FR2731137A1 - Box to hold completed jigsaw puzzle - Google Patents

Abstract

The box in which the jigsaw puzzle is packaged is a parallelepiped and the edges of the base and lid are hollow. When the box is open the base, lid and the part joining them form a flat surface and the edges form a frame. The gap between the longitudinal edges is closed by a tongue (6) which is folded along fold lines (7-10) to form the same shape as the edges. A bar (20) slides inside one edge and is inserted into the opposite edge to hold the folded tongue.

Description

 The invention relates to a puzzle box, comprising a bottom, edges and a cover which is connected to the bottom along one side.

 Patent application 94 13958 describes a box, in particular for serving as packaging for a puzzle, the bottom surface of which corresponds to that of the completed puzzle, and the edges of which can serve as a framework for it, the whole being able to be hanging on a wall if the bottom of the box and the puzzle pieces have magnetic surfaces.

 This device lies in the fact that, for large puzzles, the box becomes very large on the surface, which can be troublesome for handling and storage.

 The object of the present invention is to reduce the surface of the boxes without modifying the possibility of carrying out the puzzles inside that or to allow the boxes to be used as frames for completed puzzles.

 To this end, according to the invention, the parallelepiped box, in particular for serving as packaging for a puzzle, comprising a bottom, edges and a cover which is connected to the bottom on a common side thereof, is characterized in that, the box being open, the bottom of the cover, of the box and the connecting part have a flat surface inside the edges, which corresponds to that of the finished puzzle.

 The edges of the bottom of the box and of the cover are hollow and limited by two vertical and two horizontal parts, one of which is in the plane of the corresponding bottom, without discontinuity. The bottom of the box and the cover are made identically, so that, when the box is closed, the edges of both come to touch in a median horizontal plane.

 When the box is open, in order to restore the continuity of the interrupted edges over a length equal to twice the height of the edges, a tongue has been provided during the cutting of the sheet of material constituting the box, which, folded over it even according to the creases, restores this continuity.

 A key of rectangular section, inserted without play in the bottom edge can be moved and embedded also in the hollow edge of the cover, after opening the box, so as to achieve the locking of the frame thus produced, and to serve as a support for h tongue folded and glued around this key.

 The accompanying drawings will help to understand the invention.

Figure I is a perspective view of an open box.

Figure 2 is a detail of Figure t showing the key and the tongue.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a closed box with the bottom divided into four superimposed parts.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a closed box with the bottom divided into two superimposed parts two by two.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an open box with the bottom subdivided into four deployed parts.

 In Figure 1, there is shown in 1 the box and in 2 the cover with their respective edges (11; 12; 13) and and (21; 22; 23) these edges are hollow and folded four times along parallel lines to to obtain a rectangular section with two vertical walls and two horizontal walls, one could also use reported hollow edges. It would not, however, depart from the scope of the invention with a cross section of the circular or polygonal edges. The portion 3 connecting the bottom and the cover along the fold lines 4 and 5 has a width equal to twice the height of the edges. There is also a discontinuity of the same value in the edges when the box is open. At the same time as the cutting of the sheet, preferably of cardboard, in which the box is made, a tongue 6 has been provided with primers of folding (7; 8; 9; 10) allowing the same rectangular section to be made as that of the edges or hollow profile if this is attached.

A key (20) which can slide inside the edge (11) with reduced play can be moved and also be inserted into the corresponding edge (21) of the cover. This will have restored mechanical continuity of the edges of the bottom and the cover, and the key (20) allows to support the faces of the tongue after folding and nesting around the key or hollow profile if oeluici is reported.

 It is clear that we have thus produced a rectangular tray surrounded by a frame to make a puzzle, and that the box which served to transport it has a half surface.

 Without departing from the invention, the bottoms 1 and 2 can be subdivided into substantially equal parts limited by folds, notches and keyways of assemblies situated on the periphery of the frame (fig 3,4,5), allowing the said box once closed to have a submultiple surface of the surface of the box already folded in two parts. The thickness varying, it, in opposite direction.

 The bottoms of the box and the lid are made of a material compatible with a repositionable glue applied under the pieces of the puzzle.

Claims (7)

REVENDICA TIONS  1) Parallelepipedic box, in particular to serve as packaging for a puzzle, comprising a bottom, edges, and a cover provided with edges which forms an integral part with the bottom on a common side thereof, characterized in that, the box being open, the bottoms of the lid and the box, and the part connecting them form inside the edges a flat surface which corresponds to that of the completed puzzle, the edges of the bottom and of the lid serving as a framework for the latter.  2) Box according to claim 1, characterized in that the edges of the {GS cover are, in a manner known per se, hollow, and composed of two vertical walls and two horizontal walls, one of the latter being in the same plane as that formed by the corresponding bottom of the box or the lid.  3) Box according to one of claims I or 2, characterized in that the box and the cover are produced in an identical manner, the edges of the bottom and of the cover coming to touch each other without embedding in a median horizontal plane when the box is closed.  4) Box according to any one of claims I to 3, characterized in that, when the box is open, the continuity of the edge (it 21) which is interrupted by a width equal to twice the height of the edges of the bottom and of the cover, is restored by a tongue (6) cut at the same time as the other parts of the box, and folded back in places presenting bending caps (7; 8; 9; 10) to produce a hollow edge element of the same cross section as that of the current edges.  5) Box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a key of rectangular section embedded in the edge (11) of the bottom can be moved and embedded in the edge (21) of the cover to achieve locking and the stiffness of the open box and serve as a support for the tongue (6) once folded down.  6) Box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, is characterized in that the funds of the box and the cover, are made of a material compatible with a repositionable glue, applied under the puzzle pieces.  7) Box according to any one of claims I to 6, is characterized in that the funds I and 2 can be subdivided to allow the said box once folded, to have an area under-multiplied by that of the box already folded in two parts.