Container with a reinforcement structure and method of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9919830-B2
Application number	US-201514755280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A blank of sheet material for forming a container is provided. The blank of sheet material includes at least one major bottom panel, two opposing side panels, and two opposing end panels. Each end panel includes a plurality of fold lines that define two opposing side edges, a first minor end panel, a second minor end panel, and at least two reinforcement panels positioned between the two side edges. The at least two reinforcement panels are configured to move inwardly towards an interior cavity of the container forming a reinforcement structure when the container is formed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blank of sheet material for forming a container, said blank of sheet material comprising:
a bottom flap with a bottom flap first end edge and a bottom flap second end edge;
a first coupling flap extending from the bottom flap first end edge;
two opposing side panels; and
a first end panel and an opposing second end panels, wherein each end panel comprises a plurality of fold lines that define two opposing end panel side edges, a first minor end panel, a second minor end panel, and at least two reinforcement panels positioned between the two end panel side edges,
wherein the at least two reinforcement panels are configured to move inwardly towards an interior cavity of the container forming a reinforcement structure when the container is formed; and
wherein the first coupling flap is folded upward and coupled to an external surface of one of the first minor end panels when the container is formed.

2. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a second coupling flap extending from the bottom flap second end edge, wherein the second coupling flap is folded upward and coupled to an external surface of an opposing first minor end panel at an opposite end of the container when the container is formed.

3. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 2 further comprising a second bottom flap with a bottom flap third end edge and a bottom flap fourth end edge, a third coupling flap extending from the bottom flap third end edge, and a fourth coupling flap extending from the bottom flap fourth end edge.

4. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the third and fourth coupling flaps are folded upward and coupled to external surfaces of the opposing second minor end panels when the container is formed.

5. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the bottom flap extends from a bottom edge of one of the side panels.

6. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fold lines are oriented such that the at least two reinforcement panels extend between a top edge and a bottom edge of each end panel.

7. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the at least two reinforcement panels are oriented at an oblique angle relative to each other when the reinforcement structure is formed.

8. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the at least two reinforcement panels are oriented in face-to-face contact with each other when the reinforcement structure is formed.

9. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a plurality of corner panels, each corner panel positioned between one of the two opposing end panels and one of the two opposing side panels that are adjacent to one another.

10. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the first and second bottom flaps overlap with each other when a bottom wall of the container is formed.

11. The blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising
a top flap with a top flap first end edge and a top flap second end edge;
a first top coupling flap extending from the top flap first end edge;
wherein the first top coupling flap is folded downward and coupled to an external surface of one of the first minor end panels when the container is formed.

12. A container formed from a blank of sheet material, said container comprising:
two side walls;
two end walls, each end wall comprising a plurality of fold lines that define two opposing side edges, a first minor end panel, a second minor end panel, and at least two reinforcement panels positioned between the two side edges, wherein the two end walls are folded along the plurality of fold lines such that the at least two reinforcement panels move inwardly towards an interior cavity of the container forming a reinforcement structure;
a first bottom flap having a first end edge and a second end edge; and
a first coupling flap extending from the first end edge and folded upward and coupled to an external surface of one of the first minor end panels.

13. The container in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the at least two reinforcement panels are oriented at an oblique angle relative to each other.

14. The container in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the first bottom flap extends from a bottom edge of a first of the two side walls.

15. The container in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising a second bottom flap extending from a bottom edge of a second of the two side walls.

16. The container in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the at least two reinforcement panels are oriented in face-to-face contact with each other.

17. The container in accordance with claim 15 , wherein at least a portion the first and second bottom flaps overlap with each other.

18. The container in accordance with claim 17 , wherein a bottom edge of the at least two reinforcement panels is adjacent to an interior surface of at least one of the first and second bottom flaps.

19. The container in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a plurality of corner panels, each corner panel positioned between one of the two side walls and one of the two end walls that are adjacent to one another.

20. The container in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the container has a bottom wall comprising the first bottom flap and the second bottom flap.

21. The container in accordance with claim 20 , wherein at least a portion of the first and second bottom flaps overlap with each other and are adhered to each other when the bottom wall of the container is formed.

22. The container in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a first top flap extending from a top edge of a first of the two side wall, and a second top flap extending from a top edge of a second of the two side walls.

23. A method of forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the blank of sheet material including at least one bottom panel, two side panels, two end panels, and two bottom coupling flaps extending from opposing end edges of the bottom panel, wherein each end panel includes a plurality of fold lines that define two opposing side edges, a first minor end panel, a second minor end panel, and at least two reinforcement panels positioned between the two side edges, said method comprising:
folding the two end panels along the plurality of fold lines such that the at least two reinforcement panels move inwardly towards an interior cavity of the container forming a reinforcement structure;
rotating inwardly the bottom panel until the bottom panel is substantially perpendicular to the two end panels; and
rotating upwardly each of the two bottom coupling flaps to couple the at bottom panel to the reinforcement structure.

24. The method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein folding the two end panels comprises folding the two end panels along the plurality of fold lines such that the at least two reinforcement panels are oriented at an oblique angle relative to each other.

25. The method in accordance with claim 23 , wherein folding the two end panels comprises folding the two end panels along the plurality of fold lines such that the at least two reinforcement panels are in face-to-face contact with each other.

26. The container in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the bottom panel extends from a botto

Assignees

• Westrock Shared Services Llc

Inventors

• Smith Kenneth Charles
• James Jeffrey Scott
• Mccarthy Timothy

Classifications

• B65D5/443 Primary

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

• B65D5/0227

  with end closures formed by inward folding of flaps and securing them by heat-sealing, by applying adhesive to the flaps or by staples · CPC title

• B65D5/4266

  Folding lines, score lines, crease lines · CPC title