Patent ID: 8651593

Claim:
A hybrid modular furniture and container unit comprising: a base shell comprising a shell bottom, a pair of shell side walls, a pair of shell end walls, and upper flaps associated with each respective shell wall; a base core layer comprising a core bottom, a pair of core side walls and a pair of core end walls, the core layer disposed within the base shell; and a set of base inner panels comprising a pair of inner panel side walls and a pair of inner panel end walls, the inner panel walls disposed within the base core layer and the base shell; each upper flap is folded over a respective core wall and inner panel wall so as to envelop the respective core wall and inner panel wall; the base core layer being a single piece of cross-shaped material such that each of the core side walls and each of the core end walls are foldably connected to the core bottom and independent from each other; the base core layer being separate from the base shell and the set of base inner panels; the inner panel walls being placed adjacent the inner walls of the base core layer to form double butt joints at each corner; whereby each of the core side walls extends beyond one of the inner panel side walls and along an outer edge of each of the core end walls so that an outer edge of each of the core side walls is adjacent to one of the shell end walls of the base shell; whereby each of the inner panel side walls extends along an outer edge of each of the inner panel end walls so that an outer edge of each of the inner panel side walls is adjacent to one of the core end walls; whereby the outer edge of each of the core end walls engages an inner major planar surface of one of the core side walls; and whereby the outer edge of each of the inner panel end walls engages an inner major planar surface of one of the inner panel side walls.