NL1020270C2 - Folding box, has dust flaps, closure flaps and perforation lines for tearing open box side wall - Google Patents

Abstract

A first pair of side walls (5) is provided with dust flaps (8) at the top and bottom ends and a second pair of side walls (4) is provided with closure flaps (6). The dust and closure flaps are folded inwards through ca. 90 deg. to lie against each other when the box is closed. Perforation lines (10) extending from at least two corners in at least one side of the box can be broken so that this side is essentially removed, leaving a tubular or U-shaped packaging from which the box contents can be removed. Independent claims are also included for methods of use for the box.

Description

Title: Packaging

The invention relates to a package of the American folding box type, comprising four pairwise opposed, upright side walls, a first pair of which is provided with dust flaps near an upper and lower side and a second pair with closure flaps, which dust and in a closed position, the gate valves are folded inwards about 90 degrees and secured against each other.

Such boxes are sufficiently known from practice and are frequently used as outer packaging for transporting smaller consumer packages, such as, for example, boxes, cans, bottles, and the like, which will hereinafter be referred to as subpackages. The American folding box is inexpensive to produce, easy to set up and after use, after opening the dust and closing valves on both the top and bottom, can easily be brought into a flat state and thus disposed of.

In addition to these advantages, however, the American folding box has the drawback that the final phase of the transport path, namely the opening and unpacking of the box, takes a relatively long time. In the applicant's non-prepublished application NL1017485, a few modifications have already been proposed with which the closing and dust flaps of an American folding box can be opened simply and quickly.

However, this does not solve the problem of quickly unpacking and placing the subpackages on a shelf or similar display surface.

The object of the invention is to provide a package of the type described above in which the above-mentioned disadvantages have been eliminated, while maintaining the advantages thereof. To that end, a package according to the invention is characterized by the features of claim 1.

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By providing an American folding box with perforation lines, through which at least one side of the box can be released almost completely, a box is obtained which can be opened in a particularly simple manner and therefore particularly quickly. The perforation lines herein preferably extend in one or more upright side walls of the box. As a result, by breaking the perforation lines and folding or removing side wall parts, the package can be simply converted into a box or U-shaped packaging part from which the subpackages can be pushed as a series on a shelf or the like with a pushing movement.

As a result, the subpackages do not have to be taken out of the box separately and a great deal of time can therefore be saved.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, at least one side wall provided with side walls, situated opposite a side wall provided with perforation lines, is provided with a recess. Via this recess, pressure can be exerted on subpackages included in the box and these subpackages can easily be removed from the box after said perforation lines have been broken. A package designed in this way can be opened in a particularly rapid manner, since perforation lines only have to be broken on one side of the package, whereafter the box can then be emptied in a particularly rapid manner by pushing the subpackages out of the released side by pressure on the series of subpackages through the recess. The recess also offers the advantage that the subpackages included in the box are visible, so that the box itself does not have to be printed with product information.

In an alternative embodiment, a package according to the invention is characterized by the features of claim 9.

By providing the package with such a further perforation line, an American folding box is obtained which can be used in several ways. Thus, in addition to a previously described method of use, a part of the box can be removed by breaking said perforation line, so that a tray-shaped part remains. In this tray the subpackages can be displayed on a shelf. If desired, one side of the tray can then be released in the manner described above, after which the subpackages can be slid from the tray onto a shelf.

The invention further relates to a method, characterized by the features according to claim 11 or 12.

In such a method, a package according to the invention is normally filled with sub-packages and subsequently closed, for which existing mounting, filling and closing machines can be used. On arrival at the place of destination, however, the package can be opened much simpler and faster than the American folding boxes known hitherto and moreover in such a smart manner that a packaging part remains from which the sub-packages can simply be slid onto a display surface. As a result, the subpackages do not have to be taken out of the package one by one and a great deal of time can be saved.

In the further subclaims, further advantageous embodiments of a package and its use according to the invention are described.

To clarify the invention, exemplary embodiments of a package according to the invention, as well as the use thereof, will be described with reference to the drawing. In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows, in perspective view, a first embodiment of a package according to the invention in closed and open condition; Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a package according to the invention; Fig. 3 shows a blank for the package according to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of a package according to the invention; Fig. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of a package according to the invention; Fig. 6 shows a fifth embodiment of a package according to the invention; and Fig. 7 shows a further embodiment of a package according to the invention.

In this description, the same or corresponding parts have the same or corresponding reference numerals. All exemplary embodiments shown relate to a per se known American folding box 1, set up from a cardboard blank 2, as shown in figure 3, which is used as transport packaging for subpackages, for example consumer packaging such as boxes, tubs, bottles or cans. The box 1 comprises four mutually pivotably connected side walls 4, 5 which are respectively provided with pivotally connected closing valves 6 and dust flaps 8 at an upper and lower side. In an erected position, the lower dust and closing flaps 20 are 8.6 through an angle. folded inwards from about 90 ° and secured together with suitable fastening means such as for example glue, tape or staples to form a bottom panel. After the box has been filled, the top side is closed in a similar way by folding the dust and closing valves 8, 6 inwards and securing them against each other. Usually, the dust valves 8 and then the closing valves 6 are first folded inwards. However, if this offers advantages, as will be seen later, this sequence can easily be reversed.

Figure 1 shows an American folding box 1, as described above, wherein in at least one of the sides, in the case shown 30 one of the end side walls 5, perforation lines 10 are arranged, in particular 5 with which the box 1 can be easily opened and the content can be deleted quickly. The perforation lines 10 extend from each corner of the side wall 5 towards a diagonal opposite corner and intersect each other near the center of the side wall 5, dividing the side wall 5 into four substantially triangular side wall parts 5A-D. At the location of the intersection of the perforation lines 10, a recess 12 is preferably provided, or a perforation line 13 closed in itself, which optionally has already been partially cut away and through which a recess 12 can be created.

Such a package 1 can be opened in a simple manner by exerting an inward force on the box near the intersection of the perforation lines 10, as a result of which the perforation lines 10 and / or 13 will break and a point of one of the side wall parts 5A-D can be grasped, after which this side wall part can be pulled loose as shown in figure 1 on the right-hand side. After all side wall parts 5A-D have been pulled loose in this way, the contents can be removed from the box in a simple manner via the thus fully released side.

Two opposite sides of the package are preferably provided with such perforation lines. As a result, both sides can easily be opened, so that a tube is obtained, with which the contents of the package, in particular when this content is arranged in one or more series, can simply be pushed out of the package. For this purpose, only one of the two sides can be provided with perforation lines 10 and the other side with an opening which is so large that a user can exert pressure via this opening on the subpackages present in the packages, so that they can be placed via the opposite side. can leave the box. Such an opening offers the advantage that the package can hereby be opened even more quickly and can be transformed into a tubular packaging part, since only one side of the package perforation lines need to be broken. Moreover, the opening offers a view of the contents of the package, so that the package itself does not require printing with product information.

When the package 1 is relatively small and the aforementioned opening for pushing the subpackages out of the package will therefore also be relatively small, it is preferable to provide the package 1 with additional perforation lines 11, with which at the same time as the or both side walls 5 a part of the upper surface formed by the closing and dust flaps can be pulled loose, so that a U-shaped packaging part remains. For this purpose, for example, in each closing valve 6, near the connecting line with a side wall 4, a perforation line 11 can be provided over the entire length of the closing valve 6, as shown in Fig. 1 on the right-hand side. If the side wall part 5A is now pulled away in the above-described manner, the entire upper surface can be pulled away in one movement. The remaining U-shaped packaging part can then be held together with one hand by a user and placed in front of a shelf, whereafter the subpackages can simply be slid onto the shelf from the U-shaped packaging part with the other hand.

Figures 2 and 3 show a package, respectively a blank 2 therefor, wherein two opposite sides are provided with an opening 14. Perforated lines 10 are arranged around one of the openings 14, through which the extending edges 5A-D can easily be pivoted outwards, so that again one side of the package is completely released. After this, the contents of the package can easily be removed from the substantially tubular box by pressing against the contents via the opening 14 from the other side.

It will be clear that the openings 14 and the perforation lines 10 shown can take many other forms. For example, the opening 14 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 can extend as far as the side walls 4 or up to the dust flaps 8, so that the edges 5B and 5D or the edges 5A and 5C respectively are omitted, and the package 1 can be opened even more easily by only pulling off the two remaining edges, 5A and 5C or 5B and 5D, respectively. The perforation lines 10 can also have a different course between the corner points of the opening 14 and the corner points of the side wall 5. It is only important that the perforation lines 10 have such a course that by breaking them at least one side of the package can be released almost completely, without remaining upright edges and the like, so that the subpackages can be removed from the package via this side without hindrance. pushed. Both side walls 5 can of course also be provided with perforation lines 10, instead of only one of the side walls 5 as shown. In addition to or instead of the side walls 5, one or each side wall 4 can also be provided with such an opening 14 and / or perforation lines 10, so that the contents can be slid away transversely of the edge between the closing flaps.

Figure 4 shows a variant in which the folding order of the dust and closing flaps 8, 6 is reversed, at least on an upper side of the box 1, that is, first the closing flaps 6 are folded inwards and then the dust flaps 8 are against it fixed. The dust flaps 8 are preferably fixed in such a way that they can easily be pulled away from closing flap 6, for instance because a perforation line is arranged around the attachment points between the dust flap 8 and the closing flaps 6, which line is broken when the dust flap 8 is broken in the direction of arrow A is pulled open. A part of the dust valve 8 will remain behind on the closing valves 6, or vice versa, a part of the closing valves 6 will remain on the dust valve 8. Further, near the folding lines along which the side wall 5 is connected to the side walls 4, perforation lines 10 are provided, which extend over the full height of the package 1 fl 8, from dust flap 8 to dust dump 8. The entire side wall 5 can be torn loose along this shown in Figure 4 on the right. Furthermore, a perforation line can be provided near the connecting line of the side wall 5 with the lower dust flap 8, so that the folded down side wall 5 can be torn off along it. Naturally, one or every other side wall 4, 5 can also be provided with such perforation lines.

In a variant (not shown) of the embodiment of Figure 4, the normal folding method of an American folding box is maintained, so that first the dust flaps 8 and then the closing flaps 6 are folded inwards, but wherein the closing flaps 6 are not on the underlying dust flaps. 8 are fixed, but on top of each other, for example with the aid of tape. The package 1 is further provided with corresponding perforation lines 10 as shown in figure 4. Such a package 1 can be opened in the same manner as shown in figure 4, wherein the dust valve 8 does not, however, have to be pulled loose, but simply underneath the closing valves 6 can be pulled out before or after the perforation lines 10 are broken. In order to facilitate the gripping of the dust flap 8 or the side wall 5, they are preferably provided with engaging means, for example a recess or an engaging lip, which can for instance be formed by making a substantially U-shaped incision in the dust flap 8, starting and ending near the fold line between the side wall 5 and the dust flap 8. When the dust flap 8 is folded inwards when the box 1 is closed, the part bounded by the incision will remain upright, in line with the side wall 5 and thus form an engagement lip, analogous to the lip 16 as shown in Figure 5. Also, when the package is closed, the closing flaps can be provided with a perforation connecting to the side 5, wherein only the parts of the closing flaps 6 located within the perforation are on the dust cover 8 in question.

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Figure 5 shows a further variant in which the closing valves 6 are folded over the dust valves 8, but are not secured thereto, in the manner described above. In the side wall 5 adjoining the dust flaps 8, two perforation lines 10 are provided, which extend in a slightly curved or angled line towards an opposite corner of the side wall 5, thereby defining a substantially diabolo-shaped side wall part 5A. In order to open the package 1 a pressure or tensile force is exerted on the diabolo-shaped side wall part 5A, so that the perforation lines 10 are broken, after which the part 5A with the dust flaps 8 adjacent to it can be pulled loose as shown in Fig. 5 on the right-hand side, and the remaining side flaps 5B can be pivoted to the side. In this case too, the side wall 5, in particular the middle part 5A thereof, is preferably provided with engaging means 16 as described above, in order to facilitate the removal.

In a further alternative embodiment, as shown in figure 6, an American folding box 1 according to the invention is provided with first perforation lines 10 which extend on either side of at least one of the side walls 4, 5 over the entire height thereof, in accordance with the perforation lines 10 shown in figure 4. Furthermore, a second perforation line or tear strip 20 is provided, which extends around the package 1 in all side walls 4, 5, and with which an upper package part can be separated as shown in figure 6B, so that a tray-shaped lower part. packaging part remains. From this remaining part, one of the upright edges 5 can be pulled off, thanks to the first perforation lines 10, as indicated in Fig. 6C, after which subpackages located in this part can simply be slid onto, for example, a shelf, in the direction of arrow B.

In the figures 7A-C three variants of a package 1 according to the invention are shown, wherein in two opposite sides of the package 1 and a third 102 connecting these sides side perforation lines 30 are provided, which at least when the package 1 is closed, connect to each other and by breaking the package 1 can be separated into two package parts 1A, B, which package parts 1A, B are only interconnected via a fourth side 5 opposite the third side.

In Fig. 7A, the perforation line 30 extends from the longitudinal edge of both upper dust flaps 8 into the end face walls 5, up to near the bottom surface, dividing these dust flaps 8 and side walls 5 into two halves 8A, B, 5A, B respectively . The location of the perforation line 30 in the dust flaps 8 is chosen such that, when the package 1 is closed, it extends below the longitudinal edges of the closing flaps facing each other 6. By breaking the perforation line 30, the package 1 can be divided into two substantially tray-shaped package parts 1A. , B can be pivoted apart, to a position as shown in Fig. 7A on the right. In addition, these packaging parts 1A, B will each contain a part of the subpackages (not shown) contained in the original package 1. After opening, the package 1 with the subpackages therein can be displayed on a shelf.

Preferably, in the two opposite sides 5 in which the perforation lines 30 extend, further perforation lines 32 are provided, near two edges of these sides 5 extending substantially at right angles to the perforation lines 30. As a result, after the package 1 has been opened, in a manner as described above, at least one upright edge 4A, 5A; 4B, 5B of each tray-shaped packaging part 1A, B can be folded down, whereafter subpackages present in the packaging parts 1A, B can be pushed onto a shelf via the thus released side.

Figure 7B shows a variant of the embodiment shown in Figure 7A in which the perforation lines 30 do not extend from the dust flaps 5, but from the closing flaps 6 into the

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11 closing valves 6 adjacent side walls 4A, 4B. Furthermore, the package 1 can be used in exactly the same manner as described above with reference to Fig. 7A, wherein, however, the plane with respect to which both package halves 1A, B are pivoted after opening is perpendicular to that of the package 1 shown in Fig. 7A located.

Figure 7C shows a third variant, in which the perforation lines 30 extend in three of the upright side walls 4, 5 and the packaging parts 1A, B obtained after breaking of the perforation lines 30 can be pivoted around a fold line located in the fourth upright side wall. position as shown in Figure 7C on the right. In the embodiments shown in Figs. 7B and C, further perforation lines 32 are provided for releasing at least one side of the packaging parts 1A, B, so that the subpackages can be slid out of them if desired.

The invention is by no means limited to the exemplary embodiments shown in the description and the drawings. Many variations thereof are possible within the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. Moreover, all combinations of parts of the embodiments shown and described in this description are considered to be included within this description.

Claims (12)

An American folding box type packaging comprising four pairs of opposed upright side walls (4,5), a first pair (5) of which is provided near a top and bottom with dust flaps (8) and a second pair (4) is provided with closing valves (6), which valves (6, 8) are folded in about 90 degrees in a closed position and are fixed against each other, with perforation lines (10) in at least one side of the package (1) are provided which extend from near at least two corners of that side, such that by breaking these perforation lines (10) the at least one side 10 can be released almost completely, for removal of subpackages included in the package (1). A package according to claim 1, wherein the dust and closing valves (8, 6) remain attached to each other when the at least one side is released. 3. Packaging as claimed in any of the claims 1 or 2, wherein the perforation lines (10) extend from two adjacent corners of the side, in particular direction two diagonal opposite corners of the side. A package according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one side provided with perforation lines is an upstanding side wall (4, 5) of the package (1). A package according to claim 4, wherein the perforation lines (10) extend on or near two opposite fold lines via which the side wall (4, 5) is connected to adjacent side walls (5, 4) from at least one of the fabric - or closing valves (8, 6) towards an opposite dust or closing valve (8, 6). A package according to claim 5, wherein the perforation lines (10) extend in one of the side walls (5) which are on two opposite sides; Ü 2 -A / M horizontal edges are connected to dust flaps (8), the perforation lines (10) extending from dust flaps to dust flaps (8) and at least one of these dust flaps (8) in a closed position without fasteners under the closing flaps is included. A package according to any one of claims 4-6, wherein at least one of the side walls (4, 5) is provided with a perforation line (10) near three contiguous edges, such that after breaking thereof the side can be pivoted in its entirety along the fourth edge connected to the remaining package (1). A package according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in a side opposite the perforated lines (10) a recess (14) is provided, via which pressure can be exerted on subpackaging included in the package (1) in order to after breaking the perforation lines (10), by removing the then released side, from the package 15. 9. Packaging as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein a further perforation line (20) is provided, which extends around the packaging, in all upright walls (4, 5), such that after breaking it such a part of the package (1) can be separated so that a substantially tray-shaped packaging part remains. An American folding box type packaging comprising four pairwise opposed, upright side walls (4, 5), a first pair (5) of which is provided with dust flaps (8) near a top and bottom and a second pair (4) is provided with closing valves (6), which valves in a closed position are folded inwards by about 90 degrees and are fixed against each other, preferably according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in two opposite sides of the package and one of these third side joining perforation lines (30) connecting to each other are provided such that by breaking the perforation lines (30) the package can be separated into two packaging parts (,Α, ΙΒ) which can only be separated via a third side opposite located on the fourth side. 11. Method for using a package according to any of claims 1-10, wherein after this package is filled in a known manner via a filling side provided with dust and closing valves (8, 6) with subpackages and is sealed by the dust package. and closing flaps (8, 6) fold over one another in pairs and secured to one another, such a part of the side walls is folded away or removed by breaking perforation lines (10, 20, 30) provided in these side walls, that a substantially tubular or U-shaped packaging part remains, from which the subpackages can be slid onto a shelf or similar display surface. 12. Method for using a package according to any of claims 1-10, wherein the subpackages are placed in a package in a first direction via a filling side closable with dust and closing valves (8, 6), whereafter the package is sealed by folding the dust and closing valves (8, 6) successively over one another and at least securing the closing valves (6), and wherein the subpackages are removed from the package in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, by at least a part of at least one of the side walls (4, 5) and preferably the entire side wall of the package to be unfolded or removed after breaking of perforation lines (10) provided in said side wall. 1 y / o