Abstract:
A display carton and motorized implement arrangement is disclosed. The display arrangement includes an operator carriable motorized implement and a display carton having display and access apertures. Ideally, in its packaged state within the display carton, the motorized implement is substantially assembled so that the end user may easily and efficiently utilize the implement without extensive subsequent assembly or set-up. The display carton has a main body and upper and lower body portions. The display carton substantially entirely contains the implement and allows the display arrangement to be stably maintained on a flat surface. The main body includes a front, rear, and side panels. The front panel includes a pair of display apertures to allow access to the retained implement at the point of sale. The front panel further includes a central panel portion, spaced between the pair of display apertures. Display apertures may be formed, at least in part, by inwardly biasing a retaining panel portion of the front panel toward the rear panel. The retaining panel may include a retaining structure for engaging and stabilizing the contained implement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/004,942, filed Jan. 9, 1998, and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,384. 
    
    
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to cartons and other similar box packages, and more specifically to a carton which substantially encloses an article of hand-held outdoor power equipment yet permits the purchaser to physically access portions of the article. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Point-of-sale packaging is, of course, a well known concept for shipment and display of products prior to sale. Usually this packaging is a box or carton which includes artistic designs to be both attractive and attention-getting. In order to protect the product and other contents from damage, loss, or theft, a completely closed carton is often desirable. A completely closed carton generally provides a convenient and secure manner for both shipping and displaying a product that may include additional parts, such as assembly fasteners, manuals, warranty, and the like. A variety of advertising and both graphical and textual product descriptions are typically found on the exterior panels of the box. Very often, the box graphics pictorially depict the enclosed product so that the consumer can see, among other items, the product manufacturer and trade dress, the product type, color, style, and size, and the product&#39;s intended use. Furthermore, closed cartons are generally manufactured relatively simply and efficiently with automatic machinery, and often an entire carton can be formed from a single blank of corrugated material or paperboard. However, traditional point-of-sale packaging which completely encloses the product from the consumer&#39;s view or touch is not satisfactory for displaying some products, especially products that a consumer may desire to visually and tactilely access to evaluate and determine whether or not to purchase the product. 
     Point-of-sale packages for powered hand-held yard implements are also known. These yard implements may include, for example, grass trimmers and snow-throwing devices, such as the line of flexible filament grass trimmers and the Power Shovel® snowthrower, respectively, manufactured by The Toro Company of Bloomington, Minn. Typical point-of-sale packages for powered, hand-held yard implements have generally included a corrugated paper box that completely encloses the implement at the point of sale. Typical graphics and written matter on panels of these implement boxes often attempt to convey to the consumer some of the implement&#39;s desirable features such as durability, feel and comfort of use, function, and ease of use, but these factors are difficult to convey to a customer visually rather than by actual physical contact or simulated use. 
     As with other consumer products, powered yard implements are specifically designed to be rugged and withstand abuse. The durability of a yard implement is often a major consideration for a consumer in deciding whether to purchase the item. Accordingly, consumers desire the opportunity to visually and tactilely access the implement prior to purchase to qualitatively assess durability and other factors such as the comfort, feel, weight, and balance of the item. Some retailers of these powered implements accommodate the consumer&#39;s desire to physically assess and handle the implement by providing a display model on the retail floor. However, retailers providing such display models may incur considerable expense in maintaining a large display inventory of several brands and models, for damaged or lost display products, for lost profits as the display products cannot be sold at normal prices, and for loss of shelf inventory to accommodate the display implements. Unfortunately, for some retailers who do not provide display models, a consumer desiring to independently assess the implement may resort to opening and removing the implement from the box, resulting in an opened or damaged package which may be difficult to sell later, or damage to a product that is not detected until a later purchaser returns it. Customers may also be leery of purchasing implements within open boxes, and this can result in unsaleable merchandise. Yet for many consumers the first opportunity to assess the implement for comfort, quality, balance, and other features is after purchase which also may result in additional store returns, restocking, and expensive customer service transaction costs. The foregoing problems are reduced by allowing the consumer to both see and touch the implement at the point of sale. 
     Many powered implements are elongate in design, and include a handle and a heavier working or functional end. Some packaging for these powered implements is sized to receive a disassembled implement, the height of these boxes being substantially shorter than the height of the subsequently assembled implement. Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,675 to Beihoffer, as an example of an implement which may be shipped in a “knocked down” or partially-disassembled state. 
     On the other hand, some consumers may prefer to purchase substantially or fully assembled implements which can be quickly placed in use. Manufacturers of powered implements have addressed this consumer desire by shipping and displaying substantially fully assembled implements within large enclosed boxes, the consumer having only to add minor componentry or perform slight adjustments prior to the intended use. Typical boxes for a substantially or fully assembled implements include a base upon which the carton is rested, wherein the elongate implement is maintained in a stable, upright or vertical orientation. Importantly, by fully-enclosing the implement within a carton, the implement is protected from damage, loss, or theft of parts during shipping and subsequent display. 
     Shipping and display cartons for substantially assembled powered yard implements are know which allow the consumer to partially access the implement without removal from the carton. Such cartons are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,332,085 and 5,495,937 to Fraser. Cartons according to the Fraser &#39;085 and &#39;937 patents are generally “C-shaped,” having a body with a large open central channel extending nearly the entire length of the carton which reveals the contained implement. As a result of the relatively large exposure of the implement through the open central region, these cartons may be characterized as “partially enclosing” the implement. A detrimental result of only partially enclosing an implement is exposure of the implement to damage during shipping and display. For example, nearly the entire handle member of a powered implement is exposed and unprotected when packaged according to the Fraser &#39;085 and &#39;937 patents. 
     In addition, the art in this area teaches packaging for grass-trimmers in which a trimmer guard and handle extension member are attached in-place on the trimmer. This unduly extends the “depth” and the “width” of the overall trimmer package. 
     Furthermore, cartons of the type disclosed in the Fraser &#39;085 and &#39;937 patents, unlike simple one-piece blank-formed cartons, are comprised of multiple parts including a separate body, top retainer structure, and bottom retainer structure. Multiple-part cartons are often less economical to manufacture because additional material and fabrication steps are needed to form the retainer structures. Multiple-part cartons are often less efficient to erect prior to receiving a product because the retainer structures have to be manually formed and positioned relative to the product and the carton body. 
     Finally, cartons of the type disclosed in the Fraser &#39;085 and &#39;937 patents are also perceived to be less rigid and protective as compared to a fully or (substantially-fully) enclosed carton. Such cartons are also harder to stack because they are not rectangular with flat side panels and are therefore less suitable for shipping and stacking products 
     A need therefore has arisen for a carton to hold a substantially or fully assembled powered implement which to a large extent provides protection against damage by “substantially enclosing” the implement, but further includes suitably located openings or access ways in the carton which allow the consumer to examine and handle the implement prior to purchase. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Addressing these and other concerns, the present invention is directed to a container apparatus for substantially enclosing a powered hand-held yard implement. The container of the present invention substantially encloses the implement to protect against damage, yet also provides apertures through which the consumer can examine and touch specific features of the implement. The container has a body portion defining an interior cavity for receiving the implement. The body portion includes a front panel, a rear panel, and a pair of side panels, each of which may include one or more display apertures which allow the consumer to visually and tactilely access the product at the point of sale. Preferably along the front panel, the consumer is provided access to both a handle portion and a functional portion of the implement. At least one of the display apertures of the front panel is formed by manipulating a hinged retaining panel toward the rear panel and into engagement with the implement to form a support for stabilizing the implement within the container. The front panel further includes a center panel for improving the rigidity of the container, the center panel spanning between the side panels and spaced between the display apertures. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the carton substantially encloses the implement and thus provides a damage-resistant container for shipping and displaying the implement, yet at the same time providing display apertures to allow access to the implement. 
     A related consideration is the machinery which makes the container. It is desirable to provide a blank which can be stamped, folded, and glued by automatic machinery. It is highly desirable that the package be formed from a single blank of material, thereby minimizing assembly and erection costs. Further, a desirable feature of the present invention is that the container, formed from a single blank of corrugated paper material, does not require the addition of separate retainer members or support structures to stably maintain or hold the implement within the carton. 
     A feature of the present invention is providing an implement container which permits the consumer to access the handle portion of the implement so it may be used when carrying the contained implement in the package. 
     Another feature of the present invention is providing “secure” regions within the implement container for storing small items associated with the implement. 
     Still another feature of the present invention is providing a sturdy package which allows the implement to be maintained in an upright vertical orientation, and to be stacked uniformly and stably with other like packages 
     In one embodiment, the carton is formed to have a generally elongate rectangularly-shaped front panel, rear panel, and side panels. This allows for extensive imprinting of promotional and informational material to be effectively exhibited to the consumer. 
     Accordingly, the container of the present invention provides several practical advantages, such as allowing display of and access to a hand-held powered yard implement at the point of sale, while simultaneously providing a sturdy “substantially-closed” rectangular container for protection of the implement during handling and shipping. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, three display apertures are positioned on the container, the front panel having an upper and lower display aperture and a side panel having a central display aperture. In another embodiment, one of the front display apertures is formed by manipulating a hinged retaining panel toward the rear panel and into engagement with the implement to serve as a support. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a container apparatus according to the present invention showing a powered hand-held yard implement in phantom within the container; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the container of FIG. 1 showing the container in a vertical orientation; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the container of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank utilized to form the container shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a partially-assembled container of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While this invention is readily susceptible to embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail a specific embodiment, with the understanding that this embodiment is to be considered as exemplary of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiment. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a carton  10  for a substantially assembled powered hand-held yard implement  12  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Overall, the carton  10  is generally rectangularly shaped and includes front, back, and side panels  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  which together define an interior cavity  38  for receiving the implement  12 . The carton  10  further includes access apertures or openings  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  which allow the consumer to view and physically assess the implement  12  at the point of sale. The implement  12 , illustrated in the drawings in phantom, is an electrically-powered filament-type grass trimmer  12  having a functional or working end  16  and a handle  14 . Assembly of the carton  10  will be discussed below, as will the placement and packaging of the implement  12  within the carton  10 . As shown in FIG. 1, the carton  10  may be placed in a preferred vertical orientation with the handle  14  of the trimmer  12  positioned above the functional end  16 . The present invention is not limited to packaging for grass trimmers  12 , as cartons  10  for other powered hand-held yard implements may also be made in accordance with the present invention. 
     The carton  10  of the present invention has a body portion  20 , a top portion  22 , and a bottom portion  24 . Top portion  22  and bottom portion  24  are opposed and spaced apart by the body portion  20 . Referring to FIG. 1, body portion  20  of the carton  10  includes a front panel  26 , a rear panel  28 , and a right side panel  30  and a left side panel  32  which extend between the front panel  26  and the rear panel  28 . Body portion  20  is substantially rectangular when viewed in a horizontal or transverse cross section. A generally right angle relationship exists between the front panel  26  and each side panel  30 ,  32  and between the rear panel  28  and each side panel  30 ,  32 . Front panel  26  and rear panel  28  are thus in substantial parallel alignment with each other. Carton  10  further includes a top panel  34  and a base panel  36 . Taken together, the front panel  26 , the rear panel  28 , and the side panels  30 ,  32  together define an interior cavity  38  for receiving the trimmer  12 . As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the interior cavity  38  is sized to relatively closely accommodate the trimmer  12  along its length, width, and height dimensions. The interior cavity  38  is closed at the bottom portion  24  of the carton  10  by the base panel  36 . Base panel  36  is formed from overlapping base panel sections  40   a-d . Base panel  36  preferably maintains the carton  10  and implement  12  in an upright or vertical orientation when the carton  10  is placed on a flat horizontal surface such as a floor or shelf. Likewise, the interior cavity  38  is closed at the top portion  22  by the top panel  34 . Top panel  34  is formed from overlapping top panel sections  41   a-d.    
     Referring to FIG. 1, the carton  10  of the present invention further includes implement display apertures  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 . Display apertures  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  are preferably sized to permit access through an associated panel so as to allow the consumer to examine the implement  12 . An embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings includes an upper display aperture  42  and a lower display aperture  44  both formed as part of the front panel  26 , and a central display aperture  46  formed as part of the right side panel  30 . Each display aperture  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  is sized to permit a consumer to visually and tactilely access a portion of the trimmer  12 . With reference to upper display aperture  42  of the front panel  26 , a consumer may extend their hand therethrough to grasp the handle end  14  of the trimmer  12 . With reference to the lower display aperture  44  of the front panel  26 , a consumer may likewise assess features of the functional end  16  of the trimmer  12 . The central display aperture  46  of the right side panel  30  provides the consumer yet another vantage to assess the features of the trimmer  12 . The display apertures  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  of the illustrated embodiment also provide the consumer convenient access to the trimmer  12  to assist in transporting the carton  10  and implement  12 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  2 , and  4 , the front panel  26  includes a lower display aperture  44  and an upper display aperture  42 . Lower display aperture  44  and upper display aperture  42  are spaced apart by a central panel section  50  which spans between the side panels  30 ,  32 . The lower display aperture  44  is formed by removing a portion of the front panel  26  generally adjacent the lower functional end  16  of the trimmer  12  along cut line  52 . This display aperture  44  may be formed by well known die-cutting techniques to remove a portion of the front panel  26 . In the illustrated embodiment, the shape of lower display aperture  44  is generally contoured relative to the shape of a portion of the functional end  16  of the trimmer  12 , though alternative forms may also be practicable depending primarily on the particular implement  12 . The upper display aperture  42  extends laterally between the side panels  30 ,  32  and longitudinally between fold line  54  and cut line  56 . The upper display aperture  42  is formed by manipulating an upper hinged retaining panel  58  toward the rear panel  28  in a manner described below, the retaining panel being defined by and extending from the front panel  26 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  3 , and  5 , right side panel  30  includes a central display aperture  46  that is generally “L” shaped and extends laterally between the front panel  26  and the rear panel  28 , and longitudinally between cut line  59  and fold or hinge line  60 . Similar to the upper display aperture  42  of the front panel  26 , the central display aperture  46  is formed by articulating a retaining panel  62  toward the opposite left side panel  32  in a later described manner. Right side panel  30  may further include an upper display aperture  48  allowing the consumer to view an upper portion of the handle member  14  of the implement  12 . 
     Illustrated in FIG. 4 is a material blank  64  which is used to form the container  10  in FIG.  1 . Blank  64  is preferably formed from a single sheet of corrugated paper material, although alternatively either a multiple-piece blank  64  or another suitable material could be selected as dictated by the particular application. The view of FIG. 4 is of the interior surfaces of the container  10 . Major panel sections are defined along longitudinal fold lines  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72  and an upper transversely-extending fold line  74  and a lower transversely extending fold line  76 . The top panel sections  41   a-d  are defined by spaced cut lines  78  and the upper transversely extending fold line  74 . Similarly, the base panel sections  40   a-d  are defined by the lower transversely extending fold line  76  and spaced cut lines  80 . Fold lines  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72  and cut lines  78 ,  80  may be formed in any conventional manner. Still referring to FIG. 4, the material blank  64  includes a right-side retaining panel  62  and the front retaining panel  58 . The right side retaining panel  62  is defined along cut line  59  and the hinge line  60 , as illustrated in FIG.  5 . Right side retaining panel  62  further includes an flap portion  82 , defined by cut line  59  and fold line  84 , which contacts the left side panel  32  after the retaining panel  62  is articulated into place along hinge line  60 . A slot  86  is formed along a portion of the fold line  84  and is sized to receive an extending portion of a locking ear  88  during assembly as will be described below. Central retaining panel  62  further includes a retaining surface  90  for contact with the implement  12  to assist in stabilizing the implement  12  within the carton  10 . 
     Front retaining panel  58  is defined by cut line  56  and hinge line  54 . A portion of cut line  56  is coextensive with longitudinal fold lines  68 ,  70  of carton  10  resulting in the width of upper retaining panel  58  being equal to the distance between left side panel  32  and right side panel  30 . Upper retaining panel  58  further includes a projecting portion  59 , defined by cut line  56  and fold line  92 . Once the implement  12  is received into the carton  10  in a below described manner, projecting portion  90  abuttingly contacts a portion of the rear panel  28  of the carton  10  as shown in FIG.  5 . Upper retaining panel  58  further includes a retaining surface  94  for assisting in stabilizing and securing the implement  12  within the carton  10 . Retaining surface  94  extends around the periphery of slot  96  which is sized to receive a portion of the handle  14  of the trimmer  12  as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     The blank  64  further includes a glue panel  98  used during assembly of the container  10  to secure the right side panel  30  to the rear panel  28 . During assembly of the container  10 , the glue panel  98  is preferably adhered to an edge  101  of the rear panel  28  along its length as partially shown in FIG.  1 . The container  10  can then be compressed and flattened along the longitudinal fold lines  66 ,  68 ,  70 ,  72 . The result is a flattened container  10  which is particularly suited for bulk shipment from the point of manufacture of the container  10  to the point where the trimmer  12  is inserted into the container  10 . 
     The insertion of the trimmer  12  within the container  10  can be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. The container  10  may be erected from a flattened state (discussed above) to a form ready for reception of the trimmer  12  by applying pressure to diametrically opposed corner edges of the flattened container  10  to square the container  10  into the preferred rectangular shape. Once the container  10  is squared, the base panel  36  can be formed by folding the base panel sections  40   a-d  along fold lines  76  in an overlapping manner. The base panel section  40   b  associated with the front panel  26  of the container  10  preferably includes a second fold line  100  allowing an outwardly extended portion of this base panel section  40   b  to be folded over to form an increased-thickness portion  102  of the base panel  36  for supporting and cushioning the trimmer  12  as shown in FIG.  5 . Base panel sections  40   a-d  are folded in overlapping fashion to form the base panel  36  and are secured with tape, glue, staples, or any other known fastening or securing technique. 
     The upper retaining panel  58  is then folded across the fold line  54  and held so that the upper retaining panel  58  is temporarily at or near abutting contact with the interior surface  104  of the front panel  26 . The trimmer  12  is next longitudinally inserted into the interior cavity  38  from the top portion  22  of the container  10  with the functional end  16  of the trimmer  12  stopping in contact with the base panel  36 . Preferably, a portion of the functional end  16  of the trimmer  12  contacts the increased-thickness portion  102  of the base panel  36  as shown in FIG. 5. A trimmer guard  18  or other additional parts may then be loaded into the interior cavity  38  and positioned proximate to the functional end  16  of the trimmer  12 . 
     The central retaining panel  62  may then be folded to form a retaining structure  90  and central display aperture  46 . First, the tab portion  82  of the central retaining panel  62  is prepared by folding it generally perpendicular to the central retaining panel  62  along fold line  84 . Next, the central retaining panel  62  is folded generally perpendicular across fold line  60  and inward toward the left side panel  32 . As a result, the tab portion  82  abuttingly contacts a portion of the left side panel  32  and the retaining surface  90  contacts a portion of the handle  14  of the trimmer  12 . The locking ear  88  of left side panel  32  is finally bent about fold line  106  and inserted through the slot  86  in central retaining panel  62  to assist in maintaining the central retaining panel  62  in a generally perpendicular relationship relative to the side panels  30 ,  32 . Right side retaining panel  62  cooperatively engages the front panel  26  and rear panel  28  to enhance the overall structural rigidity of the container  10 . As a result, a relatively secure interior region  107  is created within the interior cavity  38  between the base panel  36  and the horizontally positioned central retaining panel  62  and behind the trimmer  12 . The guard  18  and any additional parts are securely maintained therein during shipping and display. 
     A further step in the packaging of the trimmer  12  within the container  10  is releasing the upper retaining panel  58  from its temporary abutting contact with the interior surface  104  of the front panel  26  and positioning the upper retaining panel  58  into generally perpendicular orientation with respect to the front panel  26 . The tab portion  59  is folded across fold line  92  and into contact with a portion of the rear panel  28  as shown in FIG.  5 . Furthermore, as upper retaining panel  58  is lowered into position, the retaining surfaces  94  engages a portion of the handle end  14  of the trimmer  12 . 
     As a final step, the top panel  34  is formed by folding top panel sections  41   a-d  generally perpendicular to their respective front panel  26 , rear panel  28 , or side panel  30 ,  32  and into an overlapping relationship. The top panel section  41   d  associated with the rear panel  28  preferably includes an articulating panel  108  which, when folded across fold line  114 , provides another shock-resisting region  110  for contact with the uppermost portion of the trimmer  12 . Top panel sections  41   a-d  are likewise secured in conventional manner to form the top panel  34 . Another secure area  112  is formed within the interior cavity  38  between the upper retaining panel  58  and the top panel  34 . 
     The retaining panels  58 ,  62  each form at least a portion of an associated display aperture  46 ,  42 , and function to positively retain the implement  12  within the container  10 . The container  10  of this invention thus provides for positive retention of the trimmer  12  within the container  10 . 
     The container of the present invention substantially encloses a powered implement  12  and provides display apertures  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  which allow a consumer to access the product both visually and tactilely. In one embodiment, the front panel  26  of the container  10  includes the pair of display apertures  42 ,  44  which are separated by a central panel section  50  which spans between the side panels  30 ,  32 . This central panel  50  functions to increase the overall rigidity of the container  10 , and otherwise strengthens the container  10  to minimize or prevent damage to the contents during shipping and subsequent display in a vertical orientation as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     While the preferred embodiments of the above implement container have been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, it is understood that various changes, modifications, and adaptations may be made in the container without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.