Five-speed box foldable from a blank and useful as an open container, or as an end lid for a larger package

• US 5,211,330 A
• Filed: 04/06/1992
• Issued: 05/18/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Albert FREY Verpackungsentwicklungen und Vertriebes-GmbH
• Original Assignee: Albert FREY Verpackungsentwicklungen und Vertriebes-GmbH
• Inventors: Frey, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US07/864,294
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 229/174, 229/175, 229/176, 229/162, 229/23 R, 229/23 BT, 493/162
• US Class Current: 229/175
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/248 and at least one side being extended and doubled-over to enclose the adjacent gusset flaps

Abstract

A box is folded from a flat blank of sheet material. The flat blank of sheet material has a bottom portion, two side walls correspondingly connected via folds to first opposing edges of the bottom portion, and two end walls correspondingly connected via folds to second opposing edges of the bottom portion. The second edges extend perpendicular to the first edges. The end walls are of "double-wall" design, including inner and outer wall portions. Connecting portions are provided, with each connecting portion connected to intersecting edges of a side wall and a corresponding inner wall portion of an end wall and symmetrically foldable about a fold diagonally extending from a corner of the bottom portion such that in an erected state of the box the connecting portions are foldedly received between the corresponding inner and outer wall portions of each end wall. Engaging structures are provided at a vertical edge of the side walls for resiliently arresting the inner portions of the end walls for retaining them in a folded upright position. There is further provided a method of folding (erecting) a box from a flat blank of sheet material.

Claims

1. A box adapted to be folded from a flat blank of sheet material, the box comprising:

a bottom portion;

two side walls, each side wall connected via a fold to one of two first opposing edges of said bottom portion;

two end walls, each end wall having an outer end wall portion connected via a fold to one of two second opposing edges of said bottom portion, and an inner end wall portion connected via a fold to the outer end wall portion;

said second opposing edges of said bottom portion extending perpendicular to said first opposing edges of said bottom portion;

a plurality of connecting portions, each connecting portion connected to a pair of intersecting edges of one of the two side walls and one of the two outer end wall portions;

each connecting portion symmetrically foldable about a fold line extending diagonally from a corner of said bottom portion such that in an erected state of said box said connecting portion is folded and received between the inner and outer end wall portions of one of the two end walls; and

a plurality of engaging means for engaging and resiliently arresting movement of the inner end wall portions, and for retaining the inner and outer end wall portions in a folded upright position, each engaging means having;

a plurality of arresting flaps, each arresting flap projecting from an inner end wall portion from an edge of the inner end wall portion facing an adjacent side wall, the arresting flap extending in parallel to said adjacent side wall; and

recess means correspondingly formed in said side walls for engagingly receiving said arresting flap;

and wherein;

said side walls are provided with holes at positions corresponding to said recess means, for enabling said arresting flap to be unengaged from said recess means.

2. The box of claim 1, wherein:

each of the two side walls comprise an outer side wall portion connected to said bottom portion, and an inner side wall portion connected by a fold to the outer side wall portion;

said recess means are disposed at an edge region of each of said inner side wall portions.

3. The box of claim 2, wherein:

said holes are provided in said outer side wall portions.

4. The box of claim 1, wherein:

said recess means comprises strip means attached to inner surfaces of said side walls.

5. The box of claim 1, further comprising:

a notch disposed along an outer, free edge of at least one of the two inner end wall portions, for facilitating unfolding the end wall.

6. The box of claim 2, wherein:

said inner end wall portions are shorter than said outer end wall portions; and

said inner side wall portions are shorter than said outer side wall portions, and correspond in height to said inner end wall portions.

7. The box of claim 2, wherein:

a part of each of said connecting portions facing an exterior wall portion of each of said end walls is fixed thereto.

8. The box of claim 1, wherein:

a viewing window is provided through at least one of said outer end wall portions.

9. The box of claim 1, wherein:

the box is employed as a bottom box element; and

another box is formed, similar to the bottom box element, and is used as ad cover box element.

10. The bottom box element and cover box element of claim 9, wherein:

said bottom box element and said cover box element have slightly different dimensions so that the cover box element fits securely over the bottom box element, thereby forming a composite, closeable box.

11. The bottom box element and cover box element of claim 9, further comprising:

a flat foldable intermediate element fitting with opposite ends into said bottom box element and into said cover box element, respectively.

12. A flat blank of sheet material having an outer periphery and provided with a pattern of fold lines defining various panels and adapted to be formed into a box structure, the flat blank of sheet material comprising:

a rectangular, generally planar base panel defied by first two parallel fold lines and second two parallel fold lines perpendicular to the first two parallel fold lines;

a first, generally rectangular, outer side wall panel extending from one of the first two parallel fold lines and defined by said one of the first two parallel fold lines, a second fold line parallel to said one of the first two parallel fold lines, and two parallel end fold lines perpendicular to said one of the first two parallel fold lines;

a second, generally rectangular, outer side wall panel extending from another of the first two parallel fold lines and defined by said other of the first two parallel fold lines, a second fold line parallel to said other of the first two parallel fold lines, and two parallel end fold lines perpendicular to said other of the first two parallel fold lines;

a first, generally rectangular, outer end wall panel extending from one of the second two parallel fold lines and defined by said one of the second two parallel fold lines, a second fold line parallel to said one of the second two parallel fold lines, and two parallel end fold lines perpendicular to said one of the second two parallel fold lines;

a second, generally rectangular, outer end wall panel extending from another of the second two parallel fold lines and defined by said other of the second two parallel fold lines, a second fold line parallel said other of the second two parallel fold lines, and two parallel end fold lines perpendicular said other of the second two parallel fold lines;

a first, generally rectangular, inner side wall panel extending from the second fold line of the first outer side wall panel, and further defined by the outer periphery of the blank;

a second, generally rectangular, inner side wall panel extending from the second fold line of the second outer side wall panel, and further defined by the outer periphery of the blank;

a first, generally rectangular, inner end wall panel extending from the second fold line of the first outer end wall panel, and further defined by the outer periphery of the blank;

a second, generally rectangular, inner end wall panel extending from the second fold line of the second outer end wall panel, and further defined by the outer periphery of the blank;

a first, generally square, connecting panel disposed at one corner of the base panel and defined by one of the two parallel end fold lines of the first outer side wall panel and one of the two parallel end fold lines of the first outer end wall panel;

a second, generally square, connecting panel disposed at another corner of the base panel and defied by the other of the two parallel end fold lines of the first outer end wall panel and one of the two parallel end fold lines of the second outer side wall panel;

a third, generally square, connecting panel disposed at one corner of the base panel and defined by the other of the two parallel end fold lines of the second outer side wall panel and one of the two parallel end fold lines of the second outer end wall panel;

a fourth, generally square, connecting panel disposed at another corner of the base panel and defined by the other of the two parallel end fold lines of the second outer end wall panel and the other of the two parallel end fold liens of the second outer side wall panel;

a first diagonal fold line extending diagonally across the first connecting panel so that the first connecting panel can be folded flat when the first outer side wall panel and the firs outer end wall panel are folded out-of-plane with respect to the base panel, and so that the first connecting panel can be further disposed between the first inner end wall panel and first outer end wall panel when the first inner end wall panel is folded against the first outer end wall panel;

a second diagonal fold line extending diagonally across the second connecting panel so that the second connecting panel can be folded flat when the second outer side wall panel and the first outer end wall panel are folded out of the plane of the base panel, and so that the second connecting panel can be further disposed between the first inner end wall panel and first outer end wall panel when the first inner end wall panel is folded against the first outer end wall panel;

a third diagonal fold line extending diagonally across the third connecting panel so that the third connecting panel can be folded flat when the second outer side wall panel and the second outer end wall panel are folded out of the plane of the base panel, and so that the third connecting panel can be further disposed between the second inner end wall panel and second outer end wall panel when the second inner end wall panel is folded against the second outer end wall panel;

a fourth diagonal fold line extending diagonally across the fourth connecting panel so that the fourth connecting panel can be folded flat when the first outer side wall panel and the second outer end wall panel are folded out of the plane of the base panel, and so that the fourth connecting panel can be further disposed between the second inner end wall panel and second outer end wall panel when the second inner end wall panel is folded against the second outer end wall panel;

a first notch formed at a first corner of the first inner side wall panel;

a second notch formed at a first corner of the second inner side wall panel;

a third notch formed at another corner of the second inner side wall panel;

a fourth notch formed at another corner of the first inner side wall panel;

a first tab formed at a first corner of the first inner end wall panel, and adapted to fit engagingly into the first notch when the box structure is assembled;

a second tab formed a another corner of the first inner end wall panel, and adapted to fit engagingly into the second notch when the box structure is assembled;

a third tab formed at another corner of the second inner end wall panel, and adapted to fit engagingly into the third notch when the box structure is assembled;

a fourth tab formed at a first corner of the second inner end wall panel, and adapted to fit engagingly into the fourth notch when the box structure is assembled;

the first connecting panel being disposed between the first outer end wall panel and first inner end wall panel, and exerting a force on the first inner end wall panel maintaining the first tab securely within the first notch;

the second connecting panel being disposed between the first outer end wall panel and first inner end wall panel, and exerting a force on the first inner end wall panel maintaining the second tab securely within the second notch;

the third connecting panel being disposed between the second outer end wall panel and second inner end wall panel, and exerting a force on the second inner end wall panel maintaining the third tab securely within the third notch;

the fourth connecting panel being disposed between the second outer end wall panel and second inner end wall panel, and exerting a force on the second inner end wall panel maintaining the fourth tab securely within the fourth notch;

a first hole disposed in the first outer sidewall panel in alignment with the first notch and the first tab when the box structure is assembled, for releasing the first tab from engagement with the first notch;

a second hole disposed in the second outer sidewall panel in alignment with the second notch and the second tab when the box structure is assembled, for releasing the second tab from engagement with the second notch;

a third hole disposed in the second outer sidewall panel in alignment with the third notch and the third tab when the box structure is assembled, for releasing the third tab from engagement with the third notch; and

a fourth hole disposed in the first outer sidewall panel in alignment with the fourth notch and the fourth tab when the box structure is assembled, for releasing the fourth tab from engagement wthi the fourth notch.