Collapsible box and method for manufacturing and filling collapsible boxes   

The invention relates to a collapsible box according to the preamble of claim 1. Collapsible boxes of this type serve inter alia for the packaging of tubes, cans, bottles, ampoules or other articles above all from the pharmaceutical industry. Applicators are frequently used for handling the packaging item. Applicators of this type can be auxiliary means with which the content of the packaging item (such as for example powders, pastes, liquids) can be administered. Examples of the applicator include a flat rod with a metering section for measuring out pastes from tubes, a stirring rod, a metering spoon, a metering syringe or a spatula. Obviously, the present invention is not suitable for pharmaceutical purposes. Other examples of applicators include forks, knives or spoons.

In the past, applicators were inserted loose into the interior of collapsible boxes. This has the drawback that, when the boxes are opened, the applicators can accidentally fall out. Furthermore, non-fastened applicators can damage sensitive packaging items during transportation, or they can themselves become damaged.

It is therefore an object of the invention to avoid the drawbacks of the known prior art and in particular to provide a collapsible box of the type mentioned at the outset with which applicators can be received in an advantageous manner. Furthermore, the packaging is to be simple to manufacture and in particular simple to fit with one or more applicators.

These objects are achieved by a collapsible box having the features in claim 1. The collapsible box is suitable inter alia for receiving packaging items such as tubes, cans, bottles, ampoules or other articles.

Applicators for handling the packaging item are fixed on the inside of a side wall of the collapsible box or can be fixed thereto. The holding means may be all devices or auxiliary means which are suitable for fixing the applicator in position. Hook-and-loop closures (Velcro®), pushbuttons or magnetic adhesion would for example also be conceivable.

For releasable fixing, the corresponding inside can be coated at least in certain portions with an adhesive, in particular with a pressure sensitive adhesive. The use of pressure sensitive adhesive ensures advantageous fixing of the applicator in position. In this way, one or more applicators can easily be integrated into the collapsible box. Alternatively to pressure sensitive adhesive, other types of adhesive could also provide advantages for specific areas of application. However, in principle, other fastening variants are also conceivable.

The collapsible box is made preferably of cardboard or of laminated cardboard. However, obviously, the box could also be made of other sheet-like materials (for example plastics material). The collapsible box can be produced from a single blank, wherein the blank can after collapsing and adhesive bonding operations form a right parallelepiped packaging body.

In a first embodiment, the side wall associated with the applicator can have at least one window opening. This arrangement allows the applicator to be examined from the outside. This has the advantage that a user can check in a simple manner, without opening the box beforehand, the presence of the at least one applicator. It can be particularly advantageous if the window opening is covered by a transparent film.

In a further embodiment, a segment which can be pressed in or torn away can be arranged on the side wall associated with the applicator for detaching the applicator. Once the segment has been partly or completely pressed in or torn away, the applicator can easily be grasped and withdrawn from the collapsible box.

The segment can be defined by cutting lines and/or weakening lines in the side wall in such a way that it can be wholly or partly removed from the side wall on application of pressure. Merely partial removal can be attained for example by means of a folding portion which can be folded open from the plane of the side wall about a folding line.

The portion coated with pressure sensitive adhesive can be arranged at least partly on the segment. Depending on the purpose of use and the type of applicator, it may be advantageous if only the segment having an adhesive surface is coated with pressure sensitive adhesive or if, in addition, also a part of the remaining side wall is coated with pressure sensitive adhesive.

The box wall can be delimited at one end by a free side edge, wherein the segment directly adjoins the side edge. This ensures that the segment can be removed from the side wall in a particularly simple manner.

The segment can be adjoined by a guarantee closure which is formed by cutting lines and/or weakening lines and contains at least one inwardly foldable folding portion. It may be particularly advantageous if it contains two folding portions which can be folded open in a roughly window-like manner. These folding portions can in this case be separated from each other at least partly by a cutting line.

Furthermore, it may be advantageous if a recess adjoins the segment for grasping the segment.

It may then be advantageous if the segment and the window opening are arranged on mutually opposing ends of the side wall.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for manufacturing and filling the collapsible box described hereinbefore. The method is distinguished in that firstly a box blank is provided preferably on a flat working surface, in that an applicator is then placed on the box blank which is preferably designed in a sheet-like manner, the applicator being releasably fixed on the side wall by means of a holding means applied to an inside of a side wall of the collapsible box, the holding means being in particular a pressure sensitive adhesive, and in that finally, for producing a preferably right parallelepiped collapsible box, the box blank is erected and folded up. For fixing the right parallelepiped end position, the collapsible box can advantageously be secured in this position by adhesive bonding operations.

Further individual features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the subsequent description of the exemplary embodiments and from the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible box according to the invention with an applicator;

FIG. 2 shows the collapsible box according to FIG. 1, but after the removal of a segment which can be torn away;

FIG. 3 shows the applicator from FIG. 1/2;

FIG. 4 shows a prepared blank for the collapsible box according to FIG. 1 with an applicator adhesively bonded to the blank;

FIG. 5 shows a detail of a blank for a collapsible box according to a second exemplary embodiment with an applicator fixed thereto;

FIG. 5a shows the blank according to FIG. 5 (without applicator); and

FIG. 6 shows a prepared blank for a collapsible box according to a third exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a collapsible box which is denoted by reference numeral 1 and is suitable for receiving a broad range of packaging items. The packaging items (not shown) can be for example tubes, cans, ampoules or bottles. As may be seen, the collapsible box 1 has a right parallelepiped basic element. The collapsible box illustrated in FIG. 1 is opened at one end. An insertable cover 10 serves to close the collapsible box. Apart from the side wall which is denoted by reference numeral 3 and will be described in greater detail hereinafter, this packaging corresponds to conventional commercial collapsible boxes. Boxes of this type have been known to a person skilled in the art and conventional for a relatively long time.

The special feature of the collapsible box 1 consists in the fact that a separate component is advantageously integrated in the box. This component will be referred to hereinafter as the “applicator”. One end of the applicator, which is denoted by reference numeral 2, may be seen through the window opening 4. The applicator is adhesively bonded on the inside of the side wall 3 with the aid of a pressure sensitive adhesive. The pressure sensitive adhesive used may be a conventional commercial product. This type of adhesive is described in detail for example in Gerd Habenicht, Kleben, 5th edition, Springer-Verlag, inter alia in Chap. 3.2. Theoretically, it would however also be conceivable to use other adhesives as the holding means (such as for example a hot-melt adhesive). On the opposing side of the window opening, a segment 5 which can be torn away is arranged on the side wall 3. This segment 5, which is defined by a roughly V-shaped cutting line, directly adjoins the free side edge 13 of the box wall 3. Once the segment has been torn away, the applicator is partly exposed and can be grasped for withdrawal from the box. This position is shown in FIG. 2. Reference numeral 3′ denotes the remaining side wall which is left once the tear-away segment has been removed. The contours of the applicator 2 are indicated by broken lines.

FIG. 3 shows a single applicator 2 which in the present case is embodied by way of example as a spatula. Also possible, instead of a simple spatula of this type, is a flat rod which has a metering section and to which a paste can be applied from a tube. The rod could also have depressions. Obviously, other applicators, such as for example stirring rods, metering spoons, metering syringes, are also conceivable. In the food sector, applicators could for example be forks, knives or spoons.

FIG. 4 shows a blank which is fitted with an applicator 2 and is made preferably of cardboard or laminated cardboard. As may be seen, the collapsible box can be produced from a single blank 12, the individual portions of the blank being separated from one another by folding lines. These folding lines are indicated by dot-dash lines. As FIG. 4 shows, the window opening 4 is configured by way of example as a roughly D-shaped opening. Obviously, instead of the D shape, other opening shapes are also conceivable. The opening 4 is covered with a transparent film. Furthermore, an adhesive surface 9, indicated by a hatched surface, may be seen in FIG. 4. This adhesive surface 9 is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive to which the applicator 2 is releasably fixed. This portion coated with pressure sensitive adhesive is arranged in the region of the tip of the V of the segment 5. Obviously, it would however also be conceivable to provide the adhesive surface not only on the segment. Additionally or alternatively, one or more adhesive surfaces, which are coated with pressure sensitive adhesive, could also be arranged on the remaining side wall 3.

FIGS. 5 and 5a show a blank of a further collapsible box. As the blank has merely an altered configuration of the side wall 3, only certain details of it are illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 5a. A roughly rectangular segment 5, which can be torn away and is defined by perforation lines 6, is arranged on the side wall 3. In order to facilitate grasping of the segment, this segment is adjoined by a roughly semicircular recess 11. The adhesive surface coated with pressure sensitive adhesive is here likewise indicated by the hatched surface 9. The segment 5 does not necessarily have to be torn away; instead, it could also be pressed in by a user. The recess 11 is not crucial.

FIG. 6 shows a blank 12 fitted with an applicator 2. In contrast to the foregoing exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 5a, the segment 5 cannot be fully removed from the side wall 2. The segment 5 is configured as a folding portion, the corresponding folding line being indicated by a dot/dash line 16. In addition to the segment 5, a guarantee closure 7 is provided on the side wall 2. This guarantee closure consists of two folding portions 8 and 8′ which can be folded in and are separated from each other by a cutting line 15. This cutting line 15 is interrupted by holding points. The corresponding folding lines for the folding portions 8 and 8′ are indicated by dot/dash lines.