WO1988003752A1

WO1988003752A1 - Container blanks and containers

Info

Publication number: WO1988003752A1
Application number: PCT/GB1987/000819
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Brian Johnson
Original assignee: David Brian Johnson
Priority date: 1986-11-21
Filing date: 1987-11-19
Publication date: 1988-06-02
Also published as: GB2221601B; GB2221601A; GB8911256D0

Abstract

A container blank (1) for erection to form a container unit comprising one or more compartments (10) which preferably are open-topped, comprises a pair of opposed edge regions (14), a central region (12) and a pair of intermediate regions (13) each lying between a respective edge region and the central region, the central region comprising at least one raised land connected to the intermediate regions by upstanding wall members (17), each edge region comprising a plurality of transversely lying, upstanding wall members (15) so disposed that wall members of one edge region run generally in line with corresponding wall members of the other edge region, whereby said edge regions and intermediate regions may be erected on either side of said central region so that the intermediate regions each overlie a respective wall member of the central region and such that said edge regions define walls of one or more compartments (10) arranged in one or more rows for which the central region defines at least the or each base, wall members of one edge region approaching (optionally meeting) respective corresponding wall members of the opposite edge region over the raised land of the central region.

Description

CONTAINER BLANKS AND CONTAINERS The present invention relates to container blanks and to containers made therefrom, including particularly containers for use in growing, transporting and displaying plants. However, containers according to the invention have a wide range of other uses.

Small plants are very often grown in individual pots either-of ceramic or of plastics material from which they must be planted out in the ground.-

Individual pots of this kind containing plants are difficult to store and to transport without damage to the plants. Furthermore, removing the plant from the pot for planting in the ground is relatiyely difficult and time consuming. Typically, it is necessary to invert the pot containing the plant, tap its base to loosen the soil and remove the pot from the plant whilst holding the plant and the soil attaching to its roots in the hand. Where thin plastics pots are used, it may be possible to tear or cut away the pot from around the plant but this again is relatively difficult and time consuming.

U.S. 3788002 describes a collapsible insert for a seedling tray formed integrally from a single sheet of plastic material. The insert, in the folded position. has a plurality of adjacent parallel U-shaped channels each having a base with integrally folded sides. A plurality of integrally formed longitudinally spaced transverse dividers extend across each channel to form compartments therebetween. The sides of adjacent channels have the free longitudinal edge thereof integrally united for accordion folding. Pull tabs are provided on the edges of the farthest- spaced sides. Upon removal of the folded insert from the tray and manual application of tension to the tabs, the sides of each channel fold open to become planar with the base and the dividers rotate with the side about the folds thus collapsing the compartments in each channel for enabling easy removal of seedlings. The transverse dividers may consist of a triangular portion upstanding from the base of the U-shaped channel and two wedge shaped portions extending each from a respective side wall of the U-shaped channel and overlying the free edges of the said triangular portion.

The inserts have little strength and would not be suitable to act as free standing growing containers for plants larger than seedlings or to act as containers for transporting such plants. The present invention provides a container blank for erection to form a container unit comprising one or more compartments which preferably are open-topped, said blank comprising a pair of opposed edge regions, a central region and a pair of intermediate regions each lying between a respective edge region and the central region, the central region comprising at least one raised land connected to the intermediate regions by upstanding wall members, each edge region comprising a plurality of transversely lying, upstanding wall members so disposed that wall members of one edge region run generally in line with corresponding wall members of the other edge region, whereby said edge regions and intermediate regions may be erected on either side of said central region so that the intermediate regions each overly a respective wall member of the central region and such that said edge regions define walls of one or more compartments for which the central region defines at least the or each base, wall members of one edge region approaching (optionally meeting) respective corresponding wall members of the opposite edge region over the raised land of the central region.

The container unit when erected may provide a single compartment, a row of compartments, a pair of compartments or a pair of rows of compartments. To provide at least a pair of compartments or at least a pair of rows of compartments, the central region may comprise an upstanding spine wall or walls running transverse to the wall members of the edge regions and may comprise buttress walls on one or both sides of the spine wall or walls positioned to meet the wall members of the edge regions when the blank is erected.

A container unit erected from such a blank may be opened by pulling the edge regions away from one another to leave the contents of the unit, e.g. a plant, standing on the central region, easily accessible for further hand-ling.

Preferably, connector members are provided on said wall members of the edge regions for joining said wall members of one edge region to corresponding wall members of the other edge region or to the central region.

Alternatively, some other form of retaining means may be provided for holding the edge regions in the erected position. For instance, one or more retaining straps may be provided for this purpose. Apertures may be provided in the edge regions to allow such a retaining strap to be passed therethrough to embrace the or a compartment of the container unit.

Where the compartment size of the container unit is relatively small, it will generally be preferred for there to be several compartments within each container unit. Where the compartment^' size is relatively large, it will generally be preferred for the container unit to define a single compartment.

The connector members, where provided, may take the form of plug or solvent members provided on a first set of said edge region wall members cooperating with an interference or force fit in corresponding sockets or plugs respectively provided in a second set of said edge region wall members or on the central region.

Preferably, the connections between edge region wall members formed by said connector members are adapted individually or collectively in the assembled blank to resist forces tending to produce shearing motion of said erected edge regions with respect to one another in a direction perpendicular to the central region and also to resist forces tending to produce shearing motion of the said erected edge regions with respect to one another in a direction parallel to the central region and transverse to the edge region wall members.

Preferably, the raised land of the central region is provided with one or more wells having side and bottom walls. By this feature, an article situated in a respective compartment and received within the well in the compartment floor will tend to remain upstanding when the container unit is opened by pulling apart the edge regions to return the container blank to its opened form. Preferably, said well or wells are of a depth corresponding to the depth of said central region wall portions. Thus, in the erected container unit, the bottom walls of each well will ^'rest on a surface on which the unit is placed. This assists in resisting any loads applied to the container unit and where the unit is a container for plants, assists in the watering of the plants from beneath.

Preferably, there is one said well for the or each compartment formed.by erecting the blank. Preferably, in the erected blank, the walls of the or each said well lies substantially in line with and form continuations of the compartment walls defined by the edge regions of the blank. This assists in transmitting any vertical load applied to the container unit through the side walls of the compartment defined by the edge regions of the blank down to the side walls of the well formed in the raised land of the central region of the blank so that the edge regions are well supported. Preferably, each well tapers toward the bottom to ease the removal therefrom of for instance a mass of soil around the roots of a plant.

Preferably, each edge region comprises a raised land from which rise said edge region wall members, which raised land is bordered by depending shallow wall portions.

Preferably, outer edges of the edge regions of the blank, suitably involving -said shallow wall portions, are provided with locating formations such that a container unit formed by erecting the blank may be inverted and located on top of a similar container unit by said locating formations.

Such container blanks are preferably formed by thermoforming a plastics sheet material. To assist in the removal of the blank from a thermoforming tool, it is preferable that in the blank prior to erection to form a container or containers, all of the upstanding surfaces are inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the general plane of the blank. The plastics sheet material may suitably be polystyrene but other plastics materials may be employed. Container units formed from blanks of the kind illustrated hereafter have been found to be surprisingly rigid even when formed from plastics materials of less than 1 mm, e.g. less than 0.5 mm, e.g. approximately 0.3 mm. Generally, it is preferred that the thickness of the plastic sheet material be in the region of 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

For container units intended for containing the soil and roots of growing plants, it will be preferred that the material of the blank be opaque. Container units for inversion and use as covers over such units containing plants, will preferably be of a transparent material.

The invention includes container units formed by erecting a blank as described above. The invention further includes a container unit for the propagation, growing, transport or display of one or more plants comprising a base unit, being a container unit as described above, together with a cover unit, also being a container unit as described above, inverted and -located on top of the base unit.

The invention includes a container system comprising a plurality of blanks or container units according to the invention as described herein, a plurality of trays for receiving such container-units or container units formed from said blanks, and means for stacking said trays.

The stacking means may comprise frames for locating on an underlying tray or on an underlying one of said frames and for supporting one or more said trays.

The trays may include means for receiving and locating support members for supporting a further similar tray. Said receiving means may be one or more upwardly open slots, channels or housings to receive supports of folded sheet material. Said trays may include means such as one or more downwardly open slots, channels or housings for fitting over such supports located in an underlying tray.

The invention will be illustrated by the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure' 1 is a perspective view of a stack of blanks according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a container unit assembled by erecting a blank of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of a container unit assembled by erecting a blank according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of the container unit of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment container unit according to the invention illustrating its interaction with an inverted similar unit serving as a cover unit.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a stack formed of container units of the kind shown in Figure 6, Figure 8 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of container unit according to the invention containing a single compartment.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of container unit according to the invention containing two rows of compartments.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a support system for use with container units according to the invention, Figures 11a to lie are plan, elevation and detail cross section on the line _Q-C views respectively of an alternative stacking system for container units according to the invention.

Figures 12a - 12c are plan, end elevation and side elevation views respectively of a sixth embodiment of container unit according to the invention.

Figure 13 is a perspective schematic view of two container units according to Figure 12 arranged for connection together to form an enclosed container unit, and

Figures 14a - c are plan, end elevation and side elevation views respectively of a seventh embodiment of container unit according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a stack of container blanks 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention. Each blank comprises a central region 2 bordered on either side by an intermediate region 3 which is in turn bordered by an edge region 4. Wall members 5 are upstanding from each edge region 4.

The top edge of each wall member 5 of the edge region on the right bears a pair of protruding plugs 6 whilst the corresponding region of each wall member of the edge region on the left bears a corresponding pair of sockets 6a in which the plugs 6 may be tightly received. The central region is formed as a raised central land having side walls 7 and end walls 8. The raised land of the central region is divided into five similar sections each optionally having a pattern of five circular through drainage holes 9. As shown in Figure 2, the blank may be erected by folding up each edge region so that the ends of the wall members thereof meet and connect along the central line of the raised land of the central region 2. This brings the intermediate regions 3 into face to face relationship with the side wall member 7 of the central region. The ends of the wall members of the edge regions connect together by virtue of the plugs and sockets 6, 6a to define five compartments 10 into each of which may be placed an article for storage or transport. In particular, the compartments may each be filled with soil or compost into which a plant may be transplanted or sown.

When it is desired to plant out the growing-plant or to transplant it, it is necessary only to open out the edge regions of the container unit to leave the plant and its root bound soil or compost standing as a unit ready to be picked up and planted, as shown in Figure 1.

The plug and socket 6, 6a connection between opposed wall members of the edge region is adapted to resist shearing forces applied to the walls of the compartments in the direction AA' on Figure 2 , i.e. perpendicular to the surface of the central region, and also in the direction BB', i.e. transverse to the upstanding wall members of the edge regions. The container unit 11 shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 is similarly assembled from a blank of thermoformed plastics sheet material. Once again, it can be seen that the blank comprises a central region 12, intermediate regions 13 and edge regions 14 bearing a succession of upstanding wall members 15. The wall members are provided with plugs 16 and sockets 16a (Figure 5), although in this embodiment there is only one plug and one socket per wall member.

The central land 12 is bordered by side walls 17 and end walls 18. The raised land of the central region is divided into two longitudinally running portions 12a and 12b which meet on the longitudinal centre line of the unit and are inclined upwardly toward one another from the edges of the central region 12. An hexagonal well 20 is provided in the central region in each of five compartments defined by the meeting of the wall members 15. The depth of the hexagonal well is such that the floor 21 of the well is at the same level as the bottom of the unit defined by the junction between the intermediate portions 13 and the side walls 17 of the central region.

The longitudinally running edges of the hexagonal walls underly the longitudinally running walls of the compartments defined by the folded up edge regions 14 of the blank.

In the intermediate regions 13 there are provided a plurality of strengthening ribs 13a serving to fill the small gap which otherwise would be present when the edge regions of the blank are raised to stand vertically, given that the side walls _.17 of the central region extend upwardly at a slight angle to the vertical.

In the bottom of each of the wells 20 there are provided six drainage or ventilation apertures 19 arranged in a circle.

It will be noted that when the blank is in its opened out condition, as shown in the left hand side of Figure 4, every upstanding surface of the blank lies off the vertical by at least a small angle, thus assisting the removal of the thermoformed blank from the moulding tool.

It may be observed also that the edge regions of the blank each comprise a raised land 15a from which the wall members 15 rise. The side wall of the raised land 15a forms the top edge of the assembled container unit.

As shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, each longitudinally running edge of the blank has one outwardly projecting lug 15c toward one end and one complimentary depression 15b at an equivalent position at the other end. In the assembled container unit, the depressions face outwardly and are bounded by a side wall within which the lugs 15c of a second, inverted unit may be received to be gripped by a force fit retainer dimple. Such a second similarly shaped unit is shown inverted and placed over the first unit to act as a cover therefor. The edge configurations 15b and c of the two units interlocking.

Figure 7 shows an assembly suitable for transportation on a pallet, the assembly comprising twenty transportation units each consisting of a base unit and cover unit as shown in Figure 6. Where the contents of each compartment of the container units are plants, the cover units are preferably of transparent plastics. Figure 7 illustrates the ease with which substantial numbers of plants may be protected and transported in container units according to the invention. A corresponding number of individual flower pots would requre a great deal more space and labour for transportation. Figure 8 illustrates an embodiment according to the invention which provides only a single compartment 30 which may be sized suitably to receive for instance a shrub planted therein.

The embodiment 40 of Figure 8 generally resembles one compartment of the container unit of Figure 3, the central region of the blank from which the container unit is assembled having a raised central region with a single hexagonal well therein.

However, in this embodiment the ends of the wall members of the edge region are not provided with connector elements but instead each have an aperture 41 through which a strap 42 may be passed which may be tensioned and fastened to retain the unit in the closed condition. The strap 42 may be cut to open the unit to allow planting out of the shrub.

Figure 9 shows a container blank erected on one side and with the other side shown in ghost lines in both the erected and non-erected condition. The blank of Figure 9 is adapted to form a container unit having two rows of five compartments. The blank has a central region 22, intermediate regions 23 and edge regions 24 bearing upstanding wall members 25. The central region comprises a raised land bordered by side wall members 27 bordering the intermediate regions 23 and end wall members 28. - The principal difference between the blank of Figure 9 and that of Figure 1 is that the central region is provided with a longitudinally running spine wall 31 having on each side six buttress walls 32 which run transversely and line up with the wall members of the edge regions. When the blank is erected, the wall members of the edge regions approach one another and meet with the corresponding buttress walls 32.

Connectors 26, 26a are provided on the meeting faces of the wall members of the edge regions and the upwardly facing surface of the raised land of the central region.

On the top edge of the spine wall 31 there are provided a recess 33 and a raised plug 34 for locating a corresponding unit in an inverted location over the container unit shown.- A support system for use with the container units of the invention is illustrated in Figure 10 and comprises a plastics coated wire support frame 50 adapted to stack with similar support frames to enable space-efficient storage, together with a support tray 51. The support tray 51 may have a large central opening 52 in the floor thereof or may have a closed floor or a floor having small drainage holes. At each end the tray 51 has a support bar 53 having outwardly turned ends. The support bar 53 serves to support the next support frame in a stack at either of two locations. The suport bar 53 may support the support frame along horizontally running lower rails thereof or may fit into stirrups 54 provided on a horizontally running support rail half way up the support frame. As can be seen, for maximum separation between successive trays, the trays run across the shorter dimension of the essentially rectangular top of the support frame, the trays being received in between oppositely facing knees in the upper rails of the support frame. For half height stacking, the trays run longitudinally of the support frame and are supported by the stirrups 54.

When not in use, the support frames may be stacked and the trays may be stacked beneath the lowest support frame. A single tray is suitably sized to receive a convenient number of container units according to the invention arranged to run side by side. For instance, eight single row container units of the kind shown in Figure 6 may be accommodated in the support tray shown in Figure 10.

Figures 11a to lie show an alternative form of tray stacking arrangement for use in connection with container units according to the invention. Figure 11a shows a. support tray 61 having a large central opening 62 in the floor thereof leaving a perimeter of generaly L-shaped cross section on which may be located the ends of container units according to the invention to be supported. At each corner of the tray 61 there is an upwardly facing L-shaped open slot 63 and on the underneath of the tray 61 at each corner there is a somewhat wider downwardly open L-shaped slot 64. The detail of the cross^" section of the corners of the tray is shown in Figure lie. As can be seen, the interior of the upwardly facing slot 63 is provided at two locations (one on each side of the corner) with an outwardly facing projection 65 formed on the interior wall of the slot and having an upwardly facing ramp face and a downwardly facing abutment face.

Stacking supports 66 formed from tapering strips of stiff plastics sheet by folding into a L-cross be located into the slot 63 at each corner of a first tray, the projections 65 pressing through suitably sized aperatures formed in the supports 66 towards the ends thereof. A second tray 61 may then be located over the upper ends of the supports 66, these being received into the slot 64 at each corner of the second tray 61. Any number of trays may be stacked in this fashion for storage or transport.

Alternatively, the supports 66 may be used to hold up plastics sheeting placed over the tray 61 to act as a closhe.

Figures 12a to 12c and 13 show a further example of a container used according to the invention which generally resembles that shown in Figure 3 subject to the following modifications.

The edge regions 14 extend longitudinally beyond the central and intermediate regions 12 and 13 so that when erected, as best seen in Figure 13, the end walls of the final compartments overhang the base of the compartments providing a handy gripping point for lifting the container either by hand or by the use of lifting bars during mecahnical handling. Also, as shown in Figure 13, when a similarly shaped protective cover is applied over an erected container unit according to Figure 12, the end walls of the container unit and cover provide a convenient gripping point for a retaining sleeve 67 to be applied to hold the container and protective cover together. Such retaining sleeves may be formed of for instance, cardboard, or plastic strip. Instead of a retaining sleeve, a snap-on end cap suitably of thermoformed plastics, may be used at each end.

The end ost compartments of the container blank shown in Figure 12 each have a rib 68 extending longitudinally of the edge regions 14 from the internal edge of the top of the first wall member 15, down the side of the wall member, along the surface of the raised land 15a^" from that wall member to the next, and up the side of the next wall member 15 to adjacent the top thereof. In the assembled container, these supporting ribs lie just below the opening of the first compartment at each end of the container unit and form a buttress helping to prevent bending of the container unit when it is lifted by gripping beneath the overhanging endmost walls of the container unit. As in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, lugs 15b and recesses 15c are provided for connecting a container unit according to Figure 12 to a similar unit inverted to a act as a cover.

A further container unit according to the invention is illustrated in Figures 14a to 14c. This generally resembles the container unit shown in Figures 12 and 13 except in the following respects. The central land 12 is provided in each compartment with a pair of wells 20a, one lying on each side of a longitudinally extending central strip 12a of the central region 12.

A wall 69 is provided running a]ong the outwardly lying edge of each outer region 14. At position corresponding to the centre of each compartment, the wall 69 has a region of lower height 70 connected to the full height portions of the wall 69 by joining portions 71. The wall 69 bridges between wall members 15 so as to restrict the openings of the compartments of the container unit when assembled.

When the container unit is filled with growing medium and plants are growing therein, the growing medium is held down into the compartments ..by the wall 69 whilst the plants are free to grow through the apertures defined by the wall portions 70 and 71. During transit of the container units, the soil is less free to be agitated out of the container units. Also, for certain plants, the container units may after growth has been established be inverted to allow the plants to grow trailing downwardly. The plants may then be watered through the trough defined by the region 12a in such an inverted container unit. This method of growing plants may be particularly suitable for the growing of strawberries. The container units may be suspended in suitable racks to enable the growing of trailing plants in this fashion.

It can be seen that the container units described above are particularly suitable for use in growing small plants. When equipped with a transparent cover as shown in Figure 6, the units may be used as propagators and may also be used for the transport of plants in a convenient manner.

The container units facilitate the planting out into the ground or the transplanting of plants which have been grown in them. However, they may also be used for containing plants for display and may particularly be useful for use where plant displays have to be assembled and disassembled quickly, e.g. to decorate exhibition stands.

Although the invention has been described primarily in connection with its uses in horticulture, clearly, the container units described may be used for containing items of all sorts^'. They may for instance be used as a trays for transporting containers of liquid such as trays of drinks or for the packaging of items of a variety of kinds.

Many modifications and variations of the invention as described above may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the junction between the upstanding side walls of the raised land of the central region and the adjacent intermediate regions may be weakened, e.g. perforated, to allow easy detachment. The central region may then act as a convenient stand for an article originally packaged in the container unit after the intermediate and edge regions have been removed.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A container blank (1) for erection to form a container unit comprising one or more compartments (10) said blank comprising a pair of opposed edge regions (14), and a central region (12) each edge region comprising a plurality of transversely lying, upstanding wall members (15) so disposed that wall members of one edge region run generally in line with corresponding wall members of the other edge region, whereby said edge regions may be erected on either side of said central region so that said edge regions define walls of one or more compartments (10) for which the central region defines at least the or each base, wall members of one edge region approaching respective corresponding wall members of the opposite edge region over the central region, characterised in that the blank further comprises a pair of intermediate regions (13), each lying between a respective edge region and the central region and in that the central region comprises at least one raised land connected to the intermediate regions by upstanding wall members (17) such that upon erection the intermediate regions (13) each overly a respective wall member (17) of the central region.

2. A container blank as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the central region comprises an upstanding spine wall or walls (31) running transverse to the wall members (25) of the edge regions.

3. A container blank as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the central region comprises buttress walls (32) on one or both sides of the spine wall or walls positioned to meet the wall members (25) of the edge regions when the blank is erected.

4. A container blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein connector members (6, 6a) are provided on said wall members (15) of the edge regions for joining said wall members of one edge region to corresponding wall members of the other edge region or to the central region.

5. A container blank as claimed in Claim 4, wherein connector members take the form of plug or socket members (6, 6a) provided on a first set of said edge region wall members cooperating with an interference or force fit in corresponding sockets or plugs respectively (6a, 6) (6) provided in a second set of said edge region wall members or the central region.

6. A container blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the raised land of the central region is provided with one or more wells- having side and bottom walls.

7. A container blank as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said well or wells (20) are a depth corresponding to the depth of said central region wall portions.

8. A container blank as claimed in Claim 7, wherein, in the erected blank, the walls of the or each said well (20) lie substantially in line with and form continuations of the compartment walls defined by the edge regions of the blank.

9. A container blank as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each edge region comprises a raised land (15a) from which rise said edge region wall members, which raised land is bordered- by depending shallow wall portions.

10. A container blank as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein outer edges of the edge regions of the blank are provided with locating fromations (15b, 15c) such that a container unit formed by erecting the blank may be inverted and located on top of a similar container unit by said locating formations.

11. A container unit formed by erecting a blank as claimed in any preceding claim.

12. A container unit for the propagation, growing, transport or display of one or more plants comprising a base unit formed by erecting a blank as claimed in any preceding claim, together with a cover unit, also formed by erecting a blank as claimed in any preceding claim inverted and located on top of the base unit.

13. A continer system comprising a plurality of blanks as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10 or container units as claimed in Claim 11 and a plurality of trays for receiving said container units or container units formed from said blanks, and means for stacking said trays.