Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Folding Box Having A Fold-Down Hanger tab
DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to a rectangular or cubic, sealable folding
box having an attached bottom and top flap and a hanger tab,
provided with a recess for the hanger, arranged on an edge of the
body of the folding box between these flaps.
A folding box of this type is known. The firm Berlex'
Laboratories, Wayne, NJ 07470 uses it with the inscription "YASMINO
28 tablets, Patient Starter Pack" in a rectangular design. A
hanger tab is arranged on one of the two broad side walls of this
folding box as an extension of the side wall. The hanger tabs and
the side wall are of the same length. An adhesive tab is situated
on the small side wall orthogonally bordering on this side wall in
the area of the hanger tab which is more or less identical to the
hanger tab. During production, the adhesive tab is folded outward,
in order to be able to be completely glued together with the hanger
tab. The result of this is that the hanger tab projects rigidly
beyond it when the folding box is upright. As a result, the
folding box is cumbersome during handling in the filling plant and
later on the market. Furthermore, a permeability results along the
folding zone due to the fact that the adhesive tab is folded
outward. Finally, a gas-permeable perforation or a number of slit
punchings are required in the folding zone for the outward folding
as replacement for a rear scoring which would otherwise be
required. The perforation or punchings and the scorings required
for the folding are all worked into the matrix on the side to be
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printed on.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to develop a
folding box which can be easily and reliably handled during
production, storage and filling, which to a large extent
encloses the filling so as to be dustproof, and which can
be displayed on the market in a stack or hanging.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there
is provided a folding box configured from a single blank of
material, the box comprising:
a front panel defined by first and second seams and by
two free unattached side edges;
a sealing flap extending' from the first seam and a bottom
panel of a selected width attached to the second seam, the
sealing flap having a width less than the bottom panel;
a back panel defined by third and fourth seams;
the third seam attaching the back panel to the bottom
panel and the fourth seam being parallel to the third seam
and attaching a top panel to the back panel;
opposed insert flaps extending in opposite directions
with respect to the panels from fifth and sixth panel seams
wherein the opposed insert panels fold to form sides of the
box extending perpendicular to the front and back panels
when the front and back panels are parallel in spaced
relation to form the box, the insert flaps having insert
tabs that extend into the box in parallel relation to the
panels to hold the box closed;
the top panel being defined by the fourth seam and a
seventh seam, having an inside surface for juxtaposition
with the sealing flap and having a width greater than the
width of the sealing flap and substantially the same as the
width of the bottom panel;
an attachment flap extending from the seventh seam, the
attachment flap being useful to hang the box for display
and the seventh seam being readily separable to detach the
attachment flap from the top panel, the attachment flap
having a pair of laterally disposed, detachable outside
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sections joined by a detachable bridge section wherein the
detachable outside areas are releasably attached to the
attachment flap and seventh seam; and
insert tabs extending from side edges of the top and bottom
panels for insertion into the box in cooperation with the
first and second insert flaps to hold the box open; wherein
the box can be stored in a flatten form with the sealing flap
positioned for adherence adhered to the inside surface of the
top panel.
According to another embodiment of the present invention,
the body of the folding box has, in addition to four side
walls - in longitudinal direction of the matrix - a sealing tab at
one end and a combination part at the other end, the sealing tab
abutting the side wall which is furthest removed from it with an
unwound matrix of the folding box on the inside when the folding
box is upright, while the combination part is fastened by section
to the side wall on the outside so as to be flat, which is the
furthest removed from it when the matrix is unwound. The
combination part consists of an inner and two outer areas, the
inner one being a hanger tab, provided with a hanger recess, while
the outer areas are used to fasten the combination part to the
contacted side wall. The outer area is connected with the inner
areas by a detachable structure.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a
folding box with a fold-down hanger tab is created that is
simple to produce, whereby the hanger tab is part of a
combination part. This combination part securely seals the
folding box, e.g. by gluing with an adjacent side wall of the
box. The contents of the folding box continue to remain
inaccessible and dustproof when the hanger tab is torn open
and folded down.
Since the hanger tab is not folded down until it is on the market,
if at all, the folding box can be handled without difficulty during
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filling.
Further details of the invention can be found in the subclaims,
which are not or only partially cited, and the following
description of a schematically illustrated embodiment:
Fig. 1: folding box, closed with projecting hanger tab;
Fig. 2: folding box, upright and open with folded down hanger
tab;
Fig. 3: matrix of the folding box, unwound;
Fig. 4: direction of fold of the individual matrix sections in
the front view;
Fig. 5: matrix formed into a rectangular tube, in a front view;
Fig. 6: matrix folded for stacking, in a front view.
Fig. 1 shows a closed, rectangular folding box (10) with projecting
hanger tab (51). The folding box (10) has four side walls (11, 15,
21, 25), two of which are each arranged parallel to one another.
The side walls (11, 15, 21, 25) form a type of rectangular tube,
see Fig. 5, which is closed by flaps (31, 35) attached to the side
wall (21).
In Fig. 3, an even unwinding of the folding box (10) as a matrix
(1) is shown. According to this illustration, the folding box (10)
consists of a single box whose fibers are preferably oriented in
longitudinal direction (2) of the matrix (1). For example, the box
has a specific weight of about 250 g/m2. It is printed on at least
in some areas and coated with a transparent varnish. The central
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component of the folding box (10) are the side walls (11, 15, 21,
25) arranged behind one another, from left to right. The
rectangular side walls (11, 15, 21, 25) adjacent to one another are
demarcated from one another by corresponding parallel scorings (71
- 73). The area of the scorings (71 - 73) or the material directly
surrounding it, form the longitudinal edge of the box when the
folding box (10) is finished. All scorings worked into the
cardboard of the matrix (1) are located on the smooth upper side of
the box.
The bottom (31) and top flaps (35) are placed on the large side
wall (21), in the area of the short lateral edges or scorings (75,
76). Both flaps (31, 35) end in insert tongues (32, 36). The
insert tongues (32, 36) are, in turn, each demarcated from the
flaps (31, 35) by a scoring (33, 37). Angular punchings (34, 38),
which prevent the flaps (31, 35) from penetrating into the interior
of the folding box (10) by adjoinng the short lateral edges (77,
78) when the folding box (10) is closed, are placed on the ends on
both sides of the scorings (33, 37).
According to Fig. 3, the top flap (35) has a field with shaded
edging. The box is not varnished in this area, so that variable
data may be printed on it, if required, e.g. after filling.
According to Fig. 3, e.g. heptagonal flaps (16, 17; 26, 27) each
adjoin the small side walls (15) and (25), at the top and bottom,
found on both sides adjacent to the large side wall (21). A border
between the side tabs (16, 17; 26, 27) and the side walls (15, 25)
also form e.g. scorings (81 - 84) here. The small lateral edges of
the finished, closed folding box (10) are formed with aid of the
latter.
In the embodiment according to Fig. 3, a so-called sealing tab (40)
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is arranged on the left outer edge of the large side wall (11) ,
which is shown by a scoring (45). The sealing tab (40), which here
adjoins the small side wall (25) on the inside after the folding
box (10) has been folded, has a somewhat smaller surface in
longitudinal (2) and transverse direction than the side walls (25)
contacting them. It is e.g. about 15% shorter in longitudinal
direction, while it is, for example, about 10% narrower in
transverse direction. The sealing tab (40) has two lateral edges
(43, 44) which are, for example, staggered parallel vis-a-vis the
short lateral edges (77, 78).
The here, for example, three-part combination part (50) which is
connected with integrated slit punchings (58) by section via a
scoring (57) or fold-down structure, is located on the other end of
the matrix (1). The combination part (50) here comprises two outer
(61, 65) and one inner section (51). These sections (51, 61, 65)
are demarcated from one another by detachable structures (55, 56).
The detachable structures (55, 56) extend between the scoring (57)
and the free outer edge (54) of the middle or inner section (51),
for example, parallel to the longitudinal direction (2) of the
matrix (1). Optionally, they are oriented diagonally, such that
their imaginary extension lines, according to Fig. 3, intersect on
the right, outside of the outer edge (54).
The slit punchings (58) are found only between the detachable
structures (55, 56). The width of the inner section (51) is about
73% of the overall width of the combination part (50) in the area
of the fold-down structure (57), measured diagonally to the
longitudinal direction (2). The width of this section (51) should
not exceed 75% of the overall width of the combination part (50).
The outer edge (54) is only curved outward by way of example. It
may have almost any shape desired. This also applies to the
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adjacent outer edges (63) and (67) of the outer sections (61, 65)
which are bent according to Fig. 3 or curved in the shape of an
arch according to Figs. 1 and 2. The bend of the outer edges (63,
67) comprises e.g. an angle of 120 . Two notches are produced by
the curvature of the outer edge (54) and the bending of the edges
(63, 67), the tips of each of which ending in front of one of the
detachable structures (55, 56). According to Fig. 3, the notches
have, for example, an aperture angle of 90 to 1000. In this case,
the detachable structures (55, 56) are hole or slit punchings which
enable or facilitate a separation of the inner section (51) from
the two outer sections (61, 65).
The two outer sections (61) and (65) can be alternatively connected
to one another via a connecting web (91) . This connecting web
(91) has an outer edge (92), shown in a broken line in Fig. 3, and
a perforation (93) as a demarcation for the hanger tab (51).
Optionally, the connecting web (91) is also glued together with the
side wall (21).
The outer edge (92) can reach up to the long lateral edge (71).
As shown in Fig. 4, the punched, scored, printed and varnished
matrix (1) formed into the shape of a rectangular tube by creasing
at the scorings (57, 73, 72, 71 45), see Fig. 5. The creasings,
shown by arrows in Fig. 4, are always made in one direction, here
e.g. counterclockwise. The expansion phases of the individual
creases are always in the varnished outer surface of the folding
box (10). A perforation or slit or hole punching penetrating the
cardboard can be omitted due to the equidirectional creases or
folds.
In order to be better able to stack and store the folding boxes
prior to filling, they are folded together in a space-saving manner
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by a shearing about the scorings or lateral edges (71) and (73).
The side walls (15) and (11) now lie on top of the side walls (21)
and (25). Thus, three layers of boxes lie on top of one another so
as to be more or less even. For example, they form the lower layer
(50, 51) and (25), the middle layer (11) and (40) and the upper
layer (15) and (21).
To fill the folding box (10), the matrix (1), glued to form a
rectangular tube, is moved in its flat state from a magazine to the
filling conveyor. With the flat folding boxes (10), the side walls
(21) and (25) here lie directly on the filling conveyor. The long
lateral edge (73) is at the front in direction of conveyance, while
the lateral edge (72) is at the back, see Fig. 2.
The flat folding box (10) is placed upright to form a rectangular
tube on the filling conveyor. The bottom flap (31), the top flap
(35) and the side flaps (17, 27; 16, 26) are open in the extension
of the side walls supporting them.
For filling at the front, e.g. via the cover flap (31), a
counterhold slide is moved into the box interior via the opening of
the bottom flap (35). The goods to be filled, e.g. a stack from at
least one filled pill blister, a packing slip, a brochure and a
weekday label are moved in opposite direction toward the
counterhold slide by means of a conveyor slide. After the stack
abuts against the counterhold slide, the goods to be filled are
placed in the centre in the upright folding box. As soon as the
slides are drawn back from the folding box, the folding box is
sealed by closing the flaps (31) and (35). The tabs (32) and (36)
are bent by more than 90 angular degrees when closed. When the
folding box (10) is closed, they adjoin the side wall (21).
The folding box (10) thus produced and filled can be stacked in
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this form in shelf units, compartments or drawers in a space-saving
manner in such a way that they have a rectangular shape when the
hanger tab fits tightly against the box as determined by its
design.
When displayed on a wall shelf, the hanger tab (51) is separated
along the detachable structures (55, 56) and, optionally (93), from
the areas (61, 65) glued to the folding box (10) and folded down,
due to the design, by about 180 angular degrees from the side wall
(11) against which it was resting. The folding down movement takes
place about the fold-down structure (58). It is pushed onto the
corresponding hanging fixtures of the wall shelf with the hanger
recess (53).
If necessary, the unfolded hanger tab (51), e.g. at home with the
end user, can be folded back again against the side wall (11). In
this case, the tear-off points of the tear-off structures (55, 56)
and perhaps (93) of the areas (51; 61, 65) that are again adjacent
to one another, interconnect. The punchings (58) of the snap-off
structure (57) are dimensioned in such a way that the weakening of
the box is sufficient to prevent the folded down hanger part (51)
from unintentionally breaking open again. If required, as a result
of its design, the hanger part (51) can also be torn off by the end
user without the folding box (10) losing its dustproofing ability.
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LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS
1 Matrix, unwound
2 Direction of fiber, longitudinal direction
3 Direction of conveyance
Folding box
11 Side wall, large
Side wall, small, middle
16, 17 Side tabs
21 Side wall, large, middle
Side wall, small
26, 27 Side tabs
31 Bottom flap
32 Bottom tab, insert tongue
33 Scoring between (31) and (32)
34 Punching, angular
Top flap
36 Top tab, insert tongue
37 Scoring between (35) and (36)
38 Punching, angular
Sealing tab
41 Longitudinal edge, free
43, 44 Lateral edges
Longitudinal edge, inner
Combination part
51 Inner or middle section or area, hanger tab
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52 Contour, curved
53 Hanger recess, European hole
54 Outer edge
55, 56 Detachable structure, perforation
57 Scoring
58 Unfolding structure, slit punching
61 Outer section
62 Adhesive surface
63 Outer edge
65 Outer section
66 Adhesive surface
67 Outer edge
71-74 Longitudinal edges; scorings
75-78 Lateral edges, long; scorings
81-84 Lateral edges, short; scorings
91 Connecting web for sections (61) and (65)
92 Outer edge for (91)
93 Detachable structure, perforation for (91)
