Displayable shipping container

• US 9,169,039 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Packaging Corporation of America
• Original Assignee: Packaging Corporation of America
• Inventors: Freeman, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): REYNOLDS, STEVEN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US14/453,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20150041363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 229/221, 229/122, 229/122.1, 229/121, 206/766, 206/738, 220/525, 221/305
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/52 External stands or display elements for contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/542 the lines of weakness being provided in the container body
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/722 having an alternating movement co-operating with incised or scored openings near the bottom-edges of the bodies of tubular containers

Abstract

A container blank includes a front panel, a first-end panel, a back panel, a second-end panel, a plurality of first-side flaps, a plurality of second-side flaps, and a door. Each of the plurality of first-side flaps and each of the plurality of second-side flaps extend from a respective one of the front panel, the first-end panel, the back panel, and the second-end panel. The door includes a door-front portion formed in the front panel, a first-door-side portion formed in the first-side flap extending from the front panel and a second-door-side portion formed in the second-side flap extending from the front panel. The first-door-side portion and the second-door-side portion include a first crushed zone on an interior surface of the blank. The first-side flap extending from the front panel and the second-side flap extending from the front panel each include a second crushed zone on an exterior surface of the blank.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a bottom;

a top opposing the bottom;

a front panel, a first side, a back panel, and a second side bridging the top and the bottom;

a door defined by a perforation extending across the front panel between the first side and the second side, the door being moveable between an open position and a closed position, the door including a fold line dividing the door into a main portion and a support portion, the support portion being configured to provide stiffening during movement of the door from the closed position to the open position, the door having the same thickness as the front panel; and

a first door-side portion and a second door-side portion located on opposite sides of the door, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion extending inwardly from the front panel towards the back panel, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion being configured to engage an interior surface of the front panel to stop movement of the door in the open position.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the first side and the second side are each formed from a plurality of side flaps, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion each being crushed on an exterior surface in a respective first crushed zone, one of the plurality of side flaps forming the first side and another of the plurality of side flaps forming the second side being crushed on a respective interior surface in a second crushed zone.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the first crushed zones are configured to contact the second crushed zones when the door is moved from the closed position to the open position such that the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion are forced inwards when the door is moved from the closed position to the open position.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion are each coplanar with respective ones of the plurality of side flaps crushed on the interior surface in the second crushed zone when the door is in the closed position.

5. The container of claim 3, wherein the front panel includes a first slot and a second slot configured to receive the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion, respectively, when the door is in the open position.

6. The container of claim 2, wherein the first crushed zones and the second crushed zones not contacting each other when the door is in the open position.

7. The container of claim 2, wherein one of the first and second crushed zones are spaced away from both the front panel.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the door further includes a slit located between the support portion and the main portion to assist in movement of the door from the closed position to the open position.

9. The container of claim 1, further comprising a tear-away portion formed in the back panel, the tear-away portion being configured to be removed from the container to provide access to an interior of the container.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein a portion of the back panel remains after the tear-away portion is entirely removed from the container.

11. The container of claim 9, wherein the tear-away portion is further formed in the top panel and the bottom panel.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein the back panel includes a hook-access portion configured to provide access to a hook for hanging the container.

13. The container of claim 1, wherein the support portion is configured to rotate about the fold line from a first position to a second position, the support portion being generally parallel to the main portion in the first position, the support portion being oriented at an angle with respect to the main portion in the second position such that the support portion assists in retaining product in the container in the second position.

14. The container of claim 1, wherein the first side and second side are formed from a plurality of side flaps, the first side and the second side having a maximum thickness of three flaps.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion are each located between two of the plurality of side flaps on the respective sides of the container.

16. The container of claim 1, wherein the door is hingedly connected to the bottom panel.

17. A blank for a container comprising:

a front panel;

a first end panel extending from the front panel;

a back panel extending from the first end panel;

a second end panel extending from the back panel;

a plurality of first side flaps, each of the plurality of first side flaps extending from a respective one of the front panel, the first end panel, the back panel, and the second end panel;

a plurality of second side flaps, each of the plurality of second side flaps extending from the respective one of the front panel, the first end panel, the back panel, and the second end panel; and

a door including a door-front portion formed in the front panel, a first door-side portion formed in the first side flap extending from the front panel and a second door-side portion formed in the second side flap extending from the front panel, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion including a first crushed zone on an interior surface of the blank, the first side flap extending from the front panel and the second side flap extending from the front panel each including a second crushed zone on an exterior surface of the blank.

18. The blank of claim 17, further comprising a tear-away portion formed in the first end panel, the back panel, and the second end panel.

19. The blank of claim 17, wherein the door-front portion includes a main portion and a support portion separated by a fold line.

20. The blank of claim 19, further comprising a slit between the main portion and the support portion.

21. The blank of claim 17, wherein the door-front portion is hingedly connected to the first end panel.

22. A container comprising:

a bottom;

a top opposing the bottom;

a front panel, a first side, a back panel, and a second side bridging the top and the bottom, the first side and the second side are each formed from a plurality of side flaps; and

a door having a door-front portion, a first door-side portion, and a second door-side portion, the door-front portion being defined by a perforation extending across the front panel between the first side and the second side, the door being moveable between an open position and a closed position, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion being located on opposite sides of the door-front portion, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion extending inwardly from the door-front portion towards the back panel, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion being configured to engage an interior surface of the front panel to stop movement of the door in the open position, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion each being crushed on an exterior surface in a respective first crushed zone, one of the plurality of side flaps forming the first side and another of the plurality of side flaps forming the second side being crushed on an interior surface in respective second crushed zones.

23. The container of claim 22, wherein the first crushed zones are configured to contact the second crushed zones when the door is moved from the closed position to the open position such that the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion are forced inwards when the door is moved from the closed position to the open position.

24. The container of claim 22, wherein the first door-side portion is coplanar with the side flap having the second crushed zone that forms the first side when the door is in the closed position, and the second door-side portion is coplanar with the side flap having the second crushed zone that forms the second side when the door is in the closed position.

25. A container comprising:

a bottom;

a top opposing the bottom;

a front panel, a first side, a back panel, and a second side bridging the top and the bottom;

a door defined by a perforation extending across the front panel between the first side and the second side, the door being moveable between an open position and a closed position, the door having the same thickness as the front panel; and

a first door-side portion and a second door-side portion located on opposite sides of the door, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion extending inwardly from the front panel towards the back panel, the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion being configured to engage an interior surface of the front panel to stop movement of the door in the open position

wherein the first side and the second side are each formed from a plurality of side flaps, and wherein the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion are each coplanar with respective ones of the plurality of side flaps when the door is in the closed position, and wherein the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion are not coplanar with respective ones of the plurality of side flaps when the door is in the open position

wherein the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion each being crushed on an exterior surface in a respective first crushed zone, one of the plurality of side flaps forming the first side and another of the plurality of side flaps forming the second side being crushed on a respective interior surface in a second crushed zone;

wherein the first crushed zones are configured to contact the second crushed zones when the door is moved from the closed position to the open position such that the first door-side portion and the second door-side portion are forced inwards when the door is moved from the closed position to the open position.