PAPER-BASED PACKAGING

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present document is concerned with a paper-based packaging for a plurality of brush articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a general interest in providing packaging concepts for products that so far had often been packaged by using a certain high percentage of plastic material and to replace at least a considerable portion of this plastic material with a more sustainable material such as a paper-based material.

While the mentioned interest is generally valid for all types of packaged products, it may be of particular interest for packaging brush articles such as replacement brush heads or manual toothbrushes.

Thus, it is an object to provide a paper-based packaging for brush articles that is improved over existing types of packaging, specifically with respect to the utilization of sustainable materials, or that at least provides an alternative for packaging of brush articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with at least one aspect, a paper-based packaging for a plurality of brush articles is provided, the brush articles each comprising a brush body and a brush head, the packaging comprises a box-like outer packaging and at least one insert comprising a lower sheet of paper-based material and an upper sheet of folded paper-based material, the lower sheet and the upper sheet being secured at each other, the insert being dimensioned for fitting into the box-like outer packaging, in particular wherein the lower sheet and the upper sheet are formed from a single sheet of paper-based material, wherein the folded upper sheet is forming at least a first erected receiver element and a second erected receiver element, the first and the second erected receiver elements being aligned in a longitudinal direction, thus forming a first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements for receiving a first brush article from the plurality of brush articles.

In accordance with at least one aspect, a paper-based brush article packaging is provided, the packaging comprising a box-like outer packaging and at least one insert comprising a lower sheet of paper-based material and an upper sheet of folded paper-based material, the lower sheet and the upper sheet being secured at each other, the insert being dimensioned for fitting into the box-like outer packaging, in particular wherein the lower sheet and the upper sheet are formed from a single sheet of paper-based material, wherein the folded upper sheet is forming at least a first erected receiver element and a second erected receiver element, the first and the second erected receiver elements being aligned in a longitudinal direction, thus forming a first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements for receiving a first brush article from the plurality of brush articles, and at least a first brush article having a brush body and a brush head, the first brush article being received by the first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements, and the insert being essentially gap-free disposed in the box-like outer packaging.

In accordance with at least one aspect, a planar blank made from cardboard for a box-like outer packaging is provided, the blank comprising a first side wall section, a bottom wall section, a second side wall section and a top wall section, which sections are successively arranged side by side and are separated by folding lines, wherein a first gluing strip is arranged at an outer edge of the first side wall opposite the bottom wall section and a holder section is arranged at an edge of the bottom wall section in a direction perpendicular to the side-by-side arrangement, the holder section comprising a first holder section being directly connected with the bottom wall section and a second holder section connected with the first holder section, wherein the second holder section is shaped such that when the second holder structure is folded onto the first holding structure and the bottom wall section, the first side wall section together with the first gluing strip is folded onto the bottom wall section, and the top wall section is folded onto the second side wall section and the bottom wall section such that the top wall section overlaps with the first gluing strip, then the folded blank has maximally three sheets of the cardboard lying on top of each other at any place of the folded arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be further elucidated by a detailed description of example embodiments and with reference to figures. In the figures

FIG. 1 is a depiction of an example paper-based packaging or paper-based brush article packaging;

FIG. 2 is a depiction of the paper-based packaging shown in FIG. 1 in an open state in which an insert is partly removed from the box-like outer packaging;

FIG. 3 is a depiction of the insert shown in FIG. 2 in a state in which it is partly removed from the box-like outer packaging;

FIG. 4A is a depiction of an example lower sheet of an insert in accordance with the present disclosure in a flat state;

FIG. 4B is a depiction of an example upper sheet of an insert in accordance with the present disclosure in a flat state;

FIG. 5 is a depiction a detail of the insert shown in FIG. 3, where a first end portion of a first end of the lower sheet is folded upwards by 90 degrees against the lower sheet and an intersection area is visible that is angled by about 45 degrees; and

FIG. 6 is a depiction of an example blank for making a box-like outer packaging by folding and gluing operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

“Paper-based” packaging refers to packaging made from materials that are generally known as, e.g., paper, paperboard, cartonboard, cardboard, or corrugated cardboard, which are made from one or several sheets of fiber pulp. While such paper materials may comprise a coating comprising pigments and other components such as a dispersing agent and/or a binding agent that may comprise an artificial material such as an acrylate polymer, such coatings shall be understood to be covered by the term paper-based (material). In addition, a paper-based packaging may comprise a plastic coating or a plastic sheet such as a transparent plastic foil. The term paper-based shall encompass such plastic coatings or plastic sheets as long as the weight percentage of these plastic materials is below 50%, typically below 40%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15% or 10%. In a “pure paper-based” packaging, the weight percentage of such dedicated plastic coatings or other plastic materials such as transparent plastic windows or plastic foil seals is 0% (still allowing for artificial material in a pigment coating). The term paper-based shall encompass packaging made from fiber pulp made from wood, agricultural residues like straw, annual plants and grasses, rags, and/or recycled or secondary fibers, whether deinked or not, the term thus referring to the natural origin of the fibers used in paper making, which thus means that the term paper-based refers to a sustainable and often recyclable material.

The paper-based packaging described herein typically comprises a box-like outer packaging. It shall be understood that such a “box-like” outer packaging typically comprises six walls where three wall pairs each comprise two oppositely arranged walls that may extend parallel to each other and typically the not parallel walls are essentially mutually perpendicular to each other so that a box-like outer shape is created. This shall not exclude that at least one of the walls comprises at least two sheets, i.e., is made from at least two layers of a paper-based sheet material, where in particular one of the sheets may not extend over the full wall area. It shall also not be excluded that the walls of at least one of the wall pairs are not parallel to each other so that the box-like outer packaging may, e.g., have a trapezoidal cross section where two opposite walls are angled with respect to each other. In his context, it shall not be excluded that at least the walls of one of the wall pairs are not perpendicular to the other walls so that, e.g., also a parallelogram-like cross-section of the box-like outer packaging may result. The box-like outer packaging may be made from a planar blank by folding and gluing operations. An example blank is discussed in more details further below and a blank for making a box-like outer packaging is representing an aspect of the present application. In the manufacturing of the paper-based packaging, the box-like outer packaging may have a side than can be opened and closed through which one or several inserts can be inserted into the hollow of the box-like outer packaging prior to a final step of closing the box-like outer packaging, which final step may comprise a sub-step of securing one wall to another wall. The finally assembled box-like outer packaging may be arranged for opening by tearing open at least a portion of the box-like outer packing to get access to the at least one insert and any brush articles that may be held by the insert. Alternatively, the box-like outer packaging may be arranged for non-destructive opening even though consumers may prefer that any tampering is easily detectable to avoid that the packaged brush articles may be contaminated.

The paper-based packaging described herein comprises an insert for being placed inside a hollow of the box-like outer packaging. The insert is arranged to receive at least one brush article in at least one group of aligned and erected receiver elements, typically at least two brush articles in two groups of aligned and erected receiver elements. The insert is separate from the box-like outer packaging, hence, it can be inserted into the hollow of the box-like outer packaging prior to closing the box-like outer packaging and it can be removed from the box-like outer packaging after the box-like outer packaging was opened. In accordance with the paper-based packaging proposed herein, the insert comprises two layers of paper-based material sheets secured on top of each other, where a lower sheet is essentially considered a stabilizing sheet being essentially flat and an upper sheet is folded such that erected receiver elements are formed. The folded upper sheet and the essentially flat sheet are secured at each other, e.g., by gluing, so that the erected receiver elements are fixed in position and thus stabilized and cannot unfurl.

The term “brush article” shall refer to an article comprising a brush body and a brush head, where the brush body has a first end being distal to the brush head and a second end being proximal the brush head. Typically, a geometrically smaller neck portion is provided by the brush body between the first end and the brush head, which means that then the brush head is at least in one direction, in particular in a width direction, wider than the neck section. It is specifically considered that the brush article extends along a longitudinal extension direction from the first end to the second end and that the brush article has a non-constant diameter and/or shape and/or cross-sectional area over its length in a longitudinal direction, where the diameter, shape and cross-sectional area shall be defined in a plane being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The brush body may generally taper from the first end towards the second end. The mentioned width direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction and a height direction is perpendicular to both, the longitudinal extension direction and the width direction. The brush article may in particular be a replacement brush for attachment to an electric toothbrush handle, but this shall not exclude that the brush article is a manual toothbrush or a mascara brush or the like.

The insert comprises a first erected receiver element and a second erected receiver element that are aligned in what by convention shall be called a longitudinal direction and thus the first and the second erected receiver elements form a first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements for receiving a first brush article. The insert has an insert base that extends in a plane, where the longitudinal direction defines a first extension direction of the insert base in the plane. A direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and extends in the plane is by convention called the transverse direction. A direction that is normal to the plane spanned by the insert base is by convention called the height direction. That means that the lower sheet mentioned above extends in the plane spanned by the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, which shall not exclude that the lower sheet may comprise portions that can be folded into an erected state and that may be in an erected state when the insert is placed into the hollow of the box-like outer packaging. Typically, the lower sheet is flat where it is connected with the upper sheet. The erected receiver elements then extend into the height direction. Each erected receiver element may define a receptacle for receiving a portion of a brush article. In case of a first erected receiver element having a first receptacle and a second erected receiver element having a second receptacle, a first portion of a brush body of a first brush article may be received by the first receptacle and a second portion of the brush body and/or a portion of the brush head may be received by the second receptacle of the second erected receiver element.

The erected receiver elements formed by folding the upper sheet of the insert and securing the upper sheet at the lower sheet to stabilize the erected receiver elements as discussed herein may be of a generally triangular shape when seen along the transverse direction. This shall not exclude that at least one receiver element may be of any different shape that can be achieved by folding and securing the upper sheet to the lower sheet as described, e.g., a rectangular structure or a saw-tooth shape or an M-shape or the like. With a line of sight extending along the transverse direction, such a triangular receiver element then comprises, by definition, an ascending side and a descending side so that the resulting triangle has a top peak in about the middle of its longitudinal extension, even though the position of the top peak may depend on the individual length of the ascending side and the descending side. In the transverse direction, each receiver element may define a receptacle for receiving a portion of a brush article as was described, i.e., the receptacle may be geometrically adapted to the portion of the brush article to be received. The receptacle may be open at the top, allowing the brush article to be inserted into the receptacle.

Due to the triangular structure of the discussed example receiver element, the receiver element has a first pair of ascending and descending arms formed by the upper sheet and a second pair of ascending and descending arms. The first and second pairs of arms define in-between themselves the receptacle. That means that the receptacle is defined by two planar connected cut-outs in the upper sheet that in the erected state of the arm pairs define a free opening between the top peaks of the triangles formed by the pairs of arms and that defines a first holder opening between the pair of ascending arms and a second holder opening between the pair of descending arms. The first and second holder openings between the individual arm pairs together form the receptacle of the erected receiver element. It is contemplated that the width of the free opening between the top peaks of the triangles may be smaller than a maximum width or maximum diameter of at least one of the holder cut-outs so that a brush article that is inserted into the receptacle is first pushing the first arm pair and the second arm pair to opposing sides in transverse direction, which arm pairs essentially move back into the rest position once the brush article is correctly positioned in the receptacle. Thus, the receptacle envelopes the brush article in a manner that the brush article cannot be easily removed from the receptacle and is effectively kept in place with respect to the height direction. If the brush body and/or the brush head have a non-cylindrical shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, e.g., a conical shape, then the erected receiver elements also serve to effectively keep the brush article in place with respect to the longitudinal direction due to the geometric adaptation of the holder openings with respect to the brush article geometry at least in one movement direction. That means that it is contemplated to provide geometrically different holder openings between the ascending arm pair and the descending arm pair. That in turn means that the first and second holder openings may have a different area, a different shape and/or a different maximum diameter etc. While a basically conical body such as a tapering brush body may then not be movable into one direction, it will necessarily be movable in the other direction. It is thus contemplated that the brush article is placed into the receptacles of the pair of longitudinally aligned receiver elements so that the brush head abuts an abutment wall, thus rendering motion in the other direction also effectively impossible.

The receptacles may be dimensioned slightly narrower than the respective portions of the brush article to be received. This then leads to a spring force with which the first and second arms pairs push against the held brush article in transverse direction, which contributes to a fixation of the brush article by the receiver elements.

It is contemplated that each brush article is being held by at least two erected receiver elements, e.g., a first erected receiver element receiving a first portion of the brush body being distal to the brush head and a second erected receiver element receiving a second portion of the brush body proximal the brush head and/or at least a portion of the brush head itself. This shall not exclude that three or even more erected receiver elements are provided to receive one brush article.

The erected receiver elements are aligned in a manner that the receptacles cooperate to receive a brush article. By convention, a first erected receiver element and a second erected receiver element are aligned in the longitudinal direction and thus form a first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements. In case that a plurality of brush articles shall be held by the insert, the upper sheet forms at least a third erected receiver element and a fourth erected receiver element that are aligned in the longitudinal direction and thus form a second group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements. The first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements and the second group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements may be arranged in an arbitrary manner, but some arrangements are to be highlighted. In some examples, the first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements and the second group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements are arranged in a longitudinally sequential manner, i.e., the first and second groups of longitudinally aligned receiver elements extend along the same longitudinal axis so that the first, the second, the third and the fourth erected receiver elements are all longitudinally aligned. In some embodiments, the first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements and the second group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements are provided in a side-by-side manner, e.g., the first and the third erected receiver elements may then be aligned in the transverse direction and the second and the fourth erected receiver elements may be aligned in the transverse direction. The first example may be named a 1 by 2 arrangement, which indicates that there is one group of longitudinally aligned receiver element provided in the transverse direction and two groups of longitudinally aligned receiver elements are provided in the longitudinal direction. The second example could then be a 2 by 1 arrangement. Using this naming convention, the insert may comprise a 1 by 2 arrangement, a 2 by 1 arrangement, a 2 by 2 arrangement, a 3 by 2 arrangement a 3 by 1 arrangement, a 3 by 2 arrangement, a 3 by 3 arrangement of groups of longitudinally aligned receiver elements or any other regular arrangement. Besides such regular arrangements, an insert may also comprise a non-regular arrangement of groups of longitudinally aligned receiver elements. E.g., an example insert may have a 1 by 2 plus 1 by 1 plus 1 by 2 arrangement so that five brush articles could be received by such an arrangement. The center group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements in this arrangement may be arranged in a centered manner.

It is further contemplated that more than one insert is inserted into the box-like outer packaging. E.g., two inserts can be provided in a side-by-side manner, in a longitudinally sequential manner and/or in a stacked manner. In case of a plurality of inserts, the various inserts may have identical arrangements of groups of longitudinally aligned receiver elements or may have different arrangements.

Whether a single insert is used or a plurality of inserts, the box-like outer packaging may be dimensioned such that the single insert or the plurality of inserts fit into the hollow defined by the box-like outer packaging in an essentially gap-free manner. As the inserts and the box-like outer packaging are products made from paper, e.g., carton, the tolerances of the dimensions of these objects are relatively high, which means that, e.g., a gap of about one millimeter may still be present between the insert(s) and the inner walls of the box-like outer packaging. Further, it is contemplated that the inserts can be inserted into the box-like outer packaging in an automated manner. The latter requires some clearance between the insert(s) and the hollow of the box-like outer packaging to avoid that the inserts abut against the walls of the box-like outer packaging in the automated insertion process. Thus, the term “essentially gap-free” is to be understood with respect to these circumstances.

As was explained, the insert has a double sheet or double sheet structure, i.e., the insert has a lower sheet and an upper sheet. The upper sheet and the lower sheet may be formed from one single sheet of paper-based material, which may be folded by 180 degrees around a folding edge. The upper and the lower sheets of the insert have each two oppositely arranged ends that are understood to be arranged along the longitudinal direction. By convention, one of these oppositely arranged ends is called the first end and the other the second end. The lower sheet may be longer in the longitudinal direction at least at one of the ends versus the upper sheet such that when the lower sheet extends in a flat manner, the lower sheet at the longer end protrudes beyond the respective end of the upper sheet. The portion of the lower sheet extending from the first end of the upper sheet to the first end of the lower sheet is by convention named the first end portion of the lower sheet. In some examples, both ends of the lower sheet protrude beyond the respective end of the upper sheet, i.e., the lower sheet then comprises a first end portion and a second end portion. This allows to provide, e.g., folding lines and cut lines into the first and/or second end portions of the lower sheet. Folding lines may allow to fold at least a part of the first and/or second end portion(s) upwards, i.e., in the height direction, to provide a protection for brush articles held by the insert. As will be discussed further below, a folded first and/or second end portion may also ease automated insertion of the insert into the hollow of a box-like outer packaging. In case of a single sheet of paper material forming the upper and the lower sheet, the folded edge may be the second end of the lower and the upper sheet.

Specifically, the lower sheet may have at least one folding line or folding line arrangement proximal to or close to or adjacent the first and/or second end of the upper sheet that allows folding, e.g., a first end portion of the lower sheet upwards adjacent or close to or proximal to the first end of the upper sheet and/or a second end portion of the lower sheet upwards close to or proximal to or adjacent the second end of the upper sheet. The first and/or second end of the upper sheet may be concave, which shall not exclude that the first and/or second end of the upper sheet may in other embodiments be straight or convex. Then, at least a portion of at least one folding line provided adjacent to the concave end in the lower sheet may closely follow the concave shape of the concave end of the upper sheet. The concave folding line may end at the lateral sides of the lower sheet, or the concave folding line may stop somewhere before the side edges and may be extended by straight folding line segments that extend until the lateral side in the transverse direction. The concave folding line may be supplemented by a convex folding line that may have the same bending radius as the concave line and the concave and the convex folding lines may meet at two intersection points that lie on a straight line in transverse direction. The concave and the convex folding line may be supplemented by straight folding line segments from the intersection points to the lateral edges of the lower sheet. In case of several folding lines, these together form a folding line arrangement. The area in-between the concave and the convex folding lines is by convention named an intersection area. When the first end portion of the lower sheet is at least partially folded upwards, e.g., by 90 degrees, than the intersection area is bent upwards by about half the angle of the remainder of the first end portion, i.e., 45 degrees when the first end portion is folded by 90 degrees. Due to the discussed example design, the folded first end portion of the lower sheet comprises a ramp. Such a ramp may support automated insertion of the insert into the hollow of the box-like outer packaging as will be further discussed below. The just discussed folding line arrangement is meant to be an example and other types of folding lines or folding line arrangements may be chosen by a person skilled in the art.

As was already mentioned, the box-like outer packaging may comprise six walls, e.g., a top wall, a bottom wall and four side walls. Without limitation, an inner sheet portion may be secured, e.g., glued onto the inner side of the bottom wall. The inner sheet portion may comprise an end tip in the longitudinal direction. In an automated insertion process, the insert as described in the previous paragraph having an upfolded part of a first end portion with an intersection area forming a ramp may then in the insertion process about centrally touch the end tip of the inner sheet portion. The ramp formed by the intersection area may then support the automated insertion by more easily gliding over the end tip rather than abutting against the end tip as it may occur with a straight upfolded part of the first end portion of the lower sheet.

The present disclosure is concerned with the herein described paper-based packaging in an empty state and in an at least partly filled state in which at least one brush article is received by at least a first group of longitudinally aligned and erected receiver elements. Specifically, brush articles are received by all groups of longitudinally aligned erected receiver elements of all inserts placed in the hollow of the box-like outer packaging. In the empty state, the packaging is named a “paper-based packaging for a plurality of brush articles” and in the filled stated it is named a “paper-based brush article packaging”that comprises at least a first brush article.

In accordance with at least one aspect, the box-like outer packaging is made from a flat blank that is cut from a larger sheet of paper-based material and has folding lines and glue regions to facilitate folding und gluing operations for forming the box-like outer packaging. Folding lines may be created by stamping or otherwise weakening the sheet of paper-based material, e.g., by half-cut lines or perforations or the like. Prior to finally closing the box-like outer packaging, at least one insert is inserted, in particular automatically inserted into the hollow defined by the box-like outer packaging. The flat or planar blank may be made from cardboard or corrugated cardboard and may comprise a first side wall section, a bottom wall section, a second side wall section and a top wall section, which sections may be integrally and successively arranged side by side and may be separated by folding lines, wherein a first gluing strip may be integrally arranged at an outer edge of the first side wall opposite the bottom wall section. A holding section for forming a third side wall may be integrally arranged at an edge of the bottom wall section in a direction perpendicular to the side-by-side arrangement. The holding section may comprise a first holding section directly connected with the bottom wall section and a second holding section connected with the first holding section, wherein the second holding section may be shaped such that when the second holding structure is folded onto the first holding structure and the bottom wall section, the first side wall section together with the first gluing strip is folded onto the bottom wall section, and the top wall section is folded onto the second side wall section and the bottom wall section such that the top wall section overlaps with the first gluing strip, the folded blank has maximally three sheets of the cardboard lying on top of each other at any place of the folded arrangement. The blank may comprise a fourth side wall section for forming a fourth side wall of the box-like outer packaging. The fourth side wall section may be provided at the bottom wall section opposite the holding section. Instead of the holding section, the blank may comprise a third side wall section without a holding function.

The above restriction to a maximum to three layers of the folded blank may be achieved by shaping the second holding section and the first gluing strip such that they do not overlap in the folded state. Such a three-layer structure reduces the height of a stack of folded blank in contrast to a four-layer structure, which would occur, e.g., in case the bottom wall, the second holding section, the first gluing strip and the top wall section overlap partly. In such a four-layer folded blank, typically only a limited area would comprise four layers so that a stack of such folded blanks would become difficult to handle, specifically in automated processes, due to the difference between a large area comprising only two layers and a small area comprising four layers.

FIG. 1 is a depiction of an example paper-based packaging/paper-based brush article packaging 1. In the following, only the term “paper-based packaging” is used to indicate both. FIG. 1 shows the paper-based packaging 1 in a closed state. A box-like outer packaging 100 can be seen, while an insert is not visible in the closed state. The box-like outer packaging 100 comprises six walls, namely a top wall 110, a bottom wall 120, and four side walls 130, 140, 150 and 160. Additionally, the shown example box-like outer packaging 100 comprises a holding structure 170 forming a eurohole hanger for facilitating that the paper-based packaging 1 can be held by a standardized hanger. For reasons of stability, the holding structure 170 may comprise two or more layers of the paper-based sheet material from which the box-like outer packaging 100 is made.

FIG. 2 is a depiction of the paper-based packaging 1 shown in FIG. 1 in an open state in which an insert 200 is partly removed from the box-like outer packaging 100. The insert 200 holds four brush articles of which brush articles 310 and 320 are completely visible, while two further brush articles are still mainly hidden inside of the box-like outer packaging 100. The insert 200 comprises a lower sheet 210 and an upper sheet 220 that are both made from a paper-based sheet material such as a cardboard. The upper sheet 220 is folded in a manner so that a plurality of erected receiver elements 230, 240, 250 and 260 are formed and the upper sheet 220 and the lower sheet 210 are secured at each other, e.g., glued to each other, so that the erected receiver elements 230, 240, 250 and 260 remain stable and cannot unfold. Erected receiver element 230 is named the first erected receiver element, erected receiver element 240 is named the second erected receiver element, the erected receiver element 250 is named the third erected receiver element and the erected receiver element 260 is named the fourth erected receiver element. The first and second erected receiver elements 230 and 240 form a first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements and the third and fourth erected receiver elements 250 and 260 form a second group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements. In FIG. 2 a longitudinal direction L and a transverse direction T being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L are indicated. It is to be imagined, that the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction span a plane that coincides with the plane in which the unfolded lower sheet 210 extends or that is parallel to the plane in which the lower sheet 210 extends. A third direction (or axis) being perpendicular to the plane spanned by the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T is a height direction. The first to fourth erected receiver elements 230, 240, 250 and 260 rise from the plane of the lower sheet 210 into the height direction. The first and third erected receiver elements 230 and 250 form a first group of transversely arranged receiver elements and the second and fourth erected receiver elements 240 and 260 form a second group of transversely aligned receiver elements.

Each of the erected receiver elements 230, 240, 250 and 260 forms a respective receptacle 235, 245, 255 and 265, i.e., the first erected receiver element 230 forms a first receptacle 235, the second erected receiver element 240 forms a second receptacle 245, the third erected receiver element 250 forms a third receptacle 255, and the fourth erected receiver element 260 forms a fourth receptacle 265. The receptacles 235, 245, 255 and 265 are shaped and dimensioned to receive certain predetermined portions of a brush article. As was already mentioned, the first brush article 310 is received by the first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements, namely by the first receptacle 235 of the first erected receiver element 230 and by the second receptacle 245 of the second erected receiver element 240. Similarly, the second brush article 320 is received by the second group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements, namely by the third receptacle 255 of the third erected receiver element 250 and by the fourth receptacle 265 of the fourth erected receiver element 260.

In the following, the first brush article 310 is taken as an example, but the same is true for, e.g., the second brush article and its respective erected receiver elements. The first brush article 310 comprises a brush body 311 and a brush head 312. In the shown example, the brush body 311 tapers from a wider first end distal to the brush head towards a second end of the brush body proximal the brush head 312 so that a diameter and/or a cross-sectional shape and/or a cross-sectional area of the brush body 311 continuously changes along the longitudinal extension direction of the brush body 311. The first receptacle 235 may be shaped and dimensioned such that a predetermined first section 3111 of the brush body 311 fits essentially without a gap into the first receptacle 235. The second receptacle 245 may be shaped and dimensioned such that a predetermined second section 3112 of the brush body 311 fits essentially without a gap into the second receptacle 235. As will be explained in more detail further below, the first and second receptacles 235 and 245 may be dimensioned slightly smaller than the first and the second sections 3111 and 3112 of the brush body 311, respectively, so that after insertion of the first brush article 310 into the receptacles 235 and 245 of the first and second erected receiver elements, the slightly pushed open erected receiver elements 230 and 240 will apply a certain clamping force onto the first and second sections 3111 and 3112 of the brush body 311 due to a certain elasticity of the erected receiver elements 230 and 240, which supports a good fixation of the first brush article 310 in the first pair of longitudinally aligned receiver elements. Due to the conical tapering of the brush body 311, the fixation of the brush body 311 cannot be secured against displacement towards the first end of the brush body 311. This may be overcome by defining the first and second sections 3111 and 3112 such that the brush head 312 abuts an outer surface of the second erected receiver element 230. The term “brush head” shall here not only mean a driven portion of a brush article but shall refer to a portion of the brush article that follows on a neck section in the longitudinal extension direction of the brush article and that is geometrically wider than the neck section in at least the width direction.

FIG. 3 is a depiction of the insert 200 shown in FIG. 2 after it was completely removed from the box-like outer packaging. The insert 200 has here a 2 by 2 arrangement, i.e., it comprises four pairs of longitudinally arranged erected receiver elements, where two pairs are aligned in longitudinal direction and further two pairs are aligned in longitudinal direction so that two pairs are aligned in transversal direction and further two pairs are aligned in transversal direction. Each of the four pairs of longitudinally aligned erected receiver elements has received a brush article 310, 320, 330, 340.

FIG. 4A is a depiction of an example lower sheet 210 in a flat state, i.e., unfolded state, shown in isolation. The plane in which the lower sheet 210 extends is spanned by a longitudinal direction or longitudinal axis L and a transverse direction or transverse axis T as is indicated in FIG. 4A. The lower sheet 210 has a first end 2101 and an opposite second end 2102. In proximity to the first end, the lower sheet 210 comprises a folding line arrangement 2120. The example folding line arrangement 2120 shown here comprises a concave folding line segment 2121 and a convex folding line segment 2122. The concave and convex folding line segments 2121 and 2122 may have the same curvature, just in a mirrored fashion, even though this shall not be understood as limiting and the folding lines may alternatively have a different curvature. The concave and the convex folding line segments 2121 and 2122 meet each other at two opposite intersection points 2124 and 2125 so that the concave and the convex folding line segments 2121 and 2122 define in-between an intersection area 2128. The concave and the convex folding line segments 2121 and 2122 are in a symmetric fashion provided centrally on the lower layer 210 with respect to the transverse direction T. The folding line arrangement 2120 here further comprises two linear folding line segments 2126 and 2127 that extend from each of the intersection points 2125 and 2126, respectively, to an outer edge of the lower sheet 210 in the transverse direction T. Between the first end 2101 of the lower sheet 210 and the folding line arrangement, a first end portion 211 is formed, which first end portion 211 can be folded away from the remainder or second portion 212 of the lower sheet 210, e.g., folded in a manner so that the first end portion 211 extends perpendicularly to the second portion 212 of the lower sheet 210. It is intended to secure, e.g., glue, an upper sheet onto the remainder 212 of the lower sheet. An example upper sheet 220 is discussed in connection with FIG. 4B in detail. When folding the first end portion 211 away from the remainder 212 of the lower sheet 210 by a given angle, then the intersection area 2128 will be bent by about half the angle, i.e., 45 degrees in case the angle is 90 degrees. The intersection area 2128 then forms a ramp-like structure that may support an automatic insertion of an insert comprising the lower sheet 210. The first end portion 211 may comprise a curved cutline 2130 that enables a user to squeeze a finger into the curved cutline 2130 and to pull an insert comprising the lower sheet 210 out of a box-like outer packaging.

FIG. 4B is a depiction of an example upper sheet 220 in a flat state, i.e., in an unfolded state, shown in isolation. The plane in which the upper sheet 220 extends is spanned by a longitudinal direction or longitudinal axis L and a transverse direction or transverse axis T as is indicated in FIG. 4B. The upper sheet 220 comprises a first end 2201 and an opposite second end 2202 in longitudinal direction L. The first end 2201 has a concave outer edge 221. It is intended to secure the upper sheet 220 at the lower sheet shown in FIG. 4A in a manner that the concave outer edge 221 of the upper sheet and the concave folding line segment 2121 of the lower sheet are positioned in alignment. The upper sheet 220 is shown in its flat state as this facilitates the discussion of receiver elements that are finally erected as was seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The shown upper sheet 220 will comprise eight erected receiver elements in its folded state. Four receiver elements are indicated by reference numerals 230, 240, 250 and 260, respectively. It shall be understood that these receiver elements become erected when the upper sheet is secured at the lower sheet, and the following discussion thus holds for the erected receiver elements. It is thus referred to “erected receiver elements” despite the receiver elements being shown in their flat state.

A first erected receiver element 230 and a second erected receiver 240 are aligned in longitudinal direction L and thus form a first pair or group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements. A third erected receiver element 250 and a fourth erected receiver element 260 are aligned in longitudinal direction L and thus form a second pair or group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements. The first and the third erected receiver elements 230, 250 are in the shown embodiment aligned in transverse direction T and thus form a first pair or group of transversely aligned receiver elements. The second and the fourth erected receiver elements 240, 260 are also aligned in transverse direction T and thus form a second pair or group of transversely aligned receiver elements. The first and the second erected receiver elements 230 and 240 are arranged for receiving a first brush article and the third and fourth erected receiver elements 250 and 260 are arranged for receiving a second brush article. The first group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements is longitudinally aligned with a further group of longitudinally aligned receiver elements formed by a fifth erected receiver element 270 and a sixth erected receiver element 280. In the convention previously discussed, the shown embodiment is a 2×2 arrangement of groups of receiver elements.

With reference to the first erected receiver element 230, this first erected receiver element 230 comprises a first arm pair 231 and 232 and a second arm pair 233 and 234 that in the erected state will form erected triangles that in-between define a first receptacle 235, which in the shown flat state of the upper sheet 220 is a cutout. The length of the arms 231, 232, 233 and 234 is here l₁ and by example always the same. The second erected receiver element 240 comprises a first arm pair 241 and 242 and a second arm pair 243 and 244 that in-between define a second receptacle 245. The length of the arms 241, 242, 243 and 244 is l₂. l₁ and l₂ may be chosen to be identical, but they may also be chosen to be different. Further, the third erected receiver element 250 comprises a first arm pair 251 and 252 and a second arm pair 253 and 254 that in-between define a third receptacle 255. The fourth erected receiver element 260 comprises a first arm pair 261 and 262 and a second arm pair 263 and 264 that in-between define a fourth receptacle 265. As can be seen, the second arm pair 233 and 234 of the first erected receiver element 230 and the second arm pair 253 and 254 of the third erected receiver element 250 are integral with each other. The first and the third receptacles 235 and 255 may be identical in their geometric shape.

Specifically, each receptacle may comprise two planar cut-out portions. With reference to the first erected receiver element, a first planar cut-out portion 2351 and a second planar cut-out portion 2352 together form the first receptacle 235. The two planar cut-out portions of each receptacle meet at the top peak of the erected triangles of the erected arm pairs. A width of the first receptacle 235 between the peaks of the erected triangles formed by the arms pairs 231, 232 and 233, 234 is W_F1. Any width mentioned herein shall be understood to be measured in transverse direction. The first planar cut-out portion 2351 may widen towards the base of the triangle and may have a maximum width of W₁. Similarly, the second planar cut-out portion may widen towards the base of the triangle and may have a maximum width of W₂. W₁ and W₂ may be chosen to be different in order to be adapted to a different size, shape and/or diameter of a respective portion of the brush article to be received. But this shall not exclude that W₁ and W₂ are identical. Similarly, the second receptacle 240 may have a similar basic structure, but it may have different widths W₃ and W₄ of widened planar cut-out portions 2451 and 2452, respectively. W₃ and W₄ may be chosen to be different in order to be adapted to a different size, shape and/or diameter of a respective portion of the brush article to be received. A width of the second receptacle 240 between the peaks of the erected triangles formed by the arm pairs 241, 242 and 243, 244 is W_F2. W_F1 and W_F2 may be different, which shall not exclude that they may be chosen to be identical.

While FIGS. 4A and 4B show the lower sheet 210 and the upper sheet 220 as being separate from each other, it shall not be excluded that they are made from one single sheet of paper-based material. In such a case, the second end 2102 and 2202 of the lower sheet 210 and the upper sheet 220, respectively, would be connected and only separated by a folding line.

FIG. 5 shows a detail of the insert 200 shown in FIG. 3, which may be made by securing the lower sheet 210 and the upper sheet 220 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively, at each. In FIG. 5 the first end portion 211 of the lower sheet 210 is folded upwards away by about 90 degrees from the second portion 212 of the lower sheet 210 and the intersection area 2128 forms a ramp that has an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the second portion 212 of the lower sheet 210. The intersection area 2128 thus forms a ramp that may support an automated filling of the insert 200 into a hollow of a box-like outer packaging as was already discussed.

FIG. 6 is a depiction of an example blank 10A cut out of a sheet of paper-based material for making a box-like outer packaging by folding and gluing operations. From left to right the blank 10A comprises a first gluing strip 141A, a first side wall section 140A, a bottom wall section 120A, a second side wall section 130A and a top wall section 110A, which gluing strip and wall sections are separated from each other by folding lines shown as dashed lines. Folding lines may be created by stamping or otherwise weakening the blank 10A as is generally known in the art. The first gluing strip 141A is provided at an outer long edge of the first side wall section 140A and is intended for being glued to the top wall section 110A. Further gluing strips 142A and 143A are provided at short edges of the first side wall section 140. Likewise, gluing strips 131A and 132A are provided at short edges of the second side wall section 130A. At a first short edge of the bottom wall section 120A a holder section 170A is arranged, which holder section 170A comprises a first holder section 171A and a second holder section 172A, which are separated by a folding line so that the second holder section 172A can be folded onto the first holder section 171A and also partly onto the bottom wall section 120A. On an opposite short edge of the bottom wall section 120A, a first part of a third side wall section 161A is arranged and separated from the bottom wall section 120A by a folding line. The bottom wall section 120 further comprises in the shown embodiment a tear-open element 121A that is separated from the rest of the bottom wall section 120A by a perforated line. The tear open element 121A may be torn open by a user in the assembled state of the box-like outer packaging to open it. The folding line between the bottom wall section 120A and the first part of a third side wall section 161A may as well be realized as a perforated or otherwise weakened line to enable easy opening of the assembled box-like outer packaging. A second part of the third wall section 162A is provided at a short edge of the top wall section 110A. It is intended that the first part and the second part of the third side wall section are glued together. Finally, on a short edge of the top wall section 110A opposite to the second part of the third wall section 162A a fourth side wall section 150A is provided that is separated from the top wall section 110A by a folding line. In the shown embodiment, a third holder section 173A is provided at the outer edge of the fourth side wall section 150A and is separated therefrom by a folding line so that in the assembled state, the holder section 170A is enforced by a third layer. The first, second and third holder sections 171A, 172A and 173A all comprise a hole 1711A, 1721A and 1731A, respectively, e.g., a eurohole, that allows hanging the box-like outer packaging at a euro hanger or the like.

In the shown embodiment, the second holder section 172A comprises two portions 1722A and 1725A that will be glued onto the bottom wall section 120A is the assembling process, which portions then form an inner wall section. A cutout 1723A is provided between the portions 1722A and 1725A such that (a) a tip 1724A is resulting at one of the portions 1725A and (b) the first gluing strip 141A does not overlap with the inner wall section formed by the portions 1722A and 1725A when the first side wall section 140A and the first gluing strip 141A are folded onto the bottom wall section 120A and the inner wall section. This leads to the fact that when additionally the top wall section 110A is in a further folding operation folded onto the second side wall section 130A, the bottom wall section 120A and the gluing strip 141A, the thus folded blank 10A has only a maximum of three layers of paper-based sheet material being folded on top of each other. This minimizes the stack height of pre-folded blanks being provided at an automatic filling station and avoids a localized thickness of four layers of sheet material, thus facilitating easier handling.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application and any patent application or patent to which this application claims priority or benefit thereof, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.