Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – Plural
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2001-10-23
Elkins, Gary E. (Department: 3727)
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
Plural
C229S120110, C229S915000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305598
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved composite tray and stacker for packages or cartons of a plurality of identical paperboard and/or plastic containers supported in the tray for the purpose of providing compressive load-bearing capability to the package. The package of this invention is characterized by its capability of being divided into half packages.
In recent years there has been a proliferation of brands and varieties of products within a single brand. Examples are plain cereal, cereal with raisins, cereal with fruit and nuts, etc., and products which come in a variety of flavors. Many smaller stores have difficulty coping with full cases of these products, creating demands for half cases. The same problem exists for some relatively slow moving products.
The present invention is directed to an improved stackable package constructed from a single piece of corrugated sheet material, which is readily divided into two halves. It is adapted to use with heavy products, such as large sizes of liquids like milk, juices, etc., which are more readily handled in half size cartons.
THE PRIOR ART
The prior art is exemplified by my Pat. No. 5,129,575 issued Jul. 14, 1992, which is directed to a composite tray and stacker structure for packages of a plurality of identical paperboard and/or plastic containers supported in a tray for the purpose of providing compressive load-bearing capability to the package. The composite tray and stacker is composed essentially of a single sheet of stiff material, such as corrugated paperboard. The structure includes a rectangular tray bottom wall having a central transverse reverse fold line and a pair of end walls connected to the bottom wall along fold lines. A pair of top wall spacer elements are foldably connected along the top edges of the end walls and a pair of weight-bearing abutable stacker elements are foldably connected to the spacer elements. A relatively narrow product retainer panel is connected to each of the side edges of each of the end walls and stacker elements along fold lines. Relatively narrow rectangular flaps are connected along fold lines to the side edges of the bottom tray and in most instances also to the side edges of the top wall spacer elements. In the assembled package the end walls and spacer elements lie in parallel spaced apart relation to support packages stacked one on another. The rectangular flaps engage the outer surfaces of the product retainer panels. The assembled package encloses a pair of mirror image cells or compartments for product containers and is readily divisible into half packages.
The present invention represents a modification of and improvement over the package of U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,575.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Sharing much of the structure of the package of U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,575 the present invention is likewise directed to a package of a plurality of identical paperboard and/or plastic containers contained in a tray with a composite built-in stacker structure. The composite tray and stacker structure includes a rectangular tray bottom wall having a central transverse reverse fold line with a pair of relatively wide rectangular end walls connected along their bottom edges to opposite ends of the tray bottom wall along spaced apart parallel fold lines. The end walls are of a width approximately equal to the height of the containers to be packaged. A pair of rectangular top wall spacer elements are each connected along one edge to the top edge of each of the end walls along a fold line. A pair of rectangular weight-bearing stacker elements are each connected to one of the spacer elements along a fold line opposite from the spacer connection to the end walls. The width of the stacker elements is approximately equal to the width of the end walls. The stacker elements abut in the center of the package.
As in the earlier package, a relatively narrow product retainer panel is connected to each of the side edges of each of the end walls and stacker elements along fold lines. There are provided relatively narrow rectangular flaps connected to the side edges of the bottom tray and also to the side edges of each of the top wall spacer elements. In the assembled package these flaps fold over and are fastened to the product retainer panels.
In the package of the prior patent certain of the product retainer panels are wider than other retainer panels to facilitate the plow and tuck operations of the package machine in the assembly of the package. The wider panels are eliminated in the present package blank and replaced by notches in the product retainer panels connected to one of the stacker elements for the same purpose. This reduces the overall size of the paperboard blank resulting in material savings of up to ten percent, making the present package more economically and environmentally friendly by reducing the total material initially required and reducing the amount of waste.
In the package of the prior patent no provision is made for sealing the seams between the bottoms of the stacker elements and the bottom tray. When the package is split into halves, the open seam may be spread into a gap which some unscrupulous customers may use to pilfer flat objects, such as CDs and the like. This open seam is eliminated in the package of the present invention.
The present divisible package also often eliminates the need for a separate inner package commonly used for beverage six-packs and the like.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3158312 (1964-11-01), Simkins
patent: 4228945 (1980-10-01), Wysocki
patent: 4913291 (1990-04-01), Schuster
patent: 4932534 (1990-06-01), Focke et al.
patent: 4998615 (1991-03-01), Bryan
patent: 5039002 (1991-08-01), Spaner
patent: 5129575 (1992-07-01), Bryan
patent: 5299733 (1994-04-01), Werth
patent: 5722583 (1998-03-01), Focke et al.
patent: 6006982 (1999-12-01), Jones
patent: 1079540-B1 (1960-04-01), None
patent: 739899-A (1955-11-01), None
patent: 1106269-A (1968-03-01), None
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