Abstract:
A container for packaging fragile items. The container provides an inner carton suspended within an outer carton. The suspension is achieved by means of integral end flaps on the inner carton which interlock the end flaps of the outer carton.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to the packaging and material handlng arts and more specifically to a new and useful container for the packaging of fragile items. 
     Those skilled in the packaging and material handling arts having long recognized a need for a simple container which is useful for packaging fragile items by suspending and thereby mechanically isolating the items from the exterior of the container so that shock and vibration which is suffered by the external container is not also suffered by the fragile item packaged therein. 
     Various solutions have been proposed for such a problem which range from packing the fragile items in layers of resilient material to providing complicated suspension systems within the package. Providing layers of resilient material has the disadvantage that it adds weight to the package and is wasteful of material. The J. E. Clenny and W. H. Fairchild patent, U.S. Pat. No. 987,958, shows one manner in which cardboard buffers are used to fill in the space between the inner and outer carton and thus shock mount the inner carton. 
     The Hoover patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,460, and the two Ryno patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,700,518 and No. 2,785,795, show complex systems in which the fragile item is suspended in a flexible tubing which is then twisted at the ends and thereby providing a suspension system. Such systems are too complex to be economical for large volume packaging. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of this invention is to provide a container for packaging fragile items which overcomes the difficulties of the prior art devices. The unique construction of the present invention, which incorporates a carton suspended within a carton by tabs that are integral to the inner carton, provides several advantages. 
     First, the inner carton is securely suspended and attached to the outer carton by means of a slot and tab thereby requiring only a minimum amount of material for the actual suspension function. 
     The use of integral tabs allows the suspension system to be formed out of the same blank as the inner carton thereby simplifying assembly of the container. 
     Also, the unique construction allows the suspension system to be completely assembled at the same time that the package is assembled, i.e., the package requires no further manipulations in order to engage the suspension system aside from the assembly of the cartons themselves. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the inner carton is formed. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the outer carton is formed. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a container showing the component parts thereof. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a partially formed container showing the upper end with the tab of the inner container protruding through a slot in the outer container. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a container showing the container with the upper tabs bent over to engage the end portion of the outer container. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5. 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 5. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to FIG. 3, in accordance with the instant invention, a container which is suitable for packaging a fragile item 1 comprises an inner carton 5 and outer carton 13. The inner carton 5 is assembled from a blank which is shown in FIG. 1. The blank 4 consists of side wall panels 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d hingedly connected to each other at fold lines 88a, 88b and 88c. A sealing tab 7 is hingedly connected to side wall panel 8d at fold line 88d. The blank 4 also has top wall panels 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d which are respectively hinged to side wall panels 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d at hinge lines 110a, 110b, 110c and 110d. The blank 4 also has bottom wall panels 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d which are respectively hinged to side wall panels 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d at hinge lines 112a, 112b, 112c and 112d. Also, the top panels 10a and 10c have tabs 14a and 14c hingedly connected at hinge lines 114a and 114c. The tabs 14a and 14c include fold lines 214a and 214c, the purpose of which will presently appear. The bottom panels 12a and 12c have tabs 16a and 16c respectively attached at hinge lines 116a and 116c. The tabs 16a and 16c include hinge lines 216a and 216c, the purpose of which will presently appear. 
     In reference to FIG. 2, the outer carton 13 is constructed from a blank 6 which has side wall panels 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d  hingedly connected at fold lines 99a, 99b and 99c. A sealing tab 11 is hingedly connected to side wall panel 9d at fold line 99d. The blank 6 also has top wall panels 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d respectively hinged to side wall panels 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d at hinge lines 120a, 120b, 120c and 120d. The blank 6 also has bottom wall panels 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d which are respectively hinged to side wall panels 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d at hinge lines 122a, 122b, 122c and 122d. The top wall panels 20b and 20d and the bottom wall panels 22b and 22d each respectively have flat shallow slots 24b, 24d, 26b and 26d cut therein. Top and bottom wall panels 20a, 20c, 22a and 22c each respectively have elongated slots 28a, 28c, 30a and 30c cut therein. The purpose of these slots will presently be made apparent. 
     With reference to FIG. 3, the cartons 5 and 13 are assembled from the two blanks 4 and 6. When the sealing tab 7 of blank 4 is attached by gluing or other suitable means to the inside of side wall 8a, the resulting carton 5 takes on a rectangular shape such that the side walls 8a, 8b, 8c and 8d are folded to be perpendicular to each other. The same is true with respect to blank 6 when its sealing tab 11 is attached to the inside of side wall 9a to form carton 13. 
     The top flaps 10b and 10d of carton 5 are folded toward the center of the carton 5 along lines 110b and 110d. Then, top flaps 10a and 10c of carton 5 are folded along lines 110a and 110c respectively so that top flaps 10a and 10c overlap top flaps 10b and 10d and are glued thereto. In the process of folding top flaps 10a and 10c, tabs 14a and 14c are folded outwardly so that tabs 14a and 14c are abutting and are congruent to each other. The same operation is repeated in folding the bottom flaps of carton 5. 
     With respect to carton 13, top flaps 20c and 20a are initially folded along lines 120a and 120c so that slots 24a and 24c are adjacent thereby forming a single slot. Next, top flap 20b is folded along fold line 120b so as to overlap flaps 20a and 20c, and flap 20b is glued to flaps 20a and 20c. Top flap 20d is then folded along fold line 120d to overlap top flaps 20b, 20a and 20c and is glued to flap 20b. The inner carton 5 is then inserted through the open bottom end of the outer carton 13 and the congruent tabs 14c and 14a extend through the slot formed by overlying slots 24a, 24c, 26a and 26c in the top end of the carton 13 as shown in FIG. 4. The flaps 14a and 14c are then bent outwardly along fold lines 214a and 214c respectively and can be glued to the surface of flap 20d as indicated in FIG. 5. The bottom end of outer carton 13 is then folded so that the tabs 16c and 16a are congruent and similarly protrude through the slot formed by 26b, 26d, 30a and 30c. The tabs 16a and 16c are then folded back along fold lines 216a and 216c so that they lay flat and can be glued to the bottom flap 22b. 
     With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, it can be seen that the fragile item 1 is completely sealed within the inner carton 5, and the carton 5 is completely isolated from carton 13 by an air space around the top and sides and bottom except for those portions of tabs 14a and 14c which lie between fold lines 214a and 114a and 214c and 114c respectively. In this manner, the carton 5 is suspended from both the top and the bottom of the outer carton 13 and is, therefore, mechanically shock mounted.