Packaging and flat cutting for packaging

Abstract

The invention relates to packaging, in particular packaging folded from a flat blank, in particular for small parts such as screws or nails, with a cuboid, trough-like base body which has a base, a first side part extending from the base, a second side part extending from the base, a rear wall extending from the base, a front wall extending from the base and a lid, wherein the lid is pivotally connected to an upper edge of the rear wall and has a closure flap on its front edge, wherein a first part of a closure arrangement is provided in the front wall and can interact with a second part of the closure arrangement in the closure flap of the lid, wherein the closure arrangement has at least one hook formation in the front wall or in the closure flap and at least one incision formation in the closure flap orin the front wall, whereby the hook formation interacts with the incision when the lid is closed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to packaging, in particular packaging folded from a flat blank, in particular for small parts such as screws or nails, having a cuboid, trough-like base body which has a base, a first side part extending from the base, a second side part extending from the base, a rear wall extending from the base, a front wall extending from the base and a lid, wherein the lid is pivotally connected to an upper edge of the rear wall and has a closure flap on its front edge, wherein a first part of a closure arrangement is provided in the front wall and can interact with a second part of the closure arrangement in the closure flap of the lid. The invention also relates to a flat blank for packaging according to the invention.

[0002] Conventional packaging, especially one made from flat cardboard blanks, must be very sturdy for heavy small parts such as screws or nails. Supporting a lid can be problematic. After being filled with items, such as small parts such as screws or nails, the packaging is usually sealed with a plastic adhesive strip. To open the packaging, the plastic adhesive strip must then be removed. While the plastic adhesive strip doesn't incur significant additional costs, it does generate plastic waste.

[0003] French patent specification FR 2 780 950 B1 discloses a package folded from a flat blank with a cuboid, trough-like base body, wherein the trough-like base body has a base, a first side part extending from the base, a second side part extending from the base, a rear wall extending from the base, a front wall extending from the base, and a lid. The lid is pivotally connected to an upper edge of the rear wall and has a closure flap on its front edge. A first part of a closure arrangement is provided in the front wall and can interact with a second part of the closure arrangement in the closure flap of the lid. The closure arrangement has at least one hook formation in the closure flap and an incision in the front wall. When the lid is closed, the hook formation interacts with the incision.

[0004] From the German patent specification DE 10 30 245 B, a package folded from a flat blank is known, in which a hook formation is also provided in a closure flap of the lid, which, when the lid is closed, interacts with a cut-out formation in the front wall.

[0005] French patent FR 1 344 873 A discloses a package folded from a flat blank, in which a front wall has a hook formation and a closure flap on the lid has a notch formation. When the lid is closed, the hook formation interacts with the notch. When the package is closed, an end of the hook formation, which is at the front when inserted into the at least one notch formation, rests against an underside of the lid. The front end of the hook formation is V-shaped, so that when the lid is closed, only the front tip of the V-shaped formation rests against the underside of the lid.

[0006] From US patent US 2,856,114 A, a package folded from a flat blank is known, in which a closure flap arranged on the lid has a hook-shaped formation which can interact with a cut-out formation in the front wall.

[0007] The invention is intended to improve a packaging and a flat blank for a packaging.

[0008] According to the invention, a package having the features of claim 1 or a flat blank for a package having the features of claim 15 is provided. Advantageous developments of the invention emerge from the subclaims.

[0009] A package according to the invention, in particular a package folded from a flat blank, in particular for small parts such as screws or nails, has a cuboid-shaped, trough-like base body which has a base, a first side part extending from the base, a second side part extending from the base, a rear wall extending from the base, a front wall extending from the base, and a lid. The lid is pivotally connected to an upper edge of the rear wall, and the lid has a closure flap on its front edge. A first part of a closure arrangement is provided in the front wall, which can interact with a second part of the closure arrangement in the closure flap of the lid. The closure arrangement has at least one hook formation in the front wall or in the closure flap and at least one notch formation in the closure flap or in the front wall.The hook formation interacts with the notch when the lid is closed.

[0010] Because the closure arrangement features a hook and a notch, the package can be closed reliably and tamper-proof. As a result, an adhesive strip is no longer required to ensure the package's tamper-proof integrity. The notch is preferably wider than the hook to allow the hook portion to be inserted into the notch even with stiffer materials, such as corrugated cardboard. The hook and notch can be designed in such a way that the package cannot be opened without damaging it. As a result, when the package is opened, it is immediately apparent whether the package has been opened before.This is particularly important for small parts such as screws or nails, as there is usually a very large number of screws or nails in the packaging and it is not immediately apparent whether small parts have already been removed from the packaging. The packaging can be made of paper, cardboard, carton or even plastic. By having an end of the hook formation which is at the front when inserted into the at least one incision a support section running parallel to the base, an upper edge of the support section can rest against an underside of the lid or be slightly spaced from the underside of the lid when the packaging is closed. Alternatively, the support section can rest against the inside of the base if the hook formation is provided in the closure flap. As a result, the lid can be supported, in particular on its inside, by means of the support section.This results in a particularly stable packaging design. In particular, even when the closure flap rests against the inside of the front wall, a very stable, stackable package can be provided, as the support section of the hook design prevents the lid from being indented.

[0011] According to the invention, the hook formation has a base and at least one hook portion projecting from the base, wherein a perforation is provided at the transition from the hook portion to the base or in the region of the hook portion, so that the hook portion or a part of the hook portion is designed to be tearable at the perforation.

[0012] The closure arrangement, consisting of a hook and a cut, is consequently destroyed upon first opening the package, as the hook section tears off at the perforation. Adhesive strips previously used as tamper evidence are thus no longer necessary. Once the package has been opened, this is immediately noticeable because the hook section has been torn off at the perforation.

[0013] In a further development of the invention, the hook formation has two hook sections arranged symmetrically to one another, which are connected to the base.

[0014] This allows the closure assembly to reliably hold the package closed. A perforation is provided at the transition point of each hook section to the base. As a result, both hook sections tear off at the perforation when the package is opened.

[0015] In a further development of the invention, an end of the hook formation which is located at the front when the hook formation is inserted into the at least one incision formation is bevelled or rounded on the sides in order to facilitate the insertion of the hook formation into the at least one incision formation.

[0016] In a further development of the invention, an end of the hook formation which is located at the front when inserted into the at least one incision formation has insertion sections on both sides of the support section which run obliquely towards the rear end or rounded towards the rear end.

[0017] In this way, the insertion of the hook formation into the incision formation can be made easier.

[0018] In a further development of the invention, an end of the hook formation which is located at the rear when inserted into the at least one incision formation forms a barb.

[0019] A lower end of the hook formation thus does not run parallel to the ground, but diagonally to the ground and forms a point at the end spaced from the base, which can hook onto the edge of the incision formation.

[0020] In this way, it can be reliably ensured that when the packaging is opened, the hook formations tear off and it is therefore clear that the packaging has already been opened.

[0021] In a further development of the invention, the hook formation is formed integrally with the front wall or the closure flap and the front wall or the closure flap are arranged in a single plane at least in the open state of the lid.

[0022] The hook formation is advantageously punched out of the front wall or the closure flap, so that the packaging can be produced from a single flat blank or from several flat blanks.

[0023] In a further development of the invention, the incision formation has at least one incision running parallel to the ground.

[0024] The incision can be wider than the hook formation.

[0025] Advantageously, the incision formation has a through opening in its central region to facilitate the initial insertion or insertion of the hook formation into the incision formation.

[0026] In a further development of the invention, the incision formation has at least one through-opening, wherein the through-opening has two boundary edges running towards one another at an obtuse angle.

[0027] The boundary edges, which run at an obtuse angle to each other, facilitate the insertion of the hook formation.

[0028] In a further development of the invention, the through opening has a triangular shape, with a straight boundary edge opposite the boundary edges which converge at an obtuse angle to one another.

[0029] The straight boundary edge can be arranged parallel to the ground.

[0030] In a further development of the invention, the incision formation has two incisions, each of which starts from one side of the through opening.

[0031] In a further development of the invention, each of the two incisions starts from one end of the straight boundary edge of the through opening.

[0032] In a further development of the invention, the hook formation forms the first part of the closure arrangement and is provided in the front wall and an upper end of the hook formation forms part of the upper edge of the front wall and the upper end of the hook formation is arranged at a height such that the lid, in the closed state, rests with its underside on the upper end of the hook formation or is slightly spaced from the upper end of the hook formation.

[0033] The upper end of the hook formation is positioned, for example, at the same height as the top edge of the rear wall and / or at the same height as lateral sections of the top edge of the front wall. This allows the lid to be supported in its optimal closed position, especially when the lid is positioned parallel to the floor. The packaging can not only be easily stacked, but also allows several similar packages to be moved relative to each other while adjacent to each other. This is advantageous when picking such packages.

[0034] In a further development of the invention, the packaging is made from at least one flat blank, in particular from a single, flat blank.

[0035] The lid may be connected to the rear wall by means of a first fold along the entire upper edge of the rear wall.

[0036] The closure flap of the lid may be connected to the lid by means of a second fold over the entire length of the front edge of the lid.

[0037] The first side part and the second side part can lie opposite each other and the first side part can be connected to a first side flap by means of a third fold and the second side part can be connected to a second side flap by means of a fourth fold. Side flaps can provide additional stability to a package. The first side flap can be connected to the lid by means of a fifth fold and the second side flap can be connected to the lid by means of a sixth fold. The side flaps stabilize the packaging in the area of the transition between a respective side wall and the lid and each have a central fold that extends to the corner between the lid, rear wall and respective side wall. The side flaps can therefore be folded inwards and form lateral supports for the lid when the lid is closed.The lid is therefore supported at the rear wall by the fold between the rear wall and the lid, and at the side walls by the respective side flaps. The lid is supported at the front wall by the support section of the hook design. This allows the packaging to be extremely stable, allowing numerous packages, especially those filled with heavy small parts, to be stacked on top of each other without the packages becoming dented or damaged.

[0038] The floor can be constructed in two layers at least in sections.

[0039] This creates a very stable base and even heavy small parts, such as nails or screws, can be filled into the packaging in large quantities.

[0040] The closure tab can extend over the entire length of the front edge of the lid.

[0041] In this way, the packaging can be sealed in a tamper-proof manner, as it is not possible to bend up the sides of the lid in order to gain unauthorized access to the contents of the packaging without opening the lid.

[0042] In a further development of the invention, the at least one folded, flat blank consists of corrugated cardboard.

[0043] Corrugated cardboard is stable, recyclable, easy to print on, and, most importantly, it's not made of plastic, which would otherwise lead to plastic waste. Compared to single-layer cardboard, corrugated cardboard is significantly stiffer and can also be used for packaging heavy, small parts, such as screws or nuts.

[0044] The problem underlying the invention is also solved by a flat blank for a packaging according to the invention.

[0045] A flat blank for packaging can be transported very easily and requires very little space during transport. For example, the packaging can be folded from the flat blank immediately before filling the packaging.

[0046] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the claims and the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 a packaging according to the invention with the lid open in a view obliquely from the front, Fig. 2 a flat blank for producing the packaging of the Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a sectional front view of the packaging of the Fig. 3 in a state shortly before the lid is completely closed, Fig. 4 a sectional front view of the packaging of the Fig. 1 with the lid fully closed, Fig. 5 a sectional view of the packaging of the Fig. 1 seen from the inside of the packaging just before the lid is completely closed and Fig. 6 a sectional view of the packaging of the Fig. 1 viewed from the inside of the packaging with the lid fully closed.

[0047] Fig. Figure 1 shows a package 10 according to the invention in a state with the lid fully opened. The package 10 has a trough-like base body 12 which has a Fig. 1 non-visible bottom 14, a first side part 16 extending from the bottom 14, a second side part 18 extending from the bottom 14, a rear wall 20 extending from the bottom 14 and a front wall 22 extending from the bottom 14. The packaging 10 further comprises a lid 24 which is pivotally connected to an upper edge of the rear wall 20. At a Fig. 1 upper front edge of the lid, a closure flap 26 is provided. An upper edge of the first side wall 16 is connected to a side edge of the lid 24 by means of a first side flap 28. An upper edge of the second side wall 18 is connected to a side edge of the lid 24 by means of a second side flap 30. The side flaps 28, 30 each have a central fold 32 and are each connected by means of a fold to the upper edge of the respective side wall 16, 18 as well as by means of a fold to the respective side edge of the lid 24. To close the lid, the side flaps 28 are folded inwards at the central folds 32, with the sections to the left and right of the respective central fold 32 overlapping one another. To close the lid, the closure flap 26 is bent at a right angle to the lid 24 and in Fig. 1 inserted behind the front wall 22.

[0048] The front wall 22 is provided with a first part of a closure arrangement, namely a hook formation 40, and the closure tab 26 is provided with a second part of a closure arrangement, namely a notch formation 42. To fully close the lid, the hook formation 40 is inserted into the notch formation 42 of the closure arrangement.

[0049] The hook formation 40 has a base 44 and a first hook portion 46 extending from the base 44. The hook formation 40 has a second hook portion 48 also extending from the base 44. The first hook portion 46 extends from a first side of the base 44, and the hook portion 48 extends from a second side of the base 44 opposite the first side. The hook formation 40, together with the two hook portions 46, 48 and the base 44, forms a symmetrical arrangement that is formed in the same plane as the rest of the front wall 22. The two hook portions 46, 48 each extend laterally away from the base 44. The first hook portion consequently extends from the base 44 to a side edge of the package 10 between the front wall 22 and the first side wall 16.The second hook portion 48 extends from the base 44 toward a side edge of the package 10 between the front wall 22 and the second side wall 18.

[0050] An upper edge 50 of the base 44 is arranged flush with lateral sections of the upper edge of the side wall 22, wherein these lateral sections extend from the first side edge and the second side edge, respectively. When the hook formation 40 is fully inserted into the cutout formation 42 in the closure tab 26, the lid 24 is arranged parallel to the base 14 and the support section 50 rests against an underside of the lid 24 or is arranged at a very short distance from the underside of the lid 24. The lid 24 can thus be stabilized by means of the support section 50. For example, this can prevent the lid from being indented when stacking several packages 10.

[0051] When the lid 24 is fully closed and the hook portion 40 is inserted into the notch 42, the hook portions are arranged above the notch 42. The hook portions 46, 48 then engage behind a first notch 52 or a second notch 54 of the notch 42. The notch 42 has a through-opening 56 arranged centrally to the two notches 52, 54. This through-opening 56 in the closure flap 26 facilitates the insertion of the hook portion 40 into the notch 42.

[0052] It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that the hook formation 40 could be arranged on the closure flap 26 and the cut formation 42 in the front wall 22 without exceeding the scope of the invention.

[0053] A first perforation 56 is arranged at the transition between the first hook section 46 and the base 44, and a second perforation 58 is arranged at the transition between the second hook section 48 and the base 44. If the lid 24 of the packaging 10 is opened from the fully closed state in which the hook formation 40 is fully inserted into the cut formation 42, the hook sections 46, 48 tear off from the base 44 at the perforations 56, 58. The packaging 10 is thus designed to be tamper-proof in that it is immediately recognizable whether the packaging 10 has already been opened.

[0054] Fig. Figure 2 shows a flat blank 100 which can be folded to form the packaging 10 of the Fig. 1. The section of the flat blank that forms the front wall 22 and the hook formation 40 in the front wall can be seen. Also visible is the section that forms the lid 24 or the closure flap 26. The notch formation 42 can be seen in the closure flap 26. The flat blank 100 can, for example, be punched out, whereby both the outer contour of the flat blank 100 and the perforations 56, 58 and the notch formation 42 are formed in a single punching process.

[0055] Adhesive tabs 102, 104 are arranged on the section of the flat blank 100 that forms the lid 24 or the rear wall 20. The adhesive tab 102 is connected to the first side flap 28 during the erection or production of the packaging 10. The adhesive tab 104 is connected to the first side wall 16 during the production or erection of the packaging. The base 14 can also be glued using additional adhesive tabs 106, 108 extending from the side walls 16, 18 to ensure a particularly stable packaging design.

[0056] A support tab 110 is provided on the bottom 14, which rests against the rear wall 20 when the package 10 is in its completed state. A projection 112 on the bottom 14 engages a notch or opening 114 at the lower end of the rear wall 20 when the package 10 is fully erected.

[0057] Fig. Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the packaging 10 of the Fig. 1 from the front in a state in which the lid 24 is not yet completely closed, but the hook formation 40 in the front wall 22 already partially engages in the notch formation 42 in the closure tab 26.

[0058] Within the scope of the invention, the incision formation 42 can be designed as a simple, straight incision. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 already explained form of the incision formation 42 with a centrally arranged through opening 56 facilitates the insertion of the hook formation 40, is in Fig. 3 but not recognizable.

[0059] In Fig. 3, sections of the base 44 and the hook sections 46, 48 as well as the perforations 56, 58 can still be seen. Fig. 3 further shows that a lower edge of the hook formations 46, 48 facing the base 14 forms a barb. This is achieved because a lateral boundary of the hook sections forms an acute angle with the section of the lower edge of the hook formations 46, 48 that extends from the respective lateral edge. To completely close the lid 24, the hook sections 46, 48 are inserted into the notch 42 until the barb-like formation of the lower edge of the hook formations 46, 48 is arranged above the notch 42. The barb-like formation then hooks into the lower edge of the notch 42 and thereby prevents the lid 24 from being opened again.

[0060] The fully closed state of the lid 24 is shown in the sectional front view of the packaging 10 of Fig. 4. The closure flap 26 is now arranged behind the front wall 22 of the packaging 10 and the hook formations 46, 48 are completely covered by the closure flap 46. Only the lowermost section of the base 44 is still visible from the front of the packaging 10. Starting from the fully closed state of the Fig. 4 the lid 24 is opened, this is only possible if the hook sections 46, 48 are simultaneously torn off the base 44 at the perforations 56, 58.

[0061] Fig. Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the packaging 10 from the inside in the approximately closed state of the lid 24 of the Fig. 3. The view goes into Fig. 5 from the interior of the packaging 10 towards the front wall 22 and the closure flap 26. In Fig. 3, the outer side of the front wall 22 and the outer side of the closure flap 26 can be seen in sections. Fig. 5, however, the inside of the front wall 22 and the inside of the closure flap 26 can be seen in sections.

[0062] In the state of Fig. 5 or Fig. 3, as explained, the hook formation 40 has been inserted section by section into the notch formation 42. The first hook section 46 has already been pushed section by section through the notch 52, and the second hook section 48 has already been pushed section by section through the notch 54. The base 44 has been pushed section by section through the opening 56 of the notch formation 40, whereby only the lower edge of the opening 56 is visible.

[0063] The opening 56 is triangular in shape, see Fig. 1. This, together with the downwardly sloping upper edges of the hook sections 46, 48, facilitates the insertion of the hook formation 40 into the notch formation 42.

[0064] Based on the state of the Fig. 5, when the lid 24 is further closed, i.e. when the lid 24 is pushed further towards the base 14, the hook section 46 will continue to traverse the notch 52 and the hook section 48 will continue to traverse the notch 54 until the lower edges of the hook sections 46, 48 are arranged above the notches 52, 54.

[0065] This completely closed state of the packaging 10 or the lid 24 is in Fig. 6 shown. Fig. 6 shows how the Fig. 5 a view of the packaging 10 from its interior. The view goes into Fig. 6 so as in Fig. 5 on the inside of the front wall 22 and on the inside of the closure flap 26.

[0066] As already explained, the hook sections 46, 48 have completely passed the notches 52, 54. Starting from the fully closed state of the Fig. 6 attempts to open the lid 24, the lower edges of the hook sections 46, 48 will engage with the Fig. 6 recognizable barb-shaped formation of the lower edges hook onto the incisions 52, 54 and prevent further movement of the cover 24 in Fig. 6 upwards. The lid 24 can then be opened further with increased force, but this will result in the two hook sections 46, 48 tearing off the base 44 at the perforations 56, 58.

[0067] In Fig.6 further shows that the upper edge 50 of the base 44, which forms a support section, rests against an underside of the lid 24. The upper edge 50 of the base 44 consequently supports the underside of the lid 24 and thereby prevents the lid 24 from being moved toward the bottom 14. The packaging 10 is thus extremely stable, and in particular, numerous packages 10, even filled ones, can be stacked on top of one another without the lid 24 being pressed toward the bottom 14.

Claims

[1] Packaging, in particular a packaging folded from a flat blank, in particular for small parts such as screws or nails, with a cuboid, trough-like base body having a base, a first side part extending from the base, a second side part extending from the base, a rear wall extending from the base, a front wall extending from the base and a lid, wherein the lid is pivotally connected to an upper edge of the rear wall and has a closure flap on its front edge, wherein a first part of a closure arrangement is provided in the front wall, which can cooperate with a second part of the closure arrangement in the closure flap of the lid, wherein the closure arrangement has at least one hook formation in the front wall or in the closure flap and at least one incision formation in the closure flap or in the front wall,wherein the hook formation interacts with the incision when the lid is closed, and wherein an end of the hook formation, which is located at the front when inserted into the at least one incision, has a support section running parallel to the base, wherein, when the packaging is closed, an upper edge of the support section rests against an underside of the lid, is slightly spaced from the underside of the lid, the support section rests on the base, or the support section is slightly spaced from the base, wherein the hook formation has a base and at least one hook section protruding from the base, wherein a perforation is provided at the transition from the hook section to the base or in the region of the hook section, so that the hook section or a part of the hook section is designed to be tearable at the perforation. [2] Packaging according to claim 1, characterized bythat the hook formation has two hook sections arranged symmetrically to each other, which are connected to the base. [3] Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that an end of the hook formation which is located at the front when the hook formation is inserted into the at least one incision formation is bevelled or rounded on the sides in order to facilitate insertion into the at least one incision formation. [4] Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the end of the hook formation which is at the front when inserted into the at least one incision formation has insertion sections on both sides of the support section which run obliquely to the rear end or rounded towards the rear end. [5] Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat an end of the hook formation lying at the rear when inserted into the at least one incision forms a barb. [6] Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the hook formation is formed integrally with the front wall or the closure flap and that the front wall or the closure flap is arranged in a single plane at least in the open state of the lid. [7] Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the incision formation has at least one incision running parallel to the ground. [8] Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the incision formation has at least one through-opening, wherein the through-opening has two boundary edges running towards one another at an obtuse angle. [9] Packaging according to claim 8, characterized bythat the passage opening has a triangular shape, with a straight boundary edge opposite the boundary edges running at an obtuse angle to one another. [10] Packaging according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by that the incision formation has two incisions, each emanating from one side of the through opening. [11] Packaging according to claim 10, characterized by that each of the two incisions starts from one end of the straight boundary edge of the passage opening. [12] Packaging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the hook formation forms the first part of the closure arrangement and is provided in the front wall, that an upper end of the hook formation forms part of the upper edge of the front wall and the upper end of the hook formation is arranged at a height so that the lid in the closed state rests with its underside on the upper end of the hook formation or is slightly spaced from the end of the hook formation. [13] Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the packaging is made from at least one folded blank, in particular a single flat blank. [14] Packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one folded flat blank is made of corrugated cardboard. [15] Flat blank for a packaging according to at least one of the preceding claims.

Images