Packaging container and method for its production

Abstract

A packaging container includes at least three integrally coupled panels connected by longitudinal scoring lines for forming a bottom and connecting sides of a rectangular case, which can be raised from an individual cardboard sheet; at least one end of the container is countersunk through an end panel arranged retracted inside a reinforced end zone including strips of side and bottom panel material, folded back against the bottom and side panels along a scoring line extending transversely through the bottom and side panels, wherein the end panel, via a transverse lower scoring line, is united to the folded-back strip of the bottom panel, and the end panel, in each side thereof, includes a respective tab connected with the end panel via a scoring line which extends the longitudinal scoring lines through the end zone, and the tab extends beside and parallel to an adjacent side panel of the container.

Claims

1. Packaging container comprising: at least three integratedly coupled panels, which are connected by longitudinal scoring lines (2, 3) for the formation of a bottom (4) and connecting sides (5, 6) of a rectangular case, which can be erected from an individual sheet (1) of cardboard; wherein at least one end of the packaging container is countersunk through an end panel (8), which is arranged retracted inside a reinforced end zone, the reinforced end zone comprising strips (17, 18, 19) of side panel material and bottom panel material, which are folded back against the bottom and side panels along a scoring line (7) applied in the transverse direction through the bottom and side panels, wherein the end panel (8), via a transverse lower scoring line (9), is united to one of the strips (19) of the bottom panel material that has been folded back against the bottom panel, and wherein the end panel (8), in each one of the sides thereof, comprises a respective end panel tab (15, 16) connected with the end panel (8) via a scoring line in the extension of the longitudinal scoring lines (2, 3) through the end zone, wherein each said end panel tab (15, 16) extends beside and parallel to the adjacent side panel (5, 6) of the packaging container, and wherein respective tongues (20, 21) extend freely from each of opposite ends of a strip (22) of the end panel material, the strip (22) of the end panel material being connected to the end panel (8) via a transverse upper scoring line (10) parallel to the lower scoring line (9), each of the tongues (20, 21) being inserted between a respective said side panel (5, 6) and a respective said strip (17, 18) of the side panel material that has been folded back.

2. Packaging container according to claim 1, further comprising a separate lid having a lid panel (23) and two lid tabs (24, 25) connecting to sides of the lid panel via longitudinal scoring lines.

3. Packaging container according to claim 2, wherein the two lid tabs (24, 25) are dimensioned to be insertable into gaps (31) between the side panels (2, 3) and a respective one of the strips (17, 18) of the side panel material that has been folded back.

4. Packaging container according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional panel (28) integratedly coupled to one or both said side panels (5, 6) via a longitudinal scoring line.

5. Packaging container according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the end panel tabs (15) is folded back against a respective one of the side panels (5, 6).

6. Method for the production of a packaging container according to claim 1, which method comprises: folding the end panel tabs (15, 16) along the longitudinal scoring lines (2, 3) so that said end panel tabs (15, 16) rest on top of each other and on top of the end panel (8), forming a reinforced end zone by folding back, along a first transverse scoring line (7), the strips (17, 18, 19) of side and bottom panel material against the side and bottom panels (4, 5, 6), thereby forming a gap (31) between the respective side panel (5, 6) and the folded-back strip (17, 18) of material connecting to the side panel, raising the side panels (5, 6) by folding along the longitudinal scoring lines (2, 3), raising the end panel (8) by folding along the lower scoring line (9), locking the side panels (5, 6) in an erected position by inserting the end panel tongues (20, 21) into the gaps (31), and supporting the end panel (8) in an erected position by folding the end panel tabs (15, 16) inward to rest against the bottom panel (4).

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein closure of the packaging container comprises insertion of lid tabs (24, 25), which are connected to a separate lid panel (23), into the gaps (31) which are formed between the side panels (5, 6) and the respective strips (17, 18) of side panel material that have been folded back.

8. Method according to claim 6, wherein closure of the packaging container comprises securing lid tabs (24, 25), which are suspended from a separate lid panel (23), against the outside of the side panels (5, 6).

9. Method according to claim 6, wherein closure of the packaging container comprises securing a lid tab (30), which is suspended from a lid panel (28) which is connected to one said side panel (5, 6) , to said side panel (5, 6) opposite said side panel to which the lid panel (28) is coupled.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the invention will now be explained below, reference being made to the attached schematic drawings. In the drawings,

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates the layout of cuts and scoring lines applied in a flat sheet of cardboard constituting a package blank according to a first embodiment of the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a separate lid for a packaging container, which is made from the package blank in FIG. 1, and

(4) FIGS. 3a-3f illustrate, in partially broken-away perspective views, the consecutive steps for the formation of a packaging container from the package blank in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) The package blank of FIG. 1 is a rectangular sheet of cardboard 1 and has a longitudinal extension L and a transverse extension or width W. The cardboard sheet 1, which preferably but not necessarily is a sheet of corrugating board, comprises cuts and scoring lines applied in longitudinal and transverse directions. More precisely, two scoring lines 2 and 3 extend in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the cardboard sheet 1, the scoring lines 2 and 3 defining a bottom panel 4 and two connecting side panels 5 and 6 of the same width. The longitudinal scoring lines 2 and 3 are extended to the transverse edge TE of the cardboard sheet 1, the scoring lines 2 and 3 running through an end zone which is defined by a transverse scoring line 7. In the end zone, additional transverse scoring lines form an end panel 8 defined between a lower scoring line 9 and an upper scoring line 10.

(6) The lower scoring line 9 is extended in the transverse direction to the respective longitudinal edge LE of the cardboard sheet 1, in the form of cuts 11 and 12 which run from the longitudinal scoring lines 2 and 3 to the respective adjacent longitudinal edge of the cardboard sheet. The upper scoring line 10 is correspondingly extended in the transverse direction to the respective longitudinal edge by means of cuts 13 and 14 which run from the longitudinal scoring lines 2 and 3 to the adjacent longitudinal edge. Between themselves, the cuts 11 and 13 form an end panel tab 15 which connects to the end panel 8 via the extension of the longitudinal scoring line 2. In a similar way, the cuts 12 and 14 form between themselves an end panel tab 16, which connects to the end panel 8 via the extension of the longitudinal scoring line 3.

(7) Strips 17, 18 oriented in the cross-direction of side panel material and of bottom panel material 19 are, on one hand, delimited by the transverse scoring line 7, and, on the other hand, by the lower scoring line 9 and the appurtenant cuts 11 and 12. The strips 17 and 18 of side panel material connect to the bottom panel strip 19 via the longitudinal scoring lines 2 and 3, which form the lower corners of the completed case.

(8) In the outermost end of the package blank, strips of material are separated from the cardboard sheet 1 by means of cuts 13 and 14. The strips form tongues 20, 21, which, via the longitudinal scoring lines 2 and 3, respectively, are connected with a strip 22 of end panel material. The strip 22 is in turn connected with the end panel 8 via the upper scoring line 10, whereby the tongues 20, 21, in this way, are effectively connected with the end panel 8.

(9) In a package blank for a packaging container wherein both opposite ends are countersunk and retracted inside a protecting end zone, the ends of the package blank may be formed as mirror images of each other.

(10) In ways explained below, with reference to FIGS. 3a-d, the package blank 1 may be folded for the formation of an upwardly open container or case. A separate lid for the closure of the packaging container may be arranged in ways illustrated in FIG. 2. The lid comprises a lid panel 23 and two lid tabs 24, 25, which connect to the sides of the lid panel via longitudinal scoring lines 26 and 27. In ways illustrated in FIG. 1 by dash-dotted lines, a lid panel 28 may alternatively be integratedly formed in the packaging container and connected with a side panel via a longitudinal scoring line 29. Additional panels 30 may be foldably connected with the lid panel. In such an embodiment, there is sheet material available to form, if desired, extended end panel tabs 15, which likewise is indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 1.

(11) The steps to form a packaging container from the cardboard sheet 1 will be described below, reference being made to FIGS. 3a-3f, the arrows I to IX representing the folding steps in order. It should be noted that for the sake of clarity and for understanding, the drawings in FIGS. 3c, 3d, and 3e show only a partially completion of the packaging container. The entirely completed packaging container is however shown in FIG. 3f.

(12) With reference to FIG. 3a, a first step in the process for the formation of a packaging container from the cardboard sheet 1 accordingly comprises a folding (see arrows I, II) of the end panel tabs 15 and 16 along the longitudinal scoring lines 2 and 3, so that the end panel tabs rest on top of each other and above the end panel 8.

(13) Next, the entire end zone is folded back against the side and bottom panels by folding (arrow III) along the transverse scoring line 7 to assume the position shown in FIG. 3b.

(14) In the next following steps - in which the relative order is unimportantillustrated in FIG. 3c, the tongues 20 and 21 are folded up along the scoring lines 2 and 3 (arrow IV), so as to, together with the strip 22, be folded against the end panel 8 along the upper scoring line 10 (arrow V), whereupon the side panels are erected by folding (arrow VI) along the longitudinal scoring lines 2 and 3.

(15) In a finishing step shown in FIG. 3dwherein one side is shown open to increase the claritythe end panel 8 is raised by folding (arrow VII) along the lower scoring line 9, while the tongues 20, 21 simultaneously are inserted into the gaps 31 which are formed between the folded-back side panel strips 17, 18 and the appurtenant side panels 5, 6 in order to, in this way, lock the side panels in an erected position as a result of the engagement from the tongues 20, 21 in the gaps 31.

(16) In a concluding step, see FIG. 3e, the end panels are prevented from falling inward by folding the end panel tabs 15 and 16 against the side panels (arrows VIII, IX) in such a way that the respective tab 15, 16 extends beside and nearly parallel to the adjacent side panel, the tabs resting with the lower edges 32, 33 thereof against the bottom panel 4 in the completed packaging container.

(17) The invention is of course not limited to packaging containers having exactly the proportions shown here, but the invention concerns the structure of the packaging container as such and the definition of the same in the attached claims.