Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02602116 2007-09-11
WO 2006/096117 PCT/SE2006/000285
BOX AND LID
Technical field
The present invention relates to a box according to the precharacterizing part
of Claim 1 and to a
lid for such a box.
Backgxound of the invention
Packagings in the form of boxes for snuff, both loose snuff and packaged
quantities of
merchandise, most commonly consists of a box which is discarded when the
contents have been
consumed. The box comprises a lower part, a pot, which is provided with an
upper part, a lid,
which allows the box to be opened and re-closed a number of times, often in
the order of 20 to 50
times. Such boxes are advantageously composed of plastic material. In order to
save space,
material and costs, the box material should be as thin as possible.
A known box of this type is shown in SE 524025 and has a basic shape
consisting of a straight
circular cylinder of low height, and is often likened to a puck. Proceeding
from this basic shape
the box may have rounded edges, a curved lid and a profiled bottom, for
example. Along the
outer circumference of the pot there is often an edge or the like, against
which the lid is intended
to bear when the box is closed. This edge can be produced in that the wall of
the pot has a
somewhat smaller diameter above the edge than below it.
One problem with known boxes is that the lid often shows a tendency to end up
askew on the pot.
This problem is often more awkward and occurs more frequently where the
thickness of the
material in the pot and the lid is reduced. A lid that is fitted askew may
mean that the lid
immediately falls off or that the box is not correctly closed. If not
correctly closed again, the
contents of the box can fall out of the box or may dry out or become
contaminated, or the quality
may be impaired in some otlier way.
Summary of the invention
An object of the present invention is to produce an improved box which
entirely or partially
eliminates the problems inherent in the prior art.
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The object is wholly or partially achieved by a box and a lid according to
each of the independent
claims respectively.
Embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims, in the
following description
and in the drawings.
According to a first aspect of the invention a box is produced comprising an
open container and a
lid for closing the open container. In a closed state the box is defined by
two base surfaces, one
of which consists of the bottom wall of the open container and the other of
the top wall of the lid,
and at least one lateral surface, which is formed by a container side and a
lid side. With the box in
the closed state, the container side and the lid side at least partially
overlap one another. A
distinguishing feature of the lid is that an inward facing, inclined slide
surface is arranged on the
inside of the top wall of the lid in order, when closing the open container,
to allow displacement
of the lid into the correct closing position relative to the container. The
slide surface runs along
and adjacent to the lid side at an angle relative to the top wall and the lid
side and is remote from
the lid side.
When closing the open container a box having the aforementioned
characteristics allows an
incorrectly seating lid to be easily shifted into the correct closing position
in relation to the open
container. This serves to facilitate correct fitting of the lid and reduces
the risk of fitting the lid
incorrectly.
According to one embodiment the inclined slide surface can be formed in that
the top wall has a
greater material thickness in a section adjacent to the lid side than in a
section more adjacent to
the centre of the top wall.
Such a lid design produces an inclined slide surface, which facilitates
correct fitting of the lid and
reduces the risk of fitting the lid incorrectly.
According to one embodiment a groove may be arranged on the inside of the top
wall of the lid
adjoining the lid side, the groove being defined by a low flange inside which
the slide surface is
arranged.
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Such a lid design facilitates correct fitting of the lid and reduces the risk
of fitting the lid
incorrectly.
According to one embodiment positively interlocking means may be provided for
securing the lid
in relation to the open container when the box is in the closed state.
Such means produce a secure closure of the container.
According to one embodiment at least one dimension of the base surfaces may be
greater than the
height of the box in its closed state.
Such a design produces a box which is suitable for the packaging of snuff, for
example, the box
being relatively flat and therefore easy to handle and store.
According to a second aspect of the invention a box lid is produced for
closing an open container.
In a closed state the box is defined by two base surfaces, one of which
consists of the bottom wall
of the open container and the other of the top wall of the lid, and at least
one lateral surface,
which is formed by a container side and a lid side. With the box in the closed
state the container
side and the lid side at least partially overlap one another. A distinguishing
feature of the box is
that an inward facing, inclined slide surface is arranged on the inside of the
top wall of the lid in
order, when closing the open container, to allow displacement of the lid into
the correct closing
position relative to the container. The slide surface runs along and adjacent
to the lid side at an
angle relative to the top wall and the lid side and is remote from the lid
side.
When closing the open container a lid having the aforementioned
characteristics allows an
incorrectly seating lid to be easily shifted into the correct closing position
in relation to the open
container. This serves to facilitate correct fitting of the lid and reduces
the risk of fitting the lid
incorrectly.
According to one embodiment the inclined slide surface can be formed in that
the top wall has a
greater material thickness in a section adjacent to the lid side than in a
section more adjacent to
the centre of the top wall.
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According to one embodiment a groove may be arranged on the inside of the top
wall of the lid
adjoining the lid side, the groove being defined by a low flange inside which
the slide surface is
arranged.
A more detailed description of embodiments will follow, making reference to
the drawings
attached.
Brief description of the drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view which shows a box.
Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view which shows the open container (the
pot) for the box
according to Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view which shows the lid for the box
according to Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 shows a cross-section through the box with lid fitted.
Fig. 5 shows an enlargement of a part of Fig. 4.
Figs. 6a-e show examples of embodiments of the shape of the base surfaces,
viewed from above.
Figs. 7a-c show examples of embodiments of the shape of the boxes, viewed from
the side.
Fig. 8 shows a schematic perspective view, partially in cross-section, of an
embodiment of a box
having a lid which has an internal space.
Fig. 9 shows a schematic perspective view, partially in cross-section, of an
embodiment of a box
having an open container, which has a raised portion in its bottom wall.
Description of embodiments
Figs. 1 to 5 show an embodiment of a box 1, which comprises an open container
2 and a lid 3 for
closing the open container 2. The lid 3 is free of the open container 2, that
is to say the two parts
are not coupled together or joined by hinges or any other similar arrangement.
In the basic form
CA 02602116 2007-09-11
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shown in Fig. 1 the box 1 with fitted lid 3 consists of a basically straight,
circular cylinder, the
interior space of which is defined by two base surfaces 4, 5, one of which
consists of the bottom
wa114 of the open container and the other of the top wal15 of the lid 3,
together with a lateral
surface, that is to say the circumferential surface of the cylinder. The
lateral surface is formed by
a side 6 of the container, referred to as the container side 6, and a side 7
of the lid, referred to as
the lid side 7. Other shapes for boxes 1 that might appear suitable to the
person skilled in the art
may also be used, such as a box I in the form of a cylinder having non-
circular base surfaces 4, 5,
a cube or a rectangular block with or without rounded edges or corners. Figs.
6a-e show
examples of embodiments of the shape of the base surfaces 4, 5 viewed from
above. It will be
appreciated that if the box 1 has a cube or rectangular block shape, for
example, the interior space
of the box 1 is defined by said base surfaces 4, 5 and by four lateral
surfaces, both the container
side 6 and the lid side 7 comprising four side sections. In various
embodiments the bottom wa114
and the top wal15 may be plane or arched or may have some other cross-
sectional shape when
viewed from the side, which may be dictated by the function or by
considerations of appearance.
Figs. 7a-c show examples of said embodiments of the shape of the boxes 1
viewed from the side.
In one embodiment the bottom wa114 and the top wall 5 are each externally
arched with the same
radius of curvature, inwards and outwards respectively in relation to the box
1, as can be seen
from Figs. 4 and 5.
As stated above and shown in Fig. 2, the open container 2 is defined by a
bottom wal14 and a
circumferential container side 6, which in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 has
a basically circular
cross-section when viewed from above. It must again be pointed out that the
box 1 may have
other embodiments as mentioned above, the open container 2 in turn assuming
corresponding
shapes, such as cube and rectangular block shapes. With reference to Figs. 2,
4 and 5, the
circumferential container side 6 of the open container 2 may in turn, like the
outside thereof,
comprise a straight part 8, which is situated adjoining the bottom wall 4 and
perpendicular to the
plane thereof, and the outside of which constitutes the circumferential
surface of a straight
circular cylinder. Arranged on the outside adjoining this is an edge 9
directed inwards and
upwards, which nearest the straight part 8 may also comprise a narrow edge at
right angles to the
latter. A flange 10 is arranged immediately above the edge 9, directed
obliquely inwards, and
from the outer periphery of the flange 10 the upper side 11 of the flange
extends obliquely
inwards and upwards. An outer side section 12 is situated above the flange 10,
the side section 12
having the same shape as the straight part 8 but a somewhat smaller diameter.
The inside of the
circumferential container side 6 is plane without any functional parts.
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As stated above and shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the lid adjoining the top wall 5 of
the lid 3 is defined
by a circumferential lid side 7, which in the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 5
has a basically
circular cross-section when viewed from above, and which when the box 1 is
closed is basically
concentric with the container side 6 of the open container and situated
outside this. At the bottom
of its inside the circumferential lid side 7 may in turn comprise a means 13,
which is designed to
positively interlock with a corresponding means 10 on the container side 6, so
as to secure the lid
3 in relation to the open container 2 when the box 1 is in the closed state.
Such means 10, 13 may
consist, for example, of a snap fastener element 10, 13. Such a snap fastener
element 10, 13 is
shown in Fig. 5 and in this embodiment consists of a flange 13, which when the
box 1 is closed is
adapted to engage with the corresponding flange 10, described above, of the
container side 6, the
flanges 10 and 13 being able to bear against one another. A number of ridges
14 intended to
guide the lid in relation to the container side 6 may furthermore be provided
around the inside of
the lid side 7. The ridges 14 shown in Fig. 3 extend approximately from the
transition between
the top wall 5 of the lid 3 and the lid side 7 downwards along the inside of
the lid side 7 to
approximately half the height of the lid side 7. When the box 1 is closed,
these ridges 14 bear
against the outer side section 12 of the container side 6.
According to one embodiment a groove 15 is arranged on the inside of the top
wal15 of the lid 3
adjoining the circumferential lid side 7, the groove 15 being defined by a
flange 16, which has a
relatively low height. The groove 15 is wider than the upper edge 17 of the
container side 6 of
the open container and when the box 1 is closed the upper edge 17 rests
against the bottom of the
groove 15, or close to this. In one embodiment the upper edge 17 rests against
the bottom of the
groove 15 and determines how far the container side 6 and the lid side 7
overlap one another.
The upper edge 17 may furthermore have a diameter which is adapted so that
when closing it
bears against the inside of the lid side 7 and the outermost section of the
lower side of the flange
13, which is directed obliquely outwards and downwards. Such a design permits
easy closing. In
closing, the upper edge 17 is pressed against the lid side 7, so that the lid
side is resiliently
pressed basically outwards at right angles, which markedly facilitates the
first phase in fitting the
lid 1. A section 18 having a thickened cross-section when viewed from the side
may be arranged
from the flange 16 inwards towards the centre of the lid. The material
thickness of this section 18
diminishes inwards towards the centre and terminates a short distance into the
top wall 5 of the
lid 3. A surface 19 is thereby formed on the inside of the lid, along which
surface the upper edge
17 of the outer side section 12 of the container can slide if the lid 3 ends
up askew on the open
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container 2. It has surprisingly emerged that this embodiment with a slide
surface 19 in the lid 3
eliminates or at least significantly reduces the problems described above,
which are caused by a
lid 3 that is placed askew on the open container 2. A lid 3 that is placed
askew can easily be
shifted, the upper edge 17 of the container side 6 sliding on the inclined
surface 19, over the
flange 16 and down into the groove 15. Furthermore, the lid side 7 may
The top wal15, as shown in Fig. 8, may also be designed with a space which is
situated on its side
remote from the inside of the box 1 and which is defined by the top wall 5 and
an outer lid 20.
This serves to create a smaller, enclosed space wllich may be used, for
example for temporary
storage of used portions of snuff. An example of a lid comprising such a space
is described in
WO 2005016036.
As shown in Fig. 9, one embodiment of the box 1 may comprise a bottom wa112,
which is
designed with a raised portion 21, thereby forming a channe122 around the
raised portion and
inside the container side. Such a raised portion is described in 9 C' i
524025.
Without departing from the scope of the idea of the invention, the design may
be varied in various
ways in addition to what has been described here. Besides different
embodiments of individual
details such as the snap fastener element 10, 13 and guide ridges 14, it is
also possible, when the
box 1 is closed, for the lid side 7 to be situated on the inside of the
container side 6, the functional
parts of the lid 3 and the container 2 being reversed, so that the slide
surface 19 in this case is a
part of the container 2. In such a case the functions and designs will
otherwise remain the same.
These and other embodiments of the invention will be obvious to the person
skilled in the art.
