Produce field box and foldable blank for making it

• US 4,101,048 A
• Filed: 06/01/1976
• Issued: 07/18/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Taylor, Lawrence F., Rieben, Horace Johnnie
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moy, Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US05/691,844
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 229/34 R, 229/33, 229/DIG. 11, 229/32, 229/37 R, 229/31 FS
• US Class Current: 229/169
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0045 having both integral corner posts and ledges
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/22 held erect by extensions of one or more sides being doubled-over to enclose extensions of adjacent sides
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/443 Integral reinforcements, e.g. folds, flaps double walls B65D5/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/916 Means for ventilating while stacked
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/919 Reinforced wall

Abstract

A cut and scored foldable blank and the produce field box formed from the blank. The box has double side walls and double end walls which are reinforced by two to five additional layers of foldable material. The box has two end wall top decks for stacking. Preferably the end wall top decks are raised above the side walls of the box. The box is self locking and preferably has end locking tabs which extend from the inside end wall panels parallel to the bottom panel to enhance the self locking feature of the box.

Claims

1. A cut and scored foldable blank for a produce field box, which comprises:

a bottom panel;

first and second outside end wall panels connected to opposite sides of the bottom panel;

a first inside end wall panel, said first inside end wall panel connected by a first end wall top deck panel to said first outside end wall panel;

a second inside end wall panel, said inside end wall panel connected by a second end wall top deck panel to said second outside end wall panel;

first and second outside side wall panels connected to opposite sides of the bottom panel, wherein the corners of the first and second outside side wall panels which are remote from the bottom panel project away from said bottom panel whereby said corners of the first and second outside side wall help to support the first and second end wall top deck panels when the blank is folded into a produce field box;

a first inside side wall panel, said first inside side wall panel connected to said first outside side wall panel opposite to said bottom panel;

a second inside side wall panel, said second inside side wall panel connected to said second outside side wall panel opposite to said bottom panel;

a first set of two first end wall stacking panels comprising a first, first end wall stacking panel and a second, first end wall stacking panel connected to opposite sides of the first outside side wall panel;

a second set of two first end wall stacking panels comprising a first, first end wall stacking panel and a second, first end wall stacking panel connected to opposite sides of the second outside side wall panel whereby, when the blank is folded into a produce field box, each of said first end wall stacking panels helps to support an end wall top deck panel when a load is stacked on said end wall top deck panel;

four second end wall stacking panels, each of said second end wall stacking panels connected to a different first end wall stacking panel on the opposite side that the outside side wall panel is connected whereby, when the blank is folded into a produce field box, each of said second end wall stacking panels helps to support an end wall stacking panel when a load is stacked on said end wall top deck panel.

2. The blank of claim 1 further comprising four third end wall stacking panels, each of said third end wall stacking panels connected to a different second end wall stacking panel on the opposite side that the first end wall stacking panel is connected.

3. The blank of claim 2 wherein each of said first end wall stacking panels is connected to its corresponding second end wall stacking panel by a connecting flap, and each of said second end wall stacking panels is connected to its corresponding third end wall stacking panel by a connecting flap.

4. The blank of claim 3 further comprising a first end locking tab connected to the first inside end wall panel opposite to said first end wall top deck panel and a second end locking tab connected to said second inside end wall panel opposite to said second end wall top deck panel.

5. The blank of claim 1 further comprising a first end locking tab connected to the first inside end wall panel opposite to said first end wall top deck panel and a second end locking tab connected to said second inside end wall panel opposite to said second end wall top deck panel.

6. The blank of claim 1 further comprising:

a first, first end wall reinforcing panel and a second, first end wall reinforcing panel connected to opposite sides of the first inside side wall panel;

a first, second end wall reinforcing panel and a second, second end wall reinforcing panel connected to opposite sides of the second inside side wall panel.

7. The blank of claim 1 wherein the blank is made from corrugated cardboard.

8. The blank of claim 1 wherein the corners of said outside side wall panels project away from said bottom panel about 0.5 to about 1.5 inches.

9. The blank of claim 1 wherein said first and second end wall stacking panels may be foldably sandwiched between said inside and outside end wall panels so that the distance between said first and second outside side wall panels is substantially bridged by said first and second end wall stacking panels.

10. A box for storing produce constructed from foldable material comprising:

a bottom panel;

first and second outside end wall panels connected to opposite sides of the bottom panel;

a first inside end wall panel connected to and folded substantially parallel to said first outside end wall panel;

a first end wall top deck panel connecting said first outside end wall panel and said first inside end wall panel and folded substantially parallel to said bottom panel;

a second inside end wall panel connected to and folded substantially parallel to said second outside end wall panel;

a second end wall top deck panel connecting said second outside end wall panel and said second inside end wall panel and folded substantially parallel to said bottom panel;

first and second outside side wall panels connected to opposite sides of the bottom panel, wherein the corners of the first and second outside side wall panels which are remote from the bottom panel project away from said bottom panel whereby said corners help to support the first and second end wall top deck panels;

a first inside side wall panel, said first inside side wall panel connected to and folded substantially parallel to said first outside side wall panel;

a second side wall panel, said second inside side wall panel connected to and folded substantially parallel to said second outside side wall panel;

a first set of two first end wall stacking panels comprising a first, first end wall stacking panel connected to said first outside side wall panel and foldably sandwiched between said first outside end wall panel and said first inside end wall panel, and a second first end wall stacking panel, connected to said first outside side wall panel and foldably sandwiched between said second outside end wall panel and said second inside end wall panel;

a second set of two first end wall stacking panels comprising a first, first end wall stacking panel connected to said second outside side wall panel and foldably sandwiched between said first outside end wall panel and said first inside end wall panel, and a second, first end wall stacking panel connected to said second outside side wall panel and foldably sandwiched between said second outside end wall panel and said second inside end wall panel whereby each of said first end wall stacking panels helps to support an end wall top deck panel when a load is stacked on said end wall top deck panel;

four second end wall stacking panels, each of said second end wall stacking panels connected to and folded substantially parallel to a different first end wall stacking panel on the opposite side that the outside side wall panel is connected, whereby each of said second end wall stacking panels helps to support a top deck panel when a load is stacked on said end wall top deck panel.

11. The box of claim 10 further comprising four, third end wall stacking panels, each of said third end wall stacking panels connected to and folded substantially parallel to a different second end wall stacking panel.

12. The box of claim 11 wherein each of said first end wall stacking panels is connected to its corresponding second end wall stacking panel by a connecting flap, and each of said second end wall stacking panels is connected to its corresponding third end wall stacking panel by a connecting flap.

13. The box of claim 10 further comprising a first end locking tab connected to the first inside end wall panel and folded substantially parallel to said bottom panel, and a second end locking tab connected to the second inside end wall panel and folded substantially parallel to said bottom panel.

14. The box of claim 10 further comprising:

a first, first end wall reinforcing panel and a second, first end wall reinforcing panel connected to opposite sides of the first inside side wall panel, said first, first end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said first outside end wall panel and said first inside end wall panel and said second, first end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said second outside end wall panel and said second inside end wall panel;

a first, second end wall reinforcing panel and a second, second end wall reinforcing panel connected to opposite sides of the second inside side wall panel, said first, second end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said first outside end wall panel and said first inside end wall panel and said second, second end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said second outside end wall panel and said second inside end wall panel.

15. The box of claim 12 comprising:

a first, first end wall reinforcing panel and a second, first end wall reinforcing panel connected to opposite sides of the first inside side wall panel, said first, first end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said first outside end wall panel and said first inside side wall panel and said second, first end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said second outside end wall panel and said second inside end wall panel;

a first, second end wall reinforcing panel and a second, second end wall reinforcing panel connected to opposite sides of the second inside side wall panel, said first, second end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said first outside end wall panel and said first inside end wall panel and said second, second end wall reinforcing panel foldably sandwiched between said second outside end wall panel and said second inside end wall panel.

16. The box of claim 10 wherein the foldable material is corrugated paperboard.

17. The box of claim 10 wherein the first and second outside end wall panel is provided with a hole.

18. The box of claim 17 wherein each of the first end wall stacking panels and each of the second end wall stacking panels are provided with a cut out portion which is in alignment with a portion of a hole in one of the outside end wall panels.

19. The box of claim 10 wherein the corners of said outside side wall panels project away from said bottom panel about 0.5 to about 1.5 inches.

20. The box of claim 10 wherein said first and second end wall stacking panels are foldably sandwiched between said inside and outside end wall panels so that the distance between said first and second outside side wall panels is substantially bridged by said first and second end wall stacking panels.