Carton with improved strength sidewall panels

Abstract

A carton formed from a blank of foldable corrugated sheet material having two pairs of upstanding generally parallel sidewall panels and a pair of first flaps hingedly foldably connected to the upper and lower edges of each sidewall panel along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a panel for covering the bottom and top of the carton when the carton is assembled and wherein cuts for support tabs are made into the corrugated material along the fold lines such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the bottom cover of the carton, the support tabs remain oriented in the planes of the sidewall panels. The carton may further comprise cuts for corner support tabs made into the corrugated material at each of the locations where the fold lines overlap adjacent sidewall panels, such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the bottom or top cover of the carton, the corner support tabs remain oriented in the planes of the sidewall panels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A carton formed from a blank of foldable corrugated sheet material comprising:
 two pairs of upstanding, generally parallel sidewall panels;   a pair of first flaps hingedly foldably connected to each of the first pair of said parallel sidewall panels along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a panel for covering the bottom of the carton when the carton is assembled, and wherein cuts for support tabs are made into the corrugated material along the fold lines such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the bottom cover of the carton, the support tabs remain oriented in the plane of the respective sidewall panel.   
     
     
         2 . The carton according to  claim 1  further comprising a pair of second flaps hingedly foldably connected to each of the first pair of said parallel sidewall panels along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a panel for covering the top of the carton when the carton is assembled, and wherein cuts for support tabs are made into the corrugated material along the fold lines such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the top cover of the carton, the support tabs remain oriented in the plane of the respective sidewall panel. 
     
     
         3 . The carton according to  claim 1  further comprising a pair of second flaps hingedly foldably connected to each of the second pair of said parallel sidewall panels along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a portion of a panel for covering the bottom of the carton when the carton is assembled, and wherein cuts for corner support tabs are made into the corrugated material at each of the four locations where the fold lines extend across adjacent sidewall panels such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the bottom cover of the carton, the corner support tabs remain oriented in the planes of the sidewall panels. 
     
     
         4 . A carton formed from a blank of foldable corrugated sheet material comprising:
 two pairs of upstanding, generally parallel sidewall panels;   a pair of first flaps hingedly foldably connected to each pair of said parallel sidewall panels along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a panel for covering the bottom of the carton when the carton is assembled, and wherein cuts for corner support tabs are made into the corrugated material at each of the four locations where the fold lines extend across adjacent sidewall panels such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the bottom cover of the carton, the corner support tabs remain oriented in the planes of the sidewall panels.   
     
     
         5 . The carton according to  claim 4  further comprising a pair of second flaps hingedly foldably connected to each pair of said parallel sidewall panels along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a panel for covering the top of the carton when the carton is assembled, and wherein cuts for corner support tabs are made into the corrugated material at each of the four locations where the fold lines extend across adjacent sidewall panels such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the top cover of the carton, the corner support tabs remain oriented in the planes of the sidewall panels. 
     
     
         6 . A carton formed from a blank of foldable corrugated sheet material comprising:
 at least three upstanding sidewall panels;   a flap hingedly foldably connected to each of at least two of said sidewall panels along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a panel for covering the bottom of the carton when the carton is assembled, and wherein cuts for support tabs are made into the corrugated material along the fold lines such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the bottom cover of the carton, the support tabs remain oriented in the plane of the respective sidewall panel.   
     
     
         7 . The carton according to  claim 6  further comprising a flap hingedly foldably connected to each of at least two of said sidewall panels along a fold line, the flaps configured to form a panel for covering the top of the carton when the carton is assembled, and wherein cuts for support tabs are made into the corrugated material along the fold lines such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the top cover of the carton, the support tabs remain oriented in the plane of the respective sidewall panel. 
     
     
         8 . The carton according to  claim 6  wherein the carton comprises three sidewall panels and wherein cuts for corner support tabs are made into the corrugated material at each of at least three locations where the fold lines extend across adjacent sidewall panels such that when the cover-forming flaps are folded 90 degrees to form the top cover of the carton, the corner support tabs remain oriented in the planes of the sidewall panels.