Second generation clampak easy display shipper

A shipping display case is provided which employs attenuated side panels to take advantage of the compressive strength contribution of contained articles.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to cases and more specifically to 
readily openable combination shipping and display cases for bottles or 
containers or the like. The case can be converted easily from a shipping 
case into a display case for exposing the contents without removing the 
contents from the case. The cases of this invention have eliminated 
certain extraneous panels to take full advantage of the additional 
compressive strength contributed by the contents while enjoying a benefit 
in the reduction of both cost and the environmental load associated with 
multi paneled cases. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Dual purpose shipping and display cases having removable sections or panels 
fully or partially defined by perforated tear lines are known. such cases 
are typically formed from a one-piece blank which has been suitably cut 
and scored to enable subsequent folding of the blank into a closed case. 
The removable section(s) is generally defined at least in part by a 
plurality of perforated lines and may be separated from the closed case by 
loosening the section from the other part of the case and then tearing 
along the perforated lines. 
The display function of the case is necessary for use in related outlets 
such as supermarkets, discount stores and the like to enable display of 
selected products without it being necessary to shelve them. 
The inclusion of perforation lines to enable display by easy removal of 
portions of the case reduces the structural integrity of the case. 
Unwanted opening of these lines exposes and subjects the articles 
contained therein to loss or theft, resulting in delayed or untilled 
orders, spillage, and ultimately increased expense to consumers. 
Generally, shipping/display cases are stacked one upon the other to 
conserve space. This imposes certain stresses on the cases. The cases thus 
require a certain compressive strength to resist crushing stress from 
excessive weight. The lower layers must support the weight of the cases 
above them and this imposes a strain, especially on the vertical portions 
of the lower container. U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,560, for example, deals with 
strengthening various vertical portions of a case. 
Stressful treatment of the cases is to some extent uncontrollable, e.g., 
tall heavy stacks of the filled cases are commonly needed or used for 
maximum efficient utilization of warehouse or cargo space, which develops 
high stress on the lower layers of the stacks. Also, inadvertent opening 
is especially likely during storage or shipment of relatively heavy 
articles. 
The problem of inadvertent opening of perforation lines as well as crushing 
of the cases is compounded by the desire to employ as little case 
material, i.e., case weight, as possible, in the interest of materials 
cost savings. A reduction of the case weight is accompanied by a 
diminution in case strength and capability of containing articles without 
tearing, especially for articles of substantial weight. Thus, while cases 
of lesser weight, i.e., less material, thinner panels and flaps, etc., are 
desirable from an economic point of view, as well as for ease of removing 
the removable sections, structurally strong and stable cases which 
reliably contain the contents therein during shipping and handling are 
equally desirable. These objectives are at cross purposes and no 
combination shipping and display case is known which optimally balances 
these competing objectives. 
The ratio of the weight of the contents of the case to the weight of the 
case itself may be viewed as a measure of packaging efficiency. Thus, 
higher ratios correspond to more efficient packaging. However, there are 
practical limits beyond which the case strength is so low relative to the 
load that a reliable package is not feasible. Furthermore, this ratio is 
generally less for cases having removable sections due to the inclusion of 
perforation lines, compared to the generally stronger cases that can be 
fabricated without removable sections. 
The difficulty of known dual purpose cases in reliably containing bottles 
or containers in a case of minimum weight, is compounded by the desire for 
large removable sections. Large removable sections are desired to permit a 
substantial and attractive display of the articles and to facilitate 
removal of unit amounts thereof from retail shelves or counters by 
purchasers. However, large removable sections weaken correspondingly large 
portions of the relatively light weight case. 
T. J. Lipton Company has employed a commercial shipping and display case 
for products such as salad dressings which employs full side and rear 
panels to assist in providing compressive strength to cases to resist 
crushing caused by stacking or other forces which act on the top of the 
lower tiers of cases. Other combination shipping, display cases have been 
used, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,042, provides an easily openable 
cut out portion of a shipping case to facilitate display of the contents. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,945 deals with a shipping display case which has an 
integral liner to help protect the contents from cuts when the shipping 
case is converted to its display function. 
Cases with additional liners and strengthening panels employ more 
corrugated board than shipping display cases without these additional 
strengthening and protective layers. In view of the ever increasing load 
of solid waste, it is, of course, desirable to avoid any excess use of 
paperboard or corrugated board. While still maintaining the compressive 
strength necessary to substantially avoid crushing of the lower tiers of 
cases in stacks and enabling easy conversion from shipping to display mode 
without employing protective panels and shields. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a 
shipping-display case which substantially overcomes one or more of the 
disadvantages of the prior art with the advantage of using less corrugated 
board. This is desirable from both environmental and economic view points. 
A further object is to produce a shipping-display case with sufficient 
compressive strength to avoid crushing by taking advantage of the 
additional compressive strength contributed by the enclosed articles such 
as, for example, bottles or containers. 
The present invention, therefore, employs shorter side panels and glue 
flaps of attenuated dimensions to take advantage of the strength 
contributed by the contained articles. The side flaps thus preferably meet 
or overlap slightly but may even be sufficiently short so that they are 
only used to control the bottles or containers while providing little or 
no compressive strength to the overall case. The glue flaps, in like 
manner, are also shortened since again the compressive strength 
contribution of the contained articles such as bottles provides sufficient 
support. The tear out portion of the case eliminates the need for liners 
to shield the contained articles from cuts when the shipping case is 
converted to display mode. 
The present invention may, therefore, be characterized as a 
shipping/display case as well as a fiberboard or corrugated board blank to 
be folded into a product shipping case and converted subsequently into a 
product display case. The blank being characterized by side flaps each of 
which vary from 25% to 75% of the width of the rear or second front flap.

The present invention provides a readily openable shipping and display case 
which balances the strength of the case with the articles contained in the 
case to take full advantage of the additional compressive strength 
contributed by the contained articles such as bottles and the like. 
A case blank adapted to form a container is provided having along a central 
longitudinal axis in order, a front panel, a bottom panel with a front and 
a rear edge, a rear panel, a top panel having a front and a rear edge, and 
a second front panel. 
The front panel is separated from the bottom panel by an intact fold score 
line transverse to the longitudinal axis. If desired, this could be a 
transverse perforation score line. Transverse as used herein refers to 
lines that are transverse to the longitudinal axis. 
The bottom panel is separated from the rear panel by a transverse intact 
fold/score line. 
The rear panel is separated from the top panel by a transverse 
perforation/score line and the top panel is separated from the second 
front panel by a transverse intact fold/score line. These panels are 
adapted to form a container or sleeve when folded inward toward each 
other. The second front panel lying preferably outside of the front panel 
and being affixed thereto. 
The bottom and the top panels each have integral side panels with intact 
fold/score lines extending along their length parallel to the longitudinal 
axis to enable the side panels to be folded inwards so as to produce a 
substantially right angle between the integral top side panels and the top 
and the integral bottom side panels and the bottom. The sum of the width 
of opposing top and bottom side panels may vary between 50% to 150% of the 
width of either the rear or the second front panel. 
Each of the integral bottom side panels has a first bottom side flap on one 
end connected to it by an intact fold/score line. This bottom side flap 
extends along and parallel to the rear panel and is separated from the 
rear panel by a longitudinal cut. 
Each first bottom side flap is adapted to be folded toward the integral 
bottom side panel to form substantially a 90.degree. angle and then when 
the integral bottom side panel is folded toward the bottom panel the first 
bottom side flap is disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis along the 
rear edge of the bottom panel and can be used as a glue flap to secure the 
rear panel when the rear panel is folded inward toward the bottom panel. 
In addition each of the integral bottom side panels has a second bottom 
side flap on the second end connected to it by a transverse intact 
fold/score line, but this line can also be a perforation/score line. The 
second bottom side flap extends from the integral bottom side panel along 
and parallel to the front panel and is separated from the front panel by a 
longitudinal cut. 
Each second bottom side flap is adapted to be folded toward the integral 
bottom side panel to form a substantially 90.degree. angle and then when 
the integral bottom side panel is folded toward the bottom panel, the 
second bottom side flap is disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis 
and along the front edge of the bottom panel and can be used as a glue 
flap to secure the front panel when the front panel is folded inward 
toward the bottom panel. 
The integral bottom side panels together with the bottom, rear and front 
panels thus can form a tray with the first bottom side flaps used as glue 
flaps for the rear panel and the second bottom side flaps used as glue 
flaps for the front panel. 
Each of the integral top side panels has a rear end top side flap connected 
to it by a transverse fold/score line. This rear end top side flap extends 
along and parallel to the second front panel and is separated from the 
second front panel by a longitudinal cut. 
Each rear end top side flap is adapted to be folded toward the integral top 
side panel to form a substantially 90.degree. angle with it and then when 
the integral top side panel is folded inward toward the top panel the rear 
end top side flap is disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis along 
the rear edge of the top panel and can be used as a glue flap to secure 
the second front panel when the second front panel is folded inward toward 
the top panel. 
The integral top side panels together with the rear end top and second 
front panels and thus form a hood with the rear end top side flaps used as 
glue flaps for the second front panel. 
The hood and the tray are connected through the perforation/score line 
transverse to the longitudinal axis along the rear of the rear panel. the 
second front panel may be glued or otherwise affixed to the front panel to 
form the case for shipping articles. When the case is used as a display 
case, the hood is removed from the tray by removing the second front panel 
from the front panel and tearing along the perforation at the rear of the 
rear panel. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is depicted in a flat unfolded state, a case 
blank 10 of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention. Blank 10 
comprises a front panel 20, a bottom panel 30, a rear panel 40, a top 
panel 50 and a second front panel 60 all lying along a longitudinal axis 
8. 
The front panel 20 is connected to the bottom panel 30 by a transverse 
intact fold/score line or perforation/score line 20A. The bottom panel 30 
is connected to the rear panel 40 by a transverse intact fold/score line 
30A. The rear panel 40 is connected to the top panel 50 by a transverse 
perforation/score line 40A. The top panel 50 is connected to the second 
front panel 60 by a transverse intact fold/score line 50A. 
The bottom panel 30 is integrally formed with the integral bottom side 
panels 31 which are separated from the bottom panel 30 by the longitudinal 
intact fold/score lines 32. 
The integral bottom side panels 31 have first bottom side flaps 33 and are 
connected thereto by the intact transverse fold/score lines 34. The first 
bottom side flaps 33 are separated from the rear panel 40 by the 
longitudinal cuts 35. In addition, the integral bottom side panels 31 have 
second bottom side flaps 36 and are connected thereto by the transverse 
fold/score lines 37 which may be either intact or perforated. The second 
bottom side flaps 36 are separated from the front panel 20 by longitudinal 
cuts 38. 
The top panel 50 is integrally formed with the integral top side panels 51 
which are separated from the top panel 50 by the longitudinal fold/score 
lines 52. 
The integral top side panels 51 have rear end top side flaps 53 and are 
connected thereto by transverse fold/score lines 54. The rear end top side 
flaps 53 are separated from the second front panel 60 by the longitudinal 
cuts 55. 
The blank 10 preferably is further provided with means for fastening 
together the panels to form a case such as by glue or the like. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is depicted the case blank of the present 
invention in a closed or folded state. Typically in operation, the blank 
is formed into a closed case composed of a tray 11 and a hood 12 by 
folding the integral bottom side panels 31 along the fold/score lines 32 
toward the bottom panel 30 to form a substantially 90.degree. angle. The 
first bottom side flaps 33 are then folded inwards towards the panel 31 
along the fold/score lines 34 so that the flaps 33 from a 90.degree. angle 
with the panel 31 and are transverse to the longitudinal axis and lie 
along the fold/score line 30A. 
The rear panel 40 is folded towards the bottom panel 30 along the 
fold/score line 30A to form a substantially 90.degree. angle with the 
bottom panel 30 and up against the transversely disposed first bottom 
flaps 33. The rear panel 40 is then affixed to the flaps 33. 
Next, typically the tray is filled with bottles by sweeping or other means. 
The second bottom flaps 36 are then folded toward the integral bottom side 
panel 31 along the fold/score lines 37 at a substantially 90.degree. 
angle. 
The front panel 20 is then folded towards the bottom panel 30 along the 
perforation/score line or intact fold/score line 20A to form a 
substantially 90.degree. angle therewith and up against the transversely 
disposed second bottom flaps 36. The front panel 20 is then affixed to the 
flaps 36. 
This folded configuration thus forms a filled tray 11 connected to the rest 
of the blank by the perforation/score line 40A. The integral top side 
panels are then folded along the fold/score lines 52 towards the top panel 
50 to form a substantially 90.degree. angle with the top panel 50. 
The rear end top side flaps 53 are folded along the fold/score lines 54 
towards the integral top side panels 51 to form a substantially 90.degree. 
angle with the integral top side panels 51. The top side flaps 53 are then 
disposed transversely along the fold/score line 50A. 
The second front flap 60 is then folded along the fold/score line 50A to 
form a substantially 90.degree. angle with the top panel 50 and up against 
the rear end top side flaps 53. The second front panel is then affixed to 
the flaps 53. 
The folded configuration thus forms a hood 12. To form the case of FIG. 3 
the hood 12 is then folded along perforation/score line 40A over the tray 
11 and the second front panel 60 is affixed to the front panel 20 to form 
the final case 14. 
As can be readily seen from FIG. 3, the integral top side panels 51 meet 
with the integral bottom side panels 31 but do not overlap. This is made 
possible by the stored contents of the case which contribute substantially 
to the compressive strength of the overall shipping display case. This 
results in a more economical case which is lighter but which does not 
easily crush under compressive stress. 
These panels in various embodiments can be made so as to leave a gap as 
shown in FIG. 4 and even to overlap but it is preferred that the side 
panels meet. Thus, the sum of the widths of one integral top side panel 51 
plus one opposing integral bottom side panel 31 can vary. This variation 
can be about 150% or more of the width of the rear panel 40 or the second 
front panel 60. Where there is an overlap of about 50% for both side 
panels, then if both the top side panel 51 and bottom side panel 31 have 
the same width the overlap is about 25% for each panel. The variation in 
the sum of the width of the sides can also be about 50% or less of the 
width of the rear panel 40 or the second front panel 60, where there is a 
gap of about 50% or more of the width of the rear panel 40 or the second 
front panel 60. It will be evident that the opposing top and bottom side 
flaps may have the same width or different widths depending on the design. 
Indeed, by selecting the appropriate dimensions and case strength the side 
panels 51 and 31 need only extend from the top and bottom far enough to 
prevent the contained materials from falling out of the case. 
In like manner, from FIG. 2 it is evident that the second bottom side flaps 
36 do not necessarily meet with the top side flaps 53. This again takes 
advantage of the strength of the contained materials. Indeed, these flaps 
may be attenuated even more, so that they provide only a surface to glue 
the cases together. 
In FIG. 4 a less preferred embodiment is shown having a gap between the 
side panels 51 and 31. In this embodiment the sum of their widths is less 
than 100% of the width of the rear or the second front panel 60. 
The material from which the case is fabricated can be heavy fiberboard 
obtained in the usual manner or can be single or double walled corrugated 
paperboard also prepared in a manner known to the art. It should be noted 
that corrugated sheet incorporates a layer having flutes fabricated in it. 
This fluted sheet may also have additional walls glued to it so as to form 
a sandwich with the flutes being intermediate of the outer layers. 
These flutes contribute to the strength of the overall corrugated sheet or 
board. Compressive strength of the corrugated paperboard is better when 
applied to the board in a direction parallel to the flutes. Thus, when the 
blank 10 is formed from corrugated board the flutes preferably lie along 
or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blank 10 although preferred, 
it is not critical for the blank 10 to have the flutes parallel to the 
longitudinal axis because the strength contributed by the contained 
material may be sufficient for the overall strength of the case. If 
corrugated board is to be used, however, it is customary to take advantage 
of the strength characteristics contributed by fabricating the board so 
that the flutes typically lie parallel to the longitudinal axis 8. FIG. 1 
shows the blank 10 with cutout portion 61 of the second front panel. This 
cutout portion show the fluting parallel to the longitudinal axis 8 of the 
blank 10. 
While it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is especially 
effective to fulfill the objects stated above, it will be appreciated that 
numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in 
the art, and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such 
modifications and embodiments as fall within the spirit and scope of the 
present invention.