AU2006228087A1 - Container Having Reinforced Side Walls - Google Patents

Description

Name of Applicant

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Amcor Limited Mr Jason Johnstone CULLEN CO Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street Brisbane QId 4000 Australia Container Having Reinforced Side Walls Actual Inventor Address for Service: Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it, known to us: N 2 Technical Field The present invention relates generally to containers and, in particular, to o containers of the type which are erected from a foldable blank.

The invention has been developed primarily for use as a shelf-ready tray and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be oO appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use.

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00 (1 Background Art

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SMachine-erected shelf-ready trays are often used to store products and to 10 display products on store shelves and the like.

A typical machine-erected shelf-ready tray includes a bottom wall panel and a pair of opposing outer side wall panels which are hinged to the bottom wall panel.

A respective inner side wall panel is hinged to each of the outer side wall panels, and the inner side wall panels overlie the outer side wall panels. A respective locking tab extends from each of the inner side wall panels, and a plurality of apertures in the bottom wall panel receive the locking tabs. A pair of opposing end wall panels are hinged to the bottom wall panel and are secured relative to the outer side wall panels and the inner side wall panels.

The outer side wall panels and the inner side wall panels collectively form reinforced side walls of the tray.

Machine-erected shelf-ready trays suffer from the disadvantage that expensive crate-erecting machines are required to erect them.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a manually-erected shelf-ready tray which includes reinforced side walls and which can be used instead of a machineerected shelf-ready tray.

Disclosure of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least ameliorate, one or more of the deficiencies of the prior art mentioned above, or to provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 3

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from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying Sillustrations, wherein, by way of illustration and example, a preferred embodiment of C the present invention is disclosed.

According to a first broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a container erected from a foldable blank, the container comprising a bottom wall panel, r- 00 a pair of opposing end wall panels hinged to the bottom wall panel, a respective pair 0 00 of opposing end flaps hinged to each of the end wall panels, a pair of opposing outer N side wall panels hinged to the bottom wall panel, wherein the outer side wall panels overlie the end flaps, a respective inner side wall panel hinged to each of the outer side wall panels, wherein the inner side wall panels overlie the outer side wall panels and the end flaps, a respective retaining flap hinged to each of the outer side wall panels, wherein the retaining flaps overlie a portion of each of the inner side wall panels, at least one respective locking tab extending from each of the retaining flaps, and a plurality of apertures in the bottom wall panel which receive the locking tabs.

The end flaps, outer side wall panels, inner side wall panels, and the retaining flaps collectively form a pair of opposing and reinforced side walls of the container which is able to be manually erected.

According to a second broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a foldable blank which is able to be erected into a container which includes a pair of reinforced side walls, the foldable blank comprising a bottom wall panel, a pair of opposing end wall panels hinged to the bottom wall panel, a respective pair of opposing end flaps hinged to each of the end wall panels, a pair of opposing outer side wall panels hinged to the bottom wall panel, a respective inner side wall panel hinged to each of the outer side wall panels, a respective retaining flap hinged to each of the outer side wall panels, at least one respective locking tab extending from each of the retaining flaps, and a plurality of apertures in the bottom wall panel.

The container may be any suitable type of container. Preferably, the container is a shelf-ready tray.

The foldable blank is preferably fabricated from a sheet of paperboard. In a particular preferred form, the foldable blank is fabricated from a sheet of double-lined corrugated paperboard.

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The bottom wall panel may be any suitable shape. Preferably, the bottom Swall panel is rectangular.

C The end wall panels may be any suitable shape. It is preferred that the end wall panels are U-shaped.

The end wall panels are preferably hinged to the bottom wall panel along 00 single fold lines.

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00 The end flaps may be any suitable shape. Preferably, the end flaps are Nrectangular.

The end flaps are preferably hinged to the end wall panels along single fold lines.

The outer side wall panels may be any suitable shape. Preferably, the outer side wall panels are U-shaped.

Each of the outer side wall panels is preferably hinged to the bottom wall panel along a single fold line.

The inner side wall panels may be any suitable shape. It is preferred that the inner side wall panels are U-shaped.

The inner side wall panels are preferably hinged to the outer side wall panels along parallel fold lines.

Each of the inner side wall panels preferably includes a pair of perforated lines, and the portions of the inner side wall panels which the retaining flaps overlie are preferably located between the perforated lines. The retaining flaps preferably force the portions of the inner side wall panels which they overlie towards the outer side wall panels such that the inner side wall panels bend along the perforated lines.

The retaining flaps may be any suitable shape. Preferably, the retaining flaps are rectangular.

It is preferred that the retaining flaps are hinged to the outer side wall panels along parallel fold lines.

Preferably, a plurality of locking tabs extend from each of the retaining flaps.

In a particular preferred form, a respective pair of locking tabs extends from each of the retaining flaps, and the locking tabs are preferably located adjacent opposite ends of the retaining flaps.

IO The apertures in the bottom wall panel may be any suitable shape.

Preferably, the apertures in the bottom wall panel are elongate slots.

0 Brief Description of the Illustrations

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In order that the invention may be more fully understood and put into practice, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the 00oO accompanying illustrations, in which: 00oO Figure 1 is a plan view of a foldable blank which is able to be erected into a

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N, container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

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SFigure 2 is a perspective view of a container which is erected from the 10 foldable blank depicted in figure 1.

Modes of Carrying Out the Invention Referring to figure 1, a foldable blank 10 is fabricated from a sheet of double-lined paperboard. The blank 10 includes a rectangular bottom wall panel 11 which includes four apertures 12. The apertures 12 are located adjacent opposite sides of the bottom wall panel 11 such that a first pair of the apertures 12 is located adjacent one side of the bottom wall panel 11, and such that a second pair of the apertures 12 is located adjacent an opposite side of the bottom wall panel 11. The apertures 12 are in the form of elongate slots.

A pair of opposing U-shaped end wall panels 13 is hinged to the bottom wall panel 11 along fold lines 14. A respective pair of opposing rectangular end flaps 15 is hinged to each of the end wall panels 13 along fold lines 16.

A pair of opposing U-shaped outer side wall panels 17 is hinged to the bottom wall panel 11 along fold lines 18.

A respective U-shaped inner side wall panel 19 is hinged to each of the outer side wall panels 17 along parallel fold lines 20. Each inner side wall panel 19 includes a pair of perforated lines 21.

A respective retaining flap 22 is hinged to each of the outer side wall panels 17 along parallel fold lines 23. A respective pair of locking tabs 24 extends from each of the retaining flaps 22. The locking tabs 24 are located adjacent opposite ends of the retaining flaps 22.

INO 6 Figure 2 depicts a container 30 which is erected from the foldable blank The container 30 is in the form of a shelf-ready tray which is adapted to be manually- O erected.

The container 30 is erected from the foldable blank 10 by firstly folding the end flaps 15 relative to the end wall panels 13 along the fold lines 16 so that the end 00oO flaps 15 are perpendicularly upstanding with respect to the end wall panels 13. The 00 end wall panels 13 are then folded relative to the bottom wall panel 11 along the fold I lines 14 until the end wall panels 13 are perpendicularly upstanding with respect to the

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bottom wall panel 11.

The outer side wall panels 17 are then folded relative to the bottom wall panel 11 along the fold lines 18 so that the outer side wall panels 17 are perpendicularly upstanding with respect to the bottom wall panel 11, and so that the outer side wall panels 17 overlie the end flaps 15. The inner side wall panels 19 are then folded relative to the outer side wall panels 17 along the fold lines 20 so that the inner side wall panels 19 overlie the outer side wall panels 17 and the end flaps The inner side wall panels 19 extend from the top of the outer side wall panels 17 to the bottom wall panel 11. Also, the inner side wall panels 19 extend between the end wall panels 13.

The retaining flaps 22 are then folded relative to the outer side wall panels 17 along the fold lines 23 so that the retaining flaps 22 overlie the inner side wall panels 19. The retaining flaps 22 overlie the portions of the inner side wall panels 19 which are located between the perforated lines 21.

Each locking tab 24 is received by a respective aperture 12 so that the retaining flaps 22 thereby secure the end flaps 15 and the inner side wall panels 19 relative to the outer side wall panels 17. The locking tabs 24 force the portions of the inner side wall panels 19 which they overlie towards the outer side wall panels 17 so that the inner side wall panels 19 bend along the perforated lines 21.

The end flaps 15, outer side wall panels 17, inner side wall panels 19, and the retaining flaps 22 collectively form a pair of opposing reinforced side walls 31 of the container Throughout the specification and the claims, unless the context requires ION 7 otherwise, the term "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", Swill be understood to apply the inclusion of the stated integer or group of integers but

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0 not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Throughout the specification and claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the term "substantially" or "about" will be understood to not be limited to 00 the value for the range qualified by the terms.

00 It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations and

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NI modifications to the invention described herein will be apparent without departing Sfrom the spirit and scope thereof. The variations and modifications as would be 1I 0 apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, that reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

Claims (8)

1. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is a shelf-ready tray.
2. 3. The container of claim 1, wherein the outer side wall panels are U-shaped.
3. 4. The container of claim 1, wherein the inner side wall panels are U-shaped. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the inner side wall panels includes a pair of perforated lines, and the portions of the inner side wall panels which the retaining flaps overlie are located between the perforated lines.
4. 6. The container of claim 5, wherein the retaining flaps force the portions of the inner side wall panels which they overlie towards the outer side wall panels such that the inner side wall panels bend along the perforated lines.
5. 7. The container of claim 1, wherein a pair of locking tabs extend from each of the retaining flaps.
6. 8. The container of claim 7, wherein the locking tabs are located adjacent opposite ends of the retaining flaps.
7. 9. A foldable blank which is able to be erected into a container which includes a pair of reinforced side walls, the foldable blank comprising a bottom wall panel, a pair of opposing end wall panels hinged to the bottom wall panel, a respective pair of opposing end flaps hinged to each of the end wall panels, a pair of opposing outer side wall panels hinged to the bottom wall panel, a respective inner side wall panel hinged to each of the outer side wall panels, a respective retaining flap hinged to each of the O 9 outer side wall panels, at least one respective locking tab extending from each of the Sretaining flaps, and a plurality of apertures in the bottom wall panel. 0 10. A container erected from a foldable blank, the container being substantially as herein described with reference to figure 2.
8. 11. A foldable blank which is able to be erected into a container which includes a 00 pair of reinforced side walls, the foldable blank being substantially as herein described 00 with reference to figure 1. IND