Patent Application
20100006456
This invention relates generally to display type containers and container blanks. More specifically, this present invention relates to a single piece container having an exposed display area in the front of the container.
This invention is best understood from the following detailed descriptions when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that according to common practice, various features of the drawings are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced clarity. Included in these drawings are the following figures.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is directed to a single piece blank 20 that is cut and scored to forms a container 50. The single piece container 50 is convenient for imparting strength and stability while allowing the container 50 to hold and easily dispense a variety of products (not shown). One suitable embodiment of the container blank 20 and resulting container 50 is described in more particularity below.
The blank 20 is cut and scored, perforated or otherwise formed into a plurality of panels that, when assembled, form container 50. In all FIGURES, like numbers indicate like parts; additionally, cut lines are shown as solid lines, score lines as dashed lines, and lines of perforation as broken lines. For the purposes of further description herein, the downward direction is defined as a direction perpendicular to the first bottom panel 22 when the container 50 has been erected. The upwards direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the first bottom panel 22 that corresponds to the inner surface of the bottom panel when the container 50 has been erected.
The first side panel 24 also includes a sixth side panel 40 connected with the first side panel along fold line 37. This sixth side panel 40 also includes a side tab 42 connected with the sixth side panel 40 along fold line 41.
A second side panel 26 is connected with the bottom panel 22 along fold lines 21. Fold lines 21 and 23 are substantially perpendicular to one another. A first top panel 28 is connected with the second side panel 26, opposite the bottom panel 22, along fold lines 25. Fold lines 25 and fold lines 21 are substantially parallel to one another and are both substantially perpendicular to fold lines 23.
Connected with the first top panel 28, via a pair of spaced apart fold lines 27, are second top panels 30. Third side panel 32 is connected with the second top panel 30 along fold line 29. Third side panel 32 includes fourth side panels 36 connected with the third side panel 32 along fold lines 33. Also the third side panel 32 includes a corner panel 34 connected with third side panel 32 along fold lines 31.
As aspect of the present invention is forming a container 50 that has vertical side walls formed of panels having both vertically and horizontally oriented flutes. By forming the blank 20 and resulting container 50 as depicted, some of the various side panels have vertically oriented flutes and others have horizontally oriented flutes. This allows for cost savings with regards to material while retaining desired strength.
As seen in
The first top panel 28 may be folded inwardly along fold line 25. In addition, the corner panels 34 may be folded inwardly along fold lines 31 and the forth side panels 36 may be folded inwardly along fold lines 33. Also the front tabs 44 may be folded downward/inward approximately 90 degrees along fold line 39.
As best depicted in
Although the various embodiments have all been illustrated and described as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of such embodiments. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
