Granted Patent B2

US 8,522,971 · App. 13/756,234 · Granted Sep 3, 2013

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A method for storing and/or shipping vanity sinks, the method comprising:

positioning a first support on a first vanity sink;

positioning a second support on the first vanity sink;

placing the first vanity sink in a first closable container having an opening and having a trapezoidal cross sectional shape, the first closable container having a first height corresponding to a tall side of the trapezoidal cross sectional shape and a second height corresponding a short side of the trapezoidal cross sectional shape;

closing the opening of the first closable container with a first top portion, such that upon completion of said positioning said first support, positioning said second support and placing the first vanity sink in a first closable container, said first support supports said first top portion at a first location and said second support supports said first top portion at a second location;

positioning a third support on a second vanity sink;

positioning a fourth support on the second vanity sink;

placing the second vanity sink in a second closable container having an opening and having a trapezoidal cross sectional shape, the second closable container having a first height corresponding to a tall side of the trapezoidal cross sectional shape and a second height corresponding a short side of the trapezoidal cross sectional shape;

closing the opening of the second closeable container with a second top portion, such that upon completion of said positioning said third support, positioning said fourth support and placing the second vanity sink in the second closable container, said third support supports said second top portion at a first location and said second support supports said second top portion at a second location; and

stacking the first closable container and the second closable container with said first top portion facing said second top portion on a storage and/or shipping platform.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the first support, the second support, the third support, and the fourth support has a generally triangular shape,

each of the first support, the second support, the third support, and the fourth has a tall side and a short side, and

the steps of positioning the first support, the second support, the third support, and the fourth support include positioning the first support, the second support, the third support and the fourth support such that:

a bottom edge of each of the first support and the second support rests on the vanity first sink,

a top edge of each of the first support and the second support contacts or is substantially close to contacting the first top portion of the first closable container when the step of closing the second top portion is completed,

a bottom edge of each of the third support and the fourth support rests on the second vanity sink, and

a top edge of each of the third support and the fourth support contacts or is substantially close to contacting the second top portion of the second closable container when the step of closing the second top portion is completed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the first support and the second support is sized to extend from a bottom of the first closable container to the first top portion of the first closable container when the step of closing the first top portion is completed,

each of the third support and the fourth support is sized to extend from a bottom of the second closable container to the second top portion of the second closable container when the step of closing the second top portion is completed, and

the steps of positioning the first support, the second support, the third support, and the fourth support include positioning the first support, the second support, the third support and the fourth support such that:

the first support holds onto a corner of the first vanity sink,

the second support holds onto a corner of the first vanity sink,

the third support holds onto a corner of the second vanity sink, and

the fourth support holds onto a corner of the second vanity sink.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further includes:

positioning a fifth support and a sixth support on the first vanity sink, each of the fifth support and the sixth support having a generally triangular shape, such that:

a bottom edge of each of the fifth support and the sixth support rests on the vanity first sink, and

a top edge of each of the fifth support and the sixth support contacts or is substantially close to contacting the first top portion of the first closable container when the step of closing the second top portion is completed, and

positioning a seventh support and a eighth support on the second vanity sink, each of the seventh support and a eighth support having a generally triangular shape,

a bottom edge of each of the seventh support and a eighth support rests on the second vanity sink, and

a top edge of each of the seventh support and a eighth support support contacts or is substantially close to contacting the second top portion of the second closable container when the step of closing the second top portion is completed.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising stacking eight sink-filled containers vertically together on a 40″ pallet.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the eight stacked containers form a rectangular-shaped body of containers.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first closable container and second closeable containers comprises a front face, a front flap, two side flaps, and interior flaps, and wherein the method comprises folding the front flap over the front face of the closable container, and folding the two side flaps over the interior flaps.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising releasable locking in place at least one of the front flap, two side flaps, and interior flaps of each of said first closeable container and second closeable containers.

Assignments (12)