Patent NZ-575791-A (NZ)
Title: An indexable container formed from a blank with a single thickness indexing projection
Inventor: LENTING GERHARD FRANCIS
IPC: B65D5/20
Filed: 2010-03-17
Abstract: A stack indexable container formed from a blank 1, where the blank 1 has been cut from a sheet of a laminate which includes at least one corrugated core layer which defines a flute run direction, comprises a rectangular or square base 2 having four sides to its periphery, indexing walls upstanding from opposite sides of the base 2, and non-indexing walls upstanding from the remaining two sides of the base 2. Each indexing wall is derived from a flap sequence of two indexing wall flaps 6, 7 extending from its one of the two opposed sides of the base 2, with the first indexing wall flap 6 of each flap sequence being connected to the base 2 at a first fold line 4, the second indexing wall 7 of each flap sequence being connected to its associated first indexing wall flap 6 by a second fold line21 parallel to its the first fold line 4, and each indexing wall flap 6, 7 of each flap sequence having an extension flap 8, 10 at each end thereof beyond a fold line or curvature commencement extending substantially normal to the first and second fold lines. Each extension flap extends to a distal cut. The container has the second indexing wall flap 7 of each flap sequence inward of its associated first indexing wall flap 6 and one or both of the flap extensions at each end of that flap sequence is directly affixed by a region to, or adjacent to, its distal cut to a non-indexing wall flap. Above the transition between each associated first and second indexing wall flap of an indexing wall flap sequence in its erected indexing wall, there is defined at least one indexing projection 19 which has a single thickness of the blank material. The blanks have cut-outs 3 in the bottom, which provide stack indexable openings in the bottom in an erected container. This allows a container to be stack indexable by an identical container. The indexing projection(s) 19 of each indexing wall is derived from a cut-out from the material of its first indexing wall flap 6 and remains integral with, and in alignment with, the material of its second indexing wall flap 7. An extension flap of each second indexing wall flap, at least in part, triangulates (in a straight, curved and/or other manner) a corner directly or indirectly (i.e., via the other extension flap) to the non-indexing wall flap to define in conjunction with part of the first indexing wall flap at the corner and with part of the adjacent non-indexing wall (and optionally with part of the flap extension of the first indexing wall) a column like vertical load supporting structure. Each indexing projection 19 is flanked on either side in its indexing wall by a hinging transition 21 which involves the second fold line between a first indexing wall flap and a second indexing wall flap. Further from each hinging transition 21 and the indexing projection 19, the supporting cut edges of the laminate are upwardly exposed by both indexing wall flaps of each indexing wall. The cut edges are transverse to the flute run direction and are about and/or above the level of the hinging transition or transitions.