Abstract:
A container for a compressible article is disclosed, wherein the container includes first and second opposed sides having a first length, a first pair of flaps or edge attached to an end of the first and second opposed sides defining an end of the container, third and fourth opposed sides capable of having a second shorter length; and a second pair of flaps or edges attached to the third and fourth sides, the second pair of flaps having a fold line approximately aligned with the end of the container.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to restraints and containers, and more particularly to a restraint and a container in cooperation with a plunger and related method for retaining a longitudinally compressible article.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Flexible duct used for transfer of heated or cooled air or other gases is typically designed for low-pressure usage, e.g. about 3 to 5 inches of water pressure. The duct is normally composed of an inner liner reinforced by a helical strand as of metal or plastic, a thick layer of flexible insulation such as fibrous glass around the liner, the insulation being surrounded by a flexible plastic, i.e. polymeric, jacket. As is well known, shipping, handling and storage costs and convenience are substantially improved by axially compressing the flexible duct into a small container, typically an elongated box, having a length only a small fraction of the initial hose length in its free state. One problem in particular relates to maintaining a length of packaged length of duct in its compressed state while the container is being loaded and closed for transport.  
           [0003]    One technique employs a mechanical retaining tool to temporarily engage the compressed duct. This tool has prongs which are inserted through openings in a wall of the container, near the end through which the duct was admitted, so that the prongs engage the end of the compressed duct and physically hold the compressed duct in place until the open end of the container is closed. The tool is then withdrawn and the compressed duct is free to expand as far as the newly closed end of the box. This technique requires that special tooling must be provided to cut openings for the prongs into the blank from which the box is made. In addition, the presence of holes in the container can lead to contamination of the duct during transport or storage. Further, the formation of the holes in the container add to the cost of the container.  
           [0004]    Therefore, a need exists for a packaging restraint and container that can retain a longitudinally compressed article, without requiring special manufacturing considerations. The need also exists for a container that can be readily manufactured. A further need exists for a container that can effectively seal the compressed article.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The present invention provides a restraint and a container for retaining a compressed article, wherein the article can be retained within the container without requiring the formation of secondary openings in the container. The container of the present invention is readily formed from a blank, wherein the blank may be any of a variety of materials, including paperboard, cardboard, plastic, composites and laminates.  
           [0006]    The container is constructed to permit a partial closure sufficient to capture the compressed article within the container with or without the restraint, while a retaining device retains a compressed article within the container. The container includes primary flaps which, once the compressed article has been admitted through an open end of the container, are used to hold the article in place after the retaining device is removed. Secondary flaps are then engaged to completely close the container and maintain the article in the compressed state. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container, including an area of detail in FIG. 1 a.    
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container with a compressible but uncompressed article, which fills the length of the container and also extends longitudinally outside an open end thereof.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank wherefrom the container can be fabricated.  
         [0010]    FIGS.  4 - 6  are perspective view of one end of a first configuration of the container at various stages of closure.  
         [0011]    FIGS.  7 - 10  are perspective view of one end of a second configuration of the container at various stages of closure.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another container containing an uncompressed article.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the container with a compressed article, strapped in the container.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]    Referring to FIG. 1, a packaging container  20  is shown. The container  20  has the general shape of an elongated cube, with a first end  22  in which is provided an opening  24 , a closed end  26 , and four walls which are formed by a first pair of parallel walls  29  and a second pair of parallel walls  30 . Adjacent walls meet at corners  32 . FIG. 2 shows the container  20  with a compressible article  40  inserted therein through the opening  24 . The article  40  is depicted in an uncompressed form, with a leading end  42  abutting the closed end  26  of the container  20 , and a trailing end  44  projecting outside the container  20 .  
         [0015]    The container  20  includes retaining flaps  51  and closure flaps  52  at the first end  22 . The retaining flaps  51  are connected to the first pair of parallel walls  29  and the closure flaps  52  are connected to the second pair of parallel walls  30 .  
         [0016]    Each of the retaining flaps  51  and the closure flaps  52  includes a closing fold line  54 . The closing fold line  54  for each retaining flap  51  and closure flap  52  lies in a common plane.  
         [0017]    For the retaining flaps  51 , the closing fold line  54  provides a folding connection between the flap and the wall  29 . For the closure flaps  52 , the closing fold line provides a folding within the length of the closure flap. The closure flaps  52  are connected to the respective wall  30  along a secondary fold line  60 . The secondary fold lines  60  of the closure flaps lie in a limiting plane  58  (FIG. 1A) spaced from the closing fold lines  54 . That is, the secondary fold lines  60  are nearer the closed end  26  than the closing fold lines  54 .  
         [0018]    Each closure flap  52  also includes a closing fold line  54  coplanar to the closing fold lines in the retaining flaps  51 .  
         [0019]    Therefore, the closure flaps  52  have a greater length than the retaining flaps  51 . The greater length is provided by slits  56  extending along the corners  32  from the first end  22  to terminate at the limiting plane  58 , which is generally perpendicular to each of the walls  29  and  30 . Each of the parallel walls  30  has the secondary fold line  60 , which lies in the limiting plane  58 . The secondary fold line  60  provides that an end portion  61  of each wall  30  is free to be folded with respect to a main portion  63  of the corresponding wall  29 , each end portion  61  being separated from the adjacent walls by the slits  56 .  
         [0020]    The walls  29  extend in a generally rigid manner between the fold line  54  and the closed end  26  of the container  20 , while the walls  30  have generally rigid main portions  63  extending between the closed end  26  and the limiting plane  58 , but have foldable end portions  61  between the limiting plane  58  and the first end  22 .  
         [0021]    Thus, the container includes the first pair of parallel opposed sides  29  and a second pair of shorter opposed sides  30 , wherein the sides  29  include the retaining flaps  51  which define an end of the container and sides  30  include the closure flaps  52  which extend from the shorter sides  30  and include a fold line  60  generally aligned with the end of the container.  
         [0022]    The walls  29  can also contain a score that is similar to that that forms the fold line  60  so that the described container has the closure flaps  52  constructed like the restraining flaps  51 . Having the closure flaps  52  and the restraining flaps  51  constructed similarly would make container orientation non-relevant during the packaging process.  
         [0023]    A container blank  70 , shown in FIG. 3, is a precursor for the container  20  itself, and is typically made from an integral piece of paperboard or like material. The blank  70  comprises four rectangular areas, each of which is joined to at least one neighboring area at one of a series of parallel corner fold lines  72 . The areas are alternately designated first (A) and second (B) areas, and additionally as free (F) areas or interior (I) areas, depending on whether they are joined to one or two neighboring areas. Thus, in FIG. 3, the A-F, B-I, A-I and B-F areas are designated as  75 ,  76 ,  77  and  78  respectively. The first areas  75  and  77  correspond to the intended walls  30  of the intended container  20 . An end line  80  defines the first end  22  of the intended container  20 , and a slit  56  extends a short distance therefrom along each of the corner fold lines  72  to terminate at a limit line  82  which is parallel to the end line  80 .  
         [0024]    Each of the first and second areas  75  and  77 , and  76  and  78 , is foldably joined to a corresponding first or second flap  51  or  52  along the primary fold line  54  which lies along the end line  80 . The end portions  61  of the first areas  75  and  77  are foldably attached to the main portions  63  thereof along secondary fold lines  60  which lie along the limit line  82 . At an end of the blank opposed to the end line  80  are additional flaps  66  for closing the second end  26  of the intended container  20 . A foldable adhesion flap  84  is joined along an edge fold line  86  to either of the free rectangular areas  75  or  78 , to provide for gluing to the remaining free area  78  or  75 . However, the join between the adhesion flap  84  and its neighboring rectangular area avoids the region between the limit  82  line and the end line  80 , in order to provide for one of the slits  56  in the finished container  20 .  
         [0025]    The fabrication of the blank  70  requires no special tooling beyond that required for a conventional blank. The slits  56  which bound the end portions  61  are merely continuations of cuts which would be provided anyway to separate the first and second flaps  51  and  52 . The secondary fold lines  60  can be provided merely by adjusting machinery which provides other fold lines.  
         [0026]    The container  20  is employed as follows. The compressible article  40 , for example a length of flexible duct, is inserted through the opening  24  until the leading end  42  of the article  40  abuts the closed end  26  of the container  20 . The article  40  is then compressed into the container  20  by a suitable apparatus such as a ram or plunger, until the trailing end  44  has passed the end of the longer sides  29 .  
         [0027]    In a first configuration, a retaining tool such as a blade is passed adjacent the end of the shorter walls  30  and within the length of the longer walls  29  to be disposed intermediate the compressed article and the plunger. The plunger is then retracted as the blade holds the article in the compressed state. The retaining flaps  51  are then folded inward and taped or stapled together, or retained mechanically. The blade is withdrawn and the connected retaining flaps  51  hold the article in the compressed state in the container. The closure flaps  52  are then folded upward about fold lines  60  to generally align the respective fold lines  54  in the flaps with the end of the container  20 , and the closure flaps  52  are then folded along the fold lines  54  to overlie the retaining flaps  51 . The closure flaps  52  are connected such as by tape, staples or glue. Various stages of closure in the first configuration are shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and  6 . The container  20  can be closed by the use of a strap that will be discussed in more detail below.  
         [0028]    In an alternative closing of the container, different stages of which are shown in FIGS. 7, 8  9  and  10 , a retaining tool is employed to fold the end portions  61  inward so that they contact the trailing end  44  and hold the article  40  in a compressed state. The retaining tool can be of any configuration known in the art and may for example consist of a pair of mechanically operated arms. The end portions  61  are now angled to approach the limiting plane  58 .  
         [0029]    Typically, the retaining flaps  51  extend from the primary fold line  54  to a distance greater than that between the primary and secondary fold lines  54  and  60 . Therefore, while the end portions are  61  are held against the trailing end  44  of the article  40 , the corresponding retaining flaps  51  are folded inward to partially close the container.  
         [0030]    While the end portions  61  retain the article  40  in its compressed state, the retaining flaps  51  are folded inward until they meet or overlap which could be two full flaps over the opening  24 . The retaining flaps  51  are maintained in this configuration by an appropriate attaching such as tape, staples, interlocking, adhesives or glue, and the tool is removed from the end portions  61 , which are now free to be withdrawn from the trailing end  44  until they are co-planar with the main portions  63 , as shown in FIG. 9. At this point the compressed article  40  can expand to fill the entire length of the container  20 , wherein it is held by the closed retaining flaps  51 . The closure flaps  52  can now folded inward about their primary fold lines  54  to cover the already closed retaining flaps  51 , as shown in FIG. 7, thereby completely closing the first end  22  which can be sealed closed by appropriate means such as glue or tape. For example, the first end  22  can be sealed by a taping together the closure flaps  52 . Optionally, a taping operation may also simultaneously be used to cover the slits  56 .  
         [0031]    Shown in FIG. 11 is another embodiment of packaging container  90  preferably constructed from a flexible material such as a plastic or similar material. The packaging container  90  has the general shape of an elongated cylinder, with a first end  92  in which is provided an opening  94 , a closed end  96 , and sides  98 . If the cylinder has more than one side  98 , the adjacent sides meet at seams (not shown). FIG. 11 shows the container  90  with a compressible article  40  inserted therein through the opening  94 . The article  40  is depicted in an uncompressed form, with a leading end  42  abutting the closed end  96  of the container  90 , and a trailing end  44  projecting outside the container  90 .  
         [0032]    The container  90  is employed as follows. The compressible article  40 , for example a length of flexible duct, is inserted through the opening  94  until the leading end  42  of the article  40  abuts the closed end  96  of the container  90 . The article  40  is then compressed into the container  90  by a suitable apparatus such as a ram or plunger, until the trailing end  44  has passed the end of the container  90 .  
         [0033]    In a first configuration, a retaining tool such as a blade is passed adjacent the sides  98  so that part of the flexible material is drawn down so the article in the compressed state. The first end  92  of the container  90  is connected by one or more straps  100  as shown in FIG. 12. Various forms of closure are possible with a flexible material using a strap  100 . For example, the first end  92  can be sealed by a taping together the first end  92  and then attaching the strap  100 .  
         [0034]    Another alternative method of compressing and retaining the longitudinally compressible article  40  is to use a retaining tool, such as the blade and plunger discussed above, to compress the longitudinally compressible article  40  such that one or more permanent longitudinal restraints surround the longitudinally compressed article. The longitudinally compressible article  40  may be placed in a flexible bag before being compressed if desired. The plunger is then retracted as the blade holds the article in the compressed state. The permanent longitudinal restraints are then secured using techniques known in the art such as by heat fusing, stapling, or other well-known securing techniques. The blade is withdrawn and the permanent longitudinal restraints hold the article in the compressed state.  
         [0035]    The longitudinally compressed article can be restrained in conjunction to the packaging methods described above. If this is done, the restraints are a back up to the restraining container. If the two methods are combined, the permanent restraints are placed around the longitudinally compressed article before it is placed in the container in a compressed or partially compressed state. Alternatively the restraints can surround the longitudinally compressible article  40  in the container before the longitudinally compressible article  40  is compressed. The permanent restraints would then be secured before the container is secured.  
         [0036]    While the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.