Patent Application
20150210469
Various embodiments relate to packaging assemblies for shower door glass panes.
Conventional packaging assemblies for shower door glass panes include a preassembled shower door assembly or all of the components for a shower door assembly.
According to at least one embodiment, a packaging assembly is provided with a base that is sized to receive at least one shower door glass pane. At least one shower door glass pane is received within the base. A handle is mounted to the base.
According to at least another embodiment, a packaging assembly is provided with a base that is sized to receive at least one shower door glass pane. A plurality of projections extends from a bottom surface of the base to rest upon an underlying support surface and to reduce friction between the packaging assembly and the underlying support surface.
According to at least another embodiment, a packaging assembly is provided with a box sized to receive at least one shower door glass pane. At least one shower door glass pane is received within the box. An opening is formed in opposed surfaces of the box to expose a portion of the at least one shower door glass pane.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
With reference now to
The box 26 is sized to receive the shower doors 22, 24, as well as other protective components. Foam perimeter members 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 are provided with grooves for receiving both shower doors 22, 24 and spacing both shower doors 22, 24 apart. Foam cross members 40 may also be provided for supporting the box 26 and the shower doors 22, 24.
A pair of openings 42, 44 is provided in a front panel 46 of the box 26. The openings 42, 44 permit a customer to view portions of the shower doors 22, 24. Conventional shower door packaging is overwrapped thereby obfuscating a view of the shower doors 22, 24. Additionally, openings are typically provided on only one panel, thereby minimizing light to pass through the doors 22, 24.
Sometimes to compensate for prior art packaging, a full shower assembly may be displayed to illustrate an actual appearance of the shower doors. The packaging assembly 20 also includes an opening 48 formed through the front panel 46 and a rear panel 50 of the box 26 to permit light to pass through the shower doors 22, 24. The opening 48 is extended through a peripheral side 52 of the box 26 to further expose the shower doors 22, 24. The exposed portions of the shower doors 22, 24 may be provided without an additional cover or wrapping to provide a typical unobfuscated view of the shower doors 22, 24. Such exposure may eliminate the need for a separate display for an unpackaged shower door, thereby conserving shelf space. The shower doors 22, 24 may be laterally offset so that only one shower door 24 extends through the opening 48.
One of the foam perimeter members 36 is sized to be mounted to the exposed portion of the shower doors 22, 24 at the opening 48 for protecting the shower doors during transportation. The foam perimeter member 36 is formed separate from adjacent foam perimeter members 34, 38 for removal at retail. Therefore, the view of the shower doors 22, 24 is not disrupted by the foam perimeter members 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38.
The packaging assembly 20 may also include an instruction sheet 47 and a hardware bag 49 retained within the box 26. In the depicted embodiment, the packaging assembly 20 is less than two inches thick, significantly increasing a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) count per display unit.
Shower door assemblies are often removed and returned from a point-of-sale display, while customers are deciding on a style, design or the like. Such handling may cause damage to the shower doors. Removal of a shower door assembly may also cause damage to the door. A customer typically grasps the packaging at a height approximate to an elbow of the customer, due to a natural extension of a hand and forearm. Such a height is typically above a center of gravity of the packaging assembly 20. When the customer attempts to slide the packaging assembly 20 with this grasp, the packaging assembly 20 is often tipped onto a corner, thereby distributing a load of the packaging assembly to a focalized region, which may damage the corner.
In order to minimize such handling, a pull handle 54 is provided on the peripheral side 52 of the box 26 at an elevation below the center of gravity of the packaging assembly 20. The handle 54 may be formed from a plastic material for flexibility and structural integrity. By placement of the pull handle 54 below the center of gravity, the customer is encouraged to pull the packaging assembly 20 at a location wherein the packaging assembly 20 is less likely to tip.
With reference now to
The sidewalls 58, 60 of the internal corner protectors 56 include channels 74 to receive a banding material to band the internal corner protectors 56 to the shower doors 22, 24. Additionally shrink wrap may be added to protect surfaces of the shower doors 22, 24. A series of apertures 76 are formed in the sidewalls 58, 60 for fastening to external corner protectors 78, 80, which are illustrated in
The upper external corner protectors 78 are illustrated in greater detail in
Alternatively, the box 26 may be provided over the internal corner protectors 56. In this example, the locking protrusions 84, 92 of the upper external corner protectors 78 and the lower external corner protectors 80 pierce the box 26 to fasten within the apertures 76 of the internal corner protectors 56.
While various embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
