U.S. patent application number 09/949239 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-31 for collapsible corrugated plastic box.
Invention is credited to Dowd, Fred.
Application Number | 20020011513 09/949239 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23632501 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020011513 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dowd, Fred |
January 31, 2002 |
Collapsible corrugated plastic box
Abstract
This invention provides a collapsible box made of corrugated
plastic, which has improved hinge line/score line configurations
between walls and panels and improved hand holds. A plastic box of
this invention preferably has an automatically lockable bottom to
facilitate erection of the box, and can be easily collapsed for
return shipment and reuse.
Inventors: |
Dowd, Fred; (Princeton,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAVID V. RADACK, ESQUIRE
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC
USX Tower, 44th Floor
600 Grant Street
Pittsburgh
PA
15219
US
|
Family ID: |
23632501 |
Appl. No.: |
09/949239 |
Filed: |
September 7, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09949239 |
Sep 7, 2001 |
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09412315 |
Oct 5, 1999 |
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6273527 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
229/117.16 ;
229/117; 229/157; 229/930; 229/939 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/4266 20130101;
Y02W 30/80 20150501; B65D 5/10 20130101; B65D 5/3621 20130101; B65D
65/406 20130101; Y02W 30/801 20150501; B65D 65/403 20130101; B65D
2301/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/117.16 ;
229/930; 229/939; 229/157; 229/117 |
International
Class: |
B65D 005/10; B65D
005/468 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A collapsible box made of corrugated plastic comprising at least
four vertical side walls and a bottom end flap integrally connected
to each of said side walls through a hinge line, wherein the hinge
line between adjacent side walls and their respective bottom end
walls are vertically offset.
2. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said
hinge lines between each said side wall and its respective end flap
comprises a crushed score line and a perforated score line
substantially parallel to said crushed score line.
3. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 1 which has at least one
hand hold cut into a said side wall of the box, said hand hold
comprising a cut line through said corrugated plastic to define a
hinged flap in the side wall with said cut line on both sides and
the bottom of said flap and ending in a rounded corner at the top
of each side of said flap.
4. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 1 that includes a top
end flap connected to each said side wall through a hinge line.
5. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 4 which includes slots
cut between adjacent top flaps and adjacent bottom flaps, and
crushed vertical score lines between adjacent side walls with each
of said vertical score lines terminating short of said slots.
6. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 5 in which said vertical
score lines terminate approximately 1/2 inch short of each
slot.
7. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 1 in which said hinge
lines between said top flaps and said side walls terminate short of
the edges of the side walls and top flaps.
8. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 7 in which said hinge
lines between said top flaps and said side walls terminate
approximately 1 inch short of the edges of the side walls and top
flaps.
9. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 1 which is rectangular
in horizontal section with four said vertical side walls including
two length walls and two width walls, and said hinge line between
said two width walls and their bottom end flaps are offset below
the hinge lines between said length walls and their bottom end
flaps.
10. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 9 in which said offset
is approximately equal to one or two times the thickness of said
corrugated plastic.
11. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 1 in which said bottom
end flaps comprise an automatic lock bottom.
12. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 11 in which said side
walls include two length walls and two width walls, and said
automatic lock bottom comprises each of said bottom flaps on said
width walls being hingedly connected to one of said bottom flaps on
said length walls along hinge lines that bisect the corners between
said bottom flaps.
13. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 12 in which said bottom
flaps are adhesively connected.
14. A collapsible box made of corrugated plastic comprising: two
vertical width walls; two vertical length walls; a bottom width
flap attached to each said width wall through a hinge line; a
bottom end flap attached to each said length wall through a hinge
line; one of said bottom end flaps hingedly connected to one of
said width flaps along a diagonal hinge line and the other said
bottom end flap hingedly connected to the other said width flap
along a diagonal hinge line to form an automatic lock bottom to
said box; and said hinge lines between each of said width walls and
their respective width flaps and between each of said end walls and
their respective end flaps comprising a crushed score line and a
perforated score line which is substantially parallel to said
crushed score line.
15. A box as set forth in claim 14 in which said score lines
between said width walls and said width flaps being offset slightly
below said score lines between said length walls and said flaps on
said length walls.
16. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 14 which includes a
hand hold in each of said vertical width walls and each hand hold
comprises a cut line through said corrugated plastic defining a
hinged flap depending from a hinge line.
17. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 16 in which said cut
line terminates in a rounded corner on both ends of said hinge line
from which said flap depends.
18. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 14 which includes
vertical hinge lines between each width wall and each length wall
and said vertical hinge lines terminate short of the top and bottom
of said walls.
19. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 14 in which said hinge
lines between said width walls and their respective width flaps and
said length walls and their respective width flaps all terminate
short of the sides of said walls on both ends of each said hinge
line.
20. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 19 in which said hinge
lines all terminate approximately one inch short of the sides of
said walls on both ends of each said hinge line.
21. A collapsible box made of corrugated plastic comprising at
least four vertical side walls and a bottom end flap integrally
connected to each of said side walls through a hinge formed by a
score line in said corrugated plastic, said score lines terminating
short of the edges of said end flaps to reduce possible risk of
tearing the corrugated plastic.
22. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 21 that includes a top
end flap integrally connected to each of said side walls through a
hinge formed by a score line in said corrugated plastic.
23. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 21 in which said side
walls are connected to each other through a hinge formed by a score
line in the plastic and said score lines terminate short of the
tops and bottoms of said side walls to reduce possible risk of
tearing the corrugated plastic.
24. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 21 in which said side
walls of the box comprises two length walls and two width walls
having less horizontal extent than said length walls, and said
hinge between the width walls and their bottom end flaps is offset
downwardly from said hinge between said length walls and their
bottom end flaps.
25. A box as set forth in claim 21 which includes hand holds in two
opposing side walls with a cut line along three sides of each said
hand hold, and said cut line terminates in a rounded corner at the
top of each side of the hand hold.
26. A box as set forth in claim 21 in which said bottom end flaps
form an automatically lockable bottom end closure for the box.
27. A collapsible box made of corrugated plastic comprising at
least four vertical side walls separated by vertical hinge lines
therebetween formed by score lines in the corrugated plastic and a
bottom end flap integrally connected to each of said side walls
through a hinge therebetween, said score lines forming said
vertical hinge lines stopping short of the top and bottom of said
side walls to reduce possible risk of tearing the plastic along the
score lines.
28. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 27 that includes an
automatically lockable bottom end closure.
29. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 27 that includes hand
holds in two opposing side walls, with each said hand hold being
defined by a cut line along the bottom and both sides of said hand
hold and said cut line terminates in a rounded corner of the top of
the hand hold on both sides of the hand hold.
30. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 27 in which the hinge
line between said side walls and said bottom end flaps comprises
two parallel score lines.
31. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 30 in which one of said
parallel score lines is a perforated score and the other is a
crushed score.
32. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 31 in which said
crushed score is below said perforated score.
33. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 32 in which said
crushed score is in the interior face of the side wall and said
perforated score is in the exterior face of the side wall.
34. A collapsible box made of corrugated plastic comprising at
least four vertical side walls and a bottom end flap integrally
connected to each of said side walls through a hinge line, and a
hand hold cut into at least one of said side walls, said hand hold
comprising a cut line through said corrugated plastic to define a
hinged flap in the side wall with said cut line on both sides and
the bottom of the flap and ending in a rounded corner at the top of
each side of said flap.
35. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 34 which has at least
two of said hand holds, and said two hand holds are in opposite
side walls of the box.
36. A collapsible box as set forth in claim 35 in which said hinge
line for each hand hold comprises a score line.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to collapsible boxes and more
particularly a collapsible box made of corrugated plastic.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Collapsible corrugated boxes and cartons made of paperboard
are well known in the art. Such boxes and cartons typically include
vertical side walls and top and bottom flaps on the side walls for
forming a bottom end wall and a top closure for the box. The
paperboard is crushed along lines between adjacent side walls and
between the side walls and the flaps to form "score lines" or hinge
lines for bending the paperboard.
[0005] It is known to provide a foldable carton having hinged
together bottom panels for automatically forming the carton bottom
when the carton is erected. Cartons having such automatically
forming bottoms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,327,709 and
4,289,268.
[0006] It is also known to provide a plastic box as is disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,039. That patent discloses a container made out
of fluted plastic having integral hinges between the walls and
flaps and having Velcro.RTM. strips for fastening the walls and
panels together. The hinges in the container are made by cutting
one facing sheet in the fluted plastic and hinging the walls and
flaps on the other (uncut) facing sheet. The container disclosed in
that patent is said to be easily collapsible and reusable.
[0007] There is a need for an improved collapsible box made of
corrugated plastic that is economical and suitable for high speed
manufacture and erection. An improved plastic carton is needed that
is more durable and resistant to tearing. A plastic box is needed
that will set up better when erected and not collapse on itself. A
corrugated plastic carton is needed that includes an automatically
lockable bottom and a plastic box that can be reused many
times.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] This invention satisfies the needs for an economical plastic
box that can be manufactured using high speed equipment and which
is durable and capable of being reused many times.
[0009] This invention provides a collapsible box made of corrugated
plastic, which has improved hinge/score line configurations between
walls and panels and improved hand holds. A plastic box of this
invention preferably has an automatically lockable bottom to
facilitate erection of the box, and can be easily collapsed for
return shipment and reuse.
[0010] A collapsible box of this invention may have offset scoring
for the bottom flaps so the box sets up better. Offset scoring
produces a box with less memory when erected, so the box stays
erected without collapsing on itself.
[0011] The score lines in a box of this invention preferably
terminate short of slots cut between panels and flaps so the
corrugated plastic will have increased resistance to tearing. The
box also preferably has hand holds defined by cut lines that
terminate in rounded corners, which also reduce risk of tearing the
plastic.
[0012] Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an
improved collapsible box made of corrugated plastic.
[0013] The above and other objects and advantages of this invention
will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the
following description and the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible box of the
type suitable for use with this invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section through corrugated
plastic for use in a box of this invention.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a pattern or blank for a box having
a collapsible lockable bottom suitable for use in this
invention.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an erected box showing the locked
bottom flaps.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view showing an offset score in a
collapsible box of this invention.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section through a hinge score
of this invention before the corrugated plastic is folded at the
score.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-section through a hinge score
of this invention showing the corrugated plastic folded at the
score.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view showing a diagonal score in a
collapsible box of this invention.
[0022] FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view of a top corner of a box of
this invention showing the score lines at the corner intersection
of the side walls and top flaps.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of a vertical width
wall of a box of this invention showing a hand hold in the width
wall.
[0024] FIG. 11 is a fragmentary cross-section through an
alternative corrugated plastic that can be used in the practice of
this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a collapsible box 10 that is suitable for
use of the present invention. The box 10 is preferably rectangular
or square in footprint but may also have hexagonal or other
configurations. The box has a pair of vertical width walls 12, a
pair of vertical length walls 14, and a bottom closure 20 as is
described below. The box optionally includes a pair of top width
wall flaps 16 and a pair of top length wall flaps 18; it can also
be in the form of a half slotted container, which does not include
top flaps.
[0026] The box 10 has vertical hinge lines 22 between the width
walls 12 and length walls 14, hinge lines 24 between the width
walls 12 and width wall flap 16, and hinge lines 26 between the
length walls 14 and length wall flaps 18. The box also has hinge
lines between the width walls 12, length walls 14 and bottom end
wall flaps as is described below.
[0027] All score lines in the box 10 facilitate erecting and
collapsing the box. In accordance with this invention, a box 10 may
have unique hinge line/score line configurations which improve the
performance and durability of the box.
[0028] Box 10 may also include hand holds 28 in opposite width
walls 12. The hand holds 28 are defined by a cut line 30 completely
through the box material and may have a hinge/score line 32 at the
top of each hand hold as is described below in more detail.
[0029] The top width flaps 16 may have hinge/score lines 34 across
them for forming a bend at the line, and the top length wall flaps
may have L-shaped flaps 36 in them for providing slots to receive
corners of the width flaps when the box 10 is closed by downward
folding of the flaps 16, 18. Each L-shaped flap 36 may be defined
by a cut line 38 and a hinge/score line 40 so the flap can be
hinged into the box to permit insertion of the corners of flaps 16.
The second flaps 36 provide a ski so the flaps can be inserted into
the box without damaging the contents of the box.
[0030] A box 10 of this invention may be made of corrugated sheet
plastic material 41 such as that shown in FIG. 2. Corrugated
plastic 41 is well known material, but has received only limited
application in collapsible boxes (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,039).
Corrugated plastic 41 has parallel facing sheets 42, 44 and spaced,
integral interconnecting ribs 46 between the facing sheets. The
plastic sheet material 41 can be easily extruded from a variety of
plastic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like. A
box of this invention may also be made of conical plastic sheet
material 80 such as that shown in FIG. 11, which includes facing
sheets 81, 82 bonded to a corrugated intermediate sheet 83 as for
example by melt bonding, ultrasonic bonding or an adhesive.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a blank 48 for a preferred embodiment of a box
10 of this invention. The blank includes panels which form the
width walls 12, length walls 14, top width flaps 16, top length
flaps 18, bottom width flaps 50, bottom length flaps 52, 54 and
glue flap 56. Score/hinge lines are also provided in the blank 48.
These score lines may include score line 22 between the width walls
12 and length walls 16, score lines 24 between the width walls 12
and length wall flaps 16, score lines 26 between the length walls
14 and length wall flaps 16, scores 58 between the width walls 12
and bottom end wall flaps 50, score lines 60 between the length
walls 14 and the length wall flaps 52, 54, score lines 60 in the
top width wall flaps 16, and score lines 62 in the bottom end wall
flaps 50. The blank 48 also preferably has hand holds 28 in the
width walls 12. The score lines 62 in each of the bottom width wall
flaps 50 bisect the corner where the width wall flaps meet the
bottom length wall flap 52, 54, length wall 14 and width wall 12,
and defines a tab portion 64, which is to be adhesively bonded to
the adjacent length flap to form the automatically lockable bottom
closure for a box made from the blank 48.
[0032] Manufacture of a box 10 from the blank 48 is effected by
shaping the blank into its box shape and gluing or otherwise
connecting glue flap 56 to the exterior surface of length wall 14.
The bottom flaps 50, 52, 54 are folded into a bottom closure, with
flap 54 being folded first, followed by flap 52 and then flaps 50.
Adhesive or glue has preferably been applied to the interface
between tabs 64 and flaps 52, 54 to adhesively bond the tabs to the
flaps at 66 as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the tabs 64 can be
joined or connected to flaps 52, 54 by ultrasonic welding or a hook
and loop closure.
[0033] In accordance with this invention, the hinge lines between
the side walls 12, 14 and the bottom end flaps 50, 52, 54 of a box
are preferably vertically offset as is shown in FIG. 5. Such hinge
lines preferably are formed by a crushed score line 68 and a
perforated score line 70 parallel to the crushed score line. The
two score lines 68, 70 may be spaced apart approximately one to two
times the thickness of the corrugated plastic sheet material. The
crushed score line 68 is formed by well known techniques in which a
score tool or indenter is pressed against one face 42 of the
corrugated material to collapse or crush the connecting ribs 46 in
the material (FIG. 6). The perforated score 72 is a line of
perforations cut through one facing sheet of the corrugated
plastic. The crushed score 68 is preferably on the inside face
(toward inside of box) of the plastic, and the perforations in the
perforated score are preferably through the exterior face of the
plastic, and the perforated score 70 is preferably the upper score
in the hinge line. However, such locations of the scores are not
critical to the invention.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows the parallel scores 68, 70 which form a hinge
line of this invention, before the plastic 41 is folded or hinged,
and FIG. 7 shows the plastic after it has been folded. The weaker
perforated score 70 is designed to fold first and provide the
desired dimensional control in the manufacture of the box. The
crushed score 68 provides another bend point for the flap so each
score has to accommodate only 90.degree. of folding. This double
hinged score enables the flaps to fold more easily and accurately
as compared to a single score.
[0035] The vertically offset, horizontal scores 68, 70 at the
bottom of adjacent walls 12 and 14 as seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7
provide more stability to a box of this invention. A box having
such an offset score sets up better and has less memory when
erected. The reduction in memory enables the box to stay erected
without collapsing on itself. The bottom full overlap flap 54 (FIG.
3) also tends to lay more flat in boxes with offset scores, which
is beneficial when filling the box with light weight products like
potato chips.
[0036] FIG. 8 shows diagonal hinge/score lines that may be used as
an alternative to the offset scores of FIG. 5. In the embodiment of
FIG. 8, the score lines 72, 74 are parallel to each other, but
extend diagonally or at an angle (about 5-10.degree.) to the score
line 22 between the walls 12, 14. This alternative is more
typically used when the bottom or top closure on the box has panels
adapted to be closed and interlocked by a conventional French fold,
instead of an automatically locking bottom closure as illustrated
in FIGS. 1 and 3. The purpose of the horizontally running diagonal
scoring is to alleviate the stress and memory involved when all the
scoring is on the same plane when mechanically interlocking the top
or bottom flaps, commonly known as French Folding the box. If the
scores run on the same plane, the flaps do not lay flat when
interlocked; they bow outwardly a great deal. This is partially
caused by the material being on the same plane and trying to occupy
the same space, when in reality, one flap need to be a little lower
(approximately the thickness of the material being folded) than the
adjacent interlocking flap. In order for the flaps to lock
together, on each flap, half is above the adjacent panel on one
side, and tucked underneath the adjacent panel on the opposite
side. Therefore, the score needs to not run parallel to the floor,
but diagonally to accommodate the flap being higher on one end than
the other. The diagonal scoring allows the flaps to lay flatter
when engaged and helps minimize the possibility of a load tipping
due to the flaps bowing too much using conventional scoring.
[0037] FIG. 9 shows additional features of the bend/score lines in
a box of this invention. As seen in this figure, the score lines
22, 24, 26, 34 between the walls 12, 14 and flaps 16, 18 terminate
short of the edges of the flaps and short of the slots cut between
panels. For example, hinge/score line 34 in flap 16 and hinge/score
lines 24, 26 between walls 12, 14 and panels 16, 18 terminate
approximately 1/2-11/2 inches and preferably 1 inch (1") short of
the edges of the flaps 16, 18. Terminating the scores short of the
flaps helps reduce weak points that could start a tear. Tears tend
to propagate in plastic once a tear has started. Accordingly, prior
art boxes having scores that extend into the slots between flaps
are much more susceptible to tearing than are boxes of this
invention.
[0038] The vertical hinge/score lines 22 also terminate short of
the slot 17 between flaps 16 and 18. A gap of unscored plastic
approximately 1/2 inch long is left at the end of each vertical
score. This helps reduce weak points that could be the start of a
tear in the plastic.
[0039] FIG. 10 shows a hand hold in a vertical width panel 12. The
hand hold is formed by a cut line 30 across the bottom and up both
sides of the hand hold to define a flap 29 of plastic in the hand
hold. It further includes a score line 32 across the top of the
hand hold 28 which facilitates hinging of the flap 29 of plastic.
The score line 32 can be either a crushed score or a perforated
score and may be in either the inside or outside facing sheet in
the plastic. However, the score line 32 is preferably a crushed
score on the inside face of the plastic. In accordance with this
invention, the cut line 30 ends in a radius or rounded corner 76 at
the top of the hand hold 28 on both sides of the hand hold. The
rounded corners 76 move the stress point in the plastic away from
the top end of the vertical sides of the hand hold 28 and spreads
the stress point to reduce risk of tearing the plastic during
lifting of a box of this invention. Conventional hand holds, which
do not include rounded corners and which end parallel to the flute
lines, tend to tear easily. The rounded corners 76 of the preferred
embodiment shown in FIG. 10 spread the load across the score line
32.
[0040] It is therefore seen that this invention provides an
improved collapsible box made of corrugated plastic that can be
manufactured and assembled economically by high speed equipment.
The box is more convenient to use and also more durable than prior
art boxes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
numerous modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments
selected for illustration without departing from the invention or
the scope of the claims appended hereto. For example, hook and loop
fasteners, such as those made under the trade designation
Velcro.RTM. by the Velcro Company, could be used to effect closure
of the top and/or bottom of the box.
* * * * *