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(11) | EP 2 484 597 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Box convertible into a document storing container |
| (57) A box/container obtained starting from a flat blank, for holding stationery articles,
particularly envelopes for inserting documents, subsequently convertible for use as
a document storing container. The box/container comprises a bottom (10) and peripheral
walls (11, 12, 13, 14) defining a rectangular space, and a lid (21) hinged to the
rear peripheral wall (12) provided with foldable flaps (23, 24, 25) hinged to corresponding
edges of the wall (21); the rear wall (12) and a transversal side (14A, 14B), with
the relative flap (24) of the lid, are provided with through openings (31A, 31 B,
31 D) for grasping with the hands. The cover (21) is also provided with a flap (21A)
protruding from its fore side for opening the container; writing zones (33, 34) are
arranged on the outside of the lateral walls (12, 14).
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BACKGROUND
[0001] This invention refers to boxes in cardboard or in another material, obtained from a fiat blank, characterised by a double use, initially to hold articles, particularly plastic envelopes for inserting documents, subsequently convertible for use as document containers.
PRIOR ART
[0002] Normal cardboard boxes are currently used to hold stationery articles, particularly plastic envelopes for inserting documents, which, once empty, are destroyed or thrown away since they are unsuitable for re-use; therefore, in office work, for holding documents, special binders of various types are used, of closed or pull out type, depending on requirements.
[0003] All this therefore involves use of separate boxes and binders, of different shapes, with consequently higher costs and pointless waste of material.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The object of this invention is to provide a cardboard box or in another suitable material, obtained a flat blank, duly shaped to allow its dual use, i.e. an initial use for holding stationery articles, particularly plastic envelopes for inserting documents, and for a subsequent easy use as a document holding container; in use as a document holding container, the box has also been conformed to allow it to be placed in cabinets or on shelves, positioned both vertically and horizontally, providing the container with suitable hand grasping means and for easy raising of the lid, and writing areas suitable for indicating the stored documents.
[0005] This leads to greater efficiency of use and an undoubted savings, due to the possibility of converting the same box to a dual use, without having to destroy it.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The objects indicated above may be achieved by a box/container, according to claim 1, obtained starting from a flat blank according to claim 3.
[0007] In particular, according to a first aspect of the invention, a box/container in cardboard or another suitable material has been provided, obtained starting from a flat blank, initially usable as a box to hold stationery articles and subsequently convertible into a document storing container, comprising:
a bottom and peripheral walls defining a rectangular space for holding stationery articles, respectively documents;
a lid hinged to a peripheral rear wall, the lid being provided with foldable flaps hinged to respective edges, suitable for penetrating inside the container space on the front and sides;
the rear wall and a lateral wall of the container, with the respective foldable flap of the lid, being provided with through-openings for grasping with hands;
the lid being also provided with a protrusion on its fore edge, for raising the lid and for easy opening of the container, both in use as a box for containing stationery articles and in use as a document storing container.
[0008] According to another aspect of the invention, a flat blank in cardboard or another suitable material has been provided, comprising cutting and creasing lines, and conformed to erect a box convertible into a document holding container, as previously defined, in which the blank comprises:
a first main panel defining the bottom of the container, and auxiliary panels foldable
along creasing lines, defining the peripheral walls of the container, in particular
a front wall, a rear wall and two lateral walls;
and also comprising:
a second main panel defining the lid of the container, provided with foldable flaps on the fore and lateral edges, said second panel being hinged to the first panel by an auxiliary panel defining the rear wall; and
[0009] in which the auxiliary panel relating to the rear wall, the auxiliary panels of one of the lateral walls and a corresponding flap of the lid are provided with through openings, which may be aligned in the erected condition of the bank, for use as document storing container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] These and further characteristics of the box/container according to this invention will be clearer from the following description, with reference to the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a view of the blank suitable to form the box/container according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the open container:
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view according to line 3-3 of fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the closed container, in the vertical position;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the closed container, in the horizontal position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Figure 1 shows the flat condition of a blank in cardboard or another suitable material, conformed with cutting and creasing lines, for folding and erection of the bank in a manner to form a box/container shown in subsequent figures.
[0012] The blank comprises a first main panel 10, defining the bottom of the box/container, and also comprises a first auxiliary panel 11 defining the longitudinal front wall, and a second auxiliary panel 12 on the side opposite to the previous one, defining the rear longitudinal wall.
[0013] Also, in fig. 1, with 13A, 13B and 14A, 14B, auxiliary double panels are indicated, foldable onto themselves, serving to form the lateral walls. The auxiliary panels are foldable along the creasing lines 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, in a manner to form double-thickness lateral walls, which are engageable with four flaps 20 of the two auxiliary longitudinal panels 11 and 12.
[0014] The blank also comprises a second main panel 21 defining the cover of the box/container, connected to the first main panel 10 by the auxiliary panel 12 of the rear part.
[0015] The second main panel 21 is foldable along a creasing line 22 defining the raising and opening hinge of the lid, and comprises also three independent flaps 23, 24 and 25 foldable along the respective creasing lines 26, 27 and 28.
[0016] The blank of fig. 1, near one end of the auxiliary panel 12 defining the rear wall, has a wide opening 30, for example with an oval shape, suitable for allowing grasping with the hands of the document storing container when in the vertical position of fig. 4.
[0017] In the same way, on the side opposite to the previous one, the auxiliary double panel 14A, 14B, the corresponding flap 20 of the auxiliary panel 12 and the corresponding flap 24 of the second main panel 21, have identical oval openings 31A, 31 B, 31C and 31 D, which may be axially aligned in the form of a single opening 31 in the erected condition of the blank to allow grasping with hands when the container is in the horizontal position of fig. 5.
[0018] The box/container in its final form is shown in figures 2 to 5, where the same reference numbers of fig. 1 have been used, to indicate similar or equivalent parts.
[0019] The figures in turn show a further characteristic; in particular, they show a small flap or protrusion 21A, which extends from the fore edge of the lid 21, to assist in grasping it when the box is used to hold stationery articles and subsequently as a document storing container. As shown both in the blank of fig. 1 and in fig. 2, the flap 21A is obtained by cutting the blank, along a central zone of the front flap 23.
[0020] A further characteristic, suitable for use of the box as a document storing container, consists in the presence of writing bands or zones 33 and 34 on the auxiliary panel 12 forming the rear wall of the container, and on auxiliary panel 14A, near openings 30 and respectively 31.
[0021] From what has been said and shown in the attached drawings, it is therefore clear that a box has been provided in cardboard, and the relative rough shape, suitable for initial use as a container for stationery articles, preferably, but not exclusively, plastic document envelopes, and subsequently as a document container, allowing placing of the document container in both the vertical and horizontal positions.
a bottom (10) and front, rear and lateral peripheral walls (11, 12, 13, 14) defining a rectangular inner space of the box,
and a lid (21) hinged to the rear wall (12), the lid (21) being provided with foldable flaps (23, 24, 25) hinged to respective edges;
the rear wall (12) and a lateral wall with the respective foldable flap of the lid, being provided with openings (30, 31) for grasping with the hands;
the lid (21) also being provided with a protrusion (21A) on its fore edge, for grasping the lid (21) and for opening the box/container.
a first main panel (10) defining the bottom of the box/container, and the auxiliary panels (11, 12, 13, 14), foldable along creasing lines (17, 18, 19), defining the peripheral walls of the box/container, particularly a front wall (11), a rear wall (12) and two lateral walls (13, 14),
and also comprises:
a second main panel (21) defining a lid, provided with foldable flaps (23, 24, 25) on the front and lateral edges, said second main panel (21) being hinged to the first main panel (10) by an auxiliary panel (12) defining the rear wall; and
in which the auxiliary panel (12) relating to the rear wall, the double auxiliary panels (14A, 14B) of one of the transversal walls and a corresponding lateral flap (24) of the lid (21) are provided with through openings (30, 31) which may be aligned in the erected condition of the blank in use as document storing container.