GB1584066A - Boxes and blanks therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow a simple design of a cardboard container which, although it is produced from a single blank, can easily be separated in the body and lid, the container body (4) has an upper section fitted with lines of weakness (5) in such a way that the periphery of the upper section can be tapered so that the lid (3) fits onto it. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) BOXES AND BLANKS THEREFOR (71) I, JOSE JORBA GABARRO, a Spanish citizen, of Rubio, 10 Igualada, Barcelona, Spain, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to boxes, in cardboard or similar laminar materials, which may be used as containers for various uses.

Substances, particularly in granular powder form, e.g. household detergent are supplied in boxes of such a size that not all their contents are required at once. Such boxes must provide sealed containers for the transport and long term storage of their contents and preferably some form of closure after opening and during the intervals of time between the use of their contents.

At present there are various systems which enable a container to be used in this way. For example, a separate lid, usually in plastic, is frequently added to a cardboard container. Side flaps are also used, and these are pushed in or pulled out to provide an opening for the contents of the container. There are also containers which are shaped like a sack or bag with their upper part more flexible than the rest of the container, so that this upper part or mouth may be rolled up to close the container.

Such systems have a number of disadvantages, such as: the high cost and manufacturing problems when different materials are used for the same container, as in the case of plastic lids, the low aesthetic value and unsatisfactory closure of the container once it has been opened, in the case of push in or pull out flaps and, in addition to the doubtful aesthetic quality of their present tion, a complicated closure system, which often required additional means, in the case of sack-type containers with roll-up tops or mouths.

With advantage a box should be constructed in a unitary and very simple shape, in a single, low-cost material, for example cardboard, pasteboard, kraft or card. The simplest method of opening a box of this type to form a body and a lid has been shown to be a tear-off strip.

A simple parallelopiped box made from such material can be divided into a main container body and a lid by providing a tear-off strip right round the box adjacent its upper end. However, a lid obtained in this way cannot immediately be fitted over the upper part of the body or mouth of the body of the box, for the simple reason that both parts were originally joined by the tearoff strip, which was subsequently torn off, so that their perimeters, being identical, would be superposed when placed one on top of the other, but would not fit one inside the other.

Hitherto, this problem was resolved in two ways. Either by providing the box with an internal lining not affected by the opening of the box, in which lining would fit the lid part detached from the box. Or by ensuring that the tear-off strip affects only part of the circumference of the box, so that the un-torn area serves as a hinge for the lid formed in this way.

Such an internal lining increases the weight of the packaging, reduces the box capacity and makes its manufacture more complicated and expensive, while hinged lids, by virtue of the actual laminar material from which they are made, always tend to remain partially open and additional methods of closure may be necessary.

The present invention provides a box made from a single sheet of material having a tear-off strip or dividing cut line arranged to divide the box into a container body and a lid, the portion of the box which will provide the upper section of the container body after such division being formed into fold lines or a combination of fold and tear or cut lines which permit the perimeter of that upper section to be contracted so that the lid may be fitted onto that upper section.

In addition the invention provides a blank for making such a box.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which : Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box made in accordance with the invention, before being opened; Figure 2 is a view similar to that of figure 1, but with the lid detached; Figure 2a is a plan view of the top of the body of the box of figure 2; Figure 2b is a diagrammatic vertical section of the box body with the lid replaced; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the box of figure 2, but with the lid replaced; Figure 4 is a plan view of the sheet from which the box shown in the previous figures is made; Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of a further embodiment of a box with lid separated; Figure Sa is a plan view of the body of the box of figure 5;; Figure 5b is a partial plan view of the blank for forming the box of figure 5; Figure 6, 6a and 6b, 7, 7a and 7b and 8, 8a and 8b are views corresponding to the views of figures 5. Sn and 5b respectively of three further embodiments of box.

With reference to figures 1 to 4, the box is made from a single sheet 1 of cardboard or similar laminar material, on which are marked, using known methods, a series of fold lines which result in the formation of a prismatic container, in the examples in the shape of a parallelepiped.

In addition to these conventional fold lines, the said sheet has a tear-off strip 2 in the section near to one of its edges. Once the box has been assembled, the tearing off of the said strip will result in the formation of a lid 3 and a body 4. Given that the dimensions of these two parts, both in length and width, will be identical, it would not, in principle, be possible to fit the lid 3 onto the body 4.

In order to resolve this problem, the sheet 1 is marked, in the section near to the underneath of the strip 2 with a series of new fold lines 5 which may affect only the narrow sides of the box, as shown in figures 1 to 4, or other sides, as we shall see subsequently.

Once the box has been assembled from the sheet 1 (figlre 4), it will appear as is shown in figure 1 (in fact the tear-off strip and the fold lines will be almost invisible, since they will be marked on the face of the sheet 1 which is towards the inside), and by pulling the strip 2, using a tab 6 placed conveniently at one of the corners of the box, the surface of the box will be separated into two parts, a lid 3 and a body 4. Now by applying gentle pressure inwards on the upper section of the narrow sides of the body of the box, the fold lines 5 will help to move these sections slightly inwards, also resulting in the top part of the wider sides bending inwards. All this results in narrowing of the mouth or top part of the body 4 (figure 2) which enables the lid 3 to be fitted.

The box will be filled before it is closed.

This means that a tubular body will be formed from the sheet 1 then this will be folded and the join laps stuck, either at the top or bottom end, after which the material to be contained will be inserted. When the join laps at the other end are closed, the box is ready for transport and storage. The strip 2 serves as the method of opening and as a security band to present tampering.

Once the lid and the body have been separated, the lid 3 is fitted onto the body 4 and is kept in position not only by virtue of its weight and shape, but also because of the outward pressure of the edges of the body 4 caused by the folding.

This flexible narrowing or folding arrangement of the mouth of the body 4 is achieved, as has already been mentioned, by fold lines affecting either the upper section of the narrow sides only, or also of the wider sides.

Figure 4 shows the fold lines 5 in the shape of curvilinear isosceles triangles affecting only the narrow sides. In this case, for an improved inward inclination of the wider sides, when folded by pressing the narrow sides inwards along the lines 5 and thus increasing the folding effect, other fold lines 7 have been provided, running parallel to the upper edge of the wider sides at a distance equal to that of the bases of the triangles. The external appearance of the box once it has been opened is shown in figure 3.

The said lines 5 not only provide the narrowing of the upper part of the body 4 required for the lid 3 to be fitted onto it, when the sides on which these lines are marked are pressed or forced inwards, but also, by exerting outward pressure or traction on one of the said sides, a narrowing or channel will be formed to act as a Spout for pouring the product into another container.

An alternative realization is shown in figure 5. One starts with a sheet la which is folded and closed to form a parallelepiped container which can be opened by tearing off a strip 2a to form a lid 3a and a body 4a. Only the arrangement of the fold lines Sa and 7a is changed, to form the fold. In this case, the said lines take the shape of an isosceles trapezoid of greater or lesser dimensions, depending on whether they affect the wider or narrow sides, respectively.

The external appearance is as shown in partial perspective in figure 5.

Figure 6 shows another alternative for the fold lines Sb and 7b; in this case isós- celes triangles with the base equal to the width of the respective wider or narrow sides. However, in this alternative, the tearoff strip has been substituted by a cutting line 2b. Naturally, this different form of opening for the box can be applied to the above embodiments and to those which follow.

Figure 7 shows another alternative embodiment. The fold lines Sc and 7c affect both the wider and narrow sides and are arranged in a double arc, of greater or lesser width, depending on the sides, with the point of tangency at the centre of the upper edge of the side in question. As another alternative to the methods of opening, the tear-off strip 2c has been provided with a band 8 as an auxiliary cutting guide and to give a better pull for tearing. This possibility could be combined with any of the others mentioned here.

Finally figure 8 shows another alternative realization, in which the fold lines have been substituted by longitudinal cuts 9 in the narrow sides. Once the box has been opened, the two parts into which the upper section of the narrow sides are divided by the said cut 9 may be superposed and slightly bent inwards, at the same time pulling the wider sides over inwards; the wider sides have fold lines 7d for this purpose. Tear lines could be substituted for the cut lines 9.

As may be seen, there are many ways in which the upper section or mouth of the body of the box may be folded or cut to enable the lid to be fitted on. Here we have shown a series of preferable alternatives, but others may be adopted provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Similarly, the alternatives for these folds or cuts have been shown on a small upper section of the body of the box, in order to retain a maximum capacity of same. However, the depth of these folds or cuts could be greater or less according to the requirements and desired external appearance.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A box made fom a single sheet of material having a tear-off strip or dividing cut line arranged to divide the box into a container body and a lid, the portion of the box which will provide the upper section of the container body after such division being formed with fold lines or a combination of fold and tear or cut lines which permit the perimeter of that upper section to be contracted so that the lid may be fitted onto that upper section.

2. A box according to claim 1 in which the fold lines are provided on only two opposite sides of the body.

3. A box according to claim 1 in which the body has four sides each of which is provided with said fold lines.

4. A box according to claim 1 in which the fold lines are in the form of isosceles triangles, isosceles curvilinear triangles or isosceles trapezoids having their bases parallel to the tear-off strip or the dividing cut line and equally spaced therefrom.

5. A box according to claim 4 as dependent on claim 2 in which the other pair of opposite sides are formed with fold lines parallel to and at the same level as said bases.

6. A box according to claim 1 in which two opposite sides are formed with cuts transverse to said tear-off strip or dividing cut line, and the other pair of opposite sides are formed with fold lines parallel to said tear-off strip or dividing cut line at the level of the bases of said cuts.

7. A box substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. Blanks of laminar material formed for making boxes according to any of claims 1 to 7.

9. Blanks for making boxes substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in figures 4, Sb, 6b, 7b or 8b of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. opening for the box can be applied to the above embodiments and to those which follow. Figure 7 shows another alternative embodiment. The fold lines Sc and 7c affect both the wider and narrow sides and are arranged in a double arc, of greater or lesser width, depending on the sides, with the point of tangency at the centre of the upper edge of the side in question. As another alternative to the methods of opening, the tear-off strip 2c has been provided with a band 8 as an auxiliary cutting guide and to give a better pull for tearing. This possibility could be combined with any of the others mentioned here. Finally figure 8 shows another alternative realization, in which the fold lines have been substituted by longitudinal cuts 9 in the narrow sides. Once the box has been opened, the two parts into which the upper section of the narrow sides are divided by the said cut 9 may be superposed and slightly bent inwards, at the same time pulling the wider sides over inwards; the wider sides have fold lines 7d for this purpose. Tear lines could be substituted for the cut lines 9. As may be seen, there are many ways in which the upper section or mouth of the body of the box may be folded or cut to enable the lid to be fitted on. Here we have shown a series of preferable alternatives, but others may be adopted provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims. Similarly, the alternatives for these folds or cuts have been shown on a small upper section of the body of the box, in order to retain a maximum capacity of same. However, the depth of these folds or cuts could be greater or less according to the requirements and desired external appearance. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A box made fom a single sheet of material having a tear-off strip or dividing cut line arranged to divide the box into a container body and a lid, the portion of the box which will provide the upper section of the container body after such division being formed with fold lines or a combination of fold and tear or cut lines which permit the perimeter of that upper section to be contracted so that the lid may be fitted onto that upper section.

2. A box according to claim 1 in which the fold lines are provided on only two opposite sides of the body.

3. A box according to claim 1 in which the body has four sides each of which is provided with said fold lines.

4. A box according to claim 1 in which the fold lines are in the form of isosceles triangles, isosceles curvilinear triangles or isosceles trapezoids having their bases parallel to the tear-off strip or the dividing cut line and equally spaced therefrom.

5. A box according to claim 4 as dependent on claim 2 in which the other pair of opposite sides are formed with fold lines parallel to and at the same level as said bases.

6. A box according to claim 1 in which two opposite sides are formed with cuts transverse to said tear-off strip or dividing cut line, and the other pair of opposite sides are formed with fold lines parallel to said tear-off strip or dividing cut line at the level of the bases of said cuts.

7. A box substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. Blanks of laminar material formed for making boxes according to any of claims 1 to 7.

9. Blanks for making boxes substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in figures 4, Sb, 6b, 7b or 8b of the accompanying drawings.