Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – Lifting or suspending element
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-20
2001-04-03
Elkins, Gary E. (Department: 3727)
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
Lifting or suspending element
C229S117220
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209782
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a packaging box, more particularly to a packaging box with a foldable handle member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional packaging box is shown to comprise a hollow body
10
made of a paperboard material. The hollow body
10
has a top opening
11
, and two opposed pairs of side walls
100
. The side walls
100
have two opposed side cover plates
12
, an inner cover plate
13
and an outer cover plate
14
connected hingeably and respectively to upper edges thereof. An insertion slit
131
is formed along a folding line between the inner cover plate
13
and one of the side walls
100
. A hingeable retaining plate
101
is formed adjacent to the slit
131
on one of the side walls
100
. The outer cover plate
14
has an insertion plate
141
hinged to a distal edge thereof. A retaining slit
142
is formed along a folding line between the outer cover plate
14
and the insertion plate
141
. To close the opening
11
, the side cover plates
12
are turned inwardly and the inner cover plate
13
is then turned inwardly for folding over the side cover plates
12
. Thereafter, the outer cover plate
14
is folded over the inner cover plate
13
. Finally, the insertion plate
141
of the outer cover plate
14
is inserted into the insertion slit
131
, and the retaining plate
101
is inserted into the retaining slit
142
in order to lock the inner and outer cover plates
13
,
14
to one another. To carry the packaging box, a handle
15
formed from a plastic strip is connected to the outer cover plate
14
. The handle
15
has two ends that are retained respectively in two holes
143
formed in the outer cover plate
14
, as best illustrated in FIG.
2
. As such, the user can grip the handle
15
for carrying purposes.
However, the aforementioned conventional packaging box suffers from the following disadvantages:
1. Since the handle
15
is made from a plastic material, the handle
15
does not easily decompose after being discarded, thereby resulting in an environmental problem.
2. The handle
15
must be manufactured and assembled to the body
10
separately. Accordingly, the cost of the conventional packaging box is increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a packaging box that can overcome the disadvantages commonly associated with the aforementioned conventional packaging box.
According to the present invention, the packaging box includes at least two opposite side walls and a foldable handle member. The side walls have upper edges, and inner and outer cover plates connected hingeably and respectively to the upper edges. The outer cover plate overlies the inner cover plate, and has a slot formed therein. The foldable handle member is connected to the inner cover plate. The foldable handle member projects from a plane parallel to the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded to an upright position. The foldable handle member is located in the plane parallel to the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is unfolded. The foldable handle member projects through the slot in the outer cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded to the upright position.
In a preferred embodiment, the foldable handle member has a hinge edge connected hingeably to the inner cover plate, a distal edge opposite to the hinge edge, and a first folding line extending parallel to and intermediate of the distal edge and the hinge edge to form first and second abutting portions at either sides of the first folding line. The first and second abutting portions abut against one another when the foldable handle member is folded.
As disclosed herein, the inner cover plate further has a second folding line parallel to the first folding line and adjacent to the distal edge thereof to form a support portion between the second folding line and the distal edge. The first and second abutting portions have holes formed therein and aligned with one another when the first and second abutting portions abut against one another. The support portion has an outer face that is disposed under and that abuts against an inner face of the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded to the upright position, and an inner face that is disposed under and that abuts against the inner face of the inner cover plate when the foldable handle member is folded and turns to lie in the plane parallel to the inner cover plate.
Preferably, one of the first and second abutting portions has a padding plate connected hingeably thereto adjacent to a corresponding one of the holes thereof. The padding plate extends through the holes in a direction perpendicular to the first and second abutting portions under a part of the foldable handle member when the foldable handle member is folded to the upright position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1731414 (1929-10-01), Grossman
patent: 2638262 (1953-05-01), Mulnix
patent: 2693310 (1954-11-01), Stopper
patent: 3115294 (1963-12-01), Gatward
patent: 3126140 (1964-03-01), Lizan et al.
patent: 3140813 (1964-07-01), Hall et al.
patent: 4003515 (1977-01-01), Steele
patent: 4171763 (1979-10-01), Card
patent: 4339070 (1982-07-01), Davies
patent: 4895295 (1990-01-01), Montgomery et al.
Chen Shu-Chin
Chou Ming-Hsun
Compal Electronics Inc.
Elkins Gary E.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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