Octagonal bulk bin with self-locking webbed bottom flaps

An octagonal bulk bin comprising:

• a pair of opposite sidewalls, a pair of opposite end walls, and opposed pairs of diagonal corner panels interposed between adjacent said sidewalls and end walls, wherein the sidewalls, end walls and diagonal corner panels are joined to one another along vertical folds;
• major bottom flaps foldably joined to bottom edges of the sidewalls along horizontal folds;
• minor bottom flaps foldably joined to bottom edges of the end walls along horizontal folds;
• diagonal bottom flaps foldably joined to bottom edges of the diagonal corner panels along horizontal folds;
• and
• self locking means for locking said major and minor flaps and said diagonal corner flaps in closed position, said self locking means comprising a pair of notches in a free edge of each said minor bottom flap defining locking tabs at opposite outer corners of said free edge, and a pair of open slots near a free edge of each said major bottom flap in positions to receive the locking tabs when the flaps are folded to a closed position, said notches having divergent side edges defining a V-shape, and the divergent side edges of one notch of each pair diverging to a greater extent than the side edges of the other notch.

A blank for making an octagonal bulk bin, comprising:

• a unitary piece of generally rectangularly shaped material having a plurality of first, parallel, spaced apart fold scores delimiting adjacent sidewall panels, end wall panels, and diagonal corner panels;
• a second fold score extending perpendicular to the first fold scores and defining bottom edges of the sidewall panels, end wall panels and diagonal corner panels;
• a bottom-forming flap panel joined to each said bottom edge at said second fold score, said bottom-forming flap panels including a major flap panel connected to the bottom edge of each sidewall panel, a minor flap panel connected to the bottom edge of each end wall panel, and a diagonal flap panel connected to the bottom edge of each diagonal corner panel, said major and minor flap panels having a first width from a free end edge thereof to their folded connection with an associated wall panel, and said diagonal flap panels having a second width from a free end edge thereof to their folded connection with an associated diagonal corner panel;
• a cut separating each said major flap panel from an adjacent diagonal flap panel;
• and
• a web panel connecting opposite side edges of each minor flap panel with an adjacent side edge of a respective adjacent diagonal flap panel, each said web panel and an adjacent portion of a said minor flap panel being crushed.

A blank for making an octagonal bulk bin, comprising:

• a unitary piece of generally rectangularly shaped material having a plurality of first, parallel, spaced apart fold scores delimiting adjacent sidewall panels, end wall panels, and diagonal corner panels;
• a second fold score extending perpendicular to the first fold scores and defining a bottom edge of the sidewall panels, end wall panels and diagonal corner panels;
• a plurality of bottom-forming flap panels joined to the bottom edge at said second fold score, said bottom-forming flap panels including a major flap panel connected to the bottom edge of each sidewall panel, a minor flap panel connected to the bottom edge of each end wall panel, and a diagonal flap panel connected to the bottom edge of each diagonal corner panel, said major and minor flap panels having a first width from a free end edge thereof to their folded connection with an associated wall panel, and said diagonal flap panels having a second width from a free end edge thereof to their folded connection with an associated diagonal corner panel;
• a cut separating each said major flap panel from an adjacent diagonal flap panel;
• and
• self locking means on said minor flap panels and major flap panels to lock said panels in closed position, said locking means comprising a pair of notches on a free end edge of each minor flap panel, defining a pair of locking tabs, and a pair of open slots near a free end edge of each major flap panel in positions to receive the locking tabs, said notches having divergent side edges defining a V-shape, and the divergent side edges of one notch of each air diver in to a greater extent than the side edges of the other notch.

An octagonal bulk bin comprising:

• a pair of opposite sidewalls, a pair of opposite end walls, and opposed pairs of diagonal corner panels interposed between adjacent said sidewalls and end walls, wherein the sidewalls, end walls and diagonal corner panels are joined to one another along vertical folds;
• major bottom flaps foldably joined to bottom edges of the sidewalls along horizontal folds;
• minor bottom flaps foldably joined to bottom edges of the end walls along horizontal folds;
• diagonal bottom flaps foldably joined to bottom edges of the diagonal corner panels along horizontal folds;
• a web panel connected between opposite side edges of each minor flap panel and an adjacent side edge of a respective adjacent diagonal flap panel, each said web panel being triangularly shaped and delimited by first and second divergent fold scores and a curvilinear free end edge, wherein said first fold score extends in alignment with an adjacent said vertical fold and an adjacent side edge of a said minor bottom flap, and the second fold score extends to a free end edge of the diagonal bottom flap from a point on the first fold score spaced from the horizontal fold connecting the minor bottom flap to its associated end wall;
• and
• said web panel and a portion of an adjacent minor bottom flap are crushed.