A package in the form of a box with a hanging portion

Abstract: A package in the form of a box comprises a hollow body (1) defined by a plurality of walls which include a pivotable wall (13a) articulated along a peripheral edge (3d) of a first wall (3) so as to be able to adopt a closed position and an open position relative to an access opening to the interior of the body (1). A second wall (5) opposite the first wall (3) and having an associated hanging portion (14a, 14b) projects from the body (1) and carries means (16) for the engagement of the package on a support device. The hanging portion (14a, 14b) is connected both to the pivotable wall (13a) and to the second wall (5) of the body by separable connection means (5d, 5e). The separation of the hanging portion (14a, 14b) from the body (1) renders the pivotable wall (13a) independent of the second wall of the body (5) so that the pivotable wall can adopt the configuration in which the access opening is open.

Description: The present invention relates in general to packages having hanging portions so that they can be hung on a support structure such as a display unit or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a package in the form of a box comprising a hollow, prismatic body defined by a plurality of walls which include a pivotable wall articulated along a peripheral edge of a first wall so as to be able to adopt a closed position or an open position relative to an access opening to the interior of the body, this opening extending between said peripheral edge and a corresponding edge of a second wall opposite the first wall, the second wall being provided with an associated hanging portion projecting from the body and having means for the engagement of the package on a support device. In known packages of the type defined above which, typically, are intended to be displayed for sale hanging on a display rack, the pivotable wall is formed so as to be independent both of the hanging portion and of the other walls, except the wall to which it is articulated. It is thus possible to gain access to the interior of the body of the package in order to remove all or some of its contents simply by lifting the pivotable wall, leaving the package completely intact, which operation can easily be performed whilst the package is hanging on the respective support. This constitutes a disadvantage since the structure of this known package facilitates tampering. Moreover, a purchaser of the package cannot normally tell at a glance whether the package has been tampered with or not. To solve these problems, the subject of the invention is a package of the type mentioned above, characterized in that the hanging portion is connected both to the pivotable wall and to the second wall of the body by separable connection means in a manner such that the separation of the hanging portion from the body in the region of said connection means renders the pivotable wall independent of the second wall so that the pivotable wall can adopt the configuration in which the access opening is open. By virtue of this concept, access can be gained to the interior of the package only by altering the structure of the package so that the package itself can indicate that tampering has taken place. Moreover, precisely because it is necessary to alter the structure of the package in order to gain access thereto, this constitutes a type of deterrent to ill-intentioned persons, both because such access is more difficult than for known packages since the structure has to be forced in some way, and because the alteration of the structure is immediately obvious from outside and constitutes visible proof that tampering has taken place. DE 195 41 443 A discloses a package of the type mentioned above, wherein the second wall is connected both to the hanging portion and to the pivotable wall of the body by separable connection means. The document EP089692 A, published on 17-02-1999, claims the priority date of 13-08-1997 and is an Article 54(3) and 54(4) EPC document for the following contracting states: DE, ES, FR, GB, IT. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the package according to the invention in the closed configuration, and Figure 2 is an elevational view of a shaped sheet of card or similar material which can be used to produce the package according to the invention. With reference to the drawings, a package according to the invention comprises a body, generally indicated 1. The body 1 is advantageously formed as a result of bending and fixing operations on portions of a single sheet 1a (see Figure 2) of card or similar material, shaped by known cutting and creasing operations. The sheet 1a comprises, in particular, two main, quadrangular, larger walls 3 and 5 possibly having respective windows (not shown) for displaying a product contained in the package. An elongate wall 7 to be disposed beside the walls 3 and 5 in the assembled configuration of the body 1 is interposed between the walls 3 and 5 and extends between two parallel crease lines 3b and 5c which also constitute respective sides of the walls 3 and 5. Respective lateral flaps 9a and 9b of a shape similar to the side wall 7 extend from the opposite sides of the walls 5 and 3 to the side wall 7 and are defined relative to the walls 5 and 3 by respective crease lines 5b and 3c. The side wall 7 and the lateral flap 9b have tabs 10, 12 at their opposite longitudinal ends. A bottom flap 11a and a top flap 13a, both extending between the wall 7 and the flap 9b, project from opposite sides of the main wall 3 and are connected to the wall 3 by respective crease lines 3a and 3b. Moreover, an edge portion 15 is connected to the top flap 13a, on the opposite side to the wall 3, by means of another crease line 15a having a pair of slits 15b at its opposite ends. Two flaps 14b, 14a, connected in succession to the opposite edge of the main wall 5 to the bottom flap 11b, are defined relative to one another by a common crease line 17, and are intended jointly to form a hanging portion of the body 1 for which purpose each includes a respective hole 16 which can be engaged by a portion of the engagement means of a support device (not shown in the drawings), such as a bracket or hook member of known type. An auxiliary flap 13b having dimensions similar to those of the top flap 13a is also connected to the flap 14a on the opposite side to the flap 14b. In particular, the opposite edges of the flaps 14a and 14b to the crease line 17, which are thus shared with the flap 13b and with the wall 5, respectively, are defined by punched tear lines 5d and 5e, advantageously formed by broken lines of slits. The body 1 of the package is assembled first of all by folding the sheet 1a along the crease lines 3b, 3c, 5b, 5c so as to place the side flaps 9a and 9b on top of one another, and by gluing or welding these side flaps together. After the tabs 10 and 12 at the ends of the flap 11a have been bent and the bottom flaps 11a and 11b have been placed on top of one another, these bottom flaps are also glued or welded together. The body 1 thus adopts a substantially parallelepipedal shape which defines a cavity delimited by the main walls 3 and 5, by the side walls 7 and 9a, 9b, and by the bottom wall 11a, 11b. In this condition, access to the cavity of the body 1 is possible through the sole open face of the body which extends between the crease 13d and the punched tear line 5d and thus constitutes an access opening to the interior of the body 1. After the respective product, for example, a plurality of writing instruments such as pens, felt pens or the like, has been inserted in the body 1 of the package, this opening can be closed, as a result of pivoting of the top flap 13a about the crease 3d until the top flap 13a is disposed in the plane identified by the lines 3d, 5d, this top flap 13a performing the function of retaining the product inside the body 1. When the flap 13 is in the closed configuration, the edge portion 15 is folded along the crease 15a and arranged beside a portion of the main wall 5 so that the edges of the respective tabs 10 and 12 engage the end slits of the crease 15a. The flaps 14a and 14b are then folded along the crease 17 so as to be disposed side by side and the auxiliary flap 13b is placed on top of the pivotable flap 13a before the flaps 13b and 13a are glued or welded together. The body of the package 1 with the respective product inside it is thus finally closed so that access to the interior of the package is prevented. In order to gain access to the product contained in the body 1 it is necessary to alter the structure of the body. In particular, the unit constituted by the pair of flaps 14a and 14b can be torn off the body 1 along the tear lines 5d and 5e, at the same time releasing the flap 13a which can then be pivoted along the articulation crease 13d to the position in which the opening of the body 1 is open to afford access to the interior of the body 1. The auxiliary flap 13b remains anchored on top of the pivoting flap 13a, rendering the latter stronger and better able to withstand the stresses brought about thereon by repeated opening and closure of the body 1.

Claims: Claims for the following Contracting States : AT, BE, CH, DK, GR, IE, LI, PT, SE, FI A package in the form of a box comprising a hollow, prismatic body (1) defined by a plurality of walls which include a pivotable wall (13a) articulated along a peripheral edge (3d) of a first wall (3) so as to be able to adopt a closed position or an open position relative to an access opening to the interior of the body (1), this opening extending between said peripheral edge (3d) and a corresponding edge (5d) of a second wall (5) opposite the first wall (3), the second wall (5) being provided with an associated hanging portion (14a, 14b) projecting from the body (1) and having means (16) for the engagement of the package (1) on a support device, characterized in that the hanging portion (14a, 14b) is connected both to the pivotable wall (13a) and to the second wall (5) of the body by separable connection means (5e, 5d) in a manner such that the separation of the hanging portion (14a, 14b) from the body (1) in the region of said connection means (5e, 5d) renders the pivotable wall (13a) independent of the second wall (5) so that the pivotable wall can adopt the configuration in which the access opening is open. A package according to Claim 1, characterized in that the hanging portion (14a, 14b) is coplanar with the second wall (5), and in that the separable connection means define a common edge (5d) of the hanging portion (14a, 14b) and of the second wall (5). A package according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that an auxiliary flap (13b) extends from the hanging portion (14a, 14b) and is intended to be fixed to the pivotable wall (13a), and in that the separable connection means define a common edge (5e) of the hanging portion (14a, 14b) and of the auxiliary flap (13b). A package according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the body (1) is produced as a result of bending and fixing operations on portions of a single shaped sheet (1a) of card or similar material, the separable connection means being constituted by punched tear lines (5d, 5e) formed in the sheet (1). A package according to Claim 4, characterized in that the hanging portion comprises a pair of flaps (14a, 14b) folded along a common crease line (17) so as to be disposed side by side, each flap (14a, 14b) extending between the crease line (17) and a respective punched tear line (5e, 5d), one flap (14b) being connected to the second wall (5) and the other flap (14a) being connected to the auxiliary flap (13b). A package according to any one of Claim 3 to 5, characterized in that the body (1) has a parallelepipedal shape defined by a pair of parallel, quadrangular, main walls (3, 5) and by four side walls (7; 9a, 9b; 11a, 11b; 13a) which are disposed opposite one another in pairs and which extend between the corresponding peripheral edges (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) of the main walls (3, 5) when the pivotable wall (13a) is in the closure position. A package according to Claim 6, characterized in that the pivotable wall (13a) has a folded edge portion (15) which can be disposed beside a portion of the main wall (5) opposite that to which the pivotable wall is articulated when the pivotable wall is in the position in which the access opening to the interior of the body (1) is closed. Claims for the following Contracting States :DE, ES, FR, GB, IT A package in the form of a box comprising a hollow, prismatic body (1) defined by a plurality of walls which include a pivotable wall (13a) articulated along a peripheral edge (3d) of a first wall (3) so as to be able to adopt a closed position or an open position relative to an access opening to the interior of the body (1), this opening extending between said peripheral edge (3d) and a corresponding edge (5d) of a second wall (5) opposite the first wall (3), the second wall (5) being provided with an associated hanging portion (14a, 14b) projecting from the body (1) and having means (16) for the engagement of the package (1) on a support device, said hanging portion (14a, 14b) being connected both to the pivotable wall (13a) and to the second wall (5) of the body by separable connection means (5e, 5d) in a manner such that the separation of the hanging portion (14a, 14b) from the body (1) in the region of said connection means (5e, 5d) renders the pivotable wall (13a) 'independent of the second wall (5) so that the pivotable wall can adopt the configuration in which the access opening is open, characterized in that the pivotable wall (13a) has a folded edge portion (15) which can be disposed beside a portion of the main wall (5) opposite that to which the pivotable wall is articulated when the pivotable wall is in the position in which the access opening to the interior of the body (1) is closed. A package according to Claim 1, characterised in that the hanging portion (14a, 14b) is coplanar with the second wall (5), and in that the separable connection means define a common edge (5d) of the hanging portion (14a, 14b) and of the second wall (5). A package according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that an auxiliary flap (13b) extends from the hanging portion (14a, 14b) and is intended to be fixed to the pivotable wall (13a), and in that the separable connection means define a common edge (5e) of the hanging portion (14a, 14b) and of the auxiliary flap (13b). A package according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the body (1) is produced as a result of bending and fixing operations on portions of a single shaped sheet (1a) of card or similar material, the separable connection means being constituted by punched tear lines (5d,5e) formed in the sheet (1). A package according to Claim 4, characterised in that the hanging portion comprises a pair of flaps (14a, 14b) folded along a common crease line (17) so as to be disposed side by side, each flap (14a, 14b) extending between the crease line (17) and a respective punched tear line (5e, 5d), one flap (14b) being connected to the second wall (5) and the other flap (14a) being connected to the auxiliary flap (13b). A package according to any one of Claim 3 to 5, characterised in that the body (1) has a parallelepipedal shape defined by a pair of parallel, quadrangular, main walls (3, 5) and by four side walls (7; 9a, 9b; 11a, 11b; 13a) which are disposed opposite one another in pairs and which extend between the corresponding peripheral edges (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) of the main walls (3, 5) when the pivotable wall (13a) is in the closure position.

Inventors: QUERCIOLI ENRICO, QUERCIOLI, ENRICO
Applicants: UNIVERSAL S P A, UNIVERSAL S.P.A.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5