GB2258858A

GB2258858A - Containers formed from blanks

Info

Publication number: GB2258858A
Application number: GB9118265A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Friend Melvyn Maxwell Josep De
Original assignee: FRIEND MELVYN MAXWELL JOSEPH D
Current assignee: FRIEND MELVYN MAXWELL JOSEPH D
Priority date: 1991-08-23
Filing date: 1991-08-23
Publication date: 1993-02-24
Also published as: WO1993003967A1; EP0553335A1; GB9118265D0

Abstract

A container such as a transparent shoe box is formed from a single sheet 11 of material. The blank 1 1 provides a base 12, a top 13, side walls 14, 15, and vertical strengthening braces 18 for each corner of the box. Connectors 36, 53, 54 and 55 are provided for interconnecting adjacent boxes by means of corresponding slots 52, 27, 45 and 28. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER The present invention relates to containers, for example, generally cuboidal containers formed from flat blanks, and also to blanks for forming such containers.

The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with containers for footwear.

In general, shoes and other footwear for retail are stored and transported in containers which comprise a cardboard box with a separate lid. These shoeboxes are adequate but suffer three disadvantages. Firstly, they cannot be stacked without a risk that the bottom boxes will become crushed, secondly, the lids can become detached and thirdly, the contents cannot be seen.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container suitable for shoes which is capable of bearing considerable vertical loads.

It is a further object to provide a container with a lid which cannot become detached.

It is a still further object to provide a container which allows the contents to be seen from the outside.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a container with access to its contents from one end rather than by removing a lid.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a container made up from a blanK in the form of a single sheet of material, the blank providing: a base, a top and side walls; vertical strengthening means providing additional support between the base and top; and connection means arranged to interconnect adjacent containers.

Preferably, the box is generally cuboidal so that the side walls include two sides and two ends though it may take other shapes and may therefore be octagonal or hexagonal in section. Preferably, one of the ends is hinged so that it may be opened, allowing access to be gained to the contents of the container.

The box may include means for attaching itself to adjacent boxes, preferably laterally on both sides and also above and below. The attachment means may take the form a flap and corresponding slit. The flap is preferably formed by two opposed U-Shaped flaps, one inside the other. Thus, the outer flap can be opened to the required position and the inner flap can be hooked back into the appropriate slit on an adjacent box.

Preferably, the material of the blank is transparent or translucent so that the contents of the box may be seen from outside. Preferably, the box is assembled without using any external fixing means such as staples or adhesives.

The box may be provided with a separate carrying handle which may be formed with the blank and attached to the box by means of tabs and slots.

Boxes in accordance with the invention can therefore be stacked to the require height without damaging the lower boxes. They can be interconnected to form an integrated storage system which can be particularly useful in the home, for example, in wardrobes. Access can be easily be gained from the ends of the boxes and when the boxes are made from transparent material, the contents can be clearly seen.

Furthermore, the boxes may be re-used by their being returned to a retailer in a conveniently unfolded form.

The invention also extends to a blank for providing a box in accordance with the invention, and any of its preferred variants.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways and some embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 shows a blank for forming a box in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a simplified part cut-away perspective view of one corner of the box of Figure 1, partly folded; and Figures 3 and 4 are perspective sketches of assembled boxes.

Referring to Figure 1, the blank 11 which is of a tranparent plastics material comprises essentially a base 12, a top 13, a first side 14, a second side 15, a fixed end 16 and an opening end 17. In addition it includes four corner braces 18 and a separate handle 19. The first side 14, base 12, second side 15 and top 13 are respectively interconnected by hinge lines 21, 22 and 23. The ends 16, 17 are hingedly connected to the base 12 by respective hinge lines 24, 25, while two corner braces 18 are hingedly connected to each of the two sides 14, 15 through a respective hinge line 26.

The base 12 has a slot 27 near one edge. The top 13 has a similar slot 28 near one edge and a large slot 29 near one end. In addition, the top 13Hhas a hinged flap 31 along the opposite end and a smaller U-Shaped flap 32 formed in the flap 31. The handle 19 is located adjacent the flap 31 and is separable therefrom. A further elongate flap 33 is hingedly connected along the free edge of the top 13 and includes two U-shaped flaps 34, 35 and a double-Ushaped flap 36. The double U-shaped flap 36 consists of a first U-shaped flap 37 and a second oppositely oriented U-shaped flap 38 within the first.

The first side 14 includes a pair of Y-shaped openings 39, a pair of slits 41, 42, three slots 43, 44, 45 and a small slot 46. It also has an elongate flap 47 hingedly connected along its free edge. The second side has a similar pair of slits 48, 49 and a similar small slot 51. In addition, it has a single slot 52 and three double U-shaped flaps 53, 54, 55.

The fixed end 16 has a slot 56 and a pair of outwardly extending fingers 57, each of which includes a U-shaped flap 58. The opening end 17 includes a large elongate opening 59, a round hole 61 and a latch member 62. Each of the corner braces 18 includes a fold line 63 parallel to the fold line 26, and a Ushaped flap 64 (as indicated only on the lower left hand brace 18 in Figure 1).

In order to produce a box from the blank 11 it is folded along all the fold lines. The flaps 34, 35 are located in the slots 43, 44, the flap 32 is located in the slot 56 and the fingers 57 are bent around until the flaps 58 are located respectively in the small slots 46, 51.

The opening end 17 is folded upwards about the hinge line 25 and the latch member 62 is located in the large slot 29. This end 17 can be opened manually using the hole 61. The corner braces 18 are folded inwards, as shown most clearly in Figure 2- about the hinge lines 26, 63. The flaps 64 are then located in their respective slits 41, 42, 48, 49.

The handle 19 can be attached to the box by means of the Y-shaped openings 39, if required.

In order to interconnect adjacent boxes, the double U-shaped flaps are used. Thus, to connect a box to an adjacent box on the right hand side when looking at the opening end 17, the two double flaps 53 and 55 would be opened out and latched into the slots 27 and 28 respsectively in the base and to of the adjacent box. To connect a box to the box above, the double flaps 36 and 54 would be opened out and latched into the slots 45 and 52 respectively in the sides of the box above. Similar connections could also be made using the double flaps on other adjacent boxes on the left and below, to the original box considered.

When the opending end 17 of a box in a stack is opened downwards, the large elongate opening 59 accomodates the latch member 62 of the box below, which will protrude through its respective slot 29. Thus the end 17 is unencumbered.

Claims

1. A container made up from a blank in the form of a single sheet of material, the blank providing: a base, a top and side wall; vertical strengthening means providing additional support between the base and the top; and connection means arranged to interconnect adjacent containers.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, which is generally cuboidal in shape whereby the side walls comprise two sides and two ends.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 2, in which one of the ends is hinged so that may be opened, allowing access to the contents of the container.

4. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, including means for attaching itself to adjacent boxes on both sides and also above and below.

5. A container as claimed in Claim 4, in which the attachment means take the form of a flap and a corresponding slit.

6. A container as claimed in Claim 5, in which the flap is formed by two opposed U-shaped flaps, one inside the other.

7. A box as claimed in preceding Claim, in which the material of the blank is transparent or translucent.

8. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, which is assembled without any external fixing means.

9. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim further including a separate carrying handle.

10. A container constructed and arranged from a single blank, substantially as herein specifically described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11. A blank for forming a container as claimed in any preceding claim.

12. A blank for forming a container, constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.