Stackable open topped box

Abstract

A stackable open topped box is provided in which the box is made of a folded blank of fluted sheet material. At least a part of a ledge panel is attached to an upper edge of a relevant wall so as to project over a pillar formation in a corner of the box. The pillar formation comprises first, second, third and optionally fourth flaps each attached to the other by a sulcation with the first pillar flap being attached to the ledge panel. An attachment flap may also be provided at each end of the wall having the flutes extending up its height. The arrangement is such that the flutes of all of the first, second, third and any fourth pillar flaps as well as any attachment flap extend in the direction of the height of the box.

1 . A stackable open topped box made of a folded blank of fluted sheet material in which two opposite side walls and two opposite end walls are folded at generally right angles along sulcations attaching them to a bottom of the box wherein flutes of the fluted sheet material may extend in a direction selected from parallel to a length of the box in the direction in which the side walls extend and parallel to a width of the box in the direction in which the end walls extend,
 wherein the side walls or end walls that have flutes extending transverse to the height of the box have at least a part of a ledge panel attached to an upper edge of the relevant wall by way of a fold at a sulcation so as to project over a pillar formation in a corner of the box,   and wherein each pillar formation comprises a first pillar flap having an upper end connected to an edge of the ledge panel by way of a fold at a sulcation with the first pillar flap extending substantially to the bottom of the box and being secured to the adjacent end wall or side wall thereby conforming to a corner of the box, and at least second and third pillar flaps each attached to the other by a fold at a sulcation extending up the height of the box with the second pillar flap being secured to the other of the end wall or side wall, or any attachment flap that may already be secured thereto;   the arrangement being such that the flutes of each of any attachment flap, and the first, second and third pillar flaps extend in the direction of the height of the box.   
     
     
         2 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which a fourth pillar flap is attached to the third pillar flap by a fold at a sulcation with the flutes of the fourth pillar flap extending up the height of the box. 
     
     
         3 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which the third pillar flap extends diagonally across a corner to form a triangular cross-sectioned pillar. 
     
     
         4 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which the third pillar flap is secured back onto the second pillar flap. 
     
     
         5 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which an attachment flap is provided at each end of the wall having flutes extending up its height with the attachment flap being defined by a sulcation of the sheet material extending up the height of the box with the attachment flap extending at generally right angles to the wall to which it is attached and being secured to the adjacent end wall or side wall to thereby conform to a corner of the box. 
     
     
         6 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which each end of the wall having the flutes extending up its height are simply cut straight and the wall is adhesively secured to the folded pillar formation. 
     
     
         7 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which the open topped box has an indentation extending along a part of each of the side walls to serve as ventilation and inspection apertures between adjacent vertically stacked boxes in use and the fluted sheet material occupying that indentation is folded inwards along a line of sulcation and is secured to the inside of the side wall to provide an edge region to the side wall with enhanced rigidity. 
     
     
         8 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which flutes of the side walls extend up the height of the box and flutes of the end walls consequently extend across the width of the box in which instance the end walls have ledges extending across the width of the box with each end of the ledge being attached to the operatively upper end of the associated first pillar flap by way of a sulcation. 
     
     
         9 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 1  in which flutes of the side walls extend along the length of the box and flutes of the end walls consequently extend up the height of the box and the upper edges of the side walls have at least terminal ledge portions extending inwards over the tops of the pillar formations and to each end of which is attached the operatively upper end of the associated first pillar flap. 
     
     
         10 . A stackable open topped box as claimed in  claim 9  in which only two terminal ledge portions at the ends of the side walls are provided. 
     
     
         11 . A blank of fluted sheet material that has been cut and sulcated to be folded into a box as claimed in  claim 1  in which the blank is basically in the form of a rectangular piece of fluted sheet material cut and sulcated to provide two opposite side walls and two opposite end walls attached along sulcations to a bottom of the box wherein flutes of the fluted sheet material may extend either parallel to the length of the box in the direction in which the side walls extend or parallel to the width of the box in the direction in which the end walls extend, and wherein the side walls or end walls that have the flutes extending in a direction transverse to that corresponding to the height of the box in use have at least a part of a ledge panel attached to the outermost edge towards each end of the relevant wall by way of a sulcation, wherein the ledge panel is attached by way of a sulcation to one end of a first pillar flap that is in turn attached to at least a second and a third pillar flap each of which is attached to the other by a sulcation extending in a direction corresponding to the height of the box, the arrangement being such that the flutes of each of the first, second and third pillar flaps extend in a direction corresponding to the height of the box in the erected condition of the blank. 
     
     
         12 . A blank of fluted sheet material as claimed in  claim 11  in which a fourth pillar flap is attached to the third pillar flap by a sulcation with flutes of the fourth pillar flap extending in a direction corresponding to the height of the box. 
     
     
         13 . A blank of fluted sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  in which an attachment flap is provided at each end of a wall having flutes extending up its height with the attachment flap being defined by a sulcation of the sheet material extending in a direction corresponding to the height of the box such that the flutes of the attachment flaps extend in a direction corresponding to the height of the box. 
     
     
         14 . A blank of fluted sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  in which the blank is especially designed so as to be capable of machine erection utilising adhesive to secure appropriate areas of the fluted sheet material together.