Packaging containers, blanks for making packaging containers, and methods for forming packaging containers from blanks

Abstract

A container includes a pair of horizontal walls, a plurality of vertical walls, and a corner wall. The corner wall extends between an adjacent pair of the vertical walls at an oblique angle. The container also includes a corner-support flap connected to the corner wall and one of the horizontal walls. The corner-support flap holds the corner panel at the oblique angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blank for forming a container, the blank comprising:
 a series of panels connected along a plurality of fold lines;   a corner panel extending from a first one of the panels; and   a corner-support flap connected to the corner panel and to a second one of the panels.   
     
     
         2 . The blank of  claim 1 , wherein the corner-support flap is connected to the corner panel along a first one of the fold lines and is connected to the second one of the panels along a second one of the fold lines. 
     
     
         3 . The blank of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first one of the fold lines is substantially colinear with a third one of fold lines along which the first one of the panels and the second one of the panels are connected; and   the second one of the fold lines is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first one of the fold lines.   
     
     
         4 . The blank of  claim 3 , wherein the oblique angle is approximately 22.5 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The blank of  claim 3 , further comprising an edge extending between the corner panel and the second one of the panels, wherein the corner-support flap is bound by the first fold line, the second fold line, and the edge. 
     
     
         6 . The blank of  claim 1 , wherein the corner-support flap is triangular. 
     
     
         7 . The blank of  claim 6 , wherein the corner-support flap is a scalene triangle. 
     
     
         8 . The blank of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of corner panels and a plurality of corner-support flaps, wherein:
 the panels comprise a spaced-apart first pair of panels and a spaced-apart second pair of panels;   each one of the second pair of panels is connected to at least one of the first pair of panels;   one of the corner panels extends from each side of one of the first pair of panels; and   one of the corner-support flaps is connected to each one of the corner panels and one of the second pair of panels.   
     
     
         9 . The blank of  claim 8 , wherein:
 one of the corner panels extends from each side of each one of the first pair of panels; and   one of the corner-support flaps is connected to each one of the corner panels and one of the second pair of panels.   
     
     
         10 . The blank of  claim 8 , further comprising a side panel extending from one of the corner panels. 
     
     
         11 . The blank of  claim 8 , further comprising a side panel extending from each side of one of the second pair of panels. 
     
     
         12 . A container formed from a blank, the container comprising:
 a pair of horizontal walls, a plurality of vertical walls, and a corner wall, wherein the corner wall extends between an adjacent pair of the vertical walls at an oblique angle; and   a corner-support flap connected to the corner wall and one of the horizontal walls, wherein the corner-support flap holds the corner wall at the oblique angle.   
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the corner-support flap is substantially parallel to the one of the horizontal walls and is substantially perpendicular to the corner wall. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the corner-support flap is triangular. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein the corner-support flap is a scalene triangle. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of corner walls, wherein:
 each one of the corner walls extends between a corresponding adjacent pair of the vertical walls; and   the vertical walls and the corner walls form a polygonal shape.   
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the vertical walls and the corner walls form an octagonal shape. 
     
     
         18 . A method for forming a container from a blank, comprising a series of panels connected along a plurality of fold lines, a corner panel extending from a first one of the panels, and a corner-support flap connected to the corner panel and to a second one of the panels along the plurality of fold lines, the method comprising steps of:
 rotating the first one of the panels about a respective one of the fold lines toward the second one of the panels;   rotating the corner-support flap about a respective one of the fold lines toward the second one of the panels; and   rotating the corner panel about a respective one of the fold lines toward the second one of the panels.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the step of rotating the corner-support flap about the respective one of the fold lines toward the second one of the panels causes the step of rotating the corner panel about the respective one of the fold lines toward the second one of the panels; and   the corner-support flap holds the corner panel at an oblique angle relative to the first one of the panels.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of rotating the first one of the panels about a respective one of the fold lines toward the second one of the panels causes the step of rotating the corner-support flap about a respective one of the fold lines toward the second one of the panels.