AU2005200466A1 - Container - Google Patents

Description

CA CONTAINER Field of Invention IN This invention relates to containers, typically a multi-compartments display container for holding

IND

items such as bottles, therein.

Background of invention There are numerous containers of differing shapes for holding items therein. Many of these are formed from unitary blanks and can consist of either a single compartment or multi-compartments for holding items therein.

However, many of these unitary blanks are either complicated or cumbersome to assemble and difficult to use.

Object of invention It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a container, typically a multi-compartment display container, made from a unitary blank for holding items, such as bottles therein, that ameliorates some of the disadvantages and limitations of the known art or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Summary of Invention In one aspect the invention resides in a container having at least one article bearing compartment, wherein the container includes: i) a base portion having at least one base panel; ii) a compartment forming portion having at least one compartment forming panel, the compartment forming portion is foldable joined to a side edge of the base portion, the compartment panel has at least two sub-panels foldable joined to one another about a fold line; iii) top and bottom end flaps extending from respective top and bottom side edges of the 0

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N base panel, the end flaps have a tab engaging slot therein and interlocking tabs extending from distal side edges; and iv) interlocking tabs extending from top and bottom side edges of the compartment o forming panel, wherein the interlocking tabs are adapted to co-operate with the slots in the top and bottom end flaps in order to releasably retain the end flaps in position; v wherein the base panel and sub-panels form the walls of the article bearing compartment and define o an internal area for encompassing an article or articles therein and the end flaps form closure means 0 N to enclose and retain the article or articles in the article bearing compartment.

Preferably, the article bearing compartments are triangular in cross-section, the end flaps triangular in shape and there are only two sub-panels in order to form a triangular shaped container.

Preferably, there are at least two article bearing compartments, having two base panels, two compartment forming panels foldably joined to end flaps, another two top and two bottom end flaps.

Preferably, the compartment forming panels have an opening cutout therein such that articles within the compartments can be viewed.

Preferably, the area of the compartment forming panel is greater than the area of the base panel.

Preferably, the base panel and the compartment forming panel are rectangular in shape.

Preferably, each bottom flap has two slots and each compartment forming panel has two tabs for interlocking with the slots.

Preferably, the container is formed from a unitary blank.

Any other aspect hereinbefore described.

Brief Description of Drawings An embodiment of the invention will now be described.

SFigure 1 shows a unitary Hlank of the container in accordance to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

o Figure 2 shows an assembled container derived from the unitary Hlank shown in figure 1.

IN Figure 3 shows the container of figure 2 assembled in a rectangular arrangement.

o) Figure 1 shows a container according to an embodiment of the invention formed from a unitary in) blank 10 which when folded and assembled formns a multi-compartment container as shown in figure o 2.

The unitary blank 10 has two portions, a base portion 3 0. The base portion 20 when assembled forms a back side of the container and the compartment forming portion 30 is attachable to the base portion 20 to form the multi-compartment container.

The base portion 20 preferably has four base panels 21, 22, 23, 24, where each panel is rectangular in shape. Base panel 21 is bound by edges 29, 151, 25, 155, base panel 22 bound by edges 25, 152, 26, 156, base panel 23 bound by edges 26, 153, 27, 157 and base panel 24 bound by edges 27, 154, 28, 158. Edge 28 connects base panel 24 with the compartment forming portion 30, Edge 29 of base panel 21 has depending therefrom end flaps 111, 112, 113 that are foldable along edge 29 to co-operate and join with a corresponding foldable end panel 110 on the compartment forming portion 30 to form the assembled container. End flaps 111, 112, 113 are preferably joined and held together with end panel 1 10 by locking tabs 94, 101, 102 to hold box together at that repective end.

The base panels each have atop flat 61, 62, 63, 64 and a bottom flap 65, 66, 67, 68 foldable connected to each respective base panel along edges 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158. Edges 151, 152, 153, 154 (hereinafter top edges) separate top flaps 61, 62, 63, 64 from base panels 21, 22, 23, 24 and the edges 155, 156, 157, 158 (hereinafter bottom edges) separate the bottom flaps 65, 66, 67, 68 from the base panels 21, 22, 23, 24. The top and bottom flaps are triangular in shape and each flap has two tabs joined to each flap about fold lines. For example, to flap 61 has first tab 71 joined to the top flap 61 about fold line 171 and a second tab 72 joined to the top flap 61 about fold line 172 and bottom flap 65 has a first tab 81 joined to bottom flap 65 about fold line 181 and a Cl second tab 82 joined about fold line 182.

Each top flap 61, 62, 63, 64 has a slot 121, 122, 123, 124 for co-operating with a respective tab 91, 92, 93, 94 on the compartment forming portion 30 and each bottom flap has a pair of slots 125, 126; O 127, 128; 129, 130; 131, 132 for co-operating with respective tabs 95, 96; 97, 98; 99, 100; 101, 102 on the compartment forming portion O Base panels 21, 22, 23, 24 can be provided with holes 160 for a handle to be attached or with cut N1 outs to form a handle portion for ease of transporting the assembled container.

Nl The compartment forming portion 30 has four rectangular panels 31, 32, 33 and 34. These panels 31, 32, 33, 34 have a width that is greater than the width of the base panels 21, 22, 23, 24. lEach rectangular panel is divided into sub-panels 35A, 35; 36, 37; 38, 39; 40, 41 about fold lines 48, 47, 46, 45. in figure 1 there is only one fold line shown per rectangular panels, however more than one fold line is envisaged depending on what shape container is desired. For example, for a container having rectangular shape compartments than two spaced apart fold lines would be required forming three sub-panels. For figure 1, the desired shape of compartments to be formed is triangular. Each rectangular panel 3 1, 3 2, 3 3, 3 4 is divided from one another by respective foldable edges 42, 43, 44, and panel 31 is foldable connected to base panel 24 of the base portion 20 by a foldable edge 28.

Centrally located in each rectangular panel there is preferably cutout portions 42, 43, 44, 45. These cutout portions allow the contents within the compartments of the container to be viewed, for example the label of a bottle.

The top edge of each rectangular panel 31, 32, 33, 34 has a foldable tab 91, 92, 93, 94 that in the assembled state co-operates with and joined to respective slots 121, 122, 123, 124 in the top flaps 61, 62, 63, 64 of the base portion The bottom edge of each rectangular panel 31, 32, 33, 34 has two tabs 95, 96; 97, 98; 99, 100; 101, 102 that in the assembled state co-operates with and joined to respective slots 125, 126; 127, 128; 129, 130; 131, 132. The distal longitudinal edge 29 of rectangular panel 34 is joined to a foldable flap 110 that co-operates and joined to end flaps 1 11, 112, 113 of base portion w~Even though the top and bottom flaps are shown as being triangular in shape it is envisaged that other shape flaps can be used depending upon what shape the compartments are to be, for example, o for rectangular shaped compartments then the top and bottom flaps would be rectangular in shape.

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VaO Figure 2 shows an assembled container 2 10 formed from the unitary blank 10 To assemble the o) container the following steps wre to be preferably performed.

o1) The unitary blank 10 is laid flat on a surface. The tables 71-7 8, 81 88, 91 -101 and the end Ni flaps 1 10, 111, 112, 113 are folded and bent into position about the respective fold lines such that they all extend at an acute angle preferably 90' with respect to the unitary blank.

2) The rectangular panels 31, 32, 33, 34 are folded about edges 28, 42, 43, 44 and the subpanels 34, 35; 36, 37; 38, 39; 40, 41 folded about fold lines 48, 47, 46, 45 in a concertina fashion to form four triangular shapes.

3) The compartment forming portion 30 in the four triangular shaped form is then folded about edge such that each of the four triangular shapes (34) is positioned over and above a respective base panel 21, 22, 23, 24. for example triangular shape (31) is situated over base panel 24, triangular shape (32) is situated over base panel 23 and so forth.

The apex (line 48, 47, 46, 45) of each triangle is spaced apart from the base panels to form a triangular shaped internal area.

4) The top and bottom flaps 61-68 are folded over to close the triangular internal area. The tabs 8 1 88 of the bottom flap are positioned within the internal area and the tabs 95-96 are positioned in the respective slots 125-132 in order to retain the bottom flaps in a closed position.

Similarly the tabs 71 to 78 of the top flaps are positioned with the upper region of the internal area and the tabs 9 1-94 wre positioned and held with the respective slots 121 to 124 to retain the top flaps in a releasably closed position. The triangular shape of the interlocking flaps holds each adjacent in tab in place. The contents, namely bottles also hold bottom flaps in position preventing any movement thereof.

0 In use the assembled position items can be introduced to each compartment by opening a top flap 61-64 and inserting into the compartment. The contents can be viewed through openings 42-45. The assembled container 210 can be positioned lying flat e.g. with the base O panels adjacent a surface or end on end as in figure 2. also, the whole assembly can be rotted from the 'flat position' of figure 2 to a 'rectangular position' of figure 3 or any 1position therebetween.

N Preferably, the container is made from cardboard, e.g. 'E flute cardboard', however any other o suitable material is envisaged such as plastics or paper.

Advantages Easy to assemble Product enhancement Convenient to carry Easy to store Lightweight Able to be re-used Variations It will of course be realized that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth and as claimed in the appended claim set.

Throughout the description of this specification the words "comprise" and its variations of that word such as "comprises" or "comprising" are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.