Patent Publication Number: US-2011068159-A1

Title: Packing box

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-218675 filed on Sep. 24, 2009. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a packing box. 
     2. Related Art 
     When various members are to be transported or stored, they are often accommodated in packing boxes formed by a corrugated board plate or a plastic plate, for example. If necessary, a cover of the packing box is opened to take the member (that is, a packed product) out of an inside of the packing box. 
     In general, the packing box has a double cover structure including an outer cover positioned on an outside and an inner cover positioned on an inside, and two opening/closing operations, that is, an operation for opening/closing the outer cover and an operation for opening/closing the inner cover are carried out when the packed product is to be taken in/out. In addition, a pair of inner covers is provided. For this reason, three opening/closing operations are substantially carried out. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of the invention, a packing box includes a plurality of side plates, an outer cover and an inner cover. The plurality of side plates is provided mutually and continuously through a first bending portion. The outer cover is provided to be linked to at least one of the side plates through a second bending portion crossing the first bending portion, and serves to block a packed product port formed by the side plates. The inner cover (i) is disposed to be linked to the outer cover through a third bending portion on an extension of the first bending portion, (ii) is disposed to be linked to any of the side plates which is adjacent to the side plate provided with the outer cover through a fourth bending portion in the same direction as the second bending portion, and (iii) is bent inward through a fifth bending portion extended from a crossing position of the third bending portion and the fourth bending portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a packing box according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a state in which an outer cover and an inner cover are opened in the packing box of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a developed view showing the packing box in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view showing a portion indicated as F 1  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged view showing a hole portion and a peripheral portion thereof in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along an A-A′ line in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along a B-B′ line in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8A  is a developed view showing an example of angle setting in a fifth bending portion, and  FIG. 8B  is an explanatory view seen in a direction of the A-A′ line in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9A  is a developed view showing another example of the angle setting in the fifth bending portion, and  FIG. 98  is an explanatory view seen in the direction of the A-A′ line in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing a packing box according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing a state in which an outer cover and an inner cover are opened in the packing box of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a developed view showing the packing box in  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 13  is an enlarged view showing a portion indicated as F 2  in  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a sectional view taken along a C-C′ line in  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 15  is a sectional view taken along a D-D line in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments according to an example of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings for explaining the embodiments, the same components have the same reference numerals in principle, and repetitive description thereof will be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a packing box  10  according to a first embodiment takes a shape of a quadratic prism and has four side plates  11  ( 11   a ,  11   b,    11   e,    11   d ) provided mutually and continuously through a first bending portion  21 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a connecting piece  12  is provided on the side plate  11   a  through the first bending portion  21  in order to connect the side plates  11   a  and  11   d.  The first bending portions  21  in four places are bent to take a convex shape and the connecting piece  12  is stuck to the side plate  11   d  in such a manner that the first bending portion  21  of the connecting piece  12  corresponds to an edge part of the side plate  11   d.  Consequently, there is formed a cylindrical member having an internal space surrounded by the four side plates  11  and including a packed product port  13  for taking in/out a packed product W ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ). 
     The side plate  11   c  is provided with an outer cover  14  through a second bending portion  22  crossing the first bending portion  21  (at approximately 90° in the embodiment). The outer cover  14  serves to close the packed product port  13  and has a tip part on which an inserting piece  14   a  to be inserted into the side plate  11   a  in the closure is formed through a bending portion  31 . Moreover, a slit  14   b  is formed in an almost central position on the bending portion  31 . The slit  14   b  serves to insert an inserting piece  15   a  of a stopping portion  15  formed on the side plate  11   a  which will be described below. 
     Accordingly, the inserting piece  14   a  of the outer cover  14  is inserted into the side plate  11   a  so that the packed product port  13  is closed with the outer cover  14 . Furthermore, the inserting piece  15   a  of the stopping portion  15  is inserted into the slit  14   b  of the outer cover  14  in this state so that the outer cover  14  is locked and inhibited from being opened. 
     Although the outer cover  14  is provided on only the single side plate  11   c  in the embodiment, an outer cover may be formed on the side plate  11   a  which is opposed to the side plate  11   c  in such a manner that the packed product port  13  is closed with the two outer covers. 
     An inner cover  16  is provided adjacently to the outer cover  14 . The inner cover  16  is linked to the outer cover  14  through a third bending portion  23  on an extension of the first bending portion  21 , and furthermore, is continuously disposed on the two side plates  11   b  and  11   d  which are adjacent to the side plate  11   c  provided with the outer cover  14  through a fourth bending portion  24  extended in the same direction as the second bending portion  22 . 
     In the embodiment, the inner cover  16  takes an almost triangular shape having the third and fourth bending portions  23  and  24  as sides, and is bent inward (to take a concave shape in  FIG. 3 ) through a fifth bending portion  25  extended from a crossing position of the third bending portion  23  and the fourth bending portion  24  to an edge part (extended from the crossing position to the edge part at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the third bending portion  23  or the fourth bending portion  24  in the embodiment). 
     When the outer cover  14  is opened/closed, accordingly, the inner cover  16  is interlockingly opened/closed while a bending angle around the fifth bending portion  25  is varied. 
     As shown, in the embodiment, a length of the third bending portion  23  is increased to approximate to full widths of the side plates  11   b  and  11   d  and a length of the fourth bending portion  24  is increased to approximate to a full length of the outer cover  14  so that rigidities of the bending portions  23  and  24  can be enhanced and they are deformed with difficulty. 
     Although the inner cover  16  is provided in two places on both sides of the outer cover  14  in the embodiment, moreover, either of them may be provided. 
     The stopping portion  15  is formed on the side plate  11   a  in an opposed position to the side plate  11   c  through a bending portion  32 . The stopping portion  15  is partitioned from the side plate  11   a  through a pair of cuts  41  provided in a longitudinal direction of the side plate  11   a  from both ends of the bending portion  32 , and furthermore, is partially protruded from the side plate  11   a.  A protruded portion serves as the inserting piece  15   a  through a bending portion  33  extended in the same direction as the bending portion  32 . As described above, when the inserting piece  15   a  is inserted into the slit  14   b,  the outer cover  14  is locked in a closing state. 
     As shown in detail in  FIG. 4 , the second bending portion  22  provided between the side plate  11   c  and the outer cover  14  is positioned closer to a tip side of the outer cover  14  than the fourth bending portion  24  provided between the side plates  11   b  and  11   d  and the inner cover  16  (which corresponds to L 1  in  FIG. 4 ). 
     In this case, there is considered the case is which the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are closed. In other words, in the embodiment, the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are mutually connected through the third bending portion  23 . If the second bending portion  22  and the fourth bending portion  24  are mutually on the level, therefore, the outer cover  14  is bulged because of a thickness of the inner cover  16  when both the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are closed and overlap with each other. lithe position of the second bending portion  22  is placed closer to the tip side of the outer cover  14  than the fourth bending portion  24  as in the embodiment, however, the bulged part is absorbed by the length L 1  based on a difference between the position of the second bending portion  22  and that of the fourth bending portion  24  so that the bulged part is not generated or at least the bulged part is relieved. 
     It is desirable that the second bending portion  22  should be positioned closer to the tip side of the outer cover  14  than the fourth bending portion  24  by a thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10  or more. For example, if the thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10  is set to be 1.5 mm, the second bending portion  22  is set to be positioned closer to the tip side of the outer cover  14  than the fourth bending portion 24 by approximately 1.5 to 2 mm. Consequently, an increment of a thickness in the second bending portion  22  in the closure of the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  (a thickness of a single member constituting the packing box  10 ) is absorbed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the bulged part from being caused by their overlap. The position may be placed in the thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10  or less. If the position is placed in the thickness of the member or less, the bulged part is not perfectly eliminated but relieved. 
     In the embodiment, the second bending portion  22  is positioned closer to the tip side of the outer cover  14  by approximately 2 mm (more specifically, a thickness which is greater by approximately 0.5 mm than the thickness of the single member constituting the packing box  10 , that is, 1.5 mm) than the fourth bending potion  24 . If the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are connected to each other, a so-called relief is formed, that is, the inner cover  16  can be bent inward in the vicinity of the tip of the outer cover  14  which is placed apart from the second bending portion  22  when both the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are closed and overlap with each other. Since the relief is not formed near the second bending portion  22 , however, the outer cover  14  is correspondingly bulged. Accordingly, the second bending portion  22  is not shifted toward the tip side of the outer cover  14  from the fourth bending portion  24  by the thickness (1.5 mm) corresponding to the single member constituting the packing box  10  but a part corresponding to the bulged part based on no relief is estimated to be approximately 0.5 mm and the value (0.5 mm) is added to the thickness (1.5 mm) so that the second bending portion  22  is shifted by 2 mm. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , moreover, a hole portion  17  is formed in a crossing position of the third bending portion  23  provided between the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16 , and the fourth bending portion  24  provided between the inner cover  16  and the side plates  11   b  and  11   d.  The hole portion is also formed in a crossing position of the first bending portion  21  and the second bending portion  22 . 
     When the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are closed, a thickness corresponding to three members constituting the packing box  10  (more specifically, a thickness corresponding to a single outer cover and a thickness corresponding to two inner covers) is incremented in the crossing position of the third bending portion  23  and the fourth bending portion  24 . When the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are closed, accordingly, the same portion is bulged particularly greatly. If the hole portion  17  is formed as in the embodiment, however, the bulged part is absorbed so that the bulged part can be prevented from being generated or at least the bulged part can be relieved. 
     The thickness corresponding to the three members constituting the packing box  10  concentrates in a region in which the hole portion  17  is formed. As shown in  FIG. 5 , therefore, it is desirable that a length of the hole portion  17  along the third bending portion  23  should be equal to or greater than three times as great as the thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10 . In other words, the length of the hole portion  17  along a direction of the third bending portion  23 , and this length is greater than a sum of a thickness of each member which includes the side plate  11 , the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  of the packing box  10 . For example, if the thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10  is set to be 1.5 mm, a length L 2  of the hole portion  17  in the direction is set to be approximately 4.5 to 5 mm. In the embodiment, the length L 1  based on the difference between the positions of the second bending portion  22  and the fourth bending portion  24  along an outer cover tip direction is set to be 2 mm, and the second bending portion  22  and the fourth bending portion  24  are positioned in such a manner that a region having the length L 1  is placed in a central part of the length L 2 . The outer cover tip direction indicates a direction toward the tip of the outer cover  14 . That is, the length L 1  based on the difference between the positions of the second bending portion  22  and the fourth bending portion  24  is greater than the thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10  Both an interval L 3  formed by an extended line of the second bending portion  22  and a side of the hole portion  17  at the third bending portion  23  side and an interval L 4  formed by an extended line of the fourth bending portion  24  and a side of the bole portion  17  at the first bending portion  21  side are set to be 1.5 mm (that is, corresponding to the thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10 ), and L 2  is set to be 5 mm (2 mm+1.5 mm+1.5 mm). Consequently, the increment of the thickness in the closure of the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  (the thickness corresponding to the three members constituting the packing box  10 ) is perfectly absorbed. Therefore, a bulged part can be prevented from being caused by their overlap. The position may be placed in a thickness which is equal to or smaller than the thickness of the three members constituting the packing box  10 . A length from a side of the hole  17  formed on the second bending portion  22  to the third bending portion  23  is smaller than a length of the hole  17  from a side of the forth bending portion  24  to the third bending portion  23 . In this case, the bulged part is not perfectly eliminated but relieved. In the embodiment, the second bending portion  22  and the third bending portion  23  are formed in an inward position (corresponding to a length L 5 ) from the side of the hole portion  17  at the second bending portion  22  side by 1.5 mm (that is, corresponding to the thickness of the member constituting the packing box  10 ). 
     Moreover, the overlap of the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  in their closure can be avoided by the hole portion  17 . Therefore, it is possible to easily bend the second bending portion  22 , the third bending portion  23  and the fourth bending portion  24 . 
     The side plate  11   b  and  11   d  sides of the inner cover  16  are slightly shorter than the ends of the side plates  11   b  and  11   d  (approximately 1 mm in the embodiment), and an interference of the side plates  11   b  and  11   d  can be thus prevented in the closure of the inner cover  16 . In addition, both sides of the inserting piece  15   a  are slightly shorter than both ends of the stopping portion  15  (approximately 1.5 mm in the embodiment), and an interference can be thus prevented when the inserting piece  15   a  is to be inserted between the side plates  11   b  and  11   d.    
     With the structure in which the bulged part can be inhibited from being generated and the structure in which the interference can be prevented, the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are closed to block the packed product port  13  without the overlap or mutual interference of the portions constituting the packing box  10  as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , bottom plates  18  ( 18   a,    18   b,    18   c  and  18   d ) are provided on an opposite side of the side plates  11   a,    11   b,    11   c  and  11   d  to the outer cover  14  through a seventh bending portion  27 , respectively. 
     The bottom plate  18   a  is formed to take a tapered shape apart from the seventh bending portion  27 , and a tip portion forms an inserting piece  18   a - 1 . Moreover, a notch portion  18   c - 1  corresponding to the inserting piece  18   a - 1  of the bottom plate  18   a  is formed on the bottom plate  18   c.  Furthermore, forming pieces  18   b - 1  and  18   d - 1  are provided on the bottom plates  18   b  and  18   d.  The forming pieces  18   b - 1  and  18   d - 1  form a slender inserting space together with the notch portion  18   c - 1  of the bottom plate  18   c  when the bottom plates  18   b  and  18   d  are closed. Accordingly, the bottom plate  18   e  is first bent through the seventh bending portion  27  (is bent to take a convex shape in the embodiment as will also be described below), the bottom plates  18   b  and  18   d  are subsequently bent through the seventh bending portion  27  to form the inserting space, and the bottom plate  18   a  is finally bent through the seventh bending portion  27  to insert the inserting piece  18   a - 1  into the inserting space. Consequently, there is formed a bottom portion which cannot be opened easily. 
     As described above, according to the packing box  10  in accordance with the embodiment, the inner cover  16  is provided to be linked to the outer cover  14  and the side plates  11   b  and  11   d.  When the outer cover  14  is opened/closed, therefore, the inner cover  16  is interlockingly opened/closed. 
     Consequently, both the outer cover  14  and the inner cover  16  are opened/closed by a simple operation for opening/closing the outer cover  14 . 
     Moreover, an opening amount of the inner cover  16  follows that of the outer cover  14 , Therefore, the inner cover  16  can be prevented from being opened at a time to cause the packed product W to jump out. 
     As described above, as shown in detail in  FIG. 8A , the fifth bending portion  25  is extended toward the edge part at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the third and fourth bending portions  23  and  24  which cross each other at approximately 90° from the crossing position of the bending portions  23  and  24 , Therefore, the inner cover  16  is placed in a position which approaches the outer cover  14  when the outer cover  14  is closed as shown in  FIG. 8B . 
     On the other hand, if the fifth bending portion  25  is tilted toward the side plate  11   b  (the side plate  11   d ) side more greatly than in the case shown in  FIG. 8A  as illustrated in  FIG. 9A , the inner cover  16  is protruded into the internal space surrounded by the four side plates  11  when the outer cover  14  is closed as shown in  FIG. 9B . 
     If the angle of the fifth bending portion  25  is regulated to cause a protruded end of the inner cover  16  to come in contact with the packed product W (desirably, the packed product W is pressed by the inner cover  16 ), accordingly, the inner cover  16  is caused to have a buffering function or a fixing function with respect to the packed product W so that the packed product W is protected from an external shock. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 10 to 12 , a packing box  10  according to a second embodiment is different from the packing box  10  according to the first embodiment in that an inner cover  16  does not take an almost triangular shape, the hole portion  17  in the packing box  10  according to the first embodiment is not formed, and a sixth bending portion  26  is formed on an outer cover  14 . 
     In the other respects, the same structure as that of the packing box  10  according to the first embodiment is employed to include that a second bending portion  22  provided between a side plate  11   c  and the outer cover  14  is positioned closer to a tip side of the outer cover  14  than a fourth bending portion  24  provided between side plates  11   b  and  11   d  and the inner cover  16  as shown in  FIG. 13 , for example. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , accordingly, the structure is the same in that portions constituting the packing box  10  neither overlap with each other nor mutually interfere. In the embodiment, a length of a third bending portion  23  is smaller as compared with the case according to the first embodiment. Therefore, a rigidity of the third bending portion  23  is lower than that in the packing box  10  according to the first embodiment. However, this is persistently relative. In general, it can be supposed that the rigidity of the third bending portion  23  in the packing box  10  according to the second embodiment is sufficient. 
     Description will be given to the sixth bending portion  26  provided on the outer cover  14 . 
     As shown in detail in  FIG. 12 , the sixth bending portion  26  is extended from a portion crossing an outer edge part of one of the inner covers  16  to a portion crossing an outer edge part of the other inner cover  16  in the outer cover  14 . 
     If the sixth bending portion  26  is provided, the outer cover  14  is bent in an opposite direction to a closing direction of the outer cover  14  through the sixth bending portion  26 , and at the same time, a part thereof (a portion between the second bending portion  22  and the sixth bending portion  26 ) is closed so that the inner cover  16  is closed and the outer cover  14  in a residual part is then closed. Accordingly, the outer cover  14  can easily be closed. 
     Moreover, the outer cover  14  is caused to overlap with an external wail surface of the side plate  11   c  in the opening operation so that the inner cover  16  is opened perfectly (that is, to an outside). Therefore, a packed product W can easily be taken out. 
     Although the invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, it should be considered that the embodiments disclosed in the specification are illustrative in all respects and the invention is not restricted to the disclosed technique. In other words, the technical range of the invention should not be construed to be restrictive based on the description in the embodiments but should be persistently construed in accordance with the description of the claims and there are included equivalent techniques to the technique described in the claims and all changes without departing from the gist of the claims. 
     For example, although the packing box according to the embodiment takes the shape of the quadratic prism, it may take a shape of a triangular prism or a shape of a polygonal prism such as a pentagonal prism. Furthermore, the packing box may take a shape of a wedge toward a tip (in a bottom direction) in place of the shape of the prism and it is possible to apply various shapes having a space for accommodating a packed product therein. 
     Moreover, the dimensions of the packing box described in the embodiments are only illustrative and the invention is not restricted to the dimensions. 
     In the description, the product to be packed by the packing box according to the invention is not specified. Accordingly, various products to be packed in the packing box can be applied irrespective of a size. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.