Patent Publication Number: US-6712227-B2

Title: Foldable merchandising strip

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Merchandising strips for hanging packages of merchandise for display are common in retail establishments. Typically, these strips include a plurality of hooks, tabs, or clips to which packaged merchandise can be selectively attached and removed by a customer. These strips are particularly useful in providing a merchandise display near check-out lines and cash registers, allowing purchasers to select additional products while standing in line. 
     While merchandise strips of the type described above are suitable to provide a display of packaged products, there are a number of disadvantages associated with these types of product displays. For example, to refill the display, it is necessary for an employee to physically hang the packages on the clips or hooks of the strip. Maintaining the display therefore can be time consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. Retailers, therefore, prefer merchandising strips which are pre-loaded with products, such that products can be displayed with a minimal amount of labor. 
     Pre-stocked merchandising strips, however, pose a challenge to the producers and shippers of products. Pre-stocked merchandising strips, for example, add an additional step to the production process, requiring additional labor and therefore adding cost to the product. Furthermore, pre-stocked strips can be difficult to package, particularly when products are of an irregular shape or size. Additionally, hanging items which are not well-secured can shift during shipping, causing damage to the products and the associated strip, and causing the weight of the package to shift. 
     Because of these problems, a sub-industry of “jobbers” has developed. Jobbers buy in bulk, load products on strips, then deliver the loaded strips to retailers. Jobbers, however, do not provide an acceptable solution to problems associated with merchandising strips because they add additional cost to the product, increase the lead time for delivery of products, and complicate the maintenance of stock for merchandisers. 
     There remains a need, therefore, for a satisfactory method for packaging and shipping products on a merchandise strip. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a foldable merchandising strip which, when folded, provides a compact package of products for shipping and, when unfolded, provides a hanging display of products. The merchandising strip is particularly well suited for use in conjunction with products packaged in packages that include an elongated aperture or slot at an upper end for hanging the product to a hook or other mounting device. 
     The merchandising strip of the present invention generally comprises an elongated strip separated into fold sections by a plurality of horizontal fold lines provided across the width of the strip. The fold lines are disposed at spaced intervals along the length of the elongated strip, such that the merchandising strip can be fan-folded for shipping. A pair of retaining tabs for hanging the product and for limiting movement of the package during shipping are disposed in alternate fold sections. One of the retaining tabs is directed upward for receiving the upper edge of an aperture in a package, and the other retaining tab is directed downward for folding over the lower edge of the aperture. 
     In use, the product is coupled to the merchandising strip by sliding the aperture or slot in the package over the first, or upwardly-directed retaining tab until the upper edge of the aperture rests against the retaining tab. The second, or downwardly-directed retaining tab is then folded over the lower edge of the aperture. The upwardly-directed retaining tab limits motion of the package in a downwardly vertical direction, while the downwardly-directed retaining tab limits motion of the package in an upwardly vertical direction. The width of the upwardly-directed retaining tab can be selected to be substantially equivalent to that of the aperture in the package, such that the upwardly-directed retaining tab further limits motion of the package horizontally. 
     For shipping, the merchandising strip is fan-folded to provide a small, stable, and easy-to ship package in which layers of products are aligned and maintained in position both horizontally and vertically by the retaining tabs. Upon receipt at a retail outlet, a merchandiser unfolds the merchandising strip. The products can then be hung from a hook or other mounting device for display. 
     The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention, however, and reference is made therefore to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a merchandising strip constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of a first embodiment of a hanging assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the hanging assembly of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the hanging assembly of FIG. 3, folded to receive a package. 
     FIG. 5 is a partial front view of the merchandising strip of FIG. 1 with a package attached. 
     FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the merchandising strip of FIG. 5, wherein the merchandising strip is fan folded for shipping. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the figures and more particularly to FIG. 1, a collapsible shipping and display device  10  constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown. The collapsible shipping and display device  10  is constructed from an elongated strip  12  comprised of a flexible but sufficiently stiff, disposable material such as cardboard or plastic. The elongated strip  12  includes a plurality of horizontal fold lines  14  dividing the elongated strip  12  into a plurality of fold sections  15   a  and  15   b . The horizontal fold lines  14  can be, for example, perforation lines or creases in the strip  12 . An aperture  20  for receiving a mounting device for hanging the elongated strip  12  is provided at an end of the elongated strip  12 . 
     Alternate fold sections  15   a  include a hanging assembly  17 . Each hanging assembly  17  comprises an upwardly directed retaining tab  16  and a downwardly directed retaining tab  18  as will be described more fully below. Between each fold section  15   a  is a fold section  15   b  which allows fan folding of the elongated strip  12  to form pleats as described more fully below. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  generally comprises an inverted U-shaped cut in the elongated strip  12 . The U-shaped cut comprises a base section  22  and first and second arms  24  and  26 . The length of the base section  22  is preferably selected to mate with an aperture  46  in a package  44  (FIG. 4) to be hung on the hanging assembly  17  such that horizontal movement of the package is minimized, as described below. The base section  22  is preferably positioned a sufficient distance from the horizontal fold line  14  to allow the retaining tab  16  to be folded over a package even if the elongated strip  12  is folded or partially folded as described below. The arms  24  and  26  preferably slope outwardly toward the adjacent side of the strip  12  as they extend from the base section  22  to an endpoint  25  and  27  respectively of the arms  24  and  26 , such that the base section  22  is narrower than the distance between the endpoints  25  and  27 . The endpoints  25  and  27  of the upwardly directed tab  16  are curved upward toward the base section  22 , thereby distributing the weight of the package over a wider area of the strip  12  and minimizing the possibility of tearing as the downward weight of a package  44  is applied. 
     Referring still to FIG. 2, the downwardly directed retaining tab  18  is also a generally U-shaped cut comprising a base section  28  and first and second arms  30  and  32 . The base section  28  of the downwardly directed retaining tab  18  is narrower than that of the upwardly directed retaining tab  16 , and is sized and dimensioned to fold over an aperture  46  in a package  44  (FIG. 4) to be hung on the hanging assembly  17 . An endpoint  31  and  33  of the arms  30  and  32  of the downwardly directed tab  18  extends vertically upward such that the endpoints  31  and  33  are at a higher vertical position than the endpoints  25  and  27  of the tab  16 , and the endpoints  31  and  33  extend into the upwardly directed tab  16 . Again, the endpoints of the downwardly directed tab  18  are curved toward the base section  28 , thereby distributing the weight of the package over a wider area and preventing tearing as the downward weight of a package  44  is applied. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment the base section  22  of the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  is provided in a stepped configuration wherein the base section  22  includes a rounded center section  34  and two adjacent intermediate step sections  36  and  38 . The center section  34  provides a high point at the center of the tab  16 , and the adjacent intermediate sections  36  and  38  couple the center section  34  to the base  22 , at an intermediate height between that of the center section  34  and base  22 . The stepped configuration of the hanging assembly  17  of FIG. 3 reduces the size of the upper receiving edge of the upwardly directed tab  16 , thereby minimizing the need to exactly align the aperture  46  in the package  44  with the retaining tab  16 . Each of the “steps” in the step configuration are rounded thereby also minimizing sharp edges in the strip  12 . In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3, the downwardly directed retaining tab  18  is also rounded to eliminate any sharp edges. Other tab configurations, such as substantially V-shaped tabs, or tabs comprising varying numbers of steps are also possible. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, a side view of a fold section  15   a  is shown with the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  and the downwardly directed retaining tab  18  in an open position to receive a package  44 . As the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  and downwardly directed retaining tabs  18  are folded away from the strip  12  to receive a package, a hole  40  and  42  is exposed beneath each retaining tab  16  and  18 , respectively. Referring now to FIG. 5, a package  44  including an aperture  46  is slid over the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  until the top of the aperture  46  rests on the upwardly directed retaining tab  16 . As noted above, the arms  24  and  26  of the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  slope inward. Therefore, at the top of the tab  16 , the aperture  46  is wider than the tab  16 . As the aperture  46  is slid over the tab  16 , the package  44  comes to rest on the tab  16  at the point at which the width between the arms  24  and  26  exceeds the width of the aperture  46 . When the package  44  is in place the downwardly directed retaining tab  18  is folded over the bottom edge of the aperture  46 . In this position, the downwardly directed tab overlaps the bottom edge of the aperture, and the upwardly directed tab  16  overlaps the upper edge of the aperture. The downwardly directed retaining tab  18 , therefore, minimizes motion of the package  44  in an upward direction, while the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  minimizes motion in a downward direction. As noted above, the width between the arms  24  and  26  of the upwardly directed retaining tab  16  can be selected to be substantially equivalent to the width of the aperture  46 , thereby also minimizing motion of the package in a horizontal direction. Also as noted above, the distance between the base  22  of the retaining tab  16  and the fold line  14  is preferably selected to allow the aperture  46  to be slid onto the tab  16 , even when the strip  12  is folded or partially folded. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, when a plurality of packages  44  are loaded onto the hanging assembly  17  associated with the elongated strip  12 , the collapsible shipping and display device  10  can be fan folded for shipping. Here, the fold sections  15   b  are folded over the fold sections  15   a , such that a plurality of the packages  44  are aligned in a stacked configuration for shipping. When provided in the fan-folded position, motion of each of the packages  44  is limited horizontally by the retaining tabs  16  and  18  as described above, thereby limiting shifting of the load in shipping. Upon receipt at a retail establishment, the collapsible shipping and display devise  10  is unfolded and hung from the aperture  20  to display merchandise. 
     Although preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that a number of modifications could be made to the method and apparatus described without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, more than one upwardly directed tab or downwardly directed tab could be used. Therefore “a” or “an” should be interpreted as “at least one” in the claims which follow, and not as only one. In addition the downwardly directed tab could overlap either the lower edge of the aperture, as in the embodiment illustrated, in the upper edge of the package. Either way the downwardly directed tab holds the package down. It should be understood, therefore, that the methods and apparatuses described above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of the invention, and that various modifications could be made by those skilled in the art that would fall within the scope of the invention.