Abstract:
An apparatus formed from a single piece of planar material as a continuous and contiguous structure is foldable into a re-usable, knock-down box. A bottom panel supports contents placeable in the box. A front panel and a rear panel operate as shear walls to support the bottom. End panels act as shear walls adjacent to and extending between the front panel, rear panel, and bottom panel. Hinge panels are formed with a free portion, extending from an edge of one of the end, front, and rear panels, and a fixed portion, fixed to a surface of an adjacent one of the end, front, and rear panels to fix the positions of the front, rear, and end panels with respect to each other and the bottom panel in an assembled configuration. Drawing a front edge of the lid toward the front panel, one may lock the lid against the front panel by inserting a tab portion of the lid into a slot formed between the front panel and the front tuck panel.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. The Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to containers and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for re-usable, knock-down boxes. 
     2. The Background Art 
     General merchandise boxes may be packed with a selection of various products. In certain circumstances, a box may be filled with articles all constituting the same product. Nevertheless, general merchandise shipping boxes are typically of two types. The first type is polymer resin crates. These crates may be sealed boxes or other configurations. 
     The other, and most common general merchandise box is a corrugated fiber board or “cardboard” box. These boxes are very similar to the corrugated cardboard boxes often purchased for moving household goods. Four flaps form the bottom, and are folded and taped to seal the bottom of the box. The box is sealed with the similar, often identical, array of top flaps. The top flaps may be connected to one another with small connecting members of the basic material of the box, or may be free standing, and completely separated. 
     Typically, when such a box is filled, the bottom has been folded and taped in order to stabilize the box from a flattened condition to a box shape. A user must either fold the top flaps down around the box, or leave the flaps in the position they tend to take. In some circumstances, the flaps remain rigid and pointing upward, parallel to the box sides from which they proceed. In other circumstances, the flaps continue to flap at random away from the opening of the box, and more often toward the opening of the box. 
     Users have great difficulty in filling such boxes. The top flaps tend to form “stand offs” by their very dimensions. If the flaps are connected to one another or otherwise still standing vertically, then a user must bend over to reach down into the box to place anything on the bottom of the box. Meanwhile, if the flaps are extending away from the box walls, then they form a horizontal stand off pushing the user away from the interior of the box where items must be placed. 
     Finally, flaps typically tend to fold inward, and thus return to their equilibrium position angling inward and obstructing access to the interior of the box. Thus, each item placed must require of the user to either hold the flaps out of the way, or to reach in and pull the flaps back in order to add each respective item. 
     Conventional boxes have other difficulties. Plastic or polymer resin crates are often damaged, scraped, scratched, and otherwise rendered undesirable. They may need to be scrubbed periodically with high-pressure and high-temperature fluids, such as water, soap, and the like. Meanwhile, they tend to be quite expensive, and when damaged must often be destroyed. 
     Conventional cardboard boxes are not without their issues. Typically, they may only be used one time. Thereafter, they are immediately cut down, baled into bales, and returned to a paper manufacturing company for recycling. The plastic tape used to seal the boxes must be removed from the mushy vats of recycled fibers after the box material has been thoroughly soaked, separated, and returned into a slurry of paper pulp. Removal of the strings of tape is necessarily problematic. 
     Boxes secured with staples and other fasteners, glues, and the like each have their own difficulties. Ultimately, recycling is not re-use, and re-use is virtually impossible. For example, to reuse a box, that box must be transported from the receiver who originally unloaded the contents out of the box, and return to some sort of supplier for reuse. The nature of boxes is such that their volume is disproportionately very large compared to their weight. Unless the boxes can be dismantled, they cannot be reused. 
     Stripping off tape, tearing out staples, and like basically amount to destroying the box. So much damage happens to the structure of the box that reuse is impractical. By impractical, reuse is so horribly expensive and of low yield that recycling works better. The amount of energy, shipping, and labor required to reuse boxes, particularly where they may have various random sizes is simply not typically done. 
     What is needed is a box that can be used multiple times, but which can be discarded when it begins to fail structurally, or when it has been soiled or otherwise rendered unsuitable for reuse. It would be an advance in the art, for example, to provide a fiber board box that can be shipped to a user location in a knocked-down configuration. It would be a further advance in the art to have the box completely connected and sealed at all locations except the lid closure. It would be a further advance in the art to provide such a box that could be easily erected to an assembled condition with a minimum of effort and movement. 
     It would be a further advance in the art if such a box had a lid, and other parts that could be completely removed from the work space of a user trying to fill the box. For example, it would be an advance in the art to remove or eliminate flaps that would otherwise obstruct a user&#39;s access to the box. 
     It would be a further advance in the art to provide a box that can be knocked-down without having to remove tape, glue, staples, or any other fasteners in order to return the box to its original knocked-down configuration for shipping. 
     It would be a further advance in the art to form a sturdy box that is strong enough to serve, tough enough to withstand a certain amount of use and abuse, and which could be assembled and disassembled without tools for use and reuse. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a method and apparatus are disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention as including an apparatus formed from a single piece of planar material as a continuous and contiguous structure, foldable into a re-usable, knock-down box. The apparatus may include a bottom panel to support contents placeable in the box, front and rear panels operating as shear walls to support the bottom and end panels adjacent to and extending between the front panel, rear panel, and bottom panel. Hinge panels are formed with a free portion, extending from an edge of one of the end, front, and rear panels, and a fixed portion. The fixed portion is fixed (e.g. glued flat) to a surface of an adjacent one of the end, front, and rear panels. This fixes the positions of the front, rear, and end panels with respect to each other and the bottom panel in an assembled configuration. 
     Each hinge panel may have a scored region, between the free and fixed portions, bending therealong to form a hinge line. A front tuck panel extends downward from its fold line at the top of the front panel to end proximate the bottom panel. End tuck panels extend from the top of respective end walls and extend downward to be fixed to the bottom panel. A lid is flexibly secured to the rear panel at a mutual fold line. It may thus selectively tilt with respect thereto between an open position away from the front panel and a closed position at the front panel. 
     In certain embodiments of an apparatus and method in accordance with the invention a box may be formed with a lid having a score mark there along in order to provide a stand portion and a face portion or panel. Thus, the lid may be folded along the score line in order to present the lid similar to a PDQ display box. For example, the lid may extend upward from the back of the box, and then fold at the score line to return back toward the top of the box, the front or face panel of the lid being held by a retainer. The retainer may keep the face panel close to the back of the box, and likewise be stand panel portion of the lid, in order to keep the work space clear and access to the box available. 
     In certain embodiments the lid may include a tongue panel or tongue that operates as a tap foldable from the front of the lid and sized to be received behind the front wall or front panel of the box. For example, a slot may be formed between a front panel and a tuck panel connected to the top of the front panel but folded down there from toward the bottom panel of the box. Thus, the front wall of the box, the wall against which the user stands closest is effectively double in thickness. Between those two thicknesses, the front panel itself, and the front tuck panel folded down there from toward the bottom panel of the box secures the tongue of the lid in order to maintain the lid in position when the box in a closed configuration. 
     In certain embodiments, the end panels of the box may likewise be connected at their top edges to end tuck panels. The end tuck panels may fold directly from the top of each respective end panel to fold down toward the bottom panel of the box. The bottom panel or floor of the box thus may have apertures formed to receive tabs locking the end tuck panels with respect to the bottom panel and securing a double thickness at each end of the box. The tucked panels connected to the ends of the box may be off set the ledge space extending along the top of the end panel and the resulting top of the tuck panel. Thus, additional bearing surface may be created at each end of the box. Meanwhile, handles may be formed by cutting openings, and folding the material from the openings into the box from the end wall. This handle may thus be provided additional finger space for a user to lift the box due to the offset that a ledge spaces the end tuck panel away from the end wall or end panel. 
     In certain embodiments, the tuck panels may be provided with tabs extending from the extremities thereof and tucking into apertures in the bottom or into the front, back, or both of walls of the box. 
     In one embodiment, hinge panels may be contiguous with the end panels and folded at score lines in order to connect to the back and front panels of the box. The hinge panels may be suitably scored along a diagonal therethrough. 
     For example, a hinge panel may be formed as a rectangular extension from each end panel. For example, each side, front and back or each edge, front and back, of each end panel may have a score line about which pivots or bends a rectangular hinge panel. The hinge panel in turn, may be scored from its bottom corner closest to the end panel upward to its opposite diagonal corner. The lower portion below the diagonal score line may be glued, stapled, or otherwise fastened to the adjacent front or back panel of the box. This leaves the diagonal score line as a hinge line permitting the end wall to fold down toward the bottom of the box, while the hinge panel bends along its center diagonal to form two adjacent hinged triangles. 
     Meanwhile, when the ends are pulled apart or lifted apart, the hinge panels draw the front and back panels of the box together, and upright to the erect or assembled configuration. 
     Meanwhile, a front tuck panel folded down from the top of the front panel of the assembled box may rigidize or stabilize the ends with respect to one another and the front panel. Meanwhile, the end tuck panels may be folded down from the top of the end panels towards the floor or bottom panel of the box, where they may be received by apertures or where tabs at the extremities thereof may be received by apertures to lock the box in the assembled configuration. 
     In certain embodiments, the rectangular hinge panels connected to the front panel to the box may be provided with a certain relief sized to receive the tongue panel of the lid directly against the front panel of the box without obstruction. Meanwhile, additional tongue panels to lock the lid in a forward position down against the end and front panels of the box may be accomplished by forming slots in each of the end panels, or rather in the ledge extending horizontally between the top of the end panel and the top of the end tuck panel in order to receive tongue panels from the top of the lid thereinto. Thus a combination of one, two, three, or more tongue panels may extend downward from the lid into the spaces between wall panels and their associated tuck panels. 
     Handles at the end of the box may be formed by cutting through the end walls and pushing the material within the circumscribe of the cut inward. Thus, a handle may be formed with the cut out portion folding upward and inward into the end wall to form a handle. The space formed by the stand off of the ledge spacing apart each end wall or end panel and its respective end tuck panel may provide space for fingers of a user. 
     Boxes may be maintained in the sealed condition with no tape, sealers, staples or the like. Alternately, for security, any edges may be sealed. Nevertheless, the box need not sustain any damage other than a certain amount of wear if no fasteners are used. For example, the locking tabs or tongue panels may simply be drawn out of their respective walls in order to release the lid and open the box to expose its contents for unloading. 
     The entire box may be knocked down with a few simple motions, such as by a user reaching down to the bottom edge of each end tuck panel and freeing it from the bottom of the box, lifting it out of the box. Likewise, a handle at the bottom edge of the front tuck panel may be used to access it and draw it upward and out of the box. With all the tuck panels removed, the hinge panels may be folded down, as the ends are folded together, or toward each other. The front panel and back panel may extend outward therefrom, with the front tuck panel and the lid folded back over the top of the folded down box in its knock-down position. This entire re-folded box may now be stacked up or placed in a container with other boxes in order to be returned to a shipping site for complete reuse. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of an apparatus in accordance with the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top, frontal, isometric view of a closed box in accordance with the invention in an assembled configuration; 
         FIG. 2  is a frontal, top, isometric view of the box of  FIG. 1  in an open condition; 
         FIG. 3  is a frontal, top, isometric view of the box of  FIG. 1  in an alternative open condition, having the lid folded over in a retained condition ready for filling or unloading; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear, isometric view of the box of  FIG. 1 , in the condition illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a front elevation view of the box of  FIG. 1  having the lid in a closed condition; 
         FIG. 5B  is a rear elevation view of the box of  FIG. 5   a;    
         FIG. 5C  is a right side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 5   a;    
         FIG. 5D  is a left side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 5   a;    
         FIG. 5E  is a top plan view of the box of  FIG. 5   a;    
         FIG. 5F  is a bottom plan view of the box of  FIG. 5   a;    
         FIG. 6A  is a front elevation view of the box of  FIG. 1  having the lid in an open condition; 
         FIG. 6B  is a rear elevation view of the box of  FIG. 6   a;    
         FIG. 6C  is a right side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 6   a;    
         FIG. 6D  is a left side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 6   a;    
         FIG. 6E  is a top plan view of the box of  FIG. 6   a;    
         FIG. 6F  is a bottom plan view of the box of  FIG. 6   a;    
         FIG. 7A  is a front elevation view of the box of  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  4  having the lid in a folded lid condition; 
         FIG. 7B  is a rear elevation view of the box of  FIG. 7   a;    
         FIG. 7C  is a left side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 7   a;    
         FIG. 7D  is a right side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 7   a;    
         FIG. 7E  is a top plan view of the box of  FIG. 7   a;    
         FIG. 7F  is a bottom plan view of the box of  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric view of the box of  FIG. 1  in a knocked-down configuration; 
         FIG. 9A  is a front elevation view of the box of  FIG. 1  having the lid in a folded flat, knocked-down configuration; 
         FIG. 9B  is a rear elevation view of the box of  FIG. 9A ; 
         FIG. 9C  is a left side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 9A ; 
         FIG. 9D  is a right side elevation view of the box of  FIG. 9A ; 
         FIG. 9E  is a top plan view of the box of  FIG. 9A ; 
         FIG. 9F  is a bottom plan view of the box of  FIG. 9A ; 
         FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the box of  FIG. 1 , in a knocked-down configuration, and an open condition; 
         FIG. 11  is a top plan view of the box of  FIG. 1  in a semi-assembled or erected configuration, and an open condition; 
         FIG. 12A  is a top plan view of the box of  FIG. 1 , in a partially assembled condition, with the flaps in a fully open condition, notwithstanding the box&#39;s front, rear, and end vertical panels have all been completely erected to the assembled configuration; 
         FIG. 12B  is a bottom plan view of the box of  FIG. 12A ; 
         FIG. 13  is a top frontal isometric view of the box of  FIG. 1  in a partially erected or assembled configuration, but an unlocked condition; and 
         FIG. 14  is a top rear isometric view of the box of  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention, as represented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of various embodiments of the invention. The illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , while referring generally to  FIGS. 1-14 , a box  10  may be formed having a lid  12 . The lid  12  in certain embodiments may be marked or scored to divide into two portions, a stand panel  13  closest to and attached to the back of the box  10 , and a face panel  14  connected to the stand panel. As a practical matter, the lid  12  may be formed of a single continuous piece of material. 
     In fact, in one currently contemplated embodiment, the box  10  itself is formed of a single, contiguous, continuous piece of a sheet-like material. The material may be any natural or synthetic product (e.g. plastic, paper, composite, foam core, etc.) formable as a sheet, sufficiently flexible to fold, and sufficiently stiff to form walls. Hereinafter, corrugated cardboard will be used as an example, but any suitable sheet material is intended thereby. 
     For example, the box  10  may be formed of a corrugated fiber board, commonly referred to as box board or corrugated cardboard. The entire box  10  may be cut from a single, continuous and contiguous piece, with every panel and portion of the box being a part of that continuous material. As a result, the material properties through the layer of planar material are the same throughout the entire extent of the planar extent of the box. 
     The lid  12  may include a tongue panel  16  configured to draw the lid  12  or hold the lid  12  forward toward the front panel  18  of the box  10  when closed. In fact, the score lines  20  separating or defining the stand panel  13  from the face panel  14  may be a cut, but may typically be simply a portion where the outer layers of the corrugated, foamed or other, spaced-apart, double layered material have simply been stamped, pressed, or otherwise moved closer together in order to remove the stiffness of their original section modulus (e.g. engineering property controlling structural stiffness of a material). 
     Section modulus is the property characterizing the material and its distance from the central or neutral axis having no stress. Accordingly, by forming a piece of corrugated cardboard, a manufacturer places two tensile members, the two outer layers, to support the mechanical loads, and places the corrugated or other central filler material in between in order to space the outer layers apart. This results in placing the maximum amount of strong material at the outermost fiber, thus supporting maximum bending loads with a minimum amount of weight and material. 
     Accordingly, score lines  20  may be formed in the material of the box  10  by simply crushing the internal corrugations and placing the outer materials in closer proximity, in order to promote bending at the score lines  20 . In some materials, e.g. solid polymers, scorelines may be molded or cut as grooves. 
     In this way, the tongue panel  16  may be defined by score lines  20  between and the face panel  14  of the lid  12 . Similarly, the lid  12  itself may be separated from other portions of the box  10  by score lines  20  therealong. 
     The tongue panel  16  may fit into a slot  21 . Nevertheless, in order to ease the manufacturing or assembly process, the box  10  may be formed with a register panel  22  extending from the front  18  of the box  10 , or the front panel  18  of the box  10 . In this embodiment, the slot  21  is formed by cutting into the front panel  18  to form the slot  21 , but not cutting the slot  21  completely free. In this way, a register panel  22  may be left connected to the front panel  18 , and thus will stand up when a tuck panel  24  is folded along its score line  20  downward behind the front panel  18 . 
     In one presently contemplated embodiment, the tuck panel  24  may simply be an extension of the front panel  18  in the original piece of planar material from which the box  10  is cut. Thus, when the slot  21  is cut, it is cut as a long oval, but one of the long straight sides is left connected, in the front panel  18 . Accordingly, when the tuck panel  24  or front tuck panel  24  is folded with respect to the front panel  18 , the register panel  22  remains substantially rigid and extending in the plane of the front panel  18 . 
     This provides a slight rise by the register panel  22 , and a lower positioning of the slot  21  therebelow. Accordingly, when the lid  12  is pulled forward toward the front panel of the box  10 , a user may simply place the tongue panel  16  against the register panel  22 , and the register panel  22  will guide the tongue panel  16  down into the slot  21 . This saves time, alignment, user skill, and damage to the materials. 
     The supporting panel  26  of the contents of the box  10  is the bottom panel  26 . Articles will be placed on the bottom panel  26  of the box  10  during loading. The bottom panel  26  may be provided with apertures  28 , which may be referred to as lock apertures  28 . The lock apertures  28  may instead, alternatively, be placed in the front and back panels of the box  10 . Nevertheless, maximum leverage, and simplicity of operation do occur when the apertures  28  are placed in the bottom  26  of the box  10 . Each of the apertures  28  may be sized as an elongated slot  28  to receive a tab  30 . 
     The tabs  30  may be single, double, or of any number. The tabs  30  extend from the tuck panels  36  on the left and right ends of the box  10 . For example, the box  10  may have a back panel  32 . The back panel  32  and the front panel  18  form the back and front walls of the box  10 . Meanwhile, extending between the front  18  and back panels  32  are the left end  34   a  and the right end panel  34   b  of the box  10 . Accordingly, tabs  30  extending from tuck panels  36   a ,  36   b  may be tucked into the apertures  28  to lock the tuck panels  36  into place. 
     In certain embodiments, the box  10  may be assembled from a knocked down configuration by lifting the ends  34  or end panels  34  away from one another. The front panel  18  and back panel  32  are drawn upward as the end panels  34  are erected to a vertical position, with respect to the bottom panel  26  acting as a horizontal floor. In certain embodiments, the ends  34  or end panels  34   a ,  34   b  may connect to ledge portions  35  or ledges  35 , which then continue on to the tuck panels  36   a ,  36   b , respectively. In this way, the ledge  35  provides an offset  35  spacing each of the tuck panels  36  away from its respective end panel  34 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , while continuing to refer generally to  FIGS. 1-14 , in one embodiment of a box  10  in accordance with the invention, the box may be erected from a flat or knocked-down configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 8  by opening the box to a fully flat, but extended configuration of  FIG. 11 . By drawing the end panels  34   a ,  34   b  away from one another, the front panel  18  and back panel  32 , which are flexibly connected by hinge panels  44  to the end panels  34   a ,  34   b  are likewise drawn upward from a flat, knocked-down configuration to the vertical, erected or assembled configuration. 
     With the box  10  in the assembled configuration, or at least erected with the tuck panels  24 ,  36  not yet in place, but the front panel  18 , back panel  32  and end panels  34  all position substantially upright (e.g. see  FIGS. 12A-12B ), the box is ready to be locked into place by bending each of the tuck panels  24 ,  36  downward, beginning with the front tuck panel  24 . The end tuck panels  36   a ,  36   b  are subsequently folded down, thereby snugging the front panel  18  thereagainst. Likewise is the back panel  32  drawn erect by the lid  12  and rigidized by folding down the end tuck panels  36 . The locking tabs  30  at each of the now bottom ends of the respective end tuck panels  36  lock the tuck panels  36  into position which themselves hold the front tuck panel  24  into position, by virtue of the tabs  30  extending into the apertures  28 , where they are maintained in a substantially rigid and locked position. 
     At this point, the face panel  14  (portion  14  of the lid  12 ) may be folded toward the stand panel  13 , along the one or more score lines  20  in the lid  12 . A set of slots  37  or other form of retainers  37  may be formed near the back panel  32 , in the end walls  34  or end panels  34 , the ledges  35 , the tuck panels  36 , or all thereof. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the slot may be cut through each of the end tuck panels  36  passing through the ledge  35  but not through the end panels  34   a ,  34   b . In this way, the outermost edge of the face panel  42  may be tucked down, bending at the score line  20  between the face panel  14  and the stand panel  13 , in order to hold the edge of the face panel  14  in the retainer  37  or slots  37 . 
     Also, the face panel  14  may thus serve to maintain the end panels  34   a ,  34   b  spaced apart the proper distance, while the end panels  34   a ,  34   b  and end tuck panels  36   a ,  36   b  support the face panel  14 . Meanwhile, the face panel  14  is pushing against the stand panel  13 , maintaining both in a substantially vertical configuration, spaced close together and near the back panel  32  of the box  10 . 
     Thus, no panels or flaps extend up away from the top edge of the front wall  18  and end walls  34 . Meanwhile, the entire lid  12  is held in place, near the back panel  32 , and away from a user while loading. In this configuration, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-4 , the box  10  is open, stable, and ready to provide unobstructed access to a user loading the box on a shelf, conveyor, or the like. 
     By way of clarifying the configuration of the box, one may refer to  FIGS. 5-14 . Referring to  FIGS. 5A-5F , while continuing to refer generally to  FIGS. 1-14 , one may see that the box  10  in the assembled configuration, and the closed condition provides a substantially rigid, rectangular, container functionality. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6A-6F , the box, in an open condition and an assembled configuration, provides ease of access and stability, but the lid may still obstruct access. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7A-7F , the various views of the box  10  in the condition of the illustrations of  FIGS. 3-4 , is shown from all views in the standard orthogonal context. The box  10  is in its assembled configuration, and the loading condition with the lid stored in its stable, restrained, position, out of the way of an operator, and presenting the open box  10  for loading. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the knocked-down and folded box  10  is shown ready for assembly, or ready for returning for reuse. In this embodiment, the lid  12  is folded back over the top of the knocked-down box, as is the front tuck panel  24 . This provides the substantially minimum footprint for the knocked-down configuration of the box  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9A-9F , the knocked-down box  10  is shown in all its orthogonal views, corresponding to the isometric view of  FIG. 8 . Here, one sees that the box  10  may have a slight variation in thickness, but lies substantially flat. That is, for example, certain portions of the configuration of  FIG. 8  will have hinge panels  44  folded over and held between front panels  18  and back panels  32  as well as end panels  34 . Nevertheless, the package is substantially flat, and may be stacked in a self supporting stack or within a container, bundle, bale, or the like, ready for shipping back to another location for reuse. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the box  10  is shown entirely flattened. The end tuck panels  3   b  are flat and parallel. The box  10  is as flat as possible. The lid  12  and front tuck panel  24  are fully extended. The hinge panels  44  are doubled over. Referring to  FIG. 11 , the front tuck panel  24 , and the lid  12  are in their fully open condition, and the box is partially erected or in the semi-assembled configuration, illustrating the various components. The end tuck panels  36  are opened to draw the end panels  34  upward. The relationship between the hinge panels  44 , and the other panels  18 ,  32 ,  34  that form the vertical walls of the assembled box. Similarly, referring to  FIGS. 12A-12B , the top and bottom views of the box  10  in an assembled or upright configuration has progressed from flat in  FIG. 10  to partially upright in  FIG. 11 , to fully upright in  FIG. 12 . However the tuck panels  24 ,  36  are not yet engaged. Each is folded into the box  10  to lock it in the fully upright configuration of  FIG. 11  is illustrated. Meanwhile,  FIGS. 13 and 14  show perspective views of the box  10  in accordance with the invention in the partially upright position of  FIG. 11  on the way to the fully assembled configuration, but with the tuck panels  24 ,  36  still in the open condition to make each feature visible. 
     Referring now to all  FIGS. 1-15 , the process for using the box  10  may include shipping the new boxes  10  in a knocked-down configuration of  FIGS. 8-9  to a point of use. The configuration of  FIG. 10  is flatter, but has a larger footprint. At the point of use, a user may begin to open a box in a knocked-down configuration, by opening the lid  12  and front tuck panel  24  away from the rest of the stack, and outward therefrom as shown in  FIG. 10 . This gives access to the end tucks  36 . 
     Gripping end panels  34 , or the end tuck panels  36 , a user may now lift the top edges of the end panels  34  away from the bottom panel  26 . This action draws the top edges of the front panel  18  and back panel  32  together by virtue of the hinge panels  44 . The hinge panels  44  are connected between the end panels  34  (extending from the front and back edges thereof) and the front and back panels  18 ,  32  (by being glued or otherwise secured to the inner surfaces thereof). Once the box  10  has taken on the upright configuration, the front tuck panel  24  may be folded down, toward the bottom panel  26  and against the front panel  18 . This stabilizes the end panels  34  with respect to one another by gauging apart the end panels  34  separation distance and providing an additional sheer panel layer in addition to the front panel  18 . 
     Next the end tuck panels  36   a - 36   b  may then be folded down along the score lines between the tuck panels  36  and the ledges  35 , as well as along the score lines between the ledges  35  and the end panels  34   a ,  34   b . In this way, the tuck panels  36  may be folded over to form the ledge  35 , and then down toward the bottom panel  36  and against the end panels  34 . The ledge  35  and tabs  30  in the apertures  28  keep the end tuck panels. Spaced away from the end panels  34  by the size of the ledges  35 . 
     Next, the lid  12  may be folded along the one or more score lines  20  to form the stand panel  13  as an extension of the back panel  32  of the box  10  as shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  7 . The face panel  14  may be effectively locked back by insertion in the retainer slots  37  or held by any other form of the retainer  37  in order to hold up the stand panel  13  and the face panel  14  out of the way for loading or unloading. In one option a single score line  20  may act as a vertex of a triangular cross section of the stand panel  13  and face panel  14  on a base formed by the end panels  34 , or rather a very short segment of the end panels  34  as the base. The height of the stand  13  and face panels  14  stabilize the long narrow distance that such a triangulation extends between the two end panels  34   a ,  34   b.    
     With the box  10  in the assembled configuration, and the open, receiving condition with the lid in a restrained condition, a user may now stand near the front panel  18  of the box  10  and load the box  10 . Upon loading the box  10 , a user may then draw the face panel  14  up and away from the retainer  37 . Pulling the face panel  14  toward the front panel  18  will extend the lid to almost its full extent. Accordingly, the stand panel  13  and face panel  14  now flatten out together in the same plane, which may then be laid down on top of the ledges  35 , and the top edge of the front panel  18 . 
     In certain conditions, the hinge panels  44  may be provided with a certain amount of relief  46  sized and shaped to match the tongue panel  16  in order to avoid interference and damage of the tongue panel  16  for later reuse. 
     The tongue panel  16  may be placed against the guide tab guiding it down into the slot  21 . The slot  21  is formed in the front panel  18  by cutting a relief space  48  from the front tuck panel  24 , and leaving the cut out material rigidly attached to the front panel. Bending the front tuck  24  back leaves the guide  46  extending upward and a relief space  48  behind it. Thus, the lid  12  may be provided a tensile support extending the lid  12  across the box  10  from the back panel  32  to the front panel  18  in tension. In the event that the box is loaded by stacking other materials on top of it, the load is supported by double walls at the front panel  18 , back panel  32  and end panel  34 . The tongue panel  16  on the front edge of the lid  12  may hold the lid forward, toward the front panel  18 , draw the back panel  32  toward the front panel  18 , and maintain the dimensionality of the box  10  under load in transit. However, loading the end panels  34  also holds them apart, drawing the front  18  and back panels  32  together. This is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . Optionally, providing tongue panels  16  at the end edges of the lid  12  may provide tensile loading of the lid  12  between the end panels  34   a ,  34   b  as a result of the pressures of the contents of the box  10  pushing against the tuck panels  36  and ends  34 , and thus may hold these together by virtue of a tensile load end-to-end in the lid  12 . However this requires extra steps and hands, and may be more cumbersome to close. 
     The box  10  in the assembled configuration, and the loaded condition, with the lid  12  in the closed condition (e.g. FIGS.  1  and  5 A- 5 F), is now ready for transport. The box  10  may be stacked, moved, and otherwise readied for transport. The box  10  may be transported to a new location where it may be stockpiled and eventually opened for removal of the contents. 
     Upon removal of the contents, or at the time of removal of the contents, the box  10  may be returned to the condition of  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  7  (i.e.  7 A- 7 F) with the open, non-obstructing lid  12 . Drawing the tongue panel  16  out from the slot  21 , is followed by tucking the face panel  14  at the extreme outermost edge thereof, into the slots  37  or other retainers  37  proximate the end panels  34   a ,  34   b . In this way, the box  10  may be emptied just as it was filled, with no flaps of any type presenting any significant obstruction to removal of the contents by a user and placement near the box  10 . 
     During handling, handles  38  may be used as formed in the end panels  34 . Each of the handles  38  may be formed by making a cut  40  representing the circular portions and one of the adjoining straight portions of an oval shape. The extended oval shape may be left attached along the upper, straight, fold line that would otherwise connect the semi-circular or curved portions of the long oval. 
     In this way, a user may push the handle portion  38  into the end panel  34 , separating the handle portion  38  along the cut  40 . The handle portion  38  doubles under, forming a smooth surface, rather than a ragged edge or sharp edge for lifting. 
     Handles  42  may also be formed in the tuck portions  24 ,  36  or tuck panels  24 ,  36 . In this instance, no benefit is served by leaving a handle portion  38  connected. Instead, the cuts  40  may be made complete, leaving a relief  42  or handle  42  for gripping near the extreme edges of each of the tucks  24 ,  36 , or tuck panels  24 ,  36 . Accordingly, once the box  10  is empty, a user may reach a hand in to push the corresponding front panel  18  away, grasp the handle  42 , and draw the tuck panel  24  upward and out away from the bottom panel  26  of the box  10 . Similarly, the end tuck panels  36  may be drawn away from the end panels  34  to lift them upward, outward, and away from the bottom panel  26  of the box  10 . 
     Now, the box  10  is in a configuration of upright assembly, but a condition of the flaps being unlocked and extended out. By extending each of the end tuck panels  36  parallel to and directly out from the respective end panel  34  (extending the same direction), the end panels  34  may be folded together. This action collapses the front panel  18  and back panel  32  of the box  10  inward into the knocked-down configuration. 
     Once in the knocked-down configuration with the lid  12  and front tuck panel  24  both in a fully extended condition, the tuck panel  24  and the lid  12  may both be folded over the top of the now-flattened box  10  in the knocked-down configuration to place the box  10  in a shipping configuration with minimum footprint and optimum thickness. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.