Special receptacle or package – Convertible to or from display configuration – Having movable display card
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-23
2001-09-25
Fidei, David T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Convertible to or from display configuration
Having movable display card
C206S730000, C206S427000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293405
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE BACKGROUND
(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to product packaging, and particularly to product packaging that can also be used in constructing a display for the product using the packaging materials. The product packaging serves to partition a container interior into separate compartments to contain a product and can be removed from the container interior and attached to the container to display advertising indicia contained on the packaging materials.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
Partition panels are commonly used in carton packaging, such as cardboard or paperboard boxes, for separating articles packaged in the boxes and preventing the articles from contacting one another when shipped or stored. Partition panels are employed in packaging fragile articles, for example glass articles, such as bottles and other similar articles, and also easily bruised produce items such as fruits and vegetables and in packaging eggs. A typical partition assembly is comprised of several panels arranged in a criss-cross pattern in the interior of the carton. The criss-crossing panels define several separate storage areas in the carton interior. Prior art partition panels typically extend from the bottom to the top of the container and provide added compression strength to the container in addition to separating the container interior into separate storage areas.
A prior art partition assembly is typically comprised of a plurality of rectangular panels of paperboard or cardboard or other similar material. A first set of the panels includes a series of one or more slots extending inward, in a parallel manner, from an edge of each panel and terminating within the panel. A second set of the panels, equal in number to the number of slots on the first set of panels, includes a series of similar slots which cooperate with the series of slots on the first set of panels. The second set of panels are arranged perpendicular to the first set of panels and the slots in each set of panels cooperate by engaging with one another to form a partition assembly. The partition assembly is then inserted into the carton interior to divide the interior into separate areas, each to receive an article to be packaged in the container.
It is common for the carton to also serve as a display for the articles packaged in the carton. Typically, portions of the container are removed along with the partition assembly so that a prospective customer can easily view the articles contained in the carton. The partition assembly that has been removed is usually discarded and serves no further purpose. The singular use and discarding of the partition assembly is a waste of the packaging material, which may be used for other purposes, and is a drawback of prior art partitions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes shortcomings of prior art partition assemblies by providing at least one of the partition panels of the partition assembly with indicia or product information and adapting the one panel to be removed from the partition assembly and attached to the container to display the indicia. The multiple uses of the panels of the partition assembly serves to increase their usefulness and eliminates the necessity of using other materials for constructing a display for the contents of the container.
In the preferred embodiment, the invention is a combined product package and product display and comprises a partition assembly and a container. The container has a bottom surface surrounded by longitudinally opposite front and back walls and laterally opposite left and right walls which together define an interior of the container having a longitudinal length and a lateral width. In use of the invention at least the top surface of the container is removed.
The partition assembly is comprised of at least one panel with the one panel being dimensioned to fit in the interior of the container. The partition assembly, when placed in the interior of the container, divides the interior into separate compartments. The one panel of the partition assembly has indicia thereon and is adapted to be removed from the interior of the container and attached to the container to display the indicia. The one panel could have the indicia on a front surface, on a back surface, or on both surfaces.
In the preferred embodiment, the partition assembly is comprised of a plurality of panels, with the plurality of panels being either longitudinal panels or lateral panels. The longitudinal panels extend across the longitudinal length of the container interior while the lateral panels extend across the lateral width of the container interior. The lateral panels releasably engage with the longitudinal panels to thereby form the plurality of separate compartments in the container interior.
While the panels of the partition assembly can be releasably engaged by a number of different means, preferably the panels contain slots that engage with one another to thereby releasably engage the panels. The longitudinal panels have a first vertical height, longitudinally opposite end edges, vertically opposite top and bottom edges, and a series of slots that extend vertically from the bottom edge toward the top edge. The lateral panels have a second vertical height, laterally opposite end edges, vertically opposite top and bottom edges, and a series of slots that extend vertically from the top edge toward the bottom edge. The slots of the lateral panels are adapted to releasably engage with the slots of the longitudinal panels to thereby form separate compartments in the interior of the container. At least one of the lateral or longitudinal panels has indicia thereon and is adapted to be attached to the container to display the indicia. Additionally, more than one panel of the partition assembly may contain indicia.
The panel containing indicia will releasably attach to a wall of the container by inserting the wall into the vertical slots of the panel. While the panel can be attached to any wall of the container, preferably it is attached to the back wall of the container to thereby display the indicia without obstructing the view of the contents of the container. The method of using the partition panel with the indicia involves removing the top surface of the container, removing the partition assembly from the container, removing the panel with indicia from the partition assembly, and attaching the panel with indicia to the container to display the indicia. Providing the indicia or product information on at least one panel of the partition assembly eliminates the need to use additional material for a display and therefore reduces the overall cost of providing both product packaging and product display material.
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Fidei David T.
Howell & Haferkamp LC
RTS Packaging, LLC
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