Reinforced polygonal containers and blanks for making the same

1. A blank of sheet material for forming a polygonal container, said blank comprising:

a bottom panel;

two opposing side panels, each side panel extending from a side edge of the bottom panel;

two opposing end panels, each end panel extending from an end edge of the bottom panel; and

a reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first side edge of a first side panel of the two side panels, the reinforcing panel assembly comprising:

a corner panel extending from the first side edge of the first side panel, the corner panel having a first width and a first height;

a first reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the corner panel;

a second reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the first reinforcing end panel;

an inner reinforcing corner panel extending from a side edge of the second reinforcing end panel, the inner reinforcing corner panel having a second width substantially equal to the first width, the inner reinforcing corner panel having a second height substantially equal to the first height; and

an inner side panel extending from a side edge of the inner reinforcing corner panel.

2. A blank in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the corner panel and the inner reinforcing corner panel are configured to form a corner wall extending from an end edge of a side wall to an end edge of an end wall when the container is formed.

3. A blank in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a plurality of reinforcing panel assemblies, wherein one reinforcing panel assembly of the plurality of reinforcing panel assemblies extends from opposing side edges of each side panel.

4. A blank in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the two end panels further comprise:

a front panel extending from a first end edge of the bottom panel; and

a rear panel extending from a second end edge of the bottom panel, the second end edge opposite the first end edge.

5. A blank in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each end panel comprises two free side edges.

6. A blank in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a first outer reinforcing corner panel extending from a first side edge of a first end panel of the two end panels;

a second outer reinforcing corner panel extending from an opposing second side edge of the first end panel of the two end panels;

a third outer reinforcing corner panel extending from a first side edge of a second end panel of the two end panels; and

a fourth outer reinforcing corner panel extending from an opposing second side edge of the second end panel of the two end panels.

7. A blank in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a first top panel extending from a top edge of a first end panel of the two end panels; and

a second top panel extending from a top edge of a second end panel of the two end panels.

8. A blank in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a first top panel extending from a top edge of the first side panel; and

a second top panel extending from a top edge of a second side panel of the two side panels.

9. A blank in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a support panel extending from a side edge of the inner side panel.

10. A polygonal container formed from a blank of sheet material, said container comprising:

a bottom wall;

two opposing side walls, each side wall emanating from a side edge of the bottom wall;

two opposing end walls, each end wall emanating from an end edge of the bottom wall; and

a first reinforcing panel assembly extending between a first end wall of the two end walls and a first side wall of the two side walls, the first reinforcing panel assembly comprising:

a corner panel emanating from a side edge of the first side wall, the corner panel having a first width and a first height;

a first reinforcing end panel emanating from a side edge of the corner panel;

a second reinforcing end panel emanating from a side edge of the first reinforcing end panel; and

an inner reinforcing corner panel emanating from a side edge of the second reinforcing panel, the inner reinforcing corner panel having a second width substantially equal to the first width, the inner reinforcing corner panel having a second height substantially equal to the first height.

11. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising:

a second reinforcing panel assembly extending between the first end wall and a second side wall of the two side walls;

a third reinforcing panel assembly extending between the second side wall and a second end wall of the two end walls; and

a fourth reinforcing panel assembly extending between the first side wall and the second end wall.

12. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first reinforcing panel assembly further comprises an inner side panel at least partially overlying and attached to the first side wall.

13. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the first reinforcing end panel is at least partially overlying and attached to the first end wall.

14. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a top wall comprising:

a first top panel extending from the first end wall; and

a second top panel extending from a second end wall of the two end walls.

15. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a top wall comprising:

a first top panel extending from the first side wall; and

a second top panel extending from a second side wall of the two side walls.

16. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the top wall comprises a first top shoulder and a second top shoulder.

17. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 12 further comprising an outer reinforcing corner panel at least partially overlying and attached to the corner panel.

18. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a top wall comprising:

a first top panel extending from the first end wall; and

a second top panel extending from a second end wall of the two end walls.

19. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a top wall comprising:

a first top panel extending from the first side wall; and

a second top panel extending from a second side wall of the two side walls.

20. A polygonal container in accordance with claim 12 wherein the first reinforcing panel assembly further comprises:

a support panel extending from a side edge of the inner side panel, the support panel forming a portion of a first support wall extending from the first side wall into a cavity of said container.

21. A method for forming a polygonal container from a blank of sheet material, the polygonal container including at least five sides, the blank having a bottom panel, two opposing side panels each extending from a respective side edge of the bottom panel, two opposing end panels each extending from a respective end edge of the bottom panel, and a reinforcing panel assembly extending from a first side edge of a first side panel of the two side panels, wherein the reinforcing panel assembly includes a corner panel extending from the first side edge of the first side panel, a first reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the corner panel, a second reinforcing end panel extending from a side edge of the first reinforcing end panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel extending from a side edge of the second reinforcing end panel, and an inner side panel extending from a side edge of the inner reinforcing corner panel, and wherein the corner panel has a first width and a first height and the inner reinforcing corner panel has a second width substantially equal to the first width and a second height substantially equal to the first height, wherein the method comprises:

rotating the second reinforcing end panel toward an interior surface of the first reinforcing end panel about a fold line connecting the second reinforcing end panel and the first reinforcing end panel, said rotating aligning the first and second reinforcing end panels in a substantially face-to-face relationship, the corner panel and the inner reinforcing corner panel in a substantially face-to-face relationship, and the inner side panel and the first side panel in a substantially face-to-face relationship;

rotating the first and second reinforcing end panels toward an interior surface of the first side panel about a fold line connecting the second reinforcing end panel and the inner reinforcing corner panel and about a fold line connecting the first reinforcing end panel and the corner panel;

rotating the corner panel and the inner reinforcing corner panel toward the interior surface of the first side panel about a fold line connecting the inner reinforcing corner panel and the inner side panel and about a fold line connecting the corner panel and the first side panel; and

rotating the first side panel inward into a substantially perpendicular relationship with the bottom panel about a fold line connecting the first side panel and the bottom panel, the first side panel and inner side panel forming a first side wall of the polygonal container and the corner panel and the inner reinforcing corner panel forming a first corner wall of the polygonal container.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21 further comprising:

rotating a first end panel of the two end panels inwardly into a substantially perpendicular relationship with the bottom panel; and

attaching an interior surface of the first end panel to an exterior surface of the first reinforcing end panel, the first end panel and the first and second reinforcing end panels forming the first end wall of the polygonal container.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22 , wherein the blank includes an outer reinforcing corner panel extending from a side edge of the first end panel, said method further comprising:

rotating the outer reinforcing corner panel toward the interior surface of the first end panel about a fold line connecting the outer reinforcing corner panel and the first end panel; and

attaching an interior surface of the outer reinforcing corner panel to an exterior surface of the corner panel, the outer reinforcing corner panel, the corner panel, and the inner reinforcing corner panel forming the first corner wall.

24. A method in accordance with claim 22 , wherein the blank includes a first top panel extending from a top edge of the first end panel, said method further comprising rotating the first top panel toward the interior surface of the first end panel about a fold line connecting the first top panel and the first end panel, the first top panel forming at least a portion of a top wall of the polygonal container.

25. A method in accordance with claim 21 , wherein the blank includes a first top panel extending from a top edge of the first side panel, said method further comprising rotating the first top panel toward an interior surface of the first side panel about a fold line connecting the first top panel and the first side panel, the first top panel forming at least a portion of a top wall of the polygonal container.

26. A method in accordance with claim 21 , wherein the blank includes a support panel extending from a side edge of the inner side panel, said method further comprising rotating the support panel toward the exterior surface of the inner side panel about a fold line connecting the support panel and the inner side panel, the support panel forming a portion of a support wall of the polygonal container.

27. A method in accordance with claim 21 , wherein the blank includes a plurality of reinforcing panel assemblies, one reinforcing panel assembly of the plurality of reinforcing panel assembly extends from each of the first side edge and an opposing second side edge of each side panel, said method further comprising:

rotating a corner panel, a first reinforcing end panel, a second reinforcing end panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel, and an inner side panel of a first reinforcing panel assembly of the plurality of reinforcing panel assemblies about a plurality of fold lines to form the first corner wall;

rotating a corner panel, a first reinforcing end panel, a second reinforcing end panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel, and an inner side panel of a second reinforcing panel assembly of the plurality of reinforcing panel assemblies about a plurality of fold lines to form a second corner wall;

rotating a corner panel, a first reinforcing end panel, a second reinforcing end panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel, and an inner side panel of a third reinforcing panel assembly of the plurality of reinforcing panel assemblies about a plurality of fold lines to form a third corner wall; and

rotating a corner panel, a first reinforcing end panel, a second reinforcing end panel, an inner reinforcing corner panel, and an inner side panel of a fourth reinforcing panel assembly of the plurality of reinforcing panel assemblies about a plurality of fold lines to form a fourth corner wall.