Storage box tray blank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12286280-B2
Application number	US-202217748252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2022
Priority date	Jul 5, 2018
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A tray blank for a storage box includes a planar center panel defining a first side edge, a second side edge opposite the first side edge, a first end edge, and a second end edge opposite the first end edge, a first fastener slot formed through the center panel at the first side edge and a second fastener slot formed through the center panel at the second side edge, the first fastener slot laterally aligned with the second fastener slot; a first side panel formed monolithically with the center panel and hingedly connected to the first side edge, the first side panel coplanar with the center panel; and a second side panel formed monolithically with the center panel and hingedly connected to the second side edge, the second side panel coplanar with the center panel and the first side panel.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A blank for a storage box comprising:
a main body blank comprising a sidewall enclosure and at least one box fastener extending therefrom; and
a tray blank comprising a planar center panel defining a first side edge, a second side edge opposite the first side edge, a first end edge, and a second end edge opposite the first end edge, a first fastener slot and a third fastener slot formed through the center panel at the first side edge and a second fastener slot and a fourth fastener slot formed through the center panel at the second side edge, wherein the first fastener slot is laterally aligned with the second fastener slot and the third fastener slot is laterally aligned with the fourth fastener slot, the first fastener slot, the second fastener slot, the third fastener slot, and the fourth fastener slot are configured to receive box fasteners of the main body blank to retain the tray blank on the main body blank in an assembled configuration of the main body blank and the tray blank;
a first side panel formed monolithically with the center panel and hingedly connected to the first side edge by a first side panel bend line, wherein the first side panel is coplanar with the center panel;
a second side panel formed monolithically with the center panel and hingedly connected to the second side edge by a second side panel bend line, wherein the second side panel is coplanar with the center panel and the first side panel;
a first end panel formed monolithically with the center panel and hingedly connected to the first end edge by a first end panel bend line; and
a second end panel formed monolithically with the center panel and hingedly connected to the second end edge by a second end panel bend line;
wherein:
each of the first and second end panels are coplanar with the center panel and the first and second side panels;
each of the first side panel and the second side panel defines a pair of opposing side edges;
a first side flap extends from each of the side edges of the first side panel; and
a second side flap extends from each of the side edges of the second side panel;
a first one of the first side flaps is connected to a first side edge of the first end panel by a first tear line and a second one of the first side flaps is connected to a first side edge of the second end panel by a second tear line;
a first one of the second side flaps is connected to a second side edge of the first end panel by a third tear line and a second one of the second side flaps is connected to a second side edge of the second end panel by a fourth tear line;
the first end panel defines a first free outward edge that is distal to and substantially parallel with the first end panel bend line, and the second end panel defines a second free outward edge that is distal to and substantially parallel with the second end panel bend line; and
each of the first and third tear lines extend from the first end panel bend line to the first free outward edge of the first end panel and each of the second and fourth tear lines extend from the second end panel bend line to the second free outward edge of the second end panel.

2. The tray blank of claim 1 , wherein an outward edge of each of the first side flaps is colinear with the first free outward edge of the first side panel to define a linear first side edge of the tray blank, and an outward edge of each of the second side flaps is colinear with the second free outward edge of the second side panel to define a linear second side edge of the tray blank.

3. The tray blank of claim 1 , wherein each of the first end panel and the second end panel comprises a first section hingedly connected to the center panel and a second section distal to the center panel and hingedly connected to the first section at a section bend line.

4. The tray blank of claim 3 , wherein each of the section bend lines comprises a pair of parallel bend lines.

5. The tray blank of claim 3 wherein:
a first connector tab extends from the second section of the first end panel distal to the first section of the first end panel, and a second connector tab extends from the second section of the second end panel distal to the first section of the second end panel;
a first connector slot is formed through the center panel at the first end edge and a second connector slot is formed through the center panel at the second end edge; and
the first connector slot is sized to receive the first connector tab therethrough and the second connector slot is sized to receive the second connector tab therethrough.

6. The tray blank of claim 5 , wherein:
a third connector tab extends from the second section of the first end panel and is sized to engage a third connector slot formed through the center panel at the first end edge; and
a fourth connector tab extends from the second section of the second end panel and is sized to engage a fourth connector slot formed through the center panel at the second end edge.

7. The tray blank of claim 6 , wherein:
the first connector tab is laterally aligned with the third connector tab;
the first connector slot is laterally aligned with the third connector slot;
the second connector tab is laterally aligned with the fourth connector tab; and
the second connector slot is laterally aligned with the fourth connector slot.

8. The tray blank of claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the first side panel and the second side panel is greater than a length of each of the first end panel and the second end panel.

9. The tray blank of claim 1 , wherein:
the tray blank further defines a first connector slot and a second connector slot formed through the center panel at the first end edge;
the tray blank further defines a third connector slot and a fourth connector slot formed through the center panel at the second end edge; and
the first connector slot is laterally spaced from and aligned with the second connector slot and the third connector slot is laterally spaced from and aligned with the fourth connector slot.

10. The tray blank of claim 9 , wherein:
the tray blank further comprises the first end panel hingedly connected to the first end edge and defining a first connector tab and a second connector tab;
the tray blank further comprises the second end panel hingedly connected to the second end edge and defining a third connector tab and a fourth connector tab; and
the first connector slot is sized to receive the first connector tab, the second connector slot is sized to receive the second connector tab, the third connector slot is sized to receive the third connector tab, and the fourth connector slot is sized to receive the fourth connector tab.

11. The tray blank of claim 1 , wherein a center bend line extends laterally across the center panel from the first side edge to the second side edge, the center bend line positioned between and substantially parallel to the first end edge and the second end edge.

12. The tray blank of claim 11 , wherein the center bend line further extends laterally across the first side panel and the second side panel.

13. The tray blank of claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth tear lines is defined by a linear series of perforations.

Assignees

• Pratt Corrugated Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Sollie Greg
• Ott Paul
• Waltermire Jamie
• Chen Shifeng

Classifications

• B65D5/68

  Telescope flanged lids · CPC title

• B65D5/685

  having an inwardly or upwardly extending tab on the lid side wall cooperating with a tab on, or an opening in, the container side wall · CPC title

• B65D5/4266

  Folding lines, score lines, crease lines · CPC title

• B65D5/12 Primary

  with end closures formed separately from tubular body · CPC title

• B65D2301/10

  Blanks mutually positioned to minimise waste material upon cutting out the individual blank from a continuous or large sheet · CPC title