Blanks for Containers

Abstract

A blank from which may be erected a protective enclosed tamper evident container for the packaging of articles during transportation and storage has five aligned panels that form opposed roof and floor walls having a dome shape connected at opposite ends of the container by side walls having a concave shape. The centre panel forming the floor wall has opposed closure panels that fold over the roof wall to close the open sides of the container and are provided with locking tongues that engage slots in the roof wall to secure the container. The tongues and slots provide a tamper evident mechanism for securing the container such that no adhesive is required during the erection process in order to hold the container in its closed position.

1 . A blank from which may be formed a protective enclosed tamper evident container, the blank being made of shape-retaining material and comprising a main section which has five aligned panels, a first of these panels defining a first main wall of the container, second and third of these panels, each defining a side wall of the container, are connected to opposite ends of said first panel, fourth and fifth of these panels, each defining a portion of a second main wall of the container, are connected to said second and third panels at an end that opposes the end connected to said first panel, wherein the second main wall is, when erected, opposed to the first main wall, with said fourth and fifth panels being dimensioned to overlap free end of one panel over free end of the other panel, the side wall panels are defined between first and second arcuate crease lines curved towards each other such that each side wall panel is almost elliptical, and the blank includes a closure panel on each side of the main section, wherein each closure panel is provided with a tongue that is, when the container is erected, received in a respective matching slot provided in one of the main walls of the container in order to hold the container in a closed position, and each slot being so shaped and dimensioned that, once entered, neither tongue can be removed without leaving evidence of tampering, and in which no adhesive is required during the erection of the blank in order to hold the container in its closed position. 
   
   
       2 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the closure panels are provided at opposing sides of the first main wall that are not connected to the second and third panels, and the slots are provided in the outermost panel of the second main wall. 
   
   
       3 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the closure panels are provided at opposing sides of the outermost panel of the second main wall and the slots are provided in the first main wall. 
   
   
       4 . A blank as claim in  claim 1 , wherein a first closure panel is provided at one side of the first main wall that is not connected to the second and third panels, and the slot engaged by the tongue of the first closure panel is provided in the outermost panel of the second main wall, and a second closure panel is provided at one side of the outermost panel of the second main wall on the opposite side of the main section to the first closure panel, and the slot engaged by the tongue of the second closure panel is provided in the first main wall. 
   
   
       5 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material used for the blank is fluted board, the fluting being aligned generally from end to end of the aligned panels of the blank, and thus generally normal to the arcuate crease lines. 
   
   
       6 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the material used for the blank comprises a second layer attached to the inside surface of the blank in order to provide the erected closed container with desired properties. 
   
   
       7 . A blank as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the second layer is an insulating material and/or a protective material. 
   
   
       8 . A blank as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the second layer is selected from the group comprising bubble wrap, cradle wrap or other filmic materials incorporating sealed bags or bubbles containing air or other gases. 
   
   
       9 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the degree of curvature of the arcuate crease lines is generally in a ratio of centre point height to outer limit height of from 4:1 down to 1.5:1. 
   
   
       10 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, to improve the ease with which the blank can be folded, the crease lines have been perforated. 
   
   
       11 . A blank as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the perforation has been carried out using lasers. 
   
   
       12 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the closure panels are connected to the main section of the blank at an edge defined by first and second straight crease lines. 
   
   
       13 . A blank as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the closure panels are connected to the main section of the blank via side wall panels defined by first and second arcuate crease lines. 
   
   
       14 . A protective enclosed tamper evident container made by erecting a blank as claimed in  claim 1 .