Assemblable display unit with integrated pallet

Assemblable display unit including integrated pallets. The display unit includes a tray configured to accommodate and receive goods and a plurality of integrated foot structures generally extending downwardly away from the periphery of the tray and supporting the tray. The foot structures are horizontally spaced from each other, defining at least one pallet aperture or channel sized to receive a loading finger. The size of the aperture varies depending upon the equipment to be used in lifting and transporting the display, whether it be a forklift, pallet jack or handcart. The display can be sized depending on the merchandise to be displayed, and thus the foot structures may define more than one opening to allow better ease of transport. The foot structures include only non-vertically-oriented raw edges to prevent water wicking. The display units is formed from blanks of a foldable sheet material, such as double-faced corrugated fiberboard. The blanks include one tray panel, one or more sidewall-forming panels and one or more foot sections. When the blanks are folded, the sidewall-forming panels form generally vertical outer walls, and the foot sections fold to form the foot structures. Additional blanks can be folded and interconnected to form support lattices that are placed inside of the foot structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to display units used by retailers 
or merchandisers to exhibit products for sale. More specifically, the 
present invention is directed to display units made of a foldable sheet 
material that include an integrated pallet structure that can be assembled 
easily. 
The attractiveness and general qualities of a display can have a direct 
effect on the sales of a displayed product. Various types of display units 
have been utilized in the market. Specifically, display units made out of 
foldable sheet material (e.g., double-faced corrugated fiberboard) have 
been utilized because of their of light weight, easy assembly, 
attractiveness, ability to display printed promotional material, and 
recyclability. Traditionally, these foldable material display units 
require the use of an additional wooden pallet placed underneath the 
display to allow transport of the display and the products using a 
forklift, pallet jack, or handcart. These wooden pallets often must be 
custom made, add additional cost to the display, and are generally 
considered unattractive. Additionally, wooden pallets are generally hard 
to recycle and produce disposal problems. 
In the past, attempts have been made to build pallets of corrugated 
cardboard. However, these pallets have been difficult to assemble and have 
had to be preassembled at the factory. As a result, these pallets have 
been bulky, inconvenient and expensive to ship to customers. Another 
deficiency found with such prior art pallets is their tendency to absorb 
moisture, especially from liquids on the ground, and to wick this moisture 
into the structure of the pallet, thus severely weakening the pallet. For 
these and other reasons, traditional corrugated cardboard pallet designs 
have not proved be cost-effective in comparison to custom-made wood 
pallets. 
Accordingly, the present invention offers a novel, durable and sturdy 
display unit design that includes an integrated supporting pallet. This 
pallet is designed to support the weight of the displayed products, allow 
transport by a forklift or pallet jack, and attractively display the 
products. In addition, the present design eliminates all exposed 
vertically oriented raw flute edges in the foot area, thus resisting water 
wicking and structural weakening. The present design is easy to assemble 
and does not require any special assembly tools, thus allowing the 
displays to be shipped flat to the customer. This ability to be shipped 
flat, coupled with an efficient design, allows the present design to be 
extremely cost-effective in comparison to custom-built wood pallets. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is generally directed to assemblable display units 
including integrated pallets. The display units can be used to display 
products at the point-of-purchase. The display unit can be assembled by 
the wholesaler or manufacturer of the products and the products may be 
shipped to the retailer already packaged inside the display unit. 
Alternatively, the display units can be assembled at the site. The word 
"products" is defined to include other display units. 
Preferred embodiments are formed from blanks of a foldable sheet material, 
such as double-faced corrugated fiberboard. A specifically preferred 
embodiment of a display unit in accordance with the present invention 
includes a tray configured to accommodate and receive goods and a 
plurality of integrated foot structures or foot supports generally 
extending downwardly away from the periphery of the tray and supporting 
the tray. The foot structures are horizontally spaced from each other, 
defining at least one pallet aperture or channel sized to receive a 
loading finger. The size of the aperture will vary depending upon the 
equipment to be used in lifting and transporting the display, whether it 
be a forklift, pallet jack or handcart. The display can be sized depending 
on the merchandise to be displayed, and thus the foot structures may 
define more than one opening to allow better ease of transport. 
The preferred embodiments also prevent structural weakening caused by water 
wicking by eliminating all exposed vertically-oriented raw edges along the 
foot structures. 
Foldably interconnected display wall panels may extend in preferred 
embodiments generally upwardly away from the periphery of the tray. Wall 
panels for the preferred embodiments are configured to receive, retain and 
display different types of products. 
Structurally, the display unit comprises at least one blank of foldable 
sheet material. The blanks of a preferred embodiment includes at least one 
tray panel, one or more sidewall-forming panels and one or more foot 
sections. When the blank is folded, the tray panel is placed in the 
generally horizontal position to receive the products, the 
sidewall-forming panels form generally vertical outer walls, and the foot 
sections fold to form the foot structures. When folded the foot structures 
define the channels suitable for receiving the loading fingers. Additional 
blanks can be folded and interconnected, such as by sliding grooves, to 
form support lattices that are placed inside of the foot structures to add 
additional strength to the display and to further support the display tray 
.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
A first embodiment of a display unit 10 in accordance with the present 
invention is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. Display unit 10 includes a 
tray-forming panel 12, a first sidewall-forming panel 14, a 
backwall-forming panel 16, a second sidewall-forming panel 18 and a 
frontwall-forming panel 20. Display unit 10 also includes a first foot 
structure 30 and a second foot structure 40. 
When display unit 10 is assembled, the display tray 12 is in a generally 
horizontal position. The sidewalls 14 and 18, backwall 16 and frontwall 20 
extend in a generally vertical direction upwardly away from the periphery 
of the display tray. The foot structures 30 and 40 support the display 
tray 12 and extend generally downwardly away from the display tray 12. The 
foot structures 30 and 40 are horizontally spaced from each other and 
define a channel 50 suitable for receiving a loading finger. 
FIG. 3 shows a primary blank 11 including the tray-forming multilateral 
(e.g., rectangular) panel 12. Tray-forming panel 12 has three side 
securing panels 24, 26 and 28, foldably connected to the first side, 
distal end, and second side of tray-forming panel 12, at foldlines 25, 27 
and 29 respectively. Bottom tray folding panel 12 is foldably connected at 
its proximal edge to an inner front-wall-forming panel 22 by foldline 23. 
An outer frontwall-forming panel 20 is coupled to panel 22 by double 
foldline 21. Opposite side edges of the frontwall-forming panel 20 (which 
is rectangular) are each connected to generally complementary 
side-wall-forming panels 14 and 18. 
In the present embodiment, the sidewall-forming panels 14, 18 are generally 
shaped to have a tray-panel-facing edge angled to approximately 
60.degree.. Tuck-in flaps 54, 56 and 62, 64 are foldably connected at 
foldlines 53, 55 and 61, 63, respectively, to inside edges of 
sidewall-forming panels 18 and 14. Tuck-under flaps 52, 58 and 60, 66 are 
foldably coupled to outer edge portions of the proximal end of panels 18 
and 14 respectively, at foldlines 51, 57, 59, and 65. 
Backwall-forming panel 16 is foldably connected to a second side edge of 
sidewall-forming panel 14 at foldline 15. Backwall-forming panel 16 has a 
securing flap 68 foldably connected at foldline 17 to a side edge 
peripherally opposed to the edge that connects to sidewall-forming panel 
14. 
A bottom foot panel 42 is foldably connected to a proximal edge of 
frontwall-forming panel 20. A side foot panel 44 is foldably connected to 
a proximal edge of bottom foot panel 42, at foldline 43, and a tuck-around 
foot panel 46 is foldably connected to a proximal edge of side foot panel 
44 at double foldline 45. Tuck-in foot flaps 48a and 48b are foldably 
connected to the lateral edges of panel 46. In a similar fashion, second 
bottom foot panel 32, second side foot panel 34, second tuck-around foot 
panel 36 are all sequentially foldably connected to a proximal edge of 
backwall-forming panel 16. Tuck-in edges 38a and 38b are foldably 
connected to lateral edges of panel 36. All panels are generally 
rectangular with the exception of panels 18 and 14 which extend a 
predetermined angle .THETA. away from foldline 21 (e.g., 
.THETA.=60.degree.). However, depending on the product to be displayed and 
the desires of the customer, all the present designs can be readily 
altered by those knowledgeable in the art to accommodate other shapes and 
dimensions. 
FIGS. 4 and 5 show the assembly of primary blank 11 into display unit 10. 
With the exception of foldlines 23, 25, 29, 38 and 48 which are folded 
outwardly 90.degree., single folds are generally folded inwardly (i.e., 
away from the observer according to FIG. 3) 90.degree.. Double folds are 
generally folded inwardly 180.degree.. (Since display unit 10 is generally 
symmetrical, these directions may be reversed if desired.) The sidewall 
panels 14 and 18 are folded about foldlines 13 and 19 perpendicularly to 
the front wall panel 20. Foot structure 30 is formed, as illustrated in 
FIG. 4, by folding flaps 52 and 66 about foldline 51 and 65 and folding 
flaps 64 and 54 about foldline 63 and 53. Panels 32, 34, and 36 are folded 
over the resulting box-like structure at foldlines 31, 33, and 35. 
Tuck-around foot panel 36 is placed around flaps 54 and 64 and is secured 
in place by flaps 38a and 38b. 
Likewise, as shown in FIG. 5, foot structure 40 is formed by folding flaps 
58 and 60 about foldlines 57 and 59 respectively and folding flaps 62 and 
56 about foldlines 61 and 55. Panels 42, 44, and 46 are folded over this 
resulting box-like structure with panel 46 being secured around flaps 56 
and 62 by flaps 48a and 48b. Both foot structure 30 and 40 include a 
"wrap-around" design, where the bottom foot panels 32 and 42 cover any 
vertical raw edges and are disposed in a generally horizontal orientation 
to provide a generally horizontal ground contact surface (that is, the 
surface of the display unit in contact with the surface on which the 
display unit is placed). Raw edges are the exposed cross-sectional edges 
that result at cuts for materials such as corrugated cardboard. Due to 
longitudinal channels present in the structure of corrugated cardboard, 
vertically exposed raw edges have been discovered to act as channels that 
flute moisture upwardly into the structure of display units. In addition 
to providing a generally horizontal panel as a ground contact area, foot 
structures 30 and 40 include outer panels, that is, panels that are 
visible when the display unit 10 is assembled, only having non-vertically 
oriented exposed raw edges to resist moisture wicking. 
As shown in FIG. 6, the tray-forming panel 12 is then folded in to a 
generally horizontal position. In a preferred assembly method, securing 
flap 68 is glued against panel 18. Although it is not necessary, the shape 
of display unit 10 alternatively can be secured by using fasteners, glue, 
staples, and other methods known in the art. 
FIG. 7 shows a secondary blank 70. Blank 70 can be used to construct foot 
support structures to be placed inside of foot supports 30 and 40. 
Secondary blank 70 includes four generally identically sized segments 71, 
72, 73 and 74 removably connected along three latitudinal perforations 78, 
80 and 82. Each segment has a height generally equal to the distance 
between the upper surface of panels 58 and 60 (or 52 and 66) and the lower 
surface of tray panel 12. The segments include an axial longitudinal 
foldline 76. Longitudinal slots 82 and 84, located at 1/4 and at 3/4 of 
the width of the blank 70, extend radially from foldline 78 for 
approximately half the height of each segment. Longitudinal slots 86 and 
88 similarly extend radially from foldline 82. During assembly, segments 
71, 72, 73 and 74 are separated and then folded along foldline 76. Segment 
71 is coupled to segment 72 and segment 73 is coupled to segment 74 by 
engaging complementary halves of each groove 82, 84, 86 and 88 to form a 
lattice structure. The completed support structures 90 and 92 are placed 
inside of foot structures 30 and 40 as shown in FIG. 8. 
FIG. 9 depicts a primary blank 201 of a second embodiment of a display unit 
in accordance with the present invention. Blank 201 includes a display 
tray panel 212. Tray-securing flap 226 is foldably connected along 
foldline 225 to a distal end of tray panel 212. A second and a third 
tray-securing flaps 228 and 224 are foldably connected, by foldlines 227 
and 223 respectively, to the side edges of panel 212. A frontwall-forming 
panel 220 is foldably connected to a proximal end of tray panel 212 by a 
double foldline 222. Sidewall-forming panels 214 and 218 are connected to 
opposite side edges of frontwall-forming panel 20 at foldlines 215 and 219 
respectively. A backwall-forming panel 216 is foldably connected to a 
second side edge of sidewall-forming panel 218 opposite panel 220 at 
foldline 217. A securing flap 268 is connected to a second side edge of 
sidewall-forming panel 214 at foldline 265. Two securing tabs 262 and 264 
are foldably connected to two inner vertical edges of frontwall-forming 
panel 220 at foldlines 261 and 263 respectively. A foot bottom panel 232 
is foldably coupled to a proximal edge of sidewall-forming panel 214 at 
foldline 231. A foot side panel 234 is foldably coupled to a proximal edge 
of panel 232 at foldline 233. A foot tuck-over panel 236 is then connected 
in sequence to the proximal edge of panel 234 at foldline 235. In a 
similar fashion, a second foot bottom panel 242, a second foot side panel 
244, and a second foot tuck under panel 246 are sequentially connected to 
a proximal edge of sidewall-forming panel 218 at foldlines 241, 243, and 
245, respectively. Foldlines 235 and 245 are double foldlines. Securing 
tabs 258 and 264 are foldably connected at foldlines 259 and 263 to corner 
portions of the proximal edge of front panel 220. Securing tabs 254 and 
256 are connected at foldlines 251 and 255 respectively to inner 
longitudinal edges of backwall-forming panel 216. Securing tabs 252 and 
254 are connected at fold 251 to corner portions of a proximal edge of 
backwall-forming panel 216. 
FIGS. 10 and 11, show display unit 210 assembled from primary blank 201 in 
a fashion similar to the assembly of previously discussed display unit 10. 
Single folds are generally folded inwardly approximately 90.degree., while 
double folds are folded inwardly generally 180.degree.. Assembled tray 212 
is placed in a generally horizontal plane. Sidewalls 214 and 218 extend 
along vertical planes generally parallel to each other and generally 
perpendicular to tray 212. Backwall 216 is generally perpendicular to both 
sidewall panels 218 and 214 and has a generally vertical orientation 
extending upwardly away from the periphery of tray 212. Frontwall 220 is 
generally perpendicular to tray 212 and extends generally downwardly away 
from the periphery of tray 212. Foot structures 230 and 240 also extend 
downwardly away from the service of tray 212 and are generally aligned 
with walls 218 and 214 respectively. Together, foot structures 230 and 240 
define a channel 250 suitable for receiving the loading finger of a 
forklift, pallet tray, or hand cart. As with the display unit 10, the foot 
structures of the present embodiment do not include any vertically 
oriented exposed raw edges. The channel 250 can be sized in accordance 
with the size of the display, the expected weight to be received and the 
loading machine expected to be used. As shown in FIG. 12, additional 
support structures 270 can be placed inside of the foot structures 240 and 
230 of display unit 210 to further strengthen the unit. 
FIG. 13 shows a primary blank 301 used in the assembly of a third 
embodiment of a display unit in accordance with the present invention. 
Blank 301 includes a tray panel 312 shaped generally as a square. Other 
shapes and dimensions are clearly possible. Four side panels 322, 324, 326 
and 328 are foldably coupled to each edge of panel 312 by foldlines 321, 
323, 325 and 327 respectively. 
FIG. 14 shows a secondary blank 302 which is utilized to form a frontwall, 
first sidewall, and first foot structure of the third embodiment of the 
display unit. A second secondary blank 303 (not shown) is used to form the 
backwall, second sidewall and second foot structure of this embodiment. 
Since blanks 302 and 303 are mirror images of each other, description will 
only be given for first secondary blank 302. Blank 302 includes an outer 
frontwall-forming panel 320 which is foldably attached at foldline 313 to 
a side edge of an outer sidewall-forming panel 314. A first inner sidewall 
panel 362 is foldably connected to an opposite side edge of panel 320 at 
foldline 361. A second inner sidewall panel 366 is foldably connected by a 
double fold 365 to the distal edge of outer sidewall-forming panel 314. 
Tuck-under panels 352 and 358 are foldably connected at outer portions the 
proximal edge of front panel 320 at foldlines 351 and 357. A foot bottom 
panel 332 is foldably connected to a proximal edge of outer 
sidewall-forming panel 314 at foldline 331. A foot side panel 334 is 
foldably connected to the proximal edge of foot bottom panel 332 at 
foldline 333. Foot tuck-over panel 336 is foldably coupled to the proximal 
edge of panel 334 at double foldline 335. 
FIGS. 15 and 16 depict display unit 310 assembled from blanks 301, 302 and 
303. Display unit 310 is configured to be used by itself or as a 
recyclable pallet for other display units. Again, single foldlines are 
generally folded inwardly 90.degree. and double foldlines are folded 
inwardly 180.degree.. Tray 312 is placed in a generally horizontal 
position and is secured by panels 322, 324, 326 and 328 . Inner 
sidewall-forming panels 364, 366, 368 and 370 (from secondary blank 303) 
are secured into slots on the periphery of tray panel 312 to form inner 
sidewalls generally perpendicular to the surface of the tray panel 312. 
Panels 320, 314 and 316, 318 (from the complimentary secondary blank 303) 
form an outer walls. Foot structures 330 and 340 extend generally 
perpendicularly away in a downward direction from the tray 312 and 
together define a middle channel 350 suitable for receiving a loading 
finger. 
As with the previously described embodiments, supporting structures 390, 
shown in FIG. 17, can be placed inside of foot structures 330 and 340 to 
add strength to the display unit 310. 
FIG. 18 illustrates a primary blank 401 for a fourth embodiment of a 
display unit in accordance with the present invention. Bland 401 includes 
four tray panels 412, 414, 416 and 418. Each tray panel is foldably 
connected to a respective inner wall 420, 422, 424, and 426 at a proximal 
edge. In turn, the inner walls are foldably connected at their proximal 
edge by a double foldline 427 to wall-forming panels 428, 432, 450 and 
442. Panel 428 is foldably connected on a side edge to panel 432 by 
foldline 431. Panel 432 is foldably connected at an opposite side edge to 
panel 450 at foldline 449. Panel 450 is foldably connected on an opposite 
side edge at panel 442 at fold 441. Securing panels 454 and 456 are 
foldably connected to inner inside edges of panel 428 at foldlines 453 and 
455 respectively. Securing panels 452 and 458 are foldably connected to 
outside corners of the proximal edge of panel 428. Bottom foot panel 434, 
side foot panel 436, and securing foot panel 438 are all successively 
connected to panel 432 by foldlines 433, 435 and double foldline 437 
respectively. Closure tabs 460 and 462 extend from opposite side edges of 
panel 438. Securing panels 466 and 468 are foldably connected to inside 
edges of panel 450 at foldlines 465 and 467. Securing panels 464 and 470 
are foldably connected to corner sections of the proximal edge of panel 
450. Second foot bottom panel, second foot side panel 446 and second foot 
securing panel 448 are also sequentially connected to sidewall-forming 
panel 442 at foldlines 443, 445, and double foldline 447. Closure tabs 472 
and 474 are connected to opposite side edges of panel 448. 
FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate display unit 400 when assembled. Tray panels 414 
and 418 are first folded at foldline 425 to a generally horizontal 
position while inner sidewalls are formed by panels 422 and 424 in a 
generally vertical position. A box-like structure is accomplished by 
bending the blank approximately 90.degree. at foldlines 431, 449, and 441. 
Tray panels 412 and 416 are then folded to a generally horizontal position 
with panels 420 and 424-forming inner sidewalls. Panels 428, 432, 450 and 
442 form outer sidewalls when the blank is bent approximately 180.degree. 
at double foldline 427. Tabs 452, 458, 464 and 470 are bent in 
approximately 90.degree.. Likewise, tabs 454, 456, 466 and 468 are also 
bent inward approximately 90.degree.. Foot structures 430 and 440 are then 
created by folding the bottom foot panels 434 and 444 over tabs 458 and 
464 and 470 and 452 respectively. Foot side panels form the side of the 
foot structures while securing panels 438 and 448 are secured under the 
tray panels by closure tabs 460 and 462 and 472 and 474 respectively. 
Support structures can be placed inside of foot structures 430 and 440 as 
shown in FIG. 21. These foot structures are constructed in a similar 
fashion as the foot structures shown for the display unit 10 of FIGS. 1 
and 2. 
As can be seen from all the present embodiments, each display unit can be 
shipped flat and assembled at the point of purchase by the customer. No 
specialized tools are required to construct the display units which may be 
secured by common fasteners or adhesives known in the art. The 
"wrap-around" design of the foot structures is aimed so as to avoid any 
raw exposed vertical edges that may wick away moisture into the display 
unit, thus weakening it. The size and shape of the sidewalls and of the 
container itself may vary from that shown without departing from the scope 
of the invention, depending on the type, size and amount of products to be 
displayed.