Abstract:
A reinforced bulk materials container having a first wall-forming blank scored to provide main panels foldably joined together at a plurality of corners with each main panel having a foldably joined bottom flap foldably. A wear reducing member attaches along the score for the bottom flaps and overlaps lateral portions of the flaps and the panels. A second wall-forming blank of corrugated paperboard defining panels laminates to the first wall-forming blank and includes members fixedly attached about a perimeter of each panel and a filler pad within the perimeter defined by the members. The wear reducing member resists the bottom edges of the container from wearing through caused movement of the container on rough surfaces.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to containers for holding and storing bulk materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to bulk material containers with wear reducing members to facilitate handling of the container in warehouses and transport vehicles.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Large-volume containers are often used for holding, storing, and transporting bulk materials, such as powders, agriculture leaf and root crop products, metal castings, plastic resins, and many other materials. Generally, the containers provide sturdy walls that protect the bulk materials from entry of pests and from container failure while allowing the containers to be handled by equipment such as fork lift trucks and platen or clamp trucks. The containers are also often stacked in warehouses.  
         [0003]     Notwithstanding such equipment for handling bulk material containers, edges of these containers tend to become torn or cut, particularly when the containers are empty and thus movable relatively easily by hand. Unfortunately, the containers are dragged with a bottom edge against a rough floor of warehouses, loading docks, and trailers.  
         [0004]     Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved bulk materials container that provides side wall strength and resists premature wear on portions that are subject to contact with rough surfaces. It is to such that the present invention is directed.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention solves the above-described problems in the prior art by providing a reinforced bulk materials container having a first wall-forming blank of corrugated paperboard made of at least a flute member sandwiched between opposing exterior and interior paperboard sheets and scored to provide a series of main panels foldably joined together at a plurality of corners with each main panel having a bottom flap foldably joined to an edge portion. A wear reducing member attaches to the paperboard sheets along the foldable connection of the bottom flaps and the main panels and overlapping lateral portions of the flaps and the panels. A second wall-forming blank of corrugated paperboard laminates to the interior surface of the first wall-forming blank. The second wall-forming blank of corrugated paperboard is scored to provide a series of main panels foldably joined together at a plurality of corners. The second wall-forming blank define a front surface and a back surface. A plurality of members fixedly attach about a perimeter of each main panel on the front surface of the second wall-forming blank and a filler pad attaches to each main panel of the second wall-forming blank within the perimeter defined by the support members. The second wall-forming blank attaches to the interior surface of the first wall-forming blank to dispose the supports and the filler pad between the interior surface of the first wall-forming blank and the front surface of the second wall-forming blank. The wear reducing member resists the bottom edges of the container from wearing through caused movement of the container on rough surfaces.  
         [0006]     Objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention and claims in view of the appended drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bulk materials container according to the present invention, with portions cut away to illustrate features of the container.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a corrugated paperboard blank for forming an outer shell of the container shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a detailed cut-away view of the corrugated paperboard blank in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a corrugated paperboard blank for forming an inner wall portion of the container shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]     Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  illustrates in cut-away perspective a container  10  of the present invention for holding bulk materials. The container  10  defines an outer wall generally  12  and inner wall generally  14  each made from blanks of sheet material such as corrugated paperboard made conventionally with fluted sheet sandwiched by linerboard also known as paperboard or fiberboard.  
         [0012]     The outer wall  12  includes a wear member  16  that extends around a perimeter bottom edge of the container  12  and overlaps lateral portions of the wall panels and bottom flaps, as discussed below. The inner wall  14  includes opposing vertical members  18  and opposing horizontal members  20  in each panel comprising the wall. The members  18  and  20  cooperatively define a “picture frame” about a perimeter of the panel. A filler panel  22  attaches to the wall within the volume defined by the members  18 ,  20 , as discussed below. A cap  24  closes an open end of the container  10  while bottom flaps discussed below close the bottom of the container.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates in plan view a corrugated paperboard blank  30  for forming the outer wall  12  of the container  10 . With reference to both FIGS.  1  and  FIG. 2 , the blank  30  includes two opposing end panels  34 ,  36  and two opposing side panels  38 ,  40  foldably connected along scores  42 ,  44 , and  46 . The end panels  34 ,  36  and the side panels  38 ,  40  define the sides of the container  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . A manufacturer&#39;s joint flap  48  foldably connects on a score  50  to the end panel  36 . The manufacturer&#39;s joint flap  58  attaches with adhesive to a side portion of the side panel  38  to form a tubular body for the container  10 . The scores  42 ,  44 ,  46 , and  50  permit the container  10  to substantially flatten to a knock-down position for shipping from a container manufacturer to a company using the container. For use, the container  10  is squared-open as in  FIG. 1  to define a cavity  53  for holding bulk materials.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  further shows a series of four bottom flaps  54 ,  55 ,  56 , and  57  foldably attached to the end and side panels  34 ,  36 ,  38 , and  40 , respectively, along scores  58 ,  59 ,  60 , and  61 . In an alternate embodiment (not illustrated), the blank defines four opposing foldable top flaps along scores in the blank  30  on an opposing side of the end and side panels, respectively.  
         [0015]     As shown in cut-away view, the wear member  16  attaches to the corrugated paperboard blank  30  along the scores  58 ,  59 ,  60 , and  61  and overlapping portions of the bottom flaps  54 ,  55 ,  56 , and  57  and portions of the end and side panels  34 ,  36 ,  38 , and  40  lateral of the scores. The wear member  16  resists wear caused by contact with rough surfaces as the container  10  is moved and handled in warehouses or in trailers. The wear member  16  is an elongate member, such as a polyethylene tape, a fiber-reinforced tape, a plate such as metal or plastic, and attached adhesively to the blank  30 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates a detailed cut-away view of a portion of the blank  30  in embodiment in which the outer wall  12  is made of double wall corrugated paperboard  62 ,  64 . Corrugated paperboard conventionally includes fluted sheet sandwiched between linerboard, fiberboard, or paperboard sheets. The wear member  16  in the illustrated embodiment attaches between the sheets of corrugated paperboard  62 ,  64  and extends parallel to the score that defines the bottom flap for the panel.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a blank  72  of sheet-like material suitable for forming the inner wall  14 , such as corrugated paperboard. The blank  72  includes four main panels  74 ,  76 ,  78 , and  80 , defined by scores in the blank. The main panels  74 ,  76 ,  78 , and  80  form the four inner side walls of the container  10  when the inner wall  14  is bonded to the outer shell  12 . The blank  72  provides a joint flap  82  foldably connected to the main panel  74  along a score line  84 . The joint flap  82  attaches with adhesive to a side portion of the panel  80 .  
         [0018]     The vertical and horizontal members  18 ,  20  attach with adhesive to a first side surface of the blank  72  about perimeters of each main panel  74 ,  76 ,  78  and  80 . The members  154 ,  156  may be formed of any suitably rigid material. A particularly preferred material is a wood veneer, typically ranging in thickness from ⅛ inch to ½ inch and in width from 2 and ¾ inches to 3 and ¾ inches. The length of the members  18  depends upon the height of the container  10 . Preferably, the length of the vertical members  18  is substantially equal to the height of the inner wall  14 , which is, in turn, substantially equal to the interior or inside height of the container  10 .  
         [0019]     The vertical members  18  provide support for the corners when the container  10  is squared-open and erected for use. The members  18  are disposed close to the corners defined by the scores  42 ,  44 ,  46 , and  50 , but not so close as to prevent the container from being folded down into a substantially flat position. Additionally, to further increase container rigidity and compression strength, a support member may be bonded near the center or otherwise intermediate of the outer ends of the main panels  74 ,  76 ,  78 , and  80  (not illustrated).  
         [0020]     The inner wall  14  further includes four filler pads  88  with one attached to each of the main panels  74 ,  76 ,  78 , and  80 . The filler pads  88  are formed of any suitably rigid sheet material, such as corrugated paperboard. The thickness is preferably equal to that of the members  18  and  20 . The filler pads  88  attach to the blank  72  with adhesive or other suitable bonding material. The filler pads  88  fill the volume defined by the perimeter of the members  18 ,  20 , to provide a substantially planar face for the inner wall  14  which adheres to the shell  12 , as discussed below.  
         [0021]     In an alternate embodiment, the members  18 ,  20  and the filler pads  88  are covered by a blank of corrugated paperboard sheet.  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  further shows the cap  24  positioned immediately above the container  10 . The cap  24  may be formed of any suitable material, such as corrugated paperboard blank, and is provided for closing off the top of the container  10 . Thus, the cap  24  is dimensioned so as to fit snugly over the open end or top of the container  10 . The cap member  24  made with corrugated fiberboard defines a main panel  90  with side flaps  92  foldably joined along scores  94  and connected conventionally at corners, such as with tape or interlocking portions.  
         [0023]     Those skilled in the art will recognize that  FIG. 1  shows no bottom support member such as a pallet or a slip sheet under the bottom of the container  10 . Various bottom support members could be provided including, but not limited to, pallets, slip sheets and bottom caps. Such bottom support members are well known in the art, and are not disclosed further herein. Thus, it is to be understood that the present invention has applications other than through conventional corrugated paperboard containers. For example, the present invention may take the form of a tube-like container consisting of only side walls with no top or bottom flaps, but having top and bottom caps similar to the top cap  248 .  
         [0024]     The container  10  assembles from the outer wall  12  and the inner wall  14 . With the members  18 ,  20  and the filler pads  88  attached to the inner wall  14 , the inner wall then attaches to outer wall  12  with adhesive. An adhesive is applied, such as by extruding, rolling, or spraying an adhesive material from a supply onto either the outer wall  12  or the supports  18 ,  20  and the filler pads  88  on the side of the inner wall  14 . The blanks are then aligned together and passed through a compression device, thereby bonding same.  
         [0025]     The joint tabs  48  and  82  are then adhered to respective surfaces of the panels  38  and  80 , to form a tubular, collapsible container  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0026]     Prior to use, the knocked-down container  10  is squared-open to define the cavity for receiving bulk materials. The bottom flaps are folded towards the respective opposing flap on the respective scores to close the open lower end of the container  10 . Upon filling, the cap  24  is placed on the container  10 .  
         [0027]     The present invention provides an improved bulk materials container suitable for holding agriculture and leaf products, granular materials, bulk particulate materials, or other bulk items requiring long-term storage. The containers can be moved across rough floors and the wear member  16  resists tear-through or holes for increased periods of typical use. An alternate embodiment however does not include the wear member, but rather provides a container with increased wall strength. The members  18 ,  20  provide the container  10  with side wall rigidity for stacking strength, bulge resistance, and side wall strength for handling of the container  10  such as by clamp trucks. Disposing the support members  18 ,  20  between the outer wall  122  and the inner wall  14  restricts the bulk materials stored within the container  10  from being disturbed or damaged by the members during filling, handling, and storage of the containers. The present invention furthermore provides a one-piece, integral unit that can be knocked down flat for shipment to an end user and easily and quickly set up by an end user.  
         [0028]     This specification has described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, including the steps necessary for fabricating the preferred embodiments disclosed. It is to be understood, however, that numerous changes and variations may be made in the construction of the present container within the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should therefore also be understood that the foregoing specification relates only to the preferred embodiments of the present invention and that modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.