CONTAINERS

Abstract: A blank, e.g. of cardboard, for making a container of a kind which is sealable closed by at least one strip of adhesive tape (15), the blank having a part which is readily detachable to enable such a tape to be gripped and stripped off, wherein said detachable part includes a substantially circular portion (13) which may be detached by rotating it in its own plane, and a further portion (14), contiguous with said circular portion, which is arranged to underlie an end of the tape.

Description: "Containers" This invention relates to containers made of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material and to blanks for making the same . It is well known to seal such a container closed by means of one or more strips of adhesive tape. For example, if the top of the container is closed by two opposite top closure flaps with their edges abutting, the tape may be applied all along the abutting edges, with its ends extending down the opposite ends of the container and stuck to the end faces also. The base of the container may be sealed in similar fashion. Such a process is efficient but it does have the problem that it is not easy to remove the tape when the container is to be opened. The tape is thin, and it sticks well to the board, and consequently it is often difficult to lift up a corner of it at one end, so as to get a grip on the tape and strip it off. Consequently, various proposals have been put forward which involve making a portion of the container wall which underlies the end of the tape readily detachable, e.g. by means of suitably located perforations in the board, so that detaching such portion also lifts up the end of the tape to enable it to be stripped off. However, a further problem can then arise in that in order to detach the said portion it is usually necessary to push it (if only slightly) inwardly of the container so as to break the line of perforations (for example) which define it, and this can be difficult or even impossible if the container is tightly packed with its contents. Viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a blank of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, adapted to form a container which is sealable closed by at least one strip of adhesive tape, the blank having a part which is readily detachable to enable such a tape to be gripped and stripped off, wherein said detachable part includes a substantially circular portion which may be detached by rotating it in its own plane, and a further portion, contiguous with said circular portion, which is arranged to underlie an end of said adhesive tape when applied to the erected container. As the circular detachable portion may thus be detached without pushing it inwardly, but just by rotating it, there is no problem in doing so even when the container is very tightly packed with its contents. Of course, if the container is not so tightly packed, the said portion may be removed just by pushing it inwardly. Removal of the said circular portion then enables the said further portion, underlying the end of the tape, to be gripped and removed, taking the end of the tape with it. The surface texture of the said circular detachable portion may be such as to enable it to be rotated, and thereby detached, just by friction contact and the application of torque, for example by a user's thumb. However, the said portion may be suitably embossed to facilitate such an operation, or formed with a slot to receive a coin or a tool, or suitably coated to increase friction. The said circular detachable portion may be made readily detachable in any convenient manner. Preferably it is defined by a ring of elongate cuts through the board, with narrow lands between them. The said further detachable portion may be similarly defined. However, it is desirable to discourage untimely removal of such further portion, for example in order to form a hand hole, as this could lead to ingress of dirt or loss of product. It is therefore preferable for it to be made somewhat less easily detachable and this may be achieved by defining it by a line of perforations rather than elongate cuts. The said further detachable portion is preferably substantially wider than a typical adhesive tape, so as to allow for errors in placement of the tape. The circular detachable portion on the other hand is preferably made as small as it conveniently possible, so as to discourage its premature removal for any reason. In a preferred form of the invention the circular detachable portion has a diameter in the region of 35 to 40 mm, while the said further detachable portion is in the region of 75 to 85 mm wide and 110 to 120 mm long in the intended direction of the length of the tape. Preferably the said further detachable portion has a first end region which widens from a relatively narrow first end contiguous with, and of substantially the same width as, the said circular detachable portion, to a relatively wide, parallel sided, central region, and a second end region which narrows from said central region to a relatively narrow second and, of substantially the same width as the first end, remote from the said circular portion. Such a configuration facilitates clean removal of the said further detachable portion. As previously mentioned, a container may have both its top and its base sealed closed by adhesive tape. After the container has been used it may be desired to remove the tape from the base also, so that the container may be collapsed flat for disposal. Preferably therefore a blank according to the invention incorporates two of said readily detachable parts, arranged to be associated with tapes closing the top and the base of the erected container, respectively. The said two readily detachable parts could be located in one and the same wall panel of the blank. However, this could weaken the said wall panel, and also there may not be sufficient space in the panel to accommodate both of such parts, so preferably the two said parts are formed in different wall forming panels. The scope of the present invention also extends to the latter concept in itself. Thus viewed from a second aspect the invention provides a blank of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, adapted to form a container whose top and bottom are sealable closed by respective strips of adhesive tape, the blank having two parts which are readily detachable to enable each of said tapes to be gripped and stripped off, wherein said parts are located in different wall forming panels of the blank. A blank according to this second aspect of the invention may have any of the further and/or optional features of the blank according to the first aspect which are applicable to it . Viewed from a third aspect the invention provides a blank of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, adapted to form a container which is sealable closed by a strip of adhesive tape, the blank having a part which is readily detachable to enable such a tape to be gripped and stripped off, wherein said detachable part comprises first and second contiguous portions, the said first portion being smaller than the second portion and being more readily detachable than the latter. Again, such a blank may have any of the further and/or optional features set forth herein which are applicable to it. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank according to the invention; and Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of a container made from the blank of Figure 1, illustrating successive stages in the removal of an adhesive tape therefrom. Referring first to Figure 1, a blank for making a container in the form of a so-called "American box" comprises side wall forming panels 1 and 2, end walls forming panels 3 and 4, side top closure flaps 5 and 6, end top closure flaps 7 and 8, side base closure flaps 9 and 10, and end base closure flaps 11 and 12. The end wall forming panel 3 incorporated a detachable part comprising a circular detachable portion 13 defined by a ring of elongate cuts with narrow lands between them, and a further detachable portion 14, contiguous with the portion 13. The portion 14 is defined by a line of perforations, so that it is not so easily detachable as the portion 13. If desired, the perforations may be replaced by elongate cuts at the four corners and the distal end of the portion 14, to facilitate its clean detachment. As will be clear from the following description of Figures 2 and 3, the detachable portions 13 and 14 in the end wall panel 3 are for the purpose of removing an adhesive tape which seals closed the top of the erected box. A similar but oppositely oriented arrangement of detachable portions is provided in the other end wall panel 4, for removing an adhesive tape from the base of the box when desired, for example when the box is to be collapsed flat for disposal. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the side top closure flaps 5 and 6 of the erected box are sealed closed by a strip of adhesive tape 15 whose ends extend part way down, and are stuck to, the end walls 3 and 4. The end 16 of the tape overlies the detachable portion 14 in the wall 3 and terminates about half way down the same. The corresponding end of the tape 17 sealing the bottom of the box similarly overlies the detachable portion 14 in the other end wall 4, not visible in Figures 2 and 3. To open the top of the box, a user first removes the detachable portion 13. If the box is not too tightly packed this may be done by pushing the portion in, to break it from the end wall. If the box is so tightly packed as to prevent such inward displacement, the user can detach the portion by pressing and rotating it. Having removed the portion 13 in one way or another, the user is able to grip the detachable portion 14 as shown in Figure 3, and strip away the tape.

Claims: Claims 1. A blank of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, adapted to form a container which is sealable closed by at least one strip of adhesive tape, the blank having a part which is readily detachable to enable such a tape to be gripped and stripped off, wherein said detachable part includes a substantially circular portion which may be detached by rotating it in its own plane, and a further portion, contiguous with said circular portion, which is arranged to underlie an end of said adhesive tape when applied to the erected container. 2. A blank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said circular portion is defined by a ring of elongate cuts extending through the sheet material, with narrow lands between them. 3. A blank as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said further portion of said detachable part is defined by a line of perforations so as to be less readily detachable than said circular portion thereof. 4. A blank as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 , wherein said further detachable portion is substantially larger than said circular detachable portion. 5. A blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the said further detachable portion has a first end region which widens from a relatively narrow first end contiguous with, and of substantially the same width as, the said circular detachable portion, to a relatively wide, parallel sided, central region, and a second end region which narrows from said central region to a relatively narrow second end, of substantially the same width as the first end, remote from the said circular portion . 6. A blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the surface of the said circular portion is embossed or otherwise treated to facilitate its rotation. 7. A blank as claimed in any preceding claim, which incorporates two of said readily detachable parts, arranged to be associated with tapes closing the top and the base of the erected container, respectively. 8. A blank as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said two detachable parts are provided in different wall forming panels of the blank. 9. A blank of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, adapted to form a container whose top and bottom are sealable closed by respective strips of adhesive tape, the blank having two parts which are readily detachable to enable each of said tapes to be gripped and stripped off, wherein said parts are located in different wall forming panels of the blank. 10. A blank of cardboard, corrugated board or similar lightweight foldable sheet material, adapted to form a container which is sealable closed by a strip of adhesive tape, the blank having a part which is readily detachable to enable such a tape to be gripped and stripped off, wherein said detachable part comprises first and second contiguous portions, the said first portion being smaller than the second portion and being more readily detachable than the latter. 11. A blank as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said first portion is defined by elongate cuts extending through the sheet material, with narrow lands between them, and the said second portion is defined by a line of relatively short perforations. 12. A blank as claimed in claim 11, wherein the said second detachable portion has a first end region which widens from a relatively narrow first end contiguous with, and of substantially the same width as, the said first detachable portion, to a relatively wide, parallel sided, central region, and a second end region which narrows from said central region to a relatively narrow second end, of substantially the same width as the first end, remote from the said first portion. 13. A blank as claimed in claim 12, wherein the said first detachable portion is circular. 14. A blank as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings . 15. A container made from a blank as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14.

Inventors: ARTOIS AUGUST, KYNASTON-PEARSON ANTHONY WILLI, WOUTERS WIM, ARTOIS, AUGUST, KYNASTON-PEARSON, ANTHONY, WILLIAM, NIGEL, WOUTERS, WIM
Applicants: ARTOIS AUGUST, KYNASTON PEARSON ANTHONY WILLI, SCA PACKAGING LTD, WOUTERS WIM, ARTOIS, AUGUST, KYNASTON-PEARSON, ANTHONY, WILLIAM, NIGEL, SCA PACKAGING LIMITED, WOUTERS, WIM
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5