Patent Publication Number: US-2018029746-A1

Title: Container for shipping and display

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/367,396 entitled CONTAINER FOR SHIPPING AND DISPLAY filed Jul. 28, 2016, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to a box or container for shipping products that is convertible into a display for the products shipped. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a box or container preferably used for shipping and displaying distilled spirits. 
     Related Art 
     Conventional shipping boxes or containers are primarily designed to provide durability and protection for the products shipped therein. In general, after a retailer receives a shipment of products, the products must be unloaded from the shipping container or box and then loaded onto a display element in the retail store for consumers to see and purchase. This can be a time consuming and inefficient process. The shipping container is usually simply discarded, which is a waste of resources. 
     Accordingly it would be beneficial to provide a shipping container or box that is also usable to display the items shipped therein in a retail setting. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a box or container that is sufficiently durable to protect products that are stored therein during shipping and that is also convertible into a display element for the products in a retail setting. In an embodiment, the box or container is used to ship and display distilled spirits, however, the container is not limited to use with distilled spirits. 
     A container in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a base including a bottom element, a front wall extending upward, a rear wall extending upward and a pair of opposed sidewalls connecting the front wall to the rear wall, a top element positioned on top of the base and including a top portion, and sidewalls extending downward therefrom to overlap the front wall, rear wall and pair of opposed sidewalls of the base, a divider element including a plurality of storage spaces, the divider element mounted in the base on top of the bottom element and between the front wall, rear wall and opposed sidewalls; and a display element positioned on top of the divider element, wherein the top element and divider element are removable from the base and the display element is mounted on the rear wall of the base such that an interior of the base is visible. 
     A method of converting a container from a shipping configuration to a display, where the container includes a base, a top element positioned on top of the base and including a top portion and sidewalls extending downward therefrom to surround the base, a divider element including a plurality of storage spaces, and mounted in the base and a display element, where the method includes steps of removing the top element of the container, removing the display element from the container, removing the divider element of the container such that products stored in the container are visible in the base and mounting the display element on a rear wall of a base of the container. 
     A container in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a base including a bottom element, a front wall extending upward, a rear wall extending upward and a pair of opposed sidewalls connecting the front wall to the rear wall, a top element positioned on top of the base and including a top portion, and sidewalls extending downward therefrom to overlap the front wall, rear wall and pair of opposed sidewalls of the base, a divider element including a plurality of storage spaces, the divider element mounted in the base on top of the bottom element and between the front wall, rear wall and opposed sidewalls, a peripheral element surrounding the divider element on the left, right front and rear sides thereof; and a display element positioned on top of the divider element, wherein the top element, divider element and peripheral element are removable from the base and the display element is mounted on the rear wall of the base such that an interior of the base is visible. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, advantages and benefits of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the disclosure which refers to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like features across the several views, and wherein 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; (Convert To Drawing) 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the container of  FIG. 1  with a top element thereof removed; (Convert To Drawing) 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a more detailed view of the top element of the container of  FIG. 1 ; (Convert To Drawing) 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a more detailed view of a display element of the container of  FIGS. 1-2 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates the interior of the container of  FIG. 1  with the top element and display element thereof removed; (Convert To Drawing) 
         FIG. 6  illustrates the interior of the container of  FIG. 1  with the top element, display element and a peripheral element thereof removed; (Convert To Drawing) 
         FIG. 7  illustrates the container of  FIG. 1  with a divider element hereof removed and with the display element attached to a rear wall of the base element; (Convert To Drawing) 
         FIG. 8  illustrates the top element of the container of  FIG. 1  in an unfolded state and indicating exemplary dimensions thereof; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a more detailed view of the base element of the container of  FIG. 1  in an unfolded state and indicating exemplary dimensions thereof. 
         FIG. 10  is an exemplary flow chart illustrating a method of converting a container from a shipping configuration to a display configuration in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a container  1  that converts from a shipping configuration for shipping products (see  FIG. 1 , for example) to a display configuration to display those same products (see  FIG. 7 , for example) at the destination in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 1  shows the container  1  in a shipping configuration. In this configuration, the container  1  surrounds and securely holds the products carried therein and provides for secure shipping of products. As illustrated, the container  1  is a cardboard box, however, other materials may be used if desired. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the top element  10  of the container  1  has been removed to show the interior of the container  1 .  FIG. 3  illustrates a more detailed view of the top element  10  after it has been removed from the container  1  and inverted. As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the top element  10  is generally configured similar to a conventional shipping box top and includes a top portion  10   a , that may include opposing flaps  10   a   1 ,  10   a   2  and sidewalls  10   b  extending downward therefrom on the front, rear, left and right sides. As illustrated, the flaps  10   a   1 ,  10   a   2  may be held together using tape, however any suitable connecting element may be used to hold the flaps together, at least for shipping. While the flaps  10   a   1 ,  10   a   1  are illustrated, the top element  10  need not include flaps such that the top element  10   a  may be formed as a single piece. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a display element  12  sits on top of a divider element  14  (see  FIG. 4 , for example) just under the top element  10  in the container  1  while in the shipping configuration. The display element  12  is sized and shaped to fit within the container  1  when in its shipping configuration and is preferably removed from the container  1  after the top element  10  is removed. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the display element  12  preferably includes a pair of slots  12   a ,  12   b  formed perpendicular to a bottom edge thereof with a tab  12   c  formed therebetween. The slots  12   a ,  12   b  and tab  12   c  are used to connect the display element  12  to the base element  16  (see  FIG. 7 , for example) of the container  1 , as will be explained below. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the interior of the container  1 , which is covered by the top element  10  in  FIG. 1 , includes a divider element  14  including a plurality of storage spaces  14   a  that are used to store products P during shipping. A peripheral element  15  may surround the divider element  14 . While the peripheral element  15  is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , it need not be included in the container  1 . The products P illustrated in the present disclosure are rectangular cans so the storage spaces  14   a  are substantially rectangular in shape and are dimensioned to accommodate the cans. The container  1 , however, can be used to ship and display any desired product P. As noted above, in a preferred embodiment, the container  1  is used to ship and display distilled spirits. However, the size and shape of the storage spaces  14   a  of the divider element  14  may be modified to accommodate the particular products P that are being shipped and displayed. In an embodiment, the divider element may be excluded, if desired. Similarly, the size of the container  1  may be modified to accommodate different types of products. In addition, while the container  1  is illustrated as being rectangular in shape, the container  1  is not limited to this particular shape. 
     The peripheral element  15  is surrounded by the sidewalls of the top element  10  when the top element is in place on top of the container  1  as shown in the shipping configuration of  FIG. 1 . As a result, when the peripheral element  15  is used, multiple layers of protection are provided for the products P during shipping. As noted above, however, the peripheral element  15  need not be present in the container  1 . In any event, after the top element  10  and display element  12  are removed from the container  1 , the peripheral element  15  is preferably also removed as can be seen in  FIG. 6 , for example, to provide easier access to the products P. 
     The divider element  14  is also preferably removed and the products P remain in the base  16 . In a preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the display element  12  is attached to a rear wall  16   a  of the base  16  to draw attention to the products P that remain in the base element. In particular, the rear wall  16   a  of the base element  16  slides into the slots  12   a ,  12   b  of the display element  12  with the tab  12   c  bending forward and engage the rear wall  16   c  as can be seen in  FIG. 7 . If desired, the tab  12   c  may bend rearward or forward. 
     The front wall  16   b  of the base element  16  is preferably substantially lower than the rear wall  16   a . The larger rear wall  16   a  provides a backdrop against which the products P are displayed. The sidewalls  16   c  are positioned on the left and right sides of the base  16  and preferably slope downward from the rear wall  16   a  to the front wall  16   b . As a result, the products P are easily seen and are easily accessible to customers from the front of the container  1 . The products P are preferably placed on the bottom portion  16   c  of the base  16 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the container  1  of the present disclosure may be made of corrugated cardboard however, as noted above, any suitable material may be used.  FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a sheet of cardboard that is sized and shaped to fold to provide the top element  10  of the container  1 . The dimensions illustrated in  FIG. 8  are merely exemplary and can be scaled upward or downward to provide the container  1  in any desired size. Similarly, the dimensions of the display element  12  illustrated in  FIG. 4  are exemplary and can be scaled upward or downward as desired.  FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary sheet of cardboard that is sized and shaped to fold into the base element  16  of the container  1 . The dimensions indicated in  FIG. 9  are similarly exemplary and may be scaled upward or downward to provide a container  1  of any desired size. 
     Use of the container  1  saves both time and effort for retailers in that there is no need to unload a shipping container and then rearrange the contents thereof in a display element. In addition, using the container  1  reduces waste since the same structure is used for shipping and display of products. Accordingly, the container  1  of the present disclosure offers numerous advantages over conventional shipping containers and display elements. In the shipping configuration of  FIG. 1 , the container  1  is suitable for shipping quantities of product stored therein while providing for protection during the shipping process. Once the container  1  arrives at its destination, the container  1  can be converted into the display configuration discussed above so that the products stored therein can be displayed in a retail setting without having to remove them from the container  1 . 
     To convert the container  1  from the shipping configuration to the display configuration the user removes the top element  10  from the base  16 , as indicated in step S 100  of the exemplary flowchart illustrated in  FIG. 10 . At step S 102 , the user removes the display element  12  from the top of the divider element  14 . At step  104 , the user removes the divider element  14  from the base  16 . In a preferred embodiment, the user then mounts the display element  12  on a rear wall of the base  16  at step S 106 . If the peripheral element  15  is provided in the container  1 , it is also removed from the base  16 , either before or after removal of the divider element  14  at step  104 . While mounting of the display element  12  is preferred and likely simpler after the divider element  14  is removed, if desired, the display element may be mounted before removal of the divider element, if desired. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described in relation to articular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art.