Patent Application
20120228193
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to point-of-sale containers or cartons for holding and displaying merchandise placed upon a shelf or other flat surface and more specifically to a liner to be used in such point-of-sale cartons that maintain a plurality of packages containing merchandise in an upright position, even when some of the individual packages are removed from the point-of-sale carton.
2. State of the Art
Various attempts have been made in the art to provide individual containers in the form of an elongate cardboard carton for the shipping and displaying of merchandise packages at the point of sale. This is especially the case with merchandise packages that are not self-supporting in a vertically standing position. For example, many products are packaged in a clear, vacuum formed plastic that surrounds the product in a case-like fashion. Product labels can be attached to the outside of such packaging or disposed within the packaging and viewed through the packaging. Such product packages are often in a “clam-shell” form in which a perimeter flange extends around the product. Depending on the product and the configuration of the package, it is often the case that such product packages are not configured to be self-standing in a vertical orientation.
As such, there have been various attempts in the art to provide a plurality of slots within the cardboard cartons to maintain the vertical orientation of the products in a horizontally stacked arrangement, one behind the other. One such attempt is illustrated and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,662 to Green. Green discloses a packaging assembly, and method of packaging a plurality of products, for shipping and displaying a plurality of products. The packaging assembly includes a display stand, a plurality of display packs holding the plurality of products and a shipping cover. The display stand is constructed from cardboard, and includes a rectangular base panel, a front panel having a gap for viewing, and two parallel side panels. Each side panel includes a plurality of slots that correspond with slots in the other side panel. Each display pack is an approximately planar assembly formed from front and rear portions of transparent, vacuum-molded plastic. The front and rear portions are each configured with a flange, the flanges each forming conforming notches allowing the two portions to be adjoined and heat sealed or glued together. The display pack includes a product chamber configured to hold the product, and further contains a product display card. The corresponding pairs of slots are configured to receive the display pack flanges to support and display the products in the product chamber. The display packs are inserted into succeeding corresponding pairs of the slots. The front and rear portions include frames configured to adjoin with the frames of adjacent display packs to provide structural support to each succeeding display pack.
The problem with such display stands, such as the display stand disclosed in Green, is that each product package is vertically held within one pair of corresponding slots. As the product packages are removed from the display stand, which typically occurs in a front to back fashion, the next available product for purchase moves further and further from the front of the display stand. Such display stands are typically arranged on store shelving. As the next available product for purchase moves toward the back of the display stand, the store shelving tends to look depleted of inventory and the remaining product packages that are at the back of the display stand may become obscured from view by other adjacent products. As such, at the end of each day, it is often necessary for store employees to move the individual remaining product packages from the back to the front of the display stand.
It is also the case that many products that are sold in elongated cartons that can hold a plurality of products, do not have any means of retaining the position of the product packages to the carton. Thus, as product packages are removed from the carton, the remaining products simply lay in the carton in various orientations and are thus not displayed in the best manner for enticing consumers to purchase the product. As such, there is a need in the art to provide a product display carton that is capable of maintaining the vertical orientation of products contained within the cart and that allows store employees or product vendors responsible for stocking products at the point of sale to easily keep unsold products at the front of the display carton.
Accordingly, a display carton for displaying a plurality of packaged products for retail sales includes an elongate box having a plurality of walls including a rectangular bottom, front wall, a back wall, a left side wall and a right side wall, the plurality of walls defining a top opening. A liner having a rectangular, flat center portion having a length and width to substantially match the rectangular bottom, and left and right upwardly extending sides integrally formed and depending from the center portion is inserted within the elongate box with the left and right upwardly extending sides of the liner abutting against the left and right side walls of the elongate box. A plurality of inwardly extending protrusions depending from the left and right upwardly extending sides of the liner and integrally formed therewith are arranged in corresponding opposite pairs and equally spaced along the upwardly extending sides of the liner. Each protrusion defines a corresponding recess on an outward side of the liner and has a generally trapezoidal cross-section with a front side of each protrusion being generally perpendicular to the respective side of the liner, a rear side that is tapered from front to back and a bottom side that is tapered from top to bottom.
In one embodiment, the liner includes a plurality of perforations between the center portion and each of the left and right upwardly extending sides. The perforations are separated by a plurality of living hinges integrally formed with the liner to allow bending of the liner between the center portion and the left and right upwardly extending sides and for biasing the left and right upwardly extending sides toward the left and right side walls of the elongate box.
In another embodiment, the tapered rear and bottom sides of each protrusion allows the protrusion to inwardly flex into the recess formed in the back side of the liner that corresponds to the protrusion.
In still another embodiment, a plurality of product packages are inserted within the liner. Each product package has first and second flanges disposed on opposite sides of the product package. The first and second flanges of each product package are disposed between adjacent protrusions on opposite sides of the liner.
In yet another embodiment, the plurality of product packages each has a front surface and a rear surface with the first and second flanges disposed adjacent the front sides of opposite protrusions. The front surface of the forward most product package abutting against the front wall of the elongate box.
In still another embodiment, the plurality of product packages have a front surface and a rear surface and wherein a space is formed between a forward most package and the front wall of the carton. The space is large enough to accommodate at least one product package in an upright position. The plurality of product packages can be slid within the carton past the protrusions until the front surface of the forward most product package abuts the front wall of the elongate carton and each of the plurality of product packages engages with the front sides of corresponding opposite pairs of protrusions to hold the product packages in an upright position.
In another embodiment, the front side of each product package behind the forward most product package abuts against a back side of an adjacent product package.
In yet another embodiment, each perforation of the plurality of perforations has a length approximately equal to a distance between slots defined between each adjacent pair of protrusions.
In still another embodiment, an identification mark is formed in the front portion of the liner to identify the front and top side of the liner.
In yet another embodiment, when one or more product packages positioned within the carton are removed from the box, any remaining product packages can be slid forward within the carton until the forward most product package abuts against the front wall of the box. All remaining product packages abut against each other and each product package engages with a respective corresponding opposite pair of protrusions that hold the remaining product packages in an upright position.
In another embodiment, a liner for a display carton for maintaining a plurality of packaged products in a vertical orientation at a point of sale is comprised of a rectangular sheet of plastic. A first plurality of equally spaced protrusions extend from the front side of the sheet and are arranged in a row proximate a right side of the sheet. A second plurality of equally spaced protrusions extend from the front side of the sheet and are arranged in a row proximate a left side of the sheet. The second plurality of protrusions are of the same size, shape and spacing as the first plurality of protrusions and each is positioned directly opposite a corresponding protrusion of the first plurality of protrusions. A first plurality of elongate perforations are disposed proximate the first plurality of protrusions and extend generally parallel thereto. A second plurality of elongate perforations are disposed proximate the second plurality of protrusions and extending generally parallel thereto. The first and second plurality of perforations define a rectangular center portion of the sheet, a left side wall, a right side wall and a plurality of living hinges disposed between the center portion and the left and right side walls to allow the left and right side walls to be upwardly bent at approximately a right angle to the center portion. Each of the first and second plurality of protrusions have a front side that is generally perpendicular to the sheet, a top side that is generally perpendicular to the sheet, a bottom side that is tapered from an inside surface of the protrusion to the sheet and a back side surface that is tapered from an inside surface of the protrusion to the sheet so that each protrusion has a generally trapezoidal cross-section.
In yet another embodiment, the liner is configured for being inserted into a display carton and retained therein by friction fit with the center portion residing against a bottom of the carton and the left and right side walls residing against and biased toward left and right side walls of the carton.
In still another embodiment the tapered back and bottom sides of each protrusion allows the protrusion to inwardly flex relative to the sheet.
The foregoing advantages and characterizing features will become apparent from the following description of certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. The above-described features and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional features and advantages, will be set forth or will become more fully apparent in the detailed description that follows and in the appended claims. The novel features which are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth in the attached claims. Furthermore, the features and advantages of the present invention may be learned by the practice of the invention, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art from the description, as set forth hereinafter.
The following drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments for carrying out the invention. Like reference numerals refer to like parts in different views or embodiments of the present invention in the drawings.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons.
The carton 14 is provided with a display window opening 32 at its front end 34 to provide viewing of the package label 36 disposed on the front face 38 of the product package 12. As such, even when the front face 38 of the product package 12 is abutted against the inside of the front wall 40 of the carton 14, the package label 36 is visible through the window 32. This provides for optimal display of the product package 12 within the carton. The carton 14 and liner 16 of the present invention provide a way for the product packages 12 to be maintained in a position in which at least one of the product packages 12 can be positioned adjacent the front wall 40 even when the carton 14 is not completely full of product packages 12.
The product package 12 may also be formed from PET or RPET and constructed in a clam-shell type package that is common in the retail industry. The product package 12 includes a front portion 41 that forms a closure lid and a rear portion 42 that includes one or more product chambers 43 for receiving and retaining the product. The front and rear portions 41 and 42 are hinged via a living hinge 44 integrated along the lower edge 46 of the product package 12 to allow the front portion 41 to open relative to the rear portion 42 to allow access and removal of the product (in this case a mass of scented wax that is disposed in the product chamber 43). In addition, the front potion 41 defines a rectangular recess defined by the inside surface of the front portion 41 for receiving a corresponding mating raised rim on the front of the rear portion 42. The rim and recess engage in an interference fit to form a secure closure between the front and rear portions 41 and 42. Each of the front and rear portions 41 and 42 include a respective perimeter flange 51 and 52 that laterally extends around the product package 12. The flanges 51 and 52 are substantially coextensive around the product package perimeter 54 along the vertical sides 56 and 58 of the package 12.
The inwardly extending protrusions 20 of the liner 16 each have a generally rectangular configuration with a trapezoidal cross-section. The protrusions 20 are equally spaced along the sides 24 and 26 of the liner 16 from the front 59 to the back 60 of the liner 16. Each protrusion 20, except for the protrusions closest to the back 60 of the liner 16, has a substantially identical configuration. Each protrusion 20 has a corresponding protrusion positioned directly across from the protrusion 20 so as to be equally spaced from the front 59 of the liner 16, with each pair of protrusions 20 cooperating to retain a package 12 in a vertical orientation. Each protrusion 20 defines a front wall 62 that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the side wall 24, a rear wall 64 that is tapered or slanted from front to rear, a bottom wall 66 that is tapered or slanted from top to bottom and a top wall 68 that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the side wall 24.
As will be described in more detail herein, the configuration of each protrusion 20 provides vertical support for a product package 12 when the front wall 62 engages with the perimeter flange 52 of the package 12. The spacing between front walls 62 of adjacent protrusions 20 is approximately equal to the lateral width or thickness of the package 12 (i.e., the distance between the front face 38 and the back surface 70 of the rear portion 42), which may be for example approximately one inch. When two or more product packages 12 are stacked together within the liner 16, the front face 38 of the rear package 12 abuts against the back surface 70 of the forward package 12 with the flange 52 along the sides 56 and 58 of the package 12 abutting against and being vertically retained by the front faces 62 of the corresponding engaged protrusions 20, with the spacing of adjacent protrusions (i.e. between front faces 62 of adjacent protrusions 20) being approximately equal to the thickness of the product package. As product packages 12 are vended and thus removed from the carton 14 and liner 16, typically being removed from the front of the carton 14 first, the remaining product packages 16 will retain their vertical orientation within the carton 14 since each product package 12 is being held in vertical orientation by a pair of corresponding protrusions 20, In order to move the remaining product packages 12 to the front end 34 of the carton 16, the rearmost product package 12 is grasped and slid within the carton 14, without having to change is vertical orientation or vertical position within the carton 142, toward the front end 34 of the carton 14. Any intermediate product packages 12 within the carton 14 will correspondingly be slid along the carton until the forward most product package 12 abuts against the inside of the front wall 40 of the carton 14. At this point, each of the product packages 12 will be retained by the respective front walls 62 of opposite corresponding protrusions 20 of the liner 16. The product packages 12 can be slid within the carton 14 because the rear and bottom walls 64 and 66 of the protrusions 20 are sloped, which allows the flanges 51 and 54 along the sides 56 and 58 of the product package 12 to slide past each protrusion 20. The liner 16 as well as the product package 12 and carton 14 are formed from semi-rigid materials that allow some resilient flexing as the product packages 12 are slid within the carton 14. That is, because the package 12 is formed from a relatively thin plastic material, the flanges 51 and 52 can laterally bend or flex relative to the package 12 as then pass over each protrusion 20. In addition, because the liner is also formed from a relatively thin plastic material, each protrusion 20 can compress as the flanges 51 and 52 pass over the protrusions 20. Also, because the carton 14 is formed from cardboard, the sides 28 and 30 of the carton can bow outward slightly as the flanges 51 and 52 pass over the protrusions 20 which can force the sides 28 and 30 slightly outward. Once the flanges 51 and 52 pass over the protrusions 20 and are seated adjacent the front walls 62 of a respective pair of protrusions 20, the flanges 51 and 52, liner protrusions 20 and carton sides 28 and 30 will return to their pre-flexed or bent positions in order to provide a relatively rigid support for maintaining the vertical orientation of the product packages 12.
Referring now to
Because each protrusion 111-119 and 121-129 is configured with a trapezoidal cross-section having a relatively flat front side surface and a tapered back surface, the liner 102 must be oriented within a display carton with the protrusions 111 and 121 at the front of the carton, the liner may be labeled with an identification mark in the form of the letters F, R, O, N and T formed (as by vacuum forming) into the front portion 140 of the center portion 102 of the liner 100. This clearly identifies the front of the liner 100 to the user so that the liner 102 can be properly inserted into the carton so that the liner 100 will function properly. In addition, the word FRONT formed in the liner 100 identifies the front and the back of the liner so that the word FRONT appears on the top surface of the liner 100 when properly installed in the carton.
In order to properly bend the liner 100 into a U-shaped configuration (see
Each slit can be formed by cutting through the liner without removing any material, such as by a knife cut that simply cuts a narrow slit into the liner 100. Connecting pieces, such as end connecting piece 174, are disposed between an end of the outermost perforation and the adjacent edge of the liner 100. The perforations 151-170 define the lower edges of the side walls 180 and 182 of the liner so that bending will occur along the perforations. In this embodiment, the perforations are elongated and have a length approximately equal to the spacing between adjacent protrusions. As such, each connecting piece 172 and 174 forms a living hinge between the center portion 102 and each side wall 180 and 182 to allow and provide ninety degree bending between the center portion 102 and the side portions that contain the protrusions 111-130 and form the side walls 180 and 182 of the liner 100. As such, a plurality of living hinges is integrally formed in the liner 100 along each side of the center portion 102 so that the liner 100 can be bent to fit within the carton. In addition, because of the resilient nature of the living hinges, the side walls 180 and 182 will be outwardly biased when placed within the carton so that the side walls will abut against and maintain contact with the inside walls of the carton when the liner 100 is inserted into the carton.
As shown in
As shown in
As further illustrated in
The spacing between adjacent pairs of protrusions 310 and 311 and pairs of protrusions 311 and 312, form slots within which the laterally extending edges or flanges of the product packages can reside to hold the packages in a substantially vertical orientation. Because there is some spacing between the protrusions, however, the flanges of the product packages can reside at any position within the respective slots. Thus, there may be some limited tipping of the product packages when positioned within the liner 306 when one or more packages are removed from the carton 300.
As shown in
Finally, as illustrated in
As shown in
From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides for economical bulk displaying of individual product packages packaging in the cartons within which they are shipped. In addition, the present invention provides an economical setup of an appealing product display in a form that allows products to be maintained in a vertical orientation while being moved to the front of the display carton as products are removed from the front of the carton.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some other liner structures could be employed in a similar manner maintaining the vertical orientation of products within a point-of-sale container without departing from the inventive concepts herein. Thus, while there have been described various embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further changes and modifications may be made thereto without department from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention. It is also understood that, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise,
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. While various methods and structures of the present invention are described herein, any methods or structures similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety and for all purposes. In addition, while the foregoing advantages of the present invention are manifested in the illustrated embodiments of the invention, a variety of changes can be made to the configuration, design and construction of the invention to achieve those advantages including combinations of components of the various embodiments. Hence, reference herein to specific details of the structure and function of the present invention is by way of example only and not by way of limitation.
