Cover protected against fraudulent opening for an angular box

Abstract: The invention relates to a cover protected against fraudulent opening for an angular box having an outwards and downwards directed projected edge which cooperates with a bulge directed to the box over the entire circumference, characterized in that the cover according to the invention comprises corner portions (6) which are connected to the remaining portion of the cover (1) so that they can be teared off from this remaining portion and which are extended downwards by a hook-shaped projection (8) directed towards the box which catch behind said projecting edge (5) of the box when the cover is lifted between two corners.

Description: This invention relates to a cover according to the preamble of claim 1. A cover of this kind is known from EP-A-0 110 859. Boxes of flexible plastic material are often used for packaging and offering foodstuffs for sale and, in particular when these boxes contain ice cream, attempts to open these boxes fraudulently are regularly observed. This happens for example when these boxes are displayed in refrigerated counters. Fraudulently opening such boxes is usually done by children. Although fraudulent manipulations of the cover occur especially in the above described field, the invention is directed to a cover and angular box pertaining thereto which provides a very satisfying solution permitting the fraudulent manipulation of a cover to be established, whatever may be the content of the box. This object is achieved by the cover defined in claim 1. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said corner portions are connected in such a manner to the remaining portion of the cover that they can be teared off from the cover by removing the corner pieces from the box without bringing said hook in contact with said downwards directed projecting edge. Other details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a cover for an angular box protected against fraudulent opening. This description is only given by way of example and does not limit the scope of the invention. The reference numerals relate to the figures annexed hereto. Figure 1 is a cross-section through the wall of an angular box and cover pertaining thereto. According to the invention, the cross-section is taken at one of the corners of cover and box. Figure 2 is a cross-section through the wall of the box and the cover pertaining thereto, the cross-section being taken on any place between the corners of said box. The cover 1 illustrated in these figures is destined for being snapped over a more-angular box destined for packaging and offering foodstuffs for sale. Over the entire circumference, the cover 1 shows along the inner side, i.e. the side directed towards the wall 2 of the box, a continuous bulge 3 which is situated in the closed position behind the lowermost edge 4 of an outwards and downwards directed outerwall 5 of the box. This outerwall 5 fits closely to the wall 2 thereof. A cover of flexible material having such a profile fits therefore easily onto a box of the above described type. Such a closure is generally known and applied. In order to prevent the cover now from being opened in a fraudulent way, whereby the product packed up in this box could be touched or at least in order to show the fraudulent manipulation of the cover, the cover comprises at each of its corners downwards extended corner portions 6 connected to the remaining portion of the cover so that they can be teared off, more particularly along a tear or weakened line 7. These corner portions which can be teared off comprise a hook-shaped projection 8, somewhat above the lowermost portion of the removable corner portion. In case of an attempt to lift the cover between two corners of this cover, this would not work since the hook-shaped projection 8 will catch then inevitably underneath the lowermost edge 10 of the outerwall 5 of the box. Consequently, an attempt to lift the cover in this way is therefore foiled because the hook-shaped projection 8 prevents the cover from being removed from the box at the corner portions thereof. For opening the box in a regular way, at least two corner portions 6 are removed from the cover. This is easy to do since these corner portions are connected to the cover 1 so that they can be teared off on the already mentioned tear or weakened line 7. Removing a corner portion by tearing it off is done by exerting a traction onto its lowermost portion, just underneath the hook-shaped projection 8 or at the same level, more particularly more or less according to arrow 11 of figure 1. By exerting a traction according to arrow 11 onto at least two corner portions, these portions will tear off and the cover can be removed in a normal way. After removal of the corner portions, the cover can still be used. From the hereabove given description of a cover protected against fraudulent opening according to the invention, it appears that this can be used faultlessly for detecting a fraudulent attempt to open boxes.

Claims: An angular cover protected against fraudulent opening for an angular box having an outwards and downwards directed projecting edge (10), the cover having an inwardly directed bulge (3) over the entire circumference intended to cooperate with said edge of the box, the cover further comprising corner portions (6) which are tearably connected to the remaining portion of the cover (1), characterized in that the corner portions can be teared off from said remaining portion and in that they are extended downwards by a hook-shaped, inwardly directed projection (8) which is intended to catch behind said projecting edge (5) of the box when the cover is lifted between two corners. A cover according to claim 1, characterized in that said corner portions (6) are connected in such a manner to the cover (1) that they can be teared off from the cover by removing the corner portions (6) from the box (1) without bringing said hook-shaped projection (8) in contact with said downwards directed lowermost edge (10).

Inventors: VAN DE VELDE LUC, VAN DE VELDE, LUC
Applicants: THOVADEC N V, THOVADEC N.V.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B65D43
IPC codes: B65D43