Patent ID: 7434721

Claim:
A collapsible bulk bin, fabricated from a foldable material, comprising: a plurality of side walls, arranged in the form of a tube and connected to one another along a plurality of parallel-extending fold lines; a plurality of bottom panels extending from bottom edge regions of the side walls, with a fold line disposed between each bottom panel and its respective side wall, the bottom panels are connected to one another along a plurality of fold lines extending along side edge regions of the bottom panels, each bottom panel extending a distance from a respective bottom edge region to a free edge of the plurality of bottom panels; each bottom panel being pivotable between an unfolded position substantially parallel to its corresponding side wall, and a folded position substantially perpendicular to its corresponding side wall; a plurality of connector panels defined by a plurality of lines of weakness, the plurality of connector panels extending the same distance as each bottom panel from a bottom edge region of a side wall to the free edge of the plurality of bottom panels, each connector panel defined within a side edge region between adjacent ones of the plurality of bottom panels by a line of the plurality of lines of weakness, each line of the plurality of lines of weakness includes at least one fold line and at least one line of separation; each connector panel being pivotable between an unfolded position disposed substantially parallel to and coplanar with one of its corresponding adjacent bottom panels, to a folded position disposed in sandwiched orientation between its adjacent bottom panels, each connector panel being operably configured such that upon folding of one of its adjacent bottom panels from its unfolded position to its folded position, the connector panel prompts the other of the adjacent bottom panels from its unfolded position to its folded position, the connector panels providing slotless interconnections between adjacent bottom panels, the slotless interconnections extending from lower end regions of the plurality of parallel-extending fold lines which extend between adjacent ones of the side walls, so as to bridge gaps, which may otherwise be formed between adjacent ones of the bottom panels, upon articulation of the bottom panels into their folded positions, toward precluding the creation of gaps at corner regions of a bottom area of the collapsible bulk bin which may prompt failure of the collapsible bulk bin, subsequent to loading thereof.