Abstract:
A carton includes a base member comprising, a bottom portion, a pair of longitudinal base walls, a first transverse base wall, and a second transverse base wall, and a panel disposed adjacent to the second transverse base wall in an interior space partially defined by the base member, the panel operative to be biased by a following mechanism.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/325,862, filed Apr. 20, 2010, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The subject matter disclosed herein relates to merchandizing cartons. 
         [0003]    Products may be packaged and shipped in cartons to a retail location. The retail location may include shelving having mechanical devices that exert a force on a row of products such that when a customer removes a product from the row, another product in the row is pushed to the front of the shelf. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]    According to one aspect of the invention, a carton includes a base member comprising, a bottom portion, a pair of longitudinal base walls, a first transverse base wall, and a second transverse base wall, and a panel disposed adjacent to the second transverse base wall in an interior space partially defined by the base member, the panel operative to be biased by a following mechanism. 
         [0005]    According to another aspect of the invention, a carton includes a base member comprising a bottom portion, a pair of longitudinal base walls, a first transverse base wall, and a second transverse base wall including at least one break away region in the second transverse wall, and a lid member comprising a top portion, a pair of longitudinal lid walls, a first transverse lid wall, and a second transverse lid wall comprising a detachable panel in the second transverse lid wall, the detachable panel is attached to the at least one break away region of the second transverse base wall with an adhesive. 
         [0006]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method for fabricating a carton, the method includes forming a base member from a first unitary continuous carton blank, the base member comprising a bottom portion, a pair of longitudinal base walls, a first transverse base wall, and a second transverse base wall comprising at least one break away region in the second transverse base wall, and forming a lid portion from a second unitary continuous carton blank, the lid portion comprising a top portion, a pair of longitudinal lid walls, a first transverse lid wall, and a second transverse lid wall comprising a detachable panel in the second transverse lid wall. 
         [0007]    According to yet another aspect of the invention, a carton includes a base member comprising a bottom portion, a pair of longitudinal base walls, a first transverse base wall, a second transverse base wall, and an orifice at least partially defined in the second transverse base wall, and a detachable panel attached to a portion of the second transverse base wall, wherein the detachable panel is operative to be biased by a following mechanism contacting the detachable panel in a region partially defined by the orifice. 
         [0008]    These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0009]    The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed away and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an assembled carton. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a base member and a lid portion of the carton of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates the carton on a merchandizing display. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic diagram of the base member of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates a schematic diagram of the lid portion of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates a schematic diagram of an alternate embodiment of the base member. 
       
    
    
       [0016]    The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings, wherein like elements are referenced alike. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an assembled carton  100 . The carton  100  includes a base member  102  and a lid portion  104 . The base member  102  includes side (longitudinal) walls  103 , a rear (transverse) wall  105 , a front (transverse) wall  107  and a bottom portion  109 , and is formed from corresponding panels and flaps on a unitary continuous carton blank. In the illustrated embodiment, the side (longitudinal) walls  103  include a break away region  111 . The break away region  111  is defined at least in part by perforations. In the illustrated embodiment, the break away region  111  is formed in an oblong oval shape however; the break away region  111  may be formed in any alternate appropriate shape. While break away regions are illustrated herein being defined by perforations, it will be appreciated that there may be other means of forming break away regions, such as by using a combination of perforation lines and cut lines, for example, which is considered within the scope of the invention disclosed herein. The terms such as, for example, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “longitudinal”, and “transverse” used herein are merely intended for ease of describing the relationship of structural elements that could be oriented in alternative ways. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the lid portion  104  includes side walls  113 , a front wall  115 , a rear wall  117 , and a plurality of top walls  119 , and is formed from corresponding panels and flaps on a unitary continuous carton blank. The top walls  119  are foldably joined to the lid portion  104  and may be folded and secured to each other with, for example, an adhesive or adhesive backed tape to form a secure top of the carton  100 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the base member  102  and the lid portion  104  of the carton  100  prior to assembly.  FIG. 2  illustrates the rear wall  117  of the lid portion  104 . The rear wall  117  includes a detachable panel  202  that is partially defined by a perforated line  203 . The rear (transverse) wall  105  of the base member  102  includes a cut out region  205 , and break away regions  207 . The break away regions  207  are defined by perforations and are similar to the break away regions  111  (of  FIG. 1 ). The carton  100  may also include a break away channel region  209  on the rear (transverse) wall  105  and the bottom portion  109  that is defined by perforations. In alternate embodiments, the break away channel region  209  may be merely defined by a portion of the rear (transverse wall  105 ) such that the bottom portion  109  may remain intact, while the break away channel region  209  may be removed from the portion of the rear (transverse) wall. 
         [0020]    Though the illustrated embodiment includes the detachable panel  202  as being partially defined by the perforated line  203 , alternate embodiments may include the detachable panel  202  (not part of rear wall  117  or lid portion  104 ) as being disposed adjacent to the rear (transverse) wall  105  such that the detachable panel  202  is arranged in parallel to the rear (transverse) wall  105 . In such an arrangement, the detachable panel  202  may be provided as a separate component that is disconnected from the lid portion  104 . The detachable panel  202  may be, but is not limited to being connected to the break away regions  207 . 
         [0021]    Though the illustrated embodiment includes a lid portion  104  formed from a unitary continuous carton blank that may engage the base member  102 , one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that in an alternate embodiment, the lid portion  104  may be formed as a continuous portion of the base member  102  such that, for example, the side walls  113 , front wall  115 , rear wall  117 , and plurality of top walls  119  may be formed from a unitary continuous carton blank with the corresponding side longitudinal walls  103 , rear transverse wall  105 , front transverse wall  107  and bottom portion  109  base member  102 . In such an embodiment, the detachable panel  202  may be formed from a separate panel from the unitary continuous carton blank that would form the base member  102  and the lid portion  104 . 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, when assembled, the lid portion  104  slidably engages the base member  102  such that the outer surfaces of the side walls  113 , front wall  115 , and rear wall  117  of the lid portion  104  contact the inner surfaces of the side (longitudinal) walls  103 , rear (transverse) wall  105 , and front (transverse) wall  107  of the base member  102 . The detachable panel  202  overlaps the cut out region  205  such that the interior space of the base member  102  is inaccessible when the carton  100  is assembled and the break away regions  111  and  207  are in place. The lid portion  104  is secured to the base member  102  by an adhesive such as, for example, a glue, resin, or epoxy, that is applied to the inner surfaces of the break away regions  111  (of  FIG. 1) and 207 . The adhesive bonds the break away regions  111  to the side walls  113  of the lid portion  104  and the break away regions  207  to detachable panel  202  of the rear wall  117  of the lid portion  104 . 
         [0023]    In one instance, when the carton  100  is prepared by a user for placement in a merchandizing display, a user may exert a compressive force on the side walls  113  and/or the break away regions  111 . The compressive force breaks the perforated connections between the break away regions  111  and the side (longitudinal) walls  103  of the base member  102 . The adhesive bond between the break away regions  111  and the side walls  113  of the lid portion  104  should remain intact. The user may exert a force on the lid portion  104  that breaks the perforated connection between the detachable panel  202  and lid portion  104 . The adhesive bond between the break away regions  207  and the detachable panel  202  should remain intact such that the detachable panel  202  remains connected to the base member  102 . The remainder of the lid portion  104  may be detached from the base member  102  and discarded. The perforations that define the break away channel region  209  on the rear (transverse) wall  105  and the bottom portion  109  may also be removed. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates the carton  100  that has been placed by a user on a merchandizing display with the lid portion  104  removed in the manner discussed above. The merchandizing display may include a shelf  300  and a mechanical device that includes a following element  302  mechanically connected to a base element  304 . The base element  304  is secured to the shelf  300 , and includes a biasing element (not shown) such as, for example, a spring that exerts a linear force on the following element  302  biasing the following element  302  in the direction of a lip of the shelf  300  illustrated by the arrow  303 . An interior space  305  of the carton  100  is defined by base member  102 . The interior space  305  of the carton  100  is loaded with products arranged in product rows  301 . Though the illustrated exemplary embodiment includes two product rows  301 , alternate embodiments may include any number of product rows  301 . 
         [0025]    In one exemplary operation, a user may place the base member  102  on the shelf  300  such that the following element  302  contacts the detachable panel  202  in the break away channel region  209 . The user may exert a linear force on the base member  102  opposing the biasing force exerted on the following element  302 . The opposing forces break the perforated connection between the break away regions  207  and the rear (transverse) wall  105  such that the detachable panel  202  is detached from the rear (transverse) wall  105  and driven with a compressive force by the following element  302  in the direction  303 . In another embodiment, the shelf  300  may include an impinging element (not shown) arranged near the lip of the shelf  300 . The front (transverse) wall  107  of the base member  102  contacts the impinging element and opposes the force exerted by the following element  302 . 
         [0026]    In another embodiment, the biasing force from the following element  302  may be exerted on the detachable panel  202  that in turn, exerts a force on the rear most product in the rows of products  301 . The detachable panel  202  is aligned substantially orthogonal to the side (longitudinal) walls  103  (of  FIG. 1 ) of the base member  102 . When a product is removed from one of the rows of products  301 , the rows of products  301  are pushed forward (in the direction  303 ) towards the lip of the shelf  300 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic diagram of a unitary continuous carton blank of the base member  102  prior to foldably assembling the base member  102 . The illustrated embodiment includes lines  402  and  404  that define the break away regions  207  and  111 . As discussed above, the lines  402  and  404  represent perforations (illustrated by dashed lines) or cut lines (illustrated by solid lines) that allow the break away regions  207  and  111  to be removed by a user. The base member  102  and lid portion  104  (of  FIG. 1 ) may be formed from for example, a sheet product such as a corrugated sheet product. Further, sheet products may contain fibrous cellulosic materials that may be derived from natural sources, such as wood pulp fibers, as well as other fibrous material characterized by having hydroxyl groups attached to the polymer backbone. These include, but are not limited to, glass fibers and synthetic fibers modified with hydroxyl groups. The base member  102  is assembled by folding the base member  102  along defined folding regions (illustrated by solids lines between adjacent walls or adjacent walls and bottom portions). Once folded, the panels of the carton  100  may be secured together using any suitable method such as, for example, an adhesive such as, for example, a glue, epoxy, or resin or an adhesive tape material. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  illustrates a schematic diagram of a unitary continuous carton blank of the lid portion  104  prior to foldably assembling the lid portion  104 . The unitary continuous carton blank of the lid portion  104  includes the side walls  113 , the front wall  115 , the rear wall  117 , and the plurality of top walls  119  described above. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  illustrates a schematic diagram of a unitary continuous carton blank of an alternate embodiment of a base member  602  prior to foldably assembling the base member  602 . The base member  602  is similar to the base member  102  (of  FIG. 4 ) described above, however the base member  602  does not include the cut out region  205  (of  FIG. 4 ). The base member  602  may include a finger hole  601  in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the base member  602  may include a perforated portion operative to define a region similar to the region  205  described above. 
         [0030]    While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.