Packing method for soft packages
The present disclosure relates to using a wholesale package to ship a large number of densely packed retail packages. The wholesale package includes an a top portion which receives a tray portion. At the retail site, the top portion is removed and discarded whereby the tray portion forms a retail display which holds the retail packages in the densely packed configuration. The retail packages are preferably soft packages, such as those using polymeric film to form the walls and being manufactured by form fill seal methods.
Latest Illinois Tool Works Inc. Patents:
- Systems and methods to provide welding-type arc starting and stabilization with reduced open circuit voltage
- Self-adjusting wire feeder mounting assembly
- Systems and methods to provide weld training
- System for loading at least one transport dishwasher with items to be washed, arrangement of at least one transport dishwasher and a loading system and method for loading at least one transport dishwasher with items
- Systems and methods to control pulse welding
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/833,837, filed on Jul. 27, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the packing of soft packages within a cardboard or similar container which serves as both a shipping container and a retail merchandise display.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today's retail environment is fiercely competitive in its allocation of shelf space, particularly in grocery stores, “big box” retailers, wholesale clubs and similar establishments. Manufacturers and distributors frequently must make financial arrangements with the retailer in order to place products on the shelves, and these financial arrangements can be calculated on the basis of the linear feet of shelf space allocated to the product. Moreover, inventory management programs typically keep track of the sales of specific products from specific retail shelf space and changes in retail shelf stocking can be made in view of the results of these programs.
Additionally, typical prior art packaging of multiple retail units within a single package requires store personnel to remove the retail units from the package and discard the package.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method of packing a plurality of retail units within a single package in a way which efficiently uses retail shelf space, reduces labor for shelf stocking and reduces the material required for packaging.
It is therefore a further object of this invention to provide a method of packing a plurality of retail units within a single package in a way which tends to reduce merchandising costs, packaging costs and freight costs.
These and other objects are attained by providing a single wholesale package with a large number of soft retail packages included therein. The wholesale package includes a removable top or outer portion which fits over a retail display tray portion. The top or outer portion of the package can removed at the retail location thereby leaving a retail display tray for the soft retail packages, thereby minimizing the labor required for shelf stocking while maintaining a tightly packed configuration which increases the number of retail packages in a given length of retail shelf space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFurther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings and claims:
Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, one sees that
Wholesale package 10 includes top or outer portion 12 (
As shown in
As shown in
The resulting retail configuration maintains the retail package density of the shipping configuration thereby increasing the number of retail packages 50 for a given amount of shelf space while requiring minimal labor from the retail personnel.
Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A shipping package including:
- a tray portion including a lower surface for supporting retail packages;
- a top portion comprising lateral walls which form a lower mouth for receiving the tray portion therewithin.
2. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the top portion further includes a top surface joining the top edges of the lateral walls.
3. The shipping package of claim 2 wherein the tray portion receives a plurality of retail packages.
4. The shipping package of claim 3 wherein the tray includes a lip formed around the periphery thereof.
5. The shipping package of claim 4 wherein the lip is formed from lateral wall segments.
6. The shipping package of claim 5 wherein the lateral wall segments are of equal height throughout the periphery of the tray.
7. The shipping container of claim 4 wherein a rear lateral wall segment is approximately the height of a retail package, the front lateral wall segment is approximately 20 percent of the height of a retail package and the side lateral wall segments are diagonally oriented to extend between a top edge of the front lateral wall segment and a top edge of the rear lateral wall segment.
8. The shipping package of claim 5 wherein the lateral walls segments are received within the top portion.
9. The shipping package of claim 5 wherein the tray portion is a tray for displaying the plurality of retail packages in a retail environment.
10. The shipping package of claim 8 wherein the tray portion includes inserts to maintain the retail packages in near-upright orientation.
11. A shipping package including:
- a tray portion including a lower surface;
- a plurality of retail packages supported on the lower surface; and
- a top portion comprising lateral walls which form a lower mouth for receiving the tray portion therewithin.
12. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the retail packages are formed of polymeric material.
13. The shipping package of claim 12 wherein the top portion further includes a top surface joining the top edges of the lateral walls.
14. The shipping package of claim 13 wherein the tray includes a lip formed around the periphery thereof.
15. The shipping package of claim 14 wherein the lip is formed from lateral wall segments.
16. The shipping package of claim 15 wherein the lateral wall segments are of equal height throughout the periphery of the tray.
17. The shipping container of claim 14 wherein a rear lateral wall segment is approximately the height of a retail package, the front lateral wall segment is approximately 20 percent of the height of a retail package and the side lateral wall segments are diagonally oriented to extend between a top edge of the front lateral wall segment and a top edge of the rear lateral wall segment.
18. The shipping package of claim 15 wherein the lateral walls segments are received within the top portion.
19. The shipping package of claim 15 wherein the tray portion is a tray for displaying the plurality of retail packages in a retail environment.
20. The shipping package of claim 18 wherein the tray portion includes inserts to maintain the retail packages in near-upright orientation.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 16, 2007
Publication Date: Apr 3, 2008
Applicant: Illinois Tool Works Inc. (Glenview, IL)
Inventors: Perry Malik (New Braunfels, TX), Sean Dowd (New Braunfels, TX)
Application Number: 11/879,155
International Classification: B65D 5/32 (20060101); B65D 5/42 (20060101); B65D 5/50 (20060101); B65D 85/00 (20060101);