Basket assembly

Abstract

A basket assembly for containing items, the basket assembly including a containment base having a bottom wall and at least one side wall, said walls defining a containment volume for receiving items to be contained by the basket assembly. The basket assembly may also include a handle being configured for selectively mounting onto the containment base via at one interlocking mechanism. Also described is a blank for forming the containment base of the basket assembly, as well as a kit for assembling the same, and a method of forming such a basket assembly. Also described is an innovative handle made of cardboard and/or the like.

1 . A basket assembly for containing items, the basket assembly comprising:
 a containment base including a bottom wall and at least one side wall, said walls defining a containment volume for receiving items to be contained by the basket assembly, the bottom wall and the at least one side wall of the containment base being made of a corrugated cardboard panel having corresponding structural flutes, said flutes being inner flutes disposed between at least a pair of opposite outer layers of the corrugated cardboard panel, the flutes of at least one portion of the at least one side wall of the containment base being disposed in a non-vertical manner with respect to the bottom wall of the containment base.   
     
     
         2 . A basket assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the flutes of said at least one portion of the at least one side wall are disposed in a slanted manner;
 wherein the flutes of said at least one portion of said at least one side wall are disposed at an angle with respect to an inner base of the bottom wall; and   wherein the angle is comprised between about 0 degrees and about 180 degrees.   
     
     
         3 . A basket assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the basket assembly comprises a handle being configured for selectively mounting onto the containment base via at one interlocking mechanism. 
     
     
         4 . A basket assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the interlocking mechanism comprises complementary first and second components being positioned, shaped and sized for ensuring an interlocking engagement between said components, at least one component of said first and second components of the interlocking mechanism being operatively provided on the handle, and at least one other component of said first and second components of the interlocking mechanism being operatively provided on the at least one side wall of the containment base. 
     
     
         5 . A basket assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the first and second components of the interlocking mechanism include at least one set of complementary male and female components being positioned, shaped and sized for ensuring an interlocking engagement between said components; and
 wherein at least one male component of the interlocking mechanism is operatively provided on the handle, and wherein at least one female component of the interlocking mechanism is operatively provided on the at least one side wall of the containment base.   
     
     
         6 . A basket assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the first and second components of the interlocking mechanism include at least one pair of male components, and at least one pair of female components;
 wherein each male component is provided on a corresponding distal end of the handle, and wherein each female component is operatively provided on a corresponding side of the at least one side wall of the containment base;   wherein each male component includes an insertion portion being shaped and sized for insertion into a corresponding receiving portion of the associated female component; and   wherein each male component includes a retaining portion being shaped and sized for retainment against a corresponding securing portion of an associated female component.   
     
     
         7 . A basket assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the receiving and retaining portions of the associated female component has a polygonal geometrical profile with n sides, n being an integer equal to or greater than 1 (ex. n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.);
 wherein the receiving portion of the associated female component has a substantially trapezoidal geometrical profile;   wherein the retaining portion of the associated female component has a substantially elongated geometrical profile; and   wherein at least one of the receiving and retaining portions of the associated female component includes rounded corners.   
     
     
         8 . A basket assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein each male component comprises at least one frontal section;
 wherein each male component comprises at least one tapered section;   wherein said at least one tapered section includes a pair of tapered sections;   wherein each male component comprises at least one lateral section;   wherein said at least one lateral section includes a pair of lateral sections;   wherein each male component comprises at least one abutment section;   wherein said at least one abutment section includes a pair of abutment sections;   wherein each male component comprises at least one transitional section; and   wherein said at least one transitional section includes a pair of transitional sections.   
     
     
         9 . A basket assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the handle is substantially symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of said handle. 
     
     
         10 . A basket assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the handle is further configured so that a first male component of a first distal end of the handle is selectively engageable with a corresponding first side wall of the at least one side wall of the containment base, and so that a second male component of a second distal end of the handle is selectively engageable with a corresponding second side wall of the at least one side wall of the containment base; and
 wherein the handle is further configured so that the first and second male components of the handle are selectively engageable with the second and first side walls respectively, as well, of the at least one side wall of the containment base.   
     
     
         11 . A basket assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein each side wall includes at least one lateral side wall, and at least one end side wall;
 wherein each side wall further includes at least one corner side wall;   wherein the at least one side wall comprises a plurality of wall segments, each wall segment being separate from an adjacent segment via at least one folding line;   wherein the at least one side wall comprises a pair of opposite wall segments;   wherein each wall segment comprises at least one lateral side wall segment, and at least one end wall segment; and   wherein each wall segment further includes at least one corner wall segment.   
     
     
         12 . A basket assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one wall segment of the plurality of segments of the at least one side wall is provided with at least one orifice; and
 wherein the at least one corner wall segment is provided with said at least one orifice.   
     
     
         13 . A basket assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein each wall segment comprises a lateral side wall segment, and a pair of distally spaced end wall segments;
 wherein each wall segment comprises a corner wall segment disposed between the lateral side wall segment and a corresponding end wall segment;   wherein the bottom wall comprises at least one end wall segment being foldable with respect to a main portion of the bottom wall, the at least one end wall segment being operatively connectable to at least one corresponding end wall segment of the at least one side wall of the containment base;   wherein the at least one end wall segment of the bottom wall is operatively connectable to an outer portion of the at least one corresponding end wall segment of the at least one side wall of the containment base;   wherein the least one end wall segment of the bottom wall includes a pair of end wall segments, each end wall segment being provided about a corresponding end portion of the main portion of the bottom wall, and each end wall segment of the bottom wall being operatively connectable to an outer portion of at least one corresponding end wall segment of the at least one side wall of the containment base; and   wherein the bottom wall and the at least one end wall segment thereof are made integral to one another.   
     
     
         14 . A basket assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one end wall segment of each wall segment is configured to be aligned with a corresponding end wall segment of another wall segment of the at least one side wall via at least one alignment mechanism; and
 wherein the at least one alignment mechanism is made integral to the basket assembly.   
     
     
         15 . A basket assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one alignment mechanism includes at least one pair of corresponding tenon and mortise components provided respectively on opposite first and second end wall segments of the at least one side wall. 
     
     
         16 . A basket assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the first and second end wall segments of a first lateral wall segment of the at least one side wall are configured to be aligned with corresponding first and second end wall segments of second lateral wall segment of the at least one side wall; and
 wherein the first and second end wall segments of the first lateral wall segment of the at least one side wall are provided with tenon and mortise components respectively configured to be aligned with corresponding mortise and tenon components provided on the first and second end wall segments receptively of the second lateral wall segment of the at least one side wall.   
     
     
         17 . A blank for forming a containment base of a basket assembly according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A kit for assembling a basket assembly according to  claim 1 , the kit comprising a corresponding blank and an associated handle. 
     
     
         19 . A handle for use with a basket assembly, the handle being configured for selectively mounting onto a containment base of the basket assembly via at one interlocking mechanism. 
     
     
         20 . A handle according to  claim 19 , wherein the interlocking mechanism includes at least one male component being operatively provided on the handle, and being configured for cooperating with at least one female component provided on at least one side wall of the containment base of the basket assembly;
 wherein said at least one male component includes at least one pair of male components;   wherein each male component is operatively provided on a corresponding distal end of the handle;   each male component is integrally provided on a corresponding distal end of the handle;   wherein each male component includes an insertion portion being shaped and sized for insertion into a corresponding receiving portion of the containment base of the basket assembly;   wherein each male component includes a retaining portion being shaped and sized for retainment against a corresponding securing portion of the containment base of the basket assembly;   wherein each male component comprises at least one frontal section;   wherein each male component comprises at least one tapered section;   wherein said at least one tapered section includes a pair of tapered sections;   wherein each male component comprises at least one lateral section;   wherein said at least one lateral section incudes a pair of lateral sections;   wherein each male component comprises at least one abutment section;   wherein said at least one abutment section includes a pair of abutment sections;   wherein each male component comprises at least one transitional section;   wherein said at least one transitional section includes a pair of transitional sections;   wherein the handle is substantially symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of said handle;   wherein the handle is further configured so that a first male component of a first distal end of the handle is selectively engageable with a corresponding first side wall of at least one side wall of the containment base, and so that a second male component of a second distal end of the handle is selectively engageable with a corresponding second side wall of the at least one side wall of the containment base of the basket assembly;   wherein the handle is further configured so that the first and second male components of the handle are selectively engageable with the second and first side walls respectively, as well, of the at least one side wall of the containment base of the basket assembly; and   wherein the handle is made of cardboard.