GB2191386A

GB2191386A - Improvements in display containers

Info

Publication number: GB2191386A
Application number: GB08613664A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sydney Alfred Marsh
Original assignee: Marshall Cavendish Services Ltd
Current assignee: Marshall Cavendish Services Ltd
Priority date: 1986-06-05
Filing date: 1986-06-05
Publication date: 1987-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2006-06-05
Also published as: GB2191386B; GB8613664D0

Abstract

A display container comprises two pairs of parallel wall panels (2, 3:1, 4) arranged in perpendicular planes to form a rectangular array, one of the panels (4) of one pair supporting a floor panel (6) inclined to that panel (4), and the other panel (1) of the pair having attached thereto a back panel (8) extending in a plane perpendicular to the floor panel (6). The floor panel (6) is attached to its associated wall panel (4) at one edge by a spacer strip (5) attached to the adjacent edge of wall panel (4). A hinged cover depending from the top panel 1 may be provided. The floor panel (6) and spacer strip (5) may be folded to lie in the plane of the wall panel (4), and the back panel (8) may be folded to lie adjacent to its wall panel (1), and in this position the container may be collapsed to a substantially flat configuration for storage or transportation. The container may be made from two plastic sheets having precut board panels sandwiched therebetween and held in position by welding the plastic sheets around each panel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in display containers The invention relates to containers and in particular is concerned with containers for storage and display of a number of similarlyshaped objects such as book or audio or video tape cassettes. In its preferred orientation, the container is open at a front face and has perpendicular internal floor and rear walls inclined to the horizontal and vertical respectively in order to present a plurality of books or cassettes in a more readily accessible position for removal from the container. This does not, however, preclude the use of the container in other orientations should such be found to be advantageous.

An object of the invention is to provide a display container which is relatively rigid in normal use, but which may be easily folded flat for storage or transportation.

According to one aspect of the invention, a display container comprises four panels arranged as first and second panel pairs, each panel of each pair being parallel to the other panel of that pair, and the pairs being arrangeable in perpendicular planes to define a rectangular array, a riser strip extending from one edge of one panel of the first panel pair in the direction of the other panel of that pair, a floor panel extending from the edge of the riser strip adjacent said other panel towards the one panel and inclined at an acute angle to the one panel to contact that panel at a predetermined distance from said one edge, and a spacer strip extending from the edge of the floor panel contacting the said one panel in a direction parallel to the one panel and away from the first edge thereof, the other panel of the first pair being joined at or adjacent its edge remote from the one edge of the one panel to an edge of a back panel, and the back panel extending away from the other panel and in a plane perpendicular to the floor panel to meet the floor panel at its edge contacting the one panel.

The panels are preferably comprised of a board material to which plastics sheet material is bonded on both sides, the plastics sheet material being used to form joints between the panels.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a preferred method of forming a display container comprises arranging, on a sheet of flexible material in a linear array, a top panel, a base panel and two end panels such that one end panel lies between the top and bottom panels and the adjoining edges of the panels are parallel and perpendicular to the linear direction, placing a back panel to one side of the linear array and aligned with the top panel, placing on the other side of the linear array in alignment with the base panel a riser strip, a floor panel and a spacer strip, overlaying a second sheet of flexible material on the array, forming joints between the two flexible sheets along lines circumscribing each panel and cutting the sheets along a line circumscribing the array, folding the array so as to bring the extreme free edges of the panels of the linear array together, and forming a joint therebetween.

Preferably the flexible material is plastics sheet, and the joints are formed by welding.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the display container in its preferred orientation; and Figure 2 is a section in the plane 2.2 of Fig.

1.

The display container shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a rectangular top panel 1, two trapezoidal end panels 2 and 3 and a rectangular base panel 4. From the front edge of the base panel 4 extends a riser strip 5 which is dimensioned so as to have a length greater than the distance between the inside faces of the end panels 2,3 so that the riser strip abuts against the inclined front edges 2a,3a of the end panels 2,3.

Extending rearwardly and downwardly from the upper edge 5a of the riser strip 5 between the end panels 2 and 3 is a floor panel 6 and to the rear edge of the floor panel 6 is attached a spacer strip 7, which extends rearwardly preferably to be coterminous with the base panel 4. The dimensions of the base panel 4, riser strip 5, floor panel 6 and spacer strip 7 are preferably arranged so that when assembled the floor panel 6 is inclined at right-angles to the front edges 2a,3a of the end panels 2,3 as shown in Fig. 2.

The display container is completed by a rectangular back panel 8 which has one edge attached to the top panel 1 adjacent the rear edge thereof. The back panel is dimensioned so that it can extend downwardly and forwardly, perpendicular to the floor panel 6, to have its lower edge 8a adjacent the rear edge of the floor panel 6.

The panels are preferably formed of board material having flexible plastics sheet bonded to both sides of the board. The panels are preferably joined at their edges by the plastics sheet material, which forms hinge connections between the panels.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the assembled display container described is capable of being folded, by means of the aforesaid hinge connections, to a substantially flat configuration, thus reducing its storage and transport volume.

To fold the container flat, the back panel is first rotated about its hinged upper edge 8b in the direction shown by arrow A,to a position adjacent to and underlying the top panel 1.

The hinged connections between the base panel 4, riser strip 5, floor panel 6 and spacer strip 7 allow the riser strip then to be rotated in the direction of arrow B and the floor panel 6 and spacer strip 7 to be rotated in the direction of arrow C until the riser strip 5, the floor panel 6 and the spacer strip 7 all lie in the plane of the base panel 4.

Since the end panels 2 and 3 are hingedly connected at their parallel sides to respective edges of the top and base panels 1 and 4, the container may then be folded flat by bringing the top panel 1 downwardly by rotation of the end panels 2 and 3 in the same sense relative to the base panel 4, so that all the panels and strips lie in substantially parallel planes. Erection of the container from its flat configuration is a reversal of the above procedure.

While the container has been described in its preferred orientation, it is foreseen that other usable orientations are possible. Accordingly, references to "front", "rear", "upper", "lower" etc. are for ease of description only, and are not to be construed as limiting the container to the orientation described.

Modifications may be made to the dimensions and proportions of the panels to accommodate different quantities of differing articles such as audio or video cassettes, books, computer discs etc. It is possible that in some embodiments the spacer strip 7 may be releasably fixable either to the base panel 4 or to the back panel 8 to enhance the rigidity of the assembled container. In such cases, press stud or "Velcro" (trade mark) type fastenings may be applied to the respective panel and the strip.

In containers where the spacer strip 7 is fixed to the base panel 4, the riser strip may be made so as to fit between the inside faces of the end panels 2 and 3 as it will be held in its correct position supporting the floor panel by the fixing of the spacer strip to the base panel. In such an embodiment, the riser strip will not bear on the front edges 2a,3a of the end panels 2,3 and may even be set back behind these edges.

The spacer strip 7 may be additionally or alternatively formed from a thicker board material than the floor panel 6, in order to provide a forwardly facing abutment to engage the rear surface of the back panel 8 in the assembled condition. This is particularly useful if the container is to be used with its open side uppermost, since the spacer strip 7 then acts as a supporting strut for the edge 8a of the back panel 8.

To produce the container of the invention an array of precut board panels is arranged on a plastics sheet as shown in Fig. 3. The array comprises a top panel 1, end panels 2 and 3, a base panel 4, a riser strip 5, a floor panel 6, a spacer strip 7 and a back panel 8. A second sheet of plastics material is arranged over the array of board panels and a press having suitably positioned welding rules is then closed on the board array and plastics sheets to produce welds between the plastics sheets around each panel. Excess plastics is stripped away leaving the array as shown with hinged joints between the adjacent panels.

The free edge of end panel 2 opposite its joint with top panel 1 is then welded to the free edge of base panel 4 opposite its joint with end panel 3 to complete the assembly. If preferred, the hinged join between top panel 1 and back panel 8 may be inset from the edge of top panel 1 by leaving a larger gap between panels 1 and 8 in the initial welding process, to provide a flexible strip between the panels. This strip is then folded under the top panel 1 and welded thereto again along a line parallel to and spaced from its edge. The back panel 8 will then pivot about this second weld line.

In an advantageous alternative embodiment of the display container, a hinged cover may be provided to depend from the top panel 1.

Such a cover may simply be a flexible sheet of transparent or other material, to protect the contents of the container from dust.

Claims

1. A display container comprising four panels arranged as first and second panel pairs, each panel of each pair being parallel to the other panel of that pair, and the pairs being arrangeable in perpendicular planes to define a rectangular array, a riser strip extending from one edge of one panel of the first panel pair in the direction of the other panel of that pair, a floor panel extending from the edge of the riser strip adjacent said other panel towards the one panel and inclined at an acute angle to the one panel to contact that panel at a predetermined distance from said one edge, and a spacer strip extending from the edge of the floor panel contacting the said one panel in a direction parallel to the one panel and away from the first edge thereof, the other panel of the first pair being hingedly joined at or adjacent its edge remote from the one edge of the one panel to an edge of a back panel, and the back panel extending away from the other panel and in a plane perpendicular to the floor panel to meet the floor panel at its edge contacting the one panel.

2. A display container according to claim 1, wherein the panels and strips are composed of board material covered with weldable flexible sheet material, the hinge joints being formed by portions of the sheet material.

3. A display container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spacer strip is of a thicker material than the floor panel, so as to provide an abutment to engage the rear surface of the back panel.

4. A display container according to claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the riser strip has a longitudinal dimension equal to the distance be tween the outer faces of the second panel pair, so that in the rectangular configuration of the first and second panel pairs the riser strip abuts against the edges of the panels of the second panel pair adjacent to said first edge of said one panel of said first panel pair.

5. A display container according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacer strip and the said one panel are provided with complementary fixing means.

6. A display container according to claim 5, wherein the fixing means comprise press studs.

7. A display container according to claim 5, wherein the fixing means comprises a burrtype fastener.

8. A method of forming a display container, comprising arranging in a linear array on a sheet of flexible weldable material a top panel, a base panel and two end panels such that one end panel lies between the top and bottom panels and the adjoining edges of the panels are parallel and perpendicular to the linear direction, placing a back panel to one side of the linear array and aligned with the top panel, placing on the other side of the linear array in alignment with the base panel a riser strip, a floor panel and a spacer strip, overlaying a second sheet of flexible weldable material on the array, forming joints between the two flexible sheets along lines circumscribing each panel and cutting the sheets along a line circumscribing the array of panels and strips, folding the array so as to bring the extreme free edges of the panels of the linear array together, and forming a joint therebetween.

9. A method of forming a display container according to claim 8, wherein a predetermined clearance is left between the back panel and the top panel so that a strip of double sheet material joins the back panel to the top panel after welding and cutting, and prior to forming the joint between the extreme free edges of the panels of the linear array, the strip of double sheet material is folded to underly said top panel and is welded thereto, so that the hinge joint between the top panel and the back panel is spaced from the edge of the top panel by a distance substantially equal to said predetermined clearance.

10. A display container substantially as herein described, with reference to Figs. 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.