Display-ready case
A shipping and storage container is provided that is readily converted to a display case. The container includes a first tear seam along a lower portion of the front panel, which extends upward at an angle across side flaps attached to the front panel. A cut-out handle is formed in the front panel along the first tear seam. The tear seam respectively terminates at opposite ends along the side flaps with a relief cut. A second tear seam is formed at a fold line between the top panel and back panel, which permits the top panel, a portion of the front panel, and portions of front side flaps to be removed for forming a display case. The display case provides lateral support to the full container height along the back panel and the rear side flaps.
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This invention relates generally to a display-ready case. More particularly, the invention relates to a shipping and storage container that is readily converted to a display case for displaying contents stored therein.
BACKGROUNDRetail products, such as food and department store items, are commonly shipped and stored in cardboard containers and the like. These items are typically unloaded from their shipping and storage containers and placed on display shelves to be sold. It is time-consuming and expensive in terms of labor to remove the individual products for display, which ultimately adds to their cost. Often, the products are placed on a decorative display that advertises the specific products or enhances their sales appeal. These displays also add cost to the products. Containers have been proposed to address these shortcomings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,324 to Miller discloses a rectangular shipping carton and display unit for tubes. The shipping carton includes a tear strip along a mid-portion of the front and side walls, and a score along a mid-portion of the back wall. When the tear strip is removed, the score is readily broken and the top portion is removed to display tubes contained within the carton. Although directed to a display for tubes, the Miller carton nonetheless fails to provide support along the sides and back that extends the full height of the carton to support stacked items.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,228 issued to Vidoni et al. discloses a convertible container for shipping and displaying a product. The container includes a weakened seam, which permits a portion to be removed for defining an aperture. A separate dispensing tray is combined with the carton through the aperture to form a display carton. The requirement of a separate dispensing tray for the Vidoni display carton adds cost and complexity to the display unit.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,918,801 issued to Milio and 5,881,884 issued to Podosek disclose rectangular shipping and display cartons. These cartons include lines of weakness along either the front face or the front and sides of the carton, which permit removal of a portion of the carton to display carton contents. Front viewing of the carton contents, however, is partially obscured by lateral container portions that remain along the front display face of these cartons.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0150747 to Maus discloses a rectangular shipping and display carton having two tear strips. The first tear strip extends along a lower portion of the front face and through opposite side flaps attached to the front face. The second tear strip is disposed along the juncture between the top panel and the back. After the tear strips are torn, portions of the front side flaps and the front, as well as the top panel, are removed to form the display carton. The front portion of the display carton, however, is higher than the side portions, which obscures a significant portion of the front display area. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved display-ready case and blank for forming the same.
SUMMARYIn order to overcome the above-described deficiencies and other shortcomings that will become apparent when reading this specification, aspects of the present invention provide a shipping and storage container that is readily converted to a display case. The container includes a first tear seam along a lower portion of the front panel, which extends upward at an angle across side flaps attached to the front panel. A cut-out handle is formed in the front panel along the first tear seam. The tear seam respectively terminates at opposite ends along the side flaps with a pair of relief cuts. A second tear seam is formed at a fold line between the top panel and back panel, which permits the top panel, a portion of the front panel, and portions of front side flaps to be removed for forming the display case. The display case provides lateral support to the full container height along the back panel and the rear side flaps. Lateral support is provided along forward side portions that are less than the full container height. In addition, lateral support is provided along the front that is less than the forward side portions.
Aspects of the invention provide a display carton having a sloping stadium-effect. Other aspects provide a display carton having product-specific advertising printed thereon. Other features and advantages of various aspects of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description and figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention will be described in detail in the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein:
The various aspects of the invention may be embodied in various forms. The following description shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which aspects of the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Referring now to
Tear seam 40 extends generally horizontally across a lower portion of front panel 14 and continues across front side flaps 36 and 38. Tear seam 40 preferably angles upward toward top panel 12 as it extends across side flaps 36 and 38 from front panel 14 rearward. As shown in
As also shown in
A cut-out handle 44 is formed in front panel 14 along a mid-portion of tear seam 40. A cut line 46 preferably surrounds cut-out handle 44 to completely remove carton material within the cut line. A portion of carton material, however, may optionally remain to permit carton material within handle 44 to be folded from front panel 14. Completely removing carton material from within cut line 46 is preferred to make it quicker and easier for a user to grasp handle 44.
As shown in
Referring now to
While securely retaining items 54, display case 110 provides a high degree of visibility to the items stored therein, particularly from the front view and frontal side views. As shown, the top edge 56 of tear seam 40 is disposed below the top of lower minor flaps 28 and 30, which permits full viewing of items 54 above flaps 28 and 30 on the front sides. Directly in front of case 110, lower portion 53 of front panel 14 extends below the top of minor flaps 28 and 30, which provides a large frontal view of items 54 while securely retaining the items. In addition to the open viewing of items 54, case 110 provides a desirable stadium-effect display. The stadium-effect is provided by the front-to-rear height increases of the carton, which resembles stadium-style seating. As such, lower portion of front panel 53 has the lowest height, lower minor flaps 28 and 30 on the sides are higher, and back panel 18 along with rear side panels 32 and 34 extend the full height of items 54 stored in the case. This creates a desirable effect that is often used in marketing displays. The outside of case 110 can be printed to add to the stadium-style effect, create more desirable displays, and/or advertise specific items 54 stored therein.
Referring now to
Tear seams 40 and 48 may include various types of tear seams, such as perforations, tear strips or weakened regions as is known in the art. Preferably, however, tear seams 40 and 48 are formed from a series of perforations, which provides an inexpensive tear seam that forms a relatively smooth edge 56 when torn as shown in
As shown in
Carton blank 210 can be pre-printed with various decorative designs, plain colors, or specific advertising. As such, when formed into display case 110, a decorative display case is provided that securely retains items therein while providing large frontal viewing of the items displayed therein. This reduces expenses associated with separate display cases and labor costs associated with unloading stored items to place them into separate display cases.
While the present invention has been described in connection with the illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated and understood that modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, the invention applies to many different cartons of various shapes, designs and applications.
Claims
1. A display ready shipping and storage container comprising:
- a front panel having a front right side panel and a front left side panel, each of the front right side panel and the front left side panel defining a notch therein;
- a top panel adjoining the front panel and having a top right side panel and a top left side panel;
- a rear panel adjoining the top panel at a junction and having a rear right side panel and a rear left side panel;
- a bottom panel adjoining the rear panel and being adjacent the front panel, the bottom panel having a bottom right side panel and a bottom left side panel;
- a line of weakness extending across the front panel and each of the front right side panel and the front left side panel and adjoining the notches formed therein, wherein the notches are disposed at a height above the line of weakness extending across the front panel; and
- a second line of weakness extending along the junction between the top panel and the rear panel.
2. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 1 wherein the line of weakness extending across the front panel is below top edges of the bottom right side panel and the bottom left side panel.
3. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 1 wherein the line of weakness extends diagonally across the front right side panel and the front left side panel.
4. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 1 wherein the notches are adjacent to rear portions of the front right side panel and the front left side panel respectively.
5. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim I wherein the notches are adjacent to top edges of the bottom right side panel and the bottom left side panel.
6. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 1 wherein no adhesive is disposed between the rear right side panel and the top right side panel and no adhesive is disposed between the rear left side panel and the top left side panel.
7. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 1 wherein no adhesive is disposed between the bottom right side panel and the front right side panel above the line of weakness on the front right side panel and no adhesive is disposed between the bottom left side panel and the front left side panel above the line of weakness on the front left side panel.
8. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 6 wherein no adhesive is disposed between the bottom right side panel and the front right side panel above the line of weakness on the front right side panel and no adhesive is disposed between the bottom left side panel and the front left side panel above the line of weakness on the front left side panel.
9. A display ready shipping and storage container comprising:
- a front panel having a front right side panel and a front left side panel;
- a top panel adjoining the front panel and having a top right side panel and a top left side panel;
- a rear panel adjoining the top panel at a junction and having a rear right side panel and a rear left side panel;
- a bottom panel adjoining the rear panel and being adjacent the front panel, the bottom panel having a bottom right side panel and a bottom left side panel;
- a line of weakness extending across the front panel and each of the front right side panel and the front left side panel wherein the line of weakness extends diagonally across the front right side panel and the front left side panel;
- a second line of weakness extending along the junction between the top panel and the rear panel; and
- wherein the rear right side panel is not connected to the top right side panel and the rear left side panel is not connected to the top left side panel and the bottom right side panel is not connected to the front right side panel above the line of weakness on the front right side panel and the bottom left side panel is not connected to the front left side panel above the line of weakness on the front left side panel.
10. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 9 wherein a notch is formed in each of the front right side panel and the front left side panel and adjoins the diagonally extending line of weakness across the front right side panel and the front left side panel respectively.
11. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 10 wherein the notches are adjacent to rear portions of the front right side panel and the front left side panel respectively.
12. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 11 wherein the notches are disposed at a height above the line of weakness extending across the front panel
13. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 12 wherein the notches are adjacent to top edges of the bottom right side panel and the bottom left side panel.
14. The display ready shipping and storage container of claim 13 wherein the line of weakness extending across the front panel is below top edges of the bottom right side panel and the bottom left side panel.
15. A blank comprising:
- a front panel having a front right side panel and a front left side panel, each of the front right side panel and the front left side panel defining a notch therein along an outside edge thereof;
- a top panel adjoining the front panel and having a top right side panel and a top left side panel;
- a rear panel adjoining the top panel at a junction and having a rear right side panel and a rear left side panel;
- a bottom panel adjoining the rear panel and having a bottom right side panel and a bottom left side panel;
- an attachment tab adjoining the bottom panel;
- a line of weakness extending across the front panel and each of the front right side panel and the front left side panel and adjoining the notches formed therein; and
- a second line of weakness extending along the junction between the top panel and the rear panel.
16. The blank of claim 15 wherein the line of weakness extends diagonally across the front right side panel and the front left side panel.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 16, 2005
Publication Date: Aug 25, 2005
Applicant: Georgia-Pacific Corporation (Atlanta, GA)
Inventor: Wayne Gasior (Duluth, GA)
Application Number: 11/059,060