WO2011110222A1

WO2011110222A1 - Box formed from a single piece of cardboard and having an internal panel removable with the box open

Info

Publication number: WO2011110222A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/053041
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carmelo Lo Duca
Original assignee: Gi.Bi.Effe S.R.L.
Priority date: 2010-03-10
Filing date: 2010-03-10
Publication date: 2011-09-15
Also published as: EP2544954B1; EP2544954A1

Abstract

A box formed from a single piece of cardboard and having an internal panel which can be removed via the box lid when open. The panel consists of at least two panel portions foldable one onto the other about a folding line which separates them, at least one of the surfaces of said panel portions carrying writing or information relative to the product which the box is intended to contain.

Description

BOX FORMED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF CARDBOARD AND HAVING AN INTERNAL PANEL REMOVABLE WITH THE BOX OPEN

The present invention relates to a box formed from a single piece of punched, crease-lined and knurled cardboard, having in its interior a panel which can be removed from the box via its lid (when in its open position), the panel carrying writing or information relative to the product which the box is intended to contain. U.S. 6,702,108, U.S. 6,923,315, U.S. 6,923,366 and published application U.S 2007/0199982, and the corresponding EP1321369, EP 1346922, EP 1371565 and EP 1826129, and also EP 1386845 describe boxes housing an illustrative leaflet (relative to the product contained in each box) which is folded on itself and can be extracted from the box only with extreme difficulty, to then be again inserted into it after the user has opened the leaflet, spread it out and again folded it on itself after reading it; moreover, the leaflet inserted into the box after folding on itself is extremely bulky and creates considerable problems when inserting into the box - using high speed automatic machines - the products (such as bottles, blister strips or the like) which the box is intended to contain.

US 3625412A describes a box formed from a single piece of cardboard, comprising four external lateral walls defining a cavity closable at its two ends by lids projecting laterally from said external lateral walls, from one of which there also projects an internal lateral wall (21 ) which extends into the box interior, said lateral walls being separated from each other by parallel folding lines, from the inner lateral wall (21 ) there projecting a panel (26, 27) which is separated from the wall by a transverse knurled or breaking line (25') perpendicular to said longitudinal folding lines: the lateral panel (26) is folded into the box about the knurled line (25'), so as to be positioned or inserted between the internal wall (21 ) and the opposing external lateral wall of the box.

The panel (26) can be extracted from the box after breaking the knurled line (25'), this being difficult to do because the knurling extends in the same direction as that in which the panel (26) has to be pulled with two fingers in order to be extracted from the box.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a box forming in its interior a removable panel having writing printed thereon which can be read by the user after very easily detaching this panel from the remaining portion of the box (to which it is connected along a breaking or knurled line inclined to the direction along which the removable panel can be pulled out of the box), the panel then being very easily reinserted into the box, this being enabled by the fact that the panel is sufficiently thin and rigid (it being made from the same cardboard as forms the box) as to be able to be thrust into the box without bending or deforming, but sliding freely between two parallel walls of the box, without interfering with the products enclosed in the box.

These and other objects are attained by a box formed from a single piece of cardboard, comprising four consecutive external lateral walls defining a cavity closable at its two ends by lids projecting laterally from said external lateral walls from which there extend two lateral walls internal to the box and an end tab, all the lateral walls and the end tab being separated from each other by parallel longitudinal folding lines, characterised in that from one of said internal lateral walls there projects a panel separated from the wall by a breakable transverse knurled line perpendicular to said longitudinal folding lines and about which knurled line the panel is folded into the box interior so as to be interposed between that inner wall from which the panel projects and the opposing external lateral wall of the box, the internal lateral wall adjacent to that wall from which said panel projects being superposed on that external lateral wall which is further from that wall from which said internal lateral walls extend, said tab being glued to that external lateral wall which, within the box, opposes that external lateral wall onto which said internal lateral wall is superposed.

Preferably said panel is divided by longitudinal folding lines into at least two superposed panel portions, at least one of said panel portions being joined via said knurled line to that internal lateral wall adjacent to said panel portion.

Advantageously, an elongate appendix extends from said panel, on the opposite side to that on which said knurled line is provided, and is grippable from the outside of the box when this is open; said appendix extending from the same end of the box as that from which a box lid extends.

The box structure and characteristics will be more apparent from the ensuing non- limiting description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of one of the sides of a piece of punched, crease-lined and knurled cardboard usable for forming the box;

Figures from 2 to 6 represent the same piece of cardboard shown in its successive folding steps to form a box, of which

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an end portion of the box in a partially open state; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7, through a finished box open at both its ends;

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the two end portions of the box in its closed state; Figure 10 is similar to Figure 8, but shows the completely open box on commencement of extraction therefrom of the panel forming the characteristic part of the box; and

Figures 1 1 and 12 are perspective views of the panel completely extracted from the box, in its two different positions of use.

Reference will firstly be made to Figure 1 which shows a piece of punched, crease-lined and knurled cardboard comprising six panels 1 -6 (of which hereinafter those indicated by the numbers 1 and 2 will be known as "internal lateral walls" and those indicated by the numbers 3-6 will be known as "external lateral walls") and an end tab 7, separated from each other by parallel crease lines (i.e. by longitudinal folding lines 8-13). From the wall 1 a panel 14 projects, separated from said wall by a breakable transverse knurled line 15 perpendicular to said longitudinal folding lines 8-13.

From the side of the panel 14 there projects a panel 16 (which is slightly shorter longitudinally than the panel 14 and is separated therefrom by a longitudinal crease line 17: the two panels 14 and 16 hence form two separate portions of one and the same panel, they being foldable one onto the other about the crease line 17. Evidently a further panel (not shown in the drawing) can project from the panel 16, separated from it by a folding line parallel to the line 17, and a further panel (not shown) can project from that longitudinal side of the panel 14 parallel to and opposite the crease line 17.

An elongate appendix 18 extends from the panel 14 (from the opposite side to that comprising the knurled line 15), separated therefrom by a short transverse crease line 19, a cut 20 being provided in the panel 16.

Finally it can be seen that lids 21 and respectively 22 project from the walls 3 and respectively 5 (one from one side and the other from the other side of the piece of cardboard) and are separated from these walls by transverse crease lines 23, 24; from both sides of the walls 4 and 6 there projecting flaps all indicated by the number 25 and separated from the walls 4, 6 by transverse crease lines, not numbered for simplicity.

To form a box from the piece of cardboard shown in Figure 1 , the panel portion 16 is firstly folded onto the panel portion 14 (Figure 2), then the panel 14, 16 is folded (by rotating it about the knurled line 15) below the wall 1 (Figure 3), then the tab 7 is folded (by rotating it about the crease line 8) onto the wall 1 and a glue strip (shown by dots but not numbered for simplicity) is applied to the upwardly facing (with respect to the drawings) surface of said tab 7 (Figure 4).

The piece of cardboard is then folded about the crease line 10 to superpose the walls 1 , 2 onto the walls 4 and respectively 3 (so fixing the tab 7 onto the wall 4), then two glue strips (shown by dots in the drawing but not numbered for simplicity) are applied to the upwardly facing surface of the wall 2 (Figure 5).

Finally the piece of cardboard is rotated about the crease line 12 (Figure 6) to superpose the wall 5 onto the panel portion 16 and the wall 6 onto the wall 2, on which said wall 6 is fixed by the glue strips previously applied to the wall 2.

At this point the production (performed by a box production firm using automatic machines) of the box (shown flattened in Figure 6) has ended: the firm which intends to use the box exerts a counteracting pressure - in the direction indicated by the two arrows A,A in Figure 6 - on the two crease lines 10, 12 to make the box assume a cylindrical form, with quadrangular cross-section. An end portion of the finished box is shown in perspective view in Figure 7 with the lid 22 facing downwards and with the appendix 18 resting thereon, the two flaps 25 being in a position folded towards the box interior.

Reference will now be made to Figure 8 showing a longitudinal section through the entire box, taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7, but with both the lids and all the flaps open and coplanar with the respective walls from which they project: from this Figure it can be seen that the two panel portions 14, 16 are positioned between the walls 1 and 5, with the panel portion 14 in contact with the wall 1 (to which it is joined along the knurled line 15) and with the panel portion 16 in contact with the wall 5. With the box in this state (Figure 8), the product to be contained in the box (for example blister packs, not shown in the drawings) can be easily inserted into the box through that open end where the lid 21 is provided: starting from this state, the box can be easily closed (Figure 9). When the lid 22 is rotated upwards about the crease line 24, it drags with it and rotates upwards the appendix 18, which rotates about the crease line 19 separating it from the panel portion 14. The box can hence be closed, to assume the state shown in longitudinal section in Figure 9.

It will now be assumed that the made-up box has the flaps 25 and the lid 22 open (as shown in Figure 8): the appendix 18 is and will remain (by the effect of the elasticity of the cardboard) in the position shown in Figure 8 and, more generally (after the box has been opened after being closed), in the slightly raised position of Figure 7. The appendix 18 can be gripped with two fingers of one hand and be pulled in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 10, hence tearing the cardboard along the transverse knurled line 15 (which joined the wall 1 to the wall panel 14): the two panel portions 14, 16 (which are joined together at the longitudinal crease line 17) can hence be easily extracted from the box (together with the appendix 18), to hence form a cardboard piece folded on itself (Figure 1 1 ) which is separated from the remainder of the box and can be opened by rotating the two panel portions one relative to the other about the crease line 17.

In the box embodiment shown in the drawings, the two panel portions 14, 16 can be retained in the closed position, i.e. retained one on the other, by the appendix 18 the free end of which can be inserted into the cut 20 of the panel part 16, after rotating the appendix 18 about the crease line 19 (Figure 12): the two panel portions 14, 16 can hence be easily preserved (for example in a handbag or in a jacket pocket) to easily have available the writing, designs, instructions, information or the like previously printed on only one or even on all the surfaces of the panel portions 14, 16.

If required, the two panel portions 14, 16 folded one on the other (and with the appendix 18 extracted from the cut 20 and kept extended as shown in Figure 1 1 ) can be very easily (because sufficiently rigid and thin overall) reinserted into the pocket defined by the two walls 1 and 5 (which would not be possible or comfortable if instead an illustrative paper leaflet were to be inserted into this pocket and which would have to be folded several times on Itself, giving it a much greater thickness than that of the two described panel portions, hence requiring a pocket of much larger dimensions than that shown in the accompanying drawings). Precisely because of the fact that the pocket is of very small thickness, insertion into the box of the products which it is to contain is greatly facilitated, this being a very great advantage compared with the known art.

It should also be noted that the appendix 18 could also not be provided, in which case the panel portions could be gripped and dragged by two fingers, of which one must be positioned in the recess 50 of the wall 1 and the other must be inserted between the wall 5 and the panel portion adjacent to it. In addition, after being folded one on the other as shown in Figure 2, the two panel portions 14, 16, instead of being rotated below the wall 1 (as previously described), could be rotated above this wall (as is evident and need not be described in detail herein), in which case the panel portion 14 would be in contact with the wall 5 and the panel portion 6 would be in contact with the wall 1 and be interposed between said wall 1 and the panel portion 14 in the pocket of the finished box.

Claims

1 . A box formed from a single piece of cardboard, comprising four consecutive external lateral walls (3-6) defining a cavity closable at its two ends by lids (21 , 22) projecting laterally from said external lateral walls (3-6) from which there extend two lateral walls (1 , 2) internal to the box and an end tab (7), all the lateral walls (1 - 6) and the end tab (7) being separated from each other by parallel longitudinal folding lines (8-13), characterised in that from one of said internal lateral walls (1 ) there projects a panel (14) separated from the wall by a breakable transverse knurled line (15) perpendicular to said longitudinal folding lines (8-13) and about which knurled line the panel (14) is folded into the box interior so as to be interposed between the that inner wall (1 ) from which the panel (14) projects and the opposing external lateral wall (4) of the box, the internal lateral wall (2) adjacent to that wall (1 ) from which said panel (14) projects being superposed on that external lateral wall (6) which is further from that wall (3) from which said internal lateral walls (1 , 2) extend, said tab (7) being glued to that external lateral wall (4) which, within the box, opposes that external lateral wall (6) onto which said internal lateral wall (2) is superposed.

2. A box as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that said panel (14) is divided by longitudinal folding lines (15) into at least two superposed panel portions (14,

16), at least one of said panel portions being joined via said breakable knurled line to that internal lateral wall adjacent to said panel portion.

3. A box as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that an elongate appendix (18) extends from said panel (14), on the opposite side to that on which said knurled line (15) is provided, and is grippable from the outside of the box when this is open.

4. A box as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said appendix (18) extends from the same end of the box as that from which a box lid (21 ) extends.