Abstract:
A crate includes a floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right wall and a rear wall. Each of the walls includes a first end coupled to the floor and each of the walls includes a second end coupled to the ceiling. A front wall is hinged to one of the left wall and the right wall so as to swing. A product is hinged to and provided within the front wall.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to crates for holding and displaying products. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Consumer goods and products are commonly shipped to different locations via crates. For example, a distributor will receive product crates from a manufacturer for retail outlets. Certain retail stores, such as home improvement and wholesale stores, often leave the products in the crates and remove the products only as they are selected for purchase by consumers. 
         [0005]    Product displays are a common method of encouraging sales. A large product, such as a storm door, is typically displayed in a hardware store by mounting or bolting the storm door to a large metal shelving unit to allow consumers to view and interact with an assembled sample model outside the crate. However, such a display requires the product to be assembled and mounted to a display mount, which can be time-consuming and expensive to build. The conventional display also reduces the shelf space available to that product and other products. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention overcomes these drawbacks and provides a crate for a plurality of products to be transported and displayed for sale. In a preferred embodiment, storm doors are packaged in the crate and a storm door is displayed in the front side wall. The displayed storm door is swingable on the crate. The present invention is not limited to storms doors packaged in a crate. For example, the invention is applicable to windows and other types of doors. 
         [0007]    One embodiment of the invention is a crate including a floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right wall and a rear wall. Each of the walls includes a first end coupled to the floor and each of the walls includes a second end coupled to the ceiling. A front wall is hinged to one of the left wall and the right wall so as to swing. A product is hinged to and provided within the front wall. The floor, the ceiling, the left wall, the right wall, the rear wall and the front wall form an enclosed crate. The product and the front wall swing independently. The product is selected from the group consisting of a storm door, a wood door, a steel door, a screen door and a window. The width of the front wall is greater than the width of the product. The product is hinged on the same side as the front wall hinge. The floor and the ceiling include a plurality of parallel slats. A plurality of packaged products are positioned between corresponding pairs of parallel slats. A locking mechanism is provided on the wall opposite the wall hinged to the front wall. 
         [0008]    Another embodiment of the invention is a crate storage and display system including a floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right wall and a rear wall. Each of the walls includes a first end coupled to the floor and each of the walls includes a second end coupled to the ceiling to form a crate. A front wall is hinged to one of the left wall and the right wall. A product is hinged to and provided within the front wall for display of the product. A plurality of packaged products are stored in the crate. 
         [0009]    Another embodiment of the invention is a crate storage and display method including the steps of storing a plurality of packaged products in a crate. The crate includes a floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right wall and a rear wall. Each of the walls includes a first end coupled to the floor and each of the walls includes a second end coupled to the ceiling. A front wall is hinged to one of the left wall and the right wall. A product is hinged to and provided within the front wall. The crate is transported. The product is swung about the front wall. One of the packaged products is removed from the crate. The front wall is swung about the hinged wall of the crate. The crate and product for sale are displayed. The crate is transported by a forklift. The plurality of packaged products are inserted into the crate. The front wall is secured to the crate with a lock. Product information is placed on the front wall. The product is selected from the group consisting of a storm door, a wood door, a steel door, a screen door and a window. The product and the front wall swing independently. 
         [0010]    Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, various features of embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an open and closed crate according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a closed crate according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is another front view of a closed crate. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a front view of an open crate. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    One embodiment of a crate according to the present invention includes a swing door  18  and a product  20  within the swing door  18  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . A crate  10  includes a floor  12 , ceiling  16  and three side walls  14  (left-side wall, right-side wall and rear wall) that forms an enclosed space with an opening on a front side of the crate  10 . The crate holds and protects a plurality of products  22  during transport from one location to another, such as from a distribution point to a retail store. The floor  12  preferably includes a clearance with the surface upon which the crate  10  is placed sufficient for a forklift or pallet jack to reach underneath crate  10  to lift and transport the crate  10  from any side ( FIG. 3 ). In a preferred embodiment, the crate has a height of 2.419 meters, a width of 1.178 meters and a depth of 1.0 meters. 
         [0016]    A front wall  18 , such as a swing door, is connected to crate  10  and covers the front side opening of crate  10  when swung closed. The swing door  18  is mounted and hinged to the crate  10  on the left-side or right-side of the front opening and provides access to the products  22  stored in the crate  10 . The swing door  18  can be hinged on a left-side wall or right-side wall using a pair of mounting brackets. The mounting brackets provided on one side wall  14  of the crate  10  allows swinging between open and closed positions. Optionally, a lock or latch is provided opposite the front wall hinge to prevent the swing door  18  from opening undesirably. The invention is not limited to a particular lock or latch mechanism. 
         [0017]    Product  20  is mounted within the swing door  18  and swings with the swing door  18  as the swing door  18  is opened and closed. As best seen in  FIG. 4 , product  20  is placed and fits within the frame of swing door  18 . The length and width of product  20  is preferably less than that of the swing door  18 . In  FIG. 1 , product  20  is a storm door, but it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to storm door products and encompasses other door types such as wood, steel or screen doors, as well as other products, such as windows. 
         [0018]    If the product  20  is implemented, for example, as a storm door, it can be mounted within the swing door  18  in the same manner that a storm door  20  would be mounted in a home. With this mounting, the storm door  20  can be opened and closed independently from the swing door  18 . For example, with the swing door  18  in a closed position, a consumer in front of the crate  10  can open storm door  20  without opening the swing door  18 . The consumer can also explore the product in detail by, for example, adjusting the retractable screen, window, or other details of storm door  20  from either the open or closed position. Thus, product  20  acts as an interactive sample model display attached to crate  10 . 
         [0019]    In addition to displaying a product  20 , crate  10  also stores a plurality of products  22  available for purchase. The stored plurality of products  22  are boxed or otherwise configured for removal and purchase by a consumer. In a preferred embodiment, the products  22  are boxed storm doors. Once a consumer has made a decision to purchase the product  20  shown, the consumer simply opens the swing door  18  and removes one of the packaged products  22  stored within crate  10  ( FIG. 1 ). If a consumer were to attempt to remove a packaged product  22  when the swing door  18  is closed and storm door  20  is open, the removal of the packaged product  22  would be halted by the frame of swing door  18 . 
         [0020]    The crate  10 , including the attached swing door  18 , provides display for a product  20  on sale, such as a storm door, without having to build or provide a product display area separate from crate  10 . The product display is pre-built before arrival at a retail store, and the packaged volume of products  22  can be left in the crate  10  for easy browsing and removal by consumers. Simultaneously, crate  10  provides an efficient structure for a volume of packaged products  22  to be shipped and stored before selling. Crate  10  is especially useful for stores with less space or manpower. Instead of the traditional requirement of separate spaces for the storage of a crate, a space for the packaged product  22  placed on store shelves and a space for a sample product display, crate  10  fulfills the function of all three at once. Therefore, a store can quickly receive and place the crate in a retail space for immediate purchase with a minimum of effort. Furthermore, crate  10  can be reused since packaged products  22  from other crates can be used to replenish the supply of packaged products  22  of crate  10  once the originally transported products  22  are removed. 
         [0021]    Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 1 , ceiling  16  includes a series of substantially parallel slats  26 . Floor  12  includes a corresponding series of substantially parallel slats  24  (not shown). Each slat  24  is preferably positioned in substantially the same vertical plane as a corresponding slat  26 . The space between each pair of slats  24  and  26  is preferably sufficient for the insertion and removal of a packaged product  22  between them. In this manner, slats  24  and  26  form slots in which to place and hold a plurality of packaged products  22  between them, thereby minimizing the movement of the packaged storm doors  22  within crate  10  and reducing any pressure that a packaged product  22  may place on one another. This feature also makes the removal of a packaged storm door  22  from crate  10  easier. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the crate  10  with the attached swing door  18  and storm door  20  in a closed position. As shown in  FIG. 2 , swing door  18  is wider than storm door  20 . As viewed from the front, if the right edge of storm door  20  is aligned with the right edge of swing door  18 , then an empty area  28  is provided on the left edge of the swing door  18 . The empty area  28  can be used to place advertising or other product information related to the product  20  directly on the swing door  18 . Information can also be placed on the product  20  itself.  FIG. 3  is another front view of the crate  10  with an attached swing door  18  and storm door  20  in a closed position.  FIG. 4  is a front view of the crate  10  with attached swing door  18  in an open position and storm door  22  in a closed position within the swing door  18 . In this position, the consumer can examine a rear portion of product  20  and can easily remove packaged product  22  from crate  10 . 
         [0023]    Although preferably used for storage and display of storm doors, the system can also be used for any kind of door, such as wood, steel or screen doors. The system can also be used for other products, such as windows. 
         [0024]    The particular embodiments of the invention described in this document should be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive. Modification to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims and their equivalents.