Foldable container for displaying tools

In order to be able to ship and, later, display a plurality of tools, each of which has a handle and a shaft, a foldable container formed of sheet material is disclosed which is defined by a plurality of walls, including at least a side wall and a top wall having a plurality of openings therein. The openings include a plurality of first openings each formed to receive the shaft of one of the tools and to support the tool with the handle positioned thereabove and including a plurality of second openings each formed to receive the handle of one of the tools and to support the tool with the shaft positioned thereabove. With these features of construction, the container further includes a display panel extending to a point above the top panel and, preferably, the container is a generally rectangular box, and the openings include holes and cutouts arranged in alternating fashion in at least two rows parallel to the display panel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is generally related to containers and, more 
particularly, a container for displaying a plurality of tools. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
As will be appreciated by those in the tool industry, many tools are 
displayed in retail environments on racks and the like. This is done, of 
course, because of the recognized advantages to a consumer due to the 
opportunity to inspect a tool which is displayed on a rack much more 
thoroughly than with those in a normal shipping container. When so 
displayed, the features of the tool can be closely examined by the 
consumer to make an informed decision as to purchase. 
However, if a tool is to be displayed for sale on a rack, it oftentimes 
requires an expense for the retailer that is unacceptable. This expense is 
inherent not only in the cost of the rack or other display means but also 
in the necessity of physically removing the tool from a container in which 
it is shipped from the point of manufacture to the point of sale. As will 
be appreciated, this is a time-consuming step that is almost a practical 
necessity in existing practice for major retailers. 
For this reason, there has become an increasing awareness of the 
significant desirability of display containers, i.e., containers in which 
products may be displayed for the consumer. It is known to be desirable, 
for instance, for a product to not only be capable of shipment in a 
container, but for that container to also be capable of serving as a point 
of sale display for the product once it reaches the retailer. While it is 
known that such a container is desirable, the stage of development of such 
containers has made it impossible to enjoy all advantages that might be 
derived therefrom. 
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the 
foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects by 
providing a container for displaying a plurality of tools in a most highly 
desirable manner. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a 
container for displaying a product therein. It is a further object of the 
present invention to provide such a container especially suited for 
displaying a plurality of tools each of which has a handle and a shaft. It 
is an additional object of the present invention to provide a foldable 
container which is formed of sheet material. 
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a container for 
displaying a plurality of tools each of which has a handle and a shaft. 
The container comprises container means defined by a plurality of walls, 
including at least a side wall and a top wall. The top wall has a 
plurality of openings, including a plurality of first openings each formed 
to receive the shaft of one of the tools and to support the tool with the 
handle positioned thereabove and includes a plurality of second openings 
each formed to receive the handle of one of the tools and to support the 
tool with the shaft positioned thereabove. The container is also such that 
the container means further includes a display panel extending to a point 
above the top panel. In the preferred embodiment, the first openings are 
generally round holes, and the second openings are generally square 
cutouts. 
In the exemplary embodiments, the generally round holes are provided in the 
top wall to have a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the 
shafts of the tools, and the generally square cutouts are provided in the 
top wall to have a depth and width substantially the same as the diameter 
of the handles of the tools. It is advantageous for the container means to 
comprise a generally rectangular box wherein the plurality of walls 
includes a generally rectangular bottom wall adapted to support the box on 
a supporting surface, and the top wall is also generally rectangular with 
the side wall having a front portion, a back portion, and two side 
portions completing the box. Still more specifically, the holes and 
cutouts which are provided in the top wall of the generally rectangular 
box are most advantageously arranged in alternating fashion with the 
cutouts each being defined by a flap formed by a through cut in the top 
wall along three sides thereof and a score line along a fourth side 
thereof. 
In the preferred embodiment, the display panel comprises an integral 
extension of the back portion of the side wall and extends at least as 
high as the handles and the shafts of the tools displayed in the 
container. It is also advantageous for the display panel to have means 
associated therewith for hanging the container on a generally vertical 
supporting surface, thereby providing alternate means of support, i.e., 
the container can either be disposed on a generally horizontal supporting 
surface by simply setting it on the generally rectangular bottom wall or, 
alternatively, it can be hung on a generally vertical supporting surface. 
In a highly preferred embodiment, the holes and cutouts are arranged in 
alternating fashion in at least two rows to extend generally parallel to 
the integral extension of the back portion comprising the display panel. 
As for other details, the flaps defining the square cutouts are preferably 
each movable from a position coplanar with the top wall to a position 
within the generally rectangular box to receive one of the tools. It is 
also advantageous for the display panel to include product indicia on at 
least a portion thereof whereby the consumer can gain information as to 
the nature/price of the product. Still further, the container preferably 
includes a shrink wrap type of material which is disposed about the box 
with the tools already disposed in position within the holes and cutouts 
in a point-of-sale manner. 
As for the container, the display panel is preferably sized to extend to a 
point which is well above the handles and the shafts of the tools which 
are displayed in the container. It is also advantageous for the display 
panel to include a first fold line generally at the tipper extreme of the 
tools supported in the box, a second fold line above the first fold line a 
distance generally the same as the depth of the top wall, and an upper 
extreme which is above the second fold line a distance less than the 
distance from the top wall to the first fold line. With this arrangement, 
the display panel can be folded with a middle portion thereof parallel to 
the top wall and an upper and lower portion thereof coplanar with the 
front and back portions of the side wall, respectively. 
As will be appreciated, this will serve to protect the tools that are 
already disposed in the holes and cutouts in point-of-sale fashion 
following which the shrink wrap can be applied to the box for shipping to 
the retailer. 
In another respect, the present invention is directed to a foldable 
container which is formed of sheet material comprising a single blank 
including a rectangular box-forming portion and a display panel-forming 
portion. The rectangular box-forming portion is integral with the display 
panel-forming portion and includes, from the display panel-forming portion 
to an end remote therefrom, a back portion of a side wall of a rectangular 
box, a bottom wall of the rectangular box, a front portion of the side 
wall of the rectangular box, and a top wall of the rectangular box, and 
the rectangular box-forming portion includes a pair of side portions of 
the side wall of the rectangular box. More specifically, the side portions 
of the side wall are each integral with opposite ends of one of the front 
portion of the side wall, bottom wall, or back portion of the side wall. 
With this arrangement, the foldable container is formed such that the top 
wall has a plurality of openings, including a plurality of round holes and 
also including a plurality of square cutouts. It is advantageous for the 
holes and cutouts in the top wall to be arranged in alternating fashion in 
at least two rows extending generally parallel to the front portion of the 
side wall. Preferably, the square cutouts in the top wall are each defined 
by a flap formed by a through cut in the top wall along three sides of the 
cutout and a score line along a fourth side thereof. 
As for other details of the foldable container, the side portions are 
preferably integral with the front portion of the side wall and include 
upper and lower flaps extending therefrom of generally the same width as 
the top and bottom walls. The back portions of the side wall also each 
advantageously include a flap at each of opposite ends thereof. Still 
additionally, the top wall preferably includes a front flap extending 
therefrom of generally the same width as the top wall and of a depth no 
greater than the depth of the back portion of the side wall. 
In a most highly preferred embodiment, the back portions of the side wall 
each include a flap extending therefrom of generally the same width as the 
side portions and of a depth no greater than the depth of the side 
portions of the side wall. It is also particularly advantageous for the 
foldable container to include a fold line between at least the back 
portion and the bottom wall, the bottom wall and the front portion, the 
front portion and the top wall, and the side portion and the one of the 
front portion, bottom wall and back portion with which the side portions 
of the side wall are integral. As previously noted, the side portions are 
preferably integral with the front portion of the side wall while also 
including upper and lower flaps extending therefrom. 
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become 
apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the illustrations given, and with reference first to FIG. 1, the 
reference numeral 10 designates generally a foldable container formed of 
sheet material 12, such as cardboard or like corrugated material in 
accordance with the present invention. The foldable container 10 comprises 
a single blank including a rectangular box-forming portion generally 
designated 14 and a display panel-forming portion generally designated 16. 
The rectangular box-forming portion 14 is integral with the display 
panel-forming portion 16 and includes, from the display panel-forming 
portion 16 to an end 18 remote therefrom, a back portion 20 of a side wall 
of a rectangular box (as will be described in detail hereinafter), a 
bottom wall 22 of the rectangular box, a front portion 24 of the side wall 
of the rectangular box, and a top wall 26 of the rectangular box. The 
foldable container 10 is such that the rectangular box-forming portion 14 
also has a pair of side portions 28 and 30 of the side wall of the 
rectangular box. As will be seen from FIG. 1, the side portions 28 and 30 
of the side wall each are integral with opposite ends of one of the back 
portion 20, bottom wall 22, and front portion 24, i.e., the front portion 
24 in the illustrated embodiment. 
Still referring to FIG. 1, the foldable container 10 is such that the top 
wall 26 has a plurality of openings including a plurality of round holes 
32 and also including a plurality of square cutouts 34. The holes 32 and 
cutouts 34 in the top wall 26 will be seen to be arranged in alternating 
fashion in at least two rows extending generally parallel to the front 
portion 24 of the side wall. In this connection, the cutouts 34 in the top 
wall 26 are each defined by a flap 36 formed by a through cut in the top 
wall 26 along three sides 36a, 36b, and 36c of the cutout 34 and a score 
line 36d along a fourth side thereof. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the side portions 28 and 30 each include upper and 
lower flaps 28a, 28b and 30a, 30b extending therefrom of generally the 
same width as the top and bottom walls 26 and 22, respectively. The back 
portion 20 of the side wall also includes a flap such as 38 and 40 at each 
of opposite ends thereof. Further, the top wall 26 has a front flap 42 
extending therefrom of generally the same width as the top wall 26 and of 
a depth no greater than the depth of the back portion 20 of the side wall. 
As for the flaps 38 and 40 of the back portion 20 of the side wall, they 
are advantageously of generally the same width as the side portions 28 and 
30 and of a depth no greater than the depth of the side portions 28 and 30 
of the side wall. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the foldable container 10 includes a fold line between 
at least the back portion 20 and the bottom wall 22 as at 44, the bottom 
wall 22 and the front portion 24 as at 46, the front portion 24 and the 
top wall 26 as at 48, and the side portions 28 and 30 and the front 
portion 24 as at 50 and 52. It will still additionally be seen that, in 
the preferred embodiment, the foldable container 10 will also include 
additional fold lines. More specifically, and as will be appreciated by 
referring to FIG. 1, the foldable container 10 will advantageously have a 
fold line between the side portions 28 and 30 and the respective flaps 
28a, 28b and 30a, 30b substantially as illustrated at 54a, 54b and 56a, 
56b, respectively. 
As for other fold lines, there will preferably be a fold line as at 58 
between the top wall 26 and the flap 42, fold lines as at 60 and 62 
between the flaps 38 and 40 and the back portion 20 of the side wall, and 
fold lines as at 64 and 66 for a purpose to be described and understood in 
the description which follows in connection with FIGS. 2-6. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2-6, the reference numeral 68 designates generally a 
container for displaying a plurality of tools 70, each of which has a 
handle 72 and a shaft 74. The container 68 comprises container means in 
the form of a generally rectangular box 76 defined by a plurality of 
walls, including at least a side wall 78 and a top wall 80. The top wall 
80 has a plurality of openings, including a plurality of first openings 82 
each formed to receive the shaft 74 of one of the tools 70 and to support 
the tool 70 with the handle 72 positioned thereabove and includes a 
plurality of second openings 84 each formed to receive the handle 72 of 
one of the tools 70 and to support the tool 70 with the shaft 74 
positioned thereabove. The container 68 is also such that the container 
means in the form of the generally rectangular box 76 further includes a 
display panel 86 extending to a point above the top panel 80. With these 
features of construction, the first openings 82 are generally round holes 
in the top wall 80, and the second openings 84 are generally square 
cutouts in the top wall 80. 
Referring specifically to FIG. 6, the generally round holes 82 in the top 
wall 80 of the generally rectangular box 76 have a diameter substantially 
the same as the diameter of the shaft 74 of the tools 70. Similarly, and 
still referring to FIG. 6, the generally square cutouts 84 in the top wall 
80 of the generally rectangular box 76 have a depth and width 
substantially the same as the diameter of the handle 72 of the tools 70. 
In the illustrated embodiment, the generally rectangular box 76 includes 
not only a side wall 78 and a top wall 80 but also a generally rectangular 
bottom wall 88 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The bottom wall 88 will be appreciated 
as being adapted to support the generally rectangular box 76 on a 
generally horizontal supporting surface and the top wall 80 will be seen 
to also be generally rectangular (see FIG. 6). As for the side wall 78, 
the generally rectangular box 76 is such that it includes a front portion 
78a, a back portion 78b, and a pair of side portions 78c and 78d 
completing the box 76. 
Referring again specifically to FIG. 6, the holes 82 and cutouts 84 in the 
top wall 80 will be seen to be arranged in what may most accurately be 
called an alternating fashion. The square cutouts 84 are each defined by a 
flap 90 which is formed by a through cut in the top wall 80 through three 
sides 84a, 84b, and 84c thereof and a score line 84b along a fourth side 
thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the holes 82 and cutouts 84 are most 
advantageously arranged in alternating fashion in at least two rows which 
extend generally parallel to the display panel 86. 
Referring to the display panel 86, it comprises an integral extension of 
the back portion 78b of the side wall 78 (see FIG. 2) and extends at least 
as high as the handles 72 and the shafts 74 of the tools 70 displayed in 
the container 68 (see FIG. 5). It will be noted that the display panel 86 
has means, such as the holes 91, which are associated therewith for 
hanging the container 68 on a generally vertical supporting surface, such 
as a retail display rack or the like. As for the flaps 90 defining the 
square cutouts 84, they are each movable from a position coplanar with the 
remainder of the top wall 80 to a position within the generally 
rectangular box 76 to receive the handle 72 of one of the tools 70. 
As previously suggested and best shown in FIG. 6, the display panel 86 
comprises an integral extension of the back portion 78b of the side wall 
78 and extends to a point well above the handles 72 and the shafts 74 of 
the tools 70 displayed in the container 68. The display panel 86 may then 
advantageously include product indicia on at least the portions 86a and 
86b thereof above the tool 70 for providing a consumer interested in the 
tools with information such as the nature and characteristics thereof as 
well as price and the like. In addition, the display panel 86 may 
preferably include a first fold line 92, a second fold line 94, and an 
upper extreme 96 whereby the display panel 86 may be folded for shipment 
from the manufacturer to the retailer. 
As shown, the first fold line 92 is generally at the upper extreme of the 
tools 70 supported in the box 76, the second fold line 94 is above the 
first fold line 92 a distance generally the same as the depth of the top 
wall 80, and the upper extreme 96 is above the second fold line 94 a 
distance less than the distance from the top wall 80 to the first fold 
line 92. 
With this arrangement, the display panel 86 may be folded with the middle 
portion 86a thereof parallel to the top wall 80 and the upper portion 86b 
and a lower portion 86c thereof coplanar with the front and back portions 
78a and 78b of the side wall 78, respectively. 
As perhaps best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the container 68 may be 
shipped with the display panel 86 folded as described hereinabove. It is 
then advantageous to further include a shrink wrap as at 98 which may 
substantially entirely encase the container 68 in a manner where the tools 
70 will be supported and retained in the holes 82 and the cutouts 84. With 
this arrangement, the container 68 offers a maximum of versatility in 
housing the tools 70 for shipment and, later, for retail display. 
While in the foregoing there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of 
the invention, it will be appreciated that the details herein given may be 
varied by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit 
and scope of the appended claims.