GB2222817A - Box and blank therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A box has a base and side walls (2, 3, 4, 5) and corner posts (15) at the intersection of adjacent side walls. The corner posts (15) terminate at one end adjacent the base of the box and at their other end project free from the side walls (2-5). The corner posts (15) comprise parts (7) which are respectively fixed to two adjacent side walls (2-5), and the parts (7) are held together e.g. by an elastic band (16) stretched around the free upper part of the corner post (15), a barbed spring-clip or tape. The box is assembled from a blank, in which one corner post part may be provided as a foldable extension of a side wall. <IMAGE>

Description

BOX AND BLANK THEREFOR AND METHOD OF ERECTING THE SAME This invention relates to boxes and is to provide a box which can be sent out in knocked down or essentially flat condition and erected by the user at the time he needs it.

It relates particularly but not exclusively to boxes which are intended for use by farmers and market gardeners, where there is a great demand for a very cheap, easily stored and easily erected box which will nevertheless resist robust handling and loads placed on it when it is stacked for storage or transport.

The present invention in one aspect is a box having a base and side walls and corner posts at the intersection of adjacent side walls, the corner posts terminating at one end adjacent the base of the box and at their other end projecting above the side walls, the corner posts being made up of parts which are respectively secured to two adjacent side walls, and the parts being held together in the region of the corner post which is above the side walls. Suitable means for holding the parts together include a barbed spring clip, an elastic band stretched around the parts of the corner post, or tape bound round the corner post parts.

A preferred conformation for each of the parts of the corner post is that of an isosceles right-angle triangle, the hypotenuse face being secured to an inner face of the respective side walls. Then, when the box is erected the corner post is in the form of a further isosceles rightangle triangle, but one in which the hypotenuse is now formed by two of the minor sides of the parts.

In one form of the invention, one of the corner post parts of each said corner post is integral with the side wall to which it is secured, being formed by folding of an extension of the material of the side wall.

In the base of the box there is preferably formed a cut line adjacent to the corner post. The purpose of that cut line is to allow slight bulging of the bottom of the box when it is loaded without imposing the same bulge on that portion of the base which underlies the corner post. In this way, a flat surface is offered for the reception of the free end of an underlying similar box in a stack of such boxes.

The invention provides also a blank for an erectable box, the blank including a panel for forming a base of the box, flaps for forming at least two side walls of the box and being attached to the base through lines of weakening to be folded up from the base, one edge of one of the flaps receiving one part of a corner post and one edge of another of the flaps, destined to be adjacent the first said edge upon erection of the box, being secured to a second part of the same corner post, the parts lying at one of their ends adjacent to the base and at the other of their ends free of the flap forming side wall whereby upon erection of the blank the two free ends are brought into juxtaposition where they may be retained by retaining means.

The blank may further include a cut line in the base panel adjacent to but inboard of the line(s) of projection of the corner post onto that base panel in the erected condition.

In another form, the invention provides a blank for an erectable box including integrally a panel for forming a base of the box, flaps for forming at least two adjacent side walls of the box attached to the base through lines of weakening to be folded up from the base, and at one lateral edge of one said flap an extension attached to the flap through a line of weakening and containing in it further lines of weakening such that said extension is foldable to form a first part of a corner post which in the assembled box joins said two adjacent side walls, said blank further including a detached or detachable portion which contains lines of weakening such that it is foldable to provide a second part of said corner post.

In a preferred and simplest version of the blank and box, the base is rectangular and has four flaps one on each side of the base, four of the edges of the flaps having extensions providing said first corner post parts and there being four said detached or detachable portions providing said second corner post parts, whereby on erection a cuboid box with four corner posts one at each corner is formed.

The box or its blank may include conventional features such as handle-forming flaps or apertures, rigidifying folding-over or folding-in flaps, lid-forming flaps and the like.

The material of the panels of the box or the blank may be conventional cardboard or, for outdoor use, may be waterproofed board, plastic material or the like.

Particularly preferred is a box with the corner posts made of cardboard. Alternatively, the material for the corner posts and their parts is wood; and the preferred triangular section batten may be of the same dimensions as that which is conventionally used in existing boxes as a one piece corner post.

The free ends of the parts of the corner posts may be held together by any conventional means. Preferred are barbed spring clips or the simple elastic band. This can if desired be fitted by the use of a stretching tool; and most farmers will readily have available the tool which is used for stretching elastic bands in the docking and castrating of lambs.

In a further aspect the invention includes a method of erecting a box which consists of folding up from a base panel at least two side walls of the box each of which has attached to it a part of a corner post which projects to a position above the side wall so as to bring those parts into juxtaposition and applying means to the projecting parts of the posts so as to maintain them in that position and hold the box erected. Preferably, the applying step consists of pushing a barbed spring clip over abutting sides of the corner post parts. Alternatively an elastic band can be stretched over the free ends.

Finally, the invention comprehends a kit for the formation of a box or blank as discussed above.

Particular embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: - Figure 1 is a face view of one embodiment of a blank for a box; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the box of Figure 1 erected; Figure 3 is a partial underneath perspective view of the box of Figure 1 in loaded condition; Figure 4 is a sketch view of a stack of boxes of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a face view of another embodiment of a blank for the box; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the box of Figure 5 erected; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of one corner of the box of Figure 6 in detail.

Looking first at Figure 1, a rectangular base panel 1 of sheet material such as conventional cardboard, waterproof board or plastics has attached to it two major side flap panels 2,3, and two minor end flap panels 4,5, by respective lines of weakening 6. Each of the side flaps 2-5 is rectangular and has attached to it adjacent to its parallel side edges, a part 7 of a corner post. Each part 7 is attached to the respective flap by conventional means such as stitching or stapling (8 in Figure 2). Each part 7 is a wooden batten of an isosceles right-angle triangle section, that is to say a triangle of which one angle is 90" and the other two angles are 45". It is secured to the flap with its hypotenuse face-to-face with the flap.The parts 7 are all of equal length and are secured so that one end 9 lies, on the planar blank, level with the line of weakening 6 while the other end 10 projects free of the flaps 2-5.

In the panel 1 there are formed cut lines 11 which are just inboard of the projection of the corner posts 9, when erected, onto the base panel. The reason for these cut lines will be explained later.

Some or all of the flaps may have a further flap such as 12 on flaps 2,3 as seen in Figure 1, these being able to be folded inwardly for stiffening, for forming part or all of a lid of the eventual box or for any other reason.

Each of the panels may have additional features such as conventional ventilation or drainage holes or punched out handle holes or flaps such as are indicated at 13 in Figure 1.

To erect the box each of the flaps 2-5 is folded up at right-angles to the base panel, when it will be found that the corner post parts 7 are juxtaposed with each other in the manner seen in Figure 2. Adjacent minor faces of those parts will lie face-to-face with each other so that the corner post as a whole, now given the reference 15, is another right-angled isosceles triangle but this time with its right-angle being included at the corner of the box and its hypotenuse lying inboard of the box.

To hold the box in its erected condition, a particular suitable means of holding those two parts together is a simple elastic band 16 stretched over the two parts. The band can simply be pulled on by hand or it can be set on by the use of a band stretching device such as a lamb docking and castrating device.

Thus there is formed a box which is capable of providing corner posts through a stack of such boxes as seen in Figure 4. This is required to resist the considerable loads which are experienced by for example stacked apple boxes. The box is cheap, which is readily erectable by unskilled labour using no tools at all or else tools which are very readily available, and yet offers facilities for the addition of lids, overwrapping or the like as well as the imprinting of batch or grower information on the side panels.

It is perhaps surprising that the apparently weak elastic band is sufficient to hold the box together especially in the stack. However when the stack is formed as is shown in Figure 4, there is very little tendency in the columns formed by the corner posts 15 to force apart the parts 7 of the corner posts. Indeed the frictional interaction between the base 1 of an upper box with the top of the corner post 15 of the lower box is to tend further to hold together the parts of that corner post.

This tendency and the ease of initial placement of the box in the stacks is assisted by the cut lines 11. As is indicated in Figure 3, when a load is placed in the base 1, it will tend to bulge downwardly. The effect of the cut line 11 is to prevent that bulging effect (indicated in an exaggerated manner at 17) from being communicated to the extreme corner portion of the base. This extreme corner portion which generally corresponds to the projection onto that base of the complete corner post, the outline of which is indicated by dotted lines 18 in Figure 3, is thus preserved as a flat platform for the reception of the top of an underlying corner post in a stack, and the step or notch formed by the bulge line 17 is an aid to accurate positioning in the stack.

The embodiment of Figures 5 to 7 is made from a single rectangular sheet of material, without wooden corner posts. In Figure 5 there is shown a rectangular blank of sheet material such as conventional cardboard, waterproof board or plastics, having a base panel 50 which has attached to it two major side flap panels 52,53 and two minor end flap panels 54,55 by respective lines of weakening 56. Each of the minor end flap panels 54,55 extend to the left by parts 56,57 and to the right by parts 58,59 by lengths which correspond to the widths of the major side flap panels 52,53 to give the blank an overall rectangular shape. The left parts 56,57 and the right parts 58,59 are separable or separated from the major side flap panels 52,53 by slots.

Each of the left parts 56,57 and the right parts 58,59 have a first portion 60 being defined at the side adjoining the minor end flaps 54,55 by a first line of weakening 61 and having two further lines of weakening 62,63 spaced in the outward direction. The opposite side of the first portion 60 is defined by a tear-off line 64 spaced from the line 61.

A detachable second portion 65 larger than the first portion 60 is thus defined by the tear-off line 64 and has in it three parallel lines of weakening 66 permitting bending.

The lines of weakening 61,62,63,66 are such that the first portion 60 and the second portion 65 can be each bent to form a corner post part of isosceles right-angle triangle section.

The side and end flaps 52,53,54,55 have further longitudinal narrow flaps 67 not extending to their lateral edges, these being able to be folded inwardly for stiffening reducing the height of the side and end flaps.

Thus on the minor end flaps 54,55 protruding corner post parts can be integrally formed by folding the first portions 60, to overlie the upstanding edge regions 68. Similarly, on the major side flap panels 52,53 the flaps 67 leave upstanding end regions 68 to which the post part formed from detached portion 65 can be attached at its hypotenuse, after being torn off and folded into an isosceles right-angle triangle section. Since the four flaps 52-55 have identical heights and the overall shape of the blank 50 is rectangular, all the upstanding regions 68 protrude to the same extent. The cut lines 69 in the base have the same function as explained above.

To erect the box, parts 56,57,58,59 are separated by cutting from the major side flaps 52,53 if not already separated by slots as shown in Figure 5.

The second portions 65 are torn off at the lines 64. First portions 60 are folded at their lines of weakening 61,62,63 to form a corner post part 70 of rightangled isosceles triangular shape at each of minor end flap panels 55,56. Correspondingly the four second portions 65 are folded at their lines of weakening 66 providing a rightangled isosceles triangle 71. Triangles 71 are attached at the hypotenuse to the lengths of protruding edge regions 68 of the major side flaps 52,53, preferably with glue.

Overlapping sides are secured together preferably by glue.

Flaps 67 are folded inwardly and glued down and each of flaps 52,53,54,55 are folded up at their lines of weakening at right-angles so that the corner post parts 70 and 71 are juxtaposed to the protruding edge regions 68. The two abutting sites of integral corner post part 70 and triangle 71 are secured together preferably by a barbed spring-loaded clip 74 (Figure 7) thereby providing a corner post of triangular structure with the hypotenuse lying inboard of the box.

Figure 7 shows the folding of the corner post parts 70,71 in more detail. The corner post part 70 is integrally formed by folding the first portion 60 at lines of weakening 61,62,63 so that the last side of the triangle, i.e. the hypotenuse, defined by weakening line 63 and tearoff line 64 lies parallel and against the end flap 54,55.

This hypotenuse side is fixed to the end flap 55 by glue.

The separately formed triangle 71 has been made by folding along its lines of weakening 66 so that two portions overlap and gluing these portions together. The hypotenuse of the triangle 71 is glued to the edge portion of the side flap 52,53. The adjacent sides of the corner post part 70 and triangle 71 are securely attached to each other by a barbed spring clip 74.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS:

1. A box having a base and side walls and corner posts at the intersection of adjacent side walls, the corner posts terminating at one end adjacent the base of the box and at their other end projecting above the side walls, the corner posts being made up of parts which are respectively secured to two adjacent side walls, and the parts being held together in the region of the corner post which is above the side walls.

2. A box according to claim 1 wherein each said corner post part is an isosceles right-angle triangle whose hypotenuse face is secured to an inner face of the respective side wall.

3. A box according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the base of the box is provided with cut lines adjacent to the corner posts.

4. A box according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein one of the corner post parts of each said corner post is integral with the side wall to which it is secured, being formed by folding of an extension of the material of the side wall.

5. A box according to claim 4 wherein the other of the corner post parts of each said corner posts is made by folding a piece of sheet material and securing the folded piece to the side wall, said pieces having been obtained from a larger blank which has been folded to provide the base, side walls and integral corner post parts of the box.

6. A box substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A blank for an erectable box, the blank including a panel for forming a base of the box, flaps for forming at least two side walls of the box and being attached to the base through lines of weakening to be folded up from the base, one edge of the flaps receiving one part of a corner post and one edge of another of the flaps, destined to be adjacent the first said edge upon erection of the box, being secured to a second part of the same corner post, the parts lying at one of their ends adjacent to the base and at the other of their ends free of the flap forming side wall whereby upon erection of the blank the two free ends are brought into juxtaposition where they may be retained by retaining means.

8. A blank for an erectable box including integrally a panel for forming a base of the box, flaps for forming at least two adjacent side walls of the box attached to the base through lines of weakening to be folded up from the base, and at one lateral edge of one said flap an extension attached to the flap through a line of weakening and containing in it further lines of weakening such that said extension is foldable to form a first part of a corner post which in the assembled box joins said two adjacent side walls, said blank further including a detached or detachable portion which contains lines of weakening such that it is foldable to provide a second part- of said corner post.

9. A blank according to claim 8 wherein said extension has the full height of the side wall flap to which it is attached through the line of weakening and each said side wall flap has lateral edge portions also of the full height of the flap and, between said lateral edge portions, a removed, removable or foldable strip extending along the edge remote from the base whereby in the assembled box the top edges of the side walls are lower than the top of the corner post.

10. A blank according to claim 8 or claim 9 having four said side wall flaps, four said extensions thereof providing said first corner post parts and four said detached or detachable portions providing said second corner post parts.

11. A blank for an erectable box substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of erecting a box which consists of folding up from a base panel at least two side walls of the box each of which has attached to it a part of a corner post which projects to a position free of the side wall so as to bring those parts into juxtaposition and applying means to the projecting parts of the posts so as to maintain them in that position and hold the box erected.