One-piece shipping container with differently contoured inner and outer walls and a quick-lock bottom

• US 20050109826A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Fry, Stanley L., DiSalvo, Timi D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/178
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/20 made wholly or mainly of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00029 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00064 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00159 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00497 whereby at least one side wall is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00597 integrally formed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00641 Structures intended to be disassembled
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0091 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0281 the tubular body presenting double or multiple walls for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3853
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/918 Corner construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/919 Reinforced wall

Abstract

A container (10) for shipping products has opposed end walls (11, 12) and opposed side walls (13, 14), each having an inner wall panel (16, 17 and 20, 21, respectively) and an outer wall panel (18, 19 and 22, 23, respectively) defining double thickness walls. The outer wall panels in the side walls are disposed orthogonally to the outer wall panels in the end walls to define a rectangular or square outer container configuration, and extension panels (25a, 25b) on opposite side edges of a first pair (16, 17) of the inner wall panels extend diagonally across interior corners of the container to define with the inner wall panels an octagonal inner container configuration. Bottom flaps (40, 41, 42 and 43) foldably connected to the bottom edges of the outer wall panels form a peripheral bottom wall (15), and include quick-lock detents (46, 47 and 52, 53, 54) to enable quick and easy set up of the bottom. In one embodiment (10′), a reinforcing panel (61) is formed in two of the inner wall panels, and is foldable to a position between the inner and outer wall panels, at the top thereof, to reinforce the walls of the container. A blank (B, B′) for making the container (10, 10′) is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A container for shipping products, comprising:

opposed side walls and opposed end walls, said side and end walls each comprising an inner wall panel and an outer wall panel defining double thickness walls;

the outer wall panels in the side walls being disposed orthogonally to the outer wall panels in the end walls to define a rectangular or square outer container configuration; and

an extension panel on opposite side edges of a first pair of said inner wall panels that are disposed in opposed relationship to one another, said extension panels extending diagonally across interior corners of the container to define an octagonal inner container configuration.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said outer wall panels have top and bottom edges; and

a bottom-forming flap is foldably joined to the bottom edge of each of said outer wall panels, said bottom-forming flaps having interengaged locking means on adjacent edges thereof to hold the bottom-forming flaps in operative position.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

each inner wall panel is foldably connected to the top edge of a respective one of said outer wall panels and is folded downwardly into the container and against an inner surface of an associated outer wall panel.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

an assembly tab is on an outer edge of each extension panel, said assembly tabs lying against an inner surface of an adjacent outer wall panel; and

said assembly tabs are captured between the adjacent outer wall panel and a respective one of a second pair of said inner wall panels, said second pair being disposed orthogonally to said first pair.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said inner wall panels have a height substantially coextensive with the height of said outer wall panels, and a width substantially coextensive with the distance between adjacent edges of said diagonal corner panels.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

locking tabs are on a bottom edge of the inner wall panels of said second pair, said locking tabs being engaged in slots at the juncture between the outer wall panels and the bottom-forming panels.

7. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said assembly tabs have an upper end and a lower end and a height substantially coextensive with the height of the outer wall panels; and

a locking tab is on at least one of the upper and lower ends, said locking tab engaged in a slot to hold the assembly tab in position.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

a locking tab is on each of the upper and lower ends of the assembly tabs, and said locking tabs are engaged in slots at the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the outer wall panels.

9. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a reinforcing panel is formed in each inner wall panel of a second pair of inner wall panels, said reinforcing panel being formed by a cut in the inner wall panel and joined to the inner wall panel along a fold, said reinforcing panel being folded upwardly between the inner wall panel and an associated outer wall panel and extending to adjacent the top edge of the outer wall panel to reinforce the side wall.

10. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

at least one locking tab is on a bottom edge of the inner wall panels of a second pair of inner wall panels disposed orthogonally to the first pair, said at least one locking tab being engaged in a slot at the bottom edge of an associated outer wall panel.

11. A container for shipping products, comprising:

opposed side walls and opposed end walls, said side and end walls each comprising an inner wall panel and an outer wall panel substantially coextensive in height and width; and

a reinforcing panel in at least one of said inner wall panels, said reinforcing panel being formed by a cut in the inner wall panel and joined to the inner wall panel along a fold, said reinforcing panel being folded upwardly between the inner wall panel and an associated outer wall panel and extending to adjacent a top edge of the outer wall panel to reinforce the side wall.

12. A container as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the outer wall panels in the side walls are disposed orthogonally to the outer wall panels in the end walls to define a rectangular or square outer container configuration; and

an extension panel is on opposite side edges of a first pair of said inner wall panels that are disposed in opposed relationship to one another, said extension panels extending diagonally across interior corners of the container to define an octagonal inner container configuration.

13. A container as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

said outer wall panels have top and bottom edges; and

a bottom-forming flap is foldably joined to the bottom edge of each of said outer wall panels, said bottom-forming flaps having interengaged locking means on adjacent edges thereof to hold the bottom-forming flaps in operative position.

14. A container as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

each inner wall panel is foldably connected to the top edge of a respective one of said outer wall panels and is folded downwardly into the container and against an inner surface of an associated outer wall panel.

15. A container as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

an assembly tab is on an outer edge of each extension panel, said assembly tabs lying against an inner surface of an adjacent outer wall panel; and

said assembly tabs are captured between the adjacent outer wall panel and a respective one of a second pair of said inner wall panels, said second pair being disposed orthogonally to said first pair.

16. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

said inner wall panels have a height substantially coextensive with the height of said outer wall panels, and a width substantially coextensive with the distance between adjacent edges of said diagonal corner panels.

17. A container as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

locking tabs are on a bottom edge of the inner wall panels of said second pair, said locking tabs being engaged in slots at the juncture between the outer wall panels and the bottom-forming panels.

18. A container as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

said assembly tabs have an upper end and a lower end and a height substantially coextensive with the height of the outer wall panels; and

a locking tab is on at least one of the upper and lower ends, said locking tab engaged in a slot to hold the assembly tab in position.

19. A container as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

a locking tab is on each of the upper and lower ends of the assembly tabs, and said locking tabs are engaged in slots at the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the outer wall panels.

20. A one-piece unitary blank of corrugated paperboard for making a shipping container, said blank having an elongate rectangular shape, and comprising:

first, second, third and fourth outer wall-forming panels foldably joined together along adjacent end edges, and forming first and second pairs of opposed outer wall panels in a container erected from said blank;

first, second, third and fourth inner wall-forming panels each foldably joined to a first side edge of a respective one of the four outer wall-forming panels, said inner wall-forming panels being separate from one another and in a container erected from said blank forming first and second pairs of opposed inner wall-forming panels associated, respectively, with the first and second pairs of outer wall-forming panels;

an extension panel foldably joined to each of the opposite side edges of the inner wall-forming panels of said first pair of said inner wall-forming panels, and forming diagonal corner panels extending across interior corners of a container erected from said blank;

an assembly tab foldably joined to the outer side edge of each extension flap, and in a container erected from the blank said tabs being captured between adjacent inner and outer wall panels of said second pair; and

a bottom-forming flap foldably joined to each outer wall-forming panel along a second side edge opposite the first edge.

21. A one-piece unitary blank of corrugated paperboard for making a shipping container, said blank having an elongate rectangular shape, and comprising:

first, second, third and fourth outer wall-forming panels foldably joined together along adjacent end edges, and forming first and second pairs of opposed outer wall panels in a container erected from said blank;

first, second, third and fourth inner wall-forming panels each foldably joined to a first side edge of a respective one of the four outer wall-forming panels, said inner wall-forming panels being separate from one another and in a container erected from said blank forming first and second pairs of opposed inner wall-forming panels associated, respectively, with the first and second pairs of outer wall-forming panels; and

a cut in two of said inner wall-forming panels defining a reinforcing panel that is connected to the associated inner wall-forming panel along a fold, and being foldable into a position between the inner wall-forming panel and an associated outer wall-forming panel to reinforce the wall in a container erected from said blank.