GB1583325A

GB1583325A - Method of packaging transportation and merchanising and container therefor

Info

Publication number: GB1583325A
Application number: GB1073978A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: EASTWOOD J B Ltd
Current assignee: EASTWOOD J B Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-26
Filing date: 1978-05-26
Publication date: 1981-01-28

Description

(54) METHOD OF PACKAGING, TRANSPORTATION AND MERCHANISING AND CONTAINER THEREFOR (71) We, J. EASTWOOD LIMITED, a British Company, of Burns Lane, Warsop, Nottinghamshire, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a container for packaging, transportation and merchandising and to a method of packaging, transportation and merchandising using said container.

The container and the method are applicable in the packaging, transportation and merchandising directly to the user of any goods that are packaged ready for direct merchandising from the container such as for example bagged sugar, bagged flour, packaged tea, packaged biscuits, canned beverages and the like, and it is particularly useful in the packaging, transportation and merchandising directly to the user of packaged eggs.

Accordingly we provide a packaging and merchandising container for goods, said container comprising a rollable or sledge like base member into which is slideably fitted a one piece foldable sides member that extends upwardly from said base member to form a partly open-fronted rectangular prismatic structure that is closed by a slideably insertable and removable front member that extends over substantially the whole internal width of said rectangular prismatic structure and when removed exposes the inside of said container.

The container may have a lid, it may further have a flat base member that is juxtaposable with the floor of the rollable or sledge like base member, and it may have a front skirt member that closes a part of the open front of the openfronted rectangular prismatic structure.

The base member is preferably provided with castors for easy transportation. The rollable or slideable base member is made to stack, when the rectangular prismatic structure is removed therefrom, with an identical rollable or slideable base member.

According to a further aspect of the invention we provide a method of packaging, transportation of and merchandising goods wherein the goods are packed at a packaging site into a container as set forth above, and transported to a merchandising site where the front member is removed to display the goods and when said goods are removed therefrom, the rectangular prismatic structure is itself removed from the rollable or sledge like base member so that said base member alone is returned to the packaging site, or sent to another packaging site, for the formation of another container as set forth above into which goods are packaged and said container is then transported to the merchan dising site or to another merchandising site and the cycle repeated as many times as is required.

The method is especially useful in the packa ging and merchandising of eggs that are sold to the user in pre-packaged half dozens or dozens, since any breakage of the eggs that may damage the container structure other than the rollable or slideable base member is in that part of the container that is destroyed since only the said rollable or slideable base member is retained for subsequent use and this is readily able to be cleaned to high standards of hygene.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description given by way of example only in relation to the figures of the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specifi cation in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view in oblique per spective showing the parts of the container of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in oblique perspective of the container of Figure 1 made for transport.

Figure 3 is a view in oblique perspective of the container at Figures 1 and 2 exposed for merchandising.

Figure 4 is a schematic showing two rollable base members stacked, and Figure 5 is a view in parallel perspective of the container of Figure 3 ready for the display and merchandising of some twenty seven layers of twenty dozens of eggs, a total capacity of 6480 eggs; the adjacent layers being offset as shown by one egg width for ease and stability of packaging.

Referring now specifically to the figures of the drawings a container shown generally at 10 comprises a rollable base member 11 into which is slideably fitted a one piece foldable sides member 12 that extends upwardly from said base member 11 to form a rectangular prismatic structure with an open front 1 2A that is closed by a slideably insertable and removable front member 13 that extends over substantially the whole internal width wl of the rectangular prismatic structure. A front skirt member 14 also partly closes said open front 1 2A and a base member 15 is used to fit into said rectangular prismatic structure 12 juxtaposed to the floor 11A of the base 11.Parts 12, 13, 14, 15 are preferably made of a strong cardboard or a similar other creasable and foldable material.

No pin or glued joints are used in the assembly of the container which as seen in Figure 2 may have a closing lid 16.

In Figure 3 the container has had its lid 16 removed and front member 13 removed. A facia display board 17 is fixed via suitable slots 1 7A 1 7B over the back edge 1 2B of rectangular prismatic structure 12 to display goods not shown that are within said container.

In Figure 5 facia board 17 is announcing the display of eggs within the container of Figure 3. This facia board may be packed conviently under the lid 16 during transport. In Figure 4 two identical rollable base members 111, 112 are shown stacked together via extending member 11B of which ease base has four; only two being shown.

The rollable base member is generally of plastics or plastics covered metal. The wheels are preferably of nylon and with a four wheel or castor trolley two are fixed and two are free for guidance purposes; in Figure 1 for example the container on being pushed in the direction arrow A would have the free guidance wheel pair at B and the fixed wheel pair at C; a removable handle being affixed to the base member at end D.

Several important advantages stem from the use of the container of Figures 1 to 5 in the transportation of eggs for example. Eggs in bulk to supermarkets have long been packed at a packaging site in steel cage type rollable containers that are transported to the merchandising site and when empty of eggs returned to the or another packaging site for filling again with eggs. Breakages of eggs foul the steel containers and steam cleaning or some similar chemical cleaning is essential for hygene before turn around; which cleaning is difficult and expensive. With the container of Figures 1 to 5 the parts 12,13, 14, 15 are expendable and are disposed at the merchandising site, the base 11 alone being recycled to the packaging site or another packaging site for filling and transpor tation to the or a merchandising site.The base 11 being plastics covered metal or made solely of plastics is readily wiped clean before a new container is formed as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A packaging and merchandising container for goods, said container comprising a rollable or sledge like base member into which is slideably fitted a one piece foldable sides member th extends upwardly from said base member to form a partly open-fronted rectangular prismatic structure that is closed by a slideably insertable and removable front member that extends over substantially the whole internal width of said rectangular prismatic structure and and when removed exposes the inside of said container.

2. The container according to Claim 1 wherein the container is provided with a flat base bass member that is juxtaposable with the floor of the base member.

3. The container according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 provided with a front skirt member that closes a part of the open front of the open-fronted rectangular prismatic structure.

4. The container according to any preceding claim wherein the container includes a lid.

5. The container according to any preceding claim wherein the base member is rollable and is provided with castors.

6. The container according to any preceding claim wherein the base member is made to be stackable with other identical base members once the rectangular prismatic structure is removed.

7. A method of packaging, transportation of and merchandising goods wherein the goods are packed at a packaging site into a container according to any preceding claim and trans ported to a merchandising site where the front member is removed to display the goods and when said goods are removed therefrom, the rectangular prismatic structure is itself removed from the rollable or sledge like base member so that said base member alone is returned to the packaging site, or sent to another packaging site, for the formation of another container as set forth in said preceding claim into which goods are packaged and said container is then transported to the merchan dising site or to another merchandising site and the cycle repeated as many times as is required.

8. The method according to Claim 7 where in the goods are packaged eggs.

9. A container constructed and arranged substantially as described herein and as shown in the figures of the drawings that accompanied the Provisional Specification.

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Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

structure with an open front 1 2A that is closed by a slideably insertable and removable front member 13 that extends over substantially the whole internal width wl of the rectangular prismatic structure. A front skirt member 14 also partly closes said open front 1 2A and a base member 15 is used to fit into said rectangular prismatic structure 12 juxtaposed to the floor 11A of the base 11.Parts 12, 13, 14, 15 are preferably made of a strong cardboard or a similar other creasable and foldable material.

No pin or glued joints are used in the assembly of the container which as seen in Figure 2 may have a closing lid 16.

In Figure 3 the container has had its lid 16 removed and front member 13 removed. A facia display board 17 is fixed via suitable slots 1 7A 1 7B over the back edge 1 2B of rectangular prismatic structure 12 to display goods not shown that are within said container.

In Figure 5 facia board 17 is announcing the display of eggs within the container of Figure 3. This facia board may be packed conviently under the lid 16 during transport. In Figure 4 two identical rollable base members 111, 112 are shown stacked together via extending member 11B of which ease base has four; only two being shown.

The rollable base member is generally of plastics or plastics covered metal. The wheels are preferably of nylon and with a four wheel or castor trolley two are fixed and two are free for guidance purposes; in Figure 1 for example the container on being pushed in the direction arrow A would have the free guidance wheel pair at B and the fixed wheel pair at C; a removable handle being affixed to the base member at end D.

Several important advantages stem from the use of the container of Figures 1 to 5 in the transportation of eggs for example. Eggs in bulk to supermarkets have long been packed at a packaging site in steel cage type rollable containers that are transported to the merchandising site and when empty of eggs returned to the or another packaging site for filling again with eggs. Breakages of eggs foul the steel containers and steam cleaning or some similar chemical cleaning is essential for hygene before turn around; which cleaning is difficult and expensive. With the container of Figures 1 to 5 the parts 12,13, 14, 15 are expendable and are disposed at the merchandising site, the base 11 alone being recycled to the packaging site or another packaging site for filling and transpor tation to the or a merchandising site.The base

11 being plastics covered metal or made solely of plastics is readily wiped clean before a new container is formed as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A packaging and merchandising container for goods, said container comprising a rollable or sledge like base member into which is slideably fitted a one piece foldable sides member th extends upwardly from said base member to form a partly open-fronted rectangular prismatic structure that is closed by a slideably insertable and removable front member that extends over substantially the whole internal width of said rectangular prismatic structure and and when removed exposes the inside of said container.
2. The container according to Claim 1 wherein the container is provided with a flat base bass member that is juxtaposable with the floor of the base member.
3. The container according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 provided with a front skirt member that closes a part of the open front of the open-fronted rectangular prismatic structure.
4. The container according to any preceding claim wherein the container includes a lid.
5. The container according to any preceding claim wherein the base member is rollable and is provided with castors.
6. The container according to any preceding claim wherein the base member is made to be stackable with other identical base members once the rectangular prismatic structure is removed.
7. A method of packaging, transportation of and merchandising goods wherein the goods are packed at a packaging site into a container according to any preceding claim and trans ported to a merchandising site where the front member is removed to display the goods and when said goods are removed therefrom, the rectangular prismatic structure is itself removed from the rollable or sledge like base member so that said base member alone is returned to the packaging site, or sent to another packaging site, for the formation of another container as set forth in said preceding claim into which goods are packaged and said container is then transported to the merchan dising site or to another merchandising site and the cycle repeated as many times as is required.
8. The method according to Claim 7 where in the goods are packaged eggs.
9. A container constructed and arranged substantially as described herein and as shown in the figures of the drawings that accompanied the Provisional Specification.