Abstract:
A three-dimensional display header for point-of-purchase displays is provided, which is pivotably movable from a stowed, flattened position atop a display topper, to a deployed, three-dimensional upright display position. In a first embodiment, the display header has a U-shaped configuration in its deployed position, while in a second embodiment, it has a box-shaped configuration in its deployed position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. The Technical Field 
   The present invention relates to point-of-purchase displays, typically fabricated from corrugated paperboard material, particularly such displays which are reconfigurable from a shipping configuration to a display configuration. The present invention relates in particular to display headers for such point-of-purchase displays. 
   2. The Prior Art 
   Display headers for point-of-purchase displays are well known. 
   The simplest version of a display header is simply a flat panel that either extends as a mere continuation of a front or rear wall of a display, or as a glued-on extension. Sometimes, these headers are folded down, over the top or is front of the display, during shipment. Such header constructions may be seen in such references such as Jeronimus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,332; Taub, U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,613; and Vesborg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,504. 
   Other displays employ a header which is a separate sheet of planar material that is inserted onto a top edge of the main display, sometimes with interdigitating notches formed in one or both of the bottom edge of the header or a top edge of a wall of the display. Typically, the header is either inserted amongst the articles being shipped, or is laid atop the display, during shipment. Such header constructions may be seen in references such as Taub, U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,576; Baker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,427; and Hostad, U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,288, among others. Still other displays, such as those made and sold by Cameo Container Corporation, included a simple U-shaped header with a front wall and two side walls, with simple tabs extending downwardly from the side walls to be received by slots, typically in the side panels of the display itself, typically so that the front wall aligned with a front wall of the display, and the side walls aligned with side walls of the display. Yet other displays utilize folded or box-shaped headers that “pop-up” from a position within the display, as described in Feigelman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,014; Taub, U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,934; Mason et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,378 B2; and Germany, DE 34 11 491. 
   These displays typically require several specific movements by a store worker in order for the header to be deployed. Further, many two-dimensional headers lack depth, rigidity, stability, profile and “presence”. 
   It is thus desirable to provide a header construction for a point-of-purchase display which is three-dimensional when deployed. 
   It is also desirable to provide a header construction which is compact when it is in its shipping configuration, yet which maximizes a visual profile upon deployment. 
   It is further desirable to provide a header construction which is easily deployed from a stowed configuration, with a minimum amount of effort required by the installer. 
   Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a header construction which is highly stable when in its deployed configuration. 
   These and other desirable characteristics of the present invention will become apparent, in view of the specification, including the claims, and drawings. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention comprises a three-dimensional display header, for a point-of-purchase display. 
   The display header comprises a central panel, for bearing display indicia. At least one side panel emanates from a first side edge of the central panel, for supporting the central panel. The at least one side panel is pivotable from a position substantially adjacent to the central panel, to a position substantially perpendicular to the central panel. At least one central panel tab emanates from a lower edge of the central panel, and is operably configured to be insertably and restrainably received in a first slot in a display topper of a point-of-purchase display. The at least one central panel tab enables the central panel to be pivotable from a stowed position substantially parallel to an upper surface of a display topper of a point-of-purchase display, to a display position substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the display topper of said point-of-purchase display. At least one side panel tab emanates from a lower edge of the at least one side panel, and is operably configured to be insertably and restrainably received in a second slot in a display topper of the point-of-purchase display, upon positioning of the at least one side panel, in said position substantially perpendicular to the central panel, and upon positioning of the central panel in a position substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the display topper of the point-of-purchase display. 
   The display header of the present invention is preferably, operably configured to be disposed on the point-of-purchase display, such that the central panel is disposed facing toward a front side of the point-of-purchase display, with the at least one side panel extending rearwardly from the first side edge of the central panel. The display header is preferably positioned proximate the rear edge region of the topper, and is operably configured to be folded downwardly, to a position overlying and adjacent to an upper surface of the topper, with no portions of the folded-down header extending beyond peripheral edge regions (“the footprint”) of the topper. 
   The at least one side panel preferably comprises two side panels, each emanating from an opposing side edge of the central panel, and pivotable from a position substantially parallel to the central panel, to a position substantially perpendicular to the central panel. 
   The central panel preferably comprises two central panel layers joined to one another along adjacent respective top edge regions of the two central panel layers, and folded to overlying positions, parallel to and adhered to one another. 
   The at least one side panel preferably comprises two side panel layers joined to one another along adjacent respective top edge regions of the two side panel layers, and folded to overlying positions parallel to and adhered to one another. 
   The at least one central panel tab preferably has a width which is less than the length of the first slot in the display topper. 
   The at least one central panel tab preferably has a flap extending laterally therefrom, along a fold line, so that the total width of the at least one central panel tab and flap becomes greater than the length of the first slot in the display topper, whereupon folding of the flap back upon the at least one central panel tab, insertion of the at least one central panel tab into the first slot in the display topper is enabled, and after passage of the flap through the first slot, the tab is prompted (such as by fiber memory, or otherwise) to return toward an unfolded position, precluding removal of the at least one central panel tab from the first slot in the display topper. 
   The at least one side panel tab preferably has a width which is greater than the length of the second slot in the display topper, and includes a longitudinally forward-extending portion operably configured to be positioned, upon insertion of the at least one side panel tab into the second slot in the display topper. Preferably, the at least one side panel tab includes a beveled rear edge to facilitate rotatable insertion of the at least one side panel tab into the second slot of the display header, as the central panel pivotably rotates at the attachment position of the central panel slot. 
   The display header preferably further comprises a longitudinally extending slot disposed between the at least one side panel and the at least one side panel tab, which slot is operably configured to receive a longitudinally extending and horizontally projecting tab disposed in the second slot in the display topper, for retaining the at least one side panel tab in its inserted position, to, in turn, assist in retaining the display header in its display position substantially perpendicular to the display topper. 
   In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the display header preferably further comprises a rear panel, operably and pivotably connecting the two side panels, and disposed parallel to the central panel, so that upon positioning of the display header in its stowed position, the rear panel is positioned parallel to and partially overlying the central panel, with one side panel extending parallel to and away from the central panel, and the other side panel overlying a portion of and extending parallel to the central panel. Upon positioning of the display header in its display position, the side panels are perpendicular to the central panel and the rear panel, and parallel to each other. 
   In this alternative embodiment of the invention, the display header preferably further comprises a lid panel pivotably connected, along a first edge thereof, to an upper edge of the central panel, between a stowed position, extending parallel to and away from the central panel, and a display position extending perpendicular to and toward the rear panel. In this alternative embodiment, the display header preferably also further comprises a closure flap extending from a second edge of the lid panel, which closure flap is configured to be disposed adjacent an upper edge region of the rear panel, when the display header is in its display position, towards retaining the lid panel in its display position. This embodiment of display header preferably also further comprises a rear panel tab, operably configured to be received in a third slot disposed in a display topper, for facilitating retention of the display header in its display position. The rear panel is preferably connected to the side panels by interlocking slots and tabs disposed in the side panels and rear panel, respectively. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of a blank for a header according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the header of  FIG. 1 , after initial articulation and gluing. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the header of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , after further articulation. 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of a top panel of a shipper/display, showing the apertures for receiving the mounting tabs of the header, of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       FIGS. 5A-5D  are a series of schematic illustrations of the header of  FIGS. 1-3 , in perspective view, showing how the header is folded and positioned on the top panel (display topper) of a shipper/display. 
       FIG. 6  is a plan view of a blank for a header according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the header of  FIG. 6 , after severing the rear panel from the blank, and after initial articulation and gluing. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the header of  FIGS. 6 and 7 , after further articulation. 
       FIG. 9  is a view of the header of  FIGS. 6 and 7 , showing the placement of the various tabs and flaps, including those on the interior of the header, following articulation of the header into its box-configuration. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the header of  FIGS. 6-9 , after the front and rear portions of the header have been articulated and attached to one another, and then folded flat, as it would be positioned atop a display topper during shipment, prior to final articulation and rotation into its erected display orientation. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail, several preferred embodiments of the invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments so illustrated. 
   In accordance with the usual conventions regarding the illustration of blanks of foldable material, unless otherwise expressly indicated, solid lines within the interior of a blank represent through-cuts or apertures, and broken or dotted lines represent lines of weakness, such as score lines, perforations, or the like. In preferred embodiments of the invention, each of the blanks illustrated herein is fabricated from a corrugated paperboard material (preferably of the grade known in the industry as single-wall B-flute corrugated paperboard), although similar paper-based or other materials, both fibrous and/or plastic materials, having similar performance characteristics, may be employed if desired. 
     FIGS. 1-5  illustrate a flip-up display header according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1  illustrates a plan view of blank  10  for forming a flip-up header having a U-shaped configuration when in its installed configuration. If blank  10  is fabricated from corrugated paperboard material, preferably, the corrugations run in the direction of arrow A. Blank  10  includes outer center panel  12 , inner center panel  14 , outer left panel  16 , inner left panel  18 , outer right panel  20 , and inner right panel  22 . Center panel tabs  24 ,  26  emanate from the lower edge  28  of outer center panel  12 . Flaps  30 ,  32  are foldably connected to tabs  24 ,  26  along fold lines disposed therebetween. Tabs  34 ,  36 ,  38  and  40  extend from the “bottom” regions of outer left panel  16 , inner left panel  18 , outer right panel  20 , and inner right panel  22 , respectively, and are separated therefrom by elongated slots  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48 , respectively. 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, panels  18 ,  14  and  22  are folded over (toward the observer of  FIG. 1 ) and glued to panels  16 ,  12  and  20 , respectively. The arrows marked “glue” indicate suggested lines for placement of the glue. Slots  44  and  48  will be aligned with slots  42 ,  46 , respectively, and tabs  36 ,  48  will be aligned with and glued to tabs  34 ,  38 , respectively.  FIG. 2  illustrates header  10 , after the blank has been glued and folded over. In practice, when header  10  is mounted onto a display, panel  14  will be facing toward the rear of the display, and panels  18  and  22  will be facing toward one another, and perpendicular to panel  18 . 
     FIG. 4  illustrates a blank  50  for a display topper for a point-of-purchase display with which the header of  FIGS. 1-3  may be used. In a preferred embodiment, display topper blank  50  preferably will have two portions that are folded over to provide a double-thickness structure; however, a single layer structure could be used, if desired. Display topper blank  50  includes upper panel  52 , lower panel  54 , rear flap  56 , and side flaps  58 ,  60 . Upper panel  52  includes tabbed slots  62 ,  64  and notched slots  66 ,  68 . Lower panel  54  includes tabbed slots  70 ,  72 , and rectangular slots  74 ,  76 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, panel  54  is folded under panel  52  (i.e., away from the observer of  FIG. 4 ), and glued to the underside (far side) of panel  52 . Flaps  56 ,  58  and  60  are then folded down (away from the observer) and inserted into upper wall gaps or slots, as may be appropriate, so as to position display topper  50  at an uppermost position on a display (not shown), preferably in a horizontal (or nearly so) orientation. 
   As disclosed in  FIGS. 1-5 , header  10  will be attached to display topper  50  in the following manner. Firstly, the side-to-side width of tabs  24 ,  26  (not including flaps  30 ,  32 ), is each slightly less than the length of notched slots  66 ,  68 , respectively. Flaps  30 ,  32  are folded inwardly toward one another, and tabs  24 ,  26  are inserted into slots  66 ,  68 , respectively, wherein the widened or notched portions of slots  66 ,  68 , accommodate the increased thicknesses of tabs  24 ,  26 , where flaps  30 ,  32  have been folded over. Once tabs  24 ,  26  have been fully inserted, and flaps  30 ,  32  have “cleared” (i.e., been pushed completely below) display topper  50 , flaps  30 ,  32  are free to move back toward their unfolded positions. As such, tabs  24 ,  26  are captured by slots  66 ,  68 , and cannot be removed without either deformation or the refolding of flaps  30 ,  32 . In turn, header  10  becomes captured on display topper  50 , and cannot easily become accidentally separated therefrom. 
   During loading and shipping of the display (not shown), header  10  remains essentially in the configuration shown in  FIG. 2 ; that is, panels  18 / 16  and  22 / 20  remain parallel to panels  14 / 12 . However, header  50  is laid down atop panel  52  of display topper  50 , and within its “footprint” during shipment, after tabs  24 ,  26  have been inserted into slots  66 / 74  and  68 / 76 . In order to maintain panel  12  in juxtaposed, parallel relation to panel  52  of display topper  50 , tabs  24 ,  26  may be somewhat bent into an “S”-shape or similar distortion, but this should not adversely affect the subsequent performance of the header in its deployed configuration. 
   Once the point-of-purchase display has arrived at its commercial/retail destination, to deploy header  10 , panels  16 / 18  and  20 / 22  are pivoted toward the rear of the display, to positions perpendicular to panels  12 / 14 . See  FIG. 5A . Once the side wall panels have been brought perpendicular to the center panels  12 / 14 , header  10  is brought to a vertical position, with tabs  34 / 36  and  38 / 40  being inserted into aligned slots  62 / 70  and  64 / 72 , respectively, with the beveled rearwardly facing edges of tabs  34 / 36  and  38 / 40  enabling clearance of the rearwardmost ends of the slots. Eventually, the tabbed portions of slots  62 / 70  and  64 / 72  will slip or snap into slots  34 / 44  and  46 / 48  of tabs  34 / 36  and  38 / 40 , respectively, to retain header  10  in its fully deployed, erected configuration. See  FIGS. 5B-5D . 
   The present invention also includes a box-shaped flip-up header construction, shown in  FIGS. 6-10 . Header  100  (in its assembled and/or articulated form in  FIGS. 7-10 ) is formed from blank  110 , which, in turn, is formed from a front portion  112  and a rear portion  114 . Front portion  112  includes front panel  116 , side panels  118  and  120 , box-forming flaps  122  and  124 , front panel tabs  126  and  128  with their corresponding locking flaps  130  and  132 , lid panel  134  and closure flap  136 . Side panels  118  and  120  include slots  138  and  140 , and hooked tabs  142 ,  144 . Slots  146  and  148  are positioned along the fold lines between side panels  118 ,  120  and their respective box-forming flaps  122 ,  124 . 
   Rear portion  114  of blank  110  includes rear panel  150  with trapezoidal tab  152  and slots  154 ,  156 ; side panels  158  and  160 ; slots  162 ,  164 ,  166  and  168 ; and articulated tabs  170 ,  172 . As blank  110  is laid out, the bottom edge  174  of trapezoidal tab  152  adjoins what becomes the free edge  176  of closure flap  136 . At the same time as blank  110  is initially die cut from a web of material, preferably corrugated paperboard (or immediately thereafter), front portion  112  and rear portion  114  are cut, so as to separate from one another, along the common line between edges  174  and  176 . 
     FIG. 7  illustrates how front portion  112  and rear portion  114  may be aligned with one another, prior to attachment to one another. To attach front portion  112  to rear portion  114 , first side panels  118 ,  120  are folded perpendicular to front panel  116 , and side panels  158 ,  160  are folded perpendicular to rear panel  150 . Front panel  116  and rear panel  150  are arranged parallel to one another, and spaced apart by the width of side panels  158 ,  160 , which are arranged to the outside of, and in juxtaposed parallel overlying relationship to, side panels  118 ,  120 , so that box-forming flaps  122 ,  124  extend to the inside of, and generally parallel to, the inside surface of rear panel  150 . Articulated tabs  170 ,  172  are then inserted into slots  148 ,  146 . Lid panel  134  is folded perpendicular to rear panel  150 , and closure flap  136  is tucked in to a position to the inside of rear panel  150 . See  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     FIG. 10  illustrates how header  100  may be made to lie flat. Closure flap  136  is untucked and lid panel  134  is pivoted up to be parallel to rear panel  150 . Then, the body of header  100  is parallelogrammed until front panel  116  and rear panel  150  are in contact with one another. 
   Mounting of header  100  on a display is similar to the manner in which header  10  is mounted onto topper  50  in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5 , except that a topper configured to work with header  100  will have, in addition to the slots shown in topper  50 , one additional slot positioned toward the rear edge of the topper, to receive tab  152 . This slot would also have two laterally extending tabs, configured to automatically snap into slots  124 ,  126 , to further help stabilize and retain header  100  in position. 
   The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention, and the invention is not so limited as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.