Stackable display container

• US 7,004,379 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James K. Holdsworth, Ramon Morell
• Original Assignee: James K. Holdsworth, Ramon Morell
• Inventors: Morell, Ramon, Holdsworth, James K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US10/480,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 229/164, 229/172, 229/178, 229/179, 229/190, 229/915, 229/918, 229/919, 206/427, 206/431, 206/509, 206/511
• 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, said front wall including an outer front wall segment and an inner front wall segment substantially coextensive therewith;

left and right front corner columns, each corner column being formed of a segment of said sheet material folded to form a foot, 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;

said inner and outer front wall segments being joined together along a substantially horizontally extending fold line with said fold line lying over the tops of said feet, said inner and outer front wall segments extending 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;

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 and said inner front wall segment including a flap extending perpendicularly therefrom which lies on said bottom wall, said flap including score lines that are continuations of said score lines formed in said inner front wall segment.

2. 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, each shoulder being formed from an additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side wall and folded inwardly and then downwardly, said side walls further including upwardly extending positioning tabs formed from said additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side walls;

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.

3. The stackable display container as claimed in claim 2 wherein said positioning tabs are comprised of a double thickness of said sheet material folded over itself along a substantially horizontal fold line.

4. 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 and 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;

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.

5. 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, each of said side walls further including a positioning tab extending upwardly therefrom to cooperate with the bottom of said similarly constructed container positioned thereon, said positioning tabs being formed from an additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side wall;

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.

6. 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, each shoulder being formed from an additional portion of said sheet material extending from the top of each side wall and folded inwardly and then downwardly, the distal edge of said additional portion of said sheet material being glued to the inner surface of its respective side wall at a position above said bottom wall;

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.