Ventilated, stackable grape box

• US 4,770,339 A
• Filed: 05/06/1987
• Issued: 09/13/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Weimer, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US07/046,488
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 229/120, 229/143, 229/149, 229/150, 229/174, 229/177, 229/178, 229/179, 229/191, 229/918, 229/DIG. 11
• US Class Current: 229/143
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0045 having both integral corner posts and ledges
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4295 Ventilating arrangements, e.g. openings, space elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/918 Corner construction

Abstract

A ventilated grape box and a one-piece blank for forming it. The blank is formed from corrugated paperboard and is cut and scored to permit it to be folded into a stackable grape box without the need for fasteners. The upper edges of both ends of the box are provided with upstanding stacking tabs which are adapted to fit in complementary recesses in the lower edges of an identical box stacked above it. Each of two upper closure panels is provided with tabs which frictionally engage certain end panels to thereby maintain the upper closure panels closed after the box is filled with grapes. Certain end forming panels are folded to define a triangular column at each inside corner of the box, to thereby increase stacking strength.

Claims

1. A one-peice blank of stiff, bendable and resilient sheet material, such as corrugated paperboard, said blank being generally rectangular and exhibiting mirror symmetry about both its longitudinal and its transverse axis, said blank having a plurality of cut lines and also having a plurality of score lines about which the sheet material can be bent, to thereby define a plurality of panels each having sides and ends, a bottom panel (18), a side panel (20) secured to each side of said bottom panel by a score line, a top closure panel (22) secured to one side of a respective side panel (20) by a score line, a friction tab (24) carried at each end of each of said top closure panels (22), a first end panel (30) secured to each end of each said side panel (20) by a score line (56), a first stacking tab (32) carried at an edge of said first end panel (30), a second end panel (36) secured to each end of said bottom panel (18) by a score line (50), each of said second end panels (36) carrying a pair of stacking tabs (44), a third end panel (60) connected to a respective said second end panel (36) by a spaced pair of spaced apart, parallel score lines (38, 40), a pair of serially connected post forming panels (62, 64) secured to each side of a respective third end panel (60), said post forming panels (62, 64) and said third end panel (60) being of the same width, a fourth end panel (66) secured to a respective one (64) of said post forming panels, said fourth end panel (66) having a portion thereof which is of the same width as the width of said post forming panel (64) to which it is attached, a pair of stacking tab receiving openings (53) intersecting each score line (50) between saind bottom (18) and second end panels (36), the bottom panel (18) portion of said stacking tab receiving openings (53) having a portion (52) spaced from said score line (50) between said bottom (18) and second end panels (36) a distance equal to three thicknesses of said sheet material, said third panel (60) having a pair of spaced apart locking tabs (70, 70), and wherein each fourth end panel (66) carries a locking tab (72).

2. A one-piece blank of stiff, bendable and resilient sheet material, such as corrugated paperboard, said blank being generally rectangular and exhibiting mirror symmetry about both its longitudinal and its transverse axis, said blank having a plurality of cut lines and also having a plurality of score lines about which the sheet material can be bent, to thereby define a plurality of panels each having sides and ends, a bottom panel (18), a side panel (20) secured to each side of said bottom panel by a score line, a top closure panel (22) secured to one side of a respective side panel (20) by a score line, a friction tab (24) carried at each end of each of said top closure panels (22), a first end panel (30) secured to each end of each said side panel (20) by a score line (56), a first stacking tab (32) carried at an edge of each of said first end panels (30), a second end panel (36) secured to each end of said bottom panel (18) by a score line (50), each of said second end panels (36) carrying a pair of stacking tabs (44), a third end panel (60) connected to a respective said second end panel (36) by a spaced pair of spaced apart, parallel score lines (38, 40), a pair of serially connected post forming panels (62, 64) secured to each side of a respective third end panel (60), a fourth end panel (66) secured to a respective one (64) of said post forming panels, said third panel (60) having a pair of spaced apart locking tabs (70,70), each fourth end panel (66) carrying a locking panel (72) a pair of stacking tab receiving openings (53) intersecting each score line (50) between said bottom (18) and second end panels (36), the bottom panel (18) portion of said stacking tab receiving openings (53) having a portion (52) spaced from said score line (50) between said bottom (18) and second end panels (36) a distance equal to three thicknesses of said sheet material.

3. A box of a geerally rectangular parallelpiped shape formed from a one-piece blank of stiff, resilient and bendable sheet material, such as corrugated paperboard, said box having a bottom panel, two side panels, top closure panels, the latter each secured to a respective side panel, each panel having ends and sides, and an end panel construction for each of the two ends of the box, said end panel construction defined by a first end panel secured to each end of said side panels, a second end panel secured to each end of said bottom panel, a third end panel secured to a respective end of a respective second end panel, serially connected post forming panels at each inside corner of the box and forming two sides of a generally triangular post, a fourth end forming panel connected to a respective one of said triangular post forming panels, two outermost stacking tabs extending upwardly from each of said second end panels, an innermost stacking tab extending upwardly from each of said first end panels, respective pairs of said outermost and said innermost stacking tabs being in surface contact with each other, a friction locking tab at each end of each of said top closure panels each said friction tab being received and frictionally held between said first and third end panels stacking tab receiving openings at the bottom of each of said end panel constructions, said third end panel having a pair of spaced apart locking tabs, each of said fourth end panels having locking tab which is aligned with a respective one of said third end panel locking tabs, each pair of said aligned locking tabs being received in a respective one of said stacking tab receiving openings whereby said box is stackable with other, identical boxes.