Containers
AssigneeICEE Holdings Unit Trust, ICEE Holdings Pty. Ltd., Trustee
InventorLeslie John Skinner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A blank for a box made from an expandable material, which is initially molded to be substantially flat and in which folds forming hinges are to be made to enable the formation of the box. The tooling defines the shape of the blank is such as to provide a thickness of the expanded material that is less than the thickness of a major portion of the blank, in which folds are to be made having defined edges, generally in the direction of each fold; the fold and subsequently applying pressure along an area where folds are to be permitted to reduce the blank are made without removing material therefrom for providing hinges to permit formation of the box. A related method for making the blank and a box that is made from the blank are further provided.
Claims13
1-26. (canceled)
A process for forming a blank for a box made from an expandable material, comprising the steps of:
- molding a blank to be substantially flat with at least one hinge being formed by adjacent junctions between a base of a box and sides and ends thereof for forming a fold for enabling formation of the box via the base, the sides and the ends, the blank being formed in a first step wherein an expandable material is caused to expand within a tool configuration defining a shape of the blank, the at least one hinge of the blank being defined by a portion of said tool configuration that provides an area of the blank having a thickness less than the thickness of a major portion of the blank, the hinges having defined edges substantially in direction of each fold, and wherein the at least one hinge is further formed by a second step by applying pressure to the blank at the at least one hinge for further reducing the thickness of the blank in the at least one hinge, without removing material therefrom.
A blank for a box made of an expandable material, the blank made by a process comprising the steps of:
- molding a blank to be substantially flat with at least one hinge being formed by adjacent junctions between a base of a box and sides and ends thereof for forming a fold for enabling formation of the box via the base, the sides and the ends, the blank being formed in a first step wherein an expandable material is caused to expand within a tool configuration defining a shape of the blank, the at least one hinge of the blank being defined by a portion of said tool configuration that provides an area of the blank having a thickness less than the thickness of a major portion of the blank, the hinges having defined edges substantially in direction of each fold, and wherein the at least one hinge is further formed by a second step by applying pressure to the blank at the at least one hinge for further reducing the thickness of the blank in the at least one hinge, without removing material therefrom.
A box formed from a blank made by a process comprising the steps of:
- molding a blank to be substantially flat with at least one hinge being formed by adjacent junctions between a base of a box and sides and ends thereof for forming a fold for enabling formation of the box via the base, the sides and the ends, the blank being formed in a first step wherein an expandable material is caused to expand within a tool configuration defining a shape of the blank, the at least one hinge of the blank being defined by a portion of said tool configuration that provides an area of the blank having a thickness less than the thickness of a major portion of the blank, the hinges having defined edges substantially in direction of each fold, and wherein the at least one hinge is further formed by a second step by applying pressure to the blank at the at least one hinge for further reducing the thickness of the blank in the at least one hinge, without removing material therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.