U.S. patent application number 12/372292 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-27 for folding box with decorative tab.
This patent application is currently assigned to Carl Edelmann GmbH. Invention is credited to Rolf Nemec, Helmut Sieber.
Application Number | 20090212096 12/372292 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40612913 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090212096 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sieber; Helmut ; et
al. |
August 27, 2009 |
Folding Box with Decorative Tab
Abstract
A re-closable folding box of cardboard with at least one closure
is made available, which can be closed by machine without the need
to glue the closing elements. The closure comprises a cover flap
with a decorative tab, the inside surface of which comprises first
retaining means, and second retaining means formed on a body panel.
The second retaining means engages with the first retaining means
in the closed state of the closure in such a way that the closure
is held closed by the force of friction, wherein the decorative tab
covers the first and second retaining means.
Inventors: |
Sieber; Helmut; (Heidenheim,
DE) ; Nemec; Rolf; (Gerstetten, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JANSSON SHUPE & MUNGER LTD.
245 MAIN STREET
RACINE
WI
53403
US
|
Assignee: |
Carl Edelmann GmbH
Heidenheim
DE
|
Family ID: |
40612913 |
Appl. No.: |
12/372292 |
Filed: |
February 17, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/116.1 ;
229/126 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/6608
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/116.1 ;
229/126 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/00 20060101
B65D025/00; B65D 5/00 20060101 B65D005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 22, 2008 |
DE |
202008002483.8 |
Claims
1. A re-closable folding box comprising a plurality of body panels
and tabs with at least one closure, which can be closed
mechanically without the need to glue the closing elements, wherein
the closure comprises: a cover flap with a decorative tab having an
inside surface which comprises first retaining means, and second
retaining means formed on a body panel, the second retaining means
engaging with the first retaining means in a closed state of the
closure in such a way that the closure is kept closed by frictional
force, wherein the decorative tab covers the first and second
retaining means.
2. The re-closable folding box of claim 1 wherein the re-closable
folding box is made of cardboard.
3. The re-closable folding box of claim 1 wherein the first
retaining means is a retaining tab located on one side of the
decorative tab, at least part of the retaining tab is glued to an
inside surface of the decorative tab.
4. The re-closable folding box of claim 3 wherein the retaining tab
is formed by a score line on the decorative tab.
5. The re-closable folding box of claim 1 wherein the second
retaining means is formed as a tongue.
6. The re-closable folding box of claim 5 wherein the transition
between the body panel and the tongue comprises at least one open
area which enables the first retaining means to be guided along the
tongue.
7. The re-closable folding box of claim 1 wherein the second
retaining means includes at least one open area which enables the
first retaining means to be guided along the second retaining
means.
8. The re-closable folding box of claim 1 wherein the second
retaining means is glued separately to the outside surface of the
body panel.
9. The re-closable folding box of claim 1 wherein the plurality of
body panels and tabs with at least one closure form a blank.
10. The re-closable folding box of claim 9 wherein the blank is
formed as a single piece of material.
11. The re-closable folding box of claim 10 wherein the blank is
made of cardboard.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority based on German patent
application DE 20 2008 002 483.8, filed Feb. 22, 2008.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention pertains to a re-closable folding box with an
invisible closure without adhesive.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Folding boxes are playing an ever increasing role in the
packaging area of high-value products such as creams and perfumes.
So that the folding box can be brought into harmony with the claim
to quality of the product in the package, ever stricter
requirements are being imposed on the external appearance of the
packaging. One of these requirements is to provide the closure of
the re-closable folding box with an attractive decorative tab.
[0004] Known folding boxes with a decorative tab use a rubber band,
for example, to keep the box closed. This rubber band holds the
decorative tab in such a way that the closure is not visible from
the outside when the box is in the closed state. It is also
possible to use additional outer tabs, acting from right and left,
to keep the cover tab closed or to use an adhesive label, which is
glued to the closed package containing the product to give it its
final closure. Alternatively, permanently adhering glue dots can be
provided under a closing tab, which can be opened and closed
several times.
[0005] All of these known closure elements suffer from the
disadvantage that, after the product has been introduced into the
folding box package, an additional packaging step is required to
attach them. This prolongs the packaging process, increases the
amount of material used, and thus leads to higher production
costs.
[0006] In the normal case, folding box packages are cut to size,
printed, and pre-assembled. Such preparation provides that the
pre-assembled folding box must simply be set up in a packaging
machine of the known and widely used type and then, after the
product has been introduced, closed in the simplest possible way
with the means available to the packaging machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved re-closable folding box with a decorative tab which
satisfies the aesthetic requirements in question, which can be
handled easily and quickly like a conventional folding box during
assembly, and which does not need any additional closing means or
gluing.
[0008] According to the invention, the re-closable folding box,
typically of cardboard or like material, comprises a plurality of
body panels and tabs and at least one closure, which can be closed
by machine without any need to glue the closing elements. The
closure comprises a cover flap with a closing or decorative tab,
the inside surface of which comprises a first retaining means, and
where a second retaining means is provided on a body panel. When
the closure is in the closed state, the first and second retaining
means are engaged with each other in such a way that the closure is
kept closed by the force of friction. In the closed state, the
decorative tab covers the first and second retaining means. Thus,
simply by virtue of the frictional force of the intermeshing
retaining means, it is ensured that the closure remains closed, but
at the same time the closure can be opened again by actuating it in
the opposite direction.
[0009] According to one aspect of the invention the first retaining
means is formed as a retaining tab located on one side of the
decorative tab, at least part of this retaining tab being glued to
the inside surface of the decorative tab. As a result, a surface is
obtained which, as a result of the intrinsic pretension of the
cardboard material, lies close to the decorative tab and
simultaneously can engage with the second retaining means.
[0010] According to one aspect of the invention the retaining tab
is preferably formed by means of a score line on the decorative
tab. Thus the decorative tab and the retaining tab form a single,
integral part, as a result of which an additional external
construction element can be avoided. The required folding and
suitable gluing of the retaining tab can be carried out when the
folding box is being pre-assembled.
[0011] According to one aspect of the invention the second
retaining means is formed as a tongue and the transition area
between the edge of the body panel and the tongue comprises open
areas, which enable the first retaining means to be guided along
the tongue. This has the result that the tongue can be formed out
of the cardboard blank by suitable provision of score lines on, and
cuts in, the body panel, thus eliminating the need for additional
elements. The cuts, that is, the lateral boundaries of the tongue,
are preferably dimensioned in such a way that they are somewhat
longer than the width of the retaining tab. In this way, the length
of the engaging surface of the tongue can be adjusted to suit the
width of the retaining tabs.
[0012] According to one aspect of the invention the second
retaining means can be a separate element which is glued to the
outside surface of the body panel.
[0013] According to one aspect of the invention the blank of the
inventive folding box consists of a single piece of material. Thus
the folding box with decorative tab can be prefabricated by
providing it with score lines, by cutting it to size, and by
pre-gluing it in such a way that the packaging of the product and
the closing of the folding box can be accomplished easily and at
low cost by means of known packaging machines in the plant of the
producer of the product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] In order that the advantages of the invention will be
readily understood, a more detailed description of the invention
briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific
embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawing and
described in detail below. Understanding that these drawings depict
only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore
considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be
described and explained with additional specificity and detail
through the use of the accompanying drawing, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 shows the flattened cardboard blank of a folding box
according to one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the flattened cardboard blank
100 of an inventive folding box. The blank 100 consists of body
panels 101, 102, 103, 104, wherein a glue tab 105 is connected to
the body panel 101, and closing tabs 106, 107 are attached to each
end of each of the two body panels 102, 104. A bottom flap 108, on
which an insertion tab 109 is provided on the side opposite the
body panel, is attached to the body panel 101.
[0017] The body panel 101 also comprises, on the side opposite the
bottom flap 108, a cover flap 1 10, which, on the side opposite the
body panel 101, comprises a score line 111, on which the decorative
tab 112 is located. A retaining tab 113 is hinged to each side of
the decorative tab 112 by way of a score line 114. During
pre-assembly, retaining tabs 113 are folded onto the inside surface
of the decorative tab 112 by way of the score lines 114, and their
gluing surfaces 115 are firmly glued to the inside surface of the
decorative tab 112. Accordingly, an unglued area which, as a result
of the score line 116, extends somewhat above the inside surface of
the decorative tab 112, is formed on the surface facing the inside
surface of the decorative tab of each of the two inward-pointing
retaining tabs 113. In a preferred embodiment, the lateral edges
117 of the retaining tabs 113 thus formed are in a range of
approximately 0.5 mm-2 mm, and preferably approximately 1 mm away
from the inside surface of the decorative tab 112 in the
pre-assembled state.
[0018] In the exemplary preferred embodiment shown here, the second
retaining means, which engages with the first retaining means, is
formed on the body panel 103. As shown in the preferred embodiment,
the second retaining means is a tongue 118, which is formed by a
section of the body panel 103. The boundary of the tongue 118 on
the side facing the closure is formed by the lateral boundary of
the body panel 103.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, in the direction toward the body panel
103, tongue 118 is bounded by score line 119. The sides of the
tongue are formed by cuts 120, 121.
[0020] Open areas 122, 123 are formed at the transitions between
the body panel 103 and the tongue 118 in the area of the open ends
of the cuts 120, 121. Cuts 120, 121 and open areas 122, 123 are
dimensioned in such a way that they provide the lateral edges 117
of the retaining tabs 113 with adequate and complete guidance. In
the pre-assembled state, tongue 118 can be configured in such a way
that, as a result of a suitable amount of pretension of its
material, its free end will project about 1 mm up from the lateral
boundary of the body panel 103. This simplifies the process of
pushing the retaining means into each other such that they
engage.
[0021] The closing process during the final folding of box blank
100 shown in the preferred embodiment takes place after the
pre-assembled blank 100 has been set up and the bottom flap 108 has
been closed by the insertion tab 109. After the closing tabs 106
and 107 have been folded in, the decorative tab 112 is folded at
the score line 111 by an angle of about 90.degree. to the cover
flap 110, so that the unglued sections of the retaining tabs 113
meet the exposed edge of the tongue 118 at the smallest possible
angle. When the decorative tab 112 is now pushed further toward
bottom flap 108, the exposed surfaces of the retaining tabs 113
engage more deeply into the cuts 120 and 121, until essentially the
entire cover flap 110 is lying flat. The decorative tab 112 is held
closed by the retaining forces acting by way of the inside surface
of tongue 118 and the outside surfaces of retaining tabs 113, and
the more firmly the outside surface of the tongue 118 and the
inside surface of the decorative tab 112 rest against each other,
the better the effect.
[0022] When decorative tab 112 is pushed back upward along the side
surface of the folding box toward the cover flap 110, the force
being exerted must work against the frictional and retaining forces
until the retaining tabs 113 release the tongue 118. The closing
and opening process can be repeated as often as desired. The open
areas 122 and 123 have the effect that the exposed edges of
retaining tabs 113 are better able to accept the free edge of the
tongue 118; that is, the open areas make the tongue 118 narrower at
the beginning of the insertion area. The cuts 120 and 121 can, in
another preferred embodiment, be made wider at their open ends and
made to taper down conically toward the score line 119.
[0023] As another alternative preferred embodiment to that of FIG.
1, the first and second retaining means can be designed as separate
components and attached to the inside surface of decorative tab 112
and to the outside surface of the body panel 103. An example of
this type of design is a tongue (not shown) attached to the inside
surface of the decorative tab. This tongue would engage in a pocket
located on the outside surface of the body panel (not shown). It is
also possible for the first retaining means to be designed as an
integral part of the decorative tab and for the second retaining
means to be a component separate from the body panel, and vice
versa. In this way, the decorative tab can be given complicated
designs which meet preferred aesthetic requirements.
[0024] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the decorative tab has
the form of sections of an arc, which taper to a point in an
essentially symmetric manner. Alternatively, it would be possible
for the decorative tab have some other type of design, possibly
non-symmetric, such as that of a company emblem, logo or the
like.
[0025] With the inventive object, a folding box with a decorative
tab is provided, the closure of which is invisible in the closed
state of the folding box, which can be handled easily and quickly
during assembly, and which can be closed without gluing.
[0026] While the particular re-closable folding box as herein shown
and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the
above-described objects of the invention, it is to be understood
that preferred embodiments of the present invention have been
described herein and is thus representative of the subject matter
which is broadly contemplated by the present invention, and that
the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other
embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms
without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The
described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as
illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is,
therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the
foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning
and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within
their scope.
[0027] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and
characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable
manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the art will
recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more
of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment.
In other instances, additional features and advantages may be
recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all
embodiments of the invention.
[0028] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment,"
"an embodiment," or similar language means that a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with
the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the
present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one
embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language throughout
this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the
same embodiment.
* * * * *