US3866750A

US3866750A - Shipping wardrobe

Info

Publication number: US3866750A
Application number: US423204A
Authority: US
Inventors: Herbert S Collin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-12-10
Filing date: 1973-12-10
Publication date: 1975-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-18

Abstract

A shipping wardrobe is assembled from a blank of corrugated cardboard and includes a front panel having a diagonal score line which defines a generally triangular door which employs the fold line as a hinge. Means are provided on the door for engagement with a sidewall of the wardrobe to preclude the door from being inadvertently pushed inwardly.

Description

United States Patent [191 Collin 51 Feb. 18, 1975 [5 1 SHIPPING WARDROBE [76] Inventor: Herbert S. C0llin, c/o Collin Box &

Supply Co., Newton, Mass. 02118 [22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 423,204

[52] US. Cl. 206/290, 229/17 R, 229/52 B [51] Int. Cl B65d 85/18 [58] Field of Search 229/17 R, 44 R, 52 B, 37 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,585,494 5/1926 Harvey 229/17 R 2,807,354 9/1957 Belsinger 206/290 2,8l5,l l9 l2/l957 Field 206/290 3,074,538 l/l963 Bolsinger 206/290 3,369,652 2/1968 Bebout 206/290 Primary ExaminerEdward J. McCarthy Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks [5 7] ABSTRACT A shipping wardrobe is assembled from a blank of corrugated cardboard and includes a front panel having a diagonal score line which defines a generally triangular door which employs the fold line as a hinge. Means are provided on the door for engagement with a sidewall of the wardrobe to preclude the door from being inadvertently pushed inwardly.

5 Claims,- 5 Drawing Figures 1 SHIPPING WARDROBE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to shipping or storage clothes wardrobes of the type which may be fabricated from precut blanks of corrugated cardboard. The wardrobes typically include a panel defining a door which can be opened or closed along a hinge line scored in the front panel of the box. The unhinged regions of the door panel usually are the weakest portions of the wardrobe because they cannot be rigidly attached to the adjacent panels if the door is to be easily opened when desired. Such wardrobes often are subjected to rough handling and it is not uncommon for the door to be pushed in inadvertently during such handling which materially weakens the structure. It is among the primary objects of my invention to provide an improved wardrobe of the type described in which the door structure is materially strengthened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The shipping wardrobe is assembled from a blank of corrugated cardboard which includes a front panel having a diagonal score line which defines a triangular door. A flap is provided along the vertical free edge of the door and is adapted to bear against the inner surface of the adjacent sidewall of the wardrobe when the door is closed. The upper end of the flap is cut to define a tongue which, when the door is closed, is wrapped about the edge of the adjacent sidewall to lie outside of the sidewall and preclude the door from being pushed inwardly into the wardrobe. The side panels include top flaps which, when folded, define the top of the wardrobe. The top flaps are connected to the upper edges of the side panels by a pair of integral horizontal strips which, when folded into the proper configuration, lie outside of the sidewall and extend downwardly therefrom forming a skirt-like handle by which the wardrobe may be gripped. The upper edge of the sidewall and the skirt define a serpentine cross-sectional configuration and the tongue is received within and protected by the serpentine panels.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved shipping and storage clothes wardrobe.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shipping and storage wardrobe which may be assembled from a single blank of cardboard material or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wardrobe of the type described having an openable door panel and in which means are provided for locking the door panel to resist the door panel from being inadvertently pushed inwardly into the wardrobe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood more fully from the following further description thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the partially assembled wardrobe with its top flaps and door panel open;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of the free corner of the door panel showing the manner in which the tongue lies outwardly of the adjacent side panel of the wardrobe;

FIG. 3 is an illustration similar to FIG. 2 with the side top flap folded over the tongue;

FIG. 4 is an illustration similar to FIG. 3 showing the corner region in front elevation;. and

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the blank from which the improved wardrobe is fabricated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The wardrobe shown in FIG. 1 may be assembled from the corrugated cardboard blank shown in FIG. 5. The blank includes a front panel 10, left side panel 12, rear panel 14 and right side panel 16 which are joined at the

fold lines

18, 20, 22. Each of the

panels

10, 12, l4, I6 is provided with a bottom flap 24 which, when the box is folded to its rectangular configuration. can be folded along their fold lines 26 in the usual manner to define the boxv bottom. Each of the front and rear panels l0, 14 includes a top flap 28 and the

side panels

12, 16 include top flaps 30 at their upper end.

Top flaps

28, 30 are foldable, as described below to form the top of the assembled wardrobe. The top flaps 28 are foldable along the fold lines 32. The top flaps 30 which are associated with the side panels l2, 16 also are fold able along reverse folding or score lines 34. Each of the flaps 30 includes a pair of

additional score lines

36, 38 which, when the flaps 30 are folded as described below will define

handle strips

40, 42.

Front panel 10 includes a diagonal score line 44 which, as shown, may extend from the upper left hand corner of the front panel 10 to the edge fold line 46 at a location somewhat above the bottom of the panel 10. Diagonal score line 44 defines a generally triangular shaped door 48. I I

The blank also includes, at the edge 46 of the door 10, a front panel flap 50 which is foldable along the score line 46. The flap includes a diagonal cut 52 to define a lower flap portion 54 and a horizontal cut 56 to define a tongue 58. The diagonal cut 52 intersects the intersection of the score line 44 with the fold line 46. The upper corner of the upper portion 58 is preferably rounded as shown at 60. In the preferred embodiment the height of the upper portion 58 is substantially equal or, perhaps slightly less than the width of the

handle strips

40, 42.

The wardrobe is assembled by folding the

panels

10, 12, l4, 16 to a rectangular configuration as shown with the free edge 62 of panel 16 adjacent front panel flap 50. The bottom flaps 24 are folded and may be secured by any of a variety of conventional means as tape, staples or the like. The front panel flap 50 lies against the inner surface of the front edge of panel 16 and its lower portion 54 is secured to the bottom of the panel 16 by stitching or staples to provide a secure and permanent attachment. The remaining upper portions of the front flap 50 are unsecured and enable the door 48 to be opened by hinging it along the score line 44 as suggested in FIG. 1. When the door 48 is closed, the fold line 46 lies adjacent edge 62 of the right side panel 16 with the flap 50 lying against the inner surface of the front edge of the panel 16. When closed the

edges

64, 66 of the flap 50 which were defined by the cut 52 lie against each other with the lower portion 54 providing some support for. the upper portions of the flap 50.

The top flaps 30 of the

side panels

12, 16 are folded down outwardly of the panels along the reverse score lines 34 so that the strips 40 lie adjacent and define a double thickness portion of the upper margin of each of the

side panels

12, 16. A clothes hanger bar 68 having a pair of U-shaped members 70 is placed across the wardrobe top with the U-shaped members 70 engaging firmly the double thickness region defined by the panels 12, I6 and the reverse folded strips 40. For example, a hanger bar 68 of the type shown in my U.S. patent application Ser. No. 257,6l filed May 30, I972 may be employed.

When closing the wardrobe the door 48 is folded to its upright closed position with the flap 50 disposed inside of the side panel 16. The tongue 58, however, is placed outside of the panel 16 and against the outwardly facing surface of the handle strip 40 as shown in FIG. 2. The top flaps 28 of the front and rear panels l0, 14 then can be folded into overlapping relation over the top of the wardrobe. The flaps 30 then are folded upwardly about the fold line 36 and then downwardly along the fold line 38. When the top flaps 30 and their

handle strips

40, 42 have been folded to the closed position it may be seen that, as viewed from the front, the upper edge of the side panel 16 and the

strips

40, 42 define a serpentine configuration having forwardly open slots to receive the tongue 58. The adjacent edges of the panels 30 then may be taped. When the wardrobe containing clothes is meant to be shipped it is perferred to also provide a strip of tape along the adjacent edge 62 and fold line 46 of the side and front panels as suggested in FIG. 3.

The foregoing arrangement renders the wardrobe substantially stronger and, in particular, the wardrobe door 48 is further rigidified from being pushed in inadvertently during shipment by the wrap-around engagement of the flap 58 with the front edge 62 of the side panel 16. The wardrobe can be reclosably opened by removing the vertical tape strip and folding the door portion 48 outwardly with the tongue 58 simultaneously being withdrawn from its protective enclosure between the

strips

40, 42. It may be reclosed simply by urging the door 48 back to its closed position while reinserting the tongue 58 into the slot defined by the strips 40,- 42 which is fully exposed when viewed from the front of the wardrobe. The exposed corner 60 of the tongue 58 is rounded to facilitate insertion into the slot. In this regard it should be noted that while the illustrative embodiment has shown the tongue 58 as being inserted into the skirt handle through the slot defined by the

strips

40, 42 it could also be inserted'in the slot defined between the strip 40 and the outwardly facing surface ofthe panel 16. In either case the tongue 58 is protected within the gripping handle which is defined by the plurality of folded

strips

40, 42.

It should be understood that the foregoing description of the invention is intended merely to be illustrative thereof and that other modifications and embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described the invention what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A storage and shipping wardrobe comprising:

a pair of sidewalls, a rear wall and a front wall arranged in a rectangular configuration;

flap means connected to the bottom edge of each of said walls and being constructed to be foldable to define a bottom for said wardrobe;

at least one of said side panels having a flap formed along the upper edge thereof, said flap being foldable at least in part downwardly along the outer surface of said side panel to define a gripping handle having a slot which is exposed at least at the front of said wardrobe;

said front wall of said wardrobe having a door hinged along a hinge line, said door having a free edge which, when said door is closed, lies adjacent the front edge of said at least one panel, said door having a tongue formed along said free edge thereof, said tongue being hinged to said door and disposed at a location to enable said tongue to be inserted exteriorly of said sidewall and into saidslot when said door is closed.

2. A storage and shipping wardrobe as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

said tongue having a rounded upper corner to facilitate its entry into said slot.

3. A storage and shipping wardrobe as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

said front wall of said wardrobe having a flap extending outwardly therefrom, said flap being cut from its edge to the intersection of said hinge and the edge of said front wall to define a bottom flap portion;

means for securing said bottom flap portion to the forward bottom region of said side panel;

said tongue being formed at the upper end of said flap and being defined by a horizontal cut formed in said flap from its vertical edge to the edge of said front panel.

4. A flap blank foldable into a storage and shipping wardrobe comprising:

a sheet of material having score lines formed therein to define in succession a front panel, a side panel, a rear panel, and a second side panel;

a bottom flap extending from the bottom edge of each of said panels;

a top flap extending from the upper edge of each of said panels, said top flaps of said side panels being defined by a reverse score line and having a pair of parallel score lines formed therein and spaced from said reverse score line;

said front panel having a diagonal score line formed therein and extending from that corner of said front panel which is adjacent said top flap and the adjacent side panel downwardly and diagonally to the opposite vertical edge of said front panel;

a vertical flap extending outwardly from the edge of said front panel, said flap having a cut formed therein extending from the intersection of said score line with the edge of said front panel to the free edge of said flap, said flap having a further cut at its upper end to define a tongue at the upper most end of said flap.

5. A blank as defined in claim 4 wherein the free corner of said tongue is rounded.

Claims

1. A storage and shipping wardrobe comprising: a pair of sidewalls, a rear wall and a front wall arranged in a rectangular configuration; flap means connected to the bottom edge of each of said walls and being constructed to be foldable to define a bottom for said wardrobe; at least one of said side panels having a flap formed along the upper edge thereof, said flap being foldable at least in part downwardly along the outer surface of said side panel to define a gripping handle having a slot which is exposed at least at the front of said wardrobe; said front wall of said wardrobe having a door hinged along a hinge line, said door having a free edge which, when said door is closed, lies adjacent the front edge of said at least one panel, said door having a tongue formed along said free edge thereof, said tongue being hinged to said door and disposed at a location to enable said tongue to be inserted exteriorly of said sidewall and into said slot when said door is closed.

2. A storage and shipping wardrobe as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said tongue having a rounded upper corner to facilitate its entry into said slot.

3. A storage and shipping wardrobe as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said front wall of said wardrobe having a flap extending outwardly therefrom, said flap being cut from its edge to the intersection of said hinge and the edge of said front wall to define a bottom flap portion; means for securing said bottom flap portion to the forward bottom region Of said side panel; said tongue being formed at the upper end of said flap and being defined by a horizontal cut formed in said flap from its vertical edge to the edge of said front panel.

4. A flap blank foldable into a storage and shipping wardrobe comprising: a sheet of material having score lines formed therein to define in succession a front panel, a side panel, a rear panel, and a second side panel; a bottom flap extending from the bottom edge of each of said panels; a top flap extending from the upper edge of each of said panels, said top flaps of said side panels being defined by a reverse score line and having a pair of parallel score lines formed therein and spaced from said reverse score line; said front panel having a diagonal score line formed therein and extending from that corner of said front panel which is adjacent said top flap and the adjacent side panel downwardly and diagonally to the opposite vertical edge of said front panel; a vertical flap extending outwardly from the edge of said front panel, said flap having a cut formed therein extending from the intersection of said score line with the edge of said front panel to the free edge of said flap, said flap having a further cut at its upper end to define a tongue at the upper most end of said flap.