NZ567591A - Lay flat bin corner hinge blanks formed to wrap around adjacent panels - Google Patents

Abstract

Lay flat bin corner hinges are formed from blanks that inter-connect adjacent vertical panels and both affix internally and wrap around outer faces of the panels.

Description

10057405410* ;NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 ;No: 567591 Date: 17 April 2008 ;COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;A BIN ASSEMBLY ;We, CARTER HOLT HARVEY LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 173 Captain Springs Road, Onehunga, 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 statg ;- 1 ;-2- ;The present invention relates to bins. ;Many forms of bulk bin are known for the purpose of carrying goods whether in the form of particulates or liquids. ;The present invention is directed to an alternative bin useful amongst other things as an intermediate bulk container. ;We have determined that a lie flat assembly (preferably of at least cellulosic fibre/paper material(s)) can be erected on a pallet slip sheet, or both, to provide a useful reservoir or bin for the storing and/or carriage of goods. We see such a bin as an alternative to a container such as that disclosed in US patent 4830271, as disclosed in our as yet unpublished New Zealand patent application 555516/562621 or that known as SPACEKRAFT® eg, SKT41. ;It is an object of the present invention to provide a lay flat bin assembly capable of being erected to define a substantially rectangular or square shaped bin or at least bin walls. ;It is a further or alternative object to the present invention to provide a lay flat assembly able to be erected and be associated with other components to provide a bin or bin wall form. ;It is a further or alternative object to provide a corner assembly of a lay flat bin assembly which provides, in the erected bin, a hinging axis, in each corner, at or at least substantially at the inner wall surface of wall defining panels. ;It is a further or alternative object of the invention to provide a lay flat bin assembly of a kind having a gusseted base form able to at least pardy close the base in the erect bin where each of four panel assemblies (preferably mainly or solely of paper board) are hingedly interconnected one to another by a corner hinging assembly. ;It is a further or alternative object to provide a corner hinging assembly substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. ;It is a further or alternative object of the present invention to provide a lay flat bin assembly including corrugated paperboard panels in the assembly having little residual access to the fluted paperboard zone for contamination or powder entrapment. Thus a more "hygienic" bin than one that allows powder entrapment. ;It is a further or alternative object to provide components of any such a lay flat bin assembly. ;In an aspect the invention is a lay flat bin assembly comprising or including four wall panels, and a hinge hinging between each proximate pairing of such wall panels, ;wherein the panels can, in one mode (the "lay flat mode") lie flat with two panels overlying the other two panels and, in another mode ("the erect mode"), the panels are upstanding as walls to surround a square or rectangular footprint; ;and wherein each hinge is defined by a blank or blanks, each of a sheet material, and defining a hinging axis at least substantially in alignment with the inner surfaces of the proximate wall panels of its pairing. ;Preferably each hinge arrangement provides (with respect to the erect mode) a wrap across each proximate vertical panel edge and onto the outer face(s) for the vertical edge regions and/or a wrap across each proximate horizontal top edge of a panel and onto the outer face(s) for horizontal top edge regions. ;Optionally said wrap arounds to the outer face are mitred at the top proximate corner. ;Preferably said wraps are to the outer face and are not mitred at the top proximate corner. ;Preferably said wraps at the corner and the hinging structure at said corner is primarily of or solely of a paper board material. ;Preferably each hinge blank is strengthened by adhesive (or adhered) tape or polytape near its hinge top. ;Preferably said corner hinging assembly does not involve a fluted paperboard medium as the hinge providing medium. ;Preferably each of the wall panels is a flute containing paper board medium, preferably with one or more laminations of an exteriorly lined flute medium laminated one to another, preferably with the flute run to be in a vertical direction. ;Preferably wraps to the outer faces of proximate panels are provided by one of two pairs of gusseting adapted to erect from the lay flat form to define wholly, or in part, a base. ;Preferably the panels are of a laminate of paperboard materials. ;Preferably the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, ;each with at least one flute material layer or layer assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed. ;Preferably said laminate is a laminate solely of laminated paperboard material eg, single or multi cushion corrugated board (eg, POWERPLY™ twin cushion corrugated board). ;Preferably the flute run direction of any corrugations of the panels are at least primarily in the vertical sense when the bin is erect. There can be some other directed flute runs. ;In another aspect the invention is a corner assembly of a lay flat bin assembly that hinges proximate wall panels together using at least one blank that affixes internally to inner faces adjacent proximate edges of the panels as well as wraps about the edges onto the outer faces of the panels adjacent the proximate edges. ;Preferably the blank(s) also wraps over top edges onto the outer faces of the panels. ;-4- ;Preferably each hinge blank is strengthened by adhesive (or adhered) tape or polytape near its hinge top. ;Preferably there are four panels and four corners only. ;Preferably the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, each with at least one flute material layer or layer assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed. ;Preferably the panels are solely of a laminate of paperboard materials. ;Preferably said laminate is a laminate of laminated paperboard material eg, single or multi cushion corrugated board (eg, POWERPLY™ twin cushion corrugated board). ;Preferably the flute run direction of any corrugations of the panels are at least primarily in the vertical sense when the bin is erect. There can be some other directed flute runs. ;In another aspect the invention consists in a lay flat bin assembly comprising or including four wall panels, each of a square or rectangular form, and each having at least one flute run direction of its paper board material including laminate(s) which will run vertically when the assembly is in its erect mode, and hinges, each hinge hinging between a proximate pairing of such wall panels, ;wherein each hinge hinging the proximate panels uses at least one blank that affixes internally to inner faces adjacent proximate edges of the panels as well as wraps about the edges onto the outer faces of the panels adjacent the proximate edges. ;Preferably the blank(s) also wraps over the top edges onto the outer faces of the panels. ;Optionally additional webs of material, whether the same or different to said blank(s), may reinforce the upper region of each hinge. ;Preferably the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, ;each with at least one flute material layer or layer assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed. ;Preferably each hinge blank is strengthened by adhesive (or adhered) tape or polytape near its hinge top. ;Preferably the panels are of a laminate of paperboard materials. Preferably said laminate is a laminate of laminated paperboard material eg, single or multi cushion corrugated board (eg, POWERPLY™ twin cushion corrugated board). ;Preferably the flute run direction of any corrugations of the panels are at least primarily in the vertical sense when the bin is erect. There can be some other directed flute runs. ;-5- ;In another aspect the invention consists in a corner assembly of a lay flat bin assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. ;In another aspect the invention is a bin assembly having a lay flat capability and being formed at least predominantly from paperboard; ;wherein (i) there are four same height wall panels of corrugated board with a vertical flute run or vertical flute runs when erect, and ;(ii) there is a folded top region of each wall panel which does not reveal the flute(s) ends; ;and wherein there is an underwrap of flute(s) ends of each wall panel by at least one base defining gusset; ;and wherein there is hinging, wall panel to wall panel, by a flute edge wrap providing hinge blank or by a blank forming part of a multi blank hinge. ;Preferably the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, ;each with at least one flute material layer or layer assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed. ;Preferably each hinge blank is strengthened by adhesive (or adhered) tape or polytape near its hinge top. ;In still a further aspect the invention consists in a lay flat bin assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. ;In still a further aspect the present invention consists in, as a stack, a plurality of lay flat bin assemblies in accordance with the present invention when in their lay flat mode. ;In still a further aspect the invention consists in a method of providing a bin which comprises taking a lay flat bin assembly in accordance with the present invention and erecting it to said erect form on a supporting surface, eg, a pallet, a floor, a slip sheet or the like. ;Preferably said lay flat bin assembly has, at least in part definable by gussets, a floor structure. Optionally that floor structure does not interlock or optionally it does interlock. ;The invention is also the use of a blank of Figure 10 or 10A, whether with tape reinforcement or not, as both a hinge for and partial wrap of adjacent bin panels. ;The term "bin" includes any partly or fully, or not in any way bottomed, wall surround, irrespective of foot print. ;As used herein the term "paperboard" includes unlaminated sheets as well as laminates of or including paperboard, whether rigid or not, and whether including a fluted or corrugated ply (or plies), or not. ;-6- ;As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both. ;As used herein the term "(s)" following a noun includes, as might be appropriate, the singular or plural forms of that noun. ;A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompany drawings in which ;Figure 1 is a perspective view of an erect container in accordance with the present invention, ;Figure 1A is a variant of Figure 1 showing squared off hinge portions at the top rather than bevelled or mitred regions, ;Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 but showing in greater scale the top most wrap to a mitred corner with the vertical edge wrap, ;Figure 2A shows the squared off features of Figure 1 A, ;Figure 3 is a close up of bottom corner detail between proximate panels, ;Figure 4 shows the bin of Figures 1 to 3 as it is in its lay flat condition, two of the corner assemblies being centrally placed (as in square foot print bin) whilst the other two are at each end of the lay flat assembly, ;Figure 4A shows the Figure 1A and Figure 2A variant, ;Figure 5 is a top view of the central pairs of hinging assemblies of the bin in its lay flat mode as shown in Figure 4, ;Figure 5A shows the Figure 4A variant, ;Figure 6 shows one of the two end most hinging assemblies of the bin in its Figure 4 ;mode, ;Figure 6A shows a hinging assembly of the Figure 5A variant as an end most hinging assembly, ;Figure 7 is a view from above of interlocked gusset features of two at least in part triangular base members of a bin as in the preceding drawings when in the erect condition, ;Figure 8 is a similar view of the base as shown in Figure 7 but prior to interlocking of the base gussets, ;Figure 9 shows the base components of Figure 7 and 8 more towards their interposed flat folded condition between aligned panels in which they will ultimately rest when in the condition shown in Figures 4 through 6, ;Figure 10 shows a preferred corner hinge link (eg, of paperboard), ;Figure 10A shows a taped together variant of the link of Figure 10 where it is to provide the non mitred variant of Figures 1A, 2A, 4A, 5A and 6A, ;-7- ;Figure 11 shows the blank of Figure 10 as used at a corner but showing exploded therefrom an optional laminate creased board reinforcement able to be overlapped to double material on the hinge pivot, ;Figure 11A shows the variant version of the arrangement as shown in Figure 11 which is reliant on the link of Figure 10A, ;Figure 12 is a blank of paperboard laminate to be folded to provide two thickness of lamination in a wall panel assembly eg, as in Figure 13, ;Figure 13 is an exploded view showing the lamination with the arrowed flute run direction, (ie, vertical in the walls) of a folded pair of blanks as in Figure 12, optionally with one additional ply of corrugated board if a 5 ply wall panel is wanted, optionally with the folds both at the top or the outer sheet's fold only at the top, ;Figure 13A shows the optional removal of the fifth layer providing sheet shown in Figure 13, and ;Figure 14 shows one of the pair of bottom blanks with side wall wrap unders and a triangular gusset centrally folded or foldable, and optionally including an interlock feature. Two preferred embodiments are described by reference to the drawings. ;Preferred embodiments of the present invention have four rigid square or rectangular panels 1 each hingedly connected to its neighbour to define a corner region reliant upon one or more blank of a paperboard material defining a hinge 2. ;In the preferred form of the present invention, by way of example, blanks as depicted in Figure 12 (for example, of corrugated board such as L70A vertical flute) can be used for folding and adhesive nesting (eg, with PVA) as shown in Figure 13 so that a first blank 3, as in Figure 12, and a second such blank 4, as in Figure 12, nest so as to provide four plies of vertical flute run to a folded top 5 of the panel. If desired another ply, (eg, unfolded 6) can be provided so that a panel formed as shown in Figure 13 by appropriate adhesive usage, eg, any suitable PVA , hot melt or other adhesive can hold a rigid form as shown in the erect assembly of Figures 1 to 3. ;The hinging assemblies are formed preferably from a paper board blank as shown in Figure 10. Preferably in such an arrangement it is a non corrugated board. Optionally it is solely paperboard (save for adhesive eg, PVA) so as to enable recycling. By way of example, a suitable board, as an option, can be TL900 vertical flute board. Alternatively it can be unfluted, ie, not a corrugated board whatsoever. It can be tape or polytape strengthened where required. ;As shown in Figure 10 there is a hinging axis 7 defined by panels 8 which each are adapted to underlie or overlie panels 9 to which they are adhesively affixed (eg, using PVA). Panels 9 feed the fold lines 10 to a position such that an edge covering panel 11 provides part of the PVA adhered wrap of the vertical edge and continues into the outside face partial PVA ;-8- ;adhered wrap panel 12. Likewise for the horizontal top region there are folding axes 13, PVA adhered panels 14 and PVA adhered over wrap flaps 15. These are marked by those references in each of Figures 2 and 3. ;The bevel or mitred arrangement can be seen between the outer face adhered panels 12 and 15. These mitred joints are shown as 16. ;It does not matter whether or not panels 8 or 9 underlie or overlie each other provided there is the appropriate adhesion one to the other to provide integrity. ;The upper region of the hinge can be reinforced internally by appropriate wrap and/or an external band if under heavy loads when filled. See also the Figure 11 optional adhered internal addition. ;It can be seen that each of the hinging arrangements 2 allows the lie flat arrangement as shown in the figures, it not mattering in a square base bin which panel pair first is folded straight since the central position of overlying hinges is guaranteed. That is not the case however if the foot print of the bin is rectangular as there will be some staggering of the hinges between the ends in the lie flat mode. ;Any appropriate panels can be used for base reinforcement. Likewise any additional panel 70 can be used to bolster up the hinge region 2, see Figure 11. ;Shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9 are two panels 19 which lock at region 20 yet provide flanges 21 which as shown in Figure 3 adhere (eg, with PVA adhesive) to the outside of the panels. ;Shown in Figure 14 is a fold line 22 which facilitates the lie flat movement of the gusset panels between the conditions as shown in Figures 7 through 9. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate the alternatives that can be used as discussed herein below for base reinforcement and/or triangulation for shape holding purposes of the base region. ;Of course any suitable capping arrangement with or without flanges can be utilised to assist in the strengthening of the bin. ;The options for the base form can vary. One arrangement is a base form as shown as a pair of components as in Figure 14 which interlock in a manner substantially as disclosed in US patent 6109513 to Dugan. Alternatively a non interlock base form can be adopted such as disclosed in, for example, US patent 4830271 to MacMillan Bloedel. Either form can be used. Another option is that typified in the SPACEKRAFT® type bins eg, the SKT41™ bin base of Weyerhaeuser, USA. ;It is envisaged that a bin in accordance with the present invention is ideal for bag or unbagged particulate materials to a weight of, for example, about 600kg, if for example the panel dimensions are of the order of 1029mm high and 1060mm across. ;-9- ;The changes of the drawings showing the 'A' variant of Figures 1A, 2A, 4A, 5A, 6A and 13A are: ;• The top of the hinges have been squared up — rather than fitting in bevelled edges. ;• A polywoven narrow strap 'tape' has been inserted within the top of the hinge to provide extra tear resistance. ;• The single insert 6 in the panels has been removed and the panels are now four layers of board thick rather than five. ;Whilst the embodiment of the 'A' variant is made of the same or similar materials of the other embodiment, the main differences are to the component shown in Figure 10 to provide the squared up top of the hinges by removal of the bevels 23 which in the first embodiment co-act to provide the mitre at 16. ;Instead squared regions 24 (see Figure 10A) provide the squared up top line 25 with some overlap of region 26 onto region 27 (see Figure 10A). ;The embodiment of variant 'A' preferably includes a strengthening polytape 28 to be on the inside (see Figures 10A and 11 A). Such strengthening with a tape 28 can also be used with the other embodiment. This can be revealed to the inside for ease of removal for recycling or by interposed between panels 8 and 9 when assembled. ;Similarly the panel assembly of exploded components of Figure 13 can be varied for either embodiment irrespectively of whether or not there is rotation of component 4. In the 'A' variant preferably only components shown in Figure 13A are used optionally with rotation so that edges 29 with open flute ends are nested into zone 30 so as to conceal them. This affords better powder entrapment prevention than just reliance on the bottom members shown in Figure 14 as the edge 31 is self protecting insofar as the fluted medium is concerned. ;The bins of the present invention enable an at least substantially full wrap of exposed edges of the corrugated board panels thereby to render powder entrapment less likely. ;In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art. *

Claims (29)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A lay flat bin assembly comprising or including four wall panels, and a hinge hinging between each proximate pairing of such wall panels, wherein the panels can, in one mode (the "lay flat mode") lie flat with two panels overlying the other two panels and, in another mode ("the erect mode"), the panels are upstanding as walls to surround a square or rectangular footprint; and wherein each hinge is defined by a blank or blanks, each of a sheet material, and defining a hinging axis at least substantially in alignment with the inner surfaces of the proximate wall panels of its pairing.

2. An assembly of claim 1 wherein each hinge arrangement provides (with respect to the erect mode) a wrap across each proximate vertical panel edge and onto the outer face(s) for the vertical edge regions and/or a wrap across each proximate horizontal top edge of a panel and onto the outer face(s) for horizontal top edge regions.

3. An assembly of claim 2 wherein said wraps are to the outer face and are mitred at the top proximate corner.

4. An assembly of claim 2 wherein said wraps are to the outer face and are not mitred at the top proximate corner.

5. An assembly of claim 3 or 4 where said wraps are primarily of or solely of a paper board material.

6. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein adhesive tape or polytape strengthens each hinge near its top.

7. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein each corner hinging assembly does not involve a fluted paperboard medium as the hinge providing medium.

8. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein each of the wall panels is a flute containing paper board medium.

9. An assembly of claim 8 wherein the wall panels have one or more laminations of an exteriorly lined flute medium laminated one to another, with the flute run to be in a vertical direction.

10. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein wraps to the outer faces of proximate panels are provided by one of two pairs of gusseting adapted to erect from the lay flat form to define wholly, or in part, a base.

11. An assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, each with at least one flute material layer or layer -11 - assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed.

12. A corner assembly of a lay flat bin assembly that hinges proximate wall panels together using at least one blank that affixes internally to inner faces adjacent proximate edges of the panels as well as wraps about the edges onto the outer faces of the panels adjacent the proximate edges.

13. An assembly of claim 12 wherein the blank(s) also wraps over top edges onto the outer faces of the panels.

14. An assembly of claim 12 or 13 there are four panels and four corners only.

15. An assembly of claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein the panels are of a laminate of paperboard materials.

16. An assembly of claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, each with at least one flute material layer or layer assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed.

17. A lay flat bin assembly comprising or including four wall panels, each of a square or rectangular form, and each having at least one flute run direction of its paper board material including laminate(s) which will run vertically when the assembly is in its erect mode, and hinges, each hinge hinging between a proximate pairing of such wall panels, wherein each hinge hinging the proximate panels uses at least one blank that affixes internally to inner faces adjacent proximate edges of the panels as well as wraps about the edges onto the outer faces of the panels adjacent the proximate edges.

18. An assembly of claim 17 wherein each hinge blank is strengthened by adhesive tape or polytape near its hinge top.

19. An assembly of claim 17 or 18 wherein the blank(s) also wraps over the top edges onto the outer faces of the panels.

20. An assembly of claim 17, 18 or 19 wherein additional webs of material, whether the same or different to said blank(s), may reinforce the upper region of each hinge.

21. An assembly of any one of claims 17 to 20 wherein the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, each with at least one flute material layer or layer assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed.

22. A corner assembly of a lay flat bin assembly substantially as reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings. -12-

23. A bin assembly having a lay flat capability and being formed at least predominandy from paperboard; wherein (i) there are four same height wall panels of corrugated board with a vertical flute run or vertical flute runs when erect, and flute(s) ends; and wherein there is an underwrap of flute(s) ends of each wall panel by at least one base defining gusset; and wherein there is hinging, wall panel to wall panel, by a flute edge wrap providing hinge blank or by a blank forming part of a multi blank hinge.

24. An assembly of claim 21 wherein the panels are made of folded or unfolded corrugated paperboard sheets, each with at least one flute material layer or layer assembly and at least one paperboard liner for the flute material layer or layer assembly, and in the assembly no flute material of the sheets is exposed.

25. A lay flat bin assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

26. As a stack, a plurality of lay flat bin assemblies in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 11, 17 to 21, and 23 to 25 when in their lay flat mode.

27. A method of providing a bin which comprises taking a lay flat bin assembly in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 11, 17 to 21, and 23 to 25 and erecting it to said erect form on a supporting surface, eg, a pallet, a floor, a slip sheet or the like.

28. A method of claim 27 wherein said lay flat bin assembly has, at least in part definable by gussets, a floor structure.

29. The use of a blank substantially as shown in Figure 10 or 1 OA, whether with tape reinforcement or not, as both a hinge for and a partial cover of adjacent bin panels. (ii) there is a folded top region of each wall panel which does not reveal the