JP7476023B2 - Storage box - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a storage box that stores, for example, sheet-like objects stacked upright.

There are many different types of boxes for storing items. For example, a box that can be assembled by folding and gluing a single piece of paper cut into a specific shape is widely used. Making a box from a single piece of paper can keep the manufacturing costs low.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-59215

Paper boxes are difficult to assemble into the desired shape because the folded parts tend to bulge due to the stiffness of the paper. In particular, when folding the paper 180 degrees at the folded part, it is difficult to eliminate the bulge near the folded part unless the pieces of paper on both sides of the folded part are glued together.

For example, if a storage box for displaying items (goods) is made out of paper, parts of the box will bulge undesirably and the storage box cannot be assembled into the desired shape, making it difficult to store items stably in the storage box and display them attractively.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a storage box that can be manufactured inexpensively and allows items to be displayed in an attractive manner.

One embodiment of the storage box of the present invention stores a plurality of sheet-like articles stacked upright, the storage box having a front panel extending in a substantially vertical direction facing an article at one end in the stacking direction and having a vertical height lower than the article, a back panel disposed substantially parallel to the front panel at the other end side in the stacking direction of the plurality of articles and having a vertical height higher than the front panel, a bottom panel integrally connecting a lower vertical end of the front panel and a lower vertical end of the back panel and disposed substantially horizontally, a support plate folded back integrally from an upper vertical end of the back panel inwardly and disposed facing the article at the other end in the stacking direction and longer than the vertical height of the back panel, and a positioning plate integrally provided at a lower end opposite to the upper end of the support plate, disposed facing an inner surface of the bottom panel, and positioning the lower end of the support plate between the lower end of the front panel and the lower end of the back panel. The support plate has a fold line approximately parallel to and spaced from the upper end of the support plate, a bent portion where the support plate is bent at the fold line in a direction such that the support plate is convex toward the back panel , and a curved portion between the fold line and the lower end of the support plate that is curved in a direction protruding toward the front panel .

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage box that can be manufactured inexpensively and allows items to be displayed in an attractive manner.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of sheet-like articles are stored in a storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the storage box of FIG. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the first state of the storage box of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the receiving box in the first state of FIG. 3 taken along line F4-F4. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing a container box in which a support plate is not provided with a bent portion. FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a second state in which the support plate of the container box shown in FIG. 3 is bent to the opposite side.

Hereinafter, a storage box 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the storage box 10 of this embodiment has a storage section 20 that stores a plurality of flat sheet-like objects O stacked upright. The objects O are substantially rectangular sheets, and all have the same shape. The objects O may be, for example, a plurality of sheets (four in this embodiment) of backing paper with a plurality of stickers attached (none of which are shown) stacked and placed in a flat bag P. The storage section 20 has a size that allows a plurality of such sheet-like objects O (eight in this embodiment) to be stacked and stored. In this embodiment, the objects O are stored in the storage section 20 stacked horizontally with their longitudinal directions aligned vertically.

The items O stored in the storage section 20 may be thin sheets or plates that can be stacked upright, and may be of any number or shape. The width of the storage section 20 along the stacking direction of the items O can be easily adjusted to match the width of the stored items O in the stacking direction by changing the folding position of the positioning plate 6 (described later) relative to the support plate 5 (described later).

The storage box 10 is shipped with a predetermined number of items O stacked and stored in the storage section 20 (for example, the state shown in FIG. 1), packaged together in an outer box (not shown). Then, at the destination store or the like, the outer box is opened, the storage box 10 storing the predetermined number of items O is removed, and the items O are displayed in that state (for example, the state shown in FIG. 1, with multiple items O stacked and stored in the storage section 20). In other words, the storage box 10 of this embodiment functions as a box for storing the items O, and also functions as a box for displaying the items O.

The storage box 10 of this embodiment is assembled by folding one sheet material 1 of a predetermined shape shown in FIG. 2 at multiple locations and gluing the predetermined locations. In FIG. 2, solid lines indicate lines for making cuts in the sheet material 1, one-dot chain lines indicate lines for making mountain folds in the sheet material 1 so that the front side of the page is convex, and two-dot chain lines indicate lines for making valley folds in the sheet material 1 so that the back side of the page is convex. An example of the assembled storage box 10 is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the first state of the storage box 10. The storage box 10 can also be in the second state shown in FIG. 6. The sheet material 1 is, for example, cardboard, which is the same material as a tissue box, or other materials such as a resin sheet or nonwoven fabric can be used as the sheet material 1. In this embodiment, cardboard is used as the sheet material 1.

The structure of the container 10 in the first state will now be described in detail.
As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the storage box 10 has a front panel 2, a back panel 3, a bottom panel 4, a support panel 5, and a positioning panel 6. The storage box 10 also has a pair of side panels 8R and 8L. The storage section 20, which stores a plurality of stacked objects O, is a space surrounded by the front panel 2, the support panel 5, the positioning panel 6, and the pair of side panels 8R and 8L. The front and top of the storage box 10 are largely open, and a relatively large opening 12 is provided in the front and top of the storage section 20. The opening 12 has a shape in which the upper end 2a of the front panel 2, the upper end 3a of the back panel 3 (i.e., the upper end 5a of the support panel 5), and the inclined upper ends 8a, 8a of the pair of side panels 8R and 8L are connected in a rectangular shape. The object O can be stored in the storage section 20 through the opening 12, and can be removed from the storage section 20 through the opening 12.

The front panel 2, rear panel 3, support panel 5, positioning panel 6, and pair of side panels 8R, 8L are made of parts of sheet material 1, and the bottom panel 4 is made by overlapping and gluing multiple parts of sheet material 1. In the following explanation, for ease of understanding, the bottom panel 4 may be considered as a single plate-like object. In addition, in the following explanation, the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-back direction are defined when the storage box 10 is viewed from the direction of the arrows in Figure 3.

The front panel 2 is disposed in front of the storage box 10 and extends in a substantially vertical direction. The front panel 2 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a width greater than its height. The height of the front panel 2 is lower than the height of the items O stored in the storage box 10. The product name and the like are printed on the surface of the item O facing the front panel 2 in a position that is visible to the user when the item O is displayed. In other words, the height of the front panel 2 is set to a certain degree low to match the height position of the printed matter 21 so that such printed matter 21 (Figure 1) is not hidden by the front panel 2.

The rear panel 3 is disposed at the rear of the storage box 10, spaced apart from the front panel 2, and extends approximately parallel to the front panel 2. The rear panel 3 is formed in an approximately rectangular shape with a left-right width approximately equal to that of the front panel 2, and a height greater than the left-right width. The height of the rear panel 3 is at least higher than the front panel 2, and is, for example, approximately the same height as the height of the item O, and in this embodiment, is slightly higher than the height of the item O. When the storage box 10 containing multiple stacked items O is packed into an outer box for transportation, the rear panel 3 is set to a size slightly larger than the item O to prevent the item O from colliding with the outer box and being bent.

The bottom plate 4 is arranged substantially horizontally, integrally connecting the lower end 2b of the front plate 2 and the lower end 3b of the back plate 3. The bottom plate 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a lateral width substantially equal to that of the front plate 2 and the back plate 3, and the lateral width is greater than the longitudinal width. The longitudinal width of the bottom plate 4 is sufficiently greater than the width of the eight objects O in the stacking direction, and is set to a width that can stabilize the storage box 10 when the bottom plate 4 is in surface contact with a table or the like and the storage box 10 is placed. When the sheet-like objects O are stacked and stored in an upright position, the width of the storage section 20 only needs to be slightly greater than the width of the objects O in the stacking direction, and the width of the bottom plate 4 in the longitudinal direction may be approximately the same as the width of the storage section 20. However, in this embodiment, the width of the bottom plate 4 in the longitudinal direction is made sufficiently greater than the width of the objects O in the stacking direction, taking into consideration the installation stability of the storage box 10. In this embodiment, the width of the bottom plate 4 in the longitudinal direction of the storage box 10 is set to be at least twice the width of the storage section 20.

One side panel, 8R, is located on the right side of the storage box 10, and is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the front panel 2 and rear panel 3 and to extend substantially vertically. The side panel 8R is formed in a right-angled trapezoid shape including two adjacent right angles. The longer of the two parallel sides of the side panel 8R has a length substantially equal to the height of the rear panel 3 and is integrally connected to the right end of the rear panel 3. The shorter of the two parallel sides of the side panel 8R has a length substantially equal to the height of the front panel 2 and is integrally connected to the right end of the front panel 2. The lower end 8b of the side panel 8R, which is perpendicular to the two parallel sides, is integrally connected to the right end of the bottom panel 4. The upper end 8a of the side panel 8R is inclined downward from the upper end 3a of the rear panel 3 toward the upper end 2a of the front panel 2.

The other side panel 8L is disposed on the left side of the storage box 10, and is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the front panel 2 and the back panel 3 and to extend substantially vertically. The side panel 8L is formed in a substantially right-angled trapezoid shape congruent with the side panel 8R. The longer of the two parallel sides of the side panel 8L has a length substantially equal to the height of the back panel 3, and is integrally connected to the left end of the back panel 3. The shorter of the two parallel sides of the side panel 8L has a length substantially equal to the height of the front panel 2, and is integrally connected to the left end of the front panel 2. The lower end 8b of the side panel 8L, which is perpendicular to the two parallel sides, is integrally connected to the left end of the bottom panel 4. The upper end 8a of the side panel 8L is inclined downward from the upper end 3a of the back panel 3 toward the upper end 2a of the front panel 2.

The support plate 5 has an upper end 5a, which is also the upper end 3a of the back plate 3. The support plate 5 is integrally connected to the back plate 3 via the upper end 5a (upper end 3a). The support plate 5 is folded back at the upper end 3a of the back plate 3 toward the inside of the storage box 10 and disposed behind the storage section 20. The support plate 5 is folded back at its upper end 5a approximately 180 degrees relative to the back plate 3. The left-right width of the support plate 5 is approximately the same as the width of the back plate 3. The length between the upper end 5a and the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 when not folded at the fold line Lk (described later) is sufficiently longer than the height of the back plate 3. The support plate 5 is formed in an approximately rectangular shape that is longer from top to bottom than from left to right.

The support plate 5 has a straight fold line Lk extending substantially parallel to the upper end 5a at a position spaced downward from the upper end 5a. The support plate 5 has a substantially flat parallel portion 51 between the upper end 5a and the fold line Lk, and a curved portion 52 between the fold line Lk and the lower end 5b. The vertical length of the curved portion 52 is longer than the vertical length of the parallel portion 51. The parallel portion 51 is disposed substantially parallel to the rear panel 3. The curved portion 52 is curved in a direction protruding toward the front panel 2. The support plate 5 has a bent portion 50 formed by bending the support plate 5 at the fold line Lk in a direction protruding toward the rear panel 3. The degree of curvature of the curved portion 52 can be adjusted by changing the height position of the fold line Lk and the vertical length of the support plate 5.

The positioning plate 6 is integrally connected to the lower end 5b of the support plate 5. The positioning plate 6 is disposed substantially parallel to the bottom plate 4, facing the inner surface of the bottom plate 4. As shown in FIG. 2, a U-shaped notch 60 is provided between the support plate 5 and the positioning plate 6 in the sheet material 1 before folding, protruding from the line L5, which is the lower end 5b of the support plate 5, toward the fold line Lk. Both ends of the notch 60 terminate at the line L5, and the notch 60 is provided at a position spaced from both ends of the line L5 toward the center. When the positioning plate 6 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the support plate 5 as shown in FIG. 3, it includes a protruding portion 61 surrounded by the notch 60 and a width-determining portion 62 other than the notch 60.

The positioning plate 6 is positioned in a position perpendicular to the support plate 5 by folding the sheet material 1 at a line L5 on the outside of both the left and right ends of the notch 60 at a substantially right angle in a direction that makes the front side convex in FIG. 2. In other words, the positioning plate 6 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the support plate 5 and is integrally provided at the lower end 5b of the support plate 5. The maximum width of the positioning plate 6 in the front-to-rear direction is substantially the same as the width of the bottom plate 4. The width-determining portion 62 of the positioning plate 6 is positioned at the bottom of the storage section 20. The protruding portion 61 of the positioning plate 6 is positioned between the back plate 3 and the support plate 5. Both ends of the positioning plate 6 in the front-to-rear direction abut against the inner surface of the front plate 2 and the inner surface of the back plate 3, respectively.

The front-rear width of the width-determining portion 62 of the positioning plate 6 determines the front-rear width of the storage section 20. In other words, by setting the width of the width-determining portion 62 (the distance between the front end 6a of the positioning plate 6 and the line L5) to match the width of the multiple items O stored in the storage box 10 in the stacking direction, the distance between the lower end 2b of the front plate 2 and the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 can be made approximately the same as the width of the items O in the stacking direction. In this embodiment, the distance between the lower end 2b of the front plate 2 and the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 is made approximately the same as the width of the items O in the stacking direction.

The length from the upper end 5a of the support plate 5 to the fold line Lk, i.e., the vertical height position of the bent portion 50, is set at a position where the parallel portion 51 of the support plate 5 is positioned approximately parallel to the back plate 3 when the support plate 5 is folded at the fold line Lk and the positioning plate 6 is positioned parallel to the bottom plate 4. In other words, the vertical position of the bent portion 50 only needs to be a position where the parallel portion 51 is positioned approximately parallel to the back plate 3 when the support plate 5 is folded at the bent portion 50, and may be set to an optimal position depending on the material and thickness of the sheet material 1.

Here, the shape of the sheet material 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
2, a left side panel 8L is provided integrally with the left end of the rear panel 3 via a line L1. The longer of the two parallel sides of the side panel 8L is connected to the rear panel 3 via a line L1. The shorter of the two parallel sides of the side panel 8L is provided integrally with the front panel 2 via a line L2. A right side panel 8R is provided integrally with the left end of the front panel 2 via a line L3. The shorter of the two parallel sides of the side panel 8R is connected to the front panel 2 via a line L3.

A support plate 5 is provided integrally with the upper end of the rear panel 3 via line L4. More specifically, a parallel portion 51 of the support plate 5 is connected to the upper end 3a of the rear panel 3 via line L4. A positioning plate 6 is provided integrally with the upper end (lower end 5b) of the support plate 5 via line L5. More specifically, the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 is connected to a width-determining portion 62 of the positioning plate 6 via line L5.

A glue flap 11 is integrally provided on the right end of the back panel 3 via line L6. The glue flap 11 is a part that is adhered to the inner surface of the longer of the two parallel sides of the right side panel 8R. A back side portion 13 that constitutes part of the bottom panel 4 is integrally provided on the lower end of the back panel 3 via line L7. A glue flap 14 is integrally provided on the back side portion 13 via line L8. A glue flap 15 is integrally provided on the lower end of the left side panel 8L via line L9. The glue flap 14 is overlapped and adhered to the outside of the glue flap 15.

A front side portion 16 that constitutes part of the bottom plate 4 is integrally provided on the lower end of the front panel 2 via line L10. A glue flap 17 is integrally provided on the front side portion 16 via line L11. A glue flap 18 is integrally provided on the lower end of the right side panel 8R via line L12. The glue flap 17 is overlapped and glued to the outside of the glue flap 18.

Next, a method for assembling the above-mentioned storage box 10 will be described mainly with reference to FIG.
First, the front panel 2, rear panel 3, and pair of side panels 8R, 8L are arranged in a cylindrical shape by making valley folds along lines L1, L2, L3, and L6 of the sheet material 1. In this state, the outer surface of the glue flap 11 and the inner surface of the side panel 8R are bonded with an adhesive. Note that, in this embodiment, the folding direction of the sheet material 1 is defined as a mountain fold when the sheet material 1 is convex toward the front side of the paper in FIG. 2, and as a valley fold when the sheet material 1 is convex toward the back side of the paper. Unless otherwise specified, the folding angle of the sheet material 1 along each line L is a right angle.

Next, lines L7, L9, L10, and L12 of the sheet material 1 are valley-folded, and lines L8 and L11 are mountain-folded. Then, the glue flap 18 is partially overlapped on the outside of the rear portion 13 of the bottom plate 4, and the glue flap 15 is partially overlapped on the outside of the front portion 16. Furthermore, a part of the rear portion 13 is placed inside the front portion 16, and a part of the front portion 16 is placed inside the rear portion 13, and the front portion 16 and the rear portion 13 are interlocked with each other.

Then, the glue flap 18 is placed inside the front side portion 16, and the glue flap 17 is placed on the outside of the glue flap 18 and bonded with an adhesive. The glue flap 15 is placed inside the back side portion 13, and the glue flap 14 is placed on the outside of the glue flap 15 and bonded with an adhesive. In this state, the back side portion 13, glue flap 14, glue flap 15, front side portion 16, glue flap 17, and glue flap 18 form a substantially rectangular bottom plate 4.

Furthermore, after this, the line L5 of the sheet material 1 is folded in a mountain shape, the positioning plate 6 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the support plate 5, the support plate 5 is folded in a mountain shape at the fold line Lk, and the line L4 of the sheet material 1 is folded in a valley shape. The folding angle of the sheet material 1 at the line L5 is approximately a right angle, the folding angle of the support plate 5 at the fold line Lk is an obtuse angle, and the folding angle of the sheet material 1 at the line L4 is 180 degrees. Then, the positioning plate 6 arranged at a right angle to the support plate 5 is inserted into the inside of the storage box 10 together with the support plate 5. As a result, the positioning plate 6 comes into contact with the inner surface of the bottom plate 4 and is arranged parallel to the bottom plate 4.

The support plate 5 is longer in the vertical direction than the back plate 3 and is bent at the bend 50. Therefore, simply arranging the positioning plate 6 parallel to the bottom plate 4 as described above will cause the parallel portion 51 of the support plate 5 to be arranged approximately parallel to the back plate 3, and the curved portion 52 to be curved in a direction that protrudes toward the front plate 2. Alternatively, the curved portion 52 is curved in the opposite direction as shown in FIG. 6. Below, such characteristics of the support plate 5 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the storage box 10 in the first state as shown in FIG. 3, taken along the line F4-F4. In FIG. 4, the bottom plate 4 is illustrated as a single plate, which is different from the actual shape, in order to make the structure of the storage box 10 easier to see.

As described above, the vertical length of the support plate 5 when not folded at the fold line Lk is sufficiently longer than the vertical length of the back plate 3, so that when the positioning plate 6 integrally provided at the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 is placed in contact with the bottom plate 4 and parallel to the bottom plate 4, the support plate 5 is curved between its upper end 5a and lower end 5b. Alternatively, if the length of the support plate 5 is only slightly longer than the back plate 3, the portion of the support plate 5 between the upper end 5a and the bent portion 50 may be inclined without being curved and remain straight. In this embodiment, the support plate 5 is made sufficiently long relative to the back plate 3 so that the support plate 5 is actively curved between the upper end 5a and the lower end 5b. Also, in this embodiment, the bent portion 50 of the support plate 5 is provided at a position closer to the upper end 5a than the lower end 5b, making it easier to bend (increase the curvature) the portion (parallel portion 51) on the lower end 5b side of the bent portion 50 of the support plate 5 on the upper end 5a side of the support plate 5 (curved portion 52).

Focusing on the curved portion 52, which is curved more than the parallel portion 51, the curved portion 52 generates a restoring force that tries to return to a straight state due to the stiffness of the sheet material 1. The restoring force of the curved portion 52 acts in a direction that presses the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 against the bottom plate 4, and also acts in a direction that pushes the bent portion 50 upward. The force in the direction that presses the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 against the bottom plate 4 acts to make the positioning plate 6 adhere to the inner surface of the bottom plate 4. The force that pushes the bent portion 50 upward acts in a direction that brings the bent portion 50 closer to the back plate 3 because the parallel portion 51 also has a slight curve. In other words, as in this embodiment, by making the support plate 5 sufficiently longer than the back plate 3 and providing the bent portion 50 on the side closer to the upper end 5a, the stiffness of the sheet material 1 can be used to form the parallel portion 51 and the curved portion 52, and the shape of the curved portion 52 can be maintained in a desired shape (first state or second state).

In contrast, if the support plate 5 does not have a bent portion 50, and is sufficiently longer than the back plate 3, the support plate 5 will be curved as a whole, as shown in FIG. 5. In this case, since the upper end 5a of the support plate 5 is bent back 180 degrees with respect to the back plate 3, the support plate 5 will be easily curved in the direction shown in FIG. 5, that is, in the direction protruding toward the front plate 2. In addition, in this case, the restoring force of the curved support plate 5 trying to return to a straight state acts in a direction that presses the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 against the bottom plate 4 and acts in a direction that pushes the upper end 5a of the support plate 5 upward. If the support plate 5 is curved as a whole, as shown in FIG. 5, the parallel portion 51 parallel to the back plate 3 is not formed, and the space above the storage section 20 becomes narrower, and the items O stored in the storage section 20 will be easily toppled forward.

As in this embodiment, when the storage box 10 is formed from a single sheet material 1 and the back panel 3 and the support plate 5 are connected together, the bent portion between the back panel 3 and the support plate 5 is likely to bulge as shown in FIG. 5. If the support plate 5 were formed from a sheet material different from the back panel 3, such a bulging problem would not occur. In this embodiment, the storage box 10 is manufactured from a single sheet material 1, and then a fold line Lk is provided midway through the support plate 5 to form a bent portion 50 in the support plate 5 in order to suppress such bulging of the support plate 5 and expand the space above the storage section 20.

The functions and effects of the container 10 of the above-described embodiment will be described below.
In the storage box 10 assembled as described above, the storage section 20 for storing a plurality of stacked objects O has a width in the front-rear direction set to be approximately the same as the width in the stacking direction of the objects O. Therefore, in the first state in which the curved portion 52 of the support plate 5 of the storage box 10 is protruded toward the front plate 2, in the state shown in FIG. 1 in which a predetermined number of objects O are stacked and stored in the storage section 20, the front surface of the object O in the front row in the stacking direction contacts the inner surface of the front plate 2, and the back surface of the object O in the rear row in the stacking direction contacts the curved portion 52 of the support plate 5. Therefore, when the storage box 10 of this embodiment is in the first state, the objects O stored in the storage section 20 in a predetermined number of stacked directions can be stored in an upright position along the front plate 2, and the objects O can be displayed in a good appearance.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the storage box 10 in the first state has a curved portion 52 that is curved in a direction that protrudes toward the storage section 20, so that a predetermined number of stacked objects O are sandwiched between the front panel 2 and the curved portion 52 of the support plate 5 and are firmly held in the storage section 20. In other words, the storage box 10 of this embodiment can protrude the curved portion 52 toward the storage section 20 to an extent that a predetermined holding force can be applied to the objects O when a predetermined number of objects O are stacked and stored in the storage section 20.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the storage box 10 is packed in an outer box (not shown) and transported in the state shown in FIG. 1 in which a predetermined number of items O are stacked and stored in the storage section 20, or when the storage box 10 is removed from the outer box and moved within a store or between stores, the items O can be securely held in the storage section 20, preventing the items O from falling out of the storage section 20. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the workability of the worker who handles the storage box 10 can be improved, and damage and soiling caused by the items O accidentally falling out of the storage section 20 can be prevented.

If the width of the storage section 20 in the front-rear direction is narrower than the width of the stacking direction of the items O, in the first state in which the curved portion 52 of the support plate 5 is protruding toward the front plate 2, the front plate 2 is pushed by the items O and bulges forward, which may cause the appearance of the storage box 10 to deteriorate and the items O to easily fall out of the storage section 20. Conversely, if the width of the storage section 20 in the front-rear direction is made too large compared to the width of the items O in the stacking direction, the holding force for the items O stored in the storage section 20 will be weak, even in the first state in which the curved portion 52 of the support plate 5 is protruding toward the front plate 2, and the items O will easily fall out when the storage box 10 is moved. Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is effective to make the width of the storage section 20 in the front-rear direction approximately the same as the width of the stacking direction of a predetermined number of stacked items O.

The front panel 2 of the storage box 10 is designed to be relatively low so that the printed matter 21 printed on the front of the item O is not hidden by the front panel 2. In other words, the storage box 10 of this embodiment is also a box for displaying the item O in an attractive way, and is therefore structured in such a way that the item O tends to tip forward. Therefore, in the storage box 10 of this embodiment, it is effective to clamp and restrain the item O within the storage section 20 and apply a holding force to make it difficult for the item O to tip forward.

When a predetermined number of items O are stored in the storage section 20 as shown in FIG. 1, and the number of items O stored therein is reduced and the holding force is weakened, it is conceivable that the sheet-like items O may easily fall over. However, according to the storage box 10 of this embodiment, the parallel portion 51 of the support plate 5 is disposed approximately parallel to the back plate 3, so that space is secured for the upper end of the items O to fall backward. If the storage box were as described in FIG. 5, in which the support plate 5 does not have the bent portion 50, there would be almost no space for the items O to fall backward, and since the front plate 2 is designed to be relatively low, there would be a high possibility that the items O would fall forward, resulting in a poor appearance.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in the storage box 10 of this embodiment, the curved portion 52 of the support plate 5 has a portion that is inclined away from the front panel 2 at least at the position facing the front panel 2, so that when the holding force for the item O stored in the storage section 20 weakens, the item O tends to fall backward along this inclined portion, and the item O is less likely to fall forward, resulting in a poor appearance. When the storage box 10 is in the second state shown in FIG. 6, the item O stored in the storage section 20 can be made to fall backward more easily, and the item O can be displayed in a good appearance.

In addition, by having a structure in which the items O easily fall backward, as in the case of the storage box 10 of this embodiment, the stability can be increased when the sheet-like items O are stacked and displayed in an upright position. In a storage box for displaying sheet-like items O in an upright position, it is desirable to make the width of the bottom plate 4 in the front-rear direction sufficiently larger than the width of the items O in the stacking direction in order to increase the installation stability of the storage box 10. However, as in this embodiment, if the stacked items O are stored in a position biased toward the side closer to the front plate 2, the center of gravity of the storage box 10 in a state in which multiple items O are stored may be biased forward, which may deteriorate the installation stability of the storage box 10. For this reason, by making the items O stored in the storage section 20 easily fall toward the back plate 3 as in this embodiment, the center of gravity of the storage box 10 in a state in which multiple items O are stored may be shifted backward, and the installation stability of the storage box 10 may be improved.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the support plate 5 of the storage box 10 can be transformed into the second state shown in FIG. 6 for use. For example, from the initial state shown in FIG. 1 in which a predetermined number of items O are stored, after the items O are removed and the holding force in the storage section 20 weakens, the curved portion 52 of the support plate 5 can be curved in the opposite direction so that the back panel 3 side becomes convex, as shown in FIG. 6. When the support plate 5 is transformed from the state shown in FIG. 3 to the state shown in FIG. 6, the space in the storage section 20 is expanded in the front-rear direction, making it easier for the upper end side of the items O to fall toward the back panel 3, and preventing the items O, whose holding force has weakened, from falling forward.

Alternatively, the support plate 5 may be curved from the initial state in which a predetermined number of items O are stored to the second state shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the holding force for the predetermined number of stacked items O is almost eliminated, but the center of gravity of the multiple items O is near the center of the front-to-rear direction of the storage box 10 from the beginning, so the installation stability of the storage box 10 can be improved from the start of use. In addition, when the support plate 5 is in the second state, the items O in the front row in the stacking direction lie backward along the support plate 5 and no holding force is applied, making it easier to remove the items O from the storage section 20. Furthermore, the items O can be leaned against the support plate 5, which almost completely eliminates the problem of the items O falling forward and looking bad.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the width-determining portion 62 of the positioning plate 6 is disposed at the bottom of the storage section 20, so that the appearance can be improved when the number of stored items O decreases and the bottom of the storage section 20 becomes visible. The positioning plate 6 can also be bent in the opposite direction to that of this embodiment at the line L5, but if this is done, the protruding portion 61 of the positioning plate 6 will be visible at the bottom of the storage section 20, which will result in a poor appearance. In addition, by disposing the width-determining portion 62 at the bottom of the storage section 20, the items O stored in the storage section 20 can press the width-determining portion 62 against the bottom plate 4, and the positioning plate 6 can be prevented from floating up against the bottom plate 4. Conversely, if the protruding portion 61 is provided at the bottom of the storage section 20, the width in the left-right direction where the lower end of the items O presses against the positioning plate 6 becomes narrower, and the positioning plate 6 cannot be sufficiently pressed against the bottom plate 4.

The storage box 10 of this embodiment also has a protruding piece 2c integral with the upper end 2a of the front panel 2. The protruding piece 2c partially increases the height of the front panel 2, and therefore functions to prevent the item O stored in the storage section 20 from falling forward and falling out of the storage section 20. The protruding piece 2c can also serve the function of improving the design of the storage box 10. For example, an interesting design can be created by applying a design to the surface of the protruding piece 2c over the printed matter 21 on the surface of the item O stored in the storage section 20.

The present invention has been described above based on several embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, a curved portion 52 protruding toward the front panel 2 or rear panel 3 is provided between the fold line Lk and the lower end 5b of the support plate 5, but this is not limited thereto, and the portion between the fold line Lk and the lower end 5b of the support plate 5 does not necessarily have to be curved, and may be inclined from the lower end 5b toward the fold line Lk in a direction approaching the rear panel 3.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a case has been described in which the positioning plate 6 is simply positioned parallel to the bottom plate 4, but this is not limited to the above. A protrusion (not shown) may be provided at the end of the protruding portion 61 of the positioning plate 6 facing the rear plate 3, and a notch (not shown) for inserting the protrusion into the ridge between the rear plate 3 and the bottom plate 4 may be provided, or the end of the positioning plate 6 facing the rear plate may be fixed between the bottom plate 4 and the rear plate 3.
The invention as described in the claims of the original application is set forth below.
[1]
A storage box for storing a plurality of sheet-like articles in a stacked upright position,
a front panel extending in a substantially vertical direction facing the article at one end in the stacking direction and having a vertical height lower than the article;
a rear plate disposed substantially parallel to the front plate at the other end side of the stacking direction of the plurality of articles and having a vertical height higher than the front plate;
a bottom plate that is substantially horizontal and that is integrally connected to a lower end of the front plate in the vertical direction and a lower end of the rear plate in the vertical direction;
A support plate that is folded inward from the vertical upper end of the back panel and is arranged to face the article at the other end in the stacking direction, and is longer than the vertical height of the back panel;
a positioning plate that is integrally provided at a lower end of the support plate opposite to the upper end, that is disposed facing an inner surface of the bottom plate, and that positions the lower end of the support plate between the lower end of the front plate and the lower end of the rear plate,
The support plate has a fold line substantially parallel to the upper end and spaced from the upper end, and has a bent portion in which the support plate is bent at the fold line in a direction in which the support plate is convex toward the back plate.
Storage box.
[2]
The support plate has a parallel portion between the fold line and the upper end of the support plate that is approximately parallel to the back plate,
[1] Storage box.
[3]
The support plate has a curved portion between the fold line and the lower end of the support plate, the curved portion being curved in a direction protruding toward the front plate,
A storage box for [1] or [2].
[4]
The support plate has a curved portion between the fold line and the lower end of the support plate, the curved portion being curved in a direction protruding toward the back plate,
A storage box for [1] or [2].
[5]
The positioning plate positions the lower end of the support plate at a position where the distance between the lower end of the front plate and the lower end of the support plate is approximately the same as the width of the multiple articles in the stacking direction.
A storage box according to any one of [1] to [4].

1...sheet material, 2...front panel, 3...back panel, 4...bottom panel, 5...support panel, 6...positioning panel, 8R, 8L...side panels, 10...storage box, 12...opening, 20...storage section, 50...bent section, 51...parallel section, 52...curved section, Lk...fold line, O...item.

Claims (3)

A storage box for storing a plurality of sheet-like articles in a stacked upright position,
a front panel extending in a substantially vertical direction facing the article at one end in the stacking direction and having a vertical height lower than the article;
a rear plate disposed approximately parallel to the front plate on the other end side of the stacking direction of the plurality of articles and having a vertical height higher than the front plate;
a bottom plate that is substantially horizontal and that is integrally connected to a lower end of the front plate in the vertical direction and a lower end of the rear plate in the vertical direction;
A support plate that is folded inward from the vertical upper end of the back panel and is arranged to face the article at the other end in the stacking direction, and is longer than the vertical height of the back panel;
a positioning plate that is integrally provided at a lower end of the support plate opposite to the upper end, that is disposed facing an inner surface of the bottom plate, and that positions the lower end of the support plate between the lower end of the front plate and the lower end of the rear plate,
The support plate has a fold line substantially parallel to and spaced from the upper end, and the support plate has a bent portion bent at the fold line in a direction in which the support plate is convex toward the rear plate, and between the fold line and the lower end of the support plate, a curved portion curved in a direction protruding toward the front plate.
Storage box. The support plate has a parallel portion between the fold line and the upper end of the support plate that is approximately parallel to the back plate,
The storage box according to claim 1. The positioning plate positions the lower end of the support plate at a position where the distance between the lower end of the front plate and the lower end of the support plate is approximately the same as the width of the multiple articles in the stacking direction.
The storage box according to claim 1 or 2 .