U.S. patent number RE30,616 [Application Number 06/149,531] was granted by the patent office on 1981-05-19 for box for ampoules having a packaging insert that provides a closure arrangement and reinforcement.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Interondo AG. Invention is credited to Otto Hofer.
United States Patent |
RE30,616 |
Hofer |
May 19, 1981 |
Box for ampoules having a packaging insert that provides a closure
arrangement and reinforcement
Abstract
A box for ampoules has a front wall with a top edge well below
the top edge of the rear wall so as to define (with side walls) an
opening closed by a cover extending from the rear wall and
overlapping the front wall to which it is secured by an adhesive
edge. Lines of perforations across the overlapping portion define a
web to be torn off when access is to be had to the ampoules. This
leaves the remaining part of the cover with a tongue which, when
the box is again to be closed, is tucked into a pocket between the
front wall and a support for the ampoules which also strengthens
the front wall. The support includes corrugated cardboard providing
compartments for the ampoules. The tongue and top edge of the front
wall are shaped to interlock.
Inventors: |
Hofer; Otto (Schaan,
LI) |
Assignee: |
Interondo AG (Buchs,
CH)
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Family
ID: |
4299064 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/149,531 |
Filed: |
May 13, 1980 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
950179 |
Oct 10, 1978 |
04186835 |
Feb 5, 1980 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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May 26, 1978 [CH] |
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5771/78 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/443; 206/532;
206/539; 229/230; 229/222 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
5/5435 (20130101); B65D 5/504 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
5/50 (20060101); B65D 5/54 (20060101); B65D
005/54 (); B65D 083/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/443,528,532,538-539,621,626 ;229/43,44R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dixson, Jr.; William T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brenner; Edward J.
Claims
I claim:
1. A box for packaging elongate articles, such as ampoules,
comprising a box body formed by folding and gluing operations and
including a rear wall having two side edges, a bottom edge and a
top edge, two side walls respectively extending forward from said
side edges of said rear wall and having parallel front edges, a
front wall extending between said front edges of said side walls,
said front wall being of less area than said rear wall, thereby
forming with said side walls an open area, a cover extending from
said top edge of said rear wall and formed to cover said open area,
means for detachably securing said cover to said front wall, and an
insert for packaging the elongated articles and including firstly a
support formed and secured to lie against the inside surface of
said front wall for the purpose of strengthening said front wall
and secondly a corrugated cardboard strip adhered to said support
for receiving the elongated articles respectively in corrugations
thereof, said front wall and said support being formed to provide a
pocket open toward the top of the box, said means for detachably
securing said cover to said front wall comprising a tongue portion
formed on said cover for insertion into said pocket.
2. A box according to claim 1, in which said support is glued to
the inside surface of said front wall at locations thereof outside
said pocket.
3. A box according to claim 1, in which the top of said packaging
insert substantially coincides with the bottom edge of said
opening.
4. A box for packaging elongated articles, such as ampoules,
comprising a box body formed by folding and gluing operations and
including a rear wall having two side edges, a bottom edge and a
top edge, two side walls respectively extending forward from said
side edges of said rear wall and having parallel front edges, a
front wall extending between said front edges of said side walls,
said front wall being of less area than said rear wall and having a
bottom edge level with said bottom edge of said rear wall and a top
edge considerably below said top edge of said rear wall, thereby
forming with said side walls an open area, and a cover extending
from said top edge of said rear wall and formed to extend over said
open area and present a portion overlapping said front wall, said
overlapping portion of said cover having side edges and an adhesive
bottom edge and spaced perforated lines extending between said side
edges of said overlapping portion to define a tear-off web portion
which on being torn-off from said overlapping portion when said
adhesive bottom edge is adhered to said front wall, enables said
box body to be opened, and an insert for packaging the elongate
articles and including firstly a support formed and secured to lie
against the inside surface of said front wall and secondly a
corrugated cardboard strip adhered to said support for receiving
the elongated articles respectively in corrugations thereof, said
front wall and said support being formed to provide a pocket open
toward the top of the box, the one of said perforated lines nearest
the top of the box being shaped so that, when said tear-off web
portion is torn-off said overlapping portion, a remaining part of
said cover joined to said back wall has a tongue portion for
insertion into said pocket.
5. A box according to claim 4, in which said top edge of said front
wall is formed with a recess, said recess and said tongue being
shaped to provide an interlocking relationship to secure said cover
closed over said opening.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a box for packaging elongate articles, in
particular ampoules, comprising a box body which is formed by
folding and glueing operations, having a rear wall and side walls
adjoining the rear wall and having a front wall which has an
opening which in the closed condition is closed by a cover, and
having a packaging insert comprising a corrugated cardboard strip
which is adhered to a support.
When the contents of a packaging box are ampoules, it is
particularly important that the individual ampoules are firmly held
by the packaging insert but that on the other hand the ampoules can
be easily removed at any time. As the entire content of the
packaging box is generally not consumed at the same time, the box
must be re-closable after it has been torn open for the first
time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Ampoule packages of this kind are already known in different forms.
Thus for example Swiss Patent Specification No. 281,928 describes a
box with a trough-like packaging insert. This box has an open
front, which suffers from the disadvantage that, if the box is
handled carelessly after the cover has been opened, the ampoules
can fall out. German Gebrauchsmuster No. 1,908,577 discloses a
package with an insert and which has an opening at its front side.
Both inventions suffer from the common disadvantage that the front
of the box is relatively unstable and that the cover for re-closing
the box must be inserted at the bottom thereof. This means that the
cover with the insertion tongue portion must be particularly long,
which results in the consumption of a corresponding amount of
material. In addition, an additional slot for inserting the cover
tongue portion must be cut at the bottom of the box, and this
results in additional weakening. This can easily result in
deformation of the box, once the box has been torn open, when the
box is subjected to a mechanical loading, for example when it is
being carried, so that the contents of the box can suffer
damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the problem of the present invention to overcome
the disadvantages of the known box and in particular to provide an
ampoule box which is also stable at its front and which can be
re-closed again in a particularly simple manner, once it has been
torn open. According to the invention, this is primarily achieved
in that the support of the packaging insert is arranged in the box
body lying against the inside of the front wall, for the purposes
of strengthening the front wall. In accordance with another feature
of the invention, the support together with the inside of the front
wall forms a pocket for insertion of the cover.
It will be seen that this arrangement solves equally two problems.
By virtue of the opening at the front wall of the box, the box is
relatively unstable at that point. Additional stiffening of this
part is achieved by the arrangement of the packaging insert, in
accordance with the invention. The pocket which is thus formed
between the front wall and the support serves in a particularly
simple manner for insertion of the cover, after the package has
first been opened. Thus, the additional operation of cutting a slot
for receiving the tongue portion can be completely omitted.
In order to prevent the packaging insert from slipping out of the
box, the support of the packaging insert is glued to the inside of
the front wall at least along the boundary edges which are directed
towards the side walls. The stability of the box is even further
increased by such glueing. The invention may be embodied in a
particularly simple manner if the upper boundary edge of the
packaging insert coincides with the lower boundary edge of the
opening. In this case, the packaging insert performs its function
according to the invention, without masking the view of the
ampoules. In particular, according to the invention it is possible
for the boxes to be provided with relatively deep openings, which
provides for easier access to the ampoules, without detrimentally
affecting the stability of the box. In some uses however, in
accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, it is also
possible for the support of the packaging insert to cover a part of
the opening at the front wall of the box.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter and is
illustrated in the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view on to an ampoule box according to the
invention, with the cover open;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a per se known corrugated packaging
insert; and
FIG. 3 shows a plan view on to a re-closed ampoule package.
As shown in FIG. 1, the box body 1 comprises an originally flat
cardboard member which is fitted together to form a compact box by
machine processing, by means of folding and glueing operations. The
box body has a rear wall 2 to which side walls 3 are directly
secured. Also formed on the rear wall 2 is a bottom wall 16 to
which a front wall 4 is secured. The side walls 3 are provided with
adhesive fold portions 3' which are glued to the front wall 4 and
at the same time form a part thereof. The front wall 4 is not
extended upwardly over the entire height of the rear wall 2, so
that at the front the box has an opening 5. This opening
facilitates removal of the ampoules from the box. A cover 6 which
is connected to the bottom 2 covers the entire front side of the
box, in the closed condition. In the closed condition, the box is
firmly closed by the cover 6 being stuck at an adhesive edge 8 on
to the front wall 4. For the purposes of opening the box, a
tear-off web portion 9 which is formed by perforated lines 17 in
the cover 6 must be torn out. The perforated lines 17 are so
arranged that a cover tongue portion 10 remains on the cover 6
after the tear-off web portion 9 has been torn off. The web portion
9 not only provides for rapid and tidy opening of the box, but
fulfils a security function, by also ensuring that the packaging is
intact so long as it is not torn away. Any unauthorised opening of
the box, or even only an attempt to open the box without
authorisation, is indicated by the perforations 17 at the tear-off
web portion 9 being torn. For the purposes of improved closing of
the box, the side walls 3 are provided at both sides with lateral
tongue portions 7 which, when the box is closed, bear against a
portion 6a of the cover 6 that constitutes the top of the box. A
per se known packaging insert 12, as shown in FIG. 2, is used for
holding the ampoules in the interior of the box. The packaging
insert substantially comprises a corrugated cardboard strip 13
which is secured by adhesive to a support 14. The thickness of the
material of the support 14 is approximately the same as that of the
box body 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging insert 12 is inserted
into the box in such a way that the support 14 lies against the
inside of the front wall 4. This provides for strengthening of the
box, as the box in itself is relatively unstable, by virtue of the
opening 5 at its front. The front wall 4 and the support 14 of the
packaging insert 12 together form a pocket 15 for insertion of a
cover tongue portion 10, after the tear-off web portion 9 has been
torn off. In order to facilitate insertion of the cover tongue
portion 10, a tongue portion opening 11 is cut out on the front
wall 4. It will be seen that the configuration of the opening 11
and the tongue portion 10 are formed so as to interlock in order to
enable the cover 6 to be secured in a satisfactory manner. It would
also be possible for example for the front wall 4 to be provided
only with a slot for insertion of the cover tongue portion 10. In
order to prevent the packaging insert 12 from falling out of the
box, the packaging insert 12 is advantageously glued to the inside
of the front wall 4, at least at the boundary edges of the support
14 close to the side walls 3 or to the bottom wall 16.
FIG. 3 shows an ampoule box according to the invention, with the
cover tongue portion 10 inserted, after the tear-off web portion 9
has been torn off. After the web portion has been torn off, the
adhesive edge 8 remains visible on the front wall 4 of the box. The
adhesive fold portions 3' of the side walls 3 are also partly
visible. The cover tongue portion 10 is fully inserted into the
pocket 5 and is therefore not directly visible. The tongue portion
opening 11 is also covered by the cover 6, in the closed condition
of the box. The box can be satisfactorily reclosed again at any
time in this manner, until the entire contents of the box have been
consumed. It will be seen that it does not matter whether the width
of the support 14 corresponds to the width of the front wall 4. For
some uses, it is also possible for the support 14 to mask a part of
the opening 5 at the front wall.
It will be appreciated that the use of the words `rear`, `front`,
and `side` in this specification is merely for convenience in
describing the relative position of the walls. The box as a whole
can be located in any convenient position.
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