Folding box, especially pizza box

Abstract

The invention relates to a folding box (1) with a base part (10) and a lid part (12), which are movable relative to one another via a film hinge (11). The base part (10) has a quadrangular base part base body (10a) and a rear base part side wall (16a), two lateral base part side walls (16b), and a front base part side wall (16c). The lid part (12) comprises a lid part base body (12a) which is geometrically similar to the base part base body (10a). The film hinge (11) to the base part (10) is provided on a rear side edge of the lid part base body (12a), and two lateral lid part side walls (17b) are provided on the lateral side edges of the lid part base body (12a). When the folding box is closed, the two lateral lid part side walls (17b) rest on the inside against the base part side walls (16b). The folding box (1) is characterized in that a lid part closure wall (17f, 17m, 17f) is provided, which is divided into at least three parts and has a central closure region (17m) and two flanking support regions (17f, 17f). When the folding box (1) is closed, the central closure region (17m) rests on the outside against the front base part side wall (16c), and the two flanking support regions (17f, 17f) rest on the inside against the front base part side wall (16c). The central closure region is provided with a closure device (18) which, when the folding box (1) is closed, is connected to a corresponding counterpart on the base part (10).

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to an open stackable folding box, in particular a pizza box. State of the art

[0002] An example of a stackable pizza box is disclosed in EP 0 912 406 B1. This document describes a box designed as a hinged-lid container for food. In a first embodiment ( Fig. 1-5), the container has a base with four sloping, interconnected side walls 14a-d and a lid with three interconnected side walls 17f-c. When closing the container, the side walls of the base must be deformed inward. In other words, the side walls of the lid are forced over the side walls of the base. In a second embodiment ( Fig. 6-9) the side walls of the base and lid sections are provided with crease lines ( Fig. 6, Pos. 22 / 23), so that the container can be folded flat. The closing problem is the same as in the first embodiment. The container is held in its closed state only by the mutual contact of the sloping side walls. In addition, when closing this container according to EP 0 912 406 B1, the error can occur that the parts 14b in Fig. 1 or 14a / c in Fig. 6 get stuck and do not “unfold” outwards into the edge of the lid part, which is bad for the stability of the container.

[0003] Another solution is disclosed in EP 2 263 951 B1. Here (see e.g. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6A / 6B) shows a folding carton for foodstuffs, which has a base part with sloping fixed side walls and a lid part with movable side walls. Fig. 2A / 2B, tab connections 212 / 232 are shown on side flaps, but these relate to an insert (“tray 124”, paragraph

[0034] ) for holding food. The carton itself is shown in paragraph

[0010] with the associated Fig. 5-6B. The document provides no indication that the two side walls are even adjacent, let alone fixed in one position.

[0004] The document FR 2 936 226 A1 discloses stackable cartons with sloping side walls at the bottom ( Fig. 2 and Fig. 17). Here are in the Fig. 10 to 17 show numerous embodiments in which the inclined side walls of the base part are provided with recesses into which corresponding areas of the lid part engage in order to form positive connections between the lid and the base part.

[0005] EP 0 548 879 A1 also discloses stackable cartons with sloping side walls and many different form-fitting connections between the lid and the base, see Fig. 1 to 32.

[0006] Patent EP 1 992 574 B2 also shows stackable pizza boxes (for stackability, see, for example, column 8, lines 19ff). Paragraph

[0033] of this patent further describes how the pizza box is closed by snapping tabs 42 provided on the lid 4 into corresponding recesses 43. The tabs 42 and recesses 43 are located on the rear side wall of the pizza box and form a snap-in connection that is not released when opening the lid. Rather, when opening the lid, the tab 46 is grasped ( Fig. 3), over which the cover 4 can be torn off, see paragraph

[0031] , lines 55ff.

[0007] Finally, the publication JP 2015-101408 A shows cuboid-shaped folding boxes that can be stacked on top of each other, but not inside each other. Each folding box has upwardly projecting cardboard noses 9 (see, for example, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4), which prevent the folding box stacked above it from slipping. Fig. 2, a lid part 6 and an insert part 7 are shown, which is divided into three parts by two notches 8. Paragraph

[0031] of the English machine translation describes that the two outer regions of the insert part 7 rest on the inside of the front wall 2 of the folding box after the folding box has been closed (cf. Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) and the middle area between the two incisions 8 rests on the outside of the front wall 2.

[0008] Based on this prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide an open, stackable folding box in which a defined contact of the side walls of an upper part against the corresponding side walls of a lower part and a stable maintenance of this contact state can be achieved with minimal effort for the user. A further object is to provide a pre-assembled folding box that can be stacked in a volume-saving manner and thus transported cheaply. In addition, the object is to provide a folding box that saves resources and is nevertheless stable in handling by clever mutual support of the side walls utilizing a membrane load-bearing effect. Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a closure device with which the folding box can be closed simply and securely.

[0009] The object is achieved with a folding box according to the present invention having the features of claim 1.

[0010] Advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention are set out in the subclaims.

[0011] The folding box according to the invention generally has the purpose of providing stable and, at the same time, resource-saving flat packaging, and is used in particular as transport packaging for flat to-go food items, such as a pizza box for ready-made pizzas. It is preferably a flat folding box for flat contents (height << length / width). However, taller folding boxes are also envisaged, which can accommodate cakes, cake slices, chicken parts, etc. A folding box is understood to be a three-dimensional closed container produced from a plate-shaped, cut and grooved or perforated pre-product by folding and joining. In this context, “closed” means that all sides of the container have a wall, which may, however, contain perforations or openings.

[0012] The steps in producing the folding box from the pre-product include, firstly, pre-assembly and, secondly, closing the box. After pre-assembly, the folding box has a pre-assembled state in which the base is tub-shaped and the lid is flat (whereby "flat" does not mean strictly flat, but rather this lid can be pre-folded along grooves). In the pre-assembled state, the lid may already be resting on the base, but usually the lid and base are opened quite widely, e.g., slightly over 90° or even by approximately 180°. With an opening angle of approximately 180°, the folding boxes can be stacked in a volume-saving manner in the pre-assembled state and can thus be easily stored, transported, or shipped. This stacked state is shown in the illustration for clarity. Fig. 3. With an opening angle of just over 90°, the pre-assembled folding boxes are also space-saving stackable because the lid sections are vertical, thus requiring less floor space. This allows for more efficient workflows when used as a pizza box, for example, than with comparable conventional pizza boxes, which are only stackable when closed in the pre-assembled state and must first be opened again for filling.

[0013] Unlike comparable conventional folding boxes, pre-assembly can be performed earlier and / or in larger quantities, and if necessary, automated. Pre-assembly can be performed in partial steps and can also be partially or completely reversed, provided the joints are detachable or partially detachable.

[0014] Before the folding box is used, specifically before the pizza is placed in it and the folding box is closed, it is in a pre-assembled state and is usually stored temporarily or transported and stored temporarily in this state. Pre-assembly can only be carried out by folding and form-fitting, force-fitting and / or material-fitting joining. Pre-assembly can be carried out by hand in the simplest case without any tools or completely by machine. Pre-assembly can be carried out by the user of the folding box or by the manufacturer or a processing company. In the latter case, the user of the folding box, such as a pizza maker, only has to fill and close the folding box before use.

[0015] Closing is achieved by folding and force-fitting, form-fitting, and / or material-locking joints, which can be detachable, detachable with destruction, or non-detachable. Material-locking joints using adhesive can be achieved using adhesive surfaces between parts of the folding box or using adhesive tape or stickers.

[0016] The material used for the folding box is particularly suitable for solid or corrugated cardboard, as well as carton or paper; plastics or metals are also conceivable. The special lightweight design of the folding box essentially represents a lightweight supporting structure with high torsional rigidity and pressure stability. This results in robust handling while simultaneously requiring significantly less material. Compared to the prior art, the folding box according to the invention, made of thin / light cardboard or solid board, is a very resource-efficient folding box, whereby this not only involves savings in terms of the material itself, but also considers the ecological aspect of resource conservation.

[0017] The special lightweight design of the folding box according to the invention is based on the following aspects.

[0018] Even in the pre-assembled state, the fixed, circumferentially interconnected side walls of the base section provide the box with a basic level of rigidity for handling during filling and closing. The side walls do not need to be bent or folded for closing, thus exhibiting no weak points in terms of rigidity, regardless of the pre-assembled or closed state of the folding box.

[0019] The terms "base part" and "lid part" used here are used for clarity and because this is expected to be the norm. A use of the folding box according to the invention in which the lid part is spatially located at the bottom and the base part at the top, or both are spatially oriented differently, is also conceivable and included.

[0020] The folding box, in particular, has a one-piece construction, meaning the base and lid sections are made from the same pre-product, are cut out as one piece, and remain intact at least until the folding box is closed. Additionally, pre-prepared separation options can be present in the area between the base and lid sections, e.g., perforations and / or a tear strip. This has the advantage of providing two "plates" and is similar to the freshness seal on Call a Pizza. In addition, both sections can also have perforations or cutouts.

[0021] The shape of the base and lid parts is quadrangular, in particular almost square. The base and lid part side walls, as well as the hinge side wall, can also be trapezoids (true or convex, not overlapping ones). In other cases, the surfaces of the trapezoids can have reducing openings or cutouts and / or expanding tabs can be attached to the trapezoids. Furthermore, in other cases, the two parallel sides of a trapezoid can only be approximately parallel to each other, which means, for example, that the base and lid part base bodies cannot be arranged parallel to each other, or that one or both base bodies can be curved.

[0022] In the context of the base section side walls and the hinged side wall, "fixed" means that they have a certain degree of shape-retaining rigidity and do not need to be folded, bent, or twisted to close the folding box. The circumferential connection between these side walls does not necessarily extend across the entire height of the folding box.

[0023] The fact that the base part side walls have an individual angle of more than 90° to the base part base body means that they are not perpendicular, but rather slope outward away from the base part base body. "Individual" means that this angle can vary from base part side wall to base part side wall. Short description of the characters Fig. 1 shows a folding box according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the folding box according to the invention in the closed state; Fig. Figure 3 shows schematically how the folding boxes according to the invention can be stacked in a space-saving manner. Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a folding box 1, which consists in one piece of a base part 10 and a lid part 12. The base part 10 consists of a quadrangular base part base body 10a. In this specific case, the base part base body 10a is square and has a rear base part side wall 16a, two lateral base part side walls 16b, and a front base part side wall 16c. In the preassembled state, the base part side walls 16a, 16b, and 16c are inclined outwardly relative to the base part base body 10a and are connected to one another circumferentially. The base part side walls 16a, 16b, and 16c have an angle of inclination β of more than 90° relative to the base part base body 10a. The angles of inclination β are the same for all base part side walls 16a, 16b, and 16c. The lateral cover part side walls 17b and / or the lateral base part side walls 16b can be provided with a groove pattern or an embossing to increase stability against bulging.

[0025] The cover part 12 consists of a cover part base body 12a, on which two lateral cover part side walls 17b are located. The cover part base body 12a has the same basic shape as the base part base body 10a. The cover part base body 12a is connected to the rear base part side wall 16a via a film hinge 11. In the preassembled state, the lateral cover part side walls 17b are movable relative to one another and relative to the cover part base body 12a around a folded edge 55 without having to be bent themselves.

[0026] At the front edge of the cover part base body 12a there is, according to the Fig. 1, a central closure region 17m and two flanking support regions 17f. The central closure region 17m is provided with a closure device 18 which, according to Fig. 1 is inserted into a notch E, which in the example shown is located in the front base part side wall 16c. Optionally, the closure device 18 is provided with an insertion syringe 19. In the closed state of the folding box 1, the middle lid part closure wall 17m thus rests on the outside of the front base part side wall 16c (see also Fig. 2). In contrast, the two flanking support areas 17f rest on the inside of the front base part side wall 16c when the folding box 1 is closed.

[0027] Between the lid part base body 12a and the two flanking support regions 17f, 17f are folded edges 66, around which the flanking support regions 17f, 17f are folded at the latest when the folding box 1 is closed. Between the lid part base body 12a and the at least one central closure region 17m is a folded edge 67, around which the at least one central closure region 17m is folded at the latest when the folding box 1 is closed. The folded edges 66, 66 and the folded edge 67 are not in line. The lid part base body 12 lies in a recess 15 in the region of this folded edge 67, which further increases the torsional rigidity of the folding box 1.

[0028] To facilitate understanding, three states are defined. The first state refers to the stage in which a planar, two-dimensional blank (not shown) is present, from which the folding box 1 according to the invention is later produced. The second state is the so-called pre-assembled state, which Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. According to Fig. 3 shows several stackable folding boxes 1 according to the invention with the tub-shaped base part in the stacked state after folding the blank. The third state is the closed state of the folding box 1 ( Fig. 2).

[0029] In the closed state of the folding box 1, the lateral lid part side walls 17b lie approximately (not technically exactly) on the inside against the respective lateral base part side walls 16b. In addition, the two flanking support areas 17f have outer edge areas 30a ( Fig. 1), which, when the folding box is closed, touch a front edge region 30b of the respective lateral base part side wall 16b. The restoring behavior of the flanking support regions 17f and the lateral lid part side walls 17b ensures that the support regions 17f and the lid part side walls 17b have a defined internal contact with the base part side walls 16c and 16b, respectively. This also ensures the defined mutual contact of the edge regions 30a and 30b, whereby the lid part side walls 17b are pressed outward against the inner surfaces of the lateral base part side walls 16b and held or fixed in this position.

[0030] When the folding box 1 is closed, the central closure area 17m and the flanking support areas 17f clamp the front base part side wall 16c between them, thereby providing excellent support and protecting the latter from buckling and sagging. At the same time, the lid part base body 12a provides a membrane-like support effect due to its firm support at all its side edges.

[0031] Fig. Figure 2 clearly shows the central closure area 17m, which virtually encompasses the front base part side wall. The two flanking support areas 17f are hidden behind the front base part side wall 16c.

[0032] The closure device 18 is normally designed as a tab which is inserted into the notch E. This notch E can be located at a corresponding location on the base part 10, for example on the front base part side wall 16c, as in Fig.1, or directly in the base part base body 10a, which is not shown. In the latter case, the central closure area 17m and / or the tuck-in flap would of course have to be extended to such an extent that it reaches as far as the notch. However, a push-through connection is also possible, in which at least one push-through area of ​​the at least one central closure area 17m is pressed into a correspondingly pre-punched area on the base part 10. A hook-and-loop fastener would also be conceivable in an analogous manner. Finally, the at least one central closure area can also be provided with a prefabricated adhesive surface covered by a protective film, which is connected to a corresponding counterpart on the base part 10 when the folding box 1 is closed after the protective film has been removed.

[0033] The optional insertion tip 19 not only facilitates the insertion of the closure device designed as a tab, but when pushed through the incision E, it can also reach under the pizza, which gives it additional hold. List of reference symbols: 1 folding box 10 Base part 10a Base part-base body 11 Film hinge 12 Lid part 12a Cover part base body 15 recess 16a rear floor section side wall 16b lateral floor part side wall 16c front floor part side wall 17b Lid part side wall 17f flanking support area 17m medium closure range 18 Locking device 19 Insertion tip 30a outer edge area 30b front edge area 17f, 17m, 17f cover part closure wall 55 Fold edge 66 Fold edge 67 Fold edge E incision β angle of inclination

Claims

[1] Folding box (1) which is in one piece and has a base part (10) and a lid part (12) which are movable relative to each other via a film hinge (11), wherein the base part (10) has a quadrangular, preferably square base part base body (10a) and, in the pre-assembled as well as in the closed state of the folding box (1), a rear base part side wall (16a) extends upwards from one side edge of the base part base body (10a), two lateral base part side walls (16b) extend from two adjacent side edges of the base part base body (10a), and a front base part side wall (16c) extends from a front side edge of the base part base body (10a), wherein the base part side walls (16a, 16b, 16c) are connected in a substantially planar and circumferential manner and have an individual angle of inclination β of more than 90° relative to the base part base body (10a), wherein the lid part (12) has a lid part base body (12a) which is substantially geometrically similar to the bottom part base body (10a) of the bottom part (10), and the film hinge (11) to the bottom part (10) is provided on a rear side edge of the lid part base body (12a), and two lateral lid part side walls (17b) are provided on the lateral side edges of the lid part base body (12a), wherein a folding edge (55) is formed between the lateral lid part side walls (17b) and the lid part base body (12a) at the latest when the folding box (1) is closed, wherein in the closed state of the folding box (1), the two lateral lid part side walls (17b) abut on the inside of the bottom part side walls (16b), characterized by , that - a lid part closure wall (17f, 17m, 17f) is provided on the front side edge of the lid part base body (12a), which is divided into at least three parts and has at least one central closure region (17m) and two flanking support regions (17f, 17f), - in the closed state of the folding box (1), at least one of the at least one central closure region (17m) rests on the outside against the front base part side wall (16c) and the two flanking support regions (17f, 17f) rest on the inside against the front base part side wall (16c), and - at least one of the at least one central closure region is provided with a closure device (18) which is connected to a corresponding counterpart on the base part (10) when the folding box (1) is closed. [2] Folding box (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the two flanking support regions (17f, 17f) have outer edge regions (30a) which, in the closed state of the folding box (1), touch a front edge region (30b) of the respective lateral base part side wall (16b), whereby there is mutual support between these edge regions (30a, 30b). [3] Folding box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the at least one central closure region (17m) and the two flanking support regions (17f, 17f) clamp the front base part side wall (16c) between them. [4] Folding box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the closure device (18) represents at least one tab which is designed to be inserted into at least one notch (E) located in the base part (10). [5] Folding box (1) according to claim 4, characterized bythat the at least one tab of the closure device (18) additionally has an insertion tip (19). [6] Folding box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one of the lateral cover part side walls (17b) is provided with a groove pattern or an embossing. [7] Folding box (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that folding edges (66, 67) between the lid part base body (12a) and the at least one central closure region (17m) or the two flanking support regions (17f, 17f), which are formed at the latest when the folding box (1) is closed, do not lie on a line.

Images