WO2006094544A1

WO2006094544A1 - Container

Info

Publication number: WO2006094544A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/013154
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wolfgang Barthel; Barbara Grossmann; Eiko Hasse; Rudolf TÖPLER
Original assignee: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien
Priority date: 2005-03-10
Filing date: 2005-12-08
Publication date: 2006-09-14

Abstract

A container, in particular for free-flowing substances such as, for example, detergent, comprises an outer layer (2), the outer layer (2) forming an outer box, a pivot-open lid element (4), the lid element (4) being designed as part of the outer box, an inner layer (3), at least two segments (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) of the inner layer (3), it being possible for these segments to be folded in relation to one another, being arranged in each case parallel to at least two walls of the outer layer (2), and part of the cover element (4) at least partially covering over the inner layer (3) in a closed state, and further comprising a closure flap (7) arranged on a first of the segments (3a) of the inner layer, the closure flap (7) interacting with a counterpart (6), which is arranged on the cover element (4), for the purpose of securing the cover element (4) in a releasable manner, and a top edge (22) of the first segment (3a) being set back in relation to a top edge of another segment (3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) in respect of an underside of the closed cover element (4).

Description

container

The invention relates to a container, in particular for free-flowing goods such as detergent according to the preamble of claim 1. From the prior art, a variety of cardboard for the purpose of storage and transport of free-flowing goods are known, including those by means of a From cardboard trained closure cover closable lid. In most cases, such containers are formed from a single blank, wherein the closure means and the associated lid parts are arranged on this blank.

No. 5,256,799 describes a resealable cardboard with an inner frame, wherein the inner frame has a plurality of segments, wherein on one of the segments by means of pre-punching a closing tab and the closing tab associated counterpart is formed, the counterpart in an originally unopened state of the carton with the Closing tab is connected and glued to the other with an inner side of a lid member of the carton. In addition, a folding behind the front wall of the inner frame auxiliary tab is provided, wherein the auxiliary tab is hinged to the front wall of the inner frame. As a result, the counterpart in the closed state lies within the plane of a front wall of the inner frame.

It is the object of the invention to provide a container mentioned above, which is resealable in a particularly reliable manner.

This object is achieved with the characterizing features of claim 1. As a result of the return movement of the upper edge, a distance is created between the cover element and the upper edge, so that the interaction of the closing strap with the counterpart arranged on the cover element is more reliable. By an elastic deflection of the lid member when closing a snapping the closing tab is secured behind the counterpart even after prolonged use of the container. In addition, can be adjusted in the closed state with a suitable positioning of closing tab and counterpart a resilient deflection of the lid member, so that the closing tab and counterpart are biased against each other. In general, a gap remains between the upper edge of the inner layer and underside of the cover element.

In a preferred embodiment, the inner layer and the outer layer are made of cardboard material, the material of the inner layer having a greater rigidity than the material of the outer layer. Thus, for example, the inner layer can be printed inexpensively with conventional machines, whereas the inner layer significantly contributes to the rigidity of the container and thus to the stackability for transport. In addition, total weight and material is saved if the inner layer comprises only vertical walls of the container, since an increased mechanical load usually only occurs in this vertical direction of the container.

In a further preferred embodiment, the container has front walls and side walls, wherein a front wall is one which has a greater width than the widest side wall. The term "front wall" is thus independent of the possible printing of the container.

Advantageously, the closing flap in the region of a front wall of the container is arranged substantially centrally and has a width of not more than 70%, particularly preferably not more than about 50%, of the width of the front wall. This ensures that no excessively large forces must be expended when opening the box for the first time or even during repeated opening of the box, which would cause damage to the material. In a particularly advantageous container, the outer layer comprises at least one tearable strip element, by means of which an edge region of the lid element is defined for the purpose of a first opening of the container. This facilitates the control of the original condition of the container. In addition, increased security against leakage in the original unopened state of the container is ensured.

In a further preferred embodiment, the inner layer and the outer layer are fixed to each other, in particular by means of bonding.

Preferably, the counterpart is in the originally unopened state of the container via a line of weakness integrally connected to the inner layer. This allows for the production or folding of the container precise positioning of the counterpart and also provides an additional means of control by sealing the container. For the same reasons, the counterpart is advantageously fixed in particular by means of adhesion to an inner surface of the cover element.

In a first preferred embodiment of the container, the counterpart has the form of a bridge, which is connected in the originally unopened state via two legs with the inner layer. This makes it possible to arrange the closing tab on a top edge of the inner layer, which may be desired depending on the requirements. Alternatively or additionally, the counterpart in the originally unopened state can advantageously be connected to an edge of the different segment which is at least partially recessed relative to the first segment.

Generally, it can be advantageously provided that the inner layer has an additional tab, by means of which folding a local thickening of the inner layer can be formed. As a result, an improved stacking or feeding of the container blanks in the course of a machine folding of the container is made possible. Further advantages and features of a container according to the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below and from the dependent claims.

Hereinafter, two preferred embodiments will be described and explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a container according to the invention in an open state.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the blank of an outer box or the outer layer of the container from FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the blank of the inner layer of the container of FIG. 1. FIG.

The container 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an outer box folded from an outer layer 2 into which an inner frame folded from an inner layer 3 is inserted. The outer box comprises a cover element 4, which is pivotally connected to the rest of the outer box via a bending edge 4a and which has an edge region 4b which has been formed by previously tearing off a tear-off strip element 5 (see FIG. 2) and the separation between cover element 4 and representing remaining outer container.

In the closed state, the cover element 4 covers a region of the inner layer 3 protruding beyond the edge 4b of the outer box 3. A counterpart 6 consisting of the material of the inner layer 3 is glued to the inside of a front section of the cover element 4. This counterpart 6 corresponds to a closing tab 7, which is arranged at a front upper edge 22 of the inner layer 3 in the form of an extension of the inner layer 3 connected via a bending line. The closing tab 7 is folded forwards, so that it is in the closed state of the container 1 between see the inner layer 3 and the front projection 4c of the lid member 4 is located and abuts an upper edge 6a of the counterpart 6. When the cover element 4 is pulled up, the closing flap is then pivoted upwards due to the butt joint and at the same time the inner layer 3, which is double at this point, and the front part of the cover 4 are pushed away from one another. After overcoming a maximum resistance then the lid snaps on, with the closing tab 7 springs back in an obliquely downwardly inclined position.

The closing of the lid, in which the closing tab jumps behind the abutting edge 6a of the counterpart, is accompanied by an audible noise.

The inner layer 3 has a total of five segments 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e (see also Fig. 3), which are folded over crease lines or creasing lines 8 in the folded state in each case by 90 degrees relative to an adjacent segment. The segment 3b and the segment 3c overlap in the folded state and are glued together, so that these two segments together form a side wall of the inner layer. The closing flap 7 has been fixed to the first segment 3a via a score line 7a or has been left standing when the inner layer 3 has been cut.

The upper edge 22 of the first segment 3a associated with a front wall of the container is set back slightly relative to the upper edges 25 of the adjacent side wall segments 3b, 3e. The return movement has a size of about 3 mm, the container height is about 15 cm to 20 cm in total. In this case, when the container is closed, a clear gap of approximately 3 mm width remains between this upper edge 22 and the inner side of the upper end surface of the lid element 4, since the upper edges remain substantially over the entire width of the upper edge 22 of the front wall of the inner layer 3 25 of the adjacent segments abut flush against the inner surface of the lid member 4. For the safe closure of the Container, the user can thus exert an increased pressure on the front upper portion of the lid member, after which this resiliently yields and the closing tab 7 and the counterpart 6 securely engage with each other. Upon release of the pressure, the lid edge then moves back, whereby, depending on the fine positioning of the counterpart on the lid member 4, a bias of the counterpart 6 results against the closing tab 7. Especially in the case of still new and therefore tight containers, a simplified release of the cover element can thereby be made possible in individual cases: The user pushes down the lid using the existing gap resiliently and pulls the edge of the lid to the outside to a first tilting of the closing tab 7 Ü overcoming the present in the closed state dead center or Cl- bertotpunktlage the closing tab 7 to achieve. Subsequently, the lid can be pulled up with less effort.

In the production of the folded container from the blanks 2, 3, the closing flap 7 is folded over from the blank shown in FIG. 3 to the front. The counterpart 6, which is initially connected to the blank 3, is likewise folded over to the front and adhesively bonded to the closed cover element 4 secured by the strip element 5. Upon a first opening of the cover element 4, after the strip element 5 has previously been removed, the counterpart 6 tears off its weakening line 6b and subsequently remains connected only to the cover element 4 through the bond. Originally (see FIG. 3), the U-shaped counterpart 6 with two legs 6c was respectively connected to the upper edge 22 of the segment 3a. The connection 6b is designed in the manner of a predetermined crack point, for example by perforation or partial incision. Between the legs 6c of the counterpart 6, the closing tab 7 is disposed on the upper edge 22, wherein counterpart 6 and closing tab 7 are not fixed directly to each other, but are flush against each other.

The inner layer 3 also includes within the segment 3c an additional tab 21, which as a cut on three sides and on the fourth side with a crease line provided rectangle is formed. This additional tab is folded over for the purpose of stacking the blanks of the inner layer 3. In cooperation with the folding of the closing tab 7 and the counterpart 6 thus a more uniform stacking is made possible, which facilitates the automatic feeding of the blank in a machine folding and filling of the container 1.

The outer box is folded from the outer blank or the outer layer 2 (see also Fig.2), which has a front wall 10, connect to the creasing lines 8 right and left side walls 11, 12, wherein the one side wall 11 turn a rear wall 13 of the container 1 connects. The rear wall 13 has an adhesive tab 15, by means of which the stepwise by 90 degrees to each other kinked segments 10, 11, 12, 13 of the outer box are glued together to form a closed peripheral wall. The strip element 5 extends over both side walls 11, 12 and the front wall 10. Each of the walls 10, 11, 12, 13 has on each of its end faces in each case a divided off creasing lines 23 tab 10 a, 10 b, 11 a, 11 b, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b. In this case, the lid member from the tabs 10a, 11a, 12a, 13a and separated by the tearable strip 5 areas of the walls 10, 11, 12 is formed. A bottom of the container is formed by the tabs 10b, 11b, 12b, 13b.

In general, it is to be understood that the drawings of the patterns of Figs. 2 and 3 are to scale. It can also be seen that the closing tab 7 have a width of less than 30% of the width of the first segment 3a and the length of the upper edge 22.

Claims

claims

1. container, in particular for free-flowing goods such as detergent, comprising an outer layer (2), wherein by the outer layer (2) an outer box is formed with at least six walls, a swing-lid element (4), wherein the cover element (4) is formed as part of the outer box, an inner layer (3), wherein at least two mutually bendable segments (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) of the inner layer (3) each parallel to at least two walls of the outer layer (2) are arranged, and wherein a part of the cover element (4) in a closed state, the inner layer (3) at least partially covers, and arranged on a first of the segments (3a) of the inner layer closing tab (7), wherein the closing tab (7 ) cooperates with a counterpart (6) arranged on the cover element (4) for the purpose of releasably fixing the cover element (4), characterized in that an upper edge (22) of the first segment (3a) with respect to an underside of the closed lid member (4) is recessed from an upper edge of another segment (3b, 3c, 3d, 3e).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that inner layer (3) and outer layer (2) consist of cardboard material, wherein the material of the inner layer (3) has a greater rigidity than the material of the outer layer (2).

3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the closing flap (7) in the region of a front wall (10) is arranged substantially centrally and has a width of not more than about 70% of the width of the front wall (10) ,

4. A container according to claim 3, characterized in that the closing flap (7) has a width of not more than about 50% of the width of the front wall (10).

5. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer layer (2) comprises at least one tearable strip element (5), by means of which an edge region of the lid member for the purpose of a first opening of the container is releasable.

6. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner layer (3) and the outer layer (2) are fixed to each other, in particular by means of bonding.

7. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the counterpart (6) in the originally unopened state via a weakening line (6b) is integrally connected to the inner (3) layer.

8. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the counterpart (6c) by means of adhesion to an inner surface of the lid member (4) is fixed.

9. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the counterpart (6) has the shape of an arc, which is connected in the originally unopened state via two legs with the inner layer (3).

10. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner layer (3) has an additional tab (21), by means of which folding over a local thickening of the inner layer (3) can be formed.