Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 P~CKIN~ coN~r~INER
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¦ The present invention relates, in general, to
`1 ~ packa~ing andr in particular, to a paperboard packing
.~ container for lengthy articles.
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i Various constructions have been used in the
past to package lengthy articles. One such construc-
tion includes a pair of corrugated paperboard top and
bottom U-shaped channels arranged for one to fit within
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~he other with end caps fitted into the open ends of
` ~ the assembly OAE the U-shaped channels.
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One maj or shortcoming in using corrugated
1 paperboard as the packaging material for long packing
''',,~,A CQntainers iS inadequate strength and stability, par-
ticularly when the articles being packed are heavyl
Another probl em is with the assembly of the containers.
; 10 Corrugated paperboard blanks with scored fold lines
which are folded into U-channels, five panel, or fan
fold folders are awkward to handler as they are assembled
into containers, because they do not keep their assembled
shape. It is apparent that ~his problem becomes more
pronounced the longer the packing container.
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nother packing construction currently in use
is preformed round paper tubes. Among the problems
with such containers are that they must be end-loaded
and ~ecause they are circular, they roll around and
3 stacking ;s, at best, difficult.
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Wooden crates also are used a~ packing con-
tainers at the present time. sesides being expensive,
wooden crates are heavy, making handling dificult and
i adding to shipping costs. In addition, because wooden
crates cannot be recycled, disposal is a problem.
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Disclosure of the Invention
Accordingly, a packing container constructed in
accordance with the present invention includes a base
unit and a cover unit each formed of laminated paperboard
`~ 5 and having a U-shaped cross-section. ~he base unit and
the cover unit are sized so that upon assembly into a
container, the sidewalls of the base unit are fitted
within and embrace the side walls of the cover unit.
Also included in the packing container are end caps which
close off the opposite open ends of the container formed
where the base unit and the cover unit are assembled.
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In one embodiment of the invention, the end
caps are separate components preferably formed of lam-
inated paperboard and having a U-shaped cross-section.
; In another embodiment of the invention, the sidewalls of
the cover unit are notched near their ends and the end
caps are end sections of the cover unit folded downward
at the notches in the sidewalls. In a third embodiment
of the invention, the cover unit is shorter than the base
unit and each end cap is integral with and folded down
-, from a section which is fitted over the base unit.
i According to an aspect of the invention, a
;~ 25 packing container which comprises:
'".! a preformed, rigid laminated paperboard base
unit of U-shaped cross-section laminated throughout its
, entire cross-section and having a bottom portion and
opposed sidewalls;
and a preformed, rigid, laminated paperboard
cover unit of U-shaped cross-section laminated throughout
its entire cross-section and having a top portion and
opposed sidewalls, the cover unit so sized that the
sidewalls of the base unit are fitted within and embrace
~, 35 the sidewalls of the cover unit when the base unit and
~i the cover unit are assembled as a container.
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.`~ According to another aspect of the invention, a
packing container which comprises:
a preformed, rigid, laminated paperboard base
. unit of U-shaped cross-section laminated throughout its
:. entire cross-section and having a bottom portion and
opposed sidewalls;
` a preformed, rigid, laminated paperboard cover
: 10 unit of U-shaped cross-section laminated throughout its
i~ entire cross-section and having a top portion and opposed
:~l sidewalls, the sidewalls of the base unit fitted within
' and embracing the sidewalls of the cover unit when the
; base unit and the cover unit are assembled as a
container;
and a pair of end caps closing off opposite
open ends of the container formed when the base unit and
the cover unit are assembled.
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~:' 20 According to another aspect of the invention, a
packing container which comprises:
a base unit formed of laminated paperboard and
having a bottom portion and opposed sidewalls to form a
., laminated U-shaped cross-section;
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~! 25 and a cover unit formed of laminated paperboard
:` and having a top portion ad opposed sidewalls to form a
. laminated U-shaped cross-section, the sidewalls of the
.1 base unit fitted within and embracing the sidewalls of
: the cover unit fitted within and embracing the sidewalls
of the cover when the base unit and the cover unit are
~i assembled as a container, the sidewalls of the cover unit
.~ having V-notches extending to the junctions of the
sidewalls with the top portion of the cover unit spaced
~ inward from the ends of the cover unit by a distance
1 35 equal to the distance between the top portion of the
~ cover unit and the bottom portion of the base unit, and
:J the end sections of the cover unit outward of the
:.1 V-notches folded downward from the top portion of the
:~ cover unit forming laminated U-shaped cross-section end
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caps closing off opposite ends of the container formed
.. ~ when the base unit and the cover unit are assembled with
. 5 the sidewalls of the folded-down sections embracing the
;`-` outside surfaces of the sidewalls of the base unit.
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:~ According to a further aspect of the invention,
a packing container which comprises:
l 10 a base unit formed of laminated paperboard and
`, having a bottom portion and opposed sidewalls to form a
laminated U-shaped cross-section;
~ a cover unit formed of laminated paperboard and
: having a top portion and opposed sidewalls to form a
- 15 laminated U-shaped cross-section, the sidewalls of the
base unit fitted within and embracing the sidewalls of
the cover unit when the base unit and the cover unit are
.~ assembled as a container;
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''.~'!~ and a pair of end caps formed as separate
::i 20 components and closing off opposite open ends of the
. container formed when the base unit and the cover unit
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are assembled, each of the end caps ~ormed of laminated
~ paperboard and having (a) a base portion extending
:~) between the bottom portion of the base unit and the top
portion of the cover unit, and ~b) two opposed sidewalls
extending between the bottom portion of the base unit and
~ the top portion of the cover unit to form a laminated U-
',:,.Aj, shaped cross-section, the sidewalls of each the end cap
~ embracing the outside surface of the sidewalls of the
i~ 30 base unit.
.. According to a further aspect of the invention,
''!"~ a packing container which comprises:
~ a preformed, rigid, laminated paperboard base
.. ~ 35 unit of U-shaped cross-section laminated throughout its
entire cross-section and having a bottom portion and
first and second opposed sidewalls;
and a preformed, rigid, laminated paperboard cover
unit of U-shaped cross-section laminated throughout its
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entire cross-section and having a top portion and first
and second spposed sidewall~, the cover unit and the base
unit sized so that the sidewalls of the base unit embrace
! the sidewalls of the cover unit when the base unit and
the cover unit are assembled as a container with the
- bottom portion of the base unit spaced from the top
portion of the co~er unit.
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Referring to the drawings:
Figure 1 is an exploded, perspective view of
a fi~st embodiment o~ a packing container constructed
~ in aceordance with the present invention;
:~~ 10 Figure 2 is a cross-seetion view of any of
the U-shaped eomponents of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the Figure
~,~ 1 base unit and cover unit after assembly with solid
end eaps substituted for the Figure 1 end eaps
Figure 4 is a per~pective view of a seeond
embodiment of a packing container eonstructed in accor-
dance with the present inventiont and
Figure 5 is a perspeetive view Qf the top
unit of Figure 4 inverted.
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.. ~ Reerring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a packing
eontainer, constructed in accordance with the present
invention, includes a base unit 10 fonmed of laminated
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~h~ paperboard and haviny a bottom portion lOa and opposed
sidewalls lOb and lOc, to form a laminated U-shaped
~. cross-section. Also included is a cover unit 12 formed
`.'. o~ laminated paperboard and having a top portion 12a
.. ' 5 and opposed sidewalls 12b and 12c to form a laminated
U-shaped cross-section. Rase unit 10 and cover unit 12
are sized so that upon assembly into a container, as
~' illustrated in Figure 3, the upper edges o~ the outside
~., surfaces of sidewalls lOb and lOc of base unit 10 fit
.~ 10 within and embrace sidewalls 12b and 12c, respectively~
~il oE cover unit 12.
The packing container shown in Figures 1 and
~ 3 further includes a pair of end caps which close off
'.. 1 15 opposite open ends of the container formed when base
~ unit 10 and cover unit 12 are assembled as a container.
... ¦ In Figure 1, each end cap 14 is formed of laminated
~"t:, paperboard and includes a base portion 14a and two
.. 1 opposed sidewalls 14b and 14c to form a l~minated U-
., 20 shaped cross-section. Base portion 14a and sidewalls
14b and 14c extend between bottom portion lOa o~ base
unit 10 and top portion 12a of cover unit 12.
End caps 14 are inserted in the opposite open
JI 25 ends of the assembly of base unit 10 and cover unit 12
, with base portions 14a of the end caps inward of side-
~i walls 14b and 14c relative to the open ends of the
asgembly. In this way, the three layers of laminated
paperboard material at each corner of the packing con-
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; tainer, namely a sidewall of base unit 10, a sidewall
o cover unit 12, and a sidewall of an end cap 14r can
; be stapled to secure together the components of the
packing container.
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.j Conventional bands 16 can be used to tie
:~l together base unit 10 and cover unit 12 at selected
points al ong the length of ~he packing container. In
~.~ the alternative, base unit 10, cover unit 12 and end
caps 14 can be glued together as they are assembled
into the packing container.
Figure 2, showing a laminated paperboard
fonmed into a laminated U-shaped cross-section, can
ij 15 represent the cross-sections of base unit 10, cover
l unit 12 or end caps 14. Those skilled in the art of
3 manufacturing packaging container components will ap-
preciate that by forming all four components, namely
base unit 10, cover unit 12, and end caps 14 as U-
~l 20 shaped members made from the same laminated paperboard
.' material, the same machine can be used to produce these
parts but with diferent dies to form the three difer-
ently sized U-sh(~p~d mem~ers. However, it is under-
. stood that other components can be employed as end
.. 25 capsO For example, as illustrated in Figure 3, the end
caps can be solid memberst such as a block 18, made
~l from wood or styrofoam, which is held in place by suit-
~ able means, such as ~y glue or bands ti~htly wrapped
~ around the ends o~ b~se ;Illit 10 an~ cover unit 12.
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Figures 4 and 5 show a second embod;ment of a
packing container constructed in accordance with the
present invention. This embodiment differs from the
first embodiment in that the cover unit and the end
caps are arranged to form mitered corners. In one
version of this embodiment of the invention, end caps
-~ 20 are integral with cover un;t 22 and are end sections
~, of the cover u~,~ wh; ~h extend downward from top por-
tion 22a of the cover unit when fo~cled into place along
~i ~old lines 23 to Eorlll the packing container. Sidewalls
~ 22b and 22c have V-notches 24 spaced inward E~om the
! ends oE cover unit 22 by a distance equal to the dis-
~ tance between top por~ion 22a of the cover unit and
;~ 15 bottom portion lOa of base unit 10. V-notches 24,
having a 90 included angle, extend to the junctions of
sidewalls 22b and 22c with top portion 22a. With cover
~ unit 22 and base unit 10 assembled, end caps 22 are
;~ folded downward, as indicated by an arrow 26r along
~¦ 20 fold lines 23 to close off the opposite open ends of
the container as indicated at the right-hand end of the~
container o~ Figure 4. ~n this position, the sidewalls
;~ of end sections of cover unit 22 outward of V-notches
24 embrace the end edges of the outside surfac~s of the
~5 sidewalls of base unit 10. End caps 20 can be held in
l place by suitable means, such as by glue or bands
- tightly wrapped around the ends o~ base unit 10 and
;;¦ cover unit 22. As with the ~iyures 1 and 3 embodiment
~ of the invention, bands 16 can be used to tie together
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' base unit 10 and cover unit 22 or these parts can be
;;`j glued together as they are ass~mbled into the packing
container.
Instead of fabricating the cover unit and the
~ end caps as a single component with notched sidewalls,
`~ the end caps and the cover unit can be fabricated as
separate components. When fabricated in this way, both
; 10 ends of the sidewalls of the cover unit are cut at an
angle and one end of the sidewalls of each of the end
i caps are cut at an angle, whereby two mitered corners
are formed by the cover unit and the end caps.
;3 15 In yet another version of the Figures 4 and 5
~ embodiment of the present invention, the cover unit is
'-1 shorter than the base unit. This is represented by the
1 dashed lines in Figure 5 identlfied by reference num-
-~ erals 26. With a shorter cover unit, the container
,~ 20 includes a pair of end members 28 of U-shaped cross~
section at opposite ends of the base unit. Each end
member 28 has V-notches 24 in its sidewalls with a
first length to one side o~ the V-notches fitted over
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the base unit with its sidewalls embracing the upper
~ 25 edges of the outside surfaces of the sidewalls of the
-~ base unit. A second length of each end member 28 to
the other side of V-notches 24 is folded downward with
~j its sidewalls embracing the end edges of the outside
sllrEaces of the sidewalls o~ the base unit. Each end
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member 28 is sized so that with the first length abut-
,' ting against the cover unit, it extends to the end of
'' the base unit. The second length of each end member
-,~ extends downward to the bottom portion of the base unit.
While in the foregoing there have been des-
cribed preferred emhodiments of the present invention,
it should be understood to those skilled in the art
that various modiications and changes can be made
without departing from the true spirit and scope of the
invention as recited in the claims.
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