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Paper based product packaging assembly

Paper based product packaging assembly description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

This patent relates to a packaging assembly for shipping and displaying products. More particularly, this patent relates to a recyclable, paper based packaging assembly that can be moved with a lift truck, pallet jack or dolly and can carry enough product display trays to fill up a retail store end cap.

2. Description of the Related Art

Retail companies are initiating environmental sustainability programs to reduce the amount of non-recyclable packaging used in their stores. As part of these programs the retail companies are asking their product suppliers to reduce “storebound” materials and to use materials that are readily recyclable.

Current product displays are delivered to stores based on the idea of filling a single shelf with product. Retailers and suppliers are now considering having an entire endcap's worth of products shipped in a single container. This presents a problem for the packaging company because an entire endcap of product can weigh 155 pounds or more, which exceeds OSHA's allowable lifting weight. Consequently, the packaging assembly must be placed on a pallet and moved by lift truck or pallet jack. But placing a packaging assembly on a conventional wood or plastic pallet can create more waste material which is not recycled.

Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a recyclable, paper based packaging assembly that can be used to ship an entire endcap's worth of displayable products while reducing the amount of material used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paper based packaging assembly that includes an integral pallet so that the assembly can be moved by fork lift or other mechanical means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a palletized packaging assembly that can be shipped in groups of four on a conventional 40″ by 48″ pallet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a packaging assembly that can be used to ship irregularly shaped products or soft packaged products yet can still be stacked one packaging assembly on another.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

The present invention is a product packaging assembly for shipping product display trays to a retail location where the trays can be removed and placed on shelves for display. The product packaging assembly comprises a pallet member, at least one tray-like structure for holding product, a shroud surrounding the pallet member on four sides, and one or more load bearing structures.

The pallet member has a top, bottom and four sides, and comprises a load bearing panel and runners foldably connected to the load bearing panel and formed from the same piece of folded material as the load bearing panel. At least one of the runners embraces a support member. The runners include spaces formed therein for receiving opposing ends of lateral support members.

The vertical load bearing structures rest on the pallet member load bearing panel over the runners and are disposed between the tray-like structures and the shroud. The tray-like structures are supported by the pallet member and may comprise a tray and a sleeve that surrounds the product.

The pallet member, support members, tray-like structures, shroud and vertical load bearing structures may be made of paperboard.

In a more particular embodiment, the pallet member is a quarter pallet, the tray-like structures are product display trays, and the vertical load bearing structures are corner posts.

The quarter pallet is formed from a folded blank and comprises a load bearing panel and two longitudinal runners or legs foldably connected to the load bearing surface. The inner facing walls of each leg define two sets of opposed openings for receiving opposing ends of a set of lateral support posts. The longitudinal legs define channels for receiving leg support posts. The leg support posts are perpendicularly oriented to the lateral support posts and when installed are interposed between an upper surface of the lateral support posts and the underside of the load bearing panel.

Product carrying display trays are disposed on the pallet and form a part of the packaging assembly. The assembly may have one or more “layers” of product display trays. A shroud formed from a second folded blank is placed around the quarter pallet and product trays. Corner posts inserted between the shroud and the product trays completes the assembly.

The product packaging assembly is formed almost entirely from paper. The quarter pallet blank and the shroud preferably are formed from folded corrugated board. The lateral support posts, leg support posts and corner posts preferably are formed from convolutely wound paper. The quarter pallet, posts and shroud can be disposed of through normal paper recycling programs.

The shroud may be affixed to the quarter pallet with tape, although it is anticipated that the assembly can be made and used without tape or with a minimum of tape. The corner posts extend from top to bottom and bear any load that is placed on top of the product packaging assembly.

The product packaging assembly is easy to assemble and tear down. Assembly may be done by the product supplier. It is anticipated that four product packaging assemblies can be transported on a single conventional 40″ by 48″ pallet. At the supplier's site and at the retail site each packaging assembly can be moved via fork lift, dolly or other means and the product trays removed and placed on the retail shelves.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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