Display box for flexible contents
There is disclosed a display box configured for displaying the contents of a container that is flexible. The display box is configured to bend in unison with the flexible container without damage to the display box. The display box is formed to include a least one incision around a partial perimeter including three sides of the box, allowing the display box to fold about a hinge in a remaining side. In a further aspect, the display box includes a blocking piece that may be affixed to an inner surface of the display box. When the display box is moved between an unfolded and folded condition, the blocking piece automatically assumes a position that will permit insertion of the container when the display box is unfolded, and that will close an opening formed in the display box when the display box is folded.
The present invention relates to display boxes, and more particularly to display boxes adapted to flexibly surround a container of merchandise, where the container itself is flexible.
Modem methods of selling a product now commonly include, firstly, placing the product and its accessories in a container that may be retained by the purchaser for storage of the product, and, secondly, placing the container within a display box for temporarily sealing the container. The display box is expendable, commonly made from rather flimsy cardboard and having windows with transparent cellophane covering, and will generally be discarded by the purchaser once the product container is extracted. Thus, a merchant may display a product for sale in a container that is opened to allow a shopper to view the product directly, but the container may be enclosed within a display box with transparent windows to secure the product and its accessories from being tampered with while on display. The display box also may serve to protect the exterior of the container during shipping, and may provide a convenient surface for applying markings, user instructions, advertising, and the like.
This method of surrounding a product container for display and shipping has also been used when the container is flexible. As shown in
However, it will be appreciated that this folded and locked configuration is not suitable for displaying the product content because the contents will be invisible to a purchaser. Accordingly, a merchant will commonly package the container 20 and its contents in an unfolded configuration for shipping and display, by inserting it into a display box 28 such as shown in
One problem encountered with this method of storing and shipping flexible product containers (such as the container 20 exemplified in
Therefore, there is a need for a display box for containing a flexible container, capable of dealing with gravitational forces that might tend to deform and possibly break the flexible container during handling. It is believed that this invention addresses these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is described an improved display box for displaying product containers that are flexible or have portions that are movable in relation to each other. In one aspect of the invention, the display box is formed of a generally rectangular box having six sides. The box includes a first incision starting at a first point adjacent a perimeter of a first side, and extends through three other sides, to end at a second point adjacent the perimeter of the first side. Under this configuration, the display box is foldable about a first line on the first side, such that folding about the first line includes no bending or folding of another part of the box. This feature provides the advantage of having a foldable display box that is capable of holding a foldable container. The hinge(s) of the display box are configured to coincide with the hinge(s) of the flexible container, so that no damage is done to the display box as the container is folded. The resulting display box may be folded when it is necessary to ship the product. It may be unfolded when necessary to display the product.
In another aspect of the invention, the first side includes one or more windows to permit customers to view the contents of the open container, yet to prevent tampering with the contents of the container because the windows are sealed with transparent material. In yet a further aspect of the invention, when the display box is in folded condition the window is closed. Thus, during shipping, the package, which includes the container and its contents within, are securely protected from the outside. The package in a folded configuration is in a manageable shape that permits robust handling, without the likelihood of damage to the display box, in contrast with the display box 28 previously exemplified in
In other aspects of the invention, the display box comprises more than one incision of a kind that is similar to the first incision, whereby the display box is foldable about a second line such that folding about the second line includes no bending or folding of another part of the display box. Thus, the container may include a complex folding shape with more than two portions movable in relation to each other, yet the display box of the present invention may be configured to accommodate such complexity.
The display box may further include a blocking piece configured to close an opening formed in the box when the box is in its folded configuration. In a preferred embodiment, a portion of the blocking piece is attached to an interior surface of the box, so that when the box is an unfolded condition the blocking piece lies entirely adjacent an interior surface of the box, and, when the box is moved to a folded configuration a portion of the blocking piece closes the opening. Thus, when the box is moved from one condition to the other, the blocking piece slides from one position to another, forming no obstruction to the insertion of a container into the box, yet always appearing to block the opening formed when the display box is folded.
These and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying exemplary drawings.
With reference to
The display box 40 is dimensioned to snugly receive a container, such as the container 20 exemplified in
By way of describing the product that forms the display box 40 of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming such display box will first be described to assist with envisioning the product. The producer may conceptually start with a rigid display box, such as the box 28 exemplified in
Turning now to
Although the first score line 58 and second score line 66 may be on the same side of the box, the cuts and the score lines may be on different sides of the box, depending on the configuration of the container that it is to be inserted within. The cuts and the score lines are positioned on the box 40 to coincide with the positions of hinges of a container that is desired to be inserted within, thus ensuring that when the container bends at a hinge, the outer display box 40 bends along a score line without any other portion of the box 40 having to bend.
One beneficial result of the configuration of the display box of the present invention is that it permits the overall package, including the container surrounded by the display box 40, to be shipped and stored in a folded configuration, as exemplified in
Thus, following from the foregoing method of making a preferred embodiment of the display box of the present invention, a preferred structure of the invention may be described as follows. A display box 40 is provided having six rectangular sides. (The term “side” is to be understood herein as allowing that a side is positionable in a single plane, but is not necessarily continuous from one extremity to another. For example, the side 48 as shown in
Thus, the display box may be folded about a score line or hinge 58, on the first side 56, extending between starting point 52 and ending point 54 of the incision In a further embodiment, further such incisions as indicated generally by numeral 60 may be formed in the box with a starting point 62 and an end point 64. In the latter embodiment, it is not necessary that the cuts and resulting score lines all exist on the same one of the sides of the display box, but in a preferred embodiment, as exemplified in
At least one, but preferably two opposite sides 70, 72 may form conventional flaps 90 that may be opened to permit a flexible container to be inserted within the display box 40, and thereafter to be closed to receive the container within. Conventional tabs may be provided to secure the flaps in a closed position.
Turning now to
Thus, once the blocking piece 80 is secured in the unfolded display box 40 as indicated in
Finally, a so-called “die line” image of a preferred embodiment of the display box is exemplified in
Thus, the present invention describes a display box 40 that is conveniently suited for enclosing and protecting flexible product containers. The display box 40 is configured to bend in unison with a flexible product container within, and provides the user with the ability to fold the overall package including container and display box for compact shipment, and to unfold the package to allow it to be put on display for consumers to view the contents of the container through transparent windows in the display box, all the while maintaining security of the contents.
The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
Claims
1. A display box for enclosing a flexible container, the display box comprising:
- a generally rectangular box having six sides; and
- a first incision starting at a first point adjacent a perimeter of a first side, the first incision extending through a second, a third, and a fourth side, and ending at a second point adjacent the perimeter of the first side;
- whereby, the display box is foldable about a first line on the first side, the first line extending from the first point to the second point, such that folding about the first line includes no bending of another part of the box.
2. The display box of claim 1, wherein the first side includes at least one window.
3. The display box of claim 2, wherein the at least one window is three windows.
4. The display box of claim 2, wherein, when the box is folded about the first line, at least one of the windows is thereby closed.
5. The display box of claim 1, further comprising a second incision starting at a third point adjacent the perimeter of the first side, the second incision extending through the second, the third and the fourth sides, and ending at a fourth point adjacent the perimeter of the first side, whereby the display box is foldable about a second line on the first side, the first line extending from the third point to the fourth point, such that folding about the second line includes no bending of another part of the box.
6. The display box of claim 5, wherein the first side includes at least one window and wherein, when the box is folded about the first line and about the second line, at least one of the windows is thereby closed.
7. The display box of claim 6, wherein the at least one window is three windows.
8. The display box of claim 1, further including a blocking piece configured to close an opening formed in the box when the box is folded about the first line.
9. The display box of claim 8, wherein a portion of the blocking piece is attached to an interior surface of the box, whereby, when the box is an unfolded condition the blocking piece lies entirely adjacent the interior surface, and, when the box is in a folded configuration a portion of the blocking piece closes the opening.
10. The display box of claim 1, wherein a fifth side is foldable as a flap to open the fifth side for receiving the container, and to close the fifth side for securing the container within the display box.
11. A method of preparing a product in a flexible container, the container having at least two portions movable in relation to each other, the method comprising:
- providing a generally rectangular display box having six sides;
- inserting the container, in a linear configuration, within the display box;
- bending the display box about a first line located on a first side of the display box without bending any other side of the box.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first side includes a window, and wherein bending the display box about the first line includes closing the window.
13. The method of claim 11 further comprising bending the display box about a second line located on a side of the box without bending any other sides of the box.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first side includes a window, and wherein bending the display box about the first and second lines includes closing the window.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein inserting the container within the display box includes opening a flap on a side of the box to receive the container, and closing the flap to secure the container within the display box.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 5, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 10, 2008
Inventor: Harold Parker (Elma, WA)
Application Number: 11/544,127
International Classification: B65D 1/22 (20060101); B65D 25/54 (20060101); B65D 85/28 (20060101);