Display shipper

• US 6,435,351 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (The Kraft Heinz Company)
• Original Assignee: Kraft Foods Holdings Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibb, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US09/637,177
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 206/736, 206/746, 206/774, 229/237, 229/240-242, 229/235
• US Class Current: 206/736
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/542 the lines of weakness being provided in the container body

Abstract

A shipping and display case having a unique series of perforated tears and cuts for opening the case. The case may have a conventional box shape, including front, back, left, right, top and bottom panels, and the case is provided with a perforated tear line that is used to open the case. The score line is formed by a multitude of perforations or slits; and the slits in selected portions of the tear line are substantially longer than the slits in the rest of the tear line. In particular, in the portions of the tear line that cross over left and right front edges of the case, and in selected angled portions of the tear line, the slits are substantially longer than the slits in the rest of the tear line. These longer slits make it easier to cut or tear through areas where it is normally difficult to tear cleanly.

Claims

1. A shipping and display case for containing a plurality of articles, the case comprising:

a multitude of panels connected together to form a case defining an interior for containing a plurality of articles, said multitude of panels including a front panel, a left side panel, and a right side panel;

the front and left panels forming a left side edge, and the front and right side panels forming a right side edge;

wherein the front panel, the left side panel and the right side panel define a perforated tear line to facilitate opening the case to provide access to said interior;

wherein the tear line includes a multitude of slits, and the slits in selected portions of the tear line are substantially longer than the slits in the rest of the tear line to facilitate cleanly tearing the tear line across said selected portions;

wherein said selected portions includes a first portion extending upwardly across the left side edge, and a second portion extending upwardly across said right side edge; and

wherein;

the tear line includes left, center, and right sections;

the center section is defined in the front panel and includes left and right ends, said left and right ends being located on the front panel and spaced from the left side edge and the right side edge respectively,

the left section extends leftwardly upwardly from the left end of the center section, upwardly across a left portion of the front panel, upwardly across the left side edge and upwardly across the left side panel;

the right section extends rightwardly upwardly from the right end of the center section, upwardly across a right portion of the front panel, upwardly across the right side edge and upwardly across the right side panel; and

said first portion of the tear line is in the left section, and said second portion of the tear line is in the right section.

2. A shipping and display case according to claim 1, wherein:

the left side panel includes a top left edge;

the right side panel includes a top left edge;

the left section of the tear line includes

i) a first segment extending across the left side panel,

ii) a second segment extending on the top left edge collinear therewith, and p2 iii) an angled portion consisting of a single continuous slit connecting together and extending between said first and second segments;

the right section of the tear line includes

i) a first segment extending across the right side panel,

ii) a second segment extending on the top right edge collinear therewith, and

iii) an angled portion consisting of a single continuous slit extending between and connecting together said first and second segments of the right section.

3. A shipping and display case according to claim 2, wherein:

the front panel forms a cut line;

the center section of the tear line and the cut line bound an area of the front panel; and

the cut line facilitates tearing away said area of the front panel to form a gripping opening therein adjacent the tear line, to help grip the front panel and tear the case open along the tear line.

4. A shipping and display case according to claim 1, wherein in each of the selected portions of the tear line, the tear line consists of a single slit.

5. A shipping and display case according to claim 1, wherein:

the multitude of panels furthers include a top panel and a back panel, said top and back panels being connected together along a back, top edge, and

the tear line extends completely across said back, top edge to facilitate completely removing a top of the case.

6. A shipping and display case according to claim 5, wherein

the center sections of the tear line is formed by a series of slits one half inch long and spaced apart three sixteenths of an inch;

the first segment of the left and right sections of the tear line are formed by a series of slits one half inch long and spaced apart three-sixteenths of an inch.

7. A shipping and display case according to claim 6, wherein the second segments of the left and right section so the tear line and formed by a series of slits three-eights of an inch long and spaced apart one quarter inch.

8. A blank for forming a shipping and display case for containing a plurality of articles, the blank comprising:

a multitude of panels integrally connected together, and adapted to be folded and connected together to form a case defining an interior for containing a plurality of articles, said multitude of panels including a front panel, a left side panel, and a right side panel, the front and left side panels being connected together by a left fold line, and the front and right side panels being connected together by a right fold line;

wherein the front panel, the left side panel and the right side panel define a perforated tear line to facilitate opening the case to provide access to said interior;

wherein the tear line includes a multitude of slits, and the slits in selected portions of the tear line are substantially longer than the slits in the rest of the tear line to facilitate cleanly tearing the tear line across said selected portions; and

wherein said selected portions include first portion extending across the left fold line, and a second portion extending across said right fold line; and

wherein

the tear line includes left, center, and right sections;

the center section is defined in the front panel and includes left and right ends, said left and right ends being located on the front panel and spaced from the left side edge and the right side edge respectively;

the left section extends leftwardly upwardly from the left end of the center section, upwardly across a left portion of the front panel, upwardly across the left fold line and upwardly across the left side panel;

the right section extends rightwardly upwardly from the right end of the center section, upwardly across a right portion of the front panel, upwardly across the right fold line and across the right side panel; and

said first portion of the tear line is in the left section and said second portion of the tear line is in the right section.

9. A blank according to claim 8, wherein:

the left side panel includes a top left edge;

the right side panel includes a top right edge;

the left section of the tear line includes

i) a first segment extending across the left side panel,

ii) a second segment extending on the top left edge collinear therewith, and

iii) an angled portion consisting of a single continuous slit connecting together and extending between said first and second segments;

the right section of the tear line includes

i) a first segment extending across the right side panel,

ii) a second segment extending on the top right edge collinear therewith, and

iii) an angled portion consisting of a single continuous slit extending between and connecting together said first and second segments of the right section.

10. A blank according to claim 9, wherein:

the front panel forms a cut line;

the center section of the tear line and the cut line bound an area of the front panel; and

the cut line facilitates tearing away said area of the front panel to form a gripping opening therein adjacent the tear line, to help grip the front panel and tear the case open along the tear line.

11. A blank according to claim 8, wherein in each of the selected portions of the tear line the tear line consists of a single slit.

12. A blank according to claim 8, wherein:

the multitude of panels further includes a top panel and a back panel, said toi and back panels being connected together along a back, top edge, and

the tear line extends completely across said back, top edge to facilitate completely removing a top of the case.

13. A blank according to claim 12, wherein:

the center sections of the tear line is formed by a series of slits one half inch long and spaced apart three-sixteenths of an inch;

the first segment of the left and right sections of the tear line are formed by a series of slits one half inch long and spaced apart three-sixteenths of an inch.

14. A blank according to claim 13, wherein the second segments of the left and the right sections of the tear line are formed by a series of slits three-eights of an inch long and spaced apart one quarter inch.