Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – Including an access opening in a sidewall intended to permit...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
2001-02-20
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
Including an access opening in a sidewall intended to permit...
C229S122100, C229S221000, C229S172000, C229S169000, C229S170000, C229S138000, C221S305000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189778
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to stackable containers useful for shipping bulk goods and for displaying and dispensing the goods at the point of purchase, and more particularly, to such containers made from a corrugated paperboard blank and formable into the container automatically from a knockdown state.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Containers find broad use in the shipment of many types of goods, especially bulk goods. Examples of bulk goods include many food items such as candy and snack foods, small hardware items, small toys and other consumer products. Increasingly, such containers have been found useful for the display and dispensing of the goods at the point of purchase in addition to their traditional function as a shipping container.
Conventional corrugated paperboard containers do not readily fulfill all of the requirements currently imposed upon them for the efficient shipment and display of bulk goods. An improved container would desirably include the following characteristics: (1) inexpensive to manufacture; (2) easily shipped to the user; (3) readily assembled and filled using automated equipment; (4) resistant to crushing or bursting when stacked; and (5) easily converted from a shipping container to a container for display and dispensing of the goods.
To insure that an improved container would be inexpensive to manufacture, it is advantageous to fabricate the container from a minimum of separate pieces. Preferably, the container should be formable by machine from a die cut blank or blanks with a minimum of hand labor operations necessary. Ease of shipment to a user can be achieved if the container is formable from the blank into a knockdown state which lies folded in a substantially flat configuration so as to occupy a minimum of space during shipment. The knockdown state also allows the container to be readily assembled and filled using automated equipment, as the knockdown is designed to be unfolded from its flat configuration into a container and then filled entirely by machine. Resistence to crushing or bursting when stacked is achieved by reinforcing the container wall panels with adjacently positioned reinforcing panels which help share the load of the contents and the weight of containers stacked above. Lastly, ease of conversion from a shipping container to a container for display and dispensing of the goods can be readily afforded by the use of a pull-out panel comprising one of the wall panels. The pull-out panel should allow the wall panel to be opened to reveal and dispense the contents of the container. It should have the strength to resist bursting open during container shipment or when stacked, and yet be easily manually opened without the need of tools or cutting when desired.
It is an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive container which can serve to ship bulk goods and to display and dispense the goods at a point of purchase.
It is another object of the invention to provide a container having a pull-out panel in one of its side walls which can be opened to display and dispense the goods in the container and which does not require special set up at the retail site.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a container which can be fabricated from a minimum of pieces formed from die cut blanks.
It is another object of the invention to provide a container which can be formed into a knockdown state from die cut blanks.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a container which has a knockdown state which can be readily unfolded and filled with goods by automated machinery.
It is another object of the invention to provide a container which will resist bursting and crushing when stacked or shipped.
These and other objects will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and detailed description of preferred embodiments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a container assembly comprising multiple wall panels attached to one another. Preferably, the container is made of corrugated paperboard, although other materials are also usable. The wall panels include a first, a second, a third and a fourth wall panel. Each of the wall panels have oppositely disposed top and bottom edges. A bottom flap is integrally and pivotally attached to the bottom edge of the first wall panel.
A pull-out panel, defined by a separation line, comprises a portion of the first wall panel. Preferably, the separation line comprises a series of perforations defining a top edge and two side ends of the pull-out panel. The pull-out panel has a bottom edge hingeably and integrally attached to the container, the pull-out panel being manually movable from a closed position to an open position. The bottom edge of the pull-out panel preferably is defined by at least a portion of the bottom edge of the first wall panel. A top portion of the first wall panel defines a remainder of the first wall panel, the top portion being arranged above, and not being part of, the pull-out panel.
A sub panel is positioned overlying and secured to an inside face of the pull-out panel. A pair of wing flaps, integrally attached to the sub panel and spaced apart from one another, extend inwardly of the container to prevent goods held within the container from spilling out when the pull-out panel is opened. At least one of the wing flaps includes a hook section positioned to engage the top portion to prevent further rotation of the pull-out panel when in the open position.
The container has a knockdown state where first and second knockdown walls attached to one another at first and second corners form a substantially flat assembly. The first knockdown wall includes the first and fourth wall panels in a substantially same first plane. The second knockdown wall comprises the second and third wall panels in a second substantially same plane parallel to the first plane.
The container assembly may include a divider panel extending between the first wall panel and one of the wall panels opposite the first wall panel. When a divider panel is present, the pull-out panel preferably includes a third wing flap secured to it between the pair of wing flaps at either end of the pull-out panel. The third wing flap extends inwardly of the container adjacent to the divider panel and provides a partition which keeps the goods on either side of the divider panel separated when the pull-out panel is in the open position. Preferably the divider panel has a reinforcing panel arranged in a face-to-face relationship. The third wing flap may comprise a portion of the divider panel defined by a series of perforations permitting the third wing flap to move away from the divider panel when the pull-out panel is moved to the open position.
The second, third and fourth wall panels are preferably strengthened with reinforcing panels integrally connected to the top edges of the panels and reverse folded over one or more fold lines into a face-to-face relationship with the wall panels. The reinforcing panels provide greater resistance to crushing and bursting of the container when stacked.
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Mai Tri M.
Shoap Allan N.
Synnestvedt & Lechner LLP
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