GB2361911A

GB2361911A - Containers formed from blanks

Info

Publication number: GB2361911A
Application number: GB0005560A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kerry Lincoln
Original assignee: David S Smith Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: David S Smith Packaging Ltd
Priority date: 2000-03-09
Filing date: 2000-03-09
Publication date: 2001-11-07
Also published as: GB0005560D0

Abstract

A container is formed from a blank, which is partially assembled at manufacture, collapsed for transportation and finally erected when required. Each side and end wall 10,12,16,18 has flaps 30,32,36,38 which on erection overlie an adjacent flap at one end, and underlie another adjacent flap at the other end. The side flaps 30,32 each have a first part with a width greater than half the width of the ends 16,18, and a second part with a width of half the width of the ends 16,18, the first parts being formed at opposite ends of the side flaps and arranged when erected to underlie the second part on the other flap.

Description

2361911 The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to

containers, especially but not exclusively containers erected from a blank of a board material, for example corrugated paper board, partially assembled into a flat collapsed condition for storage and transportation and erectable at the point of use.

According to the present invention there is provided a container including a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed ends, each side and end having a base flap hingedly attached thereto, the flaps being so formed that on erection of the container each flap at one of its ends lies over the adjacent flap at that end and under the adjacent flap at the other end, the flaps from the sides having a width which is greater than half of the width of the ends over part of their length and a width which is generally equal to half of the width of the ends over the remainder of their length, that part of each side flap having a greater width being arranged below that part of the opposite side flap having a lesser width.

Preferably each flap at its end which overlies the adjacent flap has an edge arranged at an angle of 45 to the hinge between the side/ end and the flap. Preferably the other end of each flap is arranged generally perpendicularly to said hinge. Preferably the transition between greater and lesser widths of said side flaps is generally perpendicular to said hinge.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a blank from which a carton according to the present invention is erected, Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a carton in an inverted condition prior to commencement of the erection of the base.

Fig. 3 shows a view similar to Fig. 2 of a carton with these flaps in the 2 assembled position; and Fig. 4 shows an end view of a carton with its end fully assembled.

It is a well know practice within the corrugated board container industry to provide cartons which are partially erected at the initial manufacturing stage but are stored and transported in a collapsed condition so that they can be erected, usually without the use of machinery, at the place where the cartons have to be filled.

Cartons of this nature are often provided with what is known as a crash lock base. Crash lock bases normally comprise a plurality of end flaps each of which is attached on a hinge line to a side of the carton. The carton is partially erected from a blank simply by gluing a tab from one end of the blank to the other end of the blank such that the blank forms a rectangular cross-section tube which is collapsed into a double thickness layer of board with the end flaps, which, in the erected carton form the base, extending therefrom. in one well known form of carton the end flaps are cut and glued together at manufacture in such a way that they collapse into the collapsed carton such that it can lie in a flat condition and so that when the carton is erected by opening out the sides into the normal rectangular prismatic form, the base flaps move downwardly, either by themselves or with the help of the erector, into interlocked position which, due to the interengagement between the flaps and the glueing, provides a base of sufficient rigidity to hold the contents of the container therein.

According to the embodiment of the present invention to be described below the end flaps can be erected into a base without the need to use glue or any other form of connection between the flaps. An unglued arrangement has been proposed in the past but it suffered from the disadvantage that it provided an insufficiently rigid base on erection of the container.

The container of the present invention is erected from a blank of 3 corrugated board with flutes which run in the direction of arrow F. It comprises a pair of rectangular side panels 10, 12 hingedly attached along fold lines 14 to a pair of end panels 16, 18. A connector tab 19 is provided at one end of the side panel 12, fixable by glue 20 to below the edge region of the remote end panel 16. It will be appreciated that on partial erection by glueing the tab 19 to the panel 16, an open ended, rectangular cross section, tube is provided which can, for storage and transportation, be flattened into a simple double board thickness.

Each of the side and end panels 10, 12, 16 and 18 have top flaps 24 hingedly attached thereto but as these top flaps do not form part of the present invention they will not be described in detail in this specification.

Of more significance are the base flaps attached to the other ends of the side and end panels. Each side panel 10, 12 has a flap 30, 32 attached thereto along a fold line 34 which is formed by intermittent cutting and creasing. Each side flap 30, 32 has a width W which lies between one half and the full width of the end panels 16, 18 over half of its length and of a width which is generally equal to half the width of the end panel 16, 18 over its remaining half. The transition between the halves is defined by a line 35 which is perpendicular to the hinge line 34. One end 40 of the flap is arranged generally perpendicular to the fold line 34 whereas the other end 42 is arranged at 450 thereto.

End base flaps 36, 38 are provided at the base edge of the end panels 16, 18, each extending from the fold line 34 by a distance which is generally half the width of the end panel 16, 18. The ends 44 of the end flaps 36, 38 which correspond to the perpendicular ends 40 of the side flaps 30, 32 are also arranged generally perpendicular with respect to the fold line 34 and the remaining ends 46 are arranged at 450 to the fold line 34.

Fig. 2 shows a container in a partially erected inverted condition, that is where the container has been expanded from its flat form into a tubular form 4 of rectangular cross-section. There are at least two methods of erecting the base of the carton only one of which will be described. One of the base flaps, in this case the flap 36 from the side 16, is folded inwardly along the fold line 34 to lie in the plane of the base of the container. Working in a clockwise direction the next flap 30 is folded down to lie in the plane of the base of the container and it will be realised that the edge 42 of the flap 30 will overlie the end flap 36 at the region adjacent to its perpendicular edge 44. Continuing in a clockwise sequence the flap 38 is folded such that it lies in the plane of the base of the container. Its angled edge 46 will overlie the end regions of the side flap 30 adjacent its perpendicular end 40. Finally the remaining flap 32 is folded down towards and thereafter beyond the plane of the base of the container into the container. The edge 48 of the area of width W will contact the area of panel 32 having half width W and force it and the end flap 36 downwardly for a distance into the container about the fold lines 34 and similarly the angled end 42 of the panel 32 will force end flap 38 downwardly for a distance into the container. This inward movement will continue until the edge 48 of flap 30 clears the edge 50 of the opposed side panel 32 at which stage the portion of the panel 32 of width W will underlie the portion of the panel 32 of width Y2W. At this stage all the end flap can be moved out of the container towards and into the plane of the base of the container with that end region of the panel 32 adjacent to perpendicular end 40 lying below end flap 36. A container base is then formed which as a result of the consecutive overlying regions at each end of the end and side flaps and the central locking feature caused by the overly/underly of the side panels 30, 32 provides without glueing a rigid base which is generally restrained against further movement out of the container. The passage of edge 48 under edge 50 is assisted by providing a chamfer 52 at the end of edge 48.

The container can then be filled and the top flaps 24 closed according to any suitable method.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, for example the glued area 20 could be replaced by stitching or stapling. The dimension and proportions of the container may vary as may the dimensions and proportions of the end flaps but it is to be realised that they must be so arranged that they can be erected into a base in the manner described above.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

6

Claims

1. A container including a pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed ends, each side and end having a base flap hingedly attached thereto, the flaps being so formed that on erection of the container each flap at one of its ends lies over the adjacent flap at that end and under the adjacent flap at the other end, the flaps from the sides having a width which is greater than half of the width of the ends over part of their length and a width which is generally equal to half of the width of the ends over the remainder of their length, that part of each side flap having a greater width being arranged below that part of the opposite side flap having a lesser width.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which each flap at its end which overlies the adjacent flap has an edge arranged at an angle of 45 to the hinge between the side/ end and the flap.

3. A container according to claim 2, in which the other end of each flap is arranged generally perpendicularly to said hinge.

4. A container according to any of the preceding claims, in which the transition between greater and lesser widths of said side flaps is generally perpendicular to said hinge.

S. A container substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.