GB2296708A

GB2296708A - A top for a stationery box

Info

Publication number: GB2296708A
Application number: GB9425455A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Gardner
Original assignee: M Petrushkin Ltd
Current assignee: M Petrushkin Ltd
Priority date: 1994-12-16
Filing date: 1994-12-16
Publication date: 1996-07-10
Also published as: GB9425455D0

Abstract

A box in which an opening of the box is closable by two closure flaps 9, 10 joined to the body of the box by fold lines, which flaps fold together closing the opening of the body of the box by means of two overlapping tongues 15 and thereby simultaneously forming a handle. The two flaps 9, 10 forming the handle have lugs 12 which are held together by two further trapezoidal flaps 3, 4, each having a slot. The overlapping tongues 15 are easy to produce and automatically provide an resealable opening on closure of the handles with no folding. <IMAGE>

Description

A Stationery Box with a Handle The invention relates to a box, such as used for retailing stationery, in which an opening of the box is closable by two closure flaps joined to the body of the box by fold lines, which flaps fold together closing the opening of the body of the box and simultaneously forming a handle.

The two flaps forming the handle are held together by two further flaps, each having a slot. The slots engage protruding edges of the closure flaps on the top of the handle.

The problem with such boxes is that there is commonly a slight gap between the adjoining closure flaps forming an imperfect seal, allowing dust and dirt to enter the box and spoil the contents. Alternatively, the closure flaps fold such that no cuboid box is formed. The box of the present invention seeks to overcome these problems by cutting the blank such that two overlapping flaps are formed, which fold over one another, forming a better seal and, having a much simpler manner of manufacture, are cheaper and faster to produce.

According to the invention there is provided a box having two pairs of opposed side walls, a closable opening, the opening being defined by side edges of the walls, a closure flap connected about a fold line to each of the said side edges, a first pair of closure flaps having a flap portion adjacent to its free edge, defining a handle portion connected to the remainder of the closure flap by a fold line, said remainder of the closure flaps having portions serving to close the opening, which overlap in the closed position, the handle portions including aligned lugs, the second pair of opposed flaps each having a slot engageable with a respective one of the lugs of the juxtaposed closed first pair of flaps to thereby hold the closure flaps in a position to close the opening.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the box may have one or more transparent panels enabling the contents to be seen.

The invention will now be described by way of example in greater detail with reference to the drawings which show in: Figure 1 a portion of a blank according to the invention; Figure 2 a front view of the assembled box; Figure 3 a side view of the assembled box.

The drawing shows a blank of a box including four main contiguous panels, comprising a front panel 1 and a back panel 2 and two side panels 3 and 4. A first pair of flaps 5 and 6 are attached to the main body of the box by means of fold lines 7 at panels 3 and 4 and consist of two substantially trapezoidal pieces, the longer side of which is joined to the body of the box. The two sides adjacent to this extend substantially vertically away from the body of the box for about one third of the length of the piece.

Thereafter the two sides converge at an angle of about 20 degrees. There is a free end side parallel to the side joined to the box. The corners between this end side and the converging sides are rounded. A slot 8 located centrally in the piece extends vertically from the fold line 7 joined to the body of the box approximately 80 % of the length of the piece.

A further pair of closure flaps 9 and 10 are attached by means of a fold line to the main body of the box at panels 1 & 2. The further closure flaps are substantially rectangular in shape. At opposite ends of the free edge of the closure flaps, a section 11 intermediate to the ends is excised, thereby forming a lug 12 at each end, each lug having a semi circular end facing the opposing lug, a short rectangular section extending to the edge of the piece perpendicular to the other edges. The corner 13 between the lug and the rectangular portion of the piece is arcuate.

At a distance of approximately half the width of the box panels 3 and 4 there is a cut 14 having two portions extending substantially perpendicularly away from the fold line joining the closure flap to the box and a portion substantially parallel to the aforesaid edge, these portions between joined by curved portions, thereby forming a tongue 15. Extending from each end of the cut to the edge of the piece is a further fold-line 16, the handle 17 being defined by the portion of the panel outside the cut extending from the fold line.

When the second pair of closure flaps 9 and 10 are folded together the tongues 15 will each overlap the main part of the flap 9 and 10, there being no folding of the flaps necessary and thereby forming a box. The parts of the handle 17 abut one another and the slots 8 on the trapezoidal pieces 3 and 4 are then hooked over the lugs 12, thereby holding the two rectangular pieces 9 and 10 together.

Claims

1. A box having two pairs of opposed side walls, a closable opening, the opening being defined by side edges of the walls, a closure flap connected about a fold line to each of the said side edges, a first pair of closure flaps having a flap portion adjacent to its free edge, defining a handle portion connected to the remainder of the closure flap by a fold line, said remainder of the closure flaps having portions serving to close the opening, which overlap in the closed position, the handle portions including aligned lugs, the second pair of opposed flaps each having a slot engageable with a respective one of the lugs of the juxtaposed closed first pair of flaps to thereby hold the closure flaps in a position to close the opening.

2. A one-piece blank for a box according to claim 1.

3. A box according to claim 1, wherein the box has one or more transparent panels enabling the contents to be seen.

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

5. A blank for a box substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.