The present invention relates to a two-compartment box, in particular for e-commerce, and to a blank of cardboard, corrugated board or like materials to be folded in order to obtain such a box.

One object of the present invention consists in providing a two-compartment box, wherein the two compartments are fully separate and users can have a secure access to each of them, individually.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a monolithic cardboard or corrugated board blank from which such a box is obtainable, said blank including:

- a longitudinal series of panels separated by a plurality of parallel half-cut or crease lines orthogonal to a longitudinal axis, wherein said longitudinal series of panels includes a closure panel, a top panel, an external rear panel, a bottom panel, an external front panel, an internal front panel, a separating internal panel and an internal rear panel,

- a series of an external side panel, a top side panel and an internal side panel connected by a respective crease line to each longitudinal side of said bottom panel which is provided of at least one slot adjacent to each longitudinal side, wherein a distal side of each internal side panel is provided of at least one first protruding tab,

- a reinforcing panel connected by a respective crease line to each longitudinal side of said external rear panel,

- a reinforcing panel connected by a respective crease line to each longitudinal side of said external front panel,

- a distancing panel connected by a respective crease line to each longitudinal side of said separating internal panel, wherein respective first and second regions of a surface of said internal rear panel and closure panel are provided of adhesive, and said closure panel and said bottom panel have a respective removable portion.

A further subject-matter of the present invention is constituted by a box obtainable from a monolithic cardboard or corrugated board blank and having bottom, internal and top panels which are horizontally arranged and side walls which are vertically arranged, wherein a bottom compartment is between the bottom panel and the internal panel and a top compartment is between the internal panel and the top panel.

E.g., such a box is obtainable from the above disclosed blank by successively:

- folding said external rear and front panels at 90° in respect of said bottom panel,

- folding at 90° in respect of the external rear and front panels the respective reinforcing panels which are placed above the respective crease line connecting the bottom panel to each series of external side panel, top side panel and internal side panel,

- folding each series of external side panel, top side panel and internal side panel at 90° about the respective crease line, then each top side panel at 90° in respect of the external side panel and then, each internal side panel at 90° in respect of the top side panel, so that a distal end of the first protruding tab penetrates into the respective slot and a respective side wall is formed by facing external and internal side panels separated by a gap wherein the respective reinforcing panels are placed,

- folding the distancing panels at 90° about the crease line connecting to the respective longitudinal side of the separating internal panel, the internal front panel at 180° in respect of the external front panel, the separating internal panel at 90° in respect of the internal front panel and the internal rear panel at 90° in respect of the separating internal panel, so as the internal front panel is adjacent to an upper portion of an internal surface of the external front panel , the separating internal panel is parallel to and facing the bottom panel and the internal rear panel is adjacent and attached by the first region provided by adhesive to an upper portion of an internal surface of the external rear panel,

- folding the top panel at 90° in respect of the external rear panel, so as said top panel is parallel to and facing the separating internal panel, and

- folding the closure panel at 90° in respect of the top panel, so as said closure panel is adjacent and attached by the second region provided of adhesive to an externa surface of the external front panel, wherein said box has a bottom compartment between the bottom panel and the internal separating panel and a separate top compartment between the internal separating panel and the top panel. The box of the invention, even if easily and cheaply obtainable from a monolithic blank, is thus provided of two completely separate compartments: a bottom compartment, in particular for documents, and a top compartment, in particular for tridimensional articles.

The bottom compartment is directly accessible by tearing away the removable portion of the bottom.

The top compartment is accessible by first of all tearing away the removable portion of the closure flap, so that the top panel is completely separated from the distal portion of the closure panel adhering to the external front panel, and successively lifting the top panel.

Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous for e-commerce purposes, when the addressee of the box is not any more interested in the previously ordered article(s). In this case, the addressee can accede to the bottom compartment in order to take the documents necessary for giving back the box to the sender, whereas the article(s) remain(s) in the tamper-free top compartment, with the guarantee that it/they is/are not even touched.

Further advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: figure 1 is a plan view of a blank according to the invention, figures 2 to 5 are perspective views illustrating successive steps of erection into a box of the blank of figure 1, and figures 6 and 7 are partially broken perspective views of the box erected from the blank of figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates a monolithic cardboard, corrugated board or like material blank, which is symmetric in respect of a longitudinal axis 10.

The blank includes a longitudinal series of rectangular panels separated by a plurality of parallel half-cut or crease lines 12 orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 10. In the absence of any specific indication to the contrary, any reference to “rectangular” in the present description and claims includes the particular case of “square”. Such longitudinal series of panels includes a closure panel 14, a top panel 16, an external rear panel 18, a bottom panel 20, an external front panel 22, an internal front panel 24, a separating internal panel 26 and an internal rear panel 28.

The blank further includes a series of a rectangular external side panel 30, a rectangular top side panel 32 and a rectangular internal side panel 34 connected by a respective crease line 36 to each longitudinal side of the bottom panel 20. The top side panel 32 is connected to the adjacent panels 30, 34 by respective crease lines 37. The bottom panel 20 is provided of two distanced slots 38 adjacent to each longitudinal side, and a distal side of each internal side panel 34 is provided of two distanced first protruding tabs. The blank further includes an approximatively rectangular reinforcing panel 42 connected by a respective crease line 44 to each longitudinal side of the external rear panel 18 and an approximatively square reinforcing panel 46 connected by a respective crease line 48 to each longitudinal side of the external front panel 22.

The blank further includes a rectangular distancing panel 50 connected by a respective crease line 52 to each longitudinal side of the separating internal panel 26. A distal side of each distancing panel 50 is provided of two distanced second protruding tabs 54.

The blank further includes a flap 56, shaped approximatively as a quarter of circle, connected by a respective crease line 58, preferably hemi-perforated, to each longitudinal side of the closure panel 14, as well as a trapezoidal wing 60 connected by a respective crease line 62 to each longitudinal side of the top panel 16.

First and second regions 64, 66 of surfaces of the internal rear panel 28 and closure panel 14, respectively, are provided of adhesive. The regions 64, 66 are shaped as strips extending throughout the entire width of the internal rear panel 28 and closure panel 14, respectively. The regions 64, 66 may be advantageously masked by a respective tape, which is removed, when suitable, during the erection process of the blank.

The closure panel 14 has a removable portion 68 delimited by hemi-perforated lines and shaped as a transversal strip placed between the second region 66 and the top panel 16, preferably adjacent to the top panel 16. A hole 69 is done in one of the flaps 56, adjacent to an end of the removable portion 68.

The bottom panel 20 has a removable portion 70 delimited by hemi-perforated lines 12, 72 and substantially shaped as a circular segment with a precut area 74.

The above-disclosed blank can be erected into a box by a procedure providing for the following steps.

The external rear and front panels 18, 22 are folded at 90° in respect of the bottom panel 20 and the reinforcing panels 42, 46 are folded at 90° with regards to the external rear and front panels 18, 22, respectively. The reinforcing panels are thus placed above the respective crease lines 36.

Successively, each series of external side panel 30, top side panel 32 and internal side panel 34 is folded at 90°about the respective or crease line 36, then each top side panel 32 is folded at 90° in respect of the external side panel 30 and each internal side panel 34 is folded at 90° in respect of the top side panel 32. Hence, each first protruding tab 40 penetrates into the respective slot 38 and a respective side wall is formed by external and internal side panels 30, 34 facing to each other and separated by a gap, whose thickness corresponds to the transversal extension of the top side panel 32 between the crease lines 37 and wherein the respective reinforcing panels 42, 46 are placed (fig. 2).

The distancing panels 50 are then (fig. 3) folded at 90° about the crease line 52, the internal front panel 24 is folded at 180° in respect of the external front panel 22, the separating internal panel 26 is folded at 90° in respect of the internal front panel 24 and the internal rear panel 28 is folded at 90° in respect of the separating internal panel 26.

Consequently (fig. 4), the internal front panel 24 is adjacent to an upper portion of an internal surface of the external front panel 22, the separating internal panel 26 is parallel to and facing the bottom panel 20 and the internal rear panel 28 is adjacent and attached by the first region 64 provided of adhesive to an upper portion of an internal surface of the external rear panel 18. Such an arrangement is further stabilized by the penetration of the second protruding tabs 54 within the slots 38.

Successively, the top panel 16 is folded at 90° in respect of the external rear panel 18 and thus is parallel to and facing the separating internal panel 26, and the closure panel 14 is folded at 90° in respect of the top panel 16 and thus is adjacent and attached by the second region 66 provided of adhesive to an external surface of the external front panel 22 (fig. 5).

Prior to folding the top panel 16 and closure panel 14, the wings 60 and flaps 56 are folded at 90° in respect of the panels 16, 14, respectively, so as, as a consequence of such folding, the wings 60 are placed between the respective internal side panel 34 and distancing panel 50 and the flaps 56 are placed between the respective reinforcing panel 46 and external side panel 30.

In sum, it is obtained a parallelepiped box 76 wherein the bottom 20, internal 26 and top 16 panels are horizontally arranged and the side walls, the rear external panel 18 with the adhering rear internal panel 28 and the external front panel 22 with the adjacent internal front panel 24 and closure panel 14 are vertically arranged.

Two completely separate compartments 78, 80 are within the box 76 (figures 6 and 7): the bottom compartment 78 between the bottom panel 20 and the internal separating panel 26 and the top compartment 80 between the internal separating panel 26 and the top panel 16.

Usually, the top compartment 80 is greater than the bottom compartment 78. The difference of volume between the two compartments 78, 80 may be established as desired, by choosing a suitable ratio between the height of the distancing panels 50 and the height of the side panels 30, 34.

For e-commerce purposes, the bottom compartment 78 is typically used for containing documents 82, whereas the top compartment 80 for containing one or more tridimensional articles 84.

During the erection procedure of the blank into the box 76, the documents 82 are put on the bottom panel 20 (see figure 2) prior to folding the internal front panel 24, the separating internal panel 26 and the internal rear panel 28, so as, once the bottom compartment 78 is formed and closed by the intermediate panel 26, they are enclosed therein.

On the other hand, one or more tridimensional articles 84 are put (see figure 4) on the intermediate separating panel 26 prior to folding the top panel 16 and the closure panel 14, so as, once the top compartment 80 is sealed, they are enclosed therein.

Once the box 76 with the documents 82 and article(s) 84 in the respective compartments 78, 80 has been dispatched and received by the addressee, the bottom compartment 78 is accessible by tearing away (see figure 7) the removable portion 70 of the bottom panel 20. The tearing away is rendered easier by the presence of the precut area 74.

On the other hand, the top compartment 80 is separately accessible by first of all tearing away the strip 68, which tearing is rendered easier by the presence of the hole 69. As a consequence of the removal of the strip 68, the top panel 16 is completely separated from the distal portion of the closure panel 14 adhering to the external front panel 22 and can be freely lifted, opening the top compartment 80.

Hence, if suitable, only the bottom compartment 78 is acceded to take the documents 82, whereas the one or more articles 84 remain untouched in the sealed top compartment 80.

Naturally, the principles of the invention remaining the same, the details of construction and embodiments may be widely varied with respect to those described purely by way of example, without thereby departing from the claimed scope. E.g., the box of the invention might be obtained by folding a differently shaped blank, and obtaining in any case a parallelepiped box containing two completely separate compartments, namely a bottom compartment and a top compartment, respectively. Additionally, it might be contemplated to use the bottom compartment for containing tridimensional article(s) and the top compartment for containing documents or vice versa and/or considering any crease line as an example of the generic concept of fold line.