Abstract:
A container which protects a book or similar product, has reinforced end walls and is easier and cheaper to form than present containers and the method of forming the container into a book package. The end protection cells of the container are attached to side reinforcing panels. This reduces the number of steps required to place reinforcing panels in the end wall construction. In the preferred construction the end cell panels are attached to the main body only through the reinforcing panels. In one construction, an additional bellows or gusset panel is provided for additional reinforcement.

Description:
RELATED CASE 
     This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 374,211 filed May 3, 1982 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     A container for packaging and protecting books and similar objects, and the method of forming the container into a package. 
     2. Other Art in the Field 
     There are many designs for book mailers. Exemplary are Boitel, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 25,856 issued Sept. 14, 1965; Boitel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,824 issued Dec. 6, 1966; Boitel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,964 issued June 20, 1967; and Carlson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,780 issued Aug. 8, 1980. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the present invention is to provide a container which protects the enclosed book or similar product, has reinforced end walls, and which is easier and cheaper to form than present containers. This is done by attaching the end protection cells of the container to side reinforcing panels. This reduces the number of steps required to form the reinforced end wall construction. In the preferred construction the end cell panels are attached to the main body only through the reinforcing panels. In one construction, an additional bevel or gusset panel is provided for additional reinforcement. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank for the container. 
     FIGS. 2-9 are isometric views showing the various steps in folding the blank into a container. 
     FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the bottom of the finished container. 
     FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a modified blank for the container. 
     FIG. 12 is an isometric view showing the formation of the modified container. 
     FIG. 13, is a top plan view of another modified blank for the container. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments of my invention are the same as in my earlier co-pending application. Additional features disclosed in this application are the tear strip and anti-warpage score line normally used in book mailers. These features are shown in some of the above-mentioned art and in FIG. 13 of this application. The obliquely extending tension relieving score line in the reinforcing panels is also disclosed, and the slots between the side reinforcing panels and the end closure panels are emphasized. 
     Blank 10 is divided by score lines 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 into a first side panel 16, a bottom panel 17, a second side panel 18, a top panel 19, a third side panel 20 and a first closure panel 21. 
     The first side panel 16 is shown as being divided into two spaced sections attached adjacent each end of bottom panel 17. In machinery for forming and closing the container, there is a lug that aligns the book with the container. The lug extends along the central portion of the package and is aligned with score line 11. The space between the two sections of the first side panel 16 accommodates this lug. In forming machinery that does not have this lug, the first side panel 16 could be a unitary panel. 
     Bottom end members 22 are at each end of the first and second side panels 16 and 18 and the bottom panel 17. These members form the reinforced end cell in the completed container. The bottom end members 22 have reinforcing panels 23 and 24 hingedly attached to the first and second side panels 16 and 18 respectively by score lines 25 and 26 respectively. Score lines 25 are aligned with score lines 26. 
     A central end section 27 is between these reinforcing panels and is hingedly attached to these reinforcing panels by score lines 28 and 29, score line 28 being between reinforcing panel 23 and central end section 27 and score line 29 being between reinforcing panel 24 and central end section 27. Score lines 28 and 29 are extensions of score lines 11 and 12 respectively. It is preferred that central end section 27 not be attached to bottom panel 17. Therefore, it is preferred that line 30 between central end section 27 and bottom panel 17 be a cut line as shown. However, line 30 may be a double score line aligned with score lines 25 and 26. 
     The central end section 27 is divided by score, or slit score, lines 31 and 32 into a lower end cell panel 33, a central end cell, or inner end, panel 34 and an upper end cell panel 35. These three panels form the end cell in the formed container. Score line 31 would be aligned with or be outwardly of the outer edges of reinforcing panels 23 and 24 so that these reinforcing panels are the only attachment for the lower end cell panel 33 along score lines 28 and 29. 
     Outer end closure members 36 are attached to top panel 19 along score lines 37. The members 36 are divided by a score, or slit score, line 38 into an outer end panel 39 and a second closure panel 40. The outer end panels 39 may be separated from the reinforcing panels 24 by a slit, as shown, or usually by a slot as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13. 
     In forming the container, the bottom end members 22 are folded around score lines 25 and 26, and 30 if 30 is a score line, until the bottom end member 22 is contiguous with the first and second side panels 16 and 18 and the bottom panel 17. The inner end panels 34 are bent upwardly around scoreline 31 until they are substantially perpendicular with the bottom panel 17 and the upper end cell panels 35 are bent downwardly around score lines 32 until they are substantially parallel and opposite panels 33 to form the end cells of the container. 
     Side panel 18 and the associated reinforcing panels 24 are bent upwardly around score lines 12 and 29 until panel 18 is substantially perpendicular to bottom panel 7 and the attachment and reinforcing panels 24 are between the end cell panels 33 and 35. Panels 18, 19, 20 and 21 are bent upwardly as a unit. The book is placed on the bottom panel 17 and aligned with the package by the lug and the side panel 18. Top panel 19 is bent downwardly around score line 13 until it rests on top of the book and is parallel with bottom panel 17. The outer end closure members 36 are then bent downwardly around score line 37 and the closure panels 40 bent inwardly around score lines 38 and adhered to the outer surface of bottom panel 17. The blank would move forwardly through plows and associated apparatus which would fold these various panels into place. Initially, the panel 21 would be the leading panel in the blank&#39;s forward travel through the apparatus. This allows the panels 18, 19, 39 and 40 to be folded into place. 
     The wrapper now moves at right angles to its earlier travel so that the panels 16, 20 and 21 may be folded into place. Panel 16 and the associated reinforcing panels 23 are bent upwardly around score lines 11 and 28 until panel 16 is perpendicular to the bottom panel 17 and the panels 23 are between panels 33 and 35. Panel 20 is bent downwardly around score line 14 and closure panel 21 bent inwardly around score line 15 and adhered to the outer face of bottom panel 17. In one form of the container the panel 20 would be the closure panel and attach to panel 16. 
     FIGS. 11-12 show a modification in which bellows panels 41 and 42 are attached to reinforcing panels 24 and 23 respectively along score line 31 and to inner end panel 34 along score lines 29 and 28 respectively. Each of these bellows panels is divided by a diagonal score line extending from its inner attached corner to its outer free corner, panel 41 being divided by score line 43 and panel 42 being divided by score line 44. These would fold outwardly and be on the outer face of inner end panel 34 as the end cell is being formed. There would be a slightly different method of container formation because it is necessary in this construction to fold the inner end panel 34 and the first and second side panels 16 and 18 upwardly at the same time. These bellows panels would act as additional reinforcement but their formation require an additional operator at the forming station and additional cost of formation. 
     FIG. 13 illustrates four additional design features. The first two are standard design features that would normally be found in a book mailer. The first feature is the central score line 50 which relieves the board and mailer if there is a tendency for the board to warp. The score line 50 extends centrally of the main panels and prevents the mailer from warping the enclosed book. The second feature is the tear strip 51 for opening the mailer. Its location may be on a side or end panel. 
     The other two are specific to the present construction. The third design feature is the slot 52 between the panels 24 and 39. The panel 24 should be shorter than the side wall 18. The fourth design feature is the oblique score line 53 in the lower section of panel 24. The score line 53 extends outwardly from the corner of panel 24 defined by the second side panel 18 and the lower end wall panel 33. It acts as a tension relief for score line 29. 
     Otherwise FIG. 13 and FIG. 1 are the same. 
     The usual material of construction for these containers is double faced corrugated board. The corrugations would run in the same direction as the score lines 11-15 so that the corrugations in the inner and outer end panels 34 and 39 would extend upwardly and give additional strength to the container. 
     In the claims the term &#34;score line&#34; refers to score lines, double score lines and perforations.