Cardboard lid and support element structure

Abstract

A cardboard lid for a container, where the cardboard lid includes side panels forming lid flanks and lid flaps connected to the side panels by lid flaps fold lines, where two of the lid flaps form a lid top panel. The cardboard lid also includes a support element structure extending away from the top panel and positioned between the side panels, whereby the lid flaps, side panels, and support element structure pertain to a single blank. Cardboard blanks for making a cardboard lid, and stacks of such blanks. Related consumer products and methods of manufacturing such consumer products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cardboard lid for a container, the cardboard lid comprising:
 side panels forming lid flanks;   lid flaps connected to the side panels by lid flaps fold lines, two of the lid flaps forming a lid top panel; and   a support element structure extending away from the top panel and positioned between the side panels;   whereby the lid flaps, side panels, and support element structure pertain to a single blank.   
     
     
         2 . The cardboard lid according to  claim 1 , whereby the support element structure comprises a support element first panel and a first wing, the first wing being adjacent to the support element first panel and separated from the support element first panel by a first wing fold line, the first wing comprising a first wing end distal from the first wing fold line, the first wing end being in contact with the top panel to maintain the support element first panel extended away from the top panel. 
     
     
         3 . The cardboard lid according to  claim 2 , whereby the support element further comprises a second wing, the second wing being adjacent to the support element first panel and separated from the support element first panel by a second wing fold line, the second wing comprising a second wing end distal from the second wing fold line, the second wing end being in contact with the top panel to maintain the support element first panel extended away from the top panel, the second wing fold line and the first wing fold line being on opposite sides of the support element first panel. 
     
     
         4 . The cardboard lid according to  claim 3 , whereby the first wing end and the second wing end are rounded. 
     
     
         5 . The cardboard lid according to  claim 1 , whereby at least one of the lid flanks comprises a reinforcing panel, the reinforcing panel being connected to the respective side panel by a side panel fold line, the reinforcing panel being folded back onto the respective side panel, the reinforcing panel pertaining to the single blank. 
     
     
         6 . The cardboard lid according to  claim 1 , whereby at least one flank comprises an actuation area, an apex of the support element structure being in line with the actuation area. 
     
     
         7 . A cardboard blank for a cardboard lid according to  claim 1 , the cardboard blank comprising:
 four side panels, the four side panels following each other along a first direction, each side panel being connected to at least another side panel by a respective side panel fold line perpendicular to the first direction;   a side flap connected to one of the side panels along a fold line perpendicular to the first direction, the side flap following or preceding the four side panels along the first direction;   three lid flaps, the lid flaps following each other along the first direction, each lid flap being connected to a respective regular side panel of the four side panels by a respective lid flap fold line parallel to the first direction, the lid flap fold lines being aligned with each other; the four side panels comprising the regular side panels and a specific side panel;   a support element structure, the support element structure comprising a support element first panel connected to the specific side panel by a specific fold line aligned with the lid flap fold lines, the support element structure further comprising a support element opposite panel comprised in the lid flap of the three lid flaps connected to an opposite side panel, the opposite side panel being the regular side panel separated from the specific side panel by a single other regular side panel, the support element structure having a combined length along a direction perpendicular to the first direction exceeding a length of the single other regular side panel along the first direction.   
     
     
         8 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 7 , the support element structure comprising a first wing, the first wing being adjacent to the support element first panel and connected to the support element first panel by a first wing fold line perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
         9 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 8 , the support element structure comprising a second wing, the second wing being adjacent to the support element first panel and connected to the support element first panel by a second wing fold line perpendicular to the first direction and on a side of the support element first panel opposite to the first wing. 
     
     
         10 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 8 , the first wing corresponding to a cut out in one of the three lid flaps adjacent to the support element first panel. 
     
     
         11 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 9 , the second wing corresponding to a cut out in one of the three lid flaps adjacent to the support element first panel. 
     
     
         12 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 7 , the support element structure comprising a connecting panel between the support element first panel and the specific side panel. 
     
     
         13 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 7 , whereby the support element structure comprises an opposite connecting panel between the support element opposite panel and the opposite side panel. 
     
     
         14 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 7 , the cardboard blank further comprising four reinforcing flaps, each reinforcing flap being connected to a respective side panel by a respective reinforcing flap fold line, the reinforcing flap fold lines being aligned with each other and parallel to the first direction, the reinforcing flaps being situated on a side of the side panels opposite to the lid flaps and to the support element structure. 
     
     
         15 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 7 , whereby the specific side panel and the opposite side panel are shorter side panels, the shorter side panels having a same panel length along the first direction, this same panel length being shorter than a panel length of the other two side panels along the first direction, the other two side panels being long side panels, the long side panels having the same length along the first direction. 
     
     
         16 . The cardboard blank according to  claim 15 , whereby each long side panel comprises a respective aperture for an actuation area. 
     
     
         17 . A stack of a plurality of cardboard blanks according to  claim 7 , wherein the cardboard blanks are planar. 
     
     
         18 . A consumer product comprising a detergent product and a container, the container comprising a box and a lid according to  claim 1 , the box comprising a lock to maintain the lid in a closed position, the lock comprising an actuator aligned with a portion of the support element structure when the lid is in the closed position, the support element structure fitting within the box when the lid is in the closed position. 
     
     
         19 . A method for manufacturing a consumer product comprising a detergent product and a container, the container containing the detergent product, the detergent product comprising flexible water soluble unit dose articles, the container comprising a box, a lid, and a lock to maintain the lid in a closed position, the method comprising folding the blank according to  claim 7  to erect the support element structure as part of the lid. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the folding of the blank comprises
 folding the side flap and two of the side panels over the other two side panels so the side flap faces one of the other two side panels in order to close the flank structure by gluing the side flap to the one of the other two side panels;   opening the closed flank structure to erect the flanks;   after opening the closed flank structure, start forming the top panel by folding a first lid flap of the three lid flaps, the first lid flap being the lid flap connected to the opposite side panel;   after folding the first lid flap, folding the support element first panel so that the support element first panel meets the first lid flap to form the support element structure;   after folding the support element structure, folding the remaining two lid flaps, pushing the support element structure away from the top panel, the remaining lid flaps forming the top panel.