US3869076A

US3869076A - Garment box

Info

Publication number: US3869076A
Application number: US384407A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell Chally
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-08-01
Filing date: 1973-08-01
Publication date: 1975-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1992-03-04

Abstract

A fold-up box, that is stocked in flat cardboard sheets, employs one simple flap-tuck in two places for assembly.

Description

11116 States Patent [191 Cha11y Mar.4, 1975 GARMENT BOX [76] Inventor: Russell Chally, 1019 Sprace St.,

Morris, 111. 60450 [22] Filed: Aug. 1, 1973 211 App]. No.2 384,407

52 us. Cl. 229/32, 229/16 R, 229/34 R 51 Int. Cl. B65d 5/26 58 Field of Search 229/32, 34 R, 35, 30. 16 R 156] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1919 Baker 229/16 R 6/1923 Stubbs 4/1930 Bachmann 229/16 R X 2.220.076 11/1941) Curruth 229/32 X 2.251.565 8/1941 Formun 6 229/16 R 3.469.761 9/1969 Howell 229/32 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPL1CAT1ONS 591,475 4/1925 France 229/34 R 91.893 6/1958 Norway 229/34 R Primary E.\'aminer-Stan1ey N. Gilreath Attorney, Agent. or Firm.10hn L. Parker, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT A fold-up box, that is stocked in flat cardboard sheets, employs one simple flap-tuck in two places for assembly.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures GARMENT BOX This invention relates to packaging design, more particularly to boxes that are folded up from die-cut creased flat stock.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a fold up box for garments or the like that offers improvement in the present art. All of the boxes in use today that are folded up from flat paper stock have one or more of the following disadvantages: The die-cut and creased box unit is expensive because the cutting die and/or the creasing machine is complicated, some involving curves for tuck-in flaps, creasing running together at odd angles and the like. Some boxes are flat in stock, but are not a single thickness of cardboard. They are doubled over, or creased and folded before die-cutting and so on. Still other boxes in their areas of folding employ staples, gluing and the like. All such folded stock means fewer units per package and also lends to sagging of the pile, awkward handling and the like. Boxes have tuck-in ears or lobes that are not only awkward in assembly where time is of the essence, but creates frustration both for the packer and the customer as these ears are easily torn or simply ruptured under the application of a tightly packed garment. Boxes that have cut outs in which to insert the fingers means that there is an exposure to the interior; an undesirable feature. Therefore, such boxes simply do not have hand grips.

The present invention features a box that takes the simplest of cutting and creasing equipment and eliminates staples, glue and the like. Further, the boxes assemble very rapidly in a secure, reliable manner. The single, simple movement of tucking in one flap at each end locks the whole box into shape and automatically provides a ledge for easily lifting and moving the box by using the ends of the fingers of both hands.

These and other objects will become evident upon examination of the following specification and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the box unit as manufactured and packaged;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the box folded up and the flap tucked into the slot; and

FIG. 3 is an outside view of FIG. 2.

Referring to the figures, a garment box is die-cut and creased out of one piece of paper stock 11. This produces a square or rectangular box unit having a bottom wall 12, side walls 13, trapezoid shaped end walls 14, corner tabs 15, trapezoid shaped tuck-in flaps 16 and tuck-in slots 17.

In one creasing operation, two creases 18 provide for folding up side walls 13. In the second creasing operation, two creases 19 are made for folding up end walls 14 and two creases 20 are made for tuck-in flaps 16.

The previous description and inspection of the drawing will show that both die-cut and creasing operations are extremely simple, thereby bringing down the cost of the equipment needed to produce the basic box unit 10.

Referring in particular to FIGS. 2 and 3, in which the figures clearly show the method of assembly, it will be seen that the area 21 is somewhat recessed by virtue of the short projection of flaps 16 through slots 17. This recess automatically creates a handy grip for the finger tips when lifting and moving about a packaged box.

It will also become obvious that assembly is simple. The packager, with one motion brings both thumbs against both flaps l6, bends the flaps while pressing the fingers area 21. Since the projection of the marginal edge of flap 16 is only slightly beyond cut 17, the flap snaps into place. Once the flaps are in place, the corner tabs 15 are locked between the end walls 14 and the corner area 16a of the flaps, to thereby secure the tabs against rotating into the box or about crease 18 as an access.

In manufacture, the complete box will come in separate packages, one package having a bottom wall 12 of the desired dimensions and the other package having a bottom wall 12 slightly larger in both directions serving as the cover. As is done in general practice today the outer unit or cover unit is distinguishable by its markings, decorations, coloring, addition of a built-in cord or ribbon handle and the like. It should also be understood that the scope of the invention includes a possible extension to a double unit in which the die and the scoring provides three side walls 13 and six tabs 15. Whether a whole garment box comprises two units as described and shown in the figures or is made of one unit doubling over both as box and cover using the features of the invention, the original cardboard stock is of one thickness only, piling up evenly and economically in the package.

What I claim is:

1. An integral fold-up box for garments or the like comprising a square or rectangular bottom wall; a pair of upstanding, opposed, side walls joined to said bottom by way of fold-up creases, each of said side walls extending the full length of the bottom and carrying a tab at each end joined to the side wall by way of a foldin crease, each tab being disposed at a right angle to the side wall and extending in the direction of the opposing side wall, each tab and its associated side wall thereby forming a corner for the box; a pair of upstanding, opposed, end walls joined to said bottom by way of foldup creases, each of said end walls having a trapezoidal shape with long and short parallel sides, the long parallel side of the trapezoid extending the full width of the bottom and being joined thereto; a pair of tuck-in flaps joined to said short parallel sides of each of said end walls by way of fold-down creases, each of said flaps also having a trapezoidal shape with long and short parallel sides, the long parallel side of each flap coinciding with and being joined to the short parallel side of each end wall; and each of said end walls carrying a tuck-in slot disposed parallel to said parallel sides of the end wall, said slot being slightly longer than said short parallel side of the tuck-in flap whereby disposition of the marginal edge of the short parallel side of the flap within the slot locks the opposing corner tabs at each end of the box between the end wall and its associated tuck-in flap.

2. The integral fold-up box of claim 1 in which all of the creases are straight.

3. The integral fold-up box of claim 1 in which the side walls and tab are quadrilateral in shape.

Claims

1. An integral fold-up box for garments or the like comprising a square or rectangular bottom wall; a pair of upstanding, opposed, side walls joined to said bottom by way of fold-up creases, each of said side walls extending the full length of the bottom and carrying a tab at each end joined to the side wall by way of a fold-in crease, each tab being disposed at a right angle to the side wall and extending in the direction of the opposing side wall, each tab and its associated side wall thereby forming a corner for the box; a pair of upstanding, opposed, end walls joined to said bottom by way of fold-up creases, each of said end walls having a trapezoidal shape with long and short parallel sides, the long parallel side of the trapezoid extending the full width of the bottom and being joined thereto; a pair of tuck-in flaps joined to said short parallel sides of each of said end walls by way of fold-down creases, each of said flaps also having a trapezoidal shape with long and short parallel sides, the long parallel side of each flap coinciding with and being joined to the short parallel side of each end wall; and each of said end walls carrying a tuck-in slot disposed parallel to said parallel sides of the end wall, said slot being slightly longer than said short parallel side of the tuck-in flap whereby disposition of the marginal edge of the short parallel side of the flap within the slot locks the opposing corner tabs at each end of the box between the end wall and its associated tuck-in flap.