GB2133387A - Collapsible container - Google Patents

Abstract

A container having a plurality of side walls with fold lines (38-41) in them and a base with a fold line is collapsible by folding the base within the container interior and bringing widely spaced walls A, B together. The container is preferably hexagonal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Collapsible container The present invention relates to a collapsible container, preferably of the kind produced by folding and fixing portions of a blank.

It is often necessary to store or transport containers in an empty state, e.g. from manufacturer to user. It is therefore desirable that containers can be stored or transported in an efficient manner when empty. Containers can be made to stack, fitting into one another, but this requires a shape which is not always convenient from other points of view. Containers made by folding blanks can be transported or stored as blanks and erected only when needed for use.

Generally however it will be necessary to have tools, such as staplirig machines, or adhesive available when erecting the blanks. This is often not desirable as there may be a contamination risk, e.g. in the food industry. Also the time spent erecting blanks is likely to be time lost from the main task in hand.

The present invention now provides a collapsible container having a base and side walls, the base and a plurality of side walls having fold lines therein whereby the container may be collapsed to a condition in which the base is folded into the container interior and at least one pair of normally widely spaced side walls lie closely adjacent.

Preferably the container is formed from a blank by folding and erecting portions of the blank.

Preferably the container has a substantially regular polygonal base and a corresponding number of rectangular side walls, e.g. a substantially regular hexagonal base.

Preferably, in collapsing the container the base is folded along a line extending between a pair of diametrically opposed corners thereof. The base may fold inwardly.

Preferably, during collapsing each of the side walls of the container except for the said pair of normally widely spaced side walls is folded inwardly on a fold line extending from a base corner thereof to a point intermediate the ends of the top edge thereof.

The invention includes a blank suitable for folding to produce a container of the invention.

The invention will be illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a top view of a blank according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a container produced by erecting the blank of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 2 in a partially collapsed condition.

As shown in Figure 1 the blank illustrated is a basically hexagonal shape. It is cut from stiff cardboard which has a waterproof surface, e.g. of wax or plastics, on the face which will form the inside of the finished container. The provision of such a waterproof layer is of course optional.

The blank is provided with a number of fold lines and a number of projecting tabs. Most of the fold lines, i.e. those shown dashed are used in folding the blank to form a container but largely play no part in the collapsing of the erected container. These fold lines shown cross dashed largely play no part in the folding of the blank to erect it into a container but are used in collapsing the erected container.

The blank 1 is generally hexagonal having major side edges 2 to 7. Fold lines 8 to 1 3 define a centrally placed hexagon having a side length a little less than half that of the blank itself. The area enclosed by fold lines 8 to 13 is the container base.

Fold lines 14 to 25 extend from each corner of the base perpendicular to lines 8 to 13. In the erected blank lines 14 to 25 define vertical edges of rectangular side faces.

Between each diverging pair of edges 14 to 25, e.g. between 14 and 15, extends a fold line 26 to 31 which runs between a corner of the inner hexagon and a corner of the hexagonal blank 1.

Fold lines 8 to 31 essentially constitute the set of lines used in erecting the container.

Further fold lines are provided for use in collapsing the container. A major one of these is line 37, which extends between opposed corners of the central hexagon and connects with lines 27 and 30.

Four further fold lines 38 to 41 extend as continuations to the edge of the blank of lines 9 and 12 which define opposed edges of the central hexagon parallel to line 37.

Fold lines 17 and 23 take part in both the erection of the blank into the container and in collapsing of the container. To the erected container they extend vertically from the base each defining a corner of the hexagonal container.

Sets of lines such as 14, 15 and 26 define an outwardly foldable gusset. However, if desired the gusset can be made inwardly foldable.

There are accordingly six such gussets in the blank. Six tabs 32 to 37 are provided each projecting a short distance from the edge of the blank, each on a different edge of the blank. The tabs 32 to 37 each serve to fold over and hold one of the gussets in the erected blank and are joined to the blank by fold lines.

The tabs are of three different shapes. Tabs 32 and 35 are rectangular, of a length equal to fold line 12. That is, they are as long as a side of the finished container. They are placed centrally on edges 4 and 7.

Tabs 34 and 37 are shorter and are placed off centre. Each of the tabs 34 and 37 extends anticlockwise from the end of a respective one of fold lines 1 8 and 24 and terminates at the end of a respective one of fold lines 40 and 38. The edge of the tab 34 or 37 which joins lines 40 or 38 is cut at such an angle that the edge will lie over foldline 40 or 38 when the carton is erected. Accordingly the tabs are trapezoidal having their longest edge joined to the rest of the blank and a squared end nearest the more adjacent corner of the blank.

Tabs 33 and 36 also form an identical pair.

Each extends from the end of a respective one of lines 1 6 and 22 anticlockwise to the end of lines 39 and 41 respectively. Each is trapezoidal but the shorter of the major edges is joined to the rest of the blank. The angled end of each tab thereby comes to lie along and over to its respective one of lines 39 and 41 when the blank is erected.

The blank is erected by folding out each gusset defined as by lines 14, 26 and 1 5. The sides of the container each defined by lines such as 1 5, 8 and 16 thus come up to stand~vertically.~The gussets are then folded sideways anticlockwise to iie along the sides of the container beneath the tabs.

The tabs are then all folded down over the gussets and are fixed e.g. by stapling, clips or adhesive.

The container so produced has no cut edges extending down from the container rim and is therefore sift proof. If the material of which the container is made is liquid proof then so will the container be.

Since the containers are hexagonal they may be stacked in one or more layers in an efficient space filling manner. Also if the contents of the container in use need to be stirred, a rotary stirring mechanism may be used much more efficiently than with a square section container because the hexagonal shape much more closely approaches the circular shape which would be ideal from this point of view.

The erected container is collapsible without unfastening any of the tabs or gussets. By pushing up the base so that it folds inward along line 37, major faces A and B of the container move together, remaining substantially parallel, whiist faces C to F fold inwardly on lines 39, 40, 41 and 38 respectively. Folding also occurs along lines 23 and 17 which define the edges of the container at each end of fold line 37. This effect is best seen in Figure 3. The collapsed container is flat, its thickness being defined by the 12 layers of the blank material which overlag one another in the collapsed blank.

The collapsed container is returned to the erect form simply by pulling faces A and B apart and pushing down the base.

Accordingly, the container can be fully assembled by the manufacturer and transported to the end user and stored by him in a collapsed compact form.

Alternatively, the containers can be supplied to the user as blanks and assembled in large numbers by the user and stored in compact form.

The collapsed containers can be erected for use as and when required without the use of tools or fixing materials. When no longer required, the containers can be collapsed for disposal without devices such as staples having to be removed and without the containers having to be broken up.

This will be a particular advantage if the containers have been used to hold a heavily soiling material such as paint or bitumen.

It will be appreciated that the container need not have six sides but may have a smaller or larger number. The manner in which the blank is folded to form the container may be different from what has been described. For instance instead of one gusset being folded over each side wall of the container, pairs of adjacent gussets may be folded over the same side wall. The position of the tabs will be altered accordingly.

The provision of tabs is advantageous but is of course not essential. The tabs add somewhat to the bulk of the collapsed container and so their omission is from one point of view advantageous although they add to the integrity of the container.

Claims (11)

1. A collapsible container having a base and side walls, the base and a plurality of side walls having fold lines therein whereby the container may be collapsed to a condition in which the base is folded into the container interior and at least one pair of normally widely spaced side wails lie closely adjacent.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1 formed from a blank to folding and erecting portions of the blank.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 which has a substantially regular polygonal base and a corresponding number of rectangular side walls.

4. A container as claimed in Claim 3 which has a substantially regular hexagonal base.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein in collapsing the container the base is folded along a line extending between a pair of diametrically opposed corners thereof.

6. A container as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the base folds inwardly during collapsing.

7. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein during collapsing each of the side walls of the container except for the said pair of normally widely spaced walls is folded inwardly a foldline extending from a base corner thereof to a point intermediate the ends of the top edge thereof.

8. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A blank for forming a container as claimed in Claim 2, which blank is provided with a set of first fold lines suitable for use in erecting the container by folding the blank along said first fold lines, and which blank is provided with a set of second fold lines by folding upon which the assembled container may be collapsed to a condition in which at least one pair of normally widely spaced side walls thereof lie closely adjacent.

10. A blank as claimed in claim 9 for forming a container as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7 when appended directly or indirectly to Claim 2.

11. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described in the accompanying drawings.