Abstract:
A rectangular box  10  that can be made from folded card. The box  10  has a slip case  22  for holding a book  28  and an internal space  26  for storing objects. The internal space  26  is divided from the slip case  22  by a partition wall  20  extending between the top and bottom  16,17  faces of the box  10.  The internal space  26  has a window  30  so that its content can be inspected, and a flap  18  for covering the window  30.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a box that can be made from folded card, to be used in particular for storing a book together with other items.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Books are sometimes kept in a box known as a slip case. A slip case is a rectangular box having an open side through which a book can be inserted or removed, and will normally be appropriately sized such that it fits closely around the book it is intended to accept. When a book is placed in such a slip case, its spine remains visible through the open side, allowing the book to be stored and displayed on a book shelf in the normal way. However, such a slip case will not conveniently accept other items in addition to a book.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    According to the invention, there is provided a box comprising an internal space with a lid for accommodating objects and a slip case with an open side formed integrally as part of the box.  
           [0004]    The internal space can be used to store one or more items whilst the slip case is used to hold a book. The box will be particularly useful if the items within the internal space are related to the subject matter of the book, as the box will then allow the book and the related items to be conveniently stored and/or carried about together. If the book is about animals, for example, small toy animals could be stored in the internal space, or if the book is a cookery book, the internal space could contain ingredients.  
           [0005]    For the purpose of this specification, the box will be described as having a front face through which a book can be inserted into the slip case, a back face, a base and a top, and a first and second side. In use, the box can be placed on its base and stored on a book shelf between other books in an aesthetically pleasing manner, with the first and second sides of the box standing upright and parallel to the other books. The front face could be printed to resemble the spine of a book, to make it more attractive on a bookshelf.  
           [0006]    The size of the slip case need not be chosen to accept only a single book: the slip case may accept a plurality of books, or other book-shaped articles, such as a compact disk with its case.  
           [0007]    The internal space and the slip case will preferably be separated from one another by a partition wall within the box. One wall of the slip case will then be formed by the partition, and the remaining walls of the slip case will be formed by walls of the box.  
           [0008]    Preferably, the partition will be parallel to the first and second sides of the box and the open front of the slip case will be between the partition and the first side of the box. The separation between the partition and the first side of the box will then define the width of the slip case, which can be chosen to match the width of the book the slip case is intended to receive. When a book is placed in the slip case, the spine of the book will be visible though the open front, as with a conventional slip case.  
           [0009]    To give the box the appearance of a book, the first and second sides will preferably have a larger area than the top or front faces of the box. To give the box an appearance that is yet closer to that of a book, the front of the box will preferably be rectangular, with a long axis parallel to the first and second sides of the box.  
           [0010]    The size and aspect ratio of the sides of the box will conform to the size of the book that the slip case is intended to receive.  
           [0011]    A window will preferably be provided on the second side of the box, so that the content of the box can be viewed without opening the box. The window may be open, but will preferably be formed from a continuous sheet of transparent material in order to prevent the content of the box from escaping.  
           [0012]    A flap may be provided over the second side of the box, in order to cover the window and/or give the box the feel and look of a book In order to resemble the front cover of a book, the flap will preferably be hinged along the line where the second side meets the front of the box and will preferably have substantially the same area as the side of the box.  
           [0013]    The top of the box will preferably be openable in order to gain access to the inside of the box.  
           [0014]    A cut away portion will be provided for the slip case on the front edge of the first side of the box so that a book in the slip case can be gripped more easily when it is being pulled out.  
           [0015]    The box will preferably be made from a single-piece blank of folded card.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a box according to the inventions in the upright position;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box on its side with a book placed in the slip case;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of part of the box looking in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, where the top of the box is in the open position; and,  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank that can be used to construct the box shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    In FIGS. 1 and 2, a box  10  is shown having: a front  12  and a back  13 ; first and second sides  14  and  15 ; and a top  16  and a bottom  17 . A partition  20  parallel to the first side  14  defines a slip case  22  in which a book may be received. On the other side of the partition, an internal space  26  is formed where one or more items may be stored. The box may be constructed of folded cardboard.  
         [0022]    The slip case  22  is bounded by the first side wall  14 ; the partition  20 ; an area of the back  13  of the box  10  between the partition  20  and the first side  14 ; and top and bottom guide walls  16   a,   17   a  parallel with and slightly displaced from the top and bottom  16 , 17  faces of the box  10 . The front  12  of the box  10  has a front wall section  12   a  extending from the second side wall  15  to the partition  20 , such that an opening  24  is formed in the remaining frontal area between the partition  20  and the first side  14 . The opening  24  allows a book  28  (FIG. 2) to be inserted in the slip case  22 , between the partition  20  and the first side wall  14 .  
         [0023]    The depth of the slip case  22  is chosen in accordance with the size of the book  28  it is intended to hold, so that when the book  28  is fully inserted into the slip case  22 , the spine  29  of the book is substantially flush with the front  12  of the box  10 , as shown in FIG. 2. To facilitate the removal of the book  28  when it is fully inserted in the slip case  22 , a semicircular cut away portion  27  is provided on the front edge of the first side wall  14 , allowing the book  28  to more easily be gripped.  
         [0024]    The internal apace  26  is bounded by the second side wall  15 , the partition  20 , the front wall section  12   a  the back wall  13  and the top and bottom  16 , 17  of the box  10 . As can be seen from FIG. 3, the top  16  comprises a top flap  16   b  extending from the first side wall  14 . The top flap  16   b  can be opened to provide an opening  29  to gain access to the internal space  26  of the box  10 . In the closed state, the top flap  16   b  substantially covers the entire top surface  16  of the box  10 , thereby concealing the adjacent guiding wall  16   a.    
         [0025]    As can be seen in FIG. 2, the second side wall  15  has a window  30  formed by an opening in the side wall  15  and a sheet of transparent plastic  32  secured to the inside of the wall  15 . A cover flap  18  is provided which in the closed position substantially covers the entire surface of the second wall  15 , including the window  30 . The cover flap  30  pivots about a crease line  46 , 50  where the second side wall  15  and the front wall section  12   a  meet, and provides the box with an outside cover, like the cover of a book.  
         [0026]    With the exception of the transparent window material  32 , the box  10  can be made by folding a single flat blank  34  which can conveniently be of cardboard. A blank is shown in FIG. 4, where fold or crease lines are indicated by continuous lines.  
         [0027]    The blank is folded with 90 degree folds at fold lines  40  and  42 , such that the first and second side walls  14 , 15  are parallel with one another and perpendicular to the back wall  13 . The back wall  13  has two sections: a first section  13   a  which forms a wall of the slip case and a second section  13   b  which forms a wall of the internal space  26 . These two sections  13   a , 13   b  meet at a line  44 . The line  44  will act as a crease line allowing the internal space  26  to be folded flat when the box is not being used.  
         [0028]    The cover flap  18  has two leaves  18   a , 18   b  which are folded back on each other along a fold line  48 . One leaf  18   a  of the cover flap  18  is joined to the second side wall  15  at fold line  46 , whilst the other leaf  18   b  of the flap  18  is joined to the front wall section  12   a  at fold line  50 . The two leaves  18   a , 18   b  of the flap will be held together with glue, and the fold lines  46  and  50  will be brought together where the second side wall  15  and the front wall section  12  meet. The cover flap  18  may be omitted, in which case the front wall section  12  and the second side wall  15  will be joined directly.  
         [0029]    The partition  20  will be folded at 90 degrees to the front wall section  12   a  along fold line  52  such that the far edge of the partition  20  defined by fold line  54  comes into contact with the back wall  13 . The partition  20  comes into contact with back wall  13  along the crease line  44  joining the two sections  13   a , 13   b  of the back wall  13 .  
         [0030]    The far edge partition  20  is secured to the back wall  13  by a tab  56  which is folded at 90 degrees to the partition  20  and affixed to section  13   a  of the back wall  13 .  
         [0031]    The partition  20  and the first side wall  14  are maintained parallel to one another by the upper and lower guiding walls  16   a , 17   a,  which extend from the partition at 90 degrees and are attached to the first side wall  14  with folded tabs  58   a , 58   b  affixed to the side wall  14 .  
         [0032]    The upper flap  16   b  for gaining access to the internal space  26  is connected to the first side wall  14  at crease line  60 , where it is able to fold to a closed position perpendicular to the first side wall  14 .  
         [0033]    When the upper flap  16   b  is in the closed position, a tab  16   c  on the flap  16   b  engages with folded tabs  62  and  64  extending from the back and front walls  13 , 12  respectively, thereby preventing the flap from opening inadvertently. The engagement of the upper flap  16   b  with the tabs  62 , 64  also provides additional structural support to the box  10 .  
         [0034]    The bottom of the box  17  is formed by folded tabs  66 , 68 , 70 , 72  which engage with one another when the box  10  is in the erected position.  
         [0035]    A further tab  74  is bent back on itself and affixed to the interior face of the second side wall  15  in order to give the edge of the side wall  15  a smooth finish along the opening  29  of the internal space  26 .  
         [0036]    When the box is erected as described above, a book can be placed in the slip case and items related to the book can be placed in the internal space region. The box can be orientated in the upright position as shown in FIG. 1 and introduced on a book shelf amongst books, thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing and convenient way to store a book and book-related items together.