U.S. patent application number 11/553663 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-10 for box with lid breakable by tearing and enabling the lid to be easily and securely closed again after its initial opening.
This patent application is currently assigned to GI.BI.EFFE S.r.I.. Invention is credited to Carmelo Lo Duca.
Application Number | 20070102499 11/553663 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37744377 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070102499 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lo Duca; Carmelo |
May 10, 2007 |
BOX WITH LID BREAKABLE BY TEARING AND ENABLING THE LID TO BE EASILY
AND SECURELY CLOSED AGAIN AFTER ITS INITIAL OPENING
Abstract
Box formed from a single piece of punched, crease-lined and
knurled cardboard and provided with a lid breakable by tearing and
shaped to enable the lid to be easily and securely closed again
after it has been opened for the first time. The lid is separated
from an adjacent panel of the box by a folding line and is fixed to
an underlying internal panel of the same box by a thin continuous
strip of glue applied in proximity of said lid folding line.
Inventors: |
Lo Duca; Carmelo; (Milano,
IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND, MAIER & NEUSTADT, P.C.
1940 DUKE STREET
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
GI.BI.EFFE S.r.I.
Milano
IT
|
Family ID: |
37744377 |
Appl. No.: |
11/553663 |
Filed: |
October 27, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/229 ;
229/223 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/541 20130101;
B65D 5/0254 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/229 ;
229/223 |
International
Class: |
B65D 17/00 20060101
B65D017/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 4, 2005 |
IT |
MI2005A 002097 |
Claims
1. A box formed in one piece from a sheet of punched, crease-lined
and knurled cardboard or the like, comprising: four consecutive
main panels and a secondary panel projecting from the fourth main
panel, these panels being separated from each other by longitudinal
parallel folding lines, and two side closure panels and flaps
projecting from the ends of respective main panels and separated
from them by transverse folding lines perpendicular to said
longitudinal folding lines, the fourth main panel and the secondary
panel being folded about the longitudinal folding line which
separates the third from the fourth main panel to be superposed on
the third panel, the first main panel being folded about the
longitudinal folding line which separates it from the adjacent
second main panel so that the first main panel is superposed on the
secondary panel, onto which a portion of said first panel is fixed
by glue, in the first main panel there being provided a breakable
knurling bounding a lid openable by tearing and rotatable about the
longitudinal folding line which separates the first from the second
main panel, from said lid and from the opposite side of the folding
line which joins it to the adjacent second main panel of the box
there extending a projection defined by a cut provided in the first
main panel, in the secondary panel there being provided a cut
defining a slot into which said projection is insertable and is
retained to maintain the box closed after the lid has been opened
following breakage of the knurling bounding the lid, wherein said
glue which fixes the first panel to the secondary panel is applied
as a applied as a continuous thin strip on said secondary panel
along and in proximity to the folding line which separates it from
the fourth main panel.
2. A box as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the first panel is also
joined to the secondary panel by further glue spots applied in
proximity to the free edge of the secondary panel outside that
region thereof on which said lid is superposable in the closed box.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a box formed in one piece
from a sheet of punched, crease-lined and knurled cardboard or
similar flexible material, of the type having side closure panels
of high resistance to opening, with flaps positioned below and in
contact with the closure panels when these are closed, with,
projecting from them, a tab which is inserted into the box, this
tab being folded relative to the panel about a folding line, the
ends of which present cuts into which said flaps extend to retain
the tab in a closed position.
[0003] 2. Discussion of the Background
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,374, EP-B-0709293 and EP-A-1340684 (all
incorporated herein as reference) describe boxes apparently similar
to that of the present invention, these boxes having side closure
panels with high resistance to opening, from said panels there
projecting tabs which are inserted into and retained in the
respective box when made up and closed.
[0005] The present invention provides a box of the aforesaid type,
comprising a main panel of relatively large dimensions, in which
knurlings are provided bounding a lid openable by tearing, the lid
remaining connected to the rest of the box along a folding line
about which the lid can be rotated from a closed to an open
position, there projecting from the lid an appendix or projection
insertable into a cut provided in an underlying secondary panel of
the box, to be retained therein with the lid closed, after the lid
has been opened for the first time following breakage of the
knurlings which bound it in the panel in which it was provided.
[0006] A box of this type is illustrated in the patent application
US 2005/0116016A1 published on 2 Jun. 2005, but presents the
drawback that the knurling which bounds the lid in the closed box
while still whole can be easily and accidentally broken if the
surface of the panel in which the lid is provided is pressed; in
addition, closing the box after it has been opened (after breaking
the knurling which bounds it in the box panel) represents a very
difficult and unstable operation, because that panel below the box
lid and in which the cut is provided for inserting and retaining
the lid appendix is freely rotatable towards the box interior.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The main object of the present invention is therefore to
provide a box with a lid openable by tearing, in which the lid can
be easily closed after having been opened and in which the panel
containing the lid is securely fixed to the underlying secondary
panel in which the cut for insertion of the lid appendix is
provided.
[0008] These and further objects are attained by a box
comprising:
[0009] four consecutive main panels and a secondary panel
projecting from the fourth main panel, these panels being separated
from each other by longitudinal parallel folding lines, and
[0010] two side closure panels and flaps projecting from the ends
of respective main panels and separated from them by transverse
folding lines perpendicular to said longitudinal folding lines,
[0011] the fourth main panel and the secondary panel being folded
about the longitudinal folding line which separates the third from
the fourth main panel to be superposed on the third panel, the
first main panel being folded about the longitudinal folding line
which separates it from the adjacent second main panel so that the
first main panel is superposed on the secondary panel, onto which a
portion of said first panel is fixed by glue,
[0012] in the first main panel there being provided a breakable
knurling bounding a lid openable by tearing and rotatable about the
longitudinal folding line which separates the first from the second
main panel, from said lid and from the opposite side of the folding
line which joins it to the adjacent second main panel of the box
there extending a projection defined by a cut provided in the first
main panel, in the secondary panel there being provided a cut
defining a slot into which said projection is insertable and is
retained to maintain the box closed after the lid has been opened
following breakage of the knurling bounding the lid, characterised
in that said glue which fixes the first panel to the secondary
panel is applied as a continuous thin strip on said secondary panel
along and in proximity to the folding line which separates it from
the fourth main panel. Preferably in said box the first panel is
also joined to the secondary panel by further glue spots applied in
proximity to the free edge of the secondary panel outside that
region thereof on which said lid is superposable in the closed
box.
[0013] The invention also relates to the single sheet in the form
of a single piece of punched, crease-lined and knurled cardboard or
similar flexible material for forming a box having the aforesaid
characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The structure and characteristics of the box of the
invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description of a
preferred embodiment thereof given by way of non-limiting example
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0015] FIGS. from 1 to 3 represent a punched, crease-lined and
knurled cardboard sheet shown in plan view and in its successive
respective stages of folding to form a box open and lying flat on
itself;
[0016] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a completed closed
box with its lid integral;
[0017] FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, but with its lid open and shown
in the raised position; and
[0018] FIG. 6 shows the box after its lid has been returned from
the open position of FIG. 5 to a newly closed position, even though
the knurling which originally (FIG. 4) fixed the lid to the rest of
the panel of which it formed part has been broken.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Reference will firstly be made to FIG. 1, which shows,
spread out in plan view, a piece of punched, crease-lined and
knurled cardboard comprising four consecutive main panels 1-4 and a
secondary panel 5 separated from each other by longitudinal
parallel folding (crease) lines 6-9. A side closure panel 10
projects from each of the two ends of the panel 1, a tab 11
projecting from each end of the panels 2 and 4, the closure panels
10 and the tabs 11 being separated from the respective main panels
by transverse folding lines, all indicated by the reference numeral
12.
[0020] From each panel 10 there projects a lip 13 which is
separated from the panel by a folding line 14 the two ends of which
are both incised by a short cut 15, the width of each panel 10
between the folding lines 12 and 14 relative thereto being
substantially equal to the width of the two main panels 2 and
4.
[0021] When the lips 13 are folded about the respective folding
lines 14 (which occurs when the two ends of the made-up box are
closed as in FIGS. 4-6), the ends of the tabs 11 close to their
folding lines 12 become inserted into the respective cuts 15
provided at the ends of the folding lines 14, so effectively
opposing the opening of the box side panels.
[0022] All the aforedescribed structural and functional
characteristics are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,374,
EP-B-0709293 and EP-A-1340684, incorporated herein for reference:
in particular, FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,374, FIG. 4 of
EP-B-0709293 and FIG. 6 of EP-A-1340684 show how the tabs 11 of the
box can interfere with the lip 13 to oppose opening of the side
panels 10 of the box of which they form part.
[0023] In the cardboard sheet shown in the accompanying figures it
can be seen that the panel 1 is provided with a breakable knurling
21 and a semicircular aperture 22 defining an appendix or
projection 23 which can be gripped with two fingers of a hand and
pulled outwards to break the panel 1 by tearing along said knurling
21: in this manner a lid 20 is obtained, rotatable about the
folding line 6.
[0024] It can also be seen that in the secondary panel 5 there is
provided a cut defining an aperture or slot 24 into which the
appendix or projection 23 of the rotatable lid can be inserted and
retained after it has already been opened to extract contained
articles from the completed box.
[0025] Again with reference to FIG. 1, to make up the box, the
panel 4 (and with it the secondary panel 5) is rotated about the
folding line 8 to superpose it on the panel 3, then a thin layer of
glue 25 is applied to the panel 5 in proximity to and along the
entire length of the folding line 9 (FIG. 2), after which the panel
1 is rotated about its folding line 6 to lie superposed on the
panel 5, to which it is fixed by the glue strip 25 (FIG. 3)
substantially along the entire length of the longitudinal free edge
of the panel 1.
[0026] The box manufacturer has thus terminated box production,
piles of flat mutually superposed boxes (FIG. 3) then being
despatched to the user firms which, by means of automatic machines
of known type operating at high speed, shapes each box by firstly
pressing the two opposing folding lines 6 and 9 towards each other
(so that the box cross-section becomes rectangular), then
automatically closes the two side panels 10 with the relative box
lips 13, after inserting into it the products to be contained. The
box hence assumes the shape shown in perspective view in FIG. 4, in
which the lips 13 of the box side panels are inserted into the box
in contact with the panel 3, and are securely retained thereat by
the tabs 11 (as already fully described in the aforesaid prior
patents).
[0027] A last important characteristic of the aforedescribed box is
the fact that (simultaneously with the aforedescribed glue strip
25) two separate glue spots 30 are also applied to the secondary
panel 5 (folded into the position shown in FIG. 2), in proximity to
the free edge of this panel: the position of the glue spots 30 is
such that, under the conditions in which the finished flattened box
lies (FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4-6), these glue spots 30 do not come into
contact with the lid 20, so enabling it to be lifted away from the
secondary panel 5 when the box lid is opened (FIG. 5).
[0028] It is also important to note that the panel 5 is securely
joined (glued) to the panel 1 along its free edge, superposed on
the glue strip 25, and also along the free edge of the panel 5 by
the glue spots 30. It follows that, in the finished box, the panel
5 is unable to substantially sway about the panel 1, so giving
considerable rigidity to the closed box (FIG. 4), this rigidity
being enhanced by the fact that the side closure panels 10 project
from the panel 1 (which, as stated, is substantially rigid, being
glued to the panel 5) and that the lips 13 rest on the inner
surface of the panel 3 where they are retained by the tabs 11
inserted into the cuts 15 of the side panels 10, 13.
[0029] As already stated, to open the box for the first time, the
appendix 23 is gripped with two fingers and the lid 20 lifted to
break the knurling 21 which joins it to the remainder of the panel
1.
[0030] When the lid is to be reclosed from the lid-open position
(FIG. 5), it is rotated into the position of FIG. 6 and the
appendix 23 inserted into the aperture or slot 24 of the panel 5
(FIG. 6): this operation can be carried out very easily because
that portion of the panel 5 visible (FIG. 5) in the space left free
by the lid 20 (in the panel 1) is substantially rigid, it being
prevented from flexing substantially towards the box interior by
the glue spots 30, in collaboration with the glue strip 25.
[0031] When in its position of FIG. 6, with the lid 20 reclosed in
the described manner, the lid appendix 23 is securely retained in
this position because the panel 5 is substantially rigid with the
panel 1 and because the appendix 23 is positioned (in FIG. 6) below
the panel 5 (extending through the aperture 24), while the
remaining portion of the lid is disposed above the panel 5, so that
the reclosed box (FIG. 6) has considerable stability and
rigidity.
* * * * *