EP0269761B1

EP0269761B1 - Self-fastening display container

Info

Publication number: EP0269761B1
Application number: EP86116753A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Maria Boni
Original assignee: MONCARTONS SpA
Current assignee: MONCARTONS SpA
Priority date: 1986-12-02
Filing date: 1986-12-02
Publication date: 1991-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2006-12-02
Also published as: DE3677990D1; ES2017901A4; EP0269761A1; ES2017901B3; ATE61304T1

Abstract

A self-assembling display container for products packed in tubes, jars, cones and beakers having cone, cylindrical, tubular, truncated-cone shape, etc. comprising a boxlike structure obtained by means of a single sheet (1) suitably folded. The boxlike structure includes an upper layer (5), a base (2), connected by peripheric borders (4) and (11), and a lower layer (7) intermediate and parallel to the upper layer (5) and to the base (2). The borders (9) and (9') separate the lower layer (7) from the base (2). On the upper layer (5) and the lower one (7) are made slots, notches or holes (6) and (8), aligned vertically between each other. These slots, notches or holes (6) and (8) are meant to hold firmly the products to be packed and also serve for display and transport purposes.

Description

The present invention relates to a selfassembling display-container.
Particularly the present invention relates to a self-assembling display container, specifically made for packing, supporting, transport and display of products packed in tubes, jars, cones, beakers and the like having cylindrical, tubular, conic, truncated cone, trapezoidal shape or similar, with or without rods, canes, sticks or the like. As is known, toothpaste, preserves, soaps, creams and the like are normally fitted into beehive-shaped packs, which usually comprise carboard sheets, on which are made some partial equidistant cuts arranged perpendicularly between each other in such a way as to form parallelepiped compartments in which the products are inserted.
Though these carboard boxes are excellent from certain points of view, i.e., economical cost, need for very little space to stock and transport them, facility in making up the packages, nonetheless, they do have certain drawbacks, or, to be more precise, they lack certain properties which today are specifically required for special types of packaging.
One drawback lies in the fact that the beehives made with the above-mentioned cartons must nonetheless be inserted in external container cases such as, for example, cardboard boxes.
Moreover, the beehive packaging to our knowledge may not be used to display the products contained in it.
US-A-3,390,783 discloses a boxlike display container suitable for generally tubularly shaped products. Said container has a boxlike structure and is made of and assembled by a single sheet preformed, precut and folded along present folding lines. Said container includes an upper layer, a base and a lower layer, positioned between said upper layer and the base and has the features indicated in the preamble of claim 1.
The structure of the above disclosed preformed sheet is such that, when folded, the base will be comprised by two partially overlapping panels of the sheet. This involves a waste of sheet material and a relatively large amount of storage space is needed to accomodate an adequate supply of display containers. Therefore, the drawbacks of the known containers are the relevant cost and the space required for the storage.
The present invention solves the above mentioned drawbacks by means of a display container suitable for generally tubular shaped products such as jars, cones and beakers with cone, cylindrical, tubular or truncated-cone shape, said container having a boxlike structure and being made of and assembled by a single sheet preformed, precut and folded along present folding lines, and which includes an upper layer, a base and a lower layer positioned between said upper layer and the base, in which:

the upper layer, the lower layer and the base are on parallel planes;
the upper layer is kept at a distance from the base by means of side panels;
the lower layer is kept at a distance from the base by means of folded spacer panels; and
the upper and lower layers are provided with a serier of slots, holes or notches, the slots, holes or notches of the upper layer being aligned vertically with the corresponding slots, holes or notches of the lower layer; said display containers being characterized in that the upper layer is connected at one side edge to the lower layer by, in series, a side panel and one of said folded spacer panel and is directly connected at its opposite edge to the base by a side panel.

In the display container of the present invention, the holes, slots or notches relative to the two superimposed layers, may have the same size and shape, or may have the same shape but different size, or may be different in both shape and size, according to the external aspect of the packed products to be held, packed, displayed or transported. The packed products inserted in the above mentioned holes, slots or notches are overlapped in such a way that at least one part of them juts out from the upper part of the display container and remain in that position until they are removed manually.
The display container of the present invention may be displayed with all the packed articles inserted into it. Moreover, when packed for storing, transport and delivery, the display container of the present invention may be entirely covered with a lid which fits onto the peripheric edge and is easily fixed to it by means of normal taping or it may be covered by a layer of heat-shrinkable material.
To the purpose of better understanding the present invention, a description of said invention is disclosed hereunder in detail, with reference to the figures of the appended drawings, representing a preferred, illustrative and not limitative embodiment suitable for packing products contained in tubes, wherein :
Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the cardboard or similar material, preformed, precut, prefolded, and prepunched, before being folded and hinged to make the display-container of the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the cardboard represented in figure 1, during the folding stage,
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a part of the cardboard represented in figure 1, during another moment of the fold ing stage when the box is shaped and attached to the base, Figure 4 shows a schematic view of a transverse section of the assembled container, with corresponding lid, and Figure 5 shows a schematic view of certain types of products packed in the display container of the present invention.
The figures show a display container for products packed in tubes, either with a cone or truncated cone shape, basically consisting of a single sheet (1) of cardboard, or similar material, the peripheral borders of which are preshaped, precut and prepunched by means of a single shearing operation.
The cardboard sheet (1) is shaped, in its entirety, in such a way as to include, from right to left in figure 1, the base (2) with hinging tabs (3) the first lengthwise edges side panel (4') the upper layer (5) provided with a plurality of holes (6) with larger diameter, a second lengthwise edge side panel (4), the second lower layer (7) provided with a series of holes (8) with smaller diameter and peripheral spacer panels (9) and (9ʹ).
In correspondence to each loose lateral side edges (10) of the upper layer (5) are set perpendicularly the foldable side panels (11), which at their opposite edges are connected to side panels (11') provided with hinging tabs (12).
In correspondence to the above mentioned transverse sides (10) of the upper layer (5) are made the slots (13) into which said tabs (12) are inserted. Similar slots (14) are made along the folding line (15) between the second lengthwise side panel (4) and the spacer panel (9) of the lower layer (7); the tabs (3) are inserted into these slots (14) during assembly of the display container.
The loose lateral edges (l6, 16') of the side panels (4, 4') are provided with side flaps (17, l7') to square up the structure. The following operations must be conducted to make up the display container referred to in the present invention: the lengthwise side panels (4, 4') are folded along the folding lines (25, 25') and at a right angle with the upper layer (5) and the flaps (17, 17') are folded along the lateral edges (16, 16') in such a way as to be perpendicular to the upper layer (5) and the side panels (4, 4'). The transverse side panels (11) and (11') are folded and turned over these flaps (17, 17'), so as to insert the hinging tabs (12) into the slots (13).
In this manner the flaps (17, 17') are inserted between the side panels (11) and (11') folded one over the other, thus stiffening and squaring up the so-formed boxlike structure. The peripheral spacer panels (9) and (9') are folded at a right angle with the lower layer (7) towards the outside, and the lower layer (7) is folded along the folding line (15), turned over and inserted into the boxlike structure, in such a way as to be parallel to the above mentioned upper layer (5).
Subsequently, the base (2) is folded along the folding line (18) in such a way as to overlap and cover the lower layer (7); the tabs (3) are fitted into the slots (14).
In the end the obtained container may be seen as an upper layer (5) and a base (2) (see figure 3) connected between each other by means of lengthwise panels (4,4') and transverse panels (11,11ʹ), whereas the lower layer (7), on the outside, is parallel with the layer (5) and the base (2), but separated from the latter by means of the folded spacer panels (9,9ʹ).
The holes (6) with larger diameter, made in the layer (5), and the holes (8) with smaller diameter, made in the layer (7), are aligned between each other and are sufficiently spaced to be able to hold, support and restrain products packed in tubes (19) or goods having cone, truncated-cone, trapezoidal or cylindrical shape as indicated by (20), (21), (22), (23) in figure 5.
As may be seen, the above mentioned products are inserted by means of a slight pressure into the upper layer (5) so as to fit into the holes (6) and (8).
It goes without saying that these holes (6) and (8), which may possibly vary from the upper (5) to the lower (7) layer both as regards diameter and configuration (i.e. they may be shaped like a slot, a notch or some other type of cut) are devised to suit the shape and size of the products to be inserted.
When dealing with products packed in tubes (19), in diameter of the holes (6) matches that of the body, whereas the diameter of the holes (8) matches that of the cap (24). In the case of other uses, the diameters and shape of the holes (6) and (8) depend on the shape of the product to be packed.
At all events the display container, referred to in the present invention, permits packaging of products in tubes (19), products with cone or truncated-cone shape (20), (21) and/or products with varying shapes and sizes, in such a way as to ensure they are not damaged during packaging, transport and various shiftings between manufacture and marketing, and to enhance their display during retail sale.
It should be specified that the display container has been described here in its preferred form, i.e. with a rectangular shape; however, it is needless to say that the parts connected in sequence to the lengthwise side edges (25,25') and transverse (10) side edges of the upper layer (5) may have a completely different layout, bearing in mind that the most logical layout is that which makes the box-like structure more sturdy and avoids scrap when shearing the cartons.
It is most logical that its shape be developed to form a square.
The complete packing process of the above mentioned products includes an upper box-like covering (26) which fits onto the side panels (4,4',11,11') of the display container.
The height of the cover (26) is preferably such as to keep the products contained in the package firmly in place and to cover all the side panels (4,4',11,11') until it is aligned with the base (2).
Thanks to the simplicity and linearity of the external structure thus obtained, the fitting of the cover (26) to the display container may be effected by using ordinary adhesive tape for display; it is sufficient to remove the cover (26) and show off the display container containing the products jutting out in part from the same.
Display of the above mentioned jutting parts is sufficient to permit identification of the type and brand of the various products.
In the case of other types of products, such as cans, beakers, jars and the like, the cover (26) may be replaced by a layer of opaque or transparent heat-shrinkable material.

Claims

Display container suitable for generally tubular shaped products such as jars, cones and beakers with cone, cylindrical, tubular or truncated-cone shape, said container having a boxlike structure and being made of and assembled by a single sheet (1) preformed, precut and folded along present folding lines, and which includes an upper layer (5), a base (2) and a lower layer (7) positioned between said upper layer (5) and the base (2), in which:
- the upper layer (5), the lower layer (7) and the base (2) are on parallel planes;

- the upper layer (5) is kept at a distance from the base (2) by means of side panels (4,4',11,11');

- the lower layer (7) is kept at a distance from the base (2) by means of folded spacer panels (9,9'); and

- the upper (5) and lower (7) layers are provided with a series of slots holes (6,8) or notches, the slots, holes or notches (6) of the upper layer (5) being aligned vertically with the corresponding slots, holes or notches (8) of the lower layer (7);
characterized in that the upper layer (5) is connected at one side edge (25) to the lower layer (7) by, in series, a side panel (4) and one of said folded spacer panels (9) and is directly connected at its opposite edge (25') to the base (2) by a side panel (4').
Display container according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheet (1) is subdivided by folding and cutting edges into: said base (2) being provided with hinging tabs (3) and being connected at the opposite edge (18) to the first (4') of said side panels which is connected at its opposite edge (25') to said upper layer (5) being provided with a series of slots, notches or holes (6), said upper layer (5) being connected at its opposite edge (25) to the second of said side panels (4), which is connected at its opposite edge (15) to one of said spacer panels (9), which is connected at its opposite edge to said lower layer (7) provided with a series of slots, notches or holes (8), said lower layer (7) being connected at its opposite edge to the second one of said spacer panels (9); in that said upper layer (5) at both its lateral side edges (10) is connected to side panels (11), which at their opposite edges are connected to side panels (11') which are provided with hinging tabs (12); in that said lower layer (7) at its lateral edges is connected to lateral spacer panels (9'); and in that said side panels (4,4') at their lateral side edges (16) are connected to side flaps (17,17').
Display container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the base (2) is extended from the folding line (18), as regards the side panel (4'), up to the folding line (15) between the second side panel (4) and the spacer panel (9); this base (2) is connected to the folding line (15) by means of tabs (3) inserted into slots (14), made along said folding line (15).
Display container according to any of the former claims from 1 to 3, characterized in that the end flaps (17,17') are set at right angles to side panels (4,4') and to the upper layer (5), and the side panels (11, 11') are folded over said end flaps (17,17') and fixed to the folding line (10) of the upper layer (5) by means of tabs (12) inserted in the slots (13).
Display container according to any of the former claims from 1 to 4, characterized in that the slots, notches or holes (6) of the upper layer (5) are of a larger size than that of the slots, notches or holes (8) of the lower layer (7) and aligned with these.
Display container according to any of the former claims from 1 to 4, characterized in that the slots, notches or holes (6) of the upper layer (5) have the same size as that of the slots, notches or holes (8) of the lower layer (7) and aligned with these.
Display container according to any of the former claims from 1 to 4, characterized in that the slots, notches or holes of the upper layer (5) have different shapes and sizes with respect to the corresponding slots, notches or holes (8) of the lower layer (7), depending on the outer configuration of the products to be held, and aligned with these.
Display container according to any of the former claims from 1 to 7, characterized in that it includes a cover (26) fitted onto the side panels (4,4',11,11'), so as to align with the base (2).