Box flap locking system

• US 7,278,565 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Norampac Schenectady, Inc. (Cascades Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Norampac Schenectady, Inc. (Cascades Incorporated)
• Inventors: West, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins; Gary E
• Application Number:
  US10/800,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20050011938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 229/109, 229/155, 229/158, 229/185, 229/198.2, 229/110, 229/156, 229/157
• US Class Current: 229/109
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/029 the tubular body presenting a special shape pyramidal B65D5/008
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/103 one of the self-locking flaps having a tongue engaging into an opening of an opposite flap

Abstract

The invention provides a foldable box design having a box flap locking system, comprising: a first flap having an edge with a generally trapezoidal shaped tab cut therein, wherein said generally trapezoidal shaped tab is defined by two inwardly projecting grooves; and a second flap that locks with the first flap, wherein the second flap includes an edge with a second generally trapezoidal shaped tab cut therein, and wherein said second generally trapezoidal shaped tab is defined by two outwardly projecting grooves.

Claims

1. A foldable box having a flap locking system, comprising:

a first flap having an edge with a generally trapezoidal shaped tab cut therein, wherein said generally trapezoidal shaped tab is defined by two inwardly projecting grooves that project toward each other and are substantially parallel to the edge of the first flap; and

a second flap that locks with the first flap, wherein the second flap includes an edge with a second generally trapezoidal shaped tab cut therein, and wherein said second generally trapezoidal shaped tab is defined by two outwardly projecting grooves that project away from each other and are substantially parallel to the edge of the second flap, and wherein the second flap includes diagonal folds that project from the two outwardly projecting grooves to opposed edges of the second flap.

2. The foldable box design of claim 1, wherein the flaps reside on an outside portion of the bottom of the box when assembled.

3. A one-piece, collapsible container, comprising:

a plurality of side wall panels foldably joined to each other;

a plurality of flaps, each flap being foldably joined to an edge of an associated side wall panel; and

an interlocking mechanism residing on a first and second opposing flaps of the plurality of flaps, wherein;

the first opposing flap includes an outer edge with a first tab cut therein, wherein the first tab is defined by two inwardly projecting grooves that project toward each other and are substantially parallel to the edge of the associated side wall panel; and

the second opposing flap locks with the first opposing flap, and includes an outer edge with a second tab cut therein, wherein the second tab is defined by two outwardly projecting grooves that project away from each other and are substantially parallel to the edge of the associated side wall panel; and

wherein the collapsible container, when assembled, is octagonal in shape, and the side wall panels comprise four opposing pairs of foldably joined panels.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the second opposing flap includes folds to facilitate interlocking between the first and second opposing flaps.

5. The container of claim 3 wherein the flaps containing the interlocking mechanism reside on an outside portion of a bottom of the box when assembled.

6. The container of claim 3, further comprising a third and fourth opposing flaps, said third and fourth opposing flaps being shaped to permit their partial overlap and formation of a substantially flat surface.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the third and fourth opposing flap is each substantially “

L-shaped.”

8. The container of claim 3, wherein the first and second tabs are trapezoidal shaped.

9. A one-piece, collapsible container, comprising:

a plurality of side wall panels foldably joined to each other;

a plurality of flaps, each flap being foldably joined to an edge of an associated side wall panel; and

an interlocking mechanism residing on a first and second opposing flaps of the plurality of flaps, wherein;

the first opposing flap includes an outer edge with a first tab cut therein, wherein the first tab is defined by two inwardly projecting grooves that project toward each other and are substantially parallel to the edge of the associated side wall panel; and

the second opposing flap locks with the first opposing flap, and includes an outer edge with a second tab cut therein, wherein the second tab is defined by two outwardly projecting grooves that project away from each other and are substantially parallel to the edge of the associated side wall panel; and

wherein opposing third and fourth flaps are shaped to permit their partial overlap and formation of a substantially flat surface.

10. A one-piece, collapsible container, comprising:

a plurality of side wall panels foldably joined to each other;

a plurality of flaps, each flap being foldably joined to an edge of one of the side wall panels; and

interlocking tabs cut into an outer edge of both a first and second opposing flaps of the plurality of flaps;

wherein at least one of the first and the second opposing flaps includes diagonal folds that project from the interlocking tab to a central portion of opposed side edges of the flap to facilitate interlocking between the first and second opposing flaps.

11. A one-piece, collapsible container, comprising:

a plurality of side wall panels foldably joined to each other;

a plurality of flaps, each flap being foldably joined to an edge of one of the side wall panels; and

interlocking tabs provided on a first and second opposing flaps of the plurality of flaps;

wherein a third and fourth opposing flaps comprise “

L-shaped”

flaps to permit their partial overlap and formation of a substantially flat surface, wherein each L-shaped flap includes a pair of fold lines that run from the side wall panels to an outer edge of the L-shaped flap.