GB2178730A

GB2178730A - Container

Info

Publication number: GB2178730A
Application number: GB08618824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael William Swain
Original assignee: ST REGIS PACKAGING
Current assignee: ST REGIS PACKAGING
Priority date: 1985-08-05
Filing date: 1986-08-01
Publication date: 1987-02-18
Also published as: GB8618824D0; GB8519640D0

Abstract

A packaging container comprises a rectangular base panel (1) two side wall panels (e.g. 2b) and two end wall panels (e.g. 3a). A hollow triangular corner post is formed from an end flap (6a, 6b) of the end walls (3a) in each corner of the container to leave an eight-sided storage space on the base panel within the wall panels. A stacking flange (11) extends inwardly over the base panel from each end wall panel and rests on the corner post with a tab (12) thereof located within the corner post. Slantwise crease lines (4) at each end of each side wall panel enable the container to be supplied in collapsed condition prior to forming the corner posts and folding over the stacking flanges, with a region (6a) of the end flap secured to a triangular portion (5) bounded by the crease line (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved container This invention relates to an improved box, carton or tray made of cardboard, corrugated board, or similar stiff, but foldable, material, and more particularly relates to a box, carton or tray (e.g. to contain horticultural produce) and provided with stacking flanges which enable a number of similar boxes, cartons or trays to be stacked one on the stacking flanges of another.

For convenience in the following description the term "container" will be used to cover a box, carton or tray.

It is known to produce a container from a pre-cut pre-creased blank of stiff but foldable material and to preform the blank into a collapsed or knocked-down container. Such containers are then supplied in collapsed condition to the user and the collapsed container is erected into usable condition at the point of use without the need for any tool to complete the erecting procedure. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, use as such a collapsed container.

A convenient way of producing a collapsed container has the preformed blank folded against the base of the container so that user erection involves a folding-up of side walls of the container from the base and a locking of those side walls in the erected state. This means that, if such erected containers are stacked one on top of another after being filled with produce, the strain taken by the side walls is precisely in the direction required to collapse the container. Some known designs of containers erected from a collapsed condition can fail when loaded with other containers stacked thereon.

A major item in the cost of a container made from corrugated board material is the cost of the material used for the blank. It is therefore important to design the blank so that there is a minimum of waste and so that as large a proportion as possible of the area of the blank serves a useful purpose in the erected container. Corrugated board blanks are usually cut from rectangular sheets and accordingly an outer configuration of the container blank which is close to being a rectangle is desirable from the standpoint of economising on board material used.

This invention relates to an improved container which can be supplied in collapsed condition, has good strength in the stacking direction after erection and uses blank material economically.

According to the present invention a container of stiff, but foldable, material, comprises a rectangular base panel having four wall panels hingedly connected thereto along the four sides of the base panel, a respective first wall panel being located on each of two opposite sides of the base panel, each of the other or second two wall panels being provided at each end with a flap divided into inner and outer portions by a fold line parallel to the said opposite sides of the base panel along which the first wall panels are connected, the inner portion of each said flap which is closest to the second wall panel to which it is attached being secured to the inside of the adjacent end portion of the adjacent first wall panel, the outer portion of each flap being provided with means to secure it across the adjacent corner of the erected container to provide a triangular corner post within the erected container whereby an eightsided interior storage space is provided in the erected container, and a stacking flange provided on the outer edge of each of two opposite wall panels, each stacking flange terminating in an end tab, and each end tab of each stacking flange being folded down and located within the respective adjacent corner post when the container is erected.

With a construction according to the invention, the four flaps can each have a length corresponding to the depth of the container, whereby a substantially rectangular blank is required.

The securement of the inner portions of the flaps to the adjacent ends of the first wail panels is preferably by glueing but stitching is a viable alternative.

The outer portion of each flap which forms a hollow corner post in the erected condition of the. container greatly enhances the strength of the container in its stacking direction.

To ensure the corner posts have their maximum strength in the stacking direction, when corrugated material is used for the blank, the flutes extend across each flap in the direction of the fold line therein.

Where the container is designed to be supplied to a user in a collapsed condition, each first wall panel can be provided with precreasing at each end which defines a slantwise fold line which extends from the end corner of the first wall panel closest to the base panel to the free edge of that first wall panel and defines an end triangular portion at each end of that first wall panel, the inner portion of each flap being secured to the adjacent end triangular portion of the adjacent first wall panel but not to any part of the first wall panel beyond the respective slantwise fold line.With this collapsed embodiment, the outer portion of each flap is suitably adapted to lie against the second wall panel in the collapsed condition of the container and is provided with an end tongue adapted to locate in a slot in the second wall panel when it is to be secured across the corner of the contaner to define the respective corner post.

One embodiment of container in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accom panying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan of the pre-cut and precreased blank for the container.

Figure 2 is a view of the container in collapsed condition, and Figure 3 is a view of one coner of the erected container.

The blank shown in Fig. 1 is of doublefaced corrugated board material and comprises a base panel 1, first wall panels 2a, 2b and second wall panels 3a, 3b. Each first wall panel 2a, 2b is provided with two slantwise fold lines 4 which extend from a corner of the base panel, 1 to a free edge of the respective first wall panel. The fold lines 4 define two triangular portions 5 at the outer ends of each panel 2a and 2b.

A flap 6 is provided at each end of each second wall panel 3a or 3b, each flap being divided by a transverse fold line 7 into an inner portion 6a and an outer portion 6b. The outer portion 6b of each flap 6 has a tongue 8. Two slots 9 are formed in each panel 3a, 3b to receive the tongues 8 when the container is erected.

The flute direction of the material is shown by the arrow A. The dashed lines in Fig. 1 are precreasing lines (e.g. lines of perforation) and all but the fold lines 4 are designed to fold upwardly as shown in the drawings.

To produce the container in collapsed condition as shown in Fig. 2, the shaded area of each inner portion 6a of each flap 6 is secured (e.g. stuck during the creasing operation) to the adjacent portion 5 (also over the shaded portion). The flaps 6 now lie flat against the underside of the respective second wall panel 3a or 3b, the portion 10 of each first wall panel 2a or 2b between the triangular portions 5, lies against the base panel 1 and each triangular portion 5 overlies the adjacent portion 10.

To erect the container, the four wall panels are pulled up away from the base panel 1 causing the triangular portions 5 to become coplanar with the portion 10 between them as the four wall panels become normal to the base panel 1. To lock the container in this condition, the outer portion 6b of each flap 6 is folded across the adjacent corner as the tongue 8 is locked in the appropriate slot 9.

The drawings also show a stacking flange 11 along each second wall panel 3a, 3b. As shown in Fig. 1, each flange 11 has an end tab 12 hinged thereto and after erecting the wall panels, each tab 12 can be turned down through 90" to lie inside the portion 6b as the latter is folded across the corner to form a stiffening corner post. To provide good corner support for the flanges 11, the width thereof (i.e. the dimension x) should be only slightly less than the length (i.e. the dimension y) of the inner portion 6a.

The container shown in the drawings is of rectangular section and its proportions can be varied to make the most efficient use of board material leaving a corrugator. The base panel 1 can be square. The container can be provided with a lid.

In some instances (e.g. where a user has tray erecting machinery available) the blank shown in Fig. 1 could be supplied without the fold lines 4. The user could then glue the flap portions 6a to the respective end regions of the wall panels 2a to produce an open topped tray which merely needs the corner posts to be erected and the stacking flanges folded down parallel to the base panel with the end tab 12 of each bent down and located in the respective corner post to prepare the tray for use.

The stacking flanges 11 could then be provided on the first wall panels 2a and 2b rather than on the second wall panels 3a, 3b.

Claims

1. A container of stiff, but foldable material, comprising a rectangular base panel having four wall panels hingedly connected thereto along the four sides of the base panel, a respective first wall panel being located on each of two opposite sides of the base panel, each of the other or second two wall panels being provided at each end with a flap divided into inner and outer portions by a fold line parallel to the said opposite sides of the base panel along which the first wall panels are connected, the inner portion of each said flap which is closest to the second wall panel to which it is attached being secured to the inside of the adjacent end portion of the adjacent first wall panel, the outer portion of each flap being provided with means to secure it across the adjacent corner of the erected container to provide a triangular corner post within the erected container whereby an eightsided interior storage space is provided in the erected container, and a stacking flange provided on the outer edge of two opposite wall panels, each stacking flange terminating in an end tab, and each end tab of each stacking flange being folded down and located within the respective adjacent corner post when the container is erected.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which each flap has a length corresponding to the depth of the erected container.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 made from corrugated material in which the flutes of the corrugated material extend across each flap in the direction of the fold line therein.

4. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the means to secure the outer portion of each flap across the adjacent corner of the erected container is an end tongue provided on said outer portion and a slot therefor provided in the second wall panel to which the flap is connected.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each first wall panel is provided with precreasing at each end which defines a slantwise fold line which extends from the end corner of the first wall panel closest to the base panel to the free edge of that first wall panel and defines an end triangular portion at each end of that first wall panel, the inner portion of each flap being secured to the adjacent end triangular portion of the adjacent first wall panel but not to any part of the first wall panel beyond the respective slantwise fold line.

6. A collapsed container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A one-piece blank of corrugated material for making a container as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.