GB2324519A

GB2324519A - Container with gussets

Info

Publication number: GB2324519A
Application number: GB9708176A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Christopher Heath
Original assignee: BPB Ltd
Current assignee: BPB Ltd
Priority date: 1997-04-23
Filing date: 1997-04-23
Publication date: 1998-10-28
Also published as: GB9708176D0

Abstract

A container formed from a cut and creased blank of foldable sheet board material, the blank defining: a polygonal, preferably with at least 5 sides, base panel 10, a side wall panel 12 hinged to each side edge of the base panel 10, and a pair of angled connecting panels, or gussets, 14,16 between the side edges of successive side panels 12. One of the gussets 14, is preferably larger than the other 16, the larger primary gusset 14 being hinged to one side panel 12 along hinge line 114, and the smaller secondary gusset 16 being hinged to another side panel 12 along hinge line 116. Preferably the primary gusset 14 extends along the full length of the side panel 12 to which it is attached, whilst the secondary gusset 16 extends up to a point between a half and three quarters of the full length of the side panel 12 to which it is attached. The two gussets 14,16 are hinged to each other along fold line 120. The erected container (see figure 3) has the side walls 12 upstanding from the base with the edges of each side wall 12 proximate each other, the pair of gussets 14,16 at each corner being folded and glued together, and secured to the adjoining side wall 12 of the container, all achieved using glue strips (128,130; figure 2). The container may also include a lid (30; figures 7,8).

Description

CONTAINERS This invention lies in the field of containers, made up from a cut and creased blank of foldable sheet board material.

According to the present invention there is provided a container formed from a cut and creased blank of foldable sheet board material, said blank defining: a polygonal base panel; a side wall panel hinged to each side edge of the base panel; a pair of angled connecting panels between the side edges of successive side panels, said connecting panels being hinged to the contiguous side panels and hinged together along a line bisecting the angle between the side edges of the successive side walls; the erect container having the side wall panels extending upwardly from the base with the side edges of adjacent wall panels proximate to each other at corners of the container, the pair of connecting panels at each corner being folded and glued together and secured to an adjoining side wall of the container.

In a preferred arrangement, the two connecting panels at each corner of the container differ in size. One of them, which may be termed the secondary panel, extends along and is hinged to, only part of the side edge of its contiguous side wall panel, while the other, termed the primary panel, extends along and is hinged to more of the side edge of its contiguous side wall panel. The primary panel is then glued both to the secondary panel and to the adjoining side wall above the secondary panel. In this arrangement the primary panel is glued to the adjoining side wall above the secondary panel, and forms a direct connection between the side wall to which it is hinged and the side wall to which it is glued.

Such a container is held on its erect condition by the glued attachment of the connecting panels to the side walls of the container.

The angled connecting panels could both extend for the full height of the container. Preferably both of them extend up from the base for at least one third, better at least half the height of the container. To state this preference in slightly different terms, it is desirable that each connecting panel extends outwardly from the base along at least one third, better at least half, of the side edge of the contiguous side wall panel to which it is hinged.

The secondary connecting panel may suitably extend from the base along a length which is between one third and three quarters of the side edge of the contiguous side wall panel to which it is hinged.

The provision of angled connecting panels allows the container to be made without apertures, and therefore leak proof, up to at least the height of the shorter of the connecting panels. Such a container could be used to contain a loose powder or (if the board material is resistant to liquid penetration) a wet or liquid product.

In particular such a container could be made as a bucket or tub for cut flowers or wet objects. The container may be provided with a lid, if desired.

The polygonal base panel may be square, rectangular or even triangular. However it is envisaged that it will frequently be a polygon of at least five sides, especially a regular polygon of six or eight sides.

In a preferred arrangement the base panel has six or more sides and every side wall panel of the erect container has one pair of connecting panels glued to it.

In certain forms of this invention, each side panel has a height greater than its maximum width.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows the blank for a first embodiment, intended as a hexagonal flower bucket; Fig. 2 is a detailed view showing the application of glue to the exterior at one corner; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the erect container; Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections through one wall of the erect container at levels indicated by the arrows IV and V respectively on Fig. 3; Fig. 6 shows the blank for a second embodiment; Fig. 7 shows the blank for its lid; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of erect container and lid of Figs. 6 and 7.

Each embodiment is made from cut and creased blank of sheet fibreboard. This fibreboard is solid fibreboard made by laminating a number of thinner layers. The outer surfaces of the fibreboard sheet are preferably both provided with a surface layer which is a sheet of kraft paper. A printed design may be applied on the exterior.

The surface which will become the interior of the container has a water barrier on its surface so that water cannot penetrate into the board material from the interior of the container. Such a water barrier may be provided on both surfaces of the fibreboard. It may consist of a polyethylene surface coating on the kraft paper.

As seen in Fig. 1 the container has a hexagonal base panel 10. -A side panel 12 is hinged to each edge of the base 10. At each corner, between the adjacent side panels 12 there is a pair of connecting panels 14,16. The larger primary connecting panel 14 is hinged to one side panel 12 along hinge line 114. The panel 14 extends along the full length of this side edge of the side panel 12. The secondary connecting panel 16 is hinged to an adjoining side panel 12 along hinge line 116. It can be seen that the panel 16 extends from the base 10 along the side edge of the panel 12 for a length which is between half and three quarters of the side edge of the side panel. Above the secondary panel 16 the side panel 12 has a simple cut edge 126. There is a cut-out area 17 between the panels 12,14 above the panels 16.

When the container is erected from this blank, lines of glue 128,130 are applied to the exterior face of each primary connecting panel 14 as shown in Fig. 2. The side wall panels 12 are raised so that their adjacent side edges lie close together as seen in Fig. 3. As this is done, each secondary connecting panel 16 is turned to lie directly against the side wall panel 12 to which it is hinged, as shown in Fig. 5. Each primary connecting panel 14 lies against the attached secondary wall panel 16 and becomes adhered to it by glue from the lower part of the glue line 128. The upper region of the primary connecting panel 14 lies directly against a side wall panel 12 and is adhered to it by the glue of the glue line 130 and the glue of the upper part of the glue line 128. The secondary panel 16 is trapped lying against its contiguous wall panel 12 because of the primary connecting panel 14 adhered to that wall 12 above the secondary panel 16. The panels 12 are widest at their top edges, but this width is less than the height of these panels 12.

It will be appreciated that in the erect container each of the side wall panels 12 has one primary connecting panel adhered to it.

It will be appreciated also that the blank has no throughcuts or apertures up to the level of the top edges of the secondary connecting panel 16 and consequently the erect container can contain liquid up to almost this height.

Although the panels 14,16 are glued together because part of the glue line 128 becomes sandwiched between them, the smaller secondary connecting panel 16 is not glued directly to a side wall 12. It has been found that the connecting panels are sufficiently held in place by gluing of the upper part of a primary connecting panel 14 to a side wall panel 12. However, if desired glue could be introduced between each secondary connecting panel 16 and the inside face of the side wall panel 12 to which it is hinged so that this glue becomes sandwiched between the two panels and secures them together.

Figs. 6 and 8 show a second embodiment in which the base panel 20 is octagonal. Each of the side wall panels 22 has side edges which diverge slightly so that the upper cut edge indicated as 24 is about 10% longer than a hinge line 26 between side wall and base. Primary and secondary connecting panels 14,16 are provided as in the previous embodiment and the manner of assembly is essentially the same as for the previous embodiment. When erected the container has the form of an octagonal tub. Because the side edges of the wall panels 22 diverge slightly, the sides of the tub are slightly inclined outwardly from true vertical allowing empty assembled tubs to be stacked one within another.

This tub can be provided with a lid. A possible blank for such a lid is shown in Fig. 7 and a lid made up from such a blank is shown in Fig. 8 above the tub onto which it fits. As shown in Fig. 7 the blank for the lid has an octagonal central panel 30 to which are hinged for side panels 32 each bearing two flaps 34 at their edges. Further side panels 36 are hinged to the centre panel 30 and these are prolonged by flaps 38. When the lid is erect the flaps 34 lie inwardly of the side panels 36 and are trapped in this position by the flaps 38 which are turned underneath the lid and locked by their tabs 40 which engage with slots formed by cuts 42 at the junction of the panels 36 and the centre panel 30.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A container formed from a cut and creased blank of foldable sheet board material, said blank defining: a polygonal base panel; a side wall panel hinged to each side edge of the base panel; a pair of angled connecting panels between the side edges of successive side panels, said connecting panels being hinged to the contiguous side panels and hinged together along a line bisecting the angle between the side edges of the successive side walls; the erect container having the side wall panels extending upwardly from the base with the side edges of adjacent wall panels proximate to each other at corners of the container, the pair of connecting panels at each corner being folded and glued together and secured to an adjoining side wall of the container.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the pair of connecting panels at each corner of the container comprises a primary panel hinged to one side wall panel and a secondary panel hinged to the adjoining side wall panel, where the secondary panel extends along and is hinged to only part of the side edge of its contiguous side wall panel, while the primary panel is taller than the secondary connecting panel, extends along and is hinged to more of the side edge of its contiguous side wall panel, the primary panel being glued both to the secondary panel and to the adjoining side wall above the secondary panel.

3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the connecting panels at each corner extend from the base for more than half the height of each side wall panel.

4. A container according to claim 2 wherein the secondary connecting panel at each corner extends from the base formed between half and three quarters of the height of the side wall panel to which it is hinged while each primary panel extends from the base for substantially the full height of the side wall panel to which it is hinged.

5. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base panel is regular polygon of at least five sides.