Patent Application
20250002206
I hereby claim the benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119 (b) of Federal Republic of Germany patent application DE102023002689.1, filed Jul. 1, 2023, which is incorporated by reference herein.
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Packaging units having outer packaging and, additionally, one or more inner trays on or in which the individual products are arranged are widespread and well-known. The classic praline packaging is a well-known type of packaging where, for multi-layer solutions, the individual trays rest on top of each other without any additional means of locking or latching.
There is a regular need for designing packaging units—for retail and also for end consumers—that house a large number of products in such a way that such trays are prevented from falling out accidentally and, furthermore, the individual unused products are also presented in an attractive manner.
For this purpose, US 2012/0085678 A1, for example, suggests providing an internal carrier and enveloping element that encloses the actual product on at least three sides, and further providing a lock element on each end face into which a vertical locking tab pointing towards the floor of the outer packaging can latch. While the inner carrier and enveloping element is secured in this way, removal is so strongly impeded that, depending on the hardness and stiffness of the tab, the outer packaging must be destroyed or fully unfolded.
Another embodiment is disclosed by EP 2 778 086 A1, which suggests attaching a locking tab to the end face of an inner carrier and enveloping element, which tab extends to the floor area and protrudes outwards. This tab points upwards when the product or, respectively, the carrier and enveloping element is inserted, and latches below a folding tab at the end face of the outer packaging. Thus, similarly to US 2012/0085678 A1, the carrier and enveloping element is held securely in its final position, while removal is very difficult.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above in a packaging unit generally comprising an outer box, at least one carrier element for holding products, such as at least two elongated products, for example, at least two toothbrushes, and a carrier blank. The outer box is comprised of one floor area, at least two side areas, and at least two end faces. At least one folding tab is arranged at each end face for at least partial contact with the end face. The at least one folding tab has at least one contact edge. The carrier element has two end faces, two longitudinal edges, a roof section, and at least one floor section. At least one locking tab is arranged at each end face. The locking tabs of the carrier element can be latched to the contact edges of the folding tab in such a way that the locking tabs can be fixed in a low position within the outer box. A folding tab of an end face has at least two opposing contact edges, or two opposing folding tabs on an end face end each have at least one jointly opposing contact edge. Here, the horizontally opposing contact edges have at least in one section a horizontal distance increasing towards the floor. The carrier element further has at least one roof section and at least one floor section, where the roof section is formed by at least two roof areas obliquely erected and at least one locking tab is arranged at each end face end of at least one roof area and/or at least one foot area. The floor section can be comprised of multiple parts and comprise one foot area or several foot areas.
Here, “contact edge” of the folding section also means one or several sections, so that in one possible embodiment, the contact edge at least partially encompasses a usable area in the form of a triangle, a trapezoid, or a truncated cone. The “contact edge” further means the cut edge in or at the folding section against which the locking tab can also be brought in contact with its outer cut edge.
The “carrier element” means a tray formed by a blank, hereinafter referred to as carrier blank, which can be inserted into an outer packaging, such as the outer box. Here, the carrier element is embodied for carrying at least one product and, if necessary, for being lifted out of the outer box together with the product, such as, for example, one or several toothbrushes.
The carrier element itself, like the blank from which it is formed, is made of a fibrous material or a mixture of materials, such as a single- or multi-layer cardboard, corrugated cardboard, carton board, composite material or comparable materials. In another possible embodiment, the carrier element or, respectively, carrier blank is made from a renewable raw material, and furthermore the outer box and/or the closure element or lid are also made of a corresponding material.
The partial and lower areas or, respectively, partial areas of the carrier material, such as, for example, roof area, floor section, foot areas, locking tab, are delimited from or, respectively, connected by so-called “functional lines” to their respective adjacent partial areas or surfaces. Said lines include, but are not limited to, embossing lines, scoring lines or perforation lines. Accordingly, depending on the material and function, a crease line or crease edge may be applied as one of the aforementioned functional lines on the carrier blank by means of a tool, so that the shaping of the carrier element is predefined and facilitated for the desired use or target form.
In this case the flat carrier blank as a carrier element, in its use, forms a roof section with at least two roof areas erected from two essentially horizontal floor sections. The roof section generates a restoring force by means of the functional line of the formed gable or ridge and the creasing lines at the transition to the floor section. The longitudinal edges of the floor sections are thus pressed against the respective side areas of the outer box. The roof shape further can be gripped and compressed by a consumer without any additional or grip elements, so that the carrier element detaches from the outer box and can be removed. Herein, the creasing line of the roof gable can also be a functional line connecting the two roof areas in the longitudinal direction. Here, the term “roof section” means the portions of the area of the carrier blank from which the roof-like structure is formed upon erection and alignment. In one possible embodiment, the roof section can be formed from two or more partial areas.
In one possible embodiment, the gable of the roof section has two parallel gable edges, so that in the use form, a further, possibly stripe-like and/or horizontal upper roof area is formed between the two gable edges.
Surprisingly, an analogous effect was also observable with regard to the locking tabs. These are usually erected from the blank and slide over the at least one folding tab of the outer box when positioning the carrier blank, because the locking tabs exert a restoring force in the direction of the end faces. After passing the contact edge, the locking tabs fold out towards the lower position of the end face and thus latch below the contact edge of the folding tab. Since the folding tabs are arranged at the end face of the sloping roof area via a functional line, the folding tabs make contact obliquely from the bottom to the top under the respective contact edge of the folding tab. In this way, the carrier elements and the products arranged thereupon are held securely in the desired position and secured against undesirably falling out by the fact that the carrier element presses and locks itself against the side areas and the end faces with a certain spring or restoring force.
In one embodiment, the one- or multi-part contact edge is formed by an opening, a projection or a cut-out in the folding tab. Furthermore, in one possible embodiment, the contact edge has contact edge sections running in different directions and/or having different orientations in at least two spatial directions, such as the y-z-plane or -axis.
In one embodiment of the packaging unit, the folding tab of the outer box is connected to a side area via a functional line and the back of the folding tab is in contact with the end face while lying at least partially flat. In other words, in this embodiment, the folding tab having the contact edge(s) in the blank of the outer box is an adjacent area of at least one side area, ideally one folding tab each at each side area.
Herein, the term “connected” means that these two partial areas are formed from one piece of material or are essentially formed from one material piece.
Here, “back” means that it does not point to the inner or product space of the outer box in which the carrier blank or the product can be positioned. Likewise, “front” means the side of the material of the outer box that points towards the inner or product space.
In one possible embodiment, it can be provided that at least one of the cut edges and/or a cut edge section of the locking tab in its released position or removal position is oriented at such an oblique angle with a contact edge that the cut edge and/or the cut edge section can slide off the contact edge. Herein, “released position” of the cut edge means that the roof areas of the carrier element have been pressed together and/or moved towards each other by a defined distance so that the locking tabs are removed from their force-fit and/or form-fit with the contact edges.
In another embodiment of the packaging unit, the folding tab of the outer box is connected to an end face via a functional line while its back is in at least partially flat contact with the side area. In other words, in this embodiment, the folding tab having the contact edge(s) in the blank of the outer box is an adjacent area of at least one end face, ideally one folding tab each at each end face.
In one embodiment, the aforementioned variants are combined by a folding tab of the outer box being connected to a side area via a functional line and a folding tab of the outer box being connected to an end face via a functional line.
In a further embodiment of the packaging unit, at least one locking tab is arranged at each end face of each roof area and/or each foot area. In other words, in the engaged state, a locking tab is erected, such as obliquely, at each end face of the roof areas.
In a further embodiment of the packaging unit, at least one clamping and positioning section protrudes transversely beyond the longitudinal edge and is formed from at least one floor section. This clamping and positioning section can essentially have two functions. First, it forms a second clamping line on the side area of the outer box, and second, it centers a product that is inserted between the inward-facing surfaces of the clamping and positioning section and the respective roof area.
Starting from an elongated extension of the outer box and thus also of the carrier element having a longitudinal axis, “longitudinal direction” means the x-axis of a Cartesian system, “transverse direction” the y-axis, and “up or down” the z-axis.
In another possible embodiment of this variant, at least one side area of the outer box has at least one contact element under which at least one clamping and positioning section can latch in the use position. This illustrates another function of the compressible roof areas of the carrier element. These additional latching sections on the contact element are also unlocked or released by the same grip of a user, and easy removal of the carrier element is possible at any time.
The clamping and positioning section is at least partially formed out of the floor section or, respectively, the foot area, and in its unfolded position transversely protrudes from the longitudinal edge of the floor section for a defined distance. Thus, in the longitudinal direction, a crease line is arranged at the transition from the floor section to the clamping and positioning section, and in the transverse direction, cut lines are arranged on each side of the clamping and positioning section at the transition to the floor section. In the following, no distinction is made between cut line and cut edge, and the terms are used synonymously because a cut line in the blank represents one cut edge or, respectively, two cut edges, after unfolding.
For this embodiment of the packaging unit, in which from at least one floor section at least one clamping and positioning section protruding transversely beyond the longitudinal edge is formed, in one possible variation the at least one clamping and positioning section is erected in the inserted position of the carrier elements in the outer box. This means that the clamping and positioning section is erected obliquely in the direction of the z-axis. Herein, the angle of inclination of the clamping and positioning section depends on the length in the transverse direction or y-axis, by which the longitudinal side of the floor section is exceeded and the distance in the transverse direction of the crease line running in parallel with the longitudinal axis in the transition from the floor section to the clamping and positioning section.
In one possible embodiment, at least one clamping and positioning section and/or one roof area has at least one recess or product recess for receiving or inserting at least parts of the product. This can be, for example, a head of a toothbrush that faces the center, lies on the carrier element, and is received in a recess of the roof section. In one possible embodiment, two toothbrushes face each other in this way, and one recess each is provided in each roof area, at the same or at the opposing end faces.
In another possible variation of this embodiment of the packaging unit, from at least one roof area, via at least one cut line, or possibly two-sided cut lines, the floor area has inner floor sections protruding transversely inwards, such as for the support and insertion of a product end, such as a toothbrush head, and/or as a gripping space for the removal of a product. In other words, these inner floor sections are arranged in the usable area of the roof sections erected upwards in the direction of the z-axis.
In a further embodiment of the packaging unit, the packaging unit has at least two carrier elements stacked above each other for receiving at least one product each. Either a folding tab of an end face has at least four contact edges arranged in pairs opposing each other and arranged in pairs above each other, or two opposing folding tabs of an end face each having at least two jointly opposing contact edges arranged above each other, and where in at least one section each pair of horizontally opposing contact edges has a distance increasing towards the floor area with which the at least one locking tab of one of the carrier elements can be brought in contact.
This doubling of the carrier elements in the direction of the z-axis as well as additional planes of carrier elements follow the above-mentioned embodiment and its concept in an analogous manner.
The complementary contact edges of the folding tabs with their associated locking tabs are provided in any desired quantity above each other, such as in the z-direction. During assembly, the lowest carrier element is inserted first and the topmost carrier element last. During each removal process, as described above, the uppermost carrier element is first, at least partially, released from the lock by gripping and pressing the roof areas together, and can be removed.
In this stacking of carrier elements, the underside of the floor section can rest on top of products lying beneath. The inner floor sections are provided that extend in a transverse direction to the center or longitudinal axis and lie on or contact an underlying roof area with a part of their surface and/or their respective inner edge.
In another embodiment of the packaging unit, the locking tabs may be bent upwards in the inserted position of the carrier element within the outer box.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
For identical or identical-appearing elements of the invention, identical reference symbols are used in the figures. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, in the individual figures only reference symbols are displayed that are necessary for the description of the respective figure. Also, in the figures, the invention is merely depicted as a schematic view for explaining the functioning. In general, the illustrations in the figures serve to explain the basic principle of the invention and should not be considered as limiting the claims to the exemplary embodiment or embodiments shown.
The outer box 101 comprises a floor area 102, at least two side areas 104, and at least two end faces 106. Folding tags 110 are arranged at the end faces 106 for at least partial contact at the respective end face 106 in the closed, finalized state. The folding tabs 110 have recesses 150 as openings or cut-out areas on which contact edges 112 are arranged. Furthermore, a closure tab 120 is arranged, extending adjacent each side area 104, on one end face 106, which closure tab 120 serves to support and connect with a closure element (not shown). The closure tab 120 protrudes outwards at the functional line F and can, for example, be glued, welded or otherwise connected to a closure element. Here, the functional lines F are punching lines that specify a defined crease in the material of the outer box 101.
The carrier element 201 has two end face ends 206, two longitudinal edges 208, a roof section 210 and floor sections 220. Two locking tabs 250 are arranged at each end face end 206, where a locking tab 250 is arranged at each roof area 211 at each end face end 206. When the outer box 101 is closed, the locking tabs 250 of the carrier element 201 come in contact with the contact edges 112 of the folding tab 110 arranged in the recesses 150, and can be locked there. The folding tabs 110 and the recesses 150 have two contact edges 112 each, an outer and an upper one.
On carrier element 201, a toothbrush is placed as an exemplary product 130, having a front product end 132, a toothbrush head, and a rear product end 134, a toothbrush grip/handle. A second toothbrush can be placed in an analogous way in the image plane below, with the toothbrush head, the front product end 132, also aligned towards the center.
As shown and described in detail in connection with
The locking tabs 250 are generally in the shape of a trapezoid. The floor section 220 is divided into two parts, into an upper and a lower floor section in the image plane, on both sides of roof section 210. In the transition between a roof area 211 and the adjacent outer foot area 222, a crease axis 204 is provided. From crease axis 204, cut areas and corresponding cut line 232 emerge, from which the inner floor areas 224 are formed. In
The inner foot areas 224, together with the resulting cut-out area in the tray area, form a receiving space or area for, for example, a transversely protruding section of a product 130, such as a toothbrush head. Furthermore, the longitudinal axis L or x-axis and the transverse axis 205 or y-axis are shown.
In one possible embodiment, a total of only two locking tabs 250 are provided, for example, offset at both end face ends 206. The carrier element 201 is shown in a position in which the roof areas 211 are oriented or folded toward one another such that the inner edges of the foot areas 224 touch. This can be the released position, where the inner foot areas 224 can also be deformed or pushed over each other by a user's further force application.
The partial sectional view according to
In one possible embodiment, the folding tabs 110 may be latched, glued or make contact otherwise on each back of end face 106.
The contact edges 112 of the left and the right recess 150 oppose each other and form a distance in the transverse direction or y-axis that opens up or increases towards the floor area 102. The two contact edges 112 of the left and right folding tab 110 form an angle, where in an alternative embodiment, this can also be an arc or another curved line. The locking tabs 250 have two complementary locking edges 254, 256. The lateral locking edge 150 in the position shown opposes the lateral contact edge 112 or contact edge section of the folding tag 110 and the upper locking edge 256 opposes the upper contact edge 112 or contact edge section.
Quite apparent is the advantageous locking mechanism easily manipulatable by a user in two directions, obliquely upwards and transversely to the side.
Furthermore, in
Finally,
In this case, the packaging unit and the associated elements, such as the carrier blank, the carrier element, or the products, are shown essentially in one position and orientation, namely contacting a horizontal base (not shown). In at least one possible embodiment, the packaging unit and the associated elements can assume any position and orientation, either individually or together, as is well understood in the packaging industry. Thus, all mentions of and references to the spatial location, such as above, below, vertical, oblique, etc., as well as designations that indicate a spatial location, such as “floor”, “ceiling”, “side”, and other such terminology, serve only for linguistic simplification, are not to be understood as limiting, and are to be understood and interpreted in an analogous manner in the event of a change in the basic orientation of the packaging unit or the associated elements.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102023002689.1 | Jul 2023 | DE | national |
