FR2512784A1 - Cardboard blank for forming package - has fold over closure panels and double faced adhesive strips with ends open or closed - Google Patents

Abstract

The cardboard packing has two folded closing panels which overlap i.e. side panels or tabs. One of these has a line of weakening and a double sided adhesive strip (6). The non used side of this is covered with non-adhesive protective strip separated into two or more parts (6a,6b) by a weakening line (7). Two double faced adhesive strips (4,5) are placed either side of the weakening lines. The non-used parts are then covered by non-adhesive protective strip.

Description

 Packaging provided with an adhesive closure strip which can be used selectively either for "unclosed shipment" or as tamper-evident seal.

 The present invention relates to packaging which is particularly intended to contain objects to be sent by post.

 It is known that certain postal items can benefit from preferential rates when the objects are of a predetermined type and, in this case, the postal administration requests that a packaging system such as verifications can be used. without making the packaging ineffective after opening.

 Access to the content without rendering the packaging unusable is also necessary in other cases and, in particular, vis-à-vis the customs administration.

These so-called "non-closed" packages are obtained by all kinds of different means among which we will retain here certain adhesives placed at the same time on two closing elements folded over one another and which thus maintain them without losing their characteristics after a opening control.

 These well-known adhesives assume that they are arranged at the same time on two opposite parts, so that most of the time it is necessary to have one of the fractions of the adhesive on one side of the package and the another fraction on the opposite side, which leads to mechanical complications during the manufacture of the packaging.

 In addition, it is essential that the two fractions of the adhesive are exactly opposite one another, which implies that the packaging can only be used for objects of predetermined dimensions ensuring that the closing elements are always in the same relative position.

 If, on the contrary, we want to pack objects of different dimensions by means of packages of fixed dimensions, we are unable to use this closure system using two adhesive fractions because, depending on the dimensions of the objects, the closing elements which must be folded over one another are not always in the same relative position.

 Naturally, one of the adhesive fractions could be provided over a very large surface so that in all cases the other fraction can cooperate with the first to play its role and keep the packaging closed.

 However, apart from the fact that this solution leads to a significant waste of adhesive, it is not acceptable to leave visible the fraction of adhesive which is not covered, because although this adhesive does not have a very high bonding power in itself. , it is still likely to retain dust, waste, or even pieces of paper which would provide, upon arrival, an unrepresentable and devalued packaging.

 There is also known a closure means which consists of a double-sided adhesive strip which is applied to only one of the closure elements and the unused side of which is covered with a non-adhesive protective tape so that it is only removed at the time of packaging and the adhesive sticks to any surface, even unprepared, so that this closure system could be used even with packaging intended for objects of variable dimensions .

 But this type of adhesive does not allow a control opening because when the two closure elements are folded over one another, they can only be separated by destroying one or, at a minimum, by separating them from the right. adhesive tape, which can no longer stick when it has played its role once.

 With this adhesive it is therefore impossible to use this packaging for unclosed shipments. "

 The present invention provides a new solution to this problem and makes it possible to use an adhesive strip of known type for embedding intended for objects of variable dimensions and by choosing, as the case may be, the "non-closed type allowing a control opening and an intact new closure or, on the contrary, an inviolable closure.

 To this end, the invention relates to packaging.

made of cardboard, comprising at least two closing elements folded over one another such as large faces or flaps, characterized in that one of the elements is provided with at least one weakening line and is provided either with a single double-sided adhesive strip, the unused side of which is covered with a non-adhesive protective tape separated into at least two parts by at least one weakening line opposite that of the element, or by two strips double-sided adhesives placed on either side of the weakening line of the element and whose unused faces are covered with a non-adhesive protective tape so that one can, selectively, discover all or part of the adhesive strip (s).

 According to one embodiment of the invention, the element comprises a single weakening line and the packaging comprises a single adhesive strip, the protective tape of which is separated into two halves by a longitudinal longitudinal weakening line situated opposite that of the element.

 According to another embodiment of the invention, the element comprises at least two weakening lines and the packaging comprises a single adhesive strip, the protective tape of which is separated into at least three parts by at least two lines of transverse weakening, two of which are located opposite two weakening lines of the packaging.

 According to a variant of the invention, the weakening lines of the element and those of the adhesive strip located opposite are oblique with respect to the width of said adhesive strip.

 Advantageously, two adjacent oblique lines are divergent towards the edge of the element.

 According to a variant of the invention, the weakening lines of the element and those of the opposite adhesive strip are curved.

 The invention will be better understood from the detailed description below made with reference to the accompanying drawing. Of course, the description and the drawing are given only by way of an indicative and nonlimiting example.

 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a particular package chosen as an example and provided with an adhesive strip according to the invention.

 Figure 2 is a view of the same packaging shown in the receiving position of the objects to be packaged.

 Figure 3 is a view of the same packaging after closing and bonding.

 Figure 4 is a partial view showing another embodiment of the invention.

 Figure 5 is a partial perspective view showing the second closure of a package according to the invention which has been opened a first time.

 Figures 6 and 7 are partial perspective views showing, in the same situation as Figure 5, two alternative embodiments.

 Referring to the drawing, we see a known type of packaging intended to wrap objects of dimensions and especially of variable thicknesses, either because these objects are themselves of different types, or that a variable number is superimposed .. This is particularly the case for books and records.

 It is composed of a strip 1 forming a base, in corrugated cardboard, secured to a transverse panel 2 provided with lateral creasing lines 3 and intended to be folded over the base 1 according to the arrow F, then to be folded transversely in- below the longitudinal edges, that is to say entirely inside the contour of the strip 1, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

 The lines 3 are used selectively according to the thickness of the objects placed on the folded panel 2 and under the shutters formed by the sides of the panel 2 folded inwards.

 When the invention is used with a packaging of this type, the two closing elements folded over one another are made up - one by the end of the strip 1 opposite to that secured to the panel 2 and the other by the end integral with the panel 2 and created when the latter is folded over the strip 1.

 According to the invention, preferably placed on the end of the strip 1 opposite to that secured to the panel 2, one or two double-sided adhesive tapes, the unused side of which is covered with a non-adhesive protective tape.

 In Figure 1, there is shown the embodiment according to which two independent bands 4 and 5 are used placed one next to the other.

 Their neighboring sides are situated opposite a weakening line (not visible in the drawing) of the cardboard end of the strip 1.

 When the packaging is closed, and whatever the thickness of the packaging, the end marked with a line of weakness and fitted with adhesive strips 4 and 5 must be applied over the other end and if it is desired to obtain that this packaging can be sent in "unclosed shipment", only that of the two protective tapes located closest to the edge, that is to say as shown, the ribbon 5a, is removed.

 The masking adhesive until then can play its role and the packaging is finished as shown in Figure 3.

If, as desired, carry out a check of the contents of the package, a pull is made on the end of the strip.
with sufficient force to tear it along its line of weakness and thus separate the two glued elements.

 When the control is finished, it suffices to remove the protective tape 4a from the adhesive 4 to find a new, intact adhesive strip, thanks to which it will be possible to close the packaging with the same efficiency as if it had not been open. The new edge of the element to be folded is placed against the fraction of cardboard lb which remains glued (Fig. 5).

 In FIG. 2, Gn a represents an embodiment according to which only a single strip of double-sided adhesive 6 is used, the protective tape of which is separated into two halves 6a and 6b by a median longitudinal weakening line 7 located next to a line of weakness in the carton.

 During the initial closing, only half 6b is removed from the adhesive tape 6 in order to obtain the closure of the packaging and, if the latter has to be opened for inspection, it is opened as previously stated and close it after checking, this time removing the second half-6a of the protective tape from band 6.

 The two cases which have just been described correspond to the desire to obtain an "unclosed shipment" and one then acts in such a way that the packaging always contains an intact adhesive strip left at the disposal of the controllers.

 We also note that the same provisions can be used not only for "unclosed consignments" but also for objects which are subject to the appreciation of a potential buyer who can either keep the wrapped object definitively or send it back to the sender so that he, too, must be able to close the packaging without resorting to random means such as twine or attached adhesive tape.

 However, the invention also makes it possible to provide a so-called "inviolable" closure if care is taken, during the initial closure, to remove the two protective tapes 4a and 5a from the two adhesive strips or the two halves 6a and 6b of the strip 6.

 In fact, the entire adhesive capacity of the strip (s) is then used instead of using only a fraction of it as above.

 The opening of the packaging is done by tearing the end of the strip 1, either along a second line of weakening of the cardboard provided at the right of the innermost edge of the strip (s). adhesive, or randomly since the packaging can no longer be used.

 This opening has the consequence of eliminating any possibility of re-closing since the adhesive bonding capacity has been completely consumed from the first closing.

 Referring now to FIG. 4, we see another embodiment according to which a single adhesive strip 8 is used, the protective tape of which is separated into several parts 8a, 8b, 8c, etc. by lines of weakness 9a, '9b, 9c, etc ...

 With this embodiment, only part of the length of the adhesive tape is used, by selectively removing one or more of the parts 8a, 8b, 8c, etc. from the protective tape so as not to allow the adhesive only in places 10. The cardboard, for its part, has lines of weakness not only opposite the transverse lines 9 but also along the innermost edge of the adhesive strip 8.

 In the event of an inspection, or quite simply when the packaging has been opened and it must be closed, the parts of the protective tape which remain and which are discovered when the container is opened are removed. packaging.

 Depending on the case, it could be imagined that provision could be made for the unmasked adhesive parts to be exposed on each closure in a very small number, for example individually, in order to allow several openings and several successive closings, each closure not consuming than a fraction of the protective tape.

 In practice, this method may prove to be inadequate since the closure may turn out to be insufficient with a single fraction of the adhesive strip, especially if this fraction used is located at one end of the closure element.

 It therefore seems more realistic to provide only a relatively small number of parts that can be discovered by fractional removals of adhesive tape, in particular to ensure balanced maintenance of the closure elements, particularly with regard to the symmetry with respect to the packaging itself.

 Of course, with this embodiment, it is also possible to remove all of the protective tape during the initial closure if it is desired to obtain a safety closure.

 Whatever the embodiment chosen, the adhesive strip is in a fixed location but acts on a variable location relative to the other solid end of the panel 2 according to 1 1 thickness of the packaged objects and this is obtained without having to provide a counterpart to the adhesive strip over a large surface and ter the face opposite to that on which the adhesive strip is placed.

 Naturally, the invention can be used with any known packaging of a different design from that shown in the drawing, such as a box, box, etc.

 When choosing the embodiment according to which the weakening lines are transverse to the adhesive strip, these lines may be perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the strip as shown in FIG. 4, or be oblique. Indeed, it may turn out that the removal of the protective tape is more convenient if it has a pointed end.

 Likewise, these lines can be straight or curved.

 These variants can be of practical interest not only with regard to the ease of removing the tape but also for the effectiveness of the re-closure due to the mechanical cooperation of the elements present.

 Thus, with reference to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the second closure is done in a clear manner because the fraction of cardboard 1b which remains stuck during the opening serves as a guide for the element to be folded down, somewhat in the same manner as 'a ruler.

 But there is not really "cooperation" of the elements involved.

On the contrary, in FIG. 6, it can be seen that oblique transverse weakening lines have created two fractions of cardboard îc and ld which have remained stuck together and which determine a central space le. This means that during the
first closing, two lateral parts of the protective tape were removed from the adhesive tape 8.

 The element to be folded down had three weakening lines, one of which was in two aligned segments and two opposite the oblique transverse lines of the adhesive strip 8 The traces of these weakening lines are referenced respectively by lf, 1, lh, and li .

 During the second closure, the fraction of protective tape 8d which remains on the lug 1J determined by the edge of the element to be folded down and by the lines 19 and 1h is removed, then the element is folded in. space it.

 It is noted that the oblique transverse weakening lines are divergent towards the edge of the element to be folded down, so that the embedding is "dovetailed" and this constitutes cooperation between the elements present. In fact, thanks to these arrangements, the folded element is very effectively guided towards its closed position and can only be positioned well both laterally, longitudinally and in orientation.

 It is also prevented from coming off by sliding.

These same advantages are provided by the variant of FIG. 7 which shows at the ends of the fragments îc and ld which have remained stuck together lines lk and 17 which are curved and which provide lateral locking, longitudinal locking in the two opposite directions and, of course , a blocking in orientation.

 The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown but on the contrary embraces all variants.

Claims (6)

1 - Packaging, in particular cardboard, comprising at least two  closing elements folded over one another such as  large faces or shutters, characterized in that  one of these elements is provided with at least one line of af  weakening and is provided with either a single adhesive strip  double-sided (6) whose side not yet used is  covered with a non-adhesive protective tape separated into  at least two parts (~ -, 8a-8b-8c) by at least one line  attenuation (7-9) opposite that of the element,  either two double-sided adhesive strips (4 and 5)  created on either side of the line of weakness of  1 element and whose faces not yet used are  covered with a non-adhesive protective tape (4a and 5a),  so that we can selectively discover everything or  part of the adhesive strip (s) (4-5-6). 2 - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that  only has a single line of weakening and  in that the package has a single adhesive strip  (6) whose protective tape is separated into two halves  (6a-6b) by a longitudinal weakening line  median (7) located opposite that of the element. 3 - Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that  the element has at least two weakening lines  and in that the packaging comprises a single adhesive strip  ve (8) of which the protective tape is separated into at least  three parts (8a, 8b, '8c) by at least two lines of af  transverse weakening (9a, -9b, 9c) of which two are  located opposite two lines of weakening of  packaging. 4 - Packaging according to claim 3, characterized in that  the weakening lines of the element and those of  the adhesive tape located opposite are oblique by  relative to the width of said adhesive strip. 5 - Packaging according to claim 4, characterized in that  two neighboring oblique lines are divergent towards the  edge of the item. 6 - Packaging according to claim 3, characterized in that  the weakening lines of the element and those of  the adhesive tape located opposite are curved.