WO2003022692A1

WO2003022692A1 - Stackable container

Info

Publication number: WO2003022692A1
Application number: PCT/IB2002/003636
Authority: WO
Inventors: Raymond George Montague Kisch
Original assignee: Moubray, Hugh, Robert
Priority date: 2001-09-10
Filing date: 2002-09-10
Publication date: 2003-03-20

Abstract

A container (10) includes a base (12), a pair of opposed first walls (14) and a pair of opposed second walls (16), with each second wall having at least one reinforcing pillar (20) the bottom of which reinforcing pillar abuts or substantially abuts the base, the reinforcing pillar projecting inwardly into the container and having an upper portion (24) extending above the top of the remainder of the second wall, the upper portion having a contact surface (26) for contacting the base of an upper container stacked on top of the container, so that in use the weight of the upper container, in contact with the contact surface, will bend the reinforcing pillar inwardly about the junction between the bottom of the reinforcing pillar and the base thereby bending the second wall inwardly.

Description

STACKABLE CONTAINER.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a container.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

US patent 4,948,033 describes a corrugated board container which has support columns or reinforcing pillars in its sidewalls. The reinforcing pillars increase the stacking strength of the container. This container however suffers from the disadvantage that the sidewalls tend to bulge outwardly under load.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention a container includes a base, a pair of opposed first walls and a pair of opposed second walls, with each second wall having at least one reinforcing pillar the bottom of which reinforcing pillar abuts or substantially abuts the base, the reinforcing pillar projecting inwardly into the container and having an upper portion extending above the top of the remainder of the second wall, the upper portion having a contact surface for contacting the base of an upper container stacked on top of the container, so that in use the weight of the upper container, in contact with the contact surface, will bend the reinforcing pillar inwardly about the junction between the bottom of the reinforcing pillar and the base thereby bending the second wall inwardly. In the preferred form of the invention contact surface is inclined upwardly towards the interior of the container. Preferably the each reinforcing pillar is substantially V-shaped in cross-section with the apex of each V-shaped reinforcing pillar forming an initial contact surface for the upper container.

At least the base of the container may be compressible so that when the reinforcing pillar bends inwardly, the bottom of each reinforcing pillar will compress the base and form an indentation therein. In addition, in a stacked arrangement it will be appreciated that the contact surface will form an indentation in the base of the upper container thereby interlocking the containers to a degree against lateral movement.

The container is preferably made of corrugated board. In such an embodiment the extent to which the contact surface extends above the top of the remainder of the second wall is preferably substantially equal to the height of a flute in the corrugated board. The corrugated board is preferably corrugated cardboard.

Reinforcing pillars may also be provided in the first walls. The first walls may be endwalls and the second walls may be sidewalls. The sidewalls may be longer or shorter than the endwalls.

According to another aspect of the invention a stack of containers, as described in the above consistory clauses, is provided with the second walls of the containers, except for those of the uppermost container, being bent inwardly by the weight of the container or containers stacked above them.

Preferably the containers are interlocked with one another, at least to a degree, against lateral movement by the contact surfaces of the reinforcing pillars of lower containers extending into depressions formed in the bases of adjacent upper containers. According to another aspect of the invention a sidewall blank for forming a sidewall of a container includes a top surface and a bottom surface, with the top surface having a substantially V-shaped projection for forming a contact surface on an upper portion of a reinforcing pillar formed in a sidewall erected from the sidewall blank.

According to another aspect of the invention a method of preventing sidewalls of a lower container from bulging outwardly includes the step of bending reinforcing pillars, in the sidewalls of the lower container, inwardly about junctions of the reinforcing pillars and a base of the lower container by stacking an upper container on top of the lower container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a body blank for the container of figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a sidewall blank according to the invention for the container of figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a stack of containers according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view on line V-V of figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view on line VI-VI of figure 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring firstly to figures 1 to 3, a container in the form of a corrugated cardboard box 10 includes a base 12, two endwalls 14, two sidewalls 16 and an opening 18 through which articles can be placed in the box 10. Each sidewall 16 has an integrally formed reinforcing pillar 20 located midway between the ends of the sidewall 16.

Each endwall 14 has endwall flaps 22 adhered with an adhesive to the sidewalls 16. Likewise the base 12 has two base flaps 24 adhered with an adhesive to the sidewalls 16. Each reinforcing pillar 20 has an upper portion 24 with an inclined contact surface 26. The upper portion 24 extends above the top 27 of the sidewall 16.

The box 10 is formed from three blanks comprising a body blank 28 (figure 2) and two sidewall blanks 30 (figure 3). Each reinforcing pillar 20 is formed from three crease lines 32.

The body blank 28 consists of a base panel 12.1 , two opposed endwall panels 14.1 connected to the base panel 12.1 by crease lines 34. Each endwall panel 14.1 has two opposed endwall panel flaps 22.1 connected to the respective endwall panels 14.1 by crease lines 36. The base panel 12.1 has two opposed base panel flaps 24.1 connected to it by crease lines 38.

Referring now to figure 4 to 6, the boxes 10 are stacked one on top of the other to form a stack 40. As can be seen from figure 5, the weight of the boxes on top of the bottom box bends the reinforcing pillar 20 of the bottom box inwardly causing the bottom 42 of the reinforcing pillar to compress flutes 44 in the base 12 and to form an indentation 46 in the base. Because the reinforcing pillar 20 is integrally connected to its sidewall 16, the sidewall 16 is also bent slightly inwardly about the junction between the sidewall 16 and the base 12 thereby reducing the likelihood of the sidewall 16 bulging outwardly under load.

As can be seen from figure 6, the reinforcing pillar 20 of the intermediate box bends inwardly in the same manner as the reinforcing pillar 20 of the bottom box. In addition, the contact surface 26 of the reinforcing pillar 20 of the bottom box forms an indentation 48 in the base 12 of the intermediate box. This to a degree interlocks the bottom box and the intermediate box against lateral movement. Each indentation formed by a reinforcing pillar 20 in the base 12 of its box or in the base 12 of an upper box has a depth substantially equal to half the height of the flutes of the corrugated cardboard from which the boxes are made.

It will be appreciated that the reinforcing pillars bend inwardly as a result of a bending moment set up in the reinforcing pillars by the weight of an upper box acting on the contact surfaces of the reinforcing pillars.

It will be appreciated that many modifications or variations of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A container including a base, a pair of opposed first walls and a pair of opposed second walls, with each second wall having at least one reinforcing pillar the bottom of which reinforcing pillar abuts or substantially abuts the base, the reinforcing pillar projecting inwardly into the container and having an upper portion extending above the top of the remainder of the second wall, the upper portion having a contact surface for contacting the base of an upper container stacked on top of the container, so that in use the weight of the upper container, in contact with the contact surface, will bend the reinforcing pillar inwardly about the junction between the bottom of the reinforcing pillar and the base thereby bending the second wall inwardly.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the contact surface is inclined upwardly towards the interior of the container.

3. The container of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each reinforcing pillar is substantially V-shaped in cross-section with the apex of each V-shaped reinforcing pillar forming an initial contact surface for the upper container.

4. The container of any one of the above claims wherein at least the base of the container is compressible so that when the reinforcing pillar bends inwardly, the bottom of each reinforcing pillar will compress the base and form an indentation therein.

5. The container of any one of the above claims wherein the container is made of corrugated board and wherein the extent to which the contact surface extends above the top of the remainder of the second wall is substantially equal to the height of a flute in the corrugated board.

6. The container substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A stack of containers, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 with the second walls of the containers, except for those of the uppermost container, being bent inwardly by the weight of the container or containers stacked above them.

8. The stack of container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the containers are interlocked with one another, at least to a degree, against lateral movement by the contact surfaces of the reinforcing pillars of lower containers extending into depressions formed in the bases of adjacent upper containers.

9. A sidewall blank for forming a sidewall of a container including a top surface and a bottom surface, with the top surface having a substantially V-shaped projection for forming a contact surface on an upper portion of a reinforcing pillar formed in a sidewall erected from the sidewall blank.

10. A method of preventing sidewalls of a lower container from bulging outwardly including the step of bending reinforcing pillars, in the sidewalls of the lower container, inwardly about junctions of the reinforcing pillars and a base of the lower container by stacking an upper container on top of the lower container.

11. A sidewall blank substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2. A method of preventing sidewalls of a lower container from bulging outwardly substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.