Indexable containers

Abstract

A container formed from a blank of corrugated board where cuts between panels on a hinge axis (defined by hinging bridges preferably adjacent an indexing projection) reveal the flute ends and thereby provide stack support for the base of an indexing like container. The indexing walls of the container are slightly inwardly inclined and each corner of the container has a reinforcement (column form) provided by extensions of the panels.

1 . A container formed from a blank, the blank itself having been cut (by any means) from a sheet of a laminate which includes at least one corrugated core layer which defines a flute run direction, said container comprising or including 
 a rectangular or square base,    a flap sequence of two indexing wall flaps extending from each of two opposed sides of said base, the first indexing wall flap of each flap sequence being connected to the base at a first fold line, the second indexing wall of each flap sequence being connected to its associated first indexing wall flap at least by a second fold line parallel to its said first fold line, and each indexing wall flap of each flap sequence having an extension flap at each end thereof beyond a fold line (or curvature commencement) extending substantially normal to said first and second fold lines, and    a non indexing wall flap extending from each of the other two sides of said base,    wherein said container has said second indexing wall flap of each flap sequence inwardly of its associated first indexing wall flap and one or both of the flap extensions at each end of that flap sequence is directly affixed to a non indexing wall flap,    and wherein, above a transition between each associated first and second indexing wall flap of an indexing wall flap sequence there is defined an indexing projection stack indexable, or a plurality of indexing projections each stack indexable, by an identical container reliant on a cutout, or cutouts, of the blank which, or each of which, in the erected container provides an accessible (or accessible) from below indexing opening or scallop,    and wherein, an extension flap of each second indexing wall flap at least in part triangulates (in a straight, curved and/or other manner) a corner directly or indirectly (i.e via the other extension flap) to the non indexing wall flap to define in conjunction with part of said first indexing wall flap at the corner and with part of the adjacent non-indexing wall (and optionally with part of the flap extension of the first indexing wall) a column like vertical load supporting structure,    and wherein the or each indexing projection is flanked on either side in its indexing wall    (i) by a hinging transition which involves said at least second fold line between a said first indexing wall flap and a second indexing wall flap, and    (ii) further from each hinging transition and the indexing projection, there is upwardly exposed by both indexing wall flaps of each indexing wall load supporting cut edges of the laminate, such cut edges being transverse to the flute run direction and being above the level of the hinging transition (or transitions).    
     
     
         2 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is more than one indexing wall projection per indexing wall.  
     
     
         3 . A container of  claim 2  wherein said load supporting cut edges are defined between each projection and in part at or towards a triangulated corner.  
     
     
         4 . A container as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said cut edges are also defined in part for each corner by one or two indexing wall flap extensions, (whether in the triangulating flap or not).  
     
     
         5 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each second indexing wall flap sits on a pre-crushed region of the base.  
     
     
         6 . A container as claimed in  claim 1  wherein a scallop is interposed between each said hinging transition and a said cut edge pair.  
     
     
         7 . (cancelled).  
     
     
         8 . A blank suitable for a container of  claim 1   
     
     
         9 . (cancelled).  
     
     
         10 . A container formed from a blank of a laminate having a corrugated flute run direction, said container comprising or including: 
 a rectangular base having an opposed pair of longer sides and an opposed pair of shorter sides, said base (at least in part) including a plurality of openings,    a flap sequence of two indexing wall flaps extending from each of the sides of a pair of sides of said rectangular base, a first indexing wall flap of each flap sequence being connected to the base by a fold line, and the second indexing wall flap of each flap sequence being connected by a hinging transition to the first indexing wall flap, and each indexing wall flap of each flap sequence having an extension flap beyond a fold-line extending normal or substantially normal to said fold-line of said first indexing wall flap with the base, and    a non-indexing wall flap extending from each of the other sides of said base,    wherein, each indexing wall flap sequence has been folded to define an upwardly directed indexing wall,    and wherein each wall flap of each indexing wall flap sequence of a said indexing wall has, as the connection providing hinging transition between the two wall flaps, at least one hinging transition above the level of which there is at least one indexing projection provided, or each provided, by some of the blank material that projects from one wall flap of that sequence and then returns back to adhere to at least part of that and/or the other indexing wall flap of the same indexing wall, the or each projection being indexable by one of said plurality of openings (at least in part) of the base of another erected like container in or when in a stacking relationship therewith,    and wherein the blank, by a cut between wall flaps of a flap sequence and transverse to the flute run direction, has provided a cut edge or edges of each wall flap of an indexing wall flap sequence that is or are above the level of the or each hinging transition of that indexing wall.    
     
     
         11 . A container of  claim 10  wherein each hinging transition has at least one hinging axis.  
     
     
         12 . A container of  claim 10  wherein the extensions from each indexing wall flap of an indexing wall flap sequence is disposed one on either side of the adjacent non indexing wall flap (ie; sandwiches the same).  
     
     
         13 . A container of  claim 10  wherein at least one of said extensions triangulates, curves or otherwise truncates across the corner of the base thereby to define a column structure form.  
     
     
         14 . A container of  claim 10  wherein both extension flaps of each indexing wall flap sequence are fixed one to the other internally of the associated non indexing wall flap with one only of the extensions directly being adhesively affixed to the non indexing wall flap.  
     
     
         15 . A container of  claim 10  wherein there are a plurality of projections on each indexing wall structure.  
     
     
         16 . A container of  claim 15  wherein the indexing projection or projections is on the longer pair of walls of the rectangular base.  
     
     
         17 . A container of  claim 10  wherein there is a single indexing projection on each the shorter pair of walls.  
     
     
         18 . A blank suitable for forming a container as claimed in  claim 10   
     
     
         19 . A stack of stack indexed containers each being as claimed in  claim 1   
     
     
         20 . A container formed from a blank, the blank itself having been cut (by any means) from a sheet of a laminate which includes at least one corrugated core layer which defines a flute run direction, said container comprising or including 
 a rectangular or square base,    a flap sequence (“indexing wall flap sequence”) of two wall flaps (“indexing wall flaps”) extending from each of two opposed sides of said base, the first indexing wall flap of each indexing flap sequence being connected to the base at a first fold line, the second indexing wall of each indexing wall flap sequence being connected to its associated first indexing wall flap by a second fold line parallel to its said first fold line, and each indexing wall flap of each flap sequence having an extension flap at each end thereof beyond a fold line (or curvature commencement) extending substantially normal to said first and second fold lines, and    a wall flap (“non-indexing wall flap”) extending from each of the other two sides of said base,    wherein said container has said second indexing wall flap of each indexing wall flap sequence inwardly of its associated first indexing wall flap and one or both of the flap extensions at each end of that indexing wall flap sequence is directly affixed to a non indexing wall flap,    and wherein, above a transition between each associated first and second indexing wall flap of an indexing wall flap sequence there is defined at least one indexing projection stack indexable, or each stack indexable, by an identical container reliant on a cut, or cuts, of the blank which in the erected container provide an accessible (or accessible) from below opening(s) and/or scallop(s) for that purpose,    and wherein, an extension flap of each second indexing wall flap at least in part triangulates (in a straight, curved and/or other manner) a corner directly or indirectly to the non indexing wall flap to define in conjunction with part of said first indexing wall flap at the corner and with part of the adjacent non-indexing wall (and optionally with part of the flap extension of the first indexing wall) a column like vertical load supporting structure,    and wherein the or each indexing projection is flanked on at least one side in its indexing wall by a hinging transition which involves said second fold line between its first indexing wall flap and its second indexing wall flap,    and wherein at least at about the level, or above, of such hinging transition, there is an upwardly exposure of cut core layer material such cut(s) being transverse to the flute run direction.    
     
     
         21 . A container formed from a blank of a laminate having a corrugated flute run direction, said container comprising or including: 
 a rectangular base having an opposed pair of longer sides and an opposed pair of shorter sides, said base including a plurality of openings,    a flap sequence (“indexing wall flap sequence”) of two wall flaps (“indexing wall flaps”) extending from each of the sides of a pair of sides of said rectangular base, a first indexing wall flap of each indexing flap sequence being connected to the base by a fold line, and the second indexing wall flap of each indexing flap sequence being connected to the first flap, and each indexing wall flap of each flap sequence having an extension flap beyond a fold-line extending normal or substantially normal to said fold-line of said first indexing wall flap with the base, and    a wall flap (“non-indexing wall flap”) extending from each of the other sides of said base,    wherein said container, when erected, has each indexing wall flap sequence folded to define an upwardly directed (preferably slightly inwardly inclined) indexing wall, and, in the erected form, above a transition between each sequence of the first indexing wall flaps and second indexing wall flaps there is or are defined by the indexing wall at least one projection, the or each projection being indexable by one of said plurality of openings of the base of another erected container in a stacking configuration,    and wherein, the blank has been formed such that each wall flap of each indexing wall flap sequence has, as the transition therebetween, at least one hinging axis above which some of the blank material projects from one wall flap,    and wherein there is at least one hinging zone at the transition resulting from the non cutting fully of the blank material along the transition such that there is defined at the top of each indexing wall both (i) at least one exposed flute end cut region for direct bearing under a like container in a stacking condition and (ii) at least one hinging link.    
     
     
         22 . A container of  claim 2  wherein the non cutting fully of the blank material is a mixture of full cutting along certain parts of the transition to leave some linking or bridging regions uncut (irrespective of whether or not, to assist the hinging function, there is any cutting normally to the transition to better render flexible for hinging purposes the linking or bridging region).