Produce box with plastic walls

• US 5,429,260 A
• Filed: 11/01/1993
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary L. Vollers
• Original Assignee: Gary L. Vollers
• Inventors: Vollers, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Castellano, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US08/143,637
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 220/6, 220/7, 220/445, 220/4.33, 220/675, 220/669, 220/666, 220/DIG. 14, 229/939
• US Class Current: 220/7
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/10 of polygonal cross-section and all parts being permanently connected to each other B65D11/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0212 Containers presenting local stacking elements protruding from the upper or lower edge of a side wall, e.g. handles, lugs, ribs, grooves B65D21/0211, B65D21/0215, B65D21/023 take precedence

Abstract

A produce box structure comprising box side walls, bottom wall, and top wall sections, and two end walls, said end walls being substantially rigid for supporting the side walls and bottom wall; the end walls having peripheral edge portions, the bottom wall and side walls overlapping certain of the peripheral edges of the end walls and adhesively joined thereto; all of the walls consisting of lightweight plastic material, the bottom wall, side walls and top wall sections defined by thin inner and outer sheets and webs interconnecting the sheets, the webs extending directionally lengthwise toward the end walls, whereby lengthwise extending elongated cells are formed by the inner and outer sheets and webs; the side walls being integral with the top wall sections, whereby the top wall sections are hingedly connected to the side wall, respectively, and may be opened away from the end walls; and projections on the end walls, to which the top wall sections are releasably connectible.

Claims

1. In a produce box structure, the combination comprising

a) box side walls, bottom wall, and top wall sections, and two end walls, said end walls being substantially rigid for supporting said side walls and bottom wall,

b) the end walls having peripheral edge portions, said bottom wall and side walls overlapping certain of the peripheral edge portions of the end walls and joined thereto,

c) all of said walls consisting of lightweight plastic material, the bottom wall, side walls and top wall sections defined by thin inner and outer planar sheets and spaced parallel webs interconnecting said sheets, said webs extending directionally lengthwise longitudinally toward said end walls, whereby lengthwise longitudinally extending elongated cells are formed by said inner and outer sheets and webs,

d) the side walls being integral with the top wall sections, whereby the top wall sections are hingedly connected to the side walls, respectively, and may be folded about longitudinal axes to be opened away from said end walls,

e) and projections on said end walls, to which said top wall sections are releasably connectible,

f) said bottom wall, side walls and top wall sections define a continuous single wall structure,

g) said projections defining recesses into which edge extents of said top wall sections have snap interfit, said recesses being sidewardly open,

h) said edge extents defining edge tabs deflectably received into said recesses, said tabs including portions of said planar sheets and spaced parallel webs, multiple of said webs projecting sidewardly into at least one recess.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said peripheral edge portions of the end walls define flange structure joined in overlapping relation to edge extents of said bottom wall and side walls.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said peripheral edge portions of the end walls define channels receiving edge extents of said bottom wall and side walls.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least one of said walls consist of polypropylene.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein all of said walls consist of polypropylene.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least some of said walls consist of plastic material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polystyrene.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein all of said walls consist of plastic material selected from said group.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said wall sections define L-shaped edge notches adjacent said tabs.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein the cells have parallelogram cross sections in planes normal to cell length dimensions.