AU2020256374A1

AU2020256374A1 - Shipping and display container and blank for forming same

Info

Publication number: AU2020256374A1
Application number: AU2020256374A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Frank Bova
Original assignee: Abbe Nsw Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Abbe Nsw Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2019-10-14
Filing date: 2020-10-14
Publication date: 2021-04-29

Abstract

A shelf ready packaging (SRP) container, comprised of a single board blank, preferably a corrugated cardboard blank, folded into a rectangular cuboid, the container being convertible from a transport configuration into a display 5 configuration in which the container has been separated into a display tray and a discardable hood, the container in the transport configuration having a bottom comprising two bottom flaps and two bottom panels, secured to each other such that two of these define an outer face of the container and two are located within the container, the container in the transport configuration further having a side 10 wall comprised of four quadrilateral side panels standing upright and together defining a rectangular cross-sectioned enclosure covered by the bottom, a respective one of the bottom flaps and panels being contiguous (ie unitary) with a respective one of the side panels, the container in the transport configuration further having a top comprised of two top panels that cover an upper opening of 15 the enclosure when in the transport configuration and which are respectively contiguous with an associated one of the side panels, and wherein two of the side panels and associated bottom flaps comprise a respective tear line along which these panels and flaps may be separated into two thereby transforming the container into its display configuration by dividing the container into the display 20 tray, whereby one of the top panels provides an upright extending front panel and one of the bottom flaps without the tear line provides an upright back panel of the tray, and the discardable (upper) hood comprising the other one of the top panels and the other one of the bottom flaps without the tear line, each of the tray and hood further comprising separated sections of the side panels and bottom flaps. 25 Fig. 5c cOTRSCLARGE ---- - ----- -- --- -/ I to~

Description

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SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER AND BLANK FOR FORMING SAME FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally concerned with containers, and more particularly with shipping containers manufactured from board material and which include perforation lines for removal of a portion of the container to create a shelf ready product display tray.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is well known practice in the consumer goods (products) sector, but others as well, to employ larger containers to transport a plurality of smaller, packaged products from their place of manufacture to a place of sale, such as a retail store. These type of containers may have the form of open trays enveloped with plastic foil material, fully or partially enclosed rectangular cuboid packaging boxes and the like. More often than not, such transport containers are typically manufactured from cardboard, corrugated card or fiber board, but also other board materials such as corrugated plastic boards, eg re-use transport containers.

The most widely used or common transport / shipping box style is the so-called regular slotted container (RSC) made from a single blank of cardboard or corrugated cardboard with four side panels and four flaps on the bottom box opening and four flaps at the top opening that are folded to provide a closed box bottom and openable box top. These boxes require glue, tape or staples to close the flaps that serve to close the box

It is equally well known that many retailers prefer the vendible packaged products, such as canned food, packaged noodle bags, drink pouches, etc, to be orderly placed and delivered in transport containers that can easily be transformed / converted into a shelf-ready display carton or tray. This obviates the labor associated with individually taking out the products from the transport container and placing these in orderly fashion on a display shelf. Thus, there are a variety of transport containers (also called shipping boxes) that are designed to be convertible with little manual effort into shelf-ready display trays. Such type of convertible packaging is often referred to as shelf ready packaging (SRP) container.

One type of suitable convertible containers are so-called telescope-boxes which consist of more than one piece and are characterized by a lid and/or a bottom telescoping over the body of a box which may have three side walls of equal height and a front side wall of reduced height which in use will be placed on a shelf facing an aisle to allow consumers to readily see the contents in the opened box. Whilst aesthetically pleasing, such two-component boxes are more expensive to manufacture as they required two separate cardboard blanks to be cut and respectively folded and then assembled into the shipping container by sliding the lid onto the body of the box after the latter has been filled with products.

Other such convertible container designs comprise a single cardboard blank which is scored to provide foldable panels and flaps that when the blank is folded and appropriately glued provide the sides, the top and the bottom of a typically rectangular cuboid container. Tear strips or perforated tear lines formed through selected panels of the blank / container, allow a portion of the container to be torn off to expose the inside of the container and the packaged products for display.

There are numerous single cardboard blank convertible containers of the last mentioned type where the perforation lines / tear strips are located such that an entire top portion of the container can be removed, such as to leave a display tray with a relatively tall back side, forward sloping side walls and a relatively narrow front panel which prevents the products from falling out, yet allows the products to remain in rows whilst facilitating consumers to view the products and remove individual items from the tray with ease.

Examples of such type of SRP containers are disclosed in the following patent documents: US4058206, GB2437514A, US2005/0184139A, W02012/145515A, W02015/026402A and US5657872.

A convertible transport-display container combining the aforementioned telescopic two-component cardboard container having a lid and an open-top base box, and perforation lines in the base box's side wall panels, is disclosed in US2004/0222127A.

There are many considerations and factors that influence individual container designs. One is the need for the container to provide adequate crush-resistance when performing its transport container function. For transport boxes which are to be filled with relatively heavy loads and which are stapled during transport

/ storage, corrugated cardboard is typically used. To ensure adequate stability under loads, the panels which provide the upstanding side walls of the container when in transport orientation require to have their corrugations / flutes extend vertically; this influences blank design. Such design consideration also plays a role whereby it is desired that the flutes / corrugations of those panels of the display tray that will be upstanding and provide a front display panel and a rear panel when the container is in the display orientation, should preferably also extend vertically.

Another consideration is a desire to ensure that any of the panels of the container which once in its display configuration face the consumer, when in use, have clean edges and no 'ragged' tear-off edges, to achieve an aesthetic pleasing appearance.

Equally, ease of erecting the container, either manually or using suitable machinery, from its cardboard blank stage through folding and selective gluingI taping of flaps and container side/top/bottom panels is a consideration.

Many of the known SRP containers manufactured from corrugated cardboard are based on so-called FEFCO 04 folder-type boxes (containers). FEFCO is the

European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers and has issued a code making the identification of certain type of cases (containers; boxes) manufactured from corrugated board materials simpler. The code has been adopted by ICCA, the International Corrugated Case Association, with its worldwide membership of corrugated case manufacturers. Folder-type boxes usually consist of only a single piece (blank) of board. The bottom of the box is hinged to form two or all side walls and the cover (top). Locking tabs, handles, display panels etc can be incorporated in some designs.

By way of example, the various embodiments of the convertible package assembly (container) and blank thereof disclosed in patent document W02015026402A of Delkor Systems, Inc. of St Paul Minnestota USA, are in essence FEFCO 0411 folder-type SRP containers erected from a single blank. The blank comprises essentially 5 primary panels arranged in series along the flute axis of the corrugated board, separated by perpendicularly extending folding lines, and which when folded and in a shipping / transport orientation of the container will provide, in that order, % top panel / flap, a first side panel, a base (or stand) panel, another side panel and the complementary other % top panel/ flap of the box. On each width-ward side of these 5 main panels are arranged respective side flaps separated from the main panels by folding lines, whereby the flaps on the first side panel and the other side panel provide pairwise the other two (of the in total four) side panels of the erected container, whereas the flaps of the two top panels and the base panel provide reinforcing flaps respectively glued to the side panels.

A single perforation line runs transversely to the flute axis through what in the shipping orientation of the container is the base panel and the two width-ward located reinforcement flaps. The container can then be filled through the open top before the two % top panels are folded towards each other and interlocked without being glued. To display the products received in the container, the container is then tilted so that the top panels become the display or customer facing front of the container and the container rests with one of the side panels on a stand surface. The container can then be converted into its display (tray) configuration by pulling the upper front flap upwards whereby ultimately the perforation line running through what is the rear panel of the container in the display configuration will be severed, allowing what is now (ie in the display orientation) the top part of the container to be removed, leaving a rip or tear edge present at the back side of the display tray, which is hidden from view by the products on the tray (or base).

Noting the very large number of unique transport-display convertible container designs, there still is a need for devising a container configuration that exhibits ease of manufacturing of the underlying corrugated blank, and that can be erected into its transport configuration with little effort, and that can then also be easily converted into its display (tray) configuration, whilst maintaining a clean front view.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the prior art forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention provides a blank, in particular a corrugated cardboard blank, for the manufacture of a shelf ready packaging (SRP) container convertible from a transport configuration into a display configuration in which the container has been separated into a display tray and a discardable hood, the blank scored and cut to comprise, commencing from a first edge of the blank in a first direction, a primary fastening tab, quadrilateral first, second, third and fourth side panels, the primary fastening tab secured to the fourth side panel when in the transport and display configurations; wherein the blank further comprises a first top panel and a first quadrilateral bottom panel respectively present on opposite top and bottom edges of the first side panel and separated therefrom by a score line, and a second top panel and a second quadrilateral bottom panel respectively present on opposite top and bottom edges of the third side panel and separated therefrom by a score line; wherein the blank further comprises a first and a second bottom flap, preferably quadrilateral, respectively present at a bottom edge of the second and fourth side panels and separated therefrom by a score line, the first and second bottom flaps both secured to the first and second bottom panels when in the transport configuration; and wherein a first tear line extends from a terminal upper edge of the second side panel across the second side panel and preferably past the score line into the adjoining first bottom flap to end at a terminal edge of the first bottom flap, and a second tear line extends from a terminal upper edge of the fourth side panel across the fourth side panel and preferably past the score line into the adjoining second bottom flap to end at a terminal edge of the second bottom flap.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a shelf ready packaging (SRP) container, comprised of a single board blank folded into a rectangular cuboid, the container being convertible from a transport configuration into a display configuration in which the container has been separated into a display tray and a discardable hood, the container in the transport configuration having a bottom comprising two bottom panels and two bottom flaps secured to each other such that two of these define an outer face of the container and the other two are located within the container, the container in the transport configuration further having a side wall comprised of four quadrilateral side panels standing upright and together defining a rectangular cross-sectioned enclosure with a bottom opening covered by the bottom, a respective one of the bottom panels and flaps being contiguous (ie unitary) with a respective one of the side panels, the container in the transport configuration further having a top comprised of two top panels that cover an upper opening of the enclosure when in the transport configuration and which are respectively contiguous with an associated one of the side panels, and wherein two of the side panels and associated bottom flaps comprise a respective tear line along which these panels and flaps may be separated into two thereby transforming the container into its display configuration by dividing the container into the display tray, whereby one of the top panels provides an upright extending front panel and one of the bottom panels provides an upright back panel of the tray, and the discardable (upper) hood comprising the other one of the top panels and the other one of the bottom panels, each of the tray and hood further comprising separated sections of the side panels and bottom flaps.

It should be appreciated that the relative terms top and bottom are used to increase clarity and are used as reference to an upright transport configuration of the container once erected from the blank. The terms are not to be understood as limiting but relative to provide spatial understanding of the container configuration. By way of example, one of the container's side panels, namely one of the two parallel side panels which do not have the tear line, and which in the transport configuration extend upright, will provide the bottom of the display tray, and one of the two top panels will provide an upright front panel of the tray.

The tear lines can be embodied in various formats. One is a continuous line of intermittent dot or dashed perforations extending through the thickness of the side panels. In another embodiment, alternating dot and dashed perforations may be present. Relevantly, the tear line format is chosen such as to create an as clean as possible edge on either side of the tear line in the process of separating the side panels. In another embodiment, the tear lines comprise portions completely cut through the blank side panels, preferably extending from the top and bottom edges, and portions with intermittent dot, dashed or both perforations extending through the blank, preferably in the center region of the side panels.

The blank may have additional fastening tabs present at opposite ends of the first and second top panels, respectively, with respective score lines separating the panels / tabs, which when the blank is erected into the container transport configuration are respectively secured to the second and fourth side panels to increase rigidity of the erected container. The two additional fastening tabs of the first top panel are advantageously secured to one side of the tear line of the second and fourth side panels and the two additional fastening tabs of the second top panel are secured to the other side of the tear line of the second and fourth side panels, so as to not interfere with the tearing away of the hood from the tray constituents of the container.

Alternatively, the four additional fastening tabs mentioned above could be provided in extension of the second and fourth side panels, with a score line extending between these constituents, on either side of the respective tear lines in the second and fourth side panels.

The primary and secondary fastening tabs can be secured to the counterpart side panels either by gluing (preferred), stapling, stitching or less preferably, taping. The same applies to securing of the bottom side flaps to each other. Whether the fastening tabs are secured to an outside face of the respectively adjoining side panels or the opposite face thereof which is within the enclosure defined by the container side walls, is a matter of aesthetics. However, the most appropriate relative placement to each other will also be dictated by ease of automated folding and gluing / fastening of the tabs and panels to form the container.

The skilled person will appreciate that the selection of suitable cardboard or corrugated cardboard stock material for manufacturing the container blank will be dictated by loads which the container will need to carry, primarily when in the transport configuration, amongst other considerations. There are a number of Standards issued by various national Standards Associations that relate to corrugated cardboard and use in container manufacture, such as Australian Standard AS 3537, ASTM International (formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials) standards D1974, D5118, D5639 etc., and it is within the knowledge of the skilled cardboard container manufacturer to select appropriate composition to meet use / application requirements for such SRP Containers. By the same token, the invention is not limited to use of corrugated cardboard materials, and other materials as outlined above may be used too, including solid fiberboard having appropriate grammage (g/m2 or gsm), typically between 350 to 1000.

In a preferred embodiment, the containers is manufactured from corrugated cardboard, wherein flutes of the cardboard extend upright in the side panels when the container is in the transport configuration. Suitable corrugated cardboard materials include all single flute and twin cushion (flute) white and brown liner corrugated boards, and all laminated corrugated boards. E, B, R and C flute profiles will be the most suitable, however all flute profiles and combinations with skilled selection of the appropriate gsm paper liners and coating mediums can be used to achieve a desired SRP container compression strength (ie to withstand the transport and palletization loads. The fiber in the liners and mediums in corrugated boards, solid fiberboards and laminated boards are preferably chosen so that these can be recycled. Also, the boards may be manufactured using kraft virgin fiber, recycled fiber or a combination of both.

Advantageously, the top panel of the container which will form part of the discardable hood when transformed into the display configuration in which the hood is separated from the tray, may incorporate a handle aperture, either by cutting out an oblong portion of board from it (stripped handhold), or by providing a partial tear or cut line to define a foldable handle tab that may be pushed into or prayed free from the container (non-stripped handhold). This will provide leverage in assisting a person in tearing-off the hood from the tray.

Preferably, a free edge of one of the two top panels, in particular the top panel that will form the front panel of the display tray when the hood has been separated therefrom, may be cut to a desired contour to provide a display motive; the top panel can be provided with graphics commensurate with the products transported in the container and subsequently displayed in the tray when so configured. The front panel (ie the top panel which in a retail shelf orientation of the container will be upright and at the bottom) can have a relatively small height to provide a lip, and is otherwise die cut to any shape or profile which in combination with applied surface graphics can further enhance the display tray's aesthetics, and support product branding message.

The two top panels can be configured such that they overlap at least partially when folded down to cover the open top of the container when in the transport configuration. The top panel that will remain attached to the hood when separated from the tray may preferably be arranged overlapping the other top panel in top plan view of the container in transport configuration, which given the two top panels will normally not be taped over when in the transport configuration, may provide a lever facility in separating the hood from the tray parts of the container. In that embodiment, a small amount of glue may be added to secure one top panel to the other. In another configuration, where one or both top panels are provided with secondary fastening tabs at their width-ward ends, one of the top panels inserts behind the other top panel, and no gluing or securing of the top panels to each other is required at all, given the top panels will be held secure by the fold-over secondary fastening tabs that are in turn glued to the side panels which exhibit the tear lines.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, a (die) cut out or inwards foldable/ pushable tab will be present on each of the two side panels which exhibit the tear line, preferably on that part of the side panel which when the hood is torn from the tray, will form part of the discardable hood. The cut out can be located adjoining or even traversing the tear line in a preferred embodiment. The cut out will provide a location where a person may more readily grab the container in seeking to cleanly tear off the hood from the tray part in transforming the container into the display stand / tray.

Noting that all four quadrilateral side panels extend upright when the container is in its transport configuration, and in particular where the container is made from corrugated cardboard and the flutes of the cardboard side panels extend perpendicular to the base of the container, one embodiment has the tear line extend parallel to the flute direction, to minimize weakening of the pillar functionality the corrugated core of the board provides to the side panels.

However, another embodiment of the invention foresees a flat-S undulating configuration of the tear line which thus cuts across a number of the parallel corrugations within each side panel, but without compromising structural integrity to an extent of substantially weakening the rigidity and crush-strength of the side panels.

The perforation lines or curves on two of the four side panels can be, by skilled selection and design, of any shape or combination of shapes to facilitate folding and glueing of the flat blank into the typical RSC format. The skilled selection also takes into account optimisation of transport and palletisation compression strength, minimisation of board material and ease of opening and achievement of the SRP functionality at the retail -merchandising location.

The invention and additional features thereof will become clearer from the following description of preferred, non-limiting embodiments thereof provided with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a plan view of a corrugated cardboard blank in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, for erecting a shelf ready packaging (SRP) container in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2a to 2e illustrate a sequence of perspective views of how the SRP container is erected (formed and sealed) from a variant of the blank of fig.1;

Figures 3a to 3d illustrate a sequence of perspective views showing how the SRP container is transformed / converted from its product transport / shipping / storage configuration illustrated in fig 3a to the product display configuration illustrated in fig. 3d wherein the container's tray component serves the purpose of holding the products (not shown) for shelf-display and the container's hood component has been detached for disposal (recycling) thereof;

Figure 4 shows a comparison of the present invention's blank (as per fig. 1) and the container formed therefrom (eg fig. 2a/2b), a standard, non-SRP container (and blank heretofore) as per FEFCO 0411 type and a SRP container based on said FEFCO 0411 type container with a single tear line for conversion;

Figures 5a to 5c illustrate another embodiment of a blank in accordance with the invention and a container erected therefrom in transport (fig 5b) and shelf display orientation (fig 5c);

Figures 6a to 6c illustrate yet another embodiment of a blank in accordance with the invention and a container erected therefrom in transport (fig 6b) and shelf display orientation (fig 6c);

Figure 7 is a plan view of a corrugated cardboard blank in accordance with further embodiment of the invention, for erecting a shelf ready packaging (SRP) container in accordance with the invention, for erecting the container in what in the art is termed wraparound folding and fastening sequence; and

Figures 8a to 8d illustrate a sequence of perspective views of how the SRP container is erected (formed and sealed) from the blank of fig.7;

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to figure 1, there is shown a corrugated cardboard blank, for the manufacture of a shelf ready packaging (SRP) container (see figures 2b to 2e) convertible from a transport configuration (see figure 3a) into a display configuration in which the container has been separated into a display tray and a discardable hood (see figures 3 c and d).

Noting it is customary in the transport / shipping cardboard case (or container, box) manufacturing industry to refer to orientations of normal use of a case, the terms upper or top and lower or bottom will be used as appropriate and for identifying relative placement / position of various panels and flaps defined by the cut and scored blank 10. Exemplarily, the blank 10 is dimensioned to manufacture a relatively small, rectangular cuboid SRP container 100 having internal cavity dimensions of 260 x 130 x 220 mm, wherein as per standards, the first dimension is the length (I), which is always the longest side of the container that has a flap, the second dimension denotes the width (w) of a side that also has a flap but that is always the side shorter than the length side, and the third dimension denotes the height (h); in the present embodiment the height coincides with the inner dimension of the container when in an upright standing transport orientation of the container, as per figures 2c and d.

Arrow A denotes the longitudinal extension of the internal corrugation flutes of the corrugated cardboard material from which the blank is die-cut. The material can be a single B-flute white and brown liner corrugated board with 400 grammage. Blank 10 in fig. 1 is shown with the (white) face that will be the outside of the container, and is scored and die-cut to define 15 panels and flaps. Blank 10 comprises, commencing from a first edge E of the blank 10 in a direction perpendicular to flute orientation A, a primary fastening tab 12 and quadrilateral first, second, third and fourth side panels 14, 16, 18, 20 separated by appropriate crease or score lines s; the latter term is used generally to denote the film hinge of the connected but foldable panels and flaps of blank 10.

Blank 10 further comprises a smaller first top panel 22 and a first quadrilateral bottom panel 24 respectively present on opposite top and bottom edges of the first side panel 14 and separated therefrom by a score line s. Also, blank 10 has a larger second top panel 26 and a second quadrilateral bottom panel 28 respectively present on opposite top and bottom edges of the third side panel 18 and separated therefrom by a score line s. Blank 10 further comprises a first and a second bottom flap 30, 32, preferably quadrilateral, respectively present at a bottom edge of the second and fourth side panels16 and 20 and separated therefrom by a score line s.

Blank 10 has additional, small-quadrilateral fastening tabs 34, 36, 38, 40 at opposite edges (as viewed along the first direction) of the first and second top panels 22 and 26, respectively, with respective score lines s separating the top panels 22, 26 from the tabs 34, 36, 38, 40.

As indicated in figure 1 (but also shown in more exaggerated manner in other figures), a first tear line 42 extends from a terminal upper edge of the second side panel 16 across the entire second side panel 16, and past the score line s, as indicated at 43 into the adjoining first bottom flap 30 to end at a terminal edge of the first bottom flap 30. A second tear line 44 extends from a terminal upper edge of the fourth side panel 20 across the entire fourth side panel 20, and past the score line s, as indicated at 45, into the adjoining second bottom flap 32 to end at a terminal edge of the second bottom flap 32.

In the embodiment of figure 1, the tear lines 42, 44 have an approximately flat S shaped line contour within side panels 16, 20 and then have a straight line contour along sections 43, 45, notionally dividing bottom flaps 30 and 32 into two equal-sized partial flaps. However, bottom flaps 30 and 32 could each also be comprised of separate 1/2 flap portions, fully separated at tear line sections 43 and 45 rather than being readied for separation.

In the blank embodiment shown in figure 2a, it will be noted that the tear lines 42 and 44 are straight all the way, ie these run parallel with the flute direction of the cardboard material of blank 10.

In all embodiments, the tear lines 42, 44 are comprised of closely intermittent perforations extending through the blank thickness, spaced and manufactured to allow as clean as possible separation of the side panels 16, 20 along the tear line contour, without tearing into the adjoining zones of the side panels 16, 20.

As is best perhaps seen in figures 5a and 6a, which illustrate other variants of a blank 10, the tear lines 42, 44 extending across the face of the second and fourth side panels 16 and 20 do not necessarily have to bisect the panels into equal sized areas and may indeed have a different contour and also comprise portions completely cut through the blank (shown at 43a and 45a) in continuation of the cut lines 43 and 45 separating the lower two flaps 30, 31 at the second and fourth side panels 16 and 20. Indeed, the tear lines 42 and 44 may also comprise a section near the upper edge of side panels 16 and 20 that is fully severed, as indicated at 42 a and 44, respectively.

It will be further noted that about midway of tear line 42 and 44, the second and fourth side panels 16 and 20 include a through hole 46, 47 in the blank 10, either adjoining the tear line 42, 44, as per figures 1 and 2a, or indeed traversing these, as per the blank embodiments shown in figures 5a and 6a. The shape / contour and size should be chosen to allow a person to insert four fingers, handle-like, to assist severing the tear line 42, 44 in the process of converting the container 100 into a display tray 110, as explained below.

In using blank 10 (in whatever one of the embodiments of figures 1, 2a, 5a and 6a) to manufacture a transport container for separately packaged items

/ products, it is customary to deliver the blank in an initial, partially prefolded flat pack configuration, for further handling. This configuration is illustrated in figure 2b. The primary fastening tab 12 is hereby already secured to the fourth side panel 22 by gluing the face of tab 12 that visible in figure 1 to the face that is not visible of side wall panel 20, whereby fourth side panel 20 is first folded along score line s to come to lie parallel onto of third side panel 18, whereupon the first side panel 14 is folded over at score line s to come to lie on top of second side panel 16, thereby allowing fastening tab 12 to be pressed and glued onto the reverse side of fourth side panel 20.

Noting the flat pack is similar in format to a standard RSC-type FEFCO 0201 container, but only as far as the bottom is concerned, in erecting container 100 into a so-called filling, upright configuration as shown in figure 2c, the first and second bottom flaps 30, 32 are folded to extend transversely from the second and fourth side panels 16 and 20, glue is applied on the outward facing faces thereof and then the first and second bottom panels 24, 28 are bent to extend transversely to the first and third side panels 14, 18 and pressed onto the bottom flaps 30, 32. The top panels can then be bent slightly away from the coplanar arrangement they have in the flat pack format with the first and third side panels 14, 18 to facilitate filling the container 100 through the open top.

Once the container 100 is filled, the second top panel 26, which advantageously has a handle tab 48 as is known to be provided with cardboard boxes, either by way of fully or non-stripped handle cut lines, is folded about crease (score) line s to close the opening, and secondary support tabs 38, 40 are respectively glued (or otherwise secured) against the outside of the third and fourth side panels 16, 20; it will be noited that the secondary tabs 38, 40 are dimensioned such that they do not extend over the tear lines 42, 44. Subsequently, the first top panel 22, which has a height which is about % of that of the second top panel 26 and which has a contoured free edge 50 to provide a marketing motive, as previously explained, is folded down to cover part of the second top panel 26 and in turn is then secured (eg by gluing) via its secondary fastening tabs 38, 40 also to the second and fourth side panels 16, 20. Here again, the secondary tabs 38, 40 are dimensioned such that they do not cross over the tear lines 42, 44 and come to lie adjacent to the tabs 34, 36 of the second top panel 26, as seen in figure 2d.

The skilled person will appreciate that erecting the container can be done manually, semi-automated or in fully automated ways, using appropriate machinery.

A plurality of such containers 100 can then be stacked on top of one another in the standing or transport orientation illustrated in fig. 2d, once these have been filled, noting that flute direction of the side panels 14, 16, 18 and 20 extends vertically, thus allowing a plurality of stacks of containers 100 to be palletized for bulk shipment without being crushed.

Once delivered to a point-of-sale location, the container 100 will then be sat on a shelf (or the like) such that the top panels 22, 26 face towards consumers, noting that the container 100 will be placed with its first side panel 14 onto the shelf; the container was filled with products lying with their base or stand surface against the first side panel 14. Consequently, the top panels 22, 26 represent the consumer-facing front face of the container 100 when in a presentation orientation as seen in fig 2e.

Figures 3a to 3d illustrate the transformation of the container 100 into its display configuration, whereby fig 3a shows the container 100 in the orientation it was transported, figure 3b shows the container tipped over onto one of the large side panels which will be the stand surface, and figure 3 c illustrates how the container 100 is separated into discrete separate parts. These are the presentation and display tray 110, comprised of first top panel 22, first side panel 14, first bottom panel 24 and the two halves of the separated second and third side panels 16 and 20, and a discardable hood 120, which is comprised of the second top panel 26,second bottom panel 28, third side panel 18 and half the second and fourth side panels 16 and 20, separated at the severance or tear lines 42 and 44. As noted in figure 3d, the first top panel 22 becomes the front of the tray 110.

Turning next to figure 4, it serves the sole purpose of illustrating to the skilled person the different lay-outs / configurations of known, prior art blanks and contrast these with the blank 10 as per the present invention, as well as the respective containers erected from the respective blanks.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate variants of the blank 10 of figures 1 and 2a, as well as containers erected from these blanks. Consequently, same reference symbols are used to denote the same constituent parts described previously with reference to figures 1 and 2/3. Of particular interest, it will be noted that the additional fastening tabs 36, 38 and 40 of the first and second top panels 22 and 26 are connected via small webs (only one specifically identified by reference numeral 36a but otherwise clearly visible) also to the second and fourth side panels 14 and 20. These serve to provide additional structural integrity and assist with the process of tearing the top 120 from the display tray 110 constituents of the container 100.

Also, it will be noted that through openings 46 and 47 are shaped to have 'pointy' ends through which the tear lines 42 and 44 pass, thereby contributing to a cleaner side panel edge in the process of separating the hood part 120 from the tray part 110 and facilitating the tearing apart of the former from the latter.

Figure 7 illustrates a blank 10a which is a variant of the blank 10 of figure 1. Bar the modification to the shape of the first top panel 22a, which in contrast to that of Fig. 1 is now the larger top panel, modification to the contour of the fastening side tabs 34a and 36a of the first top panel 22a, and modification to the shape of the second top panel 26a, which is smaller than that in the blank of Fig.1, and its associated fastening side tabs 38a and 40a, in principle has the same layout of other side and bottom panels as blank 10 (and which are therefore identified using the same reference numbers as used in Fig. 1.).

A container erected either using blank 10 or 10a with the relevant fastening tabs fully glued / secured in position, will have the same layout or configuration, also as regards product presentation once the discardable top part 120 is separated from the tray part 11 (see eg fig. 3c) of the container in its product display configuration. However, as may be best appreciated by comparing the folding/ erecting sequence of figures 2a to 2e with that illustrated in figures 8a to 8d, different container filling methodologies are used depending on how the blank is delivered to a customer, that is whether partially pre-glued in a flat pack shipping configuration as per fig. 2b wherein the primary fastening tab 12 is glued (or otherwise permanently secured) to the fourth side panel 20, or as a blank without pre-gluing.

Figures 8a to 8d are intended to illustrate the folding / erecting sequence as a flat blank wrap around (WAR) style. The WAR version blank 10a is supplied flat to customers. Custom made equipment at the end user is then used to fold and seal the blank. During the folding process, when the blank 10a is in a U shape state as shown in fig. 8a, product can be loaded onto side panel 18 and then the blank's side panel 14 'wrapped' around the product whereupon primary fastening tab 12 is secured to side panel 20 (fig. 8b), and the sequence of folding the top panels 22a and 22b and bottom panels 24, 28, 30, 32 can then be finalised (fig. 8c), with the respective fastening tabs being glued in place, to obtain a sealed, fully loaded pack / container. It will hereby have been noted that filling of the container takes place in the display orientation of the container, as compared to the upright filling procedure illustrated in figures 2c and 2d, wherein the container remains in the transport orientation. In using the flat-pack, pre-glued variant, the end user will have a machine that opens the flat pack into a top and bottom open quadrilateral tube, and then folds and seals the bottom flaps, and ejects the case with the bottom sealed and the top flaps open ready for product loading into the box. As noted once the RSC style and WAR style blanks are folded, and loaded with product and sealed, there will be no functional-appearance difference between the two.

Finally, the terms comprising and comprises are used in this specification in their inclusive meaning, ie in the sense of 'having' or'including'.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A blank, in particular a corrugated cardboard blank, for the manufacture of a shelf ready packaging (SRP) container convertible from a transport configuration into a display configuration in which the container has been separated into a display tray and a discardable hood, the blank scored and cut to comprise, commencing from a first edge of the blank in a first direction, a primary fastening tab, quadrilateral first, second, third and fourth side panels, the primary fastening tab secured to the fourth side panel when in the transport configuration of the container; wherein the blank further comprises a first top panel and a first quadrilateral bottom panel respectively present on opposite top and bottom edges of the first side panel and separated therefrom by a score line, and a second top panel and a second quadrilateral bottom panel respectively present on opposite top and bottom edges of the third side panel and separated therefrom by a score line; wherein the blank further comprises a first and a second bottom flap, preferably quadrilateral, respectively present at a bottom edge of the second and fourth side panels and separated therefrom by a score line, the first and second bottom flaps both secured to the first and second bottom panels when in the transport configuration of the container; and wherein a first tear line extends from a terminal upper edge of the second side panel across the second side panel and preferably past the score line into the adjoining first bottom flap to end at a terminal edge of the first bottom flap, and a second tear line extends from a terminal upper edge of the fourth side panel across the fourth side panel preferably past the score line into the adjoining second bottom flap to end at a terminal edge of the second bottom flap.

2. A shelf ready packaging (SRP) container, comprised of a single board blank, preferably a corrugated cardboard blank, folded into a rectangular cuboid, the container being convertible from a transport configuration into a display configuration in which the container has been separated into a display tray and a discardable hood, the container in the transport configuration having a bottom comprising two bottom flaps and two bottom panels, secured to each other such that two of these define an outer face of the container and two are located within the container, the container in the transport configuration further having a side wall comprised of four quadrilateral side panels standing upright and together defining a rectangular cross-sectioned enclosure covered by the bottom, a respective one of the bottom flaps and panels being contiguous (ie unitary) with a respective one of the side panels, the container in the transport configuration further having a top comprised of two top panels that cover an upper opening of the enclosure when in the transport configuration and which are respectively contiguous with an associated one of the side panels, and wherein two of the side panels and associated bottom flaps comprise a respective tear line along which these panels and flaps may be separated into two thereby transforming the container into its display configuration by dividing the container into the display tray, whereby one of the top panels provides an upright extending front panel and one of the bottom flaps without the tear line provides an upright back panel of the tray, and the discardable (upper) hood comprising the other one of the top panels and the other one of the bottom flaps without the tear line, each of the tray and hood further comprising separated sections of the side panels and bottom flaps.

3. The blank or SRP container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tear lines comprise intermittent perforations extending through the blank.

4. The blank or SRP container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tear lines comprise portions completely cut through the blank and portions with intermittent perforations extending through the blank

5. The blank or SRP container of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the blank has additional fastening tabs at opposite ends of the first and second top panels, respectively, with respective score lines separating the panels from the tabs, which when the blank is erected into the container transport configuration are respectively secured to the second and fourth side panels.

6. The blank or SRP container of claim 5, wherein the two additional fastening tabs of the first top panel are secured to one side of the tear line of the second and fourth side panels and the two additional fastening tabs of the second top panel are secured to the other side of the tear line of the second and fourth side panels.

7. The blank or SRP container of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the blank has four additional fastening tabs provided pairwise in extension of an upper edge of the second and fourth side panels, with a score line extending between these constituents, one said additional fastening tab located either side of a notional extension of the respective tear lines in the second and fourth side panels.

8. The blank or SRP container of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the primary fastening tab and the secondary tabs, where present, are secured to the respective side panels by one of gluing (preferred), stapling, stitching and taping.

9. The blank or SRP container of any one of claim 1 to 8, wherein the top panel of the container which forms part of the discardable hood when transformed into the display configuration in which the hood is separated from the tray, incorporates a handle aperture, either formed by an oblong aperture in the top panel or by a partial cut line in the top panel that defines a foldable handle tab that can be pivoted into or prayed free from the container.

10. The blank or SRP container of any one of claim 1 to 9, wherein a free edge of one of the two top panels, in particular the top panel which provides a front panel of the tray when the hood has been separated therefrom, is die-cut to a desired contour to provide a display motive.

11. The blank or SRP container of any one of claim 1 to 10, wherein the two top panels are configured to overlap at least partially when folded down to cover the open top of the container when in the transport configuration.

12. The blank or SRP container of any one of claim 1 to 11, wherein a cut out or inwards foldable / pushable tab is present in each of the two side panels which exhibit the tear lines.

13. The blank or SRP container of claim 12, wherein the cut out or inwards foldable / pushable tab on is present that part of the side panel which when the hood is removed from the tray, forms part of the discardable hood.

14. The blank or SRP container of claim 12 or 13, wherein the cut out or inwards foldable / pushable tab adjoins the tear line or transverses it.

15. The blank or SRP container of any one of claim 1 to 14, wherein the tear lines in the respective two of the four side panels extend parallel to a flute direction of the preferred corrugated cardboard material of the blank.

16. The blank or SRP container of any one of claim 1 to 14, wherein the tear lines in the respective two of the four side panels have a flat-S undulating configuration.