MXPA00006468A - Carton construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A unitary carton blank is constructed with a panel orientation facilitating easy set up of an open ended carton from a collapsed carton structure. Of the panels (3-11) of the carton blank, includes only one panel (3), namely the bottom panel (3), requires a single fold line (12).

Description

FOLDING BOX CONSTRUCTION ANTEC EDENTS OF THE I NVENTION Folding carton models constructed of a series of connected panels capable of folding are available for the assembly of a folding cardboard box by the customer. With the prior art constructions, the model of the cardboard folding box is typically folded along the fold lines that separate the different panels of a model and glued together in an appropriate manner to form a folding carton body. collapsed When it is desired to erect the folded body of the folding cardboard box, the user manipulates the panels of the collapsed structure in the proper manner to cause the collapsed structure to assume the shape of an open-end folding cardboard box. A typical box of the construction described above is described in U.S. Patent No. 2,01 8,171 of Himes. The construction of the Himes box is constructed to be arranged from a collapsed form to an open end box with a minimum of manipulation by the user. The box described in this patent is constructed from a model made of thick paper, cardboard, agglomerate and similar materials and requires that at least one of the end walls of the box be comprised of a triple thickness of the model material. With the construction of Himes, the material required to form the box is therefore not at a minimum.

Also, the construction of the box disclosed in the Himes patent is not particularly suitable for rigid, corrugated agglomerate, which can not generally be bent or folded except along the previously formed fold lines. This is so since assembling or arranging the Himes type box from the collapsed condition of the model may require folding over some of the panels. Therefore, the construction of Himes is more suitable for box constructions that do not use rigid agglomerate, corrugated. Attempts have been made to improve the construction of the Himes box. One of said construction is believed to have been developed by Charles J. Mueller This construction, in appearance, is similar to that shown in the Himes patent, except that the simple diagonal line of folding, in the lower panel of the Himes box is replaced by double, double, diagonal lines that form a figure of "V", with the open side of the "V" facing the adjacent side panel of the model. These double fold lines allow the use of rigid corrugated material to form a foldable cardboard box but tend to weaken the integrity and strength of the lower part of the cardboard folding box. Because the box panel is the panel that will receive the full weight of the contents of the box, this can be a disadvantage. The Mueller folding cardboard box also requires additional manufacturing steps to glue together a number of the model panels to produce the collapsed structure of the cardboard folding box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the unitary model of the cardboard folding box is constructed with a panel orientation similar to that in the constructions of Himes and Mueller. However, with the construction of the present invention, there is only one panel, namely the lower panel, which requires a simple fold line. Also, the material is not wasted requiring nothing more than a double thickness for one of the end walls and only this double layer end wall is preferably bonded together. With the present invention, the material for the model of the folding carton box is in fact reduced to a minimum, the manufacturing steps to produce the collapsed model are to a minimum and the strength of the panels is maintained at a maximum reducing to minimum bending lines.

SHORT DESCRIBE OF THE DIES Figure 1 is a plan view of the foldable cardboard box model of the present invention; Figures 2 to 8 show the progressive steps of the preferred assembly used in the formation of the collapsed model of the cardboard folding box; Figure 9 is a perspective view of the foldable cardboard box with the open end partially arranged; and Figure 1 0 is a perspective view of the cardboard folding box with the open end fully trimmed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The model of the folding box of the present invention is constructed of rigid corrugated agglomerate. The model 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 10, is composed of a plurality of panel sections connected together in a folded manner to define the open-ended body of a folding box 2. The body includes a defined lower panel section by two lower panels 3 and 4, a pair of side panel sections defined by two side panels 5 and 6, and a pair of end panel sections defined by four end panels 7, 8, 9 and 10. The side panel 5 also includes a fin panel 1 1. In addition to the fold lines separating the various panels of the foldable cardboard model, the lower panel 3 is provided with a diagonal fold line 12. This fold line extends from the lower edge of the lower panel 3 to the upper edge, in the location where the top edge intersects the left side edge of the bottom panel.

The angle of the diagonal fold line 12 is determined by the different dimensions of the individual panels and is dictated by the length of the side edges of the end panel 9. In particular, the separation of the bottom or bottom of the diagonal line of bend 1 2 from the left side edge of the bottom panel is equal to the length of the side edge of the end panel 9. This relationship is necessary for proper alignment of the panels in the collapsed collapsible box, as described more fully below. For purposes of description, each of the panels of the folding box model, as seen in Figure 1, includes an upper edge, a lower edge, a left side edge and a right side edge. With reference to Figure 1, the side panel 5 has a right edge of the end panel 7 connected in a folded manner to its left side edge. Also, the upper edge of the lower panel 4 is bently connected to the lower edge of the side panel 5. The end panel 7 has the right side edge of the other side panel 6 connected in a folded manner to its left side edge. The other side panel 6 has its lower edge connected in a folded manner to the upper edge of the lower panel 3 and the right side edge of a second end panel 8 is bently connected to its left side edge. The lower panel 3 has a third end panel 9 connected in a folded manner to its left side edge and a fourth end panel 1 0 connected in a folded manner to its right side edge. The upper edge of each of these end panels 9 and 1 0 are separated from the lower edge of the end panels 8 and 7, respectively. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the model has an overall height of 56.35 cm, with a panel 5 having a height of 25.56 cm and panel 4 a height of 30.80 cm. The panels also have the following width dimensions: Panel Width (cm) 5 39.21 6 39.05 7 30.95 8 30.48 The remaining panels have relative height and width dimensions according to common practice. Figures 2 to 8 show the progressive steps used in folding the panels of the model of Figure 1 into a collapsed collapsible box. The order of the steps is not necessarily limited to that shown in Figures 2 to 8, but these steps are the preferred sequence. The first step, as shown in Figure 2, is the folding of the end panel 10, at 80 ° along its left side edge in relation to the lower panel 3. In the following description, all the remaining panels they are bent in the same direction except where otherwise noted with respect to bending the lower panel along the diagonal fold line 12. The next step (Figure 3) is the folding of the lower panel 3, at 1 80 ° along its upper edge and on the side panel 6. The lower panel is then bent at 180 °, in a direction opposite to that direction, along the diagonal line of fold 1 2 to align its left side edge with its upper edge (Figure 4). Next, the third end panel 9 is bent at 1 80 ° along its left side edge towards the position shown in Figure 5. The second end panel 8 is then bent at 1 80 ° onto the third panel of extreme and towards the face-to-face relationship with it (Figure 6). As noted above, the separation of the bottom part of the fold line 12 from the left side edge of the bottom panel is equal to the length of the side edge of the end panel 9. Therefore, when the bottom panel 3 is folded as shown in FIG. along the diagonal fold line 12 and the end panel 9 is folded along its right side edge, the end panel 9 will be in a square position shown in Figure 5. Therefore, when the panel is retracted of end 8, as shown in Figure 6, this will be completely aligned with and superimposed on the folded end panel 9. The collapsed body of the folding box is completed by folding the lower panel 4, at 80 ° along the its upper edge and in superjacent relation with the side panel 5 (Figure 7), and the side panel 5 is folded along its left side edge at 1 80 ° to the position in which the fin panel 1 1 is on top from the left side edge from the end panel 8 (Figure 8). Finally, the fin panel 1 1 is secured to the end panel 8, preferably by adhesive. Although the fin panel 1 1 is shown as an extension of the side panel 5, it will be apparent that it can be formed as an extension of one of the end panels 8 and 9. The particular end panel 8 or 9 to which it is fixed The fin panel will depend on which of these end panels the outer end panel is going to be. In the preferred embodiment, the end panel 9 is the outer end panel. With the above construction, the open-ended folding box has only one panel that is in any way weakened by a fold line, this being the lower panel 3 with a simple fold line 1 2. There is also no need to provide a thickness triple wall over none of the panels nor is the manufacturing process complicated by multiple bonding requirements. It is, of course, necessary to stick the fin 1 1 to the end panel 8. No other panel needs to be glued although in the preferred embodiment, the end panels 8 and 9 are glued together. This can be done because these panels do not require them to move relative to each other during the placement procedure. Furthermore, the gluing of the end panels 8 and 9 together can be effected in a simple gluing operation combined with the gluing of the flap to these panels. This can be done by folding the end panel 8 onto the end panel 9 as the final step in the assembly sequence of the collapsed collapsible box. In doing so, the fin panel 1 1 will be disposed between the end panels 8 and 9. With the glue applied on both sides of the fin panel 1 1, it will be glued to both end panels and the end panels will be so attached to each other. When it is desired to erect the body of the open-ended folding box, the user will simply push the two ends 1, 3, 14 of the collapsed collapsible box towards each other. This manipulation of the collapsed structure will produce the open end folding box 2 as shown in Figure 9. To complete the assembly, it is only necessary to raise the end panel 10 towards the face-to-face relationship with the end panel 7 and lower the second lower panel 4 on the lower panel 3. This complete construction is shown in Figure 10.

Claims (10)

1 . A unitary foldable box model comprising: a) an open-ended body including a plurality of panel sections connected together in a folded manner to form said body, said panel sections including: i) a lower panel section; I) a couple of side panel sections; and iii) a pair of end panel sections; b) said lower panel section includes at least one lower panel; c) each of said pair of side panel section includes a side panel; d) each of the end panel sections does not include more than two end panels; e) each of the panels includes an upper edge, a lower edge, a left side edge and a right side edge; f) one of said side panels has a right side edge of one of said end panels connected in a folded manner to the left side edge thereof; g) said one end panel has a right side edge of the other of said side panels connected in a folded manner to the left side edge thereof; h) said other of said side panels has its lower edge connected in a folded manner to the upper edge of said lower panel and the right lateral edge of a second end panel connected in a folded manner to the left lateral edge thereof; i) said lower panel has a third end panel connected in a folded manner to a side edge thereof; j) said lower panel includes a simple diagonal fold line formed therein and extending diagonally from the lower edge to the upper edge thereof; and k) the remaining panels are free of any of the fold lines.

2. A unitary model in accordance with the claim 1, wherein: a) the model is constructed to rigidify the corrugated agglomerate which will fold, during normal assembly in a folding box, only along the fold lines formed therein.

3. A unitary model in accordance with the claim 2, wherein: a) said diagonal fold line extends toward the upper edge of the lower panel where it cuts to a lateral edge thereof.

4. A unitary model in accordance with the claim 3, wherein: a) a side edge has a first length; and b) said diagonal fold line extends towards the lower edge of the lower panel at a point spaced from said side edge by a second length equal to said first length.

5. A unitary model according to claim 4, wherein: a) said diagonal fold line extends from the lower edge of the lower panel at a point spaced from the other lateral edge thereof.

6. A foldable box unit model according to claim 5, wherein: a) the panel sections further include a fin panel connected in a folded manner to one of said second and third side panels and said end panel for gluing to the other of said side and end panel to form a collapsed, folded, collapsible box body. A unitary folding box model according to claim 6, wherein: a) said lower panel is bent at 1 80 °, in one direction along its upper edge on the other side panel; b) said lower panel is bent at 1 80 °, in an opposite direction to said certain direction, along the diagonal fold line to align its left lateral edge with the upper edge thereof; c) said third end panel is bent at 1 80 °, in said certain direction, along the right lateral edge thereof; d) said second end panel is bent at 1 80 °, in said certain direction, towards the face-to-face relationship with said third end panel; e) said a side panel is bent at 1 80 °, in said certain direction, along its left lateral edge to drive the fin panel and one of the second and third end panels in an overlying relationship; and d) said fin panel is adhesively attached to one of said second and third end panels in said superjacent relationship. 8. A unitary folding box model according to claim 7, wherein: a) said second and third end panels are adhesively secured to each other. A foldable box unit model according to claim 8, wherein: a) said fin panel is bently connected to the right side edge of said side panel and is adhesively attached to said second end panel , along the left side edge of it. A unitary folding box model according to claim 9, wherein: a) said lower panel has four end panels connected in a folded manner to the right lateral edge thereof; and b) said four end panels are bent at 1 80 °, in said certain direction, towards the position between the other side panel and the bottom panel. eleven . A foldable box unit model according to claim 10, wherein: a) said lower panel section includes a second lower panel connected in a folded manner to the lower edge of said one side panel, said second lower panel being bent at 180 ° , in said certain direction, along its upper edge in superjacent relation with said a side panel.