GB2605993A

GB2605993A - Packaging box

Info

Publication number: GB2605993A
Application number: GB2105681.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stone Jamie; Palmer Holly; King Theo
Original assignee: UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Current assignee: UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Priority date: 2021-04-21
Filing date: 2021-04-21
Publication date: 2022-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 2041-04-21
Also published as: GB2605993B; GB202105681D0

Abstract

A packaging box 10 made of thin cardboard, paperboard or the like, and having a plurality of faces including a first face, wherein the first face 12 is provided with a first line of perforations 24 by which the box, when closed, can be at least partially opened; wherein the first line of perforations comprises a first perforation 24a and a plurality of second perforations 24b, the first perforation being longer than each of the second perforations, the box being openable by applying a force to the first face in the region of the first perforation, to initiate rupture of the first line of perforations and thereby at least partially open the box. Preferably, the first line of perforations is located along an edge of the box between the first and a second face 14. Second and third lines of perforations may extend across the second face. These lines may be arranged such that, after the first line of perforations has been ruptured, pulling on the second face causes the second and third lines to rupture and an openable region of the second face to open up. Also provided is a method of opening such a packaging box.

Description

PACKAGING BOX

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a packaging box, made of thin cardboard, paperboard or the like, for sending small objects to a destination, for example via a national postal service or another such delivery service.

The invention is particularly suitable for, but by no means limited to, sending articles of used biological testing equipment (e.g. nasopharyngeal swabs and associated sample tubes, and such like) from a user's home or similar location to a remote laboratory for analysis. Such home-based testing and subsequent laboratory-based analysis may for example be part of a nationwide "self-test" testing programme, e.g. for determining the current or past presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or other such pathogens, among members of the general population. Merely by way of example, the tests in question may be polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. As an indication of scale, the articles to be sent in such packaging are small and lightweight, typically (but not necessarily) of the order of 100 mm in length, and typically a few grams or so in weight.

Background to the Invention

Packaging boxes made of thin cardboard, paperboard or the like may be used to send small articles by post or other delivery services (e.g. courier services). In the context of nationwide biological testing programmes, such boxes may be employed to send articles of used biological testing equipment (examples of which are given above) from a user (e.g. at home) to a laboratory for analysis -for example, to determine whether the user currently has, or has had, a particular virus, such as SARS-CoV-2.

A laboratory in a nationwide biological testing programme may be required to open many thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of such boxes per day, in order to analyse the used testing equipment therein and provide results to the respective users. Accordingly, there is a desire for each box to be openable as quickly and easily as possible in the laboratory, for the sake of efficiency, to enable the analysis process to be carried out as quickly as possible (and thus the results to be sent back to the respective user as soon as possible), and to avoid repetitive strain among the laboratory personnel responsible for opening the boxes.

At the same time, there is a need for such boxes to be secure, robust and reliable when in transit within the postal service, on their way to the laboratory, so that they do not accidentally open (e.g. when bumped or jostled against other items of mail), causing the contents to be lost, damaged or contaminated.

Moreover, as well as each box being quick and easy to open in the laboratory, there is also a desire that it should be openable in a reliable and predictable manner, to reduce the likelihood of the contents being accidentally dropped, contaminated or damaged during the opening process.

There is therefore a need for a packaging box that addresses or at least mitigates at least some of the above problems. This is particularly significant in view of the large number of such boxes opened on a daily basis in national testing laboratories, as any improvement in efficiency or reliability achieved in respect of the opening of a single box results in an appreciable overall improvement in the functioning of the laboratory when scaled-up over many thousands of boxes per day.

Furthermore, if such boxes are provided to users in flatpack form, whereby they are not yet fully assembled or otherwise ready for use, then difficulties in assembling the box may deter some users from carrying out the test in question, or sending the used testing equipment to the laboratory for analysis. This may potentially cause a viral infection or other condition to go undetected and/or spread to others. Moreover, if the user does not correctly assemble a box, then this increases the risk of the box coming open in transit to the laboratory -again risking the contents being lost, damaged or contaminated. There is therefore a further desire that boxes supplied in flatpack form be easy to assemble by the user, and reliable once assembled.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging box as defined in Claim 1 of the appended claims. Optional features, and details of certain embodiments, are set out in the appended dependent claims.

Thus, there is provided a packaging box made of thin cardboard, paperboard or the like, and having a plurality of faces including a first face, wherein the first face is provided with a first line of perforations by which the box, when closed, can be at least partially opened; wherein the first line of perforations comprises a first perforation and a plurality of second perforations, the first perforation being longer than each of the second perforations, the box being openable by applying a force to the first face in the region of the first perforation, to initiate rupture of the first line of perforations and thereby at least partially open the box.

Advantageously, such a configuration of perforations causes rupture to occur preferentially around the longer first perforation, and then to extend outwardly through the shorter second perforations. This enables the box to be opened quickly and easily, in a reliable and predictable manner, e.g. by the application of inward pressure in the region of the first perforation, e.g. by a person's thumb. This mechanism by which the first line of perforations is opened also reduces the likelihood of the box being opened accidentally (e.g. in transit).

To facilitate rupture of the first line of perforations, preferably there are one or more second perforations on each side of the first perforation, such that the first perforation is not at one end of the line. Advantageously, the first perforation may be in the centre of the first line of perforations, thereby maximising the effect of the applied force (in the region of the first perforation) in rupturing the overall line of perforations.

To give symmetrical opening behaviour to the first line of perforations, the first line of perforations preferably has an equal number of second perforations on each side of the first perforation.

In presently-preferred embodiments the first line of perforations has at least three second perforations on each side of the first perforation.

Within the first line of perforations, preferably the first perforation is of the order of 60% to 100% longer than each of the second perforations. Merely by way of example, the length of the first perforation may be in the range of 16 mm to 20 mm, and the length of each of the second perforations may be in the range of 10 mm to 12 mm. For instance, the length of the first perforation may be approximately 18 mm, and the length of each of the second perforations may be approximately 11 mm, although other perforation lengths are also possible.

Preferably the first line of perforations includes a V-shaped perforation between each of the other perforations. Beneficially, such V-shaped perforations help to maintain the structure of the box and reduce the likelihood of it being accidentally opened, e.g. whilst in transit.

In presently-preferred embodiments, the first line of perforations is located along a first edge of the box, between the first face and an adjacent second face. Such a position advantageously facilitates the tearing-open of a region on the second face, 20 for accessing the contents of the box.

Preferably the first line of perforations extends along at least a major portion (i.e. at least half) of the first edge of the box, to maximise the size of the opening that can be formed, and thereby facilitate removal of the contents.

Preferably the second face is larger than the first face. This gives rise to combined benefits, in that forming the opening in the second face provides a greater degree of access to the contents, whereas applying the abovementioned force to the smaller first face enables the applied force to be more concentrated, thus facilitating rupture of the first line of perforations.

In presently-preferred embodiments, the second face includes second and third lines of perforations, each of the second and third lines of perforations extending across the second face, close to a respective edge of the second face, and meeting the first edge of the box, the second and third lines of perforations being arranged such that, after the first line of perforations has been ruptured, pulling on the second face causes the second and third lines of perforations to rupture and an openable region of the second face to open up, between (and defined/bounded by) the second and third lines of perforations. Such second and third lines of perforations advantageously aid the tearing-open of the openable region of the second face in a controlled, reliable and predictable manner.

Optionally, in the second and third lines of perforations, the perforations may increase in size with increasing distance from the first edge of the box, to further regulate the opening behaviour of the openable region of the second face.

At least some of the perforations of the second and third lines of perforations may each comprise a first perforation portion aligned at an angle from the respective line of perforations, followed by a second perforation portion aligned with the respective line of perforations. Advantageously, the angled portion of such perforations may serve to "catch" the respective tear Of it should veer towards the centre of the second face) and guide it back out towards the respective edge.

Preferably, on the second face, a first cut line is provided at the beginning of the second line of perforations, and a second cut line is provided at the beginning of the third line of perforations, to lead the tearing of the second face away from neighbouring faces of the box.

Preferably the box further comprises a pullable portion extending outwards from the second face, by means of which the openable region of the second face can be pulled away from the rest of the box. Conveniently, the pullable portion may simply be formed as a continuation of the material of the second face.

In certain embodiments, the first face may be joined to the second face by means of a joining tab with adhesive, and the joining tab may comprise first and second transverse cut lines which are not covered by adhesive, and which align respectively with the second and third lines of perforations. In such a manner, the tab and the adhesive do not impede the rupturing of the second and third lines of perforations, and the rupturing of the second and third lines of perforations does not put strain on the adhesive bond by which the first face is joined to the second face.

Optionally the box may comprise a crashlock base face, by means of which the box can be supplied in flatpack form and quickly and easily assembled by the user.

The box may have a closable top face, and a seal (e.g. a tamper-proof security seal) may be provided for securely closing the top face prior to posting.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of opening the packaging box of the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising applying a force to the first face in the region of the first perforation, to initiate rupture of the first line of perforations and thereby at least partially open the box.

The force may be applied quickly and easily by pushing the first face in the region of the first perforation.

The method may further comprise pulling the second face to initiate rupture of second and third lines of perforations and thereby cause an openable region of the second face to open up, between the second and third lines of perforations as mentioned above.

Preferably the pulling on the second face is performed by pulling a pullable portion that extends outwards from the second face, as mentioned above.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front isometric view of a packaging box made of thin cardboard, paperboard or the like, showing a first line of perforations provided along a first face, by means of which the box, when closed, can be at least partially opened; Figure 2 is a rear isometric view of the packaging box of Figure 1, showing second and third lines of perforations provided on a second face, whereby pulling on the second face causes the second and third lines of perforations to rupture and an openable region of the second face to open up; Figure 3 is a net design for a packaging box as in Figures 1 and 2 (with Figure 3 showing a slightly different configuration of the second and third lines of perforations, but otherwise being substantially the same as the box illustrated in Figures 1 and 2); Figure 4a illustrates the box as may be supplied to a user in flatpack form, having a crash lock base; Figure 4b illustrates the box as assembled (e.g. by the user) by "squaring-up" the 15 faces of the box and causing the parts of the crashlock base to come together and lock into place; Figure 4c illustrate the box having been closed by the user (with an article such as a piece of used biological testing equipment inside), as performed by the user prior to posting the box to a destination (e.g. a laboratory); and Figures 5a, 5b and Sc illustrate the subsequent opening of the box at the destination (e.g. laboratory), by pressing on the first face to initiate rupture of the first line of perforations and thereby partially open the box (Figure 5a), pulling on the second face to complete the rupture of the first line of perforations and initiate rupture of the second and third lines of perforations (Figure 5b), and pulling the second face further, to complete the rupture of the second and third lines of perforations and thereby fully open the box.

In the figures, like elements are indicated by like reference numerals throughout.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

The present embodiments represent the best ways known to the Applicant of putting the invention into practice However, they are not the only ways in which this can be achieved.

-Initial overview With reference to initially to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b and 4c, the present disclosure provides a substantially cuboid packaging box 10 made of thin cardboard, paperboard or the like. The box 10 is particularly suitable for, but by no means limited to, sending articles of used biological testing equipment (e.g. nasopharyngeal swabs and associated sample tubes, and such like) from a user's home or similar location to a remote laboratory for analysis, via a national postal service or another such delivery service. This may for example be as part of a nationwide "self-test" testing programme, e.g. for determining the current or past presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or other such pathogens, among members of the general population. Merely by way of example, the tests in question may be polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

The box 10 may be provided to the user in flatpack form, as shown in Figure 4a, thereby enabling it to be sent to the user in an envelope or flat package; and also enabling the box to occupy less space in a factory or warehouse in which it is manufactured or initially stored, prior to being sent to the user. When supplied in flatpack form, the box 10 requires simple final assembly by the user to prepare it for use, as shown in Figure 4b. Alternatively the box 10 may be provided to the user in the form shown in Figure 4b, ready for use.

To facilitate the final assembly process (i.e. to arrive at the form shown in Figure 4b), the box 10 preferably has a so-called "crashlock" base, formed by interlocking parts 20a and 20b (as shown in Figure 3). Consequently the final assembly process (from Figure 4a to Figure 4b) is quick and easy for the user to do themselves, simply by "squaring-up" faces 12, 14, 16 and 18 of the box and causing parts 20a and 20b of the crashlock base to come together and automatically lock into place. It will however be appreciated that the use of a crashlock base, whilst advantageous, is by no means essential, and alternative configurations of the base of the box, as will be familiar to those skilled in the art, may be used instead.

As shown in Figure 4c, once the necessary contents (e.g. a used swab in a sample tube) have been inserted into the box 10, the box 10 is then closed by the user and preferably sealed using a security seal 29, and then posted to the required destination (the address of which may conveniently be pre-printed on the box). The structure of the box 10 ensures that it remains reliably closed when in transit to the destination.

Upon arrival at the destination, the box 10 may be quickly, easily and reliably opened, by virtue of various design features -particularly certain configurations of perforations -that will be described in detail below.

-Box design In more detail, the box 10, once assembled and closed (as in Figures 1,2 and 4c), has six faces arranged in an orthogonal manner to one another, as the faces of a cuboid, namely a first face 12, a second face 14, a third face 16, a fourth face 18, a fifth face 20 (formed by base parts 20a and 20b locking together in a crashlock fashion), and a sixth face 22 (provided by a tab lid when closed). As illustrated, the second face 14 and fourth face 18 are each larger than the first face 12 and the third face 16. In the presently-preferred embodiment, and merely by way of example, the second face 14 (excluding portion 15) and the fourth face 18 each measure 150 mm by 50 mm, and the first face 12 and the third face 16 each measure 150 mm by 25 mm. Thus, the second face 14 and the fourth face 18 are each twice the size of the first face 12 and the third face 16. It will of course be appreciated that the dimensions given herein are merely by way of example, and that other embodiments may readily be formed having different dimensions.

With further reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4a, 4b and 4c, the second face 14 is preferably provided with an outwardly-extending portion 15, formed as a continuation of the material of the second face 14. That is to say, regions 14 and 15 are both of the same overall piece of material (e.g. card). In the presently-preferred example, and merely by way of example, regions 14 and 15 each measure 150 mm by 50 mm, such that regions 14 and 15 in combination measure 150 mm by 100 mm. Again, it will be appreciated that these dimensions are merely by way of example, and that other embodiments may readily be formed having different dimensions.

By making regions 14 and 15 the same size, this enables multiple closed boxes (as in Figure 4c) to be packed compactly together, for example by placing the cuboid part of a first (inverted) box on top of region 15 of a second (not inverted) box, or by nestling multiple boxes in the same orientation up against one another. This enables space to be saved in the destination laboratory, and in transit.

The role of region 15 with respect to the eventual opening of the box will be described in greater detail below, but at this juncture it should be noted that regions 14 and 15 together provide a relatively large and easily-identifiable area on which the destination address (e.g. that of a designated testing laboratory) may be preprinted or subsequently affixed, together with other postage-related information, one or more identification codes, etc. Naturally, other information may also be printed or affixed elsewhere on the box.

As illustrated in Figure 3 On net form), the box 10 may be manufactured from a single piece 10' of thin cardboard or paperboard that has been cut to the requisite shape (typically by die cutting), perforated in certain places (as described in more detail below), folded (e.g. along crease lines formed during the die cutting process), and then glued in certain places. Such manufacturing processes, and associated processes such as printing (and possibly coating) the box material, will be familiar to those skilled in the art, and are straightforward for a box factory to implement.

Referring to the net design of Figure 3 in more detail, the first face 12 is provided with tabs 12a, 12b and 19, that are each foldable relative to the first face 12. Notably, the fold line 23 between the first face 12 and tab 19 is almost entirely occupied by a set of perforations (or small cut lines) 24a, 24b, 24c and 24d, that will be described in greater detail below, and which together form a first line of perforations 24.

The second face 14 is provided with a base tab 20a, tab lid 22, and tuck flap 21, that are each foldable relative to the second face 14. Small cut lines are provided at either end of the fold line between the tab lid 22 and the tuck flap 21, in a manner that will be familiar to those skilled in the art, to promote engagement of the tuck flap 21 when the tab lid 22 is closed.

The third face 16 is provided with tabs 16a and 16b, that are each foldable relative to the third face 16. A cut line is provided between tab 16a and the tab lid 22.

The fourth face 18 is provided with a base tab 20b, that is foldable relative to the fourth face 18.

Tab 20a incorporates a foldable corner 20a', and likewise tab 20b incorporates a foldable corner 20b'.

In use, tabs 20a and 20b interlock to form the crashlock base of the box 10, i.e. the fifth face 20 of the box. In this regard, adhesive is applied during manufacture to the regions indicated with diagonal hatching in Figure 3, thereby enabling tab 16b to be attached to foldable corner 20a', tab 12b to be attached to foldable corner 20b', and tab 19 to be attached to face 14. This results initially in the flatpack configuration shown in Figure 4a, with parts 20a and 20b of the crashlock base ready to interlock with one another when the first face 12, second face 14, third face 16 and fourth face 18 are subsequently squared-up, e.g. by the user, to give the configuration shown in Figure 4b.

As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, when closing the tab lid 22 of the box 10 the user first folds tabs 12a and 16a through 90°, then folds the tab lid 22 through 90°, and then inserts the tuck flap 21 into the open end of the box, to engage the tab lid 22 in place.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4c, a security seal 29 may then be affixed to ensure that the tab lid 22 (and the box 10 in general) remains closed during its subsequent journey to its destination. Preferably the security seal 29 is tamper-proof -i.e. it cannot (easily) be removed once applied, and consequently the tab lid 22 cannot be reopened once the seal 29 has been applied. Accordingly, the presence of the intact seal 29 indicates that the closed box has not been tampered with, and has not been reopened after the seal was applied.

-First line of perforations 24 To enable the box 10 to be quickly, easily and reliably opened at the destination (e.g. laboratory), e.g. by a designated member of staff, the first face 12 of the box is provided with the abovementioned first line of perforations 24, by which the closed box can be at least partially opened. With the box as closed (e.g. as shown in Figure 1), and considering its faces as those of a cuboid (i.e. disregarding the outwardly-extending portion 15), the line of perforations 24 is located along a first edge of the box, between the first face 12 and the adjacent second face 14. It will be appreciated that the first edge of the box is also the location of the abovementioned fold line 23, and is also the location at which the outwardly-extending portion 15 extends from the second face 14.

In more detail, as shown most clearly in Figure 3, the first line of perforations 24 comprises a first perforation 24a and a plurality of second perforations 24b, the first perforation 24a being longer than each of the second perforations 24b. (It will be appreciated that, in Figure 3, the individual linear perforations of the first line of perforations 24 are simply represented by vertical lines with the corresponding reference numerals alongside.) In use, the box 10, when closed, is openable by applying a force (F1 in Figure 5a) to the first face 12 in the region of the first perforation 24a, to at least initiate rupture of the first line of perforations 24 and thereby at least partially open the box 10. With the illustrated embodiment, such a force may arise from inward pressure, e.g. applied by a person's thumb, although it may alternatively arise from inward pressure exerted by a suitable tool or machine (thus permitting automation of the opening process). Alternatively, and less preferably, such a force could potentially be provided by pulling the first face 12 outwards in the region of the first perforation 24a, for example if the first face 12 is provided with a pullable tab or the like, that may be grasped by a person or a suitable tool or machine.

By virtue of the configuration of the first line of perforations 24, rupturing occurs preferentially around the longer first perforation 24a, and then extends outwardly through the shorter second perforations 24b, in a reliable and predictable manner.

Preferably the first line of perforations 24 has one or more second perforations 24b on each side of the first perforation 24a (i.e. such that the first perforation 24a is not at one end of the first line of perforations 24). In the illustrated embodiment the first perforation 24a is in the centre of the first line of perforations 24, thereby maximising the effect of the applied force On the region of the first perforation 24a) in rupturing the overall line of perforations 24.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first line of perforations 24 has an equal number of second perforations 24b on each side of the first perforation 24a, to give symmetrical opening behaviour. Preferably, the first line of perforations 24 has at least three second perforations 24b on each side of the first perforation 24a. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, three second perforations 24b are provided on each side of the first perforation 24a, followed by a further perforation 24d at each end of the first line of perforations 24. Such further perforations 24d extend as far as the transverse cut lines 26 (described below), but do not extend beyond the transverse cut lines 26. In alternative embodiments, the first line of perforations 24 may consist of other numbers or configurations of perforations.

Within the first line of perforations 24, the first perforation 24a is of the order of 60% to 100% longer than each of the second perforations 24b. For example, the length of the first perforation 24a may be in the range of 16 mm to 20 mm, and the length of each of the second perforations 24b may be in the range of 10 mm to 12 mm. In the presently-preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the length of the first perforation 24a is approximately 18 mm, and the length of each of the second perforations 24b is approximately 11 mm.

The longer (e.g. 18 mm) first perforation 24a enables a localized force (F1 in Figure 5a), when applied against the first face 12 in the region of the first perforation 24a, to break and thereby start the overall rupture of the first line of perforations 24, whereas the shorter (e.g. 11 mm) second perforations 24b enable the rupture of the first line of perforations 24 to continue to each side -aided if necessary by moving the applied force (e.g. thumb pressure) to each side. Beneficially, concentration of the applied force to rupture the first line of perforations 24 is enhanced by the first face 12 being relatively small (in comparison to the second face 14 and the fourth face 18).

In the illustrated embodiment, the first line of perforations 24 includes a small V- shaped perforation 24c between each of the other perforations in the line. The V-shaped perforations are oriented such that the tip of each V aligns with the linear perforations 24a, 24b, 24d and with the fold line 23. The purpose of the V-shaped perforations 24c is to maintain the structure of the box and prevent it from accidentally opening along the first line of perforations 24 in the event that the outwardly-extending portion 15 of the second face 14 is pulled in transit. That is to say, the purpose of the V-shaped perforations is to ensure that the first line of perforations 24 only ruptures when so intended, upon the controlled application of force to the first perforation 24a and the second perforations 24b, and reduces the likelihood of the first line of perforations 24 rupturing at an unwanted time, thereby increasing the reliability and predictability of the box.

Whilst the concept of the first line of perforations 24, having the perforation characteristics as described herein, may in principle be used to provide a selectively-openable line in any place, across any face of a box, in the present disclosure the first line of perforations 24 is preferably located along said first edge of the box 10, between the first face 12 and the adjacent second face 14. The first line of perforations 12 also coincides with the fold line 23 between the first face 12 and the tab 19 (the tab 19 having been attached to the second face 14 during manufacture), and is also the location at which the outwardly-extending portion 15 extends from the second face 14. The first line of perforations 24 extends along at least a major portion of said first edge of the box, i.e. at least half the first edge, and preferably, as illustrated, almost all of said first edge, to maximise the size of the opening that can be formed, and thereby facilitate removal of the contents.

With reference to Figure 5c, by virtue of the first line of perforations 24 being located along said first edge, this allows an openable region 13 of the second face 14 to be subsequently torn open, by pulling the outwardly-extending portion 15 after the above-described rupture of the first line of perforations 24 has caused a first edge of the openable region 13 to be detached.

-Second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' In the presently-preferred embodiment, as illustrated, the removal of the openable region 13 of the second face 14 in a controlled, reliable and predictable manner is aided and directed by a second line of perforations 28 and a third line of perforations 28' provided within the second face 14.

More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment, each of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' extends across the second face 14, close to a respective edge of the second face 14, and meeting (perpendicularly, or substantially perpendicularly) said first edge of the box, where the first line of perforations 24 is located. The second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' are arranged such that, after the first line of perforations 24 (on said first edge) has been ruptured, pulling on the second face 14 causes the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' to rupture and the openable region 13 of the second face 14 to open up, between (and defined by the position of, and bounded on opposing sides by) the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28'. As illustrated in Figure Sc, the openable region 13 is at least a major portion (i.e. at least half the area) of the second face 14, and preferably is almost the entire area of the second face 14.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' in the second face 14 consists of three perforations, 28a, 28b and 28c. Preferably, as illustrated in Figure 3, in the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' the constituent perforations increase in size with increasing distance from the first edge of the box (where the first line of perforations 24 is located). That is to say, the constituent perforations increase in size as the distance from the pulling force increases.

As also illustrated in Figure 3, at least some (and preferably all) of the perforations 28a, 28b, 28c of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' may each comprise a first perforation portion aligned at an angle (approximately 45°) from the respective line of perforations 28, followed by a second perforation portion aligned with the respective line of perforations 28 (i.e. effectively at 0° to the line of perforations). Such perforations are arranged to provide "three tier" stages of opening. The 45° angle between the first perforation portion and the second perforation portion of each of these perforations is designed to "catch" the respective tear Of it should veer towards the centre of the second face 14) and guide it back out to the respective edge.

Preferably, as shown in Figure 3, with each of the perforations of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28', when going from the second (effectively 0°) perforation portion to the first (approximately 45°) perforation portion, the first perforation portion is angled towards the centre of the second face 14.

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, with each of the perforations of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28', when going from the second (effectively 0°) perforation portion to the first (approximately 45°) perforation portion, the first perforation portion may be angled away from the centre of the second face 14. However, in the presently-preferred embodiments, the first perforation portion is angled towards the centre of the second face 14, as shown in Figure 3.

-Cut lines 30, 30', 26 and 26' Preferably, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, on the second face 14 a first cut line 30 is provided at the beginning of the second line of perforations 28, and a second cut line 30' is provided at the beginning of the third line of perforations 28', to lead the tearing of the second face 14 away from the neighbouring faces 20, 22 of the box.

The second cut line 30' is L-shaped, with the shape of the first cut line 30 mirroring.

With both the first and second cut lines 30, 30', the "vertical" part of the L-shape (i.e. the vertically-aligned cut line in the figures) coincides with said first edge of the box, and the "horizontal" part of the L-shape (i.e. the horizontally-aligned cut line in the figures) is aligned with the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28'. It will be appreciated that, by being L-shaped, each of the first and second cut lines 30, 30' incorporates a 90° angle between the "vertical" and "horizontal" parts of the "L". During opening of the box, the first and second cut lines 30, 30' serve to preserve the full dimension of the pullable portion 15 that extends outwardly from the second face 14, and to direct the path of the respective tears away from the outer (folded) edges of the second face 14, past the neighbouring faces 20, 22 of the box. Together, the first and second cut lines 30, 30' and the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' act to ensure that the openable region 13 of the second face 14 is torn open in a controlled, reliable and predictable manner.

Moreover, so that the tab 19 (and the adhesive by which the tab 19 is attached to the second face 14) does not impede the rupturing of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' -and indeed, so that the rupturing of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' does not put strain on the adhesive bond between the tab 19 and the second face 14, which could cause the box to come apart -the tab 19 preferably incorporates first and second transverse cut lines 26, 26' which are not covered by adhesive, and which align respectively with the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28'. Thus, these first and second transverse cut lines 26, 26' break up the strip of adhesive on the tab 19 and keep the rest of the box intact as it is opened, i.e. as the pullable portion 15 is pulled, the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28' rupture, and the openable region 13 is torn open.

-Method of opening With reference in particular to Figures 5a, 5b and 5c, once the closed box is received at the destination (e.g. laboratory), it may be opened quickly and easily as follows: Step 1 (Figure 5a): A force Fl (e.g. thumb pressure, or other pressure) is applied to the centre of the first face 12, in the region of the first perforation 24a, to initiate rupture of the first line of perforations 24 and thereby partially open the box.

Step 2 (Figure 5b): The outwardly-extending portion 15 of the second face 14 is then pulled in the direction D1 as indicated, to complete the rupture of the first line of perforations 24 and to initiate rupture of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28', thereby causing the openable region 13 of the second face 14 to begin to tear open, between the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28'.

Step 3 (Figure 5c): The outwardly-extending portion 15 of the second face 14 is then pulled in the direction D2 as indicated, to complete the rupture of the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28', to cause the openable region 13 of the second face 14 to fully tear open, and thus fully open the box 10.

Thus, by virtue of the configuration of the box, including the above-described perforations, the box can be opened in a quick, easy, controlled (three-step), reliable and predictable manner, to achieve an increase in efficiency, save time, and reduce the likelihood of the contents being accidentally dropped, contaminated or damaged during the opening process.

-Summary

The presently-described box, having a crashlock base, is designed to be easy to assemble (by the end user), and to be secure in the postal service distribution network, while being quick and easy to open at the destination (e.g. laboratory).

In the presently-described box, multiple perforations are provided that create a reliable and easy-to-open box for the laboratory staff to process (who may be opening thousands of such boxes per day and so need to avoid repetitive strain in their employees, as well as wanting to saving time). Meanwhile, the same pack is sufficiently robust to not pop open while being bumped about or jostled in the postal service distribution network. This is achieved by means of specifically-designed perforation pitch sections, including the first line of perforations 24, that when pressed with the thumb starts the opening process, allowing the openable region 13 to be pulled back, creating a neat and predictable rip geometry, which in turn allows for easy access to the contents of the pack (which may be highly sensitive and thus require careful handling).

Without the first line of perforations 24 and the thumb-pushed opening mechanism as provided herein, the box would be significantly harder to open, and would not rip in a controlled fashion.

To aid the accurate tearing of the openable region 13, the box also uses L-shaped perforations 30 and 30', and angular perforations 28a-c (within the second and third lines of perforations 28 and 28'), to "catch" the card if it starts tearing off course, thereby ensuring a predictable rip every time.

Modifications and alternatives Detailed embodiments and some possible alternatives have been described above. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a number of modifications and further alternatives can be made to the above embodiments whilst still benefiting from the inventions embodied therein.

For example, in the above-described embodiments the material from which the box 10 is made is described as being thin cardboard, paperboard or the like. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, materials other than thin cardboard or paperboard are possible, such as certain types of thick paper, or thin plastics, which permit the incorporation of lines of perforations that may be ruptured in the manner as described herein.

In the above-described embodiments the base face 20 of the box is a crashlock base. However, other variants are possible that employ alternative configurations of the base (for example, a simple tab arrangement, similar to that of the tab lid 22 and tuck flap 21).

In the above-described embodiments the second face 14 is provided with the outwardly-extending portion 15, formed as a continuation of the material of the second face 14, to aid the opening of the box along the second and third lines of perforations 28, 28'. However, variants are possible in which the outwardly-extending portion 15 is omitted, with the box being openable by applying a pulling force directly to the second face 14, once the first line of perforations 24 has been sufficiently ruptured. For example, once the first line of perforations 24 has been sufficiently ruptured, the person tasked with opening the box may insert one or more fingers through the resulting opening and then directly pull the second face 14 upwards, causing the openable part 23 of the second face 14 to tear open.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A packaging box made of thin cardboard, paperboard or the like, and having a plurality of faces including a first face, wherein the first face is provided with a first line of perforations by which the box, when closed, can be at least partially opened; wherein the first line of perforations comprises a first perforation and a plurality of second perforations, the first perforation being longer than each of the second perforations, the box being openable by applying a force to the first face in the region of the first perforation, to initiate rupture of the first line of perforations and thereby at least partially open the box.
2. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the first line of perforations has one or more second perforations on each side of the first perforation.
3. The packaging box according to claim 2, wherein the first perforation is in the centre of the first line of perforations.
4. The packaging box according to claim 3, wherein the first line of perforations has an equal number of second perforations on each side of the first perforation.
5. The packaging box according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the first line of perforations has at least three second perforations on each side of the first perforation.
6. The packaging box according to any preceding claim, wherein the first perforation is of the order of 60% to 100% longer than each of the second perforations.
7. The packaging box according to claim 6, wherein the length of the first perforation is in the range of 16 mm to 20 mm, and the length of each of the second perforations is in the range of 10 mm to 12 mm.
8. The packaging box according to claim 7, wherein the length of the first perforation is approximately 18 mm, and the length of each of the second perforations is approximately 11 mm.
9. The packaging box according to any preceding claim, wherein the first line of perforations includes a V-shaped perforation between each of the other perforations.
10. The packaging box according to any preceding claim, wherein the first line of perforations is located along a first edge of the box, between the first face and an adjacent second face.
11. The packaging box according to claim 10, wherein the first line of perforations extends along at least a major portion of the first edge of the box.
12. The packaging box according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the second face is larger than the first face.
13. The packaging box according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the second face includes second and third lines of perforations, each of the second and third lines of perforations extending across the second face, close to a respective edge of the second face, and meeting the first edge of the box, the second and third lines of perforations being arranged such that, after the first line of perforations has been ruptured, pulling on the second face causes the second and third lines of perforations to rupture and an openable region of the second face to open up, between the second and third lines of perforations.
14. The packaging box according to claim 13, wherein, in the second and third lines of perforations, the perforations increase in size with increasing distance from the first edge of the box
15. The packaging box according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein at least some of the perforations of the second and third lines of perforations each comprise a first perforation portion aligned at an angle from the respective line of perforations, followed by a second perforation portion aligned with the respective line of perforations.
16. The packaging box according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein, on the second face, a first cut line is provided at the beginning of the second line of perforations, and a second cut line is provided at the beginning of the third line of perforations, to lead the tearing of the second face away from neighbouring faces of the box.
17. The packaging box according to any of claims 13 to 16, further comprising a pullable portion extending outwards from the second face, by means of which the openable region of the second face can be pulled away from the rest of the box.
18. The packaging box according to claim 17, wherein the pullable portion is a continuation of the material of the second face.
19. The packaging box according to any of claims 10 to 18, wherein the first face is joined to the second face by means of a joining tab with adhesive.
20. The packaging box according to claim 19 when dependent on claim 16, wherein the joining tab comprises first and second transverse cut lines which are not covered by adhesive, and which align respectively with the second and third lines of perforations.
21. The packaging box according to any preceding claim, having a crashlock base face, by means of which the box can be supplied in flatpack form and assembled by the user.
22. The packaging box according to any preceding claim, having a closable top face.
23. The packaging box according to claim 22, further comprising a seal for securely closing the top face.
24. A method of opening the packaging box of any preceding claim, the method comprising applying a force to the first face in the region of the first perforation, to initiate rupture of the first line of perforations and thereby at least partially open the box.
25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the force is applied by pushing the first face in the region of the first perforation.
26. The method according to claim 24 or claim 25 when dependent on any of claims 13 to 20, further comprising pulling the second face to initiate rupture of the second and third lines of perforations and thereby cause the openable region of the second face to open up, between the second and third lines of perforations.
27. The method according to claim 26 or claim 25 when dependent on claim 17 or claim 18, wherein pulling on the second face is performed by pulling said pullable portion.