Easy accessible box with reversible display surface

Abstract

A box having a bottom panel, a rear panel, a front panel and two pairs of opposed side panels in which two pair of opposed side panels in which two pair of triangular connecting panels each have a fold line such that when the folding panel portions are folded inwardly or outwardly, the other panels move upwardly to form the box or downwardly, respectively to enable access to the contents of the box.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed to a box for packaging and shipping objects which in one aspect of the present invention provides accessibility to the packaged objects through multiple collapsible side panels. In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a display surface which can be used by the recipient of the box as a display surface such as for a return address panel for returning the contents therein or for use of the box as a gift box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Shipping boxes are well known in the art and are designed to enable the packaged object to be removed by lifting the object out of the box. Since some objects are difficult to remove either because of excessive weight or because of their shape or size, it would be desirable to provide a box which would facilitate removal of the object without having to lift the object out of the box.

[0003] Boxes are typically made of corrugated kraft material. Such boxes have a strictly packaging and shipping function wherein the outside of the box is provided with a shipping label, return address and the like. When a consumer wishes to return the packaged object, it is often necessary to get a new box for this purpose or to use the old box by taping over or otherwise obliterating the original address information. It would be an advantage to provide a box which contains a display surface which may be used for return shipping information or other information of value to the purchaser printed on an accessible surface of the box. Alternatively, the display surface can contain decorative material so that the box may be used as a gift box at a later time. In this way, the purchaser could employ the same box for returning the packaged object by simply exposing the pre-printed surface as part of the return shipping container or may later use the box as a gift box to wrap and ship a present or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention is generally directed to a box for storing and shipping objects in which the box is comprised of panels which are connected to each other through two pair of triangular connecting panels to enable the box to be constructed in a rapid manner and then disassembled in a flat condition for storing or discarding. In a further aspect of the box of the present invention, one or more surfaces of the box may be used as a display surface. The display surface can have pre-printed information (such as an address label) in which the display surface can be exposed to enable the consumer to utilize the box for return shipping or other purposes. The display surface may contain decorative materials so that the box may be used as a gift box.

[0005] In a particular aspect of the present invention, there is provided a box comprising:

[0006] a) a bottom panel, a rear panel, a front panel and two pair of opposed side panels which are operably connected to the bottom panel to enable the panels to be folded into the box; and

[0007] b) two pair of triangular connecting panels, one pair of said triangular connecting panels operatively engaged to the front panel and one of the side panels and the other pair of said triangular connecting panels operatively engaged to the rear panel and the other of the side panels, each triangular connecting panel having a fold line along an axis thereof forming two smaller substantially identical folding panel portions wherein when the folding panel portions are folded inwardly, the front panel, rear panel and side panels are moved upwardly to form the box and when the panel portions are folded outwardly, the front panel, rear panel and side panels move downwardly enabling access to the contents of the box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The following drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts are illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention as set forth in the broadest description of the invention herein.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a top view of an blank for forming an embodiment of the box of the present invention; and

[0010] FIG. 2 is a top view of the blank for forming another embodiment of the box of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of a box in accordance with the present invention is shown with respect to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a blank which when the respective panels as described below are folded together form a box suitable for shipping a packaged object. The blank 2 includes opposed side panels 4 comprised of front side panel portions 6 and rear side panel portions 8. There is also provided a front panel 10 and a rear panel 12 each composed of respective front and rear panel portions 14 and 16. A bottom panel 18 is provided in the center of the blank and is connected via fold lines with the respective front panel portions 6 and 14.

[0012] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided two pair of opposed connecting panels 20 and 22, respectively. In this regard, it is an important aspect of the present invention for the side panels 8, front panel 10 and rear panel 12 to be easily moved downwardly to provide access to the storage area provided by the box to reach the packaged object. It is a further aspect of the present invention to enable the box to be readily converted to the blank shown in FIG. 1 by disengaging the various panels from each other to enable the box to collapse into the blank. As specifically shown in FIG. 1, the front panel 10 is connected to the respective side panels 4 through a pair of connecting panels 20 and 22. Each connecting panel 20, 22 has a fold line 24 which essentially divides the connecting panels 20 and 22 into connecting panel portions 20a and 20b and 22a and 22b. The panel portion 20a is operatively connected to the front panel 10 via a fold line and the panel portion 20b is operatively connected to the respective side panels 4 through respective fold lines. In particular, the connecting panel portion 20a is connected to the panel portion 14 of the front panel 10 while the connecting panel portion 20b is connected to the panel portion 6 of the side panel 4. When pressure is exerted against the fold line 24 so that the panel portions 20a and 20b fold upon each other, the front panel 10 is lifted into a box forming position. When the connecting panel portions 20a and 20b are folded away from each other in an extended position as shown in FIG. 1, the front panel 10 lies flat.

[0013] The same is true for the respective connecting panel portions 22a and 22b. When they are folded one upon the other, the rear panel 12 is raised into the box forming position and when pressure is exerted against the fold line 24 in the opposite direction the connecting panel portions 22a and 22b are folded away from each other and the rear panel 12 is forced to lie flat as shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] In a similar manner, movement of the respective panel portions 20a and 20b and 22a and 22b result in the raising or lowering of the side panels 4 continguous with the front panel 10 and the rear panel 12.

[0015] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, when the connecting panels 22 are moved to raise the respective panels 4, 10 and 12 into the upright position, a box will be formed. The rear panel portions 8 of the side panels 4 will be folded together over the bottom panel 18 in overlapping relationship. In a similar manner, the panel portions 16 are folded together over the bottom panel 18 and above the rear panel portions 8. The panel portions 16 may be provided with an adhesive strip 26 to secure one panel portion 16 to the other alone or in combination with tabs 28 having an adhesive thereon which can be secured to the underside of the opposed panel portion 16. Other methods of securing the front panel 10 to the rear panel 12 can be used such as glues, staples and the like.

[0016] The fully constructed box can be made from the blank shown in FIG. 1 by raising the respective panels 4, 10 and 12 and then folding the panel portions 8 of the side panels 4 inwardly so that they overlap each other followed by folding the panel portions 16 of the front and rear panels 10 and 12 into overlapping relationship above the overlapped panel portions 8. The adhesive strip 26 of the front panel 10 can be used to secure to the rear panel 12 and the panel portion 16 of the rear panel 12 can employ adhesive tabs 28 which are secured to the bottom surface of the panel portion 16 of the rear panel 10.

[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the bottom panel 18 may be provided with printed indicia such as a return address label, advertisement or the like. In one aspect of the present invention, the use of fold lines to connect the various panels enables the bottom panel to extend upwardly (i.e. the panels 4, 10 and 12 are folded in the opposite direction) so that the upper surface of the bottom panel 18 becomes the top surface of the box. If the bottom panel is printed with a return address label, the user merely folds the various panels in the opposite direction to place the bottom panel as an upper surface of the box equipped with a pre-printed return address label.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 2, the front panel 10 is provided with only a single panel portion 14. In this embodiment of the invention, the rear panel has a panel portion 16 which serves as the top of the box when the panels are folded upwardly into the box forming position. The panel portion 16 may be secured to the panel portion 14 of the front panel 10 by an adhesive strip 30.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A box comprising: a) a bottom panel, a rear panel, a front panel and two pair of opposed side panels which are operatively connected to the bottom panel to enable the panels to be folded into the box; and b) two pair of triangular connecting panels, one pair of said triangular connecting panels operatively engaged to the front panel and one of the side panels and the other pair of said triangular connecting panels operatively engaged to the rear panel and the other of the side panels, each triangular connecting panel having a fold line along an axis thereof forming two smaller substantially identical folding panel portions wherein when the folding panel portions are folded inwardly, the front panel, rear panel and side panels are moved upwardly to form the box and when the panel portions are folded outwardly, the front panel, rear panel and side panels move downwardly enabling access to the contents of the box.

2. The box of claim 1 wherein each of the side panels comprise a first side panel portion connected to the bottom panel through a fold line and a second panel portion connected to the first panel portion, said triangular connecting panels being operatively engaged to the first side panel portion through a fold line.

3. The box of claim 1 wherein each of the front and rear panels each comprise a first panel portion connected to the bottom panel through a fold line and a second panel portion connected to the first panel portion, said triangular connecting panels being operatively engaged to the first panel portion through a fold line.

4. The box of claim 1 wherein the second panel portions of the side panels are foldable into a position overlapping each other to form a top panel.

5. The box of claim 1 wherein the second panel portions of the front and rear panels are foldable into a position overlapping each other.

6. The box of claim 4 wherein the second panel portions of the front and rear panels are foldable into a position overlapping each other and are superimposed over the overlapped second panel portions of the side panels.

7. The box of claim 5 further comprising an attachment means for securing the second panel portions of the front and rear panels together in the overlapped position.

8. The box of claim 7 wherein the attachment means is reversible enabling the second panel portions to disengage from each other.

9. The box of claim 1 comprising fold lines connecting the bottom panel, the rear panel, the front panel, side panels and connecting panels enabling the box to be folded from a first position in which an upper surface of the bottom panel is contained with in the box to a second position wherein the upper surface of the bottom panel forms an outer surface of the box.

10. The box of claim 1 wherein at least one of the panels has an inside surface having printed indicia thereon.

11. The box of claim 10 wherein the bottom panel has an inside surface having printed indicia thereon.