Innovative shipping package

A container package assembly comprises a first support member and a second support member, each of which have a front side, a back side, a right side and a left side. The support members being arranged along a common plane wherein one of the sides of the first support member is immediately adjacent to one of the sides of the second support member. Each of the support members further comprise at least one wall defining at least a portion of at least one of the front side, back side, right side and left side of the first support member and second support member. Containers are positioned on the support surface of the first support member and the second support member. A top pad is positioned on top of the containers and extends over at least a portion of each of the containers. The support members, the containers and the top pad comprise an assembly which is at least partially encapsulated by a film.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Devices for packing and shipping products and/or containers of products are known. Such devices are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles. Often a package is designed to contain a number of different containers, such as several containers of a product, in a single package for delivery from one location to another, such as from a manufacturer to a wholesaler or retail seller. Sometimes the shipping package is also used to display the product once the shipping package is opened at the retail seller.

In many cases, the package used to ship containers of product from the manufacturer to the retailer is of such type that the containers need to be removed from the package prior to displaying the containers in the retail environment. The need to remove the containers form the package is often time and labor intensive. Additionally, a separate display package may be required to display the package. The display package may be a secondary package inside the shipping package, often resulting in higher costs for the containers.

Where a package, and the containers it holds, is suitable for transitioning directly from shipping to retail display, the size of the package can be an important factor. Shelf space at the retail environment is very valuable and the retail package must be of proper size to conform to the limited space allocated for display of the package. The need for smaller display packages is increasing as products compete for increasingly limited shelf space.

The trend toward decreasing the size of the display package poses a problem for the combination shipping package which transforms into a display package. A shipping package must conform to the dynamics required to safely transport product from the manufacturer to the retail environment. The size of the shipping package is important as this package must meet common length and width requirements to be effectively palletized. If the size of the shipping package is too small, it will be become increasingly difficult to palletize and to interlock the layers of shipping packages in the pallet. This will effect the strength and durability of the pallet of product in distribution.

A smaller shipper also effects the requirements of the secondary packaging machinery at the manufacturing plant for the product. Most secondary packaging machines are designed for speed based on the number of shipping packages produced per minute. If the size of the display package causes the size and container count of the shipper to decrease, it may require a new secondary packaging machine to meet the speed requirements of the container line.

A smaller shipper is generally more costly that a larger shipper. If the size of the display package causes the shipper to decrease in both size and container count, it may result in a more cost per container for the combination shipping package and display package.

In addition to a trend toward smaller display packages, there is also a need for a display package to offer full view and access of the container to the consumer. Many display packages which also serve as shipping packages restrict the full view and access of the containers due to use of sides and lids of material, such as cardboard. In order to provide greater view and access to the containers, the cardboard material of such shipping packages must be heavily modified such as by cutting, tearing or otherwise removing one or more flaps, lids or other portions of the package. Such modification of shipping packages is inconvenient and often results in a display device which is aesthetically displeasing and which displays the containers in an undesirable manner. Such cutting of the cardboard to prepare the display may also result in damaged containers that are accidentally cut when the shipping package is modified to become a display package.

A combination shipping package which transitions to a display package usually offers a cost savings by elimination of a secondary display package and a secondary packaging line specific for a display package.

There remains a need for a cost effective low-bulk package which is capable of shipping a plurality of containers and transitions to a plurality of smaller display packages without a need for any cutting or tearing of the cardboard or other fairly rigid material of the package, and provides full consumer view and access to the containers, yet also meets the strength, durability, palletizing, and general industry standards for shipping packages of like containers to market.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, a brief summary of various embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.

A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a container package assembly which includes a plurality of trays for supporting containers thereon, a top pad which is placed over the containers and at least one layer of encapsulating film which at least partially covers the combination top pad, containers and trays. The package may be used for shipping and, optionally, for retail display.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, the container package assembly comprises two or more trays which are positioned horizontally adjacent to one another. A plurality of containers is disposed on each tray and a top pad extends atop the containers over at least a portion of each of the trays. The trays, containers and top pad are at least partially encapsulated by a polymeric packaging film such as shrink-wrap, stretch-wrap, plastic or other type of thin pliable membrane. The top pad provides stability to the individual containers positioned on the trays during distribution of the shipping package as well as maintaining stability of the entire package by structurally linking the two independent trays.

The container package assemblies of the present invention desirably are sufficiently stable and strong enough to cope with the rigors of shipping as well as being of a size and bulk which allows the package assemblies to be placed in a retail setting without interfering with the consumer's ability to view and access the containers contained therein.

The container package assemblies have sufficient strength and dimensional characteristics to form interlocking layers of packages in a pallet and may be transitioned to a plurality of package assemblies which are sized to be placed in the limited shelf space of the retail setting.

Typically, the trays comprise a fairly rigid horizontal support surface. Desirably, the trays may have one or more vertical sides or walls to help retain the containers on the horizontal support surface. These side walls function to retain the containers on the horizontal support surfaces during the packaging process, during distribution, and during the transfer of the display package to the retail shelf. The walls may be of uniform height, may be tapered, or may have other configurations.

The inventive container package assembly may include one or more vertical levels of trays and containers. Where multiple vertical levels of trays are utilized, a single top pad may be placed atop the top layer of containers. It is also within the scope of the invention for a top pad to be placed between each layer of containers and the bottom surface of a vertically adjacent tray.

The top pad, in accordance with the invention, typically has a surface area equal to or less than the area of the tray positioned there under.

Some embodiments of the invention include encapsulating film which encapsulates less than the entire assembly of trays, containers and top pad. In some embodiments the film may have different light transmitting properties. Such as for example the film may be opaque, translucent and/or transparent.

The invention is also directed to a method for packaging a plurality of containers comprising the steps of providing a first support member and a second support member adjacent the first support member, the first and second support members having a plurality of containers disposed thereon, placing a top pad on top of the containers, the top pad extending over at least a portion of each of the containers and at least partially encapsulating the support members, the containers and the top pad with a film. Typically, the support members will have three sidewalls and an open side.

In at least one embodiment the assembly comprises: a pair of support members, a plurality of containers positioned thereon and a top pad positioned on the containers. The entire assembly is at least partially encapsulated within a removable film. Each of the support members has a front side, a back side, a right side and a left side. The support members are arranged along a common plane wherein one of the sides of the first support member is immediately adjacent to one of the sides of the second support member. Each support member further comprises at least one wall substantially perpendicular to the respective support surface and at least partially defines one of the sides of the respective support member. A plurality of containers is positioned on the support surface of each support member. A top pad extends over at least a portion of each of the containers and is positioned thereon.

In some embodiments a wall height of at least a portion of the at least one wall of the first support member and second support member tapers from a first height to a second height, wherein the second height is less than the first height.

In some embodiments a wall height of the at least a portion of the at least one wall of the first support member and the second support member defines a substantially arcuate taper from the first height to the second height.

In some embodiments a wall height of the at least a portion of the at least one wall of the first support member and the second support member defines a substantially linear taper from the first height to the second height.

In some embodiments the support members are arranged so that the right side of the first support member is immediately adjacent to the left side of the second support member.

In some embodiments the support members are arranged so that the right side of the first support member is immediately adjacent to the right side of the second support member.

In some embodiments the support members are arranged so that the front side of the first support member is immediately adjacent to the front side of the second support member.

In some embodiments the support members are arranged so that the front side of the first support member is immediately adjacent to the back side of the second support member.

In some embodiments the support members are arranged so that the back side of the first support member is immediately adjacent to the back side of the second support member.

In some embodiments a given support member comprises two walls opposite one another, for example the right side of the first support member comprises a right wall and the left side of the first support member comprises a left wall.

In at least one embodiment the wall height of at least a portion of the right wall and the left wall tapers from a first height to a second height, wherein the second height is less than the first height. In some embodiments the front side of a given support member comprises a front wall, and where the member includes a tapered right and left wall the wall height of the front wall is less than about the first height. In some embodiments the wall height of the front wall is less than about the second height. In some embodiments the back side of one or more support member comprises a back wall. In some embodiments the wall height of the back wall is at least as high as the wall height of the front wall.

In at least one embodiment a wall of the first support member is held immediately adjacent to a wall of the second support member by at least one adhesive. In some embodiments the adhesive is may be a permanent or temporary adhesive, such as a removable adhesive, time release adhesive, biodegradable adhesive and/or any combination thereof.

In at least one embodiment the top pad further comprises one or more top pad sides, and at least one top pad wall which at least partially define at least one of the sides. The at least one wall is substantially perpendicular to a pad surface and extends to the pad wall height in a direction substantially toward a wall of one or more of the support members.

In some embodiments at least one pad wall defines at least a portion of a front pad side and at least a portion of a back pad side of the top pad.

In some embodiments at least one pad wall defines at least a portion of a left pad side and at least a portion of a right pad side of the top pad.

In some embodiments at least one pad wall of the top pad defines at least a portion of the front pad side, at least a portion of the back pad side, at least a portion of the right pad side and/or at least a portion of the left pad side.

In some embodiments the height of a pad wall of the top pad is tapered along at least a portion of the pad wall length. In some embodiments the pad wall height is substantially uniform and continuous along the pad wall length.

In at least one embodiment at least one pad wall of the top pad comprises at least one visible surface, the visible surface having at least one readily visible indicia thereon.

Further aspects of the invention will become apparent form the detailed description which follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, identical reference numerals used in different figures refer to the same component.

An embodiment of the inventive container package assembly is shown generally at10inFIG. 1. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, the container package assembly10, comprises a pair of support members or trays12. Each tray12includes three side walls26and an open side. The trays12may be constructed of any material suitable for shipping and displaying containers14. For example, the trays may be constructed from cardboard (corrugated or otherwise), press-board, chipboard, SBS board, wood, one or more paper product derivative, plastic, metal or other materials. Preferably, the trays are constructed from a light weight material that may be easily and inexpensively recycled or disposed of. Trays12support a plurality of containers14as shown.

The containers14may be arranged on the trays12in any manner desired. For improved stability and strength, the containers are preferably arranged in a uniform pattern of rows and or columns. Such an arrangement has the added benefit of providing ready viewability and ease of access when the trays12of containers14are placed in a retail environment.

Once the containers14are placed on the trays12in a desired arrangement, the top pad16is placed on top of the containers14. The top pad16may have a horizontal surface20having an area which extends at least partially over each of the trays12. The horizontal surface20of the top pad16may be greater than, equal to, or less than the area of the combined trays12positioned there under. Typically, the top pad will have an area slightly less than the combined area of the trays over which the top pad extends. Once the top pad16is in place on top of the containers14, the combined assembly of trays12, containers14, and top pad16may be in-whole or in-part encapsulated by a film18.

The top pad16forms a supporting linkage between the trays12. The top pad16may further act as a cutting surface once the package10is received. The film18may be cut and opened, through application of a knife or other cutting means. The presence of the top pad16prevents the cutting means from contacting and damaging the containers14positioned there under. After the film18is cut and the package10opened, the top pad16may then be removed from the containers14, and the two independent trays12may be used as shelf ready displays.

The film18may be any type of retaining film or material. For example the film18may be shrink-wrap, stretch wrap, plastic sheeting or netting, or any other type of retaining material. The film18may encapsulate the entire combination of trays12, containers14, and top pad16, such as is shown the embodiment ofFIG. 1, or alternatively, the film may have one or more openings22therethrough, such as is shown inFIG. 5. The film18may be transparent, translucent or opaque; however, a transparent film may be more preferable for retail display purposes as it is desirable to allow wholesale or retail consumers to be able to view the containers14even when the film18is in place.

As shown inFIGS. 1,4and5, each tray12may comprise a horizontal support surface24upon which the containers12are placed along with three side walls. A three-walled tray provides improved stability while ensuring that the front28of the containers14is fully exposed for retail viewing. Two of the side walls26, such as right side wall34and left side wall38optionally taper from the back27of the tray to the front29the tray. The extent of the taper may vary greatly. In accordance with the invention, the side walls may also be of uniform height as shown inFIG. 2.

The trays for use in the inventive package container assembly also may comprise fewer than three side walls. As shown inFIG. 3, the tray does not include any side walls. In accordance with the invention, the tray may also be provided with two side walls or a single side wall. The inclusion of walls26on the trays12, may improve the stability of the package10, by confining the containers14within the confines of the tray12. The use of walls26may help retain the containers14on the trays12even when the film18is removed.

A four-walled tray such as is shown inFIG. 4may also be used. However, if a tray12is equipped with four walls26, the front wall or lip30of the tray12is desirably less than the height of the label32of the container14to ensure proper viewing and ease of access of the containers14in a retail display setting.

As may be seen inFIG. 5, the container package assembly10may include more than one level or layer of trays12. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5, four trays12of containers14are arranged in two levels: a top level40and a bottom level42. The bottom level42comprises two trays12of containers14arranged horizontally adjacent to one another in the side-by-side fashion previously described. The top level40comprises two more trays12of containers14. The trays12of the top level40are placed directly on top of the containers14of the bottom level42. Optionally, a top pad may be inserted between the containers14of the bottom level42and the trays12of the top lever40.

As shown, a top pad16is placed on top of the containers14of the top level40. The entire assembly of trays12, containers14and top pad16is encapsulated in a film18. The film18may include one or more openings22.

In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5the top pad16is shown having a horizontal surface20which has an area less than the area of the support surface24of the trays12of the top level40. In some embodiments, the horizontal surface20of the top pad16may have an area larger or smaller than that of the combined support surfaces24of a level of trays12. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the surface20may have an area about the same as or less than surface24of the combined trays12. Desirably, the top pad has an area of at least 75% of the combined area of the trays immediately below the top pad.

The various embodiments shown inFIGS. 1-5, may be configured to accommodate containers14of various sizes and shapes. For example, the trays12may be sized to hold six containers of 6 and/or 8 oz yogurt cups. Six and eight ounce yogurt cups are traditionally shipped in 12 pack shipping packages, or larger. However, at the store level a twelve-count display may be too large to serve as a shelf-ready display. In the embodiments shown inFIGS. 1-4, the package10may be used as a twelve-count shipping package which includes two six-count display trays12once the film18and top pad16are removed. InFIG. 5the package10may be used as a twenty four-count shipping package which includes four six-count display trays12.

The sizes, shapes, numbers, and arrangement of the containers14illustrated inFIGS. 1-5are shown merely as examples of the types of containers which may be packaged, shipped and displayed by the package assembly described herein. For instance, it may be desirable to configure the trays to hold between 2 and 50 containers each. Furthermore, each tray may be configured to hold equal or unequal numbers of columns and/or rows of containers. The columns and/or rows of containers may have equal or unequal numbers of containers therein. It may be further desirable to provide the containers which have a cylindrical, cubic, or some other geometric shape. Additionally, the containers may be larger in area at the bottom than at the top, or larger in area at the bottom than at the top or of constant area along the length of the container.

The invention is also directed to a method for packaging a plurality of containers comprising the steps of providing a plurality of support members including a first support member and a second support member adjacent the first support member, the first and second support members having a plurality of containers disposed thereon, placing a top pad on top of the containers, the top pad extending over at least a portion of each of the containers and at least partially encapsulating the support members, the containers and the top pad with a film. Typically, the support members will have three sidewalls and an open side. More generally, any of the support members disclosed herein may be used in the inventive method.

As previously described each support member or tray12may comprise side walls that taper from a first height to a second height. For example in the embodiment shown inFIG. 1each support member12is provided with a right side wall34and a left side wall38which tapers from a first height near the back27of the tray12to a second lower height near the front29the tray12. The extent and style of the taper may vary greatly. For example in the embodiment shown inFIG. 6each support member12is provided with a right side wall34and a left side wall38wherein most of the length of the wall has a substantially constant wall height extending from a back or rear wall36toward the front29of the tray12, but a portion of each wall34and38defines a substantially arcuate or curved taper50from a first height to a second lower height as is shown.

In some embodiments, an example of which is shown inFIG. 7, each support member12is provided with a front wall30and a back wall36. A portion of one or more side walls34and38have a substantially constant height which may be the same as one or both front and back walls30and36. InFIG. 7the back wall36has a height greater than that of the front wall30. The side walls34and38taper from the height of the back wall36to the height of the front wall30. The particular configuration of side wall height tapering shown inFIG. 7, provides structural support to the assembly10and also leaves enough of the containers14exposed to allow a viewer to readily ascertain the quantity of containers14that are positioned on the support members12from a wide range of viewing angles.

Because the assembly10may include a number of support members12, in some embodiments, examples of which are shown inFIGS. 7-12each support member12may be designated as a specific type of support member, such as a first or right support member12aand a second or left support member12bso as to better describe their relative orientation and position within the assembly10. For example, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 7the assembly10is provided with a right support member12aand a left support member12wherein the left side52of the right support member12is immediately adjacent to the right side54of the left support member12b. As a result of this relative orientation, the front side29of each support member12aand12bfaces the same direction within the assembly10.

The assembly10however, may be provided with any orientation or configuration of the support members12aand12brelative to one another. For example in the embodiment shown inFIG. 8, the left side52of the right support member12ais immediately adjacent to the left side52of the left support member12b. As a result of this orientation the front side29of each support member12aand12bface opposite directions. In other words the back side27of support member12band the front side29of support member12aare arranged along a common plane. The particular configuration shown inFIG. 8may be particularly useful for displaying products adjacent to or at an isle end display to allow some of the containers to be viewable from either side of the product row.

In another configuration, such as is shown inFIG. 9the assembly10is provided with support members12aand12bthat are arranged so that the front side29of each support member is immediately adjacent one another. This particular orientation of support members12aand12bprovides additional protection to the containers14by at least partially covering the containers14with back wall36and side walls34and38.

Alternatively, the assembly10may be configured such that the back side27of each support member12aand12bis immediately adjacent one another, such as in the manner shown inFIG. 10.

In yet another configuration, such as is shown inFIG. 11, the support members12aand12bare arranged with the back side27of support member12aimmediately adjacent to the front side29of the support member12b. This configuration when the containers14of the first tray12aare removed, the containers14of the second tray12bare made readily available merely by removing the now empty first tray12a.

In the various embodiments shown inFIGS. 7-11, the sides of the support members12aand12bthat are immediately adjacent one another may be permanently or temporarily engaged to one another by any of a variety of adhesive materials, such as removable adhesives, time release adhesives, biodegradable adhesives, etc.

In some embodiments of the invention, an example of which is shown inFIG. 12, the top pad16may comprise one or more top pad walls17. The top pad wall is an extension or portion of the top pad16which rather than resting upon the containers14, is folded away from the horizontal surface20of the top pad16at an angle. In at least one embodiment, a top pad wall is oriented in a substantially perpendicular manner relative to the horizontal surface20. In at least one embodiment, such as is shown inFIG. 13, the top pad16is manufactured with a seam19about which the top pad wall17may be folded in a downward direction away from the horizontal surface20, such as is shown inFIG. 14.

When the top pad wall equipped top pad16is placed upon the containers14during the construction of the assembly10, the top pad wall17preferably extends to a predetermined downward height toward a support member wall26along the same plane as the top pad wall17. Like the walls of the support members12, the top pad wall17may be of a wide range of constant and/or tapering heights. Similarly, any number of the four sides of the top pad16, may be further defined by a top pad wall17. For example, InFIGS. 12-14the top pad16has a single side which is at least partially defined by the top pad wall17, whereas in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 15-16two side of the top pad16are at least partially defined by a top pad wall17.

In some embodiments, such as those shown inFIGS. 13-15the top pad16may define a plurality of perforations21through the seam19. The perforations21weaken the engagement of the top pad wall17to the top pad16, which allows the top pad wall17to be readily folded away from the top pad16and provides a mechanism by which the top pad wall17may be readily separated from the top pad16if desired.

As is clearly shown in the embodiments depicted inFIGS. 12-16, the top pad wall17has a height and length which is preferably spacious enough to provide an indicia bearing surface, or advertising space23that is may contain indicia25such as brand name, product logo, description and/or other product information, which is readily viewable from a distance appropriate to a retail setting. Though a top pad16may include a plurality of top pad walls17, any of the walls, all of the walls, and/or none of the walls may have indicia25placed thereon as desired.

In the various embodiments depicted herein, the assembly may be provided with any of a variety of containers, which may be varied in size, shape, number, and arrangement. Similarly, the support members, including the walls thereof and the top pad may likewise be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes.