Display container

Abstract

A display container adjustable between an enclosed position and a display position is disclosed, having a tray and a cover. The cover includes a display panel, a base, and at least one positioning tab. The positioning tab is configured to engage a back wall of the tray so as to keep the display panel positioned at a predetermined downward angle relative to the back wall for easy reading of a display label having product information, when the display container is in the display position.

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to display containers for storing, shipping and/or displaying merchandise on store shelves.

BACKGROUND

It has been known that containers may be used for shipping, storage and display of products such as office supplies, tools, shoes and the like. Typically, the containers are packed with merchandise by the manufacturer, and then shipped to various merchants for sale. In certain situation, it is a common practice among merchants to simply open the display container and place the opened container on their store shelves, thus displaying the contents to the consumer.

When the display container is placed on store shelves, a display label on the container is sometimes used to convey information to the consumer, such as the brand, price, or other characteristics of the product. The display label can also be used to capture the attention of the consumer through any combination of colors, patterns, symbols, pictures, photographs and the like. Accordingly, there is a need to enhance the visibility of the display label and make the display label easily read by the consumer.

The present disclosure discloses a display container which addresses this need and solves many of the problems that are associated with existing display containers. It will be appreciated that the disclosure may disclose more than one invention. The Invention(s) is/are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to a display container for shipping, storage and display of merchandise, such as office supplies, tools, shoes and the like.

In one embodiment, there is provided a display container comprising a tray and a cover adjustable between an enclosed position and a display position. The tray of the container includes a bottom, a front wall, a back wall and a plurality of side walls. The cover includes a display panel, a base and at least one positioning tab. The display panel is hingedly connected to a top edge of the back wall of the tray along a first fold line. The base includes a base panel, a front wall and a plurality of side walls and is connected to the display panel along a second fold line.

When the display container is in the enclosed position, the cover of the container is positioned on top of the tray. When the display container is in the display position, the cover is folded back relative to the tray along the first fold line such that the display panel overlies the back wall of the tray at a predetermined downward angle and the base is folded underneath the tray. In the display position, the positioning tab is positioned outwardly to engage the back wall of the tray so as to keep the display panel positioned at the predetermined downward angle relative to the back wall of the tray.

In another embodiment, the cover has a display panel, a joint portion, a base and at least one positioning tab. The display panel includes a display label and is hingedly connected to a top edge of the back wall of the tray along a first fold line. The joint portion is connected to the display panel along a first joint portion fold line and is connected to the base along a second joint portion fold line. When the display container is in the display position, the positioning tab is positioned outwardly along the second joint portion fold line to engage the back wall of the tray so as to keep the display panel positioned at a predetermined downward angle relative to the back wall of the tray for easy reading of the display label.

In still another embodiment, the cover includes a display panel, a base and at least one positioning tab. The display panel includes a display label and is hingedly connected to a top edge of the back wall of the tray along a first fold line. The base is connected to the display panel along a second fold line. When the display container is in the display position, the positioning tab is positioned outwardly to engage the back wall of the tray so as to keep the display panel positioned at a predetermined downward angle relative to the back wall of the tray for easy reading of the display label.

The above-mentioned embodiments are only representative and illustrative. The invention(s) is/are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting an embodiment of a display container in a display position with a cover of the container folded under a tray of the container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective section view of the display container of FIG. 1 along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, illustrating a positioning tab engages a back wall of the tray;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view depicting the display container of FIG. 1 with the cover in a partly folded open position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting the display container of FIG. 1 in an enclosed position with the cover of the container on top of the tray; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an inside surface of a blank used to form one embodiment of the display container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown an embodiment of a display container adjustable between an enclosed position and a display position, designated generally by the numeral 10.

Terms “above,” “on,” “under,” “underneath,” “top”, “bottom,” “interior,” “inside,” “outside,” “inwardly,” and “outwardly” used in the description and/or claims are in reference to the relative positions of the display container 10 as shown in FIGS. 1-4.

The display container 10 includes a tray 12 and a cover 14 hingedly connected to the tray 12 along a first fold line 36. The tray 12 includes a bottom 16, a front wall 18, a back wall 20 and side walls 22, 23. The cover 14 includes a display panel 24, a base 26 and a positioning tab 34. It will be appreciated that the display container 10 can be made of a variety of materials suitable for forming a container, such as paperboard, plastic, metal, etc., or combinations of such. For convenience, in the following description, the display container will be described as being made of paperboard.

The display panel 24 is defined between the first fold line 36 and a second fold line 38 and is hingedly connected to the back wall 20 of the tray along the first fold line 36. A display label 40 that conveys information, such as brand, price, or other characteristic of the product, other point of sale information, etc., to the consumer, can be attached or disposed on a surface 25 of the display panel 24. It will be appreciated that the display label 40 might be a separate label which can be suitably attached to the surface 25 of the display panel 24, or might be printed or otherwise transferred directly onto the surface 25 of the display panel 24, by any user and at any time as desired. For example, the display label 40 can be attached or transferred to the surface 25 of the display panel 24 by the retailer right before the display container 10 containing the products is placed on a store shelf. In another example, the display label 40 can include adhesive on one of its surfaces so that it can be easily attached to the display panel 24 at any time desired.

In the embodiment shown, the display panel 24 has a height defined between the first fold line 36 and the second fold line 38, which is preferably not less than a height of the back wall 20 of the tray, which is defined between the first fold line 36 and a bottom edge of the back wall 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the display panel 24 overlies the back wall 20 of the tray at a predetermined downward angle θ relative to the back wall 20 of the tray for easy reading of the display label 40, when the display container is in the display position.

The base 26 refers to the portion of the cover 14 extending beyond the second fold line 38. The base 26 includes a base panel 28, a front wall 30 and side walls 32, 33. The side walls 32, 33 include respective angled edges 102, 104, which serve to tilt the container 10 forward when the cover 14 is folded under the tray 12 of the display container for displaying the contents of the container to the consumer, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. From the enclosed position to the display position, the base 26 and display panel 24 are adapted to be folded at least 180 degree relative to the back wall 20 of the tray along the first fold line 36 so that the display panel 24 overlies the back wall 20 of the tray at the predetermined downward angle θ relative to the back wall 20 for easy reading of the display label 40.

The positioning tab 34 can be a tab slotted in the base panel 28 so that it is hingedly connected to the base panel 28 and can remain within the base panel 28 of the container when the display container 10 is in an enclosed position, as shown in FIG. 4. When in the display position, the positioning tab 34 can be pushed up and folded outwardly to engage the back wall 20 of the tray so as to keep the display panel 24 positioned at the predetermined downward angle θ relative to the back wall 20 of the tray for easy reading of the display label 40, as shown in FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the angle θ is preferably 15 degrees to 45 degrees.

The positioning tab 34 is included in the base panel 28 and spaced from the second fold line 38 so as to prevent the display panel 24 from sliding toward the back wall 20 of the tray when in the display position and thereby retain the display panel 24 at the predetermined downward angle θ relative to the back wall 20 of the tray. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, in one embodiment, the positioning tab 34 is hingedly connected to the base panel 28 along a connecting line 35 which is parallel to the first fold line 36.

It will be appreciated that the positioning tab 34 can be either an integral part or a discrete component of the display container 10. The display container 10 can also include more than one positioning tab, for example, having multiple positioning tabs to allow the display panel 24 to be adjusted between multiple predetermined downward angles relative to the back wall 20 of the tray in the display position. In another example, the display container 10 can have additional positioning tabs, providing extra support to the tray 12 in the display position.

Alternatively, in one embodiment, the positioning 34 tab might be a discrete component of the display container 10, where the positioning tab 34 can be attached to an outside surface of the base panel 28 by a suitable fastening mechanism. In yet another embodiment, the tab might be a plastic “T” shaped component which is inserted through a slot in the base panel 28 to engage the back wall 20 of the tray.

It will be appreciated that the positioning tab can be made of a variety of material suitable for positioning the tray 12 as desired, such as paper board, plastic, metal, etc., or combinations of such. The positioning tab can also be of different shapes suitable for positioning the tray 12 of the display container. It will be appreciated that the positioning tab 34 might have a variety of configurations and arrangements.

In the embodiment shown, because of the predetermined downward angle θ between the display panel 24 and the back wall 20 of the tray, the base panel 28 is slightly bent along the connecting line 35, forming an angle α as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the back wall 20 engages the positioning tab 34 so that the tray 12 rests on the base 26, as shown in FIG. 2. When the display container is made of relatively rigid material, like metal, to allow for flexing of the joint portion, it will be appreciated that a flexible joint portion might be provided. The joint portion might be disposed between the display panel 24 and the base 26 and more particularly between the second fold line 38 and the positioning tab 34.

As shown in FIG. 4, the container 10 is in an enclosed position, with the cover 14 positioned on top of the tray 12 so as to enclose the container 10, such as it may appear after it has been filled with items to be sold, closed and shipped to a merchant for sale of the items within the container 10. The positioning tab 34 can remain within the base panel 28 so that the display container 10 remains the regular container shape for easy shipping and storage.

The container 10 is adapted to adjust from the enclosed position in FIG. 4 to a partly folded open position in FIG. 3, and to the display position in FIGS. 1 and 2. This is accomplished by lifting the cover 14 upwardly from the tray 12, pivoting the cover 14 around the first fold line 36 and over the back wall 20 of the tray, pushing up and folding the positioning tab 34 outwardly such that the positioning tab 34 engages the back wall 20 of the tray and the display panel 24 including the display label 40 overlies the back wall 20 of the tray at the predetermined downward angle θ relative to the back wall 20 for easy reading of the display label 40.

Next, the base 26 of the cover is folded down and underneath the tray 12 along the second fold line 38, causing the tray 12 to be supported upon the base 26. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 26 is wedge-shaped, such that the base 26 of the cover supports the tray 12 at an angle β defined by the angled edges 102, 104 of the side walls 22, 23 of the cover descending toward the back wall 20 of the tray for displaying the contents of the container 10 to the consumer. It will be appreciated that the front wall 30 and side walls 32, 33 of the cover may have a variety of configurations and/or may not even be present depending on the user's needs. Also, the angle β can vary depending on the orientation of the store shelves. In one embodiment, the angle β is preferably 0 degree to 45 degrees. For example, the base 26 can be flat, not even having the front wall 30 and side walls 32, 33, so as to be placed on shelves that are already slanted.

Referring to FIG. 5, a blank from which the display container 10 that may be manufactured according to one embodiment of the invention is illustrated and generally designated by reference numeral 50. The blank 50 can be a unitary piece of paperboard material, and in general, the blank 50 can be made of different kinds of paper board, for example, corrugated cardboard, and can be varied as to thickness and numbers of layers as may be desired.

It will be appreciated that the display container can also be made from separate pieces of components, for example, a discrete tray-forming portion and cover-forming portion, rather than a unitary piece of paperboard, and form into the display container 10 as in FIGS. 1-4 by fasteners.

The blank 50 in FIG. 5 includes a tray-forming portion 52 to form the tray 12 of the container as shown in FIGS. 1-4 and a cover-forming portion 54 to form the cover 14 of the container as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The tray-forming portion 52 is comprised of the bottom 16 hingedly connected along score lines 58, 60, 62, 64 to the front wall 18, the back wall 20, and the two side walls 22, 23, of the tray respectively. The front wall 18 is hingedly connected along score lines 66, 68 to respective front wall flaps 18a and 18b, and the back wall 20 is hingedly connected along score lines 70, 72 to respective back wall flaps 20a and 20b. The side walls 22, 23 are hingedly connected along score lines 90, 92 to side wall flaps 22a, 24a respectively.

The cover-forming portion 54 of the container 10 in FIG. 5 is comprised of a base-forming portion 55 to form the base 26 as shown in FIG. 3, the display panel 24 hingedly connected along the second fold line 38 to a base-forming portion 55 and along the first fold line 36 to the back wall 20 of the tray, and the positioning tab 34.

The base-forming portion 55 includes the base panel 28, the front wall 30 hingedly connected along score line 76 to the base panel 28, and side walls 32, 33 hingedly connected along score lines 78, 80 to the base panel 28, respectively. The front wall 30 of the base is hingedly connected along a score line 86 to a front wall flap 30a. The side walls 32, 33 of the base are hingedly connected along score lines 82, 84 to side wall flaps 32a and 33a, respectively.

The positioning tab 34 can be a tab slotted in the base panel 28 so that it is hingedly connected to the base panel 28 and can remain within the base panel 28, when the display container 10 is in the enclosed position, as shown in FIG. 4. When in the display position, the positioning tab 34 can be pushed up and folded outwardly to engage the back wall 20 of the tray so as to keep the display panel 24 positioned at the predetermined downward angle θ relative to the back wall 20 of the tray for easy reading of the display label 40, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Typically, the inside surface and outside surface of the blank 50 are unprinted except that the inside surface of the display panel 24 might include the display label 40.

The tray-forming portion 52 may be made to form the tray 12 of the container by folding the front wall flaps 18a, 18b of the tray upward along the respective score lines 66, 68 to a position approximately perpendicular to the front wall 18 of the tray and folding the front wall 18 of the tray upward along the score line 58 to a position approximately perpendicular to the bottom 16 of the tray. Similarly, the back wall flaps 20a, 20b of the tray are folded upward along the respective score lines 70, 72 to a position approximately perpendicular to the back wall 20 and the back wall 20 is folded upward along the score line 60 to a position approximately perpendicular to the bottom 16.

Thereafter, the side wall 22 of the tray, together with the side wall flap 22a, is folded upward along the score line 62 to a position approximately perpendicular to the bottom 16 and the side wall flap 22a of the tray is folded inwardly and downward along the score line 90 to encompass the front wall flap 18a and the back wall flap 20a, and is fastened by inserting a tab 120 that is on an edge 106 of the side wall flap 22a into a corresponding slot 122 that is within the score line 62. The side wall 23 of the tray, together with the side wall flap 23a, is folded upward along the score line 64 to a position approximately perpendicular to the bottom 16 and the side wall flap 23a is folded inwardly and downward along the score line 92 to encompass the front wall flap 18b and the back wall flap 20b and is fastened by inserting a tab 124 that is on an edge 108 of the side wall flap 23a into a corresponding slot 126 that is within the score line 64. It will be appreciated, however, that the order and manner in which the folding steps are performed may be varied according to the level of skill in the art.

Similarly, the cover-forming portion 54 may be made to form the cover 14 of the container by folding the side wall flaps 32a, 33a of the base upward along the score lines 82, 84 to a position approximately perpendicular to the side walls 32, 33 of the cover and folding the side walls 32, 33 upward along the score lines 78, 80 to a position approximately perpendicular to the base panel 28. Then, the front wall 30 of the cover, together with the front wall flap 30a, is folded upward along the score line 76 to a position approximately perpendicular to the base panel 28 and the front wall flap 30a is folded inwardly and downward to encompass the side wall flaps 32a, 33a and is fastened by inserting a tab 128 that is on an edge 110 of the front wall flap 30a into a corresponding slot 130 that is within the score line 76.

Specific embodiments have been shown by ways of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention(s) claimed in the appended claims is/are not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Rather, the invention(s) claimed in the appended claims cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention(s) as claimed by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display container for displaying items and being adjustable between an enclosed position and a display position, the display container comprising:

a tray including a bottom, a front wall, a back wall and a plurality of side walls;

a cover including a display panel, a base and at least one positioning tab, the display panel being hingedly connected to a top edge of the back wall of said tray along a first fold line, the base including a base panel, a front wall and a plurality of side walls and being connected to the display panel along a second fold line;

said cover being positioned on top of said tray when the display container is in the enclosed position; and

when the display container is in the display position, said cover being folded back relative to said tray along the first fold line such that the display panel overlies the back wall of said tray at a predetermined downward angle and the base is folded underneath said tray, the positioning tab being positioned outwardly to engage the back wall of said tray so as to keep the display panel positioned at the predetermined downward angle relative to the back wall of said tray.

2. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of side walls of the base are configured to support the base at an angle descending toward the back wall of said tray when the base is folded underneath said tray.

3. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined downward angle is in a range from 15 degrees to 45 degrees.

4. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one positioning tab is an integral component of the display container.

5. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one positioning tab is a discrete component of the display container.

6. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the at least one positioning tab is made of at least one of paper board, plastic, metal, or combinations thereof.

7. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the display panel includes a display label conveying information.

8. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the display label includes a separate label attached to a surface of the display panel.

9. The display container according to claim 1, wherein the display label includes information printed or transferred directly onto a surface of the display panel.

10. A display container for displaying items and being adjustable between an enclosed position and a display position, the display container comprising:

a tray including a bottom, a front wall, a back wall and a plurality of side walls;

a cover including a display panel, a joint portion, a base and at least one positioning tab, the display panel including a display label and being hingedly connected to a top edge of the back wall of said tray along a first fold line, the joint portion being connected to the display panel along a first joint portion fold line, the base including a base panel, a front wall and a plurality of side walls and being connected to the joint portion along a second joint portion fold line;

said cover being positioned on top of said tray when the display container is in the enclosed position; and

when the display container is in the display position, said cover being folded back relative to said tray along the first fold line such that the display panel overlies the back wall of said tray at a predetermined downward angle and the base is folded underneath said tray, the positioning tab being positioned outwardly along the second joint portion fold line to engage the back wall of said tray so as to keep the display panel positioned at the predetermined downward angle relative to the back wall of said tray for easy reading of the display label.

11. The display container according to claim 10, wherein the display label includes a separate label attached to a surface of the display panel.

12. The display container according to claim 10, wherein the display label includes information printed or transferred directly onto a surface of the display panel.

13. A display container for displaying items and being adjustable between an enclosed position and a display position, the display container comprising:

a tray including a bottom, a front wall, a back wall and a plurality of side walls;

a cover including a display panel, a base and at least one positioning tab, the display panel including a display label and being hingedly connected to a top edge of the back wall of said tray along a first fold line, the base including a base panel, a front wall and a plurality of side walls and being connected to the display panel along a second fold line;

said cover being positioned on top of said tray when the display container is in the enclosed position; and

when the display container is in the display position, said cover being folded back relative to said tray along the first fold line such that the display panel overlies the back wall of said tray at a predetermined downward angle and the base is folded underneath said tray, the positioning tab being positioned outwardly to engage the back wall of said tray so as to keep the display panel positioned at the predetermined downward angle relative to the back wall of said tray for easy reading of the display label.

14. The display container according to claim 13, wherein the display label includes a separate label attached to a surface of the display panel.

15. The display container according to claim 13, wherein the display label includes information printed or transferred directly onto a surface of the display panel.