ONE REMOVABLE CUSTOMIZABLE CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR

OBTAINING AT LEAST ONE CUSTOMIZED CONTAINER [0001 ] The present invention relates to a sheet of printable material from which a customizable container is obtained and the method for obtaining the customized container such as an envelope or a small box.

[0002] The invention finds particular although not exclusive application in the field of containers and envelopes whose pattern can be customized by any user.

[0003] Generally in the field of the products for celebration notices, announcements, as well as in the field of small gift packs and in packaging in general, envelopes or containers which can be made in different formats, sizes and colours are known; however, at present there is no possibility for consumers to customize (the so-called "do-it-yourself) a usual envelope or a container for announcements, notices, anniversaries or else, printing the desired pattern both inside and outside the container itself, for example using one's home printer.

[0004] At present the prior art provides only plain coloured cards that the user must shape and cut to obtain an envelope or a container in general, which is not of the classic white colour.

[0005] On the other hand, if the consumer wants a customized envelope according to a pattern s/he likes, s/he necessarily has to turn to a photocopy shop/printing works and order the specific production required with considerable costs.

Prior art

[0006] Within the specific technical sector solutions are known which are described in:

DI : RCD 205190 (Paternioner);

D2: RCD 928718 (Paternioner);

D3: US5988685 (Mogelonsky et al.); D4: US2008/0078816 (Huang);

D5: WO02/055309 (Hirsch).

[0007] The prior documents DI and D 2 describe a postcard that can be obtained by folding, along already grooved lines, an already suitably shaped sheet; the described postcards are open along at least two sides.

[0008] In D3, instead, an already shaped sheet is described, with already grooved lines that, once folded, transform the sheet itself into a folder that however remains open on at least two sides, and not a container closed on all its sides.

[0009] On the other hand, D4 describes a letter envelope or a small container for ceremony invitations that can be customized by the consumer and that is obtained by joining at least two sheets: one that is the base structure of the envelope and the other that forms the closing side wings. Each closing strip is provided with a small appendage that enters a small slit present in the near strip, in such a way as to allow the complete closure of the envelope itself.

[001 0] Finally D5 describes a method for producing three-dimensional objects obtaining them from a printable sheet; the initial sheet is provided with preformed grooves (folding lines) and with micro-perforated lines (tear-off lines) and it can be printed with any common printer; afterwards the consumer will tear along the micro-perforated lines and will fold along the grooves and by inserting the small appendages of each portion of the sheet into the related slits, will form the three-dimensional object with the desired pattern.

Drawbacks

[001 1 ] The mentioned solutions do not solve effectively the problem of allowing a user to obtain an envelope or a container in general from a sheet that can be customized to the user's liking with his/her own means, but above all with a stable and safe closure.

[001 2] At present, in fact, there are solutions on the market providing containers open on at least two sides e.g. DI , D2 and D3 or containers closed on all their sides, but through the insertion of flaps into suitable slits as described in D4 and D5; there is no doubt that the last two technical solutions mentioned do not represent a container with safe closure, because the flaps may easily slip out of their seats, opening the container itself and making the content exit therefrom.

[001 3] Therefore, there is the need for the sector's companies to identify the optimal solutions for obtaining the following set aims.

[0014] This and other aims are achieved by the present invention according to the characteristics as in the enclosed claims, solving the mentioned problems by means of a support sheet (10) provided with micro-perforated lines (1 1 1 ), preformed grooves (1 12) and glue zones (1 13) from which the customized container is obtained (1 ). Aims

[001 5] Various aims are achieved by means of the considerable creative contribution, the effect of which constitutes immediate technical progress.

[001 6] First of all, the end user can customize autonomously in the desired pattern a container in general, such as an envelope, printing the desired pattern, both inside and outside the container, with his/her own means on the support sheet of the present invention.

[001 7] A further aim consists of the fact that with the method object of the patent one can obtain containers or envelopes of any format and size and on any type of paper or support material.

[0018] Another aim can be traced back to the fact that the object of the patent is made with glue points to firmly join the strips of the container that one wants to make; such parts, that is to say the glue points, can be customizable as well, that is to say printable by the end user.

[001 9] An additional aim consists of the fact that in the present invention the glue zones are present only on one side of the support sheet itself, thus minimizing its production costs. [0020] Another aim concerns the fact that with the obtained device one avoids the costs of the photocopy shop to customize the pattern of the container desired by the consumer.

[0021 ] A last aim is related to the fact that the support sheet of the invention can contain several containers or several envelopes of any format.

[0022] These and other advantages will appear from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments with reference to the enclosed schematic drawings whose details are not to be considered limitative but only illustrative.

Content of the drawings

Figure 1 is a view of the sheet of the present invention from which an envelope is obtained.

Figure 2 is a view of the sheet of the present invention from which a container is obtained.

Figure 3 shows a customized envelope obtained from the method of the present invention.

Practical embodiment of the invention

[0023] With reference also to the figures the object of the invention relates to the method for obtaining a customized container (1 ), such as an envelope, from a support sheet (10) of any format, and the customized container (1 ) obtained from the method (Figures 1 , 2, 3).

[0024] According to the method of the present invention, the customized container (1 ) is obtained starting from a printable support sheet (1 0) that can come in various materials, such as paper, paperboard, synthetic material or else, in any basis weight and format, provided with micro- perforated lines (1 1 1 ) that will consist of the lines that will be torn off by the user; said support sheet (10) is further provided with preformed grooves (1 12) that make up real folding lines for the formation of the customized container (1 ). [0025] The support sheet (10) is furthermore provided with glue zones (1 13) that, once moistened by the user, allow to stick reciprocally and firmly two strips (1 14) of the customized container in the open form (2), to subsequently form the customized container (1 ).

[0026] The support sheet (10) can contain several customized containers in the open form (2).

[0027] The method for obtaining the customized container (1 ) is executed following the following steps: printing on one side only or on both sides of the support sheet (10) the pattern desired by the user, eliminating the scrap (1 1 5) by tearing along the micro-perforated lines (1 1 1 ) obtaining the customized container in the open form (2), folding the customized container in the open form (2) along the preformed grooves (1 12), moistening the glue zones (1 13) and firmly joining the strips (1 14) corresponding to the customized container in the open form (2), thus recreating the customized container (1 ).

[0028] Reference:

10 support sheet

1 customized container

2 customized container in the open form

1 1 1 micro-perforated lines

1 12 preformed grooves

1 13 glue zones

1 14 strips

1 15 scrap