US3055494A

US3055494A - Shipping and display container

Info

Publication number: US3055494A
Application number: US18915A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hepp James
Original assignee: ED U CARDS Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: ED U CARDS Manufacturing CO; ED-U-CARDS Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1960-03-31
Filing date: 1960-03-31
Publication date: 1962-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 1979-09-25

Description

Sept 25, 1962 J. HEPP 3,055,494

SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed March 31, 1960 INVENTOR JAMES HEPP 33 4o 22hr. 41 32 51a W W 42 1: 42 ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,055,494 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,494 SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER James Hepp, Glen Cove, NY, assignor to Ed-U-Cards Mfg. Co. Filed Mar. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 18,915

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-4519) This invention relates to a shipping and display container, more particularly a container formed of sheet material such as paperboard or the like, and an article holding insert designed to align, retain and support a plurality of piles of stacked articles in a readily removable secure position implementing shipment, display, and subsequent use of the article.

A variety of different types of merchandise requires packaging which implements the shipment of the merchandise, and display thereof at the point of sale. Additionally, it is often desirable to provide packaging which may be utilized by the consumer to retain the purchased articles during periods of non-use. The need for such packaging containers arises in connection with many different types of merchandise. Thus in the distribution of decks of playing cards, it is desirable to be able to ship the deck of cards with the cards maintained in stacked alignment, and not subject to damage. Additionally, it is sometimes found desirable to package several decks of cards in a single container. Where several decks of cards are arranged in a single container, it is necessary to maintain the decks in separated alignment. Any container provided should serve to protect the deck of cards or like articles during shipment, and should additionally permit display of the cards at the point of sale. After purchase by the consumer, it is desirable that the container serve to provide storage for the articles.

It is with the above problems and desiderata in mind, that the present means have been evolved, means including both method and apparatus for implementing the shipment, display, and subsequent use of an article. The novel means are particularly adapted for use in connection with groups of stacked articles such as playing cards and facilitate the positioning of the articles in a container in a retained, aligned, and supported condition; subject to ready display at the point of sale; and replaceable removal from the container by the user so that the container may be utilized for storage purposes.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide an improved shipping and display container.

Another object of this invention is to provide means implementing the utility of a container for shipping, display and storage of a group of stacked articles.

It is also an object of this invention to provide retaining means in a container serving to retain a group of stacked articles therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for aligning a group of stacked articles in a container.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means for cushionedly supporting an article in a container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container in which a plurality of articles may be maintained in a spaced orientation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container in which articles are maintained in a condition implementing their display at the point of sale.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container serving the threefold function of implementing shipment of articles contained therein; implementing display at the point of sale; and implementing storage of the article by the consumer.

These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by provision of an insert for a conventional box-like container. The container employed as here described is of a conventional rectangular paperboard type in which a lower container is provided with a cover member within which the container nests. It will however be apparent to those skilled in the art that the inventive concept may be embodied in a variety of other type containers formed of a variety of different materials. The novel insert is formed from a single blank of sheet material with a supporting surface upon which the articles to be packaged are retained. This supporting surface is arranged at a spaced distance from the bottom of the container and designed to lie on a plane spaced from the container cover. Elevating legs or supports are employed to maintain the supporting surface elevated from the bottom of the container. Arranged along the front edge of the supporting surface at a spaced distance thereabove, a retaining lip is provided beneath which one edge of the packaged articles is engaged to retain the packaged articles in position on the supporting surface. At the edge of the supporting surface opposite to that on which the retaining lip is provided, aligning members are arranged to maintain the packaged articles aligned on the surface. The aligning members are knee shaped with a horizontally extending ledge or thigh portion and a vertically extending leg portion.

As will become apparent, the invention finds applicability particularly in connection with the packaging of merchandise such as decks of cards where it is necessary to maintain a plurality of articles in cushioned alignment. The novel structure here employed may be utilized to implement the shipment, display and subsequent storage of a plurality of decks of cards in cushioned isolation; readily subject to display at the point of sale; and subject to removal and re-insertion in the container by the user.

A primary feature of the invention resides in the provision of a container insert readily subject to being formed of a single blank of material, with the novel insert having a retaining element, a supporting element, and an aligning element, all formed from a unitary sheet.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the fact that by the use of a relatively simple container insert, a plurality of groups of stacked articles may be maintained in spaced cushioned alignment within the container so as to implement the shipment, display and storage of the articles.

The specific details of a preferred structural embodiment of the invention and their mode of functioning will be made most manifest and particularly pointed out in clear, concise, and exact terms, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of an open container having the novel insert position therein; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank utilized for forming the insert seen in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1 through a group of packaged articles such as a deck of cards shown in phantom to indicate how the articles are maintained in the container; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be employed to designate like parts.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the novel container 10 is formed of a conventional rectangular configuration. The container 110 has a bottom wall 1 1 as seen in FIGS. '3 and 4,

end walls

12 and 13, a rear wall 14 and a front wall 15. The container 10 here shown is of the type designed for use in connection with a cover of a similar configuration within which the container is designed to nest. It will be apparent however that a variety of other types of containers may be utilized within the scope of this invention. Arranged within container 10, an insert 20 as best seen in FIG. 2 is positioned. Insert 20 is formed of a blank of sheet material such as paperboard, sheet plastic, or the like. The insert 20 is formed with score lines which cut through the body of the blank from the top to the bottom surface and are indicated by solid line in FIG. 2. Fold lines are shown by dash lines in FIG. 2.

The insert 20 is formed with a supporting surface 21 including a plurality of supporting

areas

21a, 21b, 21c and 21d here shown as of a substantially rectangular configuration. Connecting portions 22ab, 22190 and 220d are formed between each of the supporting areas as viewed in FIG. 2.

A retaining lip 25 is provided which in the formed blank will be positioned over the front edge of the supporting surface 21. It will be observed from the applied numeration in FIG. 2, that the front edge of supporting surface 21 is shown at the upper part of the figure. Retaining lip support struts 26 are provided to support the retaining lips 25 at a spaced distance above supporting surface 21.

Knee shaped aligning members 29 are provided on the rear edge of the blank (the bottom in FIG. 2). These aligning members 29 comprise an upper horizontally extending aligning spacer or ledge 30 joined by an aligning leg 31 to connecting portions 22 of supporting surface 21.

A rear elevating support 32 and a front elevating support 33 are formed in the blank to elevatedly support the supporting surface at a spaced distance above the bottom 11 of the container 10. End supporting flaps 35 are provided to rigidify the insert within the container.

To further provide rigidity to the formed insert 20 in container 10, a channel shaped false bottom 40 having an upper support area 41 and legs 42 may be employed as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Operation The aforedisclosed structure may be utilized to implement the shipping, display, and subsequent storage of a variety of different types of articles in a container. As here disclosed, the invention has been embodied in a box insert for a container utilized in connection with decks of playing cards.

In use, a blank having a longitudinal length substantially equal to that of the container in connection with which it is to be employed, is formed in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2. This blank 20 is then folded along the fold lines illustrated by dash lines into the configuration shown in FIG. 1. It will be apparent that the elevating supports 32, 33 and 35 are folded down from the plane of the blank while support struts 26 and aligning legs 31 are folded up out of the blank of the material.

Depending on the rigidity of the sheet material from which the blank is formed, a false bottom may or may not be used. Clearly if the blank has sufficient rigidity the use of a false bottom is not necessary. On the other hand, it is generally found more economical to utilize a false bottom, thus permitting the use of thinner stock for the formation of the insert, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Where the false bottom 40 is utilized, it is generally folded from a blank into its channel shape and inserted into container 10, after which the folded insert blank 20 is positioned with elevating

supports

32 and 33 sandwiched between legs 42 of the false bottom and the front and rear walls of the container 10.

In this assembled relationship, the container is ready for the receipt of merchandise, which in this case has been described as decks of cards. The decks of cards are then arranged in the container by inserting one end of the deck beneath retaining lip 25 and permitting the rest of the deck to lie on the supporting surface with alignment of the cards of the deck being accomplished by their positioning between aligning members 29.

It will thus be seen that a novel box insert has been provided which may readily be formed from a single blank of sheet material in which a plurality of articles, such as cards in a deck of playing cards, may be aligned, and retained upon a supporting surface in isolated condition implementing the shipment, display, and subsequent storage of the packaged articles.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation, and not by Way of'limitation, and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A blank for forming an article holding box insert, said blank comprising: a central supporting surface for the articles; elevating supports formed by two areas spaced from said central surface and lying along opposite edges of said blank; a retaining lip formed along one of said elevating supports lying between and coupled to said supporting surface and one of said elevating supports, and adapted to lie in a plane above said supporting surface overlying the articles; and aligning members extending from the other of said elevating supports and separated from said elevating supports by a fold line whereby said aligning members will lie above the level of said supporting surface when said insert is assembled within the box.

2. A blank as in claim 1 having two support flaps extending from said central area and lying along opposite ends of said blank.

3. A blank for forming an article holding box insert,

said blank comprising: a central supporting surface for the articles; elevating supports formed on the front and rear edges respectively of said central surface; a retaining lip formed along and extending from the front elevating support, and adapted to lie in a plane above the plane of said supporting surface; and a pair of spaced aligning members extending from the other of said elevating supports and separated therefrom by a fold line whereby said aligning member will lie above the level of said supporting surface when said insert is assembled within the box.

4. In a shipping and display container comprising a bottom wall, a rear wall, front wall, and end walls, an article holding insert within said container, said insert formed from a single blank of sheet material comprising: a rear elevating support formed along one edge of said insert of a height equal to the height of a rear wall of said box; a plurality of spaced aligning members formed by an upper aligning ledge extending forwardly from said rear elevating support wall, and a downwardly extending leg coupled to said upper aligning ledge; a supporting surface extending medially through said box at a spaced distance above the bottom wall thereof, said supporting surface being secured to said downwardly extending aligning leg; a retaining lip formed to extend at a spaced distance above said supporting surface; support struts between said retaining lip and said supporting surface; and a downwardly extending front elevating support extending from said retaining lip to the bottom of said box.

5. In a container as in claim 4, an insert in which said retaining lip is of a length equal to the length of the interior of the container.

6. In a container as in claim 4, a channel shaped false bottom having an upper support area; and legs, with said false bottom arranged with its support area overlying said insert supporting surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,339,176 Lee Jan. 11, 1944 2,425,895 Overly Aug. 19, 1947 2,511,542 Rau June 13, 1950' 2,652,921 Foster Sept. 22, 1953 2,706,590 Bergstein Apr. 19, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 907,533 France July 2, 1945