GB2079253A

GB2079253A - A box or tray made from a folded blank

Info

Publication number: GB2079253A
Application number: GB8023001A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: ASHTON CONTAINERS SOUTHERN Ltd
Current assignee: ASHTON CONTAINERS SOUTHERN Ltd
Priority date: 1980-07-14
Filing date: 1980-07-14
Publication date: 1982-01-20

Abstract

One side wall (6) of a box or tray has a central crease (8) along which that side wall (8) can buckle inwardly to allow the box or tray to be collapsed to a substantially flat condition. The base of the box or tray does not need to be creased, and so retains it rigidity even though the box or tray is collapsible. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A box or tray made from a folded blank This invention relates to a box or tray made from a folded blank. The box or tray may, for example, be in the form of a crate for receiving farm produce.

According to the present invention, there is provided a box or tray made from a folded blank of stiff material, the box or tray comprising a base, two oppositely disposed side walls and two oppositely disposed end walls, one of the side walls, and the end walls, being creased to permit that side wall to buckle inwardly of the box or tray, whereby the erected box or tray may be collapsed to a generally flat configuration, with the other side wall overlying the base.

The side wall which can be buckled may have a central crease which extends the full length of the side wall in a direction parallel to the plane of the base, and extensions of this crease may extend into the end walls.

Each end wall may have three creases radiating from a common point, one of these creases extending to a point midway along the top edge of the end wall, and the other two extending to the lower corners of the end wall. This construction permits the end walls to buckle inwardly when the side wall is buckled.

Stabilizing flaps may be hinged to the end edges of the base, these flaps being movable between a position parallel to the base, to allow the box or tray to be collapsed, and a position parallel to the erected end walls to stabilize the box or tray in the erected condition. Means may be provided for locking the stabilizing flaps in one or both positions.

Stacking flanges may be provided at the top edges of the side walls to permit the box or tray to be stacked with other similar boxes or trays. The stacking flanges may be constructed to be under tension when the box or tray is erected.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a blank; Figure 2 shows one stage during the erection of the blank to form a crate; Figure 3 shows a second stage during the erection of the blank; Figure 4 shows the fully erected crate; and Figure 5 shows the crate of Figure 4 in a collapsed condition.

The blank shown in Figure 1 is made from a rigid creasable and foldable material, such as corrugated fibreboard. Creases on the blank are indicated by dashed lines, those creases identified by asterisks being reverse creases.

The blank comprises a base panel 2 and two side panels 4 and 6. The side panel 6 is divided into upper and lower portions 6a and 6b by a reverse crease 8. The side panels 4 and 6 are hinged to the base panel 2 at fold lines 10.

At the ends of the side panels 4 and 6, there are end panels 1 2 and 14 respectively. The reverse crease 8 extends through the end panels 14.

Diagonal reverse creases 1 6 are also provided in the end panels 12 and 14, and each end panel 12 and 14 has an attachment flap 18 which is connected to its end flap by a reverse crease 20.

Stacking panels 22 are hinged to the outer edges of the side panels 4 and 6. Stabilizing flaps 24 are hinged to the end edges of the base panel 2. These stabilizing flaps 24 have lugs 26 which are destined to cooperate with apertures 28 and 30.

The blank shown in Figure 1 is erected as follows.

The stabilizing flaps 24 are folded upwardly out of the plane of the base panel 2, and the side panels 4 and 6 are also raised to form side walls, the end flaps 12 and 14 being folded over the stabilizing flaps 24. Figure 2 shows the situation where the stabilizing flaps 24 and the side wall 4 have been raised.

In Figure 3, the other side wall 6 has also been raised, and the attachment flaps 1 8 have been stitched to the respective opposite end flaps 12 or 14 to form end walls 32. It will be noted that the lugs 26 are shown engaging the holes 28 to retain the stabilizing flaps 24 in their raised positions.

Figure 4 shows the fully erected crate.

Compared with the condition illustrated in Figure 3, the stacking panels 22 have been folded inwardly to form stacking flanges, and these have been secured in position by folding down the continuations of the stacking panels 22 which extend over the end flaps 12 and 14, and stitching these continuations to the end panels.

The erected crate can be collapsed to a substantially flat configuration, without breaking any of the stitched connections. To achieve this, the stabilizing panels 24 are folded down from the raised position shown in Figure 4 to lie flat against the base panel 2, the lugs 26 then engaging the openings 30. The side wall 6 is then buckled inwardly along the crease 8, which causes the end panels 32 also to buckle inwardly, folding along the creases 8, 1 6 and 20. As will be appreciated from Figure 4, the creases 1 6 and 20 radiate from a common point, the crease 20 extending upwardly to approximately the mid point of the top edge of the panel 32, and the creases 1 6 extending obliquely downwardly to the lower corners of the end wall 32. This action causes the stacking flanges 22 to hinge upwardly about the side walls 4 and 6. A partially collapsed position is shown in Figure 5. By pressing the uncreased side wall 4 downwardly onto the base panel 2, a substantially flat collapsed configuration can be achieved, making the crate economical to transport and simple to make ready for use, by following the reverse procedure to that described above.

It will be appreciated that the base 2 is entirely uncreased, thus preserving the full strength of the material of which the crate is made. In a known collapsible crate, collapsing is made possible by virtue of a crease down the center of the base, thus substantially weakening the base.

Claims

1. A box or tray made from a folded blank of stiff material, the box or tray comprising a base, two oppositely disposed side walls and two oppositely disposed end walls, one of the side walls, and the end walls, being creased to permit that side wall to buckle inwardly of the box or tray, whereby the erected box or tray may be collapsed to a generally flat configuration, with the other side wall overlying the base.

2. A box or tray as claimed in claim 1, in which the side wall which can be buckled has a central crease which extends the full length of the side wall in a direction parallel to the plane of the base.

3. A box or tray as claimed in claim 2, in which extensions of the central crease in the side wall which can be buckled are provided in the end walls.

4. A box or tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which each end wall has three creases radiating from a common point, one of these creases extending to a point midway along the top edge of the end wall, and the other two extending to the lower corners of the end wall.

5. A box or tray as claimed in claims 3 and 4, in which, in each end wall, the extension of the central crease extends from the common point to the edge of the end wall adjacent the side wall which can be buckled.

6. A box or tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which stabilizing flaps are hinged to the end edges of the base and are movable between a position parallel to the base, to allow the box or tray to be collapsed, and a position parallel to the erected end walls to stabilize the box or tray in the erected condition.

7. A box or tray as claimed in claim 6, in which means are provided for locking each stabilizing flap in one or both of its positions.

8. A box or tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which stacking flanges are provided at the top edges of the side walls.

9. A blank for erection into a box or tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

9. A box or tray substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

1 0. A blank for erection into a box or tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on, 10-7-81.

Superseded claims 1-10.

New or amended claims:

1. A box or tray made from a folded blank of stiff material, the box or tray comprising a base, two oppositely disposed side walls and two oppositely disposed end walls, one of the side walls, and the end walls, being creased to permit that side wall to buckle inwardly of the box or tray, whereby the erected box or tray may be collapsed to a generally flat configuration with the other side wall overlying the base, the creased side wall having a central crease which extends the full length of the side wall in a direction parallel to the plane of the base.

2. A box or tray as claimed in claim 1, in which extensions of the central crease in the creased side wall are provided in the end walls.

3. A box or tray as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which each end wall has three creases radiating from a common point, one of these creases extending to a point midway along the top edge of the end wall, and the other two extending to the lower corners of the end wall.

4. A box or tray as claimed in claims 3 and 4, in which, in each end wall, the extension of the central crease extends from the common point to the edge of the end wall adjacent the creased side wall.

5. A box or tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which stabilizing flaps are hinged to the end edges of the base and are movable between a position parallel to the base, to allow the box or tray to be collapsed, and a position parallel to the erected end wails to stabilize the box or tray in the erected condition.

6. A box or tray as claimed in claim 5, in which means are provided for locking each stabilizing flap in one or both of its positions.

7. A box or tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which stacking flanges are provided at the top edges of the side walls.

8. A box or tray substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.