Divider For A Container

Abstract

A divider for use in containers and a blank from which the same may be formed. An elongated, generally rectangular sheet of corrugated material includes a central section intermediate its ends with first and second end sections joined to the central section at opposite sides thereof. The central section includes at least one notch and each of the end sections includes at least one hook formation directed outwardly from the associated ends of the sheet and are separated from the central section by a fold line. Each of the end sections includes at least two fold lines intermediate its ends upon which each end section can be folded so that each hook formation may be received in the notch to define at least two compartments of generally quadrilateral cross section. The divider may then be inserted in a container such as a corrugated carton.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to dividers for insertion into containers such as corrugated boxes for subdividing the interior thereof into a plurality of compartments, each for receipt of articles, and for strengthening the resultant container so that the same may satisfactorily resist compressive forces when stacked.

Recent years have seen a sizable increase in the use of relatively thin-walled plastic containers for packaging a variety of materials, most notably fluids. For shipping purposes, a plurality of such thin-walled plastic containers are placed in a further container as, for example, a box formed of corrugated paperboard.

Where the plastic containers contain relatively dense material as, for example, liquids, when a plurality of the cardboard cartons in which they are stored are stacked, as will usually be the case during transportation or storage, sizable compressive forces are placed on the lowermost cardboard containers in the stack.

Whereas a variety of other types of smaller containers in the cardboard box strengthen the same to resist such compressive forces, the thin-walled plastic containers do not provide such compression resistance and, in fact, are such that partial collapse of the cardboard container due to such compressive forces may cause rupturing of the plastic containers therein.

As a result, it is necessary to strengthen the cardboard container so that the same may successfully resist large compressive forces when stacked with other containers containing like goods.

Frequently, increased resistance can be obtained through the use of dividers which are placed in a cardboard container and compartmentalize the same with each compartment receiving a container of the goods to be transported. Most such dividers, however, do not provide sufficient protection where thin-walled plastic containers are received in the compartments and/or are difficult and time-consuming to fabricate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved divider for use in connection with cardboard containers to increase the resistance of a package to compression forces when stacked to thereby preclude damage to goods contained therein. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide such a divider and a blank for forming the same which is easily fabricated so as to minimize the expense required in employing the same.

The exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves the foregoing objects in a structure including an elongated, generally rectangular sheet of flexible material such as corrugated cardboard. The sheet is provided with a central section intermediate its ends which includes a line of weakening centrally located in the direction of elongation of the sheet. First and second end sections are joined to the central section at opposite sides thereof and each end section is divided into two portions by a slit extending from the associated end of the sheet inwardly to the central section and joining with the line of weakening in the central section. The end sections are delimited from the central section by fold lines and each end section in turn includes a pair of fold lines. All such fold lines run transverse to the direction of elongation of the sheet from which the blank is formed.

The central section is provided with at least three notches while the end sections are provided with hook formations. By folding the blank, first along the line of weakening in the central section and then along respective ones of the fold lines, a four-compartment divider may be fabricated by securing the hook formations of the end sections in the notches in the central sections.

The resulting divider will include a central, cross formation of double thickness so that when placed in a carboard carton, substantial compression resistance is provided intermediate the walls of the cardboard carton. In addition, the divider will provide a single layer thickness adjacent the walls of the cardboard carton which, together with the walls thereof, provides a double layer thickness so that the periphery of the carton is provided with improved compression resistance.

When used in a cardboard carton, the divider is ideally suited for housing thin-walled plastic containers and protecting the same from damage when stacked during transportation or storage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings .

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank used in forming a divider made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blank partially assembled to form a divider;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cardboard container having a divider made according to the invention located therein;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken approximately along the line 5--5 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An exemplary embodiment of a blank made according to the invention employed in fabricating a divider made according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is seen to include an elongated, generally rectangular sheet of flexible material, generally designated 10, preferably of corrugated paperboard or the like. According to a much preferred embodiment of the invention, double corrugated board formed of opposed outer layers 12, a central layer 14 and two corrugated layers 16, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is employed.

The sheet 10 includes a central section, generally designated 18, flanked by two end sections, each generally designated 20. The end sections 20 are delimited by the respective ends of the sheets 18 and by fold lines 22.

The central section includes a central line of weakening 24 extending between the fold lines 22 in a direction parallel to the direction of elongation of the sheet 10. In a preferred form of the invention, the line of weakening 24 is provided by a scoring of the sheet 10 which extends partially through the same.

Centrally located within the central section 18 are three notches. A first notch is designated 26 and is centrally located on the line of weakening 24 to extend to both sides thereof. The remaining two notches are each designated 28 and are located to extend inwardly from the sides of the sheet 10. The notch 26 has a length about twice that of each of the notches 28.

The length of each of the notches 28 is related to hook-like securing means, each designated 30, located on the ends of the sheet 10, each including a narrow neck 32 having a dimension approximately corresponding to the length of each of the notches 28. Thus, the notch 26 has a length equal to about twice the dimension of the narrowed necks 32 of the hook-like securing means 30. The width of the notches 26 and 28 is twice the thickness of the sheet 10.

The hook-like securing means are located such that two extend from the upper edge of the sheet 10 as seen in FIG. 1, while two are located intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof with their upper surfaces aligned with the line of weakening 24. That is, the lower ones of the hook-like securing means 30 on opposite ends of the sheet extend downwardly from the center line of the sheet 10.

Each of the end sections 20 is divided into two end portions 34. The end portions 34 are separated from each other by a slit extending along the center line of the sheet 10 in the direction of elongation thereof and meeting the line of weakening 24 at the central section 18.

Each of the end portions 34 include an inwardly directed recess 38 adjacent its lowermost and outermost end. The recesses 38 have a dimension corresponding to that of the hook-like end of each hook portion 30. That is, they have the same shape as the hook less the narrowed portion 32.

Finally, each of the end sections 20 is provided with fold lines 40 and 42 extending transverse to the direction of elongation of the sheet 10 and parallel to the fold line 22.

With reference now to FIG. 2, the manner of assembling a divider made according to the invention from the blank is illustrated. Specifically, the blank is folded along the line of weakening 24 so that the respective sides of the center portion 18 are doubled upon each other. As a result of the foregoing, the notches 28 are aligned while the notch 26 has its effective length halved as illustrated in FIG. 2. Each of the end portions 34 is then folded in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2 so that the hook-like securing means 30 on opposite ends of the sheet are brought together to be received together in the notches 26 and 28. That portion of each hook-like securing means 30 that extends across the center portion is received in the aligned recesses 38 to form an aligned structure with no tabs or the like displaced from the plane of the various divider walls.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, when a double layered corrugated board such as illustrated in FIG. 5 is employed in forming the divider, the central section 18 of the divider will have a thickness of four corrugated layers. It will also be appreciated that since portions of the end sections 20 are brought into abutment with each other, as each include a double layer, each of the central walls of the divider will have a thickness of four layers. As illustrated in FIG. 3, such walls are designated 46 and 48 and define a cross like configuration providing four compartments 50 for receipt of containers of smaller size as, for example, a thin-walled plastic container 52.

It will also be recognized that when the resulting divider structure is put into a corrugated box such as the box generally designated 54 in FIG. 3, double layered walls 56 will abut the side walls of the box 54. As a result of the foregoing, substantial compressive strength is provided with the result that several of the resulting cartons can be stacked without fear of compressive forces partially collapsing one of the containers to rupture a container held therein.

Finally, it will be recognized that while the exemplary embodiment has been described in connection with a divider that forms four compartments, a greater or lesser number of compartments may be provided. For example, by severing the blank along the line of weakening 24, a divider can be formed which will provide two compartments if both of the remaining end sections are folded towards each other as shown in FIG. 2, or may be used to provide a four-compartment divider having lesser resistance to compressive strength if one of the end sections is brought towards one side of the blank and the other is folded towards the opposite side of the blank. It will also be recognized that by increasing the width of the central section 18 and providing additional notches corresponding to the notches 26 and 28, six or more compartments may be obtained by utilizing a space that would result between the endmost flaps of adjacent end sections as a further compartment.

It will be recognized that each of the compartments need not be square but, rather, can be formed to have virtually any desired polygonal shape although normally, the shape will be rectangular.

In addition, where automated folding equipment is employed to assemble the blank into the divider, the hook formations 30 may be replaced with simple tabs. In such instances, the folding equipment will hold the tabs in the notches sufficiently long to allow the divider to be inserted into a container at which time, the container itself will take over to hold the divider in the proper shape. Because the various walls of the divider are positively interlocked either with the hooks or by tabs once the divider is located in a container, it will be appreciated that the invention allows a more efficient packing operation. In various prior art constructions wall flaps of the divider are free on one or more ends and many bend into the compartment to be divided thereby. When such occurs, the article to be packaged cannot be inserted into the compartment since the divider will obstruct free passage of the same thereinto. This problem is totally eliminated by a divider made according to the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A blank for forming a divider in a container comprising: an elongated, generally rectangular sheet of flexible material, said sheet including a central section intermediate its ends, said central section including a line of weakening extending in the direction of elongation of said sheet and located along substantially the midpoint of said sheet, first and second end sections joined to said central section at opposite sides thereof, each of said end sections being divided into two portions by a slit extending from the associated end of said sheet inwardly to said central section, said slits meeting said line of weakening at respective ends thereof, said central section further including at least three notches, two of said notches being located in the side edges of said sheet in said central section and extending inwardly thereinto, the third of said notches straddling said line of weakening, each portion of each of said end sections including a hook formation directed outwardly from the associated end of said sheet, one of the hooked portions of each end section being located on one portion thereof adjacent the junction of an edge of said sheet and an end of said sheet, the other hooked portion of each end section being located on the other portion adjacent the junction of the end of said sheet and said slit, and a plurality of recesses, one for each hooked portion located on the associated portion of each end section opposite from the location of said hooked portion.

2. A blank according to claim 1 wherein each said end section is separated from said central section by a fold line and further includes at least two fold lines interposed between said first-mentioned fold line and the associated end of said sheet.

3. A blank according to claim 2 wherein there are a total of three said notches, said notches being located centrally relative to the ends of said sheet.

4. The blank of claim 3 wherein said sheet is formed of corrugated board and said line of weakening comprises a score line.

5. A divider including a blank according to claim 2 wherein said central section is folded upon itself on said line of weakening and each said end portion is folded about one each of said three fold lines and said hooked portions are receiving in aligned ones of said notches and said recesses.

6. A container including an upwardly open cavity, and a divider according to claim 5 being snugly received in said cavity.

7. A blank for forming a divider in a container comprising: an elongated, generally rectangular sheet of flexible material, said sheet including a central section intermediate its ends, first and second end sections joined to said central section at opposite sides thereof, said central section further including at least one notch, each of said end sections including at least one projecting formation directed outwardly from the associated end of said sheet, each end section being separated from said central section by a fold line and further including at least two fold lines intermediate its ends upon which each end section may be folded so that each projecting formation may be received in said notch; an additional one of said central section and additional ones of said first and second end sections, said two central sections being joined together by a line of weakening in said sheet, said respective first and second end sections being separated from each other by a centrally located slit extending to said line of weakening at opposite ends thereof.