Stackable container with locking lid

• US 4,497,408 A
• Filed: 11/29/1982
• Issued: 02/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Williamette Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Williamette Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Jes, Otto J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollard, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US06/445,362
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 206/509, 229/6 A, 229/34 R, 229/DIG. 11, 229/45, 229/23 R
• US Class Current: 206/509
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/005 Separate or attached stacking elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/325 whereby one blank forms three sides of the body, and the other blank forms the remaining sides, a hinged lid, and the opposite end closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/915 Stacking feature

Abstract

A stackable container with locking lid especially suitable for use in packaging grapes and other soft fruits comprises a container body having a lid of resiliently deformable material hinged to one side wall and a ledge on an adjacent end wall. The lid rests on the ledge. A stacking cleat on said adjacent end wall extends to a plane above the lid. A recess in the inner face of the stacking cleat is coplanar with the lid. A laterally-extending locking tongue extension of the lid coplanar with the recess is dimensioned for removable insertion into the recess upon closing the lid, thereby releasably locking the lid to the cleat.

Claims

1. A stackable container for packaging and transporting fresh fruits, vegetables and the like, comprising

(a) a body member having a generally rectangular vertical cross section and open at its opposite ends, said body member being formed from a unitary, generally rectangular blank of corrugated paperboard including

(1) a generally rectangular bottom wall (10) having opposed side and end edges, said bottom wall end edges each containing an opening (22a), respectively;

(2) a pair of side walls (12) connected with said bottom wall side edges by a pair of first parallel fold lines (36), respectively, said side walls being folded about said first fold lines, respectively, to spaced parallel positions normal to said bottom wall; and

(3) a pair of lid flaps (30) connected with the edges of said side walls opposite said bottom wall by a pair of second parallel fold lines (40), respectively, said lid flaps being adapted for folding about said second fold lines, respectively, to coplanar positions normal to said side walls spaced from and parallel to said bottom wall, thereby to define the top wall of the body member, said lid flaps each containing a cut-out portion (32) in each end edge thereof, said cut-out portions each defining a locking tongue extension (34);

(b) a pair of end walls (14) for closing the ends of said body member, each of said end walls being formed from a unitary, generally rectangular blank of corrugated paperboard, respectively, each of said blanks including

(1) a generally rectangular intermediate section (56) having opposed side and end edges;

(2) a generally rectangular inner section (46) connected with one end edge of said intermediate section by first fold line means (54);

(3) a generally rectangular outer section (50) connected with the free end edge of said inner section by second fold line means (48) parallel to said first fold line means;

(4) a generally rectangular ledge section (28) connected with the free end edge of said outer section by third fold line means (52) parallel to said second fold line means;

(5) said intermediate and inner sections containing a pair of recesses (60) in their side edges, respectively, along said first fold line means to define a cleat bridging said intermediate and inner sections;

(6) said inner section containing a pair of spaced apertures (26) adjacent said first fold line means;

(7) at least one of said inner and outer sections containing a first aperture (22b) intermediate the side edges thereof along said second fold line means; and

(8) said ledge section containing a second aperture (58) intermediate the side edges thereof along said third fold line means, said intermediate section being folded about said first fold line means to a position in contiguous engagement with said inner section, said inner section being folded about said second fold line means to a position parallel with said outer section, said intermediate section being sandwiched between said inner and outer sections to define a three-layer end wall with said cleat extending beyond the upper edge thereof; and

(c) means connecting said end walls with said body member with said inner sections arranged facing one another and with said end wall first apertures being aligned with said body member bottom wall openings, respectively, said ledge sections being folded about said third fold line means over said cleats to positions parallel to and opposite said body member bottom wall and said body member lid flaps being folded about said second fold lines to positions adjacent said ledge sections with said lid locking tongue extensions engaging said end wall inner section apertures, respectively, to close and lock the container, whereby when the containers are stacked, said cleats of a lower container are received by said aligned end wall first apertures and said body member bottom wall openings of the upper container.

2. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting means include an adhesive.

3. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting means further include side flanges (16) connected with the end edges of said side walls by a pair of third fold lines (42) and a pair of bottom flanges (18) connected with the end edges of said bottom wall by said third fold lines.