BLANKS AND METHODS FOR FORMING REINFORCED CONTAINERS

• US 20110204131A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WestRock Shared Services, LLC (WestRock Company)
• Original Assignee: Rock-Tenn Shared Services, LLC (WestRock Company)
• Inventors: Huston, John Robert, Smith, Kenneth C., Brundage, David Joe
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/141
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/001 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/443 Integral reinforcements, e.g. folds, flaps double walls B65D5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6605 the lid being formed by two mating halves joined to opposite edges of the container body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6608 the lid being held in closed position by self-locking integral flaps

Abstract

A blank of sheet material for forming a container is provided. The blank includes a first reinforcing end panel extending from a first end panel, a first corner post panel extending from a first edge of the first reinforcing end panel, and a first top end panel defined within the first reinforcing end panel.

Claims

1. A blank of sheet material for forming a container, the blank comprising:

a first reinforcing end panel extending from a first end panel;

a first corner post panel extending from a first edge of the first reinforcing end panel; and

a first top end panel defined within the first reinforcing end panel.

2. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a second corner post panel extending from a second edge of the first reinforcing end panel, the second edge opposing the first edge.

3. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a first side reinforcing panel extending from an edge of the first corner post panel.

4. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a second reinforcing end panel extending from a second end panel.

5. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 4 further comprising a third corner post panel extending from a first edge of the second reinforcing panel and a fourth corner post panel extending from a second, opposing edge of the second reinforcing end panel.

6. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a second side reinforcing panel extending from an edge of one of the third corner post panel and the fourth corner post panel.

7. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first top end panel comprises a locking mechanism.

8. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 7 further comprising:

a first top side panel extending from a first side panel, the first top side panel comprising a cutout; and

a second top side panel extending from a second side panel, the second top side panel comprising a locking flap, the locking mechanism configured to be inserted through the cutout and secured in position by the locking flap.

9. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a first bottom end panel extending from the first end panel, the first bottom end panel comprising a first locking extension;

a second bottom end panel extending from a second end panel, the second bottom end panel comprising a second locking extension; and

a first bottom side panel extending from a first side panel, the first bottom side panel comprising a locking slot formed in cooperation with the first locking extension and the second locking extension.

10. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a second bottom side panel extending from a second side panel, the second bottom side panel comprising a locking tab configured to be received in the locking slot.

23. A method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising:

rotating a plurality of top panels with respect to the plurality of panels; and

interlocking the plurality of top panels together using locking cutouts, locking tabs, minor cutouts, and locking slots defined by the plurality of top panels.

11. A container formed from a blank of sheet material, the container comprising:

a first end wall formed from a first end panel and an interconnected first reinforcing end panel positioned in face-to-face relationship with the first end panel;

a first top end panel extending from the first end panel; and

a bottom wall oriented substantially perpendicularly to the first end wall, the bottom wall comprising a plurality of bottom panels interlocked together using a bottom locking mechanism.

12. A container in accordance with claim 11 wherein the container is four-sided.

13. A container in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a first side wall, an opposing second side wall, a second end wall opposing the first end wall, and at least one corner post extending between at least one of the first side wall and the first end wall, the first side wall and the second end wall, the second side wall and the first end wall, and the second side wall and the second end wall.

14. A container in accordance with claim 13, wherein at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall comprising a side reinforcing panel.

15. A container in accordance with claim 11 wherein the container is eight-sided.

16. A container in accordance with claim 15, wherein the container comprises a plurality of corner walls, at least one corner wall of the plurality of corner walls comprising a corner panel and a corner post panel.

17. A container in accordance with claim 11, wherein the bottom locking mechanism comprises a locking slot defined by three bottom panels and a locking tab defined by one bottom panel, the locking tab received within the locking slot to form the bottom wall.

18. A container in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a top wall comprising a first top side panel, a second top side panel, the first top end panel, and a second top end panel.

19. A container in accordance with claim 18, wherein

the first top side panel comprises a first locking cutout and a second locking cutout;

the second top side panel comprises a first locking flap and a second locking flap, a minor cutout is defined adjacent to each of the locking flaps; and

each top end panel comprises a locking mechanism configured to be received in a minor cutout and one of the first locking cutout and the second locking cutout and secured by one of the first locking flap and the second locking flap to form the top wall.

20. A method for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the method comprising:

rotating a plurality of panels about a plurality of fold lines to form at least a portion of a first side wall, an opposing second side wall, a first end wall, and an opposing second end wall;

rotating at least one end reinforcing panel with respect to at least one of the first end wall and the second end wall and a top end panel extending from the at least one of the first end wall and the second wall to form a portion of the at least one of the first end wall and the second end wall; and

rotating at least one corner post panel with respect to the at least one reinforcing end panel to form at least one corner post within the container.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20 further comprising forming a bottom wall by interlocking a plurality of bottom panels together.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein forming a bottom wall comprises inserting a locking tab into a locking slot, the locking defined by a plurality of bottom panels.

24. A locking mechanism for use with a container formed from a blank of sheet material, the blank including a first top panel, a second top panel, a third top panel, and a fourth top panel, the locking mechanism comprising:

at least one locking cutout defined in the first top panel;

at least one locking flap defined by the second top panel;

a minor cutout defined through the second top panel adjacent the at least one locking flap; and

at least one locking tab defined by at least one of the third top panel and the fourth top panel, the at least one locking tab configured to be inserted through the at least one locking cutout and the minor cutout and secured in position by the at least one locking flap.

25. A locking mechanism in accordance with claim 24, wherein the at least one locking tab comprises:

a top support panel configured to extend below the first top panel between a top edge of an end panel and the at least one cutout;

a center portion extending from the top support panel; and

a pair of side flaps each extending from a side edge of the center portion, the side flaps configured to engage the second top panel adjacent the at least one locking flap when the at least one locking tab is interlocked with the at least one cutout and the at least one locking flap.

26. A locking mechanism in accordance with claim 24 wherein

the at least one cutout comprises a first locking cutout and a second locking cutout defined in the first top panel;

the at least one locking flap comprises a first locking flap and a second locking flap defined by the second top panel;

the second top panel comprises a first minor cutout adjacent the first locking flap and a second minor cutout adjacent the second locking flap; and

the at least one locking tab comprises a first locking tab defined by the third top panel and a second locking tab defined by the fourth top panel.