TRANSPARENT BOX AND BLANK THEREFOR

Abstract: A transparent shoe box formed from a single sheet (11) of material. The blank (11) provides a base (12), a top (13), side walls (14, 15), and vertical strengthening braces (18) for each corner of the box. Connectors (36, 53, 54 and 55) are provided for interconnecting adjacent boxes by means of corresponding slots (52, 27, 45 and 28). The blank may be a one-piece plastics moulding.

Description: TRANSPARENT BOX AND BLANK THEREFOR The present invention relates to containers, for example, generally cuboidal containers formed from flat blanks, and also to blanks for forming such containers. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with containers for footwear. In general, shoes and other footwear for retail are stored and transported in containers which comprise a cardboard box with a separate lid. These shoeboxes are adequate but suffer three disadvantages. Firstly, they cannot be stacked without a risk that the bottom boxes will become crushed, secondly, the lids can become detached and thirdly, the contents cannot be seen. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container suitable for shoes which is capable of bearing considerable vertical loads. It is a further object to provide a container with a lid which cannot become detached. It is a still further object to provide a container which allows the contents to be seen from the outside. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a container with access to its contents from one end rather than by removing a lid. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a container made up from a blank in the form of a single sheet of material, the blank providing: a base, a top and side walls; vertical strengthening means providing additional support between the base and top; and connection means arranged to interconnect adjacent containers. Preferably, the box is generally cuboidal so that the side walls include two sides and two ends though it may take other shapes and may therefore be octagonal or hexagonal in section. Preferably, one of the ends is hinged so that it may be opened, allowing access to be gained to the contents of the container. The box may include means for attaching itself to adjacent boxes, preferably laterally on both sides and also above and below. The attachment means may take the form a flap and corresponding slit. The flap is preferably formed by two opposed U-Shaped flaps, one inside the other. Thus, the outer flap can be opened to the required position and the inner flap can be hooked back into the appropriate slit on an adjacent box. Preferably, the material of the blank is transparent or translucent so that the contents of the box may be seen from outside. Preferably, the box is assembled without using any external fixing means such as staples or adhesives. The box may be provided with a separate carrying handle v/hich may be formed with the blank and attached to the box by means of tabs and slots. In a preferred embodiment, the blank is a one-piece plastics moulding. In such a case, the various features of the final box can be mounted in to the blank. Thus, the hinge lines may be formed by a "thinning" of the material while the vertical strengthening can take the form of local thickening or by vertical ribs or corrugarions or even by an embossed design or textual matter. These are preferably at the side walls. The connection means may take the form of tabs and openings, however, due to the moulding technique used to produce the blank, the tabs may not need to be stamped and folded out of the plane of the sheet. A further advantage of this embodiment is that the blank may be part-assembled and then flattened for transport and storage. When required for use, it can then simply be erected and finally assembled, for example by engaging the end walls in position. Boxes in accordance with the invention can therefore be stacked to the require height without damaging the lower boxes. They can be interconnected to form an integrated storage system which can be particularly useful in the home, for example, in wardrobes. Access can be easily be gained from the ends of the boxes and when the boxes are made from transparent material, the contents can be clearly seen. ' Furthermore, the boxes may be re-used by their being returned to a retailer in a conveniently unfolded form. The invention also extends to a blank for providing a box in accordance with the invention, and any of its preferred variants. The invention may be carried into practice in various ways and some embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 shows a blank for forming a box in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a simplified part cut-away perspective view of one corner of the box of Figure 1, partly folded; and Figures 3 and 4 are perspective sketches of boxes assembled from the blank of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a blank according to a second embodiment; Figure 6 is a side view of the blank of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a perspective sketch of a box assembled from the blank of Figures 5 and 6; and Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the box in a partly collapsed form. Referring to Figure 1, the blank 11 which is of a transparent plastics material comprises essentially a base 12, a top 13, a first side 14, a second side 15, a fixed end 16 and an opening end 17. In addition it includes four corner braces 18 and a separate handle 19. The first side 14, base 12, second side 15 and top 13 are respectively interconnected by hinge lines 21, 22 and 23. The ends 16, 17 are hingedly connected to the base 12 by respective hinge lines 24, 25, while two corner braces 18 are hingedly connected to each of the two sides 14, 15 through a respective hinge line 26. The base 12 has a slot 27 near one edge. The top 13 has a similar slot 28 near one edge and a large slot 29 near one end. In addition, the top 13 has a hinged flap 31 along the opposite end and a smaller U-Shaped flap 32 formed in the flap 31. The handle 19 is located adjacent the flap 31 and is separable therefrom. A further elongate flap 33 is hingedly connected along the free edge of the top 13 and includes two U-shaped flaps 34 , 35 and a double-U-shaped flap 36. The double U-shaped flap 36 consists of a first U-shaped flap 37 and a second oppositely oriented U-shaped flap 33 within the first. The first side 14 includes a pair of Y-shaped openings 39, a pair of slits' 41, 42, three slots 43, 44, 45 and a small slot 46. It also has an elongate flap 47 hingedly connected along its free edge. The second side has a similar pair of slits 48, 49 and a similar small slot 51. In addition, it has a single slot 52 and three double U-shaped flaps 53, 54, 55. The fixed end 16 has a slot 56 and a pair of outwardly extending fingers 57, each of which includes a U-shaped flap 58. The opening end 17 includes a large elongate opening 59, a round hole 61 and a latch member 62. Each of the corner braces 18 includes a fold line 63 parallel to the fold line 26, and a U-shaped flap 64 (as indicated only on the lower left hand brace 18 in Figure 1) . In order to produce a box from the blank 11 it is folded along all the fold lines. The flaps 34, 35 are located in the slots 43, 44, the flap 32 is located in the slot 56 and the fingers 57 are bent around until the flaps 58 are located respectively in the small slots 46, 51. The opening end 17 is folded upwards about the hinge line 25 and the latch member 62 is located in the large slot 29. This end 17 can be opened manually using the hole 61. The corner braces IS are folded inwards, as shown most clearly in Figure 2 about the hinge lines 26, 63. The flaps 64 are then located in their respective slits 41, 42, 48, 49. The handle 19 can be attached to the box by means of the Y-shaped openings 39, if required. In order to interconnect adjacent boxes, the double U-shaped flaps are used. Thus, to connect a box to an adjacent box on the right hand side when looking at the opening end 17, the two double flaps 53 and 55 would be opened out and latched into the slots 27 and 28 respectively in the base and to of the adjacent box. To connect a box to the box above, the double flaps 36 and 54 would be opened out and latched into the slots 45 and 52 respectively in the sides of the box above. Similar connections could also be made using the double flaps on other adjacent boxes on the left and below, to the original box considered. When the opening end 17 of a box in a stack is opened downwards, the large elongate opening 59 accommodates the latch member 62 of the box below, which will protrude through its respective slot 29. Thus the end 17 is unencumbered. The embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 8 also takes the form of a single sheet but in this case it is a one-piece plastics moulding 111. In Figures 5 and 6, the thickness of the material, the depth of the perspective and the size of the various features have been exaggerated in order to illustrate these more clearly. The blank comprises a base 112, a top 113, a first side 114, a second side 115, a rear end 116 and a front end 117. Vertical strengthening in the final box is provided by central ribs 118 and end ribs 119 in the two side walls 114,115. The base 112, first side 114, top 113 and second side 115 are respectively connected by hinge lines 121, 122, 123 formed by the material of the blank 111 being made thinner. The rear and front ends 116,117 are connected to the base 112 by similarly formed hinge lines 124 and 125, respectively. The base has at its free edge two protruding tabs 126, each formed with a small latch 127. In addition, four holes 123 are formed in the base adjacent its free edge. At the opposite of the base 112, two tabs 129 are with small latches 131 formed as cut-outs from the material of the base 112 and thus effectively form extensions of the first side 114. Two apertures 130 are also formed in the base along this edge. The edge of the first side 114 which is furthest from the base 112 includes two apertures 132 and two further apertures 133 which extend into the thickness or depth of the first side 114 and are therefore effectively at right angles to the apertures 132. It should be noted that the base 112 joins the first side 114 at bottom of its depth whereas the top 113 joins the first side 114 at the top of its depth, with the result that the hinge lines 121 and 122 are offset from each other by a distance equal to the depth of the first side 114. The top 113 has at its rear a pair of ramps 134 terminating in openings 135. A pair of notched yokes 136 are formed at the front end of the top 113. The second side 115 has two apertures 137 formed at the edge ' which is adjacent the top 113. There are also two tabs 138 with small latches 139 formed as cut-outs from the material of the second side 115 which effectively form extensions of the top 113. Along the free edge 141 of the second side 115 there are four studs 142 and two protruding tabs 143 with small latches 144. The rear end 116 has a pair of tabs 147 at its free edge. The front end 117 has a single central tab 148 at its free edge. In order to assemble the box, the rear 116 and front 117 are folded in on to the base 116 about the fold lines 124,125 and the blank 111 is folded about the fold lines 121,122 and 123 (upwards out of the plane of- the drawing of Figure 5) . The studs 142 are 6? located in the holes 128. The part-assembled box can then be collapsed for storage and transport by a diagonal folding action as shown in Figure 8. This is made possible by the fact that the hinge lines 122,123 are offset from the hinge line 121 and also by an additional hinge line 149 near the free edge of the base 112. The collapsed box can be fully assembled to the position shown in Figure 7 by erecting the two sides 114,115 and then by erecting the rear 116 and the front 117. The two tabs 147 are located in the openings 135 and the top edge of the front 117 is located in the notched yokes 136. It -..ill be appreciated that the yokes 136 allow the front 117 to be readily opened to gain access to the box. The tab 148 is bent over to provide a means for pulling the front 117 down. In a preferred embodiment, the region behind the tab 148 can be recessed as shown in Figures 7 and 8. In its 'fully erected state the tabs 126 and 138 protrude laterally to one side while the tabs 129 and 143 protrude downwards and effectively form feet. Thus, the box can be connected to a laterally adjacent box by latching the tabs 126 and 138 into the apertures 130 and 132 respectivel in the adjacent box. Similarly, a box can be connected to a box below by latching the tabs 129 and 143 into the apertures 133 and 137 respectively in the box below. Thus, a large number of boxes can be interconnected.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A container made up from a blank in the form of a single sheet of material, the blank (11) providing: a base (12) , a top (13) and side wall (14,15,16,17) ; vertical strengthening means (18) providing additional support between the base (12) and the top (13) ; characterised by connection means (53,27; 55,28; 36,45; 54,52) arranged to interconnect adjacent containers. 2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, characterised by means for attaching itself to adjacent boxes on both sides and also above and below. 3. A container as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the attachment means take the form of a flap (53,55,36,54) and a corresponding slit (27,28,45,52). 4. A container as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that the flap (53,55,36,54) is formed by two opposed U-shaped flaps, one inside the other. 5. A container as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the blank (111) is a one-piece plastics moulding. 6. A container as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that the attachment means take the form of tabs (126,129,138,143) and apertures (130,132,133,137) . 7. A container as claimed in Claim 6 in which the tabs (126,129,138,143) have latches (127,131,139,144) . 8. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, characterised in that it is generally cuboidal in shape whereby the side walls comprise two sides (14,15) and two ends (16, 17) . 9. A container as claimed in Claim 8, characterised in that one of the ends (17) is hinged so that may be opened, allowing access to the contents of the container. 10. A container as claimed in preceding Claim, characterised in that the material of the blank (11) is transparent or translucent. 11. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, characterised in that it is assembled without any external fixing means. 12. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim further including a separate carrying handle (19) . 13. A blank for forming a container as claimed in any preceding claim.

Inventors: DE FRIEND MELVIN, DE FRIEND, MELVIN
Applicants: FRIEND MELVIN DE, DE FRIEND, MELVIN
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5, B65D85