Octagonal bulk bin with self-locking gusset-fold bottom flaps
AssigneeInternational Paper Company
InventorMark A. Wisecarver
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An octagonal bulk bin has sidewalls, end walls and diagonal corner panels interposed between adjacent sidewalls and end walls. Bottom flaps are foldably joined to a bottom edge of the sidewalls, end walls, and diagonal corner panels, and gusset panels connect adjacent side edges of the bottom flaps, facilitating set up of the bulk bin and spacing flap cuts from the corners of the bin to minimize or eliminate initiation of tears in the vertical corners of the bin. A plastic pallet tray has an upstanding lip around its periphery, shaped and sized to closely receive the bottom end of the octagonal bin to reinforce the bottom end and facilitate handling of the bin.
Claims16
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 panels along horizontal folds;
- cuts separating said major bottom flaps from respective adjacent said diagonal bottom flaps, said cuts terminating in spaced relation to said horizontal folds to prevent initiation of tearing of said vertical folds;
- first gusset panels interconnecting opposite side edges of each said minor bottom flap with adjacent side edges of respective adjacent said diagonal bottom flaps;
- and
- second gusset panels interconnecting opposite side edges of each said major bottom flap with adjacent side edges of respective adjacent said diagonal bottom flaps, said cuts separating said major bottom flaps from respective adjacent said diagonal bottom flaps terminating at respective said second gusset panels.
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;
- major bottom-forming flap panels joined to the bottom edge of said sidewall panels along said second fold line;
- minor bottom-forming flap panels joined to the bottom edge of said end wall panels along said second fold line;
- diagonal bottom-forming flap panels joined to the bottom edge of said diagonal corner panels along said second fold line;
- cuts separating said major bottom-forming flap panels from respective adjacent said diagonal bottom-forming flap panels, said cuts terminating in spaced relation to said second fold score;
- first gusset panels connected between adjacent side edges of the minor bottom-forming flap panels and the diagonal bottom-forming flap panels;
- and
- second gusset panels connected between adjacent side edges of the major bottom-forming flap panels and the diagonal bottom-forming flap panels said cuts separating said major bottom-forming flap panels from respective adjacent said diagonal bottom-forming flap panels terminating at respective said second gusset panels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.