Container having an automatically locking bottom and blanks for making the same
First Claim
1. A blank of sheet material for forming a container including automatically locking bottom panels, said blank comprising:
- a pair of end panels, a pair of side panels and at least one corner panel interconnected to form a pair of opposing end walls, a pair of opposing side walls and a corner wall of the container, said at least one corner panel extending between an adjacent end panel and side panel;
a plurality of bottom panels for forming a bottom wall of the container, said bottom panels comprising a pair of bottom end panels each extending from a bottom edge of each of said pair of end panels along respective end fold lines, and a pair of bottom side panels each extending from a bottom edge of each of said pair of side panels along respective side fold lines, a first bottom side panel having a free edge spaced a first distance from a first side fold line of the respective side fold lines;
a first coupling tab integral with a first bottom end panel of said pair of bottom end panels, the first coupling tab having a free edge spaced the first distance from a first end fold line of the respective end fold lines for connecting the first bottom end panel to a first end panel of the pair of end panels, the free edge of the first coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first bottom side panel; and
a second coupling tab integral with a second bottom side panel of said pair of bottom side panels, the second coupling tab having a free edge spaced the first distance from a second side fold line of the respective side fold lines for connecting the second bottom side panel to a second side panel of the pair of side panels, the free edge of the second coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first bottom side panel,wherein said first coupling tab attaches to one of said pair of bottom side panels, and said second coupling tab attaches to one of said pair of bottom end panels, said coupling tabs configured to upwardly direct said bottom panels when the container is moved from an erected position to a knocked-down flat position and downwardly direct said bottom panels when the container is moved from a knocked-down flat position to an erected position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A blank of sheet material for forming a container including automatically locking bottom panels is provided. The blank includes a pair of end panels, a pair of side panels and at least one corner panel that are interconnected. The corner panel extends between an adjacent end panel and side panel. The blank includes bottom end panels extending from the end panels and bottom side panels extending from the side panels. A first coupling tab is integral with a bottom end panel, and a second coupling tab is integral with a bottom side panel. The first coupling tab attaches to a bottom side panel, and the second coupling tab attaches to a bottom end panel. The coupling tabs upwardly direct the bottom panels when the container is moved to a flat position and downwardly direct the bottom panels when the container is moved from the flat position to an erected position.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A blank of sheet material for forming a container including automatically locking bottom panels, said blank comprising:
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a pair of end panels, a pair of side panels and at least one corner panel interconnected to form a pair of opposing end walls, a pair of opposing side walls and a corner wall of the container, said at least one corner panel extending between an adjacent end panel and side panel; a plurality of bottom panels for forming a bottom wall of the container, said bottom panels comprising a pair of bottom end panels each extending from a bottom edge of each of said pair of end panels along respective end fold lines, and a pair of bottom side panels each extending from a bottom edge of each of said pair of side panels along respective side fold lines, a first bottom side panel having a free edge spaced a first distance from a first side fold line of the respective side fold lines; a first coupling tab integral with a first bottom end panel of said pair of bottom end panels, the first coupling tab having a free edge spaced the first distance from a first end fold line of the respective end fold lines for connecting the first bottom end panel to a first end panel of the pair of end panels, the free edge of the first coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first bottom side panel; and a second coupling tab integral with a second bottom side panel of said pair of bottom side panels, the second coupling tab having a free edge spaced the first distance from a second side fold line of the respective side fold lines for connecting the second bottom side panel to a second side panel of the pair of side panels, the free edge of the second coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first bottom side panel, wherein said first coupling tab attaches to one of said pair of bottom side panels, and said second coupling tab attaches to one of said pair of bottom end panels, said coupling tabs configured to upwardly direct said bottom panels when the container is moved from an erected position to a knocked-down flat position and downwardly direct said bottom panels when the container is moved from a knocked-down flat position to an erected position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A container formed from a blank of sheet material, said container including automatically locking bottom panels, said container comprising:
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a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls, and at least one corner wall interconnected along a plurality of fold lines, said at least one corner wall extending between an adjacent end wall and side wall; a bottom wall comprising a plurality of bottom panels, said plurality of bottom panels comprising a pair of bottom end panels each extending from a bottom edge of each of the pair of end walls along respective end fold lines, and a pair of bottom side panels each extending from a bottom edge of the pair of side walls along respective side fold lines, a first bottom side panel having a free edge spaced a first distance from a first side fold line of the respective side fold lines; a first coupling tab integral with a first bottom end panel of the pair of bottom end panels, the first coupling tab having a free edge spaced the first distance from a first end fold line of the respective end fold lines for connecting the first bottom end panel to a first end panel of the pair of end panels, the free edge of the first coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first bottom side panel; and a second coupling tab integral with a second bottom side panel of the pair of bottom side panels, the second coupling tab having a free edge spaced the first distance from a second side fold line of the respective side fold lines for connecting the second bottom side panel to a second side panel of the pair of side panels, the free edge of the second coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first bottom panel, wherein said first coupling tab attaches to one of said pair of bottom side panels, and said second coupling tab attaches to one of said pair of bottom end panels, said coupling tabs configured to upwardly direct said bottom panels when said container is moved from an erected position to a knocked-down flat position and downwardly direct said bottom panels when said container is moved from a knocked-down flat position to an erected position. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the blank including a pair of glue flaps, a pair of end panels, a pair of side panels, and at least one corner panel connected in series along a plurality of fold lines, said method comprising:
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rotating the side panels, end panels, and the at least one corner panel about respective fold lines toward an interior surface of the blank; coupling a first glue flap to a second glue flap to form a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, and at least two corner walls, wherein a first corner wall includes the first and second glue flaps; rotating a first major bottom panel about a first fold line toward an interior surface of a first side wall, the first major bottom panel having a free edge spaced at a first distance from the first fold line; rotating a first minor bottom panel about a second fold line toward an interior surface of a first end wall, an interior surface of the first minor bottom panel contacting an exterior surface of the first major bottom panel; rotating a second major bottom panel about a third fold line toward an interior surface of a second side wall, an interior surface of the second major bottom panel contacting exterior surfaces of the first major and minor bottom panels; securing a first coupling tab of the second major bottom panel to the first minor bottom panel, the coupling tab of the second major bottom panel having a free edge spaced the first distance from the third fold line, the free edge of the first coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first major bottom panel; rotating a second minor bottom panel about a fourth fold line toward an interior surface of a second end wall, an interior surface of the second minor bottom panel contacting exterior surfaces of the major bottom panels; and securing a second coupling tab of the second minor bottom panel to the first major bottom panel, the second coupling tab of the second minor bottom panel having a free edge spaced the first distance from the fourth fold line, the free edge of the second coupling tab being substantially parallel to the free edge of the first major bottom panel. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification