Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SHELVED DISPLAY PACKAGE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a container for shipping, storing,
handling and displaying a plurality of products. More particularly, the
present invention
relates to a container for shipping, storing, handling and displaying a
plurality of
products, wherein the container defines two or more chambers.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In the packaging, delivery and sale of large quantities of products, it is
desirable
for the products to be shipped in a container that can be utilized at the
point-of-sale as a
display. For example, so-called "club stores" or other department or grocery
stores that
deal in large quantities of products, oftentimes utilize the shipping
containers for
purposes of display and delivery to the end-user at the point-of-sale. Rather
than remove
the products from their shipping containers and place them individually upon a
display
shelf (such as is the practice in conventional department and grocery stores),
club store
practice prefers for products to be delivered in a container that can be
quickly and easily
converted into a display container at the point-of-sale. Accordingly, it is
desirable to
provide a container suitable for shipping, storing and handling a plurality of
products,
wherein the container may be converted for purposes of display and sale of the
products
to end-users thereof.
It is desirable furthermore for the container to define two or more chambers,
which may permit for more efficient and orderly packing, delivery, storing and
displaying
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of the products. For example, slipsheets (i.e., individual flat pieces of
corrugated
material) may be utilized so that multiple rows of products (such as,
individual packages
of lunch meat) can be stacked atop one another in a neat and orderly fashion
that is not
disturbed during shipping, storing and handling thereof. However, once
sufficient
quantities of the product have been removed from the container, the slipsheet
becomes
unnecessary and an item that needs to be discarded. It is desirable,
therefore, to provide a
container suitable for shipping, storing and handling a plurality of products,
wherein the
container integrally defines two or more chambers.
It also is desirable to provide a container for shipping, storing, handling
and
displaying a plurality of items, wherein the container is adapted to be
packed/filled while
in a first orientation, and wherein the container is adapted to permits its
being positioned
in a second orientation when displaying the products at the point-of-sale.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a container for shipping, storing, handing and
displaying a plurality of items, and more particularly, for displaying a
plurality of items
for purchase by end-users at the point-of-sale thereof. A container according
to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention is formed from two blanks, which
may be
integrally-formed and then separated or may be formed separately and then
combined as
described herein.
The first blank is constructed from any suitable foldable material, but
preferably
from foldable corrugated paperboard or the like, and is used to define a
wrapper portion
of the container, wherein the wrapper defines a bottom wall, opposing side
walls and a
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first fold-over front wall of the container.
The second blank is constructed from any suitable foldable material, but
preferably from foldable corrugated paperboard or the like, and is used to
define a divider
portion of the container, wherein the divider is positionable within the
wrapper and
therein defines a shelf dividing an interior region of the container into
first and second
chambers, opposing end walls and a second fold-over front wall of the
container. End
walls are affixed, such as by adhesive, tape, stapling or the like, to fold-
over wings
provided along the end edges of the opposing side walls and the bottom wall.
First and second fold-over front walls may each be positioned in an open
orientation, wherein first and second chambers of the container are readily
accessible,
such as, for example, during packing operations. Fold-over front walls also
may be
positioned in a closed configuration, wherein front walls function to retain
products
within the container, such as, for example, during shipping.
An opening is provided in each of the first and second fold-over front walls
such
that products may be removed from the container, such as, for example, at the
point-of-
sale, where purchasers may wish to buy one or more of the products. Openings
may be
integral with the front walls or may be provided by a removable segment formed
in each
front wall and separable from therefrom, such as, by perforation lines.
Alternatively, the
openings may be covered by a film, or the like, during shipment so as to
prevent products
from falling therefrom, which such film may be removed easily at the point-of-
sale.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a container according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-chamber
container for
packing products when the container is in an "upright" (i.e., the container is
resting on the
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bottom wall thereof) orientation, yet may be repositioned in a "sideways"
(i.e., the
container is resting on one of the sidewalls thereof) orientation at the point-
of-sale for
easy removal of products therefrom.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a container for shipping
items is
provided, comprising: a first blank defining opposing side walls connected
along
respective lower edges thereof by a bottom wall; a second blank defining
opposing end
walls positioned between the side walls; the side walls, the end walls and the
bottom wall
cooperating to define an interior space of the container; wherein the second
blank defines
a divider extending between the end walls and so as to divide the interior
space into at
least a first and second chamber; wherein the first blank includes a first
fold-over flap
extending at least partways over the first chamber; and, wherein the second
blank
includes a second fold-over flap extending at least partways over the second
chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages of the invention, will
become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like
parts
throughout the several views, and wherein:
Figure 1 is a top view of a first blank used to form a wrapper portion of a
container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first blank of Figure 1, shown in a
folded
orientation to define a bottom wall, opposing sidewalls and a first front wall
of the
container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
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Figure 3 is a top view of a second blank used to form a divider portion of the
container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the second blank of Figure 2, shown in a
folded
orientation to define a divider, opposing end walls and a second front wall of
the
container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the container according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, wherein the container is shown in an
"upright"
orientation suitable for packing;
Figure 6, is a perspective view of the container of Figure 5, shown in a
"sideways" orientation suitable for display and dispensing of products
therefrom; and,
Figure 7 is a partial view of a front flap of a container according to an
alternative
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to Figure 1, the container 1(Figure 4) according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention is constructed from a first blank 10 and a
second
blank 30 (Figure 3). First blank 10 is constructed from a foldable material,
such as, for
example, corrugated paperboard or the like, and is generally rectangular in
shape. A
plurality of generally parallel fold lines l la, l ib, I lc divide the blank
10 into four panels
including a bottom wall panel 12, a first side wall panel 13, a second side
wall panel 14
and a first fold-over front flap 15. First fold-over flap 15 includes a cut-
out 6.
First blank 10 also includes a pair of edge fold lines l ld, l le which
traverse the
length of the blank 10, thereby defining first side wall fold-over wings 13a,
13b, bottom
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wall fold-over wings 12a, 12b, second side wall fold-over wings 14a, 14b and
first front
flap fold-over wings 15a, 15b. Each fold-over wing 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, 14a,
14b, 15a,
15b includes tapered edges 12a' 12b', 13a', 13b', 14a', 14b', 15a', 15b', the
purpose of
which will be described in greater detail below.
Referring now to Figure 2, first blank 10 is folded to form a wrapper portion
10'
of the container 1(Figure 5) according to a preferred embodiment of the
present
invention. More particularly, first side wall panel 13 is folded about fold
line 11a relative
to bottom wall panel 12 so that first side wall panel 13 is generally
perpendicular to the
bottom wall panel 12. Similarly, second side wall panel 14 is folded about
fold line 1 lb
relative to bottom wall panel 12 so that second side wall panel 14 is
generally
perpendicular to the bottom wall panel 12 and opposes first side wall panel
13. For the
moment, first front wall flap 15 remains generally in the same plane as the
second side
wall panel 14, and as such, extends away from the bottom wall panel 12.
Referring to Figure 3, the container 1(Figure 5) according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention further includes a second blank 30
constructed from
a foldable material, such as, for example, corrugated paperboard or the like,
and is
generally rectangular in shape. A main fold line 31a divides the second blank
30 into a
first divider wall panel 32 and a second divider wall pane133. A second fold-
over front
wall flap 35 extends from the first divider wall pane132 along a flap fold
line 31b and
includes a cut-out 36.
A pair of first end wall fold lines 31d traverse first and second divider wall
panels
32, 33, respectively, and are generally perpendicular to main fold line 31a. A
pair of
second end wall fold lines 31e traverse first and second divider wall panels
32, 33,
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respectively, spaced outward from first end wall fold lines 31d. First and
second end
wall fold lines 31d, 31e, respectively, cooperate to define first end wall
panels 32a, 32b in
the first divider wall pane132 and further to define second end wall panels
33a, 33b in the
second divider wall panel 33. Second end wall fold lines 31e further cooperate
to define
first anchor flaps 32c, 32d in the first divider wall panel 32 and further to
define second
anchor flaps 33c, 33d in the second divider wall panel 33. Fold lines 31f, 31g
traverse at
least a portion of the second front wall flap 35, thereby defining second
front flap wings
35a, 35b extending transversely therefrom.
Referring now to Figure 4, second blank 30 is folded to define a divider
portion
30' of the container 1(Figure 5) according to a preferred embodiment of the
present
invention. More particularly, second divider wall panel 33 is folded about
main fold line
31 a relative to first divider wall panel 32 so that first and second divider
wall panels 32,
33 are in face-to-face relationship, joined along a bottom edge by main fold
line 31 a.
First end wall panels 32a, 32b are folded about first end wall fold lines 31 d
relative to the first divider wall pane132 away from the second divider wall
panel 33 so
that first end wall panels 32a, 32b are generally perpendicular to the first
divider wall
pane132. Second end wall panels 33a, 33b are folded about second wall fold
lines first
end wall fold lines 31 d relative to the second divider wall panel 33 away
from the first
divider wall panel 32 so that the second end wall panels 33a, 33b are
generally
perpendicular to the second divider wall pane133. For the moment, first anchor
flaps
32c, 32d and second anchor flaps 33c, 33d remain generally in the same plane
as first end
wall panels 32a, 32b and second end wall panels 33a, 33b, respectively.
Similarly,
second front wall flap 35 remains generally in the same plane as the first
divider wall
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panel 32. Thus configured, the divider portion 30' of the container 1(Figure
4) takes on
a generally H-shaped appearance, when viewed from above.
Referring now to Figure 5, the container I according to a preferred embodiment
of the present invention is assembled by positioning the folded divider
portion 30' within
the wrapper portion 10'. More particularly, the divider portion 30' is
positioned such that
the divider wall panels 32, 33 are generally parallel to the side walls 13,
14. End wall
panels 32a, 32b, 33a, 33b are disposed between first side wall wings 13a, 13b,
bottom
wall wings 12a, 12b and second side wall wings 14a, 14b, all of which have
been folded
about edge fold lines l ld, l le, respectively, and adhered to end wall panels
32a, 3b, 33a,
33b. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that tapered edges
12a' 12b', 13a',
13b', 14a', 14b', 15a', 15b' are provided to permit adjacent wings (such as
wings 13b,
12b and wings 12b, 14b) to fold as shown and be affixed to end wall panels
32a, 32b,
33a, 33b by any conventional means.
Divider portion 30', as shown in Figure 5, defines an interior space of the
container 1 as comprising first chamber 2 and second chamber 3. Those of
ordinary skill
in the art will appreciate that orienting the container 1 as shown in Figure 5
may be filled
or packed with products (not shown) using conventional container packing
equipment,
which typically require the container being packed to have an open upper end.
Once
packed, the front flaps 15, 35 are folded about their respective fold lines 1
Ic, 31b to
substantially cover the open upper end of the container 1. Wings 15a, 15b,
35a, 35b of
the front flaps 15, 35, respectively, are then folded and adhered or otherwise
affixed to
the end wall panels 32a, 32b, 33a, 33b. A polymeric film (not shown) may be
adhered to
the outer surface of the container 1 over the openings defined by cut-outs 16,
36, for
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example, to prevent spillage of the products from the container 1 during
shipping.
Referring to Figure 6, the container 1 is shown in an orientation suitable for
display and for dispensing of the products, for example, at the point-of-sale
where
purchasers of the products will remove them one-at-a-time from the container
1.
Openings created by cut-outs 16, 36 are sufficiently large to permit a
purchaser to reach
inside the container 1 for the purpose of selecting and removing one or more
products
therefrom. If a polymeric film was affixed to the container 1 to prevent
spillage of the
products from the container 1, film may be removed easily prior to stacking
the container
1 on a shelf at the point-of-sale.
Referring to Figure 7, a container according to an alternative embodiment of
the
present invention includes detachable segments 37 in the front wall flaps 35
that fits
within cutout 36 and may be removed therefrom, such as, for example, by
perforations 38
provided along cutout 36. Segment 37, therefore, provides for a completely
enclosed
container for shipping purposes, but can be removed easily to create openings
for
display/dispensing purposes.
While the invention has been described with reference to preferred
embodiments,
those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain substitutions,
alterations and omissions
may be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, the
foregoing
description is meant to be exemplary only and should not be deemed limitative
on the
scope of the invention set forth herein.
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