Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6705515
-
Patent Number
6,705,515
-
Date Filed
Thursday, June 20, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, March 16, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Parkhurst; Todd S.
- Holland & Knight LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 229 939
- 229 185
- 229 182
- 229 117
- 229 11701
- 229 1982
- 229 164
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A corrugated plastic box is disclosed. The box is provided with an L-shaped or chair-shaped end panel which can be adhesively secured to a box side panel. The end panel has a lower portion which extends over a relatively great number of box side corrugations, and an upper panel portion which extends over fewer box side corrugations, so as to spread interior box loads across a number of corrugations and inhibit box side bowing. The box sides are also strengthened by providing upper panels which are rolled over along the top edges of the box, the panels are then food or otherwise fastened to the side panels. The rolled-over top edges thus formed strengthen the box, and prevent the entry of contaminants into the otherwise-exposed side panel corrugation flutes. The box is provided with a number of specially shaped box bottom panels which enable the box to be quickly and easily erected by even inexperienced personnel. After the box has been emptied, the box can be quickly and easily knocked flat and returned to a box filling point for reuse. Considerable labor and box material savings can be realized.
Description
This invention pertains to collapsible boxes, and more particularly concerns a collapsible and self erecting box made of corrugated plastic.
Collapsible corrugated plastic boxes are disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,102,279; 6,102,280; 6,257,484; and 6,349,876. The material used to make the box of the present invention can be made in conformance with those disclosures, and the fold line/score line configurations, handholds and automatically lockable bottom panel arrangements can be provided, if desired, in accordance with the disclosures in the cited patents.
It is an object of this invention to provide a reusable plastic container box for materials such as bags of frozen foods which can be quickly erected, used repeatedly over a long period of time without appreciable deterioration or wear, and quickly knocked flat for shipment back to an original box filling point.
It is another object of the invention to provide a reusable plastic container box in which at least one of the sides is especially strengthened against damaging deformation or bowing.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals referred to like parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an isometric view of a plastic corrugated box made in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2
is an isometric view of a planar plastic blank from which the box shown in
FIG. 1
can be made.
FIG. 3
is an isometric view similar to
FIG. 2
suggesting initial steps in the making of the box blank shown in
FIG. 2
into the box shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 4
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 2 and 3
suggesting further steps involved in the making of the box blank shown in
FIG. 2
into the box shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 5
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 2-4
suggesting further steps involved in the making of the box blank shown in
FIG. 2
into the box shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 6
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 2-5
suggesting later steps involved in the making of the box blind shown in
FIG. 2
into the box shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 7
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 2-6
illustrating the erection of the box and the preliminary folding steps involved in creating and securing the box bottom.
FIG. 8
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 2-7
illustrating the final steps involved in creating and securing the box bottom and completing the erection of the box.
FIG. 9
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 7 and 8
illustrating preliminary steps involved in unfolding the bottom flaps from an erected box so as to permit the box to be flattened into a knocked-down configuration.
FIG. 10
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 7-9
illustrating final steps involved in the unfolding the bottom flaps from an erected box so as to permit the box to be flattened into a knocked-down configuration.
FIG. 11
is an isometric view similar to
FIGS. 2-10
illustrating the final steps involved in flattened flattening the box blank as to permit the box in its knocked-down configuration to be easily and economically shipped for another cycle of use or other purposes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment and procedure, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to this embodiment or procedure. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Turning first to
FIG. 1
, there is shown an erected box
20
which can be used for transporting a wide variety of objects such as, for example, bags of frozen vegetables, horticultural products, snack foods, soft goods, paper goods or a whole host of other items, products or things. The box
20
can be referred to as a Merchandising Unit (MU). For example, this MU or box
20
can be used to transport bags of frozen vegetables from a freezer or frozen storage facility to the frozen food display shelves of a grocery store, but it will be understood that it is not intended to so limit this invention in its use. Because the box is constructed of sturdy corrugated plastic material, it can be knocked down into a flattened configuration, returned to a box packing point, re-erected, and used again.
The unitary blank
22
from which this box
20
can be made is shown in FIG.
2
. Suitable polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or even corrugated paper or other material can be used to form the blank. Panels
31
,
32
,
33
, and
34
which will become respective box sides are defined on and in the blank
22
by various hinge or score lines
36
. These score lines
36
can be created in and on the corrugated plastic blank
22
as suggested in the above referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,279, or in other known ways.
Handholds and handhold openings
37
and
38
can be provided in the end walls
32
and
34
as shown in
FIGS. 1-4
and as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,279. The flaps from which these and openings
37
and
38
are constructed can be full flap cutouts, comprising the entire material as suggested in
FIG. 10
of that '279 patent, or they can be less than full flaps, constructed by removing a portion of the material which would otherwise be included in the flat.
To permanently assemble a box blank
22
into a box
20
, upper panels
41
,
42
,
43
and
44
are first folded over against the respective inner surfaces of the side panels
31
-
34
as suggested in
FIG. 3
by arrows A; and the panels
41
-
44
are permanently secured to the inner surfaces of the box side panels
31
-
34
by suitable spots
46
of adhesive or other known means.
This step and arrangement of the upper panels
41
-
44
provides strong, smooth vertical box sides and strong, smooth top horizontal edges
51
,
52
,
53
, and
54
. These rolled-over edges
51
-
54
provide several advantages and features of the invention. First, the rolled-over edges
51
1
-
54
obviate any danger that a customer or box user might be scratched by inadvertently rubbing against the rough, open, exposed top edges which would otherwise be presented. In addition, the rolled-over edges
51
-
54
provide additional structural rigidity along the top of all four sides of the box. In further accordance with the invention, the rolled-over top edges
51
-
54
prevent dirt and contaminants from migrating into the otherwise opened and exposed flutes of the corrugated plastic or other material forming the box from migrating into the corrugation flutes. If the box should need to be cleaned, the rolled over edges allow box cleaning without water getting into the flutes from the top of the box. This is especially important if the box is to be used as a freezer box, since water trapped within the flutes might later freeze and expand, thereby damaging or splitting the box corrugation and sides.
The box panels are next folded along the score lines
36
into the configuration indicated in
FIGS. 4 and 5
.
In accordance with the invention, an L-shaped or chair-shaped glue flap or end panel
60
(
FIGS. 2 and 3
) is attached, at a glue flap score or hinge line
61
, to one end wall panel
34
, and when the box is assembled, that glue flap or panel
60
is secured by adhesive
62
or other known means to a side wall panel
31
which is located at the opposite end of the blank
22
, as suggested in
FIGS. 2 and 3
.
It will be noted that the top panel
41
has a horizontal length somewhat less than the wall panel
31
to which it is attached, so that it will closely internest with the upper portion
60
A and the lower portion
60
B of the adjacent glue flap panel
60
, as shown particularly in FIG.
1
. When the blank is so assembled, the four side walls
31
,
32
,
33
and
34
are each attached to the adjacent side walls along two end creases or hinges
36
, as can be envisioned by comparing
FIGS. 1
,
5
and
6
.
The box thus created is sturdy, yet inexpensive. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, cracking, bowing, folding, tearing or bending of side wall
31
is discouraged by the L or chair shape of the glue flap end panel
60
when that flap
60
is glued to the side wall
31
, because the side wall lower portion
60
A is extended across a relatively great number of the corrugations of that corrugated side wall
31
; and because the upper portion of the side of flat
60
B extends across a relatively few of the side wall corrugations, as can be seen especially in FIG.
1
. During box use, interior loads which tend to bow the side wall
31
are thus spread across a relatively great number of corrugations of the side wall
31
, and are not concentrated at any one corrugation. By avoiding the concentration of bowing forces at any one un-reinforced corrugation, bowing action and box side mis-folding is avoided. If the box blank were to mis-folded along a particular corrugation, the box might not erect correctly, and might jam automatic box set up equipment.
Additional and cooperating anti-cracking and anti-bowing support for the side walls
31
-
34
is provided by the upper flaps
41
-
44
when they are glued to the side walls
31
-
34
as suggested in FIG.
3
and as described above. As suggested above and in
FIG. 1
, the flap
41
is sized and shaped so as to internest with the flap
60
, so that substantially complete horizontal support is provided across each of the side walls
31
-
34
.
After the flap
60
is attached, the side panel
31
is then folded over the blank
22
as indicated by arrow B in
FIG. 5
, resulting in a finished box flat
26
as shown in FIG.
6
.
Erection of the box flat
26
into a three-dimensional box is easily accomplished as suggested in
FIGS. 7 and 8
. As shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, each of the panels
31
-
34
has a depending bottom flap
71
,
72
,
73
and
74
, and each of these depending bottom flaps can be folded along the score/hinge lines
77
. To create a sturdy but reconfigurable bottom, flat
73
is first folded upwardly as suggested in FIG.
8
. Flaps
72
and
74
are folded horizontally inwardly as suggested by arrows C in FIG.
7
. Finally, flap
71
is folded downwardly as suggested by arrow D in FIG.
7
. The flap
71
is then pushed further downwardly and inwardly until a distal tongue
75
is extended through the slot created by the four flaps
71
,
72
,
73
and
74
as suggested in
FIG. 8
, thereby locking all four flaps
71
-
74
in place as shown in FIG.
8
. Easily followed instructions can be provided by imprinting the legends “fold first” on flap
73
; “fold second” on flaps
72
and
74
; and “fold third” on flap
71
.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the erected box shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
can be easily and quickly “knocked flat” back into the flat configuration
26
shown in
FIGS. 6 and 11
. As shown in
FIG. 9
, this can be accomplished by first pushing inwardly on the flap
71
in the direction of arrow E. this action, when completed, frees all four flaps from engagement with the other flaps. Thereafter, the flaps
72
and
74
can be folded outwardly as suggested in
FIG. 10
by arrows F, and flap
73
and then be folded outwardly as suggested by arrow G. Next, the original flap
71
can be folded outwardly from its temporary position inside the box cavity. The box can then be “knocked flat” into a flattened configuration by simply pushing on the sides
32
and
31
as suggested by arrows H in FIG.
11
. If desired, starting instructions for this collapsing reconfiguration procedure can be provided by including a suitable legend such as “collapse box flat for return by pushing bottom panel number three inward” on any suitable side wall
31
-
34
.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, it is intended that this easily set up and easily collapsed box
20
can be repeatedly reused and recycled. For example, the box flats
26
can be provided at one or more packing stations. There, personnel can erect or set up the box into its configuration shown in FIG.
1
. The box can then be filled with, for example, bagged packages of frozen foods such a frozen vegetables or other material. A top (not shown) can then be fastened across the top of the open box, and the box can be placed with other filled boxes on a pallet. The palletized boxes then can be shipped to a grocery store or other distribution facility. There, the top can be removed and the boxes placed upon, for example, frozen food display racks or other support structure in frozen food display facilities (not shown). In carrying out the invention, it is contemplated that the boxes can be provided in sizes which will snuggly mate or fit within the display racks. When the box
20
is empty, it can be removed from the display rack, cleaned if necessary, knocked flat as in accordance with the procedure described above, and shipped back to the original packing stations
Although these corrugated plastic boxes
20
may initially cost somewhat more than boxes of similar size made of corrugated cardboard paper, the plastic boxes can be reused time and time again. The effective cost of reusing these novel boxes will fall, over a period of time, to an amount significantly less than the cost of single-use corrugated cardboard paper boxes of similar size and shape. Because the plastic boxes are reasonably attractive, they can be sized and shaped to be placed directly upon the display supports. Because they need not be unpacked, additional labor cost savings can be realized. Because the boxes are significantly stronger than comparable corrugated cardboard paper boxes, damage to the goods and to the boxes themselves is significantly reduced, thus further reducing the overall cost of using these boxes. The boxes have good stacking strength, and they do not degrade in humid or harsh environments. The constituent plastic and the finished boxes can be provided in virtually any desired color.
Claims
- 1. A rigid corrugated plastic box, the box material comprisinga series of substantially evenly spaced plastic corrugations; the box comprising a plurality of box sides connected to one another at intermediate hinge lines, at least one of the box sides comprising a side panel and an upper panel being connected to and folded over against the inner surface of the side panel to form a strong, smooth vertical box side and a strong, smooth, top horizontal edge, and an end panel extending from one box side hinge; said end panel having an L-shape and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the end panel being adapted to extend over a number of corrugations of an adjacent box side panel to which the L-shaped end panel can be affixed, and the lower portion of the end panel being adapted to extend over a substantially greater number of corrugations of said adjacent box side panel, whereby to avoid the concentration of bowing force and strain at any one side panel corrugation, the upper panel of one box side extending only partly over the side panel to which the upper panel is attached and being shaped to fit closely adjacent to the edges of the end panel L-shape upper portion and lower portion.
- 2. A rigid corrugated plastic box according to claim 1 further including a plurality of box upper panels are secured to the respective box sides so as to inhibit box side bowing caused by interior box loads.
- 3. A method of using a rigid corrugated plastic box, comprising the steps of:erecting a box from a box blank; the box comprising a plurality of box sides connected to one another at intermediate hinge lines, at least one of the box sides comprising a side panel and an upper panel being connected to and folded over against the inner surface of the side panel to form a strong, smooth vertical box side and a strong, smooth, top horizontal edge, and an end panel extending from one box side hinge; said end panel having an L-shape and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion of the end panel being adapted to extend over a number of corrugations of an adjacent box side panel to which the L-shaped end panel can be affixed, and the lower portion of the end panel being adapted to extend over a substantially greater number of corrugations of said adjacent box side panel, whereby to avoid the concentration of bowing force and strain at any one side panel corrugation, the upper panel of one box side extending only partly over the side panel to which the upper panel is attached and being shaped to fit closely adjacent to the edges of the end panel L-shape upper portion and lower portion; filling the erected box with produce at a box filling point; shipping the filled box to a distribution point; emptying the box at the distribution point; knocking down the emptied box into a flat configuration; and returning the flattened box to a filling point for reuse.
- 4. A method of using a rigid corrugated plastic box according to claim 3 wherein the step of erecting a box from a box blank comprises the steps of:folding a first bottom flap into a position substantially perpendicular with the side wall to which the first flap is joined; folding second and third bottom flaps located adjacent to the first flap and located opposite to one another into positions substantially perpendicular with the side walls to which the respective second and third flaps are joined; folding a fourth bottom flap opposite to the first flap and adjacent to the second and third flaps into a position substantially perpendicular to the side walls to which the four flap is joined; and inserting a tab extending distally from the fourth flap into a slot space defined by edges of the first, second and third flaps so as to create a substantially continuous bottom panel connected to and oriented substantially perpendicularly to each of the box side panels.
- 5. A method of using a rigid plastic box according to claim 4 wherein the step of knocking down the emptied box comprises the steps of:pushing said fourth panel inwardly and into the box into a position substantially adjacent to the box side to which the fourth flap is attached; outwardly folding said second and third box panels; outwardly folding said first box panel; outwardly folding the fourth panel; and thereafter reconfiguring the box blank into a substantially flat configuration.
US Referenced Citations (12)