Combination box, dispenser, and display

Abstract

This disclosure relates to products that are sold as continuous rolls, such as tape or wrapping paper. In addition, this disclosure relates to products that are sold as continuous rolls of perforated strips, such as individually wrapped bandages or adhesive strips that secure positive airway pressure (PAP) devices to the nose. During shipping, when closed, this box serves to protect products contained therein. When the box is opened, it becomes a dispenser of rolls or continuous rolls of perforated strips. Furthermore, when opened, a display panel is revealed that provides additional information, such as instructions.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a United States National Stage filing from PCT Application No. PCT/US21/61918 filed on Dec. 4, 2021, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63/121,858 filed on Dec. 4, 2020, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to products sold with continuous and, in particular, to a combination box, dispenser, and display.

BACKGROUND

Some products are sold as continuous rolls (e.g., tape, wrapping paper, aluminum foil, waxed paper, plastic film). In other cases, products are sold as continuous rolls of perforated strips (e.g., individually wrapped bandages, candy, plasticware eating utensils, adhesive strips that secure positive airway pressure (PAP) devices to the nose). It can be cumbersome for the user to handle the rolls or continuous rolls of perforated strips directly; therefore, it is helpful for the box to also serve as a dispenser.

Some products are complex to use and require instructions. The exterior surface of the box is often too small to accommodate instructions, so a separate instruction sheet must be included within the box. Unfortunately, it is easy for the instruction sheet to become separated from the product, which opens the potential for the product to be misused. Embodiment of the disclosure are directed to overcoming this problem.

In conventional dispensers of rolled products, once the package is opened, it cannot be reclosed thus making the contents vulnerable to contamination from the environment. Embodiment of the disclosure are directed to overcoming this problem.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to products that are sold as continuous rolls, such as tape or

wrapping paper. In addition, this disclosure relates to products that are sold as continuous rolls of perforated strips, such as individually wrapped bandages or adhesive strips that secure positive airway pressure (PAP) devices to the nose. During shipping, when closed, this box serves to protect products contained therein. When the box is opened, it becomes a dispenser of rolls or continuous rolls of perforated strips. Furthermore, when opened, a display panel is revealed that provides additional information, such as instructions.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; and A and B and C. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various features and advantages of the technology of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of those technologies, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are not drawn to scale; however, the emphasis instead is being placed on illustrating the principles of the technological concepts. Also, in the drawings the like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings depict only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and, therefore, are not to be considered limiting in scope.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C shows the exteriors of a fully closed box, namely a front exterior, and top exterior, and a side exterior.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D shows exteriors of an open box 200, namely a front exterior, a top exterior, a side exterior, and a side interior in a configuration using a serrated edge to distribute a product.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D shows the exterior of an open box 200, namely a front exterior, a top exterior, a side exterior, and a side interior using a serrated edge in conjunction with a channel at a top of the box to distribute a product.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D shows the exteriors of an open box 200, namely a front exterior, a top exterior, a side exterior, and a side interior using a serrated edge in conjunction with a channel at a bottom of the box to distribute a product.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D shows the exterior of an open box 200, namely a front exterior, a top exterior, a side exterior, and a side interior using a slot to distribute a Z-folded product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The figures described below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure invention may be implemented in any type of suitably arranged device or system. Additionally, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C shows the exterior of a fully closed box 100, namely a front exterior 100A, a top exterior 100B, and a side exterior 100C.

When closed, the product contained therein (as described more fully below) is protected while being stored at the manufacturer, while being transported, while being displayed on a store shelf, and while being stored by the consumer. The exterior surfaces can provide information about the product, which informs the consumer when making a purchase.

Although a particular proportion of the sizing of the exteriors is shown, it should be understood that different sizes may be used in different configurations. Embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to the particular proportions shown. Likewise, a variety of different sizes may be used. The size of the box 100 in particular configurations may be sized according to the products to be distributed from the box.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D shows the exterior of an open box 200, namely a front exterior 200A, a top exterior 200B, a side exterior 200C, and a side interior 200D.

In FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, the open box 200 has a serrated edge 205 for cutting a continuous roll 210. In this case, the serrated teeth 205 are pointing upward so the roll 210 can be torn while pulling downward. In this embodiment, when the box 200 is open, the roll 210 is exposed when looking downward. This exposure allows the potential for environmental contaminants, such as dirt, to contact the roll. While a particular shape of a serrated edge 205 is shown, other shapes may be used to facility the cutting. Likewise, while the roll 210 is described as continuous, in particular configuration, the roll 210 may have perforated portions to facilitate a tearing at preselect locations.

The box lid 207 is divided into two horizontal portions (207A, 207B) defined by the horizontal fold line, as indicated by the horizontal dotted line. The center horizontal portion 207B of the lid 207 covers the top of the box 200 and the end horizontal portion 207A covers the front of the box 200.

Two vertical fold lines in the box lid 207 segment it into three vertical portions (207C, 207D, and 207E). The center vertical portion 207D is continuous with the back of the box 200 and allows the lid 207 to fold. The two end vertical portions 207C, 207E are cut so they are not continuous with the back of the box 200. This feature allows the two end vertical portions 207C, 207E to fold inward and thereby stiffen the lid 207 so it remains vertical even when not held, thus forming a display. The interior surface of the lid 207 may contain additional information, such as instructions for proper use of the product, storage information, advertising, company contact information, emergency contacts, etc.

The tip of the lid 207 contains one or more tabs (one tab 211 is shown) that can be inserted into a slot 213 at the bottom of the box 200, thus closing the box 200. The insertion may be repeated, thus allowing the box 200 to be re-closed throughout the life of the product. The tab may contain additional information, such as instructions on how to make the vertical folds and thereby allow the lid 207 to stay erect and display additional information.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D show a box 300 similar to FIGS. 2A, 2B 2C, and 2D. Unless specifically noted below, each individual feature in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D corresponds to similar features FIGS. 2A, 2B 2C, and 2D except that the numbering is incremented by 100. As to specific differences, when open, the roll 310 is covered with a cover 323 when looking downward (as seen in FIG. 3B), thus protecting the roll 310 from environmental contamination (e.g., dirt) when the box 300 is opened.

FIG. 3D shows the interior of the box 300 when viewed from the side. An interior horizontal plate 317 defines a channel 321 through which the roll 310 travels. A hole 315 (or holes) in the cover 323 of the box 300 allows fingers to contact the roll 310 and push it through the channel 321, thus exposing the roll 310 to the serrated edge 305 so it can be torn.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D show a box 400 similar to the box 300. Unless specifically noted below, each individual feature in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D corresponds to similar features in FIGS. 3A, 3B 3C, and 3D except that the numbering is incremented by 100. In FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D, the serrated teeth 405 are pointing downward so the roll 410 can be torn while pulling upward. Because the serrated teeth 405 are pointing downward, a hole 415 can be on the bottom of the box 400; and the horizontal plate 417 and channel 421 are likewise positioned at the bottom the box 400.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D show an open box 500 that contains continuous rolls 527 of perforated strips that are Z-folded to fit into the box 500. Unless specifically noted below, each individual feature in FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 4D corresponds to similar features in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D except that the numbering is incremented by 100. Because of the perforations, the slot 525 through which the continuous rolls 527 of perforated strips are dispensed does not require a serrated edge.

The slot 525 may generally be configured to resist a dispensing of the continuous roll when stored and allowing a dispensing of the continuous roll with minimal force (e.g., pulling back a portion of the slot). Although a particular shape and configuration of the slot is shown, other shapes and configurations of the slot may be utilized.

Although this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transporting and displaying products, the apparatus comprising:

a body configured to hold products, the body having at least a top portion and a front portion;

a lid connected to the body, the lid having a first portion and a second portion;

wherein, when the body is in a closed state, the lid is configured to have the first portion cover the top portion of the body and the second portion cover at least a portion of the front portion of the body; and

wherein, when the body is in a display state, at least a portion of the lid is configured to extend vertically, the vertical extension including at least a portion of the first portion and at least a portion of the second portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the lid includes a horizontal fold line that divides the lid into the first portion and the second portion, and

when the body is in the closed state, a plane of the first portion is orthogonal to a plane of the second portion,

when the body is in the display state, a plane of at least a portion of the first portion is coplanar with a plane of at least a portion of the second portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the products are exposed through the top portion when the body is in the display state.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body includes a serrated edge on the front portion of the body.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the serrated edge is located adjacent to the top portion of the body.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the body has a bottom portion opposite the top portion, and

the serrated edge is located adjacent to the bottom portion of the body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the top portion includes a cover with at least one hole,

the front portion includes a channel for dispensing of the products, and

when the body is in an open state, the at least one hole in the cover allows fingers to contact the products and push them through the channel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the body has a bottom portion opposite the top portion, and

the bottom portion includes a cover with at least one hole,

the front portion includes a channel for dispensing of the products, and

when the body is in an open state, the at least one hole in the cover allows fingers to contact the products and push the, through the channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the front portion of the body includes a slot that resists dispensing of the products when stored and allows dispensing of the products with minimal force, and

the body lacks a serrated edge.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front portion includes at least one slot, and the lid further comprises a tip having at least one tab configured for insertion into the at least one slot when the body is in the closed state.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the lid includes a vertical fold line that divides the lid into at least a first vertical portion, a second vertical portion, and a center vertical portion,

each of the first vertical portion, the second vertical portion, and the center vertical portion including a portion of the first portion and the second portion,

when the body is in the closed state, a plane of the first portion is orthogonal to a plane of the second portion,

when the body is in the display state, a plane of the first portion in the center vertical portion is coplanar with a plane of the second portion in the center vertical portion, and neither the first vertical portion nor the second vertical portion is coplanar with the center vertical portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of products held in a continuous fashion within the body, the products having a perforation between respective ones of the plurality of products for individual dispensing from the body when in the display state.

13. An apparatus for transporting and displaying products, the apparatus comprising:

a body configured to hold product, the body having at least a top portion, a front portion, and a bottom portion;

a lid connected to the body, the lid having a first horizontal portion and a second horizontal portion;

wherein, when the body is in a closed state, the lid is configured to have the first horizontal portion cover the top portion of the body and the second horizontal portion cover at least a portion of the front portion of the body; and

wherein, when the body is in a display state, at least a portion of the lid is configured to extend vertically, the vertical extension including at least a portion of the first horizontal portion and a least a portion of the second horizontal portion, at least a portion of the lid is vertically folded such one portion of the lid is not coplanar to another portion of the lid, and products are dispensed through an opening in at least one of the top portion, the front, portion or the bottom portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein

at least one of the top portion or the bottom portion includes a cover with at least one hole,

the front portion includes a channel for dispensing of the products, and

when the body is in an open state, the at least one hole in the cover allows fingers to contact the products and push them through the channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein

the front portion of the body includes a slot that resists dispensing of the products when stored and allows dispensing of the products with minimal force, and

the body lacks a serrated edge.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein

the front portion includes at least one slot, and

the lid further comprises a tip having at least one tab configured for insertion into the at least one slot when the body is in the closed state.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the body includes a serrated edge on the front portion of the body.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the serrated edge is located adjacent to a top portion of the body.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the serrated edge is located adjacent to the bottom portion of the body.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of products held in a continuous fashion within the body, the products having a perforation between respective ones of plurality of products for individual dispensing from the body when in the display state.