Abstract:
A collapsible, easy-to-assemble corrugated hutch for shipping and displaying products is provided. The hutch is made from three blanks. The hutch may be shipped flat, then “automatically” assembled by squaring up the hutch body and pushing downward and rearward on a rear support.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention patent relates to a display hutch. More particularly, this invention relates to a display hutch that may be shipped flat, then “automatically” assembled by squaring up the hutch body and pushing downward and rearward on a rear support. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Display hutches can be used to display items in a retail setting. Typically display hutches are made of multiple components and sometimes even require fasteners. Display hutches can also require complex assembly steps, and can be large even when knocked down. The present disclosure is designed to solve these problems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a collapsible, easy-to-assemble corrugated hutch for shipping and displaying products is provided. 
     In one aspect the hutch comprises a rear wall, two side walls, front panels, shelves and a rear support used to assemble the hutch. The rear wall extends vertically from a base to a top edge and horizontally from one rear vertical edge to another rear vertical edge. Each side wall extends from a rear vertical edge forward to a front vertical edge. Each front panel extends laterally from and is hingedly attached to each side wall along the front vertical edges. The rear wall, the side walls and the front panels define a hutch body having an interior. The rear support is substantially disposed within the interior. Each shelf comprises a front shelf panel and a rear shelf panel adhered to the front shelf panel. Each front shelf panel is hingedly attached to a front panel along a shelf front fold line. Each shelf extends laterally between one side wall and the other side wall but is not directly connected to either sidewall. Each rear shelf panel is foldably connected to a rear attachment panel along a rear fold line. Each rear attachment panel is attached to the rear support. Moving the rear support causes the shelves to move in unison between a first position in which each shelf is in a vertical orientation and a second position in which each shelf is in a horizontal orientation suitable for bearing a load. The rear wall, the side walls, the front panels and the front shelf panels are formed from a first blank. The rear shelf panels and the rear attachment panels are formed from a second blank. The rear support is formed from a third blank. 
     In another aspect a method of constructing a hutch is provided comprising the steps of: Providing a first blank, a second blank and a third blank. The first blank comprises a rear wall, first and second side walls, front panels, front shelf panels and a glue panel, the rear wall extending from a bottom edge to a top edge and horizontally from a rear vertical edge to an opposite rear vertical edge, the rear panel being foldably connected to the first side wall along one rear vertical edge, the first side wall being foldably connected to the front panels along a front vertical edge, the second side wall being foldably connected to the front panels along another front vertical edge and to the glue panel along a glue panel fold line, each front shelf panel being foldably connected to a front panel along a shelf front edge, each front shelf panel having a free rear edge. The second blank comprises rear shelf panels, rear attachment panels, middle panels and two middle vertical panels, the middle panels extending laterally between and attached to the middle vertical panels, each rear shelf panel being hingedly attached to a middle panel along a middle fold line extending laterally between the middle vertical panels and to a rear attachment panel along a rear fold line. The third blank extends from a bottom edge to a top edge and from one side edge to an opposite side edge. Adhering the front shelf panels to the rear shelf panels. Adhering the attachment panels to the third blank. Folding the second side wall inward along fold line. Finally, folding the rear wall inwardly along a fold line and adhering the rear wall to the glue panel. Each rear free edge may define a first locating notch. Each rear attachment panel may have a free top edge that defines a second locating notch. Each rear shelf panel may define a locating hole. The third blank top edge may define a third locating notch and the third blank may define second locating holes spaced apart in the vertical dimension. During the first adhering step the first blank and the second blank may be aligned so that the locating holes align with the first locating notches. During the second adhering step the rear attachment panels and the third blank may be aligned so that the third locating notch and the second locating holes in the third blank align with the second locating notches. 
     In another aspect a method of assembling a hutch is provided comprising the steps of: Squaring up the hutch so that the side walls are parallel and the front panels are parallel with the rear wall. Positioning the hutch in an upright position. And pushing down on the rear support until each shelf is in a horizontal orientation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a fully assembled hutch according to the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a first blank used to make the hutch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a second blank used to make the hutch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a third blank used to make the hutch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the second blank before being adhered to the first blank. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the third blank before being adhered to the first and second blanks to achieve a partially constructed hutch. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the partially constructed hutch of  FIG. 6  after partial folding. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the partially constructed hutch of  FIG. 7  after further folding to achieve a pre-assembled hutch. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the pre-assembled hutch of  FIG. 8  after being flipped over. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the pre-assembled hutch of  FIGS. 8 and 9  undergoing some initial assembly. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the hutch of  FIG. 10  after further assembly. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the hutch of  FIG. 11  after it has been stood on its base. 
         FIG. 13  is a flowchart illustrating a method of constructing the hutch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 14  is a flowchart illustrating a method of assembling the hutch of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the invention described herein may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more embodiments with the understanding that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the illustrated embodiments. Aspects of the different embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another. 
     As will be appreciated, terms such as “above” and “below”, “horizontally” and “vertically”, “top” and “bottom,” “front” and “back,” (etc.), used as nouns, adjectives or adverbs refer in this description to the orientation of the structure of the hutch as it is illustrated in the various views. For example, “horizontally” refers to the dimension running from one side wall to the other side wall in  FIG. 1 . Such terms are not intended to limit the invention to a particular orientation. 
     The disclosure relates to a display hutch that may be shipped flat, then “automatically” assembled by squaring up a body blank and pushing downward and rearward on a rear support. 
     The Display Hutch 
     Turning to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a display hutch  10  according to the disclosure. The hutch  10  is made from three separate blanks, a first blank  40 , a second blank  70  and a third blank  90  adhered together. The hutch  10  comprises a rear wall  12 , two side walls  14 , shelves  16  and front panels  18 . The hutch  10  may have two rear corners (a.k.a. rear vertical edges)  20  and two front corners (a.k.a. front vertical edges)  22 . 
     The rear wall  12  may extend vertically the full height of the hutch  10  from a bottom or base  42  to a top or top edge  44  and horizontally from one side wall  14  to the opposite side wall  14 . 
     Each side wall  14  extends from a rear vertical edge  20  forward to a front vertical edge  22 . Each side wall is hingedly attached to the rear wall  12  along a rear vertical edge fold line  20 , the rear vertical edge  20  functioning as a fold line  20 . 
     Each shelf is formed from a front shelf panel  28  which is part of the first blank  40  and a rear shelf panel  88  which is part of the second blank  70 . Each shelf  16  extends horizontally (laterally) between one side wall  14  and the opposing side wall  14  but is not directly connected to either side wall  14 . Instead, each shelf  16  has free side edges  15  as perhaps best shown in  FIG. 2 . Each shelf  16  is foldably connected to a corresponding front panel  18  along a shelf front fold line  17 . Each shelf  16  is foldably connected to a rear attachment panel  80  along a shelf rear fold line  81 . The rear attachment panel  80  extends upwardly from the shelf rear fold line  81  and is attached to the third blank (a.k.a. rear support)  90 . Thus, each shelf  16  is supported in front by a front panel  18  and in back by the rear support  90 . 
     The front panels  18  are relatively short in height so as not to obscure the products that are on display on the shelf  16  below. Each front panel  18  extends downward from and is foldably attached to a shelf  16  along a shelf front fold line  17 . Each front panel  18  extends horizontally from and is foldably attached to each side wall  14  along the front vertical edges  22 . 
     Moving the rear support  90  up and down (in the direction of arrow D in  FIG. 12 ) causes the shelves  16  to move in unison between a first position in which the shelves  16  are in a vertical orientation and a second position in which the shelves  16  are in a horizontal orientation. 
     The First Blank (Body Blank) 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the first blank (a.k.a. body blank)  40  used to make the hutch  10  of  FIG. 1 . The first blank  40  is used to make the “body” of the hutch  10 , that is, the rear wall  12 , the side walls  14  and the front panels  18 , as well as the front shelf panels  28 . 
     The rear wall  12  may be substantially rectangular and may extend vertically from a bottom edge  42  to a top edge  44  and horizontally from one rear vertical edge  20  to an opposing rear vertical edge  20 . The rear panel  12  is foldably connected to a side wall  14  along one rear vertical edge  20 . The rear vertical edge  20  may be a fold line, score line or any suitable linear demarcation between panels. 
     One side wall  14 , in this case, the right side wall  14 , is foldably connected to the rear wall  12  along a rear vertical edge  20  and to the front panels  18  along a front vertical edge  22 . The other (left) side wall  14  is foldably connected to the front panels  18  along the other front vertical edge  22 . The left side wall  14  also is foldably connected to a glue panel  46  along a glue panel fold line  21 . Alternatively, the glue panel may be connected to the rear wall  12 . 
     Each front panel  18  is foldably connected at one end to a side wall  14  and at the opposite end to the other side wall  14 . 
     Each front shelf panel  28  is foldably connected to a front panel  18  along a shelf front edge  17 . Each front shelf panel  28  has a free rear edge  48 . Each free rear edge  48  may define a first locating notch  50  which may be used to construct the hutch  10  as explained below. Each front shelf panel  28  may comprise a glue area  29  located along the rear portion of the front shelf panel  28  near the free rear edge  48 . 
     Front and rear bottom panels  52  and side wall bottom panels  53  may be foldably attached to each of the major panels and the lowest front panel  18  along a bottom fold line  42 . The side wall bottom panels  53  may be configured to interlock with the other bottom panels  52 . 
     The Second Blank (a.k.a. Center Support) 
       FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the second blank  70  used to make the hutch  10  of  FIG. 1 . The second blank  70  comprises the rear shelf panels  88 , the rear attachment panels  80 , middle panels  72  and two parallel middle vertical panels  74 . Each middle panel  72  extends laterally between and is hingedly attached to a pair of middle vertical panels  74  at either end along a fold line  76 . Each rear shelf panel  88  is hingedly attached to a middle panel  72  along a middle fold line  78  extending laterally between the middle vertical panels  74 . Each rear shelf panel  88  is hingedly attached to a rear attachment panel  80  along a rear fold line  81  parallel with the middle fold line  78 . 
     Each rear attachment panel  80  has a free top edge  82  that may define a second locating notch  84 . Each rear shelf panel  88  may define a locating hole  86  located equidistant the fold lines  76 . 
     The Third Blank (a.k.a. Rear Support) 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the third blank  90  used to make the hutch  10  of  FIG. 1 . The third blank  90  is used to support the rear of the shelves  16 . The third blank  90  may be substantially rectangular and may extend from a bottom edge  92  to a top edge  94  and from one side edge  96  to an opposite side edge  96 . The top edge  94  may define a third locating notch  98 . The third blank  90  may define second locating holes  99  located equidistant the side edges  96  and spaced apart in the vertical dimension. The width of the third blank  90  preferably is less than the width of the second blank  70  (measured from one fold line  76  to the other fold line  76 . 
     Method of Construction 
       FIG. 13  is a flowchart illustrating a method of constructing the hutch of  FIG. 1 . A method of assembly of the hutch  10  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 5-8 . 
     Step  102 : Providing three blanks  40 ,  70 ,  90  as described above. 
     Step  104 : Adhering the front shelf panels  28  of the first blank  40  to the rear shelf panels  88  of the second blank  70  to achieve a first intermediate structure  103 . Glue or other adhesive is applied to certain of the mating surfaces of the first blank  40  and/or the second blank  70  prior to adhering them together. For example, glue  100  may be applied to the glue area  29  of each of the front shelf panels  28  near the free rear edges  48  as shown in  FIG. 5 . During this step the first blank  40  and the second blank  70  are brought together so that the four locating holes  86  in the center support/second blank  70  align with the four first locating notches  50  in the body blank/first blank  40 . After the two blanks  40 ,  70  are adhered together to form the first intermediate structure  103  shown in  FIG. 6 , the second blank  70  extends above the first blank  40 . Also, the fold lines  76  in the second blank  70  align with the front vertical edges  22  in the first blank  40 . 
     Step  106 : Adhering the rear attachment panels  80  to the third blank  90  to achieve a second intermediate structure  105 . Glue or other adhesive is applied to certain of the mating surfaces of the first intermediate structure  103  and/or the third blank  90 . For example, glue  100  may be applied to the rear attachment panels  80  of the second blank  70  as shown in  FIG. 6 . During this step the first intermediate structure  103  and the third blank  90  are brought together so that the third locating notch  98  and the second locating holes  99  in the third blank  90  align with the second locating notches  84  in the second blank  70 . After the first intermediate structure  103  and the third blank  90  are adhered together to form a second intermediate structure  105 , the top edge  94  of the third blank second blank  70  should align with the top edge  82  of the second blank  70 . 
     Step  106 : Next, the second intermediate structure  105  is folded and glued to achieve a folded (pre-assembled) hutch  10 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 7 , one side wall  14  may be folded inward along fold line  22  as indicated by arrow A until it is flat against the second blank  70 . 
     Step  108 : Folding the second side wall  14  inward along fold line  22  until it is flat against the second blank  70  and the third blank  90 . Glue may be applied to the glue panel  46 . 
     Step  110 : Folding the rear wall  12  inwardly along fold line  20  until the rear wall  12  contacts and is adhered to the glue panel  46  to achieve the constructed hutch  10  in a folded condition. The rear wall  12  may be folded inwardly along fold line  20  as indicated by arrow B until the rear wall  12  contacts and is adhered to the glue panel  46 .  FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the folded (pre-assembled) hutch  10 .  FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the folded hutch  10  shown in  FIG. 8  after being flipped over. 
     Assembling the Hutch 
       FIG. 14  is a flowchart illustrating a method of assembling the hutch of  FIG. 1 . Starting with the folded (pre-assembled) hutch  10  of  FIG. 8 , the hutch  10  of  FIG. 1  may be easily assembled as will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 10-12 . 
     Step  202 : First, the folded hutch  10  of  FIG. 8  is squared up as shown in  FIG. 10  so that the side walls  14  are parallel and the corners form right angles. The bottom panels  52 ,  53  may be folded inwardly in the direction of arrows C and interlocked as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     Step  204 : Next, the hutch  10  may be stood on its base (i.e., the bottom panels  52 ,  53 ) so that the hutch  10  is upright, as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     Step  206 : Finally, the rear support  90  and/or the center support  70  are pushed downward and rearward in the direction of arrow D in  FIG. 12  until the shelves  16  are in a horizontal orientation. Upon pushing downward on the rear support  90 , every shelf  16  is “automatically” assembled and the finished hutch  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is achieved. 
     It should be understood that the embodiments described above are only particular examples which serve to illustrate the principles of the invention. Modifications and alternative embodiments are contemplated which do not depart from the scope of the invention as defined by the foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments that fall within their scope.