GB2042474A - Box - Google Patents

Abstract

In a box of foldable board material, e.g. solid fibreboard, of the kind in which extensions 8 from the side walls 4 form narrow panels at the margins of the top of the box the extensions 8 are connected through crease lines (which enable a gusset to be formed) to end panels 12 which engage with the end walls 6 to hold the box assembled. The end walls 6 have angled slits 20 and the end panels 12 have extremities 16 each bounded by an upwardly facing edge which aligns with and bears against the upper edge of a slit 20 after the extremity 16 has been inserted through that slit. For greater strength the end panels 12 preferably have angled recesses 15 enabling a reduction in the length of the slits 20 which are preferably formed as a single cut without removal of waste. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Box This invention relates to a box made of fibreboard or other foldable board material, the box being of the kind formed from a blank having a bottom, first and second pairs of opposite wall panels hinged thereto and an extension on at least one wall panel of the first said pair which extension forms a marginal top panel.

U.K. Patent Specification 1,439,600 (in the name of our predecessors in title) describes a box of this kind wherein each extension has at each of its ends a hinged end panel including a gusset, which enables the end panel to lie against a wall panel of the second pair of wall panels, and also including a hook to engage a slit in the adjacent wall panel of the second pair.

When the box is assembled an upper edge of the hook lies at an acute angle to the slit, and a portion of the hook which has entered through the slit projects above the line of the slit. During assembly the end panels must be pushed down, well past their fully assembled position, to allow this portion to enter through the slit. The slit shown is a cut-out slit, with a spacing between its sides formed by removal of waste, and the slit is made up by three sections including an upright central section, in a kind of S-shape.

The present invention is also concerned with a box of the kind described, wherein the said extension has at each of its ends a hinged end panel including a gusset and a part shaped to engage a slit in an adjacent wall panel of the second pair of wall panels.

According to the present invention such a box is characterised in that the said part of each end panel is an end portion thereof bounded by an upwardly facing edge which is inclined so as to extend towards the upright edge of the adjacent wall panel as it extends towards the bottom of the box, substantially the whole of each slit extending in approximately the same direction as the said upwardly facing edge of the associated end panel, and including an upper section positioned to align with the said upwardly facing edge of the end panel, whereby when the end panel is engaged with the slit, the said edge bears against the upper edge of the slit without the end portion of the end panel extending above the line thereof. Surprisingly it has been found that such engagement can provide a remarkably firm and rigid lock.Preferably the slit is formed by a cut through the board material without formation of waste.

Preferably also the whole of each slit is a straight line and the associated upwardly facing edge is also straight and parallel to the slit.

Each of the said end panels may also be hinged to an end extension which is hinged to the adjacent first wall panel.

One form of box made according to this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a blank; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the box in the erected position; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of one corner of the box in course of being erected, and Figures 4 and 5 are views of the same corner in its erected condition.

Referring to the drawings and first to Fig.

1, the blank which is made from solid waterresistant fibreboard comprises a bottom 2, having hinged thereto a first pair of opposite wall panels 4 and a second pair of opposite wall panels 6. The wall panels 4 have marginal extension panels 8 and end extensions 1 0. End panels 1 2 are hinged both to the panels 8 and 10, and each end panel 1 2 is provided with a diagonal crease line 14 so that the panel 1 2 can be folded to form a gusset. Each panel 1 2 has an end portion 1 6 bounded by an upwardly facing edge 17, while the lower edge of the panel 1 2 is cut away to form a recess 1 5. Each panel 10 is cut to form a recess 1 8.

The second pair of opposite wall panels 6 are provided with straight slits 20 arranged in a direction which is inclined to the side edges of said second pair of wall panels 6. Each slit 20 has a length the same as the distance from the apex of the recess 1 5 to the tip of the edge 17, and is formed by a single cut, without any material being cut out. Handle forming tabs 26 are also provided in the panels 6, hinged along the edge 27, but as an alternative, completely cut-out hand holes could be provided in the same position. Drainage and ventilation holes 28 are provided in the bottom 2 and walls 4.

To assemble the box the wall panels are brought up towards an upright position to a condition with the end extension panels 10 lying inside the upright wall panels 6 and the wall panels 4 inclined slightly outwardly. This is as shown in Fig. 3, but with the marginal extension panels 8 and end panels 1 2 standing up from the panels 4 and 10. The panels 8 and 10 are now folded down until the panels 8 project inwardly at right angles to the walls 4, and the end panels 1 2 lie against the outer surfaces of the panels 6, so closing the gussets, as shown in Fig. 3.

Next the end portions 1 6 of the end panels 1 2 are engaged with the slits 20, as shown in Fig. 3, and to complete the erection these end portions 1 6 are pushed into the slits 20 (bringing the walls 4 fully upright) until the upwardly facing edges 1 7 enter the slits, and form the locks which hold the box erect. The recesses 1 8 now coincide with the handle forming tabs 26 (or hand holes in the same position) and these flaps are pushed through the recesses 1 8 to lie inside the box against the panels 10, (as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 providing carrying handles with a smooth upper surface.

A completely erected corner is shown in Fig. 4 (part of the panel 10 being cut away to show the construction) and in Fig. 5.

The slits 20 are positioned so that in the erect box, each of the upwardly facing edges 1 7 is aligned with an upper section 24 of the associated slit and abuts against the downwardly facing upper edge of the slit. The tip of the edge 1 7 coincides with the upper end of the slit 20. In contrast to the box shown in Specification 1,439,600 the end portion 1 6 of each end panel 12 does not project above the line of the associated slit 20, and consequently during the course of erecting the box the end panels 1 2 need only be pushed very slightly beyond their assembled position. It has been found that the lock formed is of surprising strength and firmness, greater than that with a box as shown in Specification 1,439,600.

The stiffness of the board material of the panels 6, at either side of the slit 20, contributes to the strength of the lock formed. For this reason substantially the whole of each slit should extend in approximately the same direction as the associated edge 1 7. It is preferred that the edge 1 7 and slit 20 are both straight (and parallel). However, a gentle curve, or straight sections meeting at a very oblique angle, could be included in the edge 1 7 and section 24 of the slit, or in the remainder of the slit 20.

It is also preferable, to enhance the firmness of the lock, that each slit be formed by a single cut, without formation of waste. It is desirable that the slit 20 be no longer than necessary and cutting away the lower edge of each end panel 1 2 to form the recess 1 5 enables a reduction in the slit length. However, the amount of material cut away must compromise between reducing the length of the slit 20, and weakening the end panel 1 2.

The recess 1 5 is of inverted V shape with its apex 29 coincident with the lower edge of the slit 20. The engagement between these also makes a contribution to the locking action.

Edge 30 of the recess is colinear with the edge 17.

Although in the case of the box described, its walls 4 to which the top panels 8 are attached, are its longer side walls, it must be understood that these walls 4 could be shorter than the walls 6 if desired. To put this another way, the box can have the top panels 8 on its "side" walls and the slits 20 on its "ends", or vice versa.

The box described is suitable for agricultural produce and by virtue of the fact that it can be assembled without the use of staples or other separate fastening means, it can be assembled conveniently in the field immedi ately prior to use. However, it should be appreciated that if desired the box could be erected without entering the end portions 1 6 of the panels 1 2 through the slits 20, and instead securing these panels to the end walls 6 and panels 10 by stapling through them.

As an example, for a box which is 35.5 cms wide (along the walls 6), 49.5 cms long (along the walls 4) and 1 7.5 cms deep with marginal panels 5.0 cms wide, and made from solid fibreboard of thickness 1.0-2.3 mm, typicall 1.5 mm, each edge 17 may be 1.0 cm long with each slit 20 being 5.2 cm long and at an angle of 20 to the horizontal.

As another example, for a box made from the same material, and which is 29 cms along its walls 4, 38 cms alongs its walls 6, and 9 cms deep with marginal panels 5.0 cms wide, each edge 17 may be 0.8 cm long, with each .slit 20 being 4.6 cm long and at an angle of 50 to the horizontal.

Claims (7)

1. A box made of fibreboard or other fold able board material, the box being formed from a blank having a bottom, first and second pairs of opposite wall panels hinged there to and an extension on at least one wall panel of the first said pair which extension forms a marginal top panel, the said extension having at each of its ends a hinged end panel including a gusset and a part to engage a slit in an adjacent wall panel of the second pair of wall panels, characterised in that the said part of each end panel is an end portion thereof bounded by an upwardly facing edge which is inclined so as to extend towards the upright edge of the adjacent wall panel as it extends towards the bottom of the box, substantially the whole of each slit extending in approxi mately the same direction as the said upwardly facing edge of the associated end panel, and including an upper section positioned to align with the said upwardly facing edge of the end panel, whereby when the end panel is engaged with the slit the said edge bears against the upper edge of the slit without the end portion of the end panel extend ing above the line thereof.

2. A box according to Claim 1 wherein each of the said end panels is also hinged to an end extension which is hinged to the adjacent first wall panel.

3. A box according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the slit is formed by a cut through the board material without formation of waste.

4. A box according to Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the whole of each slit is a straight line and each said upwardly facing edge is also straight and parallel to the slit.

5. A box according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lower edge of each said end panel includes a cut-away region enabling reduction in the length of the associated slit.

6. A box according to Claim 5, wherein the cut-out from the lower edge of the end panel has an upper apex which engages the lower end of the associated slit.

7. A box substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings