Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02370334 2001-11-07
WO 00/68102 PCT/US99/10019
ONE PIECE FOLDED AND GLUED CONTAINER
Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to paperboard, corrugated or similar cartons and
containers
made in an automated manner by folding panels of an integral flat blank and
gluing the
panels at key locations. The container is supplied in a collapsed or knocked-
down flat
configuration. Before loading with product the container is erected manually
into a
rectilinear box by simple motions. Erection of the folded and glued panels
produces
certain useful structural attributes such as improved stacking strength, stack
alignment,
locking of the box in the erected state, etc.
~. Related Art
Corrugated and paperboard containers are made from one or more pieces of flat
stock that are cut in required shapes and are assembled to form the walls of a
full or
partial enclosure. Variations are possible in which several separately-
integral parts are
formed and then are assembled using glue, tape, staples or the like. For
example, the
container body and lid may be separate parts, or various types of inserts may
be used for
reinforcement or other purposes such as subdividing the volume of the
container into
discrete areas.
Containers are supplied in a collapsed state because storage or handling of
empty
containers is wasteful of space. The containers afe partly formed, with their
parts cut out
and certain seams and folds provided. The packer erects the containers prior
to loading,
and finishes any required assembly steps in the process. The loaded containers
are finally
closed, as suitable for storage or shipment. For example, a container may be
cut out from
integral flat stock, folded and scored at spaced parallel lines corresponding
to the corners
of the container (with at least one seam), and supplied with the opposite side
and end
walls collapsed flat against one another. Top and bottom flaps are likewise
integrally
attached to the side and end walls at folds or score lines. The packer erects
the container
from a flat parallelogram into its rectilinear shape, folding the bottom and
top flaps
inwardly before and after loading, respectively, and finally closing the
container at seams
that are taped, glued or otherwise attached.
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2
It is efficient if most or preferably all of the container parts are integral
parts and
extensions of a single piece of flat material. Separate discrete parts such as
separate lids,
partitions and reinforcing inserts involve manual assembly steps. Manual
assembly steps
are costly and consume worker time in several ways. In addition, assembly
steps can be
physically taxing and may lead to repetitive motion injuries. It is preferable
if containers
are substantially fully formed when supplied, and require the least possible
manual action
to deploy, load, close and store or pack the containers for shipment. However
it is also
important for the containers to be structurally sound.
Self erecting paperboard and corrugated containers are known with their
respective wall panels and flaps connected in such a way that one or more of
the
structural parts of the container is pulled into an erected position as the
other parts are
erected. Commonly owned pending patent application SN 09/129,375, filed August
5,
1998, entitled Stackable Container, discloses an integral blank container
having folded
and glued bellows or gusset corners that couple a bottom panel with side and
end wall
panels. When the container is erected from the knocked-down-flat state, the
assembler
need only pull on (or otherwise relatively displace) one of the panels, which
pulls all of
the panels into a rectilinear shape. In another commonly owned pending Patent
Application SN 09/253,822, filed February 19, 1999, an integral blank
container
including end walls with spaced inner and outer end wall panels and an
upper/edge is
disclosed. Advantageously, the end wall panels and ledge encompass hollow
erectable
support columns that are associated with upwardly protruding stacking tabs.
The internal
hollow columns, which are supported by folded and glued panels and are opened
under
the ledge when the container is in an erected state, vertically reinforce the
end walls of
the container.
U.S. Patent 4,899,929 - Grollman, discloses self erecting bottom flaps
connected
to container side walls by folded-back glued gusset panels. The gusset panels
are
arranged to pull the bottom flaps downwardly into a position perpendicular to
the side
walls when the side and end walls are unfolded from one another during manual
expansion of the container from a flattened parallelogram into a rectilinear
box.
The foregoing applications also disclose locking tab structures in which a
plural
thickness tab protrudes upwardly from the structure of the container end wall
to engage in
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an opening in a similar container stacked thereon. One objective of cartons or
containers
as described is to support the products that have been loaded into the
containers, as well
as to bear the load of additional containers that may be stacked on a given
container. For
this purpose, the panels that are folded and glued can include wall panels
having multiple
thicknesses of glued-together material and/or partition walls that extend
between opposite
side walls or end walls. These structural reinforcing features add to the
vertical stacking
strength or load bearing capacity of the container, namely the maximum
vertical weight
that can be borne without buckling or displacing the container walls. A
container should
have good vertical stacking strength, but if possible such stacking strength
should be
achieved without unnecessarily adding weight to the container and without
complicating
assembly or erection steps. It is also advantageous if stacking strength can
be achieved
by means of reinforcements that occupy very little of the space that would
otherwise be
available for carrying product. Thus, considerations of container strength are
sometimes
at odds with considerations of weight and volume or ease of assembly.
Containers are routinely stacked vertically to make efficient use of space,
and may
be reinforced against vertical crushing by employing multiple thickness of
material for
wall panels or by forming columns, for example as in U.S. Patent 5,330,094 -
Merz.
Known structures that are reinforced in this manner are constructed using
added-in insert
pieces or using a container structure that requires various manual operations
in order to
install or erect the reinforcing structure.
Two or more containers are often stacked in vertical registry to be carried
manually, to be stacked in a storage area or for shipping on a pallet or the
like, in any
number of adjacent columns or in a staggered overlapping arrangement
resembling
masonry. Stacking maximizes the density of storage, and often enables a group
of
containers to be handled conveniently as a structural unit, e.g., when using a
fork-lift
truck or a two wheel hand dolly.
Containers in stacks can be subjected to various vertical and lateral forces.
Vertical compression force is applied by the weight of upper containers in a
stack and the
product they contain. This vertical force is borne by the vertically extending
structural
elements of the underlying cartons. The structural elements that bear vertical
forces on a
carton or similar container normally occupy only a very limited span of
lateral width
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CA 02370334 2004-10-22
andlor depth_ For example, the vertical forces on many cartons are borne
exclusively by
their vertical side and end walls. If the stacked cartons remain in registry,
then the weight
of each upper container is coupled. by the side and end walls of the upper
container, to
the corresponding side and end walls of an underlying container aligned with
the upper
container. The side and/or end walls of the upper and lower containers are
disposed
directly over and under one another over a lateral width and depth of each
wall (normally
ane thickness of material).
If the stacked containers become displaced from exact registry, vertical
support
may be lacking. It is possible to enlarge the lateral width and depth of the
side or end
walls of a container such that a ledge is defined on which an upper container
may rest.
Thus support is provided up to a certain amount of misalignment in the
container stack
equal to the width of the ledge. Examples of ledge structures are disclosed in
the
foregoing Sheffer applications. Registry tabs are also provided in U.S. Patent
5,839,650
- Sheffer. However, it is difficult to arrange for a ledge in a manner that is
consistent
with the objectives of fold-and-glue cartons, for example, to provide a
knocked-down-flat
pre~rection blank for shipping that can be erected with a minin~um,of manual
actions, to
conserve container volume of product, and to ensure adequate vertical stacking
strength.
It would be advantageous if these objectives could all be balanced to provide
an optimal
container.
Sum~narv of the invention
The present invention. as in the Sheffer pending applications, provides a site-
ereeted container or carton that is at least substantially formed wholly from
an integral
flat blank. The only assembly required is erection from a knocked-down-flat
configuration by folding the end walls into position to lock into the bottom
panel. In so
doing, the end and side walls are simultaneously erected perpendicular to the
bottom
panel. The end walls are provided with registry tabs on a stacking ledge, and
are
reinforced. The container is supplied with substantially all its joints pre-
attached but in a
knocked-down-flat state. The container can be produced automatically using a
fold-and-
glue container production machine, for example as available from Bobst Group,
Inc.,146
Harrison Avenue, Roseland, New Jersey 07068 (affiliated with Bobst, SA,
Lausanne,
CH). At the loading site the user need only fold the end panels into place,
fill the
CA 02370334 2004-10-22
container and press down the top flaps to produce a stackable unit that is
readily handled,
stacked on a pallet, or otherwise processed for storage or shipment.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the problems
discussed
above associated with convention containers.
It is an object of the invention to structure a fold-and-glue knocked-dawn
flat
container blank so as to improve the vertical stacking strength of the erected
container
while also decreasing the reliance on correct registry of the containers by
manual action.
It is another object to provide hollow vertical reinforcing columns in the end
or
side walls, of a container, which columns are erectable from a folded Ilat
configuration
during erection of the container..
It is an object to minimize the manual steps needed to erect the container as
described, in particular to cause the end and side walls of the container to
erect into a
vertical position and the hollow vertical columns to open and deploy, simply
by folding
end wall flaps inwardly over the columns to lock on the inner bottom wall of
the
container.
It is a further object to deploy a protruding registry tab when folding the
end wall
flaps inwardly, to place the registry tab at a space from the outer end walls
of the
container, and to use the registry tab not only as a structure for engaging
with the
underside of a next higher container in a stack, but also as a barb against
which the free
edges of the sidewall flaps can be locked for a-lidded closure. .
It is another object of the invention to structure a fold-and-glue knocked-
down flat
container blank so as to improve the vertical stacking strength of the erected
container by
providing structural support to the sidewalk of the container while also
decreasing the
reliance on correct registry of the containers by manual action.
It is a further object to minimize the manual steps needed to erect the
container as
described, in particular to cause the end and side walls of the container to
erect into a
vertical position, simply by folding end wall flaps inwardly to lock on the
inner bottom
wall of the container while deploying sidewall support structures.
These and other objects are accomplished in one embodiment of the invention by
a container made in a collapsed configuration with bellows fold corners for
self-erection,
having spaced-panel end walls encompassing hollow columns for vertical
reinforcement.
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6
An outer end wall panel is joined to the container bottom, leading to a ledge
panel that is
horizontal when the container is erected, and an inner end wall panel folds
over and down
to lock via tabs into openings in the bottom. Hollow columns reside under the
ledge
panel and are provided by column-forming panels folded inwardly and glued at
key
points to the inner end wall panels such that the hollow columns are pressed
open when
the inner end wall panel is folded inwardly and is disposed between the front
and rear
walls. Score or fold lines define the corners of each hollow column, and are
placed to
beax against inner sides of the front and back walls, which hold the hollow
columns open
when the container is erected. The column-forming panels have protruding tabs
that are
backed by corresponding tabs located on the ledge panel between inner and
outer panels
of the end walls. These tabs join to form a two thickness registration tab
that is used to
engage a corresponding opening in the container bottom when two or more
containers are
stacked together. The registration tab is barb shaped, having laterally
opposite stepped
edges dimensioned and located such that edges of the top panel flaps pass
resiliently and
are locked down by the stepped edges when the top panel flaps are folded
downwardly to
engage the registration tab. The container can be made entirely automatically
in a
knocked-down-flat state by application of glue and folding at the appropriate
lines. and
can be erected in a single two-handed motion.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a container is provided that is
made
in a collapsed configuration with bellows fold corners for self erection,
having spaced-
panel end walls and resilient wing panels for vertical and lateral
reinforcement of the
container's sidewalk. An outer end wall panel is joined to the container
bottom, leading
to a ledge panel that is horizontal when the container is erected, and an
inner end wall
panel folds over and down to lock via tabs into openings in the bottom. The
resilient
wing panels reside at the outer peripheral edges of the inner end wall panel,
and are
provided by partially prescoring and pre-creasing a panel flap. In this way,
each panel
flap may be folded back upon itself and a portion of the inner surface of the
inner end
wall panel along the partially scored portion of the flap so as to form a wing
panel. As a
result, the wing panel may be bent along the pre-crease so that the wing panel
is partially
folded along the pre-crease. The wing panel contributes to the stacking
strength of the
container and is folded to a right angle rather than being opened into a
hollow shape, by
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CA 02370334 2004-10-22
pressure from the front and rear walls. The outer end walls have protruding
tabs on the
inner panel of each end wall. These.tabs join to form a single thickness
registration tab
that is used to engage a corresponding opening in the container bottom when
two or more
containers are stacked together. The registration tab is also barb shaped,
having laterally
spaced stepped edges dimensioned such that edges of the top panel flaps pass
and are
locked down by the stepped edges when the top panel flaps are folded
downwardly to
engage the registration tab. The container can be made entirely automatically
in a
knocked-down-flat state by application of glue and folding at the appropriate
lines, and is
erected in a single motion.
According to an aspect of the present invention there is provide a container
comprising a plurality of panels defining a bottom, a laterally opposite front
wall and a back
wall, and longitudinally opposite end walls, the end walls having an outer end
wall panel
joined to the bottom, a ledge panel joined to the outer end wall panel, and an
inner end wall
panel joined to the ledge panel, at Ieast one column-forming panel being
joined to one of the
inner and outer end wall panels, the column-forming panel being folded
laterally inwardly and
being expandable to form a hollow column supporting the ledge panel in the
erected state of
the container, further comprising inwardly folded bellows panels extending
between the end
walls and the front and the back and connecting the front and the back to the
end walls such
that when one of the front, the back and the end walls is pulled upwardly, the
one pulls
another from a knocked-down-flat configuration to an orientation perpendicular
to the bottom.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a
container
comprising a plurality of panels defining a bottom, a laterally opposite front
wall and a back
wall, and longitudinally opposite end walls, the end walls having an outer end
wall panel
joined to the bottom, a ledge panel joined to the outer end wall panel, and an
inner end wall
panel joined to the ledge panel, at least one column-forming panel being
joined to one of the
inner and outer end wall panels, the column-forming panel being folded
laterally inwardly and
being expandable to form a hollow column supporting the ledge panel in the
erected state of
the container, wherein two column-forming panels are symmetrically folded
laterally
inwardly from opposite sides of each inner end wall panel, each of the column
forming panels
comprising part of a protruding registration tab at an end glued-to the inner
end wall panel.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
container
comprising a plurality of corrugated paperboard panels defining a bottom, a
laterally opposite
CA 02370334 2005-07-06
7a
front wall and a back wall having top panel flaps, and longitudinally opposite
end walls, the
panels being integral parts of a single piece of flat stock, wherein the
bottom is attached to the
front wall and to the back wall by inwardly folded bellows panels, each having
a fold oriented
substantially diagonally relative to an adjacent one of the end walls and the
front and back and
being glued to the adjacent one of the end walls, whereby the bellows panels
and the end
walls pull one another perpendicular to the bottom when erected, wherein the
end walls
comprise an outer end wall panel joined at a fold to a ledge panel, and an
inner end wall panel
joined at a fold to the ledge panel, each of the inner end wall panels being
joined at a plurality
of score and fold lines to laterally opposite column-forming panels, the
column forming
panels being folded inwardly and glued to a face of the inner end wall panel
at a space from
the fold and score lines such that the column-forming panels and their
respective inner end
wall panel are openable into a hollow column, the fold and score lines being
placed to define
corners of the hollow column and a laterally innermost one of the score and
fold lines being
substantially parallel to a fold line between the bottom of the container and
one of the front
and the back, whereby the one of the front and the back limits a position of
the hollow column
in an erected state of the container, thereby holding open the hollow column.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
container
comprising a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall, two end walls positioned in
confronting relation
to one another between the front wall and the rear wall so that (i) a first
vertical side of each
end wall is positioned adjacent to a portion of the front wall, and (ii) a
second vertical side of
each end wall is positioned adjacent to a portion of the rear wall, and two
wings, one
projecting into the container from the first vertical edge and one projecting
into the container
from the second vertical edge of each of the end walls, with each of the wings
biased so as to
be in supporting engagement with the portions of the adjacent walls, wherein
the end walls
each comprise an exterior panel joined to the bottom, a ledge panel joined to
the exterior
panel, and an interior panel joined to the ledge panel, wherein the interior
panel of each end
wall comprises the first vertical side and the second vertical side, and,
further comprising
inwardly folded bellows panels extending between and connecting the end walls
and the front
and the back walls such that when one of the front, the back and the end walls
is pulled
upwardly, the one pulls another from a knocked-down-flat configuration to an
orientation
perpendicular to the bottom.
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7b
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a container
comprising a plurality of panels defining a bottom, a laterally opposite front
wall and a
back wall, and longitudinally opposite end walls, the end walls having an
outer end wall
panel joined to the bottom, a ledge panel joined to the outer end wall panel,
and an inner
end wall panel joined to the ledge panel, at least one column-forming panel
being joined
to_one of the inner and outer end wall panels, the column-forming panel being
folded
laterally inwardly and being expandable to form a hollow column supporting the
ledge
panel in an erected state of the container, further comprising inwardly folded
bellows
panels extending between the end walls and the front and the back and
connecting the
front and the back to the end walls, wherein when first one of the front, back
and end
walls is raised from a knocked-down-flat configuration, an adjacent second one
of the
front, back and end walls attached to the first raised wall by one of the
bellows panels is
also raised so that the first and second raised walls are perpendicular to the
bottom.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a
container
comprising a plurality of panels defining a bottom, a laterally opposite front
wall and a
back wall, and longitudinally opposite end walls, the end walls having an
outer end wall
panel joined to the bottom, a ledge panel joined to the outer end wall panel,
and an inner
end wall panel joined to the ledge panel, at least one column-forming panel
being joined
to one of the inner and outer end wall panels, the at least one column-forming
panel being
folded laterally inwardly and being expandable to form a hollow column
supporting the
ledge panel in an erected state of the container, wherein the two column-
forming panels
are symmetrically folded laterally inwardly from opposite sides of each inner
end wall
panel, each of the column forming panels comprising part of a protruding
registration tab
at an end glued to the inner end wall panel.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
container
comprising a plurality of corrugated paperboard panels defining a bottom, a
laterally
opposite front wall and a back wall having top panel flaps, and longitudinally
opposite
end walls, the panels being integral parts of a single piece of flat stock,
wherein the
bottom is attached to the front wall and to the back wall by inwardly folded
bellows
panels, each having a fold oriented substantially diagonally relative to an
adjacent one of
the end walls and the front and back and being glued to the adjacent one of
the end walls,
whereby the bellows panels and the end walls pull one another perpendicular to
the
bottom when erected, wherein the end walls comprise an outer end wall panel
joined at a
CA 02370334 2005-07-06
7C
fold to a ledge panel, and an inner end wall panel joined at a fold to the
ledge panel, each
of the inner end wall panels being joined at a plurality of score and fold
lines to laterally
opposite column-forming panels, the column forming panels being folded
inwardly and
glued to a face of the inner end wall panel at a space from the fold and score
lines such
that the column-forming panels and their respective inner end wall panel are
openable into
a hollow column, the fold and score lines being placed to define corners of
the hollow
column and a laterally innermost one of the score and fold lines being
substantially
parallel to a fold line between the bottom of the container and one of the
front and the
back, whereby the one of the front and the back limits a position of the
hollow column in
an erected state of the container, thereby holding open the hollow column.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
container
comprising a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall, two end walls positioned in
confronting
relation to one another between the front wall and the rear wall so that (i) a
first vertical
side of each end wall is positioned adjacent to a portion of the front wall,
and (ii) a second
vertical side of each end wall is positioned adjacent to a portion of the rear
wall, and two
wings, one projecting into the container from the first vertical edge and one
projecting
into the container from the second vertical edge of each of the end walls,
with each of the
wings biased so as to be in supporting engagement with the portions of the
adjacent walls,
wherein the end walls each comprise an exterior panel joined to the bottom, a
ledge panel
joined to the exterior panel, and an interior panel joined to the ledge panel,
wherein the
interior panel of each end wall comprises the first vertical side and the
second vertical
side, and, further comprising inwardly folded bellows panels extending between
and
connecting the end walls and the front and the back walls, wherein when first
one of the
front, back and end walls is raised from a knocked-down-flat configuration, an
adjacent
second one of the front, back and end walls attached to the first raised wall
by one of the
bellows panels is also raised so that the first and second raised walls are
perpendicular to
the bottom.
CA 02370334 2005-07-06
7d
Brief Description of the Drawings
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more
fully disclosed in, or rendered obvious by, the following detailed description
of the
preferred embodiments of the invention. which are to be considered together
with the
accompanying drawings wherein like numbers refer to Iike parts and further
wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an erected container according to one
embodiment
of the invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of an integral flat blank prior to being folded, glued,
and
erected to provide the container shov~m in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the integral flat blank of Fig. 2, showing the gluing
and
folding operations associated with the hollow colurrins to be opened when
erecting the
end wall;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the integral flat blank of Fig. 3, showing the gluing
and
folding operations associated with the bellows corners;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the container of Fig, l, shown with the
exterior
panel partly cut away to illustrate the internal hollow column formed when in
the erected
state between the interior and exterior panels;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an aspect of erecting the container,
namely
exerting inward lateral force on the column-forming panels to open the hollow
panels
during folding of the interior panel into the space between the front and back
to lock via
tabs in the container bottom, as shown in the drawing by arrows;
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8
Fig.7 is a perspective view of an erected container according to another
embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 8 is a plan view of an integral flat blank prior to being folded, glued,
and
erected to provide the container shown in Fig.7;
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the integral flat blank of Fig. 8, showing the gluing
and
folding operations associated with the resilient wing panels to be deployed
when erecting
the end wall;
Fig. 10 is a plan view of the integral flat blank of Fig. 9, showing the
gluing and
folding operations associated with the bellows corners; and
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the container of Fig. 7, shown with the
exterior
panel partly cut away.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
FIGURE 1 shows a vertically reinforced stackable and self-erecting container
20 according
to an embodiment of the invention, erected and ready for packing. Container 20
in the open state
defines a rectilinear box including a front wall 22, back wa.Il 24, and end
walls 26, each
extending perpendicularly upwardly from a one piece container bottom 28. Walls
22, 24,
26 are connected to container bottom 28 at right angle fold lines 32: Front
wall 22 and
back wall 24 are formed of a single thickness of material. Opposing end walls
26 each
include an interior panel 42 and exterior panel 44, which are interconnected
by, and
support, a horizontal ledge panel 46. The panels forming container 20 are cut,
folded and
attached to one another. Advantageously, all the panels are integral portions
of a single
flat blank 50, shown in Fig. 2.
It will be appreciated that designations such as "top," "bottom,' "front" and
"rear,"
etc. are used in this description for purposes of illustration and to
distinguish the relaxive
positions of particular walls and panels. However the invention is not limited
to any
particular orientation of wall panels.
Blank 50 is arranged by folding and gluing operations to provide a knocked-
down-flat ("KDF") structure 52 (best shown in Fig. 6) that can be provided to
a packer in
a compact collapsed arrangement and has structures that engage one another
when the
container is erected. These structures provide vertical reinforcement for the
end walls 26
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9
via hollow columns 55 confined between interior panel 42 and exterior panel 44
and in
part by the inner face of front wall 22 or back wall 24 of container 20.
Bellows fold
corner structures 56 cause the front, back and end walls to pull one another
into an
orientation perpendicular to bottom 28 during erection of container 20.
Registration tabs
62 and corresponding registration openings 64 permit multiple containers to be
stacked in
registry as keyed by registration tabs 62.
The combination of an interior panel 42 and exterior panel 44 for each of the
end
walls 26 provides vertical strength to the container and resistance to lateral
deformation.
This is in part because end walls 26 comprise multiple thicknesses of material
and in part
because the spaced end wall interior and exterior panels 42, 44 and ledge
panel 46 fit
between front wall 22 and back wall 24 and maintain a perpendicular relative
orientation
between the front and back walls versus the end walls. According to an
inventive aspect,
the end walls also provide additional support, vertical strength and
resistance to
deformation due to hollow columns 55, which are opened and erected during
erection of
the container, to reside between interior panel 42 and exterior panel 44,
beneath ledge
panel 46 and bearing against the inner surfaces of front wall 22 and back wall
24. Ledges
46, with their underlying support, also provide a pair of lateral areas that
function as
stable platforms that can support stacking of containers, even if an upper
container is out
of registry with a lower one by part of the thickness of the ledge panel. In
one preferred
embodiment, registration tabs 62, associated with interior panel 42 and
exterior panel 44,
and reinforcing hollow columns 55 keep the stacked containers in registry.
Referring to Fig. 2, container blank 50 is preferably laid flat, i.e., in the
form in
which the container is cut as an integral blank from a sheet of flat
corrugated board,
paperboard or other sheet material. A number of thicknesses can be die cut in
a single
step. However, blanks 50 preferably are cut out individually so that the blank
can be
scored or compressed along the lines that are to be folded, at the same time
that the
perimeter of the blank is cut from the sheet. Along certain lines the blank is
folded when
it is formed into a collapsed state for shipment. and other lines are folded
or partially
unfolded when the collapsed blank is erected for packing. Lines representing
fold lines
are shown in the drawings by broken lines, and can be made by compressing the
material
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along a line. cutting all or part way through the material at spaced
intervals, cutting
through part of the material thickness, etc.
Blank 50 generally comprises a one piece bottom panel 28 from which front wall
22 and rear wall 24, and opposing end walls 26 radiate in mutually
perpendicular
directions along bottom-to-side wall fold lines 32. Fold lines 32 will become
ninety
degree folds when container 20 is placed in its fully erected state. Exterior
panels 44 of
end walls 26 are relatively nearer to bottom panel 28 than interior panels 42,
but are
termed "exterior" panels because they define the outside end surface of
container 20 when
the container has been erected.
Column-forming panel 74 extends laterally beyond interior panel 42. Column-
forming panel 74 is folded laterally inwardly along an outermost fold line 78
that is
spaced laterally outwardly from fold line 32 joining bottom 28 to front wall
22 or back
wall 24. Column-forming panel 74 is glued to interior panel 42 at key places,
in this
embodiment exclusively at a space from the fold lines of column-forming panel
74,
leaving the column-forming panel free to expand from a flattened parallelogram
into a
rectilinear cross-section. The erected hollow column bears resiliently against
the inside
surface of front wall 22 or back wall 24, which holds column 55 open.
Column-forming panel 74 has four parallel spaced score or fold lines 76, 78
located at the corners of each hollow column 55. Hollow column 55 is
rectangular in
cross-section, and fits in the space between interior and exterior panels 42,
44. In the
embodiment with symmetrical column-forming panels folded inwardly from
opposite
lateral sides, each of the column forming panels has half of a protruding
registration tab
62 at its end glued to interior panel 42. Each interior panel 42 has locking
tabs 92
oriented longitudinally. Locking tabs 92 engage in locking tab receptacles 94
in
container bottom 28, when interior panel 42 is folded into the space between
front wall 22
and back wall 24.
Registration tab portions 84 of column-forming panels 74 are preferably backed
by a registration tab portion of exterior panel 44, forming a registration tab
62 of two
thicknesses. This two thickness registration tab is spaced longitudinally
inwardly from
exterior panel 44 and is located against interior panel 42 at the inner edge
of ledge 46,
rather than at the extreme longitudinal end of container 20. The protruding
part cut from
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ledge 46 is coplanar with interior panel 42 and is backed by registration tab
portion 84 of
column-forming panel 74. These protruding parts together form registration tab
62.
Registration tab 62 extends upwardly from ledge 46 by a distance greater than
the
thickness of top or lid panels 66.
The protruding parts of interior panel 42 and column-forming panel 74 are
positioned in registry with a registration opening 102 in bottom 28 of
container 20 such
that container 20 is stackable in registry with similar containers by
insertion of
registration tab 62 into registration opening 102. Column-forming panel 74 has
an
indentation 86 opposite from and complementary with its protruding
registration tab 62.
The inner column-forming panel can have an indentation corresponding to its
protrusion
as well, whereby registration tab 62 of container 20 fits exactly into
registration opening
102 of a container stacked thereon. However, the inner column-forming panel
also can
be arranged without such an indentation. In that case, registration tab 62 of
container 20
is resiliently deflected longitudinally outwardly around interior panel 42 and
column-
forming panel 74. Registration opening 102 is sufficiently wide to accommodate
this
deflection (i.e., the opening is double the width of the tab in the
longitudinal direction).
This structure is such that registration tab 62 locks securely in registration
opening 102 of
the next upper stacked container, and together with column-forming panel 74 of
the upper
container occupies most or all of the space between interior and exterior
panels 42, 44.
Registration tab 62 has a stepped edge on each lateral side, being shaped as a
barb
or arrowhead that engages with the edge of top flap 66 when top flap 66 is
folded down.
Top flap 66, which is attached to one of front wall 22 and back wall 24 at a
fold line, is
foldable laterally inwardly to define a lid on container 20 and snaps over the
barb of the
protrusion to lock the container closed without the need for any glue,
staples, tape or the
like.
Exterior panels 44 are attached to front wall 22 and back wall 24 by bellows
or
gusset fold joints ~6. Bellows or gusset fold joints 56 are tab-like
structures extending
between the respective walls and panels, at the corners of container 20. Each
includes a
diagonal fold line 68 that divides the bellows into two substantially
triangular portions
(see Fig. 2). One triangular portion of bellows joints 56 is joined to
exterior panel 44
along a side edge defined by fold line 72. This triangular portion is then
glued to exterior
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panel 44. The other triangular portion of bellows joint 56, across diagonal
fold line 68, is
attached to the adjacent side wall, but is not glued and can fold relative to
its attached side
wall and/or relative to the other triangular portion of bellows joint 56
across diagonal fold
68. It should be noted that the portions of bellows joints 56 to which glue is
applied are
shown in the Fig. 2 by "XXX" patterns. In Figs. 3 and 4, which illustrate fold-
and-glue
steps in obtaining KDF blank 52 from flat blank 50, exposed glue areas are
likewise
shown in "X~~X" patterns. Covered areas containing glue on a rear face of a
respective
panel are shown in broken line "~~XX" patterns.
Bellows joints 56 affix front wall 22 and back wall 24 to exterior panels 44
in the
collapsed or KDF state of the blank. In the collapsed state, bellows joints 56
are laid flat
against one of the adjacent perpendicular panels and the other adjacent
perpendicular
panel is folded over the first (for example in Fig. 4, back panel 24 is folded
over toward
exterior panel 44). For erecting container 20, the panels are raised from
parallel to ninety
degrees relative to bottom 28. For example, in Fig. 4, exterior panel 44 is
rotated toward
the right and the end wall is rotated upwardly. Bellows joint 56 via their
respective
triangular portion, pull their connected panel and one another up to ninety
degrees
relative to bottom 28, and in so doing bellows joints 56 are folded on
diagonal fold line
68 to rest in a folded condition against the panel to which one of the bellows
joint
triangular portions is glued.
Interior panels 42 are reinforced by column-forming panels 74 that extend
laterally outwardly from interior panels 42 in flat blank 50. Column-forming
panels 74
are folded laterally inwardly in the KDF configuration and are glued to
interior panels 42
at areas shown by "~:XX" patterns in the drawings. Column-forming panels 74
are
scored or folded at four parallel spaced locations 76 that will correspond to
the corners of
hollow columns 55 after erection of container 20. Initially, in the KDF
(knocked-down-
flat) configuration, column-forming panels 74 are not folded along the score
line that is
parallel to fold line 32, between bottom 28 and front wall 22 or back wall 24.
Instead,
column-forming panels 74 are folded at an outermost score line 78 that is
located laterally
outward from the bottom/front or bottom/back fold line 32 by a distance equal
to the
width of ledge panel 46 and the space between interior and exterior panels 42,
44.
Column-forming panels 74 are dimensioned so that, as folded laterally
inwardly, their
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extreme ends 82 substantially meet at the longitudinal center line of
container 20 (i.e., at
the center of an end wall 26). At ends 82, each column-forming panel 74 has an
upward
extension 84 that forms part of a protruding registration tab on one side. On
the opposite
side the column-forming panel has an indentation 86 complementary with
extension 84.
In conjunction with a registration tab opening 64 in bottom 28 of container
20, the
indentation 86 provides clearance space for registration tab 62 of a similar
container (not
shown) on which container 20 may be stacked.
FIGURE 3 shows the gluing and folding operation associated with affixing
column-forming panels 74 to the surface of interior panel 42, including
folding column-
forming panels 74 inwardly. FIGURE 4 illustrates the step of gluing bellows
joint 56 to
interior panel 42. including folding front wall 22 and rear wall 24 over
bottom 28.
FIGURE 4 also shows generally the appearance of the KDF configuration of the
blank. In the KDF configuration, the blank is compact in that the internal
volume of the
container is substantially completely collapsed. The KDF blanks can be stacked
and
bound for shipment to a packer who erects the containers prior to packing them
with
product. Inasmuch as erection of the container is a simple operation, the same
worker
who loads the containers can easily erect them immediately prior to packing.
Container 20 is erected from the KDF state (Fig. 4) to the erected state (Fig.
5),
wherein hollow columns 55 are opened from flattened parallelogram shapes and
fit into
the space between front wall 22 and back wall 24 and between interior and
exterior
panels 42, 44. More particularly, interior and exterior panels 42, 44 are
raised and folded
inwardly over and toward bottom 28 until locking tabs 92 extending
longitudinally from
interior panel 42, lock into locking tab openings 94 provided in bottom 28 of
container
20. A ninety degree fold is made between bottom 28 and exterior panel 44,
thereby
raising front wall 22 and back wall 24 from bottom 28 due to the action of
bellows joint
56. Alternatively, front wall 22 and back wall 24 can be raised,
simultaneously raising
exterior panel 44 due to bellows joint 56 (i.e., either the front/back or end
wall can be
raised and will pull up the other).
A ninety degree fold is then made between ledge panel 46 and interior and
exterior panels 42, 44, respectively. This causes interior panel 42 to fold
over and be
directed downwardly toward bottom 28 of container 20, where locking tabs 92
fit into
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their receptacles 94. For example receptacles 94 may comprise narrow slots
with
adjacent cuts permitting deflection of bottom 28 adjacent the slots to admit
locking tabs
92.
According to an inventive aspect, column-forming panels 74 are not folded in
the
KDF state along a line parallel to fold line 32, between bottom 28 and front
wall 22 or
back wall 24. As a result. column-forming panel 74 protrudes laterally on both
sides to
its outermost fold 78, beyond the space provided between front wall 22 and
back wall 24.
This aspect is illustrated in Fig. 6. In order to fit interior panel 42 and
column-forming
panel 74 between front wall 22 and back wall 24, the worker presses the
protruding ends
of hollow columns 55, namely folds 78, laterally inwardly while rotating
interior panel 42
downwardly to engage locking tabs 92 in receptacles 94. Hollow columns 5~ are
thereby
opened from flattened parallelograms into the rectilinear cross-section shown
in Fig. 5.
As interior panel 42 enters the space between front wall 22 and back wall 24,
lateral
inward pressure is exerted on hollow columns ~5 by front wall 22 and back wall
24. The
result is a snug fit that further stiffens and strengthens container 20.
The exemplary blank shown in the drawings has a number of additional openings
96, 98 in bottom 28 and in top or lid panels 66. These openings are optional
but are
appropriate, for example, for a container used as an agricultural shipping
container for
produce or the like. Round openings 96 shown in the central areas of bottom 28
and top
panels 66 provide for advantageous air circulation. The approximately oval
openings 98
at the junctions of the top or bottom and the side walls also provide for air
circulation and
have the further benefit of usefulness for hand or finger holds.
FIGURE 7 shows a vertically reinforced stackable and self erecting container
200
according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, erected and ready for
packing.
Container 200 in the open state also defines a rectilinear box including a
front wall 22, a
back wall 24. and opposing end walls 26, extending perpendicularly upwardly
from a one
piece container bottom 28. Walls 22, 24, and 26 are connected to container
bottom 28 at
right angle fold lines 32. Front wall 22 and back wall 24 are formed of a
single thickness
of material. Opposing end walls 26 each include an interior panel 205 and an
exterior
panel 210, which are interconnected by, and support, a horizontal ledge panel
215. The
panels forming container 200 are die cut from a single flat blank 50, and then
trimmed,
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folded and attached to one another in a manner similar to that disclosed in
detail here in
above.
Blank 51 is arranged by folding and gluing operations to provide a knocked-
down-flat ("KDF") structure 53 (best shown in Fig. 8). KDF structure 53
includes means
for erection and self engagement so that KDF structure 53 can be provided to a
packer in
a compact, collapsed form. More particularly, bellows fold corner structures
56 cause
front wall 22, back wall 24, and opposing end walls 26 to pull one another
into an
orientation perpendicular to bottom 28, during erection of container 200 in
substantially
the same manner and with substantially the same structures as have been
disclosed
hereinabove in connection with container 20. Registration tabs 62 and
corresponding
registration openings 64 provided in the area of ledge panel 215 and in
container bottom
28 permit containers to be stacked in registry as keyed by registration tabs
62.
The combination of an interior panel 205 and exterior panel 210 for each of
opposing end walls 26 provides vertical strength to container 200 and
resistance to lateral
deformation. This is in part because opposing end walls 26 comprise multiple
thicknesses of material, and in part because interior panel 205, and exterior
panel 210 are
spaced apart, with ledge panel 215 fit therebetween so as to maintain the
perpendicular
relative orientation of front wall 22 and back wall 24 with respect to
opposing end walls
26.
According to an alternative inventive aspect, opposing end walls 26 also
provide
additional support, vertical strength. and resistance to deformation due to
resilient wings
220, which are pre-formed and deployed upon erection of container 200 to
reside along a
portion of front wall 22 and back wall 24. Resilient wings 220 are formed and
positioned
so as to be biased against front wall 22 and back wall 24 when container 200
is fully
erected. Ledge panels 215, with their underlying support, also provide a pair
of lateral
areas that function as stable platforms that can support a corresponding
container 20 or
200 stacked on another container 20 or 200, even if an upper container is out
of registry
with a lower one by part of the thickness of ledge panel 46 or 215. In the
preferred
alternative embodiment shown, registration tabs 62 associated with interior
wall panel
205 and exterior wall panel 210 help keep the stacked containers in registry.
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Figure 8 shows a container blank 51, laid flat, i.e., when cut as an integral
blank
from a sheet of flat corrugated board, paperboard or other sheet material. A
number of
thicknesses can be die cut in a single step; however blanks 51 preferably are
cut out
individually so that the blank can be scored or compressed along the lines
that are to be
folded, at the same time that the perimeter of the blank is cut from the
sheet. Typically, a
blank is folded along certain lines when it is in a collapsed state, ready for
shipment, and
along other lines when the collapsed blank is erected for packing. Lines
representing fold
lines are shown in the drawings by broken lines, and can be made by
compressing the
material along a line, cutting all or part way through the material at spaced
intervals,
cutting through part of the material thickness, etc.
Blank 51 comprises a one piece bottom panel 28 from which front wall 22, and
rear wall 24, and opposing end walls 26 radiate in mutually perpendicular
directions
along bottom-to-side wall score lines 32. Score lines 32 will become
90° fold lines when
container 200 is erected to its full formed state. Each exterior panel 210 of
each end wall
26 is relatively nearer to bottom panel 28 than each interior panel 205, but
is termed an
exterior panel because it defines the outside end surface of container 200
when the
container has been erected (and vice versa for the interior panels 205). Top
or lid flaps 66
are attached along fold lines to front wall 22 and back wall 24 in spaced
relation to
bottom 28. Ledge panels 215 are attached along fold lines positioned between
interior
panel 20~ and exterior panel 210.
As disclosed in connection with container 20, exterior panels 210 and front
and
back walls 22, 24 are also attached to one another by bellows or gusset fold
joints 56,
namely tab-like structures extending between the respective panels at the
corners of
container 200 and having a diagonal fold line 68.
Opposing end walls 26 are reinforced by resilient wings 220 that project
inwardly
from each corner of container 200. The wing-forming panels 225 are folded
laterally
about score lines 230 (Fig. 8) and are glued to the inner surface of interior
panel 205 at
areas shown by "~~XX" patterns in the drawings. Wing-forming panels 225 are
scored
along score lines 230, which will correspond to the corners of container 200
after erection
and deployment. Initially, in the KDF configuration 53, the wing-forming
panels 225 are
not folded along fold line 235, that is colinear with fold line 32 between
bottom 28 and
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front wall 22 or back wall 24. Instead, the wing-forming panels 225 are folded
at
outermost score line 230 located laterally outward from fold line 235. Wing-
forming
panels 225 are dimensioned so that, when folded laterally inwardly, their
extreme ends
240 are spaced apart from one another on the surface of interior panel 205 so
that the full
surface area of each wing-forming panel 225 is in full, surface-to-surface
contact with the
surface of interior panel 205.
FIGURE 9 shows the gluing and folding operation associated with affixing wing-
forming panels 225 to the surface of interior panel 205, including folding
wing-forming
panels 225 inwardly to form wing 220. FIGURE 10 illustrates the step of gluing
the
bellows corners 56 to interior panel 205, including folding front wall 22 and
back wall 24
over bottom 28. In KDF configuration 53, the blank is compact inasmuch as the
internal
volume of the container is substantially completely collapsed. The KDF blank
53 can be
stacked and bound for shipment to a packer who erects the containers prior to
packing
them with product. The erection of container 200 is a simple operation, the
same worker
who loads the containers can easily erect them immediately prior to packing.
Container 200 is erected from KDF state 53, shown in FIGURE 10, to the erected
state shown in FIGURE 11, wherein resilient wings 220 project inwardly, into
container
200, along portions of front wall 22 and back wall 24. Erection of container
200 is
accomplished in much the same way as erection of container 20. According to an
inventive aspect, the wing-forming panels 225 are not permanently folded, in
the KDF
state, along fold line 235. Instead, a pre-crease is formed on each wing 220
to resiliently
bias it inwardly, so that each will tend to exert an outwardly directed
reactive force when
positioned against an adjacent portion of either front wall 22 or back wall
24, as shown in
Figs. 7 and 11. In order to fit interior panel 205 and resilient wings 220
between front
wall 22 and back wall 24, the worker presses resilient wings 220, laterally
inwardly while
rotating the interior panel 205 downwardly to engage locking tabs 92 in
receptacles 94.
In this way, resilient wings 220 behave like deformed cantilevered beams. As
interior
panel 205 enters the space between front wall 22 and back wall 24, lateral
inward
pressure is exerted on resilient wing 220 by the front wall 22 and rear wall
24. The result
is a snug fit that further stiffens, strengthens, and supports the front and
back walls of
container 200. This embodiment like the previous embodiment forms vertical
support
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structures using fold-and-glue arrangements at the wings of the end panel in a
manner
that permits inward pressure from the front and back walls to press the
vertical support
structures into their deployed position. Unlike the hollow column arrangement,
however,
in this embodiment the plural layers that make up the vertical supports can be
glued along
their full contacting area rather than at spaced positions as necessary to
open a hollow
column.
The invention having been disclosed in connection with the foregoing
variations
and examples, additional variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in
the art.
The invention is not intended to be limited to the variations specifically
mentioned, and
accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the
foregoing
discussion of preferred examples, to assess the scope of the invention in
which exclusive
rights are claimed.
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