GB2087843A - A container folded from a blank - Google Patents

Abstract

A container (2), e.g. a tomato tray, made from a unitary blank has a top wall (12), a bottom wall (3), a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls. Each side wall has double wall thickness at least in the regions of the corners of the container. The top wall comprises a peripheral stacking ledge which surrounds a central opening formed by folding a pair of flaps (24, 25) inwardly and downwardly out of the plane of the stacking ledge to extend to the bottom wall and define one of the layers of at least partially triple thickness end walls of the container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An improved container This invention relates to a container, e.g. a tomato tray, made from stiff, yet foldable sheet material, e.g.

double-faced corrugated board, and to a blank from which such a container can be erected.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a container made from a unitary blank of stiff, yet foldable sheet material and having a pair of opposed end walls, a pair of opposed side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, each side wall being of double wall thickness at least adjacent each corner of the tray and each end wall being at least partly of triple wall thickness, the top wall being in the form of an endless, peripheral stacking ledge integrally joined to an outer layer of each side and end wall, the stacking ledge surrounding a central opening formed byfolding a pair of flaps, hinged to inner edges of the stacking ledge inwardly and downwardly out of the plane of the stacking ledge so as to extend from the top wall to the bottom wall and define one of the layers of said triple thickness end walls.

Conveniently each of said flaps is provided with at least one tongue for interengagement with at least one slot formed in the bottom wall adjacent each end of the container.

Suitably each of said flaps is folded so as to lie flat against the underside of a respective part of said peripheral stacking ledge and flat against the remaining layers of its respective triple thickness end wall.

Preferably the said outer layer of one of said side or end walls is permanently secured, e.g. adhered or stapled, to the bottom wall. For this purpose either the bottom wall or the said outer layer of one of said side or end walls is provided with a connecting tab.

Conveniently the container is parallelepipedic.

The container may be provided with air venting, drainage and/or carrier holes in its walls.

According to another aspect of the present invention a container blank made from stiff, yet foldable sheet material comprises a non-square rectangular top panel having its peripheral edges defined by spaced apart, parallel first and second fold lines and spaced apart, parallel third and fourth fold lines and consisting of a peripheral stacking ledge portion bounded by the said first, second, third and fourth fold lines and first and second wall flaps foldable out of the plane of the top panel, about respective fifth and sixth fold lines parallel to the shorter pair of peripheral edges of said top panel, to provide a top opening surrounded by said peripheral stacking ledge portion; at least substantially rectangular first, second, third and fourth wall panels integrally joined to the top panel for folding about said first, second, third and fourth fold lines, respectively; a pair of third wall flaps integrally joined to, for folding about, opposed end edges of the said third wall panel; a pair of fourth wall flaps integrally joined to, for folding about, opposed end edges of the said fourth wall panel; a rectangular bottom panel having a first pair of peripheral edges defined by spaced apart seventh and eighth fold lines and a second pair of peripheral edges one of which is defined by a ninth fold line parallel to said first and second fold lines, the bottom panel being integrally joined to the said second wall panel for folding about said ninth fold line; and fifth and sixth wall panels integrally joined to the bottom panel for folding about said seventh and eighth fold lines, respectively; wherein a container is erectable from said blank by folding the blank about said first, second and ninth fold lines into a tubular configuration of rectangular cross section with the other of said second pair of peripheral edges of the bottom panel being disposed adjacent, for connection to, a side edge of the first wall panel remote from said firstfoldline, providing the side and end walls of the container with double wall thickness at least adjacent each corner of the container being erected by folding the third and fourth wall panels downwardly, the fifth and sixth wall panels upwardly and the third wall flaps inwardly against, and the fourth wall flaps inwardly against, the first and second wall panels, and folding the first and second wall flaps inwardly to provide the end walls with triple thickness.

Tab means may be integrally foldably connected to said bottom panel, along the other of said second pair of peripheral edges, for connection to the said first wall panel adjacent its said side edge remote from the first fold line. Alternatively tab means may be integrally foldably connected to said first wall panel along its said side edge remote from the first fold line for connection to the said bottom panel adjacent the other of said second pair of peripheral edges.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lisa plan of a first embodiment of a unitary blank for a tomato tray, Figures 2 and 3 are plans from above and below, respectively, of the blank shown in Figure 1 when partly erected after leaving a die-cutting and gluing station, Figure 4 is a vertical section through a tomato tray erected from the partly erected blank shown in Figures 2 and 3, Figure 5 is the tomato tray shown in Figure 4 during erection from the partly erected blank shown in Figures 2 and 3, and Figure 6 is a plan of a second embodiment of a unitary blank for the tomato tray.

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a blank, generally designated 1, for a tomato tray, generally designated 2 (see Figure 4). The blank 1 is made from double-faced corrugated board having flutings extending in the direction of the double headed arrow. In Figure 1, the solid lines about which adjacent panels on opposite sides thereof are adapted to be folded in one direction (e.g. downwardly out of the plane of the paper), and the chain lines represent fold lines about which adjacent panels on opposite sides thereof are adapted to be folded in the opposite direction (e.g. upwardly out of the plane of the paper).

The blank 1 includes a rectangular bottom panel 3 defined by a first pair of opposed fold lines 4,5 and a second pair of opposed fold lines 6,7. Sidewall panels 8 and 9 are foldably connected to the bottom panel 3 about fold lines 4 and 5, respectively, a tab 10 is foldably connected to the bottom panel 3 about fold line 6 and an end wall panel 11 is foldably connected to the bottom panel 3 about fold line 7.

The end wall panel 11 is also foldably connected to a rectangular top panel 12 about a fold line 13 which is parallel to the fold line 7 and which defines one end of the top panel 12. The opposite end of the top panel 12 is defined by a fold line 14, an end wall panel 15 being foldably connected to the top panel 12 about the fold line 14. The sides of the top panel 12 are defined by fold lines 16 and 17; sidewall panels 18 and 19 being foldably connected to the top panel 12 about the fold lines 16 and 17, respectively.

Opposite ends of each side wall panel 18 (19) having wall flaps 20, (22, 23) foldably connected thereto.

The top panel 12 has a pair of wall flaps, generally designated 24 and 25, which are foldable out of the plane of the panel 12 about fold lines 26,27,28 and 29,30,31, respectively, parallel to the fold lines 13 and 14. The flaps 24 and 25 have a pair of tabs 32,33 and 34,35 respectively, formed at their distal ends.

The tabs 32,33 and 34,35 are adapted to be received, in the erected tomato tray 2, in slots 36, 37 and 38,39, respectively, formed in the bottom panel 3 adjacent the fold lines 7 and 6, respectively.

The fold lines of the blank 1 may be crease lines and/or perforated lines. By way of example only, the fold lines 26 to 31 are perforated lines and the remaining fold lines (4,5,6,7, 13, 14, 16 and 17) are crease lines.

The blank 1 is formed by feeding a rectangular blank (not shown) of double-faced corrugated board to a die-cutting and gluing station where the container blank is automatically cut from the rectangular blank and fold lines formed therein. At the same die-cutting and gluing station the blank 1 is subsequently automatically folded about its fold lines 6,7, 13 and 14 and the tab 10 glued to a distal portion 50 (shown cross-hatched in Figure 1) of the end wall panel 15. The partly erected or formed blank 1 leaves the die-cutting and gluing station in a flattened state, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, with panels 11 and 12 folded flat against panels 3 and 15.

Erection of the tomato tray from the partly erected blank shown in Figures 2 and 3 will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the container manufacturing art. In particular the blank is initially erected into a tubular body of rectangular crosssection defined by the panels 3,11,12 and 15. The panels 8 and 9 are then folded flat against the bottom panel 3 and the panels 18 and 19 are folded into vertical positions to close the opposite ends of the tubular form blank. The flaps 20, 22 and 21,23 are then folded against the inside of the panels 11 and 15, respectively, and the panels 8 and 9 folded upwardly to be positioned against the inside of the panels 18 and 19, respectively.Finally the flaps 24 and 25 are folded inwardly (in the manner shown in Figure 5) so that the portion of each flap 24 (25) between the fold line 28 (31) and the distal edge of each flap 24 (25) is folded against the flaps 20 and 22 (21 and 23); the tabs 32 and 33 (34 and 35) being received in, to be releasably interlocked with, the openings 36 and 37 (38 and 39), respectively. In Figure 5 the tubular form blank is shown with one tubular end open and the other tubular end closed.

The flaps 24 and 25 are shown in their final, erected tray position, although in practice they would not be folded inwardly until the panels 8 and 18 had been folded inwardly, to close the open tubular end of the blank, as previously described.

A plurality of air venting, drainage and/or carrier holes 40 (only some of which have been shown in the Figures) are formed in the blank 1.

The erected tomato tray 2 has double thickness side walls, at least adjacent each of its corners, formed by panels 8 and 18 (and 9 and 19) and triple thickness end walls formed by panel 11, flaps 20 and 22, and flap 24 (and panel 15, flaps 21 and 23, and flap 25). The panels 8 and 18 (and 9 and 19) in the side walls and the flaps 20 and 22 (21 and 23) in the end walls have their flutings arranged in the vertical direction to provide strength, e.g. for stacking, in the vertical direction of the tomato tray. In orderto facilitate stacking, the tray has a continuous stacking ledge formed in the top panel 12.

The erected tomato tray 2 has a particularly rigid construction not only because of its multiple wall thickness but also because of the tubular body provided by the panels 3, 11, 12 and the joined together panel 15 and 10, and because of the panels 8 and 18 (9 and 19) which close the opposite ends of the tubular body and which extend completely from end to end, and from top to bottom, of the erected tray. These panels 8,9 and 18, 19 thus serve to prevent any tendency of the "tubular tray" to coiiapse into a flat condition by folding about fold lines 6,7,13 and 14.

Apart from the novel design of tomato tray, the method of manufacturing the flattened, partly erected blank (shown in Figures 2 and 3) by a method involving die-cutting a rectangular blank (and also forming fold lines therein) and fixing, e.g.

gluing, parts of the die-cut blank together at a single station is also believed to be novel. It will also be appreciated that only a small amount of material need be cut from a rectangularblankto provide the blank 1 shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 6 there is shown another embodiment of a blank, generally designated 101, for a tomato tray (not shown). The blank 101 is similar in many respects to the blank 1 and, where possibie, the various parts of the blank 101 have been identified by reference numerals numbered 100 in excess of corresponding parts of the blank 1. It will be noted that instead of being provided with pairs of fold lines 26,27 and 29,30, the blank 101 is provided with single fold lines 126 and 129.

The blank 101 is intended to be sold to customers in a flattened, partly formed state, in which the blank 101 has been folded about its fold lines 106,107,113 and 114 and tab 110 glued to a distal portion 150 (shown cross-hatched in Figure 6) of the bottom panel 3. The manner in which a tray (not shown) is erected from a blank in such a flattened, partly formed state will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having read the foregoing description relating to the erection of the blank 1 into the tray 2.

In particular it will be realised that in a tray erected from the blank 101, the wall panel 115 with wall flaps 121 and 123 and the wall panel 111 with wall flaps 120 and 122 form a pair of tray side walls each having double wall thickness at least adjacent the corners of the tray, and the wall panels 108 and 118 and the wall panels 109 and 119 form a pair of tray end walls each being of at least double wall thickness. The wall flaps 124 and 125, when folded downwardly so that the tabs 132 to 135 interengage in the slots 136 to 139 respectively, provide the erected tray with end walls of triple wall thickness.

Claims (15)

1. A container made from a unitary blank of stiff, yet foldable sheet material and having a pair of opposed end walls, a pair of opposed side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, each side wall being of double wall thickness at lest adjacent each corner of the tray and each end wall being at least partly of triple wall thickness, the top wall being in the form of an endless, peripheral stacking ledge integrally joined to an outer layer of each side and end wall, the stacking ledge surrounding a central opening formed by folding a pair of flaps, hinged to inner edges of the stacking ledge inwardly and downwardly out of the plane of the stacking ledge so as to extend from the top wall to the bottom wall and define one of the layers of said triple thickness end walls.

2. A container according to claim 1, in which each of said flaps is provided with at least one tongue for interengagement with at least one slot formed in the bottom wall adjacent each end of the container.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, in which each of said flaps is folded so as to lie flat against the underside of a respective part of said peripheral stacking ledge and flat against the remaining layers of its respective triple thickness end wall.

4. A container according to any of the preceding claims, in which the said outer layer of one of said side or end walls is permanently secured to the bottom wall.

5. A container according to claim 4, in which either the bottom wall or the said outer layer of said one of said side or end walls is provided with a connecting tab.

6. A container according to any of the preceding claims which is substantially parallelepipedic.

7. A container according to any of the preceding claims having air venting, drainage and/or carrier holes in its walls.

8. A container blank made from stiff, yet foldable sheet material comprises a non-square rectangular top panel having its peripheral edges defined by spaced apart, parallel first and second fold lines and spaced apart parallel third and fourth fold lines and consisting of a peripheral stacking ledge portion bounded by the said first, second, third and fourth fold lines and first and second wall flaps foldable out of the plane of the top panel, about respective fifth and sixth fold lines parallel to the shorter pair of peripheral edges of said top panel, to a top opening surrounded by said peripheral stacking ledge portion; at least substantially rectangular first, second, third and fourth wall panels integrally joined to the top panel for folding about said first, second, third and fourth fold lines, respectively; a pair of third wall flaps integrally joined to, for folding about, opposed end edges of the said third wall panel; a pair of fourth wall flaps integrally joined to, for folding about, opposed end edges of the said fourth wall panel; a rectangular bottom panel having a first pair of peripheral edges defined by spaced apart seventh and eighth fold lines and a second pair of peripheral edges one of which is defined by a ninth fold line parallel to said first and second fold lines, the bottom panel being integrally joined to the second wall panel for folding about said ninth fold line; and fifth and sixth wall panels integrally joined to the bottom panel forfolding about seventh and eighth fold lines, respectively; wherein a container is erectable from said blank by folding the blank about said first, second and ninth fold lines into a tubular configuration of rectangular cross-section with the other of said second pair of peripheral edges of the bottom panel being disposed adjacent, for connection to, a side edge of the first wall panel remote from said first fold line, providing the side and end walls of the container with double wall thickness at least adjacent each corner of the container being erected by folding the third and fourth wall panels downwardly, the fifth and sixth wall panels upwardly and the third wall flaps inwardly against, and the fourth wall flaps inwardly against, the first and second wall panels, and folding the first and second wall flaps inwardly to provide the end walls with triple thickness.

9. A container blank according to claim 8, in which tab means is integrallyfoldably connected to said bottom panel, along the other of said second pair of peripheral edges, for connection to the said first wall adjacent to its said side edge remote from the first fold line.

10. A container blank according to claim 9, folded so that the top panel at least partly overlies the bottom panel and having said tab means secured, e.g. adhered, to said first wall panel adjacent its said side edge remote from the first fold line.

11. A container blank according to claim 8, in which tab means is integrally foldably connected to said first wall panel, along its said side edge remote from the first fold line, for connection to the said bottom panel adjacent the other of said second pair of peripheral edges.

12. A container blank according to claim 11, folded so that the top panel at least partly overlies the bottom panel and having said tab means secured, e.g. adhered, to said bottom panel adjacent the other of said second pair of peripheral edges.

13. A container blank constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A container blank constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 6 ofthe accompanying drawings.

15. A container erected from a blank according to any of claims 8 to 14.