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(11) | EP 1 194 335 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
ARTICLE DISPLAY AND DISPENSER WARENSCHAUDOSE UND SPENDER PRESENTOIR ET DISTRIBUTEUR D'ARTICLES |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention refers to an article display and dispenser, in the form of a package which is particularly applied for storing adhesive wound dressings.
Background of the Invention
[0002] The known displaying and dispensing packages for storing articles such as those mentioned above, usually consist of a parallelepipedic box of small height, with its upper wall defined by one of the two larger faces, with its front, rear and lateral walls interconnected by corresponding fold lines, which define the respective lateral edges of said package, and with the bottom wall defined by the other larger face of said box and formed by overlapping and affixing rear flaps, which are interconnected, through fold lines, to the corresponding lateral, front and rear walls.
[0003] Though being highly used, this displaying/dispensing package of know construction has the inconvenience of having the access to its inside limited by only a small dispensing window usually provided at an end portion of one of its lateral walls, which does not permit the simultaneous access to all the stored articles, practically forcing the user to take one article at a time, and which does not facilitate the exposure of the article to the consumer.
Summary of the Invention
[0005] Thus, it is a general objective of the present invention to provide an article display- and dispenser for storing several articles, such as adhesive wound dressings, of simple construction and assembly and low cost and which allows the articles to be commercialized both individually and in a larger amount.
[0006] It is a further objective of the invention to provide an article display and dispenser as mentioned above, which, in the condition of commercialization of the articles in a larger amount, presents a display surface for advertisement of the article for sale.
[0007] The objectives mentioned above are achieved by an article display and dispenser, in the form of a package manufactured from a sheet material, which is adequately folded along fold lines, in order to define a parallelepipedic box comprising, in a lying position, a larger upper wall articulated, through a rear fold line defining the upper rear edge of the box, to a smaller rear wall and having a front portion and a rear portion, which are separated by a median fold line, around which said larger upper wall is folded when conducted from a closed position to an open position, characterized in that the larger upper wall is articulated through a front fold line defining the front upper edge of the box, to a retaining flap which is seated against the inner face of a front wall of the box when the larger upper wall is found in the closed position, and against the inner face of the smaller rear wall, when the larger upper wall is conducted to the open position, said box further having, to be used in a suspended vertical condition, a dispensing window defined by a respective portion, which is detachable from a lateral wall and a suspension flap which is detachable from the bottom wall and provided with a fixing means and occupying a position vertically projecting upwardly from the rear fold line defining the lower edge of the box in the lying position through which it remains incorporated to the box.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0008] The invention will be described below, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the article display and dispenser of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the article display and dispenser of the previous figure, when in the lying operational position; and
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the article display and dispenser of figure 1, when in the suspended operational position.
Description of the Illustrated Embodiment
[0009] According to the figures mentioned above, the article display and dispenser is in the form of a package manufactured from sheet material or the like, which is adequately provided with fold lines, cut, dimensioned and folded, in order to define a parallelepipedic box having a larger upper wall 10, a smaller rear end wall 20, a smaller front end wall 30, two opposite lateral walls 40 and a bottom wall 50.
[0010] In the operational condition illustrated in figure 2, the box is placed in the lying position on a shelf or other supporting surface in a commercial place, with its larger upper wall 10, which defines the lid of the package when the latter is used to sell the articles in a packaged condition, showing the whole content of the box to the consumers or to the retailer.
[0011] As it may be observed, the larger upper wall 10 has its front and rear edges defined by a front fold line 11 and a rear fold line 12 incorporating said larger upper wall 10 to a retaining flap 13 and to the smaller rear end wall 20, respectively. When in the box closed position, illustrated in figure 3, the retaining flap 13 is fitted between the inner face of the smaller front end wall 30 and the front edge of a pair of inner lateral flaps 41, which are incorporated, through respective fold lines 42, defining front lateral edges of the box, to the upper edge of the opposite lateral walls 40.
[0012] The larger upper wall 10 has a front portion and a rear portion defined by a median fold line 14 preferably provided with an interrupted median region, with its ends coinciding with the ends of the lateral legs of a "U" shaped cut 15, having its basic leg turned to the rear fold line 12 of the larger upper wall 10.
[0013] As it may be observed from the figures, the cut 15 has its lateral and basic legs defined by respective weakened lines, which may be easily broken when the user applies pressure thereon with his fingers, in order to detach said cut 15 from the rear portion of the larger upper wall 10, said rear portion remaining coplanarly connected to the front portion of said larger upper wall 10.
[0014] With this preferred construction, when one desires to commercialize the articles, allowing the simultaneous access to the whole content of the box, the latter has the cut 15 ruptured and its upper wall 10 is opened and folded around the rear fold line 12 and median fold line 14, such as illustrated in figure 2, so that the retaining flap 13 may be seated against the inner face of the smaller rear wall 20 and preferably fitted into a small ear 21 which is detached from the smaller rear wall 20, maitaining the larger upper wall 10 folded around the median fold line 14, upwardly projected and coplanarly incorporating the cut 15 which is upwardly extended beyond the median fold line 14.
[0015] In this condition of use illustrated in figure 2, the lateral flaps 41 are outwardly folded, in order to completely liberate the access to the inside of the box, the front portion of the larger upper wall being usually provided with advertising messages allusive to the article being commercialized. In this situation, the cut 15 forms a salient additional surface for carrying a useful information, such as the price of the product, or any other message to the consumer.
[0016] In the other embodiment illustrated in figure 3, the box is placed in the vertical position, with the larger upper wall 10 defining the front face of the box and remaining closed, in which case the cut 15 is not detached.
[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall 50 is formed by overlapping and affixing, through mutual fitting, four rear flaps 25, 35, 45, 45, which are respectively incorporated, by means of fold lines 25a, 35a, 45a and 45a, to the smaller rear wall 20 and smaller front wall 30 and lateral walls 40, the rear flap 25 connected to the smaller rear wall 20 incorporating a suspension flap 26 provided with a fixing means 27 in the form of a throughbore (as illustrated) or a weakened line, a region with adhesive, a ring or a hook, and having one of the sides thereof defined by the fold line 25a of this rear flap 25 and with the remainder of the contour connected to the latter by a weakened line 28, which may be easily broken by the user, so that the suspension flap 26 may be articulated around the respective fold line 25a, until it occupies the position illustrated in figure 3, coplanar to the bottom wall 50, but projecting upwardly from the box, so as to have the fixing means 27 applied to any suspending hook.
[0018] In order that the adhesive wound dressings or any other articles thus stored may be taken out of the box, one of the lateral walls 40 is provided with a dispensing window 48, which is adjacent to the edge opposite to the bottom wall and which is incorporated to said lateral wall 40 by a surrounding-weakened line 48a, which is easily ruptured by the user. This dispensing window 48 allows the articles to be individually taken from the inside of the box, which remains closed.
[0019] In order to facilitate the grasping of the articles in this way of using the present article diplay and dispenser, the dispensing window 48 may further extend into the larger upper wall 10 and the bottom wall 50, also by breaking the respective cuts 19 and 49 provided on the larger upper wall 10 and in the lateral flap 41 and rear flap 45, which are connected to said lateral wall 40.
1. Article display and dispenser, in the form of a package manufactured from a sheet
material, which is adequately folded along fold lines, in order to define a parallelepipedic
box comprising, in a lying position, a larger upper wall (10) articulated, through
a rear fold line (12) defining the upper rear edge of the box, to a smaller rear wall
(20) and having a front portion and a rear portion, which are separated by a median
fold line (14), around which said larger upper wall (10) is folded when conducted
from a closed position to an open position, characterized in that the larger upper wall (10) is articulated through a front fold line (11) defining
the front upper edge of the box, to a retaining flap (13) which is seated against
the inner face of a front wall (30) of the box when the larger upper wall (10) is
found in the closed position, and against the inner face of the smaller rear wall
(20), when the larger upper wall (10) is conducted to the open position, said box
further having, to be used in a suspended vertical condition, a dispensing window
(48) defined by a respective portion, which is detachable from a lateral wall (40)and
a suspension flap (26)which is detachable from the bottom wall (50) and provided with
a fixing means (27) and occupying a position vertically projecting upwardly from the
rear fold line (25a) defining the lower edge of the box in the lying position through
which it remains incorporated to the box.
2. Article display and dispenser, as in claim 1, characterized in that the smaller rear wall (20) is provided with an ear (21), which is preferably cut
in the form of an inverted "U" and inside which the retaining flap (13) is seated
when the larger upper wall (10) is conducted to an open position, folded around the
median fold line (14).
3. Article display and dispenser, as in claim 2, characterized in that said median fold line (14) has a region interrupted by a cut (15), which is usually
"U" shaped and provided on said larger upper wall (10) and wherefrom it may be easily
detached, in order to be incorporated only to the front portion of said larger upper
wall (10).
4. Article display and dispenser, as in claim 1, characterized in that the dispensing window (48) is further defined by a respective portion, which is detachable
from at least one of the larger upper wall (10) and the bottom wall (50).
5. Article display and dispenser, as in claim 1, characterized in that the fixing means (27) is defined by one of the elements selected from a weakened
line, a region with adhesive, a ring, a hook and, preferably, a throughbore.
1. Warenschaudose und Spender in Form einer aus Plattenmaterial hergestellten Verpakkung,
welches entlang entsprechend gefalteter Faltlinien gefaltet ist, um eine Parallelepided-Schachtel
bilden, welche in einer liegenden Position umfaßt: eine größere obere Wand (10), die
über eine hintere Faltlinie (12), welche die obere hintere Kante der Schachtel bildet,
gelenkig mit einer kleineren hinteren Wand (20) verbunden ist und die einen vorderen
und einen hinteren Teil hat, welche durch eine mittlere Faltlinie (14) getrennt sind,
um welche die größere obere Wand (10) gefaltet wird, wenn sie aus einer geschlossenen
Position in eine offene Position überführt wird, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die größere obere Wand (10) über eine vordere Faltlinie (11), welche die obere vordere
Kante der Schachtel bildet, gelenkig mit einer Halteklappe (13) verbunden ist, die
an der Innenseite einer vorderen Wand (30) der Schachtel anliegt, wenn sich die größere
obere Wand (10) in der geschlossenen Position befindet und welche an der Innenfläche
der kleineren hinteren Wand (20) anliegt, wenn die größere obere Wand (10) in die
offene Position überführt ist, wobei die Schachtel ferner zur Verwendung in einem
vertikal hängenden Zustand ein Spender-Fenster (48), das durch einen entsprechenden
Teil begrenzt wird, welcher von einer Seitenwand (40) abnehmbar ist sowie eine Aufhängeklappe
(26) aufweist, welche von der Bodenwand (50) abnehmbar und mit einer Befestigungseinrichtung
(27) versehen ist und eine von der hinteren Faltlinie (25a) vertikal nach oben herausragende
Position einnimmt, wobei letztere die untere hintere Kante der Schachtel in der liegenden
Position bildet, durch welche die Befestigungseinrichtung mit der Schachtel verbunden
bleibt.
2. Warenschaudose und Spender nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die kleinere hintere Wand (20) mit einer Lasche (21) versehen ist, welche vorzugsweise
in Form eines umgekehrten "U" eingeschnitten ist und in welcher die Haltklappe (13)
aufgenommen wird, wenn die größere obere Wand (10) in die offene Position überführt
und um die mittlere Faltlinie (14) gefaltet ist.
3. Warenschaudose und Spender nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die mittlere Faltlinie (14) einen durch einen Einschnitt (15) unterbrochenen Bereich
aufweist, welcher gewöhnlich "U"-förmig sowie an größeren oberen Wand (15) vorgesehen
ist und von ihr leicht getrennt werden kann, um nur mit dem vorderen Teil der größeren
oberen Wand (10) verbunden zu bleiben.
4. Warenschaudose und Spender nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Spender-Fenster (48) ferner durch einen entprechenden Teil begrenzt ist, welcher
zumindest von einer der beiden Wände, nämlich größeren oberen Wand (10) bzw. der Bodenwand
(50) abnehmbar ist.
5. Warenschaudose und Spender nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Befestiguttgseinxichtung (27) durch eines der Elemente gebildet wird, die aus
der Gruppe ausgewählt sind, welche eine Schwächungslinie, einen Bereich mit Klebstoff,
einen Ring, einen Haken und vorzugsweise ein Durchgangsloch umfaßt.
1. Présentoir et distributeur d'article, réalisé sous la forme d'un emballage fabriqué
à partir d'une feuille de matériau, qui est plié de façon appropriée, le long de lignes
de pliage, pour définir une boîte parallélépipédique comprenant, en position posée,
une paroi supérieure (10) plus grande articulée par l'intermédiaire d'une ligne de
pliage arrière (12) définissant le bord arrière supérieur de la boîte, à une parois
arrière (20), plus petite et ayant une partie avant et une partie arrière, qui sont
séparées par une ligne de pliage médiane (14), autour de laquelle ladite paroi supérieure
(10) plus grande est pliée une fois passée d'une position fermée à une position ouverte,
caractérisé en ce que la paroi supérieure (10) plus grande est articulée par l'intermédiaire d'une ligne
de pliage avant (11) définissant le bord supérieur avant de la boîte, à un volet de
retenue (13), monté contre la face intérieure d'une paroi avant (30) de la boîte lorsque
la paroi supérieure (10) plus grande est dans la position fermée, et contre la face
de la paroi arrière (20) plus petite, lorsque la paroi supérieure (10) plus grande
est passée dans la position ouverte, ladite boîte comportant, en outre, pour être
utilisée en état vertical suspendu, une fenêtre de distribution (48) définie par une
partie respective, détachable d'une paroi latérale (40) et un volet de suspension
(26) détachable de la paroi inférieure (50) et munie de moyens de fixation (27) et
occupant une position en saillie verticalement vers le haut, depuis la ligne de pliage
arrière (25a), définissant le bord arrière inférieur de la boîte à la position posée,
par laquelle elle reste incorporée à la boîte.
2. Présentoir et distributeur d'article selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la paroi arrière (20) plus petite est pourvue d'une oreille (21), qui de préférence
est découpée en forme de "U" inversé et à l'intérieur de laquelle le volet de retenue
(13) est monté lorsque la paroi supérieure (10) plus grande est passée à une position
ouverte, pliée autour de la ligne de pliage médiane (14).
3. Présentoir et distributeur d'article selon la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que ladite ligne de pliage médiane (14) présente une région interrompue par une découpure
(15), qui est usuellement en forme de "U" et prévue sur ladite paroi supérieure (10)
plus grande et de laquelle elle peut être aisément détachée, pour être incorporée
uniquement sur la partie avant de ladite paroi supérieure (10) plus grande.
4. Présentoir et distributeur d'article selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la fenêtre de distribution (48) est, en outre, définie par une partie respective,
détachable depuis au moins l'une de la paroi supérieure (10) plus grande et de la
paroi du fond.
5. Présentoir et distributeur d'article selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que les moyens de fixation (27) sont définis par l'un des éléments sélectionnés parmi
une ligne d'affaiblissement, une région munie d'un adhésif, un anneau, un crochet
et, de préférence, un trou traversant.