Container device and container box

Abstract

A container box for storing a sheet feed cassette for an image forming apparatus, the cassette having side guides movable according to a size of a sheet stored therebetween, includes bottom and upper flaps and side surface portions. An upper flap is foldable along a first axis located along an upper edge of a side surface portion and including a first flap foldable along a second axis parallel to the first axis, and a second flap on the first flap to be foldable with the first flap and further foldable along a third axis parallel to the second axis. When the cassette is stored in the box and the upper flaps are closed, an edge of the first flap presses the cassette to suppress vertical movement of the cassette within the box, and the second flap is folded to suppress horizontal movement of the cassette within the box.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container box for storing a sheet feed cassette for an image forming apparatus, the sheet feed cassette having a pair of side guides that is movable according to a size of a sheet that is stored therebetween, the container box comprising:
 a plurality of bottom flaps that form a bottom surface of the container box;   a plurality of upper flaps that form an upper surface of the container box; and   a plurality of side surface portions each connected to a corresponding one of the bottom flaps and a corresponding one of the upper flaps and forming a side surface of the container box, wherein   one of the upper flaps is foldable along a first folding axis that is located along an upper edge of one of the side surface portions and includes:
 a first flap foldable along a second folding axis that is parallel to the first folding axis, and 
 a second flap that is on the first flap to be foldable with the first flap and further foldable along a third folding axis that is parallel to the second folding axis, and 
   when the sheet feed cassette is stored in the container box and the upper flaps are closed to enclose the sheet feed cassette in the container box, an edge of the first flap presses the sheet feed cassette against the bottom surface of the container box to suppress vertical movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box, and the second flap is folded to suppress horizontal movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box.   
     
     
         2 . The container box according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom flaps, the upper flaps, and the side surface portions are made from a single sheet member. 
     
     
         3 . The container box according to  claim 2 , wherein said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member has a pair of slits formed at an edge thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The container box according to  claim 3 , wherein the second flap is formed at a portion of said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member that is between the slits. 
     
     
         5 . The container box according to  claim 4 , wherein the first flap has a rectangular shape and is between the second flap and the second folding axis. 
     
     
         6 . The container box according to  claim 5 , wherein the second flap has a rectangular shape and the third folding axis defines a boundary between the first and second flaps. 
     
     
         7 . The container box according to  claim 2 , wherein the single sheet member is a corrugated board. 
     
     
         8 . The container box according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an adhesive portion on one of the side surface portions and attached to another side surface portion.   
     
     
         9 . The container box according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an upper extending portion protruding from one of opposite sides of the adhesive portion not connected to said one of the side surface portions and contacting a corresponding one of the upper flaps; and   a lower extending portion protruding from the other of the opposite sides of the adhesive portion and contacting a corresponding one of the bottom flaps.   
     
     
         10 . The container box according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of slits between the upper flaps and between the bottom flaps. 
     
     
         11 . A container device for storing a sheet feed cassette for an image forming apparatus, the sheet feed cassette having a pair of side guides that is movable according to a size of a sheet that is stored therebetween, the container device comprising:
 a container box that includes:
 a plurality of bottom flaps that form a bottom surface of the box, 
 a plurality of upper flaps that form an upper surface of the box, and 
 a plurality of side surface portions each connected to a corresponding one of the bottom flaps and a corresponding one of the upper flaps and forming a side surface of the box; and 
   a plurality of cushioning materials, wherein   one of the upper flaps includes:
 one of the upper flaps is foldable along a first folding axis that is located along an upper edge of one of the side surface portions and includes:
 a first flap foldable along a second folding axis that is parallel to the first folding axis, and 
 a second flap that is on the first flap to be foldable with the first flap and further foldable along a third folding axis that is parallel to the second folding axis, 
 
   when the sheet feed cassette is stored in the container box and the upper flaps are closed to enclose the sheet feed cassette in the container box, an edge of the first flap presses the sheet feed cassette against the bottom surface of the container box to suppress vertical movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box, and the second flap is folded to suppress horizontal movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box, and   the cussing materials are between the sheet feed cassette and the side surfaces of the box.   
     
     
         12 . The container device according to  claim 11 , wherein the bottom flaps, the upper flaps, and the side surface portions are made from a single sheet member. 
     
     
         13 . The container device according to  claim 12 , wherein said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member has a pair of slits formed at an edge thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The container device according to  claim 13 , wherein the second flap is formed at a portion of said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member that is between the slits. 
     
     
         15 . The container device according to  claim 14 , wherein the first flap has a rectangular shape and is between the second flap and the second folding axis. 
     
     
         16 . The container device according to  claim 15 , wherein the second flap has a rectangular shape and the third folding axis defines a boundary between the first and second flaps. 
     
     
         17 . The container device according to  claim 12 , wherein the single sheet member is a corrugated board. 
     
     
         18 . The container device according to  claim 11 , wherein the container box further includes an adhesive portion on one of the side surface portions and attached to another side surface portion. 
     
     
         19 . The container device according to  claim 18 , wherein the container box further includes:
 an upper extending portion protruding from one of opposite sides of the adhesive portion not connected to said one of the side surface portions and contacting a corresponding one of the upper flaps; and   a lower extending portion protruding from the other of the opposite sides of the adhesive portion and contacting a corresponding one of the bottom flaps.   
     
     
         20 . The container device according to  claim 11 , wherein the container box further includes a plurality of slits between the upper flaps and between the bottom flaps.