AU2003200374B2

AU2003200374B2 - A Container and Blank

Info

Publication number: AU2003200374B2
Application number: AU2003200374A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew Jackson
Original assignee: AMCOR Ltd
Current assignee: Amcor Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2002-02-06
Filing date: 2003-02-05
Publication date: 2008-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 2023-02-05
Also published as: AU2003200374A1

Description

Name of Applicant(s) Actual Inventor(s) Address for Service: invention Title:

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Amcor Limited Andrew Jackson CULLEN CO Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street Brisbane QId 4000 Australian A Container and Blank Details of Associated Provisional Applications The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it, known to us: FIELD OF THE INVENTION 0 Z This invention relates to a container. In particular the invention Iconcerns a stackable hand erectable container.

Backqround of the Invention Australian patent specification 697194 concerns a container which has opposed inwardly inclined side walls along two of its sides. The container has indexing wall flap extensions adhesively attached directly or indirectly to proximate non-indexing wall flaps. Each extension to each of the second flap of an indexing wall flap sequence folds inwardly to define a corner gusset which in an erected container acts as a support for like containers stacked on top of one another.

The construction of patent 697194 provides a container that is machine erectable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container which may serve as an alternative to the container of patent 697194 and that is hand erectable.

Disclosure of the Invention According to one aspect the invention provides a container made from a blank of foldable material, the container having a main panel with plurality of stacking apertures, a first pair of opposed side wall panels hinged to the main panel by respective fold lines, each of the side wall panels of the first pair having an extension panel hinged to it by one or more fold lines extending parallel to the fold line about which the associated said side wall panel is hinged to the main panel, a second pair of opposed side wall panels hinged to the main panel by respective fold lines extending at right angles to the fold lines which connect the wall panels of the first pair to the main panel, opposed end flaps hinged to opposite edges of the wall panels of the second pair by fold lines extending at right angles to the fold line that hinges the associated said side wall panel to the main panel, a respective 3 side wall panel extension hinged to each said side wall panel of the second pair by a fold line parallel to the fold line about which the associated side wall

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Z panel is hinged to the main panel, the end flaps hinged to the side wall panels Iof the second pair have an outer free edge extending at an inclined angle relative to the fold lines which hinge the side wall panels of the second pair to the main panel, wherein the end flaps hinged to the side wall panels of the second pair are held between the extension panels and the side wall panels of the first pair, and the side wall panels of the second pair extend upwardly from the main panel and are slightly inwardly directed, and wherein each extension panel has opposed oppositely directed end flaps hinged to it by fold lines extending substantially at right angles to the fold lines about which the side wall panels of the first pair are hinged to the main panel.

Preferably each panel extension has locking apertures for receiving the end flaps that are hinged to the extension panels of the side wall panels of the first pair when the container is erected and serve to maintain the container in its erected state. Whilst this is the preferred manner of maintaining the container in its erected state, other ways of achieving this are not excluded.

Preferably a free edge of each said extension panel has recesses formed in it. The panel extension has opposed end flaps hinged to it by fold lines extending at right angles to the fold line which hinges the panel extension to the associated side wall panel. The end flaps have an outer inclined free edge.

Preferably a plurality of cut-outs are provided along the fold line which hinges the panel extension to the associated side wall panel and further cut outs are present between the end flaps hinged to the side wall panels and the panel extensions. When the panel extensions are folded over an associated side wall panel and the respective end flaps overlie each other, the bridging portions between the cut outs provide lugs or stacking projections.

Preferably, the panel extensions and side wall panels of the second pair have ventilation openings formed in them. Preferably, the side wall panels of the first pair have openings which function as hand hold openings.

The blank may be made from any suitable foldable material.

Solid or corrugated fibreboard material may be employed to make the blank.

Preferably, double faced corrugated material is employed although other materials are not excluded. It is preferred that the corrugations are aligned so that they extend along the height of the sides of an erected container.

1 o Disclosure of the Drawings A particular preferred embodiment of the container and blank of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of a blank from which a container according to an embodiment of the invention may be made; Figure 2 is a view of the blank of figure 1 shown partially erected; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a container made from the blank of figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of part of the container shown in figure 3; and Figure 5 is a detailed perspective view of a corner of the container of figure 3.

Description of Preferred Embodiment The blank 10 shown in figure 1 has a main panel 11. Opposed side wall panels 12, 13 are hinged to opposite sides of the main panel 11 by fold lines 14, 15. Each of the side wall panels 12, 13 is provided with an opening 16 which serves as a hand hole in the erected container. Each side wall panel 12, 13 has an extension panet 17 hinged to it by double fold lines 18. An aperture 19 is provided partway along the fold lines 18 and extends partially into to side wall panels 12, 13 and into the extension panel 17.

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The extension panel 17 has opposed end flaps 20, 21 hinged to it by fold lines 22, 23.

The main panel 11 is provided with a plurality of indexing apertures or stacking apertures 24.

The main panel 11 has a pair of second side wall panels 30 and 31 hinged to it by fold lines 32 and 33. The side wall panels 30, 31 are provided with a plurality of ventilation openings 34. A respective side wall panel extension 35, 36 is hinged to each of the side wall panels 30, 31 by fold lines 37, 38. Ventilation openings 39 are formed in each of the side wall panel extensions 35, 36.

Cut outs 40 are formed along the fold lines 37 and 38.

Opposed end flaps 41, 42 are hinged to side wall panels 30, 31 by fold lines 43, 44. Opposed end flap 45, 46 are hinged to side wall panel extensions 36 by fold lines 47, 48. Cut outs 49, 50 are provided partially in the side wall panels 30, 31, within side wall panel extensions 35, 36 and within end flaps 41, 45 and 42, 46.

A free edge 51 of the blank 10 has recesses 52 formed in it. A pair of locking apertures 53 is formed in each of the side wall panel extensions 35, 36.

Outer free edge 54 of end flaps 45, 46 extends at an inwardly inclined angle relative to the free edge 51 of the blank 10. The outer free edge 55 of the end flaps 41, 42 extend at an inclined angle relative to fold lines 32, 33.

The flaps 41, 42, 45, 46 are provided with cut outs 56.

Figure 2 of the drawings shows the blank 10 of figure 1 in a partially erected form. In figure 2, side wall panel extension 35 has been folded about fold line 37 and extends over side wall panel 30. Adhesive may be used to retain the blank in this condition. Likewise, side wall panel extension 36 has been folded about fold line 38 and extends over side wall panel 31. The bridging zones between cut outs 40 and 49, 40 and 50 and between the adjacent cut outs 40 provide lugs 60. The outer portion remaining between flaps 41, 45 and 42, 46, when the flaps 45 are folded over flaps 41 and when flaps 46 are folded over flaps 42 provide lugs 61. When the side wall extension panels 35, 36 are folded over in this way, the cut outs 56 in the flaps 45, 46 are brought into registry with the cut outs 56 provided in the flaps 41, 42 and the free edges 54, 55 are brought into coincidence. In addition, the ventilation openings 34 and 39 are also brought into coincidence.

Figure 3 of the drawings shows a container 70 formed from the blank 10 of figure 1. To arrive at the configuration shown in figure 3, side wall panel 30 is hinged about fold line 32 such that both the side wall 30 and the side wall panel extension 35 which overlies the side wall panel 30 extend upwardly relative to the main panel 11. End flap 41 and end flap 45 which overlies end flap 41 are folded about fold line 43 and 47 so that they extend at right angles to side wall panel 30 and side wall panel extension 35. Since edges 54 and 55 are inclined relative to the fold line 32 and to the free edge 51, when the free edge 55 contacts the main panel 11, the side wall panel and the side wall panel extension 35 extend upwardly relative to the main panel 11 and inwardly at an inclined angle. Thus, the resultant long side wall of the container 70 is inwardly inclined and does not extend at right angles to the main panel 11 of the container 70. The opposed long side wall of the container to that just described is formed in a similar way.

When the end flaps 41, 42 and 45, 46 are folded at right angles relative to the long side walls of the container, the side wall panels 12, 13 are folded about fold lines 14, 15 and extension panel 17 is folded over the end flaps 41, 45 and 42, 46 and the container is maintained in its erected condition by end flaps 20, 21 which are folded so that they project into and locate relative to the locking apertures 53 provided in the side wall panel extension 35, 36. The lugs 61 formed when the end flaps 45 are folded over end flaps 41 project through the aperture 19 formed along fold lines 18. This is shown in Figure 4.

The cut outs 56 are brought into registry with the hand hole opening 16 provided in that side wall panel which forms the shorter side wall of the container 7 Figure 5 of the drawings shows a detailed view of a corner of the container 70 at figure 3. The flap 20 is shown located in a locking aperture 53 and extension panel 17 and side wall 12 or 13 capture the end flaps 45, 46 between them and retain the container in its erected condition. In Sthe embodiment illustrated, the long side walls of the container 70 are inwardly inclined.

When a plurality of like containers 70 are stacked one on top of the other, the lugs 60 and 61 locate relative to and within indexing apertures 24 formed in the main panel of each of the containers. Since the longer side walls of the containers are inclined inwardly, ventilation space is provided between the containers in a stack. The spaced double fold lines 18 and the resultant double thickness long side wall of the container provide a stacking ledge onto which subsequent containers may be stacked and provide for strength and rigidity when a plurality of containers are stacked in this way.

The container of the invention is intended to be hand erected. It is preferred that the blank presented to the end user is in the configuration shown in figure 2 and the side wall panel extensions 35, 36 may be attached, such as by an adhesive, to the adjacent side wall panels 30, 31.

Claims

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the panel extensions have locking apertures for receiving the end flaps when the container is erected and maintain the container in its erected state.
3. The container of claim 1 or 2 wherein a free edge of each said panel extension has recesses formed in it.
4. The container of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each said panel extension has opposed end flaps hinged to it by fold lines extending at 9 Sright angles to the fold line which hinges the panel extension to the associated side wall panel, and the end flaps have an outer inclined free Z edge. The container of claim 4 having a plurality of cut-outs provided along the fold line which hinges the panel extension to the associated side wall panel and cut-outs between the end flaps hinged to the side wall panels Sand the panel extension such that when the panel extensions are folded over San associated side wall panel and the respective end flaps overlie each other, bridging portions between the cut-outs provide lugs or stacking projections.
6. The container of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the panel extensions and side wall panels of the second pair have ventilation openings formed in them.
7. The container of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the side wall panels of the first pair have openings which function as hand hold openings.
8. A container substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.