US 5,033,668 AGranted

Foldable container and method for making the same

AssigneeFlatwrap, Inc.

InventorsLaura L. Cohen, Roy M. Kay

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Abstract

A container assembly which is especially adaptable to form a final presentation enclosure is constructed from a flat blank of material. The flat blank is provided with a plurality of fold lines forming a bottom wall, side walls, and top wall portions which act in conjunction with one another to enclose a space. The side walls are connected by joining portions constituting bellows-type folding members. The container is constructed by initially folding. The joining members are folded inwardly thereby drawing up the respective side walls to which they are attached. The container does not utilize tabs, glue or other fastening arrangements normally associated with a variety of containers. The top walls are formed so as to be exposed at the top of the container to allow securing of the top wall portions by any suitable means. There is also provided a variable volume container by means of the joining members which extend into the interior of the container. The joining members act to center and protect a smaller item within the container or can be completely moved to make available the total volume of the container.

A container assembly formed from a unitary blank of foldable sheet material comprising,

a bottom wall bounded by first, second, third and fourth side walls wherein said first and third side walls and said second and fourth side walls are positioned in diametrically opposed relationship;
said side walls being flexibly coupled to said bottom wall by first type fold lines to enable positioning of said side walls in an upstanding relationship to said bottom wall;
said first and third side walls being flexibly coupled to said second and fourth side walls by bellows-type coupling means acting to draw the respective side walls to adjacent positions when in their upstanding positions;
said bellows-type coupling means flexibly coupled to said side walls by said first type fold lines and having a second type of fold line which is more easily manipulated than said first type of fold line formed therein so as to enable inward folding of said bellows-type coupling means during assembly;
and
first, second, third and fourth top walls being flexibly coupled to said first, second, third and fourth side walls respectively, at positions diametrically opposed from said bottom wall, wherein at least two opposed top walls have dimensions so as to extend in slight overlapping relationship when folded toward one another, and the other two of said top walls have dimensions so as to extend over at least half of the width of said bottom wall;
said top walls being flexibly coupled to said side walls by said first type of fold lines to enable said top walls to be folded to spaced apart substantially parallel positions relative to said bottom wall, wherein when said container is formed, the said second type of fold lines are first folded in said bellows-type coupling means so as to draw the respective side walls to an upstanding position facilitated by said first type of fold lines flexibly connecting said side walls with said bottom wall, said top walls being subsequently folded down so as to form a fully enclosed container.

4 more elements

Abstract

Claims14