Plastic corrugated container and intermediary blank

• US 9,630,739 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orbis Corporation (Menasha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Orbis Corporation (Menasha Corporation)
• Inventors: McMahon, William F., Balazs, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEMEREE, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US14/580,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20150175298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 2291982, 229 581, 229 584, 428182, 493 51, 493 52, 493 60, 493 69, 493463
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0261 using ultrasonic or sonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/063 combined with folding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/0044 for shaping edges or extremities B29C57/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/60 Multitubular or multicompartmented articles, e.g. honeycomb
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7162 Boxes, cartons, cases
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2100/00 Rigid or semi-rigid containers made by folding single-piece sheets, blanks or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2100/0022 made from tubular webs or blanks, including by tube or bottom forming operations
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2110/35 rectangular, e.g. square
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 2120/30 collapsible; temporarily collapsed during manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/20 Cutting sheets or blanks
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/22 Notching; Trimming edges of flaps
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/256 using tools mounted on a drum
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/624 Applying glue on blanks
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/64 by applying heat or pressure, e.g. by welding to unite areas where adhesives are applied B31B50/62
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/16 with double walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/186 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel and to each other to allow automatic collapsing and reerecting, e.g. by means of folds provided in the side walls and or in the base panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 11/24 Corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/3621 collapsed along two fold lines of the tubular body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4266 Folding lines, score lines, crease lines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A corrugated plastic box and a method for manufacturing a corrugated plastic box from a blank are provided. The method includes the steps of forming rounded edge seals on the perimeter edges of the blank, pre-sealing portions of the blank to form a plurality of areas in which major and minor flap slots and a glue tab are desired, ultrasonically scoring the blank to form a plurality of flap score lines, and cutting the blank through the plurality of pre-sealed flap slots and glue tab, leaving a sealed edge.

Claims

1. A blank for forming a reusable plastic corrugated box comprising:

a rectangular sheet of plastic corrugated material having a first outer layer, a second outer layer spaced from the first outer layer and a plurality of flutes extending between the first outer layer and the second outer layer, the sheet having a first side, a second side, a first end and a second end, the sheet having a first plurality of parallel fold lines defining a plurality of side wall panels, a first plurality of score lines defining bottom flaps extending from a bottom portion of the side wall panels, each of the first plurality of score lines extending perpendicular to the fold lines, a first plurality of flattened segments at positions for slots between the bottom flaps, each of the first plurality of flattened segments aligned with one of the plurality of fold lines and extending inward from an edge along the first side of the sheet, each of the first plurality of flattened segments extending continuously between a first raised portion parallel to the fold lines and a second raised portion parallel to the fold lines, the first and second raised portions transitioning the flattened segments to unflattened surrounding portions of the sheet.

2. The blank of claim 1 further comprising a second plurality of score lines defining a plurality of top flaps extending from a top portion of the side wall panels, and a second plurality of flattened segments at positions for slots between the top flaps, each of the second plurality of flattened segments extending inward from an edge along the second side of the sheet, each of the second plurality of flattened segments extending continuously between a first raised portion parallel to the fold lines and a second raised portion parallel to the fold lines, the first and second raised portions transitioning the second plurality of flattened segments to unflattened surrounding portions of the sheet.

3. The blank of claim 2 having an air escape hole proximate the edge of the second side of the sheet at each of the second plurality of flattened segments.

4. The blank of claim 2 wherein each of the second plurality of flattened segments have a ridge pattern on an upper surface of the sheet.

5. The blank of claim 1 further comprising a flattened portion at the first end of the sheet and a flattened portion at the second end of the sheet.

6. The blank of claim 5 wherein the flattened portion at the first end of the sheet has a ridge pattern on an upper surface of the sheet.

7. The blank of claim 6 wherein the flattened portion at the second end of the sheet has a ridge pattern on a lower surface of the sheet.

11. The blank of claim 1 wherein the first side of the sheet has a smooth arcuate sealed edge and the second side of the sheet has a smooth arcuate sealed edge.

12. The blank of claim 1 having an air escape hole proximate the edge of the first side of the sheet at each of the first plurality of flattened segments.

13. The blank of claim 1 wherein each of the first plurality of flattened segments have a ridge pattern on an upper surface of the sheet.

8. The blank of 5 wherein the flattened portion at the first end of the sheet is a centrally located glue tab extending outward from the sheet.

9. The blank of claim 8 wherein the corrugated plastic material has a first thickness, and the flattened portion at the first end of the sheet and the flattened portion at the second end of the sheet collectively have a thickness equal to or less than the first thickness.

10. The blank of claim 8 wherein the glue tab is connected to the flattened portion at the second end of the sheet.

14. A blank for forming a reusable plastic corrugated box comprising:

a rectangular sheet of plastic corrugated material having a first outer layer, a second outer layer spaced from the first outer layer and a plurality of flutes extending between the first outer layer and the second outer layer, the sheet having a first side, a second side, a first end and a second end, the sheet having a first plurality of parallel fold lines defining a plurality of side wall panels, a first plurality of score lines defining bottom flaps extending from a bottom portion of the side wall panels, each of the first plurality of score lines extending perpendicular to the fold lines, a first plurality of flattened segments at positions for slots between the bottom flaps, each of the first plurality of flattened segments aligned with one of the plurality of fold lines and extending inward from an edge along the first side of the sheet, the sheet having a cut-out slot proximate the edge of the first side of the sheet in each of the first plurality of flattened segments wherein an edge of the cut-out slot is smooth.

15. The blank of claim 14 comprising a second plurality of score lines defining a plurality of top flaps extending from a top portion of the side wall panels, and a second plurality of flattened segments at positions for slots between the top flaps, each of the second plurality of flattened segments extending inward from an edge along the second side of the sheet, the sheet having a cut-out slot proximate the edge of the second side of the sheet in each of the second plurality of flattened segments wherein an edge of the cut-out slot is smooth.

16. A blank for forming a reusable plastic corrugated box comprising:

a generally rectangular sheet of plastic corrugated material having a first outer layer, a second outer layer spaced from the first outer layer and a plurality of flutes extending in a first direction between the first and second outer layers, a plurality of fold lines in the first direction defining a first side wall panel, a second side wall panel, a third side wall panel and a fourth side wall panel, a first plurality of score lines extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction defining a first bottom flap extending from a bottom portion of the first side wall panel, a second bottom flap extending from a bottom portion of the second side wall panel, a third bottom flap extending from a bottom portion of the third side wall panel and a fourth bottom flap extending from a bottom portion of the fourth side wall panel, and a first plurality of flattened segments extending inward from a bottom edge of the sheet perpendicular to the first plurality of score lines between the first and second bottom flaps, the second and third bottom flaps and the third and fourth bottom flaps, each of the first plurality of flattened segments aligned with one of the plurality of fold lines, each of the first plurality of flattened segments extending continuously between a first raised portion parallel to the fold lines and a second raised portion parallel to the fold lines, the first and second raised portions transitioning the flattened segments to unflattened surrounding portions of the sheet.

17. The blank of claim 16 further comprising a second plurality of score lines extending in the second direction defining a first top flap extending from a top portion of the first side wall panel, a second top flap extending from a top portion of the second side wall panel, a third top flap extending from a top portion of the third side wall panel and a fourth top flap extending from a top portion of the fourth side wall panel, and a second plurality of flattened segments extending inward from a top edge of the sheet between the first and second top flaps, the second and third top flaps and the third and fourth top flaps, each of the second plurality of flattened segments extending continuously between a first raised portion parallel to the fold lines and a second raised portion parallel to the fold lines, the first and second raised portions transitioning the flattened segments of the second plurality of flattened segments to unflattened surrounding portions of the sheet.

18. The blank of claim 17 having an air escape hole proximate the bottom edge at each of the first plurality of flattened segments and proximate a top edge at each of the second plurality of flattened segments.

19. The blank of claim 17 wherein each of the first plurality of flattened segments and each of the second plurality of flattened segments have a ridge pattern on an upper surface of the sheet.