Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – With closure for an access opening
Patent
1999-02-01
2000-04-04
Elkins, Gary E.
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
With closure for an access opening
22912537, B65D 542
Patent
active
060450371
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to containers, and particularly to so-called "cardboard" containers made from either stiff card, or from cardboard. However, the invention may be applied to cubic containers made from any suitable stiff material.
When such containers are designed to hold a matrix of other containers, such as for foodstuffs, the base of the container is usually made from two pairs of folded-over flaps, of which the outer pair have their adjacent borders secured together by means of strips of broad adhesive tape. After the container has been filed, it is closed by the upper flaps being folded over into overlapping contact, and their adjacent major borders are similarly secured together by adhesive tape. When the container is to be emptied, the adhesive tape is either wrenched off or cut, to enable the pairs of flaps to be folded back to give access to the contents of the outer container. After it has been emptied, if it is to be reused or recycled, the adhesive tape has to be removed, which is a messy and time-consuming operation.
The present invention aims at providing outer containers of which the overlapping flaps are secured together without the use of adhesive tape, to permit an opened-up and empty container to be collapsed flat and placed in a stack with like flattened containers for transport to a filling station, at which each container is reerected into its cubic shape without the use of any additional material.
GB-A-2,169,587 discloses a container having a bottom and four side walls. The resultant open top is intended to be closed by causing a long flap to engage two small side flaps to hold the other long flap in place. This container uses the same type of non-adhesive couplings as do containers of the present invention. However, in this disclosure, the flaps provided with the couplings are kept spaced from each other by the thickness of the intervening flap, which militates against the mechanical integrity of the coupling. In addition, this container is inherently not collapsible, because the bottom does not use the same type of couplings to hold it together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,909 does disclose a collapsible container, but one which uses non-adhesive couplings only on its "top" flaps. Although its base is formed of overlapping flaps, these are intended to be held together by connectors having projecting lock tongues. The latter are intended to be pushed through aligned openings in the pairs of overlapping flaps, and their internal ends to be clinched to secure the flaps together. Dismantling the bottom of the container would be tedious and time-consuming, because it would entail straightening out each of the flattened tongues to permit the connector to be withdrawn, which is not a practicable solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,602 also uses a non-adhesive coupling on just two flaps intended to close the single opening of the container. These is no disclosure of the base of the container using the same type of coupling, so that the container is inherently not collapsible and reusable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a box reliant upon two part fasteners, applied to the flaps at both ends of the box, for forming a sturdy container that may be collapsed, and reused, several times. The strategic location of the two-part fasteners enables the box to be reused and/or recycled several times, in contrast to known containers and/or boxes, which are usually discarded after a single use. Furthermore, the instant box retains its shape and appearance over an extended period of time, and finds particular utilization for retaining packaged foodstuffs.
The ability of the instant container to be reused several times, and be collapsed completely between uses to save storage space, particularly when several collapsed boxes are stored on top of one another, enhances the commercial appeal of the container.
The two-part fasteners may be fabricated from Velcro, or other hook and loop fasteners, of sufficient locking strength to insure the integrity of the erected box. The two-part fastener
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patent: 3306521 (1967-02-01), Giacovas
patent: 3325084 (1967-06-01), Ausnit
patent: 4034909 (1977-07-01), Toda
patent: 4333602 (1982-06-01), Geschwender
patent: 4556167 (1985-12-01), Fox et al.
Elkins Gary E.
Rexam Plastic Packaging Limited
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