GB2387165A

GB2387165A - Box for dispensing sheet material

Info

Publication number: GB2387165A
Application number: GB0304983A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffrey Harris; Colin Poulter
Original assignee: TERINEX Ltd
Current assignee: TERINEX Ltd
Priority date: 2002-03-05
Filing date: 2003-03-05
Publication date: 2003-10-08
Also published as: GB0304983D0; GB2386111A; GB0205128D0; GB0304984D0

Abstract

A box or like container (1) for dispensing sheet material (3) such as cling film, aluminium foil, greaseproof paper and the like or discreet items such as linked plastic bags, facial tissues and the like, both for catering and domestic household purposes includes a slot (2) through which the material is dispensed and a blade (4) against which the dispensed material (3) can be cut. Between the slot (2) and the blade (4) at least one depression is provided in the surface (201) of the box (1) over which the material (3) passes when dispensed for cutting, which depression provides finger tip access to a lateral edge of the dispensed material (3). The material is preferably dispensed from a roll.

Description

WRAP BOX

The present invention relates to a box or like container 5 from which box is dispensed sheet material such as cling film, aluminium foil, greaseproof paper and the like or discreet items such as linked plastic bags, facial tissues and the like, both for catering and domestic household purposes. The present invention will be 10 described hereinafter particularly with regard to boxes from which cling film for catering purposes is dispensed, hereinafter referred to as "catering wraps.

Catering wrap is currently supplied in the form of a roll 15 in corrugated cardboard boxes that are either angled or square. Through a slit along its length or out of the top of the box the wrap is dispensed by pulling. A sharp or serrated edge is generally provided along an edge of the box against which the wrap can be drawn for tearing 20 to length.

In the applicants' co-pending application entitled "Box Grip" filed under reference "SJW/37340.GBP" a gripping means of the nature of a holder is described which 25 allowed previously hand held boxes to be held securely on workaurfaces. In the course of developing that holder, consideration was given to the design of the box itself and to the difficulty that was sometimes encountered when attempting to pull out and cut a length of catering wrap.

30 It was found that by virtue of the curl of the wrap or by electrostatic attraction the wrap tended to fall back against the side of the box after it has been cut, so that it is sometimes difficult to grasp the wrap ready for the dispensing of a further length.

Although providing the box surface with projections, such as by embossing, might be possible, it was realized that there was a need to provide provision for fingertip access to at least one of the two lateral edges of the 5 wrap whilst avoiding any disruption of the smooth surface of the wrap as it is dispensed from the box.

The present invention provides a box from which catering wrap can be dispensed by a pulling motion away from the 10 box, which box includes a slot through which the catering wrap is dispensed and blade against which the dispensed wrap can be cut, wherein between the slot and the blade at least one depression is provided in the surface of the box over which the wrap passes when dispensed for 15 cutting, which depression provides finger tip access to a lateral edge of the dispensed wrap.

Preferably a pair of depressions is provided to provide finger tip access to both lateral edges of the wrap, and 20 preferably the depressions are formed by the provision of partially cut out portions of the wall of the box which can be bent inwardly to form voids into which finger tips can be inserted.

25 A particularly preferred box of the present invention incorporates at least one depression and is adapted to fit the preferred embodiment of the holder described and exemplified in the applicants' co-pending application entitled "Box Grip" filed under reference 30 "SJW/37340.GBP".

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a wrap box of the present invention in a side elevation, together with a holder therefor which is designed to fit the box, 5 Fig 2 is a plan view of a blank for forming the box shown in Fig. 1, and Fig 3 to 8 are perspective views of the box of Fig 1 showing its external appearance from all sides before the cutting blade is affixed.

The holder 110 shown in Fig. 1 and its operation are described fully in the applicants' co-pending application entitled "Wrap Box" filed under reference "SJW/37340.GBP", and the same reference numerals are used 15 to identify the same parts.

In Fig. 2 a blank of the box 1 is shown which when folded provides the box 1 of Fig. l as shown in Figs 3 to 8.

The dotted lines are fold lines, the solid lines are cut 20 lines, the dashed lines indicate cut-outs, the crossed lines indicate hinged fold lines and the double barred lines indicate a breakable join.

The blank consists of top wall 201, back wall 202, base 25 wall 203, and front wall 204 with their respective end flaps 201a, 202a, 203a, 204a, 201b, 202b, 203b, and 204b, together with edge flap 205 adjoining top flap 201 which will be folded against the edge 208 of front flap 204.

30 The wall flaps 201 to 205 are folded longitudinally to form the walls of the box, whilst the end flaps 201a and 201b and 203a and 203b are cut away from their respective wall flaps 201 and 203 so that they can be folded laterally whilst remaining attached to end flaps 302a and

302b, respectively. The end flaps 201a, 202a, 203a and 204a are folded together in conventional manner to form one end of the box, with tab 206a outstanding from the lateral edge of flap 201a fitting into opening 207a in 5 flap 203a adjacent flap 202a to lock the flaps together without the need for glue. Similarly end flaps 201b, 202b, 203b and 204b are folded together to form the other end of the box, with tab 206b on flap 201b fitting into slot 207b in flap 203b to lock those flaps together 10 without the need for glue.

Between end flaps 201a and 202a and between end flaps 201b and 202b double folds are provided so as to create a shoulder at each end of the box against which the top 15 wall 201 will abut when folded into the box. As with a conventional wrap box a cutting blade 4 (Fig. 3) is provided for clipping onto the free edge 208 of front wall 204.

20 The dispensing slot 2 in back wall 202 is formed by pushing out and folding back the central portion of the wall along the crossed lines marked "X" which then acts as a hinge. The wall 202 breaks along the line marked with double bars in Fig 2, the curved ends of the line 2s being fully cut through. Similarly the fold between top wall 201 and back wall 202 is partially cut through so as to form a hinge. In the folded box top wall 201 acts as a lid for the box, which can be opened to allow filling and re-filling of the box with rolls of catering wrap.

30 Edge flap 205 then forms part of the lid resting against the interior surface of front wall 204 to hold the box closed when in use.

It has been found in practice that the optimum position for the dispensing slot 2 is slightly below centre in

back wall 202, i.e. slightly closer to base wall 203 than to top wall 201.

In order to assist gripping of the two lateral edges of 5 the wrap being dispensed, partial cut outs 209 are provided in top wall 201 which are bent inwardly after the box is formed. These two partial cut outs 209 are parallel sided and are of a size sufficient to allow a finger tip to be inserted into the opening created by the 10 folding in of the partially cut out portions, with the uncut attaching material forming a hinge being aligned with the respective ends of the slot 2.

In order to accommodate the bar or flange 119 of the 15 holder 110, correspondingly shaped cut out portions 210 are provided in back wall 202 along and in parallel with the fold line between back wall 202 and base wall 203.

In order to accommodate the guide web 120 of the holder 20 110 two appropriately shaped cut outs 211 are provided perpendicular to and across the fold line between base wall 203 and front wall 204.

Following the forming of the box 1 by the folding 25 together of the wall and end flaps 201 to 205, 201a to 204a and 201b to 204b, a roll of catering wrap is placed in the box via its hinged top wall 201, and the dispensing slot 2 is created by pushing the central portion of back wall 202 outwardly to break the join 30 along the double barred line and to form a hinge along the crossed fold line. The user then affixes the cutting blade 4 (Fig l)to the edge 208 of front wall 204 and pushes inwardly the partial cut-outs 209 in top wall 201 before pulling out through dispensing slot 2 a length of

catering wrap 3. The wrap 3 is pulled over top wall 201 in the direction of arrow 5 and over cutting blade 4 in order to sever a portion of wrap of the desired length.

The remaining wrap then lies behind blade 4 against top 5 wall 201, but can be grasped by its lateral edges for pulling by the user between finger tip and thumb by inserting his finger tips into the void created by the folding inwardly of partial cut-outs 209. A further length of wrap can then be dispensed by pulling and 10 cutting.

It has been found in practice preferable to position the partial cut-outs 209 nearer to the fold line with back wall 202 than to the fold line with edge flap 205. The 15 separation of the two cut-outs 209 is determined by the width of the catering wrap on the roll to be placed into the box. Similarly end flaps 203a and 203b are arranged to extend away from the fold lines between them and adjoining end flaps 202a and 202b, respectively, 20 sufficiently both to help lock the end flaps together and to form a pair of bases on which the two ends of the roll can rest. By resting on these extended flaps the roll is kept above the bottom of the box and so the wrap being dispensed from the roll is not snagged by contact with 25 either the bars or flanges 119 or the guide webs 120 of the pair of holders 110.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A box from which catering wrap can be dispensed by a pulling motion away from the box, which box includes a 5 slot through which the catering wrap is dispensed and a blade against which the dispensed wrap can be cut, wherein between the slot and the blade at least one depression is provided in the surface of the box over which the wrap passes when dispensed for cutting, which 10 depression provides finger tip access to a lateral edge of the dispensed wrap.

2. A box as claimed in claim l wherein a pair depressions is provided to provide finger tip access to 15 both lateral edges of the wrap.

3. A box as claimed in claim l or claim 2 wherein the or each depression is formed by the provision of partially cut out portions of the wall of the box which 20 can be bent inwardly to form voids into which finger tips can be inserted.

4. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims formed from a corrugated cardboard blank.

2s

5. A box as claimed in claim l substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.