Patent Publication Number: US-11390420-B2

Title: Retail ready harness style wrap around split case

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The subject invention is directed to product packaging, and more particularly, to a retail ready harness style wrap around case configured to be split in half for displaying products in two separate display cases. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Retailers, such as big-box stores, superstores and warehouse clubs sell large quantities of fast moving consumer goods. These retailers often want to have items shipped from their distribution centers to stores in unit loads and bulk boxes that can be stocked without handling of the merchandise. 
     The goal for corrugated shipping containers is to put case goods directly onto shelves and stocking locations without individually handling the unit packs or primary packages. To this end, retailers often require products to come in shelf ready packaging to reduce stocking costs and save labor expenses. Shelf ready packaging, also known as, retail ready packaging refers to the packaging of a product so that it is delivered to a retailer in a manner optimized for efficient stocking and sale. 
     Some retailers prefer to ship carded products, such as blister packs and frozen foods, in two separate rows arranged in a side-by-side orientation. However, this orientation presents problems when displaying the products on a shelf so that they are aesthetically pleasing and readily accessible to a customer. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a retail ready package that is adapted and configured for displaying two separate rows of products that are arranged side-by-side in a vertical front facing display orientation for ready access by a consumer. The subject invention provides for such a package. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The subject invention is directed to a retail ready package configured for division into two separate product display cases wherein two rows of products are arranged side-by-side within the package in a vertical front facing display orientation relative to the left and right lower front panels of the package. 
     More particularly, the subject invention is directed to a blank for constructing a retail ready package configured for division into two separate product display cases, which includes left and right lower front panels separated from one another by a shaped front notch, left and right bottom panels respectively foldably connected to the left and right lower front panels along a lower front horizontal fold line and separated from one another along a bottom vertical perforation line, and left and right lower rear panels respectively foldably connected to the left and right bottom panels along a lower rear horizontal fold line and separated from one another along a lower rear vertical perforation line. 
     The blank further includes an upper rear panel separably connected to the left and right lower rear panels along a shaped upper rear cut line, a top panel foldably connected to the upper rear panel along an upper rear horizontal fold line, and an upper front panel foldably connected to the top panel along an upper front horizontal fold line. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, the upper rear panel, the top panel and the upper front panel are adapted and configured to be separated from the left and right lower front panels, the left and right bottom panels and the left and right lower rear panels along the shaped upper rear cut line associated with the upper rear panel. Furthermore, the left lower front panel, the left bottom panel and the left lower rear panel are adapted and configured to be divided from the right lower front panel, the right bottom panel and the right lower rear panel along the bottom vertical perforation line and the lower rear vertical perforation line to form two separate product display cases. 
     The left and right lower front panels have respective left and right lower front side flaps foldably connected thereto, the left and right bottom panels have respective left and right bottom side flaps foldably connected thereto, the left and right lower rear panels have respective left and right lower rear side flaps foldably connected thereto, and the upper rear panel has left and right upper rear side flaps foldably connected thereto. 
     Furthermore, the left and right upper rear side flaps are separated from the left and right lower rear side flaps by continuations of the shaped upper rear cut line associated with the upper rear panel. In addition, the top panel has left and right top side flaps foldably connected thereto and the upper front panel has left and right upper front side flaps foldably connected thereto. Preferably, the upper front panel has a front recessed access area formed in an upper edge thereof, wherein the recessed area aligns with the shaped front notch separating the left and right lower front panels. 
     These and other features of the retail ready package of the subject invention will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which the subject invention appertains from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following brief description of the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that those skilled in the art will readily understand how to make and use the retail ready package of the subject invention without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to the figures wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the display configuration of the retail ready package of the subject invention, which is split into two separate product display cases; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a blank for forming the retail ready package of the subject invention, which includes a removable portion and a display portion; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the blank for forming the retail ready package of the subject invention, which includes a removable portion and a display portion; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the retail ready package of the subject in a partially formed product loading condition; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the retail ready package of the subject invention in a fully loaded shipping condition; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the retail ready package of the subject invention as the removable portion of the package is being separated from the display portion of the package, while the package is in its shipping orientation with products facing upward; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the retail ready package of the subject invention with the removable portion of the package completely separated from the display portion of the package, and wherein the package is in its display orientation with products facing forward; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the display portion of the retail ready package of the subject invention as the display portion of the package is split into two separate display cases; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the display configuration of the retail ready package of the subject invention divided into two separate product display cases wherein two rows of products are arranged side-by-side in a vertical front facing display orientation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or elements of the subject invention, there is illustrated in  FIG. 1  a retail ready package  100  for shipping and displaying products, and more particularly, a harness wrap style retail ready package configured for division into two separate product display cases  120   a  and  120   b , wherein two rows of products  130   a  and  130   b  are arranged side-by-side within the package in a vertical front facing display orientation relative to the left and right lower front panels  12  and  14  of the package, as best seen in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a blank for forming the retail ready package of the subject invention, which his designated generally by reference numeral  10 . The blank  10  is preferably formed from a die cut corrugated cardboard sheet or a similar material. In the description that follows, the panels of the blank  10  are described relative to the display orientation of a fully constructed package, as opposed to the shipping orientation of the package. Moreover, as explained in more detail below, in the shipping orientation, which is shown for example in  FIG. 5 , the front of the package faces upward, rather than forward, as it would on a shelf, as previously shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The blank  10  includes left and right lower front panels  12  and  14  separated from one another by a shaped front notch  15 . The left and right lower front panels  12  and  14  have respective left and right lower front side flaps  12   a  and  14   a  that are foldably connected thereto along respective fold line  12   b  and  14   b . Left and right bottom panels  16  and  18  are respectively foldably connected to the left and right lower front panels  12  and  14  along a lower front horizontal fold line  17  and they are separated from one another along a bottom vertical perforation line  19 . The left and right bottom panels  16  and  18  have respective left and right bottom side flaps  16   a  and  18   a  foldably connected thereto along respective vertical fold lines  16   b  and  18   b.    
     The blank  10  further includes left and right lower rear panels  22  and  24  respectively foldably connected to the left and right bottom panels  16  and  18  along a lower rear horizontal fold line  21  and they are separated from one another along a lower rear vertical perforation line  23 . The left and right lower rear panels  22  and  24  have respective left and right lower rear side flaps  22   a  and  24   a  foldably connected thereto along respective vertical fold lines  22   b  and  24   b.    
     An upper rear panel  20  is separably connected to the left and right lower rear panels  22  and  24  along a shaped upper rear cut line  25 . The upper rear panel  20  has left and right upper rear side flaps  20   a  and  20   b  foldably connected thereto along respective fold lines  20   c  and  20   d . The left and right upper rear side flaps  20   a  and  20   b  are separated from the left and right lower rear side flaps  22   a  and  24   a  by respective left and right continuations  25   a  and  25   b  of the shaped upper rear cut line  25  associated with the upper rear panel  20 . 
     The blank  10  also includes a top panel  26  that is foldably connected to the upper rear panel  20  along an upper rear horizontal fold line  27 , and an upper front panel  28  foldably connected to the top panel  26  along an upper front horizontal fold line  29 . The top panel  26  has left and right top side flaps  26   a  and  26   b  foldably connected thereto along respective fold lines  26   c  and  26   d , and the upper front panel  28  has left and right upper front side flaps  28   a  and  28   b  foldably connected thereto along respective fold lines  28   c  and  28   d . The left and right upper front side flaps  28   a  and  28   b  are formed with lateral cut-outs  32   a  and  32   b  that define hand hold areas for carrying the fully erected and loaded retail ready package  100  of the subject invention, as shown for example in  FIG. 5 . 
     Preferably, the upper front panel  28  has a front recessed access area  30  formed in an upper edge thereof, wherein the recessed area  30  aligns with the shaped front notch  15  that separates the left and right lower front panels  12  and  14  from one another, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Together, the recessed area  30  and notch  15  form an opening where the removable portion  110  of the package  100  can be separated from the display portion  120  of the package  100 . 
     More particularly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, as best seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the upper rear panel  20 , the top panel  26  and the upper front panel  28  are adapted and configured to be separated from the left and right lower front panels  12  and  14 , the left and right bottom panels  16  and  18 , and the left and right lower rear panels  22  and  24  along the shaped upper rear cut line  25  associated with the upper rear panel  20 . Furthermore, the left lower front panel  12 , the left bottom panel  16  and the left lower rear panel  22  are adapted and configured to be divided from the right lower front panel  14 , the right bottom panel  18  and the right lower rear panel  24  along the bottom vertical perforation line  19  and the lower rear vertical perforation line  23  to form two separate product display cases, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , to erect the retail ready package  100  of the subject invention from the die cut blank  10 , the left and right bottom panels  16  and  18  are folded relative to the left and right lower rear panels  22  and  24  along the lower front horizontal fold line  17 , and the top panel  26  is folded relative to the upper rear panel  20  along the upper rear horizontal fold line  27 . At such a time, two rows of products can be loaded into the partially erected package  100  in side-by-side relationship, as best seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     Thereafter, to fully erect the retail ready package  100  for shipping, the upper front panel  28  is folded relative to the top panel  26  along the upper front horizontal fold line  29 , and left and right lower front panels  12  and  14  are folded relative to the left and right bottom panels  16  and  18  along the lower front horizontal fold line  17 . Then, the side flaps of each of the panels are folded into place and glued, so as to fully form the package  100 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . More particularly, side flaps  16   a ,  18   b ,  26   a  and  26   b  form interior side flaps of the package, while side flaps  12   a ,  14   a ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  22   a ,  24   a    28   a  and  28   b  form exterior side flaps of the package  100 . 
     To prepare the retail ready package  100  of the subject invention for display, whereby the removable portion  110  of the package  100  can be separated from the display portion  120  of the package  100 , the package  100  should be in its shipping orientation with products  130  facing upward as shown in  FIG. 5 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the upper rear panel  20 , the top panel  26  and the upper front panel  28  are separated from the left and right lower front panels  12  and  14 , the left and right bottom panels  16  and  18 , and the left and right lower rear panels  22  and  24  along the shaped upper rear cut line  25  and the left and right cut line continuations  25   a  and  25   b.    
     Thereafter, the display portion  120  of the retail ready package  100  with the products  130  therein, is repositioned into a display orientation shown in  FIG. 7 , wherein the left and right lower front panels  12  and  14  are facing forward, with the package seated on the left and right bottom panels  16  and  18 . At such a time, the left lower front panel  12 , the left bottom panel  16  and the left lower rear panel  22  are divided from the right lower front panel  14 , the right bottom panel  18  and the right lower rear panel  24  along the bottom vertical perforation line  19  and the lower rear vertical perforation line  23  to form two separate product display cases  120   a  and  120   b , as shown in  FIG. 8 . Thereupon, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the two separate product display cases  120   a  and  120   b  are retail ready with two rows of products  130   a  and  130   b  arranged side-by-side in a vertical front facing display orientation. 
     While the subject disclosure has been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject disclosure.