Polygonal container

Claim 2

A container made from a foldable blank of sheet material, said container comprising a plurality of hingedly connected side panels defining a body portion having an octagonal transverse cross-sectional configuration, a first pair of generally rectangular end closure flaps hingedly connected to the ends of a pair of opposed side panels through fold lines, a second pair of Generally rectangular end closure flaps hingedly connected to the ends of a different pair of opposed side panels through fold lines disposed in a plane containing the fold lines of said first pair of end closure flaps, said fold lines of said second pair of end closure flaps being generally perpendicular to the fold lines of said first pair of end closure flaps, an isosceles triangle shaped end flap connected to each of the remaining side panels through a fold line lying in the plane of the said fold lines of said first and second pairs of end closure flaps, and a trapezoidal shaped web portion interconnecting said first and second pairs of generally rectangular end closure flaps to the adjacent triangular shaped end flaps through fold lines, said pairs of generally rectangular end closure flaps and said web portions each having an outer edge lying on a generally straight line defining an outer edge of said blank of sheet material prior to folding, the apex of each of said triangularly shaped flaps lying on a common line parallel to and spaced from said outer edge of the blank, said end closure flaps, triangular end flaps and web portions being foldable to form a closed end of the container lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container with said web portions and triangular end flaps serving to interlace with said pairs of rectangular end flaps to self-lock said end flaps into their folded positions.

Claim 3

A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said pairs of generally rectangular end closure flaps have lengths, considered longitudinally of said blank prior to folding, such that the outer ends of selected ones of the opposed rectangular end closure flaps overlap when in their folded positions.

Claim 4

A container as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said web portions has an adhesive thereon to secure the adhesive surface of the web portion to the opposing surface of one of said rectangular end closure flaps when in their folded positions.

Claim 5

A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the side panels associated with one of said pairs of rectangular end closure flaps are greater in width than the width of the side panels associated with the other of said pairs of rectangular end closure flaps, said side panels intermediate the side panels associated with said first and second pairs of end closure flaps being of generally equal width less than the widths of the remaining side panels.

Claim 6

A container as defined in claim 1 including a liner made from a foldable sheet material and secured to the interior surfaces of said side panels.

Claim 7

A container as defined in claim 2 wherein selected ones of said trapezoidal web portions are cutaway adjacent one of said rectangular end closure flaps to facilitate manipulation of said one of said end closure flaps to a position underlying its opposed rectangular end closure flap when in folded positions.

Claim 8

An integral blank of foldable material for forming a polygonal shaped container, said blank comprising a plurality of side-by-side generally rectangular side panels defined by longitudinally extending, spaced, parallel fold lines, a connecting strip foldably connected along the outer longitudinal edge of a side panel forming one of the outer edge side panels of said blank, generally rectangular end closure flaps hingedly connected to selected common ends of alternate ones of said side panels, each of said rectangular end closure flaps having a width substantially equal to the width of its associated side panel, an isosceles triangle shaped end closure flap hingedly connected to an end of each of said side panels intermediate said side panels having said rectangular end closure flaps foldably connected thereto, said triangular end flaps being on the same end of said blank as said rectangular end flaps and each having a base side connected to its associated side panel through a fold line extending the full width of the associated side panel, the apex of each of said triangular end flaps termiNating at a point spaced from a straight line containing the outermost edges of said rectangular end flaps, a trapezoidal shaped web interconnecting each of said rectangular end closure flaps to the laterally adjacent triangular shaped end flaps along fold lines disposed along the lateral longitudinally extending edges of the rectangular end flaps and along the equal length legs of said isosceles triangle shaped end flaps, at least one of said rectangular end flaps having a foldable tongue portion for insertion into a slot defined by an opposing rectangular end flap and its adjacent connected trapezoidal web portions when folded in underlying relation to said opposing rectangular end flap whereby to retain said tongue portion in connected relation with said opposing rectangular end flap when in their folded positions.

Claim 9

An integral blank of foldable material for forming a polygonal shaped container, said blank comprising a plurality of side-by-side generally rectangular side panels defined by longitudinally extending, spaced, parallel fold lines, a connecting strip foldably connected along the outer longitudinal edge of a side panel forming one of the outer edge side panels of said blank, generally rectangular end closure flaps hingedly connected to selected common ends of alternate ones of said side panels, each of said rectangular end closure flaps having a width substantially equal to the width of its associated side panel, an isosceles triangle shaped end closure flap hingedly connected to an end of each of said side panels intermediate said side panels having said rectangular end closure flaps foldably connected thereto, said triangular end flaps being on the same end of said blank as said rectangular end flaps and each having a base side connected to its associated side panel through a fold line extending the full width of the associated side panel, the apex of each of said triangular end flaps termiNating at a point spaced from a straight line containing the outermost edges of said rectangular end flaps, a trapezoidal shaped web interconnecting each of said rectangular end closure flaps to the laterally adjacent triangular shaped end flaps along fold lines disposed along the lateral longitudinally extending edges of the rectangular end flaps and along the equal length legs of said isosceles triangle shaped end flaps, at least one of said rectangular end flaps having a foldable tongue portion for insertion into a slot defined by an opposing rectangular end flap and its adjacent connected trapezoidal web portions when folded in underlying relation to said opposing rectangular end flap whereby to retain said tongue portion in connected relation with said opposing rectangular end flap when in their folded positions.

Claim 10

A blank of foldable material as defined in claim 7 including a reinforcing liner secured to the surfaces of said side panels which will form the interior surface of a container made from the blank, said liner having a generally rectangular configuration and being of substantially equal area to the interior surface areas of said connected side panels.

Claim 11

A blank of foldable material as defined in claim 7 wherein said rectangular end closure flaps, said triangular shaped end flaps and said trapezoidal shaped webs are connected to said side panels adjacent common first end portions thereof, and including additional end flanges hingedly connected to the ends of said side panels opposite said first end portions, said end flanges being laterally interconnected by integral triangular shaped webs such that upon folding said blank into a container, said flanges and triangular webs may be folded into a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the resulting container to increase the strength of the upper perimeter of the container.