Cardboard box construction

A cardboard box construction, comprising:

• a cardboard carton blank having opposing first and second panels, opposing third and fourth panels, opposing first and second flaps, opposing third and fourth flaps, a first fold line between the first panel and the first flap, a second fold line between the second panel and the second flap, a third fold line between the third panel and the third flap, and a fourth fold line between the fourth panel and the fourth flap;
• a rod;
• the first flap includes a fold-down punch-out which communicates a box exterior with corrugations of the first flap and which is defined at least in part by a pre-formed weakened line;
• the cardboard carton blank and the rod being configured such that the rod can be positioned in an operative position extending between the first and second flaps, and within corrugations of both of the first and second flaps and holding the first and second flaps in folded-down closed positions with distal edges of the first and second flaps adjacent one another, the third and fourth flaps folded inside of the first and second flaps and the rod extending across a divide between the adjacent distal edges;
• and
• the rod is configured to be positionable in the operative position by inserting an end thereof into the fold-down punch-out and thereby into the corrugations of the first flap and pushing the end through the first flap, across the divide and into corrugations of the second flap.

A cardboard box construction, comprising:

• a cardboard carton blank having opposing first and second panels, opposing third and fourth panels, opposing first and second flaps, opposing third and fourth flaps, a first fold line between the first panel and the first flap, a second fold line between the second panel and the second flap, a third fold line between the third panel and the third flap, and a fourth fold line between the fourth panel and the fourth flap;
• a rod;
• the first flap including a cut-out on a distal edge thereof and providing access into corrugations of the first flap;
• the cardboard carton blank and the rod being configured such that the rod can be positioned in an operative position extending between the first and second flaps, and within corrugations of both of the first and second flaps and holding the first and second flaps in folded-down closed positions with distal edges of the first and second flaps adjacent one another, the third and fourth flaps folded inside of the first and second flaps and the rod extending across a divide between the adjacent distal edges;
• and
• the rod being configured to be positionable in the operative position by inserting one end thereof into corrugations of the second flap through a distal edge of the second flap and with an opposite rod end extending out from the second flap and then with the first and second flaps folded down and the opposite rod end in the cut-out and the rod extending across the divide, inserting an opposite rod end into the corrugations of the first flap at the cut-out.

A cardboard box construction, comprising:

• a cardboard carton blank having opposing first and second panels, opposing third and fourth panels, opposing first and second flaps, opposing third and fourth flaps, a first fold line between the first panel and the first flap, a second fold line between the second panel and the second flap, a third fold line between the third panel and the third flap, and a fourth fold line between the fourth panel and the fourth flap;
• a rod;
• a hole passing through an outwardly-disposed surface of the first flap and/or the first panel and providing access to corrugations of the first flap;
• the cardboard carton blank and the rod being configured such that the rod can be positioned in an operative position extending between the first and second flaps, and within corrugations of both of the first and second flaps and holding the first and second flaps in folded-down closed positions with distal edges of the first and second flaps adjacent one another, the third and fourth flaps folded inside of the first and second flaps and the rod extending across a divide between the adjacent distal edges;
• and
• the rod being configured to be positioned into the operative position by manipulating the rod including inserting an end thereof into the hole and thereby into the corrugations of the first flap and then manipulating the rod such that the rod extends across the divide and entirely below a top surface plane of the first and second flaps and through corrugations of the first and second flaps and with neither end of the rod extending into corrugations of the first or second panels.

A method of assembling a cardboard box construction, comprising:

• positioning a rod relative to a cardboard carton blank, which has opposing first and second panels, opposing third and fourth panels, opposing first and second flaps, opposing third and fourth flaps, a first fold line between the first panel and the first flap, a second fold line between the second panel and the second flap, a third fold line between the third panel and the third flap, and a fourth fold line between the second side panel and the second side flap;
• the positioning includes inserting the rod so that the rod extends between the first and second flaps and within corrugations of both of the first and second flaps and to an operative position holding the first and second flaps in folded-down closed positions with distal edges of the first and second flaps adjacent one another, the third and fourth flaps folded inside of the first and second flaps and the rod extending across a divide between the adjacent distal edges;
• and
• the inserting includes inserting an end of the rod into a hole that is in and passes through an outwardly-disposed surface of the first flap and/or the first panel and thereby into exposed corrugations of the first flap.

A method of assembling a cardboard box construction, comprising:

• positioning a rod relative to a cardboard carton blank, which has opposing first and second panels, opposing third and fourth panels, opposing first and second flaps, opposing third and fourth flaps, a first fold line between the first panel and the first flap, a second fold line between the second panel and the second flap, a third fold line between the third panel and the third flap, and a fourth fold line between the second side panel and the second side flap;
• the positioning includes inserting the rod so that the rod extends between the first and second flaps and within corrugations of both of the first and second flaps and to an operative position holding the first and second flaps in folded-down closed positions with distal edges of the first and second flaps adjacent one another, the third and fourth flaps folded inside of the first and second flaps and the rod extending across a divide between the adjacent distal edges;
• and
• the rod when in the operative position being entirely below a top surface plane of the first and second flaps across the divide and no portion of the rod extending into corrugations of the first or second panels.

A method of assembling a cardboard box construction, comprising:

• positioning a rod relative to a cardboard carton blank, which has opposing first and second panels, opposing third and fourth panels, opposing first and second flaps, opposing third and fourth flaps, a first fold line between the first panel and the first flap, a second fold line between the second panel and the second flap, a third fold line between the third panel and the third flap, and a fourth fold line between the second side panel and the second side flap;
• the positioning includes inserting the rod so that the rod extends between the first and second flaps and within corrugations of both of the first and second flaps and to an operative position holding the first and second flaps in folded-down closed positions with distal edges of the first and second flaps adjacent one another, the third and fourth flaps folded inside of the first and second flaps and the rod extending across a divide between the adjacent distal edges;
• the first flap including a cut-out on a distal edge thereof and providing access into corrugations of the first flap;
• and
• the inserting including inserting an end of the rod into corrugations of the second flap through a distal edge of the second flap and with an opposite end of the rod extending out from the second flap and then with the first and second flaps folded down and the opposite rod end in the cut-out and the rod extending across the divide, inserting the opposite rod end into the corrugations of the first flap at the cut-out.