Packaging box, toner container, and assembly method of packaging box

Abstract

To sufficiently fix a body to be packaged which is packaged inside, without cost increase or complication of the packaging box, and without deterioration of a take-out property of the body to be packaged from the packaging box.SOLUTION: In a square cylindrical packaging box 50 which is formed so as to package a toner container 30 (body to be packaged) inside and in which corner parts M1-M4 are formed by making folds on a flat plate member, holding parts 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B protruding toward the inside and capable of holding the toner container 30 are formed at positions corresponding respectively to at least two corner parts M1, M3 out of the plurality of corner parts M1-M4 on one end side in a longer direction when the direction in which the square cylinder extends is given as the longer direction, and at least two corner parts M2, M4 different from the M1, M3 on the one end side out of the plurality of corner parts M1-M4 on the other end side in the longer direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging box in which an object to be packaged, such as a toner container, is packaged, a toner container to be packaged therein, and a method for assembling the packaging box. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, packaging boxes for packaging a toner container (packaged object) that is detachably installed in an image forming apparatus such as a copier or a printer have been widely known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a packaging box, with the toner container (packaged object) packed inside, is transported from the manufacturing factory to a destination (receiving destination) such as a user's site.

[0003] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a cushioning material is provided inside a packaging material (packaging box) to fill the gap between the packaging material and the toner container, with the aim of preventing the transmission of shocks during transportation, etc. to the toner container (packaged object) packed inside the packaging material (packaging box). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology of Patent Document 1 is expected to have a sufficient effect of firmly fixing the packaged object inside, since a cushioning material is provided inside the packaging material. However, the provision of the cushioning material increases the cost and complexity of the packaging box, and makes it more difficult to remove the packaged item from the packaging box.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a packaging box, a toner container, and a method for assembling the packaging box, which can sufficiently fix an item packaged inside without increasing the cost and complexity of the packaging box or reducing the ease of removing the item from the packaging box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The packaging box of this invention is a square tube-shaped packaging box formed so that an item to be packaged can be packaged inside, with corners formed by folding a flat plate member, and has holding portions formed at positions corresponding to at least two of the multiple corners on one end side in the longitudinal direction when the direction in which the square tube extends is the longitudinal direction, and at least two of the multiple corners on the other end side in the longitudinal direction that are different from the ones on the one end side, which protrude inward and are capable of holding the item to be packaged. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a packaging box, a toner container, and a method for assembling the packaging box, which can sufficiently fix a packaged item packaged inside the packaging box without increasing the cost or complexity of the packaging box or reducing the ease of removing the packaged item from the packaging box. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a packaging box in which the toner container is packed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a flat plate member before the packaging box is assembled. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of the operation of assembling the packaging box. [Diagram 5] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a packaging box in which a toner container is packed in the longitudinal direction, (B) a view of the packaging box from the A direction, and (B) a view of the packaging box from the B direction. [Figure 6] 11 is a perspective view showing an operation of removing the toner container from the packaging box. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a packaging box in which a toner container is packed, as a comparative example, viewed from one end in the longitudinal direction. [Figure 8] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a packaging box in which a toner container is packed, as a modified example, in a longitudinal direction. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0010] First, the overall configuration and operation of an image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a copier as an image forming apparatus, reference numeral 2 denotes an original reading section that optically reads image information from an original D, reference numeral 3 denotes an exposure section that irradiates a photosensitive drum 5 with exposure light L based on the image information read by the original reading section 2, reference numeral 4 denotes an image creating section that forms a toner image (image) on the photosensitive drum 5, and reference numeral 7 denotes a transfer section (image forming section) that transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 5 to a sheet P. In addition, reference numeral 10 denotes a document transport section (automatic document transport device) that transports the set document D to the document reading section 2, reference numeral 12 denotes a sheet feeding device that feeds sheets P stored in a paper feed cassette, and reference numeral 13 denotes a sheet feeding device for manual insertion that protrudes to the side of the image forming apparatus main body 1. Also, reference numeral 16 denotes a pair of transport rollers located downstream of the feeding mechanism 45, 17 denotes a pair of registration rollers (pair of timing rollers) that transport the sheet P toward the transfer unit 7, 20 denotes a fixing device that fixes the toner image (unfixed image) carried on the sheet P, 21 denotes a fixing roller installed in the fixing device 20, 22 denotes a pressure roller installed in the fixing device 20, and 25 denotes a discharge tray on which the sheet P discharged from the apparatus main body 1 is stacked. Also, reference numeral 30 denotes a toner container installed in the image forming apparatus 1 so as to be detachable (replaceable). Further, reference numeral 42 denotes a placement portion (lift plate) configured to be liftable in the sheet feeding device 12, and 45 denotes a feeding mechanism installed in the sheet feeding device 12. Reference numeral 100 denotes an operation display panel for inputting the contents of the printing operation to be performed in the image forming apparatus 1 and displaying the status of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0011] With reference to FIG. 1, the operation of image forming apparatus main body 1 during normal image formation (printing) will be described. First, the document D is transported (fed) from the document table in the direction of the arrow in the figure by the transport rollers of the document transport unit 10, and passes over the document reading unit 2. At this time, the document reading unit 2 optically reads image information of the document D passing above it. The optical image information read by the document reading unit 2 is converted into an electrical signal and then transmitted to the exposure unit 3 (writing unit). The exposure unit 3 then emits exposure light L, such as a laser beam, based on the image information of the electrical signal toward the photoconductor drum 5 of the imaging unit 4.

[0012] Meanwhile, in the image creating unit 4, the photosensitive drum 5 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, and after going through a predetermined image creating process (charging process, exposure process, and development process), an image (toner image) corresponding to the image information is formed on the photosensitive drum 5. Thereafter, the image formed on the photosensitive drum 5 is transferred onto the sheet P conveyed by a pair of registration rollers 17 in the transfer section 7 . In addition to the transfer unit 7, the image forming unit 4 is composed of a charging device, a developing device, a cleaning device, a charge removing device, etc. New toner is appropriately replenished to the developing device from a toner container 30. The toner container 30 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and when the toner contained therein becomes empty, it is replaced with a new toner container 30. The toner container 30 is distributed on the market as a single unit, and is shipped from a manufacturing factory to a destination such as a user's site or a service center while being packed in a packaging box 50 (see FIG. 2, etc.).

[0013] On the other hand, the sheet P conveyed to the transfer unit 7 (image forming unit) operates as follows. First, one of the sheet feeding devices 12, 13 in the image forming apparatus main body 1 is automatically or manually selected (for example, it is assumed that the sheet feeding device 12 in the apparatus main body is selected). Then, the uppermost sheet of the sheets P stored in the sheet feeding device 12 is fed by the feeding mechanism 45 and conveyed toward the conveying path K. Thereafter, the sheet P passes through the conveying path K on which the conveying roller pair 16 is disposed, and reaches the position of the registration roller pair 17. At this time, the registration roller pair 17 is in a state of stopping rotation, and the leading edge of the sheet P hits the nip of the registration roller pair 17, thereby correcting the skew of the sheet P.

[0014] Then, the pair of registration rollers 17 start to rotate, and the sheet P is transported toward the transfer section 7 (image forming section) in time for alignment with the image formed on the photosensitive drum 5. Then, in the transfer section 7, the image on the photosensitive drum 5 is transferred onto the sheet P (this is a transfer process). After the transfer process, the sheet P passes through the position of the transfer unit 7, and then reaches the fixing device 20 via a transport path. The sheet P that has reached the fixing device 20 is fed between the fixing roller 21 and the pressure roller 22, and the toner image is fixed on the sheet P by the heat received from the fixing roller 21 and the pressure received from both members 21 and 22 (the fixing process). The sheet P after the fixing process with the toner image fixed is sent out from between the fixing roller 21 and the pressure roller 22 (the fixing nip), and then discharged from the image forming apparatus main body 1 and stacked on the discharge tray 25 as an output image. In this way, a series of image forming processes (printing operations) is completed.

[0015] The packaging box 50 for the toner container, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described in detail below. As previously described with reference to FIG. 1, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a toner container 30 is used as a consumable item. That is, each toner container 30 is set in the image forming apparatus 1 when the image forming apparatus 1 is started to be used at the user's site. In addition, when use of the image forming apparatus 1 begins and the toner contained therein becomes empty, each toner container 30 is removed from the image forming apparatus 1 and a new toner container 30 (filled to the brim with toner) is installed in its place.

[0016] Here, the toner container 30 as the packaged object is housed (packaged) in a packaging box 50 as shown in FIG. 2 and other figures before being set. As shown in Fig. 2(B), a new toner container 30 (packaged object) is housed inside the packaging box 50 shown in Fig. 2(A). The new toner container 30, housed in the packaging box 50 in this manner, is transported to the user or stored at the user's storage location. When the user starts using the image forming apparatus 1, the toner container 30 is removed from the packaging box 50 and attached to the image forming apparatus 1 (replaced).

[0017] The packaging box 50 in this embodiment is formed in a polygonal cylindrical shape (in this embodiment, a square cylindrical shape) so that a toner container 30 (containing toner inside) as the packaged object can be packaged inside. Here, the packaging box 50 in this embodiment is formed into a square tube shape as shown in FIG. 4 by forming corners M1 to M4 by folding the flat plate member shown in FIG. In detail, the packaging box 50 is originally made of a rectangular flat plate member such as corrugated cardboard as a material (raw material), and the flat plate member has an exploded view as shown in FIG. Specifically, the flat plate member has five rectangular planes 51A-51E separated by four parallel folds M1-M4. The flat plate member also has a plurality of cuts 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B, 54-57. The flat plate member is folded at approximately right angles along the four folds M1-M4 to form corners, and the planes 51A and 51E at both ends are overlapped to assemble the rectangular cylindrical packaging box 50.

[0018] 4(B), the packaging box 50 has holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B formed at positions corresponding to at least two corners M1, M3 of the multiple corners M1 to M4 at one end side in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 4(B)) when the direction in which the square tube extends (up and down direction in FIG. 4(B)) is taken as the longitudinal direction, and at least two corners M2, M4 different from the corners M1, M3 at the other end side in the longitudinal direction (lower side in FIG. 4(B)) of the multiple corners M1 to M4. The holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B protrude inward and are capable of holding the toner container 30 (packaged object).

[0019] In other words, the method for assembling the packaging box 50 in this embodiment is as follows: (1) a step of forming corners M1 to M4 by folding a flat plate member into a rectangular tube shape; (2) forming holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B capable of holding a toner container 30 (packaged object) by protruding inward a portion sandwiched between two slits that are formed in parallel and spaced apart in a direction intersecting the fold when the plate member is in a state of being; This means that the system is equipped with the following features.

[0020] Specifically, the packaging box 50 in this embodiment is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape. The two retaining portions 52A, 52B (first retaining portions) at one end in the longitudinal direction (upper side in FIG. 4(B)) are formed at positions corresponding to two diagonally positioned corners M1, M3 among the four corners M1 to M4 (see FIG. 4(B) and FIG. 5(B)). In contrast, the two retaining portions 53A, 53B (second retaining portions) at the other end in the longitudinal direction (lower in FIG. 4(B)) are formed at positions corresponding to the two corners M2, M4 (the remaining two corners) that are diagonally positioned, different from the two corners M1, M3 at one end of the four corners M1 to M4 (see FIG. 4(B) and FIG. 5(C)). That is, when the rectangular cylindrical packaging box 50 is projected in the longitudinal direction, the holding parts 52A and 52B at one longitudinal end side and the holding parts 53A and 53B at the other longitudinal end side are arranged at positions where they do not overlap. In other words, the holding parts 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are formed at positions corresponding to the four corners M1 to M4, respectively.

[0021] These retaining portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are formed by protruding inwardly the portions sandwiched between two slits that are formed in parallel and spaced apart in a direction intersecting the folds M1 to M4 when the member is in the form of a flat plate member (the pre-assembly state shown in Figure 3). Specifically, in the flat plate member shown in FIG. 3, two slits that intersect with each of the four folds M1 to M4 are formed at an interval in the direction in which the folds extend. Then, the flat plate member is folded along creases M1 to M4 to form (assemble) a rectangular tube as shown in Fig. 4(A), and then the cut portions (52A, 52B, 53A, 53B) are pushed inward to form the four holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B as shown in Fig. 4(B), Fig. 5, etc. As shown in Figs. 5(B) and (C), the four holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B have a substantially L-shaped cross section.

[0022] Here, among the multiple slits 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B, 54-57 formed in the flat plate member (as shown in FIG. 3), the slits 54-57 other than those functioning as holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B are used when assembling the rectangular tubular packaging box 50 from the flat plate member. Specifically, the tongue-shaped slits 54 and 55 are inserted into the slit-shaped slits 56 and 57, respectively, and the flat surfaces 51A and 51E at both ends are fixed in a state of being overlapped. The method of fixing the flat surfaces 51A, 51E at both ends is not limited to this, and for example, the flat surfaces 51A, 51E at both ends may be fixed by bonding the opposing surfaces with an adhesive or the like.

[0023] The toner container 30 is firmly fixed and held in the packaging box 50 by the four holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B configured in this manner, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the toner container 30 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the cap portion 31 is provided so as to cover the head portion (the portion from which the toner is discharged) of the bottle main body (the bottle bottom portion 32 is provided with a concave shape so as to function as a grip portion) on which a protrusion portion that protrudes spirally toward the inside of the container is formed. Then, the toner container 30 is held in the packaging box 50 with the cap portion 31 side as one end in the longitudinal direction and the bottle bottom portion 32 side as the other end in the longitudinal direction. At this time, the cap portion 31 is held by the first holding portions 52A and 52B, and the bottle bottom portion 32 is held by the second holding portions 53A and 53B. In this way, in the toner container 30, the cap part 31 and the bottle bottom part 32 functioning as the held parts held by the multiple holding parts 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are formed so as to be recessed from the outer periphery of the substantially cylindrical part located on the longitudinal center side from that position. Specifically, the part functioning as the first held part in the cap part 31 is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the part located on the longitudinal center side from that position, and is held by the first holding parts 52A and 52B. In contrast, the bottle bottom part 32 (grip part) functioning as the second held part is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the bottle outer diameter of the part located on the longitudinal center side from that position, and has a recess formed therein, and the recess is held by the second holding parts 53A and 53B.

[0024] In this manner, the packaging box 50 in this embodiment is assembled by forming a plurality of slits 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B in a flat plate member into a rectangular tube shape with folds at corners M1 to M4, and then pushing the box inward to function as a retaining portion. Therefore, without providing a cushioning material or the like inside the packaging box 50 to fill the gap with the toner container 30, the toner container 30 can be securely fixed and held relatively simply, without increasing costs and complexity, and without reducing the ease of removing the toner container 30 from the packaging box 50. This reduces problems such as the toner container 30 jumping out of the packaging box 50 during transportation from the manufacturing factory to the destination (receiving destination), and problems such as the toner container 30 being thrown out of control inside the packaging box 50 due to vibration during transportation. Therefore, problems such as the toner in the toner container 30 being concentrated toward one end in the longitudinal direction are also less likely to occur.

[0025] In particular, the two first holding portions 52A and 52B are disposed diagonally to each other, and the two second holding portions 53A and 53B are also disposed diagonally to each other, and the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are located at different corners M1 to M4. Therefore, the toner containers 30 can be held efficiently in a well-balanced manner within the packaging box 50. Moreover, each of the multiple holding parts 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B is formed in a substantially L-shape so as to straddle the corners M1 to M4, and a root part on one end side and a root part on the other end side are connected to the adjacent plane. As a specific example, the holding part 52A straddling the first corner M1 has a root part on one end side connected to the first plane 51A and a root part on the other end side connected to the second plane 51B. By configuring in this way, it is possible to increase the mechanical strength of the holding parts 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B compared to the holding parts 152A and 152B (252A and 252B) formed so that one end side is a free end, as in the packaging box 150 (250) shown in FIG. 7(A) (or FIG. 7(B)) as a comparative example.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the toner container 30 (packaged object) is held inside the packaging box 50 without coming into contact with any portion other than the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B. That is, in the packaging box 50, the toner container 30 is suspended in the air except for the portions held by the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B, and a large amount of space exists between the packaging box 50 and the toner container 30. With this configuration, even if the packaging box 50 vibrates or an unexpected external force is applied to the packaging box 50 during transportation, the vibration or external force is unlikely to be directly transmitted to the toner container 30. Therefore, the effects of the present invention as described above are more easily achieved.

[0027] 5 and other figures, the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are configured to restrict movement of the toner container 30 (packaged object) in the longitudinal direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 5A). That is, the toner container 30 is sandwiched between the first holding portions 52A and 52B and the second holding portions 53A and 53B so as not to move significantly in the longitudinal direction within the packaging box 50. This makes it easier to achieve the effects of the present invention as described above.

[0028] Then, referring to FIG. 6, the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B enable the toner container 30 (packaged object) to be removed from the packaging box 50 by pulling out the holding portions (at least two holding portions) at one or the other longitudinal ends toward the outside of the rectangular tube. Specifically, in the example of Figure 6, in the packaging box 50 in which the toner container 30 is packed (as in Figures 2 and 5), by folding back the first holding portions 52A, 52B, which are folded inward, outward (as in Figure 6) among the first holding portions 52A, 52B and the second holding portions 53A, 53B, it becomes possible to remove the toner container 30 in the direction of the arrow from one longitudinal end side (the side of the first holding portions 52A, 52B). When inserting the toner container 30 into the empty packaging box 50, the above-mentioned operations for removal are performed in reverse order.

[0029] Now, referring to FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the cuts made in the flat plate member to form the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are formed so as to be inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the folds M1 to M4 (the horizontal direction in FIG. 3). Specifically, the slits for forming the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are all formed in a V-shape (with the apex of the V facing the longitudinal center) so as to straddle the folds M1 to M4. Therefore, the first holding portions 52A and 52B are in a state in which the apex of the L-shape faces downward in Fig. 4(B), and the second holding portions 53A and 53B are in a state in which the apex of the L-shape faces upward in Fig. 4(B). By configuring in this manner, the toner container 30 in the packaging box 50 is more likely to be held by the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B with a strong force toward the center in the longitudinal direction, compared to a case in which the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B (slits) are not inclined but are formed at right angles to the corners M1 to M4.

[0030] 5 and the like, the plurality of holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, 53B are formed at positions away from the end portion on one or the other end side in the longitudinal direction toward the center in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, referring to Fig. 3, the slits for forming the first holding portions 52A, 52B are formed at a position away from the end portion on one end side in the longitudinal direction by a distance X1, and the slits for forming the second holding portions 53A, 53B are formed at a position away from the end portion on the other end side in the longitudinal direction by a distance X2. As shown in FIG. 5A, the toner container 30 (packaged object) is held in the packaging box 50 so as not to protrude from both ends in the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the packing property of the toner container 30 in the packaging box 50 can be improved compared to a case where the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are formed at the very ends of the longitudinal direction, and problems such as foreign matter entering the inside through the openings at both ends adhering to the toner container 30 are less likely to occur. Furthermore, the mechanical strength of the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B can be improved compared to a case where the holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B are formed at the very ends of the longitudinal direction.

[0031] <Modification> As shown in FIG. 8, in the modified example, the ends of one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction (corresponding to distances X1 and X2 in FIG. 3, and surrounded by dashed lines in FIG. 8) of the packaging box 50 are folded or crushed toward the center in the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the packing properties of the toner container 30 in the packing box 50 can be improved, and problems such as foreign matter entering the inside of the packing box 50 from the outside can be prevented.

[0032] As described above, the packaging box 50 in this embodiment is a square cylindrical packaging box 50 formed so that the toner container 30 (packaged object) can be packed therein, and has corners M1 to M4 formed by folding a flat plate member. The packaging box 50 has holding portions 52A, 52B, 53A, and 53B that protrude inward and can hold the toner container 30 at positions corresponding to at least two corners M1 and M3 among the multiple corners M1 to M4 at one end in the longitudinal direction when the direction in which the square cylinder extends is the longitudinal direction, and at least two corners M2 and M4 different from the corners M1 and M3 at one end among the multiple corners M1 to M4 at the other end in the longitudinal direction. This allows the toner container 30 packed inside to be sufficiently fixed without increasing the cost and complexity of the packing box 50 or decreasing the ease of removing the toner container 30 from the packing box 50.

[0033] In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a packaging box 50 that packs the toner container 30, which is detachably installed in the image forming apparatus 1, as a packaged object. However, the packaged object packed in the packaging box 50 to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the toner container 30, and the present invention can be naturally applied to, for example, a packaging box that packs a developing device containing a developer as a packaged object, or a packaging box that packs a process cartridge in which such a developing device and an image forming member such as a photosensitive drum are integrated as a packaged object. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to all packaging boxes that pack packaged objects, not only other packaged objects (units) that are detachably installed in the image forming apparatus, but also packaged objects that are not related to the image forming apparatus. In the present embodiment, a rectangular tubular packaging box 50 is used as the rectangular tubular packaging box 50, but a polygonal tubular box other than a rectangular tubular box may also be used as the rectangular tubular packaging box 50. Even in such cases, the same effects as those of this embodiment can be obtained.

[0034] It is clear that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and that the present embodiment may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention in addition to the modifications suggested in the present embodiment. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components are not limited to the present embodiment, and may be any number, position, shape, etc. suitable for implementing the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 Image forming device, 30 Toner container (packaged item), 31 Cap part (held part, first held part), 32 Bottle bottom (held part, second held part), 50 packing boxes (packaging boxes), 52A, 52B 1st holding part (holding part), 53A, 53B 2nd holding part (holding part), M1~M4 Corners (folds), P-sheet.

[0036] The present invention can also be embodied in the following combinations of Supplementary Notes 1 to 11. (Appendix 1) A packaging box having a rectangular cylindrical shape formed so that an object to be packaged can be packaged therein, the packaging box having corners formed by folding a flat plate member, A packaging box characterized in that holding portions capable of holding the packaged item are formed at positions corresponding to at least two of the multiple corners on one end side in the longitudinal direction when the direction in which the square tube extends is the longitudinal direction, and at least two of the multiple corners on the other end side in the longitudinal direction that are different from the corners on the one end side. (Appendix 2) The packaging box described in Appendix 1, characterized in that the retaining portion is a portion sandwiched between two slits that are formed in parallel and spaced apart in a direction intersecting the fold when the flat plate member is in a state of being protruded inward. (Appendix 3) The packaging box according to claim 2, wherein the cut is formed so as to be inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the fold. (Appendix 4) 4. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the packaged object is held inside the packaging box without contacting any part other than the holding portion. (Appendix 5) The holding portion is The movement of the object to be packaged in the longitudinal direction is limited, The packaging box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the packaged item can be removed by pulling out the at least two holding portions on one end side or the other end side of the longitudinal direction toward the outside of the rectangular tube. (Appendix 6) The packaging box is formed in a rectangular tube shape, The two holding portions at one end side in the longitudinal direction are formed at positions corresponding to two diagonally opposite corner portions among the four corner portions, The packaging box according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 5, characterized in that the two retaining portions at the other end in the longitudinal direction are formed at positions corresponding to two of the four corners that are diagonally positioned differently from the two corners at the one end. (Appendix 7) The plurality of holding portions are formed at positions away from an end portion on one end side or the other end side in the longitudinal direction toward a center portion in the longitudinal direction, 7. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the packaged object is held so as not to protrude from both ends in the longitudinal direction. (Appendix 8) The packaging box according to claim 7, wherein the end portions on one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction are folded or crushed toward the center in the longitudinal direction. (Appendix 9) 9. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the object to be packaged is a toner container containing toner therein. (Appendix 10) A toner container as the packaged object contained in the packaging box according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 9, The toner container is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, A toner container, characterized in that a held portion held by the plurality of holding portions is formed so as to be recessed from an outer periphery of a substantially cylindrical portion located toward the center in the longitudinal direction from the held portion. (Appendix 11) A method for assembling a packaging box capable of packaging an object therein, comprising the steps of: A step of forming a corner portion by folding the flat plate member into a square tube shape; a step of forming a holding portion capable of holding the packaged object by protruding inward a portion sandwiched between two slits that are formed in parallel and spaced apart in a direction intersecting the fold when the flat plate member is in the state of the flat plate member; Equipped with A method for assembling a packaging box, characterized in that the retaining portions are formed at positions corresponding to at least two of the multiple corners on one end side in the longitudinal direction when the direction in which the rectangular tube extends is the longitudinal direction, and at least two of the multiple corners on the other end side in the longitudinal direction that are different from the corners on the one end side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0037] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-121604 A

Claims

1. A packaging box having a rectangular cylindrical shape formed so that an object to be packaged can be packaged therein, the packaging box having corners formed by folding a flat plate member, A packaging box characterized in that holding portions capable of holding the packaged item are formed at positions corresponding to at least two of the multiple corners on one end side of the longitudinal direction when the direction in which the square tube extends is the longitudinal direction, and at least two of the multiple corners on the other end side of the longitudinal direction that are different from the corners on the one end side.

2. The packaging box according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining portion is a portion sandwiched between two slits that are formed in parallel and spaced apart in a direction intersecting the fold when the flat plate member is in the state of being, and that protrudes inwardly.

3. 3. The packaging box according to claim 2, wherein the cut is formed so as to be inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the fold.

4. 3. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the object is held inside the packaging box without contacting any part other than the holding portion.

5. The holding portion is The movement of the object to be packaged in the longitudinal direction is limited, 3. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the packaged object can be removed by pulling out the at least two holding portions on one end side or the other end side in the longitudinal direction toward the outside of the rectangular tube.

6. The packaging box is formed in a rectangular tube shape, The two holding portions at one end side in the longitudinal direction are formed at positions corresponding to two diagonally opposite corner portions among the four corner portions, 3. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the two retaining portions at the other end in the longitudinal direction are formed at positions corresponding to two of the four corner portions that are diagonally opposite to the two corner portions at the one end.

7. The plurality of holding portions are formed at positions away from an end portion on one end side or the other end side in the longitudinal direction toward a center portion in the longitudinal direction, 3. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the packaged object is held so as not to protrude from both ends in the longitudinal direction.

8. 8. The packaging box according to claim 7, wherein the end portions on one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction are folded or crushed toward the center in the longitudinal direction.

9. 3. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the object to be packed is a toner container containing toner therein.

10. 3. A toner container as the packaged object contained in the packaging box according to claim 1, The toner container is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, A toner container, characterized in that a held portion held by the plurality of holding portions is formed so as to be recessed from an outer periphery of a substantially cylindrical portion located toward the center in the longitudinal direction from the held portion.

11. A method for assembling a packaging box capable of packaging an object therein, comprising the steps of: A step of forming a corner portion by folding the flat plate member into a square tube shape; a step of forming a holding portion capable of holding the packaged object by protruding inward a portion sandwiched between two slits that are formed in parallel and spaced apart in a direction intersecting the fold when the flat plate member is in the state of the flat plate member; Equipped with A method for assembling a packaging box, characterized in that the retaining portions are formed at positions corresponding to at least two of the multiple corners on one end side of the longitudinal direction when the direction in which the square tube extends is the longitudinal direction, and at least two of the multiple corners on the other end side of the longitudinal direction that are different from the corners on the one end side.

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