U.S. patent number 3,918,630 [Application Number 05/547,289] was granted by the patent office on 1975-11-11 for tray with reinforced corner construction and blank therefor.
This patent grant is currently assigned to American Can Company. Invention is credited to George L. Meyers.
United States Patent |
3,918,630 |
Meyers |
November 11, 1975 |
Tray with reinforced corner construction and blank therefor
Abstract
A rectangular paperboard tray having a hollow, triangular pillar
corner construction and a unitary paperboard blank therefor. The
interior corner panels of the hollow triangular pillar corners are
hingedly connected at opposite sides to side panels and inner
corner flaps. The side and end panels of the tray are secured
together by inner and outer corner flaps.
Inventors: |
Meyers; George L. (Menasha,
WI) |
Assignee: |
American Can Company
(Greenwich, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
24184095 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/547,289 |
Filed: |
February 5, 1975 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/191; 229/192;
229/195 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
5/002 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
5/00 (20060101); B65D 005/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;229/35,36,32,33,49 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,505,063 |
|
Dec 1967 |
|
FR |
|
21,846 |
|
Sep 1961 |
|
DT |
|
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Garbe; Stephen P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Auber; Robert P. Dorman; Ira S.
Winter; John M.
Claims
I claim:
1. A substantially rectangular unitary paperboard carton blank for
forming a tray having a hollow triangular pillar corner
construction, said blank comprising:
a. a bottom panel,
b. two side panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel along a
first pair of parallel score lines,
c. inner and outer corner flaps formed by corner slits extending
diagonally inwardly from substantially the corners of said blank to
said first pair of score lines and terminating in inwardly
extending short end portion slits coincident with said first pair
of score lines,
d. interior corner panels hingedly connected at opposite sides to
said inner corner flaps and said side panels along fold lines
extending substantially from the edge of the blank to said end
portion slits, and
e. two end panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel along a
second pair of parallel score lines extending perpendicular to and
between said end portion slits and to said outer corner flaps along
said first pair of score lines.
2. A substantially rectangular paperboard carton blank as specified
in claim 1 wherein said outer corner flaps have end tabs formed
therein, said side panels have internal slits formed therein for
receipt and retention of the end tabs of said outer corner flaps,
said inner corner flaps have corner tabs formed therein, and said
end panels have pairs of edge slits for receipt and retention of
the corner tabs of said inner corner flaps.
3. A substantially rectangular paperboard tray having a hollow,
triangular corner pillar construction, said tray comprising:
a. a bottom panel,
b. two side panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel,
c. inner and outer corner flaps,
d. interior corner panels hingedly connected at opposite sides to
said inner corner flaps and said side panels, said interior corner
panels extending across the corners of the tray in abutment with
the bottom panel thereof,
e. two end panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel and to
said outer corner flaps, and
f. said inner corner flaps being disposed inside of and attached to
said end panels and said outer corner flaps being disposed outside
of and attached to said side panels.
4. A substantially rectangular paperboard tray as specified in
claim 3 wherein said inner corner flaps are attached to said end
panels by corner tabs on said inner corner flaps inserted and
retained in pairs of edge slits formed in said end panels, and said
outer corner flaps are attached to said side panels by end tabs
inserted and retained in internal slits formed in said side panels.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cartons and blanks therefor and more
particularly to rectangular paperboard trays with a hollow
triangular pillar corner construction formed from unitary
substantially rectangular blanks.
Paperboard trays have, of course, gained a wide acceptance in the
packaging industry for merchandising a wide variety of
products.
It is well known in the packaging industry that trays with a
reinforced corner construction are better able to withstand
stacking pressure during storage. While several such trays with
reinforced corners are known, the blanks and carton construction
embodied by this invention are believed to be significantly simpler
and more efficient than those heretofore known to the industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have invented a rectangular paperboard tray and a unitary blank
therefor having hollow triangular pillar corners of new and
improved simplicity and construction. The interior corner panels of
the hollow triangular pillar corners are hingedly connected at
opposite sides to side panels and inner corner flaps.
In the first embodiment of my invention the inner corner flaps are
glued to the end panels and the outer corner flaps are glued to the
side panels. In the second embodiment of my invention, the inner
corner flaps are secured to the end panels by pushing the corner
tabs of the inner corner flaps through the short parallel slits of
the end panels where they are retained. The outer corner flaps are
secured to the side panels by pushing the end tabs of the outer
corner flaps through the slits of the side panels where they are
retained.
Further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of the
invention for exemplification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank comprising a preferred
embodiment of my invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rectangular paperboard tray
formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary views showing a corner of
the blank of FIG. 1 in two stages of progression from flat blank to
the finished corner.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a paperboard blank having provisions for
tab locking corners comprising a second embodiment of my
invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rectangular paperboard tray
formed from the blank shown in FIG. 5.
FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary views showing a corner of
the blank of FIG. 5 in two stages of progression from flat blank to
the finished corner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the blank 10 shown is suitably
cut and scored to provide a rectangular tray 11. Side panels 12 are
hingedly connected to a rectangular bottom panel 13 along a pair of
score lines 14. Interior corner panels 15 are hingedly connected to
the side panels along fold lines 16. Inner corner flaps 17 are
hingedly connected to the interior corner panels along fold lines
18. The bottom edges of the interior corner flaps are defined by
end portion slits 19. End panels 20 are hingedly connected to the
bottom panel 13 along score lines 21. Outer corner flaps 22 are
hingedly connected to the end panels along the score lines 14. The
diagonal edges of the outer corner flaps 22 and the inner corner
flaps 17 are defined by the corner slits 23.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a description of the assembly of the
blank 10 of FIG. 1 into the tray 11 of FIG. 2 will be given,
preferred procedure for one corner being sufficient to demonstrate
the assembly for the entire tray.
Referring to FIG. 3, the side panel 12 is folded upwardly along
score line 14 until substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel
13. The interior corner panel 15 is folded along line 16 until
positioned diagonally across the corner formed by the intersection
of score line 21 and slit portion 19 whereby the bottom of interior
corner panel 15 abuts on bottom panel 13. The inner corner flap 17
is folded along fold line 18 until it is substantially parallel to
score line 21.
Referring to FIG. 4, the end panel 20 is folded upwardly along
score line 21 until substantially perpendicular to the bottom panel
13. The outer corner flap 22 is folded along score line 14 until
substantially perpendicular to the end panel 20 as illustrated in
the completed assembly of FIG. 2. The inner and outer corner flaps
17 and 22 respectively, are secured to the end and side panels 20
and 12 respectively, by gluing, heatsealing or other suitable
means.
Referring to FIGS. 5-8, the labeling of elements is substantially
the same as that used in FIGS. 1-4. Modified elements are denoted
by the subscript a and new elements identified by new numbers.
Since a basic understanding of the invention has been provided by
the description of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, this
description will primarily describe the modified and new elements
necessary to provide a carton blank and tray with tab locking
corners.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the inner and outer corner flaps 17a
and 22a are formed by the V-notch cut-outs 34 at the end edges of
the blank and are further formed by the corner slits 23a which
extend diagonally inwardly from the apex of the V-notch cut-outs
34. The side panels 12a have two slits 30 positioned inwardly of
the side edges of the blank 10a to receive and retain end tabs 32
of the outer corner flaps 22a. The end tabs 32 are formed by edge
slits 33 substantially perpendicular to the edges of the outer
corner flaps 22a defined by V-notch cut-outs 34. The end panels 20a
have two pairs of short slits 35 extending inwardly from the end
edges of the blank 10a to receive and retain the corner tabs 31 of
the inner corner flaps 17a. The corner tabs 31 are formed by slits
36 extending inwardly from the side edges near the corners of the
blank 10a.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a description of the assembly of the
tab locking mechanisms for the illustrated corner will be given.
When the side panel 12a and the inner corner flap 17a have been
folded as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the corner tab 31 is pushed
through the pair of short edge slits 35 and retained there, the
corner tab being wider than the opening formed in the side panel
12a by the slits 35. When the outer corner flaps 22a has been
folded as shown in FIGS. 8 and 6, the end tab 32 of the outer
corner flap 22a is pushed through the slit 30 and is retained
there, the end tab 32 catching on the body of the side panel
12a.
It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the
particular construction herein illustrated and described, but
embodies all such modified forms as come within the scope of the
following claims.
* * * * *