REUSABLE BOX BLANK

• US 20150251797A1
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inteplast Group Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inteplast Group Limited
• Inventors: Carman, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,290,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2100/0024 having all side walls attached to the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2110/35 rectangular, e.g. square
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2120/002 having contracted or rolled necks, having shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/26 Folding sheets, blanks or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/60 Uniting opposed surfaces or edges; Taping
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/734 interengaging tongues and slots
• 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 5/0254 with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps and securing them by means of a tongue integral with one of the flaps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/106 the opening being a slot
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/30 with tongue-and-slot or like connections between sides and extensions of other sides
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/304 the tongue being folded over after being intoduced in the slot
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/305 combined with a slot provided at the fold line between an adjacent side wall and a lateral extension thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4295 Ventilating arrangements, e.g. openings, space elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A blank for being repeatably assembled into a box configuration without the use of adhesives. The blank has a bottom panel, a side panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, an end panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, and a locking structure configured to secure the side panel and the end panel in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel. The locking structure includes an overlay panel foldably attached to the end panel and foldable toward an overlying position in which it overlies a portion of the side panel. The locking structure also includes a slot in the bottom panel, a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot, and a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel for being lockingly received in the slot to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position.

Claims

1. A blank for being repeatably assembled into a box configuration without the use of adhesives, the blank comprising:

a bottom panel;

a side panel foldably attached to the bottom panel;

an end panel foldably attached to the bottom panel; and

a locking structure configured to secure the side panel and the end panel in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel, the locking structure comprising;

an overlay panel foldably attached to the end panel and being configured to be folded toward an overlying position in which the overlay panel overlies a portion of the side panel when the side panel and the end panel are in the respective orthogonal positions;

a slot in the bottom panel;

a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot; and

a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel for being lockingly received in the slot to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position, the tab comprising a spine and a pair of wings extending outwardly from the spine, each of the wings configured to bend away from the bottom panel from a coplanar position with respect to the spine as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the wings being further configured to resiliently return toward its respective coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot.

2. The blank of claim 1 further comprising a one-piece slab of fluted material, the slab comprising a plurality of flutes, each of the plurality of flutes having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes oriented parallel to one another.

3. The blank of claim 2 wherein the spine has a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes such that each of the wings bends away from the bottom panel along a respective one of the plurality of flutes from the coplanar position as the tab is being inserted in the slot.

4. The blank of claim 3 wherein the one-piece slab comprises plastic material.

5. The blank of claim 4 wherein the one-piece slab comprises a pair of spaced apart sheets material held in spaced apart relationship by a plurality of spaced apart ribs, the plurality of spaced apart ribs defining the plurality of flutes.

6. The blank of claim 1 wherein the flap bends away from a coplanar position with respect to the bottom panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot and resiliently returns toward its coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot.

7. The blank of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the spine overlies the flap when the tab is received in the slot.

8. The blank of claim 1 wherein the bottom panel lies in a bottom plane and wherein the tab is foldably attached to the overlay panel at a tab joint, the tab joint being oriented substantially in the bottom plane when the blank is assembled into the box configuration such that the tab folds along the tab joint towards an underside of the bottom panel as the tab is being inserted into the slot.

9. The blank of claim 1 wherein the slot has a width and the tab has a width and the width of the tab is at least 30% greater than the width of the slot.

10. The blank of claim 1 wherein the tab has a leading edge which is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the tab spine and side edges of the tab are orthogonal to said leading edge.

11. A reusable box secured in a box configuration without the use of adhesives, the box comprising:

a bottom panel;

a pair of side panels foldably attached to opposite sides of the bottom panel and oriented in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel;

a pair of end panels foldably attached to opposite ends of the bottom panel and oriented in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel, each of the end panels abutting each of the side panels at four respective corners of the box;

a locking structure for each of the four corners of the box, each locking structure securing a respective one of the side panels and a respective one of the end panels in its respective orthogonal position with respect to the bottom panel, each locking structure comprising for said respective one of the side panels and said respective one of the end panels;

an overlay panel foldably attached to said respective one of the end panels in an overlying position in which the overlay panel overlies a portion of said respective one of the side panels;

a slot in the bottom panel;

a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot; and

a tab lockingly received in the slot to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position, the tab comprising a spine and a pair of wings extending outwardly from the spine, the tab being configured to be inserted in the slot such that each of the wings bends away from the bottom panel from a coplanar position with respect to the spine as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the wings being configured to resiliently return toward its respective coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot.

12. The box of claim 11 further comprising a one-piece slab of fluted material, the slab comprising a plurality of flutes, each of the plurality of flutes having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes oriented parallel to one another.

13. The box of claim 12 wherein the spine has a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes such that each of the wings is configured to bend away from the bottom panel along a respective one of the plurality of flutes from the coplanar position as the tab is being inserted in the slot.

14. The box of claim 13 wherein the one-piece slab comprises a pair of spaced apart sheets held in spaced apart relationship by a plurality of spaced apart ribs, the plurality of spaced apart ribs defining the plurality of flutes.

15. The box of claim 11 wherein the flap is configured to bend away from a coplanar position with respect to the bottom panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot and to resiliently return toward its coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot.

16. The box of claim 15 wherein at least a portion of the spine is configured to overly the flap when the tab is received in the slot.

17. The box of claim 11 wherein the bottom panel lies in a bottom plane and wherein the tab is foldably attached to the overlay panel at a tab joint, the tab joint being oriented substantially in the bottom plane, the tab being configured to fold along the tab joint towards an underside of the bottom panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot.

18. The box of claim 11 wherein the slot has a width and the tab has a width, the width of the tab being at least 30% greater than the width of the slot.

19. A locking structure for securing first, second, and third panels of a box in respective orthogonal positions with respect to one another without using adhesives, the locking structure comprising:

an overlay panel foldably attached to the first panel, the overlay panel being configured to be folded toward an overlying position in which the overlay panel overlies a portion of the second panel;

a slot in the third panel;

a flap foldably attached to the third panel and extending into the slot; and

a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel at a tab joint, the tab being configured to be inserted in the slot and received therein to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position, the tab comprising a spine and a pair of wings extending outwardly from the spine, the tab being further configured to fold along the tab joint from a position coplanar with the overlay panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the pair of wings being configured to bend away from the third panel from a coplanar position with respect to the spine as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the pair of wings being further configured to resiliently return toward its respective coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot;

wherein, when the tab is received in the slot, the tab joint is in substantial coplanar alignment with the third panel.

20. A method of reusing a blank securable in a box configuration without the use of adhesives:

(a) providing one-piece slab of material having a bottom panel, a side panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, an end panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, and a locking structure the locking structure comprising;

an overlay panel foldably attached to the end panel;

a slot in the bottom panel;

a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot; and

a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel and comprising a spine and a pair of wings extending outwardly from the spine;

(b) folding the side panel to an orthogonal position with respect to the bottom panel;

(c) folding the end panel to an orthogonal position with respect to the bottom panel;

(d) folding the overlay panel to an overlying position in which the overlay panel overlies a portion of the side panel;

(e) inserting the tab into the slot such that the tab is lockingly received in the slot, each of the wings bending away from the bottom panel from a coplanar position with respect to the spine during said inserting;

(f) pushing the tab out from the slot toward a coplanar position with respect to the overlay panel;

(g) folding the overlay panel, the end panel, and the side panel toward a coplanar position with respect to the bottom panel; and

(h) repeating at least steps (b) through (e).