This invention relates to a cutting tool for attachment to a free edge of a box containing a sheet material, the tool having a cutting edge for severing a length of that material as it is drawn from the box.

Baking foils, grease-proof paper and plastics sheet materials, commonly referred to as "cling-fil ", find widespread application in the domestic environment, particularly the preparation, cooking and storage of food stuffs. Such materials are nonrally provided in the form of a roll, either wound on itself or more usually on a spool or former, which is then packaged in an appropriately sized box. To dispense the sheet material, the free end of the material is drawn out of the box and, once the required length of material has been withdrawn, it is contacted across a serrated edge, normally formed on a free edge of the box exposed when the lid is opened or a plastics or metal toothed strip secured to the edge of one face of the box, to sever the material.

There are several problems associated with this method of dispensing these materials. For example:-

(1) A common complaint where the serrated cutting edge comprises a toothed strip secured to the box, is that the user can accidentally injure him or herself unless great care is taken when handling the box.

(2) When the serrated edge is on a free edge of the box, the material invariably slips back into the

box requiring the user to spend time relocating it. This is both time consuming and frustrating for the user, and is a particular problem with cling-fil type materials where static attraction between portions of the material makes the free end especially difficult to locate.

(3) The box is, for reasons of cost, invariably formed of a relatively flimsy cardboard material which tends to buckle and deform during dispensing, making it difficult to neatly sever the material.

(4) The cutting operation often fails to produce a clean cut, i.e., extending at substantially right angles to its length, the material prematurely tearing in an uncontrolled manner. This problem is particularly acute with materials that are prone to stretching.

The present invention seeks to provide a cutting tool of general application to boxes containing such sheet materials and which addresses at least some of the problems associated with known arrangements for dispensing these materials.

Therefore according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a cutting tool for attachment to a free edge of a box containing a sheet material to be dispensed from the box, the tool comprising a planar body portion intended to extend over the outside of one face of the box and fastening means which in use extend over said free edge of the box to

secure the cutting tool to the face of the box, the tool having a cutting edge projecting from the body portion for severing a length of sheet material dispensed from the box. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a combination of a box containing a sheet material and a cutting tool of the invention, the tool being secured to a face of the box such that successive lengths of the sheet material can be dispensed therefrom.

An advantage of the cutting tools of the invention is that the planar body portion rigidises the box to prevent it from buckling and deforming in the user's hand during the dispensing operation, thereby ensuring a rigid cutting edge is presented to the material. Moreover, the fastening means may be constructed to allow the cutting tool to be releasably secured to successive boxes of materials, allowing a manufacturer to package his materials in boxes without the aforesaid cutting strips and providing a significant saving in costs. On purchasing such a box, the user simply affixes the cutting tool in position to begin dispensing the material. Once the contents of the box have been exhausted, the cutting tool is removed and the box discarded. Other advantages will become apparent on reading the specification.

The term "sheet material" as used herein should be construed broadly as encompassing not only paper

4 paper materials, including greaseproof papers, tissue papers etc., plastics sheet materials, including cling- flim type materials and foils, such as aluminium foil and other baking foils, but virtually any severable sheet material, including adhesive tapes, fabrics etc., which needs to be cut into discrete lengths or portions on dispensing from its box, the tool being dimensioned accordingly.

The sheet material need not be formed as a roll, but may be stored in a concertina-like fashion or in any other manner which allows sucessive lengths of material to be drawn from its box. The sheet material may optionally be provided with perforated tear lines to facilitate the cutting operation if so desired. The cutting tool may have whatever size or shape is appropriate for the intended use, but generally speaking, a tool having a length of from 10 to 65 cm at its longest point and a width of from 2.5 to 15 cm at its widest point is suitable for the boxes used to package most commercially available materials. The planar body is preferably formed with a substantially rectangular shape.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cutting tool is arranged such that the cutting edge extends beyond the lowermost edge of the face of the box on which it is located, with the cutting edge preferably extending in the same plane as the body portion. Thus, by providing the cutting edge at the lowermost edge of the

5 box, the user is less likely to impale him or herself. Moreover, a sizeable portion of the material remains outside the box after the material has been severed making it less likely that the free end will slip back into the box. The cutting edge may advantageously be inclined away from the user towards the box so as to reduce the likliehood of the user cutting him or herself. In a preferred embodiment, the fastening means is formed by folding at least a portion of the body portion, generally the end opposing the cutting edge, back on itself to form one or more clips, although any useful arrangement for securing the cutting tool on the edge of the box may be employed. Preferably, the entire length of one end of the body portion is so folded to form a clip which is pushed over the free edge of the box to trap the face of the box within the clip. The leading edge of the fastening means may be advantageously flared away from the body portion to facilitate the location of the cutting tool on the edge of the box. The cutting edge of the tool may comprise any suitable arrangement for severing a sheet material drawn across it, including both unbroken, i.e., continuous, knife edges and broken, i.e., serrated, toothed edges. For most sheet materials, a serrated edge is preferred as this is found to have the greatest cutting efficiency. Any useful size and shape of tooth may be employed.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying

6 drawings, in which:

Figures la to lc illustrate one embodiment of cutting tool in accordance with the invention, in which Figure la is a view of the lower surface of the tool, Figure lb a view of the upper surface of the tool and Figure lc an end view of the tool;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a box containing a roll of sheet material and having secured to one face thereof the cutting tool of Figures la to lc, and

Figures 3a and 3b is a further embodiment of cutting tool in accordance with the invention, in which Figure 3a is a view of the upper surface of the tool and Figure 3b an end view thereof. Figures la to lc depict a preferred embodiment of cutting tool (denoted generally by (2)) comprising a planar body portion (4) of substantially rectangular shape. One end of the body portion (4) is provided with a cutting edge (6) comprising a plurality of serrated teeth.

Fastening means is provided by folding the opposing end (8) of the body portion (4) back on itself to form a clip which enables the cutting tool (2) to be secured to a free end of a box (not shown) . In the embodiment shown, the end (8) of the body portion (4) extends almost to the opposite cutting edge thereof to give the tool a *hair pin* like profile (see Figure lc) . The leading edge (10) of the clip is advantageously

7 flared away from the body portion (4) to facilitate the location of the cutting tool (2) on the free edge of the box .

The dimensions of the cutting tool depend to a large extent on the size of the box to which it is to be fitted, but a tool having a length '1' of from 10 to 65 cm, preferably 20 to 55cm, and a width •w ¹ of from 2.5 to 15 cm is suitable for use with the packaging of most commercially available sheet materials. In a highly preferred embodiment, the cutting tool has a length of 30 or 45 cm and a breadth of 5 cm. The teeth may be straight or oriented for left or right hand use if so desired.

The size and shape of the teeth of the cutting edge. (6) depend to a large extent on the type of the material to be dispensed as well as its thickness, but good cutting of materials such as aluminium foil, cling¬ film and grease-proof paper has been achieved with a cutting edge (6) having from three to eight teeth per cm, preferably 5 teeth points per cm, each tooth having a depth of from 1 to 5mm, with a typical value of 2mm.

The cutting tool (2) may be formed of any suitable material, including (but not limited to) : plastics materials, wood, bone, ivory and metals, although for reasons of cost and ease of manufacture the former is preferred. Resiliently flexible plastics materials which impart a degree of "springiness" to the clip, thereby allowing it to securely grasp the box are preferred.

8

When fabricated from a plastics material, the cutting tool can be formed by extrusion, pressing

(folding) and moulding techniques, although the latter is preferred as the teeth of the cutting edge may be integrally formed during the moulding process. In the other techniques, the teeth must be formed in a separate step.

Referring to Figure 2, the cutting tool (2) is shown attached to the free edge (12) of a box (14) containing a roll (16) of sheet material. The cutting tool (2) is fastened to the box (14) by pushing the clip over the free edge (12) such that the body portion (4) extends over the outside of one face of the box (14) , in this case the front face (18) of the box (14) , and trapping it within the clip. The cutting edge (6) extends over the lower edge of the front face (18) of the box (14) . The teeth of the cutting edge (6) are advantageously inclined away from the plane of the body portion (4) , as this arrangement is found to reduce the likliehood of the user cutting his or her hand on the cutting edge (6) during dispensing of the sheet material.

Figures 3a and 3b illustrate a further embodiment of cutting tool (indicated generally by (20)) in which the cutting edge (22) projects away from the body portion (4) , in the embodiment shown, in a direction substantially normal to the plane of the body portion (4).