Leak proof container with push lock body and rollover hinge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345508-B2
Application number	US-202016896940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2020
Priority date	Sep 17, 2019
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A leak proof container and a method of forming the container from a blank. The blank includes a bottom panel, first and second side panels at opposing lateral edges of the blank, and opposing end portions located at opposing longitudinal ends of the blank. Each end portion includes an inner end panel, an outer end panel hingedly connected to the inner end panel at hinge portions, and first and second corner panels, each corner panel forming a gusset between one of the side panels and the inner end panel, each gusset including a notch area for receiving one of the hinge portions. First and second locking tabs are defined in the outer end panel. The outer end panel can be folded over the inner end panel to position the hinge portions in the notch areas, and the locking tabs can be positioned between the gussets and the inner end panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blank for making a leak proof container comprising:
a bottom panel having a plurality of peripheral edges;
first and second side panels connected to the bottom panel at opposing lateral peripheral edges and defining lower edges of the container;
first and second end portions located at opposing longitudinal ends of the blank, each end portion including:
an inner end panel connected to a longitudinal peripheral edge of the bottom panel;
an outer end panel having an inner longitudinal edge connected to a longitudinal edge of the inner end panel at hinge portions;
first and second corner panels, each corner panel having an inner longitudinal edge connected to a respective one of the first and second side panels and an inner lateral edge connected to a lateral edge of the inner end panel, and each corner panel including a notch formed in at least one of an outer longitudinal edge and an outer lateral edge of the corner panel;
first and second locking tabs defined in the outer end panel, each locking tab defined by a lateral tab separation line located longitudinally inward from an outer longitudinal edge of the outer end panel and extending laterally to define a free tab end; and
a longitudinal tab separation line extending longitudinally inward from the outer longitudinal edge of the outer end panel to each of the lateral tab separation lines, wherein the longitudinal tab separation lines angle laterally inward toward each other extending from the outer longitudinal edge of the outer end panel toward a respective lateral tab separation line, and the free ends of the tabs are defined at the longitudinal tab separation lines.

2. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the hinge portions comprise laterally spaced first and second hinge portions, each hinge portion defined by a pair of longitudinally spaced hinge score lines and a pair of laterally spaced hinge separation lines extending longitudinally between the pair of longitudinally spaced hinge score lines.

3. The blank as set forth in claim 2 , wherein each corner panel includes a pair of notches comprising a longitudinal notch and a lateral notch extending along the outer longitudinal edge and the outer lateral edge, respectively, of the corner panel.

4. The blank as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the longitudinal and lateral notches define respective longitudinal and lateral notch dimensions, and the longitudinal and lateral notch dimensions are greater than a lateral dimension of the hinge portions, measured between the laterally spaced hinge separation lines.

5. The blank as set forth in claim 2 , including a separation line longitudinally aligned with the first and second hinge portions and defining a boundary between the inner and outer end panels.

6. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the corner panels are formed as square panels, and including a diagonal fold line dividing each corner panel into first and second triangular gusset panels.

7. The blank as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the outer lateral edge of each corner panel is colinear with a lateral edge of the blank defined by an edge of one of the first and second side panels.

8. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal dimension of the outer end panel is substantially less than a longitudinal dimension of the inner end panel.

9. A container including a bottom panel and a plurality of side panels, and a plurality of overlapping end panels each comprising an inner end panel connected to the bottom panel and an outer end panel connected to the inner end panel and positioned in overlapping relation to the inner end panel and defining at least one end portion, the at least one end portion comprising:
a first locking feature formed integral with at least one end panel and engaged with an additional end panel positioned in overlapping relationship with the at least one end panel to at least partially lock one or more of the end panels in an assembled position at the end portion and comprises a hinge portion connecting the outer end panel to the inner end panel, and the hinge portion engages a notch area formed in an edge of the additional end panel; and
a second locking feature formed integral with the at least one end panel and configured differently from the first locking feature, wherein the second locking feature is engaged with the additional end panel to at least partially lock one or more of the end panels in an assembled position at the end portion;
wherein the first locking feature applies a force to the additional end panel in a first direction to maintain the additional end panel in a position oriented transverse to at least one side panel, and the second locking feature applies a force to the at least one end panel to resist movement of the at least one end panel in a direction opposite to the first direction.

10. The container as set forth in claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the first locking feature is located adjacent to a first longitudinal edge of the at least one end panel, and at least a portion of the second locking feature is located adjacent to a second longitudinal edge of the at least one end panel, opposite from the first longitudinal edge.

11. The container as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the second locking feature comprises a locking tab positioned between the additional end panel and the inner end panel.

12. The container as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the additional end panel comprises a gusset connected to a side panel and positioned between the outer end panel and the inner end panel.

13. A container including a bottom panel defining a bottom of the container and having a plurality of peripheral edges, first and second side panels connected to the bottom panel at opposing lateral peripheral edges and folded upward relative to the bottom panel, first and second end portions located at opposing longitudinal ends of the blank, each end portion including:
an inner end panel connected to a longitudinal peripheral edge of the bottom panel;
an outer end panel having an inner longitudinal edge connected to an outer longitudinal edge of the inner end panel at hinge portions;
first and second corner panels, each corner panel including inner longitudinal and lateral edges connected to respective edges of a side panel and the inner end panel, each corner panel folded about a diagonal gusset fold line to define a gusset, and each gusset including an edge portion defining a first locking feature for maintaining a respective gusset in a predetermined position adjacent to the inner panel;
a second locking feature defined in the outer end panel for maintaining the outer end panel in a predetermined position adjacent to the gussets and the inner end panel, wherein the second locking feature comprises first and second locking tabs, each locking tab defined by a lateral tab separation line located longitudinally inward from an outer longitudinal edge of the outer end panel and extending laterally to define a free tab end;
wherein the free tab ends are positioned between a respective gusset and the inner end panel to retain the outer end panel in position over the gussets; and
wherein the outer end panel is folded about the hinge portions to overlapping relationship with at least a portion of each of the gussets to engage the first locking feature, and the second locking feature is positioned in cooperating engagement with the gussets.

14. The container as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the first locking feature comprises a notch area defined on an upper edge of each gusset.

15. The container as set forth in claim 14 , wherein

Assignees

• Int Paper Co

Inventors

• Wisecarver Mark Anthony
• Sloan Ii James William
• Hyatt Kenneth Calvin
• Housewirth Jade Kiara

Classifications

• B65D5/247 Primary

  and being maintained in erected condition by integral mechanical locking means formed on, or coacting with, the gusset folds, e.g. locking tabs, tongue and slit (B65D5/248 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D5/248

  and at least one side being extended and doubled-over to enclose the adjacent gusset flaps · CPC title

• B65D5/244

  and the gussets folds connected to the outside of the container body (B65D5/247, B65D5/248 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D5/4279 Primary

  Joints, seams, leakproof joints or corners, special connections between panels (B65D5/209 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B31B50/26

  Folding sheets, blanks or webs · CPC title