PACKAGING AND DISPLAY BOX WITH A DETACHABLE BLANK

Abstract

A packaging and display box blank comprising a display blank joined to a removable blank at overlapping portions, such that the box blank can be folded and joined to form a box for enclosing product and wherein the removable blank can be partly or fully detached from the display blank.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging and display box that can be manipulated to allow products within the carton to be displayed without removing the products from the box packaging. Also provided is a box blank for forming such a box and a method of packaging and displaying product using such a box blank.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is increasing pressure from retailers, and particularly large chain supermarkets, for manufacturers and distributors to provide their products in a shelf-ready configuration in order to reduce handling costs by supermarket staff in the last 50 metres of a product's journey to shelves. Minimising product handling saves costs on staff and reduces the chance of product damage as a result of staff inadvertently cutting open product along with packaging, dropping product during shelf transfer, and so on.

Ready display cardboard containers such as die cut boxes address the problem of handling by allowing the product to remain displayed in the box whereby the box is placed on a retailer's shelf. The problem with these boxes is that the hinged lids make it awkward to tightly place the box on a shelf next to other boxes.

Other cardboard containers are provided with perforations and cuts to allow sections, such as lids, to be torn off and removed. However the perforations compromise the integrity and strength of the container because perforations form lines of weakness that, during handling, may unintentionally break causing product to become damaged or escape.

An improved packaging is required that will safely store product during handling but that can also be used to directly display product on retail shelves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a packaging and display box blank comprising a display blank joined to a removable blank at overlapping portions, such that the box blank can be folded and joined to form a box for enclosing product and wherein the removable blank can be partly or fully detached from the display blank.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging and display box comprising a is display blank joined to a removable blank at overlapping portions to form a box blank which is folded and joined to create a box for enclosing product; wherein the removable blank is partly or fully detachable from the display blank to allow product therein to be displayed.

The overlapping portions preferably include overlapping sections on each of the display blank and removable blank. The overlapping sections are preferably joined by spot glue using standard packaging adhesive.

The display blank preferably forms the base and back of the box, such that these sections remain on the retailer's shelf, whereas the removable blank forms the front and top of the box, which is removed to expose the product for display.

The box blank is preferably wrapped around product and glued onto itself to contain the product in the box.

Detachment of the removable blank may be carried out manually by separating, or tearing, the adhesive join at the overlapping portions as well as breaking other joins created during wrapping the box blank around the product.

Finger holes may be provided in the display blank and/or the removable blank to assist in allowing a user to take hold of the box and tear off the removable blank. The ends of the box are preferably open to allow a user greater access to separate the removable blank from the display blank.

Non-strength compromising perforations and cuts may be provided on the removable blank at creases between a front section of the removable blank and the overlapping portion.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for packaging and displaying product including:

• • placing product on a box blank formed from joining together a display blank and a removable blank at overlapping portions;
  • wrapping the box blank around the product and joining portions of the box blank to form a substantially enclosed box containing product; and
  • at the point of display, partly or fully detaching the removable blank from the display blank by breaking box joins, thereby removing the front and top of the box and leaving product on display.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment, incorporating all aspects of the invention, will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the removable blank of the packaging and display box in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the display blank of the packaging and display box;

FIG. 3 illustrates the removable blank and display blank joined together to form a box blank;

FIG. 4 is a front isometric view of a box erected using the box blank of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear isometric view of the erected box illustrated in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 illustrates the erected box with removable blank removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The packaging and display box 10 illustrated erected in FIGS. 4 and 5 is formed by folding and joining carton blank 20 illustrated in FIG. 3. Box blank 20 is formed so as to enable erected box 10 to be manipulated and portions removed to result in the display box 50 shown in FIG. 6 which is shelf-ready to be placed at the point of sale. Product contained packed in the box before manipulation can be displayed at the point of sale after manipulation without removing the product from the box.

Box 10 is preferably made from cardboard, and specifically corrugated cardboard, which enables manipulation of the blank 20 on existing equipment, and is lightweight for ease of box handling. The box material may be lined with another material, for instance, foil or plastics, and/or may be laminated with graphics.

Manipulation of the box 10 is made possible by the characteristics of the box blank 20. Box blank 20 is formed by joining together a removable blank 30 (shown separately in FIG. 1) and a display blank 40 (shown separately in FIG. 2). Both removable and display blanks have overlapping portions where the two blanks are joined by spot adhesive 25 to form box blank 20.

FIG. 1 shows removable blank 30 having central sections and peripheral flaps. Specifically, removable blank 30 has a central top section 32 surrounded on three sides by two top end flaps 32a and a top central flap 32b. Top section 32 will form a top of the box 10 when erected.

Removable blank 30 also has a central front section 34 with front end flaps 34a on opposite sides of front section 34. Front section 34 will form the front of the box 10 when erected. On the two remaining opposite sides of front section 34 are the top section 32 and a central overlapping section 35. At opposite ends of overlapping section 35 are overlapping flaps 35a. Both overlapping section 35 and flaps 35a form the overlapping portion of the removable blank 30 that is glued to a corresponding overlapping portion on the display blank 40.

All join lines between sections and flaps, and sections and sections, are crease lines, except where discussed below. Similarly, all flaps are free formed and not joined to any other flap, except where discussed below.

Overlapping flaps 35a are each joined to adjacent front end flaps 34a by a perforated join 36. Overlapping flaps 35a are only joined to the rest of the removable blank by perforated join 36, and are not joined to the overlapping section 35. A cut 37 exists between each overlapping flap 35a and the overlapping section 35. This ensures an easier removal of the removable blank 30 from the display blank 40 whereby overlapping flaps 35a are left behind adhered to the display blank 40 while the rest of removable blank 30 can be removed to create display box 50.

A first circular finger hole 38 lies over the crease line between front section 34 and overlapping section 35. When the box is erected finger hole 38 provides access to manually remove the removable blank.

FIG. 2 illustrates display blank 40. Display blank 40 has an overlapping portion similar in size and shape to that of removable blank 30 such that the two overlapping portions can be aligned overlapping and glued together.

The display blank's overlapping portion includes an overlapping section 42 with overlapping flaps 42a joined to the overlapping section 42.

Adjacent centrally next to overlapping section 42 is central base section 44 with base end flaps 44a at opposite ends of base section 44. Base section 44 will form the base of the box 10 when erected.

On the opposite side of base section 44 to overlapping section 42 is central rear section 45. The rear section will form the rear, or back, of box 10 when erected. At the ends of rear section 45 are rear end flaps 45a. A second finger hole 48 is created in rear section 45.

All end flaps on the removable and display blanks, namely top end flaps 32a, front end flaps 34a, overlapping end flaps 35a, 42a, base end flaps 44a and rear end flaps 45a, serve to fold over and join in part to form open ends 12 of the box 10.

FIG. 3 shows an outside view of the box blank 20 formed by overlaying display blank 40 on top of removable blank 30, with overlapping sections 35, 42 aligned. The joining process involves separately ‘flute crusing’ each overlapping portion, namely pressing the portions flat, applying spot adhesive in a line along the overlapping portion of removable blank 30, aligning the pressed overlapping portion of display blank 40 over the pressed overlapping portion of removable blank 30, and joining the overlapping portions together.

The portions are flute crushed to reduce the overall thickness of the cardboard at the overlapping portions such that the thickness is substantially uniform across the box blank 20. A uniform box blank thickness ensures that the blank may be used in any standard packaging equipment.

By overlying the overlapping portions first finger hole 38 is half covered, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This enables a user at the point of display to insert a finger into the half covered hole 38, take grip of the two overlapping sections 35, 42 breaking them free by breaking spot adhesive 25.

Packing product into a box involves the use of standard wrap-around case packing equipment with no, or minimal, modifications to the equipment. The equipment places product on base section 44, applies spot glue where appropriate and folds the remaining sections around the product.

Glue is applied to top central flap 32b which is folded over onto rear section 45. As seen in FIG. 5, top flap 32b overlaps an upper part of rear section 45 such that second finger hole 48 is half covered by top flap 32b. Later when the removable blank 30 is removed, a user can insert a finger into half exposed hole 38 and tear top flap 32b off rear section 45.

Before wrapping around product, glue is also applied to end flaps and other parts of the box blank as required and in accordance with know wrapping techniques to form an erected box containing product.

In the folding process top end flaps 32a and base end flaps 44a are folded on top of front end flaps 34a and rear end flaps 45a, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. This then forms a completed erected box 10 containing product.

The box with product can then be safely and stably stacked, stored or transported to the retailer. At the retailer's premises the box is torn open, to partly or fully separate the removable blank from the display blank, and the display blank supporting the product can be placed directly onto the shelf.

Pulling apart box 10 involves inserting a finger into first finger hole 38 to break the adhesive join between the overlapping sections 35, 42 of the removable blank and display blank. Similarly, placing a finger through second finger hole 48 allows a user to pull apart the glue join between top central flap 32b and rear section 45.

Some end flaps are pulled open to open up the ends 12 of box 10. Top end flaps 32a are pulled up at each end, thereby breaking adhesive joins and exposing the top parts of front end flaps 34a and rear end flaps 45a.

Base end flaps 44a remain joined and are not pulled open as these form part of the base of the display box illustrated in FIG. 6.

Similarly, rear end flaps 45a remain joined in position as these form the rear ends of display box 50.

Front end flaps 34a of the removable blank are torn at perforated join 36 leaving behind overlapping flaps 35a, which are adhesively joined between overlapping flaps 42a of the display blank and base end flaps 44a. Accordingly, in the described embodiment, a portion of the removable blank remains attached to the display box. This remaining portion may vary in its relative proportion to the rest of the removable blank, depending on the packing and gluing process and the derived desired design of the display box 50.

With all the adhesive joins separated as described above the removable blank is detached from the display blank and discarded, recycled, etc.

Because a part or all of removable blank is disposed of and not seen on retail shelves, it may be made of a different, less expensive material to the display blank. For example, the display blank may be laminated and provided with printed graphics but the removable blank need only be made of regular non-laminated board. The corrugated board preferably used for both the display blank and removable blank is die cut to the appropriate dimensions.

The box maintains structural integrity up until the time it is prepared for display. There are no areas of weakness on the box which could be compromised during packaging and handling, yet the box can be easily and quickly disassembled and prepared for display on shelves, floor stack displays or at gondola end shelf displays.

When erected the packaging and display box does not need knives or other sharp tools to open and prepare the box containing products for display. Detachment of the removable blank can be carried out manually using only a user's hands.

Furthermore, the packaged box is delivered as a single piece, and not as a box with a separate lid which avoids problems with mismatching between top and bottom box halves and the possibility of a lid containing incorrect information regarding contents of the bottom box below it.

It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. A packaging and display box blank comprising a display blank joined to a removable blank at overlapping portions, such that the box blank can be folded and joined to form a box for enclosing product and wherein the removable blank can be partly or fully detached from the display blank.

2. A packaging and display box comprising a display blank joined to a removable blank at overlapping portions to form a box blank which is folded and joined to create a box for enclosing product; wherein the removable blank is partly or fully detachable from the display blank to allow product therein to be displayed.

3. The box according to claim 2 wherein the overlapping portions include overlapping sections on each of the display blank and removable blank.

4. The box according to claim 3 wherein the overlapping portions are joined by spot glue using standard packaging adhesive.

5. The box according to claim 2 wherein the display blank forms the base and back of the box, such that these sections remain on the retailer's shelf, whereas the removable blank forms the front and top of the box, which is removed to expose the product for display.

6. A method for packaging and displaying product including:

placing product on a box blank formed from joining together a display blank and a removable blank at overlapping portions;

wrapping the box blank around the product and joining portions of the box blank to form a substantially enclosed box containing product; and

at the point of display, partly or fully detaching the removable blank from the display blank by breaking box joins, thereby removing the front and top of the box and leaving product on display.

7. The box according to claim 3 wherein the display blank forms the base and back of the box, such that these sections remain on the retailer's shelf, whereas the removable blank forms the front and top of the box, which is removed to expose the product for display.

8. The box according to claim 4 wherein the display blank forms the base and back of the box, such that these sections remain on the retailer's shelf, whereas the removable blank forms the front and top of the box, which is removed to expose the product for display.