed by a smartphone.
It should be noted that on all the areas to be glued, such as the side fins, security adhesives are advantageously used, which prevent the detachment thereof except by resorting to visible alterations (abrasions and tears) of the material of which they are made.

Claims

A three-dimensional box made of paper material or the like, provided with a folding cover which is usable as a container for any product or as a postal package for the transmission of three-dimensional objects, with one or more compartments, characterized in that it is provided with a QR code positioned on the inner face of a fin which forms part of the envelope from which said box originates, which fin is adapted to be superimposed, following the preparation of the box, on one of the longer side walls of the box itself, and to remain in place by virtue of an end tab which fits into a notch made on the side wall of the box opposite to that from which the fin itself originates, without affecting the opening of the cover, so that said QR code is not visible from the outside, if said tab is not released, while it is readable by a common smartphone simply by releasing said tab.
A three-dimensional box made of paper material or the like according to claim 1, characterized in that said QR code can be framed by a smartphone without opening said box, so as to allow even before opening the box, by means of a smartphone provided with specific software, accessing internet sites, information and online videos instantly, opening web pages, by creating a direct connection, through the network, between whoever holds said container/box and, depending on the case, the manufacturer of the good or the sender of the package or whoever gave it as a gift, in order to communicate and provide information to the user before opening the box.
A three-dimensional box made of cardboard or the like according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the QR code is applied to an inner face of a fin which is included in the flat extension which allows the preparation of the box itself, without interfering with the opening of the box, so as to be visible from the outside by releasing the fin from the constrained position thereof.
A three-dimensional box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the QR code is applied to the inner face of said fin of said extension by gluing a label with a QR code or direct printing.