Shipping and display container

• US 6,454,107 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Belanger, Leon, Tumminia, Patricia, Santomango, Stacie, Marinone, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Erica B.
• Application Number:
  US09/490,274
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 211/59.3, 211/51, 211/132.1, 211/135, 211/126.6, 211/126.12, 312/61, 312/71, 206/730, 206/758, 206/556, 206/805
• US Class Current: 211/59.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/126 the pushing device being urged by spring means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/14 Display trays or containers combined with racks A47F5/0025; tray partitions A47F5/005; as racks and transportable with merchandise A47F5/108; made of cardboard A47F5/11; stackable A47B87/02; packing boxes used subsequently as display trays B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/112 hand-folded from sheet material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/22 held erect by extensions of one or more sides being doubled-over to enclose extensions of adjacent sides
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/724 Internal fittings facilitating the discharge of contents, e.g. guiding panels, movable bottoms or lifting strips

Abstract

A tray-shaped shipping and display container has a support surface for supporting items for display. A pusher member is mounted for sliding movement on the support surface, and is elastically biased in a forward direction so that it continually urges items forward in the container to replace items removed from the front of the container by customers.

Claims

1. A shipping and display container for shipping and displaying a plurality of articles, comprising:

a shallow, open-top tray with a flat, upwardly facing support surface and a narrow, upstanding peripheral wall around the support surface, said peripheral wall including a back wall, opposite side walls, and a front wall, which laterally retain articles on the support surface;

a pusher member slidable on the support surface from the back wall toward the front wall to push articles forward on the support surface toward the front wall to replace articles removed from the front;

said pusher member comprising a bottom panel lying flat against the support surface, an upstanding back wall, and opposite end walls, which together define a scoop shape that holds at least one article and which maintains an upright orientation on the support surface as it slides along the surface; and

a pair of elastic bands connected between respective opposite ends of the pusher member and opposite sides of the tray to resiliently urge the pusher member forwardly on the support surface.

2. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the support surface is on an insert placed in the tray.

3. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the pusher member is made from a single piece of material.

4. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the material is corrugated cardboard and the pusher member is folded from a single flat blank; and

said blank includes panels, flaps and tabs that interlock with one another to hold the pusher member in erected condition without requiring the use of adhesives or other fasteners.

5. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the pusher member includes opposite end walls, a back wall, and a bottom panel that extends parallel to the support surface.

6. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

said pusher member back wall includes inner and outer panels;

elongate flaps are foldably joined to rearward edges of the end walls of the pusher member and received between the inner and outer panels of the back wall; and

attaching tabs are formed on the flaps for attachment of the elastic members to the pusher member.

7. A shipping and display container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the pusher member has a width dimension for simultaneously engaging and pushing a plurality of articles placed side-by-side.

8. A disposable, paperboard container for shipping, supporting and displaying a plurality of articles for sale, comprising:

a paperboard tray having a bottom support surface, a back wall, a front wall and opposite side walls, wherein the articles project above at least the front wall and are slidable in the tray toward the front wall;

a paperboard pusher member slidable on the bottom support surface in a direction from the back wall toward the front wall, said pusher member having opposite end walls, a back wall, and a bottom wall, defining a scoop-like shape capable of receiving at least one article, and wherein the end walls slide in close proximity to the tray side walls, and the bottom wall slides along the bottom support surface, whereby the pusher member remains in a stable orientation as it moves forward in the tray; and

elastic means connected between opposite ends of the pusher member and the tray to resiliently urge the pusher member and any articles in the tray forwardly, whereby as articles are removed from the front of the container other articles are pushed forward to replace the removed articles.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the elastic means comprises an elastic band connected between each of the opposite ends of the pusher member and an adjacent side of the tray.

10. A container as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the bottom support surface is on an insert placed in the tray, said insert having depending flanges that support the bottom support surface in upwardly spaced relationship to the bottom of the tray, and said elastic bands are at least partially concealed by the insert.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

the pusher member is folded from a single piece of paperboard, and a small tab is formed in each end wall, said tabs projecting outwardly toward an adjacent side wall of the tray and rearwardly toward the tray back wall; and

said elastic bands are loops having one end engaged on the tabs to exert a force on the pusher member urging it forwardly in the tray.

12. A shipping and display container, comprising:

a support surface in the container for supporting a plurality of items in position for optimum visibility and accessibility to a customer or potential customer, said support surface having a longitudinal axis extending between a front edge and a rear edge of the container;

a pusher member mounted for sliding movement on the support surface in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, said pusher member made from a single piece of corrugated cardboard folded to have opposite end walls positioned at opposite sides of the tray, a back wall, a bottom wall that extends parallel to the support surface, and panels, flaps and tabs that interlock with one another to hold the pusher member in erected condition without requiring the use of adhesives or other fasteners, said back wall including inner and outer panels, and elongate flaps foldably joined to rearward edges of the end walls and received between the inner and outer panels of the back wall, said flaps having attaching tabs formed thereon; and

an elastic biasing member connected between the container and the attaching tabs at each of the opposite ends of the pusher member to yieldably urge the pusher member forward in the container, whereby items placed in the container and supported on the support surface are continually urged forward by the pusher member to replace items removed from the front of the container by a customer.