Shipping Container For Paper Reams
The present application provides a shipping container for a number of paper reams. The shipping container may include an over-shipper carton base, a telescoping over-shipper carton lid, an inner carton with the number of paper reams positioned therein, and a thermoplastic wrapper surrounding each of the number of paper reams.
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The present application and the resultant patent generally relate to shipping containers and more particularly relate to shipping containers for reams of paper sheets to be delivered by conventional parcel delivery services and the like without the use of pallets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConventional copier or printer paper, or “communication papers,” generally are arranged in 500 sheet reams. Each ream may be wrapped and loaded into a carton in a five by two (5×2) ream configuration. A ten (10) ream carton of 500 sheet reams with a typical basis weight may weigh about fifty (50) to sixty (60) pounds for popular 8½×11 inch sized sheets (about 22.7 to 27.2 kilograms for 21.6×28 centimeter sized sheets). Sheets of many other sizes and weights may be used in any number while the reams may be loaded into the carton in any configuration. A number of the cartons may be positioned and secured on a pallet and shipped in bulk to a retail outlet or other type of end user. The use of the pallet and the arrangement of the cartons thereon serve to protect the cartons and the paper reams during the distribution process.
As opposed to these conventional methods, ecommerce is an emerging distribution channel for consumer and business products including communication papers and the like. Due to the heavy weight of the cartons, however, shipping the cartons via conventional parcel delivery services without damaging the cartons or the sheets has been a challenge. Dropping the cartons on a corner from heights of twelve (12) to twenty-four (24) inches (about 30.5 to 61 centimeters) or lower may cause damage. For example, the cartons might burst open at the corners or the sides, the glued carton flaps may fail, the wrapper around the reams inside the carton may burst so as to eliminate the moisture protection for the sheets, and/or the corners of the sheets may be crushed. If the wrapper is breached, exposure to ambient humidity may degrade the expected runability of the sheets in printing devices. Crushing the corner of the sheets may compromise the feeding performance of the paper. Other types of damage also have resulted herein with the use of conventional parcel delivery services.
There is thus a desire for an improved shipping carton for paper reams. Preferably such an improved shipping carton may protect a conventional stack or stacks of paper reams for direct delivery by conventional parcel delivery services without the use of protective pallets and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present application thus provides a shipping container for a number of paper reams. The shipping container may include an over-shipper carton base, a telescoping over-shipper carton lid, an inner carton with the number of paper reams positioned therein, and a thermoplastic wrapper surrounding each of the number of paper reams.
The present application further provides a shipping container. The shipping container may include a center seam, half-slotted container base, a telescoping lid positioned on the center seam, half-slotted container base, and a number of paper reams positioned within the inner carton. A thermoplastic wrapper surrounds each of the paper reams.
The present application further provides a blank for a shipping container for paper reams. The blank may include a first sidewall panel, a second sidewall panel, a third sidewall panel including a first dimension, and a pair of sidewall panel flaps with each of the sidewall flaps including a second dimension. The combination of the sidewall panel flaps with the second dimension is greater than the first dimension of the third sidewall panel. The blank may be a lid blank and/or a base blank.
These and other features and improvements of the present application and the resultant patent will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views,
The shipping container 100 may include an over-shipper carton base 110. The over-shipper carton base 110 may be enclosed by a telescoping over-shipper carton lid 120. As is shown in
Likewise, the over-shipper carton lid 120 may include a lid ceiling 260, a first pair of opposed lid sidewalls 270, 280, and a second pair of opposed lid sidewalls 290, 300. The lid ceiling 260 may be formed from a number of lid ceiling flaps 310 extending from each of the lid sidewalls 270, 280, 290, 300. Likewise, one of the lid sidewalls 270, 280, 290, 300 may be formed from a pair of lid sidewall flaps 305, 315 extending from one of the other lid sidewall pair. The lid sidewalls flaps 305, 315 may have an area of overlap 320 about a center 330 of one of the sidewalls 270, 280, 290, 300. This overlap 320 may extend into the respective lid ceiling flaps 310 of the lid ceiling 260 as well. As described above, the center 330 is not necessarily the exact center of the sidewall given the use of the area of overlap 320. Other components and other configurations may be used herein.
With respect to both the over-shipper carton base 110 and the over-shipper carton lid 120, an adhesive may be applied about the areas of overlap 240, 320 as opposed to the ends. Any type of adhesive may be used herein. Applying the adhesive about the center 250, 330 of the sidewalls serves to strengthen the base 110 and the lid 120 by limiting the potential for bursting along the ends thereof. Other types of attaching the components may be used. Other components and other configurations may be used herein.
The paper reams 140 may be positioned within the inner carton base 130. Each of the paper reams 140 may be enclosed in a thermoplastic wrapper 410 instead of the conventional paper wrapper. The thermoplastic wrapper 410 may be a polypropylene and the like. Different types of thermoplastics may be used herein. The thermoplastic wrapper 410 may be more resistant to bursting as compared to the use of a paper wrapper. Any type, size, and weight of the paper sheets in the paper reams 140 may be used herein.
The over-shipper carton base 110, the over-shipper carton lid 120, and the inner carton base 130 may be made out of corrugated paperboard stock and the like. The corrugated paperboard stock may be recyclable. The corrugated paperboard stock may have a single wall construction and may be coated or uncoated. Other types of corrugated paperboard stock such as double wall constructions and the like also may be used herein. Other suitable types of substrates and combinations thereof also may be used herein. Any suitable type of graphics, messaging, and other types of indicia may be printed or otherwise applied herein.
The over-shipper carton base 110 and carton lid 120 may have an edge crush test (ECT) specification of greater than about 35. Cartons typically used in the paper industry have an ECT specification of about 29. ECT is a measure of the edgewise compressive strength of corrugated paperboard stock. ECT is measured by compressing a small segment of paperboard on edge between two rigid platens or plates perpendicular to the direction of the flutes until a peak load is established. ECT is measured in pounds per lineal inch of load bearing edge (lb/in), but usually reported as an ECT value (for example, 29 ECT). More specifically, the over-shipper carton base 110 and carton lid 120 may have a specification of about 40-50 ECT or higher with about 44 ECT being preferred. This increased strength further helps to protect the paper reams 140 from damage during distribution. As compared to the over-shipper carton base 110 and carton lid 120, the inner carton base 130 may have somewhat less strength than the over-shipper carton base 110 and carton lid 120. Rather, the inner carton base 130 may be closer to or even less than the industry standard of about 29 ECT. Other strengths and specifications also may be used herein.
The use of the center seam, half-slot container design 150 for the over-shipper carton base 110 and carton lid 120 allows normal compression of the paper reams 140 when stacking the shipping containers 100. Moreover, the use of the overlaps 240, 320 along the sidewalls and extending to the adjacent base floor flaps 160 and the lid ceiling flaps 310 moves the adhesive away from the ends or corners of the over-shipper carton base 110 and carton lid 120 and is further strengthened by extending the base floor flaps 160 and the ceiling flaps 310. This positioning avoids bursting about the edges as was found in conventional cartons. The use of the thermoplastic wrap 410 also may reduce the number of burst reams. The combination of the over-shipper carton base 110 and carton lid 120 with the inner carton base 130 further improves the overall stability of the shipping container 100. Specifically, the combination of the two piece, telescoping over-shipper carton base 110 and lid 120 with the center seam half-slotted container design 150 thus helps to protect the paper reams 140 with the thermoplastic wrapper 410 positioned within the inner carton base 130. An alternative embodiment may omit the inner carton base 130 such that the paper reams 140 may be placed directly within the carton base 110 and enclosed by the carton lid. Other components and other configurations may be used herein.
The carton base blank 420 may include a first sidewall panel 430 and a second sidewall panel 440. The first and second sidewall panels 430, 440 may form the first pair of base sidewalls 170, 180. The carton base blank 420 also may include a third sidewall panel 450 and a pair of sidewall panel flaps 460, 470. The third sidewall panel 450 and the pair of sidewall panel flaps 460, 470 form the second pair of base sidewalls 190, 200. Each of the pair of sidewall panel flaps 460, 470 may be sized so as to overlap and create the area of overlap 240 about the center 250 of one of the sidewalls. Each of the sidewall panels 430, 440, 450 and sidewall panel flaps 460, 470 may be separated by a panel fold line 480. Each of the sidewall panels 430, 440, 450 and sidewall panel flaps 460, 470 may include a floor panel flap 490 extending therefrom. The floor panel flaps 490 may overlap so as to form the base floor 160. The floor panel flaps 490 may be separated from the sidewall panels 430, 440, 450 and the sidewall panel flaps 460, 470 by a floor panel flap fold line 500. Likewise, each of the floor panel flaps 490 may be separated from each other via a floor panel flap cutout 510. Other components and other configurations may be used herein.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and the resultant patent. Numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. A shipping container for a number of paper reams, comprising:
- an over-shipper carton base;
- a telescoping over-shipper carton lid;
- an inner carton with the number of paper reams positioned therein; and
- a thermoplastic wrapper surrounding each of the number of paper reams.
2. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the number of paper reams comprises a five by two ream configuration within the inner carton.
3. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the number of paper reams comprises a five by one ream configuration within the inner carton.
4. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton base comprises a half-slotted container.
5. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton base comprises a center seam container.
6. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton lid comprises a half-slotted container.
7. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton lid comprises a center seam container.
8. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton base comprises a base floor, a first pair of opposed base sidewalls, and a second pair of opposed base sidewalls.
9. The shipping container of claim 8, wherein the base floor comprises a plurality of base floor flaps extending from the first pair of opposed base sidewalls and/or the second pair of opposed base sidewalls.
10. The shipping container of claim 8, wherein the first pair of opposed base sidewalls comprises a pair of base sidewall flaps.
11. The shipping container of claim 10, wherein the pair of base sidewall flaps comprises an area of overlap.
12. The shipping container of claim 11, wherein the area of overlap comprises a center portion of the first pair of opposed base sidewalls.
13. The shipping container of claim 12, wherein the center portion comprises an adhesive thereon.
14. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton lid comprises a pair of lid sidewall flaps with an area of overlap.
15. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the inner carton comprises a side or end-slotted container.
16. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton base and/or the over-shipper carton lid comprise an ECT of about 35 or higher.
17. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the over-shipper carton base and/or the over-shipper carton lid comprise an ECT of about 40 to 50.
18. The shipping container of claim 1, wherein the inner carton comprises an ECT of 30 or less.
19. A shipping container, comprising:
- a center seam, half-slotted container base;
- a telescoping center-seam, half-slotted lid positioned on the center seam, half-slotted container base;
- a plurality of paper reams positioned within the inner carton; and
- a thermoplastic wrapper surrounding each of the plurality of paper reams.
20. The shipping container of claim 19, further comprising an inner carton positioned within the center seam, half-slotted container base.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 2, 2014
Publication Date: Dec 4, 2014
Applicant: Georgia-Pacific Corrugated LLC (Atlanta, GA)
Inventors: Julie Ann Wachler (Decatur, GA), Christopher Dean (Lilburn, GA), Yavuz Aksan (Suwanee, GA), Wayne P. Gasior (Duluth, GA), Eric Mohnort (Roswell, GA), Jonathan Balcos (Stockbridge, GA)
Application Number: 14/293,505
International Classification: B65D 5/70 (20060101);