Patent Publication Number: US-2009223857-A1

Title: Product Display Carton

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/766,553, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 21, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a product display carton including a display box and a single removable insert forming product receiving compartments. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,773 B2 discloses a product display and support carton that includes a display box and an opposed pair of dividers. The display box is defined by a bottom panel and an upwardly extending wall panel which together form a product carrying enclosure. The product carrying enclosure defined by the bottom panel and wall panel is inclined at an angle to the vertical when the bottom panel is on a horizontal surface. With this arrangement, an opposed pair of dividers extends upwardly from opposite sides of the wall panel into the product carrying enclosure toward one another to define at least two separate product receiving compartments. This patent requires a plurality of separate carton inserts, none of which has a portion extending across the bottom panel of the display box. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,371 discloses a shipping and display carton that includes an outer container and an inner partition structure. The partition structure is constructed from a single cut and scored blank of corrugated paperboard that is folded and erected to form a modified Z-type divider with three loading cells. The front wall of the outer container includes a perforated cut-out that is removed for display purposes, and each divider panel of the partition structure includes a cut-out that is compatible in size and shape with the cut-out in the front wall of the outer container. However, the partitions structure or blank of this patent requires cut-outs, fold lines, and double score lines. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,671 discloses a carton for shipping and displaying a plurality of food packets or the like includes a generally rectangular, open-top member adapted to receive a plurality of food packets for packing and shipping, and a truncated member adapted to close telescopically over the rectangular member. The side walls are provided with serrated flaps which are joined to the side walls by score lines to retain the food packets disposed within the truncated carton member. 
     Known cartons are difficult to set up for display. In addition, the partition elements are cumbersome to set-up, insert, and remove. Accordingly, there is a need for a display carton that is more user-friendly without sacrificing strength. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing problems with the prior art. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a cost-effective display carton which is easy to set-up. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a display carton with a single, unitary removable insert. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a secure compartment for a product while also allowing for a substantially unobstructed view of the product in the display carton. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that the bottom and sides of a product may be supported by the single, unitary removable insert. 
     The above objects and advantages are satisfied by a display carton comprising a display box and a single removable insert. The display box has an open top and comprises a bottom panel; a rear wall extending upwardly from the bottom panel; a pair of side walls extending upwardly from the bottom panel; and a pair of front walls, each front wall extending inwardly from a side wall and attached to a bottom front wall extending upwardly from the bottom panel. The pair of front walls and the bottom front wall form a substantially unobstructed center viewing area for a displayed product. The single removable insert comprises at least one set of dividers extending inwardly from the side walls, upwardly from the bottom panel, and parallel to the rear wall, thereby defining at least two product receiving compartments for supporting product. 
     In at least one embodiment, the single removable insert comprises a foldable sheet having three sections, each section comprising at least one rib having at least one angled end. The ribs are configured so that when the foldable sheet is folded into a U-shaped insert, the ribs form at least one set of dividers. The at least one set of dividers comprises a first rib positioned against a first side wall adjacent to a second rib extending across the bottom panel of the display box which is adjacent to a third rib positioned against a second side wall opposite said first side wall, thereby defining at least two product receiving compartments. 
     In at least one embodiment, the single removable insert comprises a foldable sheet having three sections. The sheet comprises a rib on a first section having an end at a right angle to a horizontal surface of the foldable sheet; a rib on a second section having two ends, each end at an acute angle to a horizontal surface of the foldable sheet; and a rib on a third section having an end at a right angle to a horizontal surface of the foldable sheet. The ribs are configured so that when the foldable sheet is folded into a U-shaped insert, the ribs form at least one set of dividers. The at least one set of dividers comprises a first rib positioned against a first side wall adjacent to a second rib extending across the bottom panel of the display box which is adjacent to a third rib positioned against a second side wall opposite said first side wall, thereby defining at least two product receiving compartments. 
     As used herein “substantially”, “generally”, “relatively”, and “about” are relative modifiers intended to indicate permissible variation from the characteristic so modified. It is not intended to be limited to the absolute value or characteristic which it modifies but rather approaching or approximating such a physical or functional characteristic. 
     In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which are shown by way of illustration to specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The following illustrated embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes based on presently known structural and/or functional equivalents may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of the display carton according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of the display carton of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the display carton of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of a display box of  FIG. 1  without an insert. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of an insert according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of the insert of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is front perspective view of an insert according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is top view of the insert of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a top view of the insert of  FIG. 7  folded into a U-shape. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a top view of a display carton with the insert of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a perspective view of the display carton of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1-12  illustrate a product display carton including a display box and a single removable insert forming product receiving compartments. The display carton displays and supports at least one product, such as gift bags. 
     In this detailed description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “in embodiments” mean that the feature being referred to is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Moreover, separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “in embodiments” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment; however, neither are such embodiments mutually exclusive, unless so stated, and except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention can include any variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a product display carton  10  according to the present invention. The display carton  10  includes a display box  15  having and open top and a single removable insert  20 . The display box  15  and insert  20  may be made from any suitable material. Preferably, the display box and the insert are both formed of a corrugated material. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the display box  15  comprises a bottom panel  25 ; a pair of side walls  30  extending upwardly from the bottom panel  25 ; and a rear wall  35  extending upwardly from the bottom panel. Rear wall  35  advantageously comprises a panel of at least the height of the products to be displayed within display box  15 . In embodiments, the pair of side walls  30  may each have a rear portion  40  that extends at an angle upwardly to a top edge of the rear wall  35 . 
     The display box  15  comprises has a pair of front walls  45 , each front wall extending inwardly from a respective side wall  30 , so as to provide product retaining rails for product to be displayed in display carton  10 . For example, the pair of front walls  45  may extend inwardly up to about 3 inches, for example, about 1 inch from the side walls  30 . The pair of front walls  45  is attached to and contiguous with a bottom front wall  50  that extends upwardly from the bottom panel of the display box  15  for up to about 6 inches, for example, up to about 2 or 3 inches. Like the front walls  45 , the bottom front wall  50  comprises a product retaining rail for products to be displayed in display carton  10 . 
     The two front walls  45  and bottom front wall  50  help restrain a product placed into the product display box, help provide structural support for the display box, and also provides space for pictures, words, or other kinds of advertising on the display box. In addition, front walls  45  and bottom front wall  50  form a substantially unobstructed center viewing area for a product displayed in the display carton. 
     Bottom panel  25 , side walls  30 , rear wall  35 , front walls  45  and bottom front wall  50  together form an enclosure for a single removable insert  20 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , single removable insert  20  comprises at least one set of dividers  70  extending inwardly from the pair of side walls, upwardly from the bottom panel, and parallel to the rear wall. The at least one set of dividers  70  forms at least two product receiving compartments  75  for supporting product displayed in the display carton. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-6 , single removable insert  20  comprises a foldable sheet  55  comprising three sections  56 ,  57 ,  58 , each section having at least one rib  65 . In embodiments, each of sections  56 ,  57 ,  58  may have two ribs  65 . The at least one rib of each section has at least one angled end, for example, an end having an angle of about 45° from a horizontal surface of the foldable sheet  55 . Thus, when the foldable sheet  55  is folded into a U-shaped insert, the at least one angled end of a rib on one section lies proximate to the at least one angled end of a rib on an adjacent section, thereby forming a 90° angle. 
     When the foldable sheet  55  is folded into a U-shaped insert, the ribs  65  form at least one set of dividers  70  that defines product receiving compartments  75 . The at least one set of dividers  70  comprise a first rib  65  positioned against a first side wall  30  adjacent to a second rib  65  extending across the bottom panel  25  which is adjacent to a third rib  65  positioned against a second side wall  30  and opposite the first side wall, thereby defining at least two separate product receiving compartments  75 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . The insert  20  is of such a length that when folded and placed into the display box  15 , the at least one set of dividers  70  has a height that is less than the height of the pair of side walls  30  and the front walls  45 . 
     Removable insert  20  can easily fit into the product display box  15  to form display carton  10 . The insert  20  may be associated with the side walls of the display box  15  in any suitable manner, for example, by frictional engagement with or by adhesively securing it to the pair of side walls  30 . 
     Each of the product receiving compartments  75  will hold at least one product, such as a gift bag. By providing a limited quantity of products within each product receiving compartment, adequate support is provided for even a single gift bag that may remain in any one of the product receiving compartments. 
     In another specific embodiment of the insert as shown in  FIGS. 7-12 , single removable insert  20  comprises a foldable sheet  55  comprising three sections  56 ,  57 ,  58 , each section having at least one rib  65 . In specific embodiments, each of sections  56 ,  57 ,  58  may have two ribs  65 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the foldable sheet  55  in its flat configuration comprises at least two triangular cutouts or holes  80 , each cutout located at the junction of two sections, for example, between sections  56  and  57  and between sections  57  and  58 . The triangular cutouts are identical, mirror images of each other. The triangular cutouts may be in any effective shape, for example, in the shape of an equilateral or isosceles triangle. In specific embodiments, the at least one rib  65  of each section is formed from pre-scored, pre-stressed, or pre-folded lines so that when the flat foldable sheet is folded in a direction transverse to longitudinal axis A, the at least one rib  65  on each section  56 ,  57 ,  58  forms as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     As the sheet  55  is folded to make the at least one rib  65  on each section  56 ,  57 , and  58 , a bottom side  85  of each triangular cutout results in at least one rib having an end  90  with a right angle to the surface of the sheet (i.e., rib  65  on section  56  and rib  65  on section  58 ). The two sides  95  extending from the bottom side  85  of each triangular cutout to the apex results in at least one rib having angled ends  100 , for example, ends having an acute angle of about  450  from a horizontal surface of the foldable sheet  55  (i.e., rib  65  on section  57 ). The folded sheet  55  comprises at least one rib  65  having an end with a right angle on section  56 ; at least one rib  65  having two angled ends on section  57 , and at least one rib  65  having an end with a right angle on section  58 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 9-10 , the at least one rib  65  having angled ends  100  is configured so that each end forms a gap for receiving the right angle end  90  of an adjacent rib when the foldable sheet is folded into a U-shaped insert  105  for a display box. Thus, when the foldable sheet  55  is folded into a U-shaped insert, the gap formed by angled ends  100  of the at least one rib  65  on section  57  receives the right angle end  90  of the at least one rib  65  on an adjacent section  56  or  58 , respectively, thereby forming a reinforced joint. The U-shaped insert may be placed in a display box  15  as illustrated in  FIGS. 11-12 , thereby forming the at least one set of dividers  70  and at least two product receiving compartments  75  as discussed above. 
     According to a method of the present invention, the display carton may be made by folding a single sheet having three sections, each section comprising at least one rib into a U-shaped insert. The U-shaped insert is then placed into a display box having an open top. The display box includes a bottom panel, a rear wall extending upwardly from the bottom panel, a pair of side walls extending upwardly from the bottom panel, and a pair of front walls extending inwardly from the side walls. The pair of front walls is attached to a bottom front wall extending upwardly from the bottom panel. 
     Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it is understood by those skilled in the art that many other modifications and embodiments of the invention will come to mind to which the invention pertains, having benefit of the teaching presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings. 
     It is therefore understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that many modifications and other embodiments of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, although specific terms are employed herein, they are used only in generic and descriptive sense, and not for the purposes of limiting the description invention.