Easy-openable see-through container

Technical Field

0001The invention relates to a shipping/display con- tainerwhich presents windows in its four side-panels, reinforcing pillars in its four corners and a top-panel known from FR-A-2076650).

Background of the Invention

0002Present shipping, storing and displaying techniques have made is desirable to be able to use the same container at each of these three stages. The requirements to be fulfilled at each of these stages can however be quite different and sometimes even contradictory. Indeed, for the shipping and storing stages it is important that the containers be strong and allow stacking. At the displaying stage, strength and stack- ability are still important, but it it also highly desirable that the individual items packed in the containers are visible and can be easily price marked and removed, which may detract from the strength. It is furthermore highly desirable that the containers can be easily opened without need for an additional tool or without loss of much time. All these requirements have to be fulfilled without unduly increasing the cost of the container.

0003It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a container which is strong enough to allow stacking during shipping, storing and displaying, and which, at the same time, allows visibility from four different sides of the items it contains and which, after the top-panel has been removed by one pull of the hand without use of any tool, allows price-marking and removal of the individual items it contains.

0004Increasing strength and, consequently, stack- ability of individual containers, without using stronger, more expensive material, has been achieved by building pollars in the four corners of the container, by appropriately folding part of the carton blank, as is for example described in French patent 1 416 645 filed by Cartiere di Verona on November 4,1964. Another version of containers with triangular reinforcing pillars is disclosed as the product of the machine covered by German OS 2 819 000 filed by Mecanica di Valenti Dante on April 29, 1978.

0005U.S. patent 3 372 813 describes a rack that is made of cardboard and can be erected to provide a combined shipping and display rack. Several trays are provided at different levels and the top-tray may be covered by a cap which fits down, around and outside of the rack, the four sides of the cap depending below the center area and sliding snugly around the stack.

0006French Patent 2076650 describes a container made from a one piece card-board blank which allows visibility of the contents through the four side panels. These containers are however not strong enough to allow a stacked display without additional reinforcing or supporting material. Furthermore, the partial top panel, which is also to serve as a carrying handle, cannot be easily removed by a simple pull of the hand, without damaging the remaining part of the container.

0007Shipping/display containers having one, two, three or four lateral side-panels showing a window cut-out allowing visibility of the individual items are available in the trade. None of these containers are, however, strong enough to allow a stacked display without additional reinforcing or supporting material. Furthermore, none of them is provided with a top-panel which can be removed by one pull of the hand to allow easy accessibility of the individual items packed for price marking or removing.

Summary of the Invention

0008In the present invention, a see-through container with a bottom, two opposite side-panels, two opposite composite front-panels, four reinforcing corner pillars, a see-through window in each of the two opposite side-panels and the two opposite composite front-panels and an easily removable top panel is provided, whereby the two opposite side-panels show an extension which serves as top flaps when folded over by 90° towards each other, which top flaps serve as bases against which the top-panel can be attached by means of an adequate number of glue spots. Two extensions of the top panel on two opposite sides which, when folded over by 90°, come to rest against the vertical outside part of two opposite pairs of neighbouring reinforcing pillars, forming the sides of the composite front panels, complete the frame of the windows of the two opposite front-panels, lying between these two opposite pairs of pillars and link together the two pillars against which they are glued, conferring the necessary strength to the container during shipping and storing, and serve as starting point for easily tearing off the top panel, thereby freeing completely two sides of the container at the display stage, and allowing easy price-marking and easy removal of the individual items packed. These two extensions provide the additional advantage of preventing the packed items from falling out of the container during transportation and eliminate consequently the need for additional stretch or shrink-wrapping.

0009For the sake of simplicity and clarity reference is made to two opposite front panels for, as will be seen from the drawings and description, these two opposite front panels are absolutely identical and can each, or both together, be considered front panels at the display stage where this really matters. These two opposite front panels are designated as composite front panels since they are built by four individual elements as will be evident from the description of the drawings hereafter, and this is in contradiction with the opposite side panels, which each consist of an integral cardboard in which a window has been cut out.

Brief Description of the Drawings

0010While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter forming the present invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which identical features in the several views are identically designated and in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Fig. 1a is a plan view of the carton blank for the body of the most preferred embodiment of the container according to the present invention.</li><li>Fig. 1 b is a plan view of the top panel for the container formed of the carton blank represented in Fig. 1a.</li><li>Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the erected and ready to be filled container using the carton blank of Fig. 1a.</li><li>Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the completely filled container of Fig. 2, on which the top panel according to carton blank represented in Fig. 1 b has been attached on one side.</li><li>Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the filled and closed container made with carton blanks represented in Fig. 1a and 1b.</li><li>Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a filled container constructed with blanks represented in Fig. 1a and 1 b, which is being opened for display and the contents of which is being price-marked.</li></ul>

Detailed Description of the Invention

0011The blankfor the main part of container 1 illustrated in Fig. 1a a consists of bottom panel 2, side panels 3 and 3' in which windows 4 and 4' are cut out, top flaps 5 and 5', elements for pillars 6, 6', 6" and 6"' and composite front panels basis elements 7 and 7'.

0012The carton blank 8 illustrated in Fig. 1 b consists of top panel 9 and extensions 10 and 10'.

0013Fig. 2 shows how the carton blank of Fig. 1 a has been erected to form the container. Side panels 3 and 3' have been brought in vertical position, elements for pillars 6, 6', 6" and 6"' have been folded back in a conventional way to build pillars resting partially against side panels 3 and 3' and composite front panels 13, 13' basis elements 7 and 7' have been brought in vertical position, partially folded over by 180° towards the inside of the container and glued respectively against the side of the pillars 6/6' and 6"/6"', which are perpendicular to side panels 3 and 3'. Top flaps 5 and 5' are still in a vertical position, to allow complete filling of the container with items 11. Detailed description of a machine and a method for erecting a container very similar to the one shown in Fig. 2 can be found in German OS 2 819 000.

0014Fig. 3 shows the erected container represented in Fig. 2 after it has been filled with the items 11. Top flaps 5 and 5' have been folded over towards each other by 90°. Extension 10 of top panel 8 has been attached by means of glue spots to the neighbouring pair of pillars 6 and 6'.

0015Fig. 4 shows how extension 10' of top panel 8 has been folded over and glued against the neighbouring reinforcing pillars 6" and 6"', thereby completely enclosing the individual items 11. When comparing Fig. 2 with Fig. 4, it is evident that, by gluing extension 10 and 10' to the reinforcing pillars 6, 6', 6" and 6"' as well as the top flaps 5 and 5', additional strength and stability is given to the completed container. It is also evident that, by attaching extension 10 and 10' in the way as shown and described, the packed product will be kept in place and will be prevented from falling out of the container, thereby obviating the need for the shrink or stretch-wrapping operation.

0016Fig. 5 shows how the container is opened by one pull of the hand, thereby allowing easy price-marking with labels 14 and removal of the individual items. Glue spots 12 on the inside of top panel 8 and extensions 10 and 10' indicate the preferred gluing locations.