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US 6,527,167 B1Granted
One piece folded and glued container
AssigneePack `N` Stack, Inc.
InventorPhil B. Sheffer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container is made in a collapsed configuration with bellows fold corners for self erection. Outer end wall panels are joined to the container bottom, leading to horizontal ledge panels and inner end wall panels fold over and down to lock via tabs into openings in the bottom. Columns reside under the ledge panels and are provided by column forming panels folded inwardly and glued to the inner end wall panels. Fold lines define the corners of each column and bear against inner sides of the front and back walls holding the columns open. The column forming panels have protruding tabs back by corresponding tabs on one of the ledge panels betwen the inner and outer panels of the end walls. These tabs form a two thickness registration tab that engages a corresponding opening in the container bottom for stacking.
Claims28
A container comprising:
- a plurality of panels defining a bottom, a laterally opposite front wall and a back wall, and longitudinally opposite end walls, the end walls having an outer end wall panel joined to the bottom, a ledge panel joined to the outer end wall panel, and an inner end wall panel joined to the ledge panel, at least one column-forming panel being joined to one of the inner and outer end wall panels, the column-forming panel being folded laterally inwardly and being expandable to form a hollow column supporting the ledge panel in the erected state of the container, further comprising inwardly folded bellows panels extending between the end walls and the front and the back and connecting the front and the back to the end walls such that when one of the front, the back and the end walls is pulled upwardly, said one pulls another from a knocked-down-flat configuration to an orientation perpendicular to the bottom.
A container comprising:
- a plurality of panels defining a bottom, a laterally opposite front wall and a back wall, and longitudinally opposite end walls, the end walls having an outer end wall panel joined to the bottom, a ledge panel joined to the outer end wall panel, and an inner end wall panel joined to the ledge panel, at least one column-forming panel being joined to one of the inner and outer end wall panels, the column-forming panel being folded laterally inwardly and being expandable to form a hollow column supporting the ledge panel in the erected state of the container, wherein two column-forming panels are symmetrically folded laterally inwardly from opposite sides of each inner end wall panel, each of the column forming panels comprising part of a protruding registration tab at an end glued to the inner end wall panel.
A container comprising:
- a plurality of corrugated paperboard panels defining a bottom, a laterally opposite front wall and a back wall having top panel flaps, and longitudinally opposite end walls, said panels being integral parts of a single piece of flat stock;
- wherein the bottom is attached to the front wall and to the back wall by inwardly folded bellows panels, each having a fold oriented substantially diagonally relative to an adjacent one of the end walls and the front and back and being glued to said adjacent one of the end walls, whereby the bellows panels and the end walls pull one another perpendicular to the bottom when erected;
- wherein the end walls comprise an outer end wall panel joined at a fold to a ledge panel, and an inner end wall panel joined at a fold to the ledge panel;
- each of the inner end wall panels being joined at a plurality of score and fold lines to laterally opposite column-forming panels, the column forming panels being folded inwardly and glued to a face of the inner end wall panel at a space from the fold and score lines such that the column-forming panels and their respective inner end wall panel are openable into a hollow column, the fold and score lines being placed to define corners of the hollow column and a laterally innermost one of said score and fold lines being substantially parallel to a fold line between the bottom of the container and one of said front and said back, whereby said one of the front and the back limits a position of the hollow column in an erected state of the container, thereby holding open the hollow column.
1 more element
A container comprising:
- a bottom;
- a front wall;
- a rear wall;
- two end walls positioned in confronting relation to one another between said front wall and said rear wall so that (i) a first vertical side of each end wall is positioned adjacent to a portion of said front wall, and (ii) a second vertical side of each end wall is positioned adjacent to a portion of said rear wall;
- and
- two wings, one projecting into said container from said first vertical edge and one projecting into said container from said second vertical edge of each of said end walls, with each of said wings biased so as to be in supporting engagement with said portions of said adjacent walls;
- wherein said end walls each comprise an exterior panel joined to said bottom, a ledge panel joined to said exterior panel, and an interior panel joined to said ledge panel;
- wherein said interior panel of each end wall comprises said first vertical side and said second vertical side;
- and,
- further comprising inwardly folded bellows panels extending between and connecting said end walls and said front and said back walls such that when one of said front, said back and said end walls is pulled upwardly, said one pulls another from a knocked-down-flat configuration to an orientation perpendicular to said bottom.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.