US3687278A

US3687278A - Display carton assembly

Info

Publication number: US3687278A
Application number: US65989A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stephen S Graham; Martin Baumann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-08-21
Filing date: 1970-08-21
Publication date: 1972-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-29

Abstract

A shipping and display carton assembly. The carton is opened to provide an open-topped display tray portion containing a pair of rows of upstanding articles. A resilient divider biases the rows of articles outwardly against the sides of the tray portion and extends upwardly to the tops of the articles to enhance the column strength of the display carton assembly.

Description

United States Patent Graham et al.

[54] DISPLAY CARTON ASSEMBLY [72] Inventors: Stephen S. Graham, Chicago, 111.

60611; Martin Baumann, Glencoe,

[I]. 60022 [73 Assignee: Said Baumann assor to said Graham [22] Filed: Aug. 21, 1970 21 App1.No.: 65,989

[52] US. Cl. ..206/44 R, 229/42 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 5/48 [58] Field of Search ....206/44 R, 45.16, 45.14, 65 R;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,263,524 11/1941 Steinbiss ..206/45.14

[451 Aug. 29, 1972 2,178,091 10/1939 Weiss ..206/44 R 977,305 1 H1910 Heppe ..206/45.l6 X 1,892,879 1/1933 Florea et al ..206/45. 14 X 3,038,625 6/1962 Sinner et a1 ..229/15 X Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Att0rney-Dressler, Goldsmith, Clement & Gordon [57] ABSTRACT A shipping and display carton assembly. The carton is opened to provide an open-topped display tray portion containing a pair of rows of upstanding articles. A resilient divider biases the rows of articles outwardly against the sides of the tray portion and extends upwardly to the tops of the articles to enhance the column strength of the display carton assembly.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTl-Iflmces m2 N VE N TOQS Siephen 5. Graham M ari'in Ba DISPLAY CARTON ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a display carton assembly, and particularly to one which is adapted to be stacked in a display condition, and to one which is proportioned to maintain rows of elongated articles in a vertical disposition.

Many articles are displayed in retail outlets, such as supermarkets, in their shipping cartons or parts thereof. Such cartons, when adapted to properly present the contained articles, permit their placement in areas of the store where higher sales volume may be attained than if such articles are removed from the shipping cartons and are placed on shelves. To permit their use in high volume areas, such cartons must be stackable in an open display condition and must maintain a reasonably neat appearance, otherwise the articles are likely to be relegated to the stores shelves.

In accordance with this invention a shipping and display carton having these and other desirable characteristics is provided. The display carton assembly is desirable formed directly from the shipping carton containing the articles to besold, and includes means for maintaining a vertical and neat disposition of the articles. The assembly further provides means for assuring sufiicient column strength to stacka plurality of the opened display carton assemblies one on top of the other.

To this end, a display carton assembly of this invention may comprise a rectilinear shipping carton, the upper portion of which is removable via a tear strip. When the upper portion of the shipping carton, including the top and desirably a major portion of the sidewalls, back wall and front wall, is removed, the rows of contained articles to be sold are immediately presented in an attractively positioned manner.

A plurality of such rows are maintained in their vertical disposition by a resilient divider member positioned between each pair of such rows. Desirably the resilient divider member extends from the front to the back of the remaining carton portion and extends upwardly from the bottom of the carton body to the tops of the rows of articles. To maintain the vertical disposition of the rows of articles, the resilient divider member provides a spring section in the lower regions of the rows of articles, which spring section biases a pair of rows outwardly of each other, and towards the sides of the display carton assembly.

In one embodiment of this invention, the articles to be sold are packages each containing a plurality of bags. The packages are positioned in two rows, one row against each of opposite sides of the display carton. Between the two rows, a resilient divider member is provided. The resilient divider member is formed of folded corrugated paperboard to assume a generally W-shaped configuration. The inner legs of the divider member project upwardly from the bottom of the carton body, but terminate well below the top of the vertically oriented rows of bags. These legs urge the outermost legs of the divider member into resilient contact with the adjacent edges of the packages of bags, thereby to urge them resiliently outwardly towards the sides of the carton body. This then maintains a snug fit between the bags and the carton sides to assist in maintaining the vertical disposition of the bag packages. Preferably the outer legs of the divider member extend upwardly to the plane of the tops of the packages. These upper edges of the divider member lie in a plane common with the package tops, thereby to provide a support surface having substantial column strength to stably support a next upper opened display carton assembly.

These and other advantages, objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a stack of cartons embodying the invention of this application;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, partially in section, of one of the display cartons of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of an expanded resilient divider of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the bags contained in the package of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a package of a plurality of bags of FIG. 4, and one of the packages illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the resilient divider of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a further embodiment of the resilient divider of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a stack of cartons embodying this invention, including an unopened shipping carton 10, and two opened cartons 12 conditioned as display cartons. Cartons 10 are conditioned to assume the appearance and configuration of display cartons 12 by utilizing a tear strip (not shown) incorporated in the carton at dotted line 14. When the tear strip is utilized the upper portion of the carton 10 above dotted line 14 is removed and the open-topped carton body or tray portion 16 remains.

Open-topped carton portion 16 comprises a flat bottom 20, a front section 22, a back section 24 and two side sections 26, front section 22, back section 24, and side sections 26 terminating above the bottom 20 in a continuous upper peripheral edge 28 which edge lies in a plane generally parallel to flat bottom 20.

Display cartons 12 further comprises at least one pair of side-by-side rows 30 of packages P. Only two rows 30 have been illustrated. Three or more rows may be utilized. Each of the rows 30 extends from the front section 22 to the back section 24 of the carton portion 16 and in the embodiment illustrated, each row 30 comprises a plurality of packages P. As illustrated in FIG. 5, each package P contains a plurality of bags B (FIG. 4). Preferably the packages P illustrated in FIG. 5 are formed by enclosing a plurality of bags B ina transparent film so that the design, if any, appearing on the bags B is readily visible to attract the consumer.

In accordance with this invention, means are provided for maintaining each pair of rows of packages P in the vertically upstanding position (as illustrated in FIG. 2). These means comprise a resilient divider member 40. A resilient divider member 40 extends between each pair of rows 30 and from the front section 22 to the back section 24 of carton portion 16. It further extends vertically upwardly to the tops 42 of packages P. Desirably, the tops 42 of packages P and the upper edges 44 of resilient divider member 40 lie in a generally common plane, which plane is substantially parallel to the bottom 20 of carton 12.

The resilient divider member 40 illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 is desirably formed of corrugated paperboard approximately one-eighth inch in thickness, and is generally W-shaped. The two outermost legs 46 of divider member 40 extend from the bottom 20 of display carton 12 upwardly between a pair of rows 30 to the tops 42 of the packages P to provide the upper edges 44. At their lower edges, legs 46 are integral with inner legs 50. Each of one of legs 46 and one of inner legs 50 are joined along fold line 52. Inner legs 50 extend upwardly and inwardly from fold lines 52 to a common fold line intersection 54 at which legs 50 are joined.

Fold lines

52 and 54 are parallel to each other, and fold lines 52 define the lines along which resilient divider member 40 is supported on bottom section 20 of carton portion 16.

Resilient divider member 40 in a full-open nonresilient position assumes a W-shaped configuration as generally illustrated in FIG. 3. When it is conditioned to the compressed state illustrated in FIG. 2, the inherent resiliency of the corrugated board from which member 40 has been folded thus provides a spring section at the lower portion. of the member 40 which causes the outermost legs 46 to exert an outward resilient force against the adjacent walls of packages P. This then of course resiliently urges packages P outwardly against side sections 26 of carton portion 16, thereby to assist in maintaining the vertical orientation of packages P as illustrated in the drawings. This resilient action of the divider member 40 assists in maintaining that vertical orientation of the packages P, even after many of the packages have been removed by consumers from display carton portion 16.

Preferably, the upper edges 44 of the outermost legs 46 terminate in a plane common with the tops 42 of the packages P. Although packages P have some column strength against vertical collapse, to assure that display cartons 12 have sufficient column strength when stacked one upon the other, the upper edges 44 are positioned to contact the next adjacent upper carton with the tops 42 of packages P, thereby to provide a stable support. That is illustrated generally by the stacked display cartons 12 of FIG. 1.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the corrugations of the resilient divider member 40 are vertically disposed. By so disposing the corrugations, optimum vertical stacking strength is obtained with the lightest weight corrugated board, in conjunction with the necessary resiliency.

Preferably, when the divider member 40 is compressed to the condition illustrated in FIG. 2, the inner legs 50 lie below the uppermost edges of the cartons front, back an sides. The shorter the legs and the more tightly compressed the divider member, the greater the resiliency of the spring section portion of resilient divider member 40.

It is also to be noted that when using bags B of the character illustrated in FIG. 4, in packages P such as those of FIG. 5, the thickness of package P may be greater in its lower region than at its top region because of the additional thickness of the folded bag bottom, although they may be alternately positioned in the package. The former gives greater strength to the package P for resisting collapse which could result from the spring force of the resilient member 40.

It is the lower region of the packages in which the spring force is exerted, at which the lower portions of legs 46 bear expansively against packages. Minimal or no resilient force is exerted at the tops of the packages where substantial force would tend to pivot the packages P out of the shallow carton portion 16. It is therefore highly desirable that the main spring force provided by resilient member 40 be confined to the area between the bottom section and peripheral edge 28 of carton portion 16. It will be seen that the plane of the tops of the packages P is quite remote from the peripheral edge 28. Preferably the package tops are at least as far from the peripheral edge 28 as peripheral edge 28 is distant from bottom section 20, and desirably the tops of the packages are at least twice as distant from the plane of peripheral edge 28 as the bottom is from that plane.

In FIG, 7, a resilient divider member 60 similar in shape to resilient divider member 40 is illustrated. In that embodiment, the corrugations are transversely, rather than vertically oriented. The resilient characteristics of divider 60 are substantially the same as those of divider 40. However, the stacking strength, because of the direction of the corrugations, is not as great with the same weight corrugated board.

In a specific embodiment of this invention, a rectilinear carton is about 11% inches wide by about 11% inches high by about l3'r inches deep. The divider conditioned as illustrated in FIG. 2 is approximately 13% inches deep and has outermost legs about 1 1 inches high and inner legs about 2 inches high. Each package P is about 1 1 inches high by about 5% inches wide by about inches deep. The tear strip line 14 is located about 3 inches from the bottom of the carton, therefore exposing about two-thirds of the full height of the packages P to the consumers view. A carton so proportioned, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, serves well to support several overlying opened cartons 12 and serves to substantially maintain the vertical disposition of the packages P even after the majority of the packages P have been removed by consumers from a given uppermost carton. This therefore provides a very attractive, efficient and advantageous display carton for use in retail stores.

What is claimed is:

l. A display carton assembly comprising a carton body having a bottom, and a front, a back and two sides, all terminating above said bottom to define an upper peripheral edge, at least one pair of side-by-side rows each comprising a plurality of vertically oriented separate packages which are seated on said bottom and which extend upwardly beyond said upper peripheral edge, each of said rows extending from said front to said back of said carton body, resilient divider means between said rows, said resilient divider means extending from said front to said back of said carton body and extending upwardly from said carton body bottom, said resilient divider means including a spring section below said upper peripheral edge for biasing the lower regions of said packages toward said sides of said carton body, and wherein said resilient divider means is corrugated paperboard and is generally W-shaped, the outermost legs of said W-shaped divider means extending upwardly to upper edges of said packages.

2. In the display carton of claim 1 in which said packages terminate upwardly in upper edges in a first generally common plane which is generally parallel to said bottom and which is substantially above said upper peripheral edge, and said outermost legs extend upwardly to said first common plane, whereby a second such carton is stably supportable on said upper edges and on the tops of said packages.

3. In the display carton of claim 1 in which said resilient divider means includes two inner legs and two outermost legs, said inner legs being joined along a first common fold line, and each of one of said inner legs and one of said outermost legs being joined along a second common fold line lying on said carton body bottom, all of said fold lines being parallel to each other.

4. 1n the display carton of claim 3, in which said first common fold line lies beneath said upper peripheral edge.

5. In the carton of claim 3, in which said upper peripheral edge lies in a second common plane parallel to said carton body bottom.

6. In the display carton of claim 5, in which said second common plane is closer to said bottom than to said first common plane.

7. In the display carton of claim 5, in which said first common plane is at least about twice as far from said second common plane as said bottom is from said second common plane.

* t i k

Claims

1. A display carton assembly comprising a carton body having a bottom, and a front, a back and two sides, all terminating above said bottom to define an upper peripheral edge, at least one pair of side-by-side rows each comprising a plurality of vertically oriented separate packages which are seated on said bottom and which extend upwardly beyond said upper peripheral edge, each of said rows extending from said front to said back of said carton body, resilient divider means between said rows, said resilient divider means extending from said front to said back of said carton body and extending upwardly from said carton body bottom, said resilient divider means including a spring section below said upper peripheral edge for biasing the lower regions of said packages toward said sides of said carton body, and wherein said resilient divider means is corrugated paperboard and is generally W-shaped, the outermost legs of said W-shaped divider means extending upwardly to upper edges of said packages.

4. In the display carton of claim 3, in which said first common fold line lies beneath said upper peripheral edge.