GB2257959A

GB2257959A - A container constructed from a foldable sheet

Info

Publication number: GB2257959A
Application number: GB9215694A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Randall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-07-24
Filing date: 1992-07-23
Publication date: 1993-01-27
Also published as: GB9215694D0; GB9115982D0

Abstract

A container constructed from a sheet (10) of foldable material comprises a base (37) and a plurality of sides (38, 39, 40, 41) wherein the sides (38, 39, 40, 41) are folded out of the plane of the base (37) without formation of cuts between the sides (38, 39, 40, 41) or between the sides and the base. The generally upright sides (38, 39, 40, 41) each have a bottom edge formed from a fold line between the side and the base (37) and are joined by four gusset flaps (42, 43) each formed by folding the sheet (10) of material along three intersecting fold lines. The middle fold line of each flap (42, 43) extends from a point of intersection of two bottom edges of the sides to the edge of the sheet (10) and divides the flap in two. The flaps (42, 43) are folded about their respective other two fold lines to overlay in pairs two opposite generally upright sides (39, 41). Interengaging means is provided to secure each pair of flaps together and/or to the sides. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER The present invention relates to a container and particularly to a container which is formed by the folding of a sheet of material.

Containers formed by folding sheets of material are well known in the prior art. However, most are complex and complicated to assemble and involve cutting material between the sides of container or in the base section and therefore do not provide a fluidtight container for material kept within.

-Furthermore, most are constructed with sides which are perpendicular to one another.

The present invention provides a container constructed from a sheet of foldable material comprising a base and a plurality of sides extending generally upwardly from the base, wherein the sides are folded out of the plane of the base without formation of cuts between the sides or between the sides and the base.

The present invention thus provides a simple to construct container able to retain fluids.

Preferably the sides of the containers slope inwardly towards each other. This is advantageous to prevent the contained articles or substance falling from the container.

In a second aspect the present invention provides a container constructed from a sheet of foldable material, comprising: a base, four generally upright sides formed by folding the sheet of material, each having a bottom edge formed from a fold line between the side and the base, and four flaps each formed by folding the sheet of material along three intersecting fold lines, a first fold line extending from a point of intersection of two bottom edges of the sides to the edge of the sheet and dividing the flap in two and second and third fold lines each on opposite sides of the first fold line and intersecting the first fold line at the said point of intersection of the bottom edges of the sides, which second and third fold lines each form an edge of a side, wherein the flaps are folded about their respective second and third fold lines to overlay two or more upright sides and engagement means is provided to secure the flaps together in pairs and/or to secure the flaps to the upright sides.

The present invention provides a container which can be simply assembled by folding a sheet of foldable material. The assembly of the container is a simple operation and the sheet of material forming the container does not require expensive manufacturing processes, since no complicated shapes need be cut.

Preferably the container of the second aspect of the invention has four flaps which are triangular, the first fold line of each extending from the point of intersection of the bottom edges of two sides to the apex of the triangle.

Preferably the flaps overlay in pairs two opposite generally upright sides.

Preferably the engagement means comprises a slot extending inwardly from an upper surface of a first flap of each pair of flaps and a slot extending inwardly from a lower surface of a second flap of each pair of flaps, wherein the flaps are interengaged in pairs by engagement of the material of the first flap of each pair in the slot of the second flap and engagement of the second flap of each pair in the slot of the first flap.

Preferably the slot extending inwardly from the upper surface of the first of each pair of flaps is formed on folding of the sheet of material by overlaying two slits provided in the sheet extending inwardly from the periphery thereof, which two slits are provided on opposite sides of the first fold line between the first fold line and the second and third fold lines and which slits are equidistant from the first fold line.

Preferably the slot extending inwardly from the lower surface of the second of each pair of flaps is formed on folding of the sheet of material by overlaying with each other two halves of a V-shaped slit provided in the sheet having an apex along the first fold line of the flap.

Preferably each of the flaps is formed by folding the sheet along second and third fold lines which each subtend at an angle of greater than forty-five degrees from the first fold line such that the four generally upright sides of the container slope inwardly.

The invention can provide a container which can be simply constructed with inwardly sloping sides.

The provision of inwardly sloping sides can be advantageous in containing certain objects to prevent movement of the object within the container and to prevent objects from falling from the container once placed inside.

Preferably the two pairs of interlocking flaps of the container form two handles by which the container may be carried.

By a suitable choice of dimensions the two pairs of interlocking flaps of the container can be formed large enough to provide easy carrying handles for the container.

Preferably the inward faces of the base and sides of the container are waterproof.

The container when constructed with its base and sides having waterproof inward faces provides a container which is able to hold liquid or prevent seepage of liquid from within. In preferred embodiments the container when constructed does not have apertures and gaps in the bottom-portion thereof which would enable fluid to flow from inside the container.

In one embodiment of the container there are provided handles formed by cutting the material from at least one of the upwardly extending sides and folding the material out of the plane of the side.

If the container cannot be constructed with dimensions sufficient to enable the flaps to form carrying handles, carrying handles can be provided by folding material out of the generally upright sides of the container.

In a preferred embodiment the container has engagement means comprising arms extending from the flaps, the arms each having a slot and the pairs of arms being engaged by the engagement of one arm in the slot of the other.

The use of arms provides flexibility in the dimensions of the container and the arms provide good handles.

Preferably each arm is constructed from the sheet of foldable material forming the container, each arm comprising a strip of material folded along a fold line to form the arm.

The arms are stronger if made from folded material.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the sheet of foldable material has triangular extension portions at its four corners which form part of the flaps on folding of the sheet, the first fold line of each flap extending from the point of intersection of the bottom edges of the sides to the apex of the triangular extension portion.

The use of extension portions can raise the height of the level above which liquid can leak from the container.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention the engagement means comprises a slit in a side of the container and a slot in a flap, the slot of the flap engaging the slot of the side to secure the flap to the side.

In an additional preferred embodiment of the invention a side of the container has two slits and a first flap passes through one slit and a second flap passes through the other, the engagement means interengaging the first and second flaps inside the container. This arrangement ensures rigid secure engagement.

A container according to the invention can additionally comprise a lid constructed from the sheet of foldable material of the container and pivotal relative to the container about a fold line in the material.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheet of material suitable for construction of a first embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a part view of the container of the first embodiment during construction.

Figure 3 shows a container according to the first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is a partial side elevation of a second embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a partial plan view of a first sheet of material suitable for construction of the second embodiment of the container illustrated in figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a partial plan view of a second sheet of material suitable for construction of the second embodiment of the container illustrated in figure 4.

Figure 7 is a full side elevation view of the second embodiment of the container illustrated in figure 4.

Figure 8 is a partial side elevation of a third embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 9 is a partial plan view of a sheet of material suitable for construction of the third embodiment illustrated in figure 7.

Figure 10 is a full side elevation view of the third embodiment of the container of the invention illustrated in figures 8 and 9.

Figure 11 is a partial side elevational view of a fourth embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 12 is a full side elevation view of a fourth embodiment of a container according to the invention illustrated in figure 11.

Figure 13 is a side elevation view of a fifth embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 14 is a side elevation view of a sixth embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 15 is a plan view of a sheet of material suitable for the construction of a seventh embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 there can be seen a sheet 10 suitable for constructing a container according to the invention. The sheet 10 has a first pair of slits 11 and 12 extending inwardly from the edge of the sheet 10 equidistant from a first corner 13. The sheet 10 also has a second pair of slits 14 and 15 extending inwardly from the edge of the sheet equidistant from a second corner 16 diagonally opposite the first corner 13. Two V-shaped slits 17 and 18 are provided located inwardly of the edges of the sheet 10 each respectively in proximity to the third and fourth corners 19 and 20.

When constructing the container from the sheets of foldable material 10, the sheet is folded along the fold lines 21 to 36. A rectangular base 37 is formed from the foldable material and four generally upright sides 38, 39, 40 and 41 are formed by folding the sheet of material out of the plane of the base 37 along the four different fold lines 33, 34, 35 and 36.

When folding the sheet of foldable material 10 four flaps are formed from the material extending between the four sides 38, 39, 40 and 41. A first pair of flaps 42 and 43 can be seen in figure 3 engagedly interlocked to hold the container 50 rigid.

A similar pair of flaps are engagedly interlocked on the other side of the container 50 not shown in Figure 3. The pairs of flaps are each engagedly interlocked by interengaging means comprising the slots 14, 15, 17 and 18.

The flap 42 is formed by folding the sheet 10 along three intersecting fold lines 30, 31, 32. The fold line 31 passes through the apex of the corner 19 whilst the fold lines 30 and 32 are equidistant from the fold line 31. Similarly, the flap 43 is formed by folding the sheet of material 10 along the three fold lines 27, 28 and 29.

As can be seen in the part assembled view of Figure 2, the V-shaped slit 17 forms a slot 44 when the flap 42 is folded from the sheet of material. The slot 44 extends inwardly from a lower surface of the flap 42. Also in Figure 2 it can be seen that the two slits 14 and 15 form a slot 45 when the flap 43 is folded from a sheet of material 10. The slot 45 extends inwardly from an upper surface of the flap 43.

In the final stage of assembling the container 50 the flaps 42 and 43 are engagedly interlocked with each other by engaging flap 42 in the slot 45 of flap 43 and simultaneously engaging the flap 43 in the slot 44 of the flap 42.

As mentioned above, a pair of flaps corresponding to the flaps 42 and 43 are formed from the fold lines 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 and these are also engagedly interlocked in a similar fashion to hold the container 50 rigid.

As further mentioned above, the fold lines 30 and 32 are equidistant from the fold line 31. Each subtends at an angle a from the fold line 31. The fold lines in the other corners of the sheet have the same geometrical relationships. By choosing the angle a to be greater than 45 degrees the container can be manufactured with sides which slope inwardly from the base. The degree of inward slope can be varied simply by varying the angle a. A container having inwardly sloping sides is preferable in certain circumstances to enable secure carriage of material within the container.

If a container according to the invention was made from a sheet of foldable material of dimensions 24 inches (609.6 mm) by 21.5 inches (546.1 mm) then, with reference to figure 1, the lengths of the fold lines would typically be chosen as follows : 12 inches (304.8 mm) for each of fold lines 33 and 35, 9.5 inches (241.3 mm) for each of fold lines 34 and 36 and 6 inches (152.4 mm) for each of fold lines 21 to 32.

By choosing the dimension of the folds and flaps carefully, the two pairs of interlocking flaps can be chosen to be large enough to be used as carrying handles. This does away with the need to provide separate carrying handles for the container.

In certain circumstances it will not be possible to choose the dimensions of the container to be sufficiently large to enable the container to be carried by the interlocking flaps. In such circumstances handles can be formed by folding material out of the plane of the sides 38 and 40 to form handles.

Preferably the inner faces of the base 37 and the four sides 38, 39, 40 and 41 are made waterproof by using a sheet of material 10 which is waterproof on one side. The lowermost point of escape for fluid from the container shown in the drawings and described before is the bottom of the slot 45 formed in the flap 43 (and the bottom of the corresponding slot in the flap on the other side of the container, not shown).

Therefore fluid can be contained within the container 50 without leaking provided its level is below that of the lowermost point of the slot 45. In previous containers formed for flat packs there are generally apertures in the base or between the sides which allow leakage of fluid.

In the figures 4 to 15 further embodiments of containers according to the invention are illustrated. They are all constructed in essence in the same manner as the first embodiment of the previously described figures and like parts will be given like reference numerals.

The embodiment of figures 4, 5 and 6 has flaps extended by arms. The flap 42 of figure 4 is extended by arm 60 which has a slot 61 therein. The slot 61 will engage with a further slot of an arm of another flap. The slot 61 can be cut into an arm 64 as shown at 62 in figure 5 or can be formed by the overlapping of two slits 62 and 66 shown in figure 6. The arm 65 of figure 6 will be folded along the fold line 63 which bisects the arm 65 when the container is formed, the slot 61 being provided by the slits 62 and 66 upon folding. The sheets of foldable material shown in figures 5 and 6 have extensions for arms at their four corners; only one of which is shown in the drawings.

The provision of arms extending from the corner flaps of the container allows greater choice of container dimensions and the arms make convenient carrying handles as is illustrated in figure 7.

The embodiment of figures 8, 9 and 10 differs from the first and second embodiments in that the sheet of foldable material 70 from the which container 71 is constructed has extended triangular corner flap portions such as 76. The angles p between the fold lines 21 and 29 and the central fold line of the flap portion 72 are chosen such that when the container is constructed the uppermost surface of the flaps formed (e.g. flap 74 in figure 7) is level and parallel with the top of the side (e.g. 75) which it overlays.

The container of figures 8, 9 and 10 can hold an increased depth of liquid when compared to the container of figures 1 and 2 and the dimensions of the overlaid sides can be increased from the dimensions of the container of figure 1.

In the embodiment of figures 8, 9 and 10 a slot 76 is provided in one flap 74 for engagement with a slot formed from the slits 72 of the corner flap portion 76. Figure 10 shows the flaps 74 and 76 engaged.

In the above described embodiments the flaps of the box have always engaged other flaps. However, they could alternatively engage slits in the sides of the container, as illustrated in figure 11. In figure 11 two sides of the container are each provided with two slits; the side 80 shown in figure 11 is provided with two slits 81 and 82. The flaps 83 and 84 (figure 12) of the container are provided with upwardly facing slots for engagement with the slits in the container wall; flap 83 can be seen engaging slot 81 in figure 11.

By using flaps which engage with the container walls greater flexibility in the dimensions of the container can be provided. This can be seen in figure 12.

Figure 12 shows two flaps 83 and 84 engaged in the slots 80 and 81. Figure 13 shows how the flaps of the embodiment of figures 8, 9 and 10 can be modified to form flaps 90 and 91 for engagement with slits in a container wall.

Slits could also be provided in the wall of the container large enough for a pair of flaps to pass therethrough and interengage in the interior of the container; flaps 100 and 101 of figure 14 pass through slits 102 and 103 to engage each other within the container 105. For extra security the flaps 100 and 101 could be modified to engage with each other and with the wall of 106 of the container 105.

Figure 15 shows a blank for the construction of a container according to the invention. The blank 120 has a first portion 121 which corresponds exactly to the sheet of foldable material shown in figure 1.

However, the blank 120 also comprises a second portion 122 which is integral with the first portion 121 and meets the first portion along the fold line 123. The portion 122 of the blank of foldable material forms a lid for a container when the sheet is folded to form a container.

It can be seen from the figure 15 that the portion 122 of the blank of material 120 comprises three fold lines 124, 125 and 126 which define together with the fold line 123 the top 135 of the lid. The sides of the lid 127, 128 and 129 extend down from the fold lines 124, 125 and 126. Two edges 130 and 131 are cut so that the sides 127 and 129 can be formed. Fold lines 132, 133 and 134 are provided in the material extending between the sides 127 and 128, so that a flap can be formed which enables the sides to be folded away from the plane of the top 135 of the lid. Similarly, three fold lines 136, 137 and 138 are provided in the material between the sides 128 and 129.

Whilst in the description above the flaps are triangular in nature they need not be and, for instance, could be trapezoidal in nature.

Whilst in the embodiments described above the lowermost point of fluid escape is the lowermost part of the slots in the flaps a manufacturer could provide an aperture lower in the container if desired to provide a lower escape point. A significant feature of the invention is the provision of a container which does not require slits which extend to the base, through the base or along the edges of the base.

However, the invention also provides a simple to assemble container which can have apertures in the base or lower portion thereof if required.

The interengaging means of the preferred embodiment comprises slots in the flaps. However, many different means of securing the flaps could be used, such as pop fasteners, etc. In such cases the lowermost point for fluid escape would be raised from the lowermost point of the slots of the flaps to the lowermost point of the upper edges of the flaps.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the invention provides a container which is very simple to construct and which only requires the provision of a single sheet of material with minimum of precutting and preforming. Furthermore, the invention provides a container which can be used to retain liquid.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A container constructed from a sheet of foldable material, comprising: a base, and a plurality of sides extending upwardly from the base, wherein the sides are folded out of the plane of the base without formation of cuts between the sides or between the sides and the base.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1 having sides which slope inwardly toward each other.

3. A container constructed from a sheet of foldable material, comprising: a base, four generally upright sides formed by folding the sheet of material, each having a bottom edge formed from a fold line between the side and the base, and four flaps each formed by folding the sheet of material along three intersecting fold lines, a first fold line extending from a point of intersection of two bottom edges of the sides to the edge of the sheet and dividing the flap in two and second and third fold lines each on opposite sides of the first fold line and intersecting the first fold line at the said point of intersection of the bottom edges of the sides, which second and third fold lines each form an edge of a side, wherein the flaps are folded about their respective second and third fold lines to overlay two or more of the generally upright sides and engagement means is provided to secure the flaps together in pairs and/or to the upright sides.

4. A container as claimed in Claim 3 wherein each of the four flaps are triangular, the first fold line of each extending from the point of intersection of two bottom edges of the sides to the apex of the triangle.

5. A container as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the flaps overlay in pairs two opposite generally upright sides.

6. A container as claimed Claim 5 wherein the engagement means comprises a slot extending inwardly from an upper surface of a first flap of each pair of flaps and a slot extending inwardly from a lower surface of a second flap of each pair of flaps, wherein the flaps are interengaged in pairs by engagement of the first flap of each pair in the slot of the second flap and engagement of the second flap of each pair in the slot of the first flap.

7. A container as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the slot extending inwardly from the upper surface of the first of each pair of flaps is formed on folding of the sheet of material by overlaying two slits provided in the sheet extending inwardly from the periphery thereof, which two slits are provided on opposite sides of the first fold line between the first fold line and the second and third fold lines and which slits are equidistant from the first fold line.

8. A container as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein the slot extending inwardly from the lower surface of the second of each pair of flaps is formed on folding of the sheet of material by overlaying with each other two halves of a V-shaped slit provided in the sheet having an apex along the first fold line of the flap.

9. A container as claimed in any one of the Claims 3 to 8 wherein each of the flaps is formed by folding the sheet along second and third fold lines which each subtend at an angle of greater than forty-five degrees from the first fold line such that the four generally upright sides of the container slope inwardly.

10. A container as claimed in any one of the claims 3 to 9 wherein the flaps are interengaged by the engagement means to form two handles by which the container may be carried.

11. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least the inward faces of the base and the sides are waterproof.

12. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein there are provided handles formed by cutting the material of at least one of the upwardly extending sides and folding material out of the plane of the side.

13. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 12 wherein the container has engagement means comprising arms extending from the flaps, the arms each having a slot and the pairs of arms being engaged by the engagement of one arm in the slot of the other.

14. A container as claimed in Claim 13 wherein each arm is constructed from the sheet of foldable material forming the container, each arm comprising a strip of material folded along a fold line to form the arm.

15. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 12 wherein the sheet of foldable material has triangular extension portions at its four corners which form part of the flaps on folding of the sheet, the first fold line of each flap extending from the point of intersection of the bottom edges of the sides to the apex of the triangular extension portion.

16. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 15 wherein the engagement means comprises a slit in a side of the container and a slot in a flap, the slot of the flap engaging the slot of the side to secure the flap to the side.

17. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 15 wherein a side of the container has two slits and a first flap passes through one slit and a second flap passes through the other, the engagement means interengaging the first and second flaps inside the container.

18. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a lid constructed from the sheet of foldable material of the container and pivotal relative to the container about a fold line in the material.

19. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.