ARTICLE-TRANSPORT CONTAINER

• US 20140084047A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: Tin Incorporated (International Paper Company)
• Inventors: McLeod, Michael B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/109
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/003 having ledges formed by extensions of the side walls B65D5/0045 and B65D5/0065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2033 polygonal having more than four sides, e.g. hexagonal, octogonal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/443 Integral reinforcements, e.g. folds, flaps double walls B65D5/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/918 Corner construction

Abstract

An article-transport container comprises a floor having a respective left-side and right-side closures foldably joined thereto. A front end closure is foldably joined to the floor and to the respective right-side and left-side closures. A rear end closure is foldably joined to the floor and to the respective right-side and left-side closures. Four quad-layer corners are defined by a first quad-layer corner, a second quad-layer corner, a third quad-layer corner, and a fourth quad-layer corner which cooperate with the respective right-side and left-side closures to define an interior region adapted to receive articles therein. The first quad-layer corner includes respective outer and inner layers and respective first and second medial layers that are sandwiched between the respective outer and inner layers to enhance stacking strength of the container while minimizing scarps produced during construction of the container.

Claims

1. An article-transport container comprising:

a floor having a respective left-side and right-side closures foldably joined thereto, a front end closure foldably joined to the floor and to the respective right-side and left-side closures, a rear end closure foldably joined to the floor and to the respective right-side and left-side closures, and at least one quad-layer corner cooperate with the respective right-side and left-side closures to define an interior region adapted to receive articles therein wherein the least one quad-layer corner includes respective outer and inner layers and respective first and second medial layers being sandwiched between the respective outer and inner layers to enhance stacking strength of the container while minimizing scarps produced during construction of the container.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the at least one quad-layer corner includes four quad-layer corners defined by a first quad-layer corner, a second quad-layer corner, a third quad-layer corner, and a fourth quad-layer corner.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein the outer layer is formed from a portion of the right side closure and the first medial layer is formed from another portion of the right side closure.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein the second medial portion is formed from a portion of the front end closure and the inner layer is formed from another portion of the front end closure.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein the first medial layer is positioned to lie between the outer and second medial layers and is configured to provide means for interconnecting the outer layer and the second medial layer.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the second medial layer is positioned to lie between the first medial layer and the inner layer.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein the respective right side and left side closures includes a corresponding right canopy and a corresponding left canopy wherein each of which is overlying the floor.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein the front end closure further includes a front end strip and a front end canopy coupled to the front end strip about a front end canopy fold line wherein the front end strip includes a front end wall, a first front anchor flap coupled to the front end wall about a first front anchor-flap fold line and a second front anchor flap coupled to the front end wall about a second front anchor-flap fold line.

9. The container of claim 8 wherein the first front anchor flap includes a front right corner bridge that is coupled to front end wall about a first front anchor-flap fold line and a front right corner tab that is coupled to the front right corner bridge about a first front corner-tab fold line.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein the front right corner tab includes a first tab panel and a second tab panel wherein the first tab panel is coupled to a second bridge panel by a first front corner-tab fold line and the second tab panel is coupled to the first tab panel by a first tab-panel fold line.

11. The container of claim 1 wherein the right side closure (20) includes a right inner strip coupled to the floor about a right-side fold line and a right outer anchor strip is coupled to the right inner strip about a right anchor-strip fold line.

12. The container of claim 11 wherein the right inner strip (54) includes a right side wall (60), a first right wall anchor flap (62) coupled to the right side wall about a first right wall flap fold line (64), and a second right wall anchor flap (66) is coupled to the right side wall about a second right wall flap fold line.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein the first right wall anchor flap is used to establish the first medial layer of first quad-layer corner.

14. An article-transport container comprising:

a floor having a respective left-side and right-side closures foldably joined thereto, a front end closure foldably joined to the floor and to the respective right-side and left-side closures, a rear end closure foldably joined to the floor and to the respective right-side and left-side closures, and four quad-layer corners defined by a first quad-layer corner, a second quad-layer corner, a third quad-layer corner, and a fourth quad-layer corner cooperate with the respective right-side and left-side closures to define an interior region adapted to receive articles therein wherein the first quad-layer corner includes respective outer and inner layers and respective first and second medial layers being sandwiched between the respective outer and inner layers to enhance stacking strength of the container while minimizing scarps produced during construction of the container.

15. The container of claim 14 wherein the first quad-layer corner is arranged to extent between a front end wall a and right side wall and lie at an acute angle relative to the front end wall wherein the acute angle is defined to be between a first mitered edge of the floor and a front end edge of floor.

16. The container of claim 14 wherein the second quad-layer corner (22) is established as a result of coupling a first left wall anchor flap (62L) to a first bridge panel (90L1) of a front left corner bridge (90L) and by coupling first left auxiliary canopy anchor flap (74L) to the first left wall anchor flap (62L).

17. A blank (28) for making an article-transport container comprising:

A floor (14), a left side closure (16) being appended to floor (14) along a left-side fold line (30), a right side closure (20) being appended to floor (14) along a right-side fold line (32), a rear end closure (18) being appended to floor (14) along a rear-end fold line (34), and a front end closure (12) being appended to floor (14) along a front-end fold line (36) wherein the right side closure (20), the left side closure (16), the rear end closure (18), the front end closure (12), and four quad-layer corners (21), (22), (23), (24) cooperate with one another to form a border coupled to the floor (14) and arranged to cooperate with the floor (14) to define interior region (26) of container (10).

18. The blank (28) of claim 17 wherein the rear end closure (18) cooperates with the left side closure (16) and the right side closure (20) to establish a rear end (38) of container (10).

19. A blank (228) for making an article-transport container comprising:

A floor (14), a right side closure (220) being appended to the floor (14) along a right-side fold line (32), and a front end closure (12) being appended to floor (14) along a front-end fold line (36) and wherein the right side closure (220) and the front end closure (12) are configured to be folded to produce a first quad-layer corner (221A).

20. The blank (228) of claim 19 wherein the first quad-layer corner (221A) is similar to first quad-layer corner (21) except that a first medial layer (2212A) is different and wherein the first medial layer (2212A) has a smaller length as compared to a length of a first medial layer (212).