NZ519573A - Enhanced flap lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A flap retention feature of a container or a to be erected or assembled container, comprising: a panel or flap (i) having an opening and/or cut therein which defines a finger (6); and a flap (ii) having a cut or dislocation feature extending inwardly from a lateral edge thereof (the lateral edge not being the distal edge of the flap). A distal corner (3) of flap (ii) is both insertable and retainable under the finger of the panel or flap (i) opening. The cut or dislocation feature can facilitate deformation, bending and/or articulation of part of the distal corner-including region of flap (ii) to its under- finger retained condition.

Description

519573 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N2 3 1 JUL 2003 RECEIVED NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 No: 519573 Date: 13 June 2002 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ENHANCED FLAP LOCK We, CARTER HOLT HARVEY LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 640 Great South Road, Manukau City, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 2- imebLcv/iunL rnurcnif OFPICF OF N.Z 3 1 JUL 2003 RECEIVED o related Diarucs, The present invention relates to an enhanced flap lock and containers, assemblies and procedures.

A flap closure and retention feature is to be found in some prior art containers (e.g.; packaging containers whether cases, trays or cartons) formed from one or more blank components (e.g.; of paperboard or laminations thereof, such as corrugated board).

Such flap lock forms are utilised in containers, cases or the like and may be on a base or may be a form of closure for the top. Indeed they can be used elsewhere, e.g.; walls.

In one prior art form a distal corner of a flap is located in an opening of another flap or a panel of the container. Such prior art flap locating openings preferably have been defined by a cut out opening which defines a "finger" or a more expansive protruding portion under which the distal corner of the flap can be located.

Preferred prior art cut out opening forms have an "L" shape or modified "L" shape to provide the expansive "finger" or the like which is to overlie the distal corner of the flap to be located thereby (usually with the flap with the distal corner region slightly deformed out of and/or deforming the finger out of the plane of the flap or the flap or panel respectively).

Whilst in the preferred form reference will be made to complementary pairs of such openings and each with a complementary distal corner of a flap, persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may extend to combinations.

It is an object therefore to provide an enhanced flap closure feature in any appropriate form of structure (whether a container or otherwise) or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In a first aspect the invention is, as a flap retention feature of a container or a to be erected or assembled container or a blank or blanks of such, (i) a panel or flap ("panel or flap (i)") having an opening and/or cut therein ("opening") which defines a finger or [preferably an expansively connected finger (such as is the case with an "L" shape or some other such form - truncated, rounded or otherwise) (still a "finger")], and (ii) a flap ("flap (ii)") having a cut or dislocation feature extending inwardly from and/or inwardly of a lateral edge thereof (such lateral edge not being the [distinct] distal edge of the flap); wherein a distal corner of the flap (ii) is both insertable and retainable under the finger of the panel or flap (i) opening, and wherein the cut or dislocation feature can facilitate deformation, bending and/or articulation of part of the flap (ii) distal corner including region to its under finger retained condition (whether prior to, during and/or post insertion under the finger).

As used herein "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both.

As used herein "container" includes any form of container (including cases, trays, cartons, etc.) created from a sheet material or formed with sheeted regions and during and/or after assembly and/or erection the finger can hold the distal corner against disengagement by movement by the freedom of movement of the flap (i) deformation or hinging.

As used herein the term "opening" includes a cut out or a cut or any combination of a cut out or cut outs and a cut or cuts.

As used herein the term "cut" as an option to or of the "dislocation feature includes a cut out to similar effect and/or perforations or perforate equivalents and/or extensions. Optionally the effect of a cut can be expanded by perforation and/or scoring.

As used herein the term "(s)" following a noun means where and as appropriate the singular and/or plural of the noun.

As used herein the term "finger" has the meaning previously ascribed thereto, i.e.; includes some part of the surround of an opening (preferably a cut out as opposed to a mere cut but not necessarily so wholly or in part) that ha the prospect of providing a part of the panel or flap (i) able to overlie the part of the flap (ii) which is the distal corner region.

As used herein the term "distal corner" in respect of the flap (ii) includes within its compass any intersection of edges (e.g.; straight, curved or otherwise) as well as any truncation of a corner by a curve or other profile which nonetheless allows selective insertion of part of the distal region of the flap (ii) by the opening of the panel or flap (i) and consequently also allows an interpretation of part of the extremity as a lateral edge.

As used herein the term "a cut or dislocation feature extending inwardly from and/or inwardly of a lateral edge thereof' does not exclude a cut or dislocation feature extending from more than just the lateral edge and the term "lateral edge" includes any edge of a flap not distal as an edge of the flap in the sense that it is on an edge closer to any articulation axis (e.g.; hinging or the like) of the flap from any other flap or panel.

As used herein the term "connected" in respect of the finger preferably means an integral relationship with the material in which it has been defined by the opening.

In another aspect the invention is a container erectable from or erected from one or more blanks of a sheet material (such as paperboard or corrugated board or the like) where there is to be at least one flap locked or to be locked by a pair of complementary flaps each with an opening and/or cut ("opening") for receiving a distal corner of the first mentioned flap, each region having a said distal corner including laterally in from and/or inwardly of an edge region thereof at least one cut or dislocation feature effective in enhancing the locking in under the other flap of the distal region.

Preferably the container is also a container as earlier defined, a blank as earlier defined or has two features of each as earlier defined.

In another aspect the invention is a product having a combination of flaps and/or panels to achieve a flap lock substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more of Figures 2 to 4.

In still another aspect the invention is an erected and closed container where a flap lock retention of a closure flap in accordance with the accompanying drawings results Accordingly, in another aspect the present invention consists in a flap closure feature where an opening in a surface defines a finger or a more expansive finger (such as is the case with an "L" shape or some other such form - truncated, rounded or otherwise) opening and to be received thereby a distal corner of a flap having a cut or dislocation feature extending inwardly from and/or inwardly of a lateral edge thereof (such lateral edge not being the distal edge of the flap).

Preferably the dislocation feature is a cut which enables some movement out of plane of a distal corner region of the flap to be received under the expansive finger or the equivalent of the opening in the surface.

Preferably said opening in the surface is of a complementary flap.

Preferably said complementary flap is one of a pair of complementary flaps each adapted to receive a like but preferably mirrored distal corner region, each preferably with its lateral cut or dislocation feature.

In other preferred forms the lateral cut or dislocation feature could be a scallop or a line of perforation or the equivalent.

Preferably the present invention consists in a container erectable from one or more blanks of a sheet material such as paperboard or corrugated board or the like where there is to be at least one flap locked by a pair of complementary flaps each with an opening for receiving a distal corner of the first mentioned flap, said distal regions including laterally in from an edge region thereof at least one cut or dislocation feature effective in enhancing the locking in under the other flap of the distal region.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in an enhanced flap lock or a combination of flaps or panel an flap to achieve such an enhanced flap lock substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more of Figures 2 to 4.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in an erected and closed container where there is a flap lock retention of a closure flap in accordance with the present invention results.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 shows a traditional flap lock of a "L" shape opening form where a pair of flaps each with such an opening is adapted to locate under the expansive finger provided by the "L" shape a distal corner of a closure flap, Figure 2 but for the lateral cuts in the closure flaps which preferably provide lines of dislocation at each distal corner region, is what might otherwise be considered a conventional type flap closure blank capable of being erected into a box form with lidding or base features to be flap locked, Figure 3 shows a flap lock initial engagement utilising a flap of one of the two flaps shown in the blank of Figure 2 to be received by a pairing of openings from other panels, a preferred flute run direction being depicted, and Figure 4 shows some measure of the dislocation between the distal region and the remainder of the flap that will occur that will enhance the retention of the distal region and thus the flap upon being thrust home.

In the preferred form of the present invention the arrangement is a variation of the prior art as depicted in Figure 1. Such a variation is of a suitable paperboard (optionally with at least one corrugated ply) where either as a base or a lid there is provided a pair of closure flaps 1 each with a lateral cut 2 which for the distal corner regions 3 of each flap 1 will provide a dislocation feature when, for example, that flap 1A has its corners received in openings 4 and that flap IB has its corner regions 3 received in openings 5 in each case under the expansive finger region 6.

In the arrangement as shown the flap 1A with some measure of folding about the fold line 7 which is between the hinging fold line 8 and the distal edge 9 enables the corner region 3 to be fed in under a finger or expansive region of, for example, an "L" or other cut appropriate for a flap lock. Such an expansive finger 6 is adapted to overlie substantially all of the edge of the corner region 3 whilst the cut 2 will provide a measure of dislocation which is commencing as a result of ongoing thrusting of the flap into the opening as shown in Figure 4. When fully thrust home there has been some measure of dislocation between the regions 10 and 11 which will better enhance the locking in of the flap when the region 12 is substantially lie flat more or less parallel to or in the plane defined by the edge regions 13.

The locking mechanism of the present invention greatly enhances the capability of a flap lock closure. The addition of the two slits on each of the closure flaps (in this case as depicted the short flaps) provides a more secure flap closure.

The traditional "flap lock" design does not provide a secure means of maintaining the flap in position under load, i.e.; when product is packed into it, especially when this product is frozen and can have protrusions sticking out all over the place. With the inclusion of the slit in the panel (see Figure 4) this when forced into the "L" shape opening preferred for such a type of closure provides a lock to stop the flap from retracting. No gluing or taping to a effect such a secure closure is required in a customer's packing operation.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that whilst the blank of Figure 2 is to be used on the bottom of a case the same mechanism could be used on the top of a case instead or as well.

All such embodiments are within the scope of the present invention.

INTELLECTUAL property OFRCF OF M.z .7. | 3 1 JUL 2003

Claims (16)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: I RECEIVFD

1. As a flap retention feature ("feature") of a container or a to be erected or assembled container or a blank or blanks of such, (i) a panel or flap ("panel or flap (i)") having an opening and/or cut ("opening") therein which defines a finger, and (ii) a flap ("flap (ii)") having a cut or dislocation feature extending inwardly from and/or inwardly of a lateral edge thereof (such lateral edge not being the distal edge of the flap); wherein a distal corner of the flap (ii) is both insertable and retainable under the finger of the panel or flap (i) opening, and wherein the cut or dislocation feature can facilitate deformation, bending and/or articulation of part of the flap (ii) distal corner including region to its under finger retained condition.

2. A feature of claim 1 wherein the opening is (a) a cut out or a cut or (b) a cut or cuts with at least one cut out.

3. A feature of claim 2 wherein the opening is a cut out.

4. A feature of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein (whether the opening is solely a cut or not) the opening is an "L" shape or some other such form, truncated, rounded or otherwise, that defines an expansively connected finger.

5. A feature of any one of the preceding claims wherein the dislocation feature is a cut from a said lateral edge which enables some movement out of plane of a distal corner region of the flap to be received under the finger of the opening in the surface.

6. A feature of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the lateral cut or dislocation feature is a scallop or a line of perforation or the equivalent.

7. A feature of any one of the preceding claims substantially as herein described with or without reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

8. A container having one or more flap retention feature(s) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

9. A container of claim 8 having several such flap retention features.

10. A container of claim 8 or 9 wherein the flap (ii) is a closure panel or lid.

11. A container of any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein it is of a sheet material having at least one corrugated layer defining a flute run direction and the cut or dislocation feature being parallel to the flute run direction.

12. A blank of a container of any one of the claims 8 to 11.

13. A container erectable from or erected from one or more blanks of a sheet material (such as paperboard or corrugated board or the like) where there is to be at least one flap locked or to be locked by a pair of complementary flaps each with an opening and/or cut ("opening") for receiving a distal corner of the first mentioned flap, each said distal corner including laterally in from and/or inwardly of an edge region thereof at least one cut or dislocation feature effective in enhancing the locking in under the other flap of the distal region.

14. A container of claim 13 wherein it is also a container of claim 8, 9 or 10, a blank of claim 12 or has two features of any one of claims 1 to 7.

15. A product having a combination of flaps and/or panels to achieve a flap lock substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more of Figures 2 to 4.

16. An erected and closed container where a flap lock retention of a closure flap in accordance with any one or more of Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings results. END OF CLAIMS