Storage box having protective materials incorporated therein

Abstract

A cardboard box for protectively storing perishable paper products that includes protective materials that protect the box and its contents from any of a number of threats including water damage, fire damage, insects, mold and fungi. The box comprises a bottom wall, side walls and a lid that surround and define an interior cavity in which the paper products are stored. Each of the bottom wall, side walls and lid are made from cardboard. Protective materials are applied to one or more of the bottom wall, side walls and lids by either impregnating the cardboard with a suitable chemical, applying a film over the cardboard or spraying a coating thereover. Suitable chemicals that produce the desired properties include, but are not limited to wax, oil, plastic, polybrominated diphenyl ether, polybrominated biphenyl, brominated cyclohydrocarbons, boric acid and hydrogen peroxide.

1 . A cardboard box for protectively storing perishable paper products, wherein said box comprises:
 a bottom wall;   a plurality of side walls extending upwardly away from the bottom wall to surround and define an interior cavity; said cavity being adapted to retain the paper products therein;   a lid receivable over an upper end of the side walls to cover said interior cavity;   a protective material applied to one or more of said bottom wall, side walls and lid to protect the same from one or more threats selected from the group consisting of fire, water, insects, mold, fungi and bacteria.   
   
   
       2 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the protective material is impregnated into the one or more of said bottom wall, side walls and lid. 
   
   
       3 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the protective material is applied as a film over the one or more of said bottom wall, side walls and lid. 
   
   
       4 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 1 , in which the protective material is sprayed over the one or more of said bottom wall, side walls and lid. 
   
   
       5 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 4 , in which the protective material is one or more of a wax, an oil, a plastic, aluminum hydroxide, diammonium phosphate, polybrominated diphenyl ether, polybrominated biphenyl, brominated cyclohydrocarbons, boric acid and hydrogen peroxide. 
   
   
       6 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of the bottom wall, side walls and lid of the box includes at least:
 a first planar layer;   a second corrugated layer; and   a third planar layer, said first and third layers sandwiching the second layer thereinbetween; and wherein the protective material is applied to one or more of the first, second and third layers.   
   
   
       7 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the protective material is impregnated into one or more of the first, second and third layers. 
   
   
       8 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the protective material is applied as a film over one or both of the first and third layers. 
   
   
       9 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the protective material is sprayed over one or both of the first and third layers. 
   
   
       10 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the protective layer is sprayed in one of a powder form and a liquid form over the one or both of the first and third layers. 
   
   
       11 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the protective material comprises:
 a first component that protects the box against a first threat.   
   
   
       12 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the first threat is one of water damage, fire damage, mold and insects. 
   
   
       13 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the protective material further comprises:
 a second component that protects the box against a second threat.   
   
   
       14 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the second threat is a different one of water damage, fire damage, mold and insects. 
   
   
       15 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the protective material further comprises:
 a third component that protects the box against a third threat.   
   
   
       16 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the third threat is a further different one of water damage, fire damage, mold and insects. 
   
   
       17 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the protective material further comprises:
 a fourth component that protects the box against a fourth threat.   
   
   
       18 . The cardboard box as defined  claim 17 , wherein the fourth threat is the last different one of water damage, fire damage, mold and insects. 
   
   
       19 . The cardboard box as defined in  claim 18 , wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth components are selected from the group consisting of a wax, an oil, a plastic, aluminum hydroxide, diammonium phosphate, polybrominated diphenyl ether, polybrominated biphenyl, brominated cyclohydrocarbons, boric acid and hydrogen peroxide.