Container Having an Integral Internal Divider

Abstract

A sustainable container includes panels attached to one another to form sidewalls surrounding a central space, and flaps extending from the sidewalls to form a bottom. A divider panel attached to at least one of the panels has upper and lower portions separated by an opening. The container is assembleable from a knockdown state, in which the upper and lower portions of the divider panel are disposed substantially in a single plane of the divider panel, to an assembled state, in which the upper and lower portions of the divider panel are folded in opposite respective directions out of the plane. The upper portion of the divider panel separates first and second cells of the container, and the lower portion of the divider panel separates second and third cells of the container, when the container is in the assembled state.

1 . A container having an integral divider, the container comprising:
 a plurality of panels attached to one another to form a plurality of sidewalls surrounding a central space;   a plurality of flaps extending from said sidewalls to form a bottom of said container; and   a divider panel attached to at least one of said panels, said divider panel having upper and lower portions separated by an opening;   said container being assembleable from a knockdown state to an assembled state, wherein said upper and lower portions of said divider panel are disposed substantially in a single plane of said divider panel in said knockdown state, and wherein said upper and lower portions of said divider panel are folded in opposite respective directions out of said plane in said assembled state, said upper portion of said divider panel separating a first cell of said container from a second cell of said container when said container is in said assembled state, said lower portion of said divider panel separating said second cell of said container from a third cell of said container when said container is in said assembled state.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , said divider panel further comprising a glue tab attached to one of said panels, said upper and lower portions of said divider panel folding out of said plane of said divider panel as said container is assembled from said knockdown state. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said divider panel is joined to a side edge of one of said plurality of panels, and wherein said divider panel comprises a score adjacent said lower portion extending substantially parallel to said side edge, a distance between said side edge and said score corresponding to a width of said first cell. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said divider panel is joined to a side edge of one of said plurality of panels, and wherein said divider panel comprises a score adjacent said upper portion extending substantially parallel to said side edge, a distance between said side edge and said score corresponding to a combined width of said first and second cells. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said divider panel is joined to a side edge of one of said plurality of panels, and wherein said divider panel comprises:
 a first score adjacent said lower portion extending substantially parallel to said side edge, said side edge and said first score being separated by a distance corresponding to a width of said first cell; and   a second score on said lower portion extending substantially parallel to said side edge, said first score and said second score being separated by a distance corresponding to a length of said first cell.   
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein said first and second scores are provided on opposite sides of said divider panel. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 5 , said divider panel further comprising a glue tab joined to said lower portion of said divider panel adjacent said second score, said glue tab being attached to one of said panels. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 5 , said divider panel further comprising:
 a third score adjacent said upper portion extending substantially parallel to said side edge, said side edge and said third score being separated by a distance corresponding to a combined width of said first and second cells; and   a fourth score on said upper portion extending substantially parallel to said side edge, said third score and said fourth score being separated by a distance corresponding to a length of said second cell.   
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein said second and third scores are provided on opposite sides of said divider panel. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein said third and fourth scores are provided on opposite sides of said divider panel. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein said second and fourth scores are separated by a distance corresponding to a width of said second cell. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 8 , said divider panel further comprising a glue tab joined to said upper portion of said divider panel adjacent said fourth score, said glue tab being attached to one of said panels. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 8 , said first, second, third and fourth scores being linearly misaligned on said divider panel when said container is in said knockdown state. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein a portion of said divider panel overlies one of said panels in substantially parallel relation when said container is in said assembled state. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein portions of said upper and lower portions of said divider panel extend substantially perpendicularly to said portion of said divider panel when said container is in said assembled state. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein said lower portion separates said first and second cells at a first elevation above said bottom, and wherein said upper portion separates said second and said third cells at a second elevation above said first elevation. 
     
     
         17 . A container having an integral divider, the container comprising:
 a plurality of panels, each of said plurality of panels having respective top, bottom and side edges, said plurality of panels being attached to one another along adjacent side edges to form a plurality of sidewalls surrounding a central space;   a plurality of flaps, each of said plurality of flaps extending from a respective edge of a respective one of said plurality of panels to form a bottom of said container;   a divider panel attached at a proximal edge to one of said plurality of panels forming said sidewalls, said divider panel having upper and lower portions separated by an opening extending substantially transversely to said side edges of said divider panel, said lower portion of said divider panel separating first and second cells of said container when said container is in an assembled state, said upper portion of said divider panel separating second and third cells of said container when said container is in said assembled state.   
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein said lower portion separates said first and second cells beginning at a first elevation above said bottom, and wherein said upper portion separates said second and said third cells beginning at a second elevation above said bottom, said second elevation being greater than said first elevation. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 18 , said divider panel further comprising a glue tab attached to one of said panels, said upper and lower portions of said divider panel moving from positions within a plane substantially parallel to one of said panels, when said container is in a knockdown state, to positions in opposite respective directions out of said plane as said container is assembled from said knockdown state to said assembled state. 
     
     
         20 . A container having an integral divider, the container comprising:
 a plurality of panels attached to one another along adjacent edges to form a plurality of sidewalls surrounding a central space;   a plurality of flaps extending from said sidewalls to form a bottom of said container; and   a divider panel attached to opposite sidewalls, said divider panel having an opening extending transversely to separate upper and lower portions of said divider panel, said upper and lower portions being folded in opposite directions from a reference plane when said container is in an assembled state, said folded lower portion separating a first cell of said container from a second cell of said container beginning at a first elevation above said bottom, said folded upper portion separating said second cell of said container from a third cell of said container beginning at a second elevation above said bottom greater than said first elevation.   
     
     
         21 .- 23 . (canceled)