Shipping container and blank therefor

Claim 2

A shipping container formed from a single substantially rectangularly shaped blank of foldable sheet material for accommodating an article having the upper portion thereof with a stepped profile, said container comprising a bottom for subtending and supporting the article; an upright back panel connected to said bottom and being positionable adjacent the back of the accommodated article; a pair of upright side panels foldably connected to opposite side edges of said back panel and extending angularly therefrom, said side panels being connected to said bottom and being positionable adjacent the sides of the accommodated article, the upper end of each side panel having front, intermediate and back edges connected to form a stepped configuration adapted to conform substantially to the accommodated article stepped profile, the back edge being elevated relative to said front edge, the lengths of said front and back edges combining to define substantially the depth of the container; an upright front panel connected to said bottom and having opposite side edges thereof foldably connected to said side panels and defining substantially the width of the container, said front panel being positionable adjacent the front of the accommodated article; a pair of first top closure flaps foldably connected at said front edges of the side panel upper ends and being adapted to overlie a first portion of the accommodated article; a pair of second top closure flaps foldably connected to the back edge of the side panel upper ends and being adapted to overlie a second portion of the accommodated article; a third top closure flap foldably connected to the upper edge of said back panel and terminating with a free edge and overlying the second top closure flaps; a fourth top closure flap foldably connected to the upper edge of said front panel, said fourth top closure flap including a first section overlying said first top closure flaps and a second section foldably connected to said first section and terminating with a free edge and spanning the distance between the intermediate edge of the side panel upper ends, and laterally extending ears foldably connected to opposite edges of said second section and secured to surface portions of said side panels adjacent the intermediate edge of said side panel upper ends.

Claim 3

The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the first and second top closure flaps substantially span the distance between said side panels and each laterally extending ear is substantially coextensive with the intermediate edge of the upper end of an adjacent side panel.

Claim 4

A substantially rectangular blank of foldable sheet material for use in forming a complete shipping container comprising a front panel; a first side panel disposed on one side of said front panel and foldably connected thereto; a second side panel of substantially the same configuration disposed on the opposite side of said front panel and foldably connected thereto, the foldline connections between said front panel and said side panels being in spaced substantially parallel relation; a back panel separated from said front panel by said second side panel and foldably connected to the latter, each side panel having a short section disposed adjacent to said front panel and foldably connected thereto and a contiguous tall section, the tall section of said second side panel being adjacent said back panel and foldably connected thereto; a pair of first top closure flaps foldably connected to corresponding edges of the short sections of said side panels; a pair of second top closure flaps foldably connected to corresponding edges of the tall sections of said side panels, the first and second top closure flaps connected to a side panel being separated from one another by a first elongated open end slot extending from the blank periphery to the folding connection between said first top closure flap and said short section, said slot being disposed substantially perpendicular to said folding connection; a third top closure flap foldably connected to said back panel and separated by a second elongated open end slot from the second top closure flap connected to the tall section of the second side panel; and a fourth top closure flap foldably connected to an edge of said front panel, said fourth top closure flap being disposed intermediate said first top closure flaps and separated therefrom by elongated slits, each slit extending from the blank periphery to the folding connection between the first top closure flap and the short section of the side panel, said fourth top closure flap including foldably connected first and second sections, said first section being disposed adjacent to said front panel and said second section being foldably connected to said first section and separated from said front panel by said first section, the folding connections between the second top closure flaps and said side panel tall sections being in spaced parallel relation with respect to the folding connection between the first and second sections of said fourth top closure flap; the second section of said fourth top closure flap being provided with a pair of foldable laterally extending ears, each ear extending into an adjacent first top closure flap and being separated therefrom by an offset portion of the slit separating the first top closure flap from the fourth top closure flap.

Claim 5

A substantially rectangular blank of foldable sheet material for use in forming a complete shipping container comprising a front panel; a first side panel disposed on one side of said front panel and foldably connected thereto; a second side panel of substantially the same configuration disposed on the opposite side of said front panel and foldably connected thereto, the foldline connections between said front panel and said side panels being in spaced substantially parallel relation; a back panel separated from said front panel by said second side panel and foldably connected to the latter, each side panel having a short section disposed adjacent to said front panel and foldably connected thereto and a contiguous tall section, the tall section of said second side panel being adjacent said back panel and foldably connected thereto; a pair of first top closure flaps foldably connected to corresponding edges of the short sections of said side panels; a pair of second top closure flaps foldably connected to corresponding edges of the tall sections of said side panels, the first and second top closure flaps connected to a side panel being separated from one another by a first elongated open end slot extending from the blank periphery to the folding connection between said first top closure flap and said short section, said slot being disposed substantially perpendicular to said folding connection; a third top closure flap foldably connected to said back panel and separated by a second elongated open end slot from the second top closure flap connected to the tall section of the second side panel; and a fourth top closure flap foldably connected to an edge of said front panel, said fourth top closure flap being disposed intermediate said first top closure flaps and separated therefrom by elongated slits, each slit extending from the blank periphery to the folding connection between the first top closure flap and the short section of the side panel, said fourth top closure flap including foldably connected first and second sections, said first section being disposed adjacent to said front panel and said second section being foldably connected to said first section and separated from said front panel by said first section, the folding connections between the second top closure flaps and said side panel tall sections being in spaced parallel relation with respect to the folding connection between the first and second sections of said fourth top closure flap; the second section of said fourth top closure flap being provided with a pair of foldable laterally extending ears, each ear extending into an adjacent first top closure flap and being separated therefrom by an offset portion of the slit separating the first top closure flap from the fourth top closure flap.