1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to corrugated fibreboard containers, and, more particularly, to a corrugated fibreboard container for packaging loose paper sheets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Corrugated fibreboard containers for accommodating loose paper sheets are well-known in the prior art. In the prior art, loose paper sheets are packaged in reams, each ream comprising 500 sheets, bound by ream wrap, with the ream bundles being, in turn, packaged in corrugated fibreboard cartons. Each ream bundle provides an individual with a pre-packaged stack of loose paper sheets which is easy to handle and transfer. However, large consumers of ream bundles, such as operators of high speed photocopying machines, generate a considerable amount of spent ream wrap, which must be disposed of. Additionally, light users of loose paper sheets must store any unused portion of an opened ream bundle.
Alternatively, the prior art includes corrugated fibreboard containers for packaging loose paper sheets directly therein. To prevent movement of the loose paper sheets within a prior art corrugated fibreboard container and minimizing damage to the fragile edges of the sheets, the side walls of the container are formed to substantially define the dimensions of the paper sheets packaged therein. It can be appreciated that the lack of clearance between the edges of the loose paper sheets and the side walls of the container make it difficult for an individual to remove the paper sheets from the container. Prior art corrugated fibreboard containers provide little or no space about the edges of the loose paper sheets into which an individual may slide his hands and easily grab a stack of paper sheets. The individual will often have to tilt or upturn the container and force the loose paper sheets to slide out therefrom in disarray, possibly resulting in folding or tearing of the edges of the sheets. Also, if the disordered paper sheets are intended for use in a photocopying machine, an operator of the photocopying machine will have to orderly stack the loose sheets, with all the edges of the sheets in alignment, so that the paper sheets can be properly loaded into the photocopying machine. Thus, there is a need for a packaging container for loose paper sheets which provides ample accessibility to the loose paper sheets stored therein, allows easy removal of the paper sheets packaged therein, and does not utilize ream wrap.
It is an object of the subject invention to provide a container which has ample accessibility to paper sheets packaged therein.
It is also an object of the subject invention to provide a container for packaging paper sheets which allows for the easy removal of the packaged paper sheets in an orderly stacked fashion.
Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide a container for packaging paper sheets without the use of any ream wrap which allows for the easy removal of the paper sheets therefrom in an orderly stacked fashion ready for an application, such as loading into a photocopying machine.