Container with locking flanges

A blank for forming a carton in a folded condition, the blank comprising:

• a carton body having adjacent first and second sections for forming walls in a folded condition;
• a first flange pivotally attached to the first section and having a first side portion including:
• a first tab;
• a second tab spaced apart from the first tab;
• and
• a first engagement edge disposed between the first tab and the second tab;
• and
• a second flange pivotally attached to the second section and having a second side portion, the second flange disposed adjacent to the first flange and the second side portion disposed adjacent to the first side portion of the first flange, the second side portion comprising:
• a third tab;
• a fourth tab spaced apart from the third tab;
• and
• a second engagement edge disposed between the third tab and the fourth tab;
• and
• a slot formed between the first flange and the second flange.

A carton formed from a blank, the blank including a carton body having a plurality of sections for forming walls in a folded condition and a plurality of flanges, each flange pivotally attached to a corresponding one of the sections, each flange substantially being a mirror image of an adjacent flange, each flange having a pair of opposing side portions, each side portion having a notch formed therein, each notch having an engagement edge, each side portion defining a border of a slot formed between adjacent ones of the side portions, a first projection being formed on each side portion between the corresponding slot border and the respective notch, a second projection being formed on each side portion between the respective notch and the opposing side portion of the same flange, the carton comprising:

• a plurality of walls formed from corresponding sections of the blank;
• a bottom attached to the walls;
• a plurality of flanges formed from corresponding flanges of the blank, each flange pivotally attached to a corresponding one of the walls, each flange alt-superimposed with adjacent ones of the flanges in a locked configuration wherein, the notches of each flange receive one of the engagement edges of the corresponding adjacent flange, the first projections of each flange superimpose the corresponding first projections of the corresponding adjacent flanges, and the second projections of each flange superimpose corresponding second projections of an adjacent one of the flanges in an alt-superimposed configuration with their respective first projection.

A method of locking end flanges of a carton, the carton comprising a plurality of walls forming an inner space and having corresponding locking flanges foldably attached thereto, each one of the locking flanges having opposing side portions, each one of the side portions comprising a first tab, a second tab spaced apart from the first tab, and an engagement edge disposed between the first tab and the second tab, the method comprising:

• selecting any one of the locking flanges as a first locking flange;
• folding the first locking flange inward toward the inner space from a first position into an engagement position;
• folding a second locking flange adjacent to the first locking flange inward toward the inner space from a first position into an engagement position;
• and
• superimposing a first one of the first tab and the second tab of the second locking flange with the corresponding one of the first tab and second tab of the first locking flange;
• and
• alt-superimposing a second one of the first tab and the second tab of the second locking flange under the corresponding second one of the first tab and second tab of the second locking flange
• wherein the first tab, engagement edge, and second tab of the first locking flange engage the corresponding first tab, engagement edge, and second tab of the second locking flange in an alt-superimposed locked configuration.