GB1588126A - Cardboard boxes - Google Patents

Description

(54) CARDBOARD BOXES (71) We, REMPLOY LIMITED, a British Company, of 415 Edgware Road, Cricklewood, London NW2 6LR, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- Garden produce, such as mushrooms, is conventionally packed in large numbers of comparatively small tray-like cardboard boxes which are stacked above one another on multi-shelved pallets during transport to wholesale and retail outlets. It is naturally important from an economic standpoint that the boxes be cheap to manufacture.However, from the practical standpoint of more efficient bulk handling, it would be desirable if the boxes were sufficiently strong in compression to withstand being crushed when stacked directly upon one another, at the same time as allowing their contents to be well ventilated if necessary.

According to the present invention, a cardboard box of particular use in the packaging of garden produce comprises a cardboard blank which has been folded to present a rectangular or square base whose four edges have respective side walls upstanding therefrom, with upper portions of an opposed pair of the side walls having parts folded inwardly and then downwardly so that said opposed pair of the side walls present a respective pair of horizontallyextending hollow girder-like supports, flaps at each of the ends of said opposed pair of the side walls being folded to extend upwardly from both edges of the base at each respective adjacent corner of the box, the flaps acting to strengthen the supports and to trap further flaps formed at the ends of the other opposed pair of the side walls.

Each of the hollow girder-like supports includes a lower portion of a side wall, an inwardly directed surface which preferably lies in a plane parallel to the base, and a downwardly directed flange which preferably slopes outwards in such a manner that, when viewed in sections taken transversely to their lengths, each of said supports is of generally triangular appearance, even though the free edges of the flanges are prevented from touching the lower portions of the side walls by the presence of the flaps and further flaps trapped therebetween.

Ventilation is preferably achieved by forming one or more holes in the lower portions of those side walls forming the supports, which side walls are preferably also slightly inclined inwardly away from the vertical to give the box a trapezoidal outline.

This not only allows easier stacking but provides ventilation channels between adjacent stacks.

The preferred box is formed of a low grade corrugated cardboard faced by thin sheets of cardboard, and is also supplied with a separate lid formed of flat sheet cardboard having tabs for insertion through respective slits in the supports. The lid may be marked with advertising, or other information regarding the produce packed therein, and after removing the tabs from the slits it may be jammed between the side walls in an upright position for display purposes.

Although there are many applications in which it is not necessary to do so, stapling through overlapped areas of the blank at each of the corners of the box prevents any possibility of collapse due to rough handling.

A cardboard box according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner only of the box; and Figure 2 is a plan view of the cardboard blank shown before folding into the box of Figure 1.

The reader should note that the corner of the box shown in Figure 1 is identical to the other three corners, so that repetition of the reference numbers is unnecessary in Figure 2, wherein lines of cut have been shown in full with lines of fold being merely dashed.

To form a cardboard box from a rectangular blank, indicated at 10 in Figure 2, one should first fold the pair of side walls 12 upwardly about their fold lines 14. Flaps 16 formed at the ends of the side walls 12 should then be turned inwardly about their fold lines 18. Flaps 20 can then be folded upwardly about fold lines 22, before being pivoted about fold lines 24 until edges 26 of the flaps 20 abut fold lines 28. In this position, the other pair of side walls 30 can be swung upwardly about their fold lines 32 and inwardly about their fold lines 28, the flaps 16 then being trapped by being sandwiched between the flaps 20 and lower portions 31 of the side walls 30. A pair of girder-like supports are then formed by folding the upper portions of the side walls 30 about their fold lines 34a, 34b and 34c to present, inter alia, upper flat surfaces 36 and sloping flanges 38.Finally, side flaps 40 are folded inwardly through 180 about their fold lines 42 and then tucked in as shown in Figure 1.

In an alternative sequence of assembly, which avoids any crushing of the blank, the side flaps 40 are folded inwardly before the side walls 30 are moved to trap them in position, and indeed the girder-like supports are partially formed before the flaps 20 are moved to positions in which their edges 26 abut the fold lines 28, and are thus in a state of readiness for said pair of side walls 30 to be swung upwardly about their fold lines 32 and then inwardly about their fold lines 28.

In the example shown, the fold lines 14 and 32 define a square base 44, but the base could if required be rectangular. Moreover, each of the above-described hollow girderlike supports is three-sided, including the lower portion 31 of a side wall 30, an inwardly directed surface 36 lying in a plane parallel to the base, and a downwardly directed flange 38 sloping outwardly towards the lower portion of its side wall with decreasing distance of the flange 38 from the base, the arrangement preferably being such that when viewed in sections taken transversely to their lengths, i.e. as shown in the right-hand side of Figure 1, they are of generally triangular appearance.

The example box also shows two sets of holes 46 punched through the cardboard blank, as well as a pair of slits 48 cut in the flat surfaces 36. The main purpose of the holes 46, in combination with the openings in the side walls 12 formed by the side flaps 40, is to allow ventilation of any contents of the box, particularly when the box is closed by a separate lid. Preferably, one or more ventilation holes are formed in the lower portions 31 of those side walls 30 forming the supports, said lower portions 31 also being inclined inwardly to give the box a trapezoidal outline which, in use, provides ventilation channels between adjacent stacks of similar boxes.

The holes 46 can also be used as finger grips during handling. The holes 46 may, however, be replaced by tabs formed in the lower portions 31 of the side walls 30 which can be displaced, in use, from the planes of said lower parts to allow ventilation therethrough.

Although many kinds of lid are possible, a preferred lid is formed of flat sheet cardboard having a pair of tabs for insertion through respective ones of said slits 48.

The rectangular blank is preferably formed of a low grade corrugated cardboard, the corrugations being faced on both sides by respective thin cardboard sheets, such a material having been found to be sufficiently strong for use in the packaging of mushrooms. Indeed, it has been found that boxes according to the present invention, when formed of such corrugated cardboard, are capable of being stacked 14 high even if filled with mushrooms so that the lowest box has to withstand a weight of around 561b. For other uses, however, such as in packing fish, it would be possible to form the blank of, for example, a coated solid (i.e. non-corrugated) cardboard.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A cardboard box of particular use in the packaging of garden produce comprising a cardboard blank which has been folded to present a rectangular or square base whose four edges have respective side walls upstanding therefrom, with upper portions of an opposed pair of the side walls having parts folded inwardly and then downwardly so that said opposed pair of the side walls present a respective pair of horizontallyextending hollow girder-like supports, flaps at each of the ends of said opposed pair of the side walls being folded to extend upwardly from both edges of the base at each respective adjacent corner of the box, the flaps acting to strengthen the supports and to trap further flaps formed at the ends of the other opposed pair of the side walls.

2. A cardboard box according to claim 1, in which the inwardly directed part of each support forms a surface which lies in a plane parallel to the base, and the downwardly directed part of each support forms a flange which slopes outwardly towards the lower portion of its side wall with decreasing distance of the flange from the base, so that each of the supports is of generally triangular appearance when viewed in a section taken transversely to its length.

3. A cardboard box according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the lower portions of those side walls forming the supports are inclined inwardly to give the box a trapezoidal outline.

4. A cardboard box according to any preceding claim, in which one or more ventilation holes are formed in the lower portions of those side walls forming the supports.

5. A cardboard box according to any preceding claim, in which a lid is provided

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. then be turned inwardly about their fold lines 18. Flaps 20 can then be folded upwardly about fold lines 22, before being pivoted about fold lines 24 until edges 26 of the flaps 20 abut fold lines 28. In this position, the other pair of side walls 30 can be swung upwardly about their fold lines 32 and inwardly about their fold lines 28, the flaps 16 then being trapped by being sandwiched between the flaps 20 and lower portions 31 of the side walls 30. A pair of girder-like supports are then formed by folding the upper portions of the side walls 30 about their fold lines 34a, 34b and 34c to present, inter alia, upper flat surfaces 36 and sloping flanges 38. Finally, side flaps 40 are folded inwardly through 180 about their fold lines 42 and then tucked in as shown in Figure 1. In an alternative sequence of assembly, which avoids any crushing of the blank, the side flaps 40 are folded inwardly before the side walls 30 are moved to trap them in position, and indeed the girder-like supports are partially formed before the flaps 20 are moved to positions in which their edges 26 abut the fold lines 28, and are thus in a state of readiness for said pair of side walls 30 to be swung upwardly about their fold lines 32 and then inwardly about their fold lines 28. In the example shown, the fold lines 14 and 32 define a square base 44, but the base could if required be rectangular. Moreover, each of the above-described hollow girderlike supports is three-sided, including the lower portion 31 of a side wall 30, an inwardly directed surface 36 lying in a plane parallel to the base, and a downwardly directed flange 38 sloping outwardly towards the lower portion of its side wall with decreasing distance of the flange 38 from the base, the arrangement preferably being such that when viewed in sections taken transversely to their lengths, i.e. as shown in the right-hand side of Figure 1, they are of generally triangular appearance. The example box also shows two sets of holes 46 punched through the cardboard blank, as well as a pair of slits 48 cut in the flat surfaces 36. The main purpose of the holes 46, in combination with the openings in the side walls 12 formed by the side flaps 40, is to allow ventilation of any contents of the box, particularly when the box is closed by a separate lid. Preferably, one or more ventilation holes are formed in the lower portions 31 of those side walls 30 forming the supports, said lower portions 31 also being inclined inwardly to give the box a trapezoidal outline which, in use, provides ventilation channels between adjacent stacks of similar boxes. The holes 46 can also be used as finger grips during handling. The holes 46 may, however, be replaced by tabs formed in the lower portions 31 of the side walls 30 which can be displaced, in use, from the planes of said lower parts to allow ventilation therethrough. Although many kinds of lid are possible, a preferred lid is formed of flat sheet cardboard having a pair of tabs for insertion through respective ones of said slits 48. The rectangular blank is preferably formed of a low grade corrugated cardboard, the corrugations being faced on both sides by respective thin cardboard sheets, such a material having been found to be sufficiently strong for use in the packaging of mushrooms. Indeed, it has been found that boxes according to the present invention, when formed of such corrugated cardboard, are capable of being stacked 14 high even if filled with mushrooms so that the lowest box has to withstand a weight of around 561b. For other uses, however, such as in packing fish, it would be possible to form the blank of, for example, a coated solid (i.e. non-corrugated) cardboard. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A cardboard box of particular use in the packaging of garden produce comprising a cardboard blank which has been folded to present a rectangular or square base whose four edges have respective side walls upstanding therefrom, with upper portions of an opposed pair of the side walls having parts folded inwardly and then downwardly so that said opposed pair of the side walls present a respective pair of horizontallyextending hollow girder-like supports, flaps at each of the ends of said opposed pair of the side walls being folded to extend upwardly from both edges of the base at each respective adjacent corner of the box, the flaps acting to strengthen the supports and to trap further flaps formed at the ends of the other opposed pair of the side walls.

2. A cardboard box according to claim 1, in which the inwardly directed part of each support forms a surface which lies in a plane parallel to the base, and the downwardly directed part of each support forms a flange which slopes outwardly towards the lower portion of its side wall with decreasing distance of the flange from the base, so that each of the supports is of generally triangular appearance when viewed in a section taken transversely to its length.

3. A cardboard box according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the lower portions of those side walls forming the supports are inclined inwardly to give the box a trapezoidal outline.

4. A cardboard box according to any preceding claim, in which one or more ventilation holes are formed in the lower portions of those side walls forming the supports.

5. A cardboard box according to any preceding claim, in which a lid is provided

which is formed as a flat sheet having tabs for insertion through respective slits in the inwardly directed parts of the supports.

6. A cardboard box according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A cardboard blank capable of being folded into a cardboard box as defined in any of the preceding claims.