Process for forming plastic corrugated container with ultrasonically formed score lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11760530-B2
Application number	US-202017090283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2020
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A corrugated plastic box and a method for manufacturing a corrugated plastic box from a blank are provided. The method includes the steps of forming rounded edge seals on the perimeter edges of the blank, pre-sealing portions of the blank to form a plurality of areas in which major and minor flap slots and a glue tab are desired, ultrasonically scoring the blank to form a plurality of flap score lines, and cutting the blank through the plurality of pre-sealed flap slots and glue tab, leaving a sealed edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for forming a plastic corrugated blank for a box comprising the steps of:
forming a rectangular sheet of plastic material having a first outer planar plastic layer, a second outer planar plastic layer spaced from the first outer planar layer and a plurality of plastic spaced apart parallel flutes between the first outer planar layer and the second outer planar layer, the rectangular sheet having a first end and an opposing second end and a first edge and an opposing second edge;
sealing a first edge of the sheet across a first end of the plurality of flutes and sealing a second edge of the sheet across a second end of the plurality of flutes;
welding a first portion of the first outer planar layer, second outer planar layer and plurality of flutes into a first flattened rectangular segment extending perpendicularly from the first sealed edge partway toward the second sealed edge of the rectangular sheet at a location for subsequent forming of a slot between a first flap and a second flap of the box.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
welding a second portion of the first outer planar layer, second outer planar layer and plurality of flutes into a second flattened rectangular segment extending from the second edge partway toward the first edge of the rectangular sheet at a location aligned with the first flattened rectangular segment.

3. The process of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:
welding a third portion of the first outer planar layer, second outer planar layer and plurality of flutes into a third flattened rectangular segment extending from the first edge partway toward the second edge of the rectangular sheet at a location spaced from the first flattened rectangular segment; and,
welding a fourth portion of the first outer planar layer, second outer planar layer and plurality of flutes into a fourth flattened rectangular segment extending from the second edge partway toward the first edge of the rectangular sheet at a location aligned with the third flattened rectangular segment.

4. The process of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:
welding a fifth portion of the first outer planar layer, second outer planar layer and plurality of flutes into a fifth flattened rectangular segment extending from the first edge partway toward the second edge of the rectangular sheet at a location spaced from the first flattened rectangular segment and third flattened rectangular segment; and,
welding a sixth portion of the first outer planar layer, second outer planar layer and plurality of flutes into a sixth flattened rectangular segment extending from the second edge partway toward the first edge of the rectangular sheet at a location aligned with the fifth flattened rectangular segment.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein each of the welding steps comprise:
applying an ultrasonic device to a the rectangular sheet.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the step of applying an ultrasonic device to a the rectangular sheet comprises:
using a rotary ultrasonic device to contact portions of the rectangular sheet.

7. The process of claim 4 further comprising:
forming a first score line from a first end of the rectangular sheet to the second end of the rectangular sheet parallel to and spaced inward from the first edge at a location for forming a first set of flaps for the box.

8. The process of claim 7 further comprising:
forming a second score line from a first end of the rectangular sheet to the second end of the rectangular sheet parallel to and spaced inward from the second edge at a location for forming a second set of flaps for the box.

9. The process of claim 8 further comprising the step of:
forming a plurality of spaced fold lines defining side walls on the rectangular sheet.

10. The process of claim 1 further comprising:
the slot in the first flattened segment, having a width less than a width of the first flattened segment.

Assignees

• Orbis Corp

Inventors

• Mcmahon William F
• Balazs Donald J

Classifications

• B65D5/4266 Primary

  Folding lines, score lines, crease lines · CPC title

• B29L2031/60

  Multitubular or multicompartmented articles, e.g. honeycomb · CPC title

• B29L2031/7162

  Boxes, cartons, cases · CPC title

• B29C67/0044

  for shaping edges or extremities (B29C57/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C53/063

  combined with folding · CPC title