Container having improved compression strength

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a container having increased compression strength. Embodiments of the container comprise a pair of opposing side walls, each of which may include at least one layer of corrugated board having horizontal fluting and at least one layer of corrugated board having vertical fluting. Embodiments of the container also comprise a pair of opposing end walls, each of which may include at least one layer of corrugated board having horizontal fluting and at least one layer of corrugated board having vertical fluting. Embodiments of the container may be prepared from a single blank of corrugated board and may have a bottom surface that is integral with each of the side walls and each of the end walls so as to be considered leak proof. Embodiments of the container may also be configured to be collapsible to a substantially flat arrangement.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A container made from a single blank, the blank comprising:
 a generally rectangular center panel having ends and sides;   a pair of side panels, each side panel being integrally and foldably adjoined with a side of the center panel;   a pair of end panels, each end panel being integrally and foldably adjoined with an end of the center panel;   four foldable corner panels, each corner panel integrally and foldably adjoined with each of a side panel and an end panel, and each corner panel comprising a diagonal score line;   a pair of end support panels, each end support panel being integrally and foldably adjoined with an end panel; and   four side support panels, each side support panel being integrally and foldably adjoined with an end support panel.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein, upon the folding of the blank to create the container, each of the two corner panels that are integrally and foldably adjoined to an end panel fold so as to be adjacent to the inner surface of the end panel, and the end support panel that is integrally and foldably adjoined with the end panel folds down over the top of the folded corner panels to form each end wall of the container. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2  wherein each of the side support panels folds so as to be adjacent to the inner surface of a side panel to form the side walls of the container. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 2  wherein each end wall comprises a predominantly four layer construction. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 3  wherein each side wall comprises a predominantly two layer construction. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the blank comprises corrugated board and wherein one layer of each side wall comprises horizontal fluting and the other layer of each side wall comprises vertical fluting. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 4  wherein at least one layer of each end wall comprises horizontal fluting and at least one layer of each end wall comprises vertical fluting. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , the blank further comprising one or more score lines that run longitudinally across the center panel, each of the end panels, and each of the end support panels. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8  wherein the center panel of the blank also comprises one or more score lines which each run diagonally from at or near a corner of the bottom surface inward to the one or more longitudinal score lines. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein, upon the folding of the blank to create the container, the score lines facilitate the collapse of the container into a substantially flattened configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1  wherein each of the end panels, end support panels, and foldable corner panels have cutouts and wherein, upon the folding of the blank to create the container, the cutouts align to form a handle on each end wall of the container. 
     
     
         12 . A container made of corrugated board comprising
 a. a pair of opposed side walls, each side wall comprising at least a first layer having horizontal fluting and a second layer having vertical fluting,   b. a pair of opposed end walls, and   c. a bottom surface,   wherein the container is configured to collapse in response to inward forces on the opposed end walls.   
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12  wherein each end wall comprises at least a first layer having horizontal fluting and a second layer having vertical fluting. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the only exposed edge on the inner surface of each end wall is adjacent to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the bottom surface is integral with each of the side walls and each of the end walls. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 12 , further comprising a collapsible lid affixed to a side wall. 
     
     
         17 . A container made of corrugated board comprising
 a. a pair of opposed side walls, each side wall comprising at least a first layer having horizontal fluting and a second layer having vertical fluting,   b. a pair of opposed end walls, and   c. a bottom surface,   wherein the container is prepared from a single blank.   
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 17  wherein each end wall comprises at least a first layer having horizontal fluting and a second layer having vertical fluting. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein the only exposed edge on the inner surface of each end wall is adjacent to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein the bottom surface is integral with each of the side walls and each of the end walls.