NZ299120A - Stackable container; hand erectable from a blank with locking flap at the distal end of each non indexing wall flap - Google Patents

Description

29 9 1 2 0 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 299120 Date: 02 August 1996 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION5I25Y^ 'A Case and/or its Blank from which the Case can be Erected" We, CARTER HOLT HARVEY LIMITED, a company incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 640 Great South Road, Manukau City, Auckland, New Zealand,, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: NOW Ml 299120 "2" The present invention relates to improvements in and/or relating to itackable containers and in particular to containers capable of being erectea from a blmik without the necessity for the use of assembly machinery. / / In our PCT application no. PCT/NZ96/00023 (published as WQ/96/32329 on 17 October 1996) (the full content of which is hereby here included by way of reference but not admitted as prior art) we disclose a novel machine erectaWe container having particular advantages where strength per amount of board utilised^is involved and where there is some prospect of the board collecting dampness. / The present invention refers to a hand erectable version of such a container as disclosed in the aforementioned patent specification (Figures 1 to 4 of WO 96/32329 are appended hereto as Figures 1 to 4). / / Accordingly in a first aspect the /resent invention consists in a container hand erectable from a blank, said container/comprising / a rectangular base, / / a flap sequence of two flap/(hereafter the "indexing wall flaps") from each of the longer sides of said base, a firai flap being connected to the base by a fold line, and the second flap being connected to the first flan/by a fold line, each indexing wall flap of each flap sequence having an extension beyo/d a fold-line or fold-lines substantially normal to that of a said indexing' wall first flap/with the base and, in turn, that between two flaps (first and second) of me indexing wall flaps, and a flap from/ach of the shorter sides of said base (hereinafter the "non indexing wall flaps"), ana / a locking flap as a distal extension of each of said non indexing wall flaps, wherein said base includes inwardly of and/or on the fold line thereof with its proximate indexing wall/first flap a plurality of openings each to receive a projection formed/oy a folding ofa like container at the fold line between the two indexing wall flaps of a Mke container, wnereby said container is erectable to a walled form with the indexing w^lls presenting/ plurality of upwardly directed projections each being indexable in trough an opening of the base of a like erected container, said indexing walls being inclined inwardly slightly, an/a wherein, when the container is erected, both of the extensions at each end of said indexing wall flaps are inwardly of said non-indexing wall flaps, the first flap of each indexing wall flap and the extension of each said first flap define with a single substantially vertical fold line the corner edge of the container and the second flap of each «idexing wall flap and the extension of the second flap truncate or triangulate each corner inwardly of the respective first flap to provide a column-like structure the corner, -v ■"N rppi-icE 12 MOV 1997 The present invention relates to improvements in and/or relating to stackable containers and in particular to containers capable of being erected from a blank without the necessity for the use of assembly machinery.

In our PCT application no. PCT/NZ96/00023 (published as WO 96/32329 on 17 October 1996) (the full content of which is hereby here included by way of reference but not admitted as prior art) we disclose a novel machine erectable container having particular advantages where strength per amount of board utilised is involved and where there is some prospect of the board collecting dampness.

The present invention refers to a hand erectable version of such a container as disclosed in the aforementioned patent specification (Figures 1 to 4 of WO 96/32329 are appended hereto as Figures 1 to 4).

Accordingly in a first aspect the present invention consists in a container hand erectable from a blank, said container comprising a rectangular base, a flap sequence of two flaps (hereafter the "indexing wall flaps") from each of the longer sides of said base, a first flap being connected to the base by a fold line, and the second flap being connected to the first flap by a fold line, each indexing wall flap of each flap sequence having an extension beyond a fold-line or fold-lines substantially normal to that of a said indexing wall first flap with the base and, in turn, that between two flaps (first and second) of the indexing wall flaps, and a flap from each of the shorter sides of said base (hereinafter the "non indexing wall flaps"), and a locking flap as a distal extension of each of said non indexing wall flaps, wherein said base includes inwardly of and/or on the fold line thereof with its proximate indexing wall first flap a plurality of openings each to receive a projection formed by a folding of a like container at the fold line between the two indexing wall flaps of a like container, whereby said container is erectable to a walled form with the indexing walls presenting a plurality of upwardly directed projections each being indexable in through an opening of the base of a like erected container, said indexing walls being inclined inwardly slightly, and wherein, when the container is erected, both of the extensions at each end of said indexing wall flaps are inwardly of said non-indexing wall flaps, the first flap of each indexing wall flap and the extension of each said first flap define with a single substantially vertical fold line the corner edge of the container and the second flap of each indexing wall flap and the extension of the second flap truncate or triangulate each corner inwardly of the respective first flap to provide a column-like structure at the corner, 299120 and wherein each said locking flap engages at least the extensions of the second flaps at its end to lock the container in the erected form.

As used herein "column-like" in respect to structure connotes no specific shape but does indicate an effective construction useful for vertical support that defines an enclosed space in cross-section.

Preferably the fold line of each locking flap includes bridging hinge regions to lock into a recess in the top(s) if the said extension(s).

Preferably said non indexing wall flaps are strictly vertical from the base.

Preferably said blank is of a laminate which includes a flute providing medium and the flute direction is such that the flutes extend substantially vertically in said indexing walls.

Preferably the truncation or triangulation (eg; as a gusset) is by a section of the blank between substantially parallel fold lines.

Preferably the angling in of the indexing walls is such as to provide a top to top distance between the indexing walls that is of the order of about 8mm less than that between the fold lines of first flap of the flap sequences from said base.

Preferably an angle of the order of 2° is provided where the spacing between the fold lines from the base of said indexing wall flap sequences is of the order of 396mm.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a blank for such a container.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a plurality of blanks of the previous kind.

In still a further aspect the invention is the hand erectable blank or container described hereafter.

The invention also consists in a method of erecting any such container.

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figures 1-4 are the figures of WO 96/32329, and Figure 5 is a blank of the hand erectable version thereof (from the inside and showing the preferred pre-crushed areas in cross hatching), and Figure 6 is an erected version of the blank of Figure 5 shown in perspective from above, Figure 7 is an end view of the container of Figure 6 but from below, Figure 8 is a similar end view to that of Figure 7 but from above, and Figure 9 is a perspective corner view showing the corner formed by the first flap and its extension internally of the non indexing wall flap. j NZ P*TbNT OFFICE 299120 In the preferred form the carton or blank of the present invention (as with that in WO 96/32329) is preferably made from a paperboard, preferably a flute cored sheet faced laminate with the flute direction being in the direction "AA" depicted on Figure 1.

Figure 1 (is also Figure 1 of WO 96/32329) shows a blank form with the base 1 being provided with a plurality of openings 2 to the fold line 3 with the first flap 4 of each of the two indexing wall flap sequences of two flaps. The second flap 5 of each of the two flap sequences is connected by a fold line "BB" with the first flap 4 of the indexing wall flap index. Preferably the fold line is at a plurality of bridging regions 6 each of which is to provide upon folding of the second flap 5 inwardly of the container an upstanding projection 14 best seen in the Figures 3 and 4 each of which is adapted to be inserted into a complimentary opening of a like container to those labelled 2.

Each of the flaps 4 includes an extension flap 7 while each of the flaps 5 includes an extension 8. The extensions 7 are connected by a fold line 9 to the first flaps 4 while the extensions 8 are connected, preferably, by two fold lines 10 so as to provide a gusset form feature 11 best seen in Figure 4. Where however the paired fold lines 10 are not provided a single fold line can instead be provided substantially aligned with the fold line 9. The fold lines of such extensions are angled as required relative to the base axes.

A feature of importance is the inward incline of the indexing walls 12 when the carton is erected.

The erecting arrangement is such that the flaps 13, which provide the non indexing walls when upturned, are each sandwiched by a flap 7 and 8 at each extremity thereof with those extensions 7 of the first flap 4 being affixed on the outside face of each non indexing wall flap 13 while those extensions 8 are to be affixed on the insides.

In the arrangement as depicted the structure is such that in the flute running direction the width of a preferred container is 396mm from fold line 3 to fold line 3. The preferred angle for such a product where the indexing wall structures are to be of the order of 165mm high (external wall measurement) is that the tops of the indexing lugs 14 are approximately 8 mm closer together than they would be if the indexing walls were vertical from the base. This angling in of approximately 2° from the vertical on each side allows a more easy index of each indexing lug 14 through its complementary opening 2 and into the accommodating recess region 15 of each of the second flaps 5.

Preferably that offset of about 8 mm is used for other base sizes, ie; the angle adjusts accordingly.

In an erected carton with the flaps 7 and 8 adhesively affixed to the non indexing wall flaps 13 a structure as depicted in Figures 2 to 4 results having an advantage of strength owing to the construction, the stacking strength coming from the indexing of wall N Z pA.f£i<lT OFFICE 11 NOV 1997 299120 to wall using the male protuberances much in the same way as disclosed in the New Zealand Patent Specification 237169 (US Patent 5,361,976). In addition where a support structure 11 is provided in a corner there is additional strengthening owing to greater resistance to racking forces as well as more vertical structural support. Nevertheless even in the forms without the corner feature 11 a container of acceptable strength is provided which provides an advantage as far as the removal of field temperature from any crop to be stacked in the containers is concerned. This is because the various relief features and openings (including the handle feature 15) all as shown allows a throughput of air through a container above its fruit or other load and under the base of a stacked on top container while additional airflows are possible around the stack owing to the fact that the indexing walls are inclined inwardly slightly.

A preferred material from which such a container (and that of the present invention) can be made is a dual arch (2 x 160 gm/m2) semi chemical pulp paper corrugated board with outside lines of 290 gm/m2 kraft).

In the hand erectable form of the present invention the main difference over that machine erectable (using adhesive) version depicted in Figures 1-4 (a) is the preferred use of pre-crushing (as shown by the cross hatching), (b) the folding inwardly of the end walls 13 of the extension 7 of each first flap 4, and (c) the provision inwardly thereof of the truncating or triangulating region between the fold lines 10 and the extension 3 of the second flaps 5.

Referring to the hand erected form shown in Figure 5 extension 7A are positioned inwardly of the end wall 13A and has inwardly thereof (with respect to the erected container) that part 7B of the corner truncating or triangulating flap. As a result, unlike with the machine erected container of Figures 1 to 4 both members 7 A and 7B are inside of end wall 13 A. In the machine erected container the equivalents of 7A and 7B, 7 and 8 respectively, are not both found inside of end wall 13. Instead only flap 8 is inside of the end wall 13 while flap 7 is outside of end wall 13.

In the form shown however, it can be seen that the first flaps 7 A and the second flaps 7B preferably include recessess 7A' and 7B1 respectively into which the bridge hinging regions can locate as shown in Figure 6 when the locking flap 17 is located inwardly so that its largely cut hinge axis, ie; between the locking flap 17 and its end flap 13A can allow the non recessed regions (ie; those regions other than 7A' and 7B1) to protrude between the members 3A and 17.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate therefore how (as depicted) the corner 18 (see Figure 9) is defined by the fold lines equivalent to those designated 9 in the blank of h~T patln r OFFICE 12 WOV 199/ 299120 Figure 1 notwithstanding the fact that the flaps are both inwardly of the end member.

The blank form of the present invention can be die cut in a conventional way and can have the laminate material with its preferred fluted core precrushed in the shaded areas about the base simultaneously with such die cutting.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate how the hand erectable form of the container can be quickly and stabilily erected, filled and then, if desired, can be stacked stabily or covered by any appropriate covering means whether adhesively affixed thereto or not.

Adhesive fixing can be used (if desired and between any of the contiguous surfaces appropriate) to hold the hand erected form stable for lengthy or repeated use.

N Z ENT OFFICE 12 NOV 1997 1111 299120

Claims (16)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container hand erectable from a blank, said blank comprising a rectangular base, / / a flap sequence of two flaps (hereafter the "indexing wall flap£") from each of Ae longer sides of said base, a first flap being connected to the base/6y a fold line, and the second flap being connected to the first flap by a fold line, each indexing wall flap/jf each flap sequence having an extension beyond a fold-line or fold^lines substantially normal to that of a said indexing wall first flap with the base and, ij/turn, that between two flaps (first and second) of the indexing wall flaps, and a flap from each of the shorter sides of said bjj£e (hereinafter tfy^ "non indexing wall flaps"), and a locking flap as a distal extension of each/of said non indexing wall flaps, wherein said base includes inwardly of and/or on the foja line thereof with its proximate indexing wall first flap a plurality of openings eacn to receive a projection formed by a folding of a like container at thp fold line between/the two indexing wall flaps of a like container, whereby said container is erectable to availed form with the indexing walls presenting a plurality of upwardly directed projections each being indexable in through an opening of the base of/a like erected container, said indexing walls being inclined inwardly slightly, and wherein, when the Container is erected^ both of the extensions at each end of said indexing wall flaps are inwardly of said nopindexing wall flaps, the first flap of each indexing wall flap and the extension of /ach said first flap define with a single substantially vertical folcr line the corner edge of the container and the second flap of each indexing wall flap and/the extension of the second flap truncate or triangulate each corner inwardly of the respective first flap to^provide a column-like structure the corner, and whenan each said locking flap engages at least the extensions of the second flaps at its end/o lock the container in the erected form. 2. A container of claim 1 wherein the second flap is connected to the first line by a fold line through bridge-like/regions. 3. ^/container of claim 1 or 2 wherein each indexing wall flap has an extension beyona a single fold liner only. 4. / A container ofany one of the preceding claims wherein the non indexing wall flaps cefnnect to a said lopfcing flap with bridging regions through which the relevant fold line /runs. 5. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein said base is surrounded at least in part and/or includes as at least part of its periphery a precrushed region which is NZ PATENT OFFICE i '«d NOV 1897 WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A container hand erectable from a blank, said blank comprising a rectangular base, a flap sequence of two flaps (hereafter the "indexing wall flaps") from each of the longer sides of said base, a first flap being connected to the base by a fold line, and the second flap being connected to the first flap by a fold line, each indexing wall flap of each flap sequence having an extension beyond a fold-line or fold-lines substantially normal to that of a said indexing wall first flap with the base and, in turn, that between two flaps (first and second) of the indexing wall flaps, and a flap from each of the shorter sides of said base (hereinafter the "non indexing wall flaps"), and a locking flap as a distal extension of each of said non indexing wall flaps, wherein said base includes inwardly of and/or on the fold line thereof with its proximate indexing wall first flap a plurality of openings each to receive a projection formed by a folding of a like container at the fold line between the two indexing wall flaps of a like container, whereby said container is erectable to a walled form with the indexing walls presenting a plurality of upwardly directed projections each being indexable in through an opening of the base of a like erected container, said indexing walls being inclined inwardly slightly, and wherein, when the container is erected, both of the extensions at each end of said indexing wall flaps are inwardly of said non-indexing wall flaps, the first flap of each indexing wall flap and the extension of each said first flap define with a single substantially vertical fold line the corner edge of the container and the second flap of each indexing wall flap and the extension of the second flap truncate or triangulate each corner inwardly of the respective first flap to provide a column-like structure at the corner, and wherein each said locking flap engages at least the extensions of the second flaps at its end to lock the container in the erected form.

2. A container of claim 1 wherein the second flap is connected to the first line by a fold line through bridge-like regions.

3. A container of claim 1 or 2 wherein each indexing wall flap has an extension beyond a single fold line only.

4. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein the non indexing wall flaps connect to a said locking flap with bridging regions through which the relevant fold line runs.

5. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein said base is surrounded at least in part and/or includes as at least part of its periphery a precrushed region which is 299120 -8- or includes a said fold line.

6. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein said upwardly directed projections are not of a pop-up type but are defined by a folding of bridging regions through which the fold line runs.

7. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein the fold line of each locking flap includes bridging hinge regions to lock into a recess in the top(s) if the said extension(s).

8. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein said non indexing wall flaps are strictly vertical from the base.

9. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein said blank is of a laminate which includes a flute providing medium and the flute direction is such that the flutes extend substantially vertically in said indexing walls.

10. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein the truncation or triangulation (eg; as a gusset) is by a section of the blank between substantially parallel fold lines.

11. A container of any one of the preceding claims wherein the angling in of the indexing walls is such as to provide a top to top distance between the indexing walls that is of the order of about 8mm less than that between the fold lines of first flap of the flap sequences from said base.

12. A container of claim 11 wherein an angle of the order of 2 ° is provided where the spacing between the fold lines from the base of said indexing wall flap sequences is of the order of 396mm.

13. A blank for a container of any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A plurality of blanks of claim 13.

15. A hand erectable blank or container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of Figures 5 to 9.

16. A method of erecting a container from a blank of claim 13 or 15 when performed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of Figures 5 to 9. END OF CLM' N 2 "ATHNT OFFICE 12 NOV 1997 RECEIVED