Display box with elements protecting against the rotation and movement of a container inserted into the box

Display box for housing a cylindrical container with a side portion thereof visible through a window provided in at least one of the side walls of the box, including elements which interfere with the container, to lock the container, protect the container within the box, and to prevent the container from accidentally rotating about an axis.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a display box, i.e. a box intended to house, protect and retain a cylindrical container with a portion of its lateral surface positioned in front of a window provided in the box in such a manner that trademarks, writings, descriptions and the like present on said lateral surface portion of the container are visible through said window.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many types of display boxes are known provided with elements which retain and protect a container housed therein such that the base of the container is kept raised from the base of the box to protect it from possible impacts while transporting or storing the boxes with the containers therein or while moving them from one place to another. A box of this type is illustrated, for example, in EP-B-0642977 and in the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,330; it is formed from a single piece of punched and crease-lined cardboard having projecting flaps at one end, these flaps being automatically folded about themselves (on shaping the box) to form supports which are only partly glued onto the side walls of the box and perform the effective function of keeping the container housed in the box raised and spaced from the adjacent base of the box.

EP-A-0761550 describes a display box also formed from a single piece of punched and crease-lined cardboard which differs from the box claimed in the aforesaid patents by the fact that one of the flaps projecting from an end of the cardboard sheet is very long and, in addition to forming a portion for supporting the container base (by keeping it raised in front of a window provided in the side wall of the box), extends (while remaining adhering to a side wall of the box) beyond the opposite end of the box and is partly glued to a flap projecting from said opposite end: in this manner, when the cardboard sheet is folded to form the finished box, the said very long flap forms two separate supports, one for the lower end of the container and the other for the upper end of the container, which is hence securely retained in the box and is protected against those impacts which may be transmitted to the two lids or ends of the box.

The main drawback of known display boxes is that nothing effectively prevents the containers from rotating (as a result of the handling and transport to which the finished boxes are subjected) about their longitudinal axis, so that any portion of the cylindrical surface of the containers can appear visible through the windows provided in the box, rather than only and always that portion carrying trademarks, writings, labels or the like which are required to remain positioned in front of the windows provided in the boxes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is therefore to provide a display box in which a substantially cylindrical container can be enclosed and protected against impacts both against its base and against its top and, in particular, in which the container is substantially prevented from rotating about its longitudinal axis.

Another object is to provide a box having the aforesaid functional characteristics, while being easily and economically obtainable from a single piece of punched, crease-lined and glued cardboard.

These and further objects are attained by a box comprising four side walls having lower ends and, respectively, upper ends from which there project a bottom lid and respectively a top lid, and elongate flaps in which creasing lines, cuts or holes are provided along which said flaps are folded so that at least one portion thereof is in contact with and glued onto the inner surface of the side wall from which each flap projects, at least one of the lower flaps forming for the container a support which is spaced from the bottom lid of the box, while the upper flaps form, for the top of the container, a pressing structure which is spaced from the top lid of the box, characterised in that each of the upper flaps is folded and partly glued onto itself such as to lie substantially flat and coplanar with that side wall of the box from which it projects when said flap is in its extended position with a portion thereof projecting from the upper end of the box but, by simply turning the flap over towards the box interior, to undergo deformation and to automatically form a surface arranged to rest and press on the top of a container inserted into the box, causing the substantially semiarch-shaped edge of an aperture provided in a portion of said flap to simultaneously project towards the interior of the box, such that the cylindrical upper lateral surface of a container inserted into the box is securely retained laterally by said semiarch-shaped edges of the upper flaps and at the same time is pressed by said flaps towards and against the support for the container base.

Preferably, each of said upper flaps is divided into eight separate consecutive flap portions separated from each other by parallel folding lines, in the first two flap portions closest to that side wall of the box from which they project there being provided a large profiled hole extending on both sides of the folding line which separates said first two flap portions from each other, an elongate aperture being provided in the fourth and fifth flap portion on one and on the other side of the folding line which separates them, said aperture being bounded by said substantially semiarch-shaped edge which is provided in said fifth flap portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To understand the structure of the cardboard sheet and the method of forming the display box obtainable therefrom, reference is firstly made to Figures from1to5from which it can be seen that the punched, crease-lined and knurled cardboard sheet (shown in plan view on the side forming its inner surface inFIG. 1) comprises four side walls1–4and a tab5which are separated from each other by parallel creasing lines6–9. From the lower end of the wall1and from the upper end of the wall3there project two panels10,11intended to form the lower and respectively the upper lid of the box in traditional manner.

From the lower ends of the side walls2,4there project respective elongate flaps (identical in the illustrated embodiment) each divided into separate flap portions12–15by folding lines or creasing lines17–19, they being separated from the respective side walls2,4by creasing lines16: the creasing lines16–19are mutually parallel and are perpendicular to the creasing lines6–9. In both the flap portions12there is provided a cut bounding a tab20which is separated from the adjacent flap portions13by a knurling21which incises the folding line17, its purpose being to facilitate the turning of the tab20onto the adjacent flap portion13, as explained hereinafter.

From the upper (with respect to the drawing) ends of each of the walls2and4there projects an elongate flap (identical) divided into flap portions22–29by folding lines31–37and separated from the respective wall2,4by a creasing line30, these folding and creasing lines30being parallel to each other and perpendicular to the creasing lines6–9.

In particular fromFIG. 1it can be seen that the folding line36is interrupted in its central part by a thin profiled cut defining a tooth38which projects from the flap portion27, and that in the flap portions25,26a profiled hole39is provided, the upwardly (with respect toFIG. 1) facing free edge of which is shaped substantially as a semiarch (interrupted at its centre by an undercut which extends as far as the folding line35), along the folding lines32,37there being provided elongate holes the purpose of which is to facilitate the folding of the flap portions about said folding lines, a large profiled hole40being provided in the flap portions22,23which interrupts the folding line31and is of substantially rhomboidal shape.

Finally, it can be seen that in the walls2–4there is provided a large elongate hole41intended to form the window through which the writings reproduced on the cylindrical outer surface of the container to be housed and retained in the made-up box, will be visible.

Starting with the cardboard sheet ofFIG. 1, glue spots50,51are firstly applied to the flap portions29,24and glue spots52,53to the tabs20and to the lower flap portions15. Each upper flap is then turned over about the folding line35to fix the flap portion28onto the flap portion24and the flap portion29onto the flap portion23; then the lower flaps are turned over about the folding lines17,21to fix the tab20onto the flap portion13and the flap portion15onto the respective wall2,4, as can be seen fromFIG. 2from which it can be seen that the end edge of the flap portions29presents an undercut, in order to be aligned with the underlying portion of the free edge bounding the large profiled hole40, which hence remains free (FIG. 2).

Glue spots54are then applied to the surface of the portion27of each upwardly facing upper flap (FIG. 2), then each said flap is turned over about the folding line31so that the flap portion27adheres (and is fixed by the glue) to the inner surface (facing upwards inFIGS. 1–4) of the respective side wall2,4, as seen inFIG. 3: under these conditions, each of the two upper flaps is turned over onto itself and assumes a flattened form intuitable from the aforestated and as can be clearly seen fromFIGS. 6 and 9which will be described hereinafter.

At this point the cardboard sheet is folded about the creasing line8, to superpose the already turned-over upper flaps on the side wall3of the box (FIG. 4).

A strip of glue (represented by dots) is then applied to the upperly facing surface of the tab5(FIG. 4), then the side wall1of the box is turned over by rotating it about the creasing line6and superposing it on the already folded upper flaps resting on the wall2, in order to glue the free longitudinal edge of said wall1to the tab5(FIG. 5).

The task of the cardboard processing firm which has produced the box is hence terminated, and packs of flattened boxes are dispatched to the box user firms which, using automatic machines of known type and common use, firstly press the creasing line6towards the creasing line8(hence causing the box to assume a tubular shape with a square or rectangular cross-section), then rotate the lower flaps of the box towards the box interior and finally close the bottom lid: the box hence assumes the appearance shown in perspective view seen frontally from below (with part of the side walls of the box removed to allow a clear view of its interior structure) inFIG. 6.

InFIG. 6, in which the lower part of the box possesses its final shape (whereas its upper end is open), i.e. the shape which it must have to be ready for inserting a cylindrical container (shown schematically inFIGS. 9 and 10by the letter C) into it, as clearly represented inFIG. 9in which for clarity the box is drawn as it appears if seen rotated through 180° about its longitudinal axis with respect to Figures from6to8.

Starting from the conditions ofFIGS. 6 and 9and assuming that the container c has already been inserted into the box (the container is not however shown in Figures from6to8), the upper flaps are folded towards the box interior, passing through the intermediate position ofFIG. 7(in which only the left upper flap is shown partly folded into the box), to reach the final position ofFIG. 8(where the flap portion24assumes an attitude parallel both to the parts14of the lower flaps and to the two lids10,11when in their closed position) in which the container C (seeFIG. 10) rests on the horizontal parts14and is supported by the two vertical parts13and by the tabs20glued thereto and deriving from the lower flaps of the box, the container being permanently urged downwards by the parts24of the upper flaps and being laterally retained, positioned and locked25securely by the semiarch-shaped free edges of the holes39in the said upper flaps, said shaped edges being pressed against the cylindrical surfaces of the upper part of the container C which is securely retained by said shaped edges by friction so that the container cannot rotate freely about its axis.

It follows that as the window41and the upper and lower edges of the box are shaped and dimensioned such that in front of and through the window41there is positioned and visible that portion of the container cylindrical surface carrying the trademarks or writings which are to remain always easily visible by the purchaser of the products enclosed in the container C, once the containers have been correctly positioned in the boxes their attitude cannot be accidentally changed during box handling and storage.

An important characteristic of the described box is the considerable ease with which the container C can be inserted, correctly positioned and locked inside the box.

To understand this, reference will be made toFIG. 9in which the upper flaps and the lid11are completely aligned with those side walls of the box from which they project: the container C can be rested on the portions14of the lower flaps which are flat and spaced from the bottom lid10.

After the container C has been inserted into the box, when the upper flaps are rotated about the folding line30to pass in succession through the intermediate position ofFIG. 7to the completely turned-over position ofFIGS. 8 and 10, the shaped edges of the apertures39firstly move downwards and at the same time towards the centre of the box to interfere with the cylindrical surface of the container C and hence position it correctly in the centre of the box, and then securely lock it in this position in which it is finally retained by the portions24,28of the upper flaps which at the same time have been lowered to press on the top of the container and urge it and lock it onto the portions13,14,20of the lower flaps (FIG. 10).

The container C is hence automatically protected against impacts received both against the top and against the side walls of the box, and in addition the container cannot rotate accidentally about its axis.