Reconfigurable packaging and corresponding blank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724867-B2
Application number	US-202117532951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Nov 22, 2021
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Reconfigurable packaging for a cooking appliance includes a base including a base panel defining lower wing slots and opposing sidewalls extending from the base panel. The base defines a storage cavity. A cover is coupled to the base and configured to enclose the storage cavity. The cover includes a cover panel defining upper wing slots, a first side wing extending from a first side of the cover panel, and a second side wing extending from a second side of the cover panel. The first side wing and the second side wing are operable between a first folded position engaging the upper wing slots and a second folded position engaging the lower wing slots.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Reconfigurable packaging for a cooking appliance, comprising:
a base including:
a base panel defining lower wing slots; and
opposing sidewalls extending from the base panel, wherein the base defines a storage cavity; and

a cover coupled to the base and configured to enclose the storage cavity, wherein the cover includes:
a cover panel defining upper wing slots;
a first side wing extending from a first side of the cover panel; and
a second side wing extending from a second side of the cover panel, wherein the first side wing and the second side wing are operable between a first folded position engaging the upper wing slots and a second folded position engaging the lower wing slots.

2. The reconfigurable packaging of claim 1 , wherein the cover defines a first width when the first and second side wings are in the first folded position and a second width when the first and second side wings are in the second folded position, the second width being less than the first width.

3. The reconfigurable packaging of claim 1 , wherein the first side wing has a connector portion that extends from the cover panel and an engagement portion that includes a distal tab, wherein at least one of a crease and a perforated line is defined between the connector portion and the engagement portion of the first side wing, and wherein the second side wing has a connector portion that extends from the cover panel and an engagement portion that includes a distal tab, wherein at least one of a crease and a perforated line is defined between the connector portion and the engagement portion of the second side wing.

4. The reconfigurable packaging of claim 3 , wherein each of the connector portion of the first side wing and the connector portion of the second side wing extend at an acute angle relative to an interior surface of the cover panel and toward the base panel, and wherein the engagement portion of the first side wing and the engagement portion of the second side wing extend proximate to the sidewalls, respectively, for the distal tab of the first side wing and the distal tab of the second side wing to extend into the upper wing slots, respectively, when the first and second side wings are in the first folded position.

5. The reconfigurable packaging of claim 4 , wherein the first and second side wings each form a triangular shape proximate to one of the sidewalls when in the first folded position.

6. The reconfigurable packaging of claim 3 , wherein the connector portion of the first side wing and the connector portion of the second side wing extend proximate to the sidewalls, respectively, toward the base panel, and wherein the each of the engagement portion of the first side wing and the engagement portion of the second side wing extend along a bottom surface of the base panel for the distal tab of the first side wing and the distal tab of the second side wing to extend into the lower wing slots, respectively, when the first and second side wings are in the second folded position.

7. The reconfigurable packaging of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one of a tray and a basket disposed within the storage cavity.

8. A blank for reconfigurable packaging, comprising:
a base portion configured to form a base of said reconfigurable packaging, wherein the base portion includes:
a base panel defining sidewall slots and base wing slots;
a first side extension extending from a first side of the base panel; and
a second side extension extending from a second opposing side of the base panel;

a cover portion configured to form a cover of said reconfigurable packaging, wherein the cover portion includes:
a cover panel defining cover wing slots;
a first wing flap extending from a first side of the cover panel and including a first distal tab; and
a second wing flap extending from a second side of the cover panel and including a second distal tab, wherein each of the first wing flap and the second wing flap are configured to be folded into a first folded position along at least one of a crease and a perforated line for the distal tabs to engage the cover wing slots and a second folded position along at least one of a crease and a perforated line for the first and second distal tabs to engage the base wing slots; and

a connector portion coupling the base panel and the cover panel.

9. The blank of claim 8 , wherein each of the first side extension and the second side extension include a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portion has a width less than a width of the proximal portion, and wherein the distal portion includes retaining tabs configured to be inserted into the sidewall slots.

10. The blank of claim 8 , wherein each of the cover wing slots are disposed at least one of adjacent to and along a perforated line.

11. The blank of claim 8 , wherein the base wing slots include a first base wing slot defined on the first side of the base panel and aligned with a second base wing slot defined on the second side of the base panel.

12. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the sidewall slots include two first sidewall slots defined on the first side of the base panel and two second sidewall slots defined on the second side of the base panel, and wherein the first base wing slot is centrally located between the two first sidewall slots and the second base wing slot is centrally located between the two second sidewall slots.

13. The blank of claim 8 , wherein a first side of said blank is a mirror image of a second side over a central axis.

14. The blank of claim 13 , wherein the base wing slots are defined closer to the central axis compared to the cover wing slots.

15. The blank of claim 8 , wherein each of the first wing flap and the second wing flap includes a perforated line disposed between creases.

16. A method for adjusting a packaging size, comprising:
providing a blank;
folding the blank to form sidewalls of a base;
folding the blank to form a cover configured to enclose a storage cavity formed by the base;
folding side wings of the cover toward the base;
folding the side wings into a first folded position where engagement portions of the side wings extend toward the cover to insert distal tabs in upper wing slots defined by the cover to define a first width of a packaging; and
folding the side wings into a second folded position where the engagement portions of the side wings extend along a bottom surface of the base to insert the distal tabs in base wing slots defined by the base to define a second width of the packaging.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second width of the packaging is less than the first width.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of folding the side wings into the first folded position includes forming triangular shapes adjacent to the sidewalls of the base.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the blank includes forming a plurality of creases and a plurality of perforated lines in the blank.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of folding the side wings into the second folded position includes folding engagement portions of the side wings to extend along outer surfaces of the sidewalls.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Gayakwad Sachin R
• Kalbande Tushar A
• Kormanik Jessica Lea
• Niphadkar Renuka D

Classifications

• B65D81/127 Primary

  using rigid or semi-rigid sheets of shock-absorbing material {(B65D81/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D5/5052

  and provided with slits or recesses in which at least a part of the contents are located (B65D5/504 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D85/68

  for machines, engines or vehicles in assembled or dismantled form · CPC title

• F24C7/10

  with special adaptation for travelling, e.g. collapsible · CPC title

• F24C15/16

  Shelves, racks or trays inside ovens; Supports therefor · CPC title