GB2392150A

GB2392150A - A carton blank and carton

Info

Publication number: GB2392150A
Application number: GB0315859A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Plues
Original assignee: Encase Ltd
Current assignee: Encase Ltd
Priority date: 2002-07-16
Filing date: 2003-07-07
Publication date: 2004-02-25
Also published as: GB0315859D0; GB0216554D0

Abstract

A carton blank comprises a base panel 12, two first wall panels 16 connected through a fold line 14 to opposite edges of the base panel 12, two second wall panels 20 connected through a fold line 18 to other opposite edges of the base panel 12, and an intermediate panel 22, between each adjacent first wall panel 16 and second wall panel 20 and connected thereto by fold lines 24, 26. Each intermediate panel 22 includes a fold line 44 at an acute angle to the adjacent edges of the first wall panel 16 and second wall panel 20, the fold line 44 dividing the intermediate panel 22 into two parts 46, 48. The blank further includes mechanical locking means 42, 50 to mechanically lock one part 48 of each intermediate panel 22 to one of the adjacent wall panels 16, the carton thereby being at least partially collapsible.

Description

r A Carton Blank And A Carton Erected Therefrom The invention relates to a

carton blank and a carton erected therefrom.

Rectangular open topped crates made of corrugated cardboard are known. The sides of the crate are held together by glue.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a carton blank comprising a 10 base panel, two first wall panels connected through a fold line to opposite edges of the base panel, two second wall panels connected through a fold line to other opposite edges of base panel, an intermediate panel between each adjacent first wall panel and second wall panel and connected thereto by fold lines, the intermediate panel including a fold line at an acute angle to the adjacent edges of the first wall panel and second wall 15 panel, the fold line dividing the intermediate panel into two parts, and mechanical locking means to mechanically lock one part of each intermediate panel to one of the adjacent wall panels, the carton thereby being at last partially collapsible.

By means of the invention the need for a gluing step in the manufacturing process is 20 eliminated. As the carton can be at least partially collapsed, less space is needed for storage and transportation.

The mechanical locking means can take any suitable form. In a preferred embodiment, the locking means comprises a tongue which is received in a slot. Preferably, the 25 tongue is provided on the intermediate panel and a slot is provided in one or both of an adjacent wall panel and a panel or flap attached to the adjacent wall panel. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the slot is substantially at a fold between the wall panel and a flap connected thereto at the opposite edge of the wall panel from the edge which is connected to the base panel. Preferably, two tongues are received in a 30 common slot.

The tongue may extend from the edge of the intermediate panel spaced from the connection to the wall panel.

Preferably, means is provided to lock the carton in the erect position. The said flap may S constitute the said means and may include at least one protruding part to be received in another part of the blank to thereby lock the carton in the erect condition. The blank may include a slit in the base panel to receive each protruding part.

The base panel may include a cut-out to receive the tongue for location when stacking 10 the erect cartons. The cut-out may extend into the adjacent wall panel.

Preferably, the base panel is substantially rectangular, the wall panels are substantially rectangular, and the intermediate panel is substantially rectangular. The fold line in the intermediate panel is preferably at substantially 45 to the adjacent edges of the wall 15 panels to which the intermediate panel is connected.

The tongue is preferably at least 10 mm long, and preferably less than 20 mm long. 1 he tongue may be so long that it just f ts into the slot when the intermediate panel is folded on to the wall panel defining the slot, but preferably is longer so that it can be snapped 20 through into the slot.

Preferably, the blank can be folded into a flat form in which the first wall panels overlie the base panel and the intermediate panels overlie the first wall panels with the tongues adjacent or preferably in the slots.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a plan view of the blank of the embodiment of the invention; 30 Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank of Figure I folded into a second, flat configuration; Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary side elevation of the blank in the configuration of Figure 2 but with the end flap folded upwards;

Figure 4 is a fragmentar: perspective view of the blank partially erected; and Figure 5 is a perspective view from one end with one end fully erected and the other end part erected.

5 The blank I O of the embodiment of the invention comprises a rectangular base panel 12 which is connected through a fold line 14 to a rectangular end wall panel 16 at each short side and is connected through a fold line I g to a rectangular side wall panel 20 at each long side. Between each adjacent side wall panel 20 and end wall panel 16 is an intermediate panel 22 which is connected to the side wall panel 20 and the end wall 10 panel 16 through respective fold lines 24, 26. A flap 28 is connected to each end wall panel 16 through a pair of closely spaced parallel fold lines 30, 32 which are parallel to the fold line 14. The flap 28 is generally rectangular but tapers slightly front the fold line 32 to its free edge.

15 A long generally rectangular aperture 34 is provided at each end of the base panel 12 spanning each fold line 14 and elongate therealong and centred on the fold line 14 both longitudinally and laterally. Substantially midway along each section of fold line 14 between the end of the aperture 34 and the end of the fold line 14 is provided a locking aperture or slit 36 which extends from the fold line 14 into the base panel 12. The 20 locking aperture 36 is generally rectangular and is elongate in the direction of the fold line 14. The cut lines forming the ends of the locking aperture 36 are extended into the base panel 12 to Loran a flap 38 of similar size to the locking aperture 36.

Each end flap 28 includes two short wide generally trapezimun shaped parts 40 which 25 protrude from the free edge of the flap 28 on the opposite side from the fold line 32.

The protruding parts 40 are of a size to be received in the locking slits 36.

An elongate aperture 42 extends from fold line 30 to fold line 32 centrally of the fold lines 30,32 to form a slot 42.

Each intermediate panel 22 includes a fold line 44 which is at 45 to the adjacent fold lines 24 and 26 connecting to the adjacent side wall panel 20 and end wall panel 16

respectively. The fold line 44 divides the intermediate panel into two parts 46, 48. The intermediate panel 22 includes a tongue 50 which extends from the edge of the intermediate panel 22 opposite the fold line 24 connecting to the side wall panel 20.

The tongue 50 is 14 mm long. The tongue 50 intersects the free corner of the 5 intermediate panel 22.

The distance from the fold line 18 to the opposite edge of the side wall panel 20, in other words the width of the side wall panel 20, is less than twice the width of the base panel 12, in other words the distance between the fold lines 18.

When the blank 10 is to be erected, the side wall panels 20 together with the intermediate panels 22 are folded about the fold lines 18, 26 so that the side wall panels 20 overly the base panel 12 and the intermediate panels 22 overly the end wall panels 16. As shown in Figure 2, each tongue 50 extends across part of the slot 42 to just the 15 other side of the slot 42. Holding the intermediate panels into position, the end flap 28 is then pivoted upwards about the fold line 30 in an abrupt movement to snap the tongues 50 into the slot 42 as shown in Figure 3. In this way, the part 48 of the intermediate pane] 22 from which the tongue SO extends is held by engagement of the tongue SO with the slot 42 against the end wall panel 16.

In the next stage of erection, the end wall panel 16 is lifted to pivot about the fold lines 30, 32. The other part 46 of the intermediate panel 22 then lifts away from the end wall panel 16, as shown in Figure 4, and the side wall panels 20 also rise away from the base panel 12.

When the end wall panel 16 has been raised through 90 the said other part 46 of the intermediate panel 22 lies against and parallel with the first part 48 of the intermediate panel 22 and the end wall panel 16 and side wall panels 20 are upright. This is the position shown at the far end of the carton in Figure 5. The end flap 28 is then pivoted 30 downwards in to the carton. As the protruding parts 40 engage the base panel, the flaps 38 will flex allowing the protruding parts 40 to be received in the slits 36. The flaps 38 will then hold the protruding parts 40 in position locking the carton its erected state.

Thus, the flap 28 holds the intermediate panel 22 against unfolding about the diagonal fold line 44.

It is seen that the tongues 50 protrude through the slot 42 to stand proud of the upper 5 edges of the wall 16, 20 of the carton. Two of the cartons can be stacked, and the tongues 50 of one carton will be received in the apertures 34 of the carton stacked thereon in order to locate the cartons one on the other.

Once the carton has been used, it can be flattened for storage by pulling the end flap 28 10 so that the protruding parts 40 disengage from the slits 36. The side wall panels 20 can then be pushed inwards to overly the base panel 12 so that the carton assumes the flattened form shown in Figure 2. The carton can then be stored or transported in a space efficient manner for re-erection and re-use.

15 1

Claims

1. A carton blank comprising a base panel, two first wall panels connected through a fold line to opposite edges of the base panel, two second wall panels 5 connected through a fold line to other opposite edges of the base panel, an intermediate panel between each adjacent first wall panel and second wall panel and connected thereto by fold lines, the intermediate panel including a fold line at an acute angle to the adjacent edges of the first wall panel and second wall panel, the fold line dividing the intermediate panel into two parts, and mechanical locking means to mechanically 10 lock one part of each intermediate panel to one of the adjacent wall panels, the carton thereby being at least partially collapsible.

9. A carton blank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanical locking means comprises a tongue which is received in a slot.

3. A carton blank as claimed in claim 2, wherein two tongues are received in a common slot.

4. A carton blank as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the tongue extends 20 from the edge of the intermediate panel spaced from the connection to the wall panel.

5. A carton blank as claimed in 2, 3 or 4, wherein the base panel includes a cut-out to receive the tongue for location when stacking the erect cartons.

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6. A carton blank as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cut-out extends into the adjacent wall panel.

7. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the tongue is at least lOmmlong.

8. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 7, wherein the tongue is less I than 20 mm long.

9. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8, wherein the tongue is so long that it just fits into the slot when the intermediate panel is folded on to the wall panel defining the slot.

S

10. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8, wherein the tongue is of a length that it can be snapped through into the slot when the intermediate panel is folded on to the wall panel defining the slot.

I l. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 10, wherein the blank can be 10 folded into a flat form in which the first wall panels overlie the base panel and the intermediate panels overlie the second wall panels with the tongues adjacent the slots.

12. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 10, wherein the blanks can be folded into a flat form in which the first wall panels overlie the base panel and the 15 intermediate panels overlie the second wall panels with the tongues in the slots.

13. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 12, wherein the tongue is provided on the intermediate panel and a slot is provided in one or both of an adjacent wall panel and a panel or flap attached to the adjacent wall panel.;

14. A carton blank as claimed in any of claims 2 to 13, wherein the slot is substantially at a fold between the wall panel and a panel or flap connected thereto at I the opposite edge of the wall panel from the edge which is connected to the base panel.

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15. A carton blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein locking means is provided to lock the carton in the erect position.

16. A carton blank as claimed in claim 1 S. wherein the locking means comprises a flap attached to a wall panel and including at least one protruding part to be received in 30 another part of the blank to thereby lock the carton in the erect condition.

17. A carton blank as claimed in claim 16, wherein the blank includes a slit in the base panel to receive the or each protruding part.

18. A carton blank as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, when dependent on claim 5 13 or claim 14 wherein the flap recited in claim 16 or claim 17 is the same flap as recited in claim 13 or claim 14.

19. A carton blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base panel is substantially rectangular, the wall panels are substantially rectangular, and the 10 intermediate panel is substantially rectangular.

20. A carton blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fold line in the intermediate panel is at substantially 45 to the adjacent edges of the wall panels to which the intermediate panel is connected.

21. A carton blank substantially as described herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

22. A carton erected from a carton blank as claimed in any preceding claim.