Reusable container

Abstract

A reusable container for shipping an object. The container has at least an interior and an opening. A flap portion, attached to an upper edge of a container wall, includes a body portion, and an extension portion attached to the body portion. The extension portion includes two adhesive portions. A tear strip, defined by perforations in the extension portion, is defined between the two adhesive portions. When the flap portion moves to a closed position, the body portion covers the opening, and the edge portion moves down into contact with one of the walls, being fixed to the wall by one of the adhesive portions. The tear strip can be torn away, tearing away the one of the adhesive portions fixing the extension portion to the wall, without damaging the other adhesive portion. The container can be re-used, by using the undamaged adhesive portion to fix the extending portion to the wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising:
 a bottom, the bottom defining a bottom plane, the bottom plane being substantially horizontal, the bottom having at least a first bottom edge and an opposing second bottom edge;   at least a first wall having a first lower edge connected to the first bottom edge, a first upper edge, and a first length between the first lower edge and the first upper edge, the first length extending in a first substantially vertical plane, the first substantially vertical plane being substantially transverse to the bottom plane;   at least a second wall having a second lower edge connected to the second bottom edge, a second upper edge, and a second length between the second lower edge and the second upper edge, the second length extending in a second substantially vertical plane, the second substantially vertical plane being substantially transverse to the bottom plane, the at least the second wall, the at least the first wall, and the bottom being configured to define the container, the container including at least a container interior, and the at least the second upper edge and the at least the first upper edge being configured to define an opening into the container interior;   a flap portion including a body portion, the body portion being attached to one of the at least first upper edge and the at least second upper edge, and an extension portion, the extension portion being attached to the body portion, the flap portion being movable between an open position and a closed position;   at least a first adhesive portion provided on the extension portion;   at least a second adhesive portion provided on the extension portion; and   a tear strip defined in the extension portion intermediate the at least the first adhesive portion and the at least the second adhesive portion, the tear strip being configured to be removed from the extension portion;   wherein the body portion is configured, in the closed position, to substantially cover the opening; and   wherein the extension portion is configured, in the closed position, to extend beyond the opening, to be moved into contact with at least one of the at least the first wall and the at least the second wall, with at least one of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion adhesively contacting the at least one of the at least the first wall and the at least the second wall.   
     
     
         2 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bottom, the at least the first wall, the at least the second wall, and the flap portion include corrugated cardboard. 
     
     
         3 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the body portion defines a first area, the first area being one of greater than, less than, and substantially equal to an area defined by the opening. 
     
     
         4 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least the first wall, and the at least the second wall define at least an upper section of the container, a front section of the container, a back section of the container, and at least one side section of the container. 
     
     
         5 . The container as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the opening is defined in one of the front section of the container, the back section of the container, at least one of the at least one side section of the container, and the bottom of the container. 
     
     
         6 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the container defines a shape, the shape being one of at least a rectangle, a triangle, an oval, and a sphere. 
     
     
         7 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one transportation facilitation structure attached to at least a portion of the container, the at least one transportation facilitation structure including at least one of a handle, a wheel, and a strap. 
     
     
         8 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least the first adhesive portion includes a first removable strip, the first removable strip being configured to removably cover the at least the first adhesive portion. 
     
     
         9 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least the second adhesive portion includes a second removable strip, the second removable strip being configured to removably cover the at least the second adhesive portion. 
     
     
         10 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the tear strip is defined by at least one line of perforations defined in the extension portion, the tear strip being removable from the extension portion by tearing the tear strip along the at least one line of perforations. 
     
     
         11 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the tear strip is further configured, upon removal from the extension portion in the closed position, to remove the at least one of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion adhesively contacting the at least one of the at least the first wall and the second wall. 
     
     
         12 . The container as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the extension portion further includes at least a third adhesive portion. 
     
     
         13 . A method for shipping at least a first object in a reusable container, the method comprising:
 utilizing the container, the container comprising:
 a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining a bottom plane, the bottom plane being substantially horizontal, the bottom portion having at least a first bottom edge and an opposing second bottom edge; 
 at least a first wall having a first lower edge connected to the first bottom edge, a first upper edge, and a first length between the first lower edge and the first upper edge, the first length extending in a first substantially vertical plane, the first substantially vertical plane being substantially transverse to the bottom plane; 
 at least a second wall having a second lower edge connected to the second bottom edge, a second upper edge, and a second length between the second lower edge and the second upper edge, the second length extending in a second substantially vertical plane, the second substantially vertical plane being substantially transverse to the bottom plane, the at least the second wall, the at least the first wall, and the bottom being configured to define the container, the container including at least a container interior, and the at least the second upper edge and the at least the first upper edge being configured to define an opening into the container interior; 
 a flap portion including a body portion, the body portion being attached to one of the at least the first upper edge and the at least the second upper edge, and an extension portion, the extension portion being attached to the body portion, the flap portion being movable between an open position and a closed position; 
 at least a first adhesive portion provided on the extension portion; 
 at least a first removable strip removably covering the at least the first adhesive portion; 
 at least a second adhesive portion provided on the extension portion; 
 at least a second removable strip removably covering the at least the second adhesive portion; and 
 a tear strip defined in the extension portion intermediate the at least the first adhesive portion and the at least the second adhesive portion, the tear strip being configured to be removed from the extension portion; 
 wherein the body portion is configured, in the closed position, to substantially cover the opening; and 
 wherein the extension portion is configured, in the closed position, to extend beyond the opening, to be moved into contact with at least one of the at least the first wall and the at last the second wall, with at least one of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion adhesively contacting the at least one of the at least the first wall and the at least the second wall; 
   removing the at least the first removable strip from the at least the first adhesive portion;   placing the at least the first object into the interior of the container;   moving the flap portion to the closed position, with the body portion substantially covering the opening;   moving the extension portion beyond the opening and into contact with a portion of at least one of the at least the first wall, and the at least the second wall, with the at least the first adhesive portion contacting the portion of the at least one of the first wall and the second wall; and   fixing the extension portion to the at least one of the first wall and the second wall with the at least the first adhesive portion adhering to the portion of the at least one of the first wall and the second wall.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising removing the tear strip from the extension portion, thereby removing the at least the first adhesive portion from the portion of the at least one of the first wall and the at least the second wall. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising moving the flap portion to the open position, and removing the at least the first object from the container interior. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising removing the at least the second removable strip from the at the second adhesive portion;
 inserting at least one of the at least the first object and at least a second object into the container interior;   moving the flap portion to the closed position, with the body portion substantially covering the opening;   moving the extension portion beyond the opening and into contact with at least one of the at least the first wall, and the at least the second wall, the at least the second adhesive portion adhesively contacting a portion of the at least one of the first wall and the second wall; and   fixing the extension portion to the at least one of the first wall and the second wall with the second adhesive portion adhering to the portion of the at least one of the first wall and the second wall.   
     
     
         17 . A method of assembling a reusable container, the reusable container configured to ship at least a first object, the method comprising:
 utilizing an unassembled container, the unassembled container comprising:
 a bottom portion, the bottom portion defining a bottom plane, the bottom plane being substantially horizontal, the bottom portion having at least a first bottom edge and an opposing second bottom edge; 
 at least a first wall portion having a first lower edge pivotally connected to the first bottom edge, a first upper edge, and a first length between the first lower edge and the first upper edge, the first length extending in a first plane; 
 at least a second wall portion having a second lower edge pivotally connected to the second bottom edge, a second upper edge, and a second length between the second lower edge and the second upper edge, the second length extending in a second plane; 
 a flap portion including a body portion, the body portion being pivotally attached to one of the at least the first upper edge and the at least the second upper edge, and an extension portion, the extension portion being pivotally attached to the body portion, the flap portion being pivotal between an open position and a closed position; 
 at least a first adhesive portion provided on the extension portion; 
 at least a first removable strip removably covering the at least the first adhesive portion; 
 at least a second adhesive portion provided on the extension portion; 
 at least a second removable strip removably covering the at least the second adhesive portion; and 
 a tear strip defined in the extension portion intermediate the at least the first adhesive portion and the at least the second adhesive portion, the tear strip being configured to be removed from the extension portion; 
   pivoting the at least the first wall portion to a position defining a first wall, the first wall extending in a first substantially vertical plane, the first substantially vertical plane being substantially transverse to the base portion;   pivoting the at least the second wall portion to a position defining a second wall, the second wall extending in a second substantially vertical plane, the second substantially vertical plane being substantially transverse to the base portion, at least the first wall, the second wall, and the base cooperating to define the container, the container having at least a container interior, and the at least the first upper edge and the at least the second upper edge cooperating to define an opening into the container interior;   inserting the at least the first object into the container interior;   removing the at least the first removable strip from the at least the first adhesive portion;   pivoting the flap portion to the closed position with the body portion covering the opening;   moving the extension portion beyond the opening and into contact with at least one of the at least the first wall, and the at least the second wall, with at least the first adhesive portion adhesively contacting a portion of the at least one of the first wall and the second wall; and   fixing the extension portion to the at least one of the first wall and the second wall with the at least one of the first adhesive portion adhering to the portion of the at least the first wall and the second wall.   
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising removing the tear strip from the extension portion, thereby removing the at least one of the first adhesive portion fixing the extension portion to the portion of the at least one of the first wall and the second wall.