AU744208B2 - Container/surround assemblies - Google Patents

Description

-1- Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT, 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service in Australia: Invention Title: CARTER HOLT HARVEY LIMITED ROBERT WILLIAM COE A J PARK, Level 11, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 Container/Surround Assemblies The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us u i, :i Z. The present invention relates to article or produce carrying assemblies, components thereof and related methods of use thereof. Many forms of container are known for carrying produce. The present invention relates to a container of a kind capable of being erected from a blank of a planar material (eg corrugated board or a paper board) or from multiple blank pieces of such a material.

New Zealand patent specification 230735 the full content of which is hereby included relates to an assembly of such a container in conjunction with a cover having side and end walls of a trapezium configuration whereby hand holds provided by flaps to be expressed from the plane of the blank from which the cover is formed allow an uplifting with hand holds of the covered container. The present invention relates to similar such structures but having an advantage there over.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an assembly which will provide an alternative to any such system.

In a first aspect the invention consists in an assembly comprising or including a container (flap closeable or otherwise) formed from a blank or blanks having a substantially rectangular or square base and upstanding walls (two flanking walls and two non flanking walls), two opposed walls ("non flanking walls") each being formed ooos by folding of the blank(s) to define an exterior downwardly directed feature, being an edge and/or fold line, between the upper and lower periphery of the wall, and 2 a surround for the upstanding walls ofthe container, said surround being formed from a blank or blanks, wherein said downwardly directed edge(s) and/or fold line(s) enables by direct or indirect support thereof the uplifting of the container, and wherein, if the exterior downwardly directed feature(s) is (or are) an edge, any such edge is not a boundary of an opening through the wall, and wherein said surround provides an opening for each said exterior downwardly directed feature to enable such uplifting of the container by such features together with said surround.

Preferably each such feature, being a downwardly directed edge or fold-line of a flap extension of the non flanking wall panel hinged from the base, is held -2Adownwardly over a blank provided wall panel by blank provided web connection(s) to each of the flanking wall panels.

Preferably said surround has at least one blank defined flap adapted at least in part to close the surround surrounded container.

Preferably said surround includes at least two flaps to overlie (at least in part) said container.

Preferably said surround is of a planar material and each said opening of said surround is provided by a blank cut providing a flap ("opening flap") movable out of the plane of such material.

Preferably each said opening flap is engageable under its proximate said exterior downwardly directed feature of the container.

o Preferably said planar material of said container is a paperboard including laminate.

Preferably said planar material is a laminate having a corrugated core.

Preferably said surround is of a paperboard laminate.

Preferably said surround is bottomless and has closeable flap(s) extending from said flanking wall(s) and said wall panels.

Preferably each wall of said surround has a flap closeable as a lidding feature for said container.

Preferably said container has closeable flap(s) extending from said flanking wall(s).

Preferably said surround is slightly longer and wider respectively than the corresponding exterior dimensions of said container.

In a further aspect the present invention consists in an assembly comprising or including a container formed from a blank or blanks (hereafter "blank") having at least a so substantially a rectangular or square base and upstanding walls and a surround for the upstanding walls which does not underlie the base of the container (yet which optionally includes one or more flaps capable of overlying part of said container irrespective of whether or not said container itself includes any flap closure aspect), too.*:wherein two opposed walls ("non flanking walls") of said container each have a flap *2 0: extension downfolded from the top of the blank provided wall flap up folded tp define with a downwardly directed edge or fold line of that flap extension a feature on the exterior capable of being engaged directly or indirectly by hand through an opening of the surround to enable the container to be uplifted together with the surround.

Preferably the downwardly directed edge or fold line is held in association with the proximate wall panel by container blank provided web connection(s) to each of the flanking wall panels of those non flanking wall panels having said feature.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a container formed from a blank suitable for use in an assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein said container has as each said downwardly directed feature a downwardly directed edge or foldline of an extension of the non flanking wall panel hinged upwardly from the blank base (which non flanking wall panel may be gusset web linked to each flanking wall), the extension being held downwardly over said proximate non flanking wall panel by any one or more of the surround, (ii) an under tucking of an extension beyond said extension fold-line, and (iii) blank provided gusset web link to each of the flanking wall panels.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a container formed from a blank 7 suitable for use in an assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein said container has as its non flanking walls and downwardly directed features that which eventuates from a blank for the container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

Preferably said assembly is substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in the use of an assembly in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 15 and 19 to transport or pack or to package articles or produce.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the 6* appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a preferred container in accordance with the present invention showing the feature A to enable uplifting of an end of the container, *see*:Figure 2 is an isometric view of one form of surround for association over the Se.

container of Figure 1, the surround having flap provided openings to enable into *~Xengagement of the flap under the feature A and to enable the uplifting of the surround and the container together, 0 Figure 3 shows the surround of Figure 2 being lowered over the container of Figure 1, Figure 4 shows the arrangement after the lowering of Figure 3, the flaps of the surround being shown in an open condition for convenience (they can of course be adhesively fastened), and Figures 5 through 11 show in sequence the folding of the container, (Figure 5 showing the blank cutout of said container, Figure 6 showing the folding of the walls into an upstanding position, Figure 7 showing the web connections folded to provide the side wall panels of the container, and Figures 8-11 shows the flap extension of said of said container being folded under the web connections to provide said ature) and folded to provide the side wall panels of the container, and Figures 8-1 1 shows the flap extension of said of said container being folded under the web connections to provide said feature), and Figure 12 shows the blank cutout of said surround.

The preferred container is that shown in Figures 1 and 5 through 11. It is preferably formed from a blank of for example, a laminate of a waterproofing plastics material (optionally metallised) and an appropriate paperboard. The paperboard can be a dense card or a laminate of kraft paper and/or other paperboard materials, eg; a corrugated medium or the like.

The present invention envisages however an arrangement whereby a surround formed, for example, from a blank of an appropriate paperboard as shown in Figure 12, can be used to confer an addition to the peripheral wall strength of the assembled container (see Figure 4) whilst allowing the uplifting of the container in such a form.

As can be seen from Figure 5 a preferred single piece blank comprises a base 1 15 which is preferably rectangular, wall panels 2, flanging walls or wall panels 3, closeable flaps 4 from the flanking walls 3, and outward extension 5 to be folded on a fold-line 6 to provide the downwardly directed feature shown in Figure 1 and to be held in position by the further extension 7 being tied upwardly under the flap The webs 8 and 9 in each instance are not broken from the wall panels 2 and 3.

The surround itself is preferably formed from the blank shown in Figure 12 (ie; adhered by flap 10. Die cut in panels 12 is a flap providing opening for each end. For convenience the flap is shown out of the plane in Figure 12. This flap 13 is adapted in the condition as shown in Figure 4 to underlie and engage the downwardly directed edge 6 so as to associate the two components together or at least assist in the uplifting of the weight carrying container under the cover of the surround which preferably is provided with the 4 closure flaps depicted in the drawings.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate how the arrangement as described provides an advantage over the aligned hand hold arrangements of aforementioned New Zealand Patent Specification 230735. At the very least there is provided a better degree of water tightness for the inner container. This is particularly useful where, for example, fish or the like is being carried in what is to be preferably a waterproof crate or tray type environment optionally containing ice and preferably with multiple closures, eg; the flaps of the container itself preferably in turn overlaid by the cover.

The nature of the surround is such as to provide greater strength than would otherwise be the case with the choice of material in the construction of the crate or container component of the assembly.

Outward wall bulge is resisted by the surround and with the preferred use of, for example, a plastic web laminated on to the paperboard, the base of the container or crate is sufficiently strong to support any load carried therein, stacking strength being enhanced by the ability of the base to conform to an underlying assembly in a stack and of course the combined wall strength of both the container and the surround.

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Claims (15)

1. An assembly comprising or including a container (flap closeable or otherwise) formed from a blank or blanks having a substantially rectangular or square base and upstanding walls (two flanking walls and two non flanking walls), two opposed walls ("non flanking walls") each being formed by folding of the blank(s) to define an exterior downwardly directed feature, being an edge and/or fold line, between the upper and lower periphery of the wall, and a surround for the upstanding walls of the container, said surround being formed from a blank or blanks, wherein said downwardly directed edge(s) and/or fold line(s) enables by direct or indirect support thereof the uplifting of the container, •go and wherein, if the exterior downwardly directed feature(s) is (or are) an edge, any such edge is not a boundary of an opening through the wall, and wherein said surround provides an opening for each said exterior downwardly 1: directed feature to enable such uplifting of the container by such features together with said surround.

2. An assembly of claim 1 wherein each such feature, being a downwardly directed edge or fold-line of a flap extension of the non flanking wall panel hinged from the base, is held downwardly over a blank provided wall panel by blank provided web connection(s) to each :a of the flanking wall panels.

3. An assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein said surround has at least one blank defined flap adapted at least in part to close the surround surrounded container.

4. An assembly of claim 3 wherein said surround includes at least two flaps to overlie (at least in part) said container.

5. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein said surround is of a planar material and each said opening of said surround is provided by a blank cut providing a flap ("opening flap") movable out of the plane of such material.

6. An assembly of claim 5 wherein each said opening flap is engageable under its proximate said exterior downwardly directed feature of the container. ,US SAn assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein said planar material S osaid container is a paperboard including laminate. i a r~ ~8lrri.~di;~,:

8. An assembly of claim 7 wherein said planar material is a laminate having a corrugated core.

9. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein said surround is of a paperboard laminate.

10. An assembly of claim 9 wherein said surround is bottomless and has closeable flap(s) extending from said flanking wall(s) and said wall panels.

11. An assembly of claim 10 wherein each wall of said surround has a flap closeable as a lidding feature for said container.

12. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein said container has closeable flap(s) extending from said flanking wall(s). i: 13. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein said surround is slightly 0 longer and wider respectively than the corresponding exterior dimensions of said container. S: 14. An assembly comprising or including a container formed from a blank or blanks (hereafter "blank") having at least a substantially a rectangular or square base and upstanding walls and a surround for the upstanding walls which does not underlie the base of the container (yet which optionally includes one or more flaps capable of overlying part of said container irrespective of whether or not said container itself includes any flap closure aspect), wherein two opposed walls ("non flanking walls") of said container each have a flap extension downfolded from the top of the blank provided wall flap up folded tp define with a downwardly directed edge or fold line of that flap extension a feature on the exterior capable of being engaged directly or indirectly by hand through an opening of the surround to enable the container to be uplifted together with the surround. An assembly of claim 14 wherein the downwardly directed edge or fold line is held in association with the proximate wall panel by container blank provided web connection(s) to each of the flanking wall panels of those non flanking wall panels having said feature.

16. A container formed from a blank suitable for use in an assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein said container has as each said downwardly directed feature a downwardly directed edge or fold-line of an extension of the non flanking wall panel hinged upwardly from the blank base (which non flanking wall panel may be gusset web linked to i- OFC 'r -9- each flanking wall), the extension being held downwardly over said proximate non flanking wall panel by any one or more of the surround, (ii) an under tucking of an extension beyond said extension fold-line, and (iii) blank provided gusset web link to each of the flanking wall panels.

17. A container formed from a blank suitable for use in an assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein said container has as its non flanking walls and downwardly directed features that which eventuates from a blank for the container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more i of the accompanying drawings.

19. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of an assembly in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 15 and 19 to transport or pack or to package articles or produce. Dated: 27 November 2001 S..1HOLT ::iRV Y LIMITED I AJ PARK Patent Attorneys for the Applicant i I