US3145902A

US3145902A - Compartmented container

Info

Publication number: US3145902A
Application number: US246798A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ben M Nolen
Original assignee: FLEMING AND SONS Inc
Current assignee: FLEMING AND SONS Inc
Priority date: 1962-12-24
Filing date: 1962-12-24
Publication date: 1964-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-25

Description

1964 a. M. NOLEN 3,145,902

COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER Filed Dec. 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Shem: l

I. "kw g m 22) v 1 m I l H6 4 w INVENTOR Ben M. Nolen ATTORNEYS Aug. 25, 1964 B. M. NOLEN COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24, 1962 INVENTOR Ben M. Nolen FIG.5

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,145,902 COMPARTMENTED CONTAINE R Ben M. Nolen, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Fleming 8: Sons, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Dec. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 246,798 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-27) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in compartmented containers.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved compartmented container for transportlng fruits and vegetables as well as other fragile articles in such manner as to prevent damaging thereof.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved compartmented container of the foldmg type which is adapted to be formed from a one-piece blank with substantially no waste of material and WhlCh is adapted to be erected from the folded and connected blank without the use of adhesive or other fastening means.

Another object of the invention is to providean improved compartmented container having interlocking partitions of full depth and length made integral with the walls of the erected container and means coacting with the partitions for increasing the rigidity of said erected container.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved container, of the character described, having two-ply partitions and reinforcing panels made integral with the upper margins of the plies of one partition for overlying the partition extending transversely thereof.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for a compartmented container constructed in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the container in partially erected condition,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the erected container with three of its four top panels open and with a portion of the reinforcing panels broken away to show the interlocking relation of the partitions,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the erected container closed, and

FIG. 5 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

In the drawings, the numeral designates a blank of corrugated paperboard or other suitable bendable sheet material for forming a container 11 which is particularly adapted for use in packing fruits and vegetables. The blank 10 is of oblong, rectangular shape and includes a pair of longitudinal side walls 12 and a pair of end or transverse side walls 13 hinged to one another in alternate, end-to-end relationship by vertical fold lines 14 extending transversely of said blank. Preferably, horizontal slots 15 are formed in the end walls 13 adjacent their upper margins to provide handholds and/or ventilation openings. A transverse, vertical fold line 16 hinges a coextensive flap 17 to the outer end margin of one of the side walls 12 for attachment to the outer end margin of one of the end walls 13 by suitable fastening means, such as staples 18 (FIGS. 3 and 4), but the flap could be carried by said end wall and attached to said side wall. Each of the side walls has a substantially coextensive cover or top panel 19, of a transverse width one-half the width of the end walls, hinged to its upper longitudinal margin by a longitudinal fold line 20, while a parallel hinge line 21 connects a lock or tuck-in flap 22 to the outer longitudinal margin of each cover panel. As will be explained, the lock flap 22 is of less length than the cover panel 19 so as to have its ends spaced inwardly of the ends of said cover panel.

Longitudinal fold lines 23 hinge the outer longitudinal margins of bottom panels 24, of slightly less length, to the lower longitudinal margins of the side walls 12 and longitudinal partition panels 25 are hinged to the opposite or inner longitudinal margins of the bottom panels by similar fold lines 26. It is noted that the partition panels 25 as well as the cover panels 19 and bottom panels 24 are of slightly less length than the side walls 12 to facilitate folding of the blank and that said bottom panels are of a transverse width one-half the width of the end walls 13. The outer or upper longitudinal margin of each partition panel has a reinforcing panel 27 hinged thereto by a longitudinal fold line 28.

A top panel 29 is attached to the upper margin of each end wall 13 by a longitudinal fold line 30 which is substantially alined with but slightly offset downwardly or inwardly of the fold lines 20. The top panels 29 are contiguous and separated from the cover panels 19 by transverse slots 31 which are substantially alined with the fold lines 14 whereby, longitudinally of the blank, said top panels are of slightly less dimension than the end walls. Transversely of the blank, the top panels may have substantially the same dimensions as the combined dimension of the cover panels and their lock flaps 22. A bottom panel 32 has its outer margin hinged to the lower margin of each end wall by a longitudinal fold line 33 and is separated from the adjacent side bottom panels 24 by transverse slots 34 which are substantially alined with the fold lines 14. Transversely of the blank, the length of the end bottom panels 32 is one-half the longitudinal length of the side bottom panels and greater than the width of the latter panels whereby the outer portions of said end bottom panels are adjacent the inner portions of the longitudinal partition panels 25.

A transverse or cross partition panel 35 is connected to the outer or upper margin of each end bottom panel by a longitudinal fold line 36 and may have its outer or upper margin alined with the outer or free longitudinal margins of the reinforcing panels 27. The cross partition panels 35 are of less width than the bottom panels 32, longitudinally of the blank, and are spaced from the adjacent longitudinal partition panels 25 and reinforcing panels 27 by portions 37 of the transverse slots 34 which are of increased width. It is noted that the cross and longitudinal partition panels are of substantially the same transverse width as the side and

end walls

12 and 13.

For receiving the cross partition panels 35, transverse slots 38 extend from the longitudinal fold lines 23 throughout the medial portion of the bottom partition panels 24, across the fold lines 26 and through approximately onehalf of the medial portion of the longitudinal partition panels 25. Each cross partition panel has a coacting transverse slot 39 in the outer or upper half of its medial portion to permit interlocking or nesting of the panel with the longitudinal partition panels. Since the lock flaps 22 are adapted to engage in the slot 39, when the container is closed as shown in FIG. 5, said slots are tapered and have outwardly diverging sides.

Similar transverse slots 40 extend medially of the major portions of the top panels 29 from their outer end margins to accommodate the lock flaps, the outward convergence of the slots 40 permits slight inward flexing of the portions of each top panel on each side of its slot, when said panel is folded inwardly as shown in FIG. 3, without closing the slots and binding the lock flaps. As shown by the numeral 41, the transverse ends of the lock flaps 22 are notched or recessed to provide hooks or tabs for engaging beneath the portions of the top panels at the ends of the slots 40 to retain said flaps in latched position. The hooks 41 as well as the transverse ends of the reinforcing panels 27 may be relieved or tapered in the usual manner.

Except for its small cut-outs and attachment flap 17, the blank 10 may be rectangular and make possible absolute minimum waste of material without any portion of the retained material being superfluous. Although the container is shown partially erected in FIG. 2, this view is for illustration purposes only since the blank is first folded flat on two of its transverse fold lines 14 and its attaching flap 17 is stapled or otherwise secured to the free transverse margin of the appropriate end wall 13. This folded condition facilitates storage and shipment of the container. When it is desired to erect the container, it is expanded or opened to dispose the side walls 12 and their associated panels at right angles to the end walls and their panels. One of the side bottom panels 24 is folded inwardly on the line 23 and the contiguous longitudinal partition panel 25 is folded upwardly on the line 26, between and substantially parallel to the side walls. Then, the other side bottom panel and longitudinal partition panel are folded inwardly and upwardly on the

lines

23 and 26 whereby the bottom panels are coplanar and the longitudinal partition panels are in face to face relationship (FIG. 3).

Next, the end bottom and

cross partition panels

32 and 35 are folded inwardly on the

lines

33 and 36 to position said bottom panels in overlying relation to the bottom panels 24 and to permit insertion of the cross partition panels through the transverse slots 38 into face to face relationship between and parallel to the end walls 13. Due to the interlocking or nesting engagement provided by the

slots

38 and 39, the partition panels are held in right angular relationship and coact to provide four rectangular compartments 42. The reinforcing panels 27 are folded outwardly on the lines 28 toward the side walls into overlying relation to the cross partition panels and substantially parallel relation to the bottom panels to substantially close the compartments 42 and provide a longitudinal groove or pocket 43 between the longitudinal partition panels for the lock flaps 22 (FIGS. 3 and As shown in FIG. 3, the top panels 29 are adapted to be folded inwardly on the lines 30 so as to overlie the reinforcing panels. Final closing of the container is accomplished by folding the cover panels 19 inwardly on the lines 20, after folding of the lock flaps on the lines 21, to engage said lock flaps in the pocket 43 with their hooks 41 beneath the top panels at the ends of the slots 40 (FIG. 4).

Although the container is ideally suited for the packaging, storage and transportation of vegetables and fruits, including bananas, it is not limited to such use and may be utilized for fragile and other types of articles. Due to the two-ply or double panel construction of its partitions and the two-ply thickness of its top and bottom, the container has unusual rigidity and is capable of withstanding rough handling as well as heavy loads. In particular, the structure of the container lends itself to stacking a relatively large number of containers on one another. The reinforcing panels are of utmost importance because they amplify the surficial area of the vertical support provided by the partitions and substantially prevent distortion of said partitions and crushing of the top or cover of the container. In effect, the large area of the reinforcing panels converts the top of the container to a three-ply construction. Also, the reinforcing panels strengthen the longitudinal partition panels against transverse bending in coaction with the cross partition panels.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A compartmented container including end and side walls hinged to one another, top and bottom panels hinged to the upper and lower margins of the side Walls and coacting to provide top and bottom walls for the container, bottom panels hinged to the lower margins of the end walls and externally overlying the bottom panels hinged to said side walls, and upright partition panels hinged to the end bottom panels and side bottom panels and extending transversely and longitudinally between said side and end walls, respectively, said side bottom panels and the lower portions of the longitudinal partition panels having alined slots for receiving the transverse partition panels, the upper portions of said transverse partition panels having upright slots for receiving the upper portions of said longitudinal partition panels to permit interlocking engagement of said partition panels and provide compartments in the container, and reinforcing panels hinged to and extending laterally from the upper margins of said longitudinal partition panels in overlying engagement with said transverse partition panels and in underlying engagement with the top wall of the container.

2. A compartmented container as set forth in claim 1 including flaps hinged to the top panels which are hinged to the side Walls, the upper margins of the longitudinal partition panels coacting to provide a pocket therebetween for receiving and confining the flaps.

3. A compartmented container as set forth in claim 1 including top panels hinged to the upper margins of the end walls and interposed between the top panels of the side walls and the reinforcing panels, each top panel having a slot alined and coacting with the pocket formed by the upper margins of the longitudinal partition panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,360,931 Brockman Oct. 24, 1944 2,450,941 Crane Oct. 12, 1948 2,475,107 Newsom July 5, 1949 2,965,277 Prieto Dec. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 73,755 Denmark Feb. 4, 1952 762,358 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1956

Claims

1. A COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER INCLUDING END AND SIDE WALLS HINGED TO ONE ANOTHER, TOP AND BOTTOM PANELS HINGED TO THE UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS OF THE SIDE WALLS AND COACTING TO PROVIDE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS FOR THE CONTAINER, BOTTOM PANELS HINGED TO THE LOWER MARGINS OF THE END WALLS AND EXTERNALLY OVERLYING THE BOTTOM PANELS HINGED TO SAID SIDE WALLS, AND UPRIGHT PARTITION PANELS HINGED TO THE END BOTTOM PANELS AND SIDE BOTTOM PANELS AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY AND LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID SIDE AND END WALLS, RESPECTIVELY, SAID SIDE BOTTOM PANELS AND THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE LONGITUDINAL PORTION PANELS HAVING ALINED SLOTS FOR RECEIVING THE TRANSVERSE PARTITION PANELS, THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID TRANSVERSE PARTITION PANELS HAVING UPRIGHT SLOTS FOR RECEIVING THE UPPER POR-