Bulk container cap with safety indicator

Abstract

The invention comprises a modified octagonal palletized shipping and display bin cap which has four triangular flaps designed into the bottom panel configuration. These flaps overlie the exposed supporting structure corners and may have various warning indicia printed on them to alert passers by. The indicia may be stripes, solid fields, or other patterns usually printed in bright colors so as to be readily seen. So-called “day glow” colors are very effective. The flaps act as warning flags to alert nearby people to the potential hazard condition. They can be printed at the same time and on the same surface as other material that might appear on the sides of the bins.

1 . A single sheet of foldable material cut and scored to define a container blank, comprising: 
 a bottom panel    a side panel connected with the bottom panel;    a side panel tab connected with the side panel;    a first corner panel connected with the bottom panel;    a second corner panel connected with the first corner panel opposite said bottom panel; and,    a bottom flap formed in the bottom panel;    wherein, an outer surface of said bottom flap is printed with a warning indicia.    
   
   
       2 . The blank of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet of foldable material is at least one of a containerboard, paperboard or corrugated material.  
   
   
       3 . The blank of  claim 2 , wherein the corrugated material is at least one of a single wall, double wall or triple wall material.  
   
   
       4 . The blank of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking arrangement formed in said first corner panel and said second corner panel.  
   
   
       5 . The blank of  claim 1 , further comprising warning indicia printed on an outer surface of the first corner panel.  
   
   
       6 . A single sheet of foldable material cut and scored to define a container, comprising: 
 a bottom panel;    a pair of side panels connected with the bottom panel, each of said side panels including a side panel tab;    a first corner panel connected with the bottom panel intermediate the pair of side panels, said side panel tab being adjacent the first corner panel;    a second corner panel connected to said first corner panel, said second corner panel being adjacent the side panel tab; and    a bottom flap formed in the bottom panel;    wherein, an outer surface of said bottom flap is printed with a warning indicia.    
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the sheet of foldable material is at least one of a containerboard, paperboard or corrugated material.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7 , wherein the corrugated material is at least one of a single wall, double wall or triple wall material.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 6 , further comprising a locking arrangement formed in said first corner panel and said second corner panel.  
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 6 , further comprising warning indicia printed on an outer surface of the first corner panel.