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Folded and glued display container having shelf elements

Folded and glued display container having shelf elements description/claims

The invention relates to paperboard, corrugated craft and similar containers made in a fold and glue line and typically supplied in a collapsed or knocked-down-flat configuration that can be readily erected. According to one aspect, two or more separately integral pieces of stock are assembled and can be erected to form a tier of shelves.

Corrugated and paperboard containers are made from pieces of flat stock that are typically die cut into shapes that define various panels. The shapes are folded along strategic lines between the panels, and at least one overlapping strip or panel is typically glued, taped or otherwise affixed to another panel to form a closed perimeter. The various panels are intended to become the walls, top and/or bottom of a full or partial enclosure when folded into place. Often, the containers are supplied in a collapsed or flattened parallelogram state (known as knocked-down-flat or “KDF”), for efficient storage, handling and shipping. Before packing, the containers are opened out into a hollow form and the panels are folded to reside in orthogonal planes.

Such containers can be more or less complicated. A simple version known as the regular slotted carton (RSC) has four side walls, each of which has a top and bottom flap. More complicated versions have doubled-over panels, reinforcing folded parts, inter-engaging tabs and slots and other features.

Such containers advantageously are produced by feeding flat integral die cut sheets through a fold-and-glue machine, such as those available from Bobst Group, Inc. of Roseland, N.J., to apply adhesive and preliminarily to fold over select panels so that the panels are adhered in a KDF state for shipping or storage, ready to be erected into their final configuration by articulating the panels around adjoining folds. A simple RSC version is erected by pressing inwardly from diagonally opposite corners and folding the flaps inwardly by 90° from their adjoined panels. In relatively more complicated full or partial containers, various panels may need to be folded in appropriate directions in appropriate order. Various tabs may need to be inserted into respective slots and so forth.

Containers as described can be used for displaying items or goods for the consumers at the point-of-sale location. Minimizing the effort and complication required to erect and set up the containers is an important factor for the viability and success of the particular container design. Thus, the number of parts required to erect or assemble the containers from their KDF configuration is an important element in the acceptability of the container design.

Generally, a container design is most efficient if most or all of its panels, tabs and other parts are integral panels and extensions of panels cut from a single flat blank, i.e., integral parts of the same sheet of material. Separate discrete parts such as separate lids, inserted partitions, shelves, reinforcing inserts and the like require attention to inventory, manual assembly steps and other complications during the production, erection and set up of the container. Separate parts are not desirable.

For these reasons, conventional KDF-type containers routinely are provided in a single piece flat blanks wherein all the panels necessary to construct or erect a container are members of a single sheet of stock material, cut out along an outline and scored or perforated at fold lines so as to provide all the necessary parts in an integral unit. The various seams are glued and the various folding connections between panels are cut, scored, compressed, etc.

The die cut integral blanks, preferably preliminarily weakened along prospective fold lines, are processed through the fold and glue machine. Glue is applied at preselected surfaces that are to overlap at seams. Panels are folded around fold joints. The KDF container blanks are thus produced and assembled in a state ready to be packed and shipped. For more complicated container designs, for example including lids or inserts, the KDF container blanks may be accompanied by separate discrete parts, but they add cost and require time for inventory attention, assembly and other reasons.

Because conventional KDF containers preferably are integral sheets, the panel layout design and general container complexity are limited. There is a need for ways to permit container designs to be made into complex structures, but without entailing complex parts and extensive assembly steps.

A folded and glued container according to an embodiment comprises a plurality of panels defining a back panel and laterally opposite first and second sidewalls, each sidewall being joined to the back panel. One or more shelf panels are attached to the back panel and extend laterally between the two sidewalls. A facing panel is joined to each of the shelf panels. An inner facing panel is joined to each of the facing panels and a pair of facing supports are provided for supporting the facing panel in the erected state of the container. One facing support in each of pair of facing supports is joined to one of the sidewalls and the other facing support of the pair is joined to the other of the sidewalls. The container also can include longitudinally opposite top and bottom end walls joined to the back panel. In the erected state of the container, the top and bottom end walls may be attached to each of the sidewalls by one or more locking tabs.

According to another embodiment, a folded and glued self-erecting container comprises a plurality of panels defining a back panel and laterally opposite first and second sidewalls. Each sidewall has an outer sidewall panel joined to the back panel and a plurality of inner sidewall panels joined to the outer sidewall panel. One or more shelf panels are attached to the back panel and extend laterally between the two sidewalls. The shelf panels are joined to inwardly folded bellows panels extending between the shelf panels and the outer sidewall panels such that when the sidewalls are erected from their knocked-down-flat configuration to an orientation perpendicular to the back panel, the shelf panels are raised from their knocked-down-flat configuration to form shelves between the two sidewalls. The shelf panels can function as shelves when the container is in an upright orientation or can also function as partitions when the container is laid down on its back panel.

In certain embodiments, a facing panel is joined to each of the shelf panels for forming a facing structure for each shelf. The facing structure functions as a retaining wall raised along the front edge of each of the shelves to retain the items being held by the shelves. Alternatively, in a similar structure the facing structure is below the front edge of each shelf and stiffens the shelf while allowing items to be moved freely over the front edge of the shelf, without obstruction. An inner facing panel is joined to each of the facing panel and a pair of facing supports are provided for supporting each of the facing panels in the erected state of the container. One facing support of the pair of facing supports is joined to one of the outer sidewall panels and the other facing support of the pair of facing supports is joined to the other of the outer sidewall panels.

In other embodiments, the folded and glued self-erecting container may further include top and bottom end walls, each of the top and bottom end wall panels are joined to inwardly folding bellows panels extending between them and the outer sidewall panels. When the sidewalls are erected from their knocked-down-flat configuration to an orientation perpendicular to the back panel, the top and bottom end wall panels are lifted automatically from their knocked-down-flat configuration. In some embodiments, one or both of the top and bottom end wall panels can be configured with facing panels and inner facing panels and corresponding facing supports provided along the outer sidewall panels allowing the top and/or bottom end walls to function as shelves.

According to another embodiment, one or both of the top and bottom end walls can be provided with a facing panel and an inner facing panel and associated facing supports joined to the outer sidewall panels.

A number of additional objects and aspects are apparent from the appended description and the associated illustrations of preferred embodiments, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected container according to one embodiment;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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