Abstract:
A carton for shipping, storing, and displaying rolls of material is disclosed. The carton comprises a front wall including a removable panel, with a reinforced panel provided above the removable panel and a lower panel extending across the front wall provided below the removable panel. During shipping, the removable panel strengthen the walls of the carton. At the destination, the removable panel is easily removed to allow access to the rolls in the carton. The reinforced panel allows the rolls to rest against the carton without tipping.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application 60/353,424, filed Jan. 31, 2002, and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/353,502 filed Jan. 29, 2003. 
     
    
     STATEMENT CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     This invention relates to packaging, and in particular, to a corrugated cardboard box for shipping, storing, and dispensing roll products such as gift wrap rolls.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Products are often shipped to retail stores in packages which, on receipt at the store, require that the package be opened and unloaded, and that the internal products inside be moved into a display. These activities require a significant degree of time and labor, and are therefore expensive for the store owners, driving the price of goods up.  
         [0005]     To decrease the amount of time and labor in setting up displays in stores, various shipping cartons have been developed. One example is a “chip box”. The “chip box” is a shipping carton in which a perforated panel has been provided. Small packaged items, such as potato chips, bags of peanuts, and other small, lightweight bagged items are provided in the box and, at the retail store, the panel is removed allowing access to the products inside.  
         [0006]     Rolls of gift wrap, however, are bulky, awkward and heavy and therefore cannot be provided in a chip box. These products, furthermore, are difficult to store in quantity in a retail store. One solution to this problem has been to place the rolls on end into a box having an opening in the front wall with a rod across the lower end of the opening and another rod across the upper end of the opening. The upper and lower rods restrain the rolls from falling out of the box and keep the lower ends of the rolls inside the box. Rolls are then dispensed from the box by lifting up the lower end of each roll over the lower bar and dispensing the roll out through the opening in the front of the box, between the two bars. The rolls, therefore, can be stored on a shelf, 4 or 5 feet above the floor, to preserve floor space.  
         [0007]     These prior art boxes, while successful in providing access to the rolls, were relatively heavy and difficult to transport. Furthermore, these boxes required both set-up and subsequent filling of rolls, which were shipped apart from the box, at the retail establishment. These boxes, therefore, require both time and labor at the retail establishment. It is desirable in high-volume retail establishments, however, to minimize time and labor requirements to set-up sales displays, in order to limit costs.  
         [0008]     Therefore, the present invention provides a gift wrap box which can be shipped already filled with rolls of gift wrap so that after a few simple unpackaging steps, the shipping box can also be used as the display and dispensing box.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The invention provides a carton specially adapted for use in shipping and displaying a plurality of roll products. The carton comprises a container having an enclosed bottom end and an open top end. An opening, sized and dimensioned to be greater in length than one half of the length of the roll products, is provided in a side of the container. A reinforced bridging panel extends horizontally above the opening and a lower panel extends horizontally below the opening. The upper reinforcement panel, the lower panel, and the adjacent sides of the enclosure frame the opening, such that the rolls of products can be both seen and removed through the opening.  
         [0010]     The reinforced bridging panel can be provided as a double layer of corrugated cardboard material, provided by folding a rear panel portion behind a front panel portion in the container. To further reinforce the bridging panel, a stiff elongated reinforcement which can be, for example, a wire or rod, can be adhered or otherwise attached to the reinforcement panel. These reinforcement devices help to contain the rolls in the carton.  
         [0011]     In another aspect, the invention comprises a removable panel provided in a side of the container such that the reinforced panel extends horizontally across the container between the open end of the container and the removable panel. A shipping box having an enclosed top and an open bottom, which is sized and dimensioned to extend over and enclose the open top end of the container, is provided over the container during shipping. Both the shipping box and the removable panel are removed to allow for display and removal of product at a sales location.  
         [0012]     The removable panel can provide reinforcement during shipping, and at least partially covers the opening through which the rolls are dispensed. The reinforcement panel can be constructed as a double layer of material, formed by cutting a portion of the container from the removable panel and folding the portion over behind a front panel. Construction of the reinforcement panel in this way provides a space between the top of the removable panel and the bottom of the reinforcement panel, simplifying removal of the panel by a user by allowing ready access to the panel. The edges of the removable panel can be scored or perforated to further simplify removal of the panel to provide an opening for display and removal of the rolls. Moreover, a container of the invention may be provided with an open top at a height less than the length of the rolls so that the rolls stick out of the top of the box, such that the ends of the rolls can be viewed by a customer.  
         [0013]     In another aspect, the invention comprises a method for providing a shipping carton for rolls of material. A container having an open top and an enclosed bottom is provided, the container is perforated to define a removable panel circumscribed by an upper panel extending horizontally above the removable panel, a lower panel extending horizontally below the removable panel, and adjacent side walls extending along the sides of the removable panel. The upper panel is sectioned into an upper and a lower part, and the lower part is folded to overlap the upper part, thereby forming a reinforced bridging panel extending horizontally above the removable panel.  
         [0014]     The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the detailed description which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a carton of the present invention shown ready for display and to dispense rolls of gift wrap stored inside;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a view of the carton of  FIG. 1  with the rolls of gift wrap removed and prior to removal of a removable front panel of the carton;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a view of the bottom of the carton showing how the flaps of the bottom are folded in to form the bottom of the carton;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a blank for constructing the carton  FIG. 1  illustrating an inside flap prior to the gluing in of a reinforcing wire or rod;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a view of the blank of  FIG. 4  with the reinforcing wire or rod shown in place, prior to gluing of the wire and flap;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a view of the carton blank with the reinforcing wire installed and the bridging panel folded in place;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a plan view drawing of the carton of  FIG. 1  prior to the insertion of rolls and prior to constructing the bridging panel; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a view of the carton shown covered with a shipping box. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     Referring now to the figures and more particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 8 , a shipping carton  11  of the invention is illustrated. The carton  11  comprises a container  10 , and a shipping box or enclosure  22 . Rolls of gift wrap  12  are provided standing on end inside the container  10  and extending through and above an open top  13  of the container  10 . An opening  16  is selectively provided in the front of the container  10  to provide access to the rolls  12  inside the container. The shipping box  22  is provided over the rolls  12  in the container  10  to protect the rolls  12  during shipment and storage, as described below.  
         [0024]     Referring still to  FIG. 1 , the container  10  has a front wall  14  in which the opening  16  is formed that extends for the full width of the front wall  14 . At the lower edge of the opening  16  is a lower panel  18  which extends for the full width of the front wall  14  and prevents the lower ends of the rolls  12  from slipping out of the container  10 . The opening is sized and dimensioned to allow the removal of a roll  12  through the opening  16  when the container  10  is full of rolls by pulling the roll through the opening  16  as described below.  
         [0025]     Adjacent the upper edge of the opening  16  is an upper reinforced or bridging panel  19 , also extending the full width of the front wall  14 , and including a front panel  20  that retains the rolls  12  and helps prevent the rolls  12  from tipping out of the container  10 . The bridging panel  19  further comprises reinforcements for stiffening the bridging panel  19 , as described below. To decrease time and labor at the retail establishments, the container  10  is preferably printed with the price or other information regarding the rolls  12 .  
         [0026]     A roll  12  is dispensed from the container  10  by grabbing the lower end of the roll through the opening  16 , pushing the roll  12  upward, lifting the roll  12  until its lower end clears the lower panel  18 , and then pulling the roll  12  out of the container  10  through the opening  16 , between the panels  18  and  19 . Because of the access available through the opening  16 , the container  10  can be placed on an elevated shelf of a retail store to conserve floor space. Alternatively, if the container  10  is stored, for example, on a floor or lower shelf, rolls  12  can be pulled through the open top  13  of the container  10 . As noted above, the opening  16  is sized and dimensioned to allow removal of the roll through the opening, even when the container  10  is full of rolls  12 . As a result, the length of the opening  16  between the edge adjacent the reinforcement panel  28  and the lower panel  18  is preferably greater than one-half of the length of a roll  12 .  
         [0027]     The container  10  can be loaded with gift wrap rolls  12  prior to shipment of the container  10  to the retail store. As described above, for shipment, the five-sided shipping box  22  ( FIG. 8 ) is provided on the container  10 . The shipping box  22  comprises four sides sized and dimensioned to mate with the open end  13  of the container  10  and an enclosed top, as shown in  FIG. 8 . The shipping box  22  is placed over the loaded container  10  and taped or otherwise affixed around its bottom edges to the bottom of the container  10 . In addition to protecting the rolls  12  within the container  10 , the shipping box  22  strengthens the loaded container  10 , and further protects the graphics printed on the container  10 .  
         [0028]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the container  10  can be provided with a removable panel  24 . The panel  24  strengthens the container  10  for shipping, and, like the shipping box  22  helps contain the rolls  12  within the container  10 . At a retail or other display location, however, the panel  24  is easily removed along the perforation lines  32  provided around the adjacent sides  36  and  38  of the container  10  and the lower panel  18 . An indentation or finger hole  34 , which can be, as shown, a semi-circular cut provided in the top edge of the removable panel  24  provides access to the removable panel  24  allowing a user to tear the removable panel  24  along the perforations  32  to provide the opening  16 , which serves as a display window or aperture for retrieving rolls from the container  10  at the retail establishment, as described above. Although a perforation line  32  is shown, it will be apparent that the removable panel can comprise other elements which simplify removal of a portion of the front wall  14  including, for example, score lines. Alternatively, the removable panel  24  could be a separate component adhered to the front wall  14  using an adhesive strip or other removable adherent.  
         [0029]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the bottom  15  of the container  10  is shown. The bottom  15  is made up, in conventional fashion, of four flaps  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  which are folded inwardly. One of the flaps  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  extends from each of the front  14 , rear  48 , and two side walls  36  and  38  of the container  10 . A piece of corrugated cardboard (not shown) approximately the size of the folded bottom wall  15  of the container  10  may be placed flat inside and against the bottom wall  15  of the container  10 . The additional piece of corrugated cardboard strengthens the bottom wall  15 , and further provides padding and a flat surface for the lower ends of the gift wrap rolls  12  to rest on. The bottom  15  of the container  10  is secured by taping or gluing the flaps  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  to form a flat bottom wall  15 , also in a conventional manner.  
         [0030]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a blank  58  for constructing the container  10  of  FIG. 1  is shown. The blank  58  preferably comprises a sheet of corrugated cardboard material and includes vertical fold lines separating the cardboard blank  58  into a front wall  14 , side walls  36  and  38 , and rear wall  48 . Horizontal fold lines are provided to separate each of the walls  14 ,  36 ,  38 , and  48  from the bottom panels  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46 , and a separation is cut or otherwise provided vertically between each of the bottom panels  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46  allowing these panels to be moved independently from the adjacent walls  14 ,  36 ,  38 , and  40 , and the respective adjacent panels. A flap  49  is hingedly attached to the side wall  36  and, in use, is folded over and adhered to the rear wall  48  using a glue or other adhesive to form the container  10  into a rectangular configuration as shown in  FIG. 1  prior to the loading of rolls  12 .  
         [0031]     As noted above, the front wall  14  includes a perforation line  32  extending vertically between the front panel  14  and each of the side walls  36  and  38  and horizontally along a bottom portion of the front wall  14 , separating the removable panel  24  from the lower panel  18 . Fold or hinge lines  48  and  50  for forming the bridging panel  19  are provided in an upper portion of the front wall  14 . The hinge lines  48  and  50  extend horizontally across the front panel  14  between the front panel  20  and a reinforcement panel  28 . A cut line  60  is also provided horizontally across the width of the front panel  14  separating reinforcement panel  28  from the removable panel  24 . An open area  54  and  56  is cut or otherwise provided vertically on each of the opposing sides of the reinforcement panel  28  such that the reinforcement panel  28  can be folded up to form the bridging panel  19  along the hinge lines  48  and  50 , as described below. The semi-circular finger hole  34  extends downward from the cut line  60  into the removable panel  24  at the approximate vertical center of the front wall  14 , and aids in the folding up of panel  28  and the removal of the removable panel  24  by a user as described above.  
         [0032]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a stiff elongated member  30  can be provided on the front panel  20  to reinforce the bridging panel  19 . The stiff elongated member  30  is preferably constructed of a metal rod but can also be constructed from a metal or synthetic wire, plastic, cardboard or other materials. The stiff elongated member  30  runs substantially the length of the bridging panel  19  adjacent to the fold between panels  20  and  28  and provides significant resistance against bending of the bridging panel  19 . The stiff elongated member  30  is preferably glued or adhered to the panel  20  prior to construction of the box  10  from the blank  58 . Alternatively, the stiff elongated member  30  can be added to the container  10  at a later stage of construction, as, for example, when the bridging panel  19  is constructed on site, as described below with reference to  FIG. 7 .  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the bridging panel  19  is formed by folding the reinforcement panel  28 , which is cut out from the front wall  14  as described above, along hinge lines  48  and  50 , over the back side of the front panel  20 . Once positioned, the reinforcement panel  28  is glued or otherwise adhered to the back of the front panel  20 . The front panel  20  and reinforcement panel  28  thereby form a double layer of corrugated material, providing a relatively stiff bridging panel  19  that resists bending when the weight of the rolls  12  is provided against the bridging panel  19 . Furthermore, the corrugations in the corrugated cardboard which make up the container  10  are preferably configured to run in a horizontal direction, providing additional resistance against bending as the rolls  12  rest against the composite bridging panel  19  made up of the panels  20  and  28 . As noted above, the bridging panel  19  can also include the stiff elongated member  30 , provided between the front panel  20  and the reinforcement panel  28  as described above. Preferably, the bridging panel  19  is formed prior to folding the blank  58  into the container  10  as shown in  FIG. 1 . When constructed as shown, an opening  52  is formed above the removable panel  24  prior to shipping and forms part of the opening  16  when the removable panel  24  is removed. The opening  52  is enclosed during shipping and storage by the shipping box  22 .  
         [0034]     Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the container  10  can be constructed from the blank  58  and the reinforcement panel  28  folded into the bridging panel  19  after the carton is constructed. In this application, an adhesive strip can be positioned on the back of the panel  20  to allow a user to adhere the reinforcement panel  28  to the back of the panel  20  at, for example, a remote location such as a retail establishment. Although the present invention is particularly useful when the carton  11  is loaded with rolls  12  prior to shipment, the carton  11  can also be partially assembled, as shown in  FIG. 7 , prior to shipping or shipped as a blank  58  as shown in  FIG. 4 , and assembled by a distributor, at a warehouse, or elsewhere. Furthermore, although the bridging panel  19  has been described with reference to the area extending horizontally above the removable panel, it will be apparent that, using similar steps to those described above, the lower panel  18  could also be reinforced. Reinforcing the container  10  on both the upper and lower sides of the opening  16  would be particularly advantageous, for example, when the rolls  12  to be provided in the container  10  are large “jumbo wrap” rolls or contain heavy materials such as heavy mailing paper or foils.  
         [0035]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , as described above, an open-ended five-sided shipping box  22 , which is sized to have height substantially equivalent the height of the container  10  including the rolls  12  loaded into it, can be slipped over the container  10  prior to shipping of the carton  11  or for storage of the carton  11 . The open bottom end of the shipping box  22  is adhered or taped to the bottom wall  15  of the container  10  to secure it during shipping or storage. As an alternative to the shipping box  22 , the top of the container  10  can be extended up above the ends of the rolls  12  and closed, for example in the same manner that the bottom of the container  10  is closed. A nylon tear strip can then be provided, for example at the height of the container  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1  (or a different height), which when pulled by a sales clerk tears the corrugated cardboard of the carton to create a clean separation of the top portion of the container  10  from the remaining bottom portion, which would leave the bottom portion looking much like the carton in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . This would save corrugated cardboard material by avoiding the shipping box  22 , but would not protect the graphics on the outside of the container  10 . In alternative embodiments, the shipping box  22  can be provided to extend from the top  13  of the container  10  to cover the exposed rolls  12 , or from the opening  52  above the removable panel  24  to enclose the exposed rolls  12 . In these cases, the rolls are adequately covered while minimizing materials.  
         [0036]     The invention therefore provides a carton  11  specially adapted to ship, store, display, and dispense product rolls such as gift wrap rolls. The opening  16  in the front wall  14  of the container  10  through which the rolls  12  are dispensed extends for the entire width of the front wall  14  to provide a large opening  16  for display and dispensing of the rolls. A stiff reinforcement  30  provided in the bridging panel  19  over the opening  16 , preferably between a front panel  20  and a reinforced panel  28  which is folded over the rear of the front panel  20  over the bottom edge of the front panel  20 , helps reinforce the bridging panel  19  to contain the rolls  12 . In addition, reinforcement during shipping is provided by a removable front panel  24  which at least partially covers the opening  16  through which the rolls  12  are dispensed, before the removable panel  24  is removed. Moreover, the container  10  of the invention may be provided with an open top  13  so that the rolls  12  stick out of the top  13  of the box, where they can also be viewed by a consumer.  
         [0037]     When the container  10  is ready to be placed in the retail store on a shelf or on the floor for display and sale of the rolls  12 , the shipping carton  22  is removed by cutting or removing the tape which holds it to the container  10  and discarding (or returning) the shipping carton  22 . The removable panel  24  which covers the display and dispensing opening  16  is then removed, and the container  10  loaded with rolls  12  of gift wrap is then ready to be placed on the floor or shelf of the retail store, with the rolls ready for sale.  
         [0038]     A preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail. Many modifications and variations to the preferred embodiment described will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the embodiment described.