Carton having appendages for shelf stability

The present invention relates to a packaging carton having appendages for shelf stability and a carton blank for forming the packaging carton.

Competition among brand manufacturers of consumer products has intensified in recent years. As a result, store shelves have become increasingly crowded with a multitude of consumer products. Brand owners recognize that packaging has a significant impact on product marketing. Thus, brand owners are looking to differentiate their products on store shelves through packaging. In particular, the shape and structure of a package can have a significant impact on product differentiation and consumer appeal.

An innovative structural design can help attract a consumer to a product on a crowded store shelf. Tests that track eye movement have shown that when looking at a solid block of products, a consumer\'s eye moves continually along them. When there are gaps between products, however, the eye stops. Thus, if a package is designed to create space between itself and other packages, a consumer is more likely to single it out on a store shelf. As a result, a growing number of packages are employing chamfered or rounded corners, which create enough of a gap to stop the consumer\'s eye and allow brand recognition.

Some package shapes that are designed to create space between adjacent packages, however, have a tendency to be unstable. For example, some packages may bulge and extend beyond the base on which they are supported, which makes them susceptible to tipping. Further, some packages contain flexible film pouches or bags filled with granular or pellet material that distribute the weight of the contents unevenly throughout the package and affect the center of gravity of the package so that it is even more susceptible to tipping. In order for these packages to be functional and effective, they must be upright and free-standing on a store shelf. Therefore, there is a need for a package structure that creates space between adjacent packages and is still stable.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description of Illustrative Embodiments. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the invention, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the invention.

The present invention is directed to an upright, free-standing carton that includes appendages for shelf stability. In one embodiment, the carton comprises a base portion and a body portion that extends upwardly from the base surface and bulges out beyond the base portion. Additionally, the carton may include appendages such as fins and/or tabs extending from the body portion to stabilize the carton in the directions that the body portions bulges out beyond the base portion.

Additional features and advantages will be made apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.