US3100595A

US3100595A - Cantaloupe containers

Info

Publication number: US3100595A
Application number: US91867A
Authority: US
Inventors: Floyd P Curtiss; Edward F Relth
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1961-02-27
Filing date: 1961-02-27
Publication date: 1963-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1980-08-13

Description

1963 F. P. cuRTlss ETAL 3,100,595

CANTALOUPE CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FLoYD P. Cum-n55 6 EDWARD F Ram-H BY ATTog M EYs United States Patent 3,109,595 CANTALOIJPE (IQNTAINERS Floyd P. Uurtiss, Temple City, and Edward F. Keith, Downey, alit., assignors to Continental Can Company, Inc, New York, NFL, a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 91,867 8 Claims. (til. 22*-27) This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in containers, and more particularly to a novel combined display and shipping container for cantaloupe and other large items of produce.

Large items of produce, such as cantaloupe, honeydew melons, etc., are customarily shipped in wooden crates due to the weights of such items. However, wooden crates are relatively expensive and must be opened before the item-s of produce can be inspected, as is usually the case in the selling of the produce. It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a novel paperboard container for large items of produce, particularly cantaloupes, which container is relatively inexpensive as compared to wooden crates and at the same time is of sufiicient strength to properly protect the cantaloupe during shipment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel container for shipping and displaying large items of produce, such as cantaloupes, the containers including two container sections which are disposed in side-by-side relation and are connected together by a common top wall or cover panel, the container sections and the cover panel being integrally connected and the cover panel serving to rigidly connect together the two container sections.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel container for shipping large items of produce, the container being formed from a single sheet of material and being readily folded to define two separate container sections, the two container sections being disposed in sideby-side relation and having a common cover panel, the cover panel serving to connect together upper edges or outer side walls of the two container sections, and the cover panel having depending end flaps which extend across the complete ends of the two container sections and secure together the ends of the container sections.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel blank for forming a large container for receiving large items of produce, such as cantaloupe, the blank being rectangular in outline and formed of a sheet of paperboard or like paper product, and the blank being divided into walls and flaps by a plurality of fold lines and slits without the loss of any material whatsoever, the blank being foldable to define two separate container sections connected to gether by a single top wall panel.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel container for large items of produce, the container including two container sections connected together by a cover panel, the cover panel having enlarged openings therein aligned with the two container sections, and the individual openings being formed by folding a pair of flaps out of the cover panel with the flaps extending along the respective side walls of the respective container section and forming cushions for items of produce disposed within the container sections.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

3,,ldiL595 Patented Aug. 13, I963 In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the container which is the subject of this invention and shows generally the details thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view on a large scale taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and shows the specific details of construction of the container including the relationship of cantaloupes disposed therein.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view' taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and shows further the details of construction of the container.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1 and also shows details of construction of the container.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the container is formed.

Reference is now made to the drawings in detail wherein the container is generally referred to by the numeral 6. The container 6 is formed from a blank generally referred to by the numeral 7. The blank 7 is illustrated in FIGURE 5, and it is believed that the structural details of the container 6 may be best understood by first considering the details of the blank 7.

The blank 7 is formed of a sheet of paperboard or like paper product and is generally rectangular in outline, as is best shown in FIGURE 5. The blank 7 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending fold lines 3, 9 which are disposed adjacent, but spaced inwardly or" the side edges of the blank 7 to separate the blank 7' into a central wall portion and outer flap portions, the wall portion being generally referred to by the numeral 10, and the outer flap portions being generally referred to by the numerals 11 and 12.

The central wall portion 10 is divided into a plurality of individual walls by a plurality of fold lines which extend transversely of the blank '7 between the fold lines 8 and 9. These fold lines include

outermost fold lines

13, 14 which set ofi at the opposite ends of the central wall portion :10

side walls

15, 16. Fold lines l7, 18 are spaced inwardly of the

fold lines

13, 14, respectively, and the area of the central wall portion 10 between the fold lines t?) and I7 is in the form of a bottom wall 19 while the area of the central wall portion 10 between the

fold lines

14 and 18 is in the form of a bottom wall 20. The central wall portion 10 is further divided by a pair of fold lines 21, 22 which are disposed adjacent the

fold lines

17 and 18, respectively. The portion of the central wall portion 10 between the fold lines '17 and 21 is in the form of a side Wall 23, whereas the portion of the central wall portion 10 between the fold lines 18 and 22 is in the form of a side wall 24. The portion of the central wall portion 10 between the fold lines 21 and 22 is in the form of a top wall or cover panel 25.

The outer flap portion 11 is divided into a plurality of individual end flaps by a plurality of transverse slits which are aligned with the fold lines of the central wall portion 10. These slits include a pair of

outer slits

26, 27 which set oit a pair of

end flaps

28, 29 hingedly connected to the

side walls

15, 16, respectively. A pair or slits 3t), 31 are disposedinwardly of the slits 26, 2'7, respectively, and are aligned with the

fold lines

17, 18, respectively. The portion of the outer flap portion iii between the slits 26 and 30 is in the form of an end panel 32 on the end of the bottom wall 19, whereas the portion of the outer flap portion 11 between the

slits

27 and 31 is in the form of an end flap 33 on one end of the bottom wall 20. The outer ilap portion 11 is also provided with a pair of slits 34-, 35 which are aligned with the fold lines 21, 22, respectively, and define opposite ends of an end flap as which is disposed at one end of the central panel 25. The portion of the outer flap portion 11 between the slits 3G, 34 is in the form of an end flap 37 on the side wall 23 while the portion of the outer flap portion 11 between the

slits

31, 35 is in the form of an end flap 38 on the end of the side wall 24.

The outer flap portion 12 is provided with a plurality of slits identical to the slits formed in the outer flap portion 11. ese slits include slits 59, all, ll, 42, 4.3 and 44- which correspond to the

slits

2s, 3d, 34, 35, Ill and 27, respectively. These slits in the outer flap portion 12 set oil end flaps which include an end flap 44 on the side wall corresponding to the end flap 22; an end flap 45 on the bottom wall 1? corresponding to the end flap 32; an end flap as on the side wall 23 corresponding to the end flap 37; an end fiap 47 on the cover panel corresponding to the end flap 36; an end flap on the side Wall 24 corresponding to the end flap 33; an end flap 49 on the bottom wall corresponding to the end flap 33; and an end flap 59 on the side wall 16 corresponding to the end flap 29.

The cover panel 25 is provided with two pairs of opposed Ct-shaped cuts 51 with the C-shaped cuts of each pair being connected together by

fold lines

52 and 53, which are in parallel relation, the fold line 52 being disposed adjacent the fold line 21, with the fold line 53 being disposed adjacent the center of the cover panel 25'. The C-shaped cuts Sll are further connected together by a zig-Zag out 54 todefine a generally (l-shaped flap 56 connected to the cover panel 25 along the fold line 52 and a generally T-shaped fiap 57 connected to the cover panel 25 along the fold line The other pair of C-shaped cuts 51 are connected together by two parallel fold lines 58, 53* with the fold line 59 being disposed adjacent the fold line 22, and the fold line being disposed adjacent the fold line 53'. The Q-shaped cuts 51 connected together by the

fold lines

53,59 are also connected together by a Z-shaped out line do which defines a T-shaped flap or connected to the cover panel 25 along the fold line 58 and a (l-shaped flap 62 connected to the cover panel 25 along the fold line 5h.

The bottom wall =19 is provided with a plurality of oval-outline ventilation openings 63. Similar ventilation openings 64 are formed in the bottom wall 28*.

In the forming of the container 6 from the blank. 7, the blank 7 is folded along the fold line 13 until the side Wall 15 is disposed normal to the plane or the bottom Wall 19. The side Wall 15 and the bottom wall 19 are then folded as a unit along the fold line 17 until the

side walls

15 and 23 are in parallel relation. The walls l5, l9 and 23 are then folded along the fold line 21 until the bottom wall 1 9 is disposed parallel to the cover panel 25. The

side walls

16 and 24 and the bottom wall 23 are folded in the same manner asdescribed above with respect to the

side walls

15 and 23 and the bottom wall 19. The folding of these latter walls may be done after the fielding of the Walls l5, l9 and 23, or simultaneously therewith.

I The

end flaps

28, 37, 38, 29, 44', 46, 48 and 5h are then folded inwardly into overlapping relation with respective ones of each other. Next, the end flap 32 is folded up in face-to-face relation with respect to the

end flaps

28, 37, while the end flap is folded up into face-to face relation with respect to the end flaps 44', 46. In a similar manner, the end flap 33 is fielded up into face.-to-face relationwith respect to the end flapsengagement with the

end flaps

32 and 33 on hand and the end flaps and 49 on the other hand. The

adhesive securement of the end flap 36 to the

end flaps

32 and 33 and the adhesive securement of the end flap 65 to the end flaps 45 and 4 9 results in a rigid container construction. However, if desired, although not necessary, the overlapping portions or" the end flaps 2S and 37 could be secured to each other and to the end flap 32; the overlapping portions of the

end flaps

33 and 2 9 may be secured together and these end flaps may be secured to the end fiap 33; the overlapping portions of the

end flaps

44 and 46 may be secured together and these end flaps secured to the end flap :5; and the overlapping portions of the end flaps 4'8 and till may be secured together and these end flaps secured to the end flap 49. Further, the abutting faces of the

side walls

15 and 16 may also be adhesively secured together.

After the blank 7 has been folded in the above described manner and the various portions thereof secured together, preferably by adhesive, although staples could he used, the

flaps

56, 57, 61 and 62 are folded inwardly to the positions illustrated in

FlGURES

1, 2, 3 and 4. This results in the formation of openings so and '67 in the cover panel 25 through which items of produce, such as cantaloupes 76 illustrated in FIGURE 2, may be placed, and viewed. At this time it is pointed out that in the formation of the container 6, there is actually formed two container sections, generally referred to by the

numerals

68, 69, over which the cover panel 25 extends.

Reiorence is now made to FIGURE 3 in papticular, wherein it is shown that the

flaps

56 and 57 diverge downwardly and are wedged into the corners of the container section 68 along the side edges of ohe bot-tom wall 19 thereof. in a similar manner, the

flaps

61 and 62 diverge downwardly and are wedged into the side corners of the container section 69 along the side edges of she bottom wall Ztl thereof. The flaps 56, 5'7, 61 and 62 will be engaged by anticles of produce packed within the container 6 and will havein effect a wedging action on the produce as t 'e'll as a cushioning action thereon.

Although the container 6' has not been illustrated as being provided with suitable hand holes to :fiacilitate the handling thereof, if desired, the ends of the container 6 maybe rovided with hand holes as desired;

It will be readily apparent from FIGURES 1 and 2 that the container ti provides adequate protection [for the articles or" produce packed therein, such as the cantaloupes 7t), and at .the same time, the contalonpes 7% may be readily viewed through the

openings

66 and 67 to determine the size and quality thereof. Due to the specific construotion of the container 6, the cantaloupes 7% or other produce may be readily shipped or stored within the container 6, the container 6 having iample stnengthto permit the stacking of numerous filled containers one upon the other. On the other hand, it will be readily apparent that the container 6 is formed firoln a minimum of ntatenial in [that [the blank 7 is of a rectangular out-line and I ore is no loss of material. 7

From :t'ne foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fia-ct that variations may be made in the example container disclosed herein without departing irorn the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new:

l. A one-piece container for cantaloupe and the like comprising of container sections disposed in sideby-side relation, each container section including a'b'ottorn wall, an inner side wall, an outer side Wall, and flaps connected to opposite ends of each side wall, a full Width end flap secured to each end Olf each of said bottom walls, each inner side Wallbeing formed from abutting free end panels and having adjacent upper free edges, a cover panel overlying said container sections at said upper free edges and being integrally connected to upper edges of p said outer side walls, and end flaps at opposite ends of said cover panel and extending the full width thereof, said cover panel end flaps, said side wall end flaps and said bottom wall end flaps being permanently secured together, the container being a combined shipping and display container, and said cover panel having a pair of article passing openings with each of said openings being aligned with :a respective one of said container sections, each article passing opening being of an extent corresponding to a major portion of the area of the respective container section and being of a width less than the respective container section with each opening having side edges spaced from said inner and outer side walls of the respective container section, and each article passing opening resulting in the formation of two depending panels extending generally the full length of the respective anticle passing opening with said depending panels being wider than the heights of said inner and outer side walls and sloping into abutting contact with corners defined by respective ones of said bottom wall and said inner and outer side walls to provide resilient cushions for cantaloupe and the like contained in said container.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the combined maximum widths of each pair of said elongated panels being greater than the width of the respective article passing opening.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein one elongated panel of each pair of elongated panels is of a U-shape and the other elongated panel is of a Tshape.

4. A one-piece container for cantaloupe and the like comprising a pair of container sections disposed in sideby-side relation, each container section including a bottom wall, an inner side wall, an outer side wall, said inner side walls being defined by :a pair of end panels disposed in back re-back abutting engagement and having adjacent upper free edges, a cover panel overlying said container sections and being integrally connected to upper edges of said outer side walls and having a centnal portion abutting said end panel free edges, end flaps connected to opposite ends of each side wall, an end flap secured to each end of each of said bottom walls, end flap at opposite ends of said cover panel and extending the full width thereof, means permanently securing all of said end flaps together to form a rigid assembly, and said cover panel having a pair of article passing openings with each of said openings being aligned a respective one of said container sections and having an extent corresponding to a major portion of but less than the areas of the respective container section.

5. A one-piece container for cantaloupe and the like comprising a pair of containerrsections disposed in sideby-side relation, each container section including a bottom wall, an inner side wall, an outer side wall, said inner side walls being defined by a pair of end panels disposed in back-to-back engagement md having adjacent upper free edges, 21 cover panel overlying said container sections and being integrally connected to upper edges of said outer side walls and having a central portion abutting said end panel free edges, end flaps connected to opposite ends of each side wall, an end flap secured to each end of each of said bottom walls, end flaps at opposite ends of said cover panel and extending the full width thereof, means perinanently securing all of said end flaps together to form a rigid assembly, and said cover panel having a pair of article passing openings with each of said openings being aligned with a respective one of said container sections and having an extent corresponding to a major portion of the areas of the respective container section,'each article passing opening being of a width less than the respective container section with each opening having side edges spaced from said inner and outer side walls of the respective container section, and each article passing opening resulting in the formation of two depending panels ex tending generally the full length. of the respective article passing opening with said depending panels being wider 6 than the heights of said inner and outer side walls and sloping into corners befined by respective ones of said bottom wall and said inner and outer side walls to provide resilient cushions for cantaloupe and the like contained in said container.

6. A blank for forming a two compartment container, said blank comprising a rectangular sheet having a pair of longitudinal fold lines extending the full length of said sheet and set inwardly from opposite edges of said blank and dividing said blank into a central wall forming portion and outer flap portions, a plurality of transverse fold lines extending between said longitudinal fold lines and dividing said central wall forming portions into indv-idual container Wall panels including a central top wall panel having a container section bottom wall panel and a pair of side wall panels on each side thereof, one side wall panel of said pair of side wall panels being disposed on opposite sides of a respective one of said bottom wall panels, said blank being symmetrical about a transverse center line thereof and said central top wall panel being of a width twice that of said bottom wall panels, all of said side wall panels being of the same width, and slits across said outer flap portions in alignment with each of said transverse fold lines dividing each outer flap portion into a plurality of end flaps wherein each of said wall panels has a flap at each end thereof, said top wall panel having a pair of elongated openings therein, each of said openings having an extent corresponding to a major portion of the extent of said bottom wall panels and having a width less than the width of a respective bottom wall panel, and each opening being formed by a pair of elongated flaps foldable out of the plane of said top wall panel, each of said elongated fiaps having a maximum width in excess of the widths of said side wall panels whereby in an erected container each of said elongated flaps forms a sloping cushion extending generally the full length of the respective opening and has a free edge thereof wedged in a corner defined by one of said side wall panels and one of said bottom wall panels.

7. The container blank of claim 6 wherein said elongated fiaps ofeach pair are in internesting relation and the combined width of each pair of said elongated flaps is greater than the width of the respective opening.

8. A one-piece container for cantaloupeand the like comprising a pair of container sections disposed in sideby-side relation, each container section including a bottom Wall, an inner side wall, an outer side wall, said inner side walls being defined by a pair of end panels disposed in back-to-back engagement and having adjacent upper free edges, a cover panel overlying said container sections and being integrally connected to upper edges of said outer side walls and having a central portion abutting said end panel free edges, end flaps connected to opposite ends of each sidewall, an end flap secured to each end of each of said bottom walls, end flaps at opposite ends of said cover panel and extending the full width thereof, means permanently securing all of said end flaps together to form a rigid assembly, and said cover panel having a pair of article passing openings with each of said openings being aligned with a respective one of said container sections and :having an extent corresponding to a major portion of the areas of the respective container section, each article passing opening being of .a width less than the respective container section with each opening having side edges spaced from said inner and outer side walls ofthe respective container section, and each article passing opening resulting inthe formation of two depending panels extending generally the full length of the respective article passing opening with said depending panels sloping into the interior of the respective container section in diverging relation [to provide resilent cushions for cantaloupe and the like contained in said container.

(References on following page) References Qited in the file: of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gilfillan June 14, 1910 Schoettle Dec. 3, 1912 5 Rayn-aud Aug. 31, 1915 Ryan et a1 Aug. 7, 1928 Barad Dec. 27, 1932 Cottrill Feb. 28, 1961

Claims

1. A ONE-PIECE CONTAINER FOR CANTALOUPE AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PAIR OF CONTAINER SECTIONS DISPOSED IN SIDEBY-SIDE RELATION, EACH CONTAINER SECTION INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL, AN INNER SIDE WALL, AN OUTER SIDE WALL, AND FLAPS CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH SIDE WALL, A FULL WIDTH END FLAP SECURED TO EACH END OF EACH OF SAID BOTTOM WALLS, EACH INNER SIDE WALL BEING FORMED FROM ABUTTING FREE END PANELS AND HAVING ADJACENT UPPER FREE EDGES, A COVER PANEL OVERLYING SAID CONTAINER SECTIONS AT SAID UPPER FREE EDGES AND BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO UPPER EDGES OF SAID OUTER SIDE WALLS, AND END FLAPS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID COVER PANEL AND EXTENDING THE FULL WIDTH THEREOF, SAID COVER PANEL END FLAPS, SAID SIDE WALL END FLAPS AND SAID BOTTOM WALL END FLAPS BEING PERMANENTLY SECURED TOGETHER, THE CONTAINER BEING A COMBINED SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER, AND SAID COVER PANEL HAVING A PAIR OF ARTICLE PASSING OPENINGS WITH EACH OF SAID OPENINGS BEING ALIGNED WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID CONTAINER SECTIONS, EACH ARTICLE PASSING OPENING BEING OF AN EXTENT CORRESPONDING TO A MAJOR PORTION OF THE AREA OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTAINER SECTION AND BEING OF A WIDTH LESS THAN THE RESPECTIVE CONTAINER SECTION WITH EACH OPENING HAVING SIDE EDGES SPACED FROM SAID INNER AND OUTER SIDE WALLS OF THE RESPECTIVE CONTAINER SECTION, AND EACH ARTICLE PASSING OPENING RESULTING IN THE FORMATION OF TWO DEPENDING PANELS EXTENDING GENERALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RESPECTIVE ARTICLE PASSING OPENING WITH SAID DEPENDING PANELS BEING WIDER THAN THE HEIGHTS OF SAID INNER AND OUTER SIDE WALLS AND SLOPING INTO ABUTTING CONTACT WITH CORNERS DEFINED BY RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID BOTTOM WALL AND SAID INNER AND OUTER SIDE WALLS TO PROVIDE RESILIENT CUSHIONS FOR CANTALOUPE AND THE LIKE CONTAINED IN SAID CONTAINER.