Patent Application
20100270204
The present invention generally relates to shipping and display cartons and/or cardboard blanks for forming a shipping and display carton; the shipping and display carton may be used with panel filters whereby one of the aspects of the invention relate to panel filters in combination with the shipping and display carton.
Almost every home has a panel filter which is installed in a forced air system such as the furnace and/or air conditioning unit (the HVAC system) of one's house, condominium or apartment. Panel filters are also used in the HVAC systems of other commercial buildings. Over time, the panel filters load with dust as these filters purify and clean the air that is being circulated throughout the building. As a result, these panel filters need to be changed from time to time so as to provide a clean filter and not overly restrict the air flow being circulated through the building.
As a result, a number of retailers carry large volumes of such panel filters for retail sale. Furthermore, as there are many different sizes and types of furnaces, air conditioning units or other HVAC systems, retailers need to stock a wide variety of different sizes of panel filters to meet all of the different needs of different customers.
To display such panel filters, it is known to use shipping and display cartons wherein a stack of panel filters can be shipped in a cardboard box and then the box can be partially opened to display the panel filters right on the retail shelf. While previous shipping and display cartons have provided a certain level of functionality, they present various difficulties and/or drawbacks which will be realized once the embodiment of the present invention is understood. As such, the present invention is directed towards improvements over the present state of the art.
In one inventive aspect, the invention provides a filter packed shipping and display carton combination. The combination includes a stack of panel filters that have a rectangular frame enclosing filter media therein. A box contains the stack of panel filters. The box includes opposed top and bottom sides, left and right sides and back and front sides. One of the sides including a pair of cooperating first and second retainer flaps hinged to and depending from the two other of the sides, the first and second retainer flaps being locked together to retain the panel filters in a first display position through a first display opening in said one of the sides.
In another inventive aspect, a filter packed shipping and display carton combination comprises a stack of panel filters having a rectangular frame enclosing filter media therein. A box contains the stack of panel filters, the box including opposed top and bottom sides, left and right sides and back and front sides. The box has a first display position, with panel filters being viewable through a first viewing opening in a first selected one of said sides; and a second display position in which the box is rotated relative to the first display position (e.g. may be 90 degrees). In the second display opening the panel filters are viewable through a second viewing opening in a second selected one of said sides different than the first selected one of said sides. Marketing indicia is provided on each of the first and second selected one of said sides so that from either display position the marketing information can be gathered by the consumer. The box is made of corrugated cardboard with two of the sides being connected by an adhesive seam, with the bottom side comprising at least three interlocking bottom flaps connected to at least three of the left, front, right and back sides. The interlocking bottom flaps interlock with each other without adhesive attachment to releasable secure the box together in an assembled state. Further, the box can be broken down manually to a flat state by unlocking the four interlocking bottom flaps and bending the box along four corners (e.g. provided by fold lines) connecting the left, front, right and back sides, without tools and without having to tear the box or overcome adhesive force. Thus, not only is a practical shipping and display carton provided for shipping panel filters and multiple display viewing purposes, but also one which is stable and can be broken down in a manner that minimizes retail worker input.
Another invention aspect is directed toward a unitary cut cardboard blank for forming a shipping and display carton, comprising: a front side panel; a left side panel hinged via a fold line to the front side panel; a right side panel hinged via a fold line to the front side panel; and a back side panel hinged via a fold line to one of the left and right side panels. One of the right and left and back side panels include a gluing seam flap adapted to overlap and to be permanently secured to one of the other panels by an adhesive seam, Four interlocking bottom flaps are provided that are hinged via respective fold lines to the front side panel, the left side panel, the right side panel and the back side panel, respectively. The interlocking bottom flaps are adapted to interlock with each other without adhesive attachment to releasable secure the box together in an assembled state. First and second retainer flaps are hinged to and depend from the left and right side panels, respectively. The first and second retainer flaps include respective slots that are adapted to be received into each other to releasably interlock the first and second retainer flaps together in an assembled state. A lid panel is also provided that is hinged via a fold line to one front and back panels adapted to cover the first and second retainer flaps. Further, a removable card portion is formed in one of said panels via a perforated tear juncture.
In yet another inventive aspect according to one example of a detailed embodiment, the invention provide a filter packed shipping and display carton combination, comprising:
a stack of panel filters, the panel filters having a rectangular frame enclosing filter media therein;
a box containing the stack of panel filters, the box including opposed top and bottom sides, left and right sides and back and front sides,
the top side including a pair of cooperating first and second retainer flaps hinged to and depending from the left and right sides, the first and second retainer flaps being locked together to retain the panel filters in a first display position through a first display opening in the top side;
wherein the in the first display position, the box displays the stack of panel filters with the panel filters vertically stacked one on top of another to display one of the spine edges of the rectangular frame for the panel filters;
wherein the at least one last filter viewing window is defined between the retainer flaps and the back side;
wherein the at least one last filter viewing window comprises at least one cut out along a lateral edge of the retainer flaps, the lateral edge running along the back side and in close proximity thereto to prevent one of the panel filters from sliding out from under the retainer flaps when in the first display position;
wherein the retainer flaps are spaced from the front side at least two panel filter thick to provide a sufficiently large and open aperture in first display opening such that panel filters can be slide horizontally out through the first display opening;
wherein the first and second retainer flaps each define respective slots, the respective slots of the first and second retainer flaps being received into each other thereby releasably interlocking the first and second flaps together;
wherein the retainer flaps are releasably interlocked without any adhesive;
a lid panel for the top side, the lid panel hinged to the front side and covering the first and second retainer flaps;
wherein the lid panel includes a lid body and a tuck tab, the lid body interposed between the tuck tab and the front side, the tuck tab hinged to the lid body and in a shipping position being tucked between the stack of panel filters and the back side;
a strip of tape attached to the lid body and adhesively securing the lid panel to the back side, the strip of tape having pull tab;
a perforated tear line connecting the lid panel to the front side, wherein the lid panel is adapted to be torn off along the perforated tear line to expose and provide for removal of panel filters through the first display opening, and wherein the lid panel is also adapted be reverse folded back over the front display panel to expose and provide for removal of panel filters through the first display opening;
wherein said front side comprises a front panel including border portion at least partially lining and connected via fold lines to the left, right and bottom sides, and removable card connected to the border portion along a perforated tear junction, the removable card being tearable and removable along the perforated tear junction to provide a second display opening that intersects the first display opening at a corner between the front and top sides;
wherein the second display opening provides for a second display position, the bottom side being at the gravitational bottom in the second display position, and wherein the back side being at the gravitational position in the first display position, the box being rotated 90 degrees between first and second display positions;
wherein the removable card carries the lid panel therewith, the lid panel supported by the removable card in a cantilever manner such that removal of the removable card removes the lid panel therewith;
perforated punch out tabs along the perforated tear junction; and
wherein the box is made of corrugated cardboard, one of the left and right panels having a gluing seam flap overlapping and permanently secured to the back side by an adhesive seam, and wherein the bottom side comprises four interlocking bottom flaps connected to the left, front, right and back sides, respectively, the interlocking bottom flaps interlocking with each other without adhesive attachment to releasable secure the box together in an assembled state, and wherein the box can be broken down manually to a flat state by unlocking the four interlocking bottom flaps and bending the box along four corners connecting the left, front, right and back sides, without tools and without having to tear the box or overcome adhesive force.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Referring to
In
Therefore, to provide orientation purposes for
As may be evidence from
As shown, the removable card 30 carries the lid panel via the perforated tear line of the removable card by way of a perforated tear junction 34 connecting the removable card to a remainder border portion 36 along the front side. As also illustrated in
Once the lid panel 28 is removed, it is seen that underneath there is provided a pair of cooperating retainer flaps 48 that are releasably locked together to retain the panel filters along the top side. The retainer flaps 48 only partially cover the stack of filter panels and there is a display opening 50 provided above the retainer flaps 48 over the top of the retainer flaps when viewed from the front in the horizontally flat position. The retainer flaps 48 are spaced from the front side at least two panel filters thick to provide a sufficiently large and open aperture in the display opening 50 such that the panel filters can slide horizontally out through this display opening 50. Additionally, it is seen that at least one and preferably two last filter viewing windows 52 are defined between the retainer flaps 48 and the back side 24. For example, each viewing window 52 may be provided by at least one cut-out along the lateral edge of the retainer flaps 48 (preferably—the lateral edge runs along the back side and in close proximity thereto which prevents the panel filters from sliding out from under the retainer flaps when in the horizontally flat position shown in
An additional feature that may be provided is that the retainer flaps 48 may each include respective slots 54 (one extending upward and the other extending downward in the horizontally flat position shown in
To facilitate removal of the removable card 30, perforated punch-out tabs 56 may be provided along the front side 25 to facilitate manually grasping and tearing the removable card 30 away from the remainder of the front side 25 of the box.
All of these different perforation features and limited use of permanent adhesive provides for a box that can be made of corrugated cardboard as illustrated, and in which there is only a single strip of adhesive that permanently glues two portions of the box together. For example, and as shown in
Additionally, the bottom is constructed (such as shown in
Additionally, in
With this construction, only a single glue seam connecting to adjacent panels is necessitated which allows the box to be broken flat by folding the front, left, right and back side panels (after unlocking the bottom flaps 76-79) by folding along the respective fold lines thereof. Thus, this can be done without the need for a cut knife.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
