US20010004088A1

US20010004088A1 - Portable and stackable leak-proof container formed from a blank of material

Info

Publication number: US20010004088A1
Application number: US09/736,079
Authority: US
Inventors: Boon Lau
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-12-14
Filing date: 2000-12-13
Publication date: 2001-06-21
Also published as: GB0030547D0; JP2001225830A; GB2358856A; SG118061A1; CN1304857A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container (100) made from a blank material. The container (100) is particularly suitable for storing food stuffs, including liquid food stuffs. It is versatile in that it can be assembled so that it has a handle for carrying the container (100) and it is also possible to assemble the container (100) so that the handle of the container (100) is tucked away, so that it is suitable for stacking.

Description

INTRODUCTION

The present invention relates to a container, which is particularly suitable for storing foodstuffs, including liquid foodstuffs. It is versatile in that it can be assembled so that it has a handle for carrying the container. It is also possible to assemble the container so that the handle of the container is tucked away, so that it is suitable for stacking.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Conventional containers for merchandise typically consist of straight sided boxes with lids which simply fit over the top of the box. Such boxes must often be secured in a closed condition with additional means such as an elastic band or tape in order to prevent the lid simply slipping off again.

Other conventional containers, even if they do not use separate lids, are closed by tabs which tuck into slots or interlock with other tabs. These containers sometimes have handles when constructed. This will assist the user in carrying the container, but is undesirable when, for example, more than one container is used and the user wishes to put them in a carrier bag. Alternatively, these containers have flat tops with no handles, which are difficult to carry around without placing the containers into carrier bags.

Furthermore, conventional containers for carrying foodstuffs are not leak-proof. Thus, although they may be useful for carrying dry foodstuffs such as pastry, they are not suitable for carrying foodstuff which have liquid, such as food with gravy and, particularly, soups.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of this invention to provide a container which is versatile and easy to use in that it can be changed alternatively from a configuration which gives the user a handle to carry the container, and to a configuration which does away with the handle and instead gives the container a flat top. The former configuration facilitates the carrying of individual containers while the latter configuration allows the container to be stacked with like containers or other items. It is another objective of this invention to provide a container which can be securely retained in the closed condition without the need for additional securing means.

It is a further objective of this invention to provide a container which is leak-proof, so that foodstuffs comprising liquid can be carried therein. The container can be used for keeping foodstuff in a fridge as well as a container for microwaving or baking the foodstuff. It is also an objective of this invention to produce a container meeting the above advantages which is manufactured and delivered as a single component and therefore saves the costs.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a container comprising

a base panel, side and foldable flap panels foldably adjoined to the perimeter of the base panel to fully encircle the base panel, at least one lid panel used to fashion a lid for the container, and at least one handle panel used to fashion a handle for the container, wherein

the foldable flap panels foldably adjoin adjacent side panels to one another, and are folded during construction of the container to bring the adjacent side panels together,

the or each handle panel is foldably adjoined to a corresponding side panel, or a lid panel along an edge opposite to the side panel to which the lid panel is joined, and is foldable between an upstanding configuration in which it can be gripped and a retracted configuration in which it lies flat against the lid.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a blank of material for constructing the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to one embodiment of the invention and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings relate to a preferred embodiment of the invention. [0012]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to the preferred embodiment of this invention, assembled so that the container has a flat top. [0013]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container in FIG. 1, which is assembled such that the container has a handle. [0014]
FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the shape of the cut-out or blank from which the container is made. [0015]
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the shape of the cut-out or blank from which the container is made. [0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 3, a blank [0017] 1 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base panel 2, side panels 3 a-b & 6 a-b, and foldable flaps (corner panels) 5 a-d. In addition, the lid is made from the lid panels 7 a-b, handle panels 8 a-b and interlocking panels 9 a-b.
The [0018] base panel 2 in this embodiment is rectangular. Extending outwards along the length of the base panel 2 are side panels 6 a-b and extending outwards along the width of the base panel 2 are further side panels 3 a-b, one extending from each edge of the base panel 2. The adjacent side panels 3 b-6 b, 6 b-3 a, 3 a-6 a and 6 a-3 b, are further adjoined to each other by foldable flaps 5 b, 5 c, 5 ,d and 5 a respectively. Each foldable flap has a crease line 16 a-d to facilitate the folding of the foldable flaps 5 a-d.
The lid panels [0019] 7 a-b preferably extend from the top edges of two of the side panels 6 a-b. Further, handle panels 8 a-b extend from the lid panels 7 a-b. On each handle panel 8 a-b, a handle slot 10 a-b is cut out. Further, on one of the handle slots 10 a, there is a handle tab 13 extending slightly into the handle slot 10 a. This handle tab 13 slots into the handle tab slot 14, which is cut-out from the opposite lid panel 7 b, when the container 100 is configured in the flat-top position.
On one of the [0020] handle panels 8 a, there is also a lid tab 11 which is cut out from the handle panel 8 a. This lid tab 11 slots into the lid tab slot 12, which is cut out from the opposite handle panel 12, when the container 100 is configured with the handle.
Further, at each outer edge of each handle panel [0021] 8 a-b, there are a pair of interlocking tabs 15 a-b and 15 c-d. These interlocking tabs 15 a-d are slotted into the interlocking slots 9 a-b on the interlocking panels 4 a-b when the container 100 is configured with the handle.
The interlocking panels ([0022] 4 a, 4 b) are particularly important in the portable configuration of the container 100, as they not only engage with the handle to provide a rigid handle (FIG. 2), but also provide a configuration which transmits handle loads to the side panels 3 a, 3 b of the container 100 to which the handle panels 8 a, 8 b are not directly connected. This latter aspect of its function distributes the handle loads along two perpendicular axes of the container and thus assist in preventing the lid panels 7 a, 7 b from opening when the container 100 is carried by the handle.
Finally, [0023] crease lines 17 a-d are formed towards the side edges of the lid panels 7 a-b. Thus, seal panels 17 are defined. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, these seal panels 17 are used to abut with the side panels 6 a, 6 b or interlocking panels 4 a, 4 b to provide a leak-proof container.
The assembly of the [0024] containers 100, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, starting from the blank 1, illustrated in FIG. 3, will now be described.
The side panels [0025] 3 a-b and 6 a-b are folded upwards to vertical positions. The foldable flaps 5 a-d are folded outwards along the crease lines 16 a-d. The foldable flaps 5 a-d, which are now folded flat, are secured to the side panels 3 a-b by gluing or any other means to be substantially flush with the surfaces of the side panels 3 a-b. Although the Figures show the foldable flaps 5 a-d folded outside of the container 100, the said flaps could also be folded and glued inside the container 100. The base and sides of the container 100 are now formed. The lower portions of the side panels 3 a-b and 6 a-b, when formed, are preferably tapered at an angle of more than 90°(illustrated for side panel 3 a-b as a° in FIG. 1).
If a [0026] container 100 with a flat top is desired, in which the handle is tucked away as shown in FIG. 1, interlocking panels 4 a-b are first folded inwards towards the inside of the container 100. The lid panel 7 b and handle panel 8 b (having the handle tab slot 14 and lid tab slot 12 respectively) are folded inwards to rest on top of the folded interlocking panels 4 a-b (not shown).
The next stage is to fold the [0027] lid panel 7 a and handle panel 8 a (having the lid tab 11 and handle tab 13 respectively) to rest on top of the other lid panel 7 b and handle panel 8 b (as shown in FIG. 1). To secure the container 100, as the lid panel 7 b and handle 8 b are lowered, the lid tab 11 is slotted into and through the lid tab slot 12. The handle tab 13 is then slotted into the handle tab slot 14 to complete the assembly.
In order to reopen the container from the above flat-top configuration, the [0028] handle tab 13 is pulled out from the handle tab slot 14, and the lid tab 11 is pulled out from the lid tab slot 12, thus releasing the lid panels 7 a-b and handle panels 8 a-b.
In a different configuration in which the handle of the [0029] container 100 is not tucked away, as shown in FIG. 2, the interlocking panels 4 a-b are not folded away but remain substantially vertical. In this case, the lid panel 7 a and handle panel 8 a, and corresponding lid panel 7 b and handle panel 8 b, are folded inwards and the interlocking tabs 15 a-d are inserted through the corresponding interlocking slots 9 a-b. Upon folding, the lid panels 7 a-b are in the horizontal position whilst the handle panels 8 a-b are substantially in the vertical position. The corresponding handle slots 10 a-b are arranged adjacent to each other so that one single handle slot is formed.
In more detail, once the handle panels [0030] 8 a-b are sufficiently lowered, the interlocking panels 4 a-b are folded inwards such that the corners of the handle panels 8 a-b are inserted into the interlocking slots 9 a-b. The interlocking panels 4 a-b are folded inwards to approximately a 45-degree angle to enable the top of the interlocking slots 9 a-b to rest inside the interlocking tabs 15 a-d. The edges of the lid panels 7 a-b are simultaneously folded upwards along the crease lines 17 a-d so as not to obstruct the said folding of the interlocking panels 4 a-b. The handle panels 8 a-b are then lifted up slightly to engage the top of the interlocking slot 9 a with the bottom of the pair of interlocking tabs 15 a, c and the top of interlocking slot 9 b with the bottom of the pair of interlocking tabs 15 b, d to complete the assembly.
In order to reopen the [0031] container 100 of FIG. 2, the handle panels are pushed downwards to release the interlocking panels 4 a-b from the interlocking tabs 15 a-d, allowing the interlocking panels 4 a-b to swing outwards. Once the interlocking panels 4 a-b are in a substantially vertical position, the lid panels 7 a-b and handle panels 8 a-b are released and may be pulled open.
The [0032] container 100 is preferably made from a material such as stiff paper, cardboard or thin plastic which is relatively cheap and easy to handle and has a degree of resilience. However, any other suitable material could be used. The container 100 could comprise a combination of different materials and it could also be formed as a laminate, for example, to improve insulation. Preferably, the materials should also be food-grade so that the containers can be used for storing foodstuffs. Furthermore, by using the appropriate material, the container 100 can be used as a cooking utensil which is suitable for both microwaving and oven baking the food stored therein.
A number of other modifications to the container described will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, although the embodiment described shows the base panel to be rectangular, other shapes can be constructed. For example, the base panel could be other polygonal shapes such as square or octagonal (FIG. 4), and it is also conceivable that the base panel could be substantially elliptical or circular. In this case, the container would have a two-piece construction. In addition, the side panels [0033] 3 a-b and 6 a-b, together with the foldable flaps 5 a-d could be significantly deeper to give the container 100 a greater volume.
Thus, a number of variations are possible to the present invention which provides a container which is simple to close and which can either have a configuration with a handle or have a flat top in which the handle is tucked away. The container can also be securely retained in the closed condition in either configuration without the need for additional securing means. Further, the container can be stacked with like containers or other items without the weight causing opening or crushing of the container. [0034]

Claims

1. A container comprising

a base panel,

side and foldable flap panels foldably adjoined to the perimeter of the base panel to fully encircle the base panel,

at least one lid panel used to fashion a lid for the container, and

at least one handle panel used to fashion a handle for the container, wherein

2. A container as claimed in

claim 1

, comprising a lid tab located on the or each lid panel and insertable in a lid tab slot to retain the lid in a closed position.

3. A container as claimed in

claim 1

or

claim 2

, comprising a handle tab slot arranged, in the retracted configuration of the handle, to receive a handle tab located on the handle.

4. A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising at least one interlocking panel foldably attached to a side panel to engage with the or each handle in the upstanding handle configuration.

5. A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising at least one seal panel located on the or each lid panel to abut against an adjacent panel to provide a seal.

6. A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein

the base panel is polygonal,

at least a first and second handle panel are provided to fashion a lid for the container,

the foldable flap panels are located at corners of the polygon base and each includes a crease line extending from the respective corner of the polygonal base panel to allow the or each foldable flap panel to be folded during construction of the container,

the polygonal base panel has at least four edges including a first pair of opposing edges along which respective opposing side panels are foldably adjoined,

the first and second opposing lid panels are each foldably adjoined to the opposing side panels at an edge of the respective side panel opposite to the base and are arranged to meet and be retained together to form the lid upon construction of the container,

and the or each handle panel is foldably adjoined to a corresponding lid panel along an edge opposite to the side panel.

7. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein a lid tab slot is located on the join between the second opposing lid panel and the corresponding side panel.

8. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein a lid tab is located on the first opposing lid panel to engage with a slot on the second opposing lid panel, or a second handle panel adjoined to the second opposing lid panel.

9. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein a first handle panel adjoined to the first opposing lid panel includes a handle tab,

and the second opposing lid panel includes a handle tab slot to receive the handle tab in the retracted configuration of the handle.

10. A container as claimed in

claim 9

, wherein the or each handle panel defines a fully encircled hole, along an internal edge of which, the handle tab is located.

11. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, further comprising at least one interlocking panel used to lock the or each handle in the upstanding configuration, wherein

the polygonal base panel has a second pair of opposing edges, the first and second pair of opposing edges arranged mutually perpendicular to one another,

the or each interlocking panel is each foldably adjoined to a side panel which extends from the second pair of base panel edges, and comprises a interlocking slot for insertion of at least a corner of the handle.

12. A container as claimed in

claim 11

, wherein the or each handle panel comprises at least one slot extending from a free edge of the handle to engage with the corresponding interlocking slot.

13. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, comprising two opposing handle panels which abut in the constructed container.

14. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein the first and second opposing lid panels are sized to collectively cover the base panel in the constructed container.

15. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein the base panel is square, rectangular, or octagonal.

16. A container as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein the side panels have an angle of more than 90°to the base panels.

17. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, made from a single blank of material.

18. A blank used to form a container as claimed in any preceding claim.

19. A container substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A blank substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.