Shipping Box

Abstract

A shipping box comprises a bottom structural flap and a plurality of sidewall structural flaps, of which at least two are connected to the bottom structural flap, and assembly elements that assemble the box in a stable way. The box is foldable in a flat folded position in which, from its upper part, in the use position, to at least three of the structural sidewall flaps are connected at least three functional flaps independent of each other, making the functional flaps the functions of lid, interior space reducer, fastening and/or handle, and that the assembly elements are located on the internal part of the box.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shipping box formed from a single sheet, comprising:
 a structural bottom flap that forms a bottom and occupies substantially an entire surface of the bottom;   a plurality of structural sidewall flaps that form at least four sidewalls of the box, at least two of the structural sidewall flaps being connected to the structural bottom flap, all the sidewalls being positioned substantially perpendicular to the bottom in their position of use when the box is open;   assembly elements that assemble the box in a stable manner, the box being foldable in a flat folded position; and   at least three functional flaps that are independent of each other, the functional flaps performing functions of lid, interior space reducer, clamping, separator, and/or handle, wherein:   from their upper part, in their position of use, at least three of the structural sidewall flaps are connected to the at least three functional flaps, and   the assembly elements are located on the structural bottom flap or the structure sidewall flaps on an internal part of the box.   
     
     
         2 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , wherein the assembly elements are projections that are housed in complementary housings or glued to the structural bottom flap or to a structure sidewall flap. 
     
     
         3 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet is of a corrugated material that defines a plurality of channels substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The shipping box of  claim 3 , wherein the channels of the corrugated material in the sidewalls are substantially perpendicular to the bottom. 
     
     
         5 . The shipping box of  claim 3 , wherein the channels of the corrugated material are perpendicular to slits that separate the functional flaps. 
     
     
         6 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , further comprising two additional structural bottom flaps that form a double thickness bottom and that are connected to two of the structural sidewall flaps. 
     
     
         7 . The shipping box of  claim 6 , wherein each additional structural bottom flap comprises a cavity to house one of the structural bottom reinforcement flaps. 
     
     
         8 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , further comprising two opposite additional sidewall structural flaps that form two double thickness sidewalls and that are connected to a sidewall structural flap. 
     
     
         9 . The shipping box of  claim 8 , wherein each of the two opposite additional sidewall structural flaps is connected to a structural bottom reinforcing flap, defining a projection between the additional sidewall structural flap and the bottom reinforcing structural flap, the projection being housed in a complementary groove located at a fold line between the structural sidewall flaps and the additional structural bottom flap, forming the projections and the grooves of the assembly elements. 
     
     
         10 . The shipping box of  claim 9 , wherein each additional structural bottom flap comprises a cavity to house one of the structural bottom reinforcement flaps. 
     
     
         11 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , wherein two of the functional flaps are functional lid flaps that, in their closed position, have their ends substantially in contact with each other or are totally or partially overlapped, one of the lid flaps comprising, when the lid flaps are totally or partially overlapped, at least one sealing element. 
     
     
         12 . The shipping box of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the functional lid flaps comprises at least one tear strip when the functional lid flaps are totally or partially overlapped. 
     
     
         13 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , wherein two of the functional flaps are functional lid flaps comprising at least one slot for their engagement to each other. 
     
     
         14 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the functional flaps is a functional space reduction flap, each comprising one or more slits defining secondary flaps from each functional space reduction flap. 
     
     
         15 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , further comprising at least two functional fastening flaps. 
     
     
         16 . The shipping box of  claim 15 , wherein each functional fastening flap comprises at least one hole and slits. 
     
     
         17 . The shipping box of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the functional flaps is a functional handle flap.