Granted Patent B2

US 7,434,721 · App. 10/877,405 · Granted Oct 14, 2008

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. A collapsible bulk bin, fabricated from a foldable material, comprising:

a plurality of side walls, arranged in the form of a tube and connected to one another along a plurality of parallel-extending fold lines;

a plurality of bottom panels extending from bottom edge regions of the side walls, with a fold line disposed between each bottom panel and its respective side wall, the bottom panels are connected to one another along a plurality of fold lines extending along side edge regions of the bottom panels, each bottom panel extending a distance from a respective bottom edge region to a free edge of the plurality of bottom panels;

each bottom panel being pivotable between an unfolded position substantially parallel to its corresponding side wall, and a folded position substantially perpendicular to its corresponding side wall;

a plurality of connector panels defined by a plurality of lines of weakness, the plurality of connector panels extending the same distance as each bottom panel from a bottom edge region of a side wall to the free edge of the plurality of bottom panels, each connector panel defined within a side edge region between adjacent ones of the plurality of bottom panels by a line of the plurality of lines of weakness, each line of the plurality of lines of weakness includes at least one fold line and at least one line of separation;

each connector panel being pivotable between an unfolded position disposed substantially parallel to and coplanar with one of its corresponding adjacent bottom panels, to a folded position disposed in sandwiched orientation between its adjacent bottom panels,

each connector panel being operably configured such that upon folding of one of its adjacent bottom panels from its unfolded position to its folded position, the connector panel prompts the other of the adjacent bottom panels from its unfolded position to its folded position,

the connector panels providing slotless interconnections between adjacent bottom panels, the slotless interconnections extending from lower end regions of the plurality of parallel-extending fold lines which extend between adjacent ones of the side walls, so as to bridge gaps, which may otherwise be formed between adjacent ones of the bottom panels, upon articulation of the bottom panels into their folded positions, toward precluding the creation of gaps at corner regions of a bottom area of the collapsible bulk bin which may prompt failure of the collapsible bulk bin, subsequent to loading thereof.

2. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 , wherein each connector panel has a substantially triangular configuration.

3. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an aperture disposed in at least one of the bottom panels, operably configured to interlockingly receive a corner of another of the bottom panels, when the bottom panels have been pivoted to their folded positions, for releasably holding the bottom panels in their respective folded positions.

4. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 , wherein the bulk bin has one of four, six or eight side walls.

5. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 , wherein two of the bottom panels, disposed opposite one another on the bulk bin, are substantially rectangular, and the remaining bottom panels are substantially non-rectangular.

6. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 , wherein the bulk bin is fabricated from at least one of paper, paperboard, corrugated paperboard.

7. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 , wherein the bulk bin is fabricated from a blank formed from a single sheet of foldable material.

8. A blank for forming a collapsible bulk bin, comprising:

a substantially rectangular sheet fabricated from a foldable material;

a plurality of side wall panels formed therein and separated from one another by a plurality of parallel-extending fold lines, the side wall panels disposed at opposite ends of the sheet having free edges;

a plurality of bottom panels extending from bottom edge regions of the side wall panels, with a fold line disposed between each bottom panel and its respective side wall panel, the bottom panels disposed at opposite ends of the sheet having free edges, the bottom panels are connected to one another along a plurality of fold lines extending along side edge regions of the bottom panels, each bottom panel extending a distance from a respective bottom edge region to a free edge of the blank;

a plurality of connector panels defined by a plurality of lines of weakness, the plurality of connector panels extending the same distance as each bottom panel from a bottom edge region of a side wall to the free edge of the blank, each connector panel being defined within a side edge region between adjacent ones of the plurality of bottom panels by a line of the plurality of lines of weakness, each line of the plurality of lines of weakness includes at least one fold line and at least one line of separation;

the side wall panels disposed at opposite ends of the sheet being operably configured to be overlapped to form a composite side wall panel, upon folding of the sheet upon itself to form a tube;

the bottom panels disposed at opposite ends of the sheet being operably configured to be overlapped to form a composite side wall panel, upon folding of the sheet upon itself to form a tube, the connector panels providing slotless interconnections between adjacent bottom panels, the slotless interconnections extending from lower end regions of the plurality of parallel-extending fold lines which extend between adjacent ones of the side walls so as to bridge gaps, which may otherwise be formed between adjacent ones of the bottom panels, upon articulation of the bottom panels into their folded positions, toward precluding the creation of gaps at corner regions of a bottom area of the collapsible bulk bin which may prompt failure of the collapsible bulk bin, subsequent to loading thereof.

9. The blank according to claim 8 , wherein each connector panel has a substantially triangular configuration.

10. The blank according to claim 8 , further comprising:

an aperture disposed in at least one of the bottom panels, for interlockingly receiving a corner of another of the bottom panels, when the blank is articulated into a deployed bulk bin configuration.

11. The blank according to claim 8 , wherein two of the bottom panels are substantially rectangular, and the remaining bottom panels are substantially non-rectangular.

12. The blank according to claim 8 , wherein the blank is fabricated from at least one of paper, paperboard, corrugated paperboard.

13. The blank according to claim 8 , wherein the blank is preferably formed from a single sheet of foldable material.

14. The blank according to claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of top reinforcement panels emanating from top edges of the side wail panels.

15. The blank according to claim 14 , wherein the top reinforcement panels are provided with slots for enabling the top reinforcement panels to be interdigitated, for providing resistance to outward bulging of the side wall panels, when the bulk bin formed from the blank is loaded.

16. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of top reinforcement panels emanating from top edges of the side wall panels.

17. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 16 , wherein the top reinforcement panels are provided with slots for enabling the top reinforcement panels to be interdigitated, for providing resistance to outward bulging of the side wall panels, when the bulk bin formed from the blank is loaded.

18. The collapsible bulk bin according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of connector panels comprises a first portion and a second portion, the second portion defining a clearance flap.

Assignments (11)