Bin

• US 8,573,429 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Laura L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEINERTH, GIDEON R
• Application Number:
  US13/194,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20130026163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 220/23.4, 220/507, 220 2383- 2389, 229/125.28, 229/125.38, 229/116.1, 229/4.5
• US Class Current: 220/23.4
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/34 Coverings or external coatings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/62; for bottles or jars B65D23/08; wrappers B65D65/00

Abstract

A retail display apparatus has a transparent inner cylinder with a top. An outer sleeve surrounds a portion of the transparent inner cylinder and has a top such that a first part of the top of the outer sleeve is a first distance from the top of the transparent inner cylinder and a second part of the top of the outer sleeve is a second distance from the top of the transparent inner cylinder.

Claims

1. A retail display unit comprising:

a single piece of first sheet material having a top edge, a bottom edge, and side edges that are attached together to form a first tubular body and first and second score lines that are spaced apart from the side edges and extend from the top edge to the bottom edge of the first sheet material, wherein the first and second score lines are located on opposing sides of the first tubular body to facilitate the first tubular body being folded at the first and second score lines to place the first tubular body in a flattened state and being unfolded at the first and second score lines for placing the first tubular body in a cylindrical state; and

a single piece of second sheet material, formable into a second tubular body by attaching side edges of the second sheet of material together, wherein the second tubular body fits within the first tubular body when the first tubular body is in the cylindrical state;

and wherein the first sheet material comprises at least one opening and the second sheet material comprises at least one opening such that when the second tubular body fits within the first tubular body, the at least one opening of the first sheet material aligns with the at least one opening of the second sheet material;

and comprising a fastener adapted to pass through the at least one opening in the first sheet of material and the at least one opening in the second sheet of material to attach the retail display unit to a second retail display unit.

2. The retail display unit of claim 1 wherein the top edge of the first tubular body is shaped differently than the bottom edge of the first tubular body.

3. The retail display unit of claim 2 wherein at least part of the second tubular body extends past the top edge of the first tubular body and a bottom edge of the second tubular body is aligned with the bottom edge of the first tubular body when the second tubular body fits within the first tubular body.

4. The retail display unit of claim 1 wherein the second sheet material is formed of a transparent material and the first sheet material is formed of an opaque material.

5. The retail display unit of claim 1 wherein the second sheet material is adapted to be formed into the second tubular body by at least one slot and at least one locking tab on the second sheet material.

6. The retail display unit of claim 1 wherein the first tubular body comprises a height defined between the bottom edge and the top edge of the first sheet material that is non-uniform and wherein the second tubular body comprises a height that is uniform.

7. A container structure comprising:

a first container comprising;

a first transparent inner cylinder that surrounds a first open space and includes a top edge, a bottom edge and a uniform height;

a first outer sleeve encircling the first transparent inner cylinder and including a top edge, a bottom edge and a non-uniform height that is less than the uniform height of the first transparent inner cylinder, wherein the top edge of the first outer sleeve includes a single low point that has a height that is less than a height of a remainder of the first outer sleeve;

a second container comprising;

a second transparent inner cylinder that surrounds a second open space and includes a top edge, a bottom edge and a uniform height;

a second outer sleeve encircling the second transparent inner cylinder and including a top edge, a bottom edge and a non-uniform height that is less than the uniform height of the second transparent inner cylinder, wherein the top edge of the second outer sleeve includes a single low point that has a height that is less than a height of a remainder of the second outer sleeve;

and a stand comprising at least a first shelf and a second shelf located above the first shelf, wherein the bottom edges of the first transparent inner cylinder and the first outer sleeve rest on the first shelf and the bottom edges of the second transparent inner cylinder and the second outer sleeve rest on the second shelf so that the top edge of the second transparent inner sleeve is at a height that is greater than the top edge of the first transparent inner cylinder

and

wherein the first inner cylinder comprises at least one opening and the first outer sleeve comprises at least one opening such that when the first inner cylinder fits within the first outer sleeve, the at least one opening of the first inner cylinder aligns with the at least one opening of the first outer sleeve;

and wherein the second inner cylinder comprises at least one opening and the second outer sleeve comprises at least one opening such that when the second inner cylinder fits within the second outer sleeve, the at least one opening of the second inner cylinder aligns with the at least one opening of the second outer sleeve;

and comprising a fastener adapted to pass through the at least one opening in the first inner cylinder and the first outer sleeve of the first container and the at least one opening in the second outer sleeve and the second inner cylinders of the second container to attach the first container to the second container.

8. The container structure of claim 7 wherein the first outer sleeve comprises first and second lines of perforations located on opposite sides of the first outer sleeve from each other and wherein the second outer sleeve comprises first and second lines of perforations located on opposite sides of the second outer sleeve from each other, each of the first line of perforations and the second line of perforations of the first outer sleeve extend from the top edge of the first outer sleeve to the bottom edge of the first outer sleeve and each of the first line of perforations and the second line of perforations of the second outer sleeve extend from the top edge of the second outer sleeve to the bottom edge of the second outer sleeve.

9. The container structure of claim 7 wherein the top edge of the first transparent inner cylinder extends above the top edge of the first outer sleeve and the top edge of the second transparent inner cylinder extends above the top edge of the second outer sleeve.

10. The container structure of claim 7 wherein the first outer sleeve comprises a single sheet of material having side edges that are attached together, a front and a back, wherein the single low point of the top edge of the first outer sleeve is located at the front of the first outer sleeve and the attached side edges of the first outer sleeve are located at the back of the first outer sleeve.

11. The container structure of claim 7 wherein the second outer sleeve comprises a single sheet of material having side edges that are attached together, a front and a back, wherein the single low point of the top edge of the second outer sleeve is located at the front of the second outer sleeve and the attached side edges of the second outer sleeve are located at the back of the second outer sleeve.

12. The container structure of claim 7 wherein the stand further comprises a first wall that defines a front of the first shelf and a second wall that defines a front of the second shelf, wherein the first container is positioned between the first wall and the second wall on the first shelf and the second container is positioned behind the second wall and on the second shelf.

13. A container structure comprising:

a first container comprising;

a first transparent inner sleeve that surrounds a first open space and includes a uniform height;

a first outer sleeve encircling the first transparent inner sleeve and including a non-uniform height that is less than the uniform height of the first transparent inner sleeve and first and second lines of perforations extending from a top edge of the first outer sleeve to a bottom edge of the first outer sleeve and being located opposite each other along the first outer sleeve, wherein the top edge of the first outer sleeve includes a single low point that has a height that is less than a height of a remainder of the first outer sleeve and wherein the first and second lines of perforations are located between the single low point of the first outer sleeve and side edges that are attached together to form the first outer sleeve;

a second container comprising;

a second transparent inner sleeve that surrounds a second open space and includes a uniform height;

a second outer sleeve encircling the second transparent inner sleeve and including a non-uniform height that is less than the uniform height of the second transparent inner sleeve and first and second lines of perforations extending from a top edge of the second outer sleeve to a bottom edge of the second outer sleeve and being located opposite each other along the second outer sleeve, wherein the top edge of the second outer sleeve includes a single low point that has a height that is less than a height of a remainder of the second outer sleeve and wherein the first and second lines of perforations are located between the single low point of the second outer sleeve and side edges that are attached together to form the second outer sleeve; and

at least one fastener passing through the first outer sleeve, the first transparent inner sleeve, the second outer sleeve and the second transparent inner sleeve to fasten the first container to the second container.

14. The container structure of claim 13 wherein the first transparent inner sleeve and the second transparent inner sleeve are each made of a single piece of sheet material and are each formed into a cylindrical shape by attaching side edges of the single piece of sheet material together.

15. The container structure of claim 14 wherein the first outer sleeve and the second outer sleeve are each made of a single piece of sheet material and are each formed into a cylindrical shape by attaching the side edges of the single piece of sheet material together.

16. The container structure of claim 15 wherein the first transparent inner sleeve comprises at least one opening and wherein the first outer sleeve comprises at least one opening that is different from the first and second lines of perforations, wherein the at least one opening in the first transparent sleeve aligns with the at least one opening in the first outer sleeve.

17. The container structure of claim 16 wherein the second transparent inner sleeve comprises at least one opening and wherein the second outer sleeve comprises at least one opening that is different from the first and second lines of perforations, wherein the at least one opening in the second transparent sleeve aligns with the at least one opening in the second outer sleeve.

18. The container structure of claim 17 wherein the aligned openings in the first transparent inner sleeve and the first outer sleeve align with the aligned openings in the second transparent inner sleeve and the second outer sleeve to receive the fastener.