Abstract:
A cardboard box with four side panels, four bottom flaps and four top flaps is provided. Adjacent bottom flaps and adjacent top flaps are provided with living hinges so that the flaps may be stored adjacent the body of the box. Additionally, during loading the top flaps are held adjacent the body of the box to move the flaps out of the way and make the box more convenient to load. The hinges may be broken apart to allow the flaps to be moved to the closed and sealed position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The invention relates generally to shipping and storage boxes. More particularly, the invention relates to shipping and storage boxes which are shipped in a flat or unfolded configuration and are constructed at the time of use. Specifically, the invention relates to shipping and storage boxes of the type having an annular body and flaps extending outwardly from the body for closing the top and bottom thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Background Information 
         [0004]    Various types of boxes exist which may be manufactured of any flat material such as cardboard, and which are configured to efficiently fold into the final box shape. As people move about the country and the world, it becomes ever evident that the need for individuals to purchase and utilize storage and shipping boxes is ever increasing. However, boxes, even when stored and displayed in a flat, unassembled configuration still take up a significant amount of space. Additionally, the boxes tend to be relatively large when in the unassembled state, and the need thus exists for the creation of a box which takes up less shelf space when on display at a retail store, and which may be easily assembled by the user once purchased. 
         [0005]    Separately, cardboard cartons or boxes which are purchased and are manually loaded generally include a plurality of flaps which extend upwardly into the air adjacent the sidewalls. These flaps can be cumbersome to work around when loading a box or carton for shipping or storage. While prior art boxes often include slots and holes formed in the body of the box for retaining the flaps in the down position, these holes weaken the box and allow entry of unwanted contaminates such as moisture, insects and animals. Additionally, these holes create weakness in the body of the box, subjecting the box to premature failure. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a body having a pair of sidewalls and a pair of endwalls; each sidewall and each endwall having a top and bottom edge; four top flaps extending upwardly from the top edge of the body and four bottom flaps extending downwardly from the bottom edge of the body; and a first hinge extending between at least two of the top flaps or two of the bottom flaps. 
         [0007]    The present invention further provides a method of making and loading a box comprising the steps of providing a box with a pair of endwalls and sidewalls and a flexible joint extending between each adjacent pairs of endwalls and sidewalls such that the first pair of joints are flat when the box is in a first collapsed position and the second pair of joints are bent when the box is in a first collapsed position; rotating the box to a second collapsed position wherein the first pair of joints are flat and the second pair of joints are bent; rotating the bottom flaps from a position adjacent the endwalls and sidewalls to a position away from the endwalls and sidewalls; erecting the box such that the sidewalls and endwalls are substantially 90° from each other; breaking the hinges connected adjacent bottom sidewall flaps and bottom endwall flaps; and rotating the bottom sidewall flaps and endwall flaps to a closed position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated of the best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the box of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 1  in the collapsed configuration; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 1  with the flaps moved to a second position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 1  with the flaps collapsed against the body; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 1 , with the box rotated to retain the flaps against the body; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 5  with a printer acting thereon; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 6  moved back to the position shown in  FIG. 4  for opening; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 6  with the bottom set of flaps moved to the open position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the box shown partially constructed; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the box of  FIG. 1  shown with the bottom of the box more fully constructed; 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 1  fully constructed and with the top flaps in the retained position; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the box shown in  FIG. 1  with the top flaps moving towards a closed position. 
       
    
    
       [0021]    Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    The storage and shipping box of the present invention is indicated generally at the numeral  1 , and is shown specifically in  FIGS. 1-12 . Box  1  generally includes a body  2  having a pair of parallel and spaced apart sidewalls  4  and a pair of parallel and spaced apart end walls  6 . Each sidewall has a sidewall top edge  8  and a sidewall bottom edge  10 . Similarly, each endwall has an endwall top edge  12  and an endwall bottom edge  14 . Sidewalls  4  are joined to endwalls  6  by way of four joints,  15 ,  16 ,  17  and  18  respectively. Opposite pairs of joints, for example joints  15  and  17  make up a first pair of joints. Similarly, joints  16  and  18  make up a second pair of joints, the purpose for which will become more apparent hereinbelow. 
         [0023]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , a top endwall flap  20  extends outwardly from endwall top edge  12  of each endwall  6 . Similarly, a top sidewall flap  21  extends outwardly from sidewall top edge  8  of each sidewall  4 . Similarly, bottom endwall flap  22  extends outwardly from endwall bottom edge  14  of each endwall  6  and a bottom sidewall flap  23  extends outwardly from sidewall bottom edge  10  adjacent each sidewall  4 . 
         [0024]    In accordance with one of the primary features of the invention, joints  15  and  17  do not extend beyond body  2  of box  1 . However, a portion of bottom endwall flap  22 A and bottom sidewall flap  23 A remain joined along joint  16  to form a first hinge  24 . Bottom endwall flap  22 B and bottom sidewall flap  23 B also join along joint  18  to form a second hinge  25 . Top endwall flap  20 A and top sidewall flap  21 A also join along joint  16  to form a third hinge  26 . Similarly, top endwall flap  20 B and top sidewall flap  21 B attach along joint  18  to form a fourth hinge  27  ( FIG. 5 ). As is also evident from a review of  FIG. 1 , an unattached area  28  is positioned intermediate joint  16  and respective hinges  24  and  26 , as well as intermediate respective hinges  25  and  27  and joint  18 . 
         [0025]    As is well-known in the art, box  1  may be made of a variety of materials including corrugated cardboard, non-corrugated paperboard, or a variety of wax-coated products including paper and plastic. Similarly, hinges  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  may have a variety of lengths without departing from the spirit of the present invention, but are preferably between ½ and 2 inches in length. 
         [0026]    In operation, box  1  may be manufactured by moving the box  1  from the position shown in  FIG. 1  to the position shown in  FIG. 2  by rotating box  1  in the direction of Arrow A and by flexing joints  15  and  17  to have a 180° bend associated therewith, and by allowing joints  16  and  18  to move to a substantially flat configuration shown in  FIG. 2 . Top flaps  20  and  21  may be then rotated along Arrows B and C, respectively, until they are in the position shown in  FIG. 3  and bottom flaps  22  and  23  may be rotated in the direction of Arrows D and E, respectively, until they are moved into the position shown in  FIG. 3 . As flaps  20  and  21  and  22  and  23  are rotated as shown in  FIG. 3 , they will ultimately move to the position shown in  FIG. 4  where each of flaps  20 ,  21 ,  22  and  23  are lying adjacent body  2  of box  1 . Referring particularly to  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that first hinge  24  and second hinge  25  are positioned adjacent joint lines  16  and  18  which are substantially flat, and that third hinge  26  and fourth hinge  27  are also positioned adjacent joint lines  16  and  18  which are substantially flat. At this point, joint lines  15  and  17  include a 180° bend. 
         [0027]    Box  1  is then rotated in the direction of Arrow F such that joints  16  and  18  are moved to the position where they have a 180° bend therein and joints  15  and  17  are substantially flat. By rotating the box along the direction of Arrow F, it can be seen that first hinge  24  and third hinge  26  also move to have a 180° bend by wrapping around joint  16  and second hinge  25  and fourth hinge  27  also provide a 180° bend by wrapping around joint  18 . The force supplied by hinges  24 - 27  assure that top endwall flap  20 , top sidewall flap  21 , bottom endwall flap  22  and bottom sidewall flap  23  are all held adjacent body  2  of box  1 . Hinges  24 - 27  provide sufficient force to assure that the free ends of each flap are also held adjacent body  2  of box  1 . By so providing, box  1  may be stored in a relatively small space compared to a traditional box which allows the flaps to extend outwardly away from body  1 . 
         [0028]    It is often appropriate to print information such as assembly instructions or the like on a piece of packaging. Referring to  FIG. 6 , it can be seen that a printer  30  provides printed indicia  32  onto the interior surface of top sidewall flap  21 . Inasmuch as this printed indicia  32  is on the inner surface of top sidewall flap  21 , when the box is moved to the closed position as will be discussed hereinafter, this information will be positioned on the interior of the box and will not take away from the appearance of the box exterior. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the box, having been purchased, may now be opened and ready for use. The box is rotated along the direction shown in Arrow G, and thus looks similar to the box as it is pictured in  FIG. 4  before it was moved to a position where the flaps are retained against body  2  of box  1 . In this position, flaps  20 A and  21 A remain held adjacent body  2  and bottom endwall flaps  22  and bottom sidewall flaps  23  may be rotated downwardly in the direction of Arrows H and I as shown in  FIG. 8 . The box may then be moved to a partially erected state where top endwall flaps  20  and top sidewall flaps  21  stay positioned adjacent body  2  of box  1  and first hinge  24  and second hinge  25  can be broken apart to the position shown in  FIG. 9 . Bottom endwall flaps  22  and bottom sidewall flaps  23  can then be rotated to the closed position along Arrows J ( FIG. 10 ). Box  10  may then be loaded with any appropriate material  34  with top endwall flaps  20  and top sidewall flaps  21  remaining positioned adjacent body  2  and held in position via third hinge  26  and fourth hinge  27 . Once the box is loaded, third hinge  26  and fourth hinge  27  may be broken and top endwall flaps  20  and top sidewall flaps  21  may be rotated in the direction of Arrow K to the closed position as shown in  FIG. 12 . As is apparent from a review of the present invention, first hinge  24 , second hinge  25 , third hinge  26  and fourth hinge  27  may simply be manufactured of the same material and may be integrally formed with the box and thus manufactured out of the same material. However, hinges  24 - 27  could be manufactured out of material with a reduced thickness, or alternatively could be made with a fracture line formed therein to make breaking the hinge easier when in use. 
         [0030]    As is evident from the above description and method of operation, box  1  may be stored in a relatively small space limited to only to the width of body  2  and storage need not be provided to accommodate a larger box when in the collapsed position as flaps  20 ,  21 ,  22  and  23  are all stored adjacent body  2  by way of the force supplied through hinges  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27 . As is also apparent and in accordance with one of the primary features of the invention, the interior of box  1  may be easily printed with directions or information assuring that when the box is in the closed position, there is no information on the exterior of the box to get in the way of shipping or packaging. Still further, box  1  may be loaded with top endwall flaps  20  and top sidewall flaps  21  safely secured adjacent body  2  byway of third hinge  26  and fourth hinge  27 . Hinges  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  may all be of varying length by simply increasing or decreasing the length of free areas  28 . 
         [0031]    In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
         [0032]    Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.