Patent Publication Number: US-6209782-B1

Title: Packaging box with a foldable handle member

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a packaging box, more particularly to a packaging box with a foldable handle member. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional packaging box is shown to comprise a hollow body  10  made of a paperboard material. The hollow body  10  has a top opening  11 , and two opposed pairs of side walls  100 . The side walls  100  have two opposed side cover plates  12 , an inner cover plate  13  and an outer cover plate  14  connected hingeably and respectively to upper edges thereof. An insertion slit  131  is formed along a folding line between the inner cover plate  13  and one of the side walls  100 . A hingeable retaining plate  101  is formed adjacent to the slit  131  on one of the side walls  100 . The outer cover plate  14  has an insertion plate  141  hinged to a distal edge thereof. A retaining slit  142  is formed along a folding line between the outer cover plate  14  and the insertion plate  141 . To close the opening  11 , the side cover plates  12  are turned inwardly and the inner cover plate  13  is then turned inwardly for folding over the side cover plates  12 . Thereafter, the outer cover plate  14  is folded over the inner cover plate  13 . Finally, the insertion plate  141  of the outer cover plate  14  is inserted into the insertion slit  131 , and the retaining plate  101  is inserted into the retaining slit  142  in order to lock the inner and outer cover plates  13 ,  14  to one another. To carry the packaging box, a handle  15  formed from a plastic strip is connected to the outer cover plate  14 . The handle  15  has two ends that are retained respectively in two holes  143  formed in the outer cover plate  14 , as best illustrated in FIG.  2 . As such, the user can grip the handle  15  for carrying purposes. 
     However, the aforementioned conventional packaging box suffers from the following disadvantages: 
     1. Since the handle  15  is made from a plastic material, the handle  15  does not easily decompose after being discarded, thereby resulting in an environmental problem. 
     2. The handle  15  must be manufactured and assembled to the body  10  separately. Accordingly, the cost of the conventional packaging box is increased. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a packaging box that can overcome the disadvantages commonly associated with the aforementioned conventional packaging box. 
     According to the present invention, the packaging box includes at least two opposite side walls and a foldable handle member. The side walls have upper edges, and inner and outer cover plates connected hingeably and respectively to the upper edges. The outer cover plate overlies the inner cover plate, and has a slot formed therein. The foldable handle member is connected to the inner cover plate. The foldable handle member projects from a plane parallel to the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded to an upright position. The foldable handle member is located in the plane parallel to the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is unfolded. The foldable handle member projects through the slot in the outer cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded to the upright position. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the foldable handle member has a hinge edge connected hingeably to the inner cover plate, a distal edge opposite to the hinge edge, and a first folding line extending parallel to and intermediate of the distal edge and the hinge edge to form first and second abutting portions at either sides of the first folding line. The first and second abutting portions abut against one another when the foldable handle member is folded. 
     As disclosed herein, the inner cover plate further has a second folding line parallel to the first folding line and adjacent to the distal edge thereof to form a support portion between the second folding line and the distal edge. The first and second abutting portions have holes formed therein and aligned with one another when the first and second abutting portions abut against one another. The support portion has an outer face that is disposed under and that abuts against an inner face of the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded to the upright position, and an inner face that is disposed under and that abuts against the inner face of the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded and turns to lie in the plane parallel to the inner cover plate. 
     Preferably, one of the first and second abutting portions has a padding plate connected hingeably thereto adjacent to a corresponding one of the holes thereof. The padding plate extends through the holes in a direction perpendicular to the first and second abutting portions under a part of the foldable handle member when the foldable handle member is folded to the upright position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional packaging box; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conventional packaging box of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a packaging box according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the packaging box according to the present invention in a first operative position; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the packaging box according to the present invention in a second operative position; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the packaging box according to the present invention in a third operative position; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the packaging box according to the present invention in a fourth operative position; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the packaging box according to the present invention in a fifth operative position; 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the packaging box according to the present invention in a sixth operative position; and 
     FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the packaging box according to the present invention in a seventh operative position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a preferred embodiment of a packaging box according to the present invention is shown to include a hollow body  2  made of a paperboard material. The hollow body  2  has a top opening  21 , and two opposed pairs of side walls  200 . The side walls  200  have two opposed side cover plates  22 , an inner cover plate  23  and an outer cover plate  24  connected hingeably and respectively to upper edges thereof in a manner similar to that in the aforementioned conventional packaging box. An insertion slit  231  is formed along a folding line between the inner cover plate  23  and one of the side walls  200 . A hingeable retaining plate  201  is formed adjacent to the insertion slit  231  on one of the side walls  200 . The outer cover plate  24  has an insertion plate  241  hinged to a distal edge thereof, and a slot  243  formed in the outer cover plate  24 . A retaining slit  242  is formed along a folding line between the outer cover plate  24  and the insertion plate  241 . 
     As shown, the packaging box further has a foldable handle member  3  connected to the inner cover plate  23 . The foldable handle member  3  projects from a plane parallel to the inner cover plate  23  when the foldable handle member  3  is folded to an upright position, as best illustrated in FIG.  6 . The foldable handle member  3  is located in the plane parallel to the inner cover plate  23  when the foldable handle member  3  is unfolded, as best illustrated in FIG.  4 . The foldable handle member  3  projects through the slot  243  in the outer cover plate  24  when the foldable handle member  3  is folded to the upright position, as best illustrated in FIG.  7 . 
     The foldable handle member  3  has a hinge edge  301  connected hingeably to the inner cover plate  23 , a distal edge  302  opposite to the hinge edge  301 , and a first folding line  303  extending parallel to and intermediate of the distal edge  302  and the hinge edge  301  to form first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32  at either sides of the first folding line  303 . The first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32  abut against one another when the foldable handle member  3  is folded, as shown in FIGS. 6,  7 , and  8 . The first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32  have holes  311 ,  321  formed therein and aligned with one another when the first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32  abut against one another. 
     Referring again to FIG. 3, the inner cover plate  23  further has a second folding line  304  parallel to the first folding line  303  and adjacent to the distal edge  302  thereof to form a support portion  33  between the second folding line  304  and the distal edge  302 . The hinge edge  301  is located at an intermediate portion in the width direction of the inner cover plate  23 . The first folding line  303  is generally aligned with a distal edge  232  of the inner cover plate  23 . The first abutting portion  31  is connected hingeably to the inner cover plate  23  at the hinge edge  301 . The support portion  33  has a length that is longer than that of the inner cover plate  23 . The support portion  33  has an outer face  331  that is disposed under and that abuts against an inner face  233  of the inner cover plate  23  when the foldable handle member  3  is folded to the upright position, as best illustrated in FIG. 6, and an inner face  332  that is disposed under and that abuts against the inner face  233  of the inner cover plate  23  when the foldable handle member  3  is folded and turned to lie in the plane parallel to the inner cover plate  23 , as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 9. 
     The first abutting portion  31  has a padding plate  312  connected hingeably thereto adjacent to the hole  311  thereof. The padding plate  312  extends through the holes  311 ,  321  in a direction perpendicular to the first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32  under a part of the foldable handle member  3  for gripping by the user when the foldable handle member  3  is folded to the upright position, as best illustrated in FIG.  8 . 
     When it is desired to carry the packaging box by the foldable handle member  3 , the user turns the side cover plates  22  inwardly and folds the inner cover plate  23  over the side cover plates  22 , as best illustrated in FIG.  4 . Thereafter, the first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32  are turned about the first folding line  303  to abut against one another, as best illustrated in FIG.  5 . The first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32  protrude from the plane parallel to the inner cover plate  23  in the upright position of the foldable handle member  3 . The support portion  33  is disposed under and abuts against the inner cover plate  23 , as best illustrated in FIG.  6 . Next, the outer cover plate  24  is folded over the inner cover plate  23  to permit the foldable handle member  3  to extend through the slot  243  in the outer cover plate  24 . The function of the support portion  33  is to increase the engaging force of the foldable handle member  3  and the inner and outer cover plates  23 ,  24 . Finally, the insertion plate  241  of the outer cover plate  24  is bent and is inserted into the insertion slit  231 . The retaining plate  201  is inserted into the retaining slit  242  in order to lock the inner and outer cover plates  23 ,  24  in a manner similar to that in the aforementioned conventional packaging box, as best illustrated in FIG.  7 . In this way, the user can grip a part of the foldable handle member  3  through the holes  311 ,  321  in the first and second abutting portions  31 ,  32 . 
     Further, to prevent the pressure exerted by foldable handle member  3  from being concentrated on the fingers of the user along the periphery of the holes  311 ,  321 , which can cause discomfort to the user, the padding plate  312  can be turned to extend through the holes  311 ,  321  under the part to be gripped by the user in order to provide a large contact surface for the fingers of the user, as best illustrated in FIG.  8 . As such, the pressure exerted by the foldable handle member  3  can be uniformly distributed on the padding plate  312 , thereby resulting in better comfort for the user. 
     On the other hand, when it is desired to stack or transport a plurality of the packaging boxes, the foldable handle member  3  can be folded along the first folding line  303  to permit the second abutting portion  32  and the support portion  33  to lie under the inner cover plate  23 , as best illustrated in FIG.  9 . The outer cover plate  24  is then folded over the inner cover plate  23 , as best illustrated in FIG.  10 . As such, the foldable handle member  3  will not project from the outer cover plate  24 , thereby facilitating stacking and transport of the packaging boxes. 
     The advantages of the packaging box of the present invention are as follows: 
     1. Since the body  2  and the foldable handle member  3  are made of the same material, the foldable handle member  3  can be formed simultaneously with the body  2 , thereby reducing the material and manufacturing costs. 
     2. The whole packaging box can be made of a paperboard, thereby avoiding the environmental problem encountered in the aforementioned conventional packaging box. 
     3. The foldable handle member can be concealed under the inner and outer cover plates  23 ,  24 . This facilitates stacking and transport of the packaging box. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.