GB2229709A

GB2229709A - Box

Info

Publication number: GB2229709A
Application number: GB9004492A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Tacey
Original assignee: Philograph Publications Ltd
Current assignee: Philograph Publications Ltd
Priority date: 1989-03-31
Filing date: 1990-02-28
Publication date: 1990-10-03
Also published as: GB9004492D0; GB8907292D0

Abstract

A base (10) and a lid (18) with side walls have one side (26) in common which is hingedly attached to both so as to form a box which when opened will act as a tray. Upstanding wings (30) on the common side wall bridge gaps between aligned side walls (12 and 20, 16 and 24) of the lid and base to help retain any objects inside the tray. Upon closure of the box these wings are situated innermost. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Box DESCRIPTION This invention concerns boxes.

Many boxes comprise a tray section and a lid hingedly connected to an upper edge of a wall of the box. Such boxes are not readily usable as a tray because the lid often interferes with such use. Boxes that can be used also as trays would be useful particularly for use in education of primary and junior level children so that the same box can be used to store items and to provide a boundary for play with such items to prevent loss thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide a box that can also be used as a tray without interference from a lid of the box.

According to the present invention there is provided a box comprising a base having side walls and a lid having side walls, one of said side walls being common to the lid and base and being hingedly connected to both along opposite edges thereof, wherein said common side wall has upstanding wings that substantially bridge gaps between aligned side walls of the lid and base when the box is opened out.

The wings are preferably spaced in from ends of the common side wall so that in the closed box side walls of the lid and base and the wings lie adjacent and generally parallel, the wings being innermost.

The hinged connections between the common side wall and the lid and base may be formed in any suitable way. Preferably the hinged connections are formed by thinning of material between the common side wall and the lid or base say as V-section troughs.

Catch means may be provided to hold the box in a closed condition. Such catch means may conveniently be cooperating lugs and indentations on faces of overlying side walls in the closed box. In addition there may be means present on the lid or base which act to encourage firm engagement of any lugs with any indentations.

Preferably the lid has a rib on its underside positioned so as to urge a side wall of the base against the corresponding side wall of the lid.

To facilitate opening of the box the lid may have on one or more of its walls a cut-away portion allowing a finger to be placed on the underlying wall of the base. Alternatively lugs may be provided, or a portion of the end wall may be roughened to provide a finger grip, or the base and lid could be extended to form lips preferably having segmental cut outs to provide finger catches.

The box of the invention can be opened out and used as a tray, the lid and base side walls and the wings forming together a surround so that objects in the opened out box cannot escape. Thus, the invention can provide a dual purpose box i.e. for use as a container or as a tray. Such a box is believed to be particularly useful in schools for carrying teaching aids, such as counting blocks or cubes and for use by children in playing with such teaching aids within a boundary.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an open box; Figure 2 is a side view of the box of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on line AA of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an end view of the box of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view of an open box of a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a side view of the box of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a section on line AA of Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, a box of plastics material which is also usable as a tray has a base 10 with three fixed side walls 12, 14, 16 and a lid 18 also with three fixed side walls, 20,22,24. The base and lid are connected by a common side wall 26 which is hingedly connected to the base and the lid on opposite side edges thereof.

The hinged connections 28 are formed by Vsection thinning of material between the base and wall 26 and between the lid and wall 26. The common side wall 26 has upstanding flaps 30 at right angles thereto spaced inwards slightly from ends thereof.

The lid has on the inside surface of its end wall 22 a pair of spaced lugs 32 that are in the closed box intended to catch in correspondingly situated indentations 34 in the outer surface of wall 14 of the base. Also, the end wall 22 of the lid has a segmental cut-out 36 to facilitate lifting of the lid with a finger.

The box can be used as such or as a tray by opening out thereof so that the base, lid and common wall lie flat on a surface. The side walls of the base, the side wall of the lid and the flaps together providing a substantially continuous boundary to contain items in the tray.

Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings show a box similar to that of Figures 1 to 4 but with variations only that will be described in detail. For ease of reference like parts have been given the same reference numerals in Figures 5 to 7 as in Figures 1 to 4.

In Figures 5 to 7 the box lid 18 has on the inside surface of its end wall 22 a single lug 42 intended to catch in correspondingly situated indentation 44 in the wall 14.

A bevelled rib 48 is provided on lid 18 such that when closing the box the inner wall 14 will encounter said rib immediately before the lug 42 aligns with the indentation 44. The slight parallel movement allowable between lid and base due to the hinged connections 28 and possibly the resilience of the plastics material from which the box is moulded will result in the wall 14 sliding over the bevelled edge of the ridge 48 towards the outer wall 22 of the lid whilst firmly engaging the lug 42 with the indentation 44.

To facilitate opening of the box the base 10 and lid 18 ' extend beyond the side walls 14 and 22 respectively to form lips 50 and 52 respectively. As a further aid to opening the lips 50 and 52 have segmental cuts 54 and 56 respectively.

Claims

1. A box comprising a base having side walls and a lid having side walls, one of said side walls being common to the lid and base and being hingedly connected to both along opposite edges thereof, wherein said common side wall has upstanding wings that substantially bridge gaps between aligned side walls of the lid and base when the box is opened out.

2. A box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wings are spaced in from ends of the common side wall whereby said wings are enclosed innermost when the box is closed.

3. A box as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the hinged connections are formed by thinning of the material between the common side wall and the lid or base.

4. A box as claimed in claim 3, wherein the thinning of material is by way of V-shaped troughs.

5. A box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the closed condition is maintained by catch means.

6. A box as claimed in claim 5, wherein the catch means comprises cooperating lugs and indentations on the faces of side walls that overlie each other in the closed box.

7. A box as claimed in claim 6 wherein means to encourage firm engagement of cooperating lugs and indentations are present.

8. A box as claimed in claim 7 wherein said means to encourage firm engagement consists of a rib positioned so as to urge together overlying side walls.

9 A box as claimed in claim 7 wherein said rib is bevelled to guide the inner side wall towards the outer side wall.

10. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the box has means for aiding its opening.

11. A box as claimed in claim 10, wherein said means for aiding opening comprise a cut-out portion allowing a finger to be placed on the underlying wall of the base.

12. A box as claimed in claim 10, wherein said means for aiding opening comprises extensions of base or lid.

13. A box as claimed in claim 10, wherein said extensions have segmental cuts.

14. A box substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.