Shipping container and blank therefor

Claim 2

A shipping container for an article thicker at one edge than at a second edge opposite thereto, said container being formed from a single blank of foldable sheet material and comprising a bottom panel for subtending the back surface of the article; an inner top panel for at least partially overlying the front surface of the article; a first end panel for engaging the one edge of the article, said first end panel foldably interconnecting said inner top panel and said bottom panel, said inner top panel and said bottom panel extending convergently from said first end panel; a second end panel for engaging the second edge of the article, said second end panel being foldably connected to an edge of the bottom panel disposed opposite said first end panel; an outer top panel foldably connected to an edge of said second end panel disposed opposite said bottom panel, said outer top panel overlying and being secured to the entire surface of said inner top panel, the distance between the folding connections of said second end panel with said outer top panel and said bottom panel being less than the distance between the folding connections of said first end panel with said inner top panel and said bottom panel; side embracing panels foldably connected to opposite sides of said inner top panel and cooperating therewith for partially embracing the front, back and side surfaces of the article, each side embracing panel having a first section foldably connected to the inner top panel for engaging the adjacent side surface of the article, and a second section foldably connected to said first section for engaging the back surface of the article and being sandwiched between said bottom panel and the article back surface, the folding connection between said first and second sections being interrupted by a tab struck out from said first section and extending angularly outwardly from said first section when said sections are engaging the side and back surfaces of the article; tuck flaps foldably connected to opposite ends of said first and second end panels and adapted to be outwardly disposed relative to the side surfaces of the article; first closure flaps foldably connected to said outer top panel and outwardly disposed relative to the folded tuck flaps; and second closure flaps foldably connected to said bottom panel, corresponding closure flaps being secured to one another in overlapping relation whereby the overlapped closure flap is in abutting engagement with the outwardly protruding end of the struck-out tab and retained thereby in a predetermined folded position.

Claim 3

The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the end edges of said first and second closure flaps disposed adjacent said first end panel have a greater dimension than the opposite end edges thereof disposed adjacent said second end panel.

Claim 4

The shipping container of claim 1 wherein the foldline connection between the sections of each side embracing panel is angularly disposed relative to the foldline connection between said inner top panel and said first section.

Claim 5

The shipping container of claim 1 wherein each second closure flap substantially spans the distance between the bottom panel and the outer top panel and between the first and second end panels.

Claim 6

The shipping container of claim 4 wherein the length of the foldline connection between each second closure flap and the bottom panel is greater than the distance between said first and second end panels, and the tab of each side embracing panel engages the interior surface of the adjacent first closure flap.

Claim 7

A container blank of foldable sheet material for use in packaging an article wherein one edge thereof is thicker than a second edge opposite thereto; said blank comprising a bottom panel conforming substantially to the back surface of the article to be packaged; a first end panel having one side thereof foldably connected to a side of said bottom panel and adapted to engage the one edge of the article; a second end panel having one side thereof foldably connected to the opposite side of said bottom panel and adapted to engage the second edge of the aritcle, the dimension of said first end panel measured transversely of the folding connection being greater than the corresponding dimension of said second end panel; an inner top panel foldably connected to a second side of said first end panel opposite said one side, said inner top panel being adapted to at least partially overlie the front surface of the article; an outer top panel foldably connected to a second side of said second end panel opposite the one side thereof, said outer top panel being adapted to overlie and be secured to the entire exterior surface of said inner top panel; sectioned panels foldably connected to opposite sides of said inner top panel and adapted to cooperate with said inner top panel to partially embrace the front, back and side surfaces of the article to be packaged, each sectional panel including a first section foldably connected to said inner top panel and adapted to engage a side surface of the article, and a second section foldably connected to said first section and adapted to engage the back surface of the article, the folding connection between said sections being angularly disposed relative to the folding connection between said inner top panel and said first section, the folding connection between said sections being interrupted by a tab struck out from the first section and movable as a unit with said second section; and closure flaps foldably connected to opposite sides of said bottom and outer top panels, the closure flaps connected to corresponding sides of said bottom and outer top panels being adapted to be in overlapping relation, the end edge of each closure flap adjacent said second end panel being of lesser dimension than the opposite end edge of each closure flap; and tuck flaps foldably connected to opposite ends of said end panels, one tuck flap on each side of the blank being separated from and disposed intermediate a sectional panel and a closure flap, and the other tuck flap on the same side being separated from and disposed intermediate said closure flaps.

Claim 8

A container blank of foldable sheet material for use in packaging an article wherein one edge thereof is thicker than a second edge opposite thereto; said blank comprising a bottom panel conforming substantially to the back surface of the article to be packaged; a first end panel having one side thereof foldably connected to a side of said bottom panel and adapted to engage the one edge of the article; a second end panel having one side thereof foldably connected to the opposite side of said bottom panel and adapted to engage the second edge of the aritcle, the dimension of said first end panel measured transversely of the folding connection being greater than the corresponding dimension of said second end panel; an inner top panel foldably connected to a second side of said first end panel opposite said one side, said inner top panel being adapted to at least partially overlie the front surface of the article; an outer top panel foldably connected to a second side of said second end panel opposite the one side thereof, said outer top panel being adapted to overlie and be secured to the entire exterior surface of said inner top panel; sectioned panels foldably connected to opposite sides of said inner top panel and adapted to cooperate with said inner top panel to partially embrace the front, back and side surfaces of the article to be packaged, each sectional panel including a first section foldably connected to said inner top panel and adapted to engage a side surface of the article, and a second section foldably connected to said first section and adapted to engage the back surface of the article, the folding connection between said sections being angularly disposed relative to the folding connection between said inner top panel and said first section, the folding connection between said sections being interrupted by a tab struck out from the first section and movable as a unit with said second section; and closure flaps foldably connected to opposite sides of said bottom and outer top panels, the closure flaps connected to corresponding sides of said bottom and outer top panels being adapted to be in overlapping relation, the end edge of each closure flap adjacent said second end panel being of lesser dimension than the opposite end edge of each closure flap; and tuck flaps foldably connected to opposite ends of said end panels, one tuck flap on each side of the blank being separated from and disposed intermediate a sectional panel and a closure flap, and the other tuck flap on the same side being separated from and disposed intermediate said closure flaps.

Claim 9

The container blank of claim 6 wherein the spacing between the folding connections of the closure flaps and bottom panel is greater than the spacing between the folding connections of the sectional panels and the inner top panel.

Claim 10

The container blank of claim 7 wherein the spacing between the folding connections of the tuck flaps and the first end panel, and the spacing between the folding connections of the tuck flaps and the second end panel are both greater than that between said sectional panels and said inner top panel, but less than that between said closure flaps and said bottom panel.

Claim 11

The container blank of claim 8 wherein the spacing between the folding connections of the closure flaps and the outer top panel is greater than that between said tuck flaps and the end panels, but less than that between said closure flaps and said bottom panel.