JP7471259B2 - Outer containers, packaging boxes and blank sheets - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an outer container, a packaging box for use by housing an inner container in the outer container, and a blank sheet for the outer container.

In recent years, in order to reduce the environmental impact, refill pouches filled with detergent, liquid soap, shampoo, etc. have been used as containers for refilling bottles, or refill pouches (standing pouches) have been used as containers themselves. Such containers can stand on their own when they contain a large amount of liquid, but as the amount of liquid decreases with use, the container itself shrinks, loses weight, and becomes unbalanced, making it more likely to tip over. Furthermore, if the cap attached to the spout is not fastened tightly, the liquid may spill out.

In the technical field of the above-mentioned containers, Patent Document 1 discloses a double-layered container in which a cap and a spout attached to an inner bag protrude from a hole in a sloping surface formed between the top surface and one side surface of the body toward the outside of the container and are fixed in place (paragraphs [0017] to [0022] of the same document, etc.).

Patent Document 2 also discloses a packaging box in which the bottom surface of the packaging box is made up of a pair of outer flaps, one of which has a bottom-raising flap for pushing up the inner flap inward, so that the fluid in the flexible packaging body can be efficiently moved toward the spout even when the box is placed on a horizontal surface (paragraph [0026] of the same document, etc.).

Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a bag storage box that, in order to allow the fluid in the fluid storage bag stored in the box to be poured out with almost no waste while the box is placed horizontally, has a spout protrusion opening near the bottom end of the front surface of the box for protruding the spout of the fluid storage bag outside the box, a spout guideway for protruding the bottom end of the part to which the flange of the spout is welded outside the box, and a flange welded part protrusion opening (paragraphs [0025], [0030] to [0031], etc.).

JP 2018-8734 A JP 2016-37288 A JP 2004-161329 A

However, while the double-walled containers described in the above patent documents can function as refill containers, they cannot provide an outer container that can function both as a transport container and as a container with a handle.

The outer container of the present invention therefore aims to provide an outer container that houses an inner container to which a pouring spout part consisting of a pouring part and a spout part for pouring out the filled contents is attached, and has an insertion part in a sloped part for inserting the pouring spout part, the outer container having a front part, a pair of side parts, a back part, a top part and a bottom part, the sloped part being formed between the front part and the top part by folding a part of the top part side of the front part towards the top part, and a grip part that allows the outer container to be carried by folding and concaving a part of the pair of side parts and a part of the back part towards the inside of the outer container.

The packaging box of the present invention also aims to provide a packaging box that includes an inner container to which a pouring spout portion, which is configured to include a pouring portion and a spout portion for pouring out the filled contents, is attached, and the outer container that houses the inner container.

Furthermore, the blank sheet of the present invention is a blank sheet for the above-mentioned outer container, and has a folding line and a breaking line for forming the gripping portion on the pair of side portions and the back portion.

The present invention provides an outer container that functions both as a transport container and as a container with a handle.

1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a scene in which an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is used. 1A to 1F are schematic diagrams illustrating a method for assembling an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating how to handle a cap of an inner container housed in an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an inner container housed in an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a front view, (b) a top view, (c) a bottom view, (d) a side view, (e) a rear view, (f) a schematic cross-sectional view along line A-A, and (g) to (j) are perspective views of an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention when used as a shipping box. FIG. 1 shows a front view, a top view, a bottom view, a side view, an e view, a rear view, a schematic cross-sectional view along line A-A, and perspective views of an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in use. FIG. 1 is a front view, a rear view, a top view, a bottom view, an e-side view, and perspective views (f) to (i) illustrating an example of an attachment that can be attached to an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view, a rear view, a right side view, a left side view, an upper view, a bottom view, and perspective views (g) to (j) illustrating another example of an attachment that can be attached to an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a partially enlarged schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an engagement state between an attachment and a spout portion in an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a development view in the case where an outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is formed from one blank sheet. FIG. 1 shows (a) a front view, (b) a top view, (c) a bottom view, (d) a side view, (e) a rear view, (f) a schematic cross-sectional view along line A-A, and (g) to (j) perspective views of an outer container according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention when used as a shipping box. FIG. 1 shows (a) a front view, (b) a top view, (c) a bottom view, (d) a side view, (e) a rear view, (f) a schematic cross-sectional view along line A-A, and (g) to (j) perspective views of an outer container according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention in a used state. FIG. 1A is a front view, (b) a side view, (c) a top view, (d) a bottom view, (e) a rear view, and (f) to (g) are perspective views illustrating an example of an attachment that can be attached to an outer container according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a development view in the case where an outer container according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention is formed from one blank sheet.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention by way of example, with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations and numerical values described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and may be freely modified or changed, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the following description.

An outer container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1A to 7. First, with reference to Fig. 1A, a method of using a packaging box 1 using an outer container according to this embodiment will be described. The packaging box 1 includes an outer container 10 and an inner container 20 housed inside the outer container 10. A user 100 grasps and lifts the outer container 10 (packaging box 1) containing the inner container 20 by a pair of left and right side portions, and tilts the packaging box 1 in a predetermined direction to pour out the contents filled in the inner container 20. Here, the packaging box 1 is also called a pouch-in-box, etc., since it contains an inner container 20 such as a pouch inside the outer container 10.

When such a packaging box 1 is used, the user 100 can pour the contents from the packaging box 1 into a refill bottle 110, for example, as shown in FIG. 1A(a). Also, the user 100 can pour the contents from the packaging box 1 into a measuring cap 120, as shown in FIG. 1A(b). Furthermore, the user 100 can pour the contents from the packaging box 1 into a detergent tank of a washing machine 130 having an automatic detergent dispenser function, as shown in FIG. 1A(c). In this way, when the packaging box 1 is used, it becomes possible to transfer the contents filled in the inner container 20 into a container smaller than the inner container 20 and use the inner container 20 as it is without dividing it into smaller portions, improving usability. The outer container 10 is a paper container, for example, a cardboard or cardboard container.

Next, referring to Fig. 1B(a)-(f), the procedure for assembling the outer container 10 (packaging box 1) and preparing it for use will be described. These figures are perspective views of the outer container 10 (packaging box 1) as viewed diagonally from above to the right. As shown in Fig. 1B(a), the outer container 10 (packaging box 1) is a box with a rectangular parallelepiped shape in the initial state. As shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of Fig. 1B(a1), before the packaging box 1 is used, the inner container 20 and the attachment 30 are stored inside the outer container 10. That is, the packaging box 1 is sold with the inner container 20 stored inside the outer container 10. The outer container 10 and the inner container 20 may be sold separately, in which case the user 100 needs to store the inner container 20 inside the outer container 10 before using the packaging box 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1B(b), the user 100 opens the top surface 12 of the outer container 10, removes the attachment 30 contained inside the outer container 10, and further cuts off the separation piece 18 (see FIG. 1B(a1)).

Then, as shown in Fig. 1B (c) and (d), the user 100 attaches the removed attachment 30 to a predetermined position on the upper side of the front surface 11 of the outer container 10. The user 100 then bends the portion of the front surface 11 to which the attachment 30 is attached toward the top surface 12, forming an inclined portion 11a shaped like a chamfered corner between the front surface 11 and the top surface 12.

After the inclined portion 11a is formed, as shown in Fig. 1B (d1) to (d3), the user 100 pulls out the pouring spout portion 21 of the inner container 20 from the insertion portion 11c provided on the front portion 11 of the outer container 10 and inserts it through. Finally, the user 100 hooks the pulled out pouring spout portion 21 onto the attachment 30 to engage and lock it in place.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1B(e), the user 100 forms a gripping portion 19 for gripping the packaging box 1. The gripping portion 19 is formed near the center of the height direction of the outer container 10. The gripping portion 19 is used when the user 100 lifts the packaging box 1 to pour out the contents filled in the inner container 20 or when carrying and moving the packaging box 1.

The gripping portion 19 is formed by the user 100 folding and recessing a portion of the pair of side portions (13, 14) and a portion of the back portion (15, 16) of the outer container 10 toward the inside of the outer container 10. As shown in the top view of FIG. 1B(f), after the gripping portion 19 is formed, the packaging box 1 (outer container 10) has portions of the side portions (13, 14) close to the back portions (15, 16) recessed toward the inside of the outer container 10.

In this way, the gripping width of the gripping portion 19 is narrower than the horizontal width of the outer container 10, so that the shape is easy for the user 100 to grip even if the user has a weak grip, and the user 100 can stably hold and use the packaging box 1. Even when the gripping portion 19 is formed, the inner container 20 contained inside the outer container 10 is pinched by a part of the side portions (13, 14) that are bent inward, and does not shrink.

Next, with reference to Figures 1C (a) to (c), we will explain how to handle the cap 21d attached to the dispensing spout portion 21.

The user 100 removes the cap 21d by loosening the screw of the cap 21d attached to the pouring portion 21a of the pouring spout portion 21 (FIG. 1C(a)). Next, the user 100 selects a storage portion of a size corresponding to the size (diameter) of the cap 21d from the storage portions 12a, 12b, and 12c provided on the top surface portion 12 of the outer container 10 (FIG. 1C(b)), and stores the cap 21d by fitting it into the selected storage portion 12a (FIG. 1C(c)). In this way, by providing the storage portions 12a, 12b, and 12c, it is possible to prevent the cap from being lost.

Then, in this state, the user 100 grasps the gripping portion 19, lifts the outer container 10 (packaging box 1), and pours the contents from the pouring portion 21a. When the pouring is completed, the user 100 removes the cap 21d stored in the storage portion 12a from the storage portion 12a, and attaches it by screwing it onto the pouring spout portion 21 to close the pouring portion 21a again. It is preferable that the sizes (diameters) of the three storage portions 12a, 12b, and 12c are different from each other, as shown in the figure. In this way, if the sizes of the three storage portions 12a, 12b, and 12c are different from each other, it becomes possible to accommodate caps 21d of various shapes and sizes.

Here, the inner container 20 housed in the outer container 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 1D. The inner container 20 (pouch) is a bag-shaped container with a pair of front and rear front portions made of sheet material. The pouch is formed as a bag-shaped container for housing the contents by applying various known folding and cutting processes to one or more sheets of sheet material (film material) that have been cut into a predesigned shape, for example, using a plastic laminate film as the sheet material.

The inner container 20 (pouch) shown in FIG. 1D is, for example, a standing pouch, which is a self-supporting container. The inner container 20 has a storage section for storing contents between two overlapping sheet materials (a top sheet and a bottom sheet), and has seal sections formed on the edges of the top sheet and the bottom sheet. The seal section has two opposing side seal sections 20a and 20b, which seal the top sheet and the bottom sheet, and a top seal section 20c. The seal section further has a bottom seal section 20d, which seals the bottom gusset section 20e between the top sheet and the bottom sheet.

In the inner container 20, the corner between one of the two side seal portions 20a, 20b, the side seal portion 20a, and the top seal portion 20c, is cut off at an angle to form an inclined seal portion 20f that connects the side seal portion 20a and the top seal portion 20c. In this embodiment, the inclined seal portion 20f is inclined at about 45° to the side seal portion 20a (or the top seal portion 20c), but this inclination is preferably 30° to 60°, and more preferably 40° to 50°.

A pouring spout 21 for pouring out the contents contained in the inner container 20 is attached to the inclined seal portion 20f. The pouring spout 21 is attached so as to be approximately perpendicular to the outer edge of the inclined seal portion 20f. One end of the pouring spout 21 is positioned so as to be located outside the inner container 20, and the other end is positioned so as to be located on the inner edge of the inclined seal portion 20f.

The cap 21d is, for example, a screw cap, and FIG. 1D shows the cap 21d screwed onto the dispensing spout 21 before opening. When the cap 21d is unscrewed and removed from the dispensing spout 21, the liquid content can be dispensed.

The inner container 20 (pouch) made of sheet material can be used to contain a wide range of contents, including liquids, powders, granules, and other solids. The pouch can be used, for example, with the contents sealed inside, with a cap or the like removed to open the pouring part or removal opening to pour or remove the contents, and then the pouring part or removal opening can be sealed again to allow the contents to be poured or removed repeatedly while storing them.

In this embodiment, the inner container 20 is housed in the outer container 10, so even if the amount of the inner container 20 remaining becomes small, it remains self-supporting and is easy to pour.

Next, the outer container 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. Figure 2A shows the outer container 10 as a transport box, that is, a box for moving the inner container 20 while the inner container 20 is housed in the outer container 10, and Figure 2B shows the outer container 10 in use, that is, the state when the contents of the inner container 20 are poured out. Note that the attachment 30 is omitted in Figure 2B. The capacity of the inner container 20 housed in the outer container 10 is, for example, about 1.8 [l], 1.4 [l], or 1.2 [l]. These can be changed according to the capacity of the inner container 20. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the height x width x depth of the outer container 10 is about 309.0 mm x 91.0 m x 209.0 mm.

The outer container 10 is a box-shaped (rectangular parallelepiped) container. The outer container 10 has fold lines and cut lines pre-formed in the areas that will become the inclined portion 11a and the grip portion 19 when in use, and the user 100 can form the inclined portion 11a and the grip portion 19 by folding the outer container 10 along these fold lines. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 11a is preferably an angle that corresponds to the inclination angle of the inclined seal portion 20f of the inner container 20 contained therein, for example, about 45°, preferably 30° to 60°, and more preferably 40° to 50°.

The gripping portion 19 is formed near the center in the height direction of the outer container 10 when viewed from the rear side (back side) of the outer container 10 (see Figures 2A(e) and 2B(e), etc.). By providing the gripping portion 19 near the center in the height direction in this way, even if the weight of the inner container 20 housed inside the outer container 10 changes, the user 100 can grip, lift, and carry the packaging box 1 in a balanced manner with little force.

The gripping portion 19 is generally shaped by combining a rectangular portion and a semi-elliptical portion (approximately trapezoidal portion). The rectangular portion serves as a handle for the user 100 to grip, and the semi-elliptical portion serves as a support portion for supporting the inner container 20 contained inside from both sides and the rear (see FIG. 2B(f), etc.). In this way, the semi-elliptical portion supports the inner container 20, making it easier to pour out the contents. In other words, when the outer container 10 is tilted, it is possible to prevent the inner container 20 contained in the outer container 10 from moving or wobbling inside the outer container 10, or the engagement of the spout portion 21 from loosening and shifting, making it easier to pour out the contents. In addition, the inner container 20 does not move inside the outer container 10, and the position of the inner container 20 is stable, making it an easy container for the user 100 to hold.

With reference to Figure 3A, the attachment 30 that is detachably attached to the inclined portion 11a of the outer container 10 will be described. The attachment 30 is a thin, plate-like member that is rectangular overall. The four corners of the attachment 30 are chamfered and rounded. When viewed from the front (Figure 3A (a)), a notch is provided from near the center of the upper edge of the attachment 30 toward the bottom edge, forming an insertion portion 30a through which the pouring spout portion 21 of the inner container 20 is inserted.

The insertion portion 30a is shaped so that the width of the notch narrows stepwise as it approaches the bottom side from the top side of the attachment 30, and the end of the notch forms an engagement portion 30b that engages with the pouring spout portion 21 inserted into the insertion portion 11c, thereby locking the pouring spout portion 21 in place. In other words, the pouring spout portion 21 is engaged with the engagement portion 30b, and is fixed to the attachment 30.

As described above, the engagement portion 30b has a tapered shape that gradually narrows toward the bottom of the attachment 30, but the widths of the insertion portion 30a and the engagement portion 30b are determined according to the size of the dispensing spout portion 21 that is inserted. For example, the width of the insertion portion 30a near the entrance is about 16 mm, and the widths of the engagement portion 30b are about 14.5 mm and about 0.72 mm, starting from the widest portion. In this way, by making the attachment 30 have engagement portion 30b of varying sizes, it is possible to accommodate multiple types of dispensing spout portions 21, for example, different sizes, by preparing a single attachment 30.

Furthermore, the rear side of the attachment 30 is provided with protrusions 30c that extend upwardly and substantially perpendicularly to the surface of the rear side (see, for example, FIG. 3A (b)). The protrusions 30c are provided at the four corners of the attachment 30. The height of the protrusions is approximately 5 mm, but is not limited to this. The protrusions 30c are inserted into receiving holes 11b (described later) provided in the front side 11 of the outer container 10.

The tip of the protrusion 30c is provided with a spherical portion having a diameter larger than the main body of the protrusion 30c and the receiving hole 11b, so that the protrusion 30c inserted into the receiving hole 11b will not easily come out. In other words, the spherical portion provided at the tip of the protrusion 30c acts as a retaining structure for the protrusion 30c, so that the protrusion 30c will not easily come out of the receiving hole 11b. The size of the spherical portion is determined according to the size of the receiving hole 11b, etc.

The attachment 30 has an overall length and width of approximately 46 mm x 54 mm, and a thickness of approximately 2 mm. The attachment 30 is made of materials such as plastic or resin, but is not limited to these sizes and materials.

Next, a modified example of the attachment 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 3B. The attachment 31 shown in the figure differs from the attachment 30 shown in FIG. 3A in that the width is the same from the insertion portion 31a to the engagement portion 31b. In other respects, it has the same configuration as the attachment 30 shown in FIG. 3A.

The insertion portion 31a is a groove of the same width from the top edge to the bottom edge of the attachment 31, and an engagement portion 31b is provided near the end of the bottom edge of the insertion portion 31a. The spout portion 21 is inserted into the insertion portion 31a, and the spout portion 21 fits into the engagement portion 31b, so that the spout portion 21 is engaged with the attachment 31 and fixed.

In the attachment 31 shown in FIG. 3B, there are two protrusions 31c, but the number of protrusions 31c is not limited to this and may be three or more. In addition, while an example is shown in which two protrusions 31c are provided at the same height position from the bottom side of the attachment 31, for example, one may be provided on the bottom side and the other on the top side (diagonal position). The attachment 31 has a simple structure, making it easy to mass-produce. In addition, it is sufficient that at least one attachment 30, 31 can be attached to the outer container 10.

Next, referring to FIG. 3C, the engagement relationship between the dispensing spout 21 and the attachments 30, 31 will be described. First, the dispensing spout 21 has a dispensing portion 21a for dispensing the filled contents, and a spout portion 21b. The dispensing spout 21 is attached to the inner container 20. The dispensing portion 21a is a dispensing outlet through which the contents are dispensed, and is formed continuously and integrally with the spout portion 21b so as to be supported by the spout portion 21b. A flange portion 21c, which is a member that protrudes radially outward from the spout portion 21b, is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the spout portion 21b.

Then, the flange portion 21c of the pouring spout portion 21 is hooked and engaged with the attachments 30, 31, so that the pouring spout portion 21 fits and is fixed to the attachments 30, 31. A cap 21d for closing and opening the pouring portion 21a is screwed onto the pouring spout portion 21.

(About the development diagram)
Next, the configuration of the outer container 10 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. The outer container 10 can be assembled from one blank sheet. Note that the development of the blank sheet shown in Fig. 4 is merely one example of a development for assembling the outer container 10. Also, Fig. 4 shows the side that will become the outer surface when the outer container 10 is assembled. Note that the inner container 20 contained in the outer container 10 assembled from the blank sheet shown here has a volume of approximately 1.8 [L].

The outer container 10 serving as a blank sheet has a front portion 11, a top portion 12, a first side portion 13, a second side portion 14, a first back portion 15, a second back portion 16, and a bottom portion 17.

The front portion 11 is a rectangular member. An inclined portion 11a is provided on the upper side (top surface portion 12 side) of the front portion 11, and the inclined portion 11a having a predetermined inclination angle is formed by bending the front portion 11 toward the top surface portion 12 along the fold line 11f.

The inclined portion 11a of the front portion 11 is provided with an insertion portion 11c through which the pouring spout portion 21 is inserted. The insertion portion 11c is a hole through which the pouring spout portion 21 is inserted, and the inserted pouring spout portion 21 protrudes from the insertion portion 11c to the outside of the outer container 10.

Furthermore, flap portion 11d is connected to front portion 11 via fold line 11j, and flap portion 11e is connected to flap portion 11d via fold line 11k. Flap portions 11d and 11e are folded along fold lines 11j and 11k when outer container 10 is assembled. Flap portion 11d fills the blank space formed after cutting off tear piece 18, which will be described later. Furthermore, flap portion 11e is inserted into insertion port 12e provided in top surface portion 12, which will be described later, to ensure the joining of inclined portion 11a (front portion 11) and top surface portion 12.

Four receiving holes 11b are provided around the insertion portion 11c of the inclined portion 11a. The receiving holes 11b are holes for receiving the protrusions 30c (31c) of the attachment 30 (31), which allows the attachment 30 (31) to be attached to the inclined portion 11a. The size of the receiving holes 11b is such that the spherical portions of the protrusions 30c (31c) can be easily inserted and will not easily come out.

The first side surface portion 13 is connected to the front surface portion 11 via a fold line 11g. A first side surface grip portion forming portion 13a is provided on a part of the first side surface portion 13. The first side surface grip portion forming portion 13a is an area surrounded by fold lines 13e, fold lines 15c, and cut lines 13j and 13k, and has a shape that combines a rectangle and an approximately trapezoid. In other words, the first side surface grip portion forming portion 13a is in a range from near the center to the boundary with the first back surface portion 15 in the horizontal direction (depth direction when viewed from the front surface portion 11 of the outer container 10), and in a range from near the center to a position about 1/4 to 1/3 of the longitudinal length of the first side surface portion 13 in the direction of the top surface portion 12 and the first bottom surface portion 17a in the vertical direction (height direction of the outer container 10).

Cutting lines 13j and 13k are locations of first side surface portion 13 where cuts have been made in advance and are separated from first side surface portion 13. Note that cutting lines 13j and 13k do not have to be cutting lines with cuts made along the entire line, but may be easy-to-break lines with cuts made along only part of the line.

The gripping portion 19 is then formed by bending the first side gripping portion forming portion 13a along the fold lines 13e, 13f and fold line 15c, while pushing the first side gripping portion forming portion 13a toward the inside of the outer container 10 along the cutting lines 13j and 13k, and cutting it off from the first side portion 13.

The first side surface portion 13 is provided with a folding portion 13i having a substantially triangular shape. When forming the inclined portion 11a, the folding portion 13i is folded along the fold lines 13h, 13g and fold line 11g so that the area of the folding portion 13i is reduced to approximately half. The angle of the fold line 13g relative to the fold line 11g is set to match the inclination angle of the inclined portion 11a.

The second side portion 14 is connected to the front portion 11 via a fold line 11h. The second side portion 14 is a member provided symmetrically with respect to the first side portion 13 and the front portion 11. The second side portion 14 is provided with a second side grip portion forming portion 14a. The second side grip portion forming portion 14a is an area surrounded by fold lines 14e, fold line 16b, and cutting lines 14l and 14m, and has a shape that combines a rectangle and an approximately trapezoid. That is, the second side grip portion forming portion 14a is in the range from near the center to the boundary with the second back portion 16 in the horizontal direction (depth direction when viewed from the front portion 11 of the outer container 10), and in the vertical direction (height direction of the outer container 10), is in the range from near the center to a position away from the boundary between the flap portion 14j and the second bottom portion 17b by about 1/4 to 1/3 of the longitudinal length of the second side portion 14 in the direction of the flap portion 14j and the second bottom portion 17b. In addition, the second side portion 14 is connected to the flap portion 14j via the fold line 14b, and the flap portion 14j is provided with an insertion port 14k for inserting the flap portion 12d described later. The first side grip portion forming portion 13a and the second side grip portion forming portion 14a are collectively referred to as a pair of side grip portion forming portions.

Cutting lines 14l and 14m, like cutting lines 13j and 13k of first side surface portion 13, are portions of second side surface portion 14 that have been cut in advance and are portions that have been separated from second side surface portion 14. Note that cutting lines 14l and 14m do not have to be cutting lines with cuts made along the entire line, but may be easily broken lines with cuts made along only part of the line.

The gripping portion 19 is formed by bending the second side gripping portion forming portion 14a along the fold lines 14e, 14f and fold line 16b in the same manner as the first side gripping portion forming portion 13a, while pushing the second side gripping portion forming portion 14a toward the inside of the outer container 10 along the cutting lines 14l and 14m, and cutting it off from the second side portion 14.

The second side surface is provided with a folding portion 14i having a substantially triangular shape, similar to the folding portion 13i. When forming the inclined portion 11a, the folding portion 14i is folded along the fold lines 14g, 14h and fold line 11h, so that the area of the folding portion 14i is reduced by approximately half. The angle of the fold line 14g relative to the fold line 11h is set to match the inclination angle of the inclined portion 11a.

The top surface 12 is connected to the first side surface 13 via a fold line 13b. The top surface 12 is provided with storage sections 12a, 12b, and 12c, which increase in size from the front surface 11 side when the outer container 10 is assembled. That is, three circular storage sections are arranged in the order of storage section 12a (small), storage section 12b (medium), and storage section 12c (large). Although each of the storage sections 12a, 12b, and 12c has a circular shape, they may be elliptical or polygonal as long as they can reliably hold and store the cap 21d. The diameters of the storage sections 12a, 12b, and 12c are approximately 14.5 mm, approximately 23.5 mm, and approximately 35.0 mm, respectively, but can be adjusted to match the size of the cap 21d to be stored. The number of storage sections provided on the top surface 12 is not limited to the example shown here, and at least one may be provided.

An insertion port 12e is provided at the center of the fold line 12g of the top surface portion 12. When the outer container 10 is assembled and put into use, the flap portion 11e is inserted into the insertion port 12e as the inclined portion 11a is formed. That is, when the inclined portion 11a, which is a part of the top surface portion 12 side of the front surface portion 11, is folded toward the top surface portion 12, the flap portion 11e is inserted into the insertion port 12e to maintain the inclined state of the inclined portion 11a. This allows the folded inclined portion 11a to maintain its folded state, making it possible to form the inclined portion 11a between the front surface portion 11 and the top surface portion 12. The size of the insertion port 12e may be large enough so that the inserted flap portion 11e does not easily come out, and is determined according to the size of the flap portion 11e.

Flap portion 12d is connected to top surface portion 12 via fold line 12f. Flap portion 12d is a member that is inserted into insertion port 14k when outer container 10 is assembled. Furthermore, flap portion 12d can be inserted and removed from insertion port 14k to place top surface portion 12 in a closed or open state.

Furthermore, a tear-off piece 18 is provided adjacent to the side of the top surface 12 that joins with the front surface 11, and is a member that is cut off from the top surface 12 when the outer container 10 is in a usable state. The tear-off piece 18 is a member that completely covers the top surface 12 in a state (transport state) before the outer container 10 is in a usable state. In other words, the tear-off piece 18 is also a member that ensures space for inclining the inclined portion 11a. The size of the tear-off piece 18 corresponds to the angle at which the inclined portion 11a is bent toward the top surface 12, i.e., the inclination angle of the inclined portion 11a.

The first back portion 15 is connected to the first side portion 13 via the fold line 13c. The first back portion 15 is provided with a first back grip portion forming portion 15a for forming the grip portion 19. The first back grip portion forming portion 15a is a substantially rectangular area surrounded by the fold lines 13c, 15c and the cut lines 13j and 13k. Note that a portion cut out in the same shape as the first back grip portion forming portion 15a is formed at a symmetrical position on the opposite side of the position where the first back grip portion forming portion 15a is provided on the first back portion 15.

This is to enable the second rear grip portion forming portion 16a, which will be described later, to be folded inward of the outer container 10 when forming the grip portion 19 to prepare the outer container 10 for use. In other words, when the outer container 10 is assembled, the first rear portion 15 is assembled so as to overlap the second rear portion 16 from above, so that the second rear portion 16 is hidden by the first rear grip portion forming portion 15a, and the second rear grip portion forming portion 16a cannot be folded inward of the outer container 10.

The joint 15b is connected to the first back surface 15 via a fold line 15d. The joint 15b is a member that is joined to the back surface side of the top surface 12 (the back surface of the paper in FIG. 4) when the outer container 10 is assembled. The surface of the joint 15b is joined to the top surface 12 using a joining means such as an adhesive.

The second back portion 16 is connected to the second side portion 14 via a fold line 14c. The second back portion 16 is provided with a second back grip portion forming portion 16a for forming a grip portion 19, similar to the first back portion 15. The second back grip portion forming portion 16a is a substantially rectangular area surrounded by fold lines 14c, fold lines 16b, and cut lines 14l and 14m. In addition, at a symmetrical position on the opposite side of the position where the second back grip portion forming portion 16a is provided on the second back portion 16, there is a portion cut out in the same shape as the second back grip portion forming portion 16a.

This is to allow the first rear grip forming portion 15a to be folded inwardly of the outer container 10 when forming the grip portion 19, just like the first rear portion 15, in order to prepare the outer container 10 for use.

The bottom surface portion 17 is composed of a first bottom surface portion 17a, a second bottom surface portion 17b, a third bottom surface portion 17c, and a fourth bottom surface portion 17d, and is formed by folding these in a predetermined order. The first bottom surface portion 17a is connected to the first side surface portion 13 via a fold line 13d. The first joint portion 17e is connected to the first bottom surface portion 17a via a fold line 17g. The second bottom surface portion 17b is connected to the second side surface portion 14 via a fold line 14d. The second joint portion 17f is connected to the fold line 17h. The third bottom surface portion 17c is connected to the front surface portion 11 via a fold line 11i. The fourth bottom surface portion 17d is connected to the second back surface portion 16 via a fold line 16c.

When assembling the outer container 10, the first joint 17e is joined to the back surface of the second bottom portion 17b (the back side of the paper in FIG. 4), and the second joint 17f is joined to the back surface of the first bottom portion 17a (the back side of the paper in FIG. 4). In other words, the first joint 17e and the second joint 17f are positioned in positions that cannot be seen from the outside of the outer container 10. The bottom portion 17 assembled in this manner is of a crash lock type, and when the outer container 10 is to be used, the bottom portion 17 is unfolded and used, and when the outer container 10 is not to be used and is to be stored, the bottom portion 17 can be folded.

In this way, the outer container 10 can be folded up compactly when not in use or after use, allowing it to be stored without taking up space and also making it possible to reuse it. That is, the flap portion 12d of the top surface portion 12 is pulled out of the insertion port 14k to open the top surface portion 12. Next, by folding the bottom surface portion 17, the outer container 10 as a whole becomes a thin plate-like object, allowing it to be stored without taking up storage space.

When assembling the bottom surface portion 17, adhesive or the like is applied to the surface of the first joint portion 17e, which is then joined to the back surface of the second bottom surface portion 17b (the back side of the paper in FIG. 4). Similarly, adhesive or the like is applied to the surface of the second joint portion 17f, which is then joined to the back surface of the first bottom surface portion 17a (the back side of the paper in FIG. 4).

(Modifications)
Next, a modified example of the outer container 40 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5A to 7. The capacity of the inner container 20 accommodated in the outer container 40 according to the modified example is about 2.0 [l]. First, the outer container 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 5A and 5B. Fig. 5A shows the outer container 40 in a state where it is used as a transport box, that is, a box for moving the inner container 20 in a state where the inner container 20 is accommodated in the outer container 40, and Fig. 5B shows the outer container 40 in use, that is, the state where the contents of the inner container 20 are poured out. Note that the attachment 50 is not shown in Fig. 5B. The dimensions of the height x width x depth of the outer container 40 are about 354.5 mm x about 88.0 mm x 226.0 mm.

The outer container 40 is a box-shaped (rectangular parallelepiped) container, similar to the outer container 10. In the outer container 40, the portions that will become the inclined portion 41a and the grip portion 19 are provided with fold lines, cut lines, etc. in advance, so that the user 100 can form the inclined portion 41a, the grip portion 19, etc. by folding along these fold lines. In addition, the inclination angle of the inclined portion 41a is preferably an angle that corresponds to the inclination angle of the inclined seal portion 20f of the inner container 20 contained therein, for example, about 45°, preferably 30° to 60°, and more preferably 40° to 50°.

Next, the attachment 50 attached to the outer container 40 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The attachment 50 is a thin, plate-like member having an overall rectangular shape. The attachment 50 is folded in half at a folding groove provided near the center for use (see FIGS. 6(a) and (b), etc.). When the attachment 50 is folded in half, the convex portion 50c fits into the concave portion 50d, and the folded state of the attachment 50 is maintained.

When attaching the attachment 50 to the inclined portion 41a, first insert the convex portion 50c into the receiving hole 41b, and while still inserted, fold the attachment 50 along the folding groove 50e, fitting the convex portion 50c into the concave portion 50d to attach it. In this way, the attachment 50 is attached by sandwiching the inclined portion 41a from both the front and back sides, so that the attachment 50 does not easily come off and its strength is also improved.

The radius of the outer large circle portion of the recess 50d is approximately 2.7 mm, and the radius of the inner small circle portion is approximately 1.3 mm. The radius of the protrusion 50c corresponds to the radius of the small circle portion of the recess 50d, and is approximately 1.3 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the attachment 50 is approximately 1.3 mm.

When the attachment 50 is folded in half, the insertion portion 50a has a groove shape in which the width narrows from the top edge of the attachment 50 to the bottom edge, and the engagement portion 50b with which the spout portion 21 engages is located near the end of this groove. The width of the engagement portion 50b is constant. The length of the widest part of the insertion portion 50a is approximately 29.5 mm, and the width of the engagement portion 50b is approximately 17.4 mm.

Next, the configuration of the outer container 40 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. The outer container 40 can be assembled from a single blank sheet. Note that the development of the blank sheet shown in FIG. 7 is merely one example of a development for assembling the outer container 40. Also, FIG. 7 shows the side that will become the outer surface when the outer container 40 is assembled.

The outer container 40 serving as a blank sheet has a front surface 41, a top surface 42, a first side surface 43, a second side surface 44, a first back surface 45, a second back surface 46, and a bottom surface 47.

The front portion 41 is a rectangular member. An inclined portion 41a is provided on the upper side (top surface portion 42 side) of the front portion 41, and the inclined portion 41a having a predetermined inclination angle is formed by bending the front portion 41 toward the top surface portion 42 along the folding line 41f.

The inclined portion 41a is provided with an insertion portion 41c through which the pouring spout portion 21 is inserted. The insertion portion 41c is a hole through which the pouring spout portion 21 is inserted, and the inserted pouring spout portion 21 protrudes from the insertion portion 11c to the outside of the outer container 10.

The wide portion 41j of the insertion portion 41c is an insertion hole for inserting the attachment 50. That is, before folding the attachment 50 in half, the attachment 50 is first inserted into the wide portion 41j up to the position of the folding groove 50e of the attachment 50, and the attachment 50 is folded while maintaining that position. Then, the convex portion 50c of the attachment 50 is passed through the receiving hole 41b, the surface on the concave portion 50d side is brought close to the surface on the convex portion 50c side, and the convex portion 50c is fitted into the concave portion 50d, thereby attaching the attachment 50 to the inclined portion 41a of the front portion 41 of the outer container 40.

The first side portion 43 and the second side portion 44 are connected to the front portion 41 via fold lines 41f and 41g, respectively. The first side portion 43 and the second side portion 44 are provided with a first side grip portion forming portion 43a and a second side grip portion forming portion 44a, respectively, similar to the first side grip portion forming portion 13a and the second side grip portion forming portion 14a described above.

The first side grip portion forming portion 43a is the area surrounded by fold line 43e, fold line 45c, and cut lines 43j and 43k, and the second side grip portion forming portion 44a is the area surrounded by fold line 44e, fold line 46b, and cut lines 44l and 44m. The first side grip portion forming portion 43a and the second side grip portion forming portion 44a are areas that, as a whole, have a shape that combines a rectangle and an approximately trapezoid.

After assembling the outer container 40, the first side grip portion forming portion 43a and the second side grip portion forming portion 44a are pushed inward of the outer container 40 together with the first back grip portion forming portion 45a and the second back grip portion forming portion 46a described below, to form the grip portion 19. In this case, the cutting lines 43j, 43k and the cutting lines 44l, 44m are cut off from the first side portion 43 and the second side portion 44. Note that the cutting lines 43j, 43k and the cutting lines 44l, 44m do not have to be cutting lines with cuts made along the entire line, but may be easy-to-break lines where only part of the line is cut.

Furthermore, the first side surface portion 43 and the second side surface portion 44 are provided with approximately triangular folded portions 43i and 44i, respectively. When forming the inclined portion 41a, the folded portions 43i and 44i are folded along the fold lines 43g, 43h and 41f, as well as the fold lines 44g, 44h and 41g, so that the area of the folded portions 43i and 44i is approximately halved. The angles of the fold lines 43g and 44g relative to the fold lines 41f and 41g, respectively, are set to match the inclination angle of the inclined portion 41a.

The top surface 42 is connected to the first side surface 43 via a fold line 43b. The top surface 42 is provided with two circular storage sections 42a, 42b, which increase in size from the front surface 41 side when the outer container 40 is assembled. That is, the two circular storage sections are arranged in the order of storage section 42a (small) and storage section 42b (large). The diameter of storage section 42a is approximately 23.4 mm, and the diameter of storage section 42b is approximately 45.2 mm. Note that the diameters of storage sections 42a, 42b are not limited to the example shown here, and are determined appropriately depending on the size of the cap 21d to be stored. Furthermore, the number of storage sections is not limited to the example shown here.

An insertion port 42e is provided in the center of the fold line 42g of the top surface portion 42. When the outer container 40 is assembled and put into use, the flap portion 41d is inserted into the insertion port 42e as the inclined portion 41a is formed. This allows the inclined portion 41a to maintain an inclined state. The size of the insertion port 42e corresponds to the size of the flap portion 41d.

Flap portion 42d is connected to top surface portion 42 via fold line 42f. Flap portion 42d is a member that is inserted into insertion opening 44k when outer container 40 is assembled. Furthermore, flap portion 42d can be inserted and removed from insertion opening 44k to place top surface portion 42 in a closed or open state.

Furthermore, a detachable piece 48 is provided adjacent to the side of the top surface 42 where it joins with the front surface 41, and is a member that is cut off from the top surface 42 when the outer container 40 is in a usable state. Furthermore, the detachable piece 48 also serves as a member that ensures space for bending and inclining the inclined portion 41a toward the top surface 42.

The first back portion 45 and the second back portion 46 are connected to the first side portion 43 and the second side portion 44 via the fold line 43c and the fold line 44c, respectively. The first back portion 45 and the second back portion 46 are provided with a first back grip portion forming portion 45a and a second back grip portion forming portion 46a for forming the grip portion 19, respectively. The first back grip portion forming portion 45a and the second back grip portion forming portion 46a are approximately rectangular areas surrounded by the fold line 45c and the cutting lines 43j, 43k, and the fold line 46b and the cutting lines 44l, 44m, respectively. In addition, at a symmetrical position on the opposite side to the position where the first back grip portion forming portion 45a and the second back grip portion forming portion 46a are provided on the first back portion 45 and the second back portion 46, a portion cut out in the same shape as the first back grip portion forming portion 45a and the second back grip portion forming portion 46a is formed.

This is to enable the first rear grip forming portion 45a and the second rear grip forming portion 46a to be folded inwardly of the outer container 40 when the grip portion 19 is formed in order to put the outer container 40 into a usable state. In other words, if such portions are not formed, the first rear grip forming portion 45a and the second rear grip forming portion 46a will interfere with each other, making it impossible to fold each of them inwardly of the outer container 40.

The joint 45b is connected to the first back surface 45 via a fold line 45d. The joint 45b is a member that is joined to the back surface side of the top surface 42 when the outer container 40 is assembled. For example, an adhesive is applied to the surface of the joint 45b so that it is joined to the top surface 42.

The bottom surface portion 47 is composed of a first bottom surface portion 47a, a second bottom surface portion 47b, a third bottom surface portion 47c, and a fourth bottom surface portion 47d, which are formed by folding these in a predetermined order. The first bottom surface portion 47a is connected to the first side surface portion 43 via a fold line 43d, and the second bottom surface portion 47b is connected to the second side surface portion 44 via a fold line 44d. The third bottom surface portion 47c is connected to the front surface portion 41 via a fold line 41h, and the fourth bottom surface portion 47d is connected to the second back surface portion 46 via a fold line 46c. The bottom surface portion 47 formed by these in a predetermined order is a crash lock type bottom surface.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. The configuration and details of the present invention can be modified in various ways that are understandable to those skilled in the art and are within the scope of the present invention. In addition, outer containers and packaging boxes that combine the separate features included in each embodiment in any way are also included in the scope of the present invention.

1 Packaging box 10, 40 Outer container 11, 41 Front portion 11a, 41a Inclined portion 11b, 41b Receiving hole 11c, 41c Insertion portion 11d, 11e, 12d, 41d, 42d Flap portion 11f to 11k, 12f, 12g, 13b to 13h, 14b to 14h, 15c, 15d, 16b, 16c, 17g, 17h, 41e to 41i, 42f, 42g, 43b to 43h, 44b to 44h, 45c, 45d, 46b, 46c, 47g, 47h Folding line 12, 42 Top surface portion 12a to 12c, 42a, 42b Storage portion 12e, 42e Insertion port 13, 43 First side portion 13a, 43a First side grip portion forming portion 13i, 43i Folded portion 13j, 13k, 43j, 43k Cutting line 14, 44 Second side portion 14a, 44a Second side grip portion forming portion 14i, 44i Folded portion 14j, 44j Flap portion 14k, 44k Insertion port 14l, 14m, 44l, 44m Cutting line 15, 45 First rear portion 15a, 45a First rear grip portion forming portion 15b, 45b Joint portion 16, 46 Second rear portion 16a, 46a Second rear grip portion forming portion 17, 47 Bottom portion 17a, 47a First bottom portion 17b, 47b Second bottom portion 17c, 47c Third bottom portion 17d, 47d Fourth bottom portion [0033] 17e, 47e First joint 17f, 47f Second joint 18, 48 Separation piece 19, 49 Grip 20 Inner container 20a, b Side seal 20c Top seal 20d Bottom seal 20e Gusset 20f Inclined seal 21 Spout spout 21a Spout 21b Spout 21c Flange 21d Cap 30, 31, 50 Attachment 30a, 31a, 50a Insertion 30b, 31b, 50b Engagement 30c, 31c Projection 50c Convex 50d Concave 50e Bend groove 100 User 110 Refill bottle 120 Measuring cap 130 Washing machine

Claims (8)

An outer container that houses an inner container to which a pouring spout part is attached, the pouring spout part being configured to include a pouring part and a spout part for pouring out a filled content, and has an insertion part in an inclined part for inserting the pouring spout part,
The outer container has a front surface, a pair of side surfaces, a rear surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface,
The inclined portion can be formed by bending a part of the front portion on the top surface side toward the bottom surface side,
a grip portion is formed by folding and recessing a part of the pair of side portions and a part of the back portion toward the inside of the outer container,
When the inclined portion and the gripping portion are not formed, the container functions as a container for transporting the inner container, and when the inclined portion and the gripping portion are formed, the container functions as a container for pouring out the content,
The bottom portion is composed of a pair of first and second bottom portions, the first bottom portion has a first joint portion joined to the back surface of the second bottom portion, and the second bottom portion has a second joint portion joined to the back surface of the first bottom portion, and the bottom portion is foldable when the first and second bottom portions are joined together. The outer container according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment that is detachably attached to the inclined portion and engages with and locks the pouring spout portion that is inserted into the insertion portion. The outer container according to claim 2, wherein the insertion portion is formed by providing a notch from the top edge of the top surface side of the attachment toward the bottom edge, and the width of the notch at the top edge of the attachment is equal to or greater than the diameter of the insertion portion of the pouring spout. The outer container according to claim 3 , wherein the width of a portion of an upper side of the attachment is greater than or equal to the diameter of the insertion portion of the spout portion, and the width of a portion of a lower side of the attachment is smaller than the diameter . The outer container according to claim 4 , wherein the width of the insertion portion from a portion of an upper side to a portion of a lower side of the attachment gradually decreases from the upper side to the lower side of the attachment. The outer container according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein at least one storage section for storing a removable cap for closing the pouring portion when removed from the inner container is provided on the top surface portion. an inner container to which a pouring spout part is attached, the pouring spout part including a pouring part and a spout part for pouring out the filled content;
An outer container according to any one of claims 1 to 6 that houses the inner container;
A packaging box equipped with A blank sheet for an outer container according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
A blank sheet having fold lines and break lines formed on the pair of side portions and the back portion for forming the grip portion.

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