Stackable display container

• US 20040149815A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James K. Holdsworth, Ramon Morell
• Original Assignee: James K. Holdsworth, Ramon Morell
• Inventors: Morell, Ramon, Holdsworth, James K
• Granted Patent: US 7,004,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 229/164
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/0035 the ledges being located between side walls and doubled-over extensions B65D5/0025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 229/915 Stacking feature

Abstract

A foldable container is formed from a single blank (12) of sheet material which has stacking shoulders (32, 34), reinforced corners (24, 26, 28, 30), side panels (16, 18) and display panels (20, 22). The container includes a bottom section (14) delimited by pairs of upright end panels and side panels (16, 18). Two of the side panels (16, 18) are foldably connected to peripheral segments of the bottom section, pre-glued (78) and cooperate with the latter to form an open top product-accommodating compartment. The top edges of each of the side panels include shoulders (32, 34) for supporting a container stacked thereon and positioning tabs (36, 38) that extend upwardly and fit into corresponding openings (40, 42) in the bottom (14) of the upper container. The lateral edge of each end panel and adjacent side panel has foldably connected thereto a corner-reinforcing member and create shopping accessibility from the front of the container. The reinforcing member includes a first section (50) connected to the end panel edge and being secured in partially overlying relation with the interior surface of the adjacent side panel. The reinforcing member also includes a second section (52) connected to the first section and secured thereto in at least a partial foldback overlying relation with the first section. A third section (58) is connected to the second section and is secured in partially overlying relation to the interior surface of the end panel. This configuration can be mirrored on the back panel providing two-sided shopability and is adaptable for three or four sided shopability.

Claims

1. A stackable display container constructed of a single piece of sheet material folded to form said container comprising:

a substantially horizontal bottom wall having a left edge, a right edge, a front edge and a rear edge;

at least partial left and right side walls extending substantially vertically upwardly from said left and right side edges, respectively;

at least partial front and back walls extending substantially vertically upwardly from said front and rear edges, respectively;

left and right front corner columns, each corner column being formed of a segment of said sheet material folded to form a side corner wall and a front corner wall, each side corner wall coinciding essentially with its respective container side wall and the front corner walls lying in essentially the same plane as said front wall, each of said corner walls extending to said bottom wall.

2. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said corner columns is comprised of two layers of said sheet material forming said side corner wall and said front corner wall with each of said layers extending to said bottom wall.

3. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 2 wherein said two layers are glued to each other.

4. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 1 wherein each front corner wall includes a foot portion that extends substantially in the same plane as said front wall away from its associated corner in a direction toward the opposite corner with each foot portion resting on said bottom wall adjacent said front edge.

5. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front wall includes an outer front wall segment and an inner front wall segment substantially coextensive therewith.

6. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 5 wherein said inner and outer front wall segments are joined together along a substantially horizontally extending fold line, said fold line lying over the tops of said feet.

7. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 6 wherein each of said inner and outer front wall segments extends substantially to the left and right side walls, said outer front wall segment covering the front surface of the lower portion of said front corner walls and said inner front wall segment substantially covering the inner surface of the lower portion of said front corner walls.

8. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 7 wherein said inner wall segment includes score lines that facilitate the flexing of the ends of said inner wall segment to allow them to pass around said front corner walls as said container is being assembled.

9. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 8 wherein said score lines are angled.

10. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 8 wherein said inner front wall segment includes tabs extending from its ends that cooperate with slots in said side corner walls.

11. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 8 wherein said inner front wall segment includes a flap extending perpendicularly therefrom which lies on said bottom wall.

12. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 11 wherein said flap includes score lines that are continuations of said score lines formed in said inner front wall segment.

13. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said side walls includes a substantially horizontally extending shoulder at the top thereof for supporting the bottom of a similarly constructed container stacked thereon.

14. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of said side walls includes a positioning tab extending upwardly therefrom to cooperate with the bottom of said similarly constructed container positioned thereon.

15. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 14 wherein said bottom wall includes left and right positioning slots formed therein.

16. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 13 wherein each shoulder is formed from an additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side wall and folded inwardly and then downwardly.

17. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 16 wherein said substantially horizontal shoulder includes a fold line extending substantially the entire length thereof which allows the sheet material forming said shoulder to be manipulated from a folded flat form to an expanded form to create said shoulder.

18. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 16 wherein said positioning tabs are formed from said additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side wall.

19. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 18 wherein said positioning tabs are comprised of a double thickness of said sheet material folded over itself along a substantially horizontal fold line.

20. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 13 wherein the distal edge of said additional portion of said sheet material is glued to the inner surface of its respective side wall at a position above said bottom wall.

21. A stackable display container constructed of a single piece of sheet material folded to form said container comprising:

a substantially horizontal bottom wall having a left edge, a right edge, a front edge and a rear edge;

at least partial left and right side walls extending substantially vertically upwardly from said left and right side edges, respectively, each of said side walls including a substantially horizontally extending shoulder at the top thereof for supporting the bottom of a similarly constructed container stacked thereon;

at least partial front and back walls extending substantially vertically upwardly from said front and rear edges, respectively;

left and right front corner columns, each corner column being formed of a segment of said sheet material folded to form a side corner wall and a front corner wall, each side corner wall coinciding essentially with its respective container side wall and the front corner walls lying in essentially the same plane as said front wall, each of said corner walls extending to said bottom wall.

22. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 21 wherein each of said side walls includes a positioning tab extending upwardly therefrom to cooperate with the bottom of said similarly constructed container positioned thereon.

23. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 22 wherein said bottom wall includes left and right positioning slots formed therein.

24. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 21 wherein each shoulder is formed from an additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side wall and folded inwardly and then downwardly.

25. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 24 wherein said substantially horizontal shoulder includes a fold line extending substantially the entire length thereof which allows the sheet material forming said shoulder to be manipulated from a folded flat form to an expanded form to create said shoulder.

26. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 22 wherein said positioning tabs are formed from said additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side wall.

27. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 24 wherein the distal edge of said additional portion of said sheet material is glued to the inner surface of its respective side wall at a position above said bottom wall.

28. In a stackable container constructed of sheet material including at least a partial side wall having a substantially horizontally extending shoulder at the top thereof for supporting the bottom of a similarly constructed container stacked thereon and a positioning tab extending upwardly to cooperate with the bottom of said similarly constructed container positioned thereon, wherein the improvement comprises said tab being comprised of a double thickness of said sheet material folded over itself along a substantially horizontal fold line.

29. The improvement as claimed in claim 28 wherein said horizontal fold line is at the distal upper end of said tab and of said container.

30. The improvement as claimed in claim 28 wherein said double thickness of said sheet material forming said tab is glued to itself.