Abstract:
A container comprising a box having a bottom wall, side walls and end walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall, corner panels extending from either the end walls or the side walls and attached to outer faces of the side walls or the end walls, reinforcing panels extending from the side walls or the end walls and attached to inner faces of the end walls, a cover having an top wall and side walls and end walls extending downwardly from said top wall, the cover being placed over the box with the side walls and end walls of said cover extending outside of the box, and straps around the box and the cover and over the corner panels; and a blank for the box.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This is directed to a shipping container and a blank for the box of the container.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Products being shipped should arrive at their destination in substantially the same state as they started their trip. For example, if packaged reams of paper are being shipped, the packages should arrive at their destination without the outer wrappers being ripped or the paper being damaged.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present construction provides strong corners which reduces damage to the contained material. An embodiment has outside panels at the ends of the side or end walls which provide greater protection to the corners of the container. This construction also places the side or end walls closer to the product so there is less chance for the product to move in the container. This reduces damage to the product. The outside panels also the visually ensure that straps will be placed over the panels with two layers of protection for the enclosed product instead of over the side or end wall with one layer of protection. In the latter instance it is possible to damage the enclosed product.  
         [0004]     Another embodiment provides an additional layer of material above the hand hole to reinforce the hand hole. In one embodiment this material is attached to the side wall. In another embodiment this material is attached to the end wall. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of an embodiment of a blank for the box.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the box formed from the blank of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a blank for the cover.  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the container formed from the box of  FIG. 2  and the cover made from the blank of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  is top plan view of another embodiment of a blank for the box.  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the box formed from the blank of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the container formed from the box of  FIG. 5  and the cover made from the blank of  FIG. 3 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     In  FIG. 1 , the blank  10  is divided by score lines  11  and  12  into a bottom wall  13  and opposing side walls  14  and  15 . End walls  16  and  17  are also attached to bottom wall  13  by score lines  18  and  19 .  
         [0013]     Hand holes  20  and  21  are formed in end walls  16  and  17 , respectively.  
         [0014]     Corner panels  22  and  23  are attached to end wall  16  by score lines  24  and  25 . Comer panels  22  and  23  are separated from the side walls  14  and  15  by lines  26  and  27 . Comer panels  28  and  29  are attached to end wall  17  by score lines  30  and  31 . Comer panels  28  and  29  are separated from side walls  14  and  15  by lines  32  and  33 . Lines  26 ,  27 ,  32  and  33  can be cut lines or slots.  
         [0015]     The score lines  24  and  30  are outside of and parallel to score line  11 , and the score lines  25  and  31  are outside and parallel to score line  12  to allow the corner panels to attach to the outside of side walls  14  and  15 .  
         [0016]     Reinforcing panels  34  and  35  are attached to side wall  14  by score lines  36  and  37 . Reinforcing panel  34  is separated from the corner panel  22  by line  38 . Reinforcing panel  35  is separated from corner panel  28  by line  39 . Reinforcing panels  40  and  41  are attached to side wall  15  by score lines  42  and  43 . Reinforcing panel  40  is separated from the corner panel  23  by line  44 . Reinforcing panel  41  is separated from corner panel  29  by line  45 . The lines  38 ,  39 ,  44  and  45  can be cut lines or slots.  
         [0017]     In forming the box  50 , the reinforcing panels  34 ,  35 ,  40  and  41  are bent upwardly around score lines  36 ,  37 ,  42  and  43  respectively until they are at right angles to side walls  14  and  15 . The side walls  14  and  15 , and end walls  16  and  17  are bent upwardly around score lines  11 ,  12 ,  18  and  19  respectively until they are upright with respect to the bottom wall  13 . The corner panels  22 ,  23 ,  28  and  29  are bent inwardly around score lines  24 ,  25 ,  30  and  31  and attached to the outer faces of side walls  14  and  15 . The reinforcing panels  34  and  40  are attached to the inner face of end panel  16  and the reinforcing panels  35  and  41  are attached to the inner face of end panel  17 . The attachment of the corner panels and reinforcing panels to the walls can be by adhesive or staples. The reinforcing panels are attached to the end walls along the top of the end walls. In the embodiment shown the reinforcing panels extend below the hand holes  20  and  21 . The reinforcing panels  34 ,  35 ,  40  and  41  have cut out sections  46 ,  47 ,  48  and  49  respectively. These cut out sections allow the hand holes  20  and  21  to be exposed.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of a blank for the cover. The blank  60  is divided by score lines  61  and  62  into a top wall  63  and side walls  64  and  65 . End walls  66  and  67  are attached to the top  63  by score lines  68  and  69 . Side wall  64  has flaps  70  and  71  attached to it by score lines  72  and  73 . Side wall  65  has flaps  74  and  75  attached to it by score lines  76  and  77 . The flaps  70 ,  71 ,  74  and  75  are separated from their respective end panels  66  and  67  by slots  78 ,  79 ,  80  and  81 .  
         [0019]     The cover  90  is formed by bending the flaps  70 ,  71 ,  74  and  75  inwardly around score lines  72 ,  73 ,  76  and  77  respectively. The side walls  64  and  65  and the end walls  66  and  67  are bent upwardly around score lines  61 ,  62 ,  68  and  69  respectively. The flaps  70  and  74  are attached to the inner face of end wall  66 . The flaps  71  and  75  are attached to the inner face of end wall  67 . The side walls  64  and  65  and the end walls  66  and  67  have a depth that is less than or equal to the distance between the top of the hand holes  20  and  21  and the top of the box  50 .  
         [0020]     In use the box  50  is filled with product such as wrapped reams of paper. The lid  90  is placed of the box  50 , and a pair of straps  91  and  92  are wrapped around the box  50  and the lid  90 . The straps should be placed over corner panels so that they do not press in on the product within the container  95 . The straps are normally mounted two inches to two and one-half inches from the ends of the container  95  so the corner panels  22 ,  23 ,  28  and  29  should be wider than two and one-half inches to insure that the straps are on the corner panels.  
         [0021]     In  FIG. 5 , the blank  100  is divided by score lines  101  and  102  into a bottom wall  103  and opposing side walls  104  and  105 . End walls  106  and  107  are also attached to bottom wall  103  by score lines  108  and  109 .  
         [0022]     Hand holes  110  and  111  are formed in end walls  106  and  107 , respectively.  
         [0023]     Comer panels  112  and  113  are attached to side wall  104  by score lines  114  and  115 . Comer panels  112  and  113  are separated from the end walls  106  and  107  by lines  116  and  117 . Corner panels  118  and  119  are attached to side wall  105  by score lines  120  and  121 . Comer panels  118  and  119  are separated from end walls  106  and  107  by lines  122  and  123 . Lines  116 ,  117 ,  122  and  123  can be cut lines or slots.  
         [0024]     The score lines  114  and  120  are outside of and parallel to score line  108 , and the score lines  115  and  121  are outside and parallel to score line  109  to allow the corner panels to attach to the outside of end walls  106  and  107 .  
         [0025]     Reinforcing panels  124  and  125  are attached to end wall  106  by score lines  126  and  127 . Reinforcing panel  124  is separated from the corner panel  112  by line  128 . Reinforcing panel  125  is separated from corner panel  118  by line  129 . Reinforcing panels  130  and  131  are attached to end wall  107  by score lines  132  and  133 . Reinforcing panel  130  is separated from the corner panel  113  by line  134 . Reinforcing panel  131  is separated from corner panel  119  by line  135 . The lines  128 ,  129 ,  134  and  135  can be cut lines or slots.  
         [0026]     In forming the box  140 , the reinforcing panels  124 ,  125 ,  130  and  131  are bent upwardly around score lines  126 ,  127 ,  132  and  133  respectively until they overlie and are contiguous with end walls  106  and  107 . The reinforcing panels are attached to the end walls along the top of the end walls. The side walls  104  and  105 , and end walls  106  and  107  are bent upwardly around score lines  101 ,  102 ,  108  and  109  respectively until they are upright with respect to the bottom wall  103 . The corner panels  112 ,  113 ,  118  and  119  are bent inwardly around score lines  114 ,  115 ,  120  and  121  and attached to the outer faces of end walls  106  and  107 . The attachment of the corner panels and reinforcing panels to the walls can be by adhesive or staples.  
         [0027]     In the embodiment shown the reinforcing panels extend below the hand holes  110  and  111 . The reinforcing panels  124 ,  125 ,  130  and  131  have cut out sections  136 ,  137 ,  138  and  139  respectively. These cut out sections allow the hand holes  110  and  111  to be exposed.  
         [0028]     In use the box  140  is filled with product such as wrapped reams of paper. The lid  90  is placed of the box  140 , and a pair of straps  141  and  142  are wrapped around the box  140  and the lid  90 . The straps should be placed over corner panels so that they do not press in on the product within the container  145 . The straps are normally mounted two inches to two and one-half inches from the ends of the container  145  so the corner panels  112 ,  113 ,  118  and  119  should be wider than two and one-half inches to insure that the straps are on the corner panels.  
         [0029]     While embodiments of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.