Wire reel blank

Abstract

A one-piece reel blank comprising a single piece of cardboard material, or other relatively rigid but foldable thin sheet material, which is cut to form a center panel, a pair of wall panels joined, and a pair of flaps. The center panel is preferably generally rectangular in shape with a pair of first fold lines and a pair of first lateral edges. The wall panels are respectively joined to opposite longitudinal sides of the center panel along substantially parallel second fold lines. Each second fold line has a length that is preferably less than that of the first fold line. A flap is joined to an adjacent wall panel along a third fold line opposite a fold line and substantially parallel thereto. Each flap is generally rectangular in shape and has a longitudinal fourth fold line having a central perforated or scored portion joining slit end portions, respectively terminating at lateral edges. Preferably, the flaps are positionable in overlapping relationship along their longitudinal edges for cooperation to define a second center panel coextensive to the center panel.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A one-piece reel blank comprising: 
 a first center panel having opposite lateral edges and including a pair of first fold lines extending longitudinally along the center panel between the lateral edges, each first fold line including slitted portions extending respectively from the lateral edges and a perforated portion connecting the slitted portions, slitted portions cooperating at each lateral edge to define a tongue foldable to a nonparallel position with respect to the center panel;    a pair of wall panels respectively joined to the opposite side edges of the center panel along longitudinal second fold lines each having a length less than that of the first fold lines; and    two flaps respectively joined to the wall panels along longitudinal third fold lines each being generally parallel to and of equal length with the second fold line of the associated wall panel, each flap having a fourth fold line extending longitudinally thereacross and having slitted portions joined by a perforated portion, the flaps defining edges of the blank which are overlappable in use to define a second center panel opposite the first center panel.    
     
     
         2 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 1 , wherein each wall panel has an aperture extending therethrough centrally thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 2 , wherein the center panel includes slits extending laterally from each end of a respective second fold line to an adjacent first fold line to define respective second tongues foldable along the first fold line to a nonparallel position with respect to the center panel.  
     
     
         4 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 3 , wherein each flap includes slits extending laterally from each end of a respective third fold line to an adjacent fourth fold line to define respective third tongues foldable along the fourth fold line to a nonparallel position with respect to their respective flap.  
     
     
         5 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 4 , wherein the center panel has a pair of fifth fold lines extending laterally between the first fold lines.  
     
     
         6 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 5 , wherein each flap has a pair of generally parallel sixth fold lines, each sixth fold line being generally collinear with a fifth fold line and extending laterally between the fourth fold line and a longitudinal edge of its respective flap opposite the third fold line.  
     
     
         7 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 6 , wherein the wall panels are generally polygonal.  
     
     
         8 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 7 , wherein the center panel is generally rectangular.  
     
     
         9 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 8 , wherein the center panel includes a flange extending from each respective lateral edge, and wherein each flap includes a pair of notches adjacent to a respective second lateral edge.  
     
     
         10 . A one-piece blank adapted to form a reel dispenser comprising: 
 a generally rectangular center panel including a pair of first fold lines extending longitudinally along the center panel, the center panel foldable along the first longitudinal fold lines to define a generally U-shaped cross section;    a pair of wall panels respectively joined to opposite side edges of the center panel along second fold lines, each wall panel having an aperture extending therethrough centrally thereof; and 
 two generally rectangular flaps respectively joined to the wall panels along longitudinal third fold lines and each having a distal lateral edge and including a longitudinal fourth fold line, each third fold line being generally parallel to and coextensive to each second fold line, the flaps overlappable in a longitudinal manner to define a second center panel coextensive with the center panel.  
   
     
     
         11 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 2 , wherein the center panel includes slits extending laterally from each end of a respective second fold line to an adjacent first fold line to define respective second tongues foldable along the first fold line to a nonparallel position with respect to the center panel.  
     
     
         12 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 3 , wherein each flap includes slits extending laterally from each end of a respective third fold line to an adjacent fourth fold line to define respective third tongues, each third tongue foldable along the associated fourth fold line to a nonparallel position with respect to the associated flap.  
     
     
         13 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 4 , wherein the center panel has a pair of generally parallel fifth fold lines extending laterally between the first fold lines.  
     
     
         14 . The one-piece reel blank of  claim 5 , wherein each flap has a pair of generally parallel sixth fold lines, each sixth fold line being generally collinear with a fifth fold line and extending laterally between the fourth fold line and a longitudinal edge of its respective flap opposite the third fold line.  
     
     
         15 . A method of forming a reel from a one-piece reel blank comprising a first center panel including a pair of longitudinal first fold lines, a pair of first lateral fold lines, and a first pair of lateral edges; a pair of wall panels, each having an aperture therethrough and respectively joined to the center panel along second longitudinal fold lines; and a pair of flaps, each joined to a respective wall panel, opposite the center panel, along a longitudinal third fold, each flap including a longitudinal fourth fold line, a pair of second lateral fold lines, and a second lateral edge; the method comprising: 
 folding the reel blank along its second fold lines to position the wall panels parallel to each other;    folding the reel blank along its third longitudinal fold lines;    attaching the flaps to each other in overlapping manner to define a second center panel opposite the first center panel;    folding the first center panel and the second center panel along the first and fourth fold lines to form a U-shaped cross section in each; and    folding the first center panel and the second center panel along the first and second lateral fold lines to enable the first and second lateral edges of the center panel and the overlapped flaps to join together.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the center panel includes a lateral edge with a flange portion and wherein the flaps, when overlapped, define a notch, and further comprising the additional step of securing the flange position to the notch.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , and further comprising the additional step of attaching a reel carrier to the apertures extending through the wall panels.