One-piece shipping container with differently contoured inner and outer walls and a quick-lock bottom

• US 7,607,567 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: DiSalvo, Timi D., Fry, Stanley L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse; Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEMEREE, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US10/851,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20050109826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 229/178, 229/165, 229/174, 229/157, 229/177, 229/918, 229/915, 229/185.1, 229/117.16, 229/117.17, 229/167, 206/512, 206/485
• US Class Current: 229/178
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/20 made wholly or mainly of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00029 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00064 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00159 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00497 whereby at least one side wall is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00597 integrally formed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00641 Structures intended to be disassembled
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/0091 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0281 the tubular body presenting double or multiple walls for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3853
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/918 Corner construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/919 Reinforced wall

Abstract

A container (10) for shipping products has opposed end walls (11, 12) and opposed side walls (13, 14), each having an inner wall panel (16, 17 and 20, 21, respectively) and an outer wall panel (18, 19 and 22, 23, respectively) defining double thickness walls. The outer wall panels in the side walls are disposed orthogonally to the outer wall panels in the end walls to define a rectangular or square outer container configuration, and extension panels (25a, 25b) on opposite side edges of a first pair (16, 17) of the inner wall panels extend diagonally across interior corners of the container to define with the inner wall panels an octagonal inner container configuration. Bottom flaps (40, 41, 42 and 43) foldably connected to the bottom edges of the outer wall panels form a peripheral bottom wall (15), and include quick-lock detents (46, 47 and 52, 53, 54) to enable quick and easy set up of the bottom. In one embodiment (10′), a reinforcing panel (61) is formed in two of the inner wall panels, and is foldable to a position between the inner and outer wall panels, at the top thereof, to reinforce the walls of the container. A blank (B, B′) for making the container (10, 10′) is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A container for shipping products, comprising:

opposed side walls and opposed end walls, said side and end walls each comprising an outer wall panel and an inner wall panel having top and bottom edges and foldably joined together along a first fold at said top edges thereof, said inner wall panel being substantially coextensive in height and width with an associated said outer wall panel; and

a reinforcing panel in an upper portion of at least one of said side walls, said reinforcing panel being folded from the inner wall panel of said at least one side wall and formed by a generally U-shaped cut comprising a first cut extending across a major portion of the width of said inner wall panel parallel to and spaced from said bottom edge thereof and second and third cuts extending from opposite ends of said first cut in generally parallel spaced relation to opposite side edges of said inner wall panel and terminating at opposite ends of a second fold extending across a major portion of the width of said inner wall panel in generally parallel spaced relation to said inner wall panel top edge and perpendicular to said end walls, said reinforcing panel having a free edge opposite said fold and being folded upwardly about the fold and lying between the inner wall panel and an associated outer wall panel with the free edge thereof extending to adjacent a top edge of the outer wall panel to reinforce the said wall, said outer wall panel extending over and covering that area of said inner wall panel from which said reinforcing panel is folded, whereby no through opening is formed in said at least one said side wall by folding said reinforcing panel into operative position between said inner and outer wall panels.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the outer wall panels in the side walls are disposed orthogonally to the outer wall panels in the end walls to define a rectangular or square outer container configuration; and

an extension panel is on opposite side edges of a first pair of said inner wall panels that are disposed in opposed relationship to one another, said extension panels extending diagonally across interior corners of the container to define an octagonal inner container configuration.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

a bottom-forming flap is foldably joined to the bottom edge of each of said outer wall panels, said bottom-forming flaps having interengaged locking means on adjacent edges thereof to hold the bottom-forming flaps in operative position.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

each said inner wall panel is folded downwardly into the container and against an inner surface of an associated outer wall panel.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

an assembly panel is on an outer edge of each said extension panel, said assembly panels lying against an inner surface of an adjacent said outer wall panel; and

said assembly panels are captured between the adjacent said outer wall panel and a respective one of a second pair of said inner wall panels, said second pair being disposed orthogonally to said first pair.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said inner wall panels have a height substantially coextensive with the height of said outer wall panels, and a width substantially coextensive with the distance between adjacent edges of said diagonal corner panels.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

locking tabs are on a bottom edge of the inner wall panels of said second pair, said locking tabs being engaged in slots at the juncture between the outer wall panels and the bottom-forming panels.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said assembly panels have an upper end and a lower end and a height substantially coextensive with the height of the outer wall panels; and

a locking tab is on at least one of the upper and lower ends, said locking tab engaged in a slot to hold the assembly panel in position.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

a locking tab is on each of the upper and lower ends of the assembly panels, and said locking tabs are engaged in slots at the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the outer wall panels.

10. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least one slot is formed in said first fold joining said top edges of said inner and outer wall panels; and

at least one locking tab is on the free edge of the reinforcing panel, said at least one locking tab on the free edge of the reinforcing panel being engaged in said at least one slot in said first fold.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said second fold is spaced downwardly from the top edge of said inner wall panel a distance approximately one-third the height of the inner wall panel; and

said first cut is spaced upwardly from said bottom edge of said inner wall panel approximately one-third the height of the inner wall panel.

12. A one-piece unitary blank of corrugated paperboard for making a shipping container, said blank having an elongate rectangular shape, and comprising:

first, second, third and fourth outer wall-forming panels foldably joined together along adjacent end edges, and forming first and second pairs of opposed outer wall panels in a container erected from said blank;

first, second, third and fourth inner wall-forming panels each foldably joined to a first side edge of a respective one of the four outer wall-forming panels, said inner wall-forming panels being separate from one another and in a container erected from said blank forming first and second pairs of opposed inner wall-forming panels associated, respectively, with the first and second pairs of outer wall-forming panels; and

a quick-lock bottom comprising a bottom-forming flap foldably joined to each of the outer wall-forming panels along an edge thereof opposite the edge to which the inner wall-forming panels are joined, the flaps of a first pair of the bottom-forming flaps being disposed in spaced, parallel, opposed relationship to one another in a container erected from the blank, and the flaps of a second pair of said bottom-forming flaps being disposed in spaced, parallel, opposed relationship to one another and extending perpendicular to and between the flaps of the first pair in a container erected from the blank, wherein the outer corners of the flaps of the first pair are cut away, forming notches in the outer corners, with each notch formed by a first cut extending inwardly from a side edge of the respective flap and a second cut extending from an inner end of the first cut outwardly through the free outer edge of the flap, said first and second cuts extending at substantially a right angle to one another, the flaps of said second pair of said bottom-forming flaps each having inwardly angled side edges terminating in a cut extending perpendicularly through the outer free edge thereof, defining a reduced width locking tongue on the outer free edge of each flap of said second pair of bottom-forming flaps, so that in a container erected from the blank the locking tongue is engaged at its opposite side edges in the confronting notches in the side edges of opposed flaps of the first pair, with the tongue lying against an interior surface of the flaps of the first pair, and the angled side edges lying against an exterior surface.

13. A one-piece unitary blank as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

an extension panel is foldably joined to each of the opposite side edges of the inner wall-forming panels of said first pair of said inner wall-forming panels, said extension panels forming diagonal corner panels extending across interior corners of a container erected from said blank.

14. A one-piece unitary blank of corrugated paperboard for making a shipping container, said blank having an elongate rectangular shape, and comprising:

first, second, third and fourth outer wall-forming panels foldably joined together along adjacent end edges, and forming first and second pairs of opposed outer wall panels in a container erected from said blank;

first, second, third and fourth inner wall-forming panels having opposite side edges and each foldably joined along a first fold to a first side edge of a respective one of the four outer wall-forming panels, said inner wall-forming panels being separate from one another along adjacent side edges and in a container erected from said blank forming first and second pairs of opposed inner wall-forming panels associated, respectively, with the first and second pairs of outer wall-forming panels; and

a reinforcing panel in each said inner wall-forming panel of one of said pairs of opposed inner wall-forming panels, each said reinforcing panel being defined by a generally U-shaped cut extending across a major portion of the width of said inner wall-forming panel and terminating at its opposite ends at the opposite ends of a second fold extending across a major portion of the width of said inner wall-forming panel in parallel spaced relation to said first fold, said reinforcing panel having a free edge and an opposite edge that is connected to the associated inner wall-forming panel along said second fold, said reinforcing panel being foldable about said second fold into a position to lie between the inner wall-forming panel and an associated outer wall-forming panel, with the free edge of the reinforcing panel extending to adjacent an upper edge of a wall of said container to thereby reinforce the wall in a container erected from said blank, said associated outer wall-forming panel extending over and covering the area of said inner wall-forming panel vacated by said reinforcing panel in a container erected from said blank.

15. A one-piece shipping container made from a single unitary blank of corrugated paperboard assembled in a flattened condition by a manufacturer for shipment to a point of use, where the container can be quickly and easily set up into a fully erected condition ready for use without requiring the use of glue or other fasteners, comprising:

opposed side walls, opposed end walls, and a bottom, said side and end walls each comprising an inner wall panel and an outer wall panel defining double thickness walls;

the outer wall panels in the side walls being disposed orthogonally to the outer wall panels in the end walls to define a rectangular or square outer container configuration;

an extension panel on opposite side edges of a first pair of opposed said inner wall panels, said extension panels extending diagonally across interior corners of the container to define diagonal interior corner panels and form an octagonal interior container configuration;

said outer wall panels and said inner wall panels each having top and bottom edges;

at least one locking tab on the bottom edge of said inner wall panels of said first pair, said at least one locking tab engaged in a slot at the juncture between the outer wall panels and the bottom-forming panels to hold the inner wall panels in operative position;

said bottom comprising a bottom-forming flap foldably joined to the bottom edge of each said outer wall panel, said bottom-forming flaps having interengaged locking means on adjacent outer corners thereof to hold the bottom-forming flaps in operative position, said locking means comprising;

cut away outer corners on a first pair of spaced apart, parallel, opposed said bottom-forming flaps, forming confronting notches in the outer corners of said opposed flaps of the first pair, with each notch formed by a first cut extending inwardly from a side edge of the respective flap and a second cut extending from an inner end of the first cut perpendicularly outwardly through the free outer edge of the flap, said first and second cuts extending at substantially a right angle to each other; and

inwardly angled side edges of a second pair of said bottom-forming flaps that extend perpendicular to and between the flaps of the first pair, the inwardly angled side edges of each flap of the second pair terminating in a cut extending perpendicularly through the outer free edge of the flap, defining a reduced width locking tongue on the outer free edge thereof, said locking tongue engaged at opposite side edges thereof in the confronting notches in the side edges of opposed flaps of the first pair, with the tongue lying against an interior surface of the flaps of the first pair, and the angled side edges lying against an exterior surface.

16. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

an assembly panel is foldably joined to an outer side edge of each said extension panel;

said assembly panels have an upper end and a lower end and a height substantially coextensive with the height of the outer wall panels; and

a locking tab is on at least one of the upper and lower ends of each said assembly panel, said locking tabs engaged in respective slots to hold the assembly panels in position.

17. A container as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

a locking tab is on each of the upper and lower ends of the assembly panels, and said locking tabs are engaged in slots at the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the outer wall panels.

18. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

a reinforcing panel is formed in each inner wall panel of said second pair of inner wall panels, said reinforcing panels each being formed by a cut and a fold in the associated inner wall panel, said fold extending between opposite ends of said cut and extending perpendicular to said end walls, said reinforcing panels each having a free edge and being folded upwardly between the respective inner wall panel and an associated outer wall panel and extending at its free edge to adjacent the top edge of the outer wall panel to reinforce the side wall.

19. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

there are a plurality of locking tabs spaced along the bottom edge of each said inner wall panel of a second pair of said inner wall panels, said locking tabs being engaged in respective associated slots.

20. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

said inner wall panels have a height substantially coextensive with the height of said outer wall panels, and a width substantially coextensive with the distance between adjacent edges of said diagonal interior corner panels.