Collapsible paperboard container

• US 4,410,129 A
• Filed: 10/30/1981
• Issued: 10/18/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rock-Tenn Company (WestRock Company)
• Original Assignee: Rock-Tenn Company (WestRock Company)
• Inventors: Wischusen, Henry III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Herbert F.
• Application Number:
  US06/316,951
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 229/1.5 B, 229/37 R, 229/41 R, 229/41 B, 229/4.5
• US Class Current: 229/117.06
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 31/10 with gusseted sides

Abstract

An open-ended collapsible paperboard container includes front and back wall panels, and side wall panels tapering to a bottom edge joining the front and back wall panels. In one embodiment of the invention, the side wall panels widen from the bottom edge to a location less than half the distance to the top of the container, and extend therefrom at essentially the same width to the top of the container. In a second embodiment of the invention, the side wall panels comprise diamond-shaped scores which bow inwardly, the diamond-shaped scores encompassing less than one-half the height of the container.

Claims

1. A collapsible paperboard container formed from a cut and scored flat blank, comprising:

front and back wall panels each having top edges, bottom edges joined together and a pair of side edges;

a pair of side wall panels each joined to said side edges of one of said front wall panels and one of said back wall panels by a score line along the entire length of said side edges, said side wall panels being shaped to maintain said front and back wall panels in spaced apart relationship such that said side edges of said front and back wall panels joined by said side wall panels extend substantially parallel to one another from said top edges for a portion of the height of said side wall panels, said side wall panels then tapering such that said side edges bend inwardly to meet at the point at which said bottom edges of said front and back wall panels are joined, said side wall panels further including a central longitudinal score and a pair of weakening scores extending diagonally upwardly, from the locations at which said side panels begin to taper, to said central longitudinal score so as to form the shape of a diamond with the tapering portions of said side wall panels;

said side edges of said front wall panel converging in the plane of said front wall panel toward one another from said top edge of said front wall panel to the location at which said side wall panels begin to taper, and then diverging from one another to said bottom edge of said front wall panel; and

said side edges of said back wall panel converging in the plane of said back wall panel toward one another from said top edge of said back wall panel to the location at which said side wall panels begin to taper, and then diverging from one another to said bottom edge of said back wall panel.

2. A blank for forming a collapsible container comprising an elongate sheet of paperboard cut and scores to provide:

a front wall panel including a cut top edge, and a bottom edge and side edges defined by score lines, said side edges intersecting with said bottom edge to define bottom corners of said front wall panel, and with said top edge to define upper corners of said front wall panel;

a bottom glue panel joined by a score line to the bottom edge of said front wall panel;

a pair of side wall panels joined by a score line to the side edges of said front wall panel;

a back wall flap joined by a score line to one of said side wall panels; and

a back glue flap joined by a score line to the other of said side wall panels;

said side edges of said front wall panel converging toward one another from said upper corners to a location intermediate the top and bottom edges of said front wall panel, and then diverging away from one another PG,21 to said bottom corners;

said side wall panels tapering from the location at which said side edges of said front wall panel begin to diverge to a point at one of said bottom corners of said front wall panel, and further including straight central scores extending from points spaced outside the upper corners of said front wall panel to the lower corners of said front wall panel, and said side wall panels being essentially symmetrical about said central scores; and

said side wall panels each including a pair of weakening scores extending diagonally upwardly from the location at which said edges begin to diverge, to said central score so as to form the shape of a diamond with the lower tapering portion of said side wall panel;

said blank being foldable into a flat erectable configuration along the score line between said front wall panel and said bottom glue panel and along said central scores of said side wall panels.

3. A blank for paperboard or the like for forming a collapsible container, comprising:

a front wall panel having a bottom edge, a top edge, and two side edges;

a bottom glue flap foldably connected to said front wall panel along said bottom edge;

a back wall flap foldably connected to said front wall panel along one of said side edges;

a back glue flap foldably connected to said front wall panel along the other of said side edges;

said back wall flap, said back glue flap and said bottom glue flap overlapping each other when folded inwardly against said front wall panel; and

a pair of diamond-shaped weakening scores each positioned symmetrically about one of said side edges so as to encompass equal areas of said front wall panel and one of said back wall flap and said back glue flap, said diamond-shaped scores each defining a lower acutely angled point located at an intersection of said bottom edge and one of said side edges and an upper acutely angled point positioned along said side edge less than one-half the distance from said bottom edge to said top edge;

said diamond-shaped scores defining the only scores provided in said front wall panel, said back wall flap and said back glue flap for formation of side wall panels.

4. A collapsible container of paperboard or the like comprising:

a front wall panel having a bottom edge, a top edge and two side edges;

a back wall panel foldably connected to said front wall panel along said bottom and said two side edges; and

a pair of diamond-shaped weakening scores each positioned symmetrically about one of said side edges so as to encompass equal areas of said front and back wall panels, said diamond-shaped scores each defining a lower acutely angled point located at an intersection of said bottom edge and said side edge and an upper acutely angled point positioned along said side edge less than one-half the distance from said bottom edge to said top edge;

said diamond-shaped scores defining the only scores provided in said front and back wall panels for formation of side wall panels.