BOX

Abstract: The invention relates to a box (1), comprising: a sheet-metal container (2); a sheet-metal, air and moisture-tight lid (3); and at least one hinge (4) hingedly coupling the container and the lid. Such a box is known and serves for instance to contain cigars. The box according to the invention has the feature that a sealing strip (9) is present on the inner surface of the lid which in the closed situation of the box seals the lid against the upper edge of the container; locking means are present to fix the lid releasably relative to the container in its closed position; and the or each hinge is air and moisture-tight.

Description: BOX The invention relates to a box, comprising: a sheet-metal container; a sheet-metal, air and moisture-tight lid; and at least one hinge hingedly coupling the container and the lid. Such a box is known and serves for instance to contain cigars. It is known that, due to the effect of air and moisture, cigars and other products gradually undergo a deterioration in quality. The basic objective underlying the invention is to enable storage of articles packed in the box in completely airtight manner for a longer period of time, wherein any moisture contact with the environment is blocked and wherein the aroma of products such as cigars is also retained for a very long time. In respect of the above stated objectives the box according to the invention has the feature that a sealing strip is present on the inner surface of the lid which in the closed situation of the box seals the lid against the upper edge of the container; locking means are present to fix the lid releasably relative to the container in its closed position; and the or each hinge is air and moisture-tight. A specific embodiment has the special feature that the hinge comprises a hinge part pressed out of its plane by two cut-away portions in the container such that the cut-away portions are holes, which holes are closed in air and moisture-tight manner by sealing means. This embodiment can be manufactured on the basis of a known cigar box by sealing the holes present in such known boxes. comprise adhesive tape arranged on the inside of the container. Another embodiment has the special feature that the container is air and moisture-tight and the or each hinge is situated on the outside of the box. A practical embodiment hereof has the feature that the hinge is a film hinge which is fixed to the container and the lid. This latter variant can be embodied very simply such that the film hinge consists of adhesive tape. A variant which can be manufactured wholly from metal and can be produced with existing tools, be it after some resetting thereof, has the special feature that the hinge consists of a protruding part formed on the edge of the container and a part co-acting therewith which forms part of the lid or is fixed thereto. It is noted that if the hinge parts are formed integrally with respectively the container and lid, no further additional process is required to manufacture the box according to the invention, in contrast to the above described variants with sealing means and film hinges and the like. A practical embodiment has the special feature that the sealing strip consists of a sealing mass which is received in a recessed peripheral part of the lid. Particularly for transport and presentation to the public by retailers, it is generally perceived as pleasing if the box is stackable with an identical box. A very simple embodiment which is attractive in technical and aesthetic respect is that in which both the protruding part formed on the edge of the container and the part forming part of the lid or fixed thereto are curled edges, which curled edges are mutually engaging and together form the hinge. This latter variant is preferably embodied such that said curled edge of the lid is formed thereon. A specific embodiment has the special feature that the hinge is placed close to the upper edge of the container and the peripheral wall of the lid such that the lid can be displaced so far from the closing position that the lid rests on a flat surface on which the container is placed. Attention is drawn in this respect to GB-A-450 087. This publication describes a box, the lid of which cannot be opened further than about 180°. According to the present aspect of the invention, the lid can be opened so far that the end edge remote from the hinge rests on the surface. Another aspect of the invention relates to the fact that the hinge consists of an inward bent lip which forms part of the lid and which extends through a hole present in the edge of the container embodied as outward facing curl. This embodiment of the box according to the invention provides a very sturdy and robust hinge. This aspect lends itself very well to combination with the above described aspect. The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings. Herein: figure 1 shows a partly perspective view of a box according to the invention in a first embodiment; figure 2 shows the cross-section II-II of figure 1; figure 3 shows a view corresponding with figure 1 of a second embodiment; figure 4 shows the cross-section IV-IV of figure 3; figure 5 shows a view corresponding with figures 1 and 3 of a third embodiment; figure 6 shows a cross-section along the line VI-VI of figure 5; figure 7 shows a cross-section through a fourth embodiment; figure 8 is a side view of the embodiment according to figure 7 ; figure 9 is a partly perspective view of a box according to the invention in a fifth embodiment; figure 10 shows the cross-section X-X of figure 9; and figure 11 is an enlarged, partly broken away perspective view of the detail XI of figure 9. Figure 1 shows a box.1 according to the invention. It comprises a sheet-metal container 2 and a sheet-metal lid 3. Lid 3 is connected to container 2 by means of two hinges 4, 5. Each hinge 4 comprises a hinge part 7 pressed out of its plane and bounded by two cut-away portions 15, 16, wherein the holes formed by said cut-away portions 15, 16 are taped off sealingly by a strip of adhesive tape 9 adhered to the inner surface 8 of container 2. Lid 3 has a recessed peripheral part 10 in which is received a sealing strip or compound 11. Container 2 has on its underside a peripheral recess 12 which has a shape corresponding with the shape of the peripheral part 10 of lid 3. Box 1 can thus be stacked with an identical box. Essential to the invention is that lid 3 and container 2 can mutually co-act in sealing manner and that lid 3 can be easily removed from container 2. In this context the lid 3 has on its end edge 17 remote from hinges 4, 5 a snap protrusion 18 which is pressed out of its plane and can be placed in snapping co-action with curled edge 19, which is a peripheral edge of container 2. Lid 3 also has a peripheral edge of curled shape. This curled edge is designated with 20. It will be apparent that box 1 can be opened and closed very easily, that due to the presence of adhesive tape 9 the hinges 4, 5 are air and moisture-tight, and that in the closed situation of figure 2 the sealing strip 11 ensures hermetic sealing of lid 3 relative to container 2. Figure 3 shows a box 13 which in view of the comprehensive discussion of figures 1 and 2 will only be discussed briefly. Box 13 differs from box 1 due to the presence of a film hinge connecting lid 14 to container 115. This film hinge is embodied as an adhesive strip 116 which is connected with a first adhesive zone 17 to container 115 and with a second adhesive zone 18 to lid 14. Adhesive strip 116 can be manufactured from suitable material which can endure bending along the hinge zone a very large number of times. Since both container 115 and lid 14 are completely closed, the structure of box 13 ensures hermetic sealing of lid 14 relative to container 115. Figures 5 and 6 show a box 119 with yet another hinge construction. In this embodiment use is made of lid 3 according to figures 1 and 2. Other than in the case of box 1 of figures 1 and 2, an untreated and outward bent lip 22 is formed locally on the curled edge 20 of container 21, with which lip the hinge curled edge 23 of lid 3 can co-act hingedly. For this purpose the lip 22 has a slotted hole which defines the presence of an element 24 acting as hinge pin. It will be apparent that this embodiment according to figures 5 and 6 also ensures hermetic closure of box 19. Since some users will find a lid with a peripheral recess 10 as according to the accompanying drawings less attractive, it is possible to envisage providing this lid with a decoration in which said peripheral form of recess 10 is as it were incorporated in natural manner in the presented information. In addition to alleviating the aesthetic objections of users, this may even result in great appreciation. Figure 7 shows a box 25 in a fourth embodiment of the invention. The box comprises a container 26 and a recessed lid 27, the peripheral edge of which is entirely filled with a compound mass 28. This sealing mass 28 seals against an outward bent peripheral curled edge 28 of container 26. Lid 27 is connected to container 26 by means of hinge 30. As figure 7 shows, hinge 30 is placed relatively close to the upper edge of container 26. Figure 8 shows that lid 27 can hereby be displaced so far from the closing position shown in figure 7 that it rests on a flat surface 31 on which container 26 is placed. Returning now to figure 7, attention is drawn to the fact that hinge 30 consists of an inward bent lip 32 which forms part of lid 27 and which extends through a hole 33 present in the container edge 29 embodied as outward facing curl. A downward extending part 34 of lid 27 likewise comprises a curled edge 35 which faces outward, which part 34 comprises four inward facing protrusions 36 pressed out of the main plane of part 34 which can be placed in snapping co-action with curled edge 29 for closing box 25 sealingly and with a certain clamping force such that sealing mass 28 presses along the whole length against the peripherally extending curled edge 29. Figure 9 shows a box 130 comprising a sheet-metal container 131 and a sheet-metal lid 132. Box 130 has a construction which largely corresponds with that of box 119 according to figures 5 and 6. Aside from a few dimensioning details, it differs however from this latter in one significant respect. Hinges 22, 23 of box 119 comprise a curled edge 23 which is formed on the lid and which co-acts in the manner of a hinge with a lip formed on container 21 and provided with a slotted hole. The functionally corresponding hinges 133, 134 of box 130 according to figures 9, 10 and 11 are embodied such that a curled edge 134 formed on lid 132 and thus integrated therewith engages in and co-acts in the manner of a hinge with a curled edge 135 formed on container 131 and thus integrated therewith. Figure 10 and particularly figure 11 show the manner in which curled edges 134 and 135 engage round and in each other and thus together form a hinge. Just as the lids described in the foregoing, lid 132 has a recessed peripheral part 136 in which a compound 137 is arranged for sealing co-action with the peripheral curled edge 138 of container 131. *****

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Box, comprising : a sheet-metal container; a sheet-metal, air and moisture-tight lid; and at least one hinge hingedly coupling the container and the lid; characterized in that a sealing strip is present on the inner surface of the lid which in the closed situation of the box seals the lid against the upper edge of the container; locking means are present to fix the lid releasably relative to the container in its closed position; and the or each hinge is air and moisture-tight. 2. Box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hinge comprises a hinge part pressed out of its plane by two cut-away portions in the container such that the cut-away portions are holes, which holes are closed in air and moisture-tight manner by sealing means. 3. Box as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sealing means comprise adhesive tape arranged on the inside of the container. 4. Box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is air and moisture-tight and the or each hinge is situated on the outside of the box. 5. Box as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hinge is a film hinge which is fixed to the container and the lid. 6. Box as claimed in claim 5, wherein the film hinge consists of adhesive tape. 7. Box as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hinge consists of a protruding part formed on the edge of the container and a part co-acting therewith which forms part of the lid or is fixed thereto. 8. Box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing strip consists of a sealing mass which is received in a recessed peripheral part of the lid.

Inventors: ROETERDINK JOHAN WILLEM, RUIMERMAN JACOB, ROETERDINK, JOHAN, WILLEM, RUIMERMAN, JACOB
Applicants: IMPRESS METAL PACKAGING BV, ROETERDINK JOHAN WILLEM, RUIMERMAN JACOB, IMPRESS METAL PACKAGING B.V., ROETERDINK, JOHAN, WILLEM, RUIMERMAN, JACOB
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65D43
IPC codes: B65D6, B65D43