New Zealand No 336127 International No PCT/
TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION
Priority dates 03 06 1999 Complete Specification Filed 03 06 1999 Classification (6) B65D5/54 Publication date 29 September 1999 Journal No 1444
NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Title of Invention A box for files or folders
Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form
NEW ZEALAND OFFICE PRODUCTS LIMITED, a New Zealand company of 1 9-21 Barker Street, Wellington, New Zealand
120833
336127
PATENTS FORM 5 Number
PATENTS ACT 1953 Dated
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
A BOX FOR FILES OR FOLDERS
We, NEW ZEALAND OFFICE PRODUCTS LIMITED, a New Zealand company of 19-21 Barker Street, Wellington, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement i
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FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention comprises a box for containing folders or files and/or other stationery items for sale, which after opening and removal of the contents may be 5 used to support the folders or files, on a shelf or desk or similar
BACKGROUND TO INVENTION
Empty files or folders are sold by stationers or office requisites suppbers either 10 individually or in lots, which may be packaged for sale in a box such as a cardboard box for example The box is opened to remove the files and discarded
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
1^ The present invention provides a box for the sale of folders or files which may be used after opening and removal and use of the folders or files to neatly contain or support the folders or files, oil a shelf or on a desk for example
In broad terms the present invention composes a box comprising a base, side wall 20 panels, end wall panels, and a top wall panel, forming the box, and lines either of weakness in or marked as cut lines on the extenor of the box in or on the side panels, extending
(i) at an angle towards the base of the box from one end wall panel at or near the top wall panel, from the corner between said one end wall 25 panel and the top wall panel, or from the top wall panel at or near one end wall panel, and to the other end wall panel,
(n) across said one end wall panel at or near to the top wall panel, across the corner between said one end wall panel and the top wall panel, or across the top wall panel near said one end wall panel, 30 (m) across said other end wall panel, and
(iv) on the top wall panel and down said other end wall panel to intersect with said line extending across said other end wall panel, enabling removal of a top part of the box in two segments which may be inverted and placed back in the mtenor of the remainder of the box to form a 35 divider therein
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The closed box is sold containing one or more folders or files and/or other office or stationeiy products After sale and opening of the box, by breaking open along the lines of weakness or cutting for example wilh scissors along the marked cut 5 lines on the extenor of the box, the two resulting segments from the top part of the box may be inverted and placed back into the intenor of the remainder of the box to form a divider within the intenor of the box, which assists in use of the box to contain and support folders or files, for example in an upnght position Thus, m addition to acting as packaging for the folders or files and/or other stationery or 10 office products for sale, the packaging box can thus also serve a useful purpose after sale
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is further descnbed with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred form box of the invention by way of example and without intending to be limiting, m which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form box as closed for sale, showing 20 in chain lines one folder or file within the box,
Figure 2 shows the box after breaking or cutting along the lines of weakness or printed cut Lines on the extenor of the box, resulting in separation of the top part of the box in two segments from the remainder of the box,
Figure 3 shows the two segments of the top pent of the box inverted and brought together ready for insertion into the intenor of the remainder of the box,
Figure 4 shows the box after insertion of the two mverted segments together into 30 the intenor of the box to form a central divider therein, and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the box as closed for sale, showing in chain lines one folder or file withm the box
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FORM
Referring to Figure 1, the bo\ comprises a base (not indicated by a reference nuineial), side wall panels 1 and 2, end wall panels 3 and 4, and Lop wall panel 5 5 The box shown is rectangular in a horizontal direction but the box may be of other shapes such as upright rectangular or square, for example The box may be formed of cardboard including corrugated cardboard or any other suitable matenal such as a corrugated plastic material for example As sold the box preferably contains one or more folders or files, one such folder being shown in 10 chain lines within the box at 6 m Figure 1, and/or other office or stationery items
Either lines of weakness or cut lines are piovided in or on the side wall panels 1 and 2, end panels 3 and/or and top wall panel 5 as shown as dotted lines in Figure 1 Lines of weakness may be formed as lines of perforations or otherwise to 15 provide lines of mechanical weakness such as by preformed fold lines m the side wall, top, and one or both end panels of the box Cut lines may be printed on the extenor of the box indicating where the box should be cut for example with scissors Lines of weakness such as perforated lines in the side wall panels of the box may be combined with printed cut lines on one or more end panels or the top 20 panel of the box as an alternative for example
Aftei sale when a purchaser desires to open the box the top part of the box is removed as two segments as shown in Figure 2, by breaking the two segments away from the remainder of the box along the perforated lines or by cutting the 25 two segments away by cutting along printed cut lines on the extenor of the box, resulting in the two segments A and B and the remainder of the box C shown in Figure 2 The two segments A and B are then inverted and brought together as shown in Figure 3, and inserted into the remainder of the box to form a central divider within the interior of the box as shown m Figure 4 The box so 30 reconstituted may be used to contain files either laid on their spine for example, or supported in an upright position, on a shelf or desk or similar
In the preferred form lines of weakness or printed cut lines la and lb (line lb is not visible m Figure 1) are provided in the side wall panels 1 and 2 of the box 35 extending from the junction between the end panel 4 and top panel 5, to the end
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uosn wall panel 3, and at an angle towards the base of the box; Another line of weakness or printed cut line 3a extends across the end wall panel 3 between the ends of the hnes of weakness or printed cut lines in the side wall panels, and a furthei line ol weakness 5a or printed cut line extends centrally along the top 5 panel 5 and down the end panel 3 to intersect with the transverse line 3a across the end panel 3 At the other end of the box either a line of weakness may extend along the corner between the end wall panel 4 and top wall panel 5, or across the end wall panel 4 immediately below or near the corner between the end wall panel 4 and top wall panel 5, or across the top wall panel 5 near the corner between the 10 end wall panel 4 and top wall panel 5 In either of the latter two cases the lines of weakness or printed cut lines la and lb in the side wall panels are angled so as to intersect with the line of weakness or printed cut line in the end wall panel 4 or top panel 5
Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the box wherein the box is rectangular in the vertical direction The box is provided with lines of weakness or printed cut lines la, 2a (not visible in Figure 5), 3a, 3b and 5a shown as dotted lines in Figure 5 When a purchaser desires to open the box the top part of the box is removed m two segments The two segments may be removed by cutting along the cut hnes 20 or breaking the box along the perforated lines This results in two segments and the remainder of the box The segments may be brought together to form a divider such as the one shown by segments A and B of figure 3 The segments are then, inserted into the box as previously described In this embodiment when the divider is in place the box may be used to contain folders or files m an upright 25 position
The foregoing descnbes the invention including a preferred form thereof Alterations and modifications as will be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be incorporated within the scope hereof, as defined in the following 30 claims
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