US3258191A

US3258191A - Container with automatic erecting corners

Info

Publication number: US3258191A
Application number: US346483A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles J Mueller; Robert C Hosek
Original assignee: Packaging Corp of America
Current assignee: Packaging Corp of America
Priority date: 1964-02-21
Filing date: 1964-02-21
Publication date: 1966-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-28

Description

June 1966 c. J. MUELLER ETAL- 3,

CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC ERECTING CORNERS Filed Feb. 21, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 /7 INVENTORS June 28, 1966 c. J. MUELLER ETAL 3,258,191

CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC ERECTING CORNERS Filed Feb. 21, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 INVENTOR!) 37M War! June 28, 1966 c. J. MUELLER ETAL 3,258,191

CONTAINER WITH AUTOMATIC ERECTING CORNERS Filed Feb. 21, 1964 United States Patent 3,258,191 CONTAINER WITH AUTQMATIC ERECTIN G CORNERS Charles J. Mueller, Sun Prairie, and Robert C. Hosek, Madison, Wis., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Packaging Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 346,483 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-31) This application relates to paperboard containers or the like, and more particularly to such containers formed of paperboard stock and which may be readily erected from a fiat condition into an assembled container.

In the prior art, containers or boxes have been known which are adaptable to be partially assembled into a flat condition and later erected into an assembled condition at the location where the container is to be used. Such boxes are therefore adaptable to be shipped in flat form reducing shipping space and expense to a minimum. In addition, boxes which are preformed but not fully assembled eliminate a great deal of time and effort heretofore required in assembling conventional boxes, since they can be readily erected and assembled at the time of use without the necessity of gluing or stapling together flaps or other portions of the box blank.

The present invention contemplates a novel form of such a box in which the corners of the container are provided with diagonal scoring and preglued portions to permit easy assembly of the box at the time of use and to provide stronger corner assemblies which are capable of withstanding heavy loads when loaded boxes are arranged in stacked relation.

The box of the present invention is also employed with means for automatically holding the walls of the container in assembled relation after the container has been erected. Each of the corners is provided with a heavy triangular protective pad which, in addition to strengthening the container to permit stacking and storing large numbers thereof on top of each other, also affords some protection to the contents of the box.

The present invention also contemplates the formation of such a container from a one-piece blank in which the wasted stock material in forming the blank is reduced to a minimum.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self-erecting container adapted to be shipped and stored in flat form and easily erected into assembled condition without the necessity of applying adhesive to any portion thereof at the time of erection.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a container in which means are provided for independently holding the same in assembled condition.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a container in which each of the corners is provided with at least three thicknesses of paperboard stock, thereby to strengthen the corners.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a container in which each of the corners is provided with relatively heavy protective pads on the interior thereof to protect the contents of the container.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more fully understood by an examination of this specification and the accompanying claims and drawings.

In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a generally rectangular container having two side walls, two ends walls and a bottom wall formed from a single piece of fiat stock material. A triangular section interposed between each of the side walls and each of the end walls is folded such as to provide a triangular pad on the interior of the container and a triple thickness of stock material adjacent each of the corners with each of Patented June 28, 1966 ice the side walls is provided with a plurality of tabs cooperating in interlocking relationship with corresponding apertures disposed in the bottom wall of the container adjacent the side walls thereof.

In another embodiment of the present invention an end wall is provided with a flap adapted to receive the triangular pad in snapping engagement therewith, and which in turn is adapted to snap behind a shoulder provided on a side wall.

Reference will now be made particularly to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a container embodying the present invention may be formed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first step in assembling a container from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an intermediate step for assembling a container from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the container fully assembled from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified blank from which a further embodiment of the present invention may be formed;

FIG. 7 is a partial illustration of a first step in assembling a container from the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, illustrating a second step in assembling a container from the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing a third step in assembling a container from the blank of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 9, illustrating a fourth step in assembling a container from the blank of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10, illustrating a corner of a container which has been fully assembled from the blank of FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a blank 9 formed of foldable sheet material such as fiberboard or the like, which is divided into a plurality of panels and flaps by numerous score or crease lines illustrated in light dashed lines. The central portion of the blank forms a bottom panel 10 defined by

fold lines

11, 13, and 17. To one side of the panel 10 is disposed a side panel 12 which is connected thereto by the fold line 11. On the opposite side of the panel 10 a second side panel 14 is disposed, connected to the panel 10 by the fold line 13. An end panel 16 is disposed adjacent the panel 10 between the

side panels

12 and 14, and is connected to the panel 10 by the fold line 15. A second end panel 18 is disposed opposite the end panel 16, and is connected to the panel 10 by the fold line 17.

Intermediate the side panel 14 and the end panel 16, and adjacent the panel 10, a square corner panel 22 is disposed, connected to the end panel 16 by a fold line 24 and to the side panel 14 by a fold line 26. Another square corner panel 28 is disposed between the side panel 14 and the end panel 18, connected to the side panel 14 by a fold line 30 and to the end panel 18 by a foldline 32.

A similar square corner panel 34 is disposed between the side panel 12 and the end panel 16, and is connected to the side panel 12 by a fold line 36 and to the end panel 16 by a fold line 38. Similarly, a fourth square corner panel 4t) is disposed between the side panel 12 and the end panel 18, and is connected to the side panel 12 by a fold line 41 and to the end panel 18 by a fold line 43. Each of the corner panels 22, 28, 34 and is provided with a diagonal fold line 42 extending from a corner of the bottom panel 10 diagonally across the corner panel to its outside corner.

A flap 44 is disposed adjacent the outer edge of the side panel 12 and connected thereto by a fold line 46. A corresponding flap 48 is disposed adjacent the outside edge of the side panel 14 and connected thereto by a fold line 50. The flap 44 is provided with a fold line 52 spaced from the fold line 46 by distance approximately equal to a double thickness of the sheet material of which the blank 9 is formed, and a corresponding fold line 54 is disposed on the flap 48 separated from the fold line 56 by a distance approximately equal to twice the thickness of the sheet material.

A plurality of rectangular apertures 56 are disposed in the bottom panel 10 at spaced locations adjacent to the fold line 11, and a plurality of tabs 58 are disposed on the outside edge of the flap 44 and correspond substantially in length with the length of the apertures 56, and correspond substantially in width to the thickness of the sheet material. The width of the apertures 56 also corresponds substantially to the thickness of the sheet mate rial of which the blank 9 is formed.

Similarly, a plurality of apertures 60 are disposed in the bottom panel 10 adjacent the fold line 13 separating it from the side wall 14, and a plurality of tabs 62 are provided on the outside edge of the flap 48 for cooperation with apertures 60.

After the blank 9 illustrated in FIG. 1 has been cut from a sheet of flat stock material, the first step in forming the container therefrom is the application of glue to preselected areas of the blank, indicated by stippling in FIG. 1, whereby certain portions of panels of the blank 9 may be secured together. Each of the corner panels 22, 28, 34 and 40 is separated into two triangular areas by the diagonal fold lines 42. One of each pair of triangular areas is adjacent one of the

end panels

16 and 18, connected thereto by one of the

fold lines

24, 32, 38, and 43, and the other is adjacent one of the

side panels

12 and 14, connected thereto by one of the fold lines 26, 38 36, and 41.

The corner panels 22, 28, 34 and 40, together with their attached

end panels

16 and 18, are then folded up about the fold lines 15, 26, and 36, and 17, 30, and 41, respectively, so that the glued surfaces of the corner panels and the side panels engage each other. It will be appreciated that the triangular areas of the side panels and corner panels to which glue has been applied will adhere firmly together and maintain the container in the relation illustrated in FIG. 2. In this condition the con-tainer is relatively flat and may be shipped and stored in this condition with very little wasted space.

When the container is to be used, and it is desired to erect the same into an assembled condition, the

end panels

16 and 18 of the container are folded up about the fold lines and 17. Simultaneously the diagonal fold lines 42 are folded inwardly and the

fold lines

24, 32, 38, and 43 are folded outwardly to conform the container to the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3. In this condition it will be appreciated that each of the corner panels 22, 28, 34, and is folded inwardly about its diagonal .f-old line 42 to form a protective triangular pad having a double thickness of sheet material to strengthen the corners of the assembled container and also to protect the contents within the container. It will be noted that each pad is disposed adjacent the interior surfaces of

side panels

12 and 14.

The corner panels are maintained in the folded condition illustrated in FIG. 3, by folding the flaps 44 and 48 inwardly and downwardly and causing the tabs 58 and 62 to engage in their corresponding apertures 56 and 66, respectively. The resulting container is illustrated in FIG. 4 and has superior stacking characteristics due to its heavily reinforced corners, each of which is formed of four thicknesses of sheet material. In addition, the flaps 44 and 48 not only reinforce the strength of the container but also operate to maintain the corners in erected condition.

If desired, a pair of apertures 63 and 64 may be provided in each of the flaps 44 and 48 between the score lines 46 and 52 and the score lines and 54, respectively. A

4 handle (not shown) formed of wire or the like may engage the container in holding relation and extend through the apertures 63 and 64 to provide a convenient method of carrying the container with one hand.

In FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment 65 of the present invention is illustrated in which a pair of end flaps 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the

end panels

16 and 18 of the blank 9, which end flaps are adapted to overlie the contents of the container as illustrated in FIG. 5. One of the side flaps 48 is modified by eliminating the tabs 62, and is adapted to overlie the inwardly extending end ilaps 68 and 70 and cover the otherwise open upper end of the box. The end flaps 68 and 70 are supported directly by the top surface of the folded corner panels, and the side flap 48' is indirectly supported thereby.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated a modified blank 71 formed of foldable sheet material from which an alternative embodiment of the present invention may be formed, in the shape of a garment box which has a telescoping cover formed integrally with a portion of the bottom section or tray thereof.

The central portion of the blank forms a bottom panel 72, defined by

fold lines

74, 76, 78, and 80. A pair of

side panels

82 and 84 of the container portion are connected to the bottom panel 72 by the fold lines 74 and 78, respectively, and a pair of

end panels

86 and 88 are connected to the bottom panel 72 by the fold lines 76 and 80.

The cover is foldably connected to the end panel 86 and comprises a top panel 90 connected to the end panel 86 by a fold line 92. A pair of

side panels

94 and 96 are foldably connected to the top panel 90 by fold lines 98 and 100, respectively, and an end panel 102 is foldably connected to the top panel 90 by a fold line 104 opposite the position of the end panel 86.

At each corner of the bottom panel, a corner panel 106a, b, c, or d is disposed, separated from its respective side and end panels by fold lines 108a, b, c, or d and 110a, b, c, or d, respectively. Each corner panel is divided into two triangular portions by a fold line 112a, b, c, or d, just as described with reference to FIG. 1. The corner panels 106a and 106d are different from those of the blank of FIG. 1, however, as will presently be described. The corner panels 1tl6b and 1060 are severed from the

side panels

94 and 96 of the cover portion by slit-s or cut

scores

107 and 109.

A flap 114 is foldably connected to the end panel 88 by a pair of spaced parallel fold lines 116 and 118 and is provided with a pair of

fold lines

120 and 122, proceeding obliquely from the ends of the fold line 118 and separating the flap 114 into a central portion and two triangular end portions. Each of the triangular portions of the fiap 114 is provided with a rounded edge 124 which forms a protuberance adapted to lock its respective triangular portion in place when the container is erected.

The triangular portion of each corner panel 106a and 106d, which is adjacent the

side panels

82 and 84, respectively, is provided with an edge 125 extending at an acute angle with respect to the fold line 108:: or 108d and is provided at a location adjacent the fold line with a rounded protuberance 126. The angle of the edge 125 bears a definite relation to the angle of the

fold lines

120 and 122 of the flap 114, as will be seen.

The top panel 90 is provided with corner panels 128 disposed between the end panel 102 and the

side panels

94 and 96, the panels 128 corresponding in shape to the corner panels 106a and 106d. They are connected to the

side panels

94 and 96 by fold lines 127 and to the end panel 102 by fold lines 129. A flap 130 is foldably connected to the end panel 102 by

fold lines

132 and 134 and has a pair of angularly extending

fold lines

136 and 138 corresponding to fold lines 120-122 of the flap 114. The shape of the flap 130 in other respects corresponds to that of the flap 114.

Each of the

side panels

82, 84, 94 and 96 has a slit 131 disposed parallel to the fold lines 1080, 108d and 127 and adjacent thereto for the purpose of securing the protuberant edges 124 of the triangular portions of the flaps 114 and 130 when the container is erected, as will be more fully described. The slits 131 are spaced from the fold lines 74, 78, 98 and 100, respectively, by such a distance as to permit the protuberances 124 to engage the slits 131 during erection of the container, in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

The first step in forming a container from the blank 71 of FIG. 6 is the application of glue to the stippled areas of the blank, after which the

side panels

82, 84, 94 and 96, together with the corner panels 106a-106d and 128 are folded about the fold lines 74, 78, 98, 100, 110a, b, c and d, and 129 over onto the bottom panel 72, the top panel 90 and the

end panels

88, 86 and 102. One corner of the container after this step is illustrated in FIG. 7. Then the flaps 114 and 130 are folded over the

end panels

88 and 102, respectively, as partially illustrated in FIG. 8. The stippled or glued areas of the blank 71 are thus brought into contact with each other and operate to rigidly hold these parts of the container together. In this condition, the container may be shipped and stored with little wasted space.

Erection of the container formed from the blank 71 is generally similar to that of the blank 9 of FIG. 1 which has already been described, but differs in the manner in which the corner assemblies are held in erected condition. In FIG. 9 a corner of the blank 71 is illustrated as being partially erected, and the triangular end portion of the flap 114 is folded upwardly about the fold line 120 to permit the triangular corner pad formed from the corner panel 106a to come into contact with the end panel 88. As it does so, however, the protuberance 126 snaps under the edge defined by the fold line 120, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The triangular portion of the flap 114 is thereafter folded downwardly about the fold line 120, locking the triangular corner pad into position, and the protuberance snaps into place behind the slit 131 adjacent the interior surface of the corner pad, as illustrated in FIG. 11. The material of the blank 71 lying between the slit 131 and the fold line 108a is crushed slightly by the force transmitted to it by the protuberance 124 so that the protuberance 124 remains securely in place behind the slit 131 and, in turn, maintains the corner pad securely in place also.

It is evident that the angles of the edge 125 of the corner panel 106a and of the fold line 120 of the flap 114 are selected so that the edge 125 just passes under the edge defined by the fold line 120 when the corner assumes the condition illustrated in FIG. 10. It is also evident that the position of the slit 131 must be such as to permit the protuberance 124 to engage it to maintain the triangular portion of the flap 114 in position. In an alternative construction, the slit 131 may be eliminated altogether and the areas engaged by the protuberances 124 precrushed at the time the blank 71 is formed to provide a slight recess in the interior surface of the side panel into which the protuberances 124 may snap.

After the formation of the bottom section of the container by erection of the corner panels 106a and 1060! in the manner described above and erection of the corner panels 10617 and 1060 in the manner described in connection with the blank 9 of FIG. 1, the cover section is formed by erection of the corner panel 128 in the identical manner as the corner panels 106a and 106d. The erection of the container is then complete and, after being filled, the cover may be swung about the fold line 92 into a position with the top panel 90 covering the bottom panel 72 and with the end and

side panels

94, 96 and 102 in telesccoping engagement with the end and

side panels

82, 84 and 88, respectively.

It will be appreciated from the above description that container constructed in accordance with the present invention are quickly and easily erected from collapsed form into containers which are strong and rigid, and which exhibit a marked degree of resistance to collapse or disassembly by forces arising from the contents of the containers or from a plurality of such containers in stacked arrangement.

From the foregoing, the present invention has been described in such terms as to enable anyone skilled in the art, by applying current knowledge, to adapt the same for use under varying conditions Without departing from the essential items of novelty involved, which are intended to be defined and secured by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container formed of corrugated sheet fiber material comprising a bottom-forming panel, a pair of sideforming panels, a pair of end-forming panels, said side and end panels being attached to said bottom by fold lines, a plurality of corner panels each attached to one end of a side panel and one end of an end panel by fold lines and having one corner in common With a corner of said bottom panel, a pair of end flaps attached to the free ends of said end panels by fold lines, said end flaps being folded on said fold lines over said end panels and secured thereto, each of said corner panels being divided into first and second portions by a fold line extending diagonally from the corner of said corner panel in common with said bottom panel, said first portion of said corner panel being adjacent said end panel and adapted to be folded over said end panel and secured thereto, said end flaps having triangular segments foldable about a fold line having one end disposed on an edge of said end flap near said end panel, said second portion of said corner panel having a protuberance adapted to snap under said end flap while the same is folded about said fold line to assume a position intermediate said end flap and said end panel, said side panels each having a slit disposed near each fold line separating said side panels from said corner panels, the fiber material of said side panel lying between said slit and said fold line being crushed to form an offset portion of said side panel defined on one side by said slit, said segment having a projection adapted to snap behind said slit into said offset portion of said side panel.

2. A blank of corrugated sheet fiber material for use in forming a container, said blank comprising a bottomforming first panel, a pair of side-forming panels foldably connected to opposite sides of said first panel, a pair of end-forming panels foldably connected to opposite sides of said first panel intermediate said side-forming panels, a

r corner-forming panel foldably interconnecting an end of one side-forming panel to an end of one end-forming panel, said corner-forming panel having a fold line dividing said corner-forming panel into a first triangular panel adjacent said end-forming panel and a second triangular panel adjacent said side-forming panel, a flap-forming panel connected by a fold line to an edge of said one end-forming panel and adapted to fold over one said one end-forming panel and over said corner-forming panel when said container is set up, said flap-forming panel having a triangular segment foldable about a fold line having one end disposed on an edge of said flap-forming panel near said one end-forming panel, said first triangular panel having a protuberance adapted to snap under said flap-forming panel when the same is folded about said fold line to assume a position intermediate said flap-forming panel and said one end-forming panel, said one sideforming panel having a slit disposed near the fold line separating said side-forming panel from said cornerforming panel, the fiber material of said side-forming panel lying between said slit and said fold line being crushed to form an offset portion of said side-forming panel defined on one side by said slit, said triangular segment having a projection adapted to snap behind said slit into said offset portion of said side-forming panel.

3. In a container formed of sheet fiber material, a corner construction comprising a corner panel connected to a pair of contiguous side panels of said container by fold lines, said corner panel being divided into first and second portions by a first fold line extending from the bottom of said two sides such that the fold lines separating said corner panel from said side panels, respectively, are brought into close parallel relation when said first and second portions of said corner panel are folded about said first fold line, one of said side panels having a flap member secured to the inside surface thereof, said flap rnemher being divided into two portions by a second fold line extending diagonally from an upper corner of said flap member at a particular angle so that the second fold line is brought into close parallel relationship with one of the free edges of said corner panel when said folded corner panel is folded into close parallel relation with said one side wall, said free edge having a protuberance adapted to snap behind said flap member to assume a position intermediate said flap member and said one side panel when said container is set up.

4. In a blank formed of corrugated sheet fiber material for use in forming a container, the combination comprising a corner-forming panel connected to a pair of contiguous side-forming panels by fold lines, said cornerforming panel being divided into first and second portions by a first fold line extending from a common corner of said two side-forming panels such that the fold lines separating said corner-forming panel from said side-forming panels, respectively, are brought into close parallel relation when said first and second portions of said cornerforming panels are folded about said first fold line, one of said side-forming panels having a flap member foldably connected thereto and adapted to be secured to one surface thereof, said flap member being divided into a central portion and a corner portion by a flap fold line extending diagonally from a corner common to said flap member and said one side-forming panel at a particular angle so that the flap fold line is brought into close parallel relationship with one of the free edges of said cornerforming panel when said corner-forming panel is folded into close parallel relation with said one side-forming panel, said free edge having a protuberance adapted to snap behind said flap member to assume a position intermediate said fiap member and said one side-forming panel when said blank is set up.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 98,344 2/1898 Ingrey 229--31 1,865,635 7/1932 Klein 229--31 1,886,879 11/1932 Gross 22931 X 1,997,523 4/1935 Katz.

2,115,782 5/1938 Mulnix 22931 2,227,383 12/ 1940 Snyder 229-31 2,414,854 1/ 1947 Conescu 229--31 2,637,483 5/1953 Shapiro 22931 2,777,628 1/1957 Conescu 229-31 3,116,003 12/ 1963 Warner 22933 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

D. T. MOOREHEAD, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

2. A BLANK OF CORRUGATED SHEET FIBER MATERIAL FOR USE IN FORMING A CONTAINER, SAID BLANK COMPRISING A BOTTOMFORMING FIRST PANEL, A PAIR OF SIDE-FORMING PANELS FOLDABLE CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FIRST PANELS, A PAIR OF END-FORMING PANELS FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FIRST PANEL INTERMEDIATE SAID SIDE-FORMING PANELS, A CORNER-FORMING PANEL FOLDABLY INTERCONNECTING AN END OF ONE SIDE-FORMING PANEL TO AN END OF ONE END-FORMING PANEL, SAID CORNER-FORMING PANEL HAVING A FOLD LINE DIVIDING SAID CORNER-FORMING PANEL INTO A FIRST TRIANGULAR PANEL ADJACENT SAID END-FORMING PANEL AND A SECOND TRIANGUALR PANEL ADJACENT SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL, A FLAP-FORMING PANEL CONNECTED BY A FOLD LINE TO AN EDGE OF SAID ONE END-FORMING PANEL AND ADAPTED TO FOLD OVER ONE SAID ONE END-FORMING PANEL AND OVER SAID CORNER-FORMING PANEL WHEN SAID CONTAINER IS SET UP, SAID FLAP-FORMING PANEL HAVING A TRIANGULAR SEGMENT FOLDABLE ABOUT A FOLD LINE HAVING ONE END DISPOSED ON AN EDGE OF SAID FLAP-FORMING PANEL NEAR SAID ONE END-FORMING PANEL, SAID FIRST TRIANGULAR PANEL HAVING A PROTUBERANCE ADAPTED TO SNAP UNDER SAID FLAP-FORMING PANEL WHEN THE SAME IS FOLDED ABOUT SAID FOLD LINE TO ASSUME A POSITION INTERMEDIATE SAID FLAP-FORMING PANEL AND SAID ONE END-FORMING PANEL, SAID ONE SIDEFORMING PANEL HAVING A SLIT DISPOSED NEAR THE FOLD LINE SEPARATING SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL FROM SAID CORNERFORMING PANEL, THE FIBER MATERIAL OF SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL LYING BETWEEN SAID SLIT AND FOLD LINE BEING CRUSHED TO FORM AN OFFSET PORTION OF SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL DEFINED ON ONE SIDE BY SAID SLIT, SAID TRIANGULAR SEGMENT HAVING A PROJECTION ADAPTED TO SNAP BEHIND SAID SLIT INTO SAID OFFSET PORTION OF SAID SIDE-FORMING PANEL.