Packaging boxes or cartons

Abstract

  A packaging box for eggs, fruit or other articles is of rectangular shape in plan and comprises a hollow base part (1), optionally moulded with article receiving pockets (4), and a hollow lid (2). The base part and lid are a one-piece moulding of transparent sheet plastics material. Their rims (12,16) are joined together along the rear side of the box by a web hinge so that the lid (2) may be opened and closed relatively to the base part (1). The lid is fastened in its closed position by fastening devices (20) disposed on the rims (12,16) opposite the hinge. The lid (2) comprises a generally flat top (13) and flat peripheral walls (14,15) and is supported and reinforced by a cardboard insert (25) having a top and depending flaps (27,28) juxtaposed the lid top and walls (13,14,15). The bottom edge of the rear insert flap (27) rests on the rim (12) of the base part and the bottom edge 32 of the front flap (27) rests on tabs (33) moulded in the front wall (14) of the lid in order to provide the support for the lid and hold the insert in position. The insert (25) may be printed with advertising matter or other information which can be viewed through the transparent lid (2).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the packaging of eggs, fruit and other articles and, more particularly, to packaging boxes or cartons of the type comprising a hollow base part, which may be formed with a multi- pli_city of compartments or article receiving pockets for containing individual articles, and a hollow cover part or lid which is fastened over the open top of the base part to close the latter. The base part may be moulded from fibre pulp or plastics material whilst the lid may be moulded from plastics material. For example, the base part and lid may conveniently be thermo-formed from sheet plastics material as a one or two- piece moulding.

[0002] Disposable packaging boxes, for example, moulded from thin plastics sheet material normally have intricately profiled hollow lids in order to provide the lids with sufficient strength and rigidity to prevent them collapsing under load, with consequent<damage to the contents, such as when the boxes are stacked during transit and for the purposes of retail display. One example of this type of box is described in our patent specification GB-B-2019815. The lids of such boxes have unsufficient flat spaces or areas on which may be printed or otherwise reproduced advertising matter, decorative material,identification codes and other information and material required by suppliers. Hollow lids may be produced with flat tops and side walls for the presentation of printed information, but to achieve the required strengh and rigidity the plastics sheet material must be of such a thickness as not to be a commercially viable proposition for a disposable package.

[0003] With a view to overcoming the problems of lack of strength and printing space on boxes moulded wholly from plastics sheet material, disposable packaging boxes have been developed in which a hollow moulded base part is closed by a separate cardboard lid. Examples of this type of packaging box are described in patent specifications GB-A-1008481, 2110649 and 2115789. When the base part is of similar or greater height than its contents, it may be closed by a cardboard lid disposed generally flush with the rim of the base part, and when the base part is of lesser height than its contents, it may be closed by a preformed hollow cardboard lid, the free edges of which may be disposed within the=rim of the base part and be supported on a rebate or ledges on the insides of the rim or peripheral walls of the base part. Such combinations are particularly attractive constructions for packaging eggs and other similar food items in that they provide for ready forming of the intricate base part, with its article receiving pockets, and visual inspection of the contents, whilst lending themselves to printing the lid with the required advertising matter and other information. However, known boxes of this type present problems with regard to use with automatic machinery for packing and closing the boxes and tend to be more 'costly than disposable pulp or plastics boxes because of the thicker gauge materials required in their manufacture.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to alleviate the disadvantages experienced with hitherto known packaging boxes of the types described above and to provide a disposable packaging box or carton having a lid assembly with the required strength and rigidity characteristics and in which the lid may be moulded from thin plastics sheet material. Other objects are to provide such a packaging box or carton in which the lid assembly has significant flat spaces or areas for the display of advertising matter and other information and material and which is adapted for ease of packing and closing by automatic machinery.

[0005] Accordingly, the present invention consists in a packaging box or carton for eggs, fruit or other articles, in which a hollow moulded base part is closed by a hollow lid formed from sheet plastics material and fastened over the open top of the base part, characterised in that the lid comprises a substantially flat or plain top portion and at least one substantially flat or plain peripheral wall portion depending from the top portion, and in that an insert of cardboard or other sheet material is disposed within the hollow lid and has a top portion juxtaposed the top of the lid and at- least one flap or wall panel depending from an edge of the insert top juxtaposed the flat wall portion of the lid, the flap or wall panel of the insert engaging support means moulded on the inside of the base part or lid.

[0006] The invention enables the lid to be thermo-formed as a low-cost moulding of thin plastics sheet material either separately or in one piece with a similarly moulded base part. The sheet material insert supports and reinforces the thin plastics lid and provides the lid assembly with strength and rigidity. For preferred results, the insert flap or wall panel, or at least one such flap or wall panel, engages support means on the base part. Because of the support and reinforcement provided by the insert, the thin plastics lid can be moulded with large flat spaces or areas which either may, themselves, be printed with advertising matter or other information required by suppliers or, when the lid is transparent, enable such information to be printed on the flat surfaces of the insert to be viewed through the transparent plastics lid. The required information may be printed not only on top of the lid or insert but also on the depending flap(s) or wall portion(s) where it may be viewed when the boxes are stacked. The insert does not require fastening in position with adhesive and is retained in the lid by engagement of the flap(s) or wall panel(s) with the support means on the lid wall or base part.

[0007] Advantageously, packaging boxes constructed in accordance with the present invention can be packed and closed by existing automatic packing machinery. Hence, in the case of boxes moulded in one piece from sheet plastics material, empty boxes are delivered to the machinery in a stacked condition, that is, stacked one on top of the other in an open position with their base parts and lids respectively internested. The machinery destacks or denests the boxes, conveys them in succession to a packing or filling unit, which deposits articles in the base parts, and thereafter conveys the filled boxes to a closing unit which engages under the top of each lid, swings the latter into inverted closed position over its associated base part and at the same time exerts a downward force on the top of the lid to engage suitable fasteners on the lid and base part. With the present invention, it is merely necessary to fit the inserts into the lids of the boxes either manually or automatically, preparatory to stacking the boxes for delivery to the packing machinery or station. Thereafter, the boxes may be fed through the packing machinery in the normal manner.

[0008] Preferably, the hollow lid has at least two flat peripheral wall portions depending from its top and the insert has at least two corresponding flaps or wall panels, at least one of the insert flaps or wall panels engaging support means on the base and at least one other of the insert flaps or wall panels engaging support means on the lid. With this construction the insert is both supported on the base part, when the lid is closed, to improve the strength and rigidity of the lid assembly, and engaged with support means on the lid for retaining the insert in position both when the latter is opened or closed.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the box is of rectangular shape in plan and the lid has at least one of its pairs of opposite peripheral walls formed as flat wall portions. The insert similarly has a flat rectangular top portion with flaps depending from the opposite edges corresponding to the flat walls of the lid. In another preferred embodiment, both pairs of opposite peripheral walls of the lid are flat and the insert has flaps or wall panels depending from each edge of its rectangular top. In the latter embodiment, all the flaps or wall panels of the insert may engage with support means on the base part or, alternatively, the flaps or wall panels at one pair of opposite edges of the insert top may terminate short of the full depth of the corresponding walls of the lid and may be unsuppprted.

[0010] The insert may be formed from a blank of sheet cardboard material which is creased at the edges of the top portion so that the marginal portions of the blank may be readily folded downwards to form the integral flaps or wall panels. Where the insert is formed with four flaps or wall panels depending from the edges of a rectangular top portion, the flaps may be left unfastened at the corners or, alternatively, they may be fastened together at the corners, for example, with adhesive, in order to preform the insert into a hollow inner lid of the lid assembly.

[0011] Conveniently, the flap(s) or wall panel(s) of the insert are engaged with support means on the base part by simply having a lower edge which rests on inwardly projecting supports of the base part. Such support means may, for example, be formed by an upwardly facing surface of a rim about the upper edge of the base part, a rebate on the inside of this rim, or ledges or projections flush with the rim or formed on peripheral walls of the base part and spaced below the rim. Similarly, the flap(s) or wall panel(s) of the insert may be engaged with support means on the inside of the lid by simply having a lower edge resting on support means on the peripheral walls of the lid. Such support means may comprise one or more inwardly moulded tabs or lugs on the peripheral walls of the lid. The bottom edge(s) of the insert flap(s) or wall panel(s) rest on these tabs or lugs although, alternatively, the latter may engage slots or openings in these flaps or wall panels. In a modification, opposite end portions of the bottom edge of a flap or wall panel, or rebates or notches in these end portions, may engage with inwardly projecting detents moulded at the adjacent corners of the lid.

[0012] The base part, which may have mutually parallel rows of article receiving pockets, may be moulded in one piece with the hollow lid, these two parts being hinged together along mutually adjacent rims substantially parallel to the rows of article receiving pockets so that the lid can be folded about the hinge from an open position to a closed position in which it is inverted over the base part and closes the upper ends of the pockets. The base part and lid may have their rims opposite the hinge formed with fastening means, typically, press-stud type fastening devices, for fastening the two parts together in their closed position.

[0013] Posts may be formed between rows of article receiving pockets of the base part and project upwardly above the rim of the base part to provide additional support for the central parts of the top of the lid assembly. In another construction for providing central support for the lid assembly, the flat top of the lid is moulded with hollow posts which depend downwardly within the lid and engage with the tops of posts upstanding from the base part between the rows of article receiving pockets. The posts of the lid project downwardly through suitable openings in the flat top portion of the insert so that this may be juxtaposed the inside of the lid top, and the adjacent ends of the posts of the lid and base part may simply rest one on the other or, alternatively, the end of one post may interengage with a recess or opening in the top of the cooperating post so as to restrain lateral movement of the lid relatively to the base part.

[0014] In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of eggbox constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line II-II of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end view of the eggbox of Figure 1, illustrating the eggbox in its fully open position and with a portion of the lid assembly partially broken away to illustrate details of the latter,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of eggbox according to the invention, and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of eggbox.

[0015] Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the eggbox is a one-piece moulding of transparent plastics sheet material. For example, conveniently,it is fluid pressure formed or vacuum formed from high impact polystyrene sheet material. It comprises a hollow base part 1 and a hollow lid 2 both of generally rectangular shape in plan and joined together along mutually adjacent longitudinal rims by an integral web portion 3 serving as a hinge about which the lid 2 may be folded about the base part 1. In a preferred form of package for eggs, the package comprises two such boxes formed as an integral unit and joined together at mutually adjacent ends of the base parts and lids by small spaced plastics webs (not shown) which provide a line of weakness along which the package can be readily split into its two component boxes each containing, for example, six eggs. The two component boxes are mirror images of one another and therefore only one box is illustrated and will be described in detail.

[0016] The base part 1 comprises six egg receiving pockets 4 disposed in two mutually parallel rows extending longitudinally of the base part, that is, parallel to the axis of the hinge formed by the web portions 3, with the pockets of the two rows arranged side-by-side. The pockets are defined by profiled or sculptured peripheral walls 5 of the base part, hollow posts 6 moulded between the pockets 4 at the centre of each array of four adjacent pockets, and hollow partitions 7 interconnecting these posts and the peripheral walls of the base part. The peripheral walls 5 of the base part and the walls of the posts 6 and partitions 7 are so shaped that each pocket 4 is of generally circular shape in section and is formed by upper and lower merging conicalfrustra 8,9: The upper frustrum 8 has a nearly vertical conical wall structure, inclined only slightly downwardly and inwardly, whilst the conical wall of the lower frustrum 9 has a greater inclination than the upper frustrum. Formed on the exterior of the two frustra are axially extending ribs 10 which serve to stiffen the pockets and act as cushions to protect the eggs against side blows or shocks. The bottom of each pocket 4 is closed by a bottom wall portion 11 which is slightly recessed above the bottom of each pocket and serves as a protective cushion for the bottom of an egg and to stiffen the closed bottom of the pocket. An egg E (shown in broken lines in Figure 2) disposed in a pocket 4 tends to seat on the sides 8,9 of the pocket and does not normally rest on the bottom 11.

[0017] A horizontal stiffening flange 12, which connects with the upper ends of the pockets, is formed about the rim of the base part. Along the side connected to the lid 2, this flange is integral with the web portion 3 forming the hinge. The hollow posts 6 between the rows of article receiving pockets 4 project slightly proud of the rim.

[0018] The hollow lid 2 accommodates the upper ends of the eggs seated in the pockets 4 when it is folded about the web hinge 3 into an inverted closed position over the base part 1, as shown in Figure 2. The lid 2 comprises a generally flat or planar rectangular top portion 13 having substantially flat or planar side and end wall portions 14,15 moulded integrally with the edges of the flat top of the lid. These peripheral walls 14,15 are inclined slightly outwardly from the lid top 13 and terminate in a horizontal external stiffening flange 16 which extends about the rim of the lid and, along the side connected to the base part, is integral with the web hinge 3. Moulded integrally with the lid top 13, generally along the centre line of the lid and in positions opposite the two posts 6 of the base part, are two downwardly depending hollow posts 17. These lid posts are of generally conical shape and, when the lid is closed their apices engage in recesses 18 in the upper ends of the posts 6 to resist lateral movement of the lid relative to the base part. A series of four shallow hollow ribs 19 are moulded on the outside of the lid top about the adjacent ends of the posts 17 and serve to engage with the bottom ends of the pockets of another similar box stacked on the lid top in order to locate a stack of such boxes in aligned relation.

[0019] Moulded in the rim flange 16, opposite the hinge 3, and the adjoining front side wall 14 of the lid are small downwardly projecting studs 20 which,when the lid is closed, are arranged to engage in cooperating slot-like cavities 21 moulded in the opposing rim flange 12 of the base part in order to fasten the two parts together. This fastening is of the type described in our patent specification GB-B-2019815. The slot-like cavities 21 extend transversely to the axis of the hinge 3 and taper from a wider inner portion to a slightly narrower outer portion. The relative dispositions of the studs 20 and slot-like cavities 21 is such that when the lid 2 is hinged into its closed position without any transverse distortions of the parts 1,2, the studs 20 coincide with the narrower portions of the slot-like cavities 21. In order to engage the studs in the cavities and fasten the lid in its closed position, it is necessary slightly transversely to distort the lid 2 towards the inner ends of the slots, as for example occurs when the lid is automatically closed by the automatic closing unit in an egg packing line. The studs then engage in the wider portions of the slot-like cavities and, when the box is released by the closing unit, the inherent resiliency of the box tends to restore the lid to its undistorted position and, hence, urges the studs into the narrow portions of the slots, whereupon the fastening is secured.

[0020] For the purpose of storage, transportation and feeding into automatic egg packing machinery,the boxes are stacked in the fully open condition, as shown in Figure 3, with their base parts 1 respectively nested one within another and their lids 2 respectively nested. In order to facilitate destacking of the nested boxes by mechanical separating devices each box is provided at the four corners of its base part and lid with stacking ledges 22,23. When boxes are stacked, the ledges on the two parts of one box rest on the rims 12,16 of the parts within which they are nested in order to prevent the parts from wedging or jamming together.

[0021] Disposed within the lid 2 is an insert 25 which is folded-up from a blank of cardboard sheet material. This insert comprises a flat or planar top portion 26 of rectangular shape corresponding to the lid top 13 and flaps 27,28 depending from the side and end edges of the insert top 13. These flaps are formed by folding marginal portions of the cardboard blank downwardly about creases 29 formed along appropriate lines on the blank. To accommodate the posts 17, holes 30 are stamped in the top 13 of the insert, whilst the front flap 27 is stamped with notches 31 to accommodate the stud mouldings 20 in the front wall 14 of the lid. When the insert is disposed within the lid, its flat top 26 is juxtaposed the inside of the lid top 13 and the flaps 27,28 are juxtaposed the insides of the side and end walls 14,15 of the lid. The flaps 27,28 tend to be resiliently urged outwardly into positions closely adjacent or in contact with the lid walls by the natural resiliency of the creased cardboard. The straight bottom edge 32 of the front flap 27 of the insert terminates slightly short of the bottom edge of the juxtaposed front wall 14 of the lid and rests on small tabs or lugs 33 moulded on the inside of the front wall 14. On the other hand, the straight bottom edge 34 of the rear flap 27 of the insert projects slightly proud of the bottom edge of the rear side wall 14 of the lid and, when the lid is closed, rests on the upper surface of the adjacent part of the rim flange 12 of the base part. The end flaps 28 of the insert only extend downwardly for part of the depth of the juxtaposed end walls 15 of the lid.

[0022] Prior to folding down of the insert flaps 27,28, the insert 25 may readily be printed with advertising matter and other information. Thereafter, and prior to packing of the eggbox, the insert may be assembled within the lid 2, either manually or automatically by machine, by positioning the insert in the lid with the holes 30 over the posts 17 and the bottom edge 32 of the front flap behind the retaining lugs 33 and then pressing the insert fully into the lid until the top 26 of the insert contacts the inside of the top 13 of the lid. In this position, the insert is retained in the lid by the lugs 33 and the natural resiliency of the creased cardboard tending to urge the flaps outwardly. Empty eggboxes having their lids fitted with these inserts may be delivered to automatic machinery for packing and closing the boxes in the stacked condition in which the base parts 1 and lids 2 of the open boxes (Figure 3) are respectively internested. The boxes may then be destacked, filled and closed by the machinery in the normal manner. During these operations, the insert is retained in position in the lid. Moreover, when the lid is closed, the bottom edge 34 of the rear insert flap 27 bears on the adjacent rim flange 12 of the base part and this supports the top of the insert against the inside of the top of the lid. Hence, when the eggbox is closed, the insert 25 is retained closely adjacent or in contact with the top and peripheral walls of the lid and the information printed thereon is visible through the transparent top and sides of the lid. Also, the insert flaps and, particularly, the front and rear flaps 27 supported on the retaining lugs 22 and resting on the base part, respectively, serve to support and reinforce the thin plastics sheet material of the lid 2 and prevent the lid from collapsing under load with consequent risk of damage to the contents of the box.

[0023] The embodiment illustrated in Figure 4 is similar to the preceding embodiment save that the end flaps 36 of the cardboard insert 25 extend for the full depth of the end walls 15 of the lid 2 and project slightly proud of the bottom edges of these end walls so that their own straight bottom edges 37 rest on the adjacent end parts of the rim flange 16 of the base part, when the lid is closed, similarly to the rear side flap 27 of the insert. This enhances the support for the thin plastics lid 2, in addition to providing extra space for printed matter at opposite ends of the lid assembly.

[0024] The embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 comprises a moulded plastics base part 40 and a separate thin plastics lid 41 having a preformed cardboard insert 42 for supporting and reinforcing the thin plastics lid. Similarly to the previous embodiments, the separately formed base part 40 and lid 41 may be moulded from thin transparent plastics sheet material. In the preferred form, the package comprises two base parts 40 formed as an integral unit and joined together at mutually adjacent longitudinal edges by small spaced plastic webs 43 which provide a line of weakness along which the base parts can be readily split into two components each containing, for example, twelve eggs as shown. The two components base parts are identical and therefore only one base part 40 is illustrated and will be described in detail.

[0025] The base part 40 comprises twelve egg receiving pockets 44 disposed in three mutually parallel rows extending longitudinally of the base part. The pockets are defined by suitably profiled peripheral walls 45,46 of the base part and, internally of the base part, by suitably shaped hollow posts 47, moulded at the centre of each array of four adjacent pockets 44, and hollow partitions 48 interconnecting the posts and the profiled walls of the base part. The walls 45,46 of the base part, posts 47 and partitions 48 are so shaped that each pocket 44 is generally part egg-shaped. Moulded on the outsides of the pockets are hollow axial extending ribs 49 which serve to stiffen the pockets and act as cushions to protect the eggs against side blows or shocks. The closed bottom of each pocket is formed with an internal hollow boss (not shown) which serves as a protective cushion for the bottom of an egg and to stiffen the closed bottom of the pocket. Two adjacent posts 47 at opposite ends of the base part project above the rim of the base part in order to serve as a support for the underside of the lid.assembly, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

[0026] The rim of the base part includes a horizontal outwardly projecting flange 50 which, at opposite ends 46 of the base part is connected to the upper ends of the adjacent egg receiving pockets 44 by short end wall portions 51. Along opposite sides upstanding shoulder portions 52 between the pockets terminate just below the rim flange 50. Projecting inwardly from each end wall portion 51 of the base part, just below the rim flange 50 are a pair of hollow fastening tabs 53 for the lid. Below the fastening tabs, the end wall profile of the base part is designed to form external hollow protru- berances 54 which provide stacking shoulders on the outsides of the end walls 46 of the base part for engagement with the tabs 53. When the base parts are stacked in nested relation, the stacking shoulders of an upper base part 40 rest on the tabs 53 of the lower base part within which it is nested in order to prevent the parts from wedging or jamming together and facilitate destacking of the bases by mechanical separating devices.

[0027] The transparent plastics lid 41 has a flat or planar top 55 with integrally formed flat or planar peripheral walls 56,57 depending from the side and end edges of the top and inclined outwardly with respect to the top. The opposite end walls 57 of the lid are formed with pairs of fastening slots 58 which are arranged to cooperate with the fastening tabs 53 on the base part.

[0028] The cardboard insert 42 is preformed so as to be of similar configuration to the lid 41 and comprises a flat top 60 and side and end wall panels 61,62 depending from the edges of the flat top. It may be formed by folding a suitably stamped sheet of cardboard, the folded down portions of the blank being secured together at the corners of the insert to form the wall panels 61,62. The side wall 61 of the insert are of similar depth to the side walls 56 of the lid whilst the end walls 62 have recessed bottom edges 63 to permit satisfactory cooperation between the fastening tabs 53 and slots 58 of the base part and lid.

[0029] The insert may be printed on the outside of its top and/or wall panels with any required advertising matter and other information and material whilst in its blank form and prior to folding down and fixing of the side and end wall panels 61,62.

[0030] In order to close the base part 40, after it has been filled with eggs, the insert 42 and lid 41 are fitted onto the base part in succession or as a single assembly. In either event, the bottom edges 64,65 of the side walls 61,56 of the insert and lid rest on the shoulders 52 inside the rim flange 50 of the base part and the central parts of the insert and lid are supported by the upstanding posts 47. As the lid 41 is fitted into position, the end walls 57,46 of the lid and base part are flexed so that the fastening tabs 53 engage in the slots 58 in the lid to fasten the lid in its closed position. When the box is to be opened, it is a simple matter for a person to flex the walls and disengage the fastening tabs and slots.

[0031] Hence, the thin plastics lid 41 is firmly supported by the cardboard insert 42 and a series of such boxes may be stacked one on top of the other without risk of damage to the contents. Moreover, in the closed position of the lid assembly, the top and wall panels 60,61 of the insert lie closely adjacent or in contact with the corresponding parts 55,56 of the lid so that the printed matter on the insert is readily visible through the lid.

Claims

1. A packaging box or carton for eggs, fruit or other articles, in which a hollow base part (1,40) is closed by a hollow lid (2,41) formed from sheet plastics material and fastened over the open top of the base part, characterised in that the hollow lid (2,41) comprises a substantially flat or plain top portion (13,55) and at least one substantially flat or plain peripheral wall portion (14,15,56,57) depending from the top portion, and in that an insert (25,42) of cardboard or other sheet material is disposed within the hollow lid (2,41) and has a top portion (26,60) juxtaposed the top (13,55) of the lid and at least one flap or wall panel (27,28, 36,61,62) depending from an edge of the insert top (26,60) juxtaposed the peripheral wall portion (14,15, 56,57) of the lid, the flap or wall panel of the insert engaging support means (12,33,52) formed on the inside of the base part or lid.

2. A packaging box or carton according to claim 1, characterised in that the hollow lid (2,41) has at least two substantially flat or plain peripheral wall portions (₁₄,₁₅,₅₆,₅₇) depending from its top (13,55), and the insert (25,42) has at least two corresponding flaps or wall panels (27,28,36), at least one (27) of the insert flaps or wall panels engaging support means (12) on the base and at least one other (27) of the insert flaps or wall panels engaging support means (33) on the lid.

3. A packaging box or carton according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the hollow lid (2,41) is of rectangular shape in plan and has substantially flat or plain peripheral wall portions (14,15,56,57) depending from at least one pair of opposite edges of its rectangular top (13,55), and the insert (25,42) has a rectangular top portion (26,60) with flaps or wall panels (27,28,36,61,62) depending from the opposite edges thereof juxtaposed the flat or plain peripheral walls of the lid.

4. A packaging box or carton according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the lid (2,41) is of rectangular shape in plan and has substantially flat or plain peripheral wall portions (14,15,56,57) depending from both the side and end edges of its rectangular top (13,55), and the insert (25,42) has a rectangular top portion (26,60) and flaps or wall panels (27,28,36, 61,62) depending from both its side and end edges juxtaposed the peripheral walls of the lid.

5. A packaging box or carton according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that all the flaps or wall panels (27,36,61) of the insert (25) engage support means (12,33) on the base part and/or lid.

6. A packaging box or carton according to claim 4, characterised in that the one pair of opposite flaps or wall panels (28,62) of the insert (25,42) are of less depth than the depth of the juxtaposed walls (15, 57) of the lid and are unsupported.

7. A packaging box or carton according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the or each flap or wall panel (27,36,61) of the insert (25,42) engaged with the support means (12,33,52) has a bottom edge (32,34,64) resting on the support means.

8. A packaging box or carton according to claim 7, characterised in that the support means disposed on the base part comprises a flange (12) about the rim of the base part or one or more ledges, shoulders or other projections (52) on the inside of the base part disposed substantially level with a space below the rim.

9. A packaging box or carton according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the support means disposed on the lid (2) comprises one or more inwardly projecting tabs or lugs (33) on the peripheral wall portion(s) of the lid.

10. A packaging box or carton according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the base part and lid (1,2) are a one-piece moulding of sheet plastics material and are hinged together by a moulded plastic web (3) formed between mutually adjacent rims (12,16), the lid being foldable about the hinge (3) from an open position to a closed position in which it is inverted over the base part and closes the open upper end thereof, the base part and lid having fastening means (20,21) opposite the hinge for fastening them together in their closed position.

11. A packaging box or carton according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the base part (40) is formed with mutually parallel rows of article receiving pockets (44), and upstanding posts (47) are formed between the pockets and project upwardly above the rim (50) of the base part for engagement with the underside of the top of the assembly of the insert (42) and lid (41).

12. A packaging box or carton according to any preceding claim 1 to 10, characterised in that the base part (1) is formed with mutually parallel rows of article receiving pockets (4) and posts (6) are formed between the article receiving pockets, and in that the top (13) of the lid (2) is formed with downwardly depending posts (17) which rest upon, or engage in recesses (18) in,the posts (17) of the base part.

13. A packaging box or carton according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the insert (25,42) is formed from a blank of cardboard sheet material which is folded to provide a flat top (26,60) and depending flaps or wall panels (27,28,36,61,62).

Drawing