Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: PA~OARl? MERCHANDISER BOX
FIEI,~OF TH13 ~TION
The present invention relates to a paperboard
merchandiser box for the merchandising of product at the
retail level.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVEN~ION
A conventional method of merchandising product in
retail stores involves the use of open shelves where the
retailer must place the product individually or piece by
piece into its appropriate shelf area. This obviously
requires a substantial amount of time on the part of the
retailer and further time is required by the retailer to
maintain the shelves in a neat and tidy fashion after the
product has been moved around and generally displaced by
potential customers who visit the retail area.
A more organized merchandising system comprises the
hanging of individual products from hooks or the like which
are themselves hung from a base support. This hanging type
system necessitates special packaging to fit with the hooks
and once again requires the retailer to load the product -
piece by piece onto the hooks. In addition, the product is
subject to being torn from the hooks which creates product -~
packaging damage for unsold product and further the hooks
themselves have a tendency to be inadvertently pulled from
the base support.
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SUM~Y OF THE ~
The present invention relates to a merchandiser box
which is securable by reusable mounting means to a box
support. The box is made from a paperboard material which
provides a number of benefits from a cost, strength and
weight standpoint. The box itself is formed with opposing
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side walls, a plurality of vertically separated product
display levels between the side walls with at least a
substantially open front for gaining access to the product
display levels and a rear wall with mountlng means
receiving apertures through an upper region of the rear
wall.
The merchandiser box as described above is designed
to receive and maintain product in an orderly fashion.
However, due to the weight of the product in the
merchandiser box, it i5 reinforced around the mounting
means receiving apertures to resist tearing of the
paperboard material when the reusable mounting means are
fitted through the rear wall to the box support.
One of the particularly advantageous features of
the merchandiser box of the present invention is that it -~
can be prepackaged with product before shipping to the :
retailer who can then simply mount the merchandiser box
with contained product in an appropriate display area
rather than having to get involved with the labour -~
intensive process of dealing with individual product
pieces.
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BRIE~ DES~IPTIO.~ OF TH~ DRA~GS
The above as well as other advantages and features ~-
of the present invention will be described in greater
detail according to the preferred embodiments of the -
present invention in which;
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a
merchandiser display using a merchandiser box made in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing some
of the product removed for mounting of the merchandiser box
to an existing box support;
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Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the
merchandiser box of Figure 1 prior to mounting to the box
support;
Figure 4 is an enlarged rear perspective view of
the upper end of the box of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a sectional view through the upper box
end shown in Figure 4 when mounted to the box support;
Figure 6 is a sectional view through the upper end ..
of the box shown in Figure 3 prior to mounting to the box
support;
Figure 7 is a further perspective view of the
merchandiser box of Figure 3 as it is packaged before
reaching the retail level;
Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views through the
upper end of a further merchandiser box ready for mounting
to a box support;
Figure 10 is a front perspective view of a
different merchandiser box according to a further preEerred
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 11 is a front perspective view of the upper
region of the merchandiser box of Figure 3 mounted to an :~:
alternate box support from that shown in Figure 3; -~
Figure 12 is a perspective view of still a further
box support for receiving the merchandiser box of Figure 3.
D~S~R~PTION ACCO~pING TO THE PREFERRED
EMBODI~ENT~ OF T~ PRESENT INVENTION
Figure 1 shows an overall merchandiser assembly
generally indicated at 1. This merchandiser assembly
comprises an upright support 3 in the form of a peg board
having a series of openings throuyh the board as well seen
in Figure 3 of the drawings. These openings are
conventionally used to removably support merchandise
hanging hooks.
Provided around peg board 3 is an open frame 5.
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The peg board and frame combination described above
for future reference purposes is referred to as box support
for a merchandiser box generally indicated at 9 made in
accordance with the present invention. Merchandiser box 9
which has a unitary assembly replaces the individual pegs
or hooks typically used with peg board 3.
The merchandiser box has a paperboard construction
preferably made from corrugated cardboard. The corrugated
cardboard in itself has the benefit that the box is
inexpensive and while remaining light in weight has
substantial load bearing capacity.
The box comprises an outside wall 11 which runs
down both sides and across the top and the bottom of the
box. Extending between opposite sides of the box are a
plurality of horizontally extending shelves 13 which are
vertically spaced from one another to define a number of
different product compartments. In the embodiment as
shown, each of the shelves 13 has a vertical forward face
15. AS can be well seen in the drawings, the merchandiser
box is substantially completely open at its front side for
gaining access to products stored in the compartments such
as product P1 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The
vertical facings 15 on the individual shelves provide a
stop to prevent the product from inadvertently sliding off
of the shelf, however there is more than sufficient head
room above the product to-allow it to be lifted over the
30 facing out of the shelf area. -
The merchandiser box additionally lncludes a back
wall 17 which is provided with a plurality of apertures 19
near the upper end of the back wa]l. As seen in Figure 2
of the drawings, openings 19 are accessible through the
most upper product receiving compartment in the box.
Figure 2 also shows that additional openings are provided
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through the back wall near its lower end accessible through
the lowermost product receiving compartment. These
openings may not be necessary in many applications of the
box and are only provided as a very preferred embodiment of
the invention.
The openings 19 are used to receive mounting means
to mount the merchandiser box to the box support. Again,
in the preferred embodiment the mounting means comprises at
least one clip 23 as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings or
possible a plurality of clips 23 as seen in Figure 3 of the
drawings. These clips fit through specified ones of the
openings 19 in the back wall of the box and then into
aligned openings in the peg board 3 of the box support. It
is important that the upper end of the merchandiser box be
supported to the self-supporting box support in order to
prevent the merchandiser box from tipping forwardly as
product is taken from the merchandiser. The lower end of
the merchandiser box will typically remain in position in --
the box support simply under the welght of the product
contained in the merchandiser box.
AS earlier noted, the paperboard and preferably
corrugated cardboard construction of the merchandiser box
provides a number of significant benefits to the
merchandiser. However, the paperboard construction on its
own has a somewhat limited tear resisting capacity.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention,
reinforcing means is provided at the rear wall of the box
directly around the securing mount openings or apertures
19. It is not necessary for the reinforcing means to be
provided at other areas of the back wall of the
merchandiser box. Again, in the preferred embodiment, the
reinforcing means comprises a strip 21 which is
substantially more resistant to tearing than the paperboard
material of the box. Strip 21 can be rnade from any number
of different materials including resin fibre reinforced
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paper tape which is self adhesing for mounting to the box.
The strip includes openings such as openings 20 shown in
Figure 4 which are formed at the same time as apertures 19
when they are punched through the back wall of the box.
The preferred clip 23 whether used singularly or in
combination with other clips 23 is specifically designed to
work with the merchandiser assembly as well seen in Figure
5 of the drawings. The clip itself, which is better seen
in Figure 3, comprises a center handle 25 mounted to a
cross bar 27 with hook-like members 29 being provided to -~
opposite ends of the cross bar. In order to install the
clip, the end members 29 are inserted in the direction
shown in Figure 3 through the selected apertures at the
15 back wall of the box. They will also penetrate through the - -~
openings in the reinforcing strip. End members 29 are also
inserted in the horizontal position of Figure 3 into
aligned holes on the peg board and once they have cleared
these holes, pressure is applied on handle 25 to move the
clip from the Figure 3 to the Figure 5 position in which
the clip ends are turned downwardly, i.e.the clip is
pivoted or rotated through about 90' from the loading to
the locked position. As a result of a combination of
features including the curvature on the clip ends and the
combined thickness of the back wall of the box and the peg
board, the clip, while it is being pushed to lock, -
effectively snaps into position where the handle 25 is
driven up against the back of the box under pressure as
shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. This provides a very
positive locking action on the clip so that it does not
simply slip out of its locking position but rather re~uires
a very deliberate pulling action on the clip handle in
order to release it. When the clip is in the locked
position under a spring like tension as described above,
there is a significant stress placed on the back wall of
the box. Reinforcing strip 21 prevents the box from
tearing outwardly around the clip.
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A very important feature of the merchandiser box
resides in its ability to be prepackaged before reaching
the retailer. In addition, as will be appreciated from the
drawings, the merchandiser box has a size and shape in each
of its compartments to maintain product loaded in the box
in a relatively orderly fashion even after consumers have
handled the product.
From the prepackaging standpoint, the merchandiser
box after assembly but before reaching the retailer may be
loaded with a particular manufacturer's product and then
shipped to the retailer. Most retail outlets have some
type of an existing merchandising system such as peg board
3 which is ready to receive the merchandiser box without
modification whatsoever. AS shown in Figure 2 of the
drawings, the retailer may have to remove some or all of
the product from the top shelf in order to expose the
mounting apertures for insertion of the mounting clip or
other type of mounting means for the box. The product is
then replaced in the upper compartment. This necessitates
only a very minimal amount of product handling by the
retailer in comparison to prior art merchandising systems.
~urthermore, the clip lies flush against the back of the
box and does not present anything in the way of a sharp
potentially dangerous protrusion as is again found in many
conventional merchandisers.
In the prior art open shelving systems, product is
not held in the orderly fashion as found in the
merchandiser box shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. In
addition, the shelves themselves must have a metallic,
rigid plastic or other similar construction which can
present rough exposed edges to the consumer whereas the
merchandiser box of the present invention is able to use
much less dangerous less expensive cardboard material In
fact, in order to hide any rough edges on the cardboard
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itself, it is made from double layers of cardboard folded
back over itself so that the cardboard edges are all hidden
to the inside folds of the cardboard.
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings show the
merchandiser box as including an upper header 7. This
header is detachably held in position and therefore is
replaceable according to the particular manufacturer's
product placed in the merchandiser.
For shipping purposes, it is important that the
product in a prepackaged merchandiser box be held securely
in place during transit to the retailer. Accordingly, each
of the compartments in the merchandiser box is fitted with
a product retainer such as for example, produc~ retainer 31
shown in Figures 3, 6 and 7 of the drawings. This pr~duct
retainer comprises first and second wall portions 33 and
35. It is preferably once again made from cardboard and
therefore includes a natural hinge between the first and
second wall portions. It is placed in the front of the
compartment as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings with the
lower longer wall portion facing the product and the upper
shorter wall portion pinched up against the upper wall of
the compartment in which the retainer is fitted. It is
essentially a jamb or friction fit that holds the retainer
in place and the retailer can simply bend or deflect the
retainer sufficiently to pull it out of its holding
position for displaying the product in the merchandiser.
Figure 6 of the drawings shows the retainer facing
in one direction with the upper wall 35 pointed to the
front of the compartment. However, the retainer can
equally as well be used in the reverse direction with the
upper wall 35 extending into the compartment fitted in the
head space over the product and jambed between the upper
end of the product and the top wall of the compartment.
This again provides a very positive grip on the retainer to
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ensure that it effectively holds the product in the
compartment during shipping of the merchandiser.
Figure 7 of the drawings show that the merchandiser
can additionally be fitted into a packing container 37 used
to protect both the merchandiser and its contents during
shipping.
.
Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings show the
merchandiser box 9 fitted with a different type of product
P2 from that shown in Figure 1. In the merchandiser box of
Figures 8 and 9 the product P2 which is once again pre~
loaded into the merchandiser box before reaching the
retailer is held in position by product retainers 41
located in the individual compartments. In this case, the
product retainer extends in a single plane only and is
wedged in the header space between the top of the product
and the top of the compartment wall. Product retainer 41
in this case is a length of cardboard material folded back
upon itself so that it has some collapsibility and give for
effectively wedging it into position and also allowing it
to be pulled under force by the retailer out of the
compartment.
Another feature shown in Figures 8 and 9 of the
drawings is that reinforcing strips 21 are provided to both
the inside and the outside of the back wall of the box.
This is a particularly effective arrangement for preventing
box wall tearing particularly when working with a heavy
product such as the bottled product P2 of Figures 8 and 9.
The description above relates to a merchandiser
with shelves. In accordance with the present invention the
merchandiser can use other types of storage and display
supports such as vertically spaced rows of hooks such as
hooks 45 used in merchandiser box 43 of Figure 10. As is
the case with the earlier described merchandiser, the hooks
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can be preloaded before sending to the retailer and
retainers are used to hold the merchandise on the hooks.
Figure 10 also shows the use of a different type of
rear wall reinforcement in the form of a rigid grid 47
secured to the box. This grid could be made from steel,
plastic or any other tear resistant material secured in any
suitable manner to the box.
Although the description above relates to the
mounting of product merchandiser 9 to a standard peg board,
other types of conventional box mounts can be used equally
as well. For example, Figure 11 of the drawings shows the
merchandiser supported by a relatively standard slot wall
support where clip 23 identical to the clips as earlier
described fits in the same fashion through the back wall of
the box and snaps down into the slot of the slot wall.
Figure 12 of the drawings shows a further box
support in the form of a series of cross rails onto which
the merchandiser box can be clipped in the same fashion to
that earlier described.
Figures 11 and 12 are only representative of
different types of box supports and it is to be understood
that any other type of box support having an opening for
receiving the clip or other mounting member can be used in
conjunction with the merchandiser box. -
.
At the retail level itself, once the merchandiser
box begins to empty, it can either be refilled by the
retailer or returned to the product packager. As a further ~ -~
alternative, the merchandiser box can simply be thrown away
and replaced with another prepackaged merchandiser box ~ -~
35 which is extremely feasible because of the relatively low ~-
replacement cost of the merchandiser box itself.
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Although various preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been described herein in detail, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that
variations may be made thereto without departing from the
spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended
claims.
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