Claims
- 1. A container comprisinga four-sided body formed to include a top opening and a bottom opening and configured to be folded from an expanded, opened position to a collapsed, flattened position, the four-sided body including a set of four walls arranged consecutively in series to provide the four-sided body with a rectangular shape upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the expanded, opened position, a floor positioned to lie in the bottom opening of the four-sided body upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the expanded, opened position, the floor including a first floor section coupled to first and second walls in the set of four walls and a second floor section coupled to third and fourth walls in the set of four walls, the first floor section includes a first bottom flap coupled to the first wall at a first fold line, a second bottom flap coupled to the second wall at a second fold line, a first anchor plate coupled to the second bottom flap, and a first hinge coupled to the first bottom flap and to the first anchor plate to enable pivotable movement of the first bottom flap relative to the second bottom flap about a first pivot axis established by the first hinge during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position, and the second floor section includes a third bottom flap coupled to the third wall at a third fold line, a fourth bottom flap coupled to the fourth wall at a fourth fold line, a second anchor plate coupled to the third bottom flap, and a second hinge coupled to the fourth bottom flap and to the second anchor plate to enable pivotable movement of the third bottom flap relative to the fourth bottom flap about a second pivot axis established by the second hinge during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position.
- 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the first bottom flap and the first anchor plate lie in coplanar relation to one another and in parallel relation to the second bottom flap upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 3. The container of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second bottom flaps has a trapezoidal shape.
- 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the first bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, and the first anchor plate further includes an outer edge arranged to lie at a right angle relative to the first fold line upon movement of the four-sided body to the collapsed, flattened position and in parallel relation to the first fold line upon movement of the four-sided body to the expanded, opened position.
- 5. The container of claim 2, wherein the third bottom flap and the second anchor plate lie in coplanar relation to one another and to the first bottom flap and the first anchor plate and in parallel relation to the second and fourth bottom flaps upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 6. The container of claim 5, wherein each of the first and second bottom flaps has a trapezoidal shape, the third bottom flap has a rectangular shape) the fourth bottom flap has a trapezoidal shape, the first bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, and the first anchor plate further includes an outer edge arranged to lie at a right angle relative to the first fold line upon movement of the four-sided body to the collapsed, flattened position and in parallel relation to the first fold line upon movement of the four-sided body to the expanded, opened position, the fourth bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the fourth fold line, the second anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle to the fourth fold line, and the second anchor plate further includes an outer edge arranged to lie at a right angle relative to the fourth fold line upon movement of the four-sided body to the collapsed, flattened position and in parallel relation to the fourth fold line upon movement of the four-sided body to the expanded, opened position.
- 7. The container of claim 1, wherein the first bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, one end of the first hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the first bottom flap, and an opposite end of the first hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the first anchor plate.
- 8. The container of claim 7, wherein the first bottom flap, the first hinge, and the first anchor plate are formed in a single piece of paperboard and the one end of the first binge is integral to the first bottom flap and the opposite end of the first hinge is integral to the first anchor plate.
- 9. The container of claim 8, wherein a scored fold line is located at a junction between the first bottom flap and the one end of the first hinge and another scored fold line is located at a junction between the first anchor plate and the opposite end of the first hinge.
- 10. The container of claim 7, wherein the fourth bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an angle to the fourth fold line, one end of the second hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the fourth bottom flap, and an opposite end of the second hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the second anchor plate.
- 11. The container of claim 10, wherein the fourth bottom flap, the second hinge, and the second anchor plate are formed in a single piece of paperboard and the one end of the second hinge is integral to the fourth bottom flap and the opposite end of the second hinge is integral to the second anchor plate.
- 12. The container of claim 10, wherein the first and second bottom flaps, the first and second hinges, and the first and second anchor plates are formed in a single piece of paperboard, the one end of the first hinge is integral to the first bottom flap, the opposite end of the first hinge is integral to the first anchor plate, the one end of the second hinge is integral to the fourth bottom flap, and the opposite end of the second hinge is integral to the second anchor plate.
- 13. The container of claim 1, wherein the first bottom flap has a trapezoidal shape and two parallel edges and a longer one of the two parallel edges is coupled to the first wall at the first fold line.
- 14. The container of claim 13, wherein the first bottom flap also includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line and one end of the first hinge is coupled to the first bottom flap along the sloping hinge edge.
- 15. The container of claim 14, wherein the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, another end of the first hinge is coupled to the first anchor plate, and the sloping hinge edges of the first bottom flap and first anchor plate cooperate to define a pair of slots lying between the first bottom flap and first anchor plate and separated from one another by the first hinge upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 16. The container of claim 13, wherein the second bottom flap has a trapezoidal shape and two parallel edges and a longer one of the parallel edges is coupled to the second wall as the second fold line.
- 17. The container of claim 1, wherein the first bottom flap includes a perpendicular edge arranged to lie at a right angle to the first fold line, the fourth bottom flap includes a sloping free edge arranged to lie at an acute angle to the fourth fold line, and the perpendicular edge of the first bottom flap and the sloping free edge of the fourth bottom flap cooperate to define a triangle-shaped opening therebetween upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 18. The container of claim 17, wherein the fourth bottom flap has a trapezoidal shape and two parallel edges, a longer one of the parallel edges is coupled to the fourth wall at the fourth fold line, and the fourth bottom flap further includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle to the fourth fold line and coupled to one end of the second hinge.
- 19. The container of claim 17, wherein the third bottom flap has two parallel long edges, one of the long edges is coupled to the third wall at the third fold line, the third bottom flap also includes a first perpendicular edge arranged to lie at a right angle to the third fold line, the second bottom flap includes a sloping free edge arranged to lie at an acute angle to the second fold line, and the first perpendicular edge of the third bottom flap and the sloping free edge of the second bottom flap cooperate to define a triangle-shaped opening therebetween upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 20. The container of claim 19, wherein the third bottom flap further includes a second perpendicular edge arranged to lie at a right angle to the third fold line and the second anchor plate includes a perpendicular edge arranged to lie at a right angle to the third fold line and in side-by-side parallel relation to the second perpendicular edge of the third bottom flap upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 21. The container of claim 19, wherein the second bottom flap further includes a perpendicular edge arranged to lie at a right angle to the second fold line and the first anchor plate includes a perpendicular edge arranged to lie at a right angle to the second fold line and in side-by-side parallel relation to the perpendicular edge of the second bottom flap upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 22. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second bottom flaps has a trapezoidal shape.
- 23. The container of claim 22, wherein the fourth bottom flap has a trapezoidal shape.
- 24. The container of claim 22, wherein the third bottom flap has a rectangular shape and the fourth bottom flap has a trapezoidal shape.
- 25. The container of claim 1, wherein the first and second hinges are arranged relative to the walls of the four-sided body to cause the first and second pivot axes established by the hinges to converge at a convergence point spaced away from the walls and located to position the bottom flaps and the anchor plates to lie between the walls and said convergence point upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed flattened position.
- 26. The container of claim 25, wherein the first and second hinges are arranged relative to the bottom flaps to cause the first and second pivot axes to align in collinear relation to one another upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the expanded, opened position.
- 27. A container comprisinga four-sided body formed to include a top opening and a bottom opening and configured to be folded from an expanded, opened position to a collapsed, flattened position, the four-sided body including a set of four walls arranged consecutively ill series to provide the four-sided body with a rectangular shape upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the expanded, opened position, a floor positioned to lie in the bottom opening of the four-sided body upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the expanded, opened position, the floor including a trapezoid-shaped first bottom flap coupled to the first wall at a first fold line, a trapezoid-shaped second bottom flap coupled to the second wall at a second fold line, a rectangle-shaped third bottom flap coupled to the third wall at a third fold line, and a trapezoid-shaped fourth bottom flap coupled to the fourth wall at a fourth fold line.
- 28. The container of claim 27, further comprising a first connector coupled to the first and second bottom flaps to cause the first and second bottom flaps to move together relative to the third and fourth bottom flaps and to the four-sided body during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position.
- 29. The container of claim 28, wherein the first connector includes a first anchor plate coupled to the second bottom flap and a first hinge coupled to the first bottom flap and the first anchor plate to enable pivotable movement of the first bottom flap relative to the second bottom flap about a first pivot axis established by the first hinge during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position.
- 30. The container of claim 29, wherein the first bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, one end of the first hinge is coupled to the first bottom flap along the sloping hinge edge thereof, the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the second fold line and to face toward the sloping hinge edge of the first bottom flap, and another end of the first hinge is coupled to the first anchor plate along the sloping hinge edge thereof.
- 31. The container of claim 28, further comprising a second connector coupled to the third and fourth bottom flaps to cause the third and fourth bottom flaps to move together relative to the first and second bottom flaps and to the four-sided body during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position, the second connector includes a second anchor plate coupled to the third bottom flap and a second hinge coupled to the fourth bottom flap and the second anchor plate to enable pivotable movement of the third bottom flap relative to the fourth bottom flap about a second pivot axis established by the second pivot axis established by the second hinge during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position.
- 32. The container of claim 31, wherein the first bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, one end of the first hinge is coupled to the first bottom flap along the sloping hinge edge thereof, the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the second fold line and to face toward the sloping hinge edge of the first bottom flap, and another end of the first hinge is coupled to the first anchor plate along the sloping hinge edge thereof, the fourth bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the fourth fold line, one end of the second hinge is coupled to the fourth bottom flap along the sloping hinge edge thereof, the second anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the fourth fold line and to face toward the sloping hinge edge of the fourth bottom flap, and another end of the second hinge is coupled to the second anchor plate along the sloping hinge edge thereof.
- 33. The container of claim 27, further comprising a second connector coupled to the third and fourth bottom flaps to cause the third and fourth bottom flaps to move together relative to the first and second bottom flaps and to the four-sided body during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position.
- 34. The container of claim 33, wherein the second connector includes a second anchor plate coupled to the third bottom flap and a second hinge coupled to the fourth bottom flap and the second anchor plate to enable pivotable movement of the third bottom flap relative to the fourth bottom flap about a second pivot axis established by the second pivot axis established by the second hinge during movement of the four-sided body between the collapsed, flattened position and the expanded, opened position.
- 35. A container comprisinga four-sided body and a pair of floor sections positioned to lie in a bottom opening of the four-sided body to define a floor therein upon movement of the four-sided body from a collapsed, flattened position to assume an expanded, opened position a first of the floor sections includes first and second bottom flaps coupled to the four-sided body along fold lines and a first connector coupled to the first and second bottom flaps and ranged to establish a first pivot axis therebetween to cause the first bottom flap to pivot relative to the second bottom flap during container setup as the four-sided body is moved from the collapsed, flattened position to the expanded, opened position, and a second of the floor sections includes third and fourth bottom flaps coupled to the four-sided body along fold lines and a second connector coupled to the third and fourth bottom flaps and arranged to establish a second pivot axis therebetween to cause the fourth bottom flap to pivot relative to the third bottom flap during container setup as the four-sided body is moved from the collapsed, flattened position to the expanded, opened position, the first bottom flap being positioned to lie in overlapping, parallel relation to the second bottom flap when the four-sided body is in the expanded, opened position, and the fourth bottom flap being positioned to lie in overlapping, parallel relation to the third bottom flap when the four-sided body is in the expanded, opened position, the first bottom flap and the first connector being positioned to he in co-planar relation with one another in the collapsed, flattened position, the fourth bottom flap and the second convector being positioned to lie in co-planar relation with one another in the collapsed, flattened position.
- 36. A container comprisinga four-sided body and a pair of floor sections positioned to lie in a bottom opening of the four-sided body to define a floor therein upon movement of the four-sided body from a collapsed, flattened position to assume an expanded, opened position, a first of the floor sections includes first and second bottom flaps coupled to the four-sided body along fold lines and a first connector coupled to the first and second bottom flaps and arranged to establish a first pivot axis therebetween to cause the first bottom flap to pivot relative to the second bottom flap during container setup as the four-sided body is moved from the collapsed, flattened position to the expanded, opened position, and a second of the floor sections includes third and fourth bottom flaps coupled to the four-sided body along fold lines and a second connector coupled to the third and fourth bottom flaps and arranged to establish a second pivot axis therebetween to cause the fourth bottom flap to pivot relative to the third bottom flap during container setup as the four-sided body is moved from the collapsed, flattened position to the expanded, opened position, wherein the first connector includes a first anchor plate coupled to the second bottom flap and a first hinge coupled at one end to the first bottom flap and at an opposite end to the first anchor plate to establish the first pivot axis.
- 37. The container of claim 36, wherein the first bottom flap and the first anchor plate lie in coplanar relation to one another and in parallel relation to the second bottom flap upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 38. The container of claim 36, wherein each of the first and second bottom flaps has a trapezoidal shape.
- 39. The container of claim 36, wherein the first bottom flap is coupled to the four-sided body along a first fold line, the first bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at An acute angle relative to the first fold line, the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle to the first fold line, the one end of the first hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the first bottom flap, and the opposite end of the first hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the first anchor plate.
- 40. The container of claim 36, wherein the first bottom flap and the first connector are formed in a single piece of paperboard and the one end of the first hinge is integral to the first bottom flap and the opposite end of the first hinge is integral to the first anchor plate.
- 41. The container of claim 40, wherein a scored fold line is located at a junction between the first bottom flap and the one end of the first hinge and another scored fold line is located at a junction between the first anchor plate and the opposite end of the first hinge.
- 42. The container of claim 36, wherein the second connector includes a second anchor plate coupled to the third bottom flap and a second hinge coupled at one end to the fourth bottom flap and at an opposite end to the second anchor plate to establish the second pivot axis.
- 43. The container of claim 42, wherein the third bottom flap and the second anchor plate lie in coplanar relation to one another and to the first bottom flap and the first anchor plate and in parallel relation to the second and fourth bottom flaps upon movement of the four-sided body to assume the collapsed, flattened position.
- 44. The container of claim 42, wherein the first bottom flap is coupled to the four-sided body along a first fold line, the first bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the first fold line, the first anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle to the first fold line, the one end of the first hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the first bottom flap, and the opposite end of the first hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the first anchor plate, the fourth bottom flap is coupled to the four-sided body along a fourth fold line, the fourth bottom flap includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle relative to the fourth fold line, the second anchor plate includes a sloping hinge edge arranged to lie at an acute angle to the fourth fold line, the one end of the second hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the fourth bottom flap, and the opposite end of the second hinge is coupled to the sloping hinge edge of the second anchor plate.
- 45. A container comprisinga four-sided body and a pair of floor sections positioned to lie in a bottom opening of the four-sided body to define a floor therein upon movement of the four-sided body from a collapsed, flattened position to assume an expanded, opened position, a first of the floor sections includes first and second bottom flaps coupled to the four-sided body along fold lines and a first connector coupled to the first and second bottom flaps and arranged to establish a first pivot axis therebetween to cause the first bottom flap to pivot relative to the second bottom flap during container setup as the four-sided body is moved from the collapsed, flattened position to the expanded, opened position, and a second of the floor sections includes third and fourth bottom flaps coupled to the four-sided body along fold lines and a second connector coupled to the third and fourth bottom flaps and arranged to establish a second pivot axis therebetween to cause the fourth bottom flap to pivot relative to the third bottom flap during container setup as the four-sided body is moved from the collapsed, flattened position to the expanded, opened position, the first, second, third, and fourth bottom flaps extending outwardly from the four-sided body in the collapsed, flattened position.
Parent Case Info
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/103,218, filed Oct. 6, 1998, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (56)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2574755 |
Jun 1986 |
FR |
2 243 596 |
Nov 1991 |
GB |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/103218 |
Oct 1998 |
US |