GB2240321A

GB2240321A - Containers

Info

Publication number: GB2240321A
Application number: GB9001619A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth John Broome
Original assignee: Encase Ltd
Current assignee: Encase Ltd
Priority date: 1990-01-24
Filing date: 1990-01-24
Publication date: 1991-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 2010-01-24
Also published as: GB2240321B; GB9001619D0

Abstract

A container for point of sale display comprises a cardboard tray having a series of cuts across the base of the tray connected by creases extending along the length of the tray, so that the base of the tray can be of generally saw-tooth configuration along its length and provide support for the packages 16 in the tray, standing edge on. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINERS This invention relates to containers of the kind made from cardboard or like materials which are designed to accommodate a plurality of similar or identical packages especially arranged in a single stack with each package aligned in the same orientation as the next in the stack, and primarily, but not exclusively, where each package comprises a dish with an outwardly projecting peripheral flange which may for example be used to fix a lid in place.

It is known to make these containers as point of display material, for example by using colourful printing and arranging for the lid of the box to stand up above the packages so as to be eye-catching. This places certain limitations on the container because of the material necessary to bear fine colour printing, and the object of the invention is to enable the packages themselves to be displayed efficiently in the container as point of sale material.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a conventional tray like base forming part of a container, especially when used with a similar tray of slightly larger dimension forming the lid. In Figure 1 such lid is removed revealing the sides 10 and end 12 of the tray, which extend generally vertically upwards from the base 14, and the drawing shows a typical stack of packages 16 located edge on to the base, the illustration showing the situation when perhaps 20% of the contents of packages have been removed, for example having been sold. The face 18 of the package (each package) bears the point of sale material and it is desirable that this should be displayed in a substantially vertical position in order to be eye-catching.

The problem is, with such a container as in Figure 1, that when a few more of the packages have been sold, the remaining ones tend to slip down to the Figure 2 position and this risk is increased (over what would be the case with a true parallelopiped package) by the rounded contour at the base of the dish. Once they slip, their impact as point of sale material is substantially lost.

According to the present invention, the inside base of the tray like container is made non-slip in order to resist a tendency for packages stacked edge on in such tray to slip to a horizontal position.

Preferably the base of the tray is made with a series of inclined portions having exposed edges located in a series of planes generally normal for the base of the tray.

Preferably also, the number of exposed edges is approximately half the number of packages.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the further accompanying drawings in which Figure 3 is a plan view of a typical blank for erection into a container portion; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a complete container including one part erected from a blank according to Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a sectional elevation showing the arrangements of Figures 3 and 4 in use.

Turning now to the further drawings, the blank shown in Figure 3 is cut around its periphery so as to provide a pair of side portions 10 and a pair of ends 12 arranged around the periphery of a central base portion, with tabs 20 at each corner which may be folded -and glued, stapled or the like to the end parts 12 to make the tray.

The base area is cut through along a series of parallel lines 22, and may be creased along the broken lines 24, where the tabs 20 are joined to the sides, 26 where the end walls 12 are joined to the base, and also generally along the length of each side of the base.

However, the latter lines of creases are in a form of zig-zags, made of a series of portions each portion extending between two adjacent cuts 22, or between such a cut and the adjacent end wall (in the case of the two outer most portions), and each of these portions extending from the outer most lateral end point e.g. 26 at the end of that portion most closely adjacent to the end wall 28 but from a point inset, e.g. 30 at the end of such portion 32 which is disposed towards the end wall 12.

When the blank is erected to form a tray, the side walls 10 tend to fold about the lines of the creases 32 and so the base of the tray is forced into a condition where it becomes non-planar and forms a series of generally parallel inclined portions 34 as seen in Figure 5.

It is usual to custom make containers to suit particular sizes of packages, and the portions 34 may be made of a width W Figure 3 which corresponds to the thickness T of the packages, as seen in Figure 5.

Initially, when first opened, the container may be filled with a stack of packages whose combined thickness, that is the T x the number of packages in the container is substantially equal to the length of the base between the two creases 26. However, the first package to be sold may be removed from the rear of the tray, as viewed by potential customers, so that all of the packages are allowed to lean back in the manner shown in Figure 5 so as to present their front faces (corresponding to 18 Figure 1) in the most eye-catching manner possible.

Subsequent packages are removed for sale from the front, but do not tend to slip to a position such as that in Figure 2 because of the contact between the packages and the container, also lines rather than areas.

It is thought unnecessary to provide a pattern of cuts 22 which are spaced apart by a dimension which is closely similar to that of the thickness of the packages, in that one cut per two or three packages may be sufficient to provide the required effect.

Figure 4 shows the ratcheted base part as being the lid of the container and located on a base part 40, and the purpose of this is that if the packages are a close or even tight fit between the side walls 42 of the base, they will be a looser fit and more readily removed from location between the side walls 10 and the lid because they are spaced apart sufficiently widely to include the base between them.

Moreover, close-fitting side-walls are unnecessary to hold the packages near vertical when the invention is employed. The invention could however be applied to the base of the container instead of the lid.

Claims

CCAIGSS

1. rA tray-like container having a base, the inside of the base being made non-slijD in character.

2. A container having a tray-like portion, the base of the tray having a series of inclined portions with exposed edges extending transversely of the length of the tray.

3. A container substantially as described with ref erance to the accoanyin rins.

3. A tray-like container including a generally planar portion forming the base of the tray, a series of parallel cuts extending transversely of the length of the tray, the base being of generally saw-tooth configuration along its length.

4. A tray as claimed in Claim 3 made from a cardboard or like blank, the board being creased in saw-tooth fashion along a pair of generally parallel lines, the apices of the saw-teeth of the two lines being joined by the cuts.

5. In combination a tray for a plurality of packages of uniform size, the packages being of a width which is equal to the width of the interior of the tray and of a thickness which is equal to the longitudinal spacing of a series of transverse cuts defining the edges of a sawtooth like configuration of the base of the tray, whereby the packages may stand generally upright in the tray and rest against the saw-teeth without tendency to slip and fall flat in the tray.