The present invention relates generally to containers for retaining, protecting and displaying articles and methods for making such containers. In particular, the present invention relates to a container having an open top formed from corrugated paperboard material which is useful in shipping and displaying perishable produce.
Flat sheets of corrugated paperboard, typically referred to as blanks, have been used for many years as the starting material to form produce containers. Corrugated paperboard generally refers to a multi-layer sheet material comprised of two sheets of liner bonded to a central corrugated layer. Given a basic size requirement specified by the customer, industry standards and the preference for low cost, paperboard container manufacturers strive to provide structural stacking strength with a minimal amount of corrugated paperboard. A typical well-known container is a single piece tray design having a bottom wall, two side walls and two end walls, each of the side and end walls being hinged to the bottom wall. Typically, a single piece of corrugated paperboard will be cut and scored to form a flat blank that will then be folded into this container.
Typical containers for the support and transport of food produce articles are corrugated containers having fixed configurations. These containers can be unstable when stacked and are conducive to toppling. Many containers are not durable and flexible enough to protect and prevent damage to the produce. Furthermore, the side and bottom walls of produce containers are susceptible to buckling and twisting, leading to damage to the produce.
A packed container of produce will generally hold a weight suitable for handling by an individual. Such containers will generally be rectangular and have a variable height dimension. Further, these containers will normally be stacked for transport and storage. The cost of labor, i.e., the time required to handle the produce and assemble the shipping containers, can be significant factors in the overall cost of the produce. Many current produce containers can only be assembled by hand, a method that is costly and time consuming. Assembling paperboard containers for setup by a machine, where cooperating adjoining paperboard sections are adhesively bonded to form the produce container, can reduce cost and time.
It is important in the production, distribution and sale of perishable and non-perishable articles, such as produce, that the articles are safely and conveniently stored for transport and are safely and securely shipped for sale. Safe and secure storage and shipping is particularly a problem if heavy items must be placed in containers that stacked on each other. Stackable produce containers often acquire, for example, bulging side or end walls, deformed bottom walls, or smashed corners that damage the produce due to, for example, the weight or movement of the produce during shipment. Further, if the environment in which the paperboard container is shipped or stored is refrigerated, the moisture present is likely to be absorbed by and weaken the container.
Once the produce reaches a retail destination, the produce container is normally placed directly on display for consumer sale. This allows retailers to preserve time and money by not having to transfer produce into an alternative selling container. If a produce container arrives to a retailer in a crushed or damaged state, however, the retailer usually cannot, for aesthetic purposes, exhibit the produce container. Furthermore, produce containers generally contain at least one or more visible panels that have not been painted or coated. Retailers that sell produce directly in the container that emanates from the grower usually do not, for aesthetic reasons, desire consumers to see unpainted or uncoated surfaces.
Vertically-oriented corrugation within a produce container is typically stronger and more secure than horizontally-oriented corrugation. Without structural rigidity, containers at or near the bottom of a stack of produce containers could buckle under the weight of the containers stacked above them. Generally, the end walls of a produce container contain vertically-oriented corrugation. Thus, it is preferable for the end walls to contain as few openings as possible. Optimal cooling efficiency, which enhances produce quality and shelf life, is also desirable. Cooling may be achieved by including openings in the walls to allow cool air to flow from one side of the container to the other.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a container for transporting produce that is both durable and secure to prevent corrugation failure and produce damage, and which permits painting or coating on all visible surfaces, yet allows sufficient air flow to achieve optimal cooling efficiency.
The invention generally relates to a stackable produce container formed from a one-piece flat blank, typically of corrugated paper stock. The container is reinforced to permit use with heavy produce, such as melons, while resisting bulging of the side panels or bottom resulting from the load and/or the effects of high humidity.
In one aspect, the container of the invention is a rectangular, unitary structure having at least two compartments defined by side panels and a bottom panel, each compartment being separated from an adjacent compartment by a transverse rib and two vertical ribs. The four corners of the container are reinforced, preferably by at least one panel disposed at an angle to each of the adjacent side panels.
In one embodiment, the container of the invention has two compartments separated by one transverse rib and two vertical ribs which engage the ends of said transverse rib.
In a preferred embodiment, the top of the transverse rib is curved upwardly to increase the strength of the rib. In another preferred embodiment, the bottom of the transverse rib is curved upwardly to prestress the adjacent bottom panels.
In some embodiments, the vertical ribs engage the outside of the associated transverse rib. In other embodiments, the vertical ribs engage the inside of the associated transverse rib.
In some embodiments, the transverse rib has a height lower than the side walls of the container. In other embodiments, the transverse rib has the same height as the side walls of the container. In that case, the vertical ribs are modified but still support the transverse rib.
The invention in one aspect is a strong produce container (i.e., an open box) that is strengthened by transverse and vertical ribs which separate the container into compartments. The container will be illustrated in the Figures described below with respect to the simplest form, a two compartment container, but it will be understood that the containers of the invention may contain more than two compartments if additional pairs of transverse and vertical ribs are included. As has been previously discussed, produce containers, usually being made of corrugated paper board, tend to bulge under heavy loads, the bulging being accentuated by exposure to moisture, such as humid ambient conditions. For example, melons placed in a corrugated paper container will create a concentrated load, which is not distributed over the bottom of the container and tends to cause bulging. Bulging at the bottom or sides of stacked containers may cause damage to the melons during shipment. The present inventors have found it possible to provide a reinforced paperboard container for heavy produce which is capable of resisting bulging and consequent damage to the produce. The container itself has significant advantages for the user and, in addition, is particularly advantageous in that it is possible to make it from a one-piece blank, which can be folded by automated equipment, that is, it is a unitary construction. Although particularly useful for the transportation and display of heavy produce, it should be understood that containers of the invention may be useful in other applications.
The one-piece blank is foldable into a container that may be described as having at least six side panels and two bottom panels which form at least two compartments for produce, each pair of compartments being separated by at least one transverse rib, engaging the side walls of the container, in some embodiments through two vertical side ribs, the vertical ribs engaging the transverse rib at its ends. The transverse and vertical ribs are disposed at a 90° angle to the associated side or bottom panels. Each corner of the container is reinforced, in preferred embodiments by a panel disposed at an angle to each of the adjacent side panels.
The transverse and vertical ribs are formed by folding the blank along three substantially parallel scoring lines extending across the blank, the middle of the three fold lines forming the innermost part of each rib. In one embodiment, the middle fold line is a pair of fold lines slightly displaced from the centerline and curved to create a transverse rib which is higher in the middle to increase strength. Another effect of such a rib construction is that, while the transverse rib sides touch in the middle and can be glued for strength, the ends of the rib are separated at the side panels in order to provide an opening to receive one end of each of the vertical ribs. The ends of the transverse rib are notched to receive the ends of the vertical ribs. In another embodiment, the outer pair of fold lines are also curved in order to create a transverse rib which prestresses the bottom of the container. In another embodiment, the vertical ribs engage the outside of the transverse rib, rather than being inserted into the transverse rib.
The vertical ribs are formed by folding along three scoring lines substantially parallel to the fold lines for the transverse rib. As mentioned above, this is done simultaneously with the folding of the blank to form the transverse rib. The vertical ribs are generally not curved and, typically, the sides of the ribs touch upon forming and can be glued together for added strength.
As will be seen in the drawings, in some embodiments the transverse rib is lower than the side walls. However, the transverse rib can be as high as the side walls, if desired. In such embodiments, the vertical ribs may not take the form used when the transverse rib is lower than the side walls and thus, the vertical ribs are modified, as shown below in
The corners are reinforced by folding tabs created at the corners of the one-piece blank. In some embodiments, these tabs have two fold lines in addition to one at the junction with one of the side panels, so that they can be folded into a right triangular shape. One side is attached to the side panel, one is glued to the adjacent side panel, and the third extends between the two side panels at an angle to each. In another embodiment, the tabs have one additional fold line which, along with a fold line of the junction of the side panels, is used to fold a panel at an angle joining adjacent side panels. In an alternative embodiment (not shown in the figures), only one fold is made at a corner of the container and the tab is attached to an adjacent side wall, either on the inside or outside of the side wall.
The one-piece blank and the steps through which it can be folded into the reinforced container of the invention will be described now in reference to the drawings.
The blank 10 has been cut and scored to permit it to be folded into a reinforced container for shipping and handling heavy produce or other articles, if desired.
Each end of the transverse rib 40, 50 has been provided with a notch 80. These notches provide space for vertical ribs 30F, 60F; 30K, 60K to be inserted into the ends of the transverse rib 40, 50, where they can be secured by gluing if desired. Fold lines mark the edges of two vertical ribs 30F, 60F; 30K, 60K. When folds are made to form transverse rib 40, 50, the vertical ribs are also formed, as can be seen in
Side slots 90 have been cut in the blank 10 to serve as openings which can engage corresponding tabs 90A on a container below so that the containers are in registration with each other and positioned to best support the weight of the contained produce. Tabs 90A extend from short side walls 30B, 30G, 60B, 60G in the completed container and serve to engage the side slots 90 in a container placed immediately above it, as just discussed.
Containers of the invention provide a number of advantages over containers previously used for transportation of heavy produce, such as melons and the like. Substantial strength is provided by the horizontal and vertical ribs, which limit the deflection of the bottom and sides of the container under load. This, in turn, minimizes the tendency of the produce to be bounced vertically during transportation, which can cause damage to the produce, reducing its value and perhaps making it unsalable. The corner reinforcement helps to limit the deflection of the side walls, which can cause adjacent containers to allow their contents to come into contact, leading to potential damage. When the transverse rib 40, 50 is made with a curved top, as in
It should be understood that the features of the container just described can be varied, while still retaining the advantages of the invention. For example, the container could have more than one transverse rib, particularly if the container is longer than shown and additional strength is desired. If additional transverse ribs are used, they will be combined with vertical ribs, such as have been described above.
The added strength of a container of the invention avoids the previous practice of doubling the thickness of the portions of a container to limit bulging, either at the sides or the bottom. The positioning of the strengthening ribs will depend on the intended use, such as the size of the produce which the container will hold. Since the container is made from a single blank, as folded, the container will inherently have the corrugations positioned so that they provide the best strength. That is, the forces acting on the bottom and side walls will be acting against the preferred disposition of the strengthening corrugations.
FIGS 7–12 illustrate a second blank for making a container of the invention, which is similar to the container of
As shown in
The end walls 420 and 470 can be reinforced by panels 430H and I, 430C and D, 460 H and I, and 460C and D respectively in a manner similar to that of
While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto. Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/693,033, filed Oct. 20, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,012 which is a complete application of provisional U.S. application Ser. No. 60/161,126, filed Oct. 22, 1999.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040089702 A1 | May 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60161126 | Oct 1999 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09693033 | Oct 2000 | US |
Child | 10694965 | US |