CN110603200A - Package for displaying articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A package for displaying an article includes a box body having at least a front panel. The pusher includes an elastic member and a rigid member disposed between the elastic member and the article. The pusher is removably coupled to the cartridge body for transitioning between an inactive configuration and an active configuration. The pusher is positioned to push the article towards said front plate of the cartridge body when in the active configuration.

Description

Packaging for Display Items

technical field

The present disclosure generally relates to pushers for packaging of display items for sale.

Background technique

It is known to transport prepackaged items, such as candy, in bulk boxes, such as cardboard boxes, from a manufacturing site to a selling site. One of the primary functions of such boxes is to protect items from physical damage during transport. At the point of sale, the item is typically removed from the box and displayed for sale.

However, it is desirable to display multiple smaller items in a box and dispense the smaller items directly from the box. In this case, it may be advantageous to use the same box as the shipping item. Such boxes are often referred to as "shelf-ready packs". US Pat. No. 7,284,662 describes a box that allows shipping, display and distribution of products to be performed from the same box.

Existing shelf-ready packaging presents a variety of problems. For example, items stacked in such a package (whether horizontally, vertically, or at an oblique angle) may not look aesthetically pleasing when several items are removed. Additionally, removing items can result in a product that doesn't show up well on the shelf, where the product is often hidden from view. To address this on-shelf display problem, shelf-ready packages exist that have biasing members for biasing the merchandise within the package to a position visible to the customer. However, in applications where the merchandise within the package is relatively fragile or deformable, such as, for example, when the merchandise is, for example, an edible food product, the biasing force may damage or adversely affect the condition of the merchandise when applied directly to the merchandise. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a shelf-ready package that maintains the presentation of the product on the shelf and allows the item to be distributed to customers in a controlled manner without altering the condition of the product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a package for displaying items is disclosed, the package including a box body having at least a front panel. The pusher includes an elastic member and a rigid member disposed between the elastic member and the article. A pusher is removably coupled to the cartridge body for transitioning between the inactive configuration and the active configuration. The pusher is positioned to urge the item towards the front panel of the box body when in the active configuration.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, in the inactive configuration, the pusher is coupled to the cartridge body, and the biasing of the resilient member The force does not push the item towards the front panel.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, in the inactive configuration, a portion of the rigid member is integrally formed with the cartridge body.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the rigidizer and the box body are separated along a fold line.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the box body further includes a rear wall, and the rigid member is removably coupled to the rear wall.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments the box body further comprises at least one side wall and the rigid member is removably coupled to the at least one side wall.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments the portion of the rigid member is perforated to remove the rigid member from the cassette body.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments the portion of the rigid member comprises at least one connecting member.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the at least one connecting member comprises a plurality of connecting members.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the plurality of connecting members are substantially identical.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments at least one of the plurality of connecting members is different from the remainder of the plurality of connecting members.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments the resilient member is a ring fixed to the front panel at an open end and configured to extend around the article .

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the box body includes a side panel, and the resilient member is secured to the side panel at the open end and is An annular member configured to extend around an item.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the elastic member is an elastic band.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the case body includes a lid, and at least a portion of the lid is removable for accessing the item.

According to another embodiment, the packaging system includes a packaging having at least a bottom panel and a front panel. Multiple items are set in the package. The pusher includes an elastic member and a rigid member disposed between the elastic member and the article. A pusher is removably coupled to the cartridge body for transitioning between the inactive configuration and the active configuration. The pusher is positioned to urge the item towards the front panel of the box body when in the active configuration.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the plurality of articles are stacked horizontally.

In addition to or as an alternative to one or more of the above features, in further embodiments, the plurality of articles are stacked vertically.

These and other embodiments are described in detail below.

Description of drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, embody several aspects of the disclosure and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the attached image:

1 is a perspective view of a shelf-ready package containing multiple items, according to one embodiment;

2 is a front perspective view of a shelf-ready package according to one embodiment;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cassette of Figure 2, according to one embodiment;

4 is a perspective view of a shelf-ready package with a pusher arranged in an inactive configuration, according to one embodiment;

5 is a perspective view of a full shelf-ready package with pushers arranged in an active configuration, according to one embodiment;

6 is another perspective view of a full shelf-ready package with pushers arranged in an active configuration, according to one embodiment;

7 is a perspective view of the shelf-ready package of FIG. 5 after several products have been removed from the shelf-ready package, according to one embodiment; and

8 is a perspective view of the shelf-ready package after all of the products in the product have been removed from the shelf-ready package, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention, together with advantages and features, are explained by way of example with reference to the drawings.

Detailed ways

The following will describe a pusher for use with a container in the form of a cardboard box that is a shelf pack. It should be understood, however, that the pusher may include different formats of different materials for use in a variety of other applications.

In the following, the relative terms top and bottom, top and bottom, front and back, inside and outside, up and down, and their derivatives, are used to refer to when the box is in its intended orientation for placement on a shelf or other display surface The complete box and its parts. However, the case can be used and stored in other orientations as desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 , examples of shelf-ready packages or packages 20 are shown. As shown, the shelf-ready package 20 includes a box 22 having a bottom panel 24 , two side panels 26 , 28 , a back panel 30 and at least a portion of the front panel 32 , all extending upwardly from the bottom panel 24 . However, not all of these panels, particularly the side panels 26 , 28 and the rear panel 30 , are necessary for the operation of the bag 20 . In the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the box 22 additionally includes a cover 34 disposed generally parallel to and opposite to the base plate 24 and between the two side panels 26 , 28 , the rear panel 30 and the front panel Extend between 32. Configurations of the case 22 that include no lid 34 or only a portion of the lid 34 are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

A cavity 36 for storing a plurality of products 10 stacked in a vertical configuration or a horizontal configuration is defined between the front panel 32 , the rear panel 30 and the side panels 26 , 28 of the box 22 . Typically, each of the plurality of products 10 within the cavity 36 is substantially identical, although embodiments in which different products are housed within the cavity 36 are also contemplated. In one embodiment, at least one dimension of cavity 36 (such as, for example, the distance between opposing side panels 26 , 28 ) is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the dimension of product 10 contained within cavity 36 . Additionally, another dimension of cavity 36 (such as, for example, the distance between front panel 32 and rear panel 30 ) may be selected based on a predetermined number of one or more products 10 to be contained within cavity 36 .

The box 22 may be made of any suitable material that is common for such boxes as cardboard. In one embodiment, the box 22 is formed from a single sheet of material by folding different portions of the material along one or more fold lines. The portion 42 of the cover 34 adjacent to and/or overlapping the front panel 32 (shown in phantom in FIG. 1 ) may be perforated for easy removal from the rest of the case 22 . The removable portion is configured to protect the contents of the box 22 during shipping and shipping. When the box 22 is positioned on a shelf for display, as shown in FIG. 1 , this portion is removed to enable the consumer to access the contents contained within the interior cavity 36 of the box 22 .

The package 20 additionally includes a pusher mechanism 50 configured to urge the product 10 within the cavity 36 toward an easily accessible position. In one embodiment, the pusher mechanism 50 includes an elastic member 52 (such as, for example, an elastic band) configured to apply a force to the product 10 within the box 22 such that the contents are always arranged directly with the front panel 32 Adjacent or touching. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the resilient member 52 is configured to pass through a ring or annulus behind the rearmost product 10 within the cavity 36 . Accordingly, a portion 54 of the resilient member 52 extends along the side panels 26 , 28 and another portion 56 of the resilient member 52 is oriented generally parallel to the rear panel 30 . In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , the open or free ends of the resilient members 52 are secured to the side panels 26 , 28 of the box 22 via apertures 60 . However, the resilient member 52 may be secured to any other suitable area of the case 22 , such as, for example, the front panel 32 such that the resilient member 52 is biased toward the front panel 32 .

In embodiments where the product 10 is an edible ingredient such as, for example, chocolate, direct contact between the elastic member 52 and the rearmost product 10 within the cavity 36 may damage the interior of the box 22 due to the strength of the biasing force of the elastic member 52 of one or more products 10. In order to reduce the force applied directly to the product 10 , the rigid member 58 is positioned behind the item 10 to be dispensed, between the rearmost product 10 and the elastic member 52 . Due to this positioning, the resilient member 52 is operably coupled to the rigid member 58 . In one embodiment, the elastic member 52 is attached to the rigid member 58 via fasteners (such as, for example, staples) or adhesive. However, embodiments in which the resilient member 52 is movable relative to the rigid member 58 are also contemplated herein.

The rigid member 58 may be a plate-like member (ie, the rigid member has no appreciable thickness), or another shape having a flat front surface that forms a vertical abutment surface with the product 10 . Alternatively, rigid member 58 may have a non-planar front surface. Additionally, in some embodiments, rigid member 58 includes a horizontal stabilization element disposed at its base. In one embodiment, the rigid member 58 is substantially the same size and shape as the product 10 located within the cavity 36 . However, embodiments in which the rigid member 58 covers only a portion of the surface of the adjacent product 10 or have a different shape than the product 10 are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

The pusher mechanism 50 is capable of transitioning between an inactive configuration (FIG. 4) and an active configuration (FIGS. 5-8). In the inactive configuration, the pusher mechanism 50 is again held in place by the biasing force of the resilient member 52 . Thus, in the inactive configuration, the biasing force of the resilient member 52 is not applied to the products 10 within the cavity 36 to urge these products toward the front plate 32 . Therefore, it is desirable for the pusher mechanism 50 to be in the inactive configuration during transport of the shelf-ready package 20 to protect the contents of the box 22 .

In the inactive configuration, the pusher mechanism 50 is removably coupled to a portion of the cassette 22 . In one embodiment, a portion of the pusher mechanism 50 is integrally formed with an adjacent portion of the box body 22, such as the side walls 26, 28 or the rear panel 30 of the box body. The rigid member 58 and corresponding portions of the box 22 may be integrally formed by folding a portion of the material of the box 22 along one or more fold lines, as indicated at 62 in FIG. 4 . In embodiments where the rigidizer 58 is integrally formed with the back panel 30, the rigidizer 58 is formed via a 180 degree fold such that the back panel 30 and the rigidizer 58 are oriented substantially parallel to and substantially adjacent to each other.

In order to convert the pusher mechanism 50 to the active configuration in which the biasing force of the elastic member 52 is applied to the product within the cavity 36 , the rigid member 58 is disengaged from the rigid box 22 . In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , at least one connecting member 64 extends across the fold between the rigid member 58 and the back panel 30 . The portion of the fold that does not include the connecting member 64 is cut to separate the rigid member 58 and the back panel 30 along the length of the fold line, except for the portion connected by at least one connecting member 64 . At least one connecting member 64 may be of any shape and/or size. However, the at least one connecting member 64 should not interfere with the biased movement of the pusher mechanism.

In some embodiments, at least one connecting member 64 includes a plurality of connecting members 64 . For example, in the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7, three semicircular connecting members 64 are integrally formed with and detachable from the rear panel 30, and in the non-limiting embodiment of FIG. , two triangular connecting members 64 extend from the rigid member 58 . While embodiments including two and three connecting members are shown, it should be understood that embodiments having more than three connecting members 64 are also contemplated herein. In such embodiments, the plurality of connecting members 64 may, but need not, be substantially identical. Alternatively, the at least one connecting member 64 of the rigid member 58 may comprise a single connecting member 64 . Additionally, in one embodiment, a single connecting member 64 may be sized to substantially include the entire rear panel 30 .

The perimeter of at least one connecting member 64 extending between the fold line and the back panel 30 is perforated to allow the user to easily remove the connecting member 64 from the remainder of the back panel. The biasing force of the resilient member 52 will urge the pusher mechanism 50 into contact with the rearmost product 10 when the at least one connecting member 64 is disengaged from the adjacent fixed portion of the cassette 22 . When the cassette 22 contains the desired number of products 10 and is considered "full," as shown in FIG. 6, the overall movement of the pusher mechanism 50 between the inactive configuration and the active configuration engages the product 10 within the cavity 36 may be restricted.

When the product 10 is removed from the adjacent front panel 32 of the cassette 22, the biasing force of the resilient member 50 causes the remaining product 10 and rigid member to slide within the cavity 36 toward the front panel 32, as shown in FIG. When all of the products 10 have been removed from the cassette 22, the rigid member 58 is placed in contact with the front plate 32 and the resilient member 52 of the pusher mechanism 50 is in a generally neutral or unstressed state. Once the cassette 22 is empty, the cassette can be discarded, or the product 10 can be re-positioned by moving the pusher mechanism 50 against the bias of the resilient member 52 to position the product between the pusher mechanism 50 and the front plate 52. Cavity 36 is filled as previously described.

This specification uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are considered to be considered if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims Examples fall within the scope of the claims.

All cited patents, patent applications, and other references are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. However, to the extent that a term in this application contradicts or contradicts a term in an incorporated reference, the term in this application takes precedence over the conflicting term in the incorporated reference.

All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. Each range disclosed herein constitutes a disclosure of any point or sub-range that falls within the disclosed range.

The use of the terms "a," "an," "the," and similar referents in the context of describing the invention, particularly in the context of the appended claims, should be understood to encompass both singular and plural meanings , unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. In addition, it should be further noted that the terms "first," "second," etc. herein do not denote any order, quantity, or degree of importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The modifier "about" used in connection with a quantity encompasses the specified value and has the meaning dictated by the context (eg, the modifier includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the specified quantity).

Claims (18)

1. A package for displaying articles, the package comprising: a box body having at least a front plate; a pusher including a resilient member and a rigid member disposed between the resilient member and the article, the pusher detachably coupled to the box body for use in an inactive configuration and an active configuration Transitioning between, the pusher is positioned to push the item towards the front panel of the box body when in the active configuration. 2. The package of claim 1, wherein in the inactive configuration, the pusher is coupled to the box body and the biasing force of the resilient member does not urge the item toward the front panel advance. 3. The package of claim 1, wherein in the inactive configuration, a portion of the rigid member is integrally formed with the box body. 4. The package of claim 1, wherein the rigidizer and the box body are separated along a fold line. 5. The package of claim 1, wherein the box body further comprises a rear wall, and the rigid member is removably coupled to the rear wall. 6. The package of claim 1, wherein the box body further comprises at least one side wall, and the rigid member is removably coupled to the at least one side wall. 7. The package of claim 3, wherein the portion of the rigidizer is perforated to remove the rigidizer from the box body. 8. The package of claim 3, wherein the portion of the rigid member includes at least one connecting member. 9. The package of claim 8, wherein the at least one connecting member comprises a plurality of connecting members. 10. The package of claim 9, wherein the plurality of connecting members are substantially identical. 11. The package of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of connecting members is different from the remainder of the plurality of connecting members. 12. The package of claim 1, wherein the resilient member is a loop secured to the front panel at an open end and configured to extend around the item. 13. The package of claim 1, wherein the box body includes a side panel, and the resilient member is a ring secured to the side panel at an open end and configured to extend around the item. 14. The package of claim 1, wherein the elastic member is an elastic band. 15. The package of claim 1, wherein the box body includes a lid, and at least a portion of the lid is removable for access to the item. 16. A packaging system comprising: a package having at least a bottom panel and a front panel; a plurality of items disposed in the package; a pusher including a resilient member and a rigid member disposed between the resilient member and the article, the pusher detachably coupled to the box body for use in an inactive configuration and an active configuration Transitioning between, the pusher is positioned to push the item towards the front panel of the box body when in the active configuration. 17. The packaging system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of items are stacked horizontally. 18. The packaging system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of items are stacked vertically.