JP7624883B2 - Storage box - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a storage box.

Paper storage boxes are used for a wide variety of purposes, for example, for transporting goods. The goods inside the storage box are shipped from the manufacturer and delivered to a store or the like, and are finally delivered from the store or the like to the user. The storage box containing the goods is delivered in a sealed state (so that the goods inside the storage box cannot be seen), and is opened at the delivery destination store or the like to check the goods inside the storage box.

When sealing a storage box, for example, tape or the like may be used as described in Patent Document 1. When opening the box, the tape is removed, and after the contents have been checked, the box is sealed again with tape. Also, just before the box is delivered to the user, the box is sealed more firmly than before in order to prevent the items inside the box from being removed or tampered with.

JP 2019-177890 A

Regarding storage boxes, there is a demand for boxes that can be easily sealed and opened repeatedly, that maintain a good sealed state, and that can be sealed more firmly in the final stage.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to achieve the following objectives. Specifically, the present invention aims to provide a storage box that can be properly sealed with a simple structure, and can be sealed more securely when necessary.

In order to achieve the above object, the storage box of the present invention is a storage box having a bottom panel, a plurality of side panel parts surrounding the bottom panel part, and an opening/closing panel part that closes an opening of a space partitioned by the plurality of side panel parts, and one side panel part has an inner wall surface part located on the inside of the storage box and an outer wall surface part arranged along the inner wall surface part and located on the outside of the storage box, a first insertion piece protruding from the tip of the opening/closing panel part, a second insertion piece being provided at a position adjacent to the end of the outer wall surface part, and a portion adjacent to the opening/closing panel part when the opening is closed is formed with a first insertion portion into which at least the tip of the first insertion piece is inserted, and the first insertion piece is formed with a second insertion portion into which at least the tip of the second insertion piece is inserted, and the method of locking the opening closed by the opening and closing plate portion includes a first method of inserting the first insertion piece into the first insertion portion when the second insertion piece is not inserted into the second insertion portion, and a second method of inserting the second insertion piece into the second insertion portion when the first insertion piece is inserted into the first insertion portion.

With the above configuration, the method of locking the opening closed by the opening and closing plate can be selected from the first method and the second method. When locking using the first method, a simple lock is achieved, and sealing and opening can be easily and repeatedly performed. On the other hand, when locking using the second method, a stronger lock is achieved, and it cannot be easily opened.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the storage box can be assembled by folding a single blank that constitutes the storage box. In this case, it is preferable that the side panel portion is a panel portion having a double structure.
It is more preferable that a notch serving as the second insertion portion is provided at the base end of the first insertion piece.

The first insertion portion may be a gap between the inner wall surface portion and the outer wall surface portion, and the first insertion piece may be inserted into the gap from the upper end side of one of the side panel portions.
Furthermore, in the above configuration, the second insertion piece may protrude from an end of the outer wall surface portion and be capable of being accommodated in the gap. When the opening is locked in the closed state by the opening/closing plate portion in the first manner, it is more preferable to insert the first insertion piece into the gap with the second insertion piece accommodated in the gap.

It is also preferable that the center portion of the tip edge of the first insertion piece be curved so as to approach the opening and closing plate portion, and that when the first insertion piece is inserted into the gap with the second insertion piece accommodated in the gap, the center portion of the tip edge be adjacent to the second insertion piece.

Moreover, it is more preferable that the first insertion direction when inserting the first insertion piece into the gap is along the direction from the base end of the second insertion piece when it is housed in the gap toward the tip of the second insertion piece, and that the second insertion direction when inserting the second insertion piece into the second insertion portion intersects with the first insertion direction.

The outer wall surface may also be provided with a pair of perforations extending from the end of the outer wall surface on the side where the second insertion piece is located toward the opposite side to the second insertion piece, and a rotating part located between the pair of perforations and continuous with the base end of the second insertion piece. When the opening is locked in the closed state by the opening/closing plate part using the second method, it is more preferable to break each of the pair of perforations and rotate the rotating part toward the outside of the storage box before inserting the second insertion piece into the second insertion part.

The outer wall surface may also be provided with a break line that is broken when the storage box is opened with the second insertion piece inserted into the second insertion portion. In this case, it is more preferable that the break line is formed in a position on the outer wall surface that surrounds the pair of perforations and the rotating portion.

The inner wall surface may also be provided with a recess having a shape corresponding to the outer edge of the tip of the second insertion piece. In this case, it is more preferable that, before the storage box is assembled, the tip of the second insertion piece fits inside the recess and is continuous with the inner wall surface, and that a cut line is provided along the recess at the boundary between the tip of the second insertion piece and the inner wall surface.

In addition, protrusions that protrude outward in the width direction of the second insertion piece may be provided on both sides of the base end of the second insertion piece. In this case, it is more preferable for the protrusions to be located outward in the width direction from the portion of the outer wall surface that is continuous with the base end of the second insertion piece.

The storage box of the present invention allows for proper sealing with a simple structure, ultimately resulting in a more secure seal for the storage box.

1 is an external view of a storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank forming a storage box according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are perspective views showing intermediate stages in the assembly of a storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a structure for locking using a first method. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a structure for locking using a first method, taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a structure for locking using a second method. 13 is a front view of the storage box after being locked in the second manner and then opened by breaking the break line. FIG. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a blank forming a storage box according to another embodiment of the present invention. 11A and 11B are perspective views showing a storage box according to another embodiment of the present invention at an intermediate stage of assembly.

The storage box of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to a specific embodiment.
It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely examples given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiments described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes equivalents thereof.
In addition, in this specification, the meanings of "same,""identical," and "equal" may include a generally acceptable range of error in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

<<First embodiment of the present invention>>
The configuration of a storage box according to a first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, storage box 10) will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. As shown in Figure 1, storage box 10 is a box having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a bottom panel, a number of side panels surrounding the bottom panel, and an opening/closing panel that closes an opening of a space partitioned by the number of side panels.

The storage box 10 is constructed from a single blank 12 as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the blank 12 is a sheet body for assembling the storage box 10, for example, using an N-type top insertion method, and the storage box 10 is assembled by folding the blank 12. Since the storage box 10 is assembled from a single blank 12 in this way, the ease of assembly is improved and the assembly work becomes easier. Furthermore, with a storage box 10 constructed from a single blank 12, the inside of the box can be sealed, further improving the airtightness.

In addition, the storage box may be any type that can be locked using the first and second methods described below, and the type (assembly format) is not limited to the N-type top insertion type but may be, for example, a top and bottom insertion type, or a top insertion and bottom assembly type, etc.
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to storage boxes assembled from a single blank, but can also be applied to storage boxes assembled from a plurality of blanks.
The material of the blank 12 can be selected from various paper materials such as corrugated cardboard and thick paper, and the paper may be of any quality, and may be coated with various types of materials or made of resins other than paper. In the following description, the blank 12 is assumed to be a corrugated cardboard sheet.

The blank 12 before assembly of the storage box (i.e., the blank 12 in an unfolded state) extends in a plane and in two mutually perpendicular main directions, as shown in Figure 2. In the following, one main direction is called the X-direction and the other main direction is called the Y-direction.
When the bottom plate portion has a rectangular shape, the X direction corresponds to the short side direction of the bottom plate portion, and the Y direction corresponds to the long side direction of the bottom plate portion.
In the following description of each part of the storage box 10, unless otherwise specified, the corresponding parts of the blank 12 in the unfolded state shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

The direction of the grain M of the cardboard sheet that forms the blank 12 (see Figure 2) may be parallel to the X direction, inclined at 45 degrees to the X direction, or perpendicular to the X direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the blank 12 has a bottom panel portion 21, a front panel portion 22, a rear panel portion 23, a left panel portion 24, a right panel portion 25, and an opening/closing panel portion 26. In the blank 12, the front panel portion 22, the bottom panel portion 21, the rear panel portion 23, and the opening/closing panel portion 26 are arranged continuously in this order in the X direction. The left panel portion 24, the bottom panel portion 21, and the right panel portion 25 are arranged continuously in this order in the Y direction.

The bottom panel portion 21 forms the bottom wall of the storage box 10 and has, for example, a rectangular shape. The shape of the bottom panel portion 21 is not limited to a rectangle (quadrangle), and may be a quadrangle other than a rectangle, or may be a polygon such as a pentagon or octagon. If the shape of the bottom panel portion 21 is a polygon such as a pentagon or octagon, that is, a shape with more corners than a rectangle (quadrangle), the strength of the storage box 10 can be further improved.

The front panel 22, the rear panel 23, the left panel 24, and the right panel 25 correspond to a plurality of side panel parts, form the side walls of the storage box 10, and together with the bottom panel 21, define a storage space within the storage box 10. The storage space is partitioned by the plurality of side panel parts, the front panel 22, the rear panel 23, the left panel 24, and the right panel 25, and items (not shown) are stored inside.
In addition, folding lines L1 are provided at the boundaries between the bottom panel 21 and each of the front panel 22, rear panel 23, left panel 24 and right panel 25.

In the first embodiment, the opening and closing plate 26 is a top plate, and rotates around a folding line L2 at the boundary between the rear plate 23 and the opening and closing plate 26 as a central axis, and rotates in a direction that closes the opening (top opening) of the storage space when the storage box 10 is sealed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first insertion piece 41 is continuous with the tip of the opening/closing plate 26, i.e., the end opposite the rear plate 23. When the opening/closing plate 26 locks the opening closed, at least the tip of the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the first insertion portion. The first insertion portion is an insertion hole or gap formed in a portion adjacent to the opening/closing plate 26 when the opening is closed, and in the first embodiment, it is the gap S described below.

The first insertion piece 41 protrudes from the center in the Y direction at the tip of the opening/closing plate 26, and its width (length in the Y direction) is shorter than the width of the opening/closing plate 26. In addition, the corners of the tip of the first insertion piece 41 are rounded, and the center of the tip of the first insertion piece 41 is gently recessed. In other words, the center of the tip edge 42 of the first insertion piece 41 is curved in an arc shape as it approaches the opening/closing plate 26, as shown in Figure 2.

At the boundary between the opening/closing plate 26 and the first insertion piece 41, i.e., at the base end of the first insertion piece 41, a bend line L3 is provided, and a notch 46 is formed along the width direction of the first insertion piece 41. The notch 46 forms a second insertion portion into which the second insertion piece 43 described below is inserted. Note that, instead of the notch 46, for example, a slit-shaped insertion hole may be provided as the second insertion portion at the base end of the first insertion piece 41.

As shown in FIG. 2, the notch 46 has a long side portion 46a that is long in the Y direction, and short side portions 46b that are perpendicular to the long side portion 46a at both ends of the long side portion 46a. The long side portion 46a is slightly offset from the folding line L3 toward the tip side of the first insertion piece 41, and the length of the long side portion 46a is the same as or slightly shorter than the width (length in the Y direction) of the base end portion of the second insertion piece 43.

As shown in FIG. 2, two engagement holes 30 are provided at the boundary between the bottom plate portion 21 and the front plate portion 22, spaced apart in the Y direction. The front plate portion 22 corresponds to one side plate portion, and is divided into three parts in the X direction, specifically, an outer wall surface portion 27, an inner wall surface portion 28, and an upper wall surface portion 29.

In the assembled storage box 10, the outer wall surface portion 27 is arranged along the inner wall surface portion 28 and is located on the outside of the storage box 10, the inner wall surface portion 28 is located on the inside of the storage box 10, and the upper wall surface portion 29 connects the upper ends of the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28.
The "inside" of the storage box 10 means the side closer to the center of the storage space, and the "outside" of the storage box 10 means the side farther from the center of the storage space. For example, in the blank 12, the side facing the bottom plate portion 21 is called the inside, and the side away from the bottom plate portion 21 is called the outside.

In the unfolded blank 12, the outer wall surface portion 27 is continuous with the bottom panel portion 21, the upper wall surface portion 29 is continuous with the outer wall surface portion 27 on the side opposite the bottom panel portion 21, and the inner wall surface portion 28 is continuous with the upper wall surface portion 29 on the side opposite the outer wall surface portion 27. In the front panel portion 22, fold lines L4 and L10 are provided at the boundary between the upper wall surface portion 29 and the outer wall surface portion 27, and at the boundary between the upper wall surface portion 29 and the inner wall surface portion 28, respectively.

Two engagement pieces 31 protruding in the X direction are provided at the tip of the inner wall surface portion 28 located on the opposite side to the upper wall surface portion 29. The two engagement pieces 31 are located at the same positions as the two engagement holes 30 in the Y direction, and each engages with the corresponding engagement hole 30 (see FIG. 3). In addition, a notch 32 for finger hooking is provided at the center of the tip of the inner wall surface portion 28 in the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, a tongue-shaped second insertion piece 43 is provided at a position adjacent to the end of the outer wall surface portion 27. The end of the outer wall surface portion 27 adjacent to the second insertion piece 43 is the end on the upper wall surface portion 29 side, and is the upper end of the outer wall surface portion 27 when the storage box 10 is assembled (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The second insertion piece 43 is inserted into the second insertion portion when the opening/closing plate portion 26 more firmly locks the opening closed. To explain in more detail, the notch 46 corresponds to the second insertion portion, and at least the tip of the second insertion piece 43 can be inserted into the notch 46.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the unfolded blank 12, the second insertion piece 43 is located across the inner wall surface portion 28 and the upper wall surface portion 29 in the X direction, and is provided in the center of the front panel portion 22 in the Y direction. In addition, in the blank 12, the tip end (the end on the inner wall surface portion 28 side) of the second insertion piece 43 fits into a recess 48 provided on the side of the inner wall surface portion 28 where the outer wall surface portion 27 is located. The recess 48 is provided to arrange the second insertion piece 43 compactly in the blank 12, and its shape corresponds to the outer edge of the tip end of the second insertion piece 43, and strictly speaking, is approximately the same shape as the outer edge.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cut line L6 is provided along the recess 48 at the boundary between the tip of the second insertion piece 43 and the inner wall surface portion 28. Before the storage box 10 is assembled, the second insertion piece 43 and the inner wall surface portion 28 are continuous via the cut line L6.

In addition, in each of the inner wall surface portion 28 and the upper wall surface portion 29, at locations located on both sides of the second insertion piece 43 in the Y direction, punched holes are provided by punching as shown in FIG. 2. When the second insertion piece 43 is separated from the inner wall surface portion 28 and the upper wall surface portion 29, the punched holes are connected to a hole formed at the site of the second insertion piece 43 to form a single opening 47. The opening 47 is located at the upper end of the front panel portion 22 when the storage box 10 is assembled (see FIG. 4).

A rotating portion 45 is provided in the peripheral portion of the second insertion piece 43 on the outer wall surface portion 27, located between a pair of perforations 44, 44, as shown in FIG. 2. In addition, a substantially triangular cutout that is continuous with the punched hole is provided in the boundary portion between the outer wall surface portion 27 and the second insertion piece 43, next to the perforation 44.

Each of the pair of perforations 44, 44 is formed by extending linearly from the end of the outer wall surface portion 27 on the side where the second insertion piece 43 is located toward the opposite side of the second insertion piece 43. Here, the perforations 44 include zippers in addition to those used as cut lines in general cardboard.

The pivoting portion 45 is a portion of the outer wall surface portion 27 that is continuous with the base end of the second insertion piece 43. When the pair of perforations 44, 44 are broken, the pivoting portion 45 becomes pivotable around the base end of the pivoting portion 45 as the central axis. A fold line L5 is provided at the boundary between the second insertion piece 43 and the pivoting portion 45. It is preferable that the fold line L5 is located at the same position in the X direction as the fold line L4.

The pivoting portion 45 is preferably narrower than the base end of the second insertion piece 43, that is, a step is preferably formed at the boundary between the second insertion piece 43 and the pivoting portion 45. In other words, a protrusion 49 protruding toward the outside in the width direction (Y direction) of the second insertion piece 43 may be provided on both sides of the base end of the second insertion piece 43. Each protrusion 49 has a substantially triangular shape as shown in FIG. 2, and is positioned outward in the width direction of the second insertion piece 43 and protrudes from the pivoting portion 45. However, this is not limited to this, and the base end of the second insertion piece 43 and the pivoting portion 45 may have the same width, that is, the protrusion 49 may not be provided on both sides of the second insertion piece 43.

A break line L7 for opening is formed on the outer wall surface portion 27. The break line L7 is formed at a position surrounding the pair of perforations 44, 44 and the rotating portion 45, and strictly speaking, as shown in FIG. 2, it extends from a position outside one of the perforations 44 to a position outside the other perforation 44, forming a substantially semicircular shape.

An upper flap portion 51 that supports the opening/closing plate portion 26 from the inside is provided continuously and foldably at each tip of the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25 (the end opposite the bottom panel portion 21).
A reinforcing flap portion 52 adjacent to the outer wall surface portion 27 in the Y direction is provided so as to be foldable continuously at one end in the X direction of each of the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25. The left and right reinforcing flap portions 52 are inserted between the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28 when the storage box 10 is assembled.

A connecting flap portion 53 is foldably connected to the other end in the X direction of each of the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25, adjacent to the rear panel portion 23 and the opening/closing panel portion 26 in the Y direction. The width (length in the Y direction) of the connecting flap portion 53 is approximately the same as the width of the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25. The tip of each connecting flap portion 53 is cut out to form an approximately J-shaped engaging portion 54. When assembling the storage box 10, the two connecting flap portions 53 are connected by engaging their respective engaging portions 54 with each other (see FIG. 3).

An example of the procedure for assembling the storage box 10 by folding the blank 12 described above will now be described. First, the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25 are folded at the folding line L1 so that they are erected against the bottom panel portion 21.

Then, the reinforcing flap portions 52 of the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25 are folded inward, and the connecting flap portions 53 of the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25 are folded inward. Then, the engaging portions 54 of the connecting flap portions 53 are engaged with each other to connect the two connecting flap portions 53. As a result, a connecting wall portion 55 consisting of the two connecting flap portions 53 is disposed between the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25 and erected against the bottom panel portion 21, as shown in FIG. 3.

Then, the rear panel 23 is folded at the folding line L1 so as to stand upright against the bottom panel 21. As a result, the rear panel 23 is arranged alongside the connecting wall 55 along the connecting wall 55. In other words, the rear panel 23 is reinforced by the connecting wall 55 and forms, together with the connecting wall 55, the side wall (rear wall) of the storage box 10.

Meanwhile, the outer wall surface portion 27 of the front panel portion 22 is folded at folding line L1, and further the upper wall surface portion 29 is folded at folding line L4, and the inner wall surface portion 28 is folded at folding line L10. Then, each of the two engagement pieces 31 provided at the tip of the inner wall surface portion 28 is fitted into the corresponding engagement hole 30, and the inner wall surface portion 28 is fixed while standing upright against the bottom panel portion 21. As a result, the inner wall surface portion 28 is located inside the storage box 10, and the outer wall surface portion 27 is arranged along the inner wall surface portion 28 and located outside the storage box 10.
Each portion of the blank 12 has a laminated structure in which a corrugated paper core is sandwiched between two flat sheets of paper. In the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28, when the extension direction of the corrugations formed on the core, in other words, the direction of the grain M of the cardboard sheet (see FIG. 2) is along the up-down direction (height direction) of the storage box 10, the strength of the storage box 10 is increased and the loading capacity of the storage box 10 can be improved.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the front panel portion 22 constitutes a double wall, that is, a wall having a picture-frame structure, consisting of the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28. A gap S is formed between the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28, and the left and right reinforcing flap portions 52 are inserted into the gap S.
The method of fixing the inner wall surface portion 28 to the bottom plate portion 21 inside the storage box 10 is not limited to the fitting method between the engagement hole 30 and the engagement piece 31, and other methods may be used. For example, the inner wall surface portion 28 may be fixed to the bottom plate portion 21 by applying an adhesive to the tip of the inner wall surface portion 28 and joining the tip of the inner wall surface portion 28 and the bottom plate portion 21 with the adhesive when the inner wall surface portion 28 is folded.

In the first embodiment, when folding the upper wall surface portion 29 and the inner wall surface portion 28, the front plate portion 22 is torn along the cut line L6 formed at the boundary between the second insertion piece 43 and the inner wall surface portion 28, and the second insertion piece 43 is separated from the inner wall surface portion 28. Thereafter, when folding the upper wall surface portion 29 and the inner wall surface portion 28, the second insertion piece 43 is folded inside the inner wall surface portion 28 at the folding line L5. This allows the second insertion piece 43 to enter the gap S from the upper end side of the front plate portion 22, and the second insertion piece 43 can be accommodated in the gap S as shown in Figures 3 to 5. In other words, in the first embodiment, the second insertion piece 43 protruding from the upper end of the outer wall surface portion 27 is folded at the folding line L5 to be accommodated in the gap S.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the second insertion piece 43 is housed in the gap S, its tip portion faces the edge portion of the recess 48 in the inner wall surface portion 28, and is locked by the edge portion of the recess 48. This is because the recess 48 has a shape that corresponds to the tip portion of the second insertion piece 43, more specifically, is substantially the same shape. The second insertion piece 43 is stably held in the gap S by being locked by the edge portion of the recess 48.

In addition, as the second insertion piece 43 is folded in, a hole formed at the site of the second insertion piece 43 and a punched hole in the front plate portion 22 are connected to form an opening 47. The opening 47 is provided at the upper end of the front plate portion 22, i.e., the upper wall surface portion 29, as shown in FIG. 4, and communicates with the gap S as shown in FIG. 5. The width of the opening 47 (opening width) is the same as or slightly longer than the width of the first insertion piece 41.

After completing the above steps, the upper flap portion 51 of each of the left panel portion 24 and the right panel portion 25 is folded toward the inside of the storage box 10 so that it is parallel to the bottom panel portion 21. Then, the opening/closing plate portion 26 is folded at the folding line L2 and placed on the upper flap portion 51 and the upper wall portion 29. This causes the opening of the storage space to be closed by the opening/closing plate portion 26.

In the first embodiment, there are multiple methods for locking the opening closed by the opening/closing plate 26, including a first method and a second method. Each locking method will be described below.

<First Method>
The first method is a locking method in which the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the first insertion portion in a state in which the second insertion piece 43 is not inserted into the notch 46. In the first embodiment, the first insertion portion is the gap S between the inner wall surface portion 28 and the outer wall surface portion 27 of the front panel portion 22. In other words, locking by the first method is achieved by inserting the first insertion piece 41 into the gap S from the upper end side of the front panel portion 22.

Specifically, when the opening/closing plate 26 is folded at the folding line L2, the first insertion piece 41 is folded at the folding line L3. As the opening/closing plate 26 is folded closer to the upper wall surface 29, the first insertion piece 41 eventually reaches the opening 47 and enters the gap S from the opening 47. At this time, the second insertion piece 43, which has been folded near the opening 47, is housed in the gap S, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In other words, when locking using the first method, the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S with the second insertion piece 43 housed in the gap S.

As shown in Fig. 5, the first insertion piece 41 that has entered the gap S is inserted into the gap S by bending the opening/closing plate portion 26 while abutting against the second insertion piece 43 housed in the gap S. The insertion direction at this time is along the direction from the base end of the second insertion piece 43 housed in the gap S toward the tip end of the second insertion piece 43. As a result, the first insertion piece 41 is guided by the second insertion piece 43 toward the inside of the storage box 10 when it is inserted into the gap S. This guide effect (so-called slide effect) allows the first insertion piece 41 to be smoothly inserted into the gap S.
In the following description, the direction in which the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S will be referred to as a first insertion direction.

The first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S by the sliding effect while abutting against the second insertion piece 43, and enters the gap S up to the vicinity of the base end of the first insertion piece 41. In this state, the second insertion piece 43 is sandwiched between the first insertion piece 41 and the rotating part 45 in the gap S.

In the first embodiment, the storage box 10 is assembled by folding one blank 12. In other words, by folding the blank 12, the front panel surface portion 22 of the double wall is formed, and the second insertion piece 43 can be accommodated in the gap S between the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28 that form the double wall.

To explain in more detail, the blank 12 has an outer wall surface portion 27, an inner wall surface portion 28, and an upper wall surface portion 29, and the second insertion piece 43 is provided at a position adjacent to the end of the outer wall surface portion 27. The tip of the second insertion piece 43 is continuous with the inner wall surface portion 28, or more precisely, with the edge portion of the recess 48, via a cut line L6. The fold line L5 located at the base end of the second insertion piece 43 is provided at the same position in the X direction as the fold line L4 formed between the outer wall surface portion 27 and the upper wall surface portion 29.

When the blank 12 is folded to assemble the storage box 10, a front panel 22 having a double wall structure is formed, and a gap S having a width equivalent to the dimension of the upper wall 29 in the X direction is formed between the outer wall 27 and the inner wall 28 that constitute the front panel 22. The second insertion piece 43 is separated from the inner wall 28 by breaking the cut line L6. When the inner wall 28 and the upper wall 29 are folded, the second insertion piece 43 is folded at the fold line L5 that is located at the same position as the fold line L4 in the X direction. Here, when the part of the cut line L6 that is the furthest from the outer wall 27 in the X direction, i.e., the part where the tip of the second insertion piece 43 is located in the blank 12 before folding, is defined as the "end of the cut line L6", the distance in the X direction between the end of the cut line L6 and the fold line L10 is shorter than the X-direction length of the second insertion piece 43. With this configuration, when the inner wall surface portion 28 and the upper wall surface portion 29 are folded, the second insertion piece 43 is folded inward of the inner wall surface portion 28 and inserted into the gap S (see FIG. 5). In addition, since the gap S has a width equivalent to the dimension of the upper wall surface portion 29, the second insertion piece 43 can be held in the gap S while being separated from the outer wall surface portion 27.

In addition, in the gap S, the upper surface of the second insertion piece 43, i.e., the surface facing the opening 47, is inclined in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S, the above-mentioned slide effect is obtained in which the upper surface of the second insertion surface 43 guides the first insertion piece 41. In addition, in the gap S, the tip of the second insertion piece 43 is located adjacent to the edge portion of the recess 48 of the inner wall surface portion 28. Therefore, even if the second insertion piece 43 moves toward the inner wall surface portion 28 after the tip of the second insertion piece 43 is arranged so that it is inserted into the gap S, the tip of the second insertion piece 43 is engaged with the edge portion of the recess 48, and the movement of the second insertion piece 43 is restricted. As a result, the second insertion piece 43 can be kept in the gap S, that is, the state in which the second insertion piece 43 is accommodated in the gap S can be stably maintained. As a result, the slide effect described above can be achieved more reliably.

In the first method described above, by inserting the first insertion piece 41 into the gap S, locking can be achieved relatively easily.
Furthermore, by inserting the first insertion piece 41 into the gap S, a frictional force acts between the first insertion piece 41 and the outer wall surface portion 27 and/or between the first insertion piece 41 and the inner wall surface portion 28, making it possible to prevent the first insertion piece 41 from unintentionally coming out of the gap S. This makes it possible to satisfactorily maintain the state in which the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S, i.e., the locked state.
Furthermore, the lock can be easily released by removing the first insertion piece 41 inserted into the gap S from the gap S. In other words, with the first locking method, the storage box 10 can be easily and repeatedly sealed and opened. This effect is particularly significant in cases where, for example, the sealed storage box 10 is delivered to multiple locations and items are removed from the storage box 10 at each location for checking or inspection.

In addition, in the first method, the second insertion piece 43 is housed in the gap S, so it is possible to prevent the second insertion piece 43 from being accidentally and unintentionally inserted into the notch 46. In other words, if the first method is used for locking, the action of inserting the second insertion piece 43 into the notch 46 can be restricted (regulated) until it is necessary.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S, so it is possible to avoid a situation in which the first insertion piece 41 enters the storage space and reduces the storage space. In particular, in the first embodiment, the first insertion piece 41 has a shape in which the center portion of the tip edge 42 is curved (concave) in an arc shape. Then, when the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S with the second insertion piece 43 accommodated in the gap S, the center portion of the tip edge 42 is adjacent to the second insertion piece 43.

In other words, the recessed central portion of the tip of the first insertion piece 41 is adjacent to the second insertion piece 43, so the amount of overlap between the first insertion piece 41 and the second insertion piece 43 in the gap S can be reduced. If the amount of overlap in the gap S were to increase, the double-wall structure of the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28 would bulge in the wall thickness direction, and if it bulged inward, the storage space would decrease. In the first embodiment, the above configuration can reduce the amount of overlap in the gap S, so the reduction in storage space is suppressed. Also, because outward bulging is suppressed, the aesthetics of the side panel portion (front panel portion 22), which is a double-wall structure, can be well maintained.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S formed in the side panel portion (more specifically, the front panel portion 22), so the bottom surface of the storage space does not rise. Therefore, in the first embodiment, items can be placed flat on the bottom surface within the storage space.

<Second method>
The second method is a locking method in which the second insertion piece 43 is inserted into the notch 46 while the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S. Specifically, when each of the pair of perforations 44, 44 in the outer wall surface portion 27 is broken, the rotating part 45 becomes rotatable about its base end as an axis, and the rotating part 45 is rotated toward the outside of the storage box 10. As a result, the second insertion piece 43 that was previously housed in the gap S is taken out of the gap S, as shown in FIG.

Then, rotate the rotating part 45 toward the inside of the storage box 10 to bring the second insertion piece 43 closer to the base end of the first insertion piece 41 that is inserted in the gap S. Then, insert the second insertion piece 43 from its tip side into the notch 46 provided in the base end of the first insertion piece 41. The insertion direction at this time intersects with the first insertion direction (more specifically, approximately perpendicular), and will be referred to as the second insertion direction below.

The second insertion piece 43 is inserted into the notch 46 to lock using the second method. The second method can achieve a stronger lock than the first method. In particular, since the second insertion direction intersects with the first insertion direction, the lock using the second method is even stronger.

In addition, protrusions 49 are provided on both sides of the base end of the second insertion piece 43, and each protrusion 49 protrudes outward from the part that is continuous with the base end of the second insertion piece 43, i.e., the rotating part 45. By providing such protrusions 49, the second insertion piece 43 is less likely to come out after being inserted into the notch 46, and a stronger lock is achieved. As a result, the storage box 10 can be firmly sealed without using tape or adhesive, etc., and the labor involved in sealing and the expense (cost) of tape, etc. can be reduced. Furthermore, the strong lock of the second method makes it difficult to remove items from the storage box 10, so that, for example, removal (theft) of items from the storage box 10 and tampering with the recorded data of the items can be prevented.

In addition, because the notch 46 is provided at the base end of the first insertion piece 41, the opening/closing plate 26 can be maintained in a good closed state by inserting the second insertion piece 43 into the notch 46. If the notch 46 were provided at the tip end of the first insertion piece 41, the opening/closing plate 26 may float up and open even when the second insertion piece 43 is inserted into the notch 46. In contrast, if the notch 46 is provided at the base end of the first insertion piece 41, the opening/closing plate 26 is prevented from floating up, and the opening/closing plate 26 can be maintained in a closed, flat position. As a result, the airtightness of the storage box 10 can be improved.

Furthermore, before locking using the second method, the perforations 44, 44 that define the pivoting portion 45 are not torn, and the pivoting portion 45 is located on the same plane as the rest of the outer wall surface portion 27 (see FIG. 1). In this state, the outer surface of the outer wall surface portion 27 is flat, ensuring aesthetic appeal as a box, and making it possible to decorate the outer surface of the outer wall surface portion 27 with printing or other means, for example.

When opening the storage box 10 after locking with the second method, the outer wall surface portion 27 is broken along the break line L7. This causes the portion of the outer wall surface portion 27 located inside the break line L7, including the pivot portion 45, to be cut off. At this time, the second insertion piece 43 remains inserted into the notch 46, and the cut piece can be removed from the gap S together with the first insertion piece 41, as shown in FIG. 7. This allows the storage box 10 to be opened after locking with the second method.

Furthermore, if the break line L7 is formed on the outer wall surface portion 27, the opening operation, i.e., breaking the storage box 10 along the break line L7, becomes easier. The break line L7 for opening the storage box 10 after locking by the second method may be formed on the opening and closing plate portion 26, and specifically, may be formed in a position surrounding the notch 46 so as to form a circle, ellipse, quadrangle such as a rectangle, or a polygon other than a quadrangle.

<<Second embodiment of the present invention>>
In the first embodiment, the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the gap S between the outer wall surface portion 27 and the inner wall surface portion 28 from the upper end side of the front panel portion 22, which is one of the side panel portions. On the other hand, the first insertion portion into which the first insertion piece 41 is inserted only needs to be provided in a portion adjacent to the opening/closing plate portion 26 when the opening is closed, and may be other than the gap S. Below, as a second embodiment of the present invention, an embodiment in which the first insertion portion is provided other than the gap S will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9.

In the following, the second embodiment will be described mainly in terms of the differences from the first embodiment, and the description of the points in common with the first embodiment will be omitted. In addition, the parts of the blank 14 shown in FIG. 8 that are in common with the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment.

The configuration of the storage box 10x of the second embodiment is generally the same as that of the storage box 10 of the first embodiment, but differs in that the opening and closing plate portion 26 is composed of two parts, specifically, a top plate portion 33 and a front cover plate portion 34. In the blank 14 of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the top plate portion 33 is continuous with the rear plate portion 23 in the X direction, and a fold line L2 is provided at the boundary between the rear plate portion 23 and the top plate portion 33. The front cover plate portion 34 is continuous with the top plate portion 33 on the side opposite the rear plate portion 23, and a fold line L8 is provided at the boundary between the top plate portion 33 and the front cover plate portion 34.

The first insertion piece 41 is continuous with the tip of the opening/closing plate 26, more specifically, with the tip of the front cover plate 34, as shown in FIG. 8. The base end of the first insertion piece 41 is provided with a folding line L3 and a notch 46 formed along the folding line L3. In addition, the front cover plate 34 is formed with a breaking line L7 for opening. The breaking line L7 is formed to surround the notch 46, and more specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, it extends to connect positions outside both ends of the first insertion piece 41 in the Y direction, forming an approximately V-shape or an approximately arc-shape.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the blank 14, the second insertion piece 43 is adjacent to the bottom plate portion 21 in the X direction and is located at the same position as the center of the bottom plate portion 21 in the Y direction. In the blank 14, the tip of the second insertion piece 43 fits into a recess 50 provided on the side of the outer wall surface portion 27 where the bottom plate portion 21 is located. As shown in FIG. 8, a cut line L9 is provided along the recess 50 at the boundary between the tip of the second insertion piece 43 and the outer wall surface portion 27. Before the storage box 10x is assembled, the tip of the second insertion piece 43 and the outer wall surface portion 27 are continuous via the cut line L9.

In addition, slits extending in the Y direction are formed in the outer wall surface portion 27 at locations on both sides of the second insertion piece 43 as shown in FIG. 8. When the second insertion piece 43 is separated from the outer wall surface portion 27, these slits are connected to a hole formed at the site of the second insertion piece 43 to form a single insertion hole 56. The insertion hole 56 functions as a first insertion portion in the second embodiment, and is located at the lower end of the front panel portion 22 when the storage box 10x is assembled (see FIG. 9).

As shown in FIG. 8, a pair of perforations 44, 44 and a pivot portion 45 are provided in the peripheral portion of the second insertion piece 43 in the bottom panel portion 21. Each perforation 44 extends linearly from the end of the bottom panel portion 21 on the side where the second insertion piece 43 is located toward the opposite side to the second insertion piece 43.

In the second embodiment, the storage box 10x is assembled by folding the blank 14 configured as described above in a procedure substantially similar to that of the first embodiment. During the assembly process, the opening of the storage space is closed by the opening and closing plate portion 26, in which the top plate portion 33 is folded at the folding line L2 and the front cover plate portion 34 is folded at the folding line L8. As a result, the top plate portion 33 is positioned above the storage space to close the opening, and the front cover plate portion 34 is positioned in front of the front plate portion 22 to cover the front side of the front plate portion 22. With this configuration, the second embodiment can improve the airtightness of the storage box 10x compared to the first embodiment.

Comparing the first and second embodiments, in the first embodiment, the opening and closing plate 26 does not have a front cover plate 34, so the amount (area) of the sheet that constitutes the opening and closing plate 26 is smaller than in the second embodiment. As a result, the opening and closing plate 26 can be made more compact, the amount of blank paper can be reduced, and the yield (number of sheets) can be improved.

In the second embodiment, the second insertion piece 43 is cut out from the outer wall surface portion 27 along the cut line L9. When the storage box 10x is assembled, the second insertion piece 43 is provided at a position adjacent to the lower end of the outer wall surface portion 27 as shown in FIG. 9. When the storage box 10x is assembled, the second insertion piece 43 is cut out from the outer wall surface portion 27, so that the hole formed by the second insertion piece 43 and the slit hole provided in the outer wall surface portion 27 are connected, and the insertion hole 56 is provided at the lower end of the outer wall surface portion 27.

In the second embodiment, when the opening/closing plate 26 closes the opening, the tip (lower end) of the front cover plate 34 is adjacent to the insertion hole 56. When locking using the first method in the second embodiment, the first insertion piece 41 is brought close to the front plate surface 22 from the front of the front plate surface 22, and the first insertion piece 41 is folded at the folding line L3 and inserted into the insertion hole 56. According to this method, the first insertion piece 41 can be inserted into the insertion hole 56 without tilting the storage box 10x.
When locked in the first manner, the second insertion piece 43 is not inserted into the notch 46 and is in a state where it protrudes from the front end of the bottom plate portion 21 .

When locking using the second method in the second embodiment, the second insertion piece 43 is inserted into the notch 46 while the first insertion piece 41 is inserted into the insertion hole 56. Specifically, each of the pair of perforations 44, 44 in the bottom panel portion 21 is broken, and the rotating part 45 is rotated toward the outside of the storage box 10x. Then, the rotating part 45 is rotated toward the inside of the storage box 10x, and the second insertion piece 43 is brought closer to the base end of the first insertion piece 41 and inserted into the notch 46 from below the first insertion piece 41.

When opening the storage box 10x after locking with the second method, the front cover plate 34 is broken at the break line L7. This causes the portion of the front cover plate 34 located inside the break line L7 to be separated from the remaining portions. This allows the opening and closing plate 26 to be opened with the first insertion piece 41 inserted into the insertion hole 56 and the second insertion piece 43 inserted into the notch 46, and as a result, the storage box 10x can be opened. In this way, in the second embodiment, the storage box 10x can be opened without destroying the side plate portions such as the front plate 22.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10x Storage box 12, 14 Blank 21 Bottom panel 22 Front panel 23 Rear panel 24 Left panel 25 Right panel 26 Opening and closing panel 27 Outer wall 28 Inner wall 29 Upper wall 30 Engagement hole 31 Engagement piece 32 Cutout 33 Top panel 34 Front cover panel 41 First insertion piece 42 Tip edge 43 Second insertion piece 44 Perforation 45 Rotating portion 46 Cutout 46a Long side portion 46b Short side portion 47 Opening 48, 50 Recess 49 Protruding portion 51 Upper flap portion 52 Reinforcing flap portion 53 Connecting flap portion 54 Engagement portion 55 Connecting wall portion 56 Insertion hole L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L8, L10 Folding lines L6, L9 Cutting lines L7 Breaking lines M Sheet mesh S Gap

Claims (10)

A storage box having a bottom panel, a plurality of side panel parts surrounding the bottom panel, and an opening/closing panel part closing an opening of a space partitioned by the plurality of side panel parts,
One of the side panel portions has an inner wall surface portion located inside the storage box and an outer wall surface portion disposed along the inner wall surface portion and located outside the storage box,
A first insertion piece protrudes from a tip end of the opening and closing plate portion,
A second insertion piece is provided at a position adjacent to an end of the outer wall surface portion,
A first insertion portion into which at least a tip end of the first insertion piece is inserted is formed in a portion adjacent to the opening/closing plate portion when the opening is closed,
The first insertion piece is formed with a second insertion portion into which at least a tip end of the second insertion piece is inserted,
A pair of perforations extending from an end of the outer wall surface portion on a side where the second insertion piece is located toward an opposite side to the second insertion piece;
A rotating portion located between the pair of perforations and continuous with a base end portion of the second insertion piece;
a break line that is broken when the storage box is opened in a state in which the second insertion piece is inserted into the second insertion portion, is provided on the outer wall surface portion,
The break line is formed at a position surrounding the pair of perforations and the rotating portion on the outer wall surface portion,
The method of locking the opening closed by the opening/closing plate portion is as follows:
a first method of inserting the first insertion piece into the first insertion portion in a state in which the second insertion piece is not inserted into the second insertion portion;
and a second method of inserting the second insertion piece into the second insertion portion while the first insertion piece is inserted into the first insertion portion. The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the storage box can be assembled by folding a single blank that constitutes the storage box. The storage box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a notch is provided at the base end of the first insertion piece as the second insertion portion. The first insertion portion is a gap between the inner wall surface portion and the outer wall surface portion,
The storage box according to claim 1 , wherein the first insertion piece is inserted into the gap from an upper end side of one of the side panel portions. The second insertion piece protrudes from an end of the outer wall surface portion and can be accommodated in the gap,
A storage box as described in claim 4, wherein when the opening is locked in a closed state by the opening/closing plate portion using the first method, the first insertion piece is inserted into the gap with the second insertion piece accommodated within the gap. A central portion of a tip edge of the first insertion piece is curved so as to approach the opening and closing plate portion,
The storage box according to claim 5 , wherein when the first insertion piece is inserted into the gap with the second insertion piece accommodated in the gap, a central portion of the tip edge is adjacent to the second insertion piece. a first insertion direction when the first insertion piece is inserted into the gap is along a direction from a base end of the second insertion piece to a tip end of the second insertion piece in a state in which the second insertion piece is accommodated in the gap;
The storage box according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a second insertion direction when the second insertion piece is inserted into the second insertion portion intersects with the first insertion direction. A storage box as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein when the opening is locked in a closed state by the opening/ closing plate portion using the second method, each of the pair of perforations is broken, the rotating portion is rotated toward the outside of the storage box, and then the second insertion piece is inserted into the second insertion portion. The inner wall surface portion is provided with a recess having a shape corresponding to an outer edge of the tip end of the second insertion piece,
A storage box as described in claim 8, wherein before the storage box is assembled, a tip portion of the second insertion piece fits inside the recess and is continuous with the inner wall surface portion, and a cut line is formed along the recess at the boundary between the tip portion of the second insertion piece and the inner wall surface portion. A protrusion protruding outward in a width direction of the second insertion piece is provided on each of both side portions of a base end of the second insertion piece,
The storage box according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion is located outboard in the width direction of a portion of the outer wall surface portion that is continuous with a base end portion of the second insertion piece.