GB2303357A - Packaging containers - Google Patents

Description

Improvements Relating to Packaging Containers This invention relates to packaging containers, and specifically concerns folding box containers which are manufactured from cut and creased sheet material and are boxlike structures having a number of wall panels which are hingedly interconnected. The containers may for example be of "hexagonal" cross section. The containers need not be exactly of hexagonal form, but may be of approximate hexagonal form in that they will be six sided, but not all of the sides need to be of the same length, and the expression "hexagonal" as used herein should be construed accordingly.

Alternatively, the containers may be of square or rectangular form.

The packaging containers to which the present invention relates typically may be constructed of cardboard material, although other sheet material such as plastic sheet materials and laminates may be used, and the containers are constructed from blanks which are produced in conventional manner by cutting and creasing formes.

As is now well established, the containers typically are capable of being partially erected to a lay flat position and which the wall panels lie face to face, and they can be erected from the lay flat position to the erected position ready to receive the contents by a pushing together of the edges of the lay flat. The packaging containers are produced in the lay flat form by what is known as the converter, and they are erected to final form and loaded with the contents by what is known as the packer.

The packers' requirement is to have a container which can be erected quickly and reliably so that the container contents can be loaded thereinto as quickly as possible. Because of this requirement, there has been designed and produced what is known as a container with a "swifty" base. A swifty base is one which erects automatically with the pushing together of the edges of the lay flat, and typically the packer will after erection of the lay flat simply put the container contents in through the open top of the container so that the contents come to rest on the automatically erected base, and then the top of the container is closed by folding of closure flaps or the like. The folding of the closure flaps is performed manually.

A swifty base comprises basically base panels which are hinged to the lower edges of the wall panels and adjacent pairs of base panels are glued together and folded. The base panels extend upwardly and inside the lay flat, and the effect is that when the edges of the lay flat are pushed together, the base panels by virtue of the gluing of pairs of the panels together fold downwardly and outwardly to form a base with the unconnected base panels folding into overlap relationship. The working arrangement is somewhat similar to the functioning of an iris in a camera, and the base panels give the impression, when viewed from the underside of the erected container, of radiating from the centre of the base.

The problem with this conventional base construction is that by virtue of the nature of the sheet material, the container, after erecting from the lay flat form, when the erecting forces are released, tends to "recover" towards the lay flat form, and the base panels tend to refold inwardly, which in practise makes rapid filling of the containers difficult, and causes problems when the containers are filled automatically.

The present invention was conceived for the provision of a base which would assist in maintaining the container in a the erected condition as soon as it was moved from the lay flat condition, so that the aforementioned sheet material "recovery" could be eliminated or substantially reduced.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a lay flat container of cut and creased sheet material which is erectable to box form has base panels comprising a pair of main base panels which are located oppositely and centrally in the lay flat form and which are connected together, and auxillary base panels which are hinged to said main base panels, and are adhered to the inner container walls at the edges of the lay flat to pull the main base panels downwardly as the container is moved from the lay flat form to the erected form, and to cause these main base panels to snap into locking position in the nature of an overcentre device, holding the container base in the final box configuration.

Preferably, the container is adapted to be erected to hexagonal form, and the said main base panels are hinged respectively to the lower edges of two of the wall panels which lie opposite in the lay flat form, and the auxiliary base panels are folded in two so that each defines two sections one of which is adhered to the adjacent wall panel and the other of which is hinged to the adjacent main base panel.

In the case where the container is adapted to be erected to square or rectangular form, each of said main base panels preferably comprises a panel with a central crease splitting the panel into two sections which lie to opposide sides of a container wall crease so that the main base panels also take up a V configuration in the erected container and together define a V shaped platform for supporting the container contents.

Each of said auxiliary base panels preferably comprises a generally square or rectangular panel with a diagonal crease splitting the panel into an attachment portion and a connecting portion, the attachment portion being adhered to the inside of the adjacent wall panel, and the connecting portion being hingedly connected between the adhering portion and the adjacent one of the main base panels.

The invention can be better understood by describing and illustrating one embodiment thereof, and such an embodiment is shown in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein; Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank erectable into a container according to the embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a portion of the blank after initial erection and gluing; Fig. 3 is a view showing the base end of the lay flat form of the container, showing the base of the container and the walls thereof in dotted lines; Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 3, but showing how the base is erected by pushing the edges of the lay flat together; Fig. 6 is an underneath perspective view of the erected container; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a blank erectable into a container according to another embodiment of the invention;; Figs. 8 and 9 show the various stages of erection of the blank to a lay flat form; Fig. 10 is a perspective and cut away view of a lay flat of Fig. 9 during an initial stage of erection; Fig. 11 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 10 but showing the container in a fully erected condition; and Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of the base end of the container of Fig. 11 taken on the line VI-VI in Fig. 11.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings, the blank shown in Fig. 1 is indicated by reference numeral 10, and is erectable into a hexagonal section container. The blank 10 preferably is of cut and creased cardboard, and the crease lines are shown in Fig. 1 by dotted lines, whilst the cut lines are shown by full lines. The blank comprises six wall panels 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 of elongate rectangular form, and the top end of the container is indicated by reference 24, whilst the bottom end is indicated by reference 26. At their top ends, the panels 12 to 22 are provided with closure panels of the configuration shown. Thus, panel 12 has a central closure panel 28 having a tuck in tab 30, whilst panels 16 and 20 have fillet closure panels 32, 34.

Panels 18 and 22 have at their top ends closure panels 36 and 38 which are connected hingedly to a closure panel 40 at the top end of panel 14.

The various top closure flaps are folded and tucked in order to close the top of the container after the contents have been loaded there into, and the tab 30 tucks into the receiving slot 42 between closure panel 40 and wall panel 14.

The present invention in this embodiment is concerned with the base construction and the base panels at the lower end 26. In this regard, the base panels comprise two opposite base panels 50 and 52 hinged to the lower ends of wall panels 12 and 14, and also hinged to auxiliary base panels 54, 56, 58 and 60. The panels 54 and 56 are symmetrically arranged around panel 50, and panels 58 and 60 are symmetrically arranged around panel 52 except that panel 60 is cut away at 62 in order to clear a glue tab 64 on the edge of panel 16 which in the erected container is glued to panel 22 as will be described.

Panel 50 is provided with a glue tab 66 which attaches to panel 52 in the erected container, and each of side panels 54 to 60 is provided with a diagonal crease line 68, 70, 72 and 74 splitting each of these panels into an adhering section 54A, 56A, 58A and 60A, and a connecting section 54B, 56B, 58B and 60B. These various base panels are designed and constructed in order to cause automatic erection of the base of the container during its erection from the lay flat form to the fully erected form.

In order to machine erect the blank of Fig. 1 to the lay flat form, the base panels are folded upwardly onto the panels 12 to 22 as shown in Fig. 2 and adhering sections 54A to 60A are glued to the respective wall panels. Next, the glue tab 64 is folded onto adjacent panel 16, glue tab 66 is folded downwardly as shown in Fig. 2, and finally panels 18, 14 and 22 are folded onto panel 16, 12 and 20 so that glue tab 66 adheres to the edge region of panel 22, and glue tab 66 adheres to the free edge of panel 52.

The erected lay flat container in the base region is as shown in Fig. 3. In this figure it must be remembered that the walls 12 to 22 pof the container encase the base, but the walls have been indicated only generally by chain dotted lines for the purposes of illustration. The adhering sections 54A to 60A are glued to the insides of the adjacent walls, and the glue tab 66 is adhered to the opposite base panel 52.

To erect the container, the edges of the lay flat in Fig. 3 are pushed together as indicated by the arrows A and as a result of this, the base automatically snap erects as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 shows the base in the process of erecting, whilst Fig. 5 shows the fully erected position. As the lay flat edges are pushed together, so the walls 12 to 22 move towards the hexagonal form in that the opposite walls 12 and 14 move apart. This moving apart causes the connected opposite panels 50 and 52 to unfold, and the connecting panels 54B to 60B fold relative to the adhering panels 54A to 60A which latter are adhered to the inside of the walls 12 to 22.With the continued erection by the moving of the edges of the lay flat further together, the panels 50 and 52 snap into the position shown in Fig. 5 in which they are in the same plane or substantially so, and the connecting panels 54B and 58B snap into the same plane which is inclined relative to the plane containing panels 50 and 52, and similarly panels 56B and 60B snap into the same plane which is inclined in the opposite direction and symmetrically in relation to the panel pair 54B and 58B, as shown in Fig. 5. The base is now erected, and the snapping into position of the base keeps the wall panels 12 to 22 in the required hexagonal form rendering the container particularly suitable for filling (either manually as is usual, or automatically) with the contents.The surfaces formed by the co-planar connecting panels 54B, 58B, 56B and 60B form a means for centrally supporting the product when in the container.

Fig. 6 shows the base from the underside, and it will be seen that the base comprises essentially a section made up of panels 50 and 52, to opposite sides of which are recesses 70 and 72 which are created by virtue of the construction and operation of the panels 54 to 60.

The embodiment described provides a particularly suitable snap base for hexagonal containers. The container shown in the drawings has the panels 12 and 14 of the same size but narrower in width than the panels 16 to 22 (which are of a common size), but the configuration could be varied as required.

Referring now to Figs. 7 to 12 of the drawings, which show a second embodiment, in Fig. 7 a container blank is made from cut and creased sheet material such as cardboard, and again the illustration shows the blank in the convention that the cut lines are shown in full line, whilst the crease lines are shown as dotted lines.

The blank is erectable into a square sectioned container, and comprises panels lOX, 12X, 14X and 16X, which are rectangular and are equal sized. These panels form the walls in the finished container, and the panel 16X has on its free edge a glue flap 18X.

At the top ends the panels 12X, 14X and 16X have cover flaps 20X, 22X and a cover panel 24X. Panel 24X has a tuck in flap 26X for locking same in position. These panels are conventional in nature and will not be further described.

At the lower edges the panels lOX to 16X are provided with base panels indicated generally by reference numerals 28X and 30X. These base panels are more or less identical except that base panel 30X has an additional crease line 32X extending thereacross as shown. The panels 28X and 30X are centred on crease line 34X and 36X between wall panels lOX and 12X on the one hand and wall panels 14X and 16X on the other hand and indeed these crease lines 34X and 36X extend through the base panels 28X and 30X as shown at 34X and 36X, in order to bisect these panels 28X and 30X. Each panel 28X and 30X comprises a main base panel 38X and 40X and an auxiliary base panel 42X, 44X and 46X, 48X. The auxiliary base panels 42X, 44X, 46X and 48X are shown as crosshatched because these panels are in fact adhered by glue to the adjacent wall panels lOX, 12X, 14X and 16X during the erection of the blank.Each of the panels 42X to 48X as shown is hinged to the bottom end of a respective panel lOX, 12X, 14X and 16X, and is hinged along a diagonal line 50X, 52X, 54X and 56X to the respective sections of the main base panels 38X and 40X which are created by the crease lines 34A and 36A as shown clearly in Fig. 7.

The base panels 28X and 30X in the finished container as will be described form a base and a platform arrangement for receiving and supporting the article contents, which may be for example a chocolate easter egg.

In order to erect the blank shown in Fig. 7 to the lay flat form shown in Fig. 9, the panels 28X and 30X are folded upwardly as shown in Fig. 8 about the crease line defining the lower edges of the panels lOX, 12X, 14X and 16X. The auxiliary base panels 42X, 44X, 46X and 48X are glued to the respective panels lOX, 12X, 14X and 16X at this stage.

The region 60X defined by the crease line 32X has adhesive applied thereto so that during the next stage of folding of the blank that region 60X will adhere to the similar region of the panel 28 so that the base panels 28X and 30X become glued together. Thus, considering Fig. 8, the thus folded blank is next folded about the creased line 62X which separates panels 12X and 14X so that the panels 28X and 30X are brought face to face and in register. Region 60X adheres to the equivalent region of the panel 28X, and the condition shown in Fig. 9 is reached. To complete the gluing operation, the glue tab 18X is folded over as shown in dotted lines at 64X in Fig. 9 onto the outside of panel lOX and is adhered thereto.

The blank in this condition is now ready for transportation to the packer who will erect same and then load the container with the contents, typically a chocolate easter egg. It is noted from Fig. 8 that the panels 28X and 30X respectively straddle the wall panels lOX, 12X on the one hand and 14X and 16X on the other hand and can fold relative thereto about the inclined hinge lines 50X, 52X, 54X and 56X, and also the main panels 38X and 40X can crease about their central crease lines 34X and 36X so as to move into the erected configuration, and indeed this is what happens when the blank in the lay flat form in Fig. 9 is moved to the erected condition.

Movement of the blank to the erected condition is effected basiclaly by pushing together the sides of the lay flat blank in Fig. 9 as shown by arrows 66X. With this action, the auxiliary base portions 42X, 44X, 46X and 48X, as they are glued to the walls lOX, 12X, 14X and 16X, move in the same manner as the walls are moved to define a square configuration. Because the main panels 38X and 40X are however glued together in the region 60X they cannot follow the walls lOX, 12X, 14X and 16X, and are therefore forced to fold inwardly. During this folding as shown in Fig. 10, the panel 40X starts to fold about line 32X, and each of the main base panels 38X and 40X starts to fold about its central crease line 34AX and 36AX.This continues until, as shown in Fig. 11, the two main panels 38X, and 40X snap into a final position in a toggle like fashion in which these panels 38X and 40X are essentially co-planar and define a V-shaped trough 66X with the crease lines 34AX and 36AX defining the base of the V-shape, and extending perpendicularly from corner to corner of the erected container. This toggle action of the panels 38X and 40X causes the container to remain in the square configuration and the toggle action support resists any tendency for the container to return to the lay flat form shown in Fig. 9, which can occur with conventional swifty bases.

As shown in Fig. 12, the trough 66X which is formed provides a cradle for receiving an article such as an easter egg 68X loaded into the container.

The top of the container is closed simply by folding the panels 20X, 22X and 24X and tucking in the tuck in flap 26X, but other closure arrangements could be adopted.

The invention in general provides that in a simple manner an automatically erected base is provided, which base also assists in keeping the container in the desired shape. In the specific embodiments, the design arrangement of the base panels enables an automatically erecting base to be provided in specific box containers. It is envisaged that other designs may be created whereby an automatically erecting base can be provided in rectangular or other shaped containers.

Claims (5)

1. A lay flat container of cut and creased sheet material which is erectable to box form and has base panels comprising a pair of main base panels which are located oppositely and centrally in the lay flat form and which are connected together, and auxiliary base panels which are hinged to said main base panels, and are adhered to the inner container walls at the sides of the lay flat to pull the main base panels downwardly as the container is moved from the lay flat form to the erected form, and to cause these main base panels to snap into locking position in the nature of an overcentre device, holding the container base in the final box configuration.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the container is adapted to be erected to hexagonal form, and the said main base panels are hinged respectively to the lower edges of two of the wall panels which lie opposite in the lay flat form, and the auxiliary base panels are folded in two so that each defines two sections one of which is adhered to the adjacent wall panel and the other of which is hinged to the adjacent main base panel.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein each of said auxiliary base panels comprises a generally square or rectangular panel with a diagonal crease splitting the panel into an attachment portion and a connecting portion, the attachment portion being adhered to the inside of the adjacent wall panel, and the connecting portion being hingedly connected between the adhering portion and the adjacent one of the main base panels.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the container is adapted to be erected to square or rectangular form, and each of said main base panels comprises a panel with a central crease splitting the panel into two sections which lie to opposite sides of a container wall crease so that the main base panels also take up a V configuration in the erected container and together define a V-shaped platform for supporting the container contents.

5. A lay flat container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 or Figs. 7 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A lay flat container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 or Figs. 7 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. A lay flat container of cut and creased sheet material which is erectable to box form and has wall panels to the lower edges of which are hinged base panels comprising a pair of main base panels which are folded inwards and located oppositely and centrally in the lay flat form and which are connected together, and auxiliary base panels, which also folded inwards and are on the one hand hinged to said main base panels, and on the other band are adhered to the inner container walls at the sides of the lay flat to pull the main bas panels downwardly as the container is moved from the lay flat form to the erected form, and to cause these main base panels to snap into locking position in the nature of an overcentre device, holding the container base in the final box configuration.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the container is adapted to be erected to hexagonal form, and the said main base panels are hinged respectively to the lower edges of two of the wall panels which lie opposite in the lay flat form, and the auxiliary base panels are folded in two so that each defines two sections one of which is adhered to the adjacent wall panel and the other of which is hinged to the adjacent main base panel.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein each of said auxiliary base panels comprises a generally square or rectangular panel with a diagonal crease splitting the panel into an attachment portion and a connecting portion, the attachment portion being adhered to the inside of the adjacent wall panel, and the connecting portion being hingedly connected between the adhereing portion and the adjacent one of the main base panels.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the container is adapted to be erected to square or rectangular form, and each of said main base panels comprises a panel with a central crease splitting the panel into two sections which lie to opposite sides of a container wall crease so that the main base panels also take up a V configuration in the erected container and together define a Vshaped platform for supporting the container contents.