Tote container made from a blank having diagonally biased corrugations and method for constructing same

• US 5,232,149 A
• Filed: 02/24/1989
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Liberty Diversified Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Liberty Diversified Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Stoll, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US07/529,761
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 229/23 A, 229/23 AB, 229/23 R, 229/105, 229/113, 229/114, 229/DIG. 5, 229/917, 229/DIG. 4, 150/49, 150/51, 264/287, 493/59-62, 493/160, 493/161, 493/354, 493/355, 493/395-404
• US Class Current: 229/105
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4266 Folding lines, score lines, crease lines
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/403 with at least one corrugated layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/93 Fold detail
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/94 Container material with specified grain direction

Abstract

A tote container which is cut to form a blank from a single sheet of double-faced corrugated plastic material, the blank being scored to define individual panels, and those panels folded to an upright position to define a receptacle region. The corrugations of the plastic material define a grain, and the blank for the tote container is oriented upon the sheet of corrugated plastic material such that the lines of grain cross the scored fold lines separating the panels at an acute angle thereto, thereby permitting individual lines of grain to extend under the receptacle region of the tote container and traverse the tote container both laterally and longitudinally. This prevents the planar plies of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material from being perforated, and the convoluted intermediate ply from being crushed along the length thereof, when the blank is scored. The folds between the panels are straighter and do not roll or buckle away from positions of the predetermined scored fold lines, and the planar plies will not fray along the edges of the blank.

Claims

1. Blank for a tote container which is cut, scored by a scoring instrument, and folded to a generally upright position from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain in said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least a one of said pair of planar plies when said blank is scored, said blank for said tote container comprising:

a bottom panel having opposing side edges and opposing end edges, a pair of side wall panels extending from said hingedly connected to said opposing side edges of said bottom panel along scored fold lines, and a pair of end wall panels extending from and hingedly connected to said opposing end edges of said bottom panel along scored fold lines, such that the longitudinal grain of the corrugated plastic sheet material crosses said scored fold lines connecting the side wall panels and bottom panel and said scored fold lines connecting the end wall panels and bottom panel at a predominantly acute angle relative to said fold lines so that the scoring instrument does not perforate through the surface of the at least one of the pair of planar plies contacted by the scoring instrument along the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material when the blank is scored, and further such that the scored fold lines are generally not aligned parallel with and overlapping the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material.

2. The blank for the tote container of claim 1 wherein each of the side wall panels has opposing end edges, said blank for the tote container further comprising:

a pair of end foldover panels extending from each of the side wall panels and hingedly connected to said opposing end edges of the side wall panels along scored fold lines, such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material crosses said scored fold lines connecting said pair of end foldover panels to the side wall panels at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines.

3. The blank for the tote container of claim 2 wherein an individual and continuous line of the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends from a one of the pair of end foldover panels across a one of the pair of side wall panels, the bottom panel, and a one of the pair of end wall panels.

4. The blank for the tote container of claim 3 further comprising:

a pair of end wall flaps, each said pair of end wall flaps extending from and hingedly connected to a one of the end wall panels along scored fold lines, and wherein the continuous line of the longitudinal grain extends across at least a one of said pair of end wall flaps.

5. The blank for the tote container of claim 2 wherein an individual and continuous line of the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends from a one of the end foldover panels across a one of the pair of side wall panels, the bottom panel, a one of the pair of side wall panels, and a one of the pair of end foldover panels.

6. The blank for the tote container of claim 2 further comprising:

a pair of said wall flaps, each of said pair of side wall flaps extending from and hingedly connected to a one of the pair of side wall panels, wherein an individual and continuous line of the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends from a one of the pair of end foldover panels across a one of the pair of side wall panels, the bottom panel, a one of the pair of side wall panels, and at least a one of said pair of side wall flaps.

7. The blank for the tote container of claim 2 wherein the side wall panels are folded upwardly across the scored fold lines connecting the pair of side wall panels to the bottom panel, the pair of end wall panels are folded upwardly across the scored fold lines connecting the pair of end wall panels to the bottom panel, and each of the pair of end foldover panels are folded inwardly across the scored fold lines connecting each of the pair of end foldover panels to the pair of side wall panels and into overlapping and abutting contact with the pair of end wall panels to form the generally upright position of the tote container, and further wherein the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material of each of the pair of end foldover panels crosses the longitudinal grain of the pair of end wall panels at a predominantly acute angle to form a criss-crossed lattice pattern therebetween.

8. The blank for the tote container of claim 7 wherein each of the pair of end foldover panels is secured to the pair of end wall panels by a line of adjacent fasteners, a first one of said line of adjacent fasteners contacting a first set of lines of the longitudinal grain of the corrugated plastic sheet material, a second one of said line of adjacent fasteners contacting a second set of lines of the longitudinal grain of the corrugated plastic sheet material, said first set of lines of the longitudinal grain being separate and distinct from said second set of lines of the longitudinal grain.

9. The blank for the tote container of claim 1 or 2 wherein the predominately acute angle measures between thirty and sixty degrees inclusive.

10. The blank for the tote container of claim 1 or 2 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures approximately forty-five degrees.

11. A method for constructing a generally upright tote container from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said pair of planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain in said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material said method comprising the steps of:

cutting the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material to form a blank, said blank being substantially bounded by an outer perimeter, said outer perimeter having four sides forming an approximately rectangular overall shape;

scoring scored fold lines onto said blank with a scoring instrument, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least a one of the pair of planar plies when said blank is scored, said scored fold lines dividing said blank into a plurality of panels, said plurality of panels being connected to one another along said scored fold lines, said plurality of panels including a bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels, and a pair of end wall panels, said blank and said scored fold lines being positioned and oriented such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends across said blank at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines so that said scoring instrument does not perforate through said surface of said at least one of the pair of planar plies contacted by said scoring instrument along the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material when said blank is scored, and further such that said scored fold lines are generally not aligned parallel with and overlapping the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material;

folding said pair of side wall panels and said pair of end wall panels of said blank across said second fold lines to a generally upright position; and

securing said pair of side wall panels and said pair of end wall panels in said upright position to form the generally upright tote container.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures between thirty and sixty degrees inclusive.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures approximately forty-five degrees.

14. A method for constructing a generally upright tote container from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said pair of planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain in said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said generally upright tote container being tapered and nestable within a like tote container, said method comprising the steps of:

cutting the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material to form a blank, said blank being substantially bounded by an outer perimeter, said outer perimeter having four sides forming an approximately rectangular overall shape;

scoring scored fold lines onto said blank with a scoring instrument, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least a one of the pair of planar plies when said blank is scored, said scored fold lines dividing said blank into a plurality of panels, said plurality of panels being connected to one another along said scored fold lines, said plurality of panels including a bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels, a pair of end wall panels, and a pair of end foldover panels, said blank and said scored fold lines being positioned and oriented such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends across said blank at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines so that said scoring instrument does not perforate through said surface of said at leas tone of the pair of planar plies contacted by said scoring instrument along the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material when said blank is scored, and further such that said scored fold lines are generally not aligned parallel with and overlapping the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material; and

folding said blank across said scored fold lines to form the generally upright tote container, said blank being folded such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends across said scored fold lines dividing said bottom panel, said pair of side wall panels, said pair of end wall panels, and said end foldover panels at a predominantly acute angle thereto.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures between thirty and sixth degrees inclusive.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures approximately forty-five degrees.

17. A method for constructing a generally upright tote container from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said pair of planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain in said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said method comprising the steps of:

cutting the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material to form a blank in the general shape of a cross;

scoring scored fold lines onto said blank with a scoring instrument, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least a one of the pair of planar plies when said blank is scored, said scored fold lines dividing said blank into a plurality of panels, said plurality of panels being connected to one another along said scored fold lines, said plurality of panels including a bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels, and a pair of end wall panels, said blank and said scored fold lines being positioned and oriented such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends across said blank at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines so that said scoring instrument does not perforate through said surface of said at least one of the pair of planar plies contacted by said scoring instrument along the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material when said blank is scored, and further such that said scored fold lines are generally not aligned parallel with and overlapping the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material; and

folding said blank across said scored fold lines to form the generally upright tote container, said blank being folded such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends across said scored fold lines dividing said bottom panel, said pair of side wall panels, and said pair of end wall panels at a predominantly acute angle thereto.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures between thirty and sixty degrees inclusive.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures approximately forty-five degrees.

20. A method for constructing a generally upright tote container from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said pair of planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain in said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said method comprising the steps of:

cutting the sheet material to form a blank, said blank being substantially bounded by a perimeter, said perimeter having four corners including two pair of diagonally opposing corners, each said pair of diagonally opposing corners having a length measured therebetween, said length measured along a first line extending between a one of said pair of diagonally opposing corners being approximately equal to said length measured along a second line extending between a remaining one of said pair of diagonally opposing corners, said perimeter thus forming an approximately square overall shape, said blank being oriented such that said first line extends in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal grain of the corrugated plastic sheet material;

scoring scored fold lines onto said blank with a scoring instrument, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least a one of the pair of planar plies when said blank is scored, said scored fold lines dividing said blank into a plurality of panels, said plurality of panels being connected to one another along said scored fold lines, said plurality of panels including a bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels, and a pair of end wall panels, said blank and said scored fold lines being positioned and oriented such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends across said blank at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines so that said scoring instrument does not perforate through said surface of said at least one of the pair of planar plies contacted by said scoring instrument along the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material when said blank is scored, and further such that said scored fold lines are generally not aligned parallel with and overlapping the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material; and

folding said blank across said scored fold lines to form the generally upright tote container, said blank being folded such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material extends across said scored fold lines dividing said bottom panel, said pair of side wall panels, and said pair of end wall panels at a predominantly acute angle thereto.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures between thirty and sixty degrees inclusive.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the predominantly acute angle measures approximately forty-five degrees.

23. A tote container folded to a generally upright position from a blank cut from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said blank being folded across a plurality of scored fold lines, said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain, said scored fold lines being made by a scoring instrument, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least a one of said pair of planar plies when said blank is scored, said tote container comprising:

a plurality of panels including a first panel and a second panel, wherein said first panel and said second panel are fastened together in overlapping and abutting contact by a line of adjacent sonic welds, said line of adjacent sonic welds being generally parallel to at least one of the scored fold lines of the tote container when the tote container is folded to the generally upright position, a first weld of said line of adjacent sonic welds contacting a first set of lines of the longitudinal grain, said first set of lines of the longitudinal grain being distinct and separate from a second set of lines of the longitudinal grain contacted by a second weld of said line of adjacent sonic welds.

24. In a blank for a tote container formed from a double-faced corrugated plastic material, said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain, said blank being cut and scored with a scoring instrument to form a bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels extending from and hingedly connected to said bottom panel along scored fold lines, and a pair of end wall panels extending from and hingedly connected to said bottom panel along scored fold lines, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least a one of said pair of planar plies when said blank is scored, said blank being foldable to a generally upright position to form said tote container, the improvement comprising:

orienting the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material such that the longitudinal grain crosses the scored fold lines connecting the bottom panel and the side wall panels at a predominantly acute angle thereto, and such that the longitudinal grain crosses the second fold lines connecting the bottom panel and the end wall panels at a predominantly acute angle thereto, so that the scoring instrument does not perforate through the surface of the at least one of the pair of planar plies contacted by the scoring instrument along the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material when the blank is scored, and further such that the scored fold lines are generally not aligned parallel with and overlapping the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material.

25. The blank of claim 24 wherein the tote container further comprises a pair of end foldover panels extending from and hingedly connected to each of the side wall panels along scored fold lines, and further wherein the longitudinal grain crosses the scored fold lines connecting the end foldover panels and the side wall panels at a predominantly acute angle thereto.

26. The blank of claim 24 wherein the tote container further comprises a pair of end foldover panels extending from and hingedly connected to each of the end wall panels along scored fold lines, and further wherein the longitudinal grain crosses the scored fold lines connecting the end foldover panels and the end wall panels at a predominantly acute angle thereto.

27. A method for constructing a generally upright tote container from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, said pair of planar plies each being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said pair of planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain in said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, each of said multiplicity of convolutions having a length, said method comprising the steps of:

cutting the double-face corrugated plastic sheet material to form a blank having a perimeter with a generally irregular shape;

scoring scored fold lines onto said blank with a scoring instrument, said scored fold line dividing said blank into a plurality of panels, said plurality of panels being connected to one another along said scored fold lines, said plurality of panels including a bottom panel, a pair of side wall panels, and a pair of end wall panels, said pair of side wall panels and said pair of end wall panels having a plurality of free edges corresponding to and lying along said perimeter of said blank, said blank and said free edges being positioned and oriented such that the longitudinal grain extends substantially across said free edges at a predominantly acute angle relative thereto and said free edges are generally not aligned parallel with and overlapping the longitudinal grain so that the pair of planar plies will not fray adjacent said free edges when said blank is cut along said perimeter, and further so that a plurality of said multiplicity of convolutions closely adjacent to said free edges will not be crushed parallel to and along the length thereof when said blank is cut along said perimeter;

folding said pair of side wall panels and said pair of end wall panels of said blank across said scored fold lines to a generally upright position; and

securing said pair of side wall panels and said pair of end wall panels in said upright position to form the generally upright tote container.

28. A blank for a tote container which is cut, scored by a scoring instrument, and folded to a generally upright position from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain, each of said multiplicity of convolutions having a length, said blank for said tote container comprising:

a bottom panel having opposing side edges and opposing end edges, a pair of side wall panels extending from and hingedly connected to said opposing side edges of said bottom panel along scored fold lines, and a pair of end wall panels extending from and hingedly connected to said opposing end edges of said bottom panel along scored fold lines, such that the longitudinal grain of the corrugated plastic sheet material crosses said scored fold lines connecting the side wall panels and bottom panel and said scored fold lines connecting the end wall panels and bottom panel at a predominantly acute angle relative to said fold lines so that the scoring instrument does not crush the intermediate ply parallel to the longitudinal grain and along the length of the multiplicity of convolutions closely adjacent to the scored fold lines when the blank is scored.

29. The blank for the tote container of claim 28 wherein each of the side wall panels have opposing and edges, the blank for the tote container comprising:

a pair of end foldover panels extending from each of the side wall panels and hingedly connected to the opposing end edges of the side wall panels along scored fold lines, such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material crosses said scored fold lines connecting each of said pair of end foldover panels to the adjacent side wall panels at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines so that the scoring instrument does not crush the intermediate ply parallel to the longitudinal grain and along the length of the multiplicity of convolutions closely adjacent to said scored fold lines connecting each of said pair of end foldover panels to the adjacent side wall panels when the blank is scored.

30. A blank for a tote container which is cut, scored by a scoring instrument, and folded to a generally upright position from a double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material, said double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material having a pair of planar plies and an intermediate ply, each of said pair of planar plies being generally parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance, said intermediate ply extending between and being connected to each of said planar plies, said intermediate ply having a multiplicity of convolutions formed therein defining a longitudinal grain, each of said multiplicity of convolutions having a length, said scoring instrument contacting a surface of at least one of said pair of planar plies along a plurality of predetermined lines when said blank is scored, said blank for said tote container comprising:

a bottom panel having opposing side edges and opposing end edges, a pair of side wall panels extending from and hingedly connected to said opposing side edges of said bottom panel along the scored fold lines, and a pair of end wall panels extending from and hingedly connected to said opposing end edges of said bottom panel along the scored fold lines, such that the longitudinal grain crosses the scored fold lines connecting said side wall panels and said bottom panel at a predominantly acute angle relative to said fold lines, and the longitudinal grain crosses the second fold lines connecting said end wall panels and said bottom panel at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines, so that each of said side wall panels and said end wall panels may be folded relative to said bottom panel across a plurality of actual folds substantially along and aligned with a one of the plurality of predetermined lines where the scoring instrument contacts the surface of the one of the pair of planar plies.

31. The blank for the tote container of claim 30 wherein each of the side wall panels has opposing end edges, the blank for the tote container further comprising:

a pair of end foldover panels extending from each of the side wall panels and hingedly connected to the opposing end edges of the side wall panels along scored fold lines, the scoring instrument contacting the surface of at least the one of the pair of planar plies along a second plurality of predetermined lines when the blank is scored to form said scored fold lines connecting each of said pair of end foldover panels to the adjacent side wall panels, such that the longitudinal grain of the double-faced corrugated plastic sheet material crosses said scored fold lines connecting each of said pair of end foldover panels to the adjacent side wall panels at a predominantly acute angle relative to said scored fold lines so that each of said pair of end foldover panels may be folded relative to the adjacent side wall panels across a second plurality of actual folds substantially along and aligned with said second plurality of predetermined lines where the scoring instrument contacts the surface of the one of the pair of planar plies.