FOLDED AND GLUED DISPLAY CONTAINER HAVING INTEGRAL SHELF ELEMENTS

Abstract

A folded and glued container that quickly erects into a container having multiple shelf structures is formed of a plurality of panels defining a back panel, a front panel opposite the back panel, two longitudinally opposite endwall panels joined to the back panel and the front panel. The container further includes two laterally opposite sidewalls joined to the front panel. The back panel is integrally joined to one of the two endwall panels and attached to the other of the two endwall panels. Inwardly folded bellows panels extend between and integrally joined to the other of the two endwall panels and the sidewalls. When the sidewalls are folded upwardly from a knock-down-flat configuration of the container, the sidewalls erect the two endwall panels and the back panel into a rectilinear box in which multiple shelf panels cut out from the front panel are erected in unison into their final configuration.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the structure and production of corrugated paperboard and similar containers using fold-and-glue production line techniques. The containers are produced from strategically placed folds and adhered panel surfaces of an integral die-cut blank. During container erection, panels coupled by fold and glue connections are hinged on axes at folds, for opening the container from a knocked-down flat state to an open state having shelves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Corrugated craft and paperboard containers are made from one or more pieces of flat stock that are typically die cut into shapes that define various panels. The panels define the container top and bottom panels, side walls, front and back, and any internal reinforcements, partitions and other structural members that are needed to form the particular container structure.

Preferably, the container consists essentially of the minimum number of discrete pieces that are necessary to provide the walls and other structural members that make up the container. Ideally, a container might consist of a single integral flat sheet wherein all the structural members are panel areas defined between spaced folds in the sheet or adjacent to edges at which tabs mechanically or adhesively join the respective panels to other panels. Preferably, a container is erected or assembled with a minimum number of manual or mechanical motions.

Typically, containers comprise one or more sheets where structural panels exist between spaced folds. An overlapping strip or panel is typically glued, taped, or affixed by a fastener to an adjacent panel. Alternatively, a tab might be inserted into a slot or otherwise captured to affix panels in a shape defining the container. The panels form a closed perimeter around a space within the container, and may include partitions, reinforcements, doubled thicknesses and the like at different places. The various panels typically include side walls, a top and/or bottom, etc., at least partly bounding a volume as a full or partial enclosure when in place.

Advantageously, empty containers are supplied in a collapsed or flattened parallelogram state (known as knocked-down-flat or “KDF”), for efficient storage, handling and shipping. Before packing with contents, the containers are opened out into a hollow form wherein the panels are folded to reside in orthogonal planes. Parallel panels are generally spaced from one another.

Such containers can be more or less complicated, and the challenge to design a container with only one or a few integral sheet pieces is increasingly greater for structures that require more structural members. For complicated container structures, multiple integral pieces are often needed and/or a large number of assembly operations. A very simple container known, for example, might consist of four integrally connected side walls, each of which has a top and bottom flap. More complicated containers may have doubled-over panels, reinforcing folded parts, inter-engaging tabs and slots, volume partitions and other features.

Paperboard and corrugated containers advantageously are produced by fold-and-glue production line techniques. A blank is oriented and cut into a pattern that includes adjacent panel areas. Preferential fold lines are formed between panels by perforations, slits or crimp lines. The integral die cut sheets are fed through a fold-and-glue production line, such as those available from Bobst Group, Inc. of Roseland, N.J. As the blanks are advanced, adhesive is applied to limited areas where surfaces are to be adhered. Guides and rollers hold and fold-over certain panels in a designed order so that the panels are adhered where necessary. The containers that emerge are in a knocked down flat (KDF) state for shipping or storage, and are ready to be erected into their final configuration prior to being loaded with contents. Erection comprises applying pressure manually or using a machine that causes parallel panels in KDF state to become displaced, and panels abutting one another at folds to hinge around the axis of the fold, thereby articulating the panels into a final shape where typically certain panels are spaced and parallel and other panels are adjacent and perpendicular.

A simple regular slotted carton (RSC) version of such a container might comprise a blank of four rectangular panels serially abutting one another at folds, wherein the panels are to be front/rear and side walls of the container, and oppositely protruding flaps are to overlap to form the top and bottom. The fold-and-glue line affixes the free ends of the first and last serially abutting panels at a glued strip, while folding the blank in half. Pressing inwardly from diagonally opposite corners opens the container from a flattened parallelogram into a rectilinear box, whereupon folding the flaps inwardly by 90° from their adjoined panels completes the erection. In relatively more complicated full or partial containers, various panels may need to be folded in appropriate directions in appropriate order. Various tabs may need to be inserted into respective slots and so forth.

Containers as described can be used for displaying items or goods for the consumers at the point-of-sale location. Minimizing the effort and complication required to erect and set up the containers is an important factor for the viability and success of the particular container design. Thus, the number of parts required to erect or assemble the containers from their KDF configuration is an important element in the acceptability of the container design.

Generally, a container design is most efficient if most or all of its parts are integral parts and extensions a single flat blank, i.e., integral parts of the same sheet of material. A container that comprises multiple discrete parts may still be relatively efficient if the parts are adhered or otherwise captured in one anther. However, separate parts such as separate lids, loose partitions, shelves, reinforcing inserts and the like require attention to inventory, manual assembly steps and other complications during the production, erection and set up of the container. Such separate parts are not desirable. However it is difficult to design a complex container in one piece. It is particularly difficult to do so if the container has structural complications such as tiered shelves or if the container is expected to have movable functional elements such as self erecting parts.

In a container that has multiple discrete pieces, it is possible to exploit relative movement between the pieces. In commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/623,395, filed Jan. 16, 2007, a container is disclosed wherein tiered shelves are provided, cut partly from a front panel along fold lines, and attached at the back to a discrete separate panel that is carried within the container. The separate panel is movable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the shelf fold, to cause the tiered shelves to erect into a horizontal orientation. The container can be produced with a fold and glue production line, but two distinct integral parts must be provided and handled for alignment, gluing, etc. This general sort of tiered shelf container, known in the trade as a “wing,” is useful as a merchandise display. It would be advantageous to provide a wing container that has similar functional advantages but does not require multiple discrete parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this disclosure to provide ways to make and structure a complex container in a tiered shelf arrangement that is self erecting, wherein the shelf and shelf erecting elements preferably are parts of a single integral die cut piece of paperboard, corrugated paper or the like. The product is produced using a fold and glue production technique where the container exterior walls and the shelves are glued in place during manufacturing the shelves are erected in the same movement by which the container is erected.

It is another object to improve on known tiered shelf wing container structures by exploiting the linear displacement or translation that occurs between opposite sides of a parallelogram when the parallelogram is erected from a flat to rectilinear shape. For this purpose, a fold and glue container structure is provided wherein plural panels of an integral sheet abut one another along parallel fold lines, and define (in order) a first endwall, the front, a second endwall and the back. One or preferably several shelves are affixed between the front and the back at folds that are likewise parallel to the fold lines of the integral sheet. In this way, opening out or erecting the container from a knocked down flat state to a rectilinear box shape moves the shelves into position. Moreover, by providing bellows or gusset folds at certain corners joined to lateral sidewalls, simply hinging the lateral sidewalls perpendicular to the plane of the front and/or back erects the container and the shelves in one motion.

The container has a rectilinear shape along its outer surfaces when erected (parallel opposite top and bottom, front and back and opposite lateral sides) and erects from a flattened parallelogram in section (viewed from either lateral side) into a rectangle. The axes of the parallelogram on which the outer panels hinge to erect the container (namely the four folds where the front and back panels joint the top and bottom panels) are parallel to axes at which each of the shelves folds relative to the front and rear panels. The shelves are attached to the front and rear at folds and glued fold flaps. Whereas the hinging axes are all parallel, erecting the parallelogram of the outer panels also erects the smaller parallelograms defined by the shelves and the portions of the front and rear panels between the shelves.

The container does not have any particular fixed or required orientation. Nevertheless, in order to distinguish the panels and parts relative to one another, in this description the “front” is used to refer to the panel where openings are provided between the shelves. The “rear” is the panel behind the shelves and may be a solid wall. The lateral sidewalls extend between the front and rear on the opposite sides, generally at the ends of the shelves. The top and bottom are referred to as endwalls, because the container might be placed with either of its ends facing up, and still has a substantially similar arrangement of vertically tiered shelves that are open to the front and hinged to the back.

Therefore, a folded and glued container disclosed herein comprises a plurality of panels defining a back panel, a front panel opposite the back panel, and two longitudinally opposite endwall panels (which can be deemed the top and bottom) joined to the back panel and the front panel. The plurality of panels further comprises two laterally opposite sidewalls joined to one of the front and back panels, and removably coupled to the other of the front and back panels. When the container is erected, the plurality of panels define an internal space of the container.

The one of the front and back panel preferably is integrally joined at a fold line with to a first one of the two endwall panels and the other of the front and back panels is attached to the second of the two endwall panels by an glued strip, also adjacent to a fold line. In this way, the front, back and endwalls form a parallelogram in cross section. The parallelogram is flat when the container is in a KDF state and is opened into a rectangle when the container is erected. Diagonally inwardly folded bellows panels can be provided, extending between and integrally joined to one endwall panel and its adjacent opposite sidewalls. Thus when the sidewalls are hinged or pivoted over into a position covering the lateral sides of the container, the bellows panels pull said endwall into an orientation perpendicular to the front and back panels. The container is thereby erected from the KDF state to the erected rectangular state. In the erected state, the free edges of the sidewalls can be captured by tab and slot couplings to one of the front and back panels.

Preferably, all the foregoing panels are cut out from a single flat blank and are processed by fold-and-glue steps, in manner a described in detail below. However it would also be possible to provide a structure that is integral before erection by virtue of the fact that the respective non-integral panels or parts thereof have been fixed permanently to one another by gluing them into one affixed body. In any case, the result is that when the sidewalls are hinged perpendicular to their knocked-down-flat KDF configuration to cover the sidewalls of the container, the sidewalls erect the two endwall panels and the back panel into a rectilinear box.

Spaced between the endwall panels, at least one and preferably plural shelf panels are provided. Each shelf panel is cut out from the front panel except along a fold line parallel to the top or bottom endwall. At the fold line, the shelf meets the front panel at a right angle in the erected state. The edge of the shelf opposite from the fold line has a glue strip, also making a right angle in the erected state, and the glue strip is affixed to the back panel at the same height as the fold line at the front panel. Each of the shelf panels and the endwalls remain parallel in parallelogram cross section. When the container is erected, the flattened parallelogram defined by the front, back and endwall in the KDF container, open into a rectangular cross, and likewise draw the shelves into a position perpendicular to the front and back panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A number of additional objects and aspects are apparent from the appended description and the associated illustrations of preferred embodiments, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected container according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the die-cut blank for the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an interim configuration of the die-cut blank of FIG. 2 that is being folded and glued into a KDF container blank;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a KDF container blank made from the die-cut blank of FIG. 2 by a fold and glue machine;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the KDF container blank of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6-9 are sequential perspective views of the KDF container blank of FIG. 5 in the process of being erected in to the container of FIG. 1.

All drawings are schematic and not to scale. Like structures are shown in like reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As will be appreciated, terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “left,” “right,” “up,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,” “front” and “back,” (etc.), used as nouns, adjectives or adverbs (e.g. “horizontally,” “rightward,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” etc.) that appear in this description refer to the orientation of the structure of the invention as the container of the invention happens to be oriented in the particular drawing figure under consideration, with that figure facing the reader. Such terms are not intended to require or limit the invention to a particular orientation. Similarly, the terms “longitudinal” and “lateral” generally refer to the orientation of surfaces or other structures relative to an axis of elongation or axis of rotation, as appropriate.

The terms “connected” and “interconnected”, when used to describe the relationship between two or more structures, denote that the structures are secured or attached either directly or indirectly through intervening structures and include movable connections such as pivoting connections. The terms “integral”, “integrally connected” or “integrally joined” when used to describe the relationship between two or more structures generally means that the structures are comprised of a single piece of material. Often, however, two adhered or otherwise permanently affixed elements function in the same way as an integral single piece. The term “operatively” means that the foregoing direct or indirect connections between such structures allow the structures to operate as described and intended by virtue of such connection.

Lines representing fold lines are shown in the drawings by broken and solid lines that represent lines along which the material can be weakened or caused preferentially to fold by any of various means. For example, corrugated or other material can be compressed along a thin line defining a fold, or can be cut part way through along the line, or cut all or part way through the line at spaced intervals. Each of these and similar techniques form lines along which the material is folded or made readily foldable, in the knocked-down flat (“KDF”) container blank and/or in the erected container.

In the drawings, portions of joints in which glued surfaces are exposed to view and discussed in this description are sometimes shown in the relevant figures by “XXX” patterns, representing an area to which adhesive has been or will be applied. Areas where the glue on a rear face of a respective panel is relevant are at times shown in broken line “XXX” patterns, indicating an adhering surface on a side opposite from the side shown (i.e., the backside).

Referring to FIG. 1, a folded and glued container 100 according to an embodiment is shown in an erected configuration. The container 100 is a generally rectilinear box container comprised of six major panels defined by a back panel 10, longitudinally opposite endwalls 20a, 20b, a front panel 40 opposite from the back panel 10 and two laterally opposite sidewalls 30a, 30b.

The front panel 40 comprises a plurality of front face panels 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d, which are spaced by gaps corresponding to locations at which the shelf panels 60 are folded 90 degrees relative to the front panel 40, and from the front to the back to define useful areas within the volume of the container for supporting items (not shown) to be displayed on the shelves.

The front face panels 44a-44d are portions that are cut along one line from a continuous length for the front panel in the die-cut blank 100a, and fold relative the plane of the front panel along a line spaced from the fold. This aspect is shown in FIG. 2. The front face panels 44a-44d remain in the plane of the front panel, attached by a fold to one edge of the respective shelf panel 60. The shelf panels are separated by die-cutting from the integral sheet of the front panel 40 at the other edge.

The major panels 10, 20a, 20b, 30a, 30b, and 40 substantially define the internal space of the container, knocked down flat when initially produced, and opened out when the container is erected. As the container is erected from its KDF state, the shelf panels 60 likewise hinge, remaining parallel to the endwalls, to form shelves.

In the configuration and/or orientation illustrated in FIG. 1, the front face panels 44a-44d extend upwardly perpendicular to the horizontal surface of their associated shelf panels 60. In this embodiment, the fold joining the shelf to the associated front face panel is at the lower edge of the front face panel. The face panels 44a-44d function as a front fence edge for each of the shelves and prevent items displayed on the shelves from sliding off. It is also possible to put the fold at the upper edge of the front face panel, which leaves the upper surface of the shelf unobstructed at the front.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a die-cut blank 100a for the container 100, according to a preferred embodiment wherein the container is cut from a single integral flat blank sheet of stock material. As discussed above, it is also possible to provide a blank that comprises affixed integral portions of or two or more smaller blanks.

The die-cut blank 100a can be cut, for example, from a sheet of corrugated craft board, paperboard or other suitable sheet material. A number of thicknesses can be die cut in a single step. Preferably, the die-cut blank 100a is cut out individually so that fold lines in the die-cut blank can be appropriately scored, creased, compressed or perforated at the same time that the perimeter of the die-cut blank is parted away from the blank sheet. All fold lines in the die-cut blank 100a are appropriately scored, creased, compressed or perforated to allow the two adjacent panels that are joined along a particular fold line can be preferentially folded in a desired direction.

The shelf panels 60 (advantageously two or more shelf panels are provided) are cut out of the front panel and form shelves. In this illustrated example, three shelf panels 60 are die-cut formed from the front panel 40. Each of the shelf panels 60 is integrally joined to the front face panels 44a-44d along a fold line 6f while cut or detached from the front face panels 44a-44d along the die-cut line 64. Each of the shelf panels 60 is provided with one or more glue-tab portions 62 for attaching to the back panel 10 during the interim assembly into the KDF container blank. In the illustrated example, the glue-tabs 62 are configured as a single tab for each of the shelf panels 60 extending for the lateral length of the shelf. However, the glue-tabs 62 can be configured as more than one tab per shelf panel 60. Each of the shelf panels 60 has a depth defined as the distance between the fold line 6f joining the shelf panel to the front panel and the second fold line 8f joining the one or more tabs to the shelf panel. This depth of the shelf panel is substantially equal to the distance between the front panel and the back panel when the container 100 is erected.

Optionally, a portion of the sidewalls 30a, 30b adjacent to each of the shelf panels 60 is removed during the die-cut process leaving behind openings H. As shown in the fully assembled view of FIG. 1, these openings H form decorative openings along the sidewalls 30a, 30b and may be cut into any variety of desired shapes.

The various panels of the container 100 described above can be seen in the die-cut blank 100a. The die-cut blank 100a comprises the back panel 10 that is integrally joined to a first endwall 20b along a fold line 1f. The first endwall 20b is joined to the front panel 40 along a fold line 5f. The front panel 40 is joined to a second endwall 20a along a fold line 2f. The second endwall 20a has a glue application region 23 to which glue is applied by the fold and glue machine and attached to the tab 14 of the back wall 10 during the assembly into a KDF container blank 100b shown in FIG. 4. These fold lines define parallel hinging axes for the parts that abut said fold lines.

Bellows panels or gusset fold joints 25 are provided, extending between the second endwall 20a and the sidewalls 30a, 30b so as to render the front/back and endwall panels self erecting when the sidewalls 30a, 30b are hinged to 90 degrees from their abutting major panel (in this example, the sidewalls abut at a fold to the front panel). The bellows panels 25 are tab-like structures extending between two orthogonally oriented panels near a corner of a rectilinear container that enables automatic or coordinated erection of the joined panels when one of the two joined panels are raised. Each of the bellows panels 25 includes a diagonal fold line 7f that divides the bellows into two substantially triangular portions. One triangular portion of each of the bellows panels 25 is integrally joined to the endwall 20a along a side edge defined by fold lines 12f. This triangular portion is not glued. The second triangular portions of the gusset fold joints 25, across the diagonal fold line 7f, is adhered on a side that is folded under and bears against the adjacent sidewalls 30a, 30b when the die-cut blank 100 is glued and folded into the KDF container blank 100b. Thus, the second triangular portions are noted with “XX” symbols showing the areas that are glued.

The die-cut blank 100a is preliminarily assembled by processing the blank 100a through a fold and glue machine to accomplish successive steps wherein glue is applied and various panels are folded over and compressed against other panels where the glue surface adheres and sets. As the die-cut blank 100a advances through the fold and glue machine, adhesive is applied by roller, spray or other techniques to respective parts that need to adhere. Panels, flaps or strips that need to be folded over are urged by to advance in a feed direction by drive rollers, and pass along ramp-like deflectors that turn and fold the necessary parts around crease lines. Over and under rollers compress the folded over panels. The container blanks are processed one after another and stacked, which further compresses the adhered surfaces.

The fold-and-glue process as described may be carried out by fold-and-glue machines, such as those available from Bobst Group, Inc. of Roseland, N.J. Fold-and-glue machines apply adhesive to pre-selected areas of the die-cut blank and preliminarily fold over pre-selected panels, and are generally reconfigurable to run containers of different sizes, different numbers of shelves and other variations. The end result is an assembled but knocked down flat KDF container blank 100b, shown in FIG. 4.

During the process of gluing and folding the die-cut blank 100a to produce the KDF container blank 100b, the glue-tab areas 62, 23 and the glue area portion of the bellows panels 25 are glued. The back panel 10 is then folded along the fold line 1f and attached to the glued-tab areas 62 of the shelf panels 60. This interim stage is illustrated in FIG. 3. The glued-tab areas 62 are shown in broken X lines under the folded over back panel 10. Next, the endwall panel 20a is folded along the fold line 2f over onto the back panel 10 such that the glued-tab 23 on the endwall panel 20a overlaps the tab 14 of the back panel 10 and is glued to the tab 14. Because the bellows panels 25 on either side of the endwall panel 20a are integrally joined to the endwall panel 20a, they also get folded along the fold line 2f along with the endwall panel 20a. Thus, the glued portions of the bellows panels 25 get attached to the sidewalls 30a, 30b. The resulting configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 is the KDF container blank 100b that can be shipped to the end users who will erect the KDF container blank 100b into the final container 100. All glued areas in the die-cut blank 100a are at this point attached to the intended mating parts, and cured, e.g., by cooling or chemical reaction. All glued areas are on the back sides of the panels facing the viewer in FIG. 4, which is shown by “XXX” symbols in broken lines.

In an alternate embodiment, the shelf panels 60 and the bellows panels 25 may be attached to their respective mating parts, the back panel 10 and the sidewalls 30a, 30b by use of fasteners rather than glue. Suitable fasteners can be, for example, one or more staples, clips, rivets, etc. In a container of sheet material comprising thermoplastic or the like, the mating parts can be welded.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the KDF container blank 100b ready to be erected into the final container configuration. The containers are compact when stacked flat and generally containers 100 would be shipped to the end users in the KDF container blank 100b configuration and erected by the end user into the container 100. It is thus desirable that the erection be simple and sure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the tuck tabs 12a, 12b on the back panel 10 are first folded up along the fold lines 3f and then folded in the opposite direction along the fold lines 4f. Referring to FIG. 7, next the sidewalls 30a, 30b are folded upward along the fold lines 11f. As the sidewalls 30a, 30b are folded upward, by operation of the bellows panels 25 which will fold inwardly along the fold the fold lines 7f, the endwall panel 20a are pushed up and raised. Because the back panel 10 is now joined to both endwall panels 20a, 20b, the back panel 10, endwall panels 20a, 20b and the front panel 40 first form an interim structure whose longitudinal cross-section is a parallelogram and then open into a rectilinear box-like configuration so that the back panel 10 and the endwall panels 20a, 20b are perpendicular to each other. The parallelogram interim transient configuration is shown in FIG. 11. At the same time, because the shelf panels 60 are attached to the interior surface of the back panel 10, the shelf panels 60 are pulled up by the back panel 10. The shelf panels 60 fold upward along the fold lines 6f into the interior space of the container being formed and raised in parallel formation with the endwall panels 20a, 20b. As mentioned above, the fold lines 6f are appropriately scored or creased to preferentially fold in the desired direction allowing the shelf panels 60 to fold as described. The self-erecting operation of the bellows panels 25 can be helped along by folding up the endwall panel 20b along the fold line 5f if necessary. The depth of the shelf panels 60 is generally preferred to be substantially equal to the distance between the front panel 40 and the back panel 10, defined by the width of the two endwall panels 30a, 30b, in the fully erect container 100. This allows the shelf structures in the container 100 to be in perpendicular orientation to the back panel 10 and the front panel 40.

Referring to FIG. 8, the rectilinear box-like configuration is shown. The endwall panels 20a, 20b are in perpendicular orientation to the back panel 10 and the front panel 40. Next, the tabs 26 of the endwall panel 20b are folded inwardly along the fold lines 10f. Then, the tabs 32a, 32b of the sidewalls 30a, 30b are folded along the fold lines 11f toward the interior of the container structure and the sidewalls 30a, 30b are folded into their final perpendicular orientation as illustrated in FIG. 9. Finally, the tuck tabs 12a, 12b are tucked into the slots 34a, 34b that are provided along the fold line 11f of the sidewalls 30a, 30b, completing the erection of the container 100 and fixing the container in a rectilinear shape. The slots 34a, 34b may be formed by making appropriate cuts in the fold line 11f during the die-cut operation from the stock sheet material. Referring back to FIG. 1, the bottom-most shelf is actually formed by the endwall panel 20b rather than by one of the shelf panels 60. And one of the shelf panels 60 is integrally joined to the front face panel 44a and, in the orientation of the container 100 shown in FIG. 1, does not function as a shelf at all. However, it should be noted that the container 100 may be flipped top to bottom from the orientation shown in FIG. 1 if appropriate.

The invention having been disclosed in connection with the foregoing variations and examples, additional variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is not intended to be limited to the variations specifically mentioned, and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of preferred examples, to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.

Claims

1. An erectable container comprising:

a plurality of panels defining a back panel, a front panel opposite the back panel, two longitudinally opposite endwall panels joined to the back panel and the front panel, two laterally opposite sidewalls joined to the front panel, the plurality of panels defining an internal space of the container, the back panel being integrally joined to one of the two endwall panels and attached to the other of the two endwall panels; and

at least one shelf panel cut out from the front panel for forming a shelf, each said at least one shelf panel being integrally joined to the front panel along one side and attached to the back panel along an opposite side,

wherein when the rectilinear box is being erected from a knocked-down-flat configuration, the shelf panel is erected in unison with erection into a final configuration.

2. The container of claim 1, further comprising inwardly folded bellows panels extending between and integrally joined between the other of the two endwall panels and the sidewalls, such that folding the sidewalls upwardly from the knocked-down-flat configuration, draws the two endwall panels and the back panel into a rectilinear box shape.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the plurality of panels are cut from a single sheet of stock material and integrally joined.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the shelf panels comprises one or more tabs for attaching to the back panel and has a depth defined as the distance between a first fold line joining the shelf panel to the front panel, and a second fold line joining the one or more tabs to the shelf panel, the depth being substantially equal to the distance between the front panel and the back panel.

5. A container comprising:

a plurality of panels of an integral sheet of stock material, wherein each of at least four of the panels defining a front, back and two endwalls each abut two adjacent ones of the panels along fold lines with at least attachment strip joining ends of the integral sheet such that the ate least four of the panels define a closed form that is can be knocked down flat as a parallelogram in cross section and erected from the parallelogram to a rectangular shape;

at least one shelf partially cut out from the front adjacent to a fold line between the shelf and the front, wherein a strip of the shelf spaced from the fold line is affixed to the back along a fold line, and wherein the fold lines between the shelf and the front, between the shelf and the back and at abutments of said panels are parallel, such that the shelf remains parallel to the endwalls, wherein erection of the closed form from the parallelogram to the rectangular shape brings the shelf and the endwalls perpendicular to the panels defining the front and back.

6. The container of claim 5, further comprising two side walls, each joined along a fold line on a lateral side of the container to at least one of said panels defining the front and back, wherein each of said side walls is affixable to a respective other of said panels defining the front and the back at an edge opposite from the fold, thereby fixing the container in the rectangular shape when erected.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the edge opposite from the fold comprises a tab and slot structure complementary with the respective other of said panels defining the front and the back.

8. The container of claim 6, further comprising a bellows fold between at least one of the side walls and at least one of the endwalls, wherein the bellows fold comprises a triangular portion configured upon hinging of said at least one of the side walls to hinge said one of the endwalls relative to one of the front and the back.

9. A container production method, comprising:

cutting from an integral flat blank of sheet stock material and providing preferential folds defining a plurality of panels, wherein each of at least four said panels define, in order, a front, a first endwall, a back and a second endwall, abutting one another along fold lines such that the at least four of the panels define a closed form that is knocked down as a flat parallelogram in cross section;

further cutting from the integral flat blank a plurality of shelf panels, wherein each of said shelf panels is separated from the front at a fold line and has an attachment edge opposite from the fold line, wherein the attachment edge, the fold lines of the shelf panels and the fold lines of the front, endwalls and back are parallel to one another;

attaching said at least four of the panels in the closed form by affixing at least one attachment strip at least along one line crossing the closed form, and attaching the attachment edge of each of the shelf panels to the back; and,

erecting the closed form from the flat parallelogram to a rectangular shape, thereby bringing the shelves and the endwalls perpendicular to the front and back.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing side walls extending laterally from the closed form along at least one of the front and the back, and fixing the rectangular shape by attaching the sidewalls between the front and the back after said erecting step.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing side walls extending laterally along a fold line from the closed form along at least one of the front and the back, and forming a bellows fold between the side walls and the endwalls such that hinging the side walls from parallel to perpendicular to the front and the back, hinges the endwalls relative to the front and the back orthogonally to the side walls.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising hinging said sidewalls to erect the closed form and affixing the closed form in a rectilinear shape by attaching the sidewalls between the front and back at a point spaced from the fold line.