WO1996022229A1

WO1996022229A1 - Tamper-resistant packaging box

Info

Publication number: WO1996022229A1
Application number: PCT/FR1996/000072
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabrice Marchal
Original assignee: Fabrice Marchal
Priority date: 1995-01-17
Filing date: 1996-01-17
Publication date: 1996-07-25
Also published as: FR2729367A1; EP0802876A1; ATE173700T1; EP0802876B1; FR2729367B1; DE69601027T2; CA2211339A1; DE69601027D1

Abstract

A tamper-resistant packaging box, e.g. made of cardboard, comprising a container (R) inside an outer portion (E). One side only of the container includes an openable wall (3) with an opening/closing flap (1), and the side of the outer portion facing the opening/closing flap (1) has a security abutment (5). Said container includes a push mechanism (4) which can only be operated when pressure is exerted on the outer portion (E) of the box. Said box is useful for packaging hazardous materials such as chemicals and drugs.

Description

SAFETY PACKAGING BOX

The present invention relates to safety packaging boxes which can only be opened under the effect of particular manipulations which do not stand in the way of ease of use.

In general, such boxes are intended to contain products which may be dangerous, such as chemicals, medicines, needles, etc., and whose access must be controlled, especially with children to avoid accidents.

We have already proposed, for example in document US-A-3608 812, a cardboard box whose upper cover is provided with a lock. The lock comprises a flap pivotally connected to a wall of the body of the box, and tabs associated with the cover are intended to cooperate with the flap to reversibly lock the cover in a closed position. A slot is provided in the fold line along which the flap is articulated on the wall of the body, so that by pressing on the wall of the body, this results in a bending of the flap, the disengagement of the tongues and the release. of the lock. Document US-A-3 971 505 also discloses a box provided with a cover pivoting at the rear of the body of the box and having a wall extending downwards at the front of the cover. An upwardly folded stop member is provided on the inner surface of the downwardly extending wall of the cover, and a stopper is provided by elastically folding out the top of the front wall of body of the box. The element and the stop device are constructed in such a way that the second engages the first to prevent movement when the cover is closed. A pressure piece is provided on the wall of the cover extending downwards so that it faces the stop device. It is defined by cutouts and a connecting portion between them serves as a sealing device.

Document DE-G-94 14858 also discloses a box of the same kind as that of the previous document, having two covers articulated by one of their sides on the body of the box, the side of the cover opposite this articulation being provided a flap folded back on itself, so as to cooperate with a tab extending from the corresponding wall of the body of the box, to form a stop device.

Although the boxes known from the preceding documents include a device for locking the cover, simple handling makes it possible to open them easily. They therefore do not offer the expected security as regards access to the product they contain, and can thus be the source of accidents.

The present invention is placed in this context and aims to provide a safety box, which can only be opened under the effect of simple manipulation, but not immediately accessible to a person who is not familiar with such manipulation, in particular a child.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a safety packaging box comprising a receptacle arranged inside an external part, the receptacle comprising on only one of its sides an access hatch formed with a opening / closing tab, and the external part comprising on a face opposite the opening / closing tab a safety stop.

According to the invention, the receptacle includes a pushing mechanism which is operational only if pressure is exerted on the outer part of the box.

According to a characteristic of the invention, a blocking stop is formed on the opening / closing tab and is arranged, when the box is closed, in the extension of the safety stop formed on the external part.

Preferably, the pushing mechanism is made operational by a pressure exerted on the opposite sides of the outer part of the box adjacent to the face on which the safety stop is formed.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the blocking stop formed on the opening / closing tab is placed outside the extension of the safety stop formed on the external part by the pressure exerted on the opposite sides of the box adjacent to the face on which the safety stop is formed.

Preferably, a push exerted on the pushing mechanism makes it possible to slide the receptacle and to reveal the opening / closing tab if and only if pressure is exerted on the opposite sides of the box adjacent to the face on which the safety stop is formed.

Such a box is made, for example, of cardboard or plastic.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description of an exemplary embodiment given by way of illustration, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 shows a plan view of the front of a sheet intended to form a packaging box according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows a plan view of the back of the sheet of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the packaging box of the invention after assembly;

- Figure 4 shows the back of an alternative embodiment of the sheet of Figure 2, and - Figures 5 to 9 show different stages of the opening of a box made in accordance with the present invention.

The embodiment which will be described refers, without limitation, to a cardboard box. Obviously, the sheet used could also be in one of the known plastic materials, such as PVC.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown the two sides of a cardboard sheet F, after cutting and before assembly, intended to form a box or a packaging box according to the invention. In these Figures, the solid lines indicate the cutting lines and the dotted lines indicate the lines of interior folding. The bonding points are marked with the references a, b, c, d and e, and the positioning points corresponding to these bonding points are marked with the references a ', b', c ', d' and e '.

The sheet F comprises a portion R intended to form the actual receptacle of the product to be packaged, and a portion E intended to form the outer part of the box, these two portions R and E being in one piece.

The receptacle is formed by folding at right angles to the bottom 10 the sides 3, 4 and 7, and simultaneously forming the side bellows 6 at the four corners of the bottom 10 and adjoining the sides 3 and 4. The side 3 constitutes a hatch of access to the contents of the box, and comprises an opening / closing tongue 1, extending from the access door 3, this tongue also being folded at right angles to the access door 3, and reinforced on the sides by gluing of the parts a and b on the locations a 'and b'. This opening / closing tab 1 is formed with a locking stop 2, obtained by folding through 180 degrees and partial bonding at the two ends of the part e at the location e 'of the opening / closing tab 1.

The side 4 of the receptacle, opposite the access hatch 3, constitutes a pushing mechanism for opening the box, as will be seen later.

The portion E, forming the outer part of the box, comprises a safety stop 5, obtained by folding 180 degrees and partial bonding at the two ends of the part c at the location referenced c '. Once the receptacle R and the external part E are thus prepared by folding and gluing, the portion E can be folded over the receptacle R so as to surround it completely, and sealed by gluing the part d on the location of. Advantageously, there will be, beforehand, placed in the receptacle R the product to be packaged, possibly accompanied by instructions for use or warnings in the case of a drug.

There is thus obtained according to the invention a safety packaging box, as shown in section in Figure 3. The receptacle R and the outer part E being formed from the same cardboard sheet, it is very clear that the spontaneous or accidental opening of the receptacle R is not possible.

In addition, an opening of the box by a simple press on one of the sides of the receptacle is also not possible. Indeed, if a user presses on the side 3, the fact that the side 4 is both integral with the receptacle R and the outer part E prevents any opening of the box. Similarly, if a user presses on the side 4, he will manage to move the receptacle R, until the edge of the locking stop 2 formed on the opening / closing tab 1 comes to meet the edge of the stop. Security 5 formed on the outer part E. The opening of the box is, again, impossible.

On the other hand, the lengths L1 of the opening / closing tongue 1, L2 of the locking stop 2, and L5 of the safety stop 5, as well as the relative position of the locking stop 2 on the opening tongue / closure 1 with respect to the safety stop 5, are such that, as shown in FIG. 6, a low pressure exerted by the user on each side of the box on the short lateral sides at the level of the access hatch 3, that is to say perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3 causes the curvature of the edge of the safety stop 5, which lifts it and thus releases it from the edge of the blocking stop 2.

If the user then presses on side 4, as shown in Figure 7, after pressing lightly on side 3 to unlock the assembly (as shown in Figure 5), this slides the receptacle R in the outer part E and shows the opening / closing tab 1 outside the box. The user can then grasp this tab 1 to completely remove it from the box, and thus access the contents of the box, in accordance with Figures 8 and 9.

As seen in Figures 1 to 3, the width of the opening / closing tab 1, the locking stop 2 and the safety stop 5 is determined as a function of the height h of the receptacle R of the box .

The bellows 6 are intended to make the whole of the box airtight by preventing any access to the contents of the box, and they also allow relative elasticity of the pushing mechanism 4, of the access hatch 3 and of the tongue d opening / closing 1.

When the user wishes to close the box, he replaces the product in the receptacle R, then it suffices to introduce the opening / closing tab 1 under the safety stop 5 and push the access door 3 towards the pushing mechanism 4. The locking stop 2 then exceeds the safety stop 5 and comes back to its rest position illustrated in FIG. 3. There is shown in Figure 4, an alternative embodiment of the cardboard sheet shown in Figures 1 and 2. Identical or equivalent elements are assigned the same reference signs, possibly assigned a "premium".

The essential difference between this variant and the previous example resides in the production of the locking stop 2 'and the safety stop 5'. The locking stop 2 ′ is formed with a cut in an arc extending over a part of the width of the opening / closing tongue 1, before folding and partial bonding of the ends thereof.

In addition, the opening / closing tongue 1 is reinforced by folding in on itself by 180 degrees and bonding the bonding points a and b at the locations a 'and b'. Advantageously, to further strengthen this tongue 1, for example in the case where it is called upon to undergo a large number of openings and closings, it will be possible to insert into this fold, before bonding, a thin sheet of plastic P, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4. The main purpose of this plastic sheet P is to avoid tearing the cardboard. It is advantageously glued to the cardboard before cutting the 2 'locking stop.

Likewise, the safety stop 5 ′ is formed with a cutout along substantially the same circular arc as that of the locking stop 2 ′, or according to an arc of slightly smaller size, so as to facilitate penetration into the slot of the locking stop 2 '.

This cut can be completed with two folds 8 made on the convex side of the cut, substantially perpendicular to the cord underlying the arc of a circle. These folds 8 facilitate, in fact, the lifting of the safety stop 5 'when the user presses on both sides.

The manipulations required to open and close the box produced according to this variant embodiment are identical to those which have already been described, and will therefore not be repeated in detail.

Similarly, a thin plastic sheet can be favorably glued to the cardboard sheet before cutting the safety stop 5 ', as shown in Figure 4, to avoid tearing the cardboard during repeated use of the box.

A safety box has therefore been produced which can only be opened by the simultaneous application of pressure on the sides of the box adjacent to the opening hatch, and of a push on the pushing mechanism. Any other manipulation does not open the box, which prohibits access to the contents of the box for children and people not familiar with the handling of the box according to the invention. Such a box is therefore particularly well suited to the packaging of products which may be dangerous, such as chemicals, medicines, pins, thumbtacks, matches, etc.

In addition, the box according to the invention has better crush resistance than conventional boxes. This relative rigidity of the sides allows the box to keep its shape and, therefore, participates in the main safety function.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been described, but it is on the contrary liable to receive numerous modifications which will appear to the skilled person. Thus, for example, the width, length and height of the box can be freely chosen according to the particular product which it is desired to package.

Claims

1 - Safety packaging box comprising a receptacle (R) disposed inside an external part (E), the receptacle comprising on only one of its sides an access hatch (3) formed with a opening / closing tab (1), and the external part comprising on a face opposite the opening / closing tab (1) a safety stop (5), the box being characterized in that the receptacle comprises a pushing mechanism (4) which is only operational if pressure is exerted on the outer part (E) of the box.

2 - Safety packaging box according to claim

1, characterized in that a blocking stop (2) is formed on the opening / closing tab (1) and is arranged, when the box is closed, in the extension of the safety stop (5) formed on the outer part (E).

3 - Safety packaging box according to claim

2, characterized in that the pushing mechanism (4) is made operational by a pressure exerted on the opposite sides of the outer part (E) of the box adjacent to the face on which the safety stop (5) is formed.

4 - Safety packaging box according to claim

3, characterized in that the blocking stop (2) formed on the opening / closing tab (1) is placed outside the extension of the safety stop (5) formed on the outer part (E) by the pressure exerted on opposite sides of the box adjacent to the face on which the safety stop (5) is formed.

5 - Safety packaging box according to claim 4, characterized in that a thrust exerted on the pushing mechanism (4) makes it possible to slide the receptacle (R) and to reveal the opening / closing tab ( 1) if and only if pressure is exerted on the opposite sides of the box adjacent to the face on which the safety stop (5) is formed.

6 - Safety packaging box according to claim 5, characterized in that lateral bellows (6) adjoining the access hatch (3) and the pushing mechanism (4) make the box airtight and allow relative elasticity the pushing mechanism (4), the access hatch (3) and the opening / closing tab (1).

7 - Safety packaging box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking (2.2 ') and safety (5.5') stops are obtained by folding to 180 degrees and partial gluing at the ends respectively of a part (e) of the opening / closing tab (1) on a location (e ') thereof, and of a part (c) of the external part (E) on a location (c ') thereof.

8 - Safety packaging box according to claim 7, characterized in that the locking stops (2 ') and safety (5') are formed with cutouts in an arc.

9 - Safety packaging box according to claim

8 characterized in that the safety stop (5 ') is formed with a cutting along substantially the same circular arc as that of the locking stop (2 '), or according to an arc of slightly smaller size.

10 - Safety packaging box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blocking stop

(2 ') and / or the safety stop (5') is (are) reinforced (s) by a plastic sheet (P).

11 - Safety packaging box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is produced by cutting, folding and gluing a sheet (F) in one piece.

12 - Safety packaging box according to claim 11 characterized in that said sheet (F) is made of a material chosen from cardboard and plastics.