Expansible and collapsible spring acting, multi-sided structures and blanks therefor

Claim 2

A blank for forming a multi-sided container, comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of material divided, by fold lines, into panels for forming the bottom wall, side walls and end walls of the container, said bottom wall forming panel being connected to said side wall forming panels by fold lines, one of said panels for forming each end wall having a tab which may be secured to the edge of the other panel for forming the same end wall and being joined by score lines to said side wall forming panels, said bottom wall forming panel having a medial fold line in alignment with slits separating triangular portions which are joined to said bottom wall forming panel by fold lines, each of said triangular portions having joined thereto, by a fold line, a complementary triangular portion which is joined, by a fold line, to an end wall forming panel, whereby in the assembled collapsed container, said bottom wall forming panel will be folded upwardly along its medial fold line and sandwiched between said side wall forming panels, and whereby when said end wall forming panels are pushed toward each other, said first mentioned triangular portions will curl and enlarge the width of said slits while said second mentioned triangular portions will continuously lie flat against the adjoining end wall forming panels so that said curled portions will eventually effect a snap action and flatten to lock the container in its expanded position, and a container lid forming panel attached, by a fold line, to one of said side wall forming panels and being of identical construction to the bottom forming panel, inclusive of said first and second triangular portions, to provide a completely enclosed container with snapacting lid and bottom forming panels.

Claim 3

A container having side walls, end walls, and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a medial score line and having, at each end, two upwardly extending right triangular extensions connected to each opposite end of said bottom wall through score lines, the triangular extensions on each side being separated by a slit which is in alignment with said medial score line, the hypotenuse of each of said triangular extensions extending in the plane of One of said end wall forming panels, whereby when said container is collapsed with said bottom wall folded upwardly along said medial score line so as to be sandwiched between said side walls, movement of said end walls toward each other will cause downward unfolding movement of said bottom wall and curling of said triangular extensions until finally said triangular extensions will suddenly become flattened and effect snap action to lock the container in its expanded position, and a lid of identical construction to said bottom wall including said triangular extensions whereby both the bottom and lid will snap to become locked in the expanded position.

Claim 4

A container having side walls, end walls, and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a medial score line and having, at each end, two upwardly extending right triangular extensions connected to each opposite end of said bottom wall through score lines, the triangular extensions on each side being separated by a slit which is in alignment with said medial score line, the hypotenuse of each of said triangular extensions extending in the plane of One of said end wall forming panels, whereby when said container is collapsed with said bottom wall folded upwardly along said medial score line so as to be sandwiched between said side walls, movement of said end walls toward each other will cause downward unfolding movement of said bottom wall and curling of said triangular extensions until finally said triangular extensions will suddenly become flattened and effect snap action to lock the container in its expanded position, and a lid of identical construction to said bottom wall including said triangular extensions whereby both the bottom and lid will snap to become locked in the expanded position.

Claim 5

A blank for forming a six-sided container of a height which may differ from the widths of the sides, comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of material divided, by fold lines, into panels for forming the bottom wall, two side walls and four end walls of the container, each of said panels having laterally and longitudinally extending edges said bottom wall forming panel being connected along its longitudinally extending edges to said side wall forming panels by two of said fold lines, each of said side wall forming panels having an end wall forming panel connected to each of its laterally extending edges by a fold line, said end wall forming panels comprising two pairs of laterally spaced panels, one panel of each of said pairs of panels having an adhesive flap attached to a laterally extending edge thereof by a fold line, the longitudinal dimension of each of said end wall forming panels being greater than one-half the lateral dimension of the bottom wall forming panel, said bottom wall forming panel having a medial fold line in alignment with slits separating triangular portions for forming angularly downwardly extending portions of the end walls and which are joined to said bottom wall forming panel by fold lines, each of said triangular portions having joined thereto, by a fold line, a complementary triangular portion adapted to lie flat against an end wall and which is joined, by a fold line, to an end wall forming panel, whereby in the assembled collapsed container, said bottom wall forming panel will be folded upwardly along its medial fold line and sandwiched between said side wall forming panels, and whereby when said end wall forming panels are pushed toward each other, said first mentioned triangular portions will curl and enlarge the width of said slits while said second mentioned triangular portions will continuously lie flat against the adjoining end wall forming panels so that upon predetermined curling movement said curled portions will eventually effect a snap action and flatten to lock the container in its expanded position.

Claim 6

A blank for forming a six-sided container of a height which may differ from the widths of the sides, comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of material divided, by fold lines, into panels for forming the bottom wall, two side walls and four end walls of the container, each of said panels having laterally and longitudinally extending edges said bottom wall forming panel being connected along its longitudinally extending edges to said side wall forming panels by two of said fold lines, each of said side wall forming panels having an end wall forming panel connected to each of its laterally extending edges by a fold line, said end wall forming panels comprising two pairs of laterally spaced panels, one panel of each of said pairs of panels having an adhesive flap attached to a laterally extending edge thereof by a fold line, the longitudinal dimension of each of said end wall forming panels being greater than one-half the lateral dimension of the bottom wall forming panel, said bottom wall forming panel having a medial fold line in alignment with slits separating triangular portions for forming angularly downwardly extending portions of the end walls and which are joined to said bottom wall forming panel by fold lines, each of said triangular portions having joined thereto, by a fold line, a complementary triangular portion adapted to lie flat against an end wall and which is joined, by a fold line, to an end wall forming panel, whereby in the assembled collapsed container, said bottom wall forming panel will be folded upwardly along its medial fold line and sandwiched between said side wall forming panels, and whereby when said end wall forming panels are pushed toward each other, said first mentioned triangular portions will curl and enlarge the width of said slits while said second mentioned triangular portions will continuously lie flat against the adjoining end wall forming panels so that upon predetermined curling movement said curled portions will eventually effect a snap action and flatten to lock the container in its expanded position.