Container having sliding corner support

• US 7,484,654 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Royal Box Group, LLC (Schwarz Partners II LP)
• Original Assignee: Innovative Packaging Designs L.P.
• Inventors: Jaffe, Peter S., Tibbles, Brian J., Sypawka, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai; Tri M
• Application Number:
  US11/098,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20060037999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 229/122.33, 229/191, 229/120.11, 229/185.1
• US Class Current: 229/122.23
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/001 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0281 the tubular body presenting double or multiple walls for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3853
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3621 collapsed along two fold lines of the tubular body

Abstract

A container having multiple wall panels forming container sides, the container having at least first and second wall panels that meet at a first corner. The container is assembleable from a flat or knockdown state to an opened or assembled state. A first inner panel is attached to a first wall panel, the first inner panel having an end spaced from the first corner. A slidable corner support is attached to the end of the first inner panel and extends towards the second wall panel. When the container is assembled from the knockdown state, the slidable corner support moves away from the first corner to form a support member that can help support a container stacked on top and prevent nesting.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

multiple wall panels forming container sides, said wall panels including first and second wall panels which meet one another at a first corner;

said container having a knockdown state and an opened state, wherein said knockdown state has a first knockdown wall and a second knockdown wall, said first and second knockdown walls being substantially parallel to one another in said knockdown state, said first knockdown wall including said first and second wall panels disposed in a substantially same plane in said knockdown state, said first and second wall panels being folded relative to one another at said first corner during the assembly of said container from said knockdown state to said opened state;

a first inner panel attached to said first wall panel, said first inner panel having an end spaced from said first corner; and

a slidable corner support attached to said end of said first inner panel and extending towards said second wall panel, said corner support overlapping said first corner when said container is in said knockdown state and having a free end slidable relative to said second wall panel when said container is assembled from said knockdown state, and said slidable corner support moving away from said first corner as said container is assembled from said knockdown state.

2. A container comprising:

multiple wall panels forming container sides, said wall panels including first, second, and third wall panels, said first and second wall panels meeting one another at a first corner, said second and third wall panels meeting one another at a second corner;

said container having a knockdown state, in which said first and second wall panels are disposed substantially in a first plane and in which said third wall panel is disposed in a second plane adjacent and substantially parallel to said first plane, and an opened state, in which said first and second wall panels are folded relative to one another, said first and second wall panels being configured to fold at said first corner during assembly of said container from said knockdown state to said opened state; and

a slidable corner support supported at a first end on said first wall panel and extending towards said second wall panel, said slidable corner support overlapping said first corner when said container is in said knockdown state, said slidable corner support having a free end that moves along said second wall panel away from said first corner towards said second corner as said first and second wall panels are folded relative to one another during assembly of said container from its knockdown state to its opened state.

3. A container in accordance with claim 2 wherein said slidable corner support comprises first and second sections foldable relative to one another about a fold line positioned between said first end and said free end of said slidable corner support, said first section overlapping said first corner when said container is in said knockdown state, said first section moving away from said first corner towards a center of said container as said container is assembled from said knockdown state to said opened state.

4. A container in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first section of said slidable support member comprises a top section and defines an open area below said top section, said second section of said slidable support member comprises a buttress tab extending towards first corner into said open area when said container is in said open state, said buttress tab overlapping said first corner when said container is in the knockdown state.

5. A container in accordance with claim 2 wherein said slidable corner support comprises a locking tab positioned along a bottom of said slidable corner support, and said container further comprises a bottom flap having an opening engagable by said locking tab when said container is in said opened state.

6. A container comprising:

multiple wall panels forming container sides, said wall panels including first, second, third and fourth wall panels, said first and second wall panels being attached to one another at a first corner, said second and third wall panels being attached to one another at a second corner;

said container having a knockdown state, in which said first and second wall panels are substantially disposed in a first plane and in which said third and fourth wall panels are substantially disposed in a second plane that is adjacent and substantially parallel to said first plane, and an opened state, in which said first and second wall panels are folded relative to one another, said first and second wall panels being folded during assembly of said container from said knockdown state to said opened state;

a slidable corner support supported at a first end on said first inner panel and extending towards said second wall panel, said slidable corner support overlapping said first corner when said container is in said knockdown state, said slidable corner support having a free end slidable relative to said second wall panel, said free end moving relative to said second wall panel away from said first corner as said container is assembled from said knockdown state to said opened state; and

bottom forming flaps for forming the bottom of the container.

7. A container in accordance with claim 6 wherein said slidable corner support comprises first and second sections foldable relative to one another about a fold line which is substantially parallel to said first corner and which is positioned between said first end and said free end of said slidable corner support, said first section overlapping said first corner when said container is in said knockdown state, said free end of said slidable corner support being positioned on said second section of said slidable corner support.

8. A container in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first section of said slidable corner support comprises a top section and defines an open area below said top section, said second section of said slidable corner support comprises a buttress tab extending towards said first corner when said container is in said assembled state.

9. A container comprising:

multiple wall panels forming container sides, said wall panels including first and second wall panels meeting at a first corner;

a first inner panel attached to an inner face of said first wall panel, said first inner panel having an end spaced from said first corner;

a slidable corner support supported on said first wall panel and extending towards said second wall panel, said slidable corner support being attached to said end of said first inner panel, said slidable corner support being positioned to overlap said first corner when said container is in a knockdown state, in which said first and second wall panels are disposed substantially in a first plane, said slidable corner support having a free end positioned to be caused to slide along said second wall panel during folding of said first and second wall panels at said first corner during assembly of said container from said container from its knockdown state to an opened state, in which said first and second wall panels are folded relative to one another;

said slidable corner support comprising first and second sections foldable relative to one another about a fold line which is substantially parallel to said first corner and which is positioned between said end of said first inner panel and said free end of said slidable support corner support, said first section overlapping said first corner when said container is in said knockdown state, said free end of said slidable corner support being positioned on said second section of said slidable corner support;

said first section of said slidable corner support comprising a top section and a bottom section spaced from one another; and

said second section of said slidable corner support comprising a buttress tab extending towards said first corner between said top and bottom sections when said container is in the opened state.

10. A container comprising:

multiple wall panels forming container sides, said wall panels including first and second wall panels meeting at a first corner;

a first inner panel attached to an inner face of said first wall panel, said first inner panel having an end spaced from said first corner;

a slidable corner support supported on said first wall panel and extending towards said second wall panel, said slidable corner support being attached to said end of said first inner panel, said slidable corner support being positioned to overlap said first corner when said container is in a knockdown state, in which said first and second wall panels are disposed substantially in a first plane, said slidable corner support having a free end positioned to be caused to slide along said second wall panel during folding of said first and second wall panels at said first corner during assembly of said container from said container from its knockdown state to an opened state, in which said first and second wall panels are folded relative to one another;

said slidable corner support comprising first and second sections foldable relative to one another about a fold line which is substantially parallel to said first corner and which is positioned between said end of said first inner panel and said free end of said slidable support corner support, said first section overlapping said first corner when said container is in said knockdown state, said free end of said slidable corner support being positioned on said second section of said slidable corner support; and

said first section of said slidable corner support comprising a top section and defining an open area below said top section, said second section of said slidable corner support comprising a buttress tab extending towards said first corner when said container is in said opened state.