PACKAGING ASSEMBLY

• US 20100147738A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Merchants Financial Group Incorporated (U.S. Merchants Financial Group)
• Original Assignee: Timely Inventions, LLC
• Inventors: Green, Jeffrie
• Granted Patent: US 7,861,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/736
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/06 with bodies formed by uniting or interconnecting two or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00159 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00194 Paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00497 whereby at least one side wall is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00611 side walls maintained connected to each other by means of auxiliary locking elements, e.g. spring loaded locking pins
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00651 integrally formed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00711 removable lid or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/009 whereby all side walls are hingedly connected to the base panel
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00018 under tension
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2571/00055 Clapping elements, also placed on the side
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/0096 the dimensions of the supports corresponding to the periphery of the load, e.g. pallets

Abstract

The present invention is embodied in a packaging assembly for both economical and safe shipping, display and advertising of a plurality of products, comprising a plurality of products stacked upon a pallet and a plurality of side panels affixed to the pallet. Each side panel can be folded into an upper position in order to enclose the plurality of products during shipment of the packaging assembly and each side panel can also be folded into a lower position in order to hide the pallet and to advertise the plurality of products during display of the packaging assembly.

Claims

1. A packaging assembly for shipping and displaying a plurality of products, the packaging assembly comprising:

a pallet having upper side edges;

a plurality of product containers, each holding at least one product, contiguously arranged on the pallet; and

a plurality of side panels, each including

a mounting flap, and

a main flap having side edges, a bottom edge and a first face and a second face,

wherein the mounting flap and the main flap share a fold line that allows the main flap to fold relative to the mounting flap,

wherein the mounting flap is interposed between the pallet and the plurality of product containers and is affixed to the pallet such that the fold line is located at one upper side edge of the pallet,

wherein, during shipment of the packaging assembly, the main flap is foldable upwardly at the fold line to cover the plurality of product containers and the main flap, during display of the packaging assembly, is foldable downwardly at the fold line to cover the pallet and to expose the plurality of product containers, and

wherein the first face of the main flap is visible when the main flap is folded downwardly and not visible when the main flap is folded upwardly.

2. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein at least the first face of the main flap bears printed matter.

3. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein:

each side edge of the main flap of at least one of the side panels includes a tab projecting outwardly at a fold line, and

the tabs can be positioned toward either the first face of the main flap or the second face of the main flap at a 90°

angle.

4. The packaging assembly of claim 3, wherein each tab extends substantially along the entire side edge of its corresponding main flap.

5. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of side panels comprise a first pair of opposing side panels and a second pair of opposing side panels;

the main panels of at least the first pair of opposing side panels have tabs;

the tabs are positioned at a 90°

angle toward the first face of the main flaps when the first pair of opposing side panels is folded in an upper position; and

the tabs are positioned at a 90°

angle toward the second face of the main flaps when the first pair of opposing side panels is folded in a lower position.

6. The packaging assembly of claim 5, wherein the main panels of the second pair of opposing side panels overlap the tabs on the main panels of the first pair of opposing side panels.

7. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein each side edge of the main panels abuts the side edge of the adjacent main panel when folded into the upper position or the lower position.

8. The packaging assembly of claim 7, further comprising means for securing the side edges of the main flaps together.

9. The packaging assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a removable lid that receives at least the bottom edges of the main flaps within the lid and covers the plurality of product containers; and

a wrapping material to enclose the pallet, the plurality of product containers, the plurality of side panels and the lid.

10. The packaging assembly of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of supporting pallets placed underneath the packaging assembly during display of the packaging assembly.

11. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of product containers is contiguously arranged such that the area displaced by the plurality of product containers is substantially the same as the area defined by the upwardly folded main flaps.

12. The packaging assembly of claim 10, wherein the height of the supporting pallets is sufficient to enable the main flaps of the side panels to fold downwardly without extending lower than the ground.

13. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting flap of each side panel is generally trapezoidal in shape.

14. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the main flap of each side panel is generally rectangular in shape.

15. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the side panels all are of unitary construction.

16. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the side panels all are constructed of corrugated cardboard.

17. The packaging assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable lid that receives at least the bottom edges of the main flaps within the lid and covers the plurality of product containers; and

a wrapping material to enclose the pallet, the plurality of product containers, the plurality of side panels and the lid.

18. The packaging assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of supporting pallets placed underneath the packaging assembly during display of the packaging assembly.

19. A packaging assembly for shipping and displaying a plurality of products, the packaging assembly comprising:

a pallet having upper side edges;

a plurality of product containers, each holding at least one product, contiguously arranged on the pallet;

a first pair of opposing side panels, each including

a mounting flap,

a main flap having a first face and a second face and side tabs; and

a second pair of opposing side panels, each including

a mounting flap, and

a main flap having a first face and a second face,

wherein each mounting flap and corresponding main flap share a fold line that allows the main flap to fold relative to the mounting flap,

wherein each mounting flap is interposed between the pallet and the plurality of product containers and is affixed to the pallet such that the fold line is located at one upper side edge of the pallet,

wherein, during shipment of the packaging assembly, each main flap is foldable upwardly at the fold line to cover the plurality of product containers and each main flap, during display of the packaging assembly, is foldable downwardly at the fold line to cover the pallet and to expose the plurality of product containers,

wherein, during shipment of the packaging assembly, the side tabs on the main flaps of the first pair of opposing side panels are foldable toward the first face of the main flap and the side tabs, during displaying of the packaging assembly, are foldable toward the second face of the main flap,

wherein the main panels of the second pair of opposing side panels overlap the side tabs on the main panels of the first pair of opposing side panels,

wherein the first face of the main flap is visible when the main flap is folded downwardly and not visible when the main flap is folded upwardly; and

means for securing the main flaps to one another when they are in the upper position and in the lower position.

21. A method for assembling a packaging assembly for display, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the packaging assembly assembled in accordance to claim 19;

placing the packaging assembly on a plurality of supporting pallets;

removing the wrapping material;

removing the lid;

releasing the side panels from each other;

folding the plurality of side panels downwardly; and

securing the side panels together with securing means.

20. A method for assembling a packaging assembly for shipping, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a pallet;

affixing a plurality of side panels to the pallet;

arranging a plurality of product containers, each holding at least one product, on the pallet;

folding the plurality of side panels upwardly to cover the plurality of product containers;

securing the side panels together;

placing a lid atop at least a portion of the plurality of side panels; and

enclosing the packaging assembly with a wrapping material.