GB2357080A

GB2357080A - Two compartment dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2357080A
Application number: GB0025714A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Alan Johnston
Original assignee: ADAM PLASTICS Ltd
Current assignee: ADAM PLASTICS Ltd
Priority date: 1999-10-21
Filing date: 2000-10-20
Publication date: 2001-06-13
Also published as: GB9924844D0; GB0025714D0

Abstract

A dispenser comprises a first and second compartments 36 and 38 formed from a single sheet of material. The compartments may have a common wall 6a. The material may be a clear plastics material. The first compartment may be sized to accommodate goods and have an opening at the lower end for dispensing the goods. The second compartment may be for promotional material. A mounting part 4 may be provided to allow the dispenser to be mounted on a slat wall. A blank (1, fig. 1) for forming the dispenser comprises three end panels 6a, 6b, 6c, two side panels 8a, 8b and three floor panels 10a, 10b, (18 fig. 1). A tab (22 fig. 1) may be provided to maintain the shape once folded. A method for forming the blank into a dispenser comprises folding the blank along the fold lines (12, 16, 20, 22, 30, 32, 34 fig. 1). The tab (22 fig. 1) may then be inserted into the slot (26 fig. 1). The folds may be made by heating the material until pliable.

Description

2357080 1 "DISPENSER" 2 3 The present invention relates to a dispenser.

4 In the retail industry it is important to be able to 6 stock goods in a way in which they are easily dispensed 7 to the customer. Due to the competition between 8 similar goods it is also becoming increasingly more 9 important to be able to display these goods and their brand names in a clear and attractive manner.

11 Generally, most retail goods are stocked on shelves.

12 However, items such as tights or other goods packaged 13 in a similar fashion can not be effectively stocked or 14 displayed on a shelf. Instead it is commonplace to is find the packaging of tights to include a through hole 16 for hanging on a rail extending from a wall. This 17 involves problems in that the packaging tends to tear, 18 causing the hole to open and the products to fall off 2 1 the rail. It is also common that customers when 2 viewing the product replace the tights on different 3 rails thus mixing brand names and sizes.

4 It is proposed to provide a dispenser which will 6 overcome at least some of the above mentioned problems.

7 8 According to the present invention there is provided a 9 dispenser in the form of a box comprising a first and second compartment formed by folding a single sheet of 11 material.

12 13 Preferably, the first and second compartments have at 14 least one common wall.

16 Preferably, the sheet of material is a translucent 17 plastics material.

is 19 Preferably, the first compartment is larger than the second compartment, the first compartment being sized 21 to receive goods to be dispensed and the second 22 compartment being sized to receive promotional or 23 identifying material relating to the goods to be 24 dispensed.

26 Preferably, the dispenser includes a mounting element 27 for removably mounting the dispenser to a slat wall.

28 29 Preferably, the mounting element is a free end portion connected to a top edge of a wall of the f irst 31 compartment along a first fold line, and further 3 1 foldable about itself along a second fold line parallel 2 to the first fold line.

3 4 Preferably, the free end portion is connected to a top edge of a wall of the first compartment remote from the 6 second compartment.

7 8 Preferably, the element is an integral part of the 9 dispenser and is formed by folding.

11 Preferably, the first compartment has an opening at a 12 lower portion thereof, adjacent the second compartment.

13 14 Preferably, the dispenser includes means for maintaining the shape of the dispenser.

16 17 Preferably, the shape maintaining means comprises a co 18 operating portion in the form of a lip on one portion 19 of the dispenser, the lip being adapted to be received and interlock with a corresponding slot in another 21 portion of the dispenser.

22 23 Preferably, the lip is an integral part of the 24 dispenser and is formed by folding.

26 Optionally, the dispenser includes a tab portion 27 connected to a lower edge of a wall of the second 28 compartment remote from the first compartment along a 29 tab fold line and folded about said tab fold line so that the tab portion lies adjacent an exterior face of 31 the wall of the second compartment.

4 1 In a further aspect of the present invention there is 2 provided a blank for forming a dispenser according to 3 the present invention, comprising a single contiguous 4 sheet of plastics material having first and second side wall panels, first, second and third end wall panels, 6 and first and second floor panels depending from the 7 first and second side wall panels, one of said end wall 8 panels forming a common wall between the first and 9 second compartments, the one of said end wall panel having an extension panel depending therefrom for 11 forming a floor for the second compartment.

12 13 Preferably, the blank includes a securing element 14 depending from the one of said end wall panel for co operative engagement with a receiving portion on one of 16 said side wall panels remote from the one of said end 17 wall panel.

18 19 Preferably, the blank includes a mounting panel for removably mounting the dispenser to a slat wall.

21 22 Preferably, the mounting panel is a free end portion 23 depending from a top edge of an end wall panel of said 24 first compartment remote from said second compartment.

26 According to a further aspect of the present invention 27 there is provided a method for forming a dispenser 28 according to the present invention comprising forming a 29 blank comprising a single sheet of plastics material having at least five contiguous panels and bending the 31 panels along fold lines to form the first and second 1 compartments, the first and second compartments having 2 at least one common wall.

3 4 Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying G drawings in which:

7 8 Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank for forming a 9 dispenser of the present invention; 11 Fig. 2 is a front view of the dispenser formed 12 from the blank of Fig. 1; 13 14 Fig. 3 is a side view in the direction of Arrow A of the dispenser of Fig. 2 showing a display sheet 16 indicated by the hatched lines positioned in the second 17 compartment; 18 19 Fig. 4 is a view of the opposing side of the dispenser of Fig. 3 shown here mounted to a slat wall; 21 22 Fig. 5 is a perspective view from above of the 23 dispenser of Fig. 2; 24 Fig. 6 is a perspective view f rom below of the 26 opposing side of the dispenser of Fig. S; 27 28 Fig. 7 is a plan view of a blank for forming a 29 dispenser according to an alternative embodiment of present invention; and 31 6 1 Fig. 8 is a perspective view from above of the 2 dispenser formed from the blank of Fig. 7.

3 4 Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1 there is shown a blank indicated generally by the reference 6 numeral 1, cut in the form of a substantially 7 rectangular flat sheet of translucent plastics material a having a top and bottom edge generally indicated by the 9 reference numerals 2 and 4 respectively. In this embodiment, the translucent plastics material is 11 P.E.P.G. plastics material and is cut using a computer 12 numerical controlled (C.N.C.) lathe.

13 14 The blank 1 generally comprises three end wall panels 6a, 6b and 6c each separated from the other by side 16 wall panels 8a and 8b. The end wall 6b is positioned 17 intermediate the side walls 8a and 8b and is generally 18 equal in length thereto, the end walls 6a and 6c being 19 shorter and of unequal length. The end walls 6a, 6b and 6c lie f lush with the side walls 8a and 8b at the top 21 edge 2 of the blank 1.

22 23 The blank 1 includes floor panels 10a and 10b which 24 depend f rom the side walls 8a and 8b at the bottom edge 4 of the blank 1 and are foldable/bendable with respect 26 to the walls 8a, 8b along lines indicated by dashed 27 lines 12. A securing panel 14 depends from the end 28 wall 6b at the top edge 2 of the blank 1 at a dashed 29 line 16. An extension element 18 depends from a portion of the end wall 6a at the bottom edge 4 of the 31 blank 1 and is foldable with respect to the end wall 6a 32 along a line indicated by a dashed line 20. The end 7 1 wall 6a further includes a lip panel 22 depending from 2 a portion of a free side edge 24 thereof and is 3 foldable with respect to the end wall along a line 4 indicated by a further dashed line 20. The blank 1 further includes a rectangular receiving slot 26 6 positioned along the side wall 8b adjacent the end wall 7 6c.

8 9 The blank 1 is further foldable along, lines indicated by dashed lines 30 which define borders between the 11 side walls 6a and 6b and end walls 8a and 8b, lines 12 indicated by a dashed line 32 defining the border 13 between the side wall 8b and 6c. The securing panel 14 14 of the blank 1 is further foldable with respect to is itself along a line indicated by a dashed line 34 16 through its centre and which is parallel to the dashed 17 line 16.

18 19 The dashed lines 12, 16, 20, 32 and 34 described above are predetermined lines along each of which the blank 1 21 is bended or folded, described further below, to form a 22 dispenser 28 as indicated in Figs 2 to 6.

23 24 The dispenser 28 so formed is generally in the form of an open topped box having two compartments indicated 26 generally by the reference numerals 36 and 38 as can be 27 clearly seen in Fig. 5.

28 29 The larger compartment 36 is formed from the floor panels 10a and 10b, the end walls 6a and 6b, side walls 31 8a and 8b and an outlet 40 at the end wall 6a.

32 8 1 The smaller compartment 38 is formed having a single 2 side wall formed by an end portion of the side wall 8b 3 remote from the end wall 6b, and the end walls 6b and 4 6c. The smaller compartment 38 is completed by the extension panel 18 extending between the end walls 6a 6 and 6c. When the dispenser 28 is formed, compartment 7 36 and 38 are divided by the common end wall 6a.

8 9 The side wall 8b is greater in width than the side wall 8a such that when compartment 36 is formed the 11 extension panel 18 generally extends from the end wall 12 6a to the end wall 6c. The rectangular slot 26 is also 13 positioned appropriately on the side wall 8b to receive 14 the lip 22 to hold the walls ab and 6a together.

is 16 The blank 1 of Fig. 1 is transformed into the dispenser 17 28 of Figs. 2 to 6 as follows.

18 19 Firstly, the blank 1 is heated along the dashed lines, 16, 20 and 34 as indicated in Fig. 1. This can be done 21 by using a heater having wire elements (not shown) 22 The blank 1 is placed on the heater such that the 23 heated wire elements line up with the dashed lines 16, 24 20 and 34. The blank 1 is heated along the dashed lines 16, 20 and 34 until the plastics material becomes 26 pliable.

27 28 The extension panel 18 and lip 22 are f olded in an 29 inwardly direction along each of the dashed lines 20 such that an angle of approximately 90' is formed at 31 each dashed line 20 as can be seen from Fig. 5. The 9 1 securing panel 14 is folded along the dashed line 16 in 2 a direction away from the interior of the compartment 3 36 and folded again at the dashed line 34 in an 4 opposite direction such that an angle of approximately 90' is formed at each dashed line 16 and 34.

6 7 The folding action may be facilitated by using a 8 rectangular block of material with a 90' edge portion 9 placed in turn along each of the fold lines 20, 16 and 34. This in effect provides a mould around which the 11 blank 1 may easily be folded. This step shapes the 12 securing panel 14 in the f orm of a hook and the 13 extension panel 18 to form a floor 18 for the 14 compartment 36, and positions the lip 22 to be received is by the slot 26.

16 17 The blank 1 is then heated in a similar manner along 18 the dashed lines 12, 30 and 32 until the material 19 becomes pliable. A suitable rectangular block of material is used as a mould around which walls 6a, 8a, 21 6b and 8b are folded along the dashed lines 30 in the 22 same inward direction as the extension panel 18 and lip 23 22 such that each wall forms a right angle with its 24 neighbouring wall and the lip 22 is aligned to be received by the slot 26. Floor panels 10a and 10b can 26 similarly be folded about the rectangular block to form 27 a floor of the dispenser 28.

28 29 The wall 8b extends beyond the slot 26 allowing the end wall 6c to be folded along the dashed line 32, such 31 that the end wall 6c lies adjacent the extension panel 1 18 and is generally parallel to and spaced from the 2 common end wall 6b to form the compartment 38 as can be 3 clearly seen from Fig.3.

4 Once the blank 1 has been folded as indicated in Figs.

G 2 to 6, it is allowed to cool in order to allow its 7 shape to set after which the rectangular block is 8 removed from the thus-formed compartment 36.

9 The difference in length between the end wall Ga. and 11 the walls 6b, 8a and 8b provides a clearance between 12 the floor 10 of compartment 36 and the floor 18 of 13 compartment 38. This clearance forms the outlet 40 of 14 the dispenser 28.

16 In use the dispenser 28 is mountable to a slat wall 42 17 as shown in Fig. 4. The two surf aces of the securing 18 element engage a lower and upper slat of the slat wall 19 42, removably securing the dispenser 28 thereto.

Goods to be dispensed, for example packaged tights, are 21 place in compartment 36 through its open top. The 22 packaged tights rest in the compartment 36 in a 23 horizontal position.

24 The lowermost package is removed from the dispenser 28, 26 in the direction of the arrow B, through the outlet 40 27 and the package immediately above it drops into its 28 place thus allowing the goods to be dispensed under 29 gravity. This is shown most clearly in Figs 3 to 6.

1 The end wall 6c extends a suitable distance below the 2 floor 18 covering a portion of the outlet 40 in order 3 to allow only one item to be dispensed at a time.

4 A display sheet 44 for advertising the goods being 6 dispensed is placed in the second compartment 38 7 between the end walls 6a and 6c and is supported from 8 below by the f loor 18. This is clearly shown in Pigs 3 9 and 4 where the display sheet is shown hatched for clarity.

11 12 Figs 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the invention.

13 In this embodiment, there is provided a blank as 14 described above having an additional tab panel 46 depending from a portion of the end wall 6c at the 16 bottom edge 4 of the blank 1 at a dashed line 48. The 17 blank 1 of Fig. 7 is transformed into the dispenser 28 18 of Fig. 8 in a similar manner to that described above 19 but includes the extra step of heating the blank 1 along the dashed line 48 until the material becomes 21 pliable and then folding the tab 46 along the dashed 22 line 48 so that the tab 46 lies adjacent to the 23 exterior face of the end wall 6c when the dispenser 28 24 is formed.

Printed matter, such as a price tag for example, can 26 be placed and held securely between the tab 46 and the 27 exterior face of the end wall 6c. The blank 1 of this 28 embodiment is in all other respects identical to that 29 described above.

31 It will be appreciated that the dispenser may 32 accommodate a range of different goods packaged in a 12 1 square or rectangular fashion and the compartment 38 2 allows for the advertising sheet to be easily replaced 3 to suit the goods being dispensed, thus providing an 4 effective, versatile and attractive way of advertising goods.

6 7 It will further be appreciated that the dispenser may 8 be mounted to a wall of material using conventional 9 means such as a screw and plug arrangement.

11 The invention is not limited to the embodiments 12 hereinbefore described but may be varied within the 13 scope of the appended claims.

14 13

Claims

1 CLAIMS

2 3 1 A dispenser in the form of a box comprising a 4 first and second compartment formed by folding a single sheet of material.

6 7

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein the 8 first and second compartments have at least one 9 common wall.

11

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the 12 sheet of material is a plastics material.

13 14

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein the plastics material is translucent.

16 17

5. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim 18 wherein the first compartment is larger than the 19 second compartment.

21

6. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim 22 wherein said first compartment is sized to receive 23 goods to be dispensed and said second compartment 24 is sized to receive promotional or identifying material relating to the goods to be dispensed.

26 27

7. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim 28 wherein the dispenser includes a mounting element 29 for removably mounting the dispenser to a slat wall.

31 14 1

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7 wherein the 2 mounting element is a free end portion connected 3 to a top edge of a wall of the first compartment 4 along a first fold line, and further foldable about itself along a second fold line parallel to 6 the first fold line.

7 8

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 8 wherein the free 9 end portion is connected to a top edge of a wall of the first compartment remote from the second 11 compartment.

12 13

10. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9 14 wherein the element is an integral part of the is dispenser and is formed by folding.

16 17

11. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim 18 wherein the first compartment has an opening at a 19 lower portion thereof, adjacent the second compartment.

21 22

12. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim 23 wherein the dispenser includes means for 24 maintaining the shape of the dispenser.

26

13. A dispenser as claimed in claim 12 wherein said 27 shape maintaining means comprises a co-operating 28 portion in the form of a lip on one portion of the 29 dispenser, the lip being adapted to be received and interlock with a corresponding slot in another 31 portion of the dispenser.

32 is 1

14. A dispenser as claimed in claim 13 wherein the lip 2 is an integral part of the dispenser and is formed 3 by folding.

4

15. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim 6 further comprising a tab portion connected to a 7 lower edge of a wall of the second compartment 8 remote from the first compartment along a tab fold 9 line and folded about said tab fold line so that the tab portion lies adjacent an exterior face of 11 the wall of the second compartment.

12 13

16. A blank for forming a dispenser having first and 14 second compartments, comprising a single contiguous sheet of plastics material having first 16 and second side wall panels, first, second and 17 third end wall panels, and first and second floor 18 panels depending from the first and second side 19 wall panels, one of said end wall panels forming a common wall between the first and second 21 compartments, the one of said end wall panel 22 having an extension panel depending therefrom for 23 forming a floor for the second compartment.

24

17. A blank for forming a dispenser having first and 26 second compartments as claimed in claim 16 wherein 27 the blank includes a securing panel depending from 28 the one of said end wall panel for co-operative 29 engagement with a receiving portion on one of said side wall panels remote from the one of said end 31 wall panel.

32 16 1

18. A blank for forming a dispenser having first and 2 second compartments as claimed in claim 16 or 17 3 wherein the blank includes a mounting panel for 4 removably mounting the dispenser to a slat wall.

6

19. A blank for forming a dispenser having first and 7 second compartments as claimed in claim 18 wherein 8 said mounting panel is a free end portion 9 depending from a top edge of an end wall panel of said first compartment remote from said second 11 compartment.

12 13

20. A method for forming a dispenser having first and 14 second compartments comprising forming a blank comprising a single sheet of plastics material 16 having at least five contiguous panels and bending 17 the panels along fold lines to form the first and 18 second compartments, the first and second 19 compartments having at least one common wall.

21

21. A method for forming a dispenser having first and 22 second compartments comprising forming a blank 23 comprising a single sheet of plastics material as 24 claimed in claim 20 having first and second floor panels depending from bottom edges of first and 26 second side wall panels along first and second 27 floor panel bend lines, the blank further 28 comprising first, second and third end wall panels 29 depending from said first and second side wall panels along first, second, third and fourth side 31 wall bend lines, one of said end wall panels 32 forming a common wall between the first and second 17 1 compartments, the one of said end wall panel 2 further including an extension panel depending 3 from a bottom edge thereof along an extension 4 panel bend line.

6

22. A method for forming a dispenser having first and 7 second compartments from a blank as claimed in 8 claim 21 wherein the blank further includes a co 9 operative portion in the form of a lip depending from a free edge of the one of said end wall panel 11 along a lip bend line, the lip adapted to be 12 received by a corresponding slot in a portion of a 13 side wall panel remote from the lip.

14

23. A method for forming a dispenser having first and 16 second compartments from a blank as claimed in 17 claim 21 or 22, the blank further including a free 18 end portion depending from a top edge of an end 19 wall of the first compartment remote from the second compartment along a first free end bend 21 line, the free end portion including a second free 22 end bend line parallel to the first free end bend 23 line.

24

24. A method for forming a dispenser having first and 26 second compartments from a blank as claimed in 27 claim 21 comprising the steps of heating the first 28 and second floor panel bend lines and extension 29 panel bend line until the material becomes pliable, bending the first and second floor panels 31 and base element in an inwardly direction about 32 the first and second floor panels bend lines and 18 1 extension panel bend line respectively so than an 2 angle of 90' is formed at each bend line, heating 3 the first, second, third and fourth side wall bend 4 lines until the material becomes pliable, folding the side walls and first and second end walls 6 consecutively in an inwardly direction so that 7 each wall forms an angle of approximately 90' to 8 its connecting wall, further folding the third end 9 wall about the fourth bend line until the inner face of the third end wall lies adjacent the 11 extension panel.

12 13

25. A method for forming a dispenser having first and 14 second compartments from a blank as claimed in claim 22 comprising the steps of heating the first 16 and second floor panel bend lines, the extension 17 panel bend line and the lip bend line until the 18 material becomes pliable, bending the first and 19 second floor panels, the extension panel, and the lip in an inwardly direction about first and 21 second floor panel bend lines, extension panel 22 bend line and lip bend line respectively so that 23 an angle of substantially 90' is formed at each 24 bend line, further heating the first, second, third and fourth side wall bend lines until the 26 material becomes pliable, bending the side walls 27 and the first and second end walls consecutively 28 in an inwardly direction so that each wall forms 29 an angle of approximately 90' to its connecting wall, folding the third end wall about the fourth 19 1 bend line until the inner face of the third end 2 wall lies adjacent the extension panel.

3 4

26. A method for forming a dispenser having first and second compartments from a blank as claimed in 6 claim 23 comprising the steps of heating the first 7 and second floor panel bend lines, the extension 8 panel bend line, the lip bend line and the first 9 and second free end bend lines until the material becomes pliable, folding the first and second 11 floor panels, the extension element, and the lip 12 in an inwardly direction about first and second 13 floor panel bend lines, extension panel bend line 14 and lip bend line respectively so that an angle of is substantially 90' is formed at each bend line, 16 folding the free end portion in an outwardly 17 direction about the first free end bend line 18 generally through 90' and further folding the free 19 end portion in an inwardly direction about the second free end bend line generally through 900,

21 further heating the first, second, third and 22 fourth side wall bend lines until the material 23 becomes pliable, bending the side walls and the 24 first and second end walls consecutively in an inwardly direction so that each wall forms an 26 angle of approximately 900 to its connecting wall, 27 folding the third end wall about the fourth bend 28 line until the inner face of the third end wall 29 lies adjacent the extension panel.

1

27. A dispenser comprising a blank as claimed in any 2 of claims 16 to 19.

3 4

28. A dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the 6 accompanying drawings.

7 8

29. A blank for forming a dispenser having first and 9 second compartments substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the 11 accompanying drawings.

12 13

30. A method for forming a dispenser having first and 14 second compartments substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the 16 accompanying drawings.