GB2247876A

GB2247876A - A stackable carton

Info

Publication number: GB2247876A
Application number: GB9018860A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael William Swain
Original assignee: ASHTON CORRUGATED
Current assignee: ASHTON CORRUGATED
Priority date: 1990-08-29
Filing date: 1990-08-29
Publication date: 1992-03-18
Also published as: GB9018860D0

Abstract

A carton has end flaps (10U-4U, 1L-4L) adapted so that when similar cartons are stacked relative sliding movement is prevented. <IMAGE>

Description

A STACRABLE CARTON OR OTHER CONTAINER This invention relates to a carton or other container intended to be stacked on a similar or identical carton or other container.

Cartons are usually formed by folding a blank along pre-formed fold lines and, where appropriate, employing an adhesive or other fixing means (such as staples) to secure a panel or flap of the carton to an adjacent panel or flap to hold the carton in the correct, closed configuration.

Conventional cartons of rectangular horizontal cross-section usually have, at each of their upper end regions and lower end regions, two inner flaps outside which are two other flaps. Generally speaking the two inner flaps are rectangular as are also the two outer flaps, at each of the upper and lower end regions of the carton. Whilst such an arrangement results in a fairly planar end configuration at each of the upper and lower ends of the carton, and thus the cartons can be stacked reasonably well, there is a tendency for cartons to slide with respect to each other, particularly when being transported.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carton or other container having at its upper end region one or more inner flap and one or more outer flap over-lying the one or more inner flap, the carton or container having at its lower end region one or more inner flap below which is one or more outer flap having a shape at least partially complementary to the one or more outer flap at the upper end region, whereby, when the carton or container is stacked on a identical or similar carton or container, there is some degree of interlocking between the one or more outer flap at the lower end region of the first-mentioned carton or container and the one or more outer flap at the upper end region of the identical or similar carton or container.

In the following description, where there is a reference to a carton it is to be understood that the description applies equally to other containers.

The carton, which is the subject of the present invention, could have any desired cross-section; for example the carton could be of circular horizontal cross-section or it could be of polygonal crosssection, for example octagonal, hexagonal or rectangular, for instance square.

A factor determining the preferred shapes of the inner and outer flaps at each of the upper and lower end regions will be the wish to be economical with the material from which the carton is formed.

The shape of the. one or more outer flap at the lower end region of the carton is not critical in the absolute sense, nor is the shape of the one or more outer flap at the upper end region of the carton. What is important, however, is that these shapes are at least complementary to a sufficient extent such that, when one carton stands on a similar or identical carton, there is some degree of interlocking between the two cartons to prevent any relative sliding movement of the one carton over the other carton.

If desired, the shapes of the one or more outer flap at the lower end region and the one or more outer flap at the upper end region can be substantially completely complementary, but this is not essential.

The carton, which is the subject of the present invention, is preferably one formed by folding a suitable blank and, as mentioned above, employing adhesive or some other fixing means to secure the panels and flaps of the carton to other panels or flaps of the same carton to keep the carton in the closed configuration.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blank for a carton, the blank having one or more panel constituting one or more side wall and having at what is intended to be the upper end region of the carton (when formed) one or more inner flap and one or more outer flap capable of overlying the one or more inner flap, the blank also having at what is intended to be lower end region of the carton (when formed) one or more inner flap below which, in use, can be folded one or more outer flap having a shape at least partially complementary to the one of more outer flap of the upper end region, whereby when the carton is formed and when the carton is stacked on an identical or similar carton, there is interlocking between the one or more outer flap at the lower end region of the first-mentioned carton and the one or more outer flap at the upper end region of the identical or similar carton.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank capable, when suitably folded, of forming a carton in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view from above of a carton formed from the blank of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from below of the same carton as shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a plan view of a blank capable, when suitably folded, of forming a carton in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, the blank has, in sequence, four main panels numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. On the edge of the panel 4 remote from the panel 3 is a securing panel 5 intended to be secured to the inner (rear) face of the panel 1.

The panels 1, 2, 3 and 4 each have a flap 1U, 2U, 3U and 4U, respectively, which in use is to be located at an upper end region of the panel. Similarly, each of the panels 1, 2, 3 and 4 has a flap 1L, 2L, 3L and 4L, respectively, which in use is to be located at a lower end region of the panel and carton.

Between each panel and the neighbouring panel or panels, and between each panel and the neighbouring flaps, is a fold line.

The blank is folded about the respective fold lines so that the four panels 1, 2, 3 and 4 form the four side walls of a carton having a rectangular horizontal cross-section.

During the folding process care is taken to ensure that two of the upper flaps, 2U and 4U, serve as inner upper flaps and that they are superimposed by the two other upper flaps 1U and 3U.

Also during the folding process care is taken to ensure that two of the lower flaps, 1L and 3L, serve as inner flaps of the lower end region and that lying outside them are the two other lower flaps, 2L and 4L.

When the blank is suitably folded, it constitutes the carton shown in Figures 2 and 3.

With regard to the lower end region of the resulting carton, it can be seen that the two outer flaps 2L and 4L at the lower end region partially mask the two inner flaps 1L and 3L, and it can also be seen that the two flaps 1U and 3U at the upper end region of the panel have a combined shape corresponding to the unmasked regions of the inner flaps 1L and 3L at the lower end region of the carton, with the result that when one carton is stacked on an identical carton the outer flaps 1U and 3U at the upper end region of the carton can be located opposite the unmasked regions 1L and 3L of the inner flaps at the lower end region, between the outer flaps 2L and 4L at the lower end region an identical carton.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the shape of the outer flap at the upper end region of one carton is completely complementary to the shape of the outer flaps at the lower end region of an identical container, but the complementary shape need not be complete. What is important, however, is that there is sufficient interlocking between the different shapes to ensure that one carton does not slide with regard to the other carton.

Turning now to the alternative blank shown in Figure 4, this operates on the same general principle as the blank shown in Figure 1. The panels 51, 52, 53, 54 and 55 correspond generally to the panels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 shown in Figure 1, but the shape of the upper flaps (51U to 54U inclusive) and the shape of the lower flaps (51L to 54L inclusive) differs from the corresponding upper and lower flaps of the blank of Figure 1. Nonetheless, with the upper flaps 51U and 53U serving as outer flaps and hence overlying the inner flaps 52U and 54U, and with the lower flaps 52L and 54L serving as outer flaps and hence being outside the other lower flaps 51L and 53L, it can be appreciated that there is a complementary relationship between the shape of the outer lower flaps 52L and 54L on the one hand and the outer upper flaps 51U and 53U on the other hand.

The carton can be formed of any suitable material, such as corrugated cardboard, or non-corrugated cardboard, or a suitable plastics material having appropriate fold lines.

It is stressed that the shape of the flaps in the region where they interlock with complementary flaps at the opposite end of a similar container is not essential - all that is important is that there is a sufficient degree of interlocking to prevent any relative sliding movement between one container and its upper or lower neighbour.

Claims

1. A container having at its upper end region one or more inner flap and one or more outer flap overlying the one or more inner flap, the container having at its lower end region one or more inner flap below which is one or more outer flap having a shape at least partially complementary to the one or more outer flap at the upper end region, whereby, when the container is stacked on a identical or similar container, there is some degree of interlocking between the one or more outer flap at the lower end region of the firstmentioned container and the one or more outer flap at the upper end region of the identical or similar container.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the lower end region outer flap and the upper end region outer flap are entirely complementary in shape.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, which is formed of corrugated cardboard, non-corrugated cardboard, or a plastics material having appropriate fold lines.

4. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A blank for a container, the blank having one or more panel constituting one or more side wall and having at what is intended to be the upper end region of the container (when formed) one or more inner flap and one or more outer flap capable of overlying the one or more inner flap, the blank also having at what is intended to be lower end region of the container (when formed) one or more inner flap below which, in use, can be folded one or more outer flap having a shape at least partially complementary to the one of more outer flap of the upper end region, whereby when the container is formed and when the container is stacked on an identical or similar container, there is interlocking between the one or more outer flap at the lower end region of the first-mentioned container and the one or more outer flap at the upper end region of the identical or similar container.

6. A blank for a container which may be formed into a container according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A blank for a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.