GB2294452A

GB2294452A - Liquid catchment tray

Info

Publication number: GB2294452A
Application number: GB9521956A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Arthur Bates; Clifford Hugh Prince
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-10-27
Filing date: 1995-10-26
Publication date: 1996-05-01
Also published as: GB9521956D0; GB9421634D0

Abstract

A liquid catchment tray has sides(3, 4, 5 and 6) folded up from a blank and corner gusseting (5a, 5b) between adjacent sides held by a clip (11) which fits over a free edge of one of the adjacent sides (3) of a corner and over the overlying folded gusseting connecting adjacent sides at corners of the tray. A flap (8) extending from the free edge of said one side (3) is folded to extend generally downwardly to provide a retention flap for the clip (11). In use, the cross section of the clip (11) is such as to engage with the folded flap (8) and consequently, when in position, the removal of the clip (11) is inhibited by the flap (8). <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: Liquid Catchment Tray DESCRIPTION The present invention concerns improvements in and relating to a liquid catchment tray and especially to a liquid catchment tray folded from a blank.

In our co-pending British Patent Application Publication No. 2269528 we describe a liquid catchment tray which is folded from a rectangular blank. The tray comprises a base and four side walls hingedly connected thereto and in which gusseting between the adjacent side walls seals the corners of the tray when the sides are folded up from an initially flat blank. To hold the sides in generally perpendicular relationship to the plane of the base means is provided for securing the gusseting in place and in a preferred embodiment we use a clip fitting over the free edge of one side and over the overlying folded gusseting. The clip is generally U-shaped and conveniently made from a resilient plastics material. In that specification we refer to the blank comprising a plastics covered cardboard.

In further researching suitable materials from which to manufacture the liquid catchment tray, we found that polypropylene sheet is more suitable as that material is particularly stable in use compared with earlier plastics which we tried such as PVC and polyester. A sheet of polypropylene material can be readily provided with lines of weakness to define fold lines in order that the blank can be folded up into the desired shape. However, we found that the polypropylene has a relatively low friction surface and this creates difficulties in ensuring adequate retention of the retaining clip to ensure an adequate frictional grip to hold the gusseting in place and hence to hold the sides of the catchment tray in an upright position.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a solution.

Accordingly, in a liquid catchment tray according to the present invention in which the sides are folded up from a blank and corner gusseting between adjacent sides is held by clip means fitting over a free edge of one of the adjacent sides of a corner and over the overlying folded gusseting connecting adjacent sides at corners of the tray, the improvement comprises a flap extending from the free edge of said one side and folded to extend generally downwardly to provide a retention flap for the clip means which has a cross section which engages with the folded flap to resist removal.

More preferably, the flap is folded to the side to extend over the upper extremity of the gusseting and conveniently the cross-section of the clip means converges from a base to a mouth thereof. The flap has a length from the side wall which is greater than the clip mouth spacing and advantageously is at least slightly longer than the base width of the retention clip. With such an arrangement the clip can be easily inserted over the free edge forcing the flap downwardly but when in position removal is inhibited by the presence of the flap unless the clip undergoes substantial deformation in conjunction with folding up of the flap. By virtue of use of the flap a relatively rigid plastics material can be used for the clip means and this is more economical to produce.A preferred clip means has one limb which is longer than the other and this limb preferably lies adjacent said one side in use and the other limb is returned from a base towards said one limb. Conveniently there is a mouth between the two limbs whose width is approximately equal to the thickness of one side and the gusset portions in the folded position. More particulary the shorter limb has an outwardly turned end to aid positioning of the clip and folding over of the flap. The preferred material for the blank is polypropylene.

For the preferred construction of tray comprising four sides and hence four corners, two opposite sides are provided with flaps to retain the gusseting of the adjacent corner. It is preferred to have a discrete flap for each corner although alternatively the flap could extend the full length of the side. It is also preferred to use a single clip means extending the full length of the side thus locating two corner gussets.

Alternatively individual clip means associated with each corner could be provided if so desired.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partially assembled liquid catchment tray according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of one corner of a blank, and Figure 3 is a sectional view through a preferred clip means in its position of use.

Referring to the drawings, a liquid catchment tray comprises a rectangular blank comprising a base 1 defined by four crease lines 2a-2d and four sides 3, 4, 5 and 6. The sides at each corner are connected by gusseting comprising two triangular panels 5a, 5b connected by a common double crease line 6 and each in turn is connected to an adjacent side by a respective crease line 7a, 7b. Figure 2 shows an example for one corner and it will be noted that crease line 7a is in line with fold 2a whilst crease 7b is offset from crease 2b. This offsetting allows a space for folding the gusset panels to lie on the inside of the adjacent side.

In this case it will be seen that a flap 8 extends from the free edge of side 3 and extends from the corner a distance corresponding to the depth of the sides or thereabouts. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment sides 3 and 5 each have two flaps 8. The flaps are connected to the adjacent side by way of a crease line 8a to permit folding of the flap in a direction over the gusseting so as to be inclined generally downwardly as illustrated in Figure 3.

The clip means comprises a generally U-shaped member 11 but having one limb ila which is planar and which curves around to form a base region llb to a second slightly shorter limb llc which converges towards the first limb and which is then turned outwardly to form a guide lip 12. There is a mouth 13 between the limbs. When it is desired to erect the liquid catchment tray the gusset portions are folded inwardly and positioned to overlie the side provided with the extended flaps 8 which are then folded over the gusseting and the clip 11 pushed downwardly so that its mouth receives the upper extremity of the side and passes downwardly over the inclined flap so that the mouth portion passes the flap which can then spring outwardly. Reverse movement of the clip is inhibited by the presence of the flap as a wedging action is created on attempting to remove the clip means by virtue of the convergence of the limb llc and the dimension of the flap 8. Accordingly, a positive retention of the clip means is provided by the simple expedient of the flap. This permits the clip means to be made from a relatively rigid plastics material and polypropylene or other low friction material to be used for the blank.

It will be understood that the gussets could be designed to fold outwardly rather than inwardly, in which case the flap would preferably fold outwardly and the clip means be fitted in the corresponding orientation. Less preferably, the flap could be folded to lie down the opposite face of said side wall to the gusseting.

Claims

1. A liquid catchment tray in which the sides are folded up from a blank and corner gusseting between adjacent sides is held by clip means fitting over a free edge of one of the adjacent sides of a corner and over the overlying folded gusseting connecting adjacent sides at corners of the tray, wherein the improvement comprises a flap extending from the free edge of said one side and folded to extend generally downwardly to provide a retention flap for the clip means which has a cross section which engages with the folded flap to resist removal.

2. A tray as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flap is folded to the side to extend over the upper extremity of the gusseting.

3. A tray as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the cross-section of the clip means converges from a base to a mouth thereof.

4. A tray as claimed in claim 3 wherein the flap has a length from the side wall which is greater than the clip mouth spacing.

5. A tray as claimed in claim 3 wherein the flap has a length from the side wall which is at least slightly longer than the base width of the retention clip.

6. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the clip means has one limb which is longer than the other.

7. A tray as claimed in claim 6 wherein said longer limb lies adjacent said one side in use and the other limb is returned from a base towards said longer limb.

8. A tray as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein there is a mouth between the two limbs whose width is approximately equal to the thickness of one side and the gusset portions in the folded position.

9. A tray as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein the shorter limb has an outwardly turned end to aid positioning of the clip and folding over of the flap.

10. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the clip means is formed of rigid plastics material.

11. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the material for the blank is polypropylene.

12. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 comprises four sides and four corners wherein two opposite sides are provided with flaps to retain the gusseting of the adjacent corner.

13. A tray as claimed in claim 12 wherein there is provided a discrete flap for each corner.

14. A tray as claimed in claim 12 wherein each flap extends the full length of a side.

15. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein, in use, a single clip means extends the full length of the side thus locating two corner gussets.

16. A tray as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein individual clip means are associated with each corner.

17. A liquid catchment tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.