Abstract:
A recloseable, cuboidal folding box which has a tamperproof seal and a hanging means both of which are provided in the top region of the folding box, and which can be erected, filled and closed easily and quickly with the aid of machines, and which is prepared from a single-piece folding blank.

Description:
The invention relates to a recloseable, cuboidal folding box. The box has a front side wall, a rear side wall, a right-hand side wall, which connects the front side wall and the rear side wall, a left-hand side wall, a base closure, and a top closure. The base closure is formed by four base closure flaps, and he top closure is formed by four top closure flaps, two closure flaps and two base closure flaps being adhesively bonded to one another A tear-open tab is integrated in the rear side wall, is retained in the rear side wall by means of a weakening or predetermined tearing line and is connected to a closure flap of the top closure via a folding line. The box has at least one inner rear wall on which if appropriate an intermediate wall and, adjoining the intermediate wall, an inner front wall are articulated. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     German Patent Application DE 39 32 441 discloses a recloseable folding box which comprises a front side wall and a rear side wall as well as two side walls which connect the front side wall and the rear side wall, a base part and a top closure flap. The closure flap is connected, via a fastening tab, to an insertion tongue which, for its part, is arranged in the rear side wall or front side wall via a weakening line and can be torn out of said side wall. This folding box, however, does not provide any possible means for hanging it on a hook in any way. Once said folding box has been filled with the goods which are to be sold, it has to be displayed to the customer in a manner which shows it to best effect and which allows it to be handled easily. A very clearly laid-out display may be provided in sales racks by means of the generally known self-service hooks, which make it possible for a plurality of folding boxes to be received one behind the other. In order that the folding box described can be hung on such a hook, a correspondingly shaped blank with a hanging device has to be fitted on the folding box in addition. This usually takes place by this part with the corresponding hanging device being adhesively bonded on the folding box at a suitable location in an additional operation. However, the production process of the folding box is thus made more complicated, inter alia, as a result of the production of the further blank or the adhesive bonding of the latter on the finished box, and the greater number of operating steps increases the amount of time required for the production process; furthermore, this means a very much higher outlay in terms of apparatus. 
     German Patent Application DE 43 22 555 likewise discloses a recloseable, cuboidal folding box. This folding box comprises a rear side wall, which is formed by an outer side-wall part and an inner side-wall part, a front side wall, two side walls which connect the front side wall and the rear side wall, a base closure and a top closure. The outer side-wall part has, in its top region, a hanging tab with a correspondingly shaped hanging device, for example round holes or slots. The hanging tab can be used to position the folding box on a hook. However, since the hanging tab is merely of single-layer design and consists of the same material as the rest of the folding box, problems arise during practical usage of the folding box. If, taking into consideration environmental reasons and reasons of cost, the folding box is produced from thin material, the hanging tab has insufficient stability. Even if the folding box is subjected to a slight, unintentional pulling action, the hanging tab tears off, with the result that the hanging tab loses its function and it is no longer possible for the box to be hung up as desired. Furthermore, the appearance of the box is adversely effected as a result and it is no longer possible for the box to be displayed to the customer. Conversely, producing the folding box from thicker, more stable material means that, although the hanging tab can be subjected to tensile loading to a very much greater extent, a large amount of material is wasted unnecessarily at the same time because the rest of the walls of the folding box are over-dimensioned. 
     American U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,533 describes a box which has a hanging means which is made up of two individual hanging tabs. However, this box has several disadvantages as far as its production and use are concerned. The blank of the box disclosed in the American patent has a vertical construction, i.e. the two hanging tabs and the end tab, which together form the hanging means of the box, are arranged in a straight line with the four side walls, the individual parts being connected to one another by a folding line in each case. This type of folding blank means that, once the body of the box has been assembled, the box can only be filled from the side and not, as is generally customary and desired, from above. This makes it necessary to use cartoning and filling machines which are specifically designed for this blank and are otherwise rather unconventional. Furthermore, when the box has been completed, there is a section, in the region of the hanging means, which has a threefold material thickness, as a result of three walls located one above the other, and is thus over-dimensioned. This makes the box more expensive to produce, as a result of increased material consumption, and at the same time results in the weight of the box increasing, with the generally known disadvantages. It is only possible to open the box by first of all a strip of material over the actual opening being removed in an irreversible manner and thus ending up as waste, which, from current environmental standpoints, is undesirable. The box is then torn open at a perforation line. The box can only be reclosed by the hanging means, following corresponding folding, simultaneously serving as a closure cover and being pushed into the opening of the box. This rules out the possibility, once the box has been opened for the first time and closed again, of the box being hung up again by its actual hanging means. The hanging means thus loses its original, actual function. Furthermore, it is not possible to rule out the situation, during closure of the box, where the closure cover, in particular when the box is no longer completely full, slips, in an uncontrolled manner, too far into the interior of the box, with the result that it is no longer possible to grip said closure cover and the box can then only be opened with very great difficulty. Finally, the simultaneous use of the hanging means as a closure cover for the box means that when the box is still sealed, in particular when the box is of a large overall depth, a large, bulky hanging means is produced. This results, for example, in the box taking up a very large amount of surface area when it is hung up in a rack, with the result that the actual capacity of the rack can only be utilized insufficiently by the boxes disclosed. 
     DE 195 41 904 discloses a similar folding box. The folding box comprises a front side wall, a rear side wall, a right-hand side wall, which connects the front side wall and the rear side wall, and a left-hand side wall. The box has a base closure, which is formed by four base closure flaps, and a top closure, which is formed by four closure flaps, two closure flaps of the top closure and two base closure flaps being adhesively bonded to one another. Furthermore, integrated in the front side wall or in the rear side wall is a tear-open tab which is retained in the front side wall or the rear side wall by means of a weakening or predetermined tearing line and is connected to a closure flap of the top closure or to a base closure flap of the base closure via a folding line. At least one inner rear wall is provided in the folding box, to be precise if the tear-open tab is located in the rear side wall. In the case where the tear-open tab is located in the front side wall, then an intermediate wall and, adjoining the intermediate wall, an inner front wall are articulated. Articulated on the rear side wall, in the region of the latter which is free of the tear-open tab, is a first hanging tab, which is located in the plane formed by the rear side wall and has a hanging device, such as slots or round holes. At the same time, a second hanging tab with a hanging device, such as slots or round holes, is punched out of the same region of the inner rear wall as in the case of the rear side wall, starting from the folding line between the inner rear wall and closure flap, it being the case that the closure flap which is articulated on the inner rear wall is of a greater width at the folding line than the second hanging tab. 
     DE 195 35 008 has disclosed a recloseable, cuboidal folding box having a front side wall, a rear side wall, a left-hand side wall, which connects the front side wall and the rear side wall, and a right-hand side wall. The box has a recloseable base, preferably comprising three base closure flaps articulated on the side walls, and three further closure flaps, which are articulated on the front side wall, on the left-hand side wall, which connects the front side wall and the rear side wall, and on the right-hand side wall and which are located opposite the base closure flaps, and having a fourth closure flap, which is articulated on the rear side wall and which, together with the three further closure flaps, forms the top closure of the folding box, this making it possible to have a secure and stable means of hanging the folding box on the known self-service hooks of sales racks within shops or pharmacies. The fourth closure flap is made up, according to the invention, of a plurality of sections, to be precise of p 1  a first hanging tab with a hanging device, which is articulated on the rear side wall of the folding box via a folding line, there being articulated on the first hanging tab, via a folding line, 
     a second hanging tab with a hanging device, there being articulated on the second hanging tab, via a folding line, 
     an end tab, 
     it being the case that the first hanging tab, the second hanging tab and the end tab are arranged one behind the other in a straight line, it being the case that the three further closure flaps and the fourth closure flap are each articulated on the same side of the four side walls, and it being the case that, when the folding box has been completed, the end tab is adhesively bonded to the closure flap articulated on the front side wall. 
     This folding box has a double-layer hanging means, but does not have a tamperproof seal which is recloseable. 
     The disadvantage with all the boxes known from the prior art is that, in so far as they have the tamperproof seal disclosed by DE 43 22 555, the hanging means is always provided on that side of the folding box which is located opposite the tamperproof seal, i.e. in the base region of the folding box when said folding boxes are ones with a single-part blank. For the reasons specified above, the task of adhesively bonding a hanging means on the box subsequently is always to be avoided. 
     It is annoying for the customer if the hanging means of the folding box and the closure are arranged on opposite sides of the folding box. Experience has shown that the customer takes the folding box in his/her hand and opens it at the top, that is to say in the vicinity of the hanging means, by irreversibly tearing open, and destroying, the folding box. Subsequent closure of said folding box is no longer possible. The customer who has had a little more experience of such boxes opens the folding box, as envisaged, at the tamperproof seal, removes the desired product, for example a plaster, and then closes the box again. If the latter is then hung on a hook by the hanging means, the closed closure is located at the bottom. It is thus not possible to rule out the situation where the folding box comes open unintentionally and the products located therein drop out. The task of the invention is to solve the problems described. 
     The object of the invention is to provide a recloseable, cuboidal folding box which has a tamperproof seal and a hanging means which are both provided in the top region of the folding box, of which the hanging means has a high stability, with as little material being used as possible, which can be produced cost-effectively, with as little material being used as possible, which can be erected, filled and closed easily and quickly with the aid of machines, and of which the folding blank along with the integrated hanging means is in a single piece. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This object, on which the invention is based, is achieved by the reclosable, cuboidal floding box of the present invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The recloseable, cuboidal folding box according to the invention thus comprises a front side wall, a rear side wall, a right-hand side wall, which connects the front side wall and the rear side wall, and a left-hand side wall. The folding box has a base closure, which is formed by four base closure flaps, and a top closure, which is formed by four closure flaps, it being possible for two base closure flaps to be adhesively bonded to one another. Furthermore, integrated in the rear side wall is a tear-open tab which is retained in the rear side wall by means of a weakening or predetermined tearing line and is connected to a closure flap of the top closure via a folding line. Provided in the folding box is at least one inner rear wall on which if appropriate an intermediate wall and, adjoining the intermediate wall, an inner front wall are articulated. Articulated on the front side wall is a top closure flap which is made up 
     a) of a tab which is articulated on the front side wall via a folding line, 
     b) of a first hanging tab with a hanging device, which is articulated on the tab via a folding line, 
     c) of a second hanging tab with a hanging device, which is articulated on the first hanging tab via a folding line, 
     d) of an end tab, which is articulated on the second hanging tab via a folding line, it being the case that 
     e) the sum of the width of the tab and of the end tab is no greater than the width of the top closure flap. 
     The inner rear wall and the rear side wall may be adhesively bonded to one another, in order to increase the stability of the folding box. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the folding box, the dimensions of the first and second hanging tabs correspond, and the hanging device in the first hanging tab is advantageously of larger dimensions than the hanging device in the second hanging tab, to be precise in order to ensure that, despite the unavoidable inaccuracy during the folding operation of the folding box, the requirements for the dimensions of the opening, which is formed from the hanging devices located, possibly not completely, one above the other, are fulfilled. 
     Furthermore, the two hanging tabs may also be adhesively bonded to one another, in order to increase the stability of the hanging means of the folding box, which is formed from the two hanging tabs. 
     In order to make it possible for the customer, once he/she has purchased the box, to remove the hanging means without difficulty and without destroying the box, the folding line between the inner rear wall and the second hanging tab and the folding line between the rear side wall and the first hanging tab may be designed as a severing perforation. This makes it possible for the hanging means to be specifically severed without there being any risk of the folding box tearing. 
     In order that the second hanging tab achieves greater flexibility at the folding line between the inner rear wall and the second hanging tab, with the result that the second hanging tab can be bent over more easily, punched sections in the manner of knife cuts may be provided over the entire length, or merely in certain areas of said folding line. 
     The tab and the end tab are preferably of the same width. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, a swing flap is integrated in the rear side wall by means of two weakening or predetermined tearing lines and is adhesively bonded in a reversible manner by means of at least one spot of adhesive. The spot of adhesive is located on the swing flap itself or on the inner rear wall. 
     The swing flap preferably extends over the entire width of the front side wall or of the rear side wall. The swing flap is preferably positioned centrally on the front side wall or rear side wall. 
     The invention also relates to the punched blank for producing a folding box which is characterized in the claims. 
     The advantage of this folding box resides in the fact that the closure of the folding box and the hanging tab are fitted on one side of the folding box. There are also further advantages, for example, when the tamperproof pack is closed, unauthorized opening of the box can be detected immediately. The folding box is machine-compatible; it is provided with adhesive when the blank is in the flattened-out state, is erected by the cartoning machine and is transported to the filling station, the hanging tab having already been formed on the folding box. The front and rear sides of the folding box provide excellent design possibilities. Once the folding box has been erected and filled, simple adhesive bonding of the head region and of the central region is possible. This adhesive bonding achieves good dustproofing, this dispensing with the need for the folding box to be fully wrapped subsequently or provided with additional packaging. The folding box is adhesively bonded, dustproof, provided with a tamperproof seal and recloseable; it is easy to handle and can be designed in various ways. Problem-free processing is possible. Furthermore, the folding box is environmentally friendly and is produced from a folding blank with minimum material consumption. 
     During assembly of the folding box, a hanging means is formed on the same, said hanging means being made up of two hanging tabs—and therefore of two layers of material. This has the advantage that the hanging means is characterized by high stability, with the result that it withstands even relatively high tensile loading without there being any risk of it being torn off. In particular if the two hanging tabs are adhesively bonded to one another, the result is a fixed composite arrangement, which may also be designed in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Apart from the hanging means, as far as the folding box is concerned, the walls, with the exception of envisaged adhesive-bonding areas, are otherwise of single-layer design in each case. This means that, overall, a very small amount of material is used up for designing the folding box, although a load-bearing hanging means is nevertheless formed. 
     The integration of the hanging means in the folding blank of the folding box lo allows the folding box to be completed within one operating step. The subsequent task, thus involving unnecessary outlay, of adhesively bonding a hanging means on the otherwise finished box is dispensed with. 
     The folding-box design according to the invention reduces the sources of disruption when the products, in particular plasters, are introduced into the folding box, because the latter does not contain in its interior any protruding edge on which the products may catch. 
     A particularly advantageous embodiment of the folding box along with the punched blank is explained in more detail, without there being any intention of thereby limiting the invention unnecessarily, with reference to the figures, which are described hereinbelow and in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows the flattened-out, non-adhesively-bonded punched blank of the folding box of particularly advantageous design, 
     FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 show the operation of assembling a top closure flap of the folding box, 
     FIG. 5 shows the completed and closed folding box, and 
     FIG. 6 shows the flattened-out, non-adhesively-bonded punched blank of a folding box of alternative design. 
    
    
     FIG. 1 illustrates the punched blank  10  of the folding box  1 . The punched blank  10  may consist of cardboard, paperboard or another suitable material. The body of the erected folding box  1  is formed by the front side wall  11 , the rear side wall  12 , the right-hand side wall  13 , which connects the front side wall  11  and the rear side wall  12 , and the left-hand side wall  14 . Since the tear-open tab  40 , which is provided for opening the folding box  1 , is retained in the rear side wall  12  by means of a weakening or predetermined tearing line  41  and is connected to a closure flap  32  of the top closure  30  via a folding line  302 , the left-hand side wall  14  merely has articulated on it an inner rear wall  15 , on which a tab  16  is located, it being possible for the tab  16  to be adhesively bonded to the right-hand side wall  13  for the purpose of non-releasable closure of the body of the folding box. 
     All the side walls  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  are of rectangular shape, although the front side wall  11  and rear side wall  12 , which are preferably of the same dimensions, are somewhat wider than the other two side walls  13 ,  14 , which are likewise preferably of identical dimensions. The tab  16  is of such a width as to allow reliable adhesive bonding to the right-hand side wall  13 , but is no wider than the two side walls  13 ,  14 . Most of the inner rear wall  15  has been removed. 
     The individual side walls  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 , the inner rear wall  15  and the tab  16  are connected to one another via corresponding folding lines  101 ,  102 , 103 ,  104 ,  105 . 
     The base closure  20  is made up of the four base closure flaps  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 , which are attached to the corresponding side walls  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  by means of folding lines  201 ,  202 ,  203 ,  204 . The base closure flap  21 , which is articulated on the front side wall  11 , and the base closure flap  22 , which is articulated on the rear side wall  12  via the folding line  202 , are preferably of rectangular shape. The length or height of the two base closure flaps  21 ,  22  advantageously corresponds more or less to the width of the two narrower side walls  13 ,  14 , with the result that, when the folding box  1  has been erected, the base closure flaps  21 ,  22 , which are swung inwards at an angle of  90 E, overlap, and are advantageously adhesively bonded to one another, this providing the base closure  20  with increased protection against the penetration of dust or other particles of dirt. Two further base closure flaps  23 ,  24  are articulated on the two narrow side walls  13 ,  14  via the folding lines  203 ,  204 , said further base closure flaps tapering towards their free end and being of essentially trapezoidal design. 
     The top closure  30  is formed from the four top closure flaps  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34 , which are attached correspondingly to the side walls  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14  via the folding lines  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304 . The two top closure flaps  33 ,  34  are preferably of the same shape and dimensions as the two base closure flaps  23 ,  24 . On the front side wall  11  on the one hand said top closure flap  31  is articulated via a folding line  301  and on the other hand, on the opposite side, a base closure flap  21  is articulated via a folding line  201 , it being the case that the top closure flap  31  is made up of a tab  311  which is articulated on the front side wall  12  via a folding line  301 , of a first hanging tab  312  with a hanging device  35 , which is articulated on the tab  311  via a folding line  305 , of a second hanging tab  313  with a hanging device  36 , which is articulated on the first hanging tab  312  via a folding line  306 , of an end tab  314 , which is articulated on the second hanging tab  313  via a folding line  307 . The sum of the widths of the tab  311  and of the end tab  314  is no greater than the width of the top closure flap  32 . In the case of the preferred embodiment of the folding box  1  illustrated here, the tab  311  and the end tab  314  are of the same width. In order to assemble the folding box  1 , the closure flaps  33 ,  34  are first of all swung inwards at an angle of 90°, and then the closure flap  32  is swung over likewise through 90°. The closure flap  31  is first of all folded, with the result that the tab  311  and the end tab  314  rest on the closure flap  31  and are advantageously adhesively bonded to the same. The first hanging tab  312 , which is essentially of rectangular shape, advantageously has centrally, in the centre of gravity of its surface area, a hanging device  35 , which preferably displays a combination of slots and round holes, thus resulting in the generally preferred shape for such recesses, the so-called standard European hole, which allows secure but at the same time also flexible positioning of the full folding box  1  in a sales rack with correspondingly provided sales hooks. Articulated on the first hanging tab  312  is the second hanging tab  313 , which is of the same shape and dimensions as the first hanging tab  312 , the only difference being that the hanging device  36  is somewhat smaller than the hanging device  35  of the first hanging tab  312 , but the second hanging tab is turned at an angle of 180° in relation to the first hanging tab  312 , with the result that, when the second hanging tab  313  is bent over via the folding line  306 , the two hanging tabs  312 ,  313  are located one above the other such that the two hanging devices  35 ,  36  are arranged congruently as far as possible. 
     The two hanging tabs  312 ,  313  may advantageously be adhesively bonded to one another, which increases the stability. 
     For reasons of appearance, it is also possible for the total of four free corners of the two hanging tabs  312 ,  313  to be rounded identically preferably in the form of quarter-circles. 
     In order to make it possible for the folding box to be stored in a particularly space-saving manner, the folding line  305  between the tab  311  and the first hanging tab  312  and the folding line  307  between the second hanging tab  313  and the end tab  314  may be designed as a severing perforation. This makes it possible for the hanging means, which is formed from the two hanging tabs  312 ,  313 , to be removed without the rest of the folding box  1  being damaged. 
     Provided in the rear side wall  12  is an essentially rectangular tear-open tab  40  which can easily be torn out of the rear side wall  12  by way of a corresponding weakening or predetermined tearing line  41  and which is connected to the top closure flap  32  via a folding line  302 . In order to open the top closure  30 , the tear-open tab  40  is removed from the rear side wall  12  by virtue of the weakening or predetermined tearing line  41  being severed and is swung rearwards through, for example, 90° at the folding line  301  together with the top closure flap  31 . In order to reclose the folding box  1 , the tear-open tab  40  is inserted into the folding box  1 , to be precise directly beneath the inner rear wall  15 . A preferably round recess  151  is advantageously provided in the inner rear wall  15 , said recess making it easier to open the folding box  1  again in that access to the tear-open tab  40  is possible by way of a finger or thumb. 
     FIGS. 2,  3  and  4  show the operation of assembling the folding box  1 . As is illustrated in FIG. 2, in order to erect the folding box  1 , first of all the top closure flap  31  is transferred into the desired shape by the hanging tab  312 ,  313  with the end tab  314  being swung over outwards through 180°. Then, according to FIG. 3, the hanging tab  313  and the end tab  314  are folded back again through 180°, with the result that the two hanging tabs  312 ,  313  and the tab  311  and the end tab  314  are located one above the other (FIG.  4 ). 
     FIG. 5 shows the folding box  1  in the assembled and closed state. Once the cuboidal body has been formed from the intermediate wall  16 , the inner rear wall  15 , the left-hand side wall  14 , the front side wall  11 , the side wall  13  and the rear side wall  12 , the intermediate wall  16  is adhesively bonded to the right-hand side wall  13 , which connects the front side wall  11  and the rear side wall  12 . The rear side wall  12  is folded over through a total of 180° and adhesively bonded to the inner rear wall  15 . In the case of the base closure  20 , the base closure flaps  23 ,  24 , which are located on the narrower side walls  13 ,  14 , are swung inwards through 90°, the base closure flap  22 , which is located on the rear side wall  12 , is folded onto the same, and then the base closure flap  21 , which is located on the front side wall  11 , is bent over correspondingly, adhesive bonding of the two base closure flaps  21 ,  22  likewise taking place here. In the case of the top closure  30 , first of all the closure flaps  33 ,  34 , which are located on the narrower side walls  13 ,  14 , are swung inwards, and the closure flap  32 , which is located on the rear side wall  12 , is folded onto the same. Finally, the closure flap  31  formed according to FIGS. 2 and 3 is folded, the tab  311  and the end tab  314  being adhesively bonded to the closure flap  32  by virtue of a corresponding adhesive being applied. The two hanging tabs  312 ,  313  are advantageously also adhesively bonded to one another, with the result that the double material wall renders the hanging means of the folding box  1  extremely stable. This means that the top closure  30  and the base closure  20  of the folding box  1  cannot be opened without force being applied and are thus protected against theft and dustproof. 
     By virtue of the hanging means of the folding box  1  being folded back into the vertical position, the completed and closed folding box  1  is in the state in which it is supplied to the customer, who can than hang it in sales racks provided with hooks and advantageously display it for selling purposes. 
     All suitable adhesives may be used as the adhesive materials here. 
     FIG. 6 shows the flattened-out, non-adhesively-bonded punched blank of a folding box  1  of alternative design, which is provided with a swing flap  50  on its rear side wall  12 . The swing flap  50  is retained in the rear side wall  12  in this case by means of two weakening or predetermined tearing lines  51 ,  52 . In order to open the swing flap  50 , the two weakening or predetermined tearing lines  51 ,  52  are severed, and advantageously provided for this purpose, on the swing flap  50 , is an, in particular, round protrusion  53 , which makes it easier for the folding box  1  to be opened in that access to said protrusion  53  is possible by way of a finger or thumb. Reversible adhesive bonding of the swing flap  50  is ensured by the spot of adhesive  54  on the inner rear wall  15 , the spot of adhesive  54  being formed by a pressure-sensitive adhesive.