STACKABLE ARTCLE-PACKAGING CONTAINER

Abstract

A stackable article-packaging container includes an accommodating unit including a receptacle bottom plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the receptacle bottom plate so as to define a receptacle space, a lid unit including a cover plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the cover plate so as to define a receptacle space, and a locking unit including a locking bottom plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the locking bottom plate so as to define a receptacle space. The accommodating unit and the locking unit are disposed at opposite side of the lid unit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stackable article-packaging container and, more particularly, to a container which is stackable when articles are not accommodated therein and which is provided with a safe locking unit for preventing the container from being unintentionally opened during transportation or storage. Furthermore, the present invention pertains to a container which is stackable and is provided with a safe locking unit and which is capable of safely packaging fragile articles such as eggs or the like piece by piece and is capable of preventing the contents of articles from being leaked to the outside even when the articles are damaged.

BACKGROUND, ART

A pulp molding technique is known as a method for manufacturing a paper container which packages fragile articles such as eggs or the like piece by piece. In case of manufacturing an egg packaging container with the pulp molding technique, a lid can be one-piece molded with the container if the size of the container is small. However, if the size of the container is large, it is difficult to one-piece mold a lid with the container. For example, in case of a large container for accommodating 30 pieces of eggs, it is difficult to one-piece mold a lid with the container. For that reason, a separate lid made of a synthetic resin is used This is not environmentally friendly. In case of a small egg-packaging container for accommodating 10 or 20 pieces of eggs, a lid can be one-piece molded with the container through the use of the pulp molding technique. However, it is difficult to directly print an indication such as a trademark or a manufacturer of articles on the surface of the lid. Thus, a label having a source indication printed thereon is affixed to the surface of the container. This may lead to an increased manufacturing cost. Moreover, when manufacturing an article-packaging container through the use of the pulp molding technique, a drying process for drying a molded container is needed and a great deal of energy is consumed in the drying process.

In an effort to solve the problems inherent in the paper container manufactured by the pulp molding technique, U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,537 discloses an egg container formed by folding a paper sheet such as a corrugated paperboard or the like. The egg container shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,537 is made of a corrugated paperboard or a cardboard and is advantageous in that printing can be performed on the outer surface of the container. The embodiment of the container shown in FIG. 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,537 is relevant to the container of the present invention. However, the container shown in FIG. 9 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,537 is not stackable because the sidewalls of the container interfere with each other. In order to stack the aforementioned container, there is a need to partially remove the sidewalls to which the slant walls existing at the center of the container are bonded. If the sidewalls are partially removed for a stacking purpose, the strength of the container becomes weak. In case where the container is not stackable, a large amount of cost is required in storing and transporting the container. Moreover, the container cannot be supplied in a stacked state to an egg packaging apparatus installed in an existing poultry farm. This makes it difficult to utilize the existing egg packaging apparatus.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,727 discloses a paper-made packaging container which may solve the problems inherent in the container of U.S. Pat. No 4,462,537. The container shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,727 is made of a corrugated paperboard or a cardboard and is advantageous in that printing can be performed on the container and in that one container can be staked above the other container with the lids thereof opened.

The container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,727 includes a cover, a bottom part and an insert. A recess is formed in the bottom part. The insert is bonded to the bottom part around the recess and is installed upright, thereby dividing the bottom part into a plurality of receptacle cells for accommodating articles. The insert is formed by folding a developed paper sheet along fold lines Such that the insert has through-holes when in an upright state. Thus, two containers are stacked in such a way that, when the cover is opened, the insert of the lower container is inserted into the insert of the upper insert through the recess of the upper insert.

However, all the articles accommodated within the receptacle cells defined by the insert are partially supported by the sidewalls. This poses a problem in that, when an impact is applied to the container during storage or transportation, it is impossible to sufficiently protect the articles accommodated within the container. Furthermore, the articles accommodated within the container make direct contact with the bottom plate of the container. This also poses a problem in that it is impossible to sufficiently protect the accommodated articles from the impact transferred through the bottom plate. Moreover, a process for folding the insert of a complex structure having a large number of fold lines is hardly automated through the use of a machine. A process for bonding the folded insert to the bottom part is also hardly automated through the use of a machine. In other words, there is a problem in that the container is structurally complex and is unsuitable for mass production, which in turn increases the price of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Technical Problems

In the market, a demand has existed for a container capable of safely and cost-effectively packaging fragile articles such as eggs or the like. In order to comply with this market demand and to solve the problems inherent in the aforementioned U.S. patents, the present inventor has invented a fragile article packaging container and has filed two Korean patent applications, one of which is Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0112570 (filed on Oct. 31, 2011) and the other of which is Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0121229 (filed on Nov. 18, 2011). The disclosures of the two Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

The packaging container disclosed in the two Korean patent applications includes an accommodating unit, a corrugated insertion unit inserted into and coupled to the accommodating unit, and a lid unit. The accommodating unit includes a bottom plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending obliquely upward from the edges of the bottom plate. The lid unit includes a cover portion and a plurality of slant sidewalls obliquely extending from the edges of the cover portion. The corrugated insertion unit includes at least one ridge, valleys formed at both side of the ridge, and support flank walls configured to interconnect the ridge and the valley adjoining each other and sequentially inclined in the opposite directions along a corrugation arrangement direction. The respective valleys of the corrugated insertion unit include flat valley bottom portions which are coupled to the bottom plate of the accommodating unit. Stacking through-holes are formed in the bottom plate of the accommodating unit by removing the regions of the bottom plate between the valley bottom portions. Ribs are formed between the stacking through-holes formed in the bottom plate of the accommodating unit. The valley bottom portions of the corrugated insertion unit are coupled to the ribs. Thus, when stacking a plurality of containers one above another, the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit of the lower container pass through the stacking through-holes of the upper container and lie below the ridges of the upper container. No interference is generated between the valleys and the ridges of the corrugated insertion units. Moreover, the corrugated insertion unit is spaced apart by a specified distance from the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit and is coupled to the bottom plate of the accommodating unit. For that reason, when stacking a plurality of containers one above another, no interference is generated between the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit of the lower container and the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit of the upper container.

The container disclosed in the two Korean patent applications cited above is configured to accommodate articles in the valleys. The articles accommodated within the valleys are supported by a pair of opposing support flank walls so as not to make contact with the bottom plate and the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit and the cover portion of the lid unit. Accordingly, the container disclosed in the two Korean patent applications cited above can prevent an external impact from being directly applied to the accommodated articles, thereby safely protecting the articles.

However, the container disclosed in the two Korean patent applications cited above may suffer from the following drawbacks. First, if fragile articles such as eggs or liquid-containing bottles are broken by an impact, there is a possibility that the contents of the broken articles are leaked to the outside through the stacking through-holes of the accommodating unit. Secondly, the structure for fastening the lid unit to the accommodating unit is weak. Thus, there is likelihood that the lid unit is unintentionally opened during transportation or storage, eventually causing damage to the accommodated articles.

The present invention provides a container of a novel structure capable of solving the problems noted above.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container of a novel structure which is stackable, capable of safely protecting articles by preventing a lid from being unintentionally opened during storage or transportation of the container, and capable of enabling a user to easily open the lid to take out the articles from the container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container of a novel structure which is stackable, capable of safely protecting fragile articles, and capable of preventing the contents of articles from being leaked to the outside even when the articles are damaged.

Means for Solving the Problems

A stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention includes an accommodating unit, a lid unit and a locking unit. The accommodating unit includes a receptacle bottom plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the receptacle bottom plate so as to define a receptacle space. The lid unit includes a cover plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the cover plate so as to define a receptacle space. The locking unit includes a locking bottom plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the locking bottom plate so as to define a receptacle space.

When the present container is in an folded state, the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit, the slant sidewalls of the lid unit and the slant sidewalls of the locking unit extend obliquely upward substantially at the same inclination, thereby forming the respective receptacle spaces. In the present container, the accommodating unit and the locking unit are disposed at opposite side of the lid unit, one of the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit and one of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit adjoining each other are connected to each other, one of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit and one of the slant sidewalls of the locking unit adjoining each other are connected to each other, and the accommodating unit is configured to be received within the receptacle space of the locking unit in a state in which the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit make contact with the slant sidewalls of the locking unit, whereby the lid unit connected to one of the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit can be rotated so as to cover an upper portion of the accommodating unit and the locking unit connected to one of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit can be rotated so as to receive a lower portion of the accommodating unit and so as to lock the lid unit against opening.

Furthermore, when the locking unit is rotated about the slant sidewall connected to the lid unit, the end portions of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit make contact with the end portions of the slant sidewalls of the locking unit. Preferably, the slant sidewalls of the lid unit correspond to the slant sidewalls of the locking unit such that, when the lid unit is closed, the end surfaces of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit make contact with the end surfaces of the slant sidewalls of the locking unit, thereby protecting the articles accommodated within the container.

The accommodating unit, the lid unit and the locking unit may be made by folding a paper sheet. The paper sheet includes a cardboard and a corrugated paperboard. In order to improve the surface properties thereof, the paper sheet may be coated with a synthetic resin or other chemical substances. In case where the accommodating unit, the lid unit and the locking unit are made of a paper sheet, they may be one-piece formed by producing one developed paper sheet with slant sidewalls connected to each other and by forming fold lines in connection portions. The present container may be produced by using a material other than the paper sheet. For example, the present container may be produced by vacuum-molding a film or by injection-molding a synthetic resin.

When one wishes to open the container to take out the articles from the container, the locking unit and the lid unit need to be rotated in the opposite directions about the slant sidewalls. In this case, there is a Possibility that the articles accommodated within in the container may be spilled out of the container. In order to enable a user to take out the articles from the container by rotating only the lid unit, it is preferred that a rupture line is formed in one or both of the opposite slant sidewalls of the lid unit. If a rupture line is formed in the slant sidewall of the lid unit connected to the accommodating unit, the articles can be easily taken out from the container by applying a force to the rupture line, rupturing the slant sidewall, disconnecting the lid unit and the accommodating unit, rotating the lid unit about the slant sidewall connected to the locking unit and consequently opening the container.

In order to safely accommodate fragile articles such as eggs or the like piece by piece, the present container may further include a corrugated insertion unit inserted into and coupled to the accommodating unit. The corrugated insertion unit includes ridges, valleys formed between the ridges, and support flank walls configured to interconnect the ridges and the valleys and inclined sequentially in the opposite directions along a corrugation arrangement direction. Each of the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit includes a flat valley bottom portion coupled to the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit. The receptacle bottom plate has stacking through-holes formed between the valley bottom portions of the valleys. When staking containers one above another, the ridges of the lower container are inserted into the stacking through-holes of the upper container.

The corrugated insertion unit may be made by folding a paper sheet. The paper sheet includes a cardboard and a corrugated paperboard. In order to improve the surface properties thereof, the paper sheet may be coated with a synthetic resin or other chemical substances. The corrugated insertion unit includes a plurality of valleys, each of which is defined between two fold lines. Thus, each of the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit includes a flat valley bottom portion. This makes it easy to bond the corrugated insertion unit to the accommodating unit. Each of the corrugations of the corrugated insertion unit extends from one valley bottom portion to another valley bottom portion. The corrugated insertion unit may be produced by using a material other than the paper sheet. For example, the corrugated insertion unit may be produced by vacuum-molding a film or by injection-molding a synthetic resin. Particularly, the corrugated insertion unit may be made of any material as long as the material has substantially the same elasticity as that of a paper sheet.

Ribs are formed between the stacking through-holes formed in the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit. The valley bottom portions are coupled to the ribs. Each of the valley bottom portions of the corrugated insertion unit may be bonded to the corresponding rib by an adhesive agent or may be coupled to the corresponding rib by metal staples. Alternatively, the valley bottom portions of the corrugated insertion unit may be fitted to the ribs without having to use an adhesive agent, by forming protrusions in the valley bottom portions of the corrugated insertion unit and forming grooves in the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit. The stacking through-holes formed in the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit communicate with the spaces defined by the adjoining support flank walls extending from the valley bottom portions coupled to the ribs. The corrugated insertion unit is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit and is coupled to the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit. The slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit are formed to extend obliquely upward. The support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit are spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit. Therefore, when one container is stacked above another container, the ridges of the lower container can be inserted through the stacking through-holes of the receptacle bottom plate into the spaces defined by the adjoining support flank walls extending from the valley bottom portions coupled to the ribs. This makes it possible to stack the containers one above another. That is to say, during the stacking process, no interference is generated by the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit or by the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit.

In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, it is preferred that fragile articles are accommodated between the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit (in the valleys defined between the ridges). The opposing support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit are tapered so as to become narrow toward the receptacle bottom plate. Thus, the articles accommodated between the opposing support flank walls do not make contact with the valley bottom portions. Accordingly, an impact applied to the receptacle bottom plate is prevented from being directly transferred to the articles. Furthermore, the slant sidewalls extend obliquely upward from the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit. Thus, the articles accommodated within the container do not make contact with the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit. Accordingly, an impact applied to the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit is not directly transferred to the articles. This makes it possible to safely store fragile articles such as eggs or the like accommodated in the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit. In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, the accommodating unit having the stacking through-holes is received in the receptacle space of the locking unit. Therefore, even if a liquid flows out through the stacking through-holes due to the damage of the accommodated articles, the locking bottom plate existing blow the stacking through-holes prevents the liquid from being leaked to the outside. In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, the locking unit serves as a locking means for preventing the lid unit from being unintentionally opened and a leak-preventing means for preventing a liquid contained in eggs or bottles from being leaked to the outside through the stacking through-holes when the eggs or the bottles are broken.

In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, it is preferred that the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit are tapered such that the corrugation-width-direction dimension thereof becomes smaller toward the ridges. If the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit are tapered in this way, it becomes easy to insert the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit of the lower container into the stacking through-holes of the upper container.

It is also preferred that the height of the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit is set larger than the height of the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit such that, when the lid unit is closed, the top portions of the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit make contact with the cover plate of the lid unit so as to protect the accommodated articles. Each of the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit may be defined by two fold lines so as to form a flat top portion or may be defined by a single fold line so as to form a top portion having an acute angle. If the top portion of each of the ridges is formed to have an acute angle, it is possible to reduce the corrugation-arrangement-direction length of the container, thereby making the container compact.

In the present invention, when the valleys and the ridges are formed by sequentially folding the fold lines formed in the paper sheet, the corrugation arrangement direction (indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 1) means the direction extending from one ridge to another adjoining ridge (from one valley to another adjoining valley). The corrugation width direction (indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 1) means the width direction of the corrugated insertion unit (the longitudinal direction of the valleys or the ridges).

In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, a shock-absorbing partition plate may be installed in the respective valleys in order to prevent the articles accommodated in the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit from moving in the corrugation width direction and colliding with each other. Notches extending in the corrugation arrangement direction may be formed in the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit such that the shock-absorbing partition plate is fitted to the notches. The respective valleys are divided by fitting the shock-absorbing partition plate to the notches formed in the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit.

In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, if the corrugated insertion unit has only one ridge, the articles can be accommodated between the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit and the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit. Even when the corrugated insertion unit has a plurality of ridges, the articles can be accommodated between the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit and the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit. This makes it possible to save the article packaging cost. In order to prevent an impact applied to the slant sidewalls from being directly transferred to the articles when articles are accommodated between the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit and the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit, the accommodating unit may further include a pair of support wing portions extending outward from the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit in the corrugation arrangement direction, and the lid unit may further include a pair of support wing portions extending outward from the slant sidewalls of the lid unit in the corrugation arrangement direction. The support wing portions of the accommodating unit are folded toward the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit. The support wing portions of the lid unit are folded toward the cover plate of the lid unit. Thus, when the articles are accommodated between the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit and the folded support wing portions, the support wing portions restrain an impact applied to the slant sidewalls from being directly transferred to the articles.

In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, through-holes or rupture lines for partially accommodating the articles may be formed in the opposing support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit such that the articles having a circular or elliptical cross section, such as eggs or the like, are prevented from moving in the corrugation width direction. Moreover, through-holes for partially accommodating the articles may be formed in the support wing portions. In addition, the support wing portions of the accommodating unit are folded so as to make contact with the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit at free ends thereof. The support wing portions of the lid unit are folded so as to make contact with the cover plate of the lid unit at free ends thereof. As a result, the support wing portions are kept at a predetermined inclination angle so as to safely support the articles.

Advantageous Effects

The stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention is provided with the accommodating unit, the lid unit and the locking unit. The accommodating unit is received within the locking unit such that the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit make contact with the slant sidewalls of the locking unit. The locking unit has a locking function of keeping the container against opening. Thus, the lid unit is prevented from being opened during storage or transportation. Moreover, the lid unit of the container can be easily opened by rupturing the rupture portion formed in the lid unit.

If the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention is further provided with the corrugated insertion unit, it is possible to accommodate the articles so as not to make contact with the receptacle bottom plate, the cover plate and the slant sidewalls of the container. Thus, an external impact applied to the container is prevented from being directly transferred to the accommodated articles. This makes it possible to safely store fragile articles.

If the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention is made of a paper sheet, there is provided an advantage in that, as compared with a container produced by pulp molding, it is possible to use an environmentally-friendly and energy-saving production method and it is possible to directly print information on the surface of the container.

In the stackable article-packaging container according to the present invention, even if liquid-containing articles are broken, it is possible for the locking bottom plate of the locking unit to prevent a liquid from being leaked out of the container. In addition, the present container is structurally simple and is suitable for mass production. This makes it possible to provide an inexpensive article-packaging container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stackable article-packaging container according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a developed view of an accommodating unit, a lid unit and a locking unit of the container shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a developed view of a corrugated insertion unit of the container shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the lid unit of the container shown in FIG. 1 is closed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the accommodating unit is received and locked within the locking unit in the container shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view illustrating a state in which eggs are accommodated within the container shown in FIG. 1

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

One preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stackable article-packaging container according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a developed view of an accommodating unit, a lid unit and a locking unit of the container shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a developed view of a corrugated insertion unit of the container shown in FIG. 2. For the sake of convenience in description, the direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 1 will be referred to as a corrugation arrangement direction. The direction indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 1 will be referred to as a corrugation width direction.

Referring to FIG. 1, the stackable article-packaging container 100 according to the present invention is designed to accommodate, e.g., eggs. However, the use of the container 100 is not limited thereto. The container 100 includes an accommodating unit 110, a lid unit 120 and a locking unit 130. A corrugated insertion unit 150 is inserted into a receptacle space of the accommodating unit 110. A shock-absorbing partition plate 155 for dividing valleys may be fitted to the corrugation width direction centers of ridges M of the corrugated insertion unit 150. In the present embodiment, the shock-absorbing partition plate 155 may be selectively used depending on the necessity.

Description will now be made on a case where the accommodating unit 110, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are made of a cardboard or a corrugated paperboard. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The accommodating unit 110, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 may be produced by vacuum-molding a synthetic resin film or by injection-molding a synthetic resin. Information indicating a trademark or a source of articles may be printed on the rear surface of a paper sheet exposed to the outside of the container 100. In view of the ease of printing, it is desirable to use a cardboard as the material of the accommodating unit 110, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130. Taking the strength of the container 100 into account, it is preferable to use a corrugated paperboard as the material of the accommodating unit 110, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130. Alternatively, a paper sheet coated with a synthetic resin or the like may be used such that the container 100 can resist humidity or moisture.

Referring to FIG. 3, the accommodating unit 110, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are produced by folding a developed paper sheet which is obtained by die-cutting or punching a single paper sheet with a press machine. In FIG. 3, fold lines are indicated by dot lines and are designated by alphabetic reference symbols.

Rupture lines are indicated by solid lines and are designated by numerical reference symbols.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the accommodating unit 110 includes a rectangular receptacle bottom plate 111 and four slant sidewalls 112, 113, 114 and 115 extending from the edges of the receptacle bottom plate 111. A receptacle space C1 of the accommodating unit 110 is defined by the four slant sidewalls 112, 113, 114 and 115 folded obliquely upward at a rectangular fold line al formed along the edges of the receptacle bottom plate 111. Referring again to FIG. 3, support wing portions 116 and 117 extend outward from the slant sidewalls 114 and 115 positioned at the corrugation-arrangement-direction opposite ends of the accommodating unit 110. Through-holes 116a, 116b, 117a and 117b for partially accommodating and holding eggs are formed in the respective support wing portions 116 and 117. The support wing portions 116 and 117 are respectively connected to the slant sidewalls 115 and 116 at fold lines bl. Referring to FIG. 2, the respective support wing portions 116 and 117 of the accommodating unit 110 are folded such that the free end portions thereof make contact with the receptacle bottom plate 111. The slant sidewalls 114 and 115 positioned at the corrugation-arrangement-direction opposite ends of the accommodating unit 110 include bonding portions 114a, 114b, 115a and 115b divided by fold lines c1. The bonding portions 114a, 114b, 115a and 115b are bonded to the adjoining slant sidewalls 112 and 113 by an adhesive agent, thereby forming the receptacle space C1. In the receptacle bottom plate 111, four rectangular stacking through-holes 111a are formed at a regular interval along the corrugation arrangement direction. The stacking through-holes 111a are formed into, e.g., a rectangular shape. The dimension of the stacking through-holes 111a in the transverse direction (the corrugation arrangement direction) is substantially equal to the gap between the adjoining valley bottom portions of the corrugated insertion unit 150 kept in a folded state. The dimension of the stacking through-holes 111a in the longitudinal direction (corrugation width direction) is equal to or a little larger than the corrugation-width-direction length of the corrugated insertion unit 150. A plurality of ribs 111b is formed between the stacking through-holes 111a of the receptacle bottom plate 111.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, the lid unit 120 includes a rectangular cover plate 121 and four slant sidewalls 122, 123, 124 and 125 extending from the edges of the cover plate 121. A receptacle space C2 of the lid unit 120 is defined by the four slant sidewalls 122, 123, 124 and 125 folded obliquely upward at a rectangular fold line a2 formed along the edges of the cover plate 121. In the container 100 of the present embodiment, the accommodating unit 110 and the lid unit 120 are connected to each other at a rupture line 142. The lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are connected to each other at a fold line d.

Furthermore, support wing portions 126 and 127 extend outward from the slant sidewalls 124 and 125 positioned at the corrugation-arrangement-direction opposite ends of the lid unit 120. Through-holes 126a, 126b, 127a and 127b for partially accommodating and holding eggs are formed in the respective support wing portions 126 and 127. Referring to FIG. 2, the respective support wing portions 126 and 127 of the lid unit 120 are folded such that the free end portions thereof make contact with the cover plate 121. The slant sidewalls 124 and 125 positioned at the corrugation-arrangement-direction opposite ends of the lid unit 120 include bonding portions 124a, 124b, 125a and 125b divided by fold lines c2. The bonding portions 124a, 124b, 125a and 125b are bonded to the adjoining slant sidewalls 122 and 123 by an adhesive agent, thereby forming the receptacle space C2. The slant sidewall 122 positioned at one corrugation-width-direction end of the lid unit 120 is connected to the slant sidewall 113 of the accommodating unit 110 at rupture line 142. The slant sidewall 123 positioned at the other corrugation-width-direction end of the lid unit 120 is connected to the slant sidewall 132 of the locking unit 130 at the fold line d. In the slant sidewall 122, there is formed a rupture line 143 for separating the lid unit 120 from the accommodating unit 110 to open the lid unit 120. A rupture portion 141 is defined by the rupture lines 142 and 143. A knob 144 for facilitating rupture of the rupture portion 141 is formed at one end of the rupture portion 141.

The locking unit 130 includes a rectangular locking bottom plate 131 and four slant sidewalls 132, 133, 134 and 135 extending from the edges of the locking bottom plate 131. A receptacle space C3 of the locking unit 130 is defined by the four slant sidewalls 132, 133, 134 and 135 folded obliquely upward at a rectangular fold line a3 formed along the edges of the locking bottom plate 131. The slant sidewalls 134 and 135 positioned at the corrugation-arrangement-direction opposite ends of the locking unit 130 include bonding portions 134a, 134b, 135a and 135b divided by fold lines c3. The bonding portions 134a, 134b, 135a and 135b are bonded to the adjoining slant sidewalls 132 and 133 by an adhesive agent, thereby forming the receptacle space C3. Except for the support wing portions 126 and 127 of the lid unit 120, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are symmetrical with respect to the fold line d. If the lid unit 120 is rotated about the rupture line 142 so as to cover the upper portion of the accommodating unit 110 and if the locking unit 130 is rotated about the fold line d so as to cover the lower portion of the accommodating unit 110 and so as to lock the lid unit 120 against opening, the slant sidewalls 122, 123, 124 and 125 of the lid unit 120 make contact with the corresponding slant sidewalls 132, 133, 134 and 135 of the locking unit 130 at their end surfaces. Thus, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are symmetrically arranged so as to protect the articles accommodated within the container 100.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the corrugated insertion unit 150 is made by forming fold lines on a paper sheet such that four ridges M and five valleys G are formed and by sequentially folding the paper sheet in a zigzag pattern. In case where the corrugated insertion unit 150 is made of a paper sheet, it may be possible to use a cardboard or >a corrugated paperboard as the paper sheet. The valleys G of the corrugated insertion unit 150 includes a plurality of intermediate valley bottom portions 151 defined between fold lines u and v and two end valley bottom portions 151 positioned at the corrugation arrangement direction opposite ends of the corrugated insertion unit 150 and so as to extend flat from one fold line u or v. Each of the ridges M of the corrugated insertion unit 150 includes a fold line w and a pair of obliquely-folded support flank walls 152 adjoining each other. Alternatively, each of the ridges M may have a flat top portion defined between two fold lines. In each of the support flank walls 152, there are formed through-holes 152a and 152b for restraining the articles accommodated within the valleys G from moving in the corrugation width direction. While not shown in the drawings, instead of the through-holes 154, a plurality of rupture lines for restraining the articles accommodated within the valleys G from moving in the corrugation width direction may be formed at the positions corresponding to the positions of the through-holes 154. The gap between the valleys G of the corrugated insertion unit 150 is substantially equal to the gap between the ribs 111b of the accommodating unit 110. The valley bottom portions 151 of the corrugated insertion unit 150 are respectively coupled to the corresponding ribs 111b of the accommodating unit 110 by virtue of an adhesive agent. Thus, the corrugated insertion unit 150 is maintained in a corrugated state such that the articles accommodated within the valleys G are supported by the support flank walls 152 with suitable elasticity. In the present embodiment, the ribs 111b of the accommodating unit 110 and the valley bottom portions 151 of the corrugated insertion unit 150 are coupled together through the use of an adhesive agent. Alternatively, the ribs 111b of the accommodating unit 110 and the valley bottom portions 151 of the corrugated insertion unit 150 may be coupled together by metal staples or by inserting protrusions formed in the valley bottom portions 151 into grooves formed in the receptacle bottom plate 111. Notches 153 extending in the corrugation arrangement direction are formed in the support flank walls 152 of the ridges M of the corrugated insertion unit 150. A shock-absorbing partition plate 155 is fitted to the notches 153, thereby dividing the valleys G and preventing the articles from moving and colliding with each other. Referring again to FIG. 1, the shock-absorbing partition plate 155 includes shock-absorbing portions 155b inserted into the respective valleys G and connection portions 155a fitted to the notches 153 and configured to interconnect the shock-absorbing portions 155b.

FIG. 5 illustrates a state in which eggs are accommodated within the container 100 of the present embodiment and in which the lid unit 120 is rotated counterclockwise about the rupture line 142 so as to cover the upper portion of the accommodating unit 110. FIG. 6 illustrates a state in which the locking unit 130 is rotated counterclockwise about the fold line d so as to cover the lower portion of the accommodating unit 110 and so as to lock the lid unit 120 against opening. If one wishes to open the lid unit 120 of the container 100, the rupture portion 141 defined between the rupture lines 142 and 143 is removed from the slant sidewall 122 of the lid unit 120 as illustrated in FIG. 6. Then, the lid unit 120 is rotated about the fold line d to open the container 100. Referring again to FIG. 1, even when the rupture portion 141 is removed, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are kept in a connected state and are provided with the receptacle spaces C2 and C3. Thus, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 may be reused as a disposable tray.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state in which eggs are accommodated within the container 100 of the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, the eggs E1 accommodated between the opposing support flank walls 152 of the corrugated insertion unit 150 are partially inserted into the through-holes 152a and 152b of the support flank walls 152 and are restrained from moving in the corrugation width direction. Thus, the eggs E1 do not make contact with the slant sidewalls 112 and 113 positioned at the corrugation-width-direction opposite ends of the accommodating unit 110. Accordingly, an impact applied to the slant sidewalls 112 and 113 is prevented from being directly transferred to the eggs E1. The opposing support flank walls 152 of the corrugated insertion unit 150 are tapered so as to become narrow toward the receptacle bottom plate 111. Thus, the eggs E1 accommodated in the valleys G do not make contact with the valley bottom portions 151. Accordingly, an impact applied to the receptacle bottom plate 111 is prevented from being directly transferred to the eggs E1. Moreover, even if two eggs E1 accommodated between the support flank walls 152 are moved in the corrugation width direction, the shock-absorbing partition plate 155 prevents the eggs E1 from colliding with each other and being broken.

Furthermore, the eggs E2 accommodated between the support flank walls 152 positioned at the corrugation arrangement direction opposite ends of the corrugated insertion unit 150, the support wing portions 116 and 117 of the accommodating unit 110 and the support wing portions 126 and 127 of the lid unit 120 are supported by the support wing portions 116, 117, 126 and 127 so as not to make contact with the slant sidewalls 114, 115, 124 and 125. Accordingly, an impact applied to the slant sidewalls 114, 115, 124 and 125 is prevented from being directly transferred to the eggs E2. Moreover, the eggs E2 are partially inserted into the through-holes formed in the support wing portions 116 and 117 of the accommodating unit 110 and the support wing portions 126 and 127 of the lid unit 120 and are prevented from moving in the corrugation width direction. In addition, the shock absorbing partition plate 155 prevents the eggs from colliding with each other and being damaged.

The lid unit 120 is formed into the same size as the size of the locking unit 130. When the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are closed, the end portions of the slant sidewalls 122, 123, 124 and 125 of the lid unit 120 make contact with the end portions of the corresponding slant sidewalls 132, 133, 134 and 135 of the locking unit 130, thereby protecting the eggs accommodated within the container 100. Furthermore, the height of the ridges M of the corrugated insertion unit 150 is set larger than the height of the slant sidewalls 112, 113, 114 and 115 of the accommodating unit 110 such that the ridges M make contact with the cover plate 121 of the lid unit 120. Accordingly, an impact applied to the cover plate 121 of the lid unit 120 is prevented from being directly transferred to the eggs E1 and E2. That is to say, the stackable article-packaging container 100 according to the present invention can support articles in a floating state and can prevent an external impact from being directly transferred to the articles.

In the container 100 of the present embodiment, the accommodating unit 110 having the stacking through-holes 111a is received within the receptacle space C3 of the locking unit 130. Therefore, even if a liquid flows out through the stacking through-holes 111a due to the damage of the eggs E1 and E2, the locking bottom plate 131 existing below the stacking through-holes 111a can prevent the liquid from being leaked to the outside. In the stackable article-packaging container 100 according to the present invention, the locking unit 130 serves as a locking means for preventing the lid unit 120 from being unintentionally opened and a leak-preventing means for preventing a liquid contained in eggs or bottles from being leaked to the outside through the stacking through-holes 111a when the eggs or the bottles are broken.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the container 100 of the present embodiment can be stacked only when the shock-absorbing partition plate 155 is not assembled. Thus, prior to articles being accommodated within the container 100, the container 100 is transported and stored with the shock-absorbing partition plate 155 removed. The use of the shock-absorbing partition plate 155 is optional. If necessary, the shock-absorbing partition plate 155 may be fitted to the corrugated insertion unit 150 just before articles are accommodated within the container 100.

Brief description will be made on a case where a plurality of containers 100 is stacked with the shock-absorbing partition plate removed. The containers 100 are stacked one above another in such a state that the shock-absorbing partition plates are removed and the support wing portions of the accommodating unit and the lid unit are unfolded. When stacking the containers one above another, the ridges of the lower container are inserted into the spaces existing below the ridges of the upper container through the stacking through-holes of the upper container and are pressed against the lower surfaces of the ridges of the upper container. Furthermore, the slant sidewalls of the upper container are inserted into the receptacle space defined by the slant sidewalls of the lower container. Moreover, the support wing portions of the upper container are paced on the support wing portions of the lower container.

The container according to the present invention can be stacked with the accommodating unit, the lid unit and the locking unit kept in an unfolded state. This is because the container has the following structures. First, the corrugated insertion unit 150 is coupled to the receptacle bottom plate 111 in such a state that they are spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the slant sidewalls 112, 113, 114 and 115 of the accommodating unit 110. Thus, the slant sidewalls 112, 113, 114 and 115 do not interfere with the corrugated insertion unit 150 during a stacking process. Secondly, the stacking through-holes 111a are formed in the receptacle bottom plate 111 to which the corrugated insertion unit 150 is coupled. Thus, the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit of another container can be inserted into the stacking through-holes 111a. Thirdly, the support flank walls 152 of the corrugated insertion unit 150 are inclined and the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit 110, the lid unit 120 and the locking unit 130 are inclined. As set forth above, the container of the Present embodiment can be stacked, stored and transported with the shock-absorbing partition plate removed. Thus, the container does not occupy a large space during storage and transportation. This makes it economical to store and transport the container.

While one preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned specific embodiment. It goes without saying that a person skilled in the relevant art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the claims. Such changes and modifications shall be construed to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A stackable article-packaging container, comprising:

an accommodating unit including a receptacle bottom plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the receptacle bottom plate so as to define a receptacle space;

a lid unit including a cover plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the cover plate so as to define a receptacle space; and

a locking unit including a locking bottom plate and a plurality of slant sidewalls extending from edges of the locking bottom plate so as to define a receptacle space;

wherein the accommodating unit and the locking unit are disposed at opposite side of the lid unit, one of the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit and one of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit adjoining each other are connected to each other, one of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit and one of the slant sidewalls of the locking unit adjoining each other are connected to each other, and the accommodating unit is configured to be received within the receptacle space of the locking unit in a state in which the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit make contact with the slant sidewalls of the locking unit, whereby the lid unit connected to one of the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit can be rotated so as to cover an upper portion of the accommodating unit and the locking unit connected to one of the slant sidewalls of the lid unit can be rotated so as to receive a lower portion of the accommodating unit and so as to lock the lid unit against opening.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein a rupture line is formed in at least one of the slant sidewall of the lid unit connected to the accommodating unit and the slant sidewall of the lid unit connected to the locking unit.

3. The container of claim 1, further comprising:

a corrugated insertion unit including ridges, valleys formed between the ridges, and support flank walls configured to interconnect the ridges and the valleys and inclined sequentially in the opposite directions along a corrugation arrangement direction,

wherein each of the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit includes a flat valley bottom portion coupled to the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit, and the receptacle bottom plate has stacking through-holes formed between the valley bottom portions of the valleys.

4. The container of claim 3, further comprising:

a shock-absorbing partition plate configured to divide the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit,

wherein notches extending in the corrugation arrangement direction are formed in the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit such that the shock-absorbing partition plate is fitted to the notches.

5. The container of claim 3, wherein through-holes for partially accommodating articles are formed in at least one of the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit.

6. The container of claim 3, wherein the accommodating unit further includes a pair of support wing portions extending outward from the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit in the corrugation arrangement direction, and the lid unit further includes a pair of support wing portions extending outward from the slant sidewalls of the lid unit in the corrugation arrangement direction.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the support wing portions of the accommodating unit are folded so as to make contact with the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit at free ends thereof, the support wing portions of the lid unit are folded so as to make contact with the cover plate of the lid unit at free ends thereof, and at least one through-hole for partially accommodating an article is formed in each of the support wing portions.

8. The container of claim 2, further comprising:

a corrugated insertion unit including ridges, valleys formed between the ridges, and support flank walls configured to interconnect the ridges and the valleys and inclined sequentially in the opposite directions along a corrugation arrangement direction,

wherein each of the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit includes a flat valley bottom portion coupled to the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit, and the receptacle bottom plate has stacking through-holes formed between the valley bottom portions of the valleys.

9. The container of claim 8, further comprising:

a shock-absorbing partition plate configured to divide the valleys of the corrugated insertion unit,

wherein notches extending in the corrugation arrangement direction are formed in the ridges of the corrugated insertion unit such that the shock-absorbing partition plate is fitted to the notches.

10. The container of claim 8, wherein through-holes for partially accommodating articles are formed in at least one of the support flank walls of the corrugated insertion unit.

11. The container of claim 8, wherein the accommodating unit further includes a pair of support wing portions extending outward from the slant sidewalls of the accommodating unit in the corrugation arrangement direction, and the lid unit further includes a pair of support wing portions extending outward from the slant sidewalls of the lid unit in the corrugation arrangement direction.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein the support wing portions of the accommodating unit are folded so as to make contact with the receptacle bottom plate of the accommodating unit at free ends thereof, the support wing portions of the lid unit are folded so as to make contact with the cover plate of the lid unit at free ends thereof, and at least one through-hole for partially accommodating an article is formed in each of the support wing portions.