WO2017109592A1

WO2017109592A1 - Container and panels for the container

Info

Publication number: WO2017109592A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/053981
Authority: WO
Inventors: Colyn Grant OLDHAM
Original assignee: COMPACT CRATES Ltd
Current assignee: COMPACT CRATES Ltd
Priority date: 2015-12-23
Filing date: 2016-07-01
Publication date: 2017-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-23

Abstract

This invention relates to a container and to panels for the container and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a container having cut-out panels which panels are made of honeycomb core structures covered with paper sheet material. The panel for the container includes a panel body having an insulation layer and at least one first sheet material layer, an outer surface of the first sheet material layer forming a first major surface of the panel, and joint formations on at least one side of the panel.

Description

CONTAINER AND PANELS FOR THE CONTAINER FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a container and to panels for the container and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a container having cut-out panels which panels are made of honeycomb core structures covered with paper sheet material.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

United States patent number US 5,429,264 A entitled "Insulated container for packaging refrigerated goods" in the name of Transtech Service Network, Inc. (the "TSN" disclosure), discloses:

"An insulated container has an outer box having a two part top having tabs that are received in slots in the sides of the box for securing the top in a closed position. Insulated panels are within the box along the top and the sides. An insulated bottom panel is within the box and has downwardly depending peripheral arms that define a space. A plastic sheet encapsulates the bottom panel and a plastic bag is disposed about the encapsulated bottom panel so that the space is an ice melt collection reservoir." The insulated panels of the TSN disclosure do not interlock with each other and cannot form a container on their own. These panels are supported inside an outer box. United States patent application number US 20050189404 A1 entitled "Insulated panels and shipping container incorporating said panels", in the names of Mao Xiaohai, Yeo Chin Thiam and Hong Koh Ping (the "Mao" disclosure) discloses:

" The invention relates to an insulation panel for use in thermally insulated shipping containers, the panel comprising a rigid core of an insulation material, the core being wholly encompassed within a polyethylene foam envelope. A container made from the panels and a shipping carton is also described."

Mao's insulation panels are thick rectangular or square panels (rectangular or square prisms or generally cuboidal) having an insulation layer enclosed in an envelope and may have complementary inter-engaging formations such as tongue and groove formations to engage with each other to form a container. The tongue and groove formations extend along the whole length of a width or breadth or a panel proximate an edge or in an end of the panels.

The panels do not have castellated sides. The outline of each panel, in plan view (viewed onto any one of its two major opposing surfaces) remains rectangular or square.

United States patent number US 4,402,397 A entitled "Display case with castellated tongue and groove joints", in the name of Jack T. Spence (the "Spence" disclosure) discloses: "A plastic display case which may be assembled from essentially flat components is provided with a castellated tongue and groove construction. This particular construction allows extremely high stacking strength to be provided from a relatively thin gauge material."

United States patent number US 8,893,889 B2 entitled "Interlocking crate and shipping container system" in the name of Tru Vue, Inc. (the "Tru Vue" disclosure), discloses:

"A shipping container system comprises a bottom panel, a plurality of side panels, and a top panel, each with interlocking features. The side panels interlock with the bottom panel to assemble a self-supporting shipping container. A plurality of horizontally oriented slots are formed in an opposing pair of the side panels, and arranged at different heights between the bottom panel and a top edge of the side panels. A cross member is positioned at a selected height by insertion into an opposing pair of the slots, in order to restrain one or more shipping units against vertical motion inside the shipping container. The top panel interlocks with the side panels to cover the shipping container, and is spaced above the plurality of shipping units at a clearance maintained by the cross member."

Tru Vue does not disclose a panel for a container having an insulation layer. The tongue-in-groove features or castellations disclosed by True Vue are, for the most part, similarly dimensioned. European patent application number EP 0,341 ,838 A1 entitled "Improved packaging" in the name of Bettaboxes (Packaging) Limited (the "Betabox" disclosure), discloses:

" There is described a package comprising an outer container and a cushioning liner, the liner being formed from a number of panels equal to the number of faces of the container, and adjacent edges of adjacent panels of the liner being formed with cooperating lugs and recesses. The liner is preferably of plastics foam material, and the panels are die-cut from a sheet with at least two adjacent panels having a common cut edge defining a lug and a recess."

The lining panels disclosed by Bettabox are supported in an outer container but are also held in position by their own cooperating lugs and recesses. The panels disclosed are not all inter changeable and they also do not include an inner insulation core contained inside an envelope or inside outer sheet material panels.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a container and a panel for a container. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided a panel for a container comprising a panel body having an insulation layer and at least one first sheet material layer, an outer surface of the first sheet material layer forming a first major surface of the panel, and joint formations on at least one side of the panel.

The insulation layer is located between the first sheet material layer and a second sheet material layer so that an outer surface of the second sheet material layer forms a second major surface of the panel, the sheet material layers thus defining two parallel major opposing surfaces.

There is provided for the insulation layer to be a honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure is made of cardboard.

The first and second sheet material layers are also made of cardboard.

The joint formations are box joint formations having at least one finger and one recess.

A still further feature of the invention provides for each finger to extend in a direction away from a side of the panel parallel with a plane defined by the first major surface. The joint formations are on all four sides of the panel.

There is also provided for each finger to be integral with the panel and to have the same thickness as the panel.

Each finger has a length parallel to a side of the panel and a height, the height being the distance that the finger extends away from the panel. The height of each finger equals the width thereof.

Each side of the panel includes a first and a second finger of different lengths, and a first and second recesses of different lengths. The length of the first finger equals its width.

The first recess equals twice the thickness of the panel and the length of the second recess equals the length of the second finger. This invention extends to a container comprising at least five identical panels, four of the five panels forming side walls for the container and the fifth panel forming an operatively bottom wall, the sides of the panels having cooperating joint formations to engage the panels with each other. A sixth identical panel forms an operatively upper wall of the container. The joint formations are box joints.

There is further provided for each panel to include a panel body having an insulation layer and at least one first sheet material layer, an outer surface of the first sheet material layer forming a first major surface of the panel.

A yet further feature of the invention provides for the insulation layer to be a honeycomb structure.

The honeycomb structure is made of cardboard. The first and second sheet material layers are made of cardboard. The box joint formations have at least one finger and one recess.

Each finger extends in a direction away from a side of the panel parallel with a plane defined by the first major surface. Each finger is integral with the panel and has the same thickness as the panel.

Each finger has a length parallel to a side of the panel and a height, the height being the distance that the finger extends away from the side of the panel.

The height of each finger equals the width thereof.

The panel includes a first and a second finger of different lengths and a first and second recesses of different lengths.

The length of the first finger equals its width.

There is provided for the length of the first recess to be equal to twice the thickness of the panel and the length of the second recess to be equal to the length of the second finger.

These and other features of the invention are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a panel for a container; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the panel of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of 5 panels identical to the panel of

Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 shows 5 panels engaged with each other and a 6^th panel forming a lid or top wall of a container; and Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a panel formed by engaging 6 panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the drawings, a container is generally indicated by reference numeral 1 .

A panel 3 for a container 6 has a generally flat panel body. The panel body has two major opposing surfaces defined by outer surfaces of sheet material, in this case, cardboard or paper sheets. The sheets are secured to opposite sides of a generally planar and thicker honeycomb inner structure. The honeycomb structure is made of cardboard. The panel body is square in plan view. The panel body has 4 castellated edges or sides. These castellations form box joints with fingers and recesses. A box joint can be described as a squared dovetail joint.

The castellations are irregular or differ in length as is described below. The castellations are formed by slots or recesses 2 cut into the edges of the panel to leave two tongues or fingers on each edge or side.

The fingers extends away from the sides and are integral therewith and thus as wide as the panel. The height of each finger (the distance it extends away from the panel or the recess) is equal to its width, in a preferred embodiment.

The length of recesses and fingers are measured as their dimension parallel with their respective sides. Each edge is castellated to have a long groove or recess 5a and a short groove or recess 5b of equal depth and a short and a long protrusions or tongues or fingers (4a and 4b respectively) of the same height. A first, short finger 4a has a length equal to the width of the panel. The long groove or recess 5a is equal in length to the long tongue or finger 4b and the short groove or recess 5b is double the length of the short tongue or finger 4a.

Opposing castellations an opposing edges of the panel are mirror images of each other. A side of a short finger 4a forms part of the short recess 5b on an adjacent edge which short groove is adjacent the long finger 4b on that edge. The panels are manufactured to, preferably, be square in plan view without having the castellations but having straight edges. The slots are then cut out of the panels to form each castellated edge.

In use, six panels are engaged as shown in figures 4 and 5 to form a container 6 with a bottom wall, four side walls and a lid or roof or top wall. The sizes of the slots and tongues are such that the panels engage snugly with each other to form a sturdy container.

It is envisaged that the container made from the panels as described herein will be convenient to use in that it is relatively cheap, easy and simple to manufacture. The panels are easy to assemble (in a friction fit manner) to form the container and are just as easily disengaged from each other to be stored or to be shipped, stacked on top of each other if required, for later assembly and use. The honeycomb inner is relatively thick, especially when compared to the sheet material on either side thereof. This adds to the strength and durability of the container.

The honeycomb structure is exposed on the sides of each panel. This is as a result of cutting the panels from larger panels. The exposed honeycomb is not covered so as not to increase the cost of the panels and container made from the panels.

The honeycomb inner layer provides insulation and its thickness relative to the sheets covering it on either side ads to the strength of the panels.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the precise details as described herein. For example, instead of being square, the panels could be rectangular and panels of different dimensions, whether square or rectangular, could be used together to form a container. In doing this one might form a thin, narrow container to carry, as an example, a flat screen TV, or other any other flat object.

BREDENKAMP ATTORNEYS AGENTS/ATTORNEYS FOR THE APPLICANT

Claims

1 . A panel for a container comprising a panel body having an insulation layer and at least one first sheet material layer, an outer surface of the first sheet material layer forming a first major surface of the panel, and joint formations on at least one side of the panel.

2. A panel as claimed in claim 1 in which the insulation layer is located between the first sheet material layer and a second sheet material layer so that an outer surface of the second sheet material layer forms a second major surface of the panel, the sheet material layers thus defining two parallel major opposing surfaces.

3. A panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the insulation layer is a honeycomb structure.

4. A panel as claimed in claim 3 in which the honeycomb structure is made of cardboard.

5. A panel as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 in which the first and second sheet material layers are made of cardboard.

6. A panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the joint formations are box joint formations having at least one finger and one recess.

7. A panel as claimed in claim 6 in which each finger extends in a direction away from a side of the panel parallel with a plane defined by the first major surface.

8. A panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the joint formations are on all four sides of the panel.

9. A panel as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8 in which each finger is integral with the panel and has the same thickness as the panel.

10. A panel as claimed in one of claims 6 to 9 in which each finger has a length parallel to a side of the panel and a height, the height being the distance that the finger extends away from the panel.

1 1 . A panel as claimed in claim 10 in which the height of each finger equals the width thereof.

12. A panel as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 1 1 in which each side of the panel includes a first and a second finger of different lengths, and a first and second recesses of different lengths.

13. A panel as claimed in claim 12 in which the length the first finger equals its width.

14. A panel as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 13 in which the length of the first recess equals twice the thickness of the panel and the length of the second recess equals the length of the second finger.

15. A container comprising at least five identical panels, four of the five panels forming side walls for the container and the fifth panel forming an operatively bottom wall, the sides of the panels having cooperating joint formations to engage the panels with each other, an insulation layer and a first sheet material layer, an outer surface of the sheet material layer forming a first major surface of the panel.

16. A container as claimed in claim 15 in which a sixth identical panel forms an operatively upper wall of the container.

17. A container as claimed in any one of claims 15 or 16 in which the joint formations are box joints.

18. A container as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17 in which the panels are identical.

19. A container as claimed in claim 18 in which the insulation layer is located between the first sheet material layer and a second sheet material layer so that an outer surface of the second sheet material layer forms a second major surface of the panel, the sheet material layers thus defining two parallel major opposing surfaces.

20. A container as claimed in claim 19 in which the insulation layer is a honeycomb structure.

21 . A container as claimed in claim 20 in which the honeycomb structure is made of cardboard.

22. A container as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21 in which the first and second sheet material layers are made of cardboard.

23. A container as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 22 in which the box joint formations have at least one finger and one recess.

24. A container as claimed in claim 23 in which each finger extends in a direction away from a side of the panel parallel with a plane defined by the first major surface.

25. A container as claimed in any one of claims 23 or 24 in which each finger is integral with the panel and has the same thickness as the panel.

26. A container as claimed in one of claims 23 to 26 in which each finger has a length parallel to a side of the panel and a height, the height being the distance that the finger extends away from the side of the panel.

27. A container as claimed in claim 27 in which the height of each finger equals the width thereof.

28. A container as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28 in which each side of the panel includes a first and a second finger of different lengths and a first and second recesses of different lengths.

29. A container as claimed in claim 29 in which the length of the first finger equals its width.

30. A container as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 30 in which the length of the first recess equals twice the thickness of the panel and the length of the second recess equals the length of the second finger.