Dual use box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11312526-B2
Application number	US-202117163832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2021
Priority date	Sep 12, 2019
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

Example aspects of a box and a collapsible box are disclosed. The box can comprise comprising a plurality of side panels comprising a first side panel and a second side panel opposite the first side panel; a first top panel extending from the first side panel, the first top panel comprising a primary sealing flap, a first secondary sealing flap, and a second secondary sealing flap; and a second top panel extending from the second side panel, the box configurable in a first closed configuration, wherein the first and second secondary sealing flaps are secured to the second top panel, and a second closed configuration, wherein the primary sealing flap is secured to the second top panel.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A box comprising:
a plurality of side panels comprising a first side panel and a second side panel opposite the first side panel;
a first top panel comprising:
a connecting portion defining a proximal side and a distal side opposite the proximal side, the connecting portion hingedly coupled to the first side panel at the proximal side; and
an overlapping portion comprising:
a primary sealing flap extending from the distal side of the connecting portion and comprising a primary adhesive; and
a secondary sealing flap extending from the distal side of the connecting portion adjacent to the primary sealing flap and comprising a secondary adhesive; and

a second top panel hingedly coupled to the second side panel, wherein the secondary adhesive adheres to the second top panel in a first closed configuration of the box and the primary adhesive adheres to the second top panel in a second closed configuration of the box.

2. The box of claim 1 , wherein:
the secondary sealing flap comprises a distal portion and a proximal portion;
the proximal portion is connected to the connecting portion;
the secondary adhesive is located at the distal portion;
the distal portion is detachably coupled to the proximal portion by a tear strip; and
the distal portion defines a free end.

3. The box of claim 2 , wherein the tear strip detachably couples the proximal portion to the distal portion in the first closed configuration, and wherein the tear strip is torn away in the second closed configuration to release the proximal portion from the distal portion.

4. The box of claim 1 , wherein the primary adhesive and the secondary adhesive each comprise an adhesive strip and a peelable backing selectively covering the adhesive strip.

5. The box of claim 1 , wherein each of the primary sealing flap and secondary sealing flap are hingedly connected to the connecting portion at a top central fold line.

6. The box of claim 1 , wherein:
the primary sealing flap is connected to the secondary sealing flap by a perforated line; and
the perforated line is configured to rip and to release the primary sealing flap from the secondary sealing flap.

7. The box of claim 1 , wherein the primary sealing flap is configured to lay under the second top panel in the first closed configuration and to lay over the second top panel in the second closed configuration.

8. The box of claim 1 , wherein the box further comprises:
a third side panel extending between the first and second side panels and a fourth side panel opposite the third side panel and extending between the first and second side panels;
a supporting subjacent panel joined to the third side panel by a subjacent-side fold line; and
a supporting superjacent panel joined to the supporting subjacent panel by a superjacent-subjacent fold line and joined to the connecting portion by a connecting-superjacent fold line.

9. The box of claim 1 , further comprising a box bottom comprising:
a second bottom panel attached to an adjacent first bottom panel; and
a third bottom panel attached to an adjacent fourth bottom panel, wherein the box is collapsible.

10. The box of claim 1 , wherein:
the secondary sealing flap is a first secondary sealing flap and the secondary adhesive is a first secondary adhesive;
the overlapping portion further comprises a second secondary sealing flap extending from the distal side of the connecting portion and comprising a second secondary adhesive; and
each of the first and second secondary adhesives are adhered to the second top panel in the first closed configuration.

11. The box of claim 10 , wherein the primary sealing flap is oriented laterally between the first secondary sealing flap and the second secondary sealing flap.

12. A box comprising:
a plurality of side panels comprising a first side panel and a second side panel opposite the first side panel;
a first top panel extending from the first side panel, the first top panel comprising a primary sealing flap, a first secondary sealing flap, and a second secondary sealing flap; and
a second top panel extending from the second side panel, the box configurable in a first closed configuration, wherein the first and second secondary sealing flaps are secured to the second top panel, and a second closed configuration, wherein the primary sealing flap is secured to the second top panel.

13. The box of claim 12 , wherein the primary sealing flap is oriented laterally between the first secondary sealing flap and the second secondary sealing flap.

14. The box of claim 13 , wherein the primary sealing flap is detachably connected to each of the first and second secondary sealing flaps by a perforated line.

15. The box of claim 12 , wherein:
the primary sealing flap comprises a primary adhesive strip configured to adhere the primary sealing flap to the second top panel in the second closed configuration; and
each of the first and second secondary sealing flaps comprises a secondary adhesive strip configured to adhere the first and second secondary sealing flaps to the second top panel in the first closed configuration.

16. The box of claim 15 , wherein:
each of the first and second secondary sealing flaps comprises a distal portion and a proximal portion;
each of the distal portions is detachably coupled to the corresponding proximal portion by a tear strip;
each of the distal portions defines a free end; and
each of the secondary adhesive strips is located on the distal portion of the corresponding first or second secondary sealing flap.

17. The box of claim 12 , wherein:
the box is configurable in a first open configuration and a second open configuration;
each of the first and second secondary sealing flaps comprises a distal portion and a proximal portion detachably coupled to the distal portion by a tear strip;
in the first open configuration, the first and second secondary sealing flaps are unattached to the second top panel; and
in the second open configuration, the distal portions are attached to the second top panel and the tear strips are torn away to detach the proximal portions from the second top panel.

18. A collapsible box comprising a box bottom comprising:
a first bottom panel;
a second bottom panel adjacent to the first bottom panel, the second bottom panel attached to the first bottom panel;
a third bottom panel adjacent to the second bottom panel, the third bottom panel unattached to the second bottom panel; and
a fourth bottom panel adjacent to the third bottom panel, the fourth bottom panel attached to the third bottom panel and unattached to the first bottom panel;
wherein the second bottom panel defines a collapsing fold line adjacent to a right side edge of the first bottom panel, the collapsing fold line configured to bend while the collapsible box is collapsing.

19. The collapsible box of claim 18 , wherein a collapsed configuration of the collapsible box defines a rectangular outline.

Assignees

• Pratt Corrugated Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Sollie Greg
• Chen Shifeng
• Ball Randy

Classifications

• B65D5/0227 Primary

  with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps and securing them by heat-sealing, by applying adhesive to the flaps or by staples · CPC title

• B65D5/541

  the lines of weakness being provided in one or more closure flaps · CPC title

• B65D5/0263

  with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps, three of them being formed of a continuous strip, the fourth being a separate flap · CPC title

• B65D5/4266

  Folding lines, score lines, crease lines · CPC title

• B65D2543/00425

  Lids or covers welded or adhered to the container · CPC title