CONVERTIBLE DISPLAY CARTON

A display carton, convertible between a closed configuration and an open display configuration, is used for storing and displaying a packaged product therein. The display carton comprises a base member and a lid member connected to the base member and foldable into a built-in stand-up display or support system. The lid member is folded back behind a bottom wall of the base and a front flap of the lid containing a tab can be folded out to minimize the angle of elevation of the carton, such that the contents therein cannot slide or fall out. In the closed configuration, a fastener is placed at a portion of the lower edge of the front flap, i.e., the tab, and a portion of the bottom wall of the base member, such that the adhesive spans two generally perpendicular surfaces for a secure closure.

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Description
FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a display carton, and more specifically to a display carton convertible between a closed configuration and an open display configuration.

BACKGROUND

It is common to ship a multitude of packaged products together in a closed carton to a retailer, who can then open the carton and remove the products therefrom or can open the carton top in order to display the packaged products therein without removing them from the carton. However, simply removing the lid of the carton that the products were shipped in and placing the carton flat on a display surface or counter can result in the contents of the carton not being advantageously visible or displayed; such as if the bottom of the carton were to be propped or positioned at an upright angle for easier viewing. Therefore, shipping cartons are available that can also double as a display carton, such that the display carton can be angled when placed on a display surface.

For example, to prop the carton at a slight angle, the end user can completely rip off or otherwise completely remove the lid from the base of the carton and place the lid underneath the carton, in an effort to prop up the carton and provide a support or stand for the carton without requiring the end user to purchase or make a separate stand. However, this requires the end user to either cut, rip, or tear the lid off of the package to remove the lid and can result in the lid and/or the base having an uneven tear, which can give the carton an appearance that the carton is damaged or torn; not aesthetically pleasing for a display carton. Furthermore, the lid removed in this manner and simply placed underneath the base of the carton may not provide a very sturdy support, and the carton may slip or slide off the lid or simply compact the lid due to the weight of the carton on it.

Another alternative, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 939,234 issued to Eickhorn, is to again utilize the lid as the stand or support for the carton but to allow for the lid to remain attached via a hinge to the remainder of the carton and to bend or fold the lid underneath the carton to convert the lid into a stand or support. For instance, the lid typically comprises a top panel and a front flap that is at about 90 degrees to the top panel; thus, the front flap and top panel can form a right angle. An advantage of the right angle is that a fastener can be affixed partially to a lowermost edge of the front flap and partially to a bottom panel of the carton such that it is essentially placed around the bottom corner of the carton in two planes. This technique of affixing the fastener over two perpendicular surfaces, or two different planes of the carton, provides added support for the fastener and aids in keeping the carton securely closed.

When the lid is folded underneath the base of the carton, the front flap of the lid is approximately the same height as the height of the carton itself when in the closed position. Upon opening the lid and folding it backwards underneath the base, the front flap of the lid becomes the support point or wall for the stand, thus resulting in an angle of incline for the display stand that is a factor of the height of the front flap. This can be too steep depending upon the depth of the carton. As a result of the steep angle, the contents of the carton are more prone to slip or slide out of the base of the carton, over the front panel of the base and onto the display surface (or floor).

Alternatively, to compensate for the steep angle of inclination of the display stand due to the full front flap height, some cartons have been manufactured where the front flap is shorter than the height of the carton, i.e., the front flap does not extend all the way down along the side of the carton base when in the closed position, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,324 issued to Stone et al. Although this may result in a smaller angle of incline due to a shorter front panel, it provides an obstacle to keeping the lid in the closed position. In the instance where the front flap is shorter, i.e., not equal to the full height of the carton, the lowermost edge of the front flap does not reach or intersect the bottom edge of the carton and thus the fastener can only be placed in one plane or on one surface, i.e., on a portion of the front flap of the lid and a portion of the front panel of the base beneath it, thus making it easier for the fastener or adhesive to come loose or undone and to prematurely open the lid due to the fastener not being securely fastened upon two surfaces. Additionally, where the front flap is shorter than the height of the carton, the shorter front flap does not add to the stacking strength of the assembled, closed carton. As a result, to compensate for this lack of strength a heavier, more costly carton material may be used to manufacture the carton.

As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,497,536, issued to Billstein, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,294,965, issued to Davidson, another alternative to the above carton is where not only the lid is folded back as a support surface but a portion of a front or back end panel of the base is also folded back with it. This either requires a second carton piece, or blank, to be added to the carton during manufacture to provide a replacement wall for the one being folded back, as in U.S. Pat. No. 1,497,536, or where no additional blank or piece is added, a wall of the carton would just be missing, leaving behind a hole or gap in the side of the carton, as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,294,965. Where a second blank is added to the carton it provides for a secondary panel that remains intact when the lid plus a primary panel, e.g., the front or back end panel that the secondary panel will replace, are folded underneath the base. In this case, an additional blank added to the construction of the carton increases manufacturing costs and unnecessarily wastes extra materials in order to duplicate carton walls. Where there is no secondary back up panel, a part of the carton remains open at the end where the wall was removed. In this second case, opening up the carton on two surfaces, e.g., a top and side, results in two openings in the carton, which creates another outlet out of which the contents of the carton can fall or slide.

SUMMARY

A display carton convertible between a closed configuration and an open display configuration, the display carton utilizing its lid member as a stand-up display or support system in the display configuration. The carton advantageously can have an angle of inclination that is independent of the depth of the container, and where the front of the lid intersects the bottom panel at approximately a right angle to accommodate a fastener.

The display carton comprises a base member and a lid member connected to the base member along a primary hinge. The base member includes a bottom wall, a pair of upstanding side walls, a back end wall and a front end wall that together form an inner compartment. The lid member includes a top panel connected to the back end wall along the primary hinge, a pair of opposing inclined side panels and a front end flap. The front end flap has a tab or extension at a lower edge portion of the flap, opposite the intersection of the flap and the top panel, the tab being foldable along the lower edge portion of the flap. The top panel of the lid further includes a secondary hinge that divides the top panel into a major and minor segment, with the minor segment located between the primary and secondary hinge and being smaller in length than the major segment. The lid is foldable along the primary and secondary hinges as well as along the tab when forming the display stand of the carton.

The attached configuration of the lid to the base allows the lid to be opened easily and converted into a display support without cutting or tearing the lid and/or the carton and thus allowing all of the walls of the base and lid to remain intact and provide additional support to the packaged product therein. The carton in the closed configuration and the carton in the open display configuration is made up of one contiguous piece, therefore, converting the carton from the closed to the open display configuration does not require use of additional pieces or fasteners in order to assemble the carton in the display configuration. As a result of the tab being foldable along the front end flap, the carton, when placed in the display configuration, can be displayed at an angle of elevation that is not as steep as typical display cartons, whose angle can be dependent upon their depth.

In the closed configuration, the top panel of the lid covers an opening in the base member, and the front flap and unfolded tab of the lid contact the front end wall of the base such that the front flap and tab lie relatively flush with the front end wall and together are relatively the same height as the front end wall of the base. This orientation allows for a fastener or adhesive to be placed along the bottom edge of the carton formed by the front flap/tab and bottom wall. The adhesive is essentially placed along two perpendicular surfaces or planes of the carton, e.g., the front flap/tab and the bottom wall of the base, thus providing a secure closure for the carton. Furthermore, having the front of the lid (i.e., the front flap and tab) intersecting the bottom wall can also advantageously provide for increased stacking strength of the carton in the closed configuration.

In the open display configuration, the fastener seal is broken or removed and the lid member is removed from the opening in the base and folded back around the back end wall of the base and around the bottom wall to provide a partially attached stand-up display support or stand for the carton. The lid member remains attached to the carton at the primary hinge along the intersection of the minor segment and an upper edge of the back end wall. This allows the user to easily open the lid by lifting it up from the opening in the base and folding the lid around the back end wall along the primary hinge and further around the bottom wall by folding along the secondary hinge. When the lid is folded into the display position, the minor segment is relatively flush with the back end wall and the major segment is relatively flush with a portion of the bottom wall.

Additionally, the tab along the front end flap can be foldable between two orientations; a first position that is in the same plane as the front flap and a second position that is foldable at an angle to the front flap. The tab can be kept in the first position when the carton is in the closed configuration, and the tab can be folded along the lower edge portion of the flap into the second position, where the tab is at an angle to the front flap, when the carton is converted to the open display configuration. Placing the tab in the second position and resting the lid on the folded tab together with the inclined side panels of the top panel, provide for the display surface of the carton to be at a slight angle when in the display configuration, which is a smaller angle than if the carton would rest on the unfolded tab in the first position. The angle of elevation of the display carton can therefore be adjusted to not be as steep compared to typical cartons when the lids are folded over in a similar manner and do not have a foldable flap or tab. The tab feature attached to the front flap allows for the lid to maintain a front panel portion that is as high as the walls of the base when in the closed configuration, i.e., where the front panel portion of the lid is equal to the front flap plus the tab, yet allows the front panel portion to be foldable so that the vertical support of the display stand corresponds to the height of the front flap while the tab is folded into the second position.

Additionally, the top panel of the lid and the bottom wall of the base contain a locking member and an opening segment, respectively, the former of which is insertable into the latter when in the display configuration to secure the bottom wall of the base to the lid/display stand. This creates a secure display position that does not require additional fasteners or adhesives to generally prevent the two from separating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display carton in a closed configuration showing a lid covering the opening of the carton;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the display carton of FIG. 1 in a partially open configuration;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the display carton of FIG. 1 in an open display configuration;

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of the display carton of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the display carton of FIG. 4 along line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the display carton of FIG. 1 in a collapsed configuration; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the display carton of FIG. 6 along lines 7-7.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A display carton convertible between a closed configuration and an open display configuration, the display carton having a base and a lid connected to the base, where the lid remains connected to the base whether in the closed configuration or the open display configuration, is disclosed herein and illustrated in FIGS. 1-7. In particular, the display configuration comprises the lid folded back underneath the base to provide a display support or stand for the carton. The lid includes a front end flap having a tab positioned along a portion of a lowermost edge of the front end flap. When in the closed configuration, the tab is adjacent the bottom wall of the carton and about 90 degrees thereto, such that a fastener can secure the tab, and thus the lid, to the bottom wall. When in the display configuration, the tab can be folded out of the way so that the angle of the edge of the carton is less than if supported on the tab.

Turning to FIG. 1, a display carton 10 is shown in the closed configuration where the lid 14 can cover an opening in an inner compartment 42 of the base 12. A front end panel 19, comprised of the front flap 18 of the lid 14 and the tab 20, can lie flush with a front end wall 40 of the base 12, such that the lid 14 further covers the front end wall 40 with its front end panel 19. The base 12 can comprise a bottom wall 38, a pair of upstanding side walls 32, a back end wall 34 and a front end wall 40. The lid 14 of the display carton 10 is attached to the base 12 along a primary hinge 22, where the primary hinge 22 can be located between the back end wall 34 and a top panel 16 of the lid 14. The top panel 16 of the lid 14 can further include a pair of opposing inclined side panels 30 and a front end flap 18. The front end flap 18 can further include a tab 20 at a lowermost edge portion 13 of the front end flap 18. The tab 20 can be positioned opposite an intersecting edge 11 of the top panel 16 and the front end flap 18. The top panel 16 can further include a secondary hinge 24 that extends between side edges 31 of the lid and where the secondary hinge 24 can be positioned closer to the primary hinge 22 than to the front end flap 18 of the lid 14.

The top panel 16 further includes a receiving member 46 and the bottom wall 38 of the base 12 further includes a locking member 44 which mates with the receiving member 46 after the lid 14 is folded back into an open display configuration, to be discussed in more detail herein. Also located on a portion of the front end panel 19 and at the bottom wall 38 of the base 12 may be a fastener 48 adhesively secured thereat that aids in keeping the lid 14 closed when the carton 10 is in a closed configuration. Any fastener 48 that is typically used to secure packages and cartons may be used, such as a piece of tape, as partially shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, having the front end panel 19 of the lid 14 equal to the height of the carton 10 (i.e., where the front flap 18 plus the tab 20 together equal the height of the carton 10) and intersecting the bottom wall 38 can also advantageously provide for increased stacking strength of the carton 10 when in the closed configuration.

The secondary hinge 24 of the lid 14 is positioned such that the distance between the primary hinge 22 and the secondary hinge 24 is generally the same distance as the height of the back end wall 34 of the base 12. This is so that when the lid 14 is folded back into the display configuration the distance between the primary hinge 22 and secondary hinge 24 can line up with the height of the back end wall 34 so the lid 14 can wrap around it and continue around to the bottom wall 38. Additionally, the height of the front end flap 18 and the height of the tab 20 together have a combined height that can be substantially the same as the height of the front end wall 40 of the base 12. For example, the height of the front end flap 18 alone is less than the height of the front end wall 40 of the base 12. Furthermore, the position of the side panels 30 of the lid 14 is such that the side panels 30 typically do not extend beyond the secondary hinge 24, or in particular, the side panels 30 do not extend between the primary hinge 22 and the secondary hinge 24. The angle of incline of the side panels 30 may be about 15 degrees to about 30 degrees, and preferably is about 20 degrees, although other angles of inclination can be utilized. Additionally, the secondary hinge 24 divides the top panel 16 into a major segment 28 and a minor segment 26, with the minor segment 26 extending between the primary hinge 22 and the secondary hinge 24. The length of the minor segment 26 is generally equal to the height of the back end wall 34 and the length of the major segment 28 is at least equal to half the length of the bottom wall 38 of the base. The length of the side panels 30 depending from the lid 14 typically have a length that is not greater than the length of the major segment 28, such that the side panels 30 can be as long as the major segment 28 or less.

When the display carton 10 is placed in, or being placed in, the open display configuration as shown in FIGS. 2-5, the fastener seal is broken and the lid 14 can be removed from the opening in the base 12 and can be folded back along the primary hinge 22 over the back end wall 34 until the minor segment 26 lays relatively flush with, or adjacent to, the back end wall 34 and can be further folded along the secondary hinge 24 until the major segment 28 lays relatively flush with, or adjacent to, a portion of the bottom wall 38. Once placed in this position, the locking member 46 can be inserted into the opening segment 44 in the bottom wall 38 to lock the bottom wall 38 and the top panel 16 of the lid 14 together. In one aspect, the locking member 46 may comprise a tab located in a portion of the top panel 16 of the lid 14, where the tab can be relatively symmetric and has at least one free end, and in particular, at least three free ends such that the locking member tab is moveable about a hinge. In one aspect, the locking member 46 may comprise a triangular-shaped cut-out that has slits cut therein on at least three sides. Preferably, the locking member 46 is substantially wider than the opening segment 44, such that it actually becomes locked in place when its wider edges become lodged within the opening segment 44. In this aspect, the wider edge portions or corners of the locking member 46 are positioned through the opening segment 44 and into the interior section of the carton 10.

The locking member 46 may be pressed into the opening segment 44 when the bottom wall 38 is placed in contact with the top panel 16 in the display configuration. Typically, the interior of the carton 10 will be filled with a packaged product and therefore it can be difficult for a user to do the reverse upon locking, i.e., to press the opening segment flap 44 into the locking member 46. Thus, inserting the locking member 46 into the opening segment 44 is preferred. The opening segment 44 can further have a flap moveable about a hinge 50 to expose the opening segment 44 in the bottom wall 38. The locking member 46 in the top panel 16 may be pressed into the opening segment 44 by applying pressure thereto in a direction towards the interior of the carton 10, such as in a direction perpendicular to the top panel 16. This force can push the locking member 46 into the opening segment 44. The opening segment 44 may comprise any type of cut or slit shaped to receive the locking member 46 and, for example, the opening segment 44 can be relatively symmetric. In another aspect, the opening segment 44 may be a square or rectangular shaped opening. Where a moveable flap is included, the shape of the flap may compliment the shape of the opening segment 44 and can have one end connected to the hinge 50.

Additionally, to mount the carton 10 in its display configuration at a proper angle of elevation, the tab 20 located at an edge portion 13 of the flap 18 can be folded into a second position such that it can be used as an additional support structure in displaying the carton 10. The angle of elevation α, is the angle formed between the bottom wall 38 of the carton 10 with the display surface underneath the carton 10 (e.g., a shelf, counter, table, floor, etc.). In the open display configuration, the base 12 of the carton 10 is supported by the top surface of the folded top panel 16 of the lid 14, where an edge of the base 12 defined by the intersection of the back end wall 34 and the bottom wall 38, rests in a corner of the display support formed by the intersection of the folded minor and major segments 26 and 28 at a 90 degree angle to each other. The display support, i.e., the lid 14, can be supported upon a bottom edge 29 of the side panels 30 and upon the front flap 18 and tab 20, where the bottom edge 29 is a part of the side panels 30 that does not intersect with any other portion of the lid 14.

In the display configuration, the tab 20 is folded into its second position such that the carton 10 is supported upon the top surface of the lid 14 and a bottom edge 13 of the front flap 18, which is along the fold line 36 of the tab 20, and the tab 20 itself. As a result, the carton 10 is displayed at an angle of elevation that corresponds to the angle of inclination of the bottom edge 29 of the side panels 30 of the lid 14, typically at an angle of elevation from about 15 degrees to about 30 degrees. This angle of elevation is generally less than the angle created when the tab 20 of the front flap 18 is located in the first position, for example, where the lid 14 would become supported on a bottom edge 21 of the tab 20 if it were not placed in the second position. The angle of elevation, α, in the open display configuration can be equal to the inverse tangent of the height, h, of the front flap 18 divided by the length, l, of the bottom edge 29 of the side panels 30. Generally, this angle, α, will be less than the inverse tangent of the height of the front end walls 40 divided by the length, l, of the bottom edge 29 of the side panels 30.

For example, the equation for calculating the angle of elevation, α, is equal to α=tan−1 h/l, where h is equal to the height of the front flap 18 and l is the length of the bottom edge 29 of the side panels 30. This is obtained from the equation of a tangent, tan α=h/l, and simply solving for α. Similarly, the angle of elevation, α, is less than α=tan−1 h2/l, where h2 is equal to the height of the front end wall 40 of the base 12 as well as the combined height of the front end flap 18 and the tab 20.

When the display carton 10 is not being used to store or display its contents, the display carton 10 can be foldable, e.g., collapsible, into a flat orientation. The base 12 can fold in at its four corners such that it collapses into a first section; likewise, the lid 14 can be foldable at a pair of corners created by the intersection of the side panels 30 with the front flap 18 creating a second section. The collapsed lid 14 or second section may then be folded over the collapsed base 12 or first section along the primary hinge 22 into a flat, generally rectangular orientation, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

A method of opening the display carton 10 and converting it from a closed configuration to an open display configuration is depicted in FIGS. 1-3. Prior to the display carton 10 being closed and shipped to its final destination, an interior compartment 42 of the base 12 is filled with a product that is packaged, and preferably with a packaged food product. Once the packaged food product is placed into the interior compartment 42, the lid 14 is placed over the opening to close the interior 42. In this configuration, the front flap 18 along with the tab 20 extended in the first position are both placed relatively flush with the front end wall 40. A fastener 48 can be adhesively placed on the carton such that it generally overlaps a portion of the tab 20 and a portion of the bottom wall 38 of the base 12, such that it spans surfaces in two different planes; generally, the fastener 48 is placed over the two surfaces at a right angle. A circular tape or adhesive can be used as the fastener 48 and can be placed in generally a middle section of the tab 20 and bottom wall 38. The tape or adhesive 48 can be about one inch in diameter, or can be larger or smaller. When the carton 10 is received at its final destination and an end user wishes to open the carton 10, the seal created by the fastener 48 can be broken and the lid 14 can then be folded back along the primary hinge 22 to reveal the contents of the interior compartment 42 of the base 12.

In order to convert the display carton 10 to its open display configuration, the lid 14 is further folded back along its secondary hinge 24, such that the minor segment 26 is parallel to and contacts the back end wall 34 of the base 12 and the major segment 28 of the top panel 16 is parallel to and contacts a portion of the bottom wall 38 of the base 12. In order for the lid 14 and base 12 to remain in this position, the locking member 44 needs to be activated by pushing the locking member 44 into the receiving member 46, such that the carton 10 can be locked into the display configuration. The tab portion 20 may also be adjusted to its second position so that the display carton 10 rests at an angle of elevation which is relatively equal to the angle of inclination, α, of the side panels 30.

The material of construction of the display carton 10 can comprise any type of paperboard, cardboard or paper type material typically used. The interior 42 of the carton 10 may be filled with any type of packaged foods or non-food products that an end user may wish to display in its original shipping carton 10. Typical food products may include individually wrapped cheese, meats, candies, and other foods. The fastener 48 used to keep the lid 14 closed over the base 12 may comprise a tape or any other common adhesive member.

The dimension of the display carton 10 may be sized relative to the food product or package therein and therefore may comprise any size that can hold the product therein. For example, the display carton base 12 may have a length between about 4 inches to about 10 inches long, a width that ranges from about 2 inches up to about 6½ inches wide, and the base may have a height between about 1½ inches up to about 5 inches high. In one aspect, the display carton base 12 may have a length of about 6¾ inches, a width of about 4½ inches and a height of about 2½ inches. The minor segment 26 of the top panel 16 can be sized to generally equal the height of the base section 12; the length of the major segment 28 may vary and typically would comprise the remaining length of the top panel 16. For instance, where the minor segment 26 has a length of approximately 2½ inches, the major segment 28 may have a length of about 4¼ inches, such that the total length of the top panel 16 can be about 6 3/4 inches long, or equivalent to the length of the bottom wall 38 of the base 12. The side panels 30 of the lid 14 can have a maximum length that is as long as the length of the major segment 28 of the top panel 16. However, the side panel 30 preferably should not have a length longer than the major segment 28 so that it does not extend beyond the secondary hinge 24, e.g., an end point of the side panel 30 does not extend between the primary hinge 22 and the secondary hinge 24 (e.g., into the minor segment 26). Alternatively, the side panel 30 may have a length that is shorter than the length of the major segment 28.

In another aspect, where the height of the display carton 10 is approximately 2½ inches, the front flap 18 can have a height that is less than the height of the display carton 10, such as a height of about 1¾ inches. In that aspect, the tab 20 would then have a height of approximately ¾ inches such that the combined height of the front flap 18 with the tab 20 can be approximately equivalent to the overall height of the display carton 10, or approximately 2½ inches. The front flap 18 can have a height from about 1 inch to about 2½ inches, and the tab 20 can have a height from about 0.1 inches to about 1½ inches.

The height of the front end flap 18 can further be sized according to the desired angle of elevation, α. For example, if an angle of elevation is selected to equal about 22 degrees, and the length of the bottom edge 29 of the side panels 30 is about 4¼ inches, then the tangent can be calculated and solved for the height of the front flap 18, and subsequently the tab 20. Determining the heights in this manner ensures that when the tab 20 is folded into the second position, the display support can rest relatively level upon the bottom edge 29 of the side panels 30 and the front flap 18. In this aspect, the tangent of 22 degrees is calculated and is found to be equivalent to about 0.404. Solving the equation tan α=h/l, for the height, h, yields the following equation, h=(tan α)/l, which 0.404 equals 0.404/4¼ or about 1.7 inches. Therefore, the height of the front end flap 18 can be about 1.7 inches to result in the desired angle of elevation. The height of the tab 20 can then be determined by the height of the base 12, and in particular, the height of the front end wall 40. Thus, where the height of the base 12 is about 2½ inches, the height of the tab 20 must be tall enough that when combined with the height of the front end flap 18 the result is equal to the overall height of the base 12. In this aspect, the height of the tab 20 is about 0.8 inches high so that when in the first position the combination of the height of the tab 20 and the height of the front end flap 18 equals 2½ inches (e.g., 0.8+1.7=2.5 inches). Likewise, other angles and lengths of the bottom edge 29 of the side panel 30 will require different heights of the front end flap 18 and tab 20.

Turning to the locking mechanism, and in particular, to the receiving member 46, the receiving member 46 can be shaped asymmetrically or symmetrically. In one aspect, the receiving member 46 can have a wide edge portion at one end and a narrow edge portion at the opposite end such that the wide edge portion has a slit along its edge perimeter and along two opposing side edge portions, and the narrow edge portion remains attached to the top panel 16 of the lid 14 and may optionally contain a score line. The wide edge portion of the receiving member 46 may be approximately 1⅛ inches long and the narrow edge portion may be approximately ⅞ inches long such that the entire width of the piece is about ⅜ inches wide with slanted side edge portions. The shape of the receiving member 46 may comprise any shape, such as a parallelogram shape. The locking member 44 located on the bottom wall 38 of the base 12 may have three cut-out portions or slits along three of its edges where the fourth edge remains attached to the bottom wall 38 of the base 12, and also may optionally contain a score line. The locking member 44 is relatively symmetrical and may have any shape, and preferably, the locking member 44 has a rectangular or square shape. The locking member 44 may be about ½ inch wide and about 1 inch long.

In another aspect, the outside surface of the display carton may contain graphics, text, labels, and the like that can identify the product being stored and display therein.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated a display carton convertible between a closed configuration and an open display configuration is provided such that numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the carton set forth in the claims. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove, or to any particular embodiments. Various modifications to the display carton can result in substantially the same carton.

Claims

1. A display carton convertible between a closed configuration and an open display configuration, the display carton comprising:

a base having a bottom wall with two upstanding side walls, an upstanding back end wall and an upstanding front end wall;
a lid connected to the back end wall along a primary hinge, the lid having a top panel with a pair of opposing inclined side panels depending therefrom along a portion of a pair of opposing side edges of the lid and a front end flap depending from the top panel, and a secondary hinge extending between the side edges of the lid, the secondary hinge positioned on the top panel closer to the primary hinge than to the front end flap of the lid and where the distance between the primary and secondary hinge is generally the same as a height of the back end wall of the base and the inclined side panels extend along a portion of the side edges of the lid between the front flap and the secondary hinge; and
a tab positioned along an edge portion of the front end flap opposite an intersecting edge of the top panel and the front end flap, the front end flap and tab together having a combined height that is substantially the same as a height of the front end wall of the base, where a height of the front end flap is less than the height of the front end wall.

2. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the top panel of the lid is divided into at least two segments by the secondary hinge, a major segment and a minor segment, where a length of the major segment is greater than a length of the minor segment, and the minor segment is positioned between the primary and secondary hinges.

3. The carton according to claim 1, wherein a fastener is adhesively secured to a portion of the tab and a portion of the bottom wall of the base when the carton is in a closed configuration.

4. The carton according to claim 3, wherein the fastener is a piece of tape.

5. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of the carton forms an angle of elevation with a display surface when placed on the display surface in the open display configuration, the angle of elevation is less than an inverse tangent of the height of the front end wall divided by a length of the side panel of the lid.

6. The carton according to claim 5, wherein the angle of elevation is substantially equal to an inverse tangent of a height of the front end flap divided by the length of the side panel.

7. The carton according to claim 5, wherein the angle of elevation is between about 15 degrees and about 30 degrees.

8. The carton according to claim 2, wherein the major segment is adjacent to a portion of the bottom wall of the base and the minor segment is adjacent to the back end wall of the base when the carton is in the open display configuration.

9. The carton according to claim 1, wherein a locking member on the top panel of the lid mates with an opening segment on the bottom wall of the base after the lid is folded back along the primary and secondary hinges into the open display configuration.

10. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the front end flap of the lid is adjacent to the front end wall of the base when in the closed configuration and is generally perpendicular to the bottom wall of the base when in the open display configuration.

11. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the tab is foldable between a first position in substantially a same plane as the front end flap and a second position that is at an angle to the front end flap.

12. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the carton is collapsible into a substantially flat orientation when it is empty.

13. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the carton is filled with a plurality of individually wrapped food products.

14. The carton according to claim 1, wherein the carton has a length of about 4 to about 10 inches, a width of about 2 to about 6½ inches and a height of about 1½ to about 5 inches.

15. The carton according to claim 14, wherein the tab has a height of about 0.5 inches to about 1 inch.

16. A method of converting a display carton between a closed configuration to an open display configuration, the method comprising:

disabling a fastener extending between a tab of a front panel and a generally perpendicular bottom wall of the carton;
pivoting a lid connected to a base of the display carton above a primary hinge, the lid having a top panel with a pair of opposing inclined side panels depending therefrom and a front end flap depending from the top panel;
pivoting a portion of the lid above a secondary hinge extending between side edges of the lid and positioned closer to the primary hinge than to the front end flap of the lid to position the portion of the lid underneath a bottom wall of the base of the display carton; and
folding a tab positioned along an edge portion of the front end flap of the lid, where the display carton rests upon the intersection of the tab and the front end flap.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the bottom wall of the carton forms an angle of elevation with a display surface when placed on the display surface in the open display configuration, the angle of elevation being less than an inverse tangent of the height of the front end wall divided by a length of the inclined side panel of the lid.

18. The carton according to claim 17, wherein the angle of elevation is substantially equal to an inverse tangent of a height of the front end flap divided by the length of the inclined side panel.

19. The method according to claim 16, further including locking the base and the lid together while in the display configuration.

Patent History
Publication number: 20090314661
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 24, 2008
Publication Date: Dec 24, 2009
Inventors: Thad Joseph Fisher (De Forest, WI), Arthur C. Teasdale (Sun Prairie, WI)
Application Number: 12/145,179
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Folded Blank Box (206/45.21); Pivoted Cover (206/45.23); Convertible To Or From Display Configuration (e.g., From Or To Shipping Configuration) (206/736)
International Classification: B65D 5/52 (20060101); B65D 5/66 (20060101);