Reinforced containers and blanks for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9469432-B2
Application number	US-201514931651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A container formed from a blank and a method for constructing the container are described. The container includes a bottom wall, two end walls, each end wall including at least an end panel emanating from an end edge of the bottom wall, and two side walls, each side wall including at least a side panel emanating from a side edge of the bottom wall. The container further includes a reinforcing panel assembly emanating from a first end edge of a first side panel of a first side wall, including an outer reinforcing panel, an intermediate reinforcing panel, and an inner reinforcing panel, wherein the outer reinforcing panel is positioned in a substantially face-to-face relationship with the intermediate reinforcing panel, the intermediate reinforcing panel being coupled to a first end panel of a first end wall, and the inner reinforcing panel being in a face-to-face relationship with the first side panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container formed from a blank, the container comprising:
a bottom wall;
two opposing end walls, each end wall including at least an end panel emanating from an end edge of the bottom wall;
two opposing side walls, each side wall including at least a side panel emanating from a side edge of the bottom wall; and
a first reinforcing panel assembly emanating from a first end edge of a first side panel of a first side wall of the two side walls, the first reinforcing panel assembly comprising an outer reinforcing panel emanating from the first end edge of the first side panel, an intermediate reinforcing panel emanating from a first end edge of the outer reinforcing panel, and an inner reinforcing panel emanating from a first end edge of the intermediate reinforcing panel, wherein the outer reinforcing panel is positioned in a substantially face-to-face relationship with the intermediate reinforcing panel, the intermediate reinforcing panel being coupled to a first end panel of a first end wall of the two end walls, and the inner reinforcing panel is in a substantially face-to-face relationship with the first side panel.

2. The container in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the intermediate reinforcing panel is coupled to an exterior surface of the first end panel.

3. The container in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an interior surface of the inner reinforcing panel is coupled to an interior surface of the side panel.

4. The container in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a bottom edge of the inner reinforcing panel is positioned against an interior surface of the bottom wall.

5. The container in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first end wall further includes a first rollover panel emanating from a top edge of the first end panel, the first rollover panel positioned in a substantially face-to-face relationship with the first end panel.

6. The container in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the first rollover panel is substantially congruent with the first end panel, such that at least a reinforced portion of the first end wall adjacent the first side wall has a thickness defined by the first rollover panel, the first end panel, the intermediate reinforcing panel, and the outer reinforcing panel each extending from a bottom edge of the first end wall to a top edge of the first end wall.

7. The container in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the end walls and side walls define a cavity of the container, and wherein the first rollover panel is positioned adjacent the cavity to define a substantially planar interior surface of the first end wall.

8. The container in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a second reinforcing panel assembly extending from a second, opposing end edge of the first side panel of the first side wall, wherein at least a portion of the second reinforcing panel assembly is coupled to an exterior surface of a first end panel of a second end wall of the two end walls;
a third reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first end edge of a first side panel of a second side wall of the two side walls, wherein at least a portion of the third reinforcing panel assembly is coupled to an exterior surface of the first end panel of the second end wall; and
a fourth reinforcing panel assembly extending from a second end edge of the first side panel of the second side wall, wherein at least a portion of the fourth reinforcing panel assembly is attached to the exterior surface of the first end panel of the first end wall.

9. The container in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the second end wall further includes a second rollover panel emanating from a top edge of the first end panel of the second end wall, the second rollover panel positioned in a substantially face-to-face relationship with the first end panel of the second end wall, wherein the end walls and side walls define a cavity of the container, and wherein the second rollover panel of the second end wall is positioned adjacent the cavity to define a substantially planar surface of the second end wall.

10. An assembly of stacked containers having reinforced corner structures, said assembly comprising:
a first container comprising:
a first side wall comprising at least a first side panel;
a first end wall adjacent to the first side wall, the first end wall comprising a first end panel in an overlying relationship with a first rollover panel; and
a first reinforcing panel assembly emanating from a first end edge of the first side panel, the first reinforcing panel assembly comprising a first outer reinforcing sub-assembly and a first inner reinforcing panel, wherein the first side panel, the first end panel, the first rollover panel, the first outer reinforcing sub-assembly, and the first inner reinforcing panel define a first reinforced corner structure; and
a second container stacked atop the first container, the second container comprising:
a second side wall comprising at least a second side panel, the second side wall vertically aligned with the first side wall of the first container;
a second end wall vertically aligned with the first end wall of the first container, the second end wall comprising a second end panel in an overlying relationship with a second rollover panel; and
a second reinforcing panel assembly emanating from a first end edge of the second side panel, the second reinforcing panel assembly comprising a second outer reinforcing sub-assembly and a second inner reinforcing panel, wherein the second side panel, the second end panel, the second rollover panel, the second outer reinforcing sub-assembly, and the second inner reinforcing panel define a second reinforced corner structure.

11. The assembly of stacked containers in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first reinforced corner structure extends from a bottom edge of the first container to a top edge of the first container, and the second reinforced corner structure extends from a bottom edge of the second container to a top edge of the second container.

12. The assembly of stacked containers in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the bottom edge of the second container is positioned directly atop the top edge of the first container, and the first reinforced corner structure of the first container is substantially vertically aligned with the second reinforced corner structure of the second container.

13. The assembly of stacked containers in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the bottom edge the second outer reinforcing sub-assembly is positioned directly atop the top edge of the first outer reinforcing sub-assembly, wherein the first container further comprises at least one stacking tab extending from a top edge of the first end wall and the second container further comprises at least one slot defined in a bottom edge of the second end wall, and wherein each at least one stacking tab is received within a corresponding slot of the at least one slot to vertically align the first outer reinforcing sub-assembly with the second outer reinforcing sub-assembly.

14. The assembly of stacked containers in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first outer reinforcing sub-assembly comprises a first outer reinforcing panel and a first intermediate reinforcing panel, and the second outer reinforcing subassembly comprises a second outer reinforcing panel and a second intermediate reinforcing panel.

15. A method for forming a container from a blank, the blank including a bottom panel, two opposing end panels each extending from an end edge of the bottom panel, two opposing side panels each extending from a side edge of the bottom pa

Assignees

• Westrock Shared Services Llc

Inventors

• Aguirre Ray

Classifications

• B65D5/20

  by folding-up portions connected to a central panel from all sides to form a container body, e.g. of tray-like form (specially constructed to allow collapsing and re-erecting without disengagement of side or bottom connections B65D5/36) · CPC title

• B65D5/0015

  the container being formed by folding up portions connected to a central panel · CPC title

• B65D5/443 Primary

  Integral reinforcements, e.g. folds, flaps (double walls B65D5/02) · CPC title

• B65D5/22

  held erect by extensions of one or more sides being doubled-over to enclose extensions of adjacent sides · CPC title