Packaging box

Abstract

To provide a packaging box in which at least a part of a stored article automatically moves from the inside the box to the outside of a take-out port in conjunction with a repeated take-out action by a user, thereby enabling the article to be easily taken out.SOLUTION: In a packaging box of the present invention, a take-out door has a door body and a side arm wall provided at a side end part of the take-out door, the door body is movable between a take-out position where a take-out port for a stored article appears and a closed position where the take-out port is closed, the side arm wall is provided with an engagement part that engages with a recess provided in the stored article with the door body in the closed position, and an engagement between the engagement part and the recess is maintained when the door body moves to the take-out position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging box from which an item contained within the box can be removed by means of a removal door. [Background technology]

[0002] Packaging boxes for storing articles such as food or beverage cans (hereinafter also referred to as "contained items") have been used for a long time. Various types of packaging boxes are known, including a two-piece structure in which the box body and the lid are separate, also known as the body-lid type or C type, and an assembled package structure in which the body and lid are integrated, also known as the B type.

[0003] The above-mentioned contained items are stored in a paper packaging box as exemplified in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3. In the packaging boxes as exemplified in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a part of the packaging box is generally broken to form an access opening in a part of the packaging box. In addition, the packaging box is basically a hexahedral rectangular parallelepiped, and can be designed so that the access opening appears on any of the faces of the rectangular parallelepiped depending on the application. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-182283 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-059522 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2022-082024 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional techniques including those described in the above patent documents still do not meet the needs of the market, and at least the following problems exist. That is, improvements to the above-mentioned packaging boxes have focused mainly on cost reduction and labor saving in assembly or opening operations, but recently, consideration has also been given to imparting new functions to packaging boxes in addition to improving their storage capacity.

[0006] For example, if a packaging box with a removal door could be likened to a vending machine, and the contents could be removed one by one from the box by continuously using the packaging box, the packaging box would be endowed with new aesthetics and convenience in addition to its conventional storage capacity. What is important in this case is that each of the contained items moves stably from the packaging box to the removal opening in conjunction with the user's repeated removal actions. However, no conventional packaging box has been proposed that has achieved the above-mentioned objectives. The packaging box disclosed in Patent Document 3 is provided with a structure that automatically moves the contents to the front of the opening for removal, but the user must insert his / her hand into the box when removing the contents, so there is still a lot of room for improvement.

[0007] One object of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and is to provide a packaging box in which at least a portion of the contained item automatically moves from inside the box to the outside of the removal opening in conjunction with repeated removal actions by the user, making it easy to remove. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention is a packaging box capable of storing items stacked vertically inside, and comprises a rear wall, a front wall arranged opposite the rear wall and equipped with a removal door for removing the items stored inside the packaging box, and a side wall provided at a side end of the packaging box, the removal door having a door body and a lateral arm wall provided at the side end of the removal door, the door body being movable between an removal position where an removal opening for the items to be stored appears and a closed position where the removal opening is closed, the lateral arm wall being provided with an engagement portion that engages with a recess provided on the items to be stored when the door body is in the closed position, and the engagement between the engagement portion and the recess is maintained when the door body moves to the removal position. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned packaging box, it is preferable that the engagement portion extends in a continuous state with the side arm wall and is folded back along the boundary line between the side arm wall and the engagement portion to make face contact with the inner wall surface of the side arm wall. In the above-mentioned packaging box, it is more preferable that the thickness of the end of the folded-back portion of the engagement part that is closer to the door body is greater than the thickness of the end that is farther away from the door body. Moreover, in the above-mentioned packaging box, it is even more preferable that the boundary line is provided with a notch formed from the end of the boundary line closer to the door body to the center of the boundary line. In the above-mentioned packaging box, it is more preferable that the side arm walls are provided on both side ends of the removal door, and that the side arm walls are each provided with an engagement portion. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the packaging box of the present invention, the engaging portion of the removal door engages with a recess in each contained item, allowing at least a portion of the contained item to automatically move to the outside of the removal opening in conjunction with the user's removal action via the removal door. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of a packaging box according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen obliquely from the front. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of a packaging box according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen obliquely from behind. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a blank for a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the symbol α in FIG. [Figure 4B] 13 is an explanatory diagram of the thickness of the tip end side of the folded-back portion of the engagement portion, which is close to the door body, and is a diagram of the folded-back portion as viewed from the tip end side. FIG. [Figure 4C] 13 is an explanatory diagram of the thickness of the folded-back portion of the engagement portion on the rear end side away from the door body, and is a diagram of the folded-back portion as viewed from the rear end side. FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an object that can be contained in a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the upper end of the object. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an object that can be contained in a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the lower end of the object. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an object to be contained is inserted into a packaging box according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the inside of a packaging box with an object housed therein, and is a side view showing the inside of the packaging box with a virtual side wall removed. [Figure 8A] 1 is a diagram showing the state immediately after starting the operation of opening the removal door in a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view showing the inside of the packaging box with the side wall virtually removed. FIG. [Figure 8B] 1 is a diagram showing the state at the end of the operation of opening the removal door in a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view showing the inside of the packaging box with the side wall virtually removed. FIG. [Figure 9A] 1 is a diagram showing the state immediately after starting the operation of closing the removal door in a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view showing the inside of the packaging box with the side wall virtually removed. FIG. [Figure 9B]1 is a diagram showing the state at the end of the operation of closing the removal door in a packaging box according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view showing the inside of the packaging box with the side wall virtually removed. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an item is removed from a packaging box according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] One embodiment for preferably carrying out the present invention will be described below. In this specification, the side of the packaging box 100 with the removal door 30 in a vertically placed state when it is used is defined as the "front" side, and the right side when the packaging box 100 is viewed from the front side is defined as the "right". That is, in each figure referred to in this specification, in a vertically placed state when the packaging box is used, "Fd" indicates "front", "Bk" indicates "rear", "Lh" indicates "left", "Rh" indicates "right", "Up" indicates "up", and "Dn" indicates "down". In this case, the front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction, and the up-down direction is perpendicular to the front-back direction and the left-right direction. In this specification, the above-mentioned up-down direction may also be referred to as the "vertical direction".

[0012] The above orientation is an example, used for convenience of explanation, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, matters other than the characteristic features of the present invention described in detail below can be implemented by appropriately referring to the configuration of the packaging box disclosed in the above-mentioned patent documents or other known structures, for example, within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0013] [Packaging Box Overview] The configuration of a packaging box 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the packaging box 100 as a completed product after assembly. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the state of a blank 300 before the packaging box 100 is assembled. 4A to 4C are diagrams showing the detailed structure of the engagement part 34, and Fig. 4A is an enlarged view of the part indicated by the symbol α in Fig. 3, and Figs. 4B and 4C are explanatory diagrams of the thickness of the folded-back part of the engagement part 34. Fig. 4B is a diagram of the folded-back part of the engagement part 34 as viewed from the tip end side, and Fig. 4C is a diagram of the folded-back part of the engagement part 34 as viewed from the rear end side. Here, the "tip end side" means the side closer to the door main body 31 described later, and the "rear end side" means the side farther away from the door main body 31. Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of an item 200 that can be contained in the packaging box 100, with Figure 5A showing the upper end (head) of the item 200 and Figure 5B showing the lower end (bottom). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which an article 200 is inserted into the packaging box 100, and is a perspective view of the packaging box 100 as seen from the rear. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the inside of the packaging box 100 with the object 200 stored therein. Fig. 7 and Figs. 8A, 8B, 9A, and 9B described below are diagrams showing the inside of the packaging box 100 as viewed from the side (left side) with the left side wall 40L virtually removed. In Fig. 7, the closed state of the removal door 30 described below is shown by a solid line, and the open state is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0014] 1 and 2, the packaging box 100 of this embodiment is a rectangular parallelepiped box capable of accommodating an object 200 therein, which will be described later. As an example, the packaging box 100 may be a box that is sealed by closing a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall 50, which will be described later.

[0015] Furthermore, one or more objects 200 can be stored inside the packaging box 100. The packaging box 100 is configured to store the objects 200 stacked at least in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7 described later, for example, a maximum of three objects 200 can be stacked in the up-down direction (vertical direction) and a maximum of two objects can be lined up in the front-rear direction and stored in the packaging box 100.

[0016] The contained object 200 may be, for example, a cylindrical object such as a can or a plastic bottle containing a beverage such as juice or drinking water. An example of such a container is an object as shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, that is, a cylindrical beverage can having a recess formed on its outer shape. The recess is provided on at least one of the upper end (head) and the lower end (bottom) of the contained object 200, and is formed by depressing a portion surrounded by the outer edge of the end. The recess may be, for example, a recess 210a provided on the upper end (head) of the container, a recess 210b provided on the lower end (bottom) of the container, or both. The upper end (head) of the contained object 200 is the end that comes into contact with a person when in use, and in the case of a beverage can, is the end on the side where a drinking spout is provided.

[0017] Although a cylindrical container is preferable for the contained object 200, the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, the contained object 200 may be a cylindrical container or a square tube with a polygonal cross section as long as it has a recess at at least one of the upper and lower ends that can engage with the engaging portion 34 described later.

[0018] [Detailed composition of the packaging box] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the packaging box 100 of this embodiment includes a rear wall 10, a front wall 20 equipped with a removal door 30, a pair of side walls 40, a top wall 60, and a bottom wall 70. The packaging box 100 is formed by assembling blanks 300 shown in Fig. 3. In the following description, one of the extending directions (unfolding directions) of the blank 300 when viewed in a plan view is defined as the X direction, and the other extending direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction. The X direction corresponds to the short side direction of the rectangular top wall 60 of the blank 300, and the Y direction corresponds to the long side direction of the top wall 60.

[0019] The blank 300 is a paper sheet, and may be made of, for example, a cardboard sheet. The boundaries of each portion of the blank 300 are formed with fold lines and cut lines shown by dashed lines in FIG. 3, and when assembling the packaging box 100 from the blank 300, the blank 300 is folded along each fold line and cut along the cut lines. Note that there is no particular limitation on the fold lines suitable for this embodiment, as long as they are lines for folding a cardboard sheet, and examples of such lines include well-known general-purpose lines such as lead lines. Note that there is no particular limitation on the cut lines suitable for this embodiment, as long as they can cut a part of the cardboard sheet along the lines, and well-known cut lines such as perforation lines may be used.

[0020] The rear wall 10 is a portion located on the opposite side to a removal opening 33 (described later) for the contained item 200 when the packaging box 100 is placed upright during use. The rear wall 10 constitutes a part of the peripheral wall 50 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the rear wall 10 in this embodiment is provided with an insertion opening 14 for inserting the contained item 200. That is, as shown in Fig. 2, the rear wall 10 in this embodiment is configured to include a rear wall main body 11 and an insertion door 12 that is continuous with the rear wall main body 11 via a folding line L11 and can be opened and closed.

[0021] In the state of the blank 300 shown in FIG. 3, the insertion door 12 is separated from the rear wall main body 11 by the fold line L11, and is connected to the Y-direction end of the top wall 60 and the X-direction end of the first inner flap 15 via cutting lines L21 and L22.

[0022] 2, a semicircular cutout 13 is provided at the end of the insertion door 12 on the top wall 60 side. As a result, in the packaging box 100 of this embodiment, the user can open the insertion door 12 by hooking his / her finger on the cutout 13 and pulling it. When the user opens the insertion door 12, the above-mentioned insertion opening 14 appears, and the contained item 200 can be inserted into the packaging box 100 through the insertion opening 14. As shown in a modified example described later, the insertion door 12 is not essential and may be omitted as appropriate. In this case, for example, the packaging box 100 can be assembled while storing the contents 200 using one blank 300. By omitting the insertion door 12 from the rear wall 10, a decrease in the strength of the rear wall 10 can be suppressed.

[0023] The front wall 20 is disposed opposite the rear wall 10 and includes a removal door 30 for removing an item 200 contained inside the packaging box 100. In addition, in the state of the blank 300 shown in Fig. 3, the front wall 20 of this embodiment is connected to each of the X-direction ends of a pair of side walls 40 described later via a folding line L12. As shown in the figure, the front wall 20 is divided into a second door main body 31B and the other portion (hereinafter referred to as the other portion 21 of the front wall 20) via an opening edge line 20t that defines a removal opening 33 described later.

[0024] 3, the opening edge line 20t in this embodiment is formed by the cutting lines L23, L24, and by cutting the cutting lines L23, L24 when assembling the blank 300, the second door body 31B can be separated from the other part 21 of the front wall 20 and the side wall 40. In other words, the part of the front wall 20 that is cut and separated as described above corresponds to the second door body 31B. The other part 21 of the front wall 20 forms a part of the peripheral wall 50 in this embodiment. In addition, the part of the other part 21 adjacent to the cutting line L23 forms the peripheral edge of the removal opening 33. The second door body 31B, which is separated during assembly, may be integrated with the first door body 31A, which will be described later, via a known adhesive.

[0025] 1 and 2, the removal door 30 includes a door body 31 forming the front end of the removal door 30, and a pair of side arm walls 32 provided at the side ends of the removal door 30. The removal door 30 may be structured so that, for example, when assembling the packaging box 100 from the blank 300, the removal door 30 is folded so that the outer wall surface 32c of the side arm wall 32 and the third inner flap 71 of the bottom wall 70 are adjacent to each other inside the side wall 40.

[0026] The door body 31 is composed of a first door body 31A and a second door body 31B that is in close contact with the front surface of the first door body 31A. In the state of the blank 300 shown in FIG. 3, the first door body 31A of this embodiment is connected to the Y-direction end of the bottom wall 70 described later via a folding line L13.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1, the pair of side arm walls 32 each extend perpendicularly from the side ends (left end and right end) of the first door body 31A relative to the first door body 31A, and as can be seen from Fig. 1, when the packaging box 100 is in an assembled state, they are disposed inside the side walls 40. In the present embodiment, each side arm wall 32 is connected to the X-direction end of the first door body 31A via a folding line L14 in the state of the blank 300 shown in Fig. 3.

[0028] Regarding the shape of the pair of side arm walls 32, the side arm wall disposed on the right side when the packaging box 100 is assembled (hereinafter, the right side arm wall 32R) has a substantially fan-shaped shape as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The side arm wall disposed on the left side when the packaging box 100 is assembled (hereinafter, the left side arm wall 32L) has a substantially right-angled triangular shape as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Each of the pair of side arm walls 32 has an inner wall surface 32b located on the inside of the packaging box 100 when the packaging box 100 is assembled, and an outer wall surface 32c located on the opposite side to the inner wall surface 32b (i.e., the side facing the adjacent side wall 40).

[0029] Further, both the right side arm wall 32R and the left side arm wall 32L are provided with a locking protrusion 32a at the outer end in the X direction. The locking protrusion 32a is a convex part that protrudes outward in the X direction and has a substantially trapezoidal shape, and when the removal door 30 is fully opened as shown in Fig. 7, it abuts against and hooks onto the inner peripheral surface of the removal opening 33 in the front wall 20 at the left-right (width) end of the packaging box 100, thereby being locked to the inner peripheral surface of the removal opening 33.

[0030] 1 and 3, the right side arm wall 32R is provided with an engagement portion 34, which will be described later. In the state of the blank 300 shown in FIG. 3, this engagement portion 34 is connected to the hypotenuse portion 32t of the left side arm wall 32L, which has a substantially right-angled triangular shape.

[0031] 1 and 7, the removal door 30 is configured so that the door body 31 can rotate about the folding line L13, that is, the removal door 30 can be opened and closed. When the removal door 30 is in the closed state, the door body 31 (more specifically, the second door body 31B) is aligned on the same plane as the other part 21 of the front wall 20 and forms the front wall 20 together with the other part 21. Also, the pair of side arm walls 32 are inserted into the inside of the packaging box 100.

[0032] When the removal door 30 is in an open state, the door body 31 tilts forward about the fold line L13 and is positioned forward of the other portion 21 of the front wall 20. By such forward tilting motion (i.e., pivoting motion about the fold line L13), the door body 31 is pulled out to the outside of the packaging box 100 together with the pair of side arm walls 32. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, the portion of the front wall 20 where the door body 31 (more specifically, the second door body 31B) was located opens, and the removal opening 33 for the contained item 200 appears.

[0033] That is, the position of the door body 31 when the removal door 30 is open (strictly speaking, fully open) corresponds to the removal position where the removal opening 33 for the contained item 200 appears. On the other hand, the removal door 30 is closed when it reaches a position before tilting forward, that is, a position where the door body 31 becomes parallel to the rear wall 10 and the pair of side arm walls 32 are housed inside the packaging box 100. In this way, the position of the door body 31 when the removal door 30 is closed corresponds to the closed position where the removal opening 33 is closed.

[0034] 7, when the removal door 30 is fully open, the locking protrusions 32a of the pair of side arm walls 32 are locked by the left and right ends of the inner peripheral surface of the removal opening 33 in the front wall 20. This holds the door body 31 in the removal position, that is, restricts further forward movement (forward tilt) of the door body 31. In other words, the removal position is the position where the locking protrusions 32a of the side arm walls 32 are locked by the ends of the inner peripheral surface of the removal opening 33.

[0035] As described above, the door body 31 of this embodiment can be moved between the removal position and the closed position. In other words, the user of the packaging box 100 can take out the contained item 200 through the removal opening 33 by rotating the removal door 30 including the door body 31 and the pair of side arm walls 32 to the removal position, using the folding line L13 as a base point, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, "rotation" refers to a state in which the upper part of the door body 31 pivots (swings) in the front-rear direction around the folding line L13 so that the removal opening 33 can be opened and closed.

[0036] As an example, the rotation angle of the door body 31 between the removal position and the closed position is preferably within a movable range of up to about 85°, assuming that the position of the door body 31 in the closed position is 0°. The rotation angle indicates the amount of rotation when the door body 31 rotates with the folding line L13 as the base point, and specifically, the size of the angle between the door body 31 and the other part 21 of the front wall 20. The rotation angle is determined according to the position of the aforementioned locking projection 32a, and more specifically, according to the distance from the end of the side arm wall 32 on the door body 31 side to the locking projection 32a.

[0037] As described above, by setting the rotation angle (maximum opening angle) of the door body 31 at the removal position to less than 90°, a mortar-shaped inclined (holding) portion is formed in the door body 31 when it is open, as shown in Fig. 7. The stored object 200 is fixed to this inclined portion, so that the stored object 200 can be stably held at the removal position (see Fig. 7). By setting the maximum opening angle of the door body 31 to less than 90° in this manner, the door body 31 also functions as a stopper for stopping the stored object 200. This prevents the door body 31 from being excessively tilted forward, which causes the stored object 200 to unintentionally fall off (shift out) from the door body 31.

[0038] <Engagement part> An engagement portion 34 is provided on at least one of a pair of side arm walls 32 of the removal door 30, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, etc., an engagement portion 34 is provided on the left side arm wall 32.

[0039] When the door body 31 is in the closed position, the engaging portion 34 engages with a recess (specifically, the recess 210b at the lower end of the contained item 200) of the contained item 200 contained inside the packaging box 100. The engaging portion 34 is configured such that the engagement between the engaging portion 34 and the recess 210b is maintained when the door body 31 moves to the removal position. Here, the engagement of the engaging portion 34 with the recess 210b means that the engaging portion 34 enters the recess 210b and a part of the outer edge of the engaging portion 34 abuts against the inner edge of the recess 210b. More preferably, the engagement is such that the outer edge of the engaging portion 34 abuts against the inner edge of the recess 210b such that a circular arc that is a part of the outer edge of the engaging portion 34 fits with a circular arc that is a part of the inner edge of the recess 210b.

[0040] In this embodiment, the engagement portion 34 is provided on the end portion (more specifically, the oblique side portion 32t) of the left side arm wall 32L of the pair of side arm walls 32. However, this is not limited thereto, and the engagement portion 34 may be provided on the right side arm wall 32R. Furthermore, it is preferable that the engagement portion 34 is provided on each of the pair of side arm walls 32. In this case, even if the contained object 200 having either the recess 210a at the upper end (head) or the recess 210b at the lower end (bottom) is inserted randomly and not aligned up and down into the packaging box 100, it is possible to reliably engage the engagement portion 34 with the recess.

[0041] In addition, when the contained object 200 is a known beverage can, it is preferable to provide the engagement portion 34 on only one of the pair of side arm walls 32. The reason for this is that the flange shape of a beverage can generally differs greatly in structure between the mouth side and the bottom side. That is, in the recess 210a at the top end (head) on the mouth side, the edge of the end is strongly protruding due to the can being seamed, and there is a possibility that the engagement portion 34 will not fit well into the recess 210a. On the other hand, the flange end of the recess 210b at the lower end (bottom) is rounded, and the engagement portion 34 will easily slide into the recess 210b.

[0042] 1, 3, and 4A, the engaging portion 34 in this embodiment has a semicircular outer shape. However, the outer shape of the engaging portion 34 is not limited to a semicircular shape, and may be a sector having a central angle other than 180°, an ellipse, a triangle, or other polygonal shape, as long as the shape can engage with the recess of the contained object 200. 3, the engaging portion 34 is preferably integrated so as to be connected to the oblique side portion 32t of the left side arm wall 32L of the pair of side arm walls 32. This allows the engaging portion 34 to be efficiently molded from a single blank at the same time as other elements using a punching die or the like, thereby realizing cost reduction for the packaging box 100.

[0043] In this embodiment, the engaging portion 34 is integrated with the side arm wall 32, but the present invention is not limited to this form, and the engaging portion 34 may be configured as a separate body from the side arm wall 32 and fixed with an adhesive or the like. In this case, the thickness of the engaging portion 34 can be made thicker or thinner than the other elements, which allows freedom in the shape and strength of the engaging portion 34.

[0044] 4A, a crushed area (hatched area in the figure) is preferably provided on the rear end side of the arc-shaped outer edge of the engagement part 34. Crushing is a processing step in which the cardboard sheet constituting the blank 300 is crushed in the sheet thickness direction. By providing this crushed area, the engagement part 34 can more easily enter the recess 210b of the contained object 200. As shown in Fig. 4A, the crushed region spreads from the rear end of the outer edge of the engagement portion 34 by a predetermined angle θ and has a constant width. The angle θ is the central angle of the crushed region, and more specifically, it is the angle formed by two straight lines connecting both ends of the crushed region in the circumferential direction formed by the outer edge of the engagement portion 34 and the center of the engagement portion 34 (center C1 in Fig. 4A), and is preferably 30 degrees or less. The width of the crushed region is the length of the crushed region in the radial direction of the engagement portion 34, i.e., the distance from one end of the crushed region (i.e., the outer edge of the crushed region) to the other end, and is preferably 5 mm or less.

[0045] In this embodiment, the aforementioned folding line L20 is formed on the boundary between the engaging portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 (specifically, the left side arm wall 32L) as shown in FIG. 4A. When the packaging box 100 is assembled, the engaging portion 34 is in surface contact with the inner wall surface 32b of the side arm wall 32 (specifically, the left side arm wall 32L) as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, etc., and is in close contact with the inner wall surface 32b of the left side arm wall 32L. As an example of this configuration, in this embodiment, the engaging portion 34 is folded back toward the inner wall surface 32b of the left side arm wall 32L along the folding line L20 shown in FIG. 4A, and then fixed via a known adhesive means such as glue. However, the engaging portion 34 does not necessarily have to be fixed as long as it can be in surface contact with the inner wall surface 32b of the left side arm wall 32L.

[0046] As described above, the engagement portion 34 in this embodiment extends integrally from the oblique side portion 32t of the left side arm wall 32L facing the removal opening 33. The engagement portion 34 is configured to be in close contact with the left side arm wall 32L by folding back from a bending line L20 that forms a boundary between the engagement portion 34 and the left side arm wall 32L as a base point.

[0047] In the removal door 30 of this embodiment, the engaging portion 34 is bent toward the inner wall surface 32b of the side arm wall 32 and fixed to the inner wall surface 32b, so that when the stored object 200 is removed, the engaging portion 34 engages with the recess 210b of the stored object 200 (i.e., is caught on the edge of the recess 210b) and the engagement is maintained. This allows the removal door 30 to rotate integrally with the recess 210b with which the engaging portion 34 is engaged. That is, at least a part of the stored object 200 moves to the outside of the removal opening 33 following the rotation of the removal door 30, and becomes available for removal. Furthermore, in the removal door 30 of this embodiment, the engagement portion 34 is connected to the side arm wall 32 when the blank 300 is in the state of the blank 300, so that when mass-producing the packaging boxes 100, individual differences arising from the installation position of the engagement portion 34, etc., can be minimized.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4A, a cut SK is provided in the boundary line between the engaging portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 in a region extending from the end closer to the door main body 31 to the center of the boundary line. The length of the cut SK is preferably from about 1 / 3 of the length of the boundary line between the engaging portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 to about half of the boundary line (i.e., the length to the center C1), as shown in Fig. 4A, for example. The cut SK may penetrate the cardboard sheet constituting the blank 300, or may be half-cut.

[0049] In the following, the area where the cut SK is provided among the above-mentioned boundaries will be referred to as the leading edge area FA, and the other area will be referred to as the trailing edge area BA. In other words, the boundary position between the leading edge area FA and the trailing edge area BA is the end point of the cut SK, more specifically, the end position of the cut SK on the side farther from the door body 31.

[0050] 4B, a cut SK is provided on the boundary between the engaging portion 34 and the lateral arm wall 32 at the end on the tip region FA side of the folded-back portion of the engaging portion 34, so that the engaging portion 34 maintains its thickness, i.e., is folded back without being compressed. Therefore, at the folded-back portion of the engaging portion 34, the thickness of the end on the tip region FA side (hereinafter, tip thickness Tf) is the sum of the thicknesses of the engaging portion 34 and the lateral arm wall 32, each of which has a rectangular shape, as shown in FIG. The folded-back portion of the engagement portion 34 is a portion where the engagement portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 overlap with the boundary line therebetween, and in particular, is a portion where the portions adjacent to the boundary line of the engagement portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 overlap. Also, the end portion on the tip area FA side is the end portion of the folded-back portion of the engagement portion 34 that is closer to the door body 31. FIG. 4B is a view of the engagement portion 34 and the left side arm wall 32L as viewed from the tip end side.

[0051] On the other hand, the above-mentioned notch is not provided at the end of the folded-back portion of the engagement portion 34 on the rear end region BA side. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the engagement portion 34 is folded back along the boundary line between the engagement portion 34 and the side arm wall 32, i.e., along the folding line L20, the portions of the engagement portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 near the folding line L20 are slightly compressed. As a result, the end of the folded-back portion of the engagement portion 34 on the rear end region BA side becomes mountain-shaped as shown in FIG. 4C, and its thickness (hereinafter, rear end thickness Tb) becomes smaller than the tip thickness Tf by the amount that the engagement portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 are compressed. The end on the rear end region BA side is the end of the folded-back portion of the engagement portion 34 that is farther away from the door main body 31. FIG. 4C is a view of the engagement portion 34 and the left side arm wall 32L as viewed from the rear end side.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, by providing the above-mentioned cuts SK, as shown in Figures 4B and 4C, the leading end thickness Tf of the folded-back portion of the engaging portion 34 is greater than the rear end thickness Tb. This allows the engaging portion 34 to be satisfactorily engaged with the recess 210b of the object 200. This effect will be described in detail with reference to Figures 8A to 9B.

[0053] Figures 8A and 8B show the change in state inside the packaging box 100 when the removal door 30 is opened, with Figure 8A showing the state immediately after the operation begins and Figure 8B showing the state at the end of the operation. Figures 9A and 9B show the change in state inside the box associated with the operation of closing the removal door 30 in the packaging box 100, with Figure 9A showing the state immediately after the operation begins and Figure 9B showing the state at the end of the operation.

[0054] When the removal door 30 rotates to the removal position, the end of the folded back portion of the engagement part 34 on the tip area FA side, which has the larger tip thickness Tf, comes into contact with the inner edge of the recess 210b of the stored object 200 over a wide area, and can more reliably engage with the recess 210b. As a result, as can be seen from Figures 8A and 8B, the stored object 200, whose engagement part 34 is engaged with the recess 210b, can move together with the removal door 30 in conjunction with the rotation of the removal door 30.

[0055] 9A and 9B, when the removal door 30 rotates to return to the closed position, the end of the folded back portion of the engaging portion 34 on the rear end region BA side, which has the smaller rear end thickness Tb, approaches the recess 210b of the contained object 200 (specifically, the contained object 200 located at the frontmost and the lowest position) in the box. As a result, the end on the rear end region BA side enters the recess 210b of the contained object 200, and the engaging portion 34 smoothly engages with the recess 210b.

[0056] Returning to FIG. 1, the other components of the packaging box 100 of this embodiment will be described. The side walls 40 include a right side wall 40R that forms the right side of the packaging box 100 when the front wall 20 of the packaging box 100 is viewed from the front, and a left side wall 40L that forms the left side of the packaging box 100. The side wall 40, together with the rear wall 10 and the front wall 20, constitutes a part of the peripheral wall 50 in this embodiment.

[0057] In the present embodiment, the side walls 40 are connected to the X-direction ends of the front wall 20 via the fold lines L12 and the cut lines L24 in the state of the blank 300 shown in FIG. 3. Then, when assembling the packaging box 100, the second door body 31B can be separated from the front wall 20 by cutting the cut lines L24 between the front wall 20 and the side walls 40. In addition, an outer flap 40Le for fixing the insertion door 12 is provided on at least one of the pair of side walls 40 (the left side wall 40L in the case shown in FIG. 1). More specifically, in the present embodiment, the insertion door 12 is provided with an insertion hole 16 of a predetermined shape, and a part of the outer flap 40Le is inserted into the insertion hole 16 to maintain the insertion door 12 in a closed state. The outer flap 40Le is not essential, and the insertion door 12 may be fixed by other known methods.

[0058] 1 and 2, the top wall 60 intersects with the rear wall 10 and the front wall 20 in the packaging box 100, and is disposed on the upper side of the packaging box 100 in the vertical direction. That is, the top wall 60 is connected to one end (upper end in the upward direction Up) of the rear wall 10 and the front wall 20. In the state of the blank 300 shown in FIG. 3, the top wall 60 of this embodiment is connected to the Y-direction end of the front wall 20 via a fold line L15, and is connected to the Y-direction end of the rear wall 10 via a fold line L16 and a cutting line L21.

[0059] That is, when the packaging box 100 is used, the above-mentioned cutting line L21 is cut to allow the insertion door 12 to be opened and closed, while the top wall 60 maintains a connection state with the rear wall 10 via the folding lines L16 located at both ends (left and right ends). This makes it possible to provide the insertion door 12 and enable repeated use of the packaging box 100, while suppressing a decrease in strength around the insertion door 12.

[0060] Furthermore, in the state of the blank 300 shown in Fig. 3, second inner flaps 61 are connected to the top wall 60 of this embodiment at their respective X-direction ends via folding lines L17. These second inner flaps 61 may be folded, for example, so as to be interposed inside the first inner flap 15 and the side wall 40 when assembling the packaging box 100 from the blank 300. Note that the second inner flap 61 may be in a mode in which it is interposed, for example, between the first inner flap 15 and the side wall 40 when the packaging box 100 is in use.

[0061] 1 and 2, the bottom wall 70 faces the top wall 60 in the packaging box 100 and is disposed on the bottom side of the packaging box 100 in the vertical direction. That is, the bottom wall 70 is connected to the other ends (lower ends in the downward direction Dn) of the rear wall 10 and the front wall 20. In the state of the blank 300 shown in FIG. 3, the bottom wall 70 of this embodiment is connected to the Y-direction end of the rear wall 10 via a fold line L18 and is connected to the Y-direction end of the second door main body 31B of the removal door 30 via a fold line L13.

[0062] Furthermore, in the state of the blank 300 shown in Fig. 3, third inner flaps 71 are connected to the bottom wall 70 of this embodiment at their respective X-direction ends via folding lines L19. These third inner flaps 71 may be folded, for example, so as to be interposed between the first inner flap 15 and the side arm wall 32 when assembling the packaging box 100 from the blank 300. Note that the third inner flap 71 may be in a mode in which it is interposed, for example, between the first inner flap 15 and the side wall 40 when the packaging box 100 is in use.

[0063] <blank> The material of the blank 300 suitable for manufacturing the packaging box 100 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, for example, a cardboard sheet made of paper with a known liner LR attached to the front and back of a known corrugated core CT can be suitably used as the packaging box 100 of this embodiment. Such a blank 300 can be formed, for example, by punching out one of the above cardboard sheets with a known punching die.

[0064] By using a cardboard sheet as the blank 300, it is possible to realize a packaging box 100 that has a good balance between durability that can withstand repeated use by avoiding brittle fracture or ductile fracture that can occur in plastics, and processability that can be performed at a low cost compared to resin materials, etc. In particular, since the removal door 30 of this embodiment rotates about a crease along the corrugation direction, i.e., the fold line L13, the removal door 30 can be easily rotated. Furthermore, since the removal door 30 rotates about a crease along the corrugation direction, specifically, the fold line L13, it is preferable to form the blank 300 from a cardboard sheet that has high durability against repeated use as described above.

[0065] The material of the blank 300 can be appropriately selected from known paper materials such as cardboard, in addition to the above-mentioned cardboard sheet, depending on the specifications of the packaging box 100. Furthermore, the material of the blank 300 may be the above-mentioned paper material to which various surface treatments (heat-resistant and weather-resistant coatings, etc.) have been applied. The material of the blank 300 may also be a material other than the above-mentioned paper materials, for example, a material formed using a resin material such as plastic. Furthermore, when a known cardboard sheet is used as the blank 300, there is no particular restriction on its thickness, and known cardboard sheets of various specifications can be applied.

[0066] The above-mentioned corrugation direction is the direction in which the waves continue in the corrugated shape of the core CT of the cardboard sheet (the direction of the stripes drawn on the broken part in FIG. 3). The X direction is parallel to the corrugation direction, in other words, the corrugation direction can be defined as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the corrugation direction can be defined as the Y direction. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the front wall 20, the top wall 60, the back wall 10, the bottom wall 70, and the removal door 30 are preferably connected along the Y direction in the blank 300 state. This makes it easy to erect the peripheral wall 50 along the vertical direction relative to the top wall 60 and the bottom wall 70 when assembling the packaging box 100, since the fold lines L15, L16, and L18 when erecting the back wall 10 and the front wall 20 that constitute the peripheral wall 50 are parallel to the corrugation direction.

[0067] <Inserting the item into the packaging box> Next, an example of an insertion operation of the article 200 using the packaging box 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. In this embodiment, the packaging box 100 having the insertion door 12 is illustrated, so that the user can insert the contained object 200 into the packaging box 100 by following the procedure described below.

[0068] That is, the user first opens the insertion door 12 by pulling the notch 13 with his / her finger. Then, the user inserts the stored items 200 one by one through the insertion opening 14 with the recesses 210b of the stored items 200 facing the left side wall 40L so that the recesses 210b engage with the engagement portion 34, as shown in FIG.

[0069] Then, when the user inserts a specified amount (six in this example) of contained objects 200 (indicated as 200A-200F in FIG. 7) into the packaging box 100 as shown in Fig. 7, the insertion of the contained objects 200 into the packaging box 100 is completed. When the insertion of the contained objects 200 is completed, as can be seen from Fig. 7, the contained object 200F contained at the lowermost and frontmost position in the packaging box 100 is sandwiched between the pair of side arm walls 32 of the removal door 30, and the engaging portion 34 automatically engages with the recess 210b of the contained object 200F.

[0070] The engaging portion 34 in this embodiment preferably has an outer shape that corresponds to the contour of the recess 210b of the contained item 200F (i.e., a contour that follows the contour of the recess 210b). More specifically, in this example, since the contour of the recess 210b is circular, the outer shape of the engaging portion 34 is preferably semicircular as described above. This allows the engaging portion 34 to smoothly fit into the recess 210b when the contained item 200F is contained in the packaging box 100 and engage well with the recess 210b.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 6, it is preferable that the height of the contained object 200 (in Fig. 6, the length of the contained object 200 in the left-right direction of the packaging box 100) is slightly smaller than the distance Wh between the pair of side walls 40 when the contained object 200 is contained in the packaging box 100. This allows the end of the contained object 200 to be guided by the pair of side walls 40 when the contained object 200 moves to the removal opening 33 as the removal door 30 opens (rotates). As a result, it is possible to prevent the contained object 200 from tilting unintentionally during the opening operation of the removal door 30.

[0072] In addition, in this example, an example is shown in which the maximum number of objects 200 that can be contained in the packaging box 100 (specifically, six objects) is contained, but any number other than the six objects shown in the figure may be contained within the range in which at least the lowest object 200 is contained. In addition, in this example, an example is shown in which two rows of objects 200 are contained in the front-rear direction, but for example, the packaging box 100 may be capable of containing one row of objects 200 in the front-rear direction. Similarly, in this example, an example is shown in which three rows of objects 200 are contained in the vertical direction, but for example, the packaging box 100 may be capable of containing at least one row of objects 200 in the vertical direction.

[0073] <Removing items from a packaging box> Next, an example of a removal operation for removing the contained item 200F from the packaging box 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 10. FIG. When a user removes the contained object 200F from the packaging box 100, the user opens the removal door 30 to expose the removal opening 33. Specifically, the user grips the door body 31 of the removal door 30 and rotates the door body 31 to the removal position shown in Fig. 8B. At this time, as can be seen from Figs. 8A, 8B and 10, the contained object 200F, whose engagement portion 34 is engaged with the recess 210b, moves to the outside of the removal opening 33 following the rotation of the removal door 30. Also, as shown in Fig. 8B, after the contained object 200F moves to the removal opening 33 in conjunction with the rotation of the removal door 30, the contained object 200D located directly above the contained object 200F in the packaging box 100 falls by its own weight.

[0074] Thus, according to the packaging box 100 of this embodiment, the item 200 contained in the box can be efficiently moved to the outside of the removal opening 33 and removed by moving (rotating) the removal door 30 and engaging the recess 210b of the item 200F with the engagement portion 34. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the folded-back portion of the engaging portion 34 has the above-mentioned front end thickness Tf and rear end thickness Tb. When the user removes the contained item 200 from the removal opening 33, the engaging portion 34 and the recess 210b are disengaged from each other from the rear end region BA side having the rear end thickness Tb smaller than the front end thickness Tf, so that the contained item 200 can be removed more easily.

[0075] <Closing the removal door and preparing for removal> Next, the closing operation of the removal door 30 and the preparation for removal of the next stored article 200D will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. When the contained article 200F is moved to the removal opening 33, as described above, the contained article 200D falls vertically downward within the packaging box 100 in conjunction with the movement.

[0076] Thereafter, when the user closes the removal door 30, as shown in Figs. 9A and 9B, the removal door 30 rotates to return to the closed position with the closing operation (rotation) of the removal door 30, and the engagement portion 34 of the removal door 30 newly engages with the recess 210b of the stored object 200D, specifically, enters into the recess 210b. At this time, the engagement portion 34 starts to engage with the recess 210b of the stored object 200D from the rear end area BA side having the rear end thickness Tb smaller than the tip thickness Tf. That is, the relatively thin end of the folded back portion of the engagement portion 34 on the rear end area BA side is smoothly inserted (engaged) into the recess 210b. This allows the removal door 30 to be closed without excessive resistance, and allows the recess 210b of the stored object 200D, which is the next object to be removed, to be smoothly engaged with the engagement portion 34.

[0077] According to the packaging box 100 of this embodiment described above, by providing an engagement portion 34 on the side arm wall 32 of the removal door 30, it becomes possible to automatically move at least a portion of the contained item 200 in the box to the outside of the removal opening 33 in conjunction with the removal action by the user.

[0078] Furthermore, a cut SK is provided in the tip region FA at the boundary between the engaging portion 34 and the side arm wall 32, so that the folded portion of the engaging portion 34 has a larger tip thickness Tf at the end on the tip region FA side and a smaller rear end thickness Tb at the end on the rear end region BA side. This makes it possible to steadily engage the engaging portion 34 with the recess 210b in conjunction with the opening operation of the removal door 30 to move the stored item 200 to the removal opening 33, and to smoothly engage the engaging portion 34 with the recess 210b of the next stored item 200D to be removed in conjunction with the closing operation of the door.

[0079] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0080] For example, the removal door 30 in the above embodiment is connected to the bottom wall 70 via the fold line L13 in one blank 300, and is a type of door that rotates around this fold line L13 when the packaging box 100 is in use. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be a drawer-type door that is formed as a separate part from the bottom wall 70 and can move in parallel along the front-rear direction. In such a case, the contained item 200 does not move up and down when the door is opened, so the height of the removal opening 33 can be set low to increase the strength. In this way, in the embodiment of the removal door 30, swinging or rotating motion accompanying the opening and closing operations is not essential, and it is sufficient for the "movement" to be capable of moving the contained item 200 engaged with the engagement portion 34 to the removal opening 33, including sliding movement in the forward and backward directions.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the notch SK is provided in the boundary between the engaging portion 34 and the side arm wall 32, in a region extending from the end (tip) closer to the door body 31 to the center of the boundary, i.e., in the tip region FA. Considering the effect of the notch SK described above, it is preferable that the notch SK is not provided in the end (rear end) of the boundary between the engaging portion 34 and the side arm wall 32 that is farther from the door body 31, i.e., in the rear end region BA. However, the notch SK may be provided in the rear end region BA as well as the tip region FA. In this case, it is preferable that the total length of the notch SK provided in the rear end region BA (if a plurality of notches SK are provided intermittently in the rear end region BA, the total length of the plurality of notches SK) is about 1 / 3 or less of the total length of the notch SK provided in the tip region FA (if a plurality of notches SK are provided intermittently in the tip region FA, the total length of the plurality of notches SK). By providing such a notch SK, the engaging portion 34 can be easily brought into surface contact with the inner wall surface 32b of the side arm wall 32. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10 Back wall 11 Rear wall body 12 Insertion Door 13 Cutout 14 Insertion port 15 First inner flap 16 Insertion hole 20 Front wall 20t opening edge line 21 Other parts 30 Removal door 31 Door body 31A First door body 31B 2nd door body 32, 32L, 32R Side arm walls 32a Locking protrusion 32b Inner wall 32c External wall surface 32t hypotenuse part 33 Outlet 34 Engagement part 40,40L,40R side wall 40Le outer flap 50 Peripheral wall 60 Top wall 61 Second inner flap 70 Bottom wall 71 Third inner flap 100 packaging boxes 200 Detained items 300 Blank 210a, 210b Recess BA posterior end area FA tip area L11~L20 folding line L21~L24 cutting line SK Cut

Claims

1. A packaging box capable of vertically stacking and storing items therein, The back wall and a front wall disposed opposite the rear wall and having a removal door for removing the contents contained in the packaging box; A side wall provided at a side end of the packaging box, The removal door has a door body and a side arm wall provided at a side end of the removal door, The door body is movable between a take-out position where an outlet for the stored object appears and a closed position where the take-out outlet is closed, The side arm wall is provided with an engagement portion that engages with a recess provided in the object to be stored when the door body is in the closed position, The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the engagement between the engagement portion and the recessed portion is maintained when the door body is moved to the removal position.

2. 2. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion extends continuously with the side arm wall and is folded back along a boundary line between the side arm wall and the engaging portion to be in surface contact with an inner wall surface of the side arm wall.

3. The packaging box according to claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the end of the folded-back portion of the engagement portion that is closer to the door body is greater than the thickness of the end of the folded-back portion that is farther from the door body.

4. The packaging box according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the boundary line is provided with a notch formed from an end of the boundary line closer to the door body to a center portion of the boundary line.

5. The side arm walls are provided at both side ends of the removal door, The packaging box according to claim 4 , wherein each of the side arm walls is provided with the engagement portion.

Images