CONFIGURABLE SHIPPING AND DISPLAY BOX

Abstract

An article has two configurations including a shipping configuration box and a display configuration box. The article is formed from a folded cardboard blank which includes a sidewall portion, a plurality of top flaps, a plurality of bottom flaps, and a support tab. The sidewall portion is vertically bounded between a top fold line and a bottom fold line. The plurality of bottom flaps are joined to the sidewall portion along the bottom fold line. One of the bottom flaps extends from the bottom fold line to a distal edge which defines a tab fold line. The support tab is joined to the distal edge along the tab fold line. The support tab is configured to fold upwardly along the tab fold line and to engage an edge of a product container to support the product container in an upright orientation for product display.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to an article and method for shipping and displaying products. More particularly, the present disclosure concerns an article having two configurations including a shipping configuration box and a display configuration box.

BACKGROUND

Packaging, shipping, and retail display represent a considerable cost of providing products to retail displays. Shipping containers and boxes are used to transport products to retailers. The shipping containers and boxes are typically discarded. When product is removed from the shipping containers and boxes there is a need to efficiently display the product which may result in substantial labor and material usage and cost. Materials for shipping and display are a vast cost and use of materials for retail. There is a desire to reduce labor and material cost and environmental impact of the workflow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a first embodiment of a cardboard blank.

FIG. 1B is detail 1B taken from FIG. 1A and rotated 90 degrees.

FIG. 1C is a plan view of the cardboard blank of FIG. 1A but with an upper and lower portion that have been separated along a lateral score boundary.

FIG. 2A is an isometric view of a shipping and display box (in the shipping configuration) resulting from folding and gluing of the cardboard blank of FIG. 1A. This is otherwise referred to as a “shipping configuration box”.

FIG. 2B is an isometric view of the shipping and display box of FIG. 2A having been separated into two portions along a lateral score boundary. The two portions include and upper box portion to be recycled and a display configuration box.

FIG. 3 is an isometric frontal view of an embodiment of a product container supported in an upright orientation within a display configuration box.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a display configuration box.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a lower edge of a product container engaging a support tab.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of manufacturing and filling a shipping and display box.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of converting a filled shipping and display box from a shipping configuration to a display configuration.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a portion of a second embodiment of a cardboard blank.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of display configuration box that results from the cardboard blank of FIG. 7.

SUMMARY

In an aspect of the disclosure, an article configured to ship and display a product includes a shipping and display box. The shipping and display box has two configurations including a shipping configuration box and a display configuration box. The shipping configuration box is formed from a folded cardboard blank. The folded cardboard blank includes a sidewall portion, a plurality of top flaps, a plurality of bottom flaps, and a support tab. The sidewall portion is vertically bounded between a top fold line and a bottom fold line. The sidewall portion defines a plurality of vertical fold lines that individually extend between the top fold line and the bottom fold line. The plurality of top flaps are joined to the sidewall portion along the top fold line. The plurality of bottom flaps are joined to the sidewall portion along the bottom fold line. One of the bottom flaps has a proximal edge along the bottom fold line and extends from the proximal edge to a distal edge. The distal edge defines a fold line. The support tab is joined to the distal edge along the tab fold line. The support tab is configured to fold upwardly along the tab fold line and to engage an edge of a product container to support the product container in an upright condition providing visibility of a major surface of the product container in the display configuration box.

In one implementation, the sidewall portion defines a lateral score boundary that enables the shipping configuration box to be separated along the sidewall portion into an upper box portion and a lower box portion. The lower box portion is the display configuration box. The lateral score boundary defines a geometry of an upper edge of four walls of the display configuration box including a relatively shorter front wall to enhance visibility of the product container and a relatively taller back wall to provide effective support of a back major surface of the product container. The lateral score boundary can include linear and non-linear portions, the non-linear portions can bound the taller back wall and curve upwardly from the front to back toward the taller back wall. The non-linear portions can bound a relatively lower portion of the relatively shorter front wall.

In another implementation, a second one of the bottom flaps has a second proximal edge along the bottom fold line and extends from the second proximal edge to a second distal edge defining a second tab fold line. A second support tab is joined to the second distal edge along the second tab fold line. The second support tab is configured to fold upwardly along the second tab fold line and to engage an edge of a second product container to support the second product container in an upright condition in the shipping configuration box.

In yet another implementation, the support tab can include a plurality of support tabs. The plurality of support tabs can be joined to a distal edge along the tab fold line.

In a second aspect of the disclosure, a method of manufacturing an article for shipping and then displaying a product includes forming a cardboard blank, folding and gluing the cardboard blank to form a compacted shipping configuration box, flexing the compacted shipping configuration box to form an open shipping configuration box, placing a plurality of product containers into the open shipping configuration box, and then closing the shipping configuration box. The cardboard blank includes a sidewall portion, a plurality of top flaps, a plurality of bottom flaps, and a support tab. The sidewall portion is vertically bounded between a top fold line and a bottom fold line. The sidewall portion defines a plurality of vertical fold lines that individually extend between the top fold line and the bottom fold line. The plurality of top flaps are joined to the sidewall portion along the top fold line. The plurality of bottom flaps are joined to the sidewall portion along the bottom fold line. One of the bottom flaps has a proximal edge along the bottom fold line and extends from the proximal edge to a distal edge. The distal edge defines a tab fold line. The support tab is joined to the distal edge along the tab fold line. The support tab is configured to fold upwardly along the tab fold line and to engage an edge of a product container to support the product container in an upright condition providing visibility of a major surface of the product container in the display configuration box.

In one implementation, flexing the compacted shipping configuration box to form an open shipping configuration box bends the support tab along the tab fold line.

In another implementation, the product containers are placed into the shipping configuration box in an orientation for display and placed with an edge of at least one of the product containers in engagement with the support tab.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the description that follows, directions will be used including mutually orthogonal axes X, Y, and Z. The axes X and Y are lateral and are generally horizontal when a shipping and display box is oriented with a bottom portion of the shipping and display box resting on a horizontal surface. The axis Z is vertical and generally aligned with a gravitational reference. The term “generally” indicates that an orientation or measure may not be exact but is by design to within manufacturing tolerances.

FIG. 1A is a “plan view” illustrating an unfolded cardboard blank 2. The cardboard blank 2 has been cut to shape, punched, and scored and is ready to be folded, glued, and opened to form a shipping and display box. The shipping and display box has two configurations including a shipping configuration box and a display configuration box. The two configurations will be discussed infra after introducing features of the cardboard blank.

In describing the cardboard blank, fold lines, cut lines, and scored boundaries will be described. A fold line is generally defined as a contour or line along which the cardboard is to be folded. Folding reorients the cardboard across the fold line by an acute angle, a right angle, an obtuse angle, or 180 degrees. The fold line is usually linear and can include an arrangement of perforations that pass through the cardboard and enable or facilitate having the cardboard to be preferentially folded along the fold line.

A cut line is cut through the cardboard. Finally, a scored boundary is a perforated boundary that is a boundary of weakness. Compared to a fold line, perforations are elongated along the scored boundary to allow the cardboard to be physically “pulled part” along the scored boundary.

The cardboard blank 2 includes a sidewall portion 4, a plurality of top flaps 6, a plurality of bottom flaps 8, and at least one support tab 10. The sidewall portion 4 is vertically between a top fold line 12 and a bottom fold line 14. The top fold line 12 is interrupted by a lateral cut 16. The plurality of top flaps 6 are individually joined to the sidewall portion 4 along the top fold line 12. The plurality of bottom flaps 8 are individually joined to the sidewall portion 4 along the bottom fold line 14. A plurality of vertical fold lines 18 individually extend between the top fold line 12 and the bottom fold line 14. Folding along the vertical fold lines 18 causes alternating portions of the sidewall portion 4 to extend along the X and Y axes. Thus, the axis in FIG. 1A is labeled X, Y along the sidewall portion 4 to indicate directions in a folded configuration.

FIG. 1B is “detail 1B” taken from FIG. 1A and rotated 90 degrees. The cardboard flaps 8 individually have a proximal edge 20 along the bottom fold line 14 and extend to a distal edge 22. For at least one of the bottom flaps 8, the distal edge 22 has a linear portion defining a tab fold line 24. At least one support tab 10 is joined to the distal edge 22 of the bottom flap 8 along the tab fold line 24. In the illustrated embodiment, two support tabs 10 are joined to the distal edge 22 of the bottom flap 8 along the tab fold line 24.

Referring back to FIG. 1A, the sidewall portion 4 defines a lateral score boundary 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral score boundary 26 extends between opposed lateral edges 28 of the sidewall portion 4. The lateral score boundary 26 includes linear portions 30 and non-linear or curved portions 32. The lateral score boundary 26 allows the sidewall portion 4 to be physically separated into two portions along the lateral score boundary 26 as illustrated in FIG. 1C. However, in practice, the physical separation does not occur until after the cardboard blank 2 has been folded, glued, and expanded into a shipping configuration box 34.

FIG. 2A is an isometric view depicting a shipping configuration box 34 (which is the shipping and display box 33 in the shipping configuration) after the cardboard blank 2 (from FIG. 1A) has been folded, glued, expanded, and closed. The sidewall portion 4 defines four sides of box 34. The top flaps 6 are folded to form a closed top of box 34. Vertical fold lines 18 are coincident with vertical edges of the box 34. The top fold line 12 defines top edges of the box 34. The bottom fold line 14 defines bottom edges of the box 34.

FIG. 2B is an isometric view depicting the shipping and display box 33 in the display configuration. The shipping configuration box 34 has been separated into two portions along the lateral score boundary 26. The illustrated two portions include an upper box portion 36 and the display configuration box 38.

The display configuration box 38 includes a front wall 40, a back wall 42 and two side walls 44. The back wall 42 is relatively taller (in Z) than the front wall 40. The geometry of the walls 40, 42, and 44 has been determined by the geometry of the lateral score boundary 26.

The display configuration box 38 has a box bottom 46 that is formed by an interleaved and overlapped arrangement of the bottom flaps 8. The bottom flaps 8 have been arranged to position the support tabs 10 over a top (upward facing or facing in the +Z direction) surface 48 of the box bottom 46. The tab fold line 24 is generally along lateral axis Y.

FIG. 3 is an isometric frontal view depicting a product container 50 being supported in an upright orientation and displayed in a display configuration box 38. In the context herein, an “upright orientation” means that a major or intermediate axis of the product container 50 defines an angle of less than 40 degrees with respect to the vertical axis Z. In the illustrated embodiment, the major axis defines an angle of less than 30 degrees or less than 20 degrees with respect to the vertical axis Z. The illustrated product container 50 has a thickness defined along a minor axis that is less than 20% of a length defined along the major axis.

In the illustrated embodiment the upright orientation allows a front major surface 52 of the product container 50 to be viewed. A back major surface 54 (that faces backwards in FIG. 3) is supported by the back wall 42 of the display configuration box 38. The support tab 10 engages an edge 56 of the product container 50 to maintain the upright orientation of the product container 50.

The lateral score boundary 26 defines an upper edge geometry of walls 40, 42, and 44. The lateral score boundary 26 curves defines a relatively lower portion 58 of the front wall 40 to allow for convenient viewing of the front major surface 52 of the product container 50. This allows for a rapid identification of the contents of product container 50 which can include a product label 59. The rear wall 42 is at least twice the height of the lower portion 58 to provide support for the upright orientation of the product container 50. Additionally, the front wall 40 can serve to identify the product category on a retail store shelf and thus eliminate the need for further identification means by a retailer.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the display configuration box 38 to be viewed along with FIG. 5 which is an isometric detail view of the edge 56 of the product container 50 engaging the support tab 10. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, there are two support tabs 10 for engaging and supporting two product containers 50. The support tabs 10 may be bent upwardly about the tab fold line 24 to enhance engagement with edges 56 of product containers 50. A first one of the product containers 50 would be supported by a first product tab 10 and the back wall 42. A second one of the product containers 50 would be supported by a second product tab 10 and the first product container 50. Additional containers 50 will tend to maintain an upright orientation being rotationally constrained between the second product container 50 and the front wall 40 and resting upon the top surface 48 of the box bottom 46.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart depicting a method for providing a filled shipping configuration box 34. The steps of FIG. 6A may not all be performed by a single entity. In an illustrative embodiment, steps 62 and 64 are performed on an automated production line. Steps 66-69 can be performed manually or with automation.

According to 62, cardboard sheeting or material is cut and scored to produce a flat cardboard blank 2. The fold lines (12, 14, and 24) are formed by linear arrangements of perforations. The fold lines are then lines of preferential folding of the blank 2. The lateral score boundary 26 is formed by linear and non-linear arrangements of elongate perforations. The elongate nature of the perforations allow the cardboard to be more easily “pulled apart” along the lateral score boundary 26. The cut lines 26 and an outer periphery of the cardboard blank 2 is formed with a continuous cuts that are either linear or non-linear.

According to 64, the flat cardboard blank is folded and glued into a “compacted” configuration. This folding and gluing step 64 can cause the support tab(s) 10 to be bent upward to enhance engagement with edges 56 of product containers 50. The output of step 64 is a compacted shipping container box. As a note, steps 62 and 64 can be performed on separate continuous production lines or on a single production line.

According to 66, the compacted shipping container box is flexed and “popped up or open” to form an open shipping container box 34. During step 66, the act of flexing and opening the shipping container box 34 can cause the support tab(s) 10 to be bent upward to enhance engagement with edges 56 of product containers 50.

According to 68, a plurality of product containers 50 are placed into the open shipping container box 34 in the display orientation (as illustrated for the display configuration box in FIG. 3). During step 68, the support tab(s) can be manually bent upward by a user or packager to enhance engagement with edges 56 of product containers 50. According to 69, the top of the shipping container box 34 is closed. Between FIGS. 6A and 6B, the shipping container box 34 containing product containers 50 is shipped to a retail establishment.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart depicting a method 70 for configuring the shipping and display box 33 for display. According to 72, the display configuration box 38 is separated from the upper box portion 36 of the shipping configuration box 34 along the lateral score boundary 26. This can be accomplished by pulling apart the walls 40-44 along the lateral score boundary 26. Upon performing step 72, the containers 50 are already arranged for immediate display. The display configuration box 38 is then placed on a retail shelf or support according to 74.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a display portion of a second embodiment of the cardboard blank 2. Like elements from previous figures have similar or identical functions and implementations. The difference with FIG. 1A is that two of the bottom flaps 8 including a first bottom flap 8 and a second bottom flap 8 each include the support tabs 10. Structurally the bottom flaps and tabs are each similar to that described with respect to FIG. 1B. In the illustrated embodiment, this provides at least four different support tabs 10. Otherwise, the cardboard blank 2 is similar to that described with respect to FIG. 1A.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a display configuration box 38 that results from the use of the cardboard blank 2 of FIG. 7. The bottom flaps 8 are configured during the folding of step 64 (FIG. 6) so that at least four support tabs 10 are positioned above upper surface 48. The embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 allows better support for multiple product containers 50.

The specific embodiments and applications thereof described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not preclude modifications and variations encompassed by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An article configured to ship and display a product comprising: a shipping and display box having two configurations including a shipping configuration box and a display configuration box, the shipping configuration box is formed from a folded cardboard blank which further includes: a sidewall portion vertically bounded between a top fold line and a bottom fold line and defining a plurality of vertical fold lines that individually extend between the top fold line and the bottom fold line;a plurality of top flaps joined to the sidewall portion along the top fold line;a plurality of bottom flaps joined to the sidewall portion along the bottom fold line, one of the bottom flaps has a proximal edge along the bottom fold line and extends from the proximal edge to a distal edge;a support tab joined to the distal edge, the support tab is configured to engage an edge of a product container to support the product container in an upright condition providing visibility of a major surface of the product container in the display configuration box.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein the sidewall portion defines a lateral score boundary that enables the shipping configuration box to be separated along the sidewall portion into an upper box portion and a lower box portion, the lower box portion is the display configuration box.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein the lateral score boundary includes linear and non-linear portions.

4. The article of claim 2 wherein the lateral score boundary defines a vertical geometry of four side walls for the display configuration box including a front wall and a back wall, the front wall is shorter than the back wall sufficiently to provide visibility of the major surface for the product container and support of the product container against the back wall and the support tab.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein the support tab includes at least two support tabs for supporting at least two product containers in the upright orientation in the display configuration box.

6. The article of claim 1 including the product container contained within the shipping and display box.

7. The article of claim 6 wherein the product container includes a plurality of product containers.

8. The article of claim 7 wherein the plurality of product containers are oriented in an orientation for display, an edge of one of the plurality of product containers is engaging the support tab.

9. The article of claim 1 wherein the distal edge defines a tab fold line, and the support tab is configured to fold upwardly along the tab fold line.

10. The article of claim 9 wherein the support tab is configured to bend along the tab fold line during assembly of the shipping configuration box.

11. The article of claim 1 further wherein a second one of the bottom flaps has a second proximal edge along the bottom fold line and extends from the second proximal edge to a second distal edge and further comprising a second support tab joined to the second distal edge, the second support tab is configured to engage an edge of a second product container to support the second product container in an upright condition in the shipping configuration box.

12. A method of manufacturing an article for shipping and then displaying a product in a display configuration box, the method comprising: forming a cardboard blank that includes: a sidewall portion vertically bounded between a top fold line and a bottom fold line and defining a plurality of vertical fold lines that individually extend between the top fold line and the bottom fold line;a plurality of top flaps joined to the sidewall portion along the top fold line;a plurality of bottom flaps joined to the sidewall portion along the bottom fold line, one of the bottom flaps has a proximal edge along the bottom fold line and extends from the proximal edge to a distal edge, the distal edge defining a tab fold line;a support tab joined to the distal edge along the tab fold line, the support tab is configured to engage an edge of a product container to support the product container in an upright condition providing visibility of a major surface of the product container in the display configuration box; andfolding and gluing the cardboard blank to form a compacted shipping configuration box.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising flexing the compacted shipping configuration box to provide an open shipping configuration box.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein folding, gluing, and flexing the compacted shipping configuration box bends the support tab along the tab fold line.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising placing a plurality of product containers into the shipping configuration box.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the product containers are placed into the shipping configuration box in an orientation for display and placed with an edge of at least one of the product containers in engagement with the support tab.

17. An article configured to ship and display a product comprising: a shipping and display box having two configurations including a shipping configuration box and a display configuration box, the shipping and display box formed from a folded cardboard blank which further includes: a sidewall portion vertically bounded between a top fold line and a bottom fold line and defining a plurality of vertical fold lines that individually extend between the top fold line and the bottom fold line, the sidewall portion defining a lateral score boundary that extends between opposed lateral ends of the sidewall portion;a plurality of top flaps joined to the sidewall portion along the top fold line;a plurality of bottom flaps joined to the sidewall portion along the bottom fold line, one of the bottom flaps has a proximal edge along the bottom fold line and extends from the proximal edge to a distal edge, the distal edge defining a tab fold line;a support tab joined to the distal edge along the tab fold line, the support tab is configured to fold upwardly along the tab fold line and to engage an edge of a product container to support the product container in an upright condition providing visibility of a major surface of the product container in the display configuration box; andseparating the sidewall portion along the lateral score boundary reconfigures the shipping and display box from the shipping configuration box to the display configuration box, the plurality of bottom flaps are interengaged to form a bottom of the display configuration box with the support tab above an upper surface of the bottom of the display configuration box to allow convenient access for supporting the edge of the product container.

18. The article of claim 17 wherein the lateral score boundary defines a geometry of an upper edge of four walls of the display configuration box including a relatively shorter front wall to enhance visibility of the product container and a relatively taller back wall to provide effective support of a back major surface of the product container.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the lateral score boundary includes linear and non-linear portions, the non-linear portions bound the taller back wall and curve upwardly from front to back toward the taller back wall.

20. The article of claim 17 wherein the support tab includes a plurality of support tabs joined to the distal edge along the tab fold line.