GB2255076A

GB2255076A - Stackable container

Info

Publication number: GB2255076A
Application number: GB9118925A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gimeno Emilio Mur
Original assignee: Iberoamericana del Embalaje SA
Current assignee: Iberoamericana del Embalaje SA
Priority date: 1991-04-24
Filing date: 1991-09-04
Publication date: 1992-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 2011-09-04
Also published as: GR1001442B; TNSN92029A1; HU912631D0; IL99313A0; IE913002A1; BE1005633A5; IE68047B1; PT8785T; AU1121292A; GB2255076B; PT8785U; DE4129458A1; NZ239207A; MA22311A1; FR2675773B1; HUT60966A; GB9118925D0; ITBS910092A1; FR2675773A1; NL9101497A

Abstract

A stackable container consists of a cut and creased blank of a sheet of material, preferably corrugated cardboard, for erection into a box having a rectangular base 1, side walls 2 and end panels 3. Each end panel 3 are provided with a flap 5 which forms a double wall therewith. The flap 5 is separated from the end panel 3 by a strip 8 contained between parallel fold lines (6 & 7 fig. 1), said strip, when flap is folded over acting as a support for another container when stacked. Hinge lug 11 fits into notch 12 and end flap 4 folds around and completely cover the connection (fig. 4). A recess (10, fig 6) is provided in the double wall to aid handling and ventilation. In a modified container (figs 5 & 6) upwardly projecting tabs (13, fig 5) may be provided in the corners, corresponding recesses being provided in the bottom of the container so that they receive the tabs when one container is stacked on another. In an alternative embodiment the inner partitions may be separate pieces. <IMAGE>

Description

2 IMPROVED STACKABLE CONTAINER This invention relates to an improved

stackable container.

Various kinds of stackable containers in the form of open boxes are already known, which are designed so that when they are placed one on top of another, the resulting load is stable and can adequately withstand the vertical stresses that the containers must endure during stacking.

Containers are known in which an overhanging flap is provided which extends from the upper border oftheir shorter sides or end walls, projecting horizontally towards the inside of the container, thus forming a wide ledge which extends without interruption along the entire length of each end wall, and on which another container can rest when placed immediately on top. The stacks thus formed have the disadvantage that the said projecting flaps are not sufficiently strong to withstand the vertical stresses that develop when is - 2 several containers are piled on top of one another,, and the load loses its stability and crushes the packed products.

In order to overcome this drawback, triangular shaped supporting prisms have been arranged in each corner of the container to form props for the said projecting flaps. These props partially solve the problem, since they hold up the projecting flaps along the edges, although the centre section remains unsupported. However,, they suffer from the disadvantage that they reduce the capacity of the container.

Several attempts have been made in the past to overcome this problem. In one known container, the corrugated cardboard sides that support the load are formed from two adjoining partitions in which the undulations of the corrugated cardboard run vertically, so that the upper border provides a strong, sturdy base for any other containers placed on top. This arrangement is also reinforced by means of extensions provided at the ends of the inner partition of the double-walled sides - A - which adjoin or overlap the upper border of the adjacent side of the container.

In another known container, the short sides orend walls of the container have a wide flap extending along the entire length of their upper borders, which folds down inside the container. forming a double wall the same height as the side wall itself. The aforementioned wide flap has end extensions which adjoin and adhere to the inner surface of the adjacent long side.

This design provides end walls whose upper borders are considerably thickened and act as a base for another container placed on top, this base being partially extended to the longer sides.

The two adjoining partitions that make up each end wall are each provided with flaps at each end which are turned orthogonally until they back up against and are glued, one to each side of the longer side of the container, and therefore the ends of these longer sides - 4 have three thicknesses of material, forming a very sturdy container.

In yet another known container, the end walls are also double, but in contrast to the preceding example, the inner partition extends from the upper edge of the end wall to approximately half its height. Similarly, its extensions or end flaps are turned orthogonally and fit into recesses or notches made in the longer side walls.

The end flaps of each end wall fold round the corners of the container and are glued to the adjacent long side and to the folded flap of the inner partition.

In a still further known container the end flaps of the is inner partition of the end wall are positioned on the upper edge of the adjacent long wall, in the same vertical plane as the latter, and the respective end flaps of the end walls which fold round the corners of the container are folded against and glued to both.

The present invention relates to the structure for an improved stackable container formed from a cut-out sheet, preferably but not exclusively composed of corrugated cardboard.

The preferred container constitutes an open, stackable box, preferably in the shape of arectangular parallelopiped, two parallel sides of which, be they the longer sides or the end walls, are formed by two homologous partitions in which the corrugations of the cardboard run vertically, abutted together to form a double wall, the upper border of which is noticeably wide, thus allowing it to act as a base to give safe support to another or other containers placed immediately on top. The inner partitions of each double wall may be separate pieces or folded extensions of the outer partitions.

The inner partition is provided with projections or lugs at each end which are folded, preferably through 900, and inserted into a matching recess cut out in the corresponding end of each adjacent side, with which they are perfectly aligned on both sides and along the upper edge.

The outer partitions of the said double-walled sides are preferably provided with flaps at each end which are turned down against the adjacent side wall, folding round the corresponding corner of the box to adhere to the said side wall and to the projection aligned with it., so that the upper edge of the double wall that constitutes the base for another box placed on top is partially extended along the upper border of the adjacent sides. The container thus formed is provided with locating means in the form of tabs or projections suitable for fitting some boxes over others, avoiding dangerous lateral displacements during stacking which would endanger the stability of the loads formed.

The invention will now be described by way of example only, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view showing a corner of a container blank including means for inserting onebox over another situated immediately underneath it, Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing the container of Figure 1 in the assembly phase, Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the box of Figure 2, after assembly, viewed from the inside, Figure 4 is an external view of the corner of the container shown in Figures 2 and 3 after assembly, Figure 5 is a view showing a corner of a modif ied container, and Figure 6 is an external view of the corner of the container shown in Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a container blank'made of corrugated paper or cardboard having a base 1, longer sides 2, and shorter end walls 3 which are each provided with extensions at their ends to form flaps 4 which enfold and close the corners of the container.

A wide flap 5 articulates from the upper border of the end wall 3. This flap 5 has the same measurements as the end wall 3 and is folded down towards the inside of the container to be situated vertically and parallel to the end wall with which it forms a double wall. The end wall 3 and the flap 5 have the channels of the corrugated material of which they are made running vertically, resulting in a wall of considerable mechanical strength and ideal for effectively bearing the vertical stresses that develop when several containers are stacked on top of each other.

The articulation between each end wall 3 and its wide flap 5 is carried out by means of two fold lines 6,7 is defining therebetween a strip 8 which forms a wide ledge on the top edge of each end wall 3 on which another container can stand firmly.

As can be seen from Figures 1, 5 and 6, a cut-out 9 is formed in each end wall 3 and flap 5 which fulfills two functions. Firstly it forms an opening or recess between every two stacked containers to provide an air passage to ventilate the packed products and secondly, - 9 it provides a recess 10 (see Figure 6) which permits a handler's fingers to be inserted between every two containers for carrying purposes.

Hinged lugs or tabs 11 are provided on each side edge of each flap 5 which, when the flaps 5 are folded down, move down with them and are deflected orthogonally to fit into a notch 1 made in the top end of each of the longer sides 2, being perfectly aligned with said longer sides, on either side, and level with the top edge, as shown in Figures 3 and S.

The assembly formed by the two longer side walls 2, the end walls 3 with their double inside wall 5 and the projections 11 inserted into the longer sides 2 of the box, form the corners of the container, which are enfolded by wide flaps 4 hinged at the respective side edges of the main outer partitions 3 of the end walls shown in Figures 4 and 6. These closing flaps 4 are joined, preferably by means of adhesive, to the adjacent long side 2 and to the lug 11 inserted into the notch 12 in the long side, so that it is invisible from the outside.

Referring now to the modified container of Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that locating means in the form of tabs project upwardly from the upper corner edge of the container to form a dihedral angle, one wing of which is situated on the end wall 3 of the container and the other on the adjacent main side wall 2. These tabs 13 can fit into a recess 14 in the lower border of the corner of another box when placed on top, which is held between the four corner tabs of the container placed immediately below. The tabs permit the successive fitting of one box over another and thus stabilize them when they are placed one on top of one another in stacks. Boxes fitted into one another using these co-operating corner tabs 13 and recesses 14 enable loads of a considerable height to be formed without any lateral displacement.

The container just described has been designed so that it may be assembled entirely by machine, without the intervention of manpower,, and this is a considerable advantage. The containers thus formed are equipped with sturdy means of stacking and avoid the need to provide triangular supporting prisms in the corners - 11 which reduce the capacity of the assembled container to a large extent.

The retention of the inner partition 5 of the end walls 3 inside the container is carried out simply by inserting the lateral lugs 11 into the' notches 12 in the longer sides 2. The end flaps 4 which fold round the corners of the container, completely cover the connection between the lugs 11 and the longer side walls 2 which is therefore not visible from the outside.

is Another advantageous detail of the container described derives from the upper edge of the end wall which, owing to its sturdy character. provides a very strong, stable base to give effective support to the weight of one or more containers placed on top. This base also extends along the ends of the upper border of the longer side walls, increasing the supporting surface between containers.

At its broadest, the invention provides an improved stackable container in which two of its parallel side walls. preferably its shorter side walls, are each formed as a double wall with an inner partition which provides a supporting ledge along its upper edge for another container, said inner partition having a projection at each end for insertion into a matching recess in the adjacent container wall to lie level with said wall. The joints thus formed may be covered by flaps hingedly attached to each end of the outer wall of the container fprming said double wall.

Claims

CLAIMS is 1. A stackable container which consists of a sheet of material

that can be stamped out, with cutting and folding lines therein defining a central panel for the formation of a rectangular base, panels to form the main side walls articulating from the longer sides of the said rectangular base and panels to form the lesser side walls articulating from the shorter sides of the base, these four panels being foldable upwardly to define the area of the container, each of two of the parallel side walls of the container having an extension of the same size articulating from its upper border, each extension being separated from the container side wall by a strip contained between two parallel fold-lines in such a way that when said extension is folded down towards the interior of the container, it remains in a vertical position in a plane 20 parallel to the corresponding container side wall to form an inner wall therewith, when its free edge rests on the container bottom, , said strip also forming a ledge on the upper edge of said inner wall which acts - 14 as a support for another container when placed immediately on top, said extensions also having a projection or lug at each side edge which turns down from the inside of the container for insertion in the same plane as the adjacent container side wall.
2. A stackable container as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the other two container side walls has a recess extending from its upper edge at each end thereof which is covered on the outside by an end flap articulating from the side edge of the contiguous container side wall.
3. A stackable container as claimed in claim 2 wherein each recess which is covered on the outside by the end flap is open on the inside thereby forming a cut-out which receives and retains the matching projection or lug which articulates from each side edge of the folded-down inner wall.
4. A stackable container as claimed in claim 3 wherein the projections or lugs which hinge from the sides of the inner wall fit into the closed recesses from the - is - interior of the container and are retained therein by means of an adhesive.
5. A stackable container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the top edge of each projection or lug is. level with the longitudinal ledge formed on the upper border of the inner wall thereby forming an extension of the said ledge with the upper border of the corners of the container.
6. A stackable container as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 wherein the upper border of the container side walls and the end flaps include projections or tabs which, when the container is assembled, are at 900 to each other and protrude from each corner of the container upwardly therefrom, the lower edge of each corner also being provided with complimentary recesses adapted to receive and locate the tabs of a similar container..
7. A stackable container substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.