US3039671A - Dual compartment box - Google Patents

Description

E. (TIM) CHIAMARDAS 3,039,671

DUAL COMPARTMENT BOX June 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 22, 1961 INVENTOR. EFT'IEM (TIM) CHIAMARDAS June 19, 1962 E. (TIM) CHIAMARDAS 3,039,671

DUAL COMPARTMENT Box Filed Nov. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 53 '52 37 37'/ 52" 53' INVENT0R- EFTHEM cTlwcHlAMARDAs 3,039,671 DUAL COR/EPARTMENT BOX Efthem (Tim) Chiamardas, 2060 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Va. Filed Nov. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 154,273 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-27) This invention relates to improvements in box or container construction and more particularly to a box or container structure uniquely adapted to contain two different types of cigarettes.

Box type cigarette packages have been in use for a number of years and, in view of their rigid construction, provide the user with a relatively uncrushable container in which the cigarettes are not bent or broken. However, many cigarette users desire to smoke two or more types of cigarettes and the box constructions to date, being bulky, present a problem of available carrying space to such user.

Where switch smokers have desired to combine their cigarettes in one package they have usually emptied part of a pack or box of one type and iilled the space with the other. Besides the fact that such repacking often causes bending or breaking of the cigarette, it has been found that if mentholated cigarettes are combined with non-mentholated cigarettes, the latter will be partially mentholated by their proximity to the former.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unique box structure which contains two distinct compartments.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a cigarette box wherein two different types of cigarettes may be separately contained without any physical contact between them or contamination of one by the other.

Also it is an object of this invention to provide a box structure in which the basic form is provided by a single integral blank and the full partition features are provided by easily insertable tabs.

Further objects will become apparent upon consideration of the description following and the appended claims.

A box embodying the features of the invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective View of a box embodying the features of my invention showing the box in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view with the box opened;

FIG. 3 is a side Sectional View on line 3 3 of FIG. i;

FIG. 4 is a front sectional View on line 4 4 ofFIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a top sectional View on line 5 5 of FIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the box with the center tabs removed;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective View showing a tear line with the divided portion shown in broken lines;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the box is formed;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an insert to be positioned in the box;

FIG. l0 is a plan View of twin tabs to be positioned in the center of the box structure; and

FIG. 1l is a plan view of a modiiied insert to be positioned in the box.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated as embodied in a box 10, adapted to contain cigarettes Ialthough it will be understood that it is capable of embodiments for other uses. The box is `constructed of hard paper, cardboard, etc., although it may be of thin sheet metal or sheet plastic.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings comprise front wall 11, rear portion consisting of two back walls 12 and 12 and outer side walls 13 and 14 each back wall having a flex line 35. It also 3,039,671 Patented June 19, 1962 comprises inner side Walls 15 and 16, an outer base wall 17, an inner base wall formed by flaps 1S and 1S and twin flip top lids 19 and 20 said lids each` having inner, outer and intermediate top walls 21, 22 and 23, respectively; inner and outer side walls, 24 and 2.5, respectively; and inner and outer front Walls 26 and 27, respectively. An intermediate wall 28 is provided to divide the box into two compartments, the wall 28 consisting of flaps 29 and 29.

All of these Walls are formed from an integral blank 30, FIG. 8, which is folded along the fold lines on scores 31.

The blank 30 is provided with adhesive applied to the portions indicated, it being understood that the adhesive could be applied to the opposed overlapping portion. Although not shown in the drawing, adhesive is also applied to the back of flap 29. The application of adhesive and the bending and folding operations as detailed below can be done mechanically or by hand.

With adhesive applied as illustrated, the aps 29, 29' are folded along the fold line 31 so that the sides thereof, not shown, are contacted and sealed together 'by the adhesive on the back of 29 and the resultant intermediate wall 23 lies perpendicular to the plane of back walls 12 and 12. The blank is then folded along the fold lines between the inner side walls 15 and 16 and the back walls 12 and 12 to position the side walls 15 and 16 in faceto-face relationship with the intermediate wall 28.

The blank is then folded inwardly along the lines between the side walls 15 and 16 and the aps 18 and 18 rendering the iiaps 18 and 18' perpendicular to the side flaps 15 and 16 and placing their outer edges 33 and 34 in abutting relationship. The outer base 17 is then folded along the fold line connecting it to back wall 12 thereby contacting the base 17 with flaps 13 and 18', the adhesive on the base 17 providing a seal with the aps 18 and 18.

Front wall 11 is then folded along its connecting fold line with outer base 17 until it is perpendicular in relationship to the base 17 and in face-to-face relationship with back walls 12 and 12'. The outer side walls 16 and 14 are then folded along the fold lines connecting them with front wall 11, the folds bringing outer side walls 13 and 14 into contact with inner side walls 15 and 16, respectively, where they are sealed by the adhesive on the outer side Walls 13 and 14.

This forms the basic box structure, each of the compartments thus formed being covered by a lid 19 or 2t). Each lid is formed in the same manner and thus only the steps to produce one lid will be presented in detail.

Lid 19 is formed by rst folding the inner front wall 26 along the fold line between it and outer front wall 27 until the inner front Wall 26 contacts the outer front wall 27 and is sealed thereto by the adhesive on the face of the outer front wall 26. Next, lower and intermediate top walls 21 and `23 respectively are folded along the fold lines connecting them with inner side walls 24 until they lie perpendicular to the side walls 24, their outer extremities facing the front wall of the box structure. Inner side walls 241 are then folded along their connecting fold line with back wall 12 until they are perpendicular to said back wall. In so folding, the face of intermediate top wall 23 overlaps lower top wall 21 and is sealed thereto by the adhesive on said intermediate top wall. Upper top wall 22 is then folded along its connecting fold line with back 12 until it lies perpendicular to said back wall and is in face-to-face relationship with intermediate top wall 23. Sealing is accomplished between said upper and intermediate top walls by adhesive on the face of said upper top wall 22.

The front of the lid is then placed in position by folding the outer front wall 27 along the folding line connecting it with upper top wall 22 until it is perpendicular to the top Wall 22 thereby bringing the fold lines 31 connecting said outer front wall and the outer side Walls 25 into contact with the edges of inner side walls 24. The outer side walls 25 are then folded along the fold lines 31 between said outer side walls 25 and outer front wall 27 to place them in face-to-face relation with inner side Walls, 24, a seal being effected therebetween by adhesive on the inner face of the outer side walls 25.

The box is easily opened by lifting the lids and pushing them toward the back of the box whereby they flip back on the fiex lines 35 of the backs 12 and 12'. Closing is accomplished by merely pushing the lids back toward the front. The multiplicity of side, center and top walls provide a rigidity to the entire structure, while allowing ease of fabrication.

An insert 36, FIG. 9, is provided to be placed in the box as shown in FIG. 6. rlhis insert is composed of a series of connected flaps which when folded are easily placed in the box structure. These comprise inner and outer center flaps 37 (37') and 38 (33') respectively, front flaps 39 (39') and side flaps 4t? (4t-ty). Between each ap is a fold line 4l.

The insert 36 is formed by first folding the inner center aps 37 and 37 along their connecting fold line 41 until the backs thereof are in face-to-ace relation, adhesive on the back of 37 sealing them together. Outer center flaps 3S and 38' are then folded along the fold lines connecting them with inner center flaps 37 and 37 until they are in face-to-face relation with aps 37 and 37 respectively, and are sealed thereto by the adhesive on the outer center flaps 38 and 38'.

Front flaps 39 and 39' are then folded along their fold lines connecting with outer center flaps 3S and 38' until they lie perpendicular to the outer center aps 38 and 33. The formation of this outer insert 36 is completed by folding side flaps 4t) and 40 along their connecting fold lines with center flaps 39 and 39 until they lie perpendicular to the center flaps 39 and 39' and in faceto-face relationship withouter flaps 38 and 38'.

The insert is placed in the basic box structure lil to form the structure depicted in FIGURE 6. This is accomplished by inserting the insert 36 so that the side flaps 40 and e9' lie in face-to-face relation with the inner side walls and I6, respectively; the front aps 39 and 39 lie in face-to-face relation with the front wall il; and the accordion-like center portion formed by the center aps 37, 37', 3S and 37' lie in face-to-face relation with the intermediate wall 28 formed by flaps 29 and 29. This insert is so positioned that the upper edge of the center portion composed of flaps 37, 37', 38, and 38' lies parallel to the plane of the upper edge of front wall 1I as shown in FIGURE 6.

rIhe insert is sealed to the box by adhesive placed on the faces of aps 39, 39', 40, d' and on the underside of ap 3S.

Two additional inserts are provided (FIGURE 101) to modify the box structure of FIGURE 6 to that of FIG- URE 2. These inserts 42 consist of front `tabs 43 and side tabs 44 and are in essence mirror images of one another. They are folded along their fold lines 45 so that tabs d3 lie perpendicular to tabs 44 and are inserted in the box structure by placing the faces of front tabs d3 against the backs of flaps 39 (39') of insert 36.

One of the side tabs 44 is placed against the face of intermediate wall 28. The other side tab is placed against the face of outer center aps 38. Such placement is made so that the edge portions 46 of front tabs 43 lie parallel to the upper edge of front wall 1l. Sealing is accomplished by adhesive on the surfaces of tabs d3 and 44.

With these inserts the structure of FIGURE 2 is completed, each of the various walls, tabs and inserts being in position as shown by the sectional views of FIGURES 4, 5 and 6.

FIGURE 7 shows a modification of the box structure of either FIGURES 2 or 6 said modification consisting of a tear line 4S on the face of front wall 11. A similar tear line is placed on fold line 41 connecting aps 39 and 38 of insert 36 and on aline bisecting the length of bottom I7. By such provision, the box may be 'easily divided into two separate containers Si?, each being capable of full sealing by its individual lid.

In FIGURE ll a modification of insert 36 is shown which combines the features of both inserts 36 and 42. In this figure al1 of the flaps are identical to those shown in FIGURE 9 except for outer center flaps 3S (38') and front flaps 39 (39'). These aps noted as 52 (52') and 53 (53') respectively, in FIGURE l1, provide for the incorporation of the features of FIGURE 10 inserts in the insert of FIGURE 9 in that the center aps now extend to the top of the box. The modified insert is placed in the box structure in a slightly different manner than the insert of FIGURE 9; the inner center flaps 37 and 37' being positioned on opposite sides of the intermediate wall 23; the fold line 41 between the inner center flaps 37 and 37' being placed around the outer edge of said intermediate wall 23.

A further modification of the box structure is made by utilizing two inserts, one consisting of aps 52, 53 and d@ and the other of aps 52', 53' and 40' of FIGURE 11. In this modification inner center flaps 37 and 37' are omitted and the outer center fiaps 38 and 38' are sealed directly to the intermediate wall 28.

It will be understood that the foregoing description has used expressions such as front, rear and end as relative terms and not in regard to dimensions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A dual compartment box comprising, in combination, a basic box structure and an insert; said basic box structure formed from a single sheet of paper material comprising a front wall, a rear wall, outer and inner base walls, sides sloping toward the front wall consisting of outer and inner walls, an intermediate wall sloping toward the front wall interpositioned between said sides formed of two connected flaps, each being of sufcient length to extend between said back and front walls thereby providing first and second compartments in said basic box structure, a first lid member closing said first compartment and a second lid member closing said second compartment, each of said lids adapted to rest on the upper edges of said side front and intermediate walls and being hinged to said back wall, said lids comprising inner and outer front walls, sides comprising inner and outer walls, inner, outer and intermediate top walls, and a back wall consisting of the upper portion of the basic box rear wall; said insert comprising two sets of center, front and side flaps; said insert being combined with said basic box structure' such that each compartment thereof contains only one of the front and side flaps, the center aps forming a second intermediate wall between said compartment, said front and side aps, respectively, being in contact with said front and inner side walls respectively of the basic box structure and being so provisioned that the upper portions thereof underlie the lids when said lids are in closed position.

2. A box according to claim l wherein the insert is formed of a single sheet of paper.

3. A box according to claim l wherein the insert cornprises two lseparate units, one for each compartment, each unit comprising side, front and center iaps.

4. A dual compartment box comprising, in combinal. tion, a basic box structure and an insert; said basic box 1 structure formed from a single sheet of paper material comprising a front wall, a rear wall, outer and inner base walls, side walls sloping toward the front wall, an intermediate wall sloping toward the front wall interpositioned between said side walls formed of two connected flaps, each being of sufficient length to extend between said back and front walls thereby providing first and second compartments in said basic box structure, a first lid member closing said rst compartment and a second lid member closing said second compartment, each of said lids adapted lto rest on the upper edges of said side front and intermediate Walls and being hinged to said back Wall, said lids comprising front walls, -side Walls, top walls, and a back wall consisting of the upper por-tion of the basic box rear wall; said insert comprising two sets of center, front land side apsg said insert being combined with said basic box structure such that each compartment thereof contains only one of the front and side aps, the center iiaps forming a second intermediate wall between said compartment, said front and `side aps, respectively,

being in contact `With said front and inner side Walls respectively, of the basic box structure and being so provisioned that the upper portions thereof underlie the lids when said lids are in closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,256,965 Williams Feb. 19, 1918 2,983,424 Glass n May 9, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,469 Great Britain June 19, 1940

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