GB2325459A

GB2325459A - Automatically erecting box.

Info

Publication number: GB2325459A
Application number: GB9710787A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Peters
Original assignee: M Petrushkin Ltd
Current assignee: M Petrushkin Ltd
Priority date: 1997-05-23
Filing date: 1997-05-23
Publication date: 1998-11-25
Also published as: GB9710787D0

Abstract

An automatically erecting box (Fig. 3) is constructed from a blank that comprises a base panel 1 and connected to the base, first and second pairs of opposing wall panels. In a preferred form the first pair of wall panels 3,4 are rectangular and and the second pair 6, 7 are triangular. A pair of flaps 8-11, 14-17 extend between adjacent edges of the wall panels, the flaps being foldably connected to each other 19 and to a respective edge of a wall panel. The flaps 14-17 are doubled over and glued to the adjoining wall panel (Fig. 2b). In this way the flaps 8-11 are effectively attached to an interior surface of the first pair of wall panels. This provides a flat partly assembled box that can be automatically erected by raising any one of the wall panels. The box may be held in its erect state by providing a tab 30 which is insertable into a slot provided on an opposing wall panel. The tab is conveniently defined by a cut line that forms part of a double thickness handle assembly 21-31 extending from each rectangular wall panel.

Description

Self Erectina box The present invention relates to a self erecting polyhedral box and a one piece blank therefor and in particular to a pentahedral box.

According to the invention there is provided a box comprising a base panel, a first wall panel attached to an edge of the base panel, second wall panel attached to an opposing edge of the base panel, a third and a fourth wall panel being attached to two further opposing edges of the base panel, each of said first to fourth wall panels being adapted to lie flat, wherein a flap is connected to each edge of the third and fourth panels adjacent to the first and second wall panels, each of said flaps being further attached to an interior surface of a respective one of the first and second wall panels, such that when a wall panel is raised from the flat position, the remaining wall panels are also raised.

Preferably, the third and fourth wall panels are substantially triangular. Preferably the first and second wall panels are releasably connected to one another.

Preferably the first and second wall panels are provided with a handle, wherein the first wall panel has a cut out portion and the second wall panel has a corresponding cut line, thereby forming a flap, which flap is adapted to be inserted in a slot on the second wall panel. Preferably, the slot in on an interior surface of the wall panel such that it is not visible from the outside.

According to a further aspect there is provided a one-piece blank for a box comprising a first panel and attached by means of foldlines to opposing edges of said first panel is a first pair of panels, and attached by means of foldlines to two further opposing edges of said first panel is a second pair of panels, wherein attached by means of a foldline to each edge of said second pair of panels adjacent to the first pair of panels is a flap, each of said flaps being attached to a further flap by means of a foldline, each of said further flaps being attached by means of a foldline to the first pair of panels.

Preferably, each of said second pair of panels is substantially triangular. Preferably, each of said flaps has a substantially arcuate free edge. Preferably attached by means of a foldline to the edge of each of said first pair of panels remote from the first panel is a double handle flap, which may have a cut position. Preferably one of said handle flaps has a cut line corresponding to the cut-out to form a flap. Preferably a further panel is provided at the edge of each handle flap remote from the first pair of panels.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a one piece blank; Figure 2a shows a bottom view of an assembled box laid flat; Figure 2b shows a top view of an assembled box laid flat; Figure 3 shows an assembled box.

Figure 1 shows a one-piece blank for a box comprising a rectangular base panel 1. having attached by foldlines 2 on opposing edges two further panels 3,4. Attached by foldlines 5 to the remaining two opposing edges of the panel 1 are two isosceles triangular panels 6,7. The length of the two sides of the isosceles triangle are substantially the same as that of the sides of the rectangular panels 3,4.

An arcuate flap 8-12 is attached by means of a foldline 13 to each edge of the triangular panel 6,7 at an angle to the foldline 5.

Further flaps 14-17 are attached by means of foldline 5 to the edges of the panels 3,4 adjacent to the flaps 8-12 and are joined to the flaps 8-12 by means of a foldline 19, which foldline runs at an angle from the free edge of the flap to the point where foldlines 5 and 13 meet.

A handle portion is attached to the edge of each of the panels 3,4 remote from foldline 2 by means of a further foldline 20. Each handle portion comprises first and second trapezoidal panels 21-24 having rounded edges, the first trapezoidal panel 21,23 being connected via the foldline 20 to the respective panel 3,4, the second trapezoidal panel 22,24 being connected to the respective first trapezoidal panel by a further foldline 25.

A further generally rectangular panel 26,27 is connected by a further foldline 28 to the edge of the second trapezoidal panel parallel to foldline 25 remote from the first trapezoidal panel 21,23.

One first trapezoidal panel 21 has a trapezoidal cut-out 29, the long side of which is contiguous with the foldline 20.

The other first trapezoidal panel 23 has a correspondingly dimensioned cut to produce a flap 30 which is independently foldable about the foldline 20. Each of the second trapezoidal panels 22,24 is also provided with a trapezoidal cut out 31, the dimensions of which correspond to those of the cut-out 29 and the flap 30 except that the lower edge of the cut-out extends slightly into the generally rectangular panels 26,27.

Figure 2a shows a bottom view of an assembled box laid flat where it is particularly suitable for storage. The box comprises a rectangular base panel 1 and attached to two opposing edges by foldlines 2 are further rectangular panels 3,4. A handle portion comprising a substantially trapezoidal panel 21, 23 is attached to the edge parallel to and remote from the foldline 2 by means of a further foldline 20. One trapezoidal panel 21 has a trapezoidal cutout 29. The other trapezoidal panel 23 has a trapezoidal cut thereby forming a flap 30.

Figure 2b shows a top view of an assembled box laid flat.

Each of the second trapezoidal panels 22, 24 is folded double about the foldline 25 and glued to the corresponding first trapezoidal panels 21,23. The generally rectangular panel 26 adjacent to the flap 30 is glued to the rectangular panel 3. The generally rectangular panel 27 adjacent to the cut out 29 is glued to the rectangular panel 4 only in the region where said panel 27 is joined to the trapezoidal panel 22 and not in the region adjacent to the cut-out 29.

This therefore allows a slight degree of play between the rectangular panel 27 and panel 4, thereby creating a slot.

Each of the further flaps 14-17 is folded back onto the respective rectangular panel 3,4 about the foldline 5 and glued to the respective panel. The flaps 14-17 also overlap the generally rectangular panel 26,27 at the corners of these panels and hence provide a further degree of reinforcement to the area of this panel subject to the greatest stresses in use. The further flaps 14-17 extend to substantially the middle of the rectangular panels 3,4 thereby re-inforcing these to give a more rigid box. The particular angular cut of the flap is such that there is little chance of the slot being glued shut in production.

The substantially triangular panels 6,7 and flaps 8-11 are also folded back over about the foldline 5 and overlap one another above the base panel 1 and the rectangular panel 3,4.

Figure 3 shows the erected assembled box, which has the form of a Gladstone bag. When erecting the box, if one of the panels 3,4 is raised, the other rectangular panel and also the triangular panels 6,7 are also erected as all four are connected to one another by means of the flaps 8-11 and foldlines 13,19. The flaps 8-11 and foldline 19 also fulfil a secondary function of preventing closing the gap between the rectangular panels 3,4 and the triangular panels 6,7, thereby making the interior of the assembled box more secure. The two rectangular panels 3,4 are secured to one another by the flap 30, which tucks into the slot provided by not gluing the entire length of the generally rectangular panel 27 to the panel 4.

In an alternative embodiment the foldlines 19 could be slightly curved, in which case the rectangular panels would be slightly longer than the length of the triangular panels.

This would give a box with a more curved appearance.

Also, the two rectangular panels could be fastened to one another by means of a peelable adhesive tape or the like, or alternatively the slot could be placed on the outer surface of the rectangular panels.

Claims

1. A box comprising a base panel, a first wall panel attached to an edge of the base panel, a second wall panel attached to an opposing edge of the base panel, a third and a fourth wall panel being attached to two further opposing edges of the base panel, each of said first to fourth wall panels being adapted to lie flat, wherein a flap is connected to each edge of the third and fourth panels adjacent to the first and second wall panels, each of said flaps being further attached to an interior surface of the first and second wall panels, such that when a wall panel is raised from the flat position, the remaining wall panels are also raised.

2. A box according to Claim 1, wherein the third and fourth wall panels are substantially triangular.

3. A box according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the first and second wall panels are releasably connectable to one another.

4. A box according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second wall panels are provided with a handle, wherein the first wall panel has a cut out portion and the second wall panel has a corresponding cut line, thereby forming a flap, which flap is adapted to be inserted in a slot on the second wall panel.

5. A box according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the slot in on an interior surface of the wall panel such that it is not visible from the outside.

6. A one-piece blank for a box comprising a first panel and attached by means of foldlines to opposing edges of said first panel is a first pair of panels, and attached by means of foldlines to two further opposing edges of said first panel is a second pair of panels, wherein attached by means of a foldline to each edge of said second pair of panels adjacent to the first pair of panels is a flap, each of said flaps being attached to a further flap by means of a foldline, each of said further flaps being attached by means of a foldline to the first pair of panels.

7. A one-piece blank according to Claim 6, wherein each of said second pair of panels is substantially triangular.

8. A one-piece blank according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein each of said flaps has a substantially arcuate free edge.

9. A one-piece blank according to any one of Claims 6 to 8, wherein a double handle flap is attached by means of a foldline to the edge of each of said first pair of panels remote from the first panel.

10. A one-piece blank according to Claim 9, wherein the double handle flap has a cut position.

11. A one-piece blank according to Claim 9 or 10, wherein one of said handle flaps has a cut line corresponding to the cut-out to form a flap.

12. A one-piece blank according to any one of Claims 6 to 11, wherein a further panel is provided at the edge of each handle flap remote from the first pair of panels.

13. A box substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings.

14. A one-piece blank for a box substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.