1. A blank of sheet material for forming a container, the blank comprising:
a series of side and end panels connected by a plurality of fold lines, the series of panels comprising a first end panel;
a first reinforcing end panel extending from the first end panel;
a first corner post panel extending from a first edge of the first reinforcing end panel; and
a first top end panel defined within the first reinforcing end panel and extending from the first end panel.
2. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a second corner post panel extending from a second edge of the first reinforcing end panel, the second edge opposing the first edge.
3. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a first side reinforcing panel extending from an edge of the first corner post panel.
4. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a second reinforcing end panel extending from a second end panel of the series of panels.
5. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 4 further comprising a third corner post panel extending from a first edge of the second reinforcing panel and a fourth corner post panel extending from a second, opposing edge of the second reinforcing end panel.
6. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a second side reinforcing panel extending from an edge of one of the third corner post panel and the fourth corner post panel.
7. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first top end panel comprises a locking mechanism.
8. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 7 further comprising:
a first top side panel extending from a first side panel, the first top side panel comprising a cutout; and
a second top side panel extending from a second side panel, the second top side panel comprising a locking flap, the locking mechanism configured to be inserted through the cutout and secured in position by the locking flap.
9. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
a first bottom end panel extending from the first end panel, the first bottom end panel comprising a first locking extension;
a second bottom end panel extending from a second end panel of the series of panels, the second bottom end panel comprising a second locking extension; and
a first bottom side panel extending from a first side panel of the series of panels, the first bottom side panel comprising a locking slot formed in cooperation with the first locking extension and the second locking extension.
10. A blank of sheet material in accordance with claim 9 further comprising a second bottom side panel extending from a second side panel of the series of panels, the second bottom side panel comprising a locking tab configured to be received in the locking slot.
11. A container formed from a blank of sheet material, the container comprising:
a first end wall formed from a first end panel and an interconnected first reinforcing end panel positioned in face-to-face relationship with the first end panel;
a first top end panel extending from the first end panel; and
a bottom wall oriented substantially perpendicularly to the first end wall, the bottom wall comprising a plurality of bottom panels interlocked together using a bottom locking mechanism, said bottom locking mechanism comprising a locking slot defined by three bottom panels of the plurality of bottom panels and a locking tab defined by one bottom panel of the plurality of bottom panels, the locking tab received within the locking slot to form the bottom wall.
12. A container in accordance with claim 11 wherein the container is four-sided.
13. A container in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a first side wall, an opposing second side wall, a second end wall opposing the first end wall, and at least one corner post extending between at least one of the first side wall and the first end wall, the first side wall and the second end wall, the second side wall and the first end wall, and the second side wall and the second end wall.
14. A container in accordance with claim 13, wherein at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall comprising a side reinforcing panel.
15. A container in accordance with claim 11 wherein the container is eight-sided.
16. A container in accordance with claim 15, wherein the container comprises a plurality of corner walls, at least one corner wall of the plurality of corner walls comprising a corner panel and a corner post panel.
17. A container in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a top wall comprising a first top side panel, a second top side panel, the first top end panel, and a second top end panel.
18. A container in accordance with claim 17, wherein
the first top side panel comprises a first locking cutout and a second locking cutout;
the second top side panel comprises a first locking flap and a second locking flap, a minor cutout is defined adjacent to each of the locking flaps; and
each top end panel comprises a locking mechanism configured to be received in a minor cutout and one of the first locking cutout and the second locking cutout and secured by one of the first locking flap and the second locking flap to form the top wall.
19. A method for forming a container from a blank of sheet material, the blank including a series of side and end panels connected by a plurality of fold lines, at least one reinforcing end panel connected to at least one panel of the series of panels, at least one corner post panel extending from the at least one reinforcing end panel, and an upper end panel extending from the at least one panel of the series of panels, the method comprising:
rotating the series of panels about the plurality of fold lines to form at least a portion of a first side wall, an opposing second side wall, a first end wall, and an opposing second end wall;
rotating the at least one reinforcing end panel with respect to at least one of the first end wall and the second end wall and the upper end panel extending from the at least one of the first end wall and the second end wall to form a portion of the at least one of the first end wall and the second end wall; and
rotating the at least one corner post panel with respect to the at least one reinforcing end panel to form at least one corner post within the container.
20. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising forming a bottom wall by interlocking a plurality of bottom panels together.
21. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein forming a bottom wall comprises inserting a locking tab into a locking slot, the locking tab and the locking slot defined by a plurality of bottom panels.
22. A method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising:
rotating a plurality of top panels with respect to the series of panels; and
interlocking the plurality of top panels together using locking cutouts, locking tabs, minor cutouts, and locking slots defined by the plurality of top panels.
23. A locking mechanism for use with a container formed from a blank of sheet material, the blank including a first top panel, a second top panel, a third top panel, and a fourth top panel, the locking mechanism comprising:
a first locking cutout and a second locking cutout defined in the first top panel;
a first locking flap and a second locking flap defined by the second top panel;
a first minor cutout adjacent the first locking flap and a second minor cutout adjacent the second locking flap, wherein the first and second minor cutouts are defined through the second top panel; and
a first locking tab defined by the third top panel and a second locking tab defined by the fourth top panel, the first locking tab configured to be inserted through the first locking cutout and the first minor cutout and secured in position by the first locking flap, and the second locking tab configured to be inserted through the second locking cutout and the second minor cutout and secured in position by the second locking flap.
24. A locking mechanism in accordance with claim 23, wherein the first and second locking tabs each comprise:
an upper support panel configured to extend below the first top panel between a top edge of an end panel and the at least one cutout;
a center portion extending from the top support panel; and
a pair of side flaps each extending from a side edge of the center portion, the side flaps configured to engage the second top panel adjacent the first and second locking flaps when the first and second locking tabs are interlocked with the first and second cutouts and the first and second locking flaps.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A multi-stage compressor including a plurality of compression paths, which connect a suction chamber that draws a fluid from the exterior to a discharge chamber that discharges the fluid to the exterior, the compression paths being parallel, each compression path including a plurality of compression chambers, wherein the fluid drawn to the suction chamber is compressed in the compression chambers of each compression path in a plurality of compression stages and is discharged from the discharge chamber, the compressor being characterized in that:
a first compression chamber that corresponds to a predetermined compression stage in each compression path is connected to a second compression chamber that corresponds to a subsequent compression stage in the compression path through a communication chamber, which is provided separately for each compression path.
2. The multi-stage compressor as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
a drive shaft, a swash plate that rotates integrally with the drive shaft, and a piston movably located in each compression chamber for reciprocating movement in accordance with the rotation of the swash plate.
3. The multi-stage compressor as set forth in claim 2, wherein:
the compression chambers are located alternately around the drive shaft.
4. The multi-stage compressor as set forth in claim 3, wherein the second compression chamber is located adjacent to the first compression chamber in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the drive shaft.
5. The multi-stage compressor as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fluid is carbon dioxide.
6. A multi-stage compressor including a plurality of compression paths that connect a suction chamber to a discharge chamber, the compression paths being parallel, the compressor compressing a fluid to a high pressure in a plurality of compression chambers in each compressing path in a plurality of compression stages, each compression chamber corresponding to one compression stage, wherein:
a compression chamber N that corresponds to a compression stage N in each compression path is connected to a compression chamber (N1) that corresponds to a compression stage (N1) in the compression path through a communication chamber, which is provided separately for each compression path, and N is an integer.
7. A multi-stage compressor including a plurality of compression lines that connect a suction chamber to a discharge chamber, the compression lines being parallel, the compressor compressing a fluid to a high pressure in a plurality of compression chambers in each compression line in a plurality of compression stages, each compression chamber corresponding to one compression stage, the compressor comprising:
a plurality of compression paths, which are formed by the compression lines, wherein one or more compression chambers N that correspond to a compression stage N in at least one compression path is connected to one or more compression chambers (N1) that correspond to a compression stage (N1) in the compression path through a communication chamber, which is provided separately for each compression path.
8. A multi-stage compression process comprising:
supplying a fluid from the exterior to a plurality of compression paths through a suction chamber;
compressing the fluid in a compressing chamber that corresponds to a predetermined compression stage in each compression path;
supplying the compressed fluid to a compression chamber that corresponds to a subsequent compression stage through a communication chamber, which is provided separately for each compression path;
compressing the supplied fluid to a high pressure; and
supplying the high pressure fluid to a discharge chamber before discharging the fluid from the discharge chamber to the exterior.
9. The multi-stage compression process as set forth in claim 8, wherein the fluid is compressed through reciprocating movement of a piston.