Display package

A display package having one or more media items retained therein. The display package is convertible between a collapsed position which is used for shipment and storage of the media item, an open display position for displaying the media item on a generally flat surface, and a compact display position which allows the media item to be displayed in a number of positions, such as in receiving groove on a store shelf to operate as a shelf talker. The display package has a base having opposing halves each formed of a pair of spaced apart upper and lower panels which are hingedly connected together along their respective outer ends. The upper panels also hingedly connected together along their inner ends. Central portions of the inner ends of the upper panels are spaced part from each other to define therebetween an elongate slot. An upright body connected to the base selectively extends upwardly through the slot when in one of the display positions. The body has a plurality of opposing panels which collectively define a pocket adapted for receiving at least one of the media items. A protective wrap may be placed over the display carrier and the media item to protect them during shipment and handling.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to a display package, and, more 
particularly, to a display package, including a media item, which is 
readily movable between a collapsed position, for protecting the media 
item during shipment and handling, and one of an open display position and 
a compact display position for displaying the media item. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The ability to pleasingly display a product in a package so as to entice 
consumers to purchase the product, the ability to adequately protect the 
product in the package during shipment and handling, and environmental 
concerns over the waste of materials used to manufacture such packages 
are, in today's world, constantly in conflict. This is especially true 
with regard to items such as plastic cards, sample products, computer 
games, and music discs, collectively referred to as media items. In each 
case, the seller or provider of the media item is interested in providing 
the consumer with a package which is capable of protecting the media item 
from damage during shipment and handling, such as on the store shelf, and 
providing a package which is sufficiently attractive so as to entice the 
consumer to purchase the product. 
Media items, such as video games, are frequently packaged in carriers, such 
as a paperboard box, which often have dimensions exceeding 
8.times.21/2.times.9 inches. These carriers are used even though a video 
game or similar computer program typically includes either a CD ROM disc 
having a diameter of less than 5" or a 31/2" computer diskette, and an 
instructional booklet of usually no more than twenty pages. The problem is 
made worse because in order to retain the CD ROM and the related 
instructional booklet in place, additional material, often paperboard or 
corrugated, is placed inside the carrier. Although the marketing and 
promotional requirements are well met by such large carriers, the waste of 
materials is dramatic. 
In the music industry, promotional CDs are frequently packaged in plastic 
jewel cases. Although the jewel cases are useful in protecting the CD from 
damage during shipment and handling, because of their construction, they 
are difficult to open, often break, and are not environmentally friendly. 
Similarly, in the food and beverage, and fragrance and cosmetic industries, 
prepackaged product samples are frequently inserted or secured, such as by 
stapling to cards which are used to ship these media items to retail 
outlets and/or consumers. Unfortunately, the shipping cards do not provide 
very good protection for or handsomely display the media item. 
Prior to the advent of CDs, music was sold in the form of phonograph 
records. U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,470 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,225 disclose the 
use of phonograph holders which receive a protective envelope surrounding 
the phonograph record so that in a shipping and/or storage position the 
protective envelope is covered by the holder to protect the protective 
envelope. In addition, each patent discloses the holder in an erected 
position which presents the protective envelope in an upright position to 
allow the phonograph record to be removed and inserted from the protective 
envelope via an opening at the top of the protective envelope. The purpose 
of the phonograph holders is in part to allow handling of the phonograph 
record by a peripheral edge thereof to thereby minimize damage thereto. 
However, each of the patents requires the use of a protective envelope to 
be secured to a central portion of the holder and, based on the 
configuration of the holders, each requires access to the protective 
envelope by means of a top opening. Furthermore, the phonograph record 
requires the additional protection of an outer layer, such as a 
transparent layer, to prevent the phonograph record from falling out of 
the protective envelope and the holder if the holder is inadvertently 
inverted or jostled during shipment and/or handling. 
Consequently, the available approaches used to retain a media item for 
protection during shipment and handling and for handsomely advertising 
and/or displaying the media item, at its destination, fail in either or 
both of the objectives set forth above. In addition, the environmental 
impact of each of the aforementioned approaches is less than desirable. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the 
present invention to provide a display package which is readily movable 
between a collapsed position, an open display position, and a compact 
display position, and which is useful to protect the media item contained 
therein during shipment and handling and which may be used to handsomely 
display the media item. 
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention 
are obtained by providing a display carrier for media items comprising a 
base having opposing halves each formed of a pair of spaced apart upper 
and lower panels hingedly connected together along their outer ends. 
Respective upper panels are hingedly connected together along their inner 
ends. Central portions of the inner ends of the upper panels are spaced 
part from each other so as to define an elongate slot. An upright body is 
connected to the base and extends upwardly therefrom through the slot. The 
body comprises a plurality of opposing panels which defines a pocket 
adapted for reception therein of a media item. 
Preferably the pocket includes an access opening in a medial portion 
thereof to allow for inserting and removing the media item from the 
display carrier. It is advantageous for the plurality of panels to define 
one or more pockets on one or more of the opposed sides of the body to 
receive and retain one or more media items. 
Embossing of a portion of the pocket, in conjunction with an elliptical 
shape of the elongate slot, assists in loading a media item into the 
display carrier when in a collapsed position. The embossing also assists 
in reducing damage to the media item caused by frictional engagement 
between the display carrier and the media item. The shape of the pocket 
allows the media item to be securely retained within the display carrier 
even after a protective wrap has been removed. 
As is readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention 
relates, it is important for the upper and lower base panels to have a 
collective width at least substantially equal to a length of the body so 
that the body and any media item contained therein is substantially 
encased thereby when the display carrier is in a collapsed position. To 
provide additional protection to the display carrier and the media item 
during shipment, it is beneficial to enclose or encase the display carrier 
and the media item in a protective wrap. 
Although the carrier can be manufactured from several pieces, it is 
advantageous to manufacture the display carrier from a unitary sheet of a 
material having a uniform thickness. 
At least one of the plurality of body panels and preferably each of the 
plurality of body panels has outwardly downwardly divergingly opposed side 
edges to assist in retaining the display package in one of a plurality of 
display positions. Due to the progressively increasing frictional 
engagement between the elongated slot formed in the base and the 
divergingly angled side edges, the display package is capable of being 
positioned in at least two different display positions. 
An open display position is preferably one wherein the pair of lower panels 
are generally in longitudinal alignment so as to provide a generally 
triangular base, when viewed from an end thereof, to support the display 
package on a generally flat surface. The open display position preferably 
comprises a triangle. Such a configuration provides both a stable support 
for the media item and a large display area on which advertising and/or 
informational material may be applied. 
Advantageously, a compact display position is one wherein the outer ends of 
the pair of spaced apart upper and lower panels are located adjacent one 
another. In this position, the display package can be inserted into a 
groove or similar receiving slot, such as on a store shelf, to be used as 
a shelf talker, or be used to stack a number of packages for display in a 
confined area without removing the protective wrap. Alternatively, because 
of a mounting aperture located adjacent an upper end of the body when in 
one of the erected positions, the display package can be readily mounted 
to a wall or hung by a string from above. 
Ideally the blank for forming a display carrier comprises a generally 
rectangular base having a plurality of panels, such that a first base 
panel and a second base panel are hingedly connected along a common fold 
line. A third base panel and a fourth base panel are similarly hingedly 
connected along a common fold line. A center portion of the second base 
panel and the third base panel preferably define an elongated slot. A 
connecting panel is advantageously hingedly connected to the base panel 
along a common fold line. The blank also includes a body having a 
plurality of panels, such that a first body panel and a second body panel 
are hingedly connected along a common fold line. One of the first body 
panel and the second body panel beneficially define an access opening 
therein along a medial portion thereof. It is also possible to provide a 
plurality of juxtaposed body panels to form a pair of pockets for each 
receiving one or more media items. As a result of the features of the 
present embodiments of the invention, the display package is extremely 
versatile.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with 
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment 
of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in 
different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments 
set forth herein. Rather, the illustrative embodiment is provided so that 
this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the 
scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to 
like elements throughout. 
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6, a display package, generally indicated 
as 20, is shown having a media item 22, retained therein. As set forth 
herein, a media item includes, but is not limited to, electronic discs, 
music discs, computer diskettes, booklets, prepackaged food samples, 
prepackaged beverage samples, prepackaged cosmetic samples, prepackaged 
fragrance samples, prepackaged tobacco products, plastic and/or paper 
cards and photographs. 
The display package 20 includes a display carrier, generally indicated as 
24, which is adapted to receive the media item 22. To protect the display 
carrier 24 and the media item 22 during shipment and handling, a wrap 26 
is used to encase the display package 20. Typically, the wrap 26 is 
applied by shrink wrapping or the like so as to provide a plastic barrier 
to the elements. It is desirable for the wrap 26 to be transparent or at 
least translucent so that the display package 20 can be easily seen 
therethrough. 
As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 9A, the display carrier 24 of the present 
embodiment is formed from a blank, generally indicated as 28, which is 
made from a unitary material of uniform thickness. In this embodiment, the 
material is paperboard (12 or 14 point SBS C2S). It is to be understood 
that a different quality, color, or gauge of paperboard or alternative 
materials such as plastic or a light metal alloy, or a combination 
thereof, may be used to make the display carrier within the spirit of the 
invention, so long as the material used is capable of being cut and folded 
while retaining the desired shape of the display carrier. It is also to be 
understood that a coating or other surface treatment need not be used at 
all or may only be on one side of the paperboard without departing from 
the spirit of the invention. 
The blank has a base forming portion B.sup.1 and a body forming portion 
B.sup.2. The base forming portion B.sup.1 includes a plurality of serially 
arranged panels and has a generally rectangular configuration. A first 
base panel 30 is integrally formed and hingedly connected, along a common 
fold line 31, to a second base panel 32. The second base panel 32 is in 
turn integrally formed with and hingedly connected, along a common fold 
line 33, to a third base panel 34. The third base panel 34 and a fourth 
base panel 36 are integrally formed with and hingedly connected, along a 
common fold line 35, to each other. A connecting panel 38 is integrally 
formed with and hingedly connected, along a common fold line 37, to the 
fourth base panel 36. The connecting panel 38 forms an outer lengthwise 
extent of the base forming portion B.sup.1 and the blank 28. An elongate 
slot 40 is defined in a central portion between the second base panel 32 
and the third base panel 34. 
The body forming portion B.sup.2 also has a generally rectangular 
configuration as shown in FIG. 9A. The body forming portion B.sup.2 
includes a first body panel 42 which is integrally formed with and 
hingedly connected, along a common fold line 39, to the first base panel 
30. The first body panel 42 is also integrally formed with and hingedly 
connected, along a common fold line 41, to a second body panel 42. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A, the second body panel 44 has a cutaway 
portion 46 which defines an access opening for a pocket 48 (see FIG. 12) 
formed by the first body panel 42 and the second body panel 44. In this 
instance, the second body panel 44 contains the cutaway portion 46 and 
therefore has less surface area than the first body panel 42, which has an 
uninterrupted surface area and thereby forms the back wall of the pocket 
48. It is to be understood that the cutaway portion 46 may be of a wide 
variety of shapes without departing from the spirit of the invention. It 
is to also be understood that the pocket 48 may be of any desired size or 
shape so as to accommodate one or more media items 22 therein. As shown in 
FIG. 9A, the second and third base panels 32 and 34 are considerably 
longer than the first and fourth base panels 30 and 36. The benefit of 
such a configuration of the base forming portion B.sup.1 is described in 
greater detail below. 
In alternative embodiments of the blank 28, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the 
body forming portion B.sup.2 also includes serially arranged panels and 
has a generally rectangular configuration. It is to be understood however, 
that in each embodiment of the blank 28 that the body panel which contains 
the cutaway portion 46 may have a different shape. For example, it is 
possible to round upper corners of the body panel or make similar 
variations in the shape of the body panels and still remain within the 
spirit of the invention. 
By comparing FIGS. 9A through 9E, it may be seen how the blank 28 is folded 
and glued to form the display carrier 24. As shown in FIG. 9B, glue or 
other adhesive is applied to first glue locations 58 on the second body 
panel 44. Once the glue has been applied, the second body panel 44 is 
folded along the common fold line 41 into registration with the first body 
panel 42. The common fold line 41 is creased to enable the second body 
panel 44 to fold onto the first body panel 42 while retaining a secure 
upper portion or tip formed by the common fold line 41. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, once the glue has been applied to the 
first glue locations 58, a third body panel 60 is folded over into 
registration with the first body panel 42, along a common fold line 59, 
which is also creased. Thereafter, glue is placed in second glue locations 
62 and the second body panel 44 is folded, along the common fold line 41, 
into registration with the first body panel 42. 
Similarly, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, once glue or other 
adhesive has been applied to the first glue locations 58, the third body 
panel 60 is folded over into registration with the second body panel 44 
along a common fold line 59, which is also creased. Thereafter, glue or 
other adhesive is placed in second glue locations 62 and the glued second 
and third body panels 44 and 60 are folded into registration along the 
common fold line 41 between the first body panel 42 and the second body 
panel 44. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 12 each disclose the 
use of three juxtaposed body panels 42, 44, and 60, to form two pockets 
48, one located on each side of the display carrier 24 and wherein one of 
the body panels, for example third body panel 60, in FIGS. 7 and 8, is 
uninterrupted and acts as a back wall for each of the pockets. It is to be 
understood that one or more pockets 48 of varying shapes and sizes may be 
formed in the display carrier 24 without departing from the spirit of the 
present invention. 
In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 9C, 7, 8, and 12, the plurality 
of body panels are secured together to form a body 52. The body 52 is then 
folded, along the common fold line 39, between the first body panel 42 and 
the first base panel 30, so that the body overlies the first base panel 
and the second base panel 32. In this position, the tip, i.e., the common 
fold line 41, of the body 52 extends partially into the elongate slot 40. 
The common fold line 39 is a cut/score line, such that there is a 50% cut 
which allows the body 52 to be easily folded during manufacture and allows 
the body to easily be moved as will be described below in greater detail. 
The connecting panel 38 is then folded, along the common fold line 37, over 
the fourth base panel 36. This common fold line 37 is also a 50% cut/score 
line. Thereafter, glue or other adhesive is applied to third glue 
locations 64 on a lower portion of the second body panel 44. With respect 
to the embodiment of the blank 28 shown in FIG. 9C, it is only the second 
glue location, but for sake of consistency, it is being referred to as the 
third glue location 64. The third base panel 34 and the fourth base panel 
36 and the lower portion of the second body panel 44 are moved into 
registration with each other and secured together by the third glue 
location 64. The manufacture of the display carrier 24 is then complete. 
The common fold lines 31 and 35 are also 50% cut/score lines, whereas the 
common fold line 33 is a crease. As is readily understood by those skilled 
in the art to which the invention relates, each of the common fold lines 
may be creases, cut/score lines or interrupted cut lines (not shown) as 
desired. The use of 50% cut/score lines and the crease lines in the 
present invention were chosen to obtain the desired combination of 
strength and ease of manufacture and use. Applicants' acknowledge that 
several alternative combinations would be acceptable without departing 
from the spirit of the invention. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, once the blank 28 has been folded and glued, the 
resultant display carrier 24 includes a base 50 and a body 52. The base 50 
has a pair of opposed halves each formed of a pair of spaced apart upper 
panels formed from the second base panel 32 and the third base panel 34, 
and a pair of spaced apart lower panels formed from the first base panel 
30 and the fourth base panel 36. The pair of spaced apart upper and lower 
panels are hingedly connected together along their outer ends which are 
formed by the common fold lines 31 and 35, respectively. The upper panels, 
i.e., the second base panel 32 and the third base panel 34 are hingedly 
connected together along their inner ends, i.e., their common fold line 
33. 
The upright body 52 is integrally connected to the base 50 along the common 
fold line 39 and extends upwardly therefrom through the elongate slot 40. 
The first body panel 42 and the second body panel 44 have an opposing 
relationship and define therebetween the pocket 48 into which the media 
item 22 is received. 
As shown best in FIG. 9A, the cutaway portion 46 of the second body panel 
44 is located in a medial portion thereof. The cutaway portion 46 has one 
edge thereof having a curved or elliptical shape and the opposite edge 
having a straight edge with a notch 54 centrally located therein. The 
shape of the cutaway portion 46 is to provide an easy access opening to 
the pocket for the media item 22. The notch 50 enhances this access to the 
cut away portion 46. It is to be understood that the shape of the cutaway 
and the inclusion or omission of the notch may vary depending on the 
particular application of the display carrier without departing from the 
spirit of the invention. 
Below the cutaway portion 46 is an embossed area 56 which helps to 
partially define the pocket 48 and which has a shape generally 
corresponding to the media item 22 to be received within the pocket. In 
this instance, the embossed area 56 is arcuate so as to emulate the outer 
edge of a CD. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10A, 10B, 11A, and 11B, the 
embossed area 56 is generally rectangular or square to receive media items 
22 such as booklets 22' or computer disks 22" which have square or 
rectangular lower edges. It is to be understood that the embossed area 56 
can have almost any desired configuration. Furthermore, the pocket 48 may 
be in the form of a single band of paperboard (not shown) which is formed 
by cutting into the body panel at opposed side edges of the band to be 
formed and embossing opposed ends of the band to move it away from the 
remainder of the body panel. The advantage of such a pocket would be to 
display a substantial portion of the media item while retaining it within 
the display carrier 24. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6 and 9E, the display carrier 24, because 
of the hinged connections between each of the base panels 30 and 32, 32 
and 34, 34 and 36, the hinged connection between the connecting panel 38 
and the first body panel 42, and because of the existence of the elongate 
slot 40, is movable from a collapsed position (see FIG. 9E), to a first 
erected or open display position (See FIG. 1), and a second erected or 
compact display position (See FIG. 2). The elongate slot 40 has a 
generally elliptical configuration which allows a portion of the body 52 
to project therethrough, which helps to guide the body 52 along the 
desired path i.e., through the elongate slot, to ensure a smooth 
transition of the display carrier 24 from the collapsed position to one of 
the display positions. In addition, the elliptical shape of the elongate 
slot 40 helps in loading a media item 22 into the display carrier 24 when 
in the collapsed position. 
In the open display position shown in FIG. 1, the base 50 provides a 
support for the body 52 which extends upwardly therefrom through the 
elongate slot 40. The opposed upper panels, namely, the second base panel 
32 and the third base panel 34 are considerably larger than the lower base 
panels, i.e., the first base panel 30 and the fourth base panel 36. In 
addition, the opposed upper panels are also angled toward each other in 
intersecting planes. The result of this configuration is that the upper 
and lower panels provide a triangular configuration to the base 50. 
Consequently, the upper panels 32 and 34 provide opposed billboards upon 
which indicia can be applied. This billboard effect is enhanced by having 
the upper panels be oriented at an angle of between 20.degree. and 
80.degree., preferably approaching 60.degree. from the horizontal. It is 
to be understood that this angle may vary considerably depending on the 
desired application of the display carrier, without departing from the 
spirit of the invention. The indicia can be used for a wide variety of 
purposes such as advertising, instructional information, or visually 
stimulating artwork. 
FIG. 2 illustrates the display package 20 in the compact display position 
which is well suited for displaying the media item 22 in a confined area 
such as on a retail shelf where music or computer CDs are frequently 
stacked on end in back to back relation. Because the display package 20 is 
within its protective wrap 26, the customer can quickly flip through a 
number of display packages to locate the desired media item, without 
causing any damage to either the display carrier 24 or the media item 22 
received therein. In addition, it is also possible to place the media item 
22, such as a colorful CD, on top of, rather than in, the pocket 48 of the 
display carrier 24 and encase both the display carrier and the media item 
in the protective wrap. This arrangement allows customers to view the 
entire media item. 
When the display carrier 24 is in the compact display position shown in 
FIG. 2, the upright body 52 protrudes further above the elongated slot 40. 
In addition, the outer ends formed by common fold lines 31 and 35 are 
positioned closely adjacent each other so that the pair of upper panels 32 
and 34 and the pair of lower panels 30 and 36 are in generally parallel 
alignment with each other. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 2, either one or 
both of the opposed pair of upper panels 32 and 34, and the lower panels 
30 and 36 can both be frictionally fitted into a receiving slot XX, so as 
to be used as a shelf talker or the like. 
Alternatively, the display carrier can be hung by a string or the like (not 
shown) placed through aperture 66, from a ceiling or rafter of a retail 
outlet. Still another way of displaying the media item 22 in the display 
carrier 24 is to mount the display carrier, in the compact display 
position to a wall or the like by means of a fastener, such as a thumb 
tack (not shown). 
The cooperation between the body 52 and the elongate slot 40 enables the 
display carrier 24 to remain in each of the display positions. At least 
one of the body panels has an elongate vertical edge portion 68 arranged 
in an outwardly and downwardly diverging relation to the elongate slot 40. 
In this embodiment shown in FIG. 9A, both body panels 42 and 44 have 
opposed vertical edge portions 68a and 68b which are arranged in an 
outwardly and downwardly diverging relation to each other so as to provide 
progressively increasing frictional engagement with opposite end portions 
of the elongate slot 40. The outwardly diverging relation of the opposed 
vertical edge portions 68a and 68b may be seen by comparing the length 
1.sup.1 of line A--A to the length 1.sup.2 of line B--B. The length 
1.sup.1 is less than the length 1.sup.2. As a result, as the display 
carrier 24 moves from the collapsed position shown in FIGS. 5 and 10A, to 
the open display position shown in FIGS. 1, 11A, 11B, and 12, by moving in 
the manner shown in phantom in FIG. 3, the opposed vertical edge portions 
68a and 68b increasingly frictionally engage the adjacent edge portions of 
the elongate slot 40. In addition, the triangular shape of the base 50 
assists in maintaining the display carrier 24 in the open display 
position. 
As the display carrier 24 moves in the manner shown in phantom in FIG. 4, 
i.e., from the open display position to the compact display position shown 
in FIGS. 2 and 6, the frictional engagement between the opposed edge 
portions 68a and 68b and the elongate slot 40 increases. This increased 
frictional engagement helps to maintain the display carrier 24 in the 
compact display position. It is to be understood that the outwardly and 
downwardly diverging opposed edge portions may be augmented by periodic 
notches, lances, or steps which will allow the display carrier 24 to be 
positioned in a multiple of predetermined intervening positions between 
the collapsed position and the compact display position without departing 
from the spirit of the present invention. One example illustrative would 
be a straddle display position between the open display position and the 
compact display position which enables the display package straddle a 
rounded or angled counter top or partition. 
An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 14 wherein a 
pocket is provided on one side of the display carrier 224 for receiving a 
media item 222' such as a booklet and rather than a pocket on the opposed 
side of the body 252, a center retainer 80 may be mounted, which is 
adapted to receive and selectively retain a media item 222, such as a CD. 
The center retainer e0 is mounted to the body panel 244 by an adhesive or 
similar means. As shown, the center retainer 80 has a frusto-conical 
configuration which helps to position a CD thereon and helps to allow the 
leading edge of the elongate slot 240 travel thereover i.e., ramp over the 
center retainer as the display carrier 224 moves between the collapsed 
position and one of the display positions. 
As shown in another embodiment of the invention in FIG. 15, it is possible 
to attach the center retainer 80 to a single body panel 244 without having 
a pocket 48 formed on the opposed side. In such a configuration, the body 
252 comprises a single body panel 244 which is hingedly connected to the 
first base panel 230. 
In still another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown 
in FIGS. 16 and 17. In this embodiment, the first and second body panels 
142 and 144 which form the body 152 do not have opposed side edges 168a 
and 168b which are outwardly and downwardly diverging as in the previously 
described embodiments. As may be seen, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 
and 17, the length 1.sup.1 of line A--A and the length 1.sup.2 of line 
B--B are the same. As a result, the body 152 has a generally rectangular 
tongue portion 170 which is sized to fit within a generally rectangularly 
shaped elongate slot 140, and a base portion 172 which forms shoulders 
located on either side of the tongue portion. Opposed tabs 174 are located 
on each side of the tongue portion 170 between the tongue portion and the 
base portion 172. As best illustrated in FIG. 16, the tabs 174 are shaped 
so as to engage slits 176 located at opposed ends of the slot 140. The 
slits 176 have a smaller width than the slot 140 to pinch and retain the 
tabs 174 therein when the display carrier 124 is in the erected position 
shown. 
The blank shown in FIG. 17 contains a connecting panel, in this embodiment 
referred to as an end panel 138, which has the same axial width as the 
base portion 172 of the body 152 so as to form a common shoulder or 
support abutment. In the erected position, the fold line 133 between the 
opposed upper panels 132 and 134, rests on or abuts the support abutment 
formed by the combination of the base portion 172 and the end panel 138. 
As a result of the tabs 174 being retained within the slits 176 and the 
fold line 133 of the upper panels 132 and 134 resting on the support 
abutment, the lower panels 130 and 136 of the base 150 can not be moved 
passed 90.degree. relative to the body 152. Consequently, this embodiment 
of the display carrier 124 can only be moved between the collapsed 
position and the erected position. The display carrier 124 can not be 
moved to the compact display position described in detail above with 
reference to the first embodiment. In addition, the triangular 
configuration of the base 150 and correspondingly the angle of the upper 
panels 132 and 134 is considerably different than in the previously 
described embodiments. 
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind 
of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in 
the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is 
to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific 
embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended 
to be included within the scope of the appended claims.