GB2212785A - A cardboard box - Google Patents

Abstract

A cardboard box 20 has an upper portion 21 comprising a top 22 and two end walls 23, and a lower portion 24 comprising a bottom 25 and two side walls 26, the bottom 25 and side walls 26 having couplers 27 which are secured to the end walls 23 to complete the box after the contents have been placed therein. Perforated parting lines 29, 31 are provided in the top 22 and along the edges between the side and end walls 23, 26 and enable the box to be opened out flat for easy removal of the contents and subsequent disposal. <IMAGE>

Description

CARDBOARD BOXES It is known to provide cardboard boxes which are shaped as rectangular parallelepipeds. When such boxes are used to carry relatively fragile planiform articles such as polystyrene ceiling tiles, the box is required to be a relatively close fit around the tiles, to prevent damage thereto in transit. It is difficult to remove such articles from known cardboard boxes without damage to the articles. Additionally, it is difficult to dismantle known boxes so that they lie flat for disposal. The present invention provides a cardboard box which can readily be opened for easy removal of close - fitting contents and which may thereafter be folded flat without further dismantling.

According to the invention a cardboard box has joined upper and lower portions, said upper portion comprising a top and two opposed end walls, said lower portion comprising a bottom, a pair of opposed side walls, and couplers at each end of both side walls, Said couplers being secured to respective edges of said end walls to render said box a rectangular parallelepiped , said box having parting lines extending along the edges where said end and side walls meet.

In a preferred embodiment said top has a parting line extending there across substantially parallel to the planes of said end walls.

Details of the prior art and of embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is pictorial view of a known form of box; Figure 2 shows a cardboard blank for the box of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a pictorial view of an alternative type of known cardboard box; Figure 4 shows a blank for the box of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows blanks for a box according to the invention; Figure 6 is a pictorial view of the blanks of Figure 5 folded in preparation for assembly; Figure 7 shows an assembled box according to the invention; Figure 8 shows the box of Figure 7 partly open; Figure 9 shows the box of Figure 7 fully open, and Figure 10 shows an alternative method of opening the box of Figure 7.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 a known cardboard box 1 of the so-called wrap-round type is made from a single blank 2 which includes a coupler 3 for engaging a side of the box to form the latter into a rectangular parallelepiped . The ends of the box 1 are closed by lids 4, 5. The known box 11 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is of the so-called "brisk type and comprises a body part 12 and two end parts 13. The body part 12 has couplers 14 for securing to the end parts 13. The end parts 13 and body part 12 are provided with lids 15, 16 respectively for closing the top of the box.

The boxes 1 or 11 above may be used to contain a stack of plate-like articles which fit closely within the box. In neither case is it easy to remove such articles from the box without risk of damage, unless the couplers 3 or 14 are disconnected from the parts to which they are attached. Such disconnection is time-consuming and may require force which will result in damage to the contents of the box. Moreover, even if the contents can, with difficulty, be removed from the boxes 1 or 11 without disconnection of their couplers 3 or 4 respectively, these boxes will remain as three dimensional structures which will require dismantling for disposal.

As shown in Figures 5 to 10 a box 20 according to the invention is formed from two blanks 21A, 24A which respectively provide upper and lower portions 21, 24 of the box. The upper portion 21 includes a top 22 and a pair of end walls 23 which, as shown in Figure 6, are folded to face each other. The lower portion 24 includes a bottom 25 and two side walls 26 which are also folded to face each other. Couplers 27 on the bottom 24 and side walls 26 are secured to the end walls 23. The articles to be transported or stored, for example a stack of planiform parts 32 (Figures 8 and 9) such as polystyrene tiles are positioned in the lower portion 24 before the upper portion 21 is secured thereto by means of the couplers 27. The couplers 27 are preferably adhesively joined to the outside of the edges of the end walls 23.The prop 22 of the upper portion 21 is provided with a parting line 29, for example a perforation or semi-perforation, extending across the top 22 mid way between the ends 23 and parallel to their planes. Finger holes 30 are provided in the top 22 on each side of the line 29. Similar parting lines 31 are provided in the lower portion 24 along the boundaries between the side walls 26 and the couplers 27 so that, when assembled as shown in Figure 7, the parting lines 31 lie at the four edges of the box where the end walls 23 and side walls 26 meet.

When the box 20 is to be opened to remove the articles 32, the top 22 is pulled up by means of the finger holes 30 as indicated by arrows A in Figure 7 on each side of the parting line 29, thereby tearing the top 22 along the line 29. The torn top 22 is then pulled in the directions of the arrows B in Figure 8 tearing the parting lines 31, fully exposing the stack of articles 32 and leaving the box material in a single plane, as shown in Figure 9. After removal of the articles 32 the box 20 may conveniently be folded for disposal, along any of its previous folds.

In the alternative method of opening the box 20, illustrated in Figure 10, the upper portion 21 is not parted at the line 29 but one of the ends 23 is first parted from the sides 26 by means of the lines 21 on either side of that end. The top 22 is then lifted and used to part the other end 23 from the sides 26. For this purpose finger holes (not shown) may be provided in one or both of the ends 23, preferably adjacent the parting lines 31 in addition to, or instead of, the holes 30. It will be apparent that where a box is intended always to be opened as shown in Figure 10, the parting lines 29 may be dispensed with.

In an alternative form of the box 20, particularly when intended for opening as shown in Figure 10, the upper and lower portions 21, 24 may be formed from a single blank, in which one end wall 23 is contiguous with the bottom 25.

The term cardboard as used in this specification is to be understood as including corrugated board, board having a corrugated inner layer, compressed paper board, and other forms of fibre-based board used for packaging.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS.

1. A cardboard box having joined upper and lower portions, said upper portion comprising a top and two opposed end walls, said lower portion comprising a bottom, a pair of opposed side walls, and couplers at each end of both side walls, said couplers being secured to respective edges of said end walls to render said box a rectangular parallelepiped, said box having parting lines extending along the edges where said end and side walls meet.

2. A box as claimed in claim 1 in which said top has a parting line extending thereacross substantially parallel to the planes of said end walls.

3. A box as claimed in claim 2 which includes finger holes in said top on either side of the parting line thereon.

4. A box as claimed in:any preceding claim which includes finger holes adjacent the parting lines which extend along said edges.

5. A cardboard box substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.