Blank for a container

Claim 2

A one-piece injection molded drawer comprising: an open topped box-like structure having integral side walls and base; four outer side walls hingedly connected to said structure, each of said outer side walls overlying one of said integral side walls of the box-like structure and being mechanically interlocked to said box-like structure; flanges molded between the top side edges of the side walls of said structure and the outer side walls, adjacent ends of said flanges being integrally connected so as to form a continuous flange at the top of the drawer, said side edges of the outer side walls being integrally connected to said flanges by hinge joints; and lower flanges formed on the lower side edges of the outer side walls, the ends of said lower flanges being mitred so as to form a continuous flange beneath the plane of the base of said structure, the free edges of said lower flanges formed on the lower side edges of the outer side walls being formed with up-turned lips and the base of the structure being formed with projecting ribs which co-operate with said lips to effect said interlock between the outer side walls and said structure.

Claim 3

A drawer as claimed in claim 1 wherein spacing formations are provided in the outer side walls to maintain separation of adjacent outer side walls and the side walls of said structure.

Claim 4

A drawer as claimed in claim 2 wherein the spacing formations comprise channels formed into the outer side walls, the bases of the channels being parallel to and in engagement with the side walls of said structure.

Claim 5

A drawer as claimed in claim 3 wherein the location of the channels in the outer side walls is such that a continuous channel is formed about the exterior of the drawer.

Claim 6

A drawer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the edges of the outer side walls are mitred so that mitre joints are formed between adjacent outer side walls.

Claim 7

A drawer as claimed in claim 1 wherein end edges of adjacent outer side walls are mechanically interlocked together.

Claim 8

A drawer as claimed in claim 6 wherein, at each corner of the drawer, one of the end edges of the outer side walls is provided with slots and the other of the end edges of the outer side walls is provided with projections which interlock with the slots.

Claim 9

A drawer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side walls of said structure diverge outwardly relative to the base thereof.

Claim 10

A one-piece injection molded blank for forming a drawer, said blank comprising: an open topped box-like structure having integral side walls and base; four panels hingedly connected to said structure each of which is foldable to positions where it overlies a respective one of said integral side walls of the box-like structure, said panels serving as outer side walls for the drawer; flanges molded between the top side edges of the side walls of said structure and the panels, adjacent edges of said flanges being integrally connected so as to form a continuous flange at the top of the box-like structure, inner side edges of the panels being integrally connected to said flanges by hinge joints; and further flanges formed on outer, free side edges of the panels, the ends of said further flanges being mitred as to form a continuous flange beneath the plane of the base of said structure, when the panels are in said positions, each of said panels being provided with formations which permit it to be mechanically interlocked to the box-like structure, when in its said position, said formations including up-turned lips formed on the free edges of the flanges formed on the outer, free side edges of the panels, said base of said structure being formed with projecting ribs which cooperate with said lips to effect said interlock between the panels and said structure.

Claim 11

A one-piece injection molded blank for forming a drawer, said blank comprising: an open topped box-like structure having integral side walls and base; four panels hingedly connected to said structure each of which is foldable to positions where it overlies a respective one of said integral side walls of the box-like structure, said panels serving as outer side walls for the drawer; flanges molded between the top side edges of the side walls of said structure and the panels, adjacent edges of said flanges being integrally connected so as to form a continuous flange at the top of the box-like structure, inner side edges of the panels being integrally connected to said flanges by hinge joints; and further flanges formed on outer, free side edges of the panels, the ends of said further flanges being mitred as to form a continuous flange beneath the plane of the base of said structure, when the panels are in said positions, each of said panels being provided with formations which permit it to be mechanically interlocked to the box-like structure, when in its said position, said formations including up-turned lips formed on the free edges of the flanges formed on the outer, free side edges of the panels, said base of said structure being formed with projecting ribs which cooperate with said lips to effect said interlock between the panels and said structure.

Claim 12

A blank as claimed in claim 9 wherein spacing formations are provided in the panels to maintain separation of adjacent panels and the side walls of said structure, when the panels are in said positions.

Claim 13

A blank as claimed in claim 10 wherein the spacing formations comprise channels formed into the panels the bases of the channels being parallel to and in engagement with the side walls of said structure, when the panels are in said positions.

Claim 14

A blank as claimed in claim 11 wherein the location of the channels in the panels is such that a continuous channel is formed about the exterior of the drawer, when the panels are in said positions.

Claim 15

A blank as claimed in claim 9 wherein end edges of the panels are mitred so that mitre joints are formed between adjacent panels, when in their said positions.

Claim 16

A blank as claimed in claim 9 wherein additional formations are provided at the edges of the panels to mechanically interlock end edges of adjacent panels when in said positions.

Claim 17

A blank as claimed in claim 14 wherein additional formations comprise, at each pair of adjacent end edges of panels, slots formed on the end edge of one of the panels and projections formed on the end edge of the other of the panels, said slots and projections being interlockable when the panels are in said positions.

Claim 18

A blank as claimed in claim 9 wherein the side walls of said structure diverge outwardly relative to the base thereof.

Claim 19

A nestable blank constructed of a plastic material including an open top drawer having a bottom wall, integral upstanding side walls with each of said side walls terminating in a continuous uninterrupted flange portion, panels integrally formed with each of said flange portions, said panels being foldable relative to said continuous uninterrupted flange portion to thereby be brought into generally parallel spaced relation with each of said side walls, extending projections located at the extremity of each of said panels arranged to securely overlie ribs positioned substantially at the circumferential exterior of said bottom wall to secure each of said panels in a plane generally parallel to said upstanding side wall with which it is associated when said panel is so bent.

Claim 20

A nestable blank constructed of a plastic material including an open top drawer having a bottom wall, integral upstanding side walls with each of said side walls terminating in a continuous uninterrupted flange portion, panels integrally formed with each of said flange portions, said panels being foldable relative to said continuous uninterrupted flange portion to thereby be brought into generally parallel spaced relation with each of said side walls, extending projections located at the extremity of each of said panels arranged to securely overlie ribs positioned substantially at the circumferential exterior of said bottom wall to secure each of said panels in a plane generally parallel to said upstanding side wall with which it is associated when said panel is so bent.

Claim 21

A nestable blank as in claim 17, in which each of said panels is provided with a channel that lies in a plane parallel with said uninterrupted flange portion, said channel further having a depth such that an exterior wall thereof is brought into intimate contact with the respective upstanding side walls of said blank to thereby rigidify the same upon said projections being secured to said ribs.

Claim 22

A nestable blank as in claim 17, in which each of said panels include laterally disposed mitred edge portions which are brought into juxtaposed abutting relation when each of said panels is bent into locking engagement with said ribs by said projections.

Claim 23

A nestable blank as in claim 19, in which each of said laterally disposed mitred edge portions of said panels includes complemental locking means to maintain the mitred edge of each respective adjacent panel in abutting relation when said panels are bent into locking engagement with said ribs by said projections.