CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 098220156, filed on Oct. 30, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cover, more particularly to a box cover.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional gift box 10 has a box bottom 11, and a box cover 12 covering a top end of the box bottom 11.

Although the conventional gift box 10 can achieve its intended purpose, it has the following drawbacks:

1. Because the cost of paper material is high, the manufacturing cost of the conventional gift box 10, which is made of paper, is high.

2. Because different printing operations have to be performed so as to produce different colors and patterns on different box covers 12, the making of the box cover 12 is time-consuming, and the cost thereof is high.

3. Because the box cover 12 is not transparent, it is not possible to view article(s) inside the gift box 10.

4. Because paper material is not waterproof, the box cover 12 is easily damaged when it becomes wet.

5. Since the gift box 10 is usually delivered to the buyer in an assembled state, the volume thereof during delivery is large, thereby resulting in high delivery costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a box cover for a gift box that can reduce manufacturing costs to a minimum, that has variability, that can permit viewing of article (s) inside the gift box, that is waterproof, and that can reduce delivery costs to a minimum.

According to this invention, a box cover adapted to cover a top end of a box bottom comprises a transparent plastic panel body and a plastic reinforcing panel. The transparent plastic panel body includes a main panel section, at least three outer side walls connected foldably and respectively to at least three sides of the main panel section, at least three inner side walls connected foldably and respectively to the outer side walls, and at least three press plates connected foldably and respectively to the inner side walls. The plastic reinforcing panel has a degree of transparency, and includes a main reinforcing panel section disposed on an inner side of the main panel section. The press plates, when folded, press the main reinforcing panel section against the main panel section of the transparent plastic panel body.

The advantages of the present invention reside in that the main reinforcing panel section can be made into different colors according to one's requirements, and can be directly printed with a pattern simultaneously, so that the present invention has variability, and has a manufacturing cost that can be reduced to a minimum.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional gift box;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional gift box of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded schematic view of a box cover according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the box cover of the preferred embodiment in an assembled state;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment taken along line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the box cover of the preferred embodiment in a state of use; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating a reinforcing panel including a main reinforcing panel section and two separate reinforcing side walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, a box cover 2 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is adapted to cover a top end of a box bottom 50, and is shown to comprise a transparent plastic panel body 20 and a reinforcing panel 30.

The transparent plastic panel body 20 is rectangular, and includes a main panel section 21, first to fourth outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224 connected foldably and respectively to four sides of the main panel section 21, first to fourth inner side walls 231, 232, 233, 234 connected foldably and respectively to the outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224, and four press plates 24 connected foldably and respectively to the inner side walls 231, 232, 233, 234. The second outer side wall 222 is opposite to the first outer side wall 221, the third outer side wall 223 is transverse to the first and second outer side wall 221, 222, and the fourth outer side wall 224 is opposite to the third outer side wall 223. The plastic panel 20 further includes four corner plates 25 each connected foldably between two adjacent ones of the outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224, a pair of first tabs 26 connected foldably and respectively to two opposite ends of the first inner side wall 231, a pair of second tabs 26â€² connected foldably and respectively to two opposite ends of the second inner side wall 232, four first fold lines 271 each formed between one of the outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224 and the main panel section 21, four second fold lines 272 each formed between one of the outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224 and a respective inner side wall 231, 232, 233, 234, four third fold lines 273 each formed between one of the inner side walls 231, 232, 233, 234 and a respective press plate 24, four substantially L-shaped fourth fold lines 274 each formed between one of the corner plates 25 and two adjacent ones of the outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224, and four fifth fold lines 275 each formed between one of the first and second tabs 26, 26â€² and a corresponding inner side wall 231, 232, 233, 234.

The reinforcing panel 30 includes a main reinforcing panel section 31 disposed on an inner side of the main panel section 21, two reinforcing side walls 32 connected foldably and respectively to two opposite sides of the main reinforcing panel section 31, and two main fold lines 33 each formed between one of the reinforcing side walls 32 and the main reinforcing panel section 31. The main reinforcing panel section 31 and the two reinforcing side walls 32 are made of plastic, and have a degree of hardness and transparency. During a manufacturing process, the main reinforcing panel section 31 and the reinforcing side walls 32 can be produced with different colors as required, and the main reinforcing panel section 31 can be directly formed or printed with a pattern. Preferably, the main reinforcing panel section 31 has a viewing hole 311.

With reference to FIG. 3, the reinforcing side walls 32 in this embodiment are connected integrally as one piece with the main reinforcing panel section 31. Each reinforcing side wall 32 includes two flaps 322 connected foldably and respectively to two opposite ends of a corresponding reinforcing side wall 32, and two auxiliary fold lines 34 each formed between one of the flaps 322 and a corresponding reinforcing side wall 32.

In an alternative embodiment, referring to FIG. 7, the two reinforcing side walls 32 may be two separate pieces connected to the main reinforcing panel section 31.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, to assemble the box cover 2, the main reinforcing panel section 31 is first placed over the inner side of the main panel section 21, after which the two reinforcing side walls 32 are folded along the main fold lines 33 until they are almost perpendicular to the main reinforcing panel section 31, and the flaps 322 of each reinforcing side walls 32 are folded along the auxiliary fold lines 34 until they are almost perpendicular to the corresponding reinforcing side wall 32. The outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224 are then folded along the first fold lines 271 until they are almost perpendicular to the main panel section 21, and the first and second outer side walls 221, 222 are located outwardly of the respective reinforcing side walls 32. Simultaneously, the corner plates 25 are folded along the fourth fold lines 274 so as to interconnect the outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224, and the inner side walls 231, 232, 233, 234 are folded along the second fold lines 272 toward the main panel section 21, so that one of the reinforcing side walls 32 is sandwiched between the first outer side wall 221 and the first inner side wall 231, and the other one of the reinforcing side walls 32 is sandwiched between the second outer side wall 222 and the second inner side wall 232. Further, the flaps 322 of each reinforcing side wall 32 are sandwiched respectively between the third outer side wall 223 and the third inner side wall 233 and between the fourth outer side wall 224 and the fourth inner side wall 234. Afterwards, the tabs 26, 26â€² at the two opposite ends of each of the first and second inner side walls 231, 232 are folded along the fifth fold lines 275, and are inserted respectively between the third outer side wall 223 and the third inner side wall 233 and between the fourth outer side wall 224 and the fourth inner side wall 234. Finally, the press plates 24 are folded along the third fold lines 273, and press the four lateral sides of the main reinforcing panel section 31 against the main panel section 21. As a result, the main reinforcing panel section 31 is positioned on the main panel section 21, and each reinforcing side wall 32 is sandwiched between one of the outer side walls 221, 222, 223, 224 and the respective inner side wall 231, 232, 233, 234, thereby enhancing the strength of the entire structure of the box cover 2.

In use, with reference to FIG. 6, when the box cover 2 of the present invention covers the top end of the box bottom 50, through the transparent configuration of the plastic panel 20 and through a degree of transparency of the main reinforcing panel section 31, the outline of an article 60 disposed inside the box bottom 50 can be seen and discerned. Further, the article 60 can be actually viewed via the viewing hole 311. Moreover, through the variations in design, color, etc. that can be made to the main reinforcing panel section 31, the box cover 2 has variability.

The efficacy and advantages of the box cover 2 of the present invention can be summarized as follows:

1. Since the cost of plastic material is cheaper than paper material, the manufacturing cost of the box cover 2 can be reduced to a minimum.

2. Since the main reinforcing panel section 31 can be produced having different colors as required during the manufacturing process, and can also be printed with different patterns, in cooperation with the transparent plastic panel body 20, the present invention can be varied in design and color.

3. Since the plastic panel 20 is transparent, and the main reinforcing panel section 31 has a degree of transparency and is provided with the viewing hole 311, viewing of the article 60 inside the box bottom 50 can be facilitated.

4. The transparent plastic panel body 20 and the plastic reinforcing panel 30 are waterproof, so that the box cover 2 is not easily destroyed or damaged.

5. Since the transparent plastic panel body 20 and the plastic reinforcing panel 30 can be assembled easily to form the box cover 2, they can be delivered in unfolded states, thereby reducing the volume during delivery, and thus delivery costs.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.