AU2001100348A4 - Box with separate compartments - Google Patents

Description

P/00/01i1 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: Box with separate compartment The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 1)c c rre ts r C eciv p n 7 S~EP No CE003928914v5.doc 1 Box with separate compartments Field of the invention This invention relates to a box, typically a cardboard box, having an open top, the box being divided into separate compartments.

Background of the invention Cardboard boxes and containers having an open top and an interior divided into separate compartments are known. For example, wine boxes and the like having an interior divided into twelve separate compartments, each for a separate wine bottle are known.

Typically, such a box will have a separate divider insert which is either loosely placed within the box or is adhered to the inside walls of the box so that the box itself is of generally standard construction and the divider means is a separate component.

This arrangement has some disadvantages, particularly since such boxes are not readily collapsible when the divider means is in position.

A further problem with prior art collapsible containers is that the base of the container tends to be insufficiently well supported or robust to allow the container to be used for transportation of heavy loads, that is, the base is not able to support the load without collapsing.

For a container to be collapsible the base must itself be foldable to a flat condition. Containers which are rigid and not foldable may be reinforced by forming the base from a series of overlapping panels and adhering those panels together. However, where it is desired to collapse the container to a flat condition, prior art containers have typically suffered from the problem of the base being prone to collapse under load.

Summary of the invention The invention, in broad terms, provides a collapsible open top container, divided internally into compartments by one or more divider panels, at least one divider panel being integral with one base panel so that the divider panel provides added support for the base.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a collapsible open topped four sided box comprising: CE003928914v5.doc 2 four generally rectilinear side walls, each having a top edge, two opposite side edges, and a bottom edge; a base comprised of at least two base panels which are integral with the respective bottom edges of two opposite side walls, said base panels each having an abutment edge, the two abutment edges meeting at a central region of the box; two divider panels extending upwardly to a top region of the box, the divider panels each being integrally joined to the base panels at the abutment edge of the base panels, the divider panels, when the box is in an assembled condition, being in face to face contact with each other; and securement means for securing the box in an assembled condition in which the divider panels divide the interior of the box into two compartments.

The divider panels preferably extend above the top edges of the side walls, and each divider panel has an opening therein to form a carry handle for the box. Preferably the divider panels divide the interior of the box into two substantially equal sized compartments, and the box is evenly balanced on opposite sides of the divider panels.

The base may comprise two further base panels, said further base panels being integrally formed with the bottom edges of the other two opposite side walls, each further base panel being connected to a respective one of the said base panels.

The securement means may comprise an interlocking arrangement defined by a projection on at least one of the divider panels which is adapted to lock into an opening provided in either a side wall or the base, or at the junction between the side wall and the base.

There may be a pair of openings provided on opposite sides of the box. The upper edge of the box may have, on opposite sides thereof, respective notches into which opposite projections on the divider panels locate in order to secure the divider panels in a vertical operative orientation.

The box is preferably made of cardboard or like lightweight board material.

These and further features of the invention will be made apparent from the description of an embodiment thereof given below by way of example. In the description references made to CEOO3928914v5.doc 3 the accompanying drawings but the specific features shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting on the invention.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the box according to the invention in a collapsed condition.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the box in an erected condition.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the box from above.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the box from below.

Detailed description of the embodiments As shown in the drawings, a box 10 according to the invention has four side walls 12, each side wall having a top edge 14, side edges 16, and a bottom edge 18. The side walls 12 will typically be integral with each other although two side walls may be joined together along said side edges 16 by means of adhesive. As shown in figure 1, the box may be collapsed to a condition in which it lies substantially flat, and it may be folded into an erected position as shown in figures 2 to 4.

The box has a base 20 shown in detail in figure 4, the base 20 being formed of typically four panels, numbered 22A, 22B, 22C and 22D. The four panels 22 are each joined to a lower edge 18 of a respective one of the side walls 12. The base 20 is a so called "crush bottom" base in that it is able to be collapsed without being unfolded or otherwise dismantled.

Panels 22A and 22C are of rectangular shape and extend the full width of the box and extend half way across the base of the box meeting along an abutment edge shown by dotted lines 24.

Extending upwardly, from the abutment edge 24, are a pair of divider panels 26 which extend upwardly above the top edge 14 of the box and effectively divide the interior of the box into two compartments 28. The divider panels 26 are integrally formed with the panels 22A and 22C along the two abutment edges 24, the abutment edges 24 thus forming a fold line about which the divider panels 26 fold relative to the base panels 22A and 22C.

CE003928914v5.doc 4 As will be clear from the drawings, the divider panels 26 have an opening 30 in the upper portion thereof, the openings 30 forming a handle for carrying the box 10. Since the divider panels 26 are located towards the centre of the box, with two equal size compartments 28 being formed on opposite sides of the divider panels, the box will tend to be relatively well balanced provided each side of the box has contents of similar weight therein.

It is important that the box is able to be erected from the collapsed position shown in figure 1 to the erected position shown in figures 2, 3 and 4. For this reason it is desirable that the box is held together in its erected condition by securement means other than some form of permanent adhesive securing arrangement. In the embodiment shown the divider panels 26 have shoulders 32 which locate in notches 34 formed in the upper edge of opposite side walls 12. Also, the base panels 22A and 22C have laterally extending tabs 36 which locate in slots 38 formed at the juncture between the side wall 12 and the base panels 22D and 22B. This securement arrangement provides that, once the box is in its erected condition, the box will be self supporting. To recollapse the box it will be necessary to disengage the tabs 36 out of the slots 38. By pulling the panels 22A and 22C upwardly, the side walls are pulled inwardly thereby encouraging the side walls to move towards a flat condition as shown in figure 1.

One advantage of the box shown in the drawings is that any heavy objects placed within the compartments 28 will rest on the panels 22C and 22A. Those panels are, as described above, integrally joined to the divider panels 26. Thus, when the box is lifted by handle 30 the panels 22A and 22C will be directly supported by the divider panels 26 and the base panels 22A and 22C will thus not be able to drop out of the bottom of the box as would be the case if there was no such support.

It is envisaged that the box will have many applications, but particularly, it is envisaged that the box will be suitable for use in dividing recyclable refuse into different streams. For example, in many households it is desirable to have a separate container for storing empty glass bottles and newspapers. The compartments 28 could thus be used for such separation purposes.

It is envisaged that such boxes will either be provided free of charge by municipalities to assist households in streaming their recyclable waste or advertisers might choose to supply the boxes to, once again encourage households to properly recycle their waste products.

CE003928914v5.doc It is preferred that the box is itself made from a suitable recycled material such as cardboard although other materials may equally well be used. One form of material which is proved satisfactory in test products has been a corrugated cardboard of reasonably heavy weight so that the individual panels are self supporting, even under relatively heavy loads.

There may be many variations to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the manner of interlocking the divider panels with the side walls or the base may vary from that described herein although it is preferred that a simple releasable interlock mechanism is used which will hold the box assembled for normal usage but which may be disengaged relatively easily when it is desired to dispose of the box or store it away for any reason.

The invention is not limited to panel configurations described herein. Although the base panel configurations shown in the drawings, particularly figure 4 of the drawings, have proved to be effective in practice, there could well be other forms of panels which would provide the key aspects referred to herein, that is, providing a crush bottom base which is not prone to collapse, but which will allow the box to be folded easily between collapsed and erected positions.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

The foregoing describes embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

1. A collapsible open topped four sided box comprising: four generally rectilinear side walls, each having a top edge, two opposite side edges, and a bottom edge; a base comprised of at least two base panels which are integral with the respective bottom edges of two opposite side walls, said base panels each having an abutment edge, the two abutment edges meeting at a central region of the box; two divider panels extending upwardly to a top region of the box, said divider panels each being integrally joined to said base panels at the abutment edge of said base panels, said divider panels, when the box is in an assembled condition, being in face to face contact with each other; and securement means for securing the box in an assembled condition in which said divider panels divide the interior of the box into two compartments.

2. A box as claimed in claim 1 wherein said divider panels extend above the top edges of the side walls, and wherein each divider panel has an opening therein to form a carry handle for the box.

3. A box as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said base may comprise two further base panels, said further base panels being integrally formed with the bottom edges of the other two opposite side walls, each further base panel being connected to a respective one of the said base panels.

4. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said securement means comprises an interlocking arrangement defined by a projection on at least one of said divider panels which is adapted to lock into an opening provided in either a side wall or the base, or at the junction between said side wall and said base.

5. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the upper edge of said box includes, on opposite sides thereof, respective notches into which opposite projections on said divider panels locate in order to secure said divider panels in a vertical operative orientation.