Filter-bag package
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     My present invention relates to an improved box for packaging filter bags for infusion products at their exit from a machine which produces these bags and, more particularly, to a filter-bag package. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally machines for the production of filter bags for infusion products and boxes for their packaging are structured to define a plurality of operational sections, interconnected in a way that ensures that each carries out its own task in perfect coordination with the others for high production speeds. 
     For instance a well known machine of this type manufactured and sold by IMA-Industria Macchine Automatiche-S.p.A., Ozzano Emilia (Bo) Italy, under the trademark MA C55, an object of numerous patent applications and granted patents, can be thought of as essentially having three sections, the first of which serving for the production of groups of individual filter bags containing the infusion product is fast, a second section which is slow with respect to the first for the formation of open boxes by glueing from punched blanks of cardboard fed into a supply hopper, and a third section, also slow compared to the first for filling the open boxes with the groups of filter bags and closing the box. 
     A feature of this machine is that the operational cycle of the machine section for the production of the open boxes is complete and independent, but within the cycle of the two other machine sections for the production of groups of filter bags and for the filling of the box with the groups of filter bags. 
     In practice it often happens that such boxes are to be only partially filled with groups of filter bags, and in this case, one finds upon checking either in the closing stage of the boxes are between production and retail sale, that the filter bags are scattered within the box, even when the filter bags have been arranged one after the other in rows well separated from each other by cardboard partitions, resulting in partial squashing of the boxes during the mentioned handling and conferring a disorderly and unpleasant appearance of the filter bags contained in the box when it is opened. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The principal object of the present invention is to completely avoid the above inconveniences by providing a punched blank for the formation of boxes in the above-mentioned machine capable to ensure the correct arrangement in rows one after the other of the filter bags within these boxes at all times from their closing until they are opened for the use of the filter bags contained therein. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of packaging filter bags. 
     Another object of my present invention is to provide a punched blank for the formation of boxes according to the preceding object, in a manner that is particularly simple and economical when the resulting advantages are taken into account. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved filter-bag package avoiding the disadvantages outlined above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These and other objects which will become evident in the following will be all attained by the box according to the invention for the packaging of filter bags for infusion products at their exit from a machine which produces them, this box being made from a punched blank of cardboard wherein by means of folding lines walls are separately defined for the bottom, the cover and the sides of the box, the latter being provided with strips for connection and partial lengthwise covering of two opposite sides of the box and further provided with one or more elements defining partitions in order to delimit within the box at least two areas of containment of the filter bags, arranged one after another according to a corresponding number of rows parallel to each other. 
     According to the invention as an integral part of the blank a cardboard element is provided which extends at least from the internal area or face of the bottom wall then crosses a lateral wall until it reaches close to the extremity of the cover which is defined as an extension of the peripheral wall, this cardboard element having at least one slit extending transversally to the mentioned peripheral wall from a position close to the bottom wall to a position close to the extremity of the mentioned cardboard element and being capable to receive a partition element in such a way that the cardboard element or tongue, applies pressure on or each of the row of filter bags and holds the rows in a stable position with respect to the lateral wall and to the cover, preferably also locking the cover in its closed position, opposite to the articulation of this cover. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the box according to the present invention for packaging filter bags for infusion products at their exit from the machine producing them will be apparent from the detailed description of two embodiments with reference to the drawing in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a top view of the fully developed cardboard blank according to a first embodiment thereof for production of the box of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the same cardboard blank as in FIG. 1 in an intermediate stage of the production of the box according to the invention; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are top views of the elements constituting the cardboard blank according to a second embodiment meant for the production of a similar box; 
     FIG. 5 is another top view of the combination of elements represented in FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponding to an intermediate stage in the production of the latter box; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a box obtained from the cardboard blanks of FIGS. 1, 2, or 3, 4 and 5 in open position; and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the box of FIG. 6 but in its closed position, with some of its parts in section and others removed or broken away, to better illustrate the remaining parts. 
    
    
     SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
     In FIG. 1 as mentioned above, the cardboard blank 1 is shown according to a first embodiment of the box of the invention (see FIGS. 6 and 7). 
     In this cardboard blank, by means of transversal folding lines 2 and longitudinal folding lines 3 the bottom 4, the cover flap 5 and the peripheral transversal walls 6 as well as the peripheral transversal walls 7 are defined, with the peripheral transversal walls 6 provided with connection elements or flaps 6a and the longitudinal peripheral walls 7 provided with the wings 7a for partial lengthwise covering of two opposite sides of the box B (see FIG. 6). 
     Opposite to the cover wall 5 the corresponding transversal peripheral wall 2 continues with a cardboard portion having an element 8 provided with transversal folding lines 8a and also with two longitudinal slits 9 in its terminal section, whose purpose will become apparent. 
     For the formation of the box B according to the invention using such a punched blank 1 the element 8 is folded longitudinally at along the transversal folding line 2 whereby it extends over the adjacent transversal peripheral wall 6 with the folding line 8a coinciding with the transversal folding line 2 defining the bottom wall 4 proximal to the cover and with its terminal segment provided with slits 9 corresponding to the cover wall 5, as can be seen in FIG. 2. 
     With this arrangement of the cardboard blank 1 the box B is formed as seen in FIG. 6 using traditional means for glueing the flaps 6a, for the introduction in the box of the partition walls 10 engageable into the slits 9 of the element 8, for the filling of the box B with the rows of filter bags 11 one after the other and for the folding towards the inside of the box B of the wings 7a, as can also be seen from the mentioned FIG. 6. 
     In the aforementioned case of partial filling of the box B with rows of filter bags 11 somewhat loose in the containment compartment, upon closing of the cover 5, because of the presence of the element or tongue 8 reaching up from fold of the junction of the rear wall and the bottom, a pressure is exerted to maintain in stable position the rows of filter bags 11 pressing them towards and against the peripheral transversal wall 6 which locks the cover in the closed position (see FIG. 7) thus eliminating all the inconveniences mentioned before with reference to boxes of this type. 
     Similar results are obtainable also with the boxes B obtained from the cardboard blank as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, wherein the corresponding elements are marked with the same numerals used for FIGS. 1 and 2. Such a punched cardboard blank according to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 differs from the one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 only by the fact that the element 8 is separated from the rest of the cardboard blank and is affixed in a known manner, for instance through pasting, to the face of the bottom wall 4 is clearly marked with the numeral 12 in FIG. 5, at the junction of the front wall 6 and the cover. 
     With such blanks it is possible to achieve in practice all the proposed objects.