Boxes and packaging containers

Abstract

To provide a box which can be formed into a flat shape convenient for transportation and storage and into a three-dimensional shape so as to enable use by a simple operation and a packaging container equipped with the box.SOLUTION: A box body 5 of the box comprises: a flat part 15 on which a bottom surface is formed; a flexible membrane side part 20 connected to the flat part 15 so as to surround the flat part 15; and a shape retention member 40 connected to the side part 20 so as to be foldable to the flat part 15 side and set upright by a folding operation to the flat part 15 side. The packaging container comprises the box and another box combined with the box.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a box that can be switched between a flat shape and a three-dimensional shape, and a packaging container including the box. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there is a Thomson box as a paper box (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A Thomson box is made by punching out blanks, which are the components of the box in an unfolded state, from sheet-like material using a Thomson die, and assembling the obtained blanks three-dimensionally by folding, etc. Since the blanks before assembly are in the form of thin plates, a large number of blanks can be stacked, which has the advantage of keeping costs for transportation and storage low.

[0003] Apart from the Thomson box, there is also the pasted box (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Pasted boxes are made by assembling core materials obtained by punching or other processes into a three-dimensional shape and pasting decorative paper on the outer surface. Pasted boxes are gorgeous, have a good appearance, and have a high-class feel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-41318 [Patent Document 2] JP 2005-212800 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Generally, Thomson boxes are difficult to assemble by machine and must be assembled by hand. Therefore, Thomson boxes have the problem that they require time and effort to assemble. On the other hand, pasted boxes must be transported and stored in a three-dimensionally assembled state, which increases the cost of transport and storage.

[0006] There is a demand for boxes that are convenient for transportation and storage, and that can be easily used with simple operations, in addition to pasted boxes and Thomson boxes.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a box that can be made into a flat shape that is convenient for transportation and storage, and can also be made into a three-dimensional shape that can be made usable with simple operations, and a packaging container equipped with said box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The characteristic configuration of the box according to the present invention for solving the above problem is as follows: A flat portion forming a bottom surface or a top surface; A flexible membrane-like side portion is provided adjacent to the flat portion so as to surround the flat portion; A shape retaining material that is connected to the side portion so as to be able to be folded back to the flat portion side and that is in an upright state by a folding operation to the flat portion side; The purpose of this project is to provide the following:

[0009] According to the box of this configuration, when the shape retaining material is not standing up, the flexible membrane-like side portion connected to the flat portion is not held in shape by the shape retaining material and is flat. Therefore, the entire box can be made into a flat shape that is convenient for transportation and storage. The shape retaining material is connected to the side portion so as to be foldable on the flat portion side, and is made into an upright state by folding it back to the flat portion side. The upright shape of the side portion is maintained by the upright shape retaining material. Therefore, a simple operation of folding back the shape retaining material to the flat portion side can make the box into a three-dimensional shape that is ready for use. In the present invention, the term "box" includes both a box in a flat shape with no standing upright shape and a box in a three-dimensional shape with the standing upright shape of the shape retaining material.

[0010] In the box according to the present invention, The side portion is a plurality of divided side portions disposed about the flat portion; a fastening means for fastening adjacent divided side portions of the plurality of divided side portions to each other; It is preferred that the compound contains

[0011] According to the box of this configuration, side portions connected to the flat portion so as to surround the flat portion can be easily formed simply by fixing adjacent divided side portions together with the fixing means.

[0012] In the box according to the present invention, It is preferable to provide a reinforcing material overlapping the flat portion.

[0013] With a box of this configuration, even if a load acts on the flat portion, the shape of the bottom or top surface formed by the flat portion can be reliably maintained by the reinforcing material, thereby enhancing the protective function of the items contained in the box.

[0014] In the box according to the present invention, The reinforcing material has a recess or a protrusion formed on an outer circumferential edge, The shape retaining material preferably has a convex portion or a concave portion which engages with the concave portion or the convex portion formed on the reinforcing material when in the upright state.

[0015] With the box of this configuration, the reinforcing material and the shape retaining material are locked together by the engagement between the concave or convex parts of the reinforcing material and the convex or concave parts of the shape retaining material, preventing the shape retaining material from moving relative to the outer periphery of the reinforcing material. This makes it possible to prevent the box from being deformed by the action of an external force, and to further enhance the protection function of the contents inside the box.

[0016] Next, the characteristic configuration of the packaging container according to the present invention for solving the above problems is as follows: Any of the boxes above, A separate box that is combined with the box; The purpose of this project is to provide the following:

[0017] According to the packaging container of this configuration, at least one of the body box and the lid box constituting the packaging container can have a flat shape that is convenient for transportation and storage when the shape retaining material is not standing up, and can have a three-dimensional shape that is ready for use by a simple operation of folding the shape retaining material back toward the flat part side. Therefore, it is possible to provide a packaging container that is convenient for transportation and storage and can be easily assembled. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a box according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an overall perspective view, (b) is an exploded perspective view, (c) is a front view, (d) is a plan view, and (e) is a bottom view. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a flattened shape of a box body in one embodiment of the present invention, with the folded portion closed together with a shape retaining material, where (a) is an overall oblique view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a right side view, (d) is a plan view, and (e) is a bottom view. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a flattened form of a box body in one embodiment of the present invention with the folded portion opened together with the shape retaining material, where (a) is an overall oblique view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a right side view, (d) is a plan view, and (e) is a bottom view. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a box body of a box according to one embodiment of the present invention in an exploded state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a structural explanatory diagram of a fastening means for fastening adjacent divided side portions to each other in a box according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the locking structure between the reinforcing material and the shape-retaining material in a box according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram of the locking structure based on engagement between the concave portion of the reinforcing material and the convex portion of the shape-retaining material, and (b) is an explanatory diagram of the locking structure based on engagement between the convex portion of the reinforcing material and the concave portion of the shape-retaining material. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for assembling a box body of a box according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a diagram showing a state before a pair of folded-back portions are folded, and (b) is a diagram showing a state after the pair of folded-back portions are folded. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 shows a packaging container equipped with a box of the present invention, where (a) is the case where both the body box and the lid box are boxes of the present invention, (b) is the case where the body box is the box of the present invention and the lid box is a Thomson box, (c) is the case where the body box is a Thomson box and the lid box is a box of the present invention (1), and (d) is the case where the body box is a Thomson box and the lid box is a box of the present invention (2). [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a box according to another embodiment (1) having a different fixing means for fixing adjacent divided side portions together, in which (a) is a perspective view of the main part of the box body in an unfolded state, and (b) is a perspective view of the main part of the box body with its side portion raised. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a box according to another embodiment (2) having a different locking structure based on engagement between a reinforcing material and a shape retaining material, (a) is an oblique view of the main parts of the box body in an unfolded state from the side where the shape retaining material is attached, (b) is an oblique view of the main parts of the box body in an unfolded state from the side where the shape retaining material is not attached, (c) is a view from diagonally above of the box body with the folded-back parts raised together with the shape retaining material to give it a three-dimensional shape, and (d) is a view of the box body in a three-dimensional shape with a reinforcing material attached. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a box according to another embodiment (3) having a covering structure for covering the inner corners of the box body, and is an enlarged view of the essential parts of the corners of the box body during assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments described below or the configurations shown in the drawings.

[0020] <Outline configuration> Fig. 1 shows a box according to one embodiment of the present invention, with (a) being an overall perspective view, (b) being an exploded perspective view, (c) being a front view, (d) being a plan view, and (e) being a bottom view. As shown in Fig. 1(a) to (e), the box 1 is configured to include a box body 5 and a reinforcing member 10 disposed inside the box body 5. The box body 5 includes a flat portion 15 forming a bottom or top surface (the bottom surface in the example shown in Fig. 1), and a side portion 20 connected to the flat portion 15 so as to surround the flat portion 15.

[0021] Fig. 2 shows a flattened form of a box body with the folded portion closed together with the shape retaining material in a box according to one embodiment of the present invention, (a) being an overall perspective view, (b) being a front view, (c) being a right side view, (d) being a plan view, and (e) being a bottom view. Fig. 3 shows a flattened form of a box body with the folded portion opened together with the shape retaining material in a box according to one embodiment of the present invention, (a) being an overall perspective view, (b) being a front view, (c) being a right side view, (d) being a plan view, and (e) being a bottom view. As shown in Figs. 2(a) to (e) and Figs. 3(a) to (e), the box body 5 is configured to be foldable into a flat form.

[0022] <Box body> Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an expanded box body of a box according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 4, it is shown that the box body 5 of the box 1 of the present invention is mainly composed of a main material sheet 35 and a shape retaining material 40, which will be described later, but the thickness relationship of the main material sheet 35 and the shape retaining material 40 has been appropriately exaggerated or simplified to facilitate understanding by the illustration, and does not strictly reflect the size relationship (scale) of the thicknesses of the main material sheet 35 and the shape retaining material 40 in the actual box body 5.

[0023] The box body 5 is assembled by joining the necessary parts of the expanded sheet 30 shown in the expanded view of Fig. 4 as described below, and folding the necessary parts by a predetermined operation described below. The expanded sheet 30 includes a main material sheet 35 formed into the expanded shape of the box by a required punching process, cutting process, etc. from a raw material sheet, and a shape retaining material 40 joined (adhered) to the necessary parts of the main material sheet 35 (folded parts 60 described below).

[0024] The main material sheet 35 has a rectangular flat portion 15 and four divided side portions 25 arranged around the flat portion 15 so as to correspond to the four sides of the flat portion 15 .

[0025] <Flat area> The flat portion 15 is preferably formed in a square or rectangular shape from the viewpoint of ease of use as a box and manufacturing costs. In this example, the flat portion 15 is formed in a square shape. However, the shape of the flat portion 15 is not limited to this, and can be appropriately selected according to the design of the box, such as a triangular shape, a polygonal shape with pentagons or more, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, etc. Note that "flat" includes both the meaning of a completely flat smooth surface and the meaning of a surface having irregularities on the surface by embossing or debossing to impart design, for example, but having a substantially flat surface with the depth and height of the irregularities being negligibly small compared to the size of the area.

[0026] <Side> The side portion 20 includes four divided side portions 25 and fastening means 50 (described below) for fastening adjacent divided side portions of these divided side portions 25 to each other.

[0027] <Split side> The divided side portion 25 is connected to the flat portion 15 via a fold 26. The divided side portion 25 is rectangular, and in this example, is rectangular in shape that is long in the direction in which the side of the flat portion 15 to which the divided side portion 25 is connected extends.

[0028] <Connected flap> A pair of connecting flaps 55 are connected to both ends of the divided side portion 25 via a pair of folds 27. The pair of connecting flaps 55 are connected only to a pair of divided side portions 25 arranged corresponding to a pair of opposing two sides among the four sides of the flat portion 15.

[0029] <Folded section> A folded-back portion 60 is connected to the divided side portion 25 via a fold 28. The folded-back portion 60 is rectangular (oblong) like the divided side portion 25, and is sized to overlap and cover the entire divided side portion 25 when folded back toward the flat portion 15 using the fold 28 as a reference.

[0030] The main material sheet 35 is not particularly limited as long as it is a flexible film-like material, and examples thereof include fabrics such as woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics, resin films, paper laminates, composite films of metal and resin, and leathers such as artificial leather, synthetic leather, and natural leather. When the box 1 is used as a pasted box, a main material sheet 35 decorated with beautiful colors, patterns, and the like is used.

[0031] Incidentally, the folds 26-28 in the main material sheet 35 may be made in the main material sheet 35 to facilitate manufacturing, or may not be made in the main material sheet 35 if there are no problems in manufacturing. In this specification, however, the folds 26-28 are described as being made in the main material sheet 35 for reasons such as making it easier to understand the partitioned areas of the flat portion 15, the divided side portion 25, and the folded-back portion 60 (the same applies to the folds 81-88 described below).

[0032] <Fixing means> Fig. 5 is a structural explanatory diagram of a fastening means for fastening adjacent divided side portions to each other in a box according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 5, the fastening means 50 includes a connecting flap 55 connected to one divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the left side in Fig. 5) of the adjacent divided side portions 25, and an adhesive layer 57 as a joining means for joining the connecting flap 55 to the other divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the right side in Fig. 5). In the fastening means 50, the adjacent divided sides 25 are pulled together, and an adhesive is applied to the connecting flap 55 and / or the other divided side portion 25 so that an adhesive layer 57 is formed between the connecting flap 55 connected to one divided side portion 25 and the other divided side portion 25, and the connecting flap 55 and the other divided side portion 25 are overlapped with each other via the adhesive layer 57 formed by the adhesive and cured to fix them together. In this way, by fixing adjacent divided side portions 25 among the four divided side portions 25 with fixing means 50, a flexible, membrane-like side portion 20 that is connected to the flat portion 15 so as to surround the flat portion 15 can be easily formed.

[0033] The adhesive layer 57 may be formed of a double-sided adhesive tape. The joining means for joining the connecting flap 55 to the other divided side portion 25 is not limited to the adhesive layer 57, and may be, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener configured to join by engaging a loop-shaped portion with a hook-shaped portion, or a hook configured to join by engaging a male and female member. In addition, the joining means may be a sewing thread that joins the connecting flap 55 to the other divided side portion 25 by sewing them together.

[0034] <Shape retaining material> As shown in FIG. 4, the shape retaining material 40 is attached to the folded portion 60 via an adhesive layer 63 formed of a double-sided adhesive tape, adhesive, or the like so as to cover the entire folded portion 60. In the folded portion 60, the surface to which the shape retaining material 40 is attached is the surface facing the divided side portion 25 when the folded portion 60 is folded back toward the flat portion 15 side with the fold 28 as a reference. The shape retaining material 40 is disposed between the folded portion 60 and the divided side portion 25 when the folded portion 60 is folded back toward the flat portion 15 side with the fold 28 as a reference and the folded portion 60 and the divided side portion 25 are entirely overlapped. In this way, the shape retaining material 40 is connected to the divided side portion 25 via the fold 28 and the folded portion 60 so as to be able to be folded back toward the flat portion 15 side, and is in an upright state when folded back toward the flat portion 15 side.

[0035] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the shape-retaining material 40 is attached to the side portion 20 (split side portion 25) so as to be able to be folded back toward the flat portion 15 by adhering the shape-retaining material 40 to the folded-back portion 60 which is connected to the divided side portion 25 via the fold 28, but this is not limited to this. The folded-back portion 60 may be omitted and the shape-retaining material 40 may be directly adhered to the edge of the divided side portion 25, an attachment space may be provided connected to the edge of the divided side portion 25 and the shape-retaining material 40 may be attached to the attachment space, or adhesive tape may be applied so as to span both the edge of the divided side portion 25 and the edge of the shape-retaining material 40, thereby allowing the shape-retaining material 40 to be connected to the side portion 20 (split side portion 25) so as to be able to be folded back toward the flat portion 15. In short, it is sufficient that the shape-retaining material 40 is connected in a continuous state to the side portion 20 (split side portion 25) so that it can be folded back toward the flat portion 15, and the means for connecting the shape-retaining material 40 to the side portion 20 (split side portion 25) is not particularly limited.

[0036] The shape-retaining material 40 is not particularly limited as long as it is a rigid material capable of maintaining the folded portion 60 and the divided side portion 25 in a plate-like shape in an upright state, and examples of the material include cardboard sheets, cardboard, resin plates, metal plates, etc.

[0037] <Reinforcement material> As shown in FIG. 1(b), the reinforcing material 10 is formed in a rectangular (square in this example) plate shape of a predetermined thickness that can cover the entire flat portion 15 when it is superimposed on the flat portion 15. The reinforcing material 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that has a function of imparting rigidity to the flat portion 15, and examples thereof include a corrugated cardboard sheet, cardboard, a resin plate, a metal plate, and the like, similar to the shape-retaining material 40. By providing such a reinforcing material 10 superimposed on the flat portion 15, even if a load acts on the flat portion 15, the shape of the bottom or top surface (bottom surface in this example) formed by the flat portion 15 can be reliably maintained by the reinforcing material 10, and the protective function of the contents in the box body 5 can be enhanced.

[0038] <Latching structure> FIG. 6 shows an engagement structure between a reinforcing material and a shape retaining material in a box according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6(a) is an explanatory diagram of an engagement structure by engagement between a recess of the reinforcing material and a protrusion of the shape retaining material. As shown in FIG. 6(a), recesses 11 are formed on the outer periphery of the reinforcing material 10 so as to correspond to each of the four sides of the reinforcing material 10. The recesses 11 are formed in a rectangular shape by cutting out a predetermined length at the center of the length direction of each side of the reinforcing material 10 on the outer periphery of the reinforcing material 10. The shape retaining material 40 has a protrusion 41 formed thereon that engages with the recess 11 formed on the reinforcing material 10 that is superimposed on the flat portion 15 when the shape retaining material 40 is brought into an upright state by a folding operation to be described later together with the folded portion 60.

[0039] The locking structure between the reinforcing material 10 and the shape retaining material 40 may be the locking structure shown in Fig. 6(b). That is, as shown in Fig. 6(b), protrusions 12 are formed on the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing material 10 so as to correspond to each of the four sides of the reinforcing material 10. The protrusions 12 are formed in a rectangular shape protruding from the center of the length direction of each side of the reinforcing material 10 in a direction away from the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing material 10 by a predetermined length on the outer peripheral part of the reinforcing material 10. The shape retaining material 40 is formed with recesses 42 that engage with the protrusions 12 formed on the reinforcing material 10 that are superimposed on the flat part 15 when the shape retaining material 40 is brought into an upright state by a folding operation to be described later together with the folded-back part 60.

[0040] In this way, the reinforcing material 10 and the shape retaining material 40 are locked together by the engagement between the recessed portion 11 or the protruding portion 12 of the reinforcing material 10 and the protruding portion 41 or the recessed portion 42 of the shape retaining material 40, thereby preventing relative movement of the shape retaining material 40 along the outer periphery of the reinforcing material 10. Therefore, deformation of the box body 5 due to the action of an external force can be suppressed, and the protective function of the contents contained in the box body 5 can be further improved.

[0041] <Box transportation and storage form> When transporting and storing the box 1, a number of the box bodies 5 are stacked in a flattened form as shown in Figures 2(a) and 3(a), and a number of the reinforcing members 10 shown in Figure 1(b) are also stacked, and the two are prepared as a set for shipment.

[0042] In the flattened form shown in Fig. 2(a), the four folded parts 60 to which the shape retaining material 40 (not shown) is joined in the box body 5 are not raised together with the shape retaining material 40, but a pair of folded parts 60 arranged at opposing positions among the four folded parts 60 are folded together with the shape retaining material 40 onto the flat part 15, and the remaining pair of folded parts 60 are folded together with the shape retaining material 40 onto the pair of folded parts 60 already folded together with the shape retaining material 40 onto the flat part 15, thereby reducing the overall volume of the box body 5. On the other hand, in the flattened form shown in Fig. 3(a), the four folded parts 60 to which the shape retaining material 40 is joined in the box body 5 are not raised together with the shape retaining material 40, but the four folded parts 60 are opened and spread out together with the shape retaining material 40 to the outside of the flat part 15, thereby reducing the overall volume of the box body 5.

[0043] In the flattened form shown in Fig. 2(a), the four folded-back portions 60 are closed together with the shape retaining material 40 and folded over the flat portion 15, so that the area occupied by the box body 5 in the flattened form when placed in a loading or storage location during transportation or storage is smaller than that of the flattened form shown in Fig. 3(a). Therefore, the flattened form shown in Fig. 2(a) is a suitable form when it is desired to reduce the area occupied by the box body 5 when placed in a loading or storage location during transportation or storage.

[0044] 3(a) is a form in which the four folded portions 60 are opened and spread outward from the flat portion 15 together with the shape retaining material 40, and therefore the overall thickness is smaller than that of the flat form shown in Fig. 2(a). Therefore, the flat form shown in Fig. 3(a) is a suitable form when it is desired to further reduce the bulk of the stacked box bodies 5 during transportation and storage, or when it is desired to stack as many box bodies 5 as possible within a certain height limit.

[0045] It is up to the operator to decide whether to adopt the flattened form shown in FIG. 2(a) or the flattened form shown in FIG. 3(a), and the appropriate selection should be made taking into consideration not only the size and height of the loading and storage locations, but also other factors.

[0046] <Assembly procedure for the box into a three-dimensional shape> Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of assembly of the box body of the box according to one embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a diagram of a pair of folded-back parts before folding, and (b) is a diagram of a pair of folded-back parts after folding. In the case of the flat form shown in Fig. 2(a), all of the four folded-back parts 60 folded together with the shape retaining materials 40 on the flat part 15 are spread out together with each shape retaining material 40 to the outside of the flat part 15 to obtain the flat form shown in Fig. 3(a). In the flat form shown in Fig. 3(a), the flat part 15 is pushed downward with respect to the flexible membrane-like side part 20 in the folded state, so that the side part 20 is raised up relative to the flat part 15 as shown in Fig. 7(a). Then, for example, the pair of folded back portions 60 arranged at opposing positions are folded back together with the shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15, and while sliding the edge (convex portion 41) of the shape retaining material 40 on the flat portion 15, the shape retaining material 40 is brought closer to the side portion 20 so that the shape retaining material 40 faces and contacts the side portion 20, and as shown in FIG. 7(b), the pair of folded back portions 60 arranged at opposing positions are folded upright on the side portion 20 together with the shape retaining material 40. Next, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the remaining pair of folded back portions 60 arranged at opposing positions are folded upright on the side portion 20 together with the shape retaining material 40 in the same manner. In this way, when the shape retaining material 40 is brought upright by the folding back operation of the shape retaining material 40 and the folded back portions 60 toward the flat portion 15, the side portion 20 is maintained in an upright shape by the upright shape retaining material 40. Therefore, by a simple operation of folding back the shape retaining material 40 together with the folded back portion 60 towards the flat portion 15, the box body 5 can be made into a three-dimensional shape that is ready for use.

[0047] As an example of an assembly method different from the assembly method of the box main body 5 exemplified above, in the flat form shown in Figure 2 (a), of the four folded portions 60, a pair of folded portions 60 that are further folded over a pair of folded portions 60 already folded over onto the flat portion 15 are spread out to the outside of the flat portion 15 together with the shape retaining material 40, and then the remaining pair of folded portions 60 that are folded over onto the flat portion 15 are folded back toward the flat portion 15 together with the shape retaining material 40 as shown in Figure 7 (b), while at the same time raising the side portion 20 against the flat portion 15, and while sliding the edge (convex portion 41) of the shape retaining material 40 over the flat portion 15, the shape retaining material 40 is brought closer to the side portion 20 so that it comes into contact with the side portion 20 facing it, and the pair of folded portions 60 arranged in opposing positions are folded over the side portion 20 together with the shape retaining material 40 in an upright state. Subsequently, the remaining pair of folded-back portions 60 arranged at opposing positions are similarly folded upright onto the side portions 20 together with the shape retaining material 40. In this manner, the box body 5 can be made into a usable three-dimensional shape.

[0048] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the box body 5 is assembled in two steps, namely, a step of folding back a pair of folded back parts 60 arranged at opposing positions toward the flat portion 15 together with the shape retaining material 40, and a step of folding back another pair of folded back parts 60 arranged at opposing positions toward the flat portion 15 together with the shape retaining material 40, but this is not limited to this, and the box body 5 may be assembled so as to have a three-dimensional shape by folding back the four folded back parts 60 one by one together with each shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15. In short, whatever the procedure, the box body 5 can be made into a usable three-dimensional shape by performing the work of folding back all of the folded back parts 60 together with the shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15.

[0049] The reinforcing material 10 is placed so as to overlap on the flat portion 15 of the box body 5 that has been assembled into a three-dimensional shape as described above (see Figs. 1(a) and (b)). Then, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the recessed portion 11 of the reinforcing material 10 is engaged with the protruding portion 41 of the shape-retaining material 40 to lock the reinforcing material 10 and the shape-retaining material 40 together. In this way, the assembly of the box 1 is completed.

[0050] <Packaging container> FIG. 8 shows a packaging container equipped with a box of the present invention, where (a) is the case where both the body box and the lid box are boxes of the present invention, (b) is the case where the body box is the box of the present invention and the lid box is a Thomson box, (c) is the case where the body box is a Thomson box and the lid box is a box of the present invention (1), and (d) is the case where the body box is a Thomson box and the lid box is a box of the present invention (2).

[0051] In the packaging container 100 shown in Fig. 8(a), the above box 1 is used as the main box 1A for containing the article to be packaged, and a box having basically the same structure as the above box 1 and suitable for use as a lid is used as the lid box 1B to be combined with the main box 1A. In the lid box 1B, the flat part 15 forms the top surface and is set to a size that can cover the entire opening of the main box 1A. In the lid box 1B, the side part 20 has an opening size, height dimension, etc. that can surround the upper end of the side part 20 of the main box 1A from the outside. Otherwise, the lid box 1B is basically the same as the above box 1.

[0052] In the packaging container 200 shown in Figure 8 (b), the above-mentioned box 1 is used as a main box 1A for containing the item to be packaged, and a Thomson box suitable for use as a lid, which is assembled three-dimensionally by folding a blank, which is a component of the box in its unfolded state, is used as a lid box 201 to be combined with the main box 1A.

[0053] In the packaging container 300 shown in Figure 8 (c), a Thomson box suitable for use as a body is used as the body box 301, which is assembled three-dimensionally by folding a blank, which is a component part of the box in its unfolded state, and a lid box 1B which has basically the same structure as the above-mentioned box 1 and is suitable for use as a lid is used to be combined with the body box 301.

[0054] The packaging container 400 shown in Fig. 8(d) is a combination of a main box 301 and a lid box 1B, similar to Fig. 8(c), but the side 20 of the lid box 1B is set to a height dimension that can cover and hide the entire side of the main box 301 when the lid box 1B is placed over the main box 301 and closed. As a result, the main box 301 is covered by the lid box 1B and cannot be seen from the outside, and the appearance of the packaging container 400 becomes that of the lid box 1B. Even if the main box 301 is a Thomson box, if the lid box 1B is a pasted box (the box of the present invention), the appearance of the packaging container 400 looks like a pasted box, so that it is possible to reduce costs by using a relatively inexpensive Thomson box as the main box, and to provide a packaging container 400 that is gorgeous, looks good, and has a luxurious feel.

[0055] According to the above packaging container 100, 200, 300, 400, at least one of the body box and the lid box (1A, 1B) constituting the packaging container 100, 200, 300, 400 can have a flat shape that is convenient for transportation and storage when the shape retaining material 40 is not standing up, and can have a usable three-dimensional shape by folding back the folded-back portion 60 together with the shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15. Therefore, it is possible to provide a packaging container 100, 200, 300, 400 that is convenient for transportation and storage and can be easily assembled.

[0056] The box and packaging container of the present invention have been described above based on one embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment, and the configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Specific alternative embodiments are as follows. In the following alternative embodiments (1) to (3), the same or similar parts as those in the above embodiment are simply given the same reference numerals in the drawings and detailed description thereof is omitted. The following description will focus on the parts that are different from the above embodiment.

[0057] [Another embodiment (1)] 9 shows a box according to another embodiment (1) equipped with another fixing means for fixing adjacent divided side portions to each other, (a) is a perspective view of the main part of the box body in an unfolded state, and (b) is a perspective view of the main part of the box body in a raised state. As shown in Figs. 9(a) and (b), the fixing means 70 includes a diamond-shaped connecting flap 75 that connects one divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the left side in Figs. 9(a) and (b)) and the other divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the right side in Figs. 9(a) and (b)) of adjacent divided side portions 25, and an adhesive layer 77 as a joining means for joining the connecting flap 75 to, for example, the other divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the right side in Figs. 9(a) and (b)).

[0058] 9(a), the connecting flap 75 is integrally connected to one divided side portion 25 via a fold 81, and is integrally connected to the other divided side portion 25 via a fold 82. A fold 83 is provided on the connecting flap 75 on a diagonal line so as to bisect the connecting flap 75 at a midpoint between the one divided side portion 25 and the other divided side portion 25. In this way, the connecting flap 75 prevents a gap from being generated between the adjacent divided side portions 25, and the connecting flap 75 can be folded inward in half at the fold 83 so that a fold 80 is generated on the inner side of the side portion 20.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 9(b), in the fixing means 70, the connecting flap 75 is folded inward in half at the crease 83 so that a fold 80 is generated on the inner side of the side portion 20, and an adhesive is applied to the folded connecting flap 75 and / or the other divided side portion 25 so that an adhesive layer 77 is formed between the folded connecting flap 75 and the other divided side portion 25, and the folded connecting flap 75 and the other divided side portion 25 are overlapped and cured via the adhesive layer 77 formed by the adhesive, thereby fixing them together. In this way, by fixing adjacent divided side portions 25 of the four divided side portions 25 by the fixing means 70, a flexible membrane-like side portion 20 that is connected to the flat portion 15 so as to surround the flat portion 15 can be easily formed. If necessary, the opposing surfaces of the connecting flaps 75 folded in half may be fixed to each other via a separately formed adhesive layer.

[0060] [Another embodiment (2)] Figure 10 shows a box according to another embodiment (2) having a different locking structure based on engagement between a reinforcing material and a shape retaining material, (a) is an oblique view of the main parts of the box body in an unfolded state from the side where the shape retaining material is attached, (b) is an oblique view of the main parts of the box body in an unfolded state from the side where the shape retaining material is not attached, (c) is a view from diagonally above of the box body with the folded-back parts raised together with the shape retaining material to give it a three-dimensional shape, and (d) is a view of the box body in a three-dimensional shape with a reinforcing material attached.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 10(a), the box body 5 further includes locking portions 71, 72 for locking the shape retaining material 40 in an upright state. That is, as shown in Fig. 10(a), the shape retaining material 40 has a first locking portion 71 connected thereto via a fold 84, and a pair of second locking portions 72 connected thereto via a fold 85. As in the above embodiment, the shape retaining material 40 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that covers the entire folded-back portion 60. The first locking portion 71 is connected to the side (long side) of the shape retaining material 40 that corresponds to (is close to) the flat portion 15 via the fold 84 when the shape retaining material 40 is brought into an upright state by the above-mentioned folding operation together with the folded-back portion 60. The second locking portion 72 is connected to the side (short side) of the shape retaining material 40 corresponding (adjacent) to the side portion 20 (split side portion 25) via a fold 85 when the shape retaining material 40 is folded up together with the folded portion 60 by the folding operation described above. The first locking portion 71 is formed in a trapezoidal plate shape whose width gradually narrows in the short direction of the shape retaining material 40 and in the direction away from the shape retaining material 40. The second locking portion 72 is formed in a trapezoidal plate shape whose width gradually narrows in the long direction of the shape retaining material 40 and in the direction away from the shape retaining material 40. Here, an example is given in which the box body 5 includes both the first locking portion 71 and the second locking portion 72, but this is not limited thereto, and there are also embodiments in which only the first locking portion 71 or only the second locking portion 72 is included.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10(b), in the main material sheet 35, a first covering portion 91 is connected to the folded portion 60 via a fold 86 so as to cover the first engagement portion 71 (see Figure 10(a)), and a second covering portion 92 is connected to the folded portion 60 via a fold 87 so as to cover the second engagement portion 72 (see Figure 10(a)).

[0063] As shown in Fig. 10(c), when the box body 5 is made into a three-dimensional shape, first, a pair of folded-back portions 60 arranged at opposing positions are folded back together with the shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15, and then folded up together with the shape retaining material 40 in an upright state on the side portion 20. At that time, when the shape retaining material 40 is in an upright state, the first locking portion 71 is folded together with the first covering portion 91 with reference to creases 84, 86 (see Figs. 10(a) and (b)) so as to face the flat portion 15. In addition, when the shape retaining material 40 is in an upright state, the second locking portion 72 is folded together with the second covering portion 92 with reference to creases 85, 87 (see Figs. 10(a) and (b)) so as to face the side portion 20 (divided side portion 25). In this way, when the folded-back portion 60 is folded upright on the side portion 20 together with the shape retaining material 40, the first locking portion 71 presses against the flat portion 15 by its own elastic force, and the second locking portion 72 presses against the side portion 20 (divided side portion 25) by its own elastic force, and the frictional forces between the first locking portion 71 and the flat portion 15 and between the second locking portion 72 and the side portion 20 (divided side portion 25) increase, so that the pair of folded-back portions 60 and the shape retaining material 40 arranged at the opposing positions are locked in an upright state. Note that if the first locking portion 71 and the second locking portion 72 are folded to a certain extent in advance before folding back the folded-back portion 60 together with the shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15, the folding back operation can be performed more easily (the same applies to the case of folding back the remaining pair of folded-back portions 60 together with the shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15, which will be described later).

[0064] Subsequently, when the remaining pair of folded back portions 60 arranged at the opposing positions are folded up together with the shape retaining material 40 in the same manner, the first locking portion 71 connected to the shape retaining material 40 to be folded back this time is pressed against the flat portion 15 by its own elastic force while sandwiching the first locking portion 71 connected to the previously folded back shape retaining material 40 together with the first covering portion 91 between the flat portion 15. Also, the second locking portion 72 connected to the shape retaining material 40 to be folded back this time is pressed against the previously folded back folded back portion 60 by its own elastic force. In this way, the frictional forces between the first locking portion 71 and the flat portion 15 and between the second locking portion 72 and the folded back portion 60 are increased, so that the remaining pair of folded back portions 60 arranged at the opposing positions and the shape retaining material 40 are locked in an upright state.

[0065] 10(c)-(d), the reinforcing material 10' is placed on the flat portion 15 of the box body 5 assembled into a three-dimensional shape so that the first locking portions 71, together with the first covering portions 91, are sandwiched between the flat portion 15 and the reinforcing material 10. Here, the reinforcing material 10' does not have the recesses 11 that were provided on the reinforcing material 10 in the above embodiment. The reinforcing material 10' is elastically sandwiched at least by a pair of folded-back portions 60 and shape-retaining materials 40 that are arranged at opposing positions, and the frictional force between the periphery of the reinforcing material 10' and the folded-back portion 60 in contact with the reinforcing material 10' is increased, so that the reinforcing material 10' is locked in the attached state to the box body 5.

[0066] According to another embodiment (2), since the first locking portion 71 and the second locking portion 72 are provided, the folded-back portion 60 and the shape retaining material 40 can be easily locked in the upright state by simply folding back the folded-back portion 60 together with the shape retaining material 40 toward the flat portion 15. Also, the reinforcing material 10' is elastically sandwiched by at least a pair of folded-back portions 60 and shape retaining materials 40 arranged at opposing positions, and is thereby locked in an attached state to the box main body 5. Therefore, if the pair of folded-back portions 60 and the shape retaining materials 40 that sandwich the reinforcing material 10' are elastically deformed so as to widen the gap between the pair of folded-back portions 60 and the shape retaining materials 40, the locked state of the reinforcing material 10' with respect to the box main body 5 can be easily released, and the reinforcing material 10' can be easily removed from the box main body 5.

[0067] [Another embodiment (3)] Fig. 11 shows a box according to another embodiment (3) having a covering structure for covering the inner corners of the box body, and is an enlarged view of the main part of the corners of the box body during assembly. As shown in Fig. 11, the box body 5 further has an inner corner covering part 95 for covering the inner corners of the intersection of the adjacent divided side parts 25 when the shape retaining material 40 is brought into an upright state by the folding operation described above together with the folded part 60 (Fig. 11 shows the state before the upright state in order to depict the inner corner covering part 95). That is, as shown in Fig. 11, in the box body 5, the inner corner covering part 95 is disposed between the folded part 60 connected to one divided side part 25 (the divided side part 25 on the left side in Fig. 11) of the adjacent divided side parts 25, and the other divided side part 25 (the divided side part 25 on the right side in Fig. 11).

[0068] The inner corner covering portion 95 consists of a paddle-shaped member extending from one of the adjacent divided side portions 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the left side in Figure 11) to the inner side of the other divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the right side in Figure 11), with one side (the left side in Figure 11) connected to the folded portion 60 via a fold 88 and the other side (the right side in Figure 11) joined to the inner side of the divided side portion 25 via an adhesive layer (not shown).

[0069] According to another embodiment (3), an inner corner covering portion 95 is provided, so that when the folded-back portion 60 together with the shape retaining material 40 is folded back toward the flat portion 15 to be in an upright position, the inner corner of the intersection between one divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the left in Figure 11) and the other divided side portion 25 (the divided side portion 25 on the right in Figure 11) of adjacent divided side portions 25, i.e., the inner connecting portion between the one divided side portion 25 and the other divided side portion 25, and its surrounding portion, are covered by the inner corner covering portion 95, so that the appearance of the inner corner in the box body 5 is beautifully finished, and if the inner corner covering portion 95 is decorated with a beautiful color, pattern, or the like, the design can be improved. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] The boxes and packaging containers of the present invention are suitable for applications in which they maintain a certain shape when containing items and protect the items during storage or transportation, and can be used in fields such as the logistics industry, food industry, warehousing, travel, moving, home delivery, take-out, and delivery associated with e-commerce. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 box 1A body box 1B Lid box 10 Reinforcement 11 Recess 12 Convex part 15 Flat area 20 Side 25 Split Side 40 Shape retaining material 41 Convex 42 Recess 50,70 Fixing means 100,200 Packaging containers 201 Lid box (separate box) 300,400 Packaging containers 301 Body box (separate box)

Claims

1. A flat portion forming a bottom surface or a top surface; A flexible film-like side portion is provided adjacent to the flat portion so as to surround the flat portion; A shape retaining material that is connected to the side portion so as to be able to be folded back to the flat portion side and that is in an upright state by a folding operation to the flat portion side; Equipped with The side portion of the box is made of a flexible film-like material selected from the group consisting of woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, resin film, paper laminate, composite film of metal and resin, artificial leather, synthetic leather, and natural leather.

2. The side portion is a plurality of divided side portions disposed about the flat portion; a fastening means for fastening adjacent divided side portions of the plurality of divided side portions to each other; 2. The box of claim 1 comprising:

3. 3. The box according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a reinforcing member overlapping said flat portion.

4. The reinforcing material has a recess or a protrusion formed on an outer circumferential edge, 4. The box according to claim 3, wherein the shape retaining material has a convex portion or a concave portion which engages with the concave portion or the convex portion formed on the reinforcing material when the shape retaining material is in the upright position.

5. A box according to any one of claims 1 to 4; A separate box used as a lid that is combined with the box; A packaging container comprising:

Images