Patent Abstract:
There is provided an adjustable display pallet and a method for manufacturing display pallets. In certain embodiments, display pallets have a pallet base, corner columns, and span members that are adapted to hold individual products or trays of product. Corner columns are adhered to the pallet base in the desired locations. Span members are then inserted through insertion portions on the corner columns. The insertion portions are shaped to receive and secure span member ends. Optional end caps, backer panels and print panels may be provided on the pallet displays to enhance visual aspects of the display, as well as provide additional marketing space.

Full Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/676,078, filed Apr. 28, 2005, titled “Adjustable Pallet Display,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to adjustable pallet displays that can be built easily and quickly and using parts typically kept in inventory, in order to provide display units. The pallet display units can be manufactured efficiently and are intended to be used for point of sale display of consumer packaged goods. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In many instances, products are displayed in store aisles (or at the ends of store aisle) by display units. The display units are typically provided according to the product manufacturer&#39;s dimensions, e.g., a 3-sided unit with four tiers per side, etc. Additionally, many retail locations have specific dimensions that display units must meet, e.g., length cannot exceed 54 inches and unit can only be so many feet high, etc. 
     One challenge that is often encountered when designing and building customized display units for product manufacturers is that different dimensions, requirements, and materials are involved, some requiring special ordering, which can make it time consuming and expensive to build custom units that meet individual specifications. For example, some display units will be used to display heavy items, such as bottles of suntan lotion or bleach, which require relatively sturdy shelves, whereas other units may be used to display paper products or t-shirts, which can use much lighter shelves. In addition, some display units will need to be larger than others, due to the intended placement in the retail location or the size or volume of the items to be displayed. 
     Nonetheless, it is still desirable for the product manufacturer to be able to specify how a particular product is to be displayed. Marketing studies are performed to determine the most effective way to display products and where their display (e.g., at what location in the retail store) is most effective for increased sales, and product manufacturers need to be able to take advantage of that information and continue to design their displays accordingly. 
     Because of these desired customized design requirements, it would be useful for packaging companies to be able to manufacture display pallets out of materials that are already commonly maintained in stock to lower costs and reduce special ordering time. 
     Another challenge faced in designing effective display units is getting the product appropriately loaded. Typically, a product manufacturer ships product to a display unit manufacturer, who designs a display unit from the ground-up, including display trays or other methods of displaying the product on a shelf or an individual display unit. It is, however, desirable to provide an adjustable pallet that will allow the display unit manufacturer to build an adjustable display pallet to fit trays that have already been manufactured and that are not being displayed on store shelves due to inventory and space constraints. This way, the pre-existing tray can be loaded with product, loaded on an adjustable pallet, and shipped, alleviating the need to rebuild an entirely new tray and display unit design. It is also desirable to provide the pallet in a form that will allow portions of the product to be removed from the pallet once inventory is low and be displayed on store shelves, or vice versa. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a way to continue to provide a customized design for a display unit, but maintain cost effectiveness and high efficiency. It is also desirable to provide the display unit on a pallet that can be shipped for immediate display. It is further desirable to provide an adjustable design for a pallet, allowing the display pallet to be built quickly from parts commonly kept in inventory. 
     SUMMARY 
     There is provided an adjustable display pallet and a method for manufacturing display pallets. In certain embodiments, display pallets have a pallet base, corner columns, and span members that are adapted to hold individual products or trays of product. Corner columns are adhered to the pallet base in the desired locations. Span members are then inserted through insertion portions on the corner columns. The insertion portions are shaped to receive and secure span member ends. Optional end caps, backer panels and print panels may be provided on the pallet displays to enhance visual aspects of the display, as well as provide additional marketing space. 
     In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a display pallet, comprising (a) at least two corner columns, each corner column comprising a foldable member with a hinge that separates two panels, at least one of the panels having one or more insertion portions, and (b) one or more span members adapted to be received in the one or more insertion portions. 
     In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a display pallet, comprising (a) providing a pallet base; (b) providing two or more corner columns, each corner column comprising a foldable member with a hinge that separates two panels, at least one of the panels having one or more insertion portions, (c) providing one or more span members; (d) assembling the corner column by separating the panels and folding them at an angle to one another; (e) securing the panels to the pallet base; and (f) placing one or more span members into the insertion portions of the corner columns. Other embodiments and specific features are described and shown in more detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a corner column according to certain embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a front perspective view of a pallet display that is partially manufactured. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a pallet display that has been assembled, prior to being loaded with product trays. 
         FIG. 4  shows a side perspective view of a pallet display having end caps. 
         FIG. 5  shows a side perspective view of a pallet display having end caps and backer panels and being partially loaded with product trays. 
         FIG. 6  shows a front perspective view of a pallet display during loading. 
         FIGS. 7A-C  show side, top, and side perspective views (respectively) of a loaded pallet display. 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of how a span member may be formed by a corner post that is used to support materials during shipping on a pallet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 3-6  show a display pallet  10  according to certain embodiments of the invention.  FIG. 2  shows a display pallet in a partially assembled state, having a pallet base  12 , corner columns  14 , and span members  16 .  FIG. 1  shows a specific embodiment of a corner column  14 . Referring back to  FIG. 2 , pallet base  12  may be any typical pallet base that is used to ship items and is typically manufactured out of plywood. An optional pallet locator pad  18  may be used to cover pallet base  12  to provide a smooth base for the display unit components. 
     One or more corner columns  14  are placed on top of pallet base  12  and optional pallet locator pad  18 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , corner columns  14  are typically provided as a foldable sheet, with a hinge  20  separating two panels  22 ,  24  (shown as the upper panels on  FIG. 1 ) and another hinge  26  defining base panels  28 ,  30  (shown as adapted to cross or overlap over one another). As shown in  FIG. 2 , corner columns  14  may be provided as flat blanks for easy storage. The blanks may be provided with lines of weakness to form hinges  20  and  26 . Base panels  28 ,  30  may be separable from one another via a line of perforation. This allows corner columns to lay flat or to be folded along hinge  20 , if desired, for easy storage and erected upon demand. 
     The panels  22 ,  24  of corner columns  14  are provided with a series of insertion portions  32  that are adapted to receive span members  16 . Insertion portions  32  are shaped to receive span member ends  34 , and may be triangular, square, trapezoidal, circular, semi-circular, or any other appropriate shape. The goal is for insertion portions  32  to provide a receiving and resting area that will secure span members  16  in place during use. 
     During assembly, base panels  28  and  30  are separated from one another and overlapped over one another, adhered, or otherwise secured to one another (and also preferably secured to pallet base  12  and locator pad  18 ) to provide a square-shaped corner, such that panels  22 ,  24  are separated the desired distance. This process is shown in  FIG. 1 . One way this can be done is by stapling the base panels to the pallet base  12  in the desired configuration. The resulting corner column  14  is shown assembled in  FIG. 2 . 
     Typically, at least two corner columns  14  are provided, but any number of columns may be used to build display pallet  10 . Corner columns  14  are typically manufactured out of corrugated paperboard, which is sturdy but inexpensive to manufacture, although they may be made out of any available material, such as plastic, aluminum, wood, and so forth. Additionally, corner columns  14  may be placed at varying angles from one another to add visual interest to the resulting display unit  10 . 
     Once corner columns  14  are in place, span members  16  are placed across the distance between corner columns  14 . Span members  34  are used to provide the support for the items to be displayed (which are typically displayed in individual boxes or trays). In a preferred embodiment, span members  16  have ends  34  that are adapted to cooperate with insertion portions  32  on corner columns  14 . It is possible, for insertion portions  32  to cooperate with span members  16  (or for span members  16  to cooperate with corner columns) in any number of other ways, such as via a series of elongated slots in corner column  14  within which span members  16  may rest, via glue, staples, or other securing means, and so forth. In use, span members  16  lock the components of pallet display  10  together by locking the corner columns  14  together. 
     Span members are adjustable, meaning that they may be removed and replaced in different insertion portions as desired. They may also be provided in adjustable lengths if desired. For instance, different sizes of insertion members may be provided (although in some embodiments, span members are easily cut) or each span member itself may be adjustable. 
     In a particularly preferred embodiment, span members  16  are stacked laminated fiberboard, but it should be understood that they may be made from any appropriate material that provides the desired support functions, such as corrugated material, extruded aluminum, plastic, wood, and so forth. 
     Also in the preferred embodiment, span members  16  may actually be the corner posts that are used to support the sides and bottom areas of material that is shipped on large pallets. Corner posts are typically provided in a right angle-type configuration, as shown in  FIG. 2 , or any other configuration that provides two sides that are connected via an angle or hinge. It should be understood, however, that span members  16  may be T-shaped, V-shaped, U-shaped, square-shaped, or any other appropriate configuration that allows span members  16  to provide the desired support functions. 
     Span members  16  may vary in length and are preferably light enough that they may be trimmed easily if a shorter span member  16  is needed. Span members  16  may also be reinforced with tape or another type of support if the span member will be required to span a larger than usual distance and/or if it will be used to hold heavy items.  FIGS. 2 and 3  show a display pallet  10  that has been assembled. 
     If desired, the span member ends  34  that protrude from corner column  14  may be trimmed. Additionally or alternatively, end caps may be used. 
       FIGS. 4-6  show an alternate embodiment of display pallet  10  having end caps  36 . End caps  36  are provided at the span member/corner column junction  38  and cover the span member end  34  and can be used for marketing print or other materials. End caps may be square, as shown in  FIG. 4-6 , or they may be rounded, tear-drop shaped, triangular, wavy, or any other desired shape. 
       FIG. 5  shows a further embodiment of display pallet  10  having optional backer panels  40 . Backer panels  40  may be attached to corner columns  14  to provide a visual back to the display and to hide the framing of the unit  10  as the product sells down. The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 4-5  also feature print panels  42  that may be placed anywhere on display pallet  10  for advertising, marketing, or instructional purposes.  FIG. 4  shows a four-sided unit  10  and  FIG. 5  shows a three or four-sided unit  10 . It should be understood that single-sided, double-sided, and many multiple-sided units  10  may be provided. For example, as shown in the close-up of  FIG. 7 , the multi-sided may have both corner column panels  22 ,  24  having one or more insertion portions, wherein a first set of insertion portions on one panel receives one or more span members, and wherein a second set of insertion portions on a second panel receives one or more span members. 
       FIG. 6  shows an assembled display pallet  10  being loaded with trays  44  holding product  46 . Trays  44  may be designed to fit the span member  16  length, but more commonly, the display pallet  10  is built to fit the tray size that the product manufacturer plans to use.  FIG. 6  also shows that a single display pallet  10  may be used to sell a number of different products on the same pallet  10 . If desired, the lengths between each corner column  14  may vary on each side. 
       FIGS. 7A-C  show a four-sided display pallet  10  having curved end caps  36 , optional backer panels  40 , print panels  42 , and being loaded with trays of product. In this embodiment, print panels  42  cover the base portion of pallet display  10  (typically because product placed this low is not on eye-level and difficult for consumers to see and reach, but eye-catching graphics placed this low can be seen from across the store). Alternatively, print panels  42  may span the middle portion or the top portion of display pallet  10 , depending upon where the pallet  10  in intended to be used. It is also possible to provide trays  44  with additional marketing opportunity areas  52  as shown in  FIG. 7A . 
       FIG. 7B  shows a top view of the display pallet  10  of  FIG. 7A .  FIG. 7C  shows a side view of the pallet of  FIG. 7A  with a portion of the product removed, demonstrating the marketing use of backer panel  40 . 
     Changes and modifications, additions and deletions may be made to the structures and methods recited above and shown in the drawings without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0