Reusable box blank

Abstract

A blank for being repeatably assembled into a box configuration without the use of adhesives. The blank has a bottom panel, a side panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, an end panel foldably attached to the bottom panel, and a locking structure configured to secure the side panel and the end panel in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel. The locking structure includes an overlay panel foldably attached to the end panel and foldable toward an overlying position in which it overlies a portion of the side panel. The locking structure also includes a slot in the bottom panel, a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot, and a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel for being lockingly received in the slot to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A blank for being repeatably assembled into a box configuration without the use of adhesives, the blank comprising:
 a one-piece slab of fluted plastic material, the slab comprising a plurality of flutes, each of the plurality of flutes having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes oriented parallel to one another, the one-piece slab of fluted material defining at least:
 a bottom  first panel; 
 a side second panel foldably attached to the bottom first panel; 
 an enda third panel foldably attached to the bottomfirst panel; and 
 a locking structure configured to repeatably secure the side panel and the end panel second panel and the third panel in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom first panel, the locking structure comprising:
 an overlay panel foldably attached to the end third panel and being configured to be folded toward an overlying position in which the overlay panel overlies a portion of the side second panel when the side second panel and the end third panel are in the respective orthogonal positions; 
 a slot in the bottom first panel; 
 a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot; and 
 a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel for being lockingly received in the slot to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position, the tab comprising a spine having a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes and a pair of wings extending outwardly from the spine, each of the wings configured to bend away from the bottom panel from a coplanar position with respect to the spine along a respective bending line defined by one of the plurality of flutes as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the wings being further configured to resiliently return toward its respective coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The blank of  claim 1  wherein the one-piece slab comprises a pair of spaced apart sheets held in spaced apart relationship by a plurality of spaced apart ribs, the plurality of spaced apart ribs defining the plurality of flutes. 
     
     
       3. The blank of claim  1  24 further comprising a flap foldably attached to the third panel and extending into the slot, wherein the flap bends away from a coplanar position with respect to the bottom first panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot and resiliently returns toward its coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot. 
     
     
       4. The blank of  claim 3  wherein at least a portion of the spine overlies the flap when the tab is received in the slot. 
     
     
       5. The blank of  claim 1  wherein the bottom panel lies in a bottom plane and wherein the tab is foldably attached to the overlay panel at a tab joint, the tab joint being oriented substantially in the bottom plane when the blank is assembled into the box configuration shaped and arranged such that the tab folds along the tab joint towards an underside of the bottom first panel as the tab is being inserted into the slot. 
     
     
       6. The blank of  claim 1  wherein the slot has a width and the tab has a width and the width of the tab is at least 30% greater than the width of the slot. 
     
     
       7. The blank of  claim 2  wherein each of the ribs extends generally axially between the pair of spaced apart sheets. 
     
     
       8. The blank of  claim 7  wherein an axial strength of the ribs defining the flutes that define the bending lines urges the wings to resiliently return toward the coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot. 
     
     
       9. A reusable box secured in a box configuration without the use of adhesives, the box comprising:
 a one piece slab of fluted plastic material, the slab comprising a plurality of flutes, each of the plurality of flutes having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes oriented parallel to one another, the one-piece slab of fluted material defining at least:
 a bottom panel; 
 a pair of side panels foldably attached to opposite sides of the bottom panel and oriented in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel; 
 a pair of end panels foldably attached to opposite ends of the bottom panel and oriented in respective orthogonal positions with respect to the bottom panel, each of the end panels abutting each of the side panels at four respective corners of the box; and 
 a locking structure for each of the four corners of the box, each locking structure securing a respective one of the side panels and a respective one of the end panels in its respective orthogonal position with respect to the bottom panel and being configured to be selectively reconfigured for repeatable disassembly and reassembly of the box, each locking structure comprising for said respective one of the side panels and said respective one of the end panels:
 an overlay panel foldably attached to said respective one of the end panels in an overlying position in which the overlay panel overlies a portion of said respective one of the side panels; 
 a slot in the bottom panel; 
 a flap foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending into the slot; and 
 a tab lockingly received in the slot to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position, the tab comprising a spine having a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes and a pair of wings extending outwardly from the spine, the tab being configured to be inserted in the slot such that each of the wings bends away from the bottom panel from a coplanar position with respect to the spine along a respective bending line defined by one of the plurality of flutes as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the wings being configured to resiliently return toward its respective coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot. 
 
 
 
     
     
       10. The box of  claim 9  wherein the one-piece slab comprises a pair of spaced apart sheets held in spaced apart relationship by a plurality of spaced apart ribs, the plurality of spaced apart ribs defining the plurality of flutes. 
     
     
       11. The box of claim  9  28 further comprising a flap foldably attached to the third panel and extending into the slot, wherein the flap of the at least one locking structure is configured to bend away from a coplanar position with respect to the bottom panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot and to resiliently return toward its coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot. 
     
     
       12. The box of  claim 11  wherein at least a portion of the spine of the at least one locking structure is configured to overly the flap when the tab is received in the respective slot. 
     
     
       13. The box of  claim 9  wherein the bottom panel lies in a bottom plane and wherein the tab of the at least one locking structure is foldably attached to the respective overlay panel at a tab joint, the tab joint being oriented substantially in the bottom plane, the tab of the at least one locking structure being configured to fold along the tab joint towards an underside of the bottom panel as the tab is being inserted in the respective slot. 
     
     
       14. The box of  claim 9  wherein the slot of the at least one locking structure has a width and the tab of the at least one locking structure has a width, the width of the tab being at least 30% greater than the width of the slot. 
     
     
       15. A locking structure for securing first, second, and third panels of a box in respective orthogonal positions with respect to one another without using adhesives, the locking structure comprising:
 a one piece slab of fluted plastic material, the slab comprising a plurality of flutes, each of the plurality of flutes having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes oriented parallel to one another, the one-piece slab of fluted material defining at least:
 an overlay panel foldably attached to the first panel, the overlay panel being configured to be folded toward an overlying position in which the overlay panel overlies a portion of the second panel; 
 a slot in the third panel; 
 a flap foldably attached to the third panel and extending into the slot; and 
 a tab foldably attached to the overlay panel at a tab joint, the tab being configured to be inserted in the slot and received therein to secure the overlay panel in the overlying position, the tab comprising a spine having a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axes of the plurality of flutes and a pair of wings extending outwardly from the spine, the tab being further configured to fold along the tab joint from a position coplanar with the overlay panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the pair of wings being configured to bend away from the third panel from a coplanar position with respect to the spine along a respective bending line defined by one of the plurality of flutes as the tab is being inserted in the slot, each of the pair of wings being further configured to resiliently return toward its respective coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot; 
 
 wherein, when the tab is received in the slot, the tab joint is in substantial coplanar alignment with the third panel; and 
 wherein the tab is configured to be selectively inserted into and removed from the slot to repeatably assemble the first, second, and third panels of the box in the respective orthogonal positions. 
 
     
     
       16. The locking structure of claim 15 wherein the one-piece slab comprises a pair of spaced apart sheets held in spaced apart relationship by a plurality of spaced apart ribs, the plurality of spaced apart ribs defining the plurality of flutes. 
     
     
       17. The locking structure of claim 16 wherein at least one rib adjacent each of the bending lines is configured to urge the respective wing to return toward its respective coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot. 
     
     
       18. The locking structure of claim 15 wherein the one piece slab further defines a flap that is foldably attached to the first panel and extends into the slot. 
     
     
       19. The locking structure of claim 18 wherein the flap is configured to bend away from a coplanar position with respect to the first panel as the tab is being inserted in the slot and to resiliently return toward its coplanar position when the tab is received in the slot. 
     
     
       20. The locking structure of claim 19 wherein at least a portion of the spine overlies the flap when the tab is received in the slot. 
     
     
       21. The locking structure of claim 15 wherein the slot has a width and the tab has a width and the width of the tab is at least 30% greater than the width of the slot. 
     
     
       22. The locking structure of claim 15 wherein the locking structure is configured to secure the first, second, and third panels of a box in respective orthogonal positions with respect to one another. 
     
     
       23. The locking structure of claim 15 wherein the first panel comprises a bottom panel of the box. 
     
     
       24. The locking structure of claim 15 wherein when the tab is received in the slot, the tab joint is generally aligned with the third panel. 
     
     
       25. The blank of claim 1 wherein the one piece slab further comprises a flap that is foldably attached to the first panel and extends into the slot. 
     
     
       26. The blank of claim 1 wherein the locking structure is configured to secure the first, second, and third panels of the box in respective orthogonal positions with respect to one another. 
     
     
       27. The blank of claim 1 wherein the first panel comprises a bottom panel of the box. 
     
     
       28. The blank of claim 2 wherein at least one rib adjacent each of the bending lines is configured to urge the respective wing to return toward its respective coplanar position after the tab is inserted through the slot. 
     
     
       29. The blank of claim 9 wherein at least one locking structure defined by the one piece slab of fluted plastic material further comprises a flap that is foldably attached to the bottom panel and extends into the slot of the at least one locking structure. 
     
     
       30. The blank of claim 9 wherein the locking structures are configured to secure the bottom, end, and side panels such that the bottom panel is oriented orthogonal to the end panels and the side panels. 
     
     
       31. The blank of claim 10 wherein at least one rib adjacent each of the bending lines of the tab of at least on locking structure is configured to urge the respective wing to return toward its respective coplanar position after the tab is inserted through the respective slot.