Patent Application
20060113363
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 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.
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 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 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.
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:
With reference to
First blank 10 also includes a pair of edge fold lines 11d, 11e which traverse the length of the blank 10, thereby defining first side wall fold-over wings 13a, 13b, bottom 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
Referring to
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, 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 panel 32 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
First end wall panels 32a, 32b are folded about first end wall fold lines 31d relative to the first divider wall panel 32 away from the second divider wall panel 33 so that first end wall panels 32a, 32b are generally perpendicular to the first divider wall panel 32. Second end wall panels 33a, 33b are folded about second wall fold lines first end wall fold lines 31d 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 panel 33. 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 panel 32. Thus configured, the divider portion 30′ of the container 1 (
Referring now to
Divider portion 30′, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
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.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60627610 | Nov 2004 | US |
