Patent ID: 8087568

Claim:
A collapsible carton, comprising: a carton bottom; a plurality of side walls extending substantially perpendicularly from the carton bottom to defining a first maximum carton volume, wherein the carton is fashioned to automatically collapse via at least a first score under pressure in a substantially uniform manner defining a second smaller carton volume, and wherein the plurality of side walls form a top opening, the plurality of side walls include, first and second non-contiguous opposed side walls, wherein the first side wall includes a score at a predetermined height H with respect to the carton bottom; and, wherein the second side wall includes a score at substantially the same height H with respect to the carton bottom, and at least third and fourth non-contiguous opposed side walls spaced apart by the first and second side walls, wherein the third side wall includes a score at a predetermined height H 1 with respect to the carton bottom and wherein the fourth side wall includes a score at substantially the same height H 1 with respect to the carton bottom; wherein H 1 is less than H; a carton lid formed from a pair of major flaps and a pair of minor flaps extending from and along the width of each of the sidewalls and disposed distally from the carton bottom, wherein the carton lid is substantially perpendicular to the side walls to cover the top opening, and wherein at least one flap selected from the group consisting of the pair of major flaps and the pair of minor flaps includes a plurality of scores; and a ledge contiguous around the perimeter of the carton and disposed between the carton lid and the carton sides.