Claims
- 1. A shipping and display container for fragile articles, comprising:a pair of substantially identical, mating half sections each made from a single individual blank of paper material folded to define a rectangular back wall panel and spaced apart, hollow, box-like quadrilateral support structures at opposite sides of the back wall panel, said quadrilateral support structures each being formed by upwardly and inwardly turned panels at opposite edges of an back wall panel, wherein said back wall panel forms a back wall of each quadrilateral support structure, the upwardly turned panel forms an outer side wall thereof, an inwardly turned panel forms a top wall thereof extending in parallel spaced relationship to the back wall panel, a downwardly turned panel on an inner edge of the top wall forms an inner side wall extending in parallel spaced relationship to the outer side wall, and a further inwardly turned panel at a bottom edge of each inner side wall extends in overlying relationship to the back wall panel and toward and into contiguous relationship with the further inwardly turned panel on an opposed inner side wall to form a double bottom for the container; said top wall and inner side wall of each quadrilateral structure having cut outs formed therein, defining spaced apart recessed supports for supporting opposite ends of at least one article along three spatial axes when an article is placed in the recessed supports of a half section, said recessed supports being spaced from the bottom and outer side walls such that an article supported thereon is maintained in spaced relationship to said walls, said half sections being configured so that one half section can support at least one article in a secure and visible orientation for display, and a pair of the half sections can be placed together in mirror image registry with one another on opposite sides of at least one article to enclose the article and define a shipping container for secure shipping of the article.
- 2. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:each recessed support has a radial support element for engaging at that support a radial dimension of an elongate article having an axial dimension and a radial dimension and placed in the support.
- 3. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 2, wherein:an elongate article placed in the support has axially oriented opposite ends, and each recessed support has an axial support element that engages a respective axially oriented opposite end of that article supported in said one half section to limit axial movement of that article.
- 4. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 1, wherein: each recessed support includes a radial support element and an axial support element.
- 5. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:the cut outs include a first portion in the inner side wall of each quadrilateral structure, and a second portion in the top wall of each quadrilateral structure, said first portions comprising the radial support elements and said second portions comprising the axial support elements.
- 6. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 5, wherein:the cut outs in the quadrilateral structure at one side of the half section include a U-shaped cut in the inner side wall and a pair of parallel straight lines extending in the top wall from the top of the U-shaped cut toward the adjacent outer side wall and perpendicular thereto and terminating at outer ends short of the outer side wall, defining a piece of material joined to the top wall along a fold line extending between the outer ends of the straight lines, said piece of material folded downwardly into the quadrilateral structure and having a first section joined to the fold line and extending parallel to but spaced from the outer side wall and defining the axial support element in that quadrilateral structure, and a second section joined along a fold line to a lower end of the first section and defining a pad lying flat against the back wall of the half section.
- 7. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 6, wherein:the lower panel and pad are adhesively secured to the back wall.
- 8. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 7, wherein:bottom wall end flaps are foldably joined to opposite ends of said bottom wall, side wall end flaps are foldably joined to opposite ends of said outer side walls, and inner side wall flaps are foldably joined to opposite ends of said inner side wall, in each quadrilateral structure; and said side wall flaps are folded inwardly over opposite ends of the respective quadrilateral structures.
- 9. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 8, wherein:said bottom wall flaps include first bottom wall flaps foldably joined to opposite ends of the double thickness bottom wall, and second bottom wall flaps foldably joined to opposite ends of the bottom wall in the area beneath the quadrilateral structures.
- 10. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 9, wherein:the inner side wall flaps are folded inwardly toward one another across opposite ends of the double thickness bottom wall; said second bottom wall flaps are folded upwardly and inwardly over the outer side wall flaps to close the ends of the quadrilateral structures and hold them in erected condition; and said first bottom wall flaps include a first section folded upwardly against an outer surface of the inner side wall flaps, and a second section folded downwardly against an inside surface of the inner side wall flaps, forming opposite ends walls for the half section.
- 11. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 10, wherein:a pair of half sections are assembled together in mating, mirror image relationship to one another to enclose one or more articles and form an insert; and said insert is inserted into a box to form said container.
- 12. A shipping container for bottles or other frangible articles, comprising:an insert formed by a pair of substantially identical, mating insert half sections each made from a respective single blank of paper material folded to have a bottom wall and tubular support structures at opposite sides thereof, and flaps on opposite ends of the bottom wall and opposite ends of the tubular support structures, some of said flaps on opposite ends of the bottom wall being foldable into interlocking relationship with some of said flaps on opposite ends of the tubular support structures to form end walls for the insert, and other of said flaps on opposite ends of the bottom wall and on opposite ends of the tubular support structures being foldable into and over opposite ends of the tubular support structures to rigidify the tubular support structures and hold them in erected condition, said tubular support structures forming outer side walls of the half section, said inserts being foldable or collapsible into a flattened condition for storage and shipment of the insert when it is empty, each support structure having recessed portions defining supports for nesting and supporting at least one article along three spatial axes and in spaced relationship to the bottom wall and outer side walls, said half sections placed together in registry with one another and with an article on opposite sides of the article to enclose it; and a box in which the insert is placed to hold the mating half sections together.
- 13. A shipping container as claimed in claim 12, wherein:the insert half sections are each formed from a single blank of folded corrugated cardboard.
- 14. A shipping container as claimed in claim 13, wherein:the insert half sections each comprise a plurality of foldably interconnected panels; at least some of said panels interlocking to hold the half section in its erected condition.
- 15. A shipping container as claimed in claim 14, wherein:adhesive is used between some panels to enhance the strength and rigidity of the insert section, and to assist in holding the insert section in its erected condition.
- 16. A shipping and display container for bottles, comprising:a pair of substantially identical, mating half sections each made from a respective single blank of paper material folded to define spaced apart recessed supports for supporting opposite ends of at least one elongate article along three spatial axes when the article is placed in the recessed supports of the half section, said half sections being configured so that one half section can support at least one article in a secure and visible orientation for display, and a pair of half sections can be placed together in mirror image registry with one another on opposite sides of at least one article to enclose said at least one article and define a shipping container for secure shipping of said at least one article, said elongate article having axially oriented opposite ends and a radial dimension, and each recessed support has an axial support element that engages a respective axially oriented opposite end of an article supported in said one half section to limit axial movement of the article, and a radial support element that engages approximately one half the radial dimension of the article at that support, whereby an article resting on said supports is nested up to approximately one half its radial dimension in one said half section, each half section having a bottom wall, opposite side walls and opposite end walls, and said support elements are spaced from the walls such that an article supported thereon is maintained in spaced relationship to said walls, said recessed supports in each half section being formed in quadrilateral structures at opposite sides of said half section, said quadrilateral structures each formed by a respective side wall and adjoining portion of the bottom wall of a half section, and by a top wall panel foldably joined to a top edge of the respective side wall and extending laterally inwardly therefrom over the back wall in parallel, spaced relationship thereto, and terminating at an inner edge thereof in an inner wall panel foldably joined to the inner edge of the top wall panel and extending downwardly in parallel, spaced relationship to the respective side wall, and terminating at a lower edge thereof in a lower panel lying flat against the back wall and extending toward the opposite side of the half section.
- 17. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 16, wherein:the recessed supports are formed by cut outs in the quadrilateral structures at opposite sides of the half section, the cut outs including a first portion in the inner wall panel of each quadrilateral structure, and a second portion in the top wall panel of each quadrilateral structure, said first portions comprising the radial support elements and said second portions comprising the axial support elements.
- 18. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 17, wherein:the cut outs in the quadrilateral structure at one side of the half section include a U-shaped cut in the side wall panel and a pair of parallel straight lines extending from the top of the U-shaped cut toward the adjacent side wall and perpendicular thereto and terminating at outer ends short of the side wall, defining a piece of material joined to the top wall panel along a fold line extending between the outer ends of the straight lines, said piece of material folded downwardly into the quadrilateral structure and having a first section joined to the fold line and extending parallel to but spaced from the side wall and defining the axial support element in that quadrilateral structure, and a second section joined along a fold line to a lower end of the first section and defining a pad lying flat against the back wall of the half section.
- 19. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 18, wherein:the lower panel and pad are adhesively secured to the back wall.
- 20. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 19, wherein:bottom wall end flaps are foldably joined to opposite ends of said bottom wall, side wall end flaps are foldably joined to opposite ends of said side walls, and inner wall panel flaps are foldably joined to opposite ends of said inner wall panel, in each quadrilateral structure; and said side wall flaps are folded inwardly over opposite ends of the respective quadrilateral structures.
- 21. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 20, wherein:the lower panels extend inwardly over the bottom wall into contiguous relationship with one another, forming a double thickness bottom wall extending between the quadrilateral structures at opposite sides of the half section; and said bottom wall flaps include first bottom wall flaps foldably joined to opposite ends of the double thickness bottom wall, and second bottom wall flaps foldably joined to opposite ends of the bottom wall in the area beneath the quadrilateral structures.
- 22. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 21, wherein:the inner wall panel flaps are folded inwardly toward one another across opposite ends of the double thickness bottom wall; said second bottom wall flaps are folded upwardly and inwardly over the side wall flaps to close the ends of the quadrilateral structures and hold them in erected condition; and said first bottom wall flaps include a first section folded upwardly against an outer surface of the inner wall panel flaps, and a second section folded downwardly against an inside surface of the inner wall panel flaps, forming opposite ends walls for the half section.
- 23. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 22, wherein:a pair of half sections are assembled together in mating, mirror image relationship to one another to enclose one or more articles and form an insert; and said insert is inserted into a box to form said container.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/172,689, filed Dec. 20, 1999, entitled “Shipping Container For Bottles”.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/172689 |
Dec 1999 |
US |