AU667696B2 - Improvements in and relating to containers - Google Patents

Description

~i~ii=i~- 66709,6

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For a Standard Patent

ORIGINAL

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: STEVEN BRUCE BLACKMAN Actual Inventors: STEVEN BRUCE BLACKMAN Address for Service: ,~e o~rr ooer

DILI

ao ~ii t~ WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Industry House, Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

239 Adelaide Attorney code: WR IN AND RELATING Invention Title: "IMPROVEMENTS

CONTAINERS"

Details of Associated Provisional Applications Nos: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 This invention relates to improvements in and relating to containers.

Containers for the storage of office stationery and archives have been known for some time and at least one commercial design provides storage containers assembled from a blank of cardboard and which may be stacked into an array, However, there are several shortcomings in most existing designs, For instance, at least one commercially known container provides interlocking ribs/tabs along the centre of the top element of the assembled container. These interact with a corresponding portion on the base element of a container stacked above the first. However, a proper fit may not be maintained if the top or base elements were to sag under weight. This has been addressed by the art through the provision of an internal partition directly under the centrally located row of tabs,.

While this is in many cases adequate, there are instances where it may be desirable to remove the central partition of containers to allow storage of unusually shaped or larger objects. In such instances, the limitations of the existing designs become apparent, Another problem associated with the known art having interlocking tabs along the centre of the top face, arises when containers are being stacked, Because of this positioning, it is difficult to gauge whether tabs and slots on adjacent containers are aligned while they are being stacked. If they are not correctly aligned then it is very easy for the tab to be bent out of the way and flattened by the weight of the container being placed on top. The only foolproof way by which alignment can be checked, is for the person stacking the containers to drop down so they can visually verify that the tab of the lower box is being inserted into the accommodating slot on the top container. However, this is a very difficult position to S maintain, especially if the containers are close to the ground and the containers being stacked o are full or heavy, S Correct alignment is also hindered if the upright tab on the lower container is not truly 25 vertical. If for some reason it is bent to one side, then some assistance by the user may be required to ensure that the containers are stacked correctly, However the relatively central positioning of the tabs can make this manoeuvre extremely difficult.

There are other limitations which may become apparent in certain applications of existing known containers, such as a tendency for the lid to separate from the body of the container whilst it is being carried, It is an object of the present invention to address the aforementioned problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

L Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a stackable container of rectangular cuboid configuration, erected from a packaging element, and having at least one front opening lid portion, there being provided along the top edge of the vertical sides adjacent the lid at least one upwardly directed male member capable of interacting with a vertically aligned and complementary female portion positioned at the lower edge of said sides, on an identical and vertically adjacent container, the arrangement being further characterised in that the top panel portion is flanked by side panel portions which fold downwardly to lie substantially co-extensive with said vertical sides adjacent the lid.

Preferably, the container is provided with provision for connection with vertically adjacent containers of the same type in the form of an upwardly directed male 000 portion positioned on the edge between the top and vertical rear face of the S 15 container, which interacts with a co plementary and vertically aligned female 0 portion at the edge between the base and rear sides.

0 00 0 0In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging element erectable into a container, said element comprising a Ssubstantia rectangular base element with flanking end elements positioned along opposite edges thereof, there being a lid element flanking a third side of 0 the base element, and a rear element flanking a fourth side of the base element; :there being a top element flanking said rear element along an edge opposite the O 04 base element; there being two end reinforcing elements flanking said top element along opposite edges thereof; and wherein flanking elemrnents are joined to the element they flank by folding seams, the packaging element when assembled forming a container as previously herein above described.

Preferably the flanking end elements include either or both of a flanking rear reinforcing element and an end locking element, these being joined by folding seams to said end element at an edge adjacent the seam between said end element and base element.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit for ere 'ing a stackable container, comprising a packaging element substantially as described above, and a partition insertable within an erected container.

o o .3 0 0 40 o 4 l 3a According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit, substantially as described above, which includes male members, insertable into female portions in an erected container, for interconnecting adjacent containers.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for locating and interconnecting adjacent containers of a type erectable from a sheet-like packaging element, comprising the provision of connection means at or near edges between vertical and horizontal faces of a container.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method, substantially as described above, in which said connection means is located at or near an edge between an end face and the top and/or bottom face of the container; and positioned so as to be detectable by the fingers of a person holding the container in a conventional manner, A container according to the present invention is generally assembled from a packaging element or blank, The packaging element is typically formed of a stiff material which may be any material (be it sheet, film, laminate or an assemblage of individually formed and joined elements). In most cases, however, it is envisaged that the blank will comprise a single piece of a suitable card or corrugated cardboard. Grades and thicknesses commonly used in the construction of cardboard boxes are normally suitable.

The packaging element generally comprises an arrangement of elements forming the various faces of the container, and which are typically joined (in the blank) by foldable seams, These seams, depending on construction, may comprise creases or scored portions, or hinged and articulate assemblies though this latter method will be more typical of embodiments of 0 plasics materials. Some specific arrangements are described in the detailed section of the specification later, The assembled container from a packaging element may be described as being substantially rectangular cuboid in configuration. This, which is the traditional box shape, allows containers to be stacked either vertically, side by side or back to back in a relatively efficient arrangement, However, other configurations could be adopted with suitable modification, When stacking containers into such an array, some provision for connection of adjacent containers may be made to maintain the adjacent containers in alignment, In preferred embodiments, to be described later, it will be seen that inter-engaging male and female portions are provided to allow stacked boxes to interlock to each other. These principles could also be extended to allow side by side adjacent or back to back adjacent containers to also interlock with each other.

Also in the preferred embodiments to be described later, inter-connection of adjacent containers which are other than in a vertically stacked arrangement, may be possible through the use of a separate double ended male member which interacts with female portions placed strategically on the containers. This method could also be used to inter-join vertically stacked adjacent containers. It is also envisaged that many other methods of inter-connection are possible and may be used though the male-female relationship is well known and is relatively simple to incorporate into most embodiments of the invention.

While the positioning of the joining means (such as discussed in the previous paragraphs) may not greatly alter the characteristics of a single container, they may have a bearing on the characteristics of the container when in a stacked array. For instance, in most embodiments of the present invention it is desirable that where joining means are provided, they are positioned at or near the edges of a container. Before continuing with the description it is also perhaps desirable to note that the preferred orientation of most embodiments of the present invention is such that a lid element (allowing access to the interior) is at the front face and, when closed, is a vertical face of the container. The top face is not normally openable though some variations could well provide an opening lid in this portion (or on any other face) as an alternative to, or in addition to, the front opening face, For the purposes of description, the remaining faces of a container, in its preferred orientation, shall be designated the rear face (diametrically opposite the front face), the S bottom face (diametrically opposite the top face) and the end faces.

\o2 Positioning any provisions for connection at or near the edges of a face may provide some advantage, For instance, providing locking or joining means at two separated points :25 provides a much greater resistance to rotation of adjacent top and bottom faces (of adjacent containers) with respect to each other than, say, a single centrally located rib. Thus separating connection means, such as for example providing them at c' posite edges of the I" top face of a container, would help maintain the alignment of a vertically stacked array.

Secondly, the ends are generally the strongest portion of the container and locating any connection provicions here may yield some advantage, This helps ensure the ends are more accurately aligned with each other so that the weight of stacked containers is supported predominantly by the sides and not the weaker top face. Accurate alignment reduces the 1 -1 L chances of a stack toppling if a top ,Qporting a misaligned stack of containers were to yield under the weight.

Thirdly, looking at the top face of a single container, it will be noted that if the top face is to sag inwardly at the middle then the top edges representing the intersection with the sides will be drawn closer together. However, if these top edges fbetween the top face and sides) are joined to the base of another container, then they are also restricted from moving inwardly by the stiffness of said base and thus the top face is less prone to sag.

In order for a top face to sag in such an arrangement connection provisions on alternate end edges of a top face), it will be necessary to cause the base of the adjacent container to sag or bow, typically by an equivalent amount. It is also necessary to overcome the torsional resistance of the sides (with respect to the rear face) so that the sides may lean inwardly to accommodate the shortened distance of separation between the said top edges. As can be seen, the strategic positioning of joining means can affect the overall characteristics and strength of a container and thus a useful advantage may be realised, Furthermore, while an internal partition is often still desirable, it is not usually necessary to provide it to strengthen a container.

Other advantages may also be realised in practice. For instance, the provision of aligning members at the outer edges often makes it considerably easier for a person carrying and stacking a box. Not only are the members in a position offering enhanced visibility, they can also be felt by Lhe fingers (which are generally at the side edges of a container being carried) further facilitating positioning and alignment of stacked containers. This in itself can represent a significant advance of the present invention over the prior art, This potentially realisable improvement in stacking also results in a lesser likelihood of S members associated with connection provisions being damaged damaged members make it even more difficult to align and connect stacked containers the next time around, This method of providing connection provisions at or near edges of vertical and horizontal faces, also renders them less susceptible to damage or movement from the contents of the container.

For instance, containers having mid-positioned ribs have these ribs as extensions of a central partition, It is possible that movement of a container's contents (which may occur during repositioning and stacking) may cause shifting of the partition and also the mid-rib. This may S result in withdrawal of the rib into the container or canting of the rib with respect to the vertical. In either case it adversely affects the alignment and connection to a container being Stacked above, In contrast, the side positioned connection provisions of preferred 6 embodiments of the present invention are virtually unaffected by shifting of the container's contents.

A container according to the present invention generally includes at least one door or lid allowing access to the interior, Preferably this door element will comprise an entire face of the container to give unrestricted access to the interior, In some embodiments, a double or multiple door arrangement may be provided though for simplicity of description, a single lid element will be described and discussed. Because of the intended stacking nature of most embodiments of the present invention, it is sensible to provide this door element as a front face of the container, However, depending on the orientation and intended use of the box, other faces could also be designated as lid elements, The lid element may be hinged to open in any direction, though it is generally preferable to provide a hinge connection along the lower edge of the lid element so that it opens outwardly and downwardly about a substantially horizontal axis. Once opened, gravity will tend to hold the door element open so that contents may be placed into or removed from the container without obstruction, Normally, a closure means is also provided to maintain the door element in a closed position, This is one area of the available prior art in which there are some potential shortcomings.

For instance, many door and lid elements use a closure flap which tucks between adjacent surfaces or into a niche provided in the container, Whilst these are relatively effective, in frequently used containers there is a tendency for portions of these closure flaps to become dog-eared or lose their rigidity, Eventually a state may be reached whereby the door or lid 1 i oo element will no longer remain closed or it otherwise becomes difficult to insert the closure flap into the designated position and thus close the door or lid, At least one embodiment of :I present invention, described later, addresses this by not providing a closure flap on the lid, Instead an overlapping (with the door element) closure flap is provided on an edge of a face opposite the hinged edge of the door element, A Ssuitable fastening means, such as a hook and pile fastener is provided at a point on the overlapping and contacting faces between the closure flap and door element, This particular embodiment is more resistant to closure problems due to wear and frequent use, The closure flap of the embodiment described in the preceding paragraph, also serves to strengthen the face to which it is attached. When the lid element is opened, this overlapping closure flap must first be opened out of the way, When the door element is opened, the L-LIII-1I. UI~YI- entire face becomes an opening to the interior. The closure flap, which is perpendicular to the face to which it is attached when t2e lid element is closed, serves to stiffen said face.

While a similar flap is provided, for the purpose of stiffening, on some of the prior art it is generally provided on the inside of the closed door and does not function as a closure flap.

This is not ergonomically desirable as once the lid or door element has been opened, there remains yet another flap which may need to be positioned out of the way.

In another embodiment of the present invention the closure flap is provided on the lid element. There are still some advantages to be realised through this method as the closure flap serves to strengthen the door element wl'ich is usually the most vulnerable and frequently used portion of the container. If the closure flap is provided on the door element then it is also desirable that it extends substantially the entire length of the door element and not just a portion thereof as is the case. in the prior art, This serves to stiffen the entire length of the door and not just a portion.

In these embodiments, a forwardly extending tab may be provided which overlaps an extension on one of the other top) faces. A hook and pile or other fastener may be provided on these portions. One embodiment is described with respect to Figures 1 and 2, With respect to internal partitions, these may optionally be provided, Most embodiments of the present invention do not rely upon the provision of an internal partition but may provide them as a matter of course. Generally this will be according to customer preference to aid stacking of the contents, As a partition is not an integral feature of most embodiments of a container, they are also readily interchangeable, Consequently it is a simple matter to exchange a single partition for a double partition, triple partition or any other insert, In most cases substitution may also be performed without dismantling the container, A kit-set may be provided which includes a blank or packaging element which may be 25 erected into a container as described above, This kit may also include one or more partitions which may be insertable into an erected container. Additional male or interlocking members may be provided to help connect adjacent containers, Figure 5 illustrates some examples of how such additional members may be employed.

Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1: are plan diagrammatic views of a blank and partition according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2: is a perspective diagrammatic view of a container assembled from the blank of Figure 1, Eigures3: are plan diagrammatic views of a blank and partition according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4: is a perspective diagrammatic view of a container assembled from the blank of Figure 3, and Figures 5: are perspective diagrammatic views' illustrating some preferred methods of joining adjacent containers.

With reference to the diagrams and by way of example only there is provided, according to one aspect of the present invention, a packaging element (generally indicated by arrows 1, erectable into a container (generally indicated by arrows 3, 4) wherein said blank 1, 2 comprises a substantially rectangular base element 5 with flanking end elements 6 positioned along opposite edges 7 thereof, there being a lid element 8 flanking a third side 9 of the base element 5, and a rear element 10 flanking a fourth side 11 of the base element 5; there being a top element 12 flanking said rear element 10 along an edge 13 opposite the base element there being two end reinforcing elements 14 flanking said top element 12 along opposite edges 15 thereof; and wherein said flanking elements as described in this arrangement are joined by folding seams 9, 11, 13, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate one preferred embodiment of the present invention, In Figure 1 is o 1 illustrated a blank 1 of a stiff material such as corrugated cardboard. Its manufacture may be according to standard known procedures for forming blanks.

,25 The blank comprises a base element 5 with flanking side elements 6. A folding seam 7 joins the base 5 to end 6 elements, In the illustrated embodiment, there is also provided rear reinforcing elements 16 which are each approximately half the size, in area, of the rear element 10, In the assembled container these rear reinforcing elements 16 lie co-extensive to the rear element 10, They (16) are joined to the end elements 6 by a folding seam 17. They are also optional and need not be provided on all embodiments though it is noted that the region of card occupied by them, would, in their absence, normally be treated as waste and thus there is no material disadvantage from their inclusion, Similarly for end locking elements 18 also flanking end elements 6 along an edge 19 (comprising a foldable seam) opposite the edge 17 joining the end 6 and rear reinforcing 16 elements. These end locking elements 18 further reinforce the ends of the assembled container 3 and also help to secure end reinforcing elements 14 (which are also responsible for maintaining top element 12 in place in the assembled container 3) by sandwiching them against end elements. They (18) lock into position by means of their locking tabs 20 which insert into aligned apertures 21 along the seam 17 between end 6 and rear reinforcing 16 elements, Consequently, in the assembled container 3, the ends 22 comprise a triple thickness of the material of the blank, This is useful as in vertically stacked arrays of containers 3, the connection provision 23 aligns the ends 22 of adjacent containers 3 above each other so that the bulk of the weight of an upper container is supported by the ends 22 of the container 3 upon which it rests.

The rear reinforcing elements 16 also serve to provide a double thickness for the rear 24 of the assembled container 3 which further helps support stacked containers 3 and helps maintain the rigidity and rectangular cuboid configuration of the container 3.

On the blank 1 of Figure 1, there is also provided on the door element 8 a closure flap This flanks the door element 8 along an edge 26 (comprising a folding seam) opposite the edge 9 with the base element 5. The closure flap extends the entire width of door element 8 to increase the door elements 8 resistance to warping or bending.

C t f

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3b Within the clo)sure flap 25 may be a notch 27 to accommnodate a partition 28 when the door element 8 is closed, For a single partition 28 the notch 27 is usually located mid-way along the closure flap 25 though other arrangements and positions could be provided. It is also generally desirable that the notch 27 does not span the entire width of the closure flap 25 i.e.

it should not normally extend as far as the seam 26 as this reduces the reinforcing and stiffening properties of a perpendicular (to the door element in an assembled and closed container 3) closure flap 25. It may therefore be necessary to recess the leading edge 29 of the partition 28 so that it does not extend fully to the front face of the container 3.

Also present in the door element 8 of the illustrated embodiment 1 is a tab portion 30 which joins to the blank by sharing edge 26, This tab portion 30 tends to, or is biased to, remain substantially planar with the closure flap 25. Thus, in an assembled container 3, when the

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iii door element 8 is in a closed position the tab 30 will tend to extend forwardly of the door element 8 and be useful as a handle for opening said door element 8.

A tab is also provided on the edge 31 of the top element 12 opposite the rear element This tab 32, if provided, is aligned to overlap with a forwardly extending handle 30 on a closed embodiment of a container 3. On the facing surfaces of each tab 30, 32 may be provided a quick release fastening element, such as a hook and pile fastener. This adds additional security to the door element 8 and helps prevent it from falling open on its own accord a problem more prevalent in worn or frequently used containers (depending upon the material of construction and degree of abuse).

Apertures 33 are also provided for the purpose of aligning and/securing adjacent containers 3 placed back to back. The apertures 33, which are aligned along the edge 13 between top 12 and rear 10 elements constitute female portions of an inter-connection system. These apertures 33 should be positioned such that adjacent back to back containers 3 will have aligned apertures 33 enabling a single male member 50 to enter into each. This male member may comprise simply a tab to enter each slot 33. Many possibilities may be used, including members of a deformable material such that, once inserted, the ends may be folded or formed upwardly so as to clamp the adjacent rear faces 24 of the containers. It is envisaged however, that other connection means may also be implemented in a working arrangement and the described embodiment represents but one possibility which may be incorporated, Provision is also made in the einbodiment of Figure 1 for the inter-connection of vertically stacked containers 3 by use of a pair compressing a male and female portion, comprising a oo defined tub portion and removed portion. To enable this a male portion 34 comprising a tab S is provided which is aligned to insert into the female portion 35 of an adjacent container, In the blank of Figure.1, the male portion 34 comprises a tab cut from the top element 12 and which is connected to the blank y edge 15. When the container 3 is assembled, these tabs 34 extend vertically upwardly and. are an extension of the face they occupy i.e. the end face, One or more such pairs maybe provided for a container.

The female apertures 35 are formed in the base element 5, lie adjacent to edge 7 and are aligned to accept the male portions 34 of an adjacent container 3. Figure 2 illustrates how 34 and female 35 portions interact, It is noted that, once again, this represents but one means by which adjacent containers may be inter-connected. Removed portions in other elements of a packaging element may be included to help accommodate such connection provisions.

A plurality of inter-engaging male and female portions could also be provided. Downwardly extending (from a base element 5) male portions could be provided though it will be necessary to fold these out of the way for the bottom container 3 in a stack. It is also possible that an asymmetrical arrangement could be adopted whereby opposite sides 22 of a container 3 each have either upwardly or downwardly extending male portions. It is even possible that a single side may comprise both upwardly and downwardly extending male portions. It is also possible that each container 3 is provided only with fe'nale portions, requiring the use of a separate male member as was the case for the described arrangement of back to back adjacent containers, It is also possible that a male/female arrangement could be used for connecting various other arrangements of adjacent containers in an array, such as in a staggered arrangement though this may negate some of the weight supporting advantages of aligning ends directly above each other (vide supra).

Optionally provided in an assembled container 3 is an internal partition 28, The blank 36 of one possible embodiment of a partition 28 is also illustrated in Figure 1. This comprises two central forwardly extending elements 37 joined to each other by a folding seam 29. Flanking the elements 37 along an edge 39 opposite the central seam 29, are rear elements 38. The union of elements 37 and 38 is again a folding seam.

If such a partition 28 is inserted into the container then additional stability and strength is provided to the container 3. The rear elements 38 result in a triple thickness of material for the rear face 24 of the container 3, The forwardly extending elements 37 provide a double thickness of material to support the mid-region of the top element 12, It is noted that in this embodiment it may be desirable that the leading edge of a partition does not extend all the way to the front of the box, so that the notch 27 in closure flap 25 does not have to extend to seam 26, S 25 To assemble a container 3 from the blank 1 involves the following steps: the base element 5 is placed on a flat horizontal surface for the purposes of this description. It shall remain in this orientation until assembly is completed; the two end elements 6 are folded upwardly into a vertical orientation. The rear reinforcing elements are then folded inwardly to be perpendicular to the side element 6 30 and such that their free edges 40 are adjacent to each other; the rear element 10 is then raised into a vertical position at which point it will be coextensive with the rear elements 16; the side reinforcing elements are then folded inwardly to be perpendicular to the top element 12 and at which stage thiey will be vertically aligned and over the raised end elements 6; -the top element 12 is then folded forwardly to be perpendicular to rear element 10, at which point the top element 12 will be substantially horizontal and over the base element 5. During this stop, the end reinforcing elements should be manoeuvred such that they fall to the inside of raised end element 6; each end locking element is, in turn, folded inwardly by 1801, sandwiching end reinforcing element 14 between it (18) and the side element 6. The locking tabs 20 are inserted into the apertures 21 to lock the element 18 into position; the closure flap 2.5 is then folded upwardly to be perpendicular to the door element 8, and at the same timne handle 30 will be orientated to extend substantially downwardly.

The door element may be then folded into a vertical position to close the now assembled container, with the closure flap 25 being inserted to the inside of top element 12; if a partition 28 is to be provided then the forwardly extending elements 3 are folded about seam 29 to be co-extensive one with the other and each rear element 38 folded perpendicularly thereto. The partition 28 may then be inserted into the assembled container in the manner illustrated in Figure 2; -0 if a fastener is to be provided on the handle 30 and securing tab 32, it may be applied at this stage. Alternatively it may be applied before the erection of the blank. Many hook and pile fasteners are available in self-adhesive sections and may be suitable for the task. 'Various clipping and fastening arrangements can also be employed.

0 The container 3 assembled according to the preceding instructions will now resemble that of Figure 2. After following the assembly instructions, the male inter- connecting member 34 should automatically extend upwardly from the top element 12, If not they may need to be pryed upwardly. If not needed they may be left folded downwardly and flush with the u,)pftr svxface of the top element 12.

aXAMPTE Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a blank 2 for assembly into a container 4 (refer Figure In the blank 2 there is the same general arrangement and layout of

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i components as for the blank 1 of Figure 1. The major changes are for the nature of the door member 41 and the closure flap 42, It will be noted that in this case the closure flap 42 is provided on the top element 12 and connected thereto by a folding seam 43. The door member 41 does not necessarily extend the full height of the front of the container though does so in the illustrated embodiment 4. It is also possible that a further closure flap, such as provided by flap 25 in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, could also be included to provide a double closure system, However, for simplicity, this option has not been illustrated.

The embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, provide a readily accessible container 4 whose door element may be opened by lifting flap 42 from its overlapping position (in a closed container 4) thus releasing the door element 41 for opening. A suitable fastening means such as hook and pile fastening 44 may be provided on adjacent faces of door eiement 41 and closure flap 42 tc :laintain the door element 41 in a closed position. The arrangement of Figures 3 and 4 also provides an embodiment less prone to damage through frequent use. The type of possible damage envisaged includes fraying and a loss of rigidity of some components such as the closure flap (25) which for the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 may cause trouble in some applications. However, for most archive applications this may not represent a problem.

It is also noted that for the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, the door element 41 may not always provide as much support to the top element 12 as did the combination of door elements 8 with closure flap 25 in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. If a partition 28 is provided, then this problem is addressed. If a central partition is not provided then it is S possible that eventual sagging of the mid portion of the top element 12 could occur in a stacked arrangement, However, this eventuality has been addressed by the provision of side interlocking means 34, 35) positioned on the sides 22 of the container 4, The effects of this positioning, and the advantages which may be realised, have been discussed previously within this specification, The assembled containers of Figures 2 and 4 are very similar in appearance and construction.

Each container 3 and 4 has been prepared from a blank and in each case the assembly method is substantially the same, Each container 3, 4 is substantially rectangular cuboid in appearance and comprises sides 22, a rear 24, a top face 45, a bottom face 46 and a door member 8, 41. The means for maintaining the door element 8, 41 in a closed position may differ as discussed previously.

L -1 The assembled containers 3, 4 are further characterised in that their inter-connecdon means for adjacent, vertically stacked containers are provided at the sides though additional means may be provided in other positions as well along the rear face 24 or even within the top or bottom 46 faces).

It should be envisaged that aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only. Many means may be employed for embodying the invention. This includes the choice of a wide range of materials and while corrugated cardboard has been selected as the medium of the preferred embodiments, there are many other materials, including many plastcs and plastic/card laminates, to name a few, which would also be suitable.

As a further variation, while folding seams have been mentioned, these could also comprise hinge assemblies or any other joining means enabling a folding inter-relationship to be realised between adjacent connected panel members, In many cases however it is likely that a folding seam will comprise a crease or score in the material.

It is also envisaged that a blank according to the present invention need not necessarily be of ihe same material. For instance it is possible that a door element of another material, which may perhaps be more durable or physically attractive, could be provided, It is also possible that some portions of the blank may be modified, For instance linings could be provided on both or either side of a door element, Such a lining may serve to reinforce the door element.

Alternatively it could provide a writable surface, which also allows applied writing to be readily removed, for labelling of the contents of the container. Further, faces of elements S which comprise the internal surface of the assembled container 3, 4 could also be lined so as to provide an attractive or functional lining to the inside of the container. Many other permutations and combinations are also possible and are considered to be within the scope of this invention, o o a Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims,

Claims (11)

1. A stackable container of rectangular cuboid configuration, erected from a packaging element, comprising at least one front opening lid portion, there being provided along the top edge of the vertical sides adjacent the lid at least one upwardly directed male member capable of interacting with a vertically aligned and complementary female portion positioned at the lower edge of said sides, on an identical and vertically adjacent container, the arrangement being further characterised in that the top panel portion is flanked by side panel portions which fold downwardly to lie substantially co-extensive with said vertical sides adjacent the lid.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which closure means is provided to maintain said lid in a closed position. ooo

3. A container as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, in which there is also provided provision for connection with vertically adjacent containers of the same type in 15 the form of an upwardly directed male portion positioned on the edge between 00 the top and vertical rear face of the container, which interacts with a complementary and vertically aligned female portion at the edge between the base and rear sides. :i

4. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a male 4 44! portion comprises a protruding extension of a component of a face of the container.

A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which also includes provision for connection comprising a female portion, able to interact by means of an intermediary male member, with a corresponding female portion on an adjacently positioned container of the same type. -16-

6. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which includes additional female slots for interacting with male connection members, enabling vertically adjacent stacked containers of the same type to be staggered.

7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes provision for connecting horizontally adjacent container of the same type. o 16a 4 6 0 e4 f a V 16a

8. A packaging element erectable into a container, said element comprising a substantially rectangular base element with flanking end elements positioned along opposite edges thereof, there being a lid element flanking a third side of the base element, and a rear element flanking a fourth side of the base element; there being a top element flanking said rear element along an edge opposite the base element; there being two end reinforcing elements flanking said top element along opposite edges thereof; and wherein flanking elements are joined to the element they flank by folding seams, the packaging element when assembled forming a container as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 7.

9. A packaging element as claimed in claim 8 wherein a said end element includes either or both of a flanking rear reinforcing element and an end locking element, these being joined by folding seams to said end element at an edge adjacent the seam between said end element and base element.

A packaging element as claimed in either claim 8 or claim 9, in which on at least one end reinforcing element there is provided on its seam shared with the top element, and the edge opposite, at least one pair comprising a defined tab portion and a removed portion, these being substantially aligned with each other.

11. A packaging element as claimed in claim 10 in which there is provided at or near a shared seam between the base element and a flanking end element, a removed portion corresponding in position with a said pair of tab and removed portions, characterised in that the removed portions are substantially adjacent and aligned in an erected container. A packaging element as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, in which a closure flap flanks or is provided on said lid element. o° 13. A container, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. 4, 14. A packaging element substantially as shown in figure la or figure 3a., DATED this TWENTY FOURTH day of AUGUST 1995. STEPHEN BRUCE BLACKMAN Applicant By his Patent Attorneys Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia 17 LIIIIIII~I~ i 1