Collapsible box

Abstract

A collapsible box is provided that facilitates folding of the box into a flattened configuration having a profile the same size as the sides of the box. The box includes two main face panels, two side panels each having a vertical crease, a lower bottom panel having a longitudinal crease and cutouts adjacent to the side panels, bottom flaps attached to the lower edges of the side panels, and an upper bottom panel affixed to the lower edge of a main face panel that folds over the lower bottom panel and bottom flaps to provide structural rigidity. The box can be easily collapsed by raising the upper bottom panel and bottom flaps, and pushing the creases on the side panels and lower bottom panel inward. The box can optionally be formed from a single blank of cardboard or similar material and can optionally be provided with handles or a lid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A collapsible box, comprising:
 a front panel and a back panel,   a first side piece joined to a left end of the front panel and to a left end of the back panel by flexible creases,   a second side piece joined to a right end of the front panel and to a right end of the back panel by flexible creases,   a lower bottom panel joined to a lower edge of the front panel and to a lower edge of the back panel by flexible creases,   two bottom flaps joined to a lower edge of each side panel by a flexible crease, and   an upper bottom panel joined to the lower edge of the front panel by a flexible crease,   wherein the front panel and the back panel each have a flat lower edge and a same width,   wherein the first side piece and the second side piece each have a flat lower edge and a same width that is not wider than the width of the front panel,   wherein each of the first and second side pieces comprises two side panels joined by a flexible vertical crease halfway between the adjacent front panel and the adjacent back panel,   wherein the lower bottom panel comprises a flexible longitudinal crease that is parallel to the front and back panels,   wherein the lower bottom panel further comprises a cutout provided at each end thereof adjacent to a side panel,   wherein each cutout extends along a full width of the end of the lower bottom panel adjacent to the side panels,   wherein a length of the cutout between the vertical crease joining adjacent side panels and an end of the cutout located at the longitudinal crease is at least as long as a width of each side panel,   wherein a width of each bottom flap where it is joined to an adjacent side panel is the same as the width of the adjacent side panel,   wherein a length of each bottom flap is at least as long as the length of the cutout,   wherein each bottom flap is configured to lie over a portion of the lower bottom panel and cover at least a portion of the adjacent cutout,   wherein the upper bottom panel is configured to lie over the bottom flaps and the lower bottom panel, has a length that is the same as the width of the front panel, and has a width that is the same as the width of the side pieces, and   wherein the collapsible box is configured such that when the collapsible box is collapsed into a flattened configuration, the upper bottom panel lies flat against the front panel, and each of the upper bottom panel, the lower bottom panel, the first side piece, and the second side piece lie fully between the front panel and the back panel.   
     
     
         2 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , wherein the box is made from a cardboard material. 
     
     
         3 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , wherein the box is made from a thin sheet that is rigid and can hold a flexible crease between adjacent panels. 
     
     
         4 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , wherein the collapsible box is formed from a single blank of a thin sheet material. 
     
     
         5 . The collapsible box of  claim 4 , wherein the collapsible box further comprises at least one assembly flap provided along at least one of a vertical edge of the side panel, a vertical edge of the front panel, a vertical edge of the back panel, or an edge of the lower bottom panel, to facilitate assembly of the collapsible box from the single blank. 
     
     
         6 . The collapsible box of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one assembly flap is configured to be affixed to an adjacent panel by at least one of tape, glue, an adhesive material, or staples. 
     
     
         7 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , wherein each bottom flap is rectangular. 
     
     
         8 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , wherein each bottom flap comprises a curved edge along at least a portion of a lateral side thereof that is proximal to at least one of an adjacent front panel or an adjacent back panel. 
     
     
         9 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle arrangement. 
     
     
         10 . The collapsible box of  claim 9 , wherein the handle arrangement comprises a further cutout provided through an upper central portion of each of the first and second side panels. 
     
     
         11 . The collapsible box of  claim 9 , wherein the handle arrangement comprises a handle panel joined to each of the front and back panels by a flexible handle crease, and wherein each handle panel comprises at least one cutout provided through a distal portion thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The collapsible box of  claim 11 , wherein each handle panel comprises two cutouts with a flexible crease between them, such that when the crease is folded over the two cutouts superimpose thereby forming a thicker portion of the handle panel surrounding the cutouts. 
     
     
         13 . The collapsible box of  claim 12 , wherein each handle panel further comprises two grip panels having substantially the same width and located between the two cutouts, wherein the two grip panels are joined to each other and to the portions of the handle panel containing the two cutouts by flexible creases,
 wherein the grip panels are configured to be folded in an M shape such that they lie between the portions of the handle panel containing the two cutouts, and   wherein the flexible crease between the two grip panels is configured to extend below an upper edge of each of the two cutouts when folded in an M shape to provide a smooth creased surface within and adjacent to the upper edge of the two cutouts.   
     
     
         14 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , further comprising a lid arrangement configured to fit at least partially over an upper opening of the collapsible box, wherein the lid arrangement is affixed to the collapsible box. 
     
     
         15 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , wherein the box is configured to collapse into a substantially flat form having a profile no larger than a profile of the front panel. 
     
     
         16 . The collapsible box of  claim 1 , wherein the box is configured to collapse by performing the following steps:
 a) folding the upper bottom panel upward such that it lies flat against the front panel;   b) folding each of the bottom flaps upward such that they lie flat against the adjacent side panels; and   c) simultaneously folding the vertical creases of the side panels inward and the longitudinal crease of the lower bottom panel upward such that the side panels and the lower bottom panel are folded in half between the front panel and the back panel, wherein the folded side panels extend into the cutouts on the lower bottom panel.   
     
     
         17 . A blank configured to be assembled into a collapsible box, wherein the assembled collapsible box comprises:
 a front panel and a back panel,   a first side piece joined to a left end of the front panel and to a left end of the back panel by flexible creases,   a second side piece joined to a right end of the front panel and to a right end of the back panel by flexible creases,   a lower bottom panel joined to a lower edge of the front panel and to a lower edge of the back panel by flexible creases,   two bottom flaps joined to a lower edge of each side panel by a flexible crease, and   an upper bottom panel joined to the lower edge of the front panel by a flexible crease,   wherein the front panel and the back panel each have a flat lower edge and a same width,   wherein the first side piece and the second side piece each have a flat lower edge and a same width that is not wider than the width of the front panel,   wherein each of the first and second side pieces comprises two side panels joined by a flexible vertical crease halfway between the adjacent front panel and the adjacent back panel,   wherein the lower bottom panel comprises a flexible longitudinal crease that is parallel to the front and back panels,   wherein the lower bottom panel further comprises a cutout provided at each end thereof adjacent to a side panel,   wherein each cutout extends along a full width of the end of the lower bottom panel adjacent to the side panels,   wherein a length of the cutout between the vertical crease joining adjacent side panels and an end of the cutout located at the longitudinal crease is at least as long as a width of each side panel,   wherein a width of each bottom flap where it is joined to an adjacent side panel is the same as the width of the adjacent side panel,   wherein a length of each bottom flap is at least as long as the length of the cutout,   wherein each bottom flap is configured to lie over a portion of the lower bottom panel and cover at least a portion of the adjacent cutout,   wherein the upper bottom panel is configured to lie over the bottom flaps and the lower bottom panel, has a length that is the same as the width of the front panel, and has a width that is the same as the width of the side pieces, and   wherein the collapsible box is configured such that when the collapsible box is collapsed into a flattened configuration, the upper bottom panel lies flat against the front panel, and each of the upper bottom panel, the lower bottom panel, the first side piece, and the second side piece lie fully between the front panel and the back panel.   
     
     
         18 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the box is made from at least one of a cardboard material, or a thin sheet that is rigid and can hold a flexible crease between adjacent panels. 
     
     
         19 . The blank of  claim 17 , further comprising a handle arrangement that is at least one of joined to or formed as part of at least one of the front panel, the back panel the left side piece, or the right side piece. 
     
     
         20 . The blank of  claim 17 , wherein the blank further comprises at least one assembly flap provided along at least one of a vertical edge of the side panel, a vertical edge of the front panel, a vertical edge of the back panel, or an edge of the lower bottom panel, to facilitate assembly of the collapsible box from the blank.