Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – A sidewall includes a horizontally or downwardly extending...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-13
2003-02-04
Elkins, Gary E. (Department: 3727)
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
A sidewall includes a horizontally or downwardly extending...
C206S509000, C229S120260, C229S164000, C229S187000, C229S918000, C229S919000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06513705
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to paperboard, corrugated or similar cartons and containers, made in an automated manner by folding panels of an integral flat blank and gluing the panels at key locations including gusset corner joints. Each gusset corner joint has a back fold glued to one of side or end panels, and erects one of panels (e.g., a side panel) when the adjacent panel (e.g., an end panel) is lifted perpendicular to the bottom from a knocked down flat configuration of the folded/glued blank.
The container is optimized for shopping access, particularly for warehouse-type retail establishments in which products are sold from containers stacked on pallets. Cutouts for manual access to the contents are provided in each of the four side and end panels of the container. The cutouts are spaced inwardly from the corners, leaving panels forming wall portions that meet at the corners. At least at one of the panels at each gusset corner joint, a vertical-reinforcing structure having at least two glued thicknesses of material is folded inwardly and encloses over the associated gusset corner joint. The vertical-reinforcing structure has oppositely directed lock tabs, one attaching the reinforcing structure to the bottom and the other protruding upwardly to engage a container stacked atop the first container. By locking over the gusset corner joint, the container is held in a rectilinear erected shape. The structural integrity of the container against bending or warping of its rectilinear shape is further maintained by edge fold-in panels at each cutout, which also fold inwardly and tab lock into the bottom.
2. Related Art
Corrugated and paperboard containers are made from one or more pieces of flat stock that are cut in required shapes and are assembled to form the walls of a full or partial enclosure. Variations are possible in which several separately-integral parts are formed and then are assembled using glue, tape, staples or the like. For example, the container body and lid may be separate parts, or various types of inserts may be used for reinforcement or other purposes, such as subdividing the volume of the container into discrete areas.
Containers are supplied in a collapsed state because storage or handling of empty containers is wasteful of space. The containers are partly formed, with their parts cut out and certain seams and folds provided. The packer erects the containers prior to loading, and finishes any required assembly steps in the process. The loaded containers may be closed for storage or shipment by a lid formed from integral flaps or a separate piece, as suitable for storage or shipment. For example, a container may be cut out from integral flat stock, folded and scored at spaced parallel lines corresponding to the corners of the container (with at least one seam), and supplied with the opposite side and end walls collapsed flat against one another. Top and bottom flaps are likewise integrally attached to the side and end walls at folds or score lines. The packer erects the container from a flat parallelogram into its rectilinear shape, folding the bottom and top flaps inwardly before and after loading, respectively, and finally closing the container at seams that are taped, glued or otherwise attached.
It is efficient if most or all of the container parts are integral parts and extensions of a single piece of flat material. Separate discrete parts such as separate lids, partitions and reinforcing inserts involve manual assembly steps. Manual assembly steps are costly and consume worker time in several ways. In addition, assembly steps can be physically taxing and may lead to repetitive motion injuries. It is preferable if containers are substantially fully formed when supplied, and require the least possible manual action to deploy, load, close and store or pack the containers for shipment. However it is also important for the containers to be structurally sound.
Cartons or containers formed from paperboard, corrugated craft or similar flat sheet stock material are often stacked on one another during shipping and storage of products. In high volume retail stores, product is not only stored in stacked corrugated cartons, but frequently is presented to consumers in that form, for example with the cartons stacked on pallets. Stacking is obviously efficient as to the use of space, and storing a large quantity of product at a location accessible to the retail purchasers reduces the frequency of restocking. Pallets also enable a number of cartons to be handled efficiently as a unit.
The uppermost remaining carton on a pallet can be opened by removal of its lid. Consumers reach into the packing/shipping carton and withdraw product that is packaged in smaller units. When the cartons on the uppermost level are empty, they are removed and the next lower cartons are opened. It is possible to provide a tear-out opening in the side walls of a carton to facilitate access to the product therein. The tear-out panel provides structural support for the carton and protects the product, until the panel is torn out, normally at perforations defining a window spaced from the comers of the carton, to allow access.
Removal of the tear-out panel removes a substantial part of the structural support for the carton. Therefore, such panels are not removed until a carton is at the stage where consumer access is needed (e.g., on top of a stack). If a carton with a removed tear-out panel is subjected to vertical compression force, for example as occurs in stacking on a pallet, there is a tendency for the end walls of the carton adjacent to the tear-out panel to collapse inwardly toward one another or to splay outwardly because the tear-out panel is not in place to bear compression and tension loads.
Stacked cartons can have protruding tabs that engage in corresponding openings in adjacent cartons such that the cartons are stacked in registry. Stacking tabs help to maintain the integrity of a stack because the vertical walls of stacked cartons are kept in vertical alignment, defining columns in which the vertical walls of each carton are aligned with the corresponding vertical walls of other cartons for bearing vertical compression force. However, even cartons stacked in registry are subject to collapse by their opposite vertical walls becoming diverted inwardly toward one another or splayed outwardly, particularly if the material between such walls is removed by a gap or tear-out panel.
Containers in stacks are subjected to various forces, not limited to vertical compression due to the weight of containers over them in a stack. Such forces (as well as vertical compressive forces) are aggravated by handling, for example transport of a stack on a pallet, manual handling of one or more containers in a stack, etc. Tension and/or compression applied in various directions to the container walls can be sufficient to wholly or partly collapse a container or laterally to deflect, bend or fold the vertically oriented walls of the container. The result is a reduction of structural integrity, and may include crushing or other damage to the container contents. In addition, when the walls of one or more containers in a stack are crushed, wholly or partly collapsed, or otherwise deformed, the deformed container may no longer provide a stable horizontal support for containers stacked over it. The overlying stack may then tip laterally. A leaning “tower” of containers may fall, and even if there is no injury to persons, the contents of the containers may spill or be damaged.
Shipping and retail display cartons having means for improving access to the product in the container are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,839,650 and 5,413,276—Sheffer, which are hereby incorporated. The carton is cut, glued and folded from a flat blank. Sidewall openings are provided such that the customer can reach into the carton from the front or from the top when the carton is opened. The sidewall openings are covered by flaps attached to top panels of the carton such that the openings
Elkins Gary E.
Morris LLP Duane
Pack ‘N’ Stack
LandOfFree
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