Display cartons

Abstract

 Display cartons are disclosed consisting of an outer sleeve (1 to 9) and an inner tray (10 to 35). The inner tray includes a display panel (12, 13) hinged to the tray near its base and adapted to pop up when the tray is slid out from the outer sleeve. The carton may be constructed to look like a pretty matchbox. When the matchbox is opened, goods pop up for observation on the display panel. The entire assembly may be made from two punched card blanks.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to cartons and especially to display cartons of fibrous and other materials and incorporating a merchandising feature.

[0002] In many areas of merchandising, sales may be enhanced by attractive displays of the goods on sale. This is particularly the case where the goods themselves are of relatively small size, where well designed display packaging may catch the eye of the casual shopper and turn him or her into a prospective purchaser. Most packaging relies on eye-catching graphics printed on some sort of container for the goods or on a display card. This, while it can be very attractive, lacks very much dynamic interest.

[0003] We know of cartons having movable flaps which can be swung about a hinge line to reveal the carton contents. Such cartons are described inter alia in British Patent Specifications, 233562, 503958, 979302 and 1140389. Such cartons do not have much visual appeal, and constitute mere containers surrounding the merchandise within. The problem underlying the invention is to provide more attractive and eye-catching display cartons.

[0004] According generally to the present invention there is provided a display carton consisting of an outer sleeve and an inner tray slideable within the sleeve, the tray incorporating, pivotally hinged about a line at or near the base of the tray, a display panel capable of receiving goods to be displayed, and linkage means between the outer sleeve and the display panel serving to swivel the display panel from a folded down position where it lies wholly within the contours of the inner tray to an erect position in which it projects upwardly from the tray when the tray is slid out from the outer sleeve.

[0005] Preferably in addition to such linkage means the tray and outer sleeve carry co-operating stop members preventing the tray being wholly removed from the sleeve.

[0006] The hingedly mounted panel may carry the goods to be sold; for example such goods may be adhered or clipped to the panel. In the display of small articles e.g. earrings for pierced ears, the panel may be provided with apertures through which a portion of the article is clipped or the articles may be adhered to the stand-up panel to enhance display.

[0007] If desired, in addition to the linkage means between the inner tray and the outer sleeve, which serve to erect the panel when the tray is slid out from the sleeve, the panel may have resilient means biasing it towards an upright display position.

[0008] Display cartons in accordance with the present invention may be produced in a wide variety of sizes from a wide variety of materials. Conveniently, the components are produced from fibrous or other materials e.g. cardboard by stamping out a blank with appropriate fold and cut lines and folding it to shape with the final shape being held by gluing or interlocking tabs or by a combination of such methods.

[0009] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the display carton is constructed substantially in the shape and size of a matchbox, with the inner tray and outer sleeve each being formed from a single sheet of material e.g. card appropriately stamped and folded to shape. The card may be overprinted with a design prior to stamping and folding to give display cartons of .attractive and eye-catching appearance and which when picked up are immediately operated by a potential purchaser who is visually attracted by the movement of the display panel as the "matchbox" is opened or closed.

[0010] The invention is illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

, Figure 1 is a plan view of a stamped blank constituting an integral inner tray and display panel assembly;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a stamped blank which may be formed into an outer sleeve;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of a display carton according to the present invention in closed position, and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the display carton in its open position.

[0011] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, these both show card blanks from the side which is to receive printing. The printing may be of a texture or small repeating pattern or it may be of a specific design carefully printed in register with the shape and configuration of the blank. The printing may be of any texture or design suitable for any current market requirements/ image/product needs and may extend over all or only parts of one or both sides of the blank.

[0012] The folding and cutting lines for each blank are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Continuous lines are cut through save in the case of those shown collinear with one of the dotted lines, where the short straight lines indicate scores. Each of the dotted lines represents a fold line and each fold line is identified by a letter R or V denoting ridge or valley respectively.

[0013] Thus considering the outer sleeve of Figure 2, all of the folds save one are ridge folds.

[0014] For ease of reference the individual card panels have been numbered 1_'to 9 in respect of the outer sleeve shown in Figure 2 and 10 to 35 in the case of Figure 1. Each of the numbered panels remains essentially flat in use.

[0015] The cutting and stamping of the blanks shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be effected using conventional card production techniques. The blank of Figure 1 has stamped out apertures in panel 12 and at the intersections of panels 13, 14, 15, 18 and 13, 16, 17, 18, the second and third of these being small circular portions cut out to facilitate folding of panels 14, 15, 16, 17 as explained below.

[0016] The outer sleeve shown in Figure 2 is erected by folding panels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to form a rectangular section sleeve with panels 1 and 2 lying inwardly of panels 5 and 6 respectively. The side - of panel 6 i.e. the underside as shown in the drawing is adhered to the printed side of panel 2 to hold the sleeve together. At this stage panel 9 projects from the end of the sleeve.

[0017] The blank of Figure 1 is erected by first folding panels 19 to 35 inclusive to form'a tray having a base formed of panels 27 and 31 lined with panels 24 and 30, side walls formed by the panel pair 25, 26 and 28, 29, the panels in each pair then lying adjacent one another, and end walls formed by panels 32 to 34 on the one hand and 19 to 22 on the other. Panel 35 is at this stage left projecting vertically from the top of the tray. During the assembly, panel 23 is bent away from panel 24 with a ridge fold and pushed through the cut slot between panels 21 and 27. This action may be facilitated by stamping a valley fold line from the top right hand corner of panel 24 (as seen in Figure 1) to half way down the left hand vertical edge thereof (as seen in Figure 1), this valley fold being temporarily formed during insertion. This effectively locks the tray structure together but in the assembled tray structure panels 23 and 24 are co-planar so the ridge fold between them and any valley fold in panel 24-is only temporary; for this reason the (V) is shown in brackets on Figure 1 between panels 23 and-24.

[0018] Folds between panels 18, 19 and 21 are now manipulated to produce ridge and valley folds so that the valley fold between panels 18 and 19 lies on panels 24 and 30. Folds between panels 13 to 18, 13 and 12, 11 and 10 are then manipulated into the boxlike tray so that panels 18 and 11 are coplanar and lie at the bottom of the tray immediately above panels 24 and 30. Panel 10 lies snugly against the vertical panel 33 and the section constituted by panels 10 to 18 is then held into the tray by swinging down panel 35 which is so dimensioned that it lodges with its free long edge located in the valley fold between panels 11 and 12, and its short edges resiliently latched beneath the diagonal cut edges of panels 25 and 29 to lock the structure together.

[0019] Goods such as earrings which it is desired to display are then affixed to the assembly of panels 12 and 13.

[0020] The tray carrying the goods is then assembled with the sleeve formed by folding the blank shown in Figure 2 in the following way: first the panel 7 is folded through 180° so that it projects towards the interior of the sleeve. The rear wall constituted by panels 32, 33 and 34 of the tray is inserted into the end of the sleeve and the whole of the tray then pushed partly into the sleeve. Next, panel 9 is inserted into the aperture in panel 12. Panel 9 and the aperture in panel 12 are so dimensioned that panel 9 can be pushed entirely through the aperture. Because of its shape relative to-panel 8, however, if an attempt is then made to pull it back, the "barbs" on panel 9 secure it against removal from the aperture in panel 12. The whole tray is then pushed into the sleeve. As this is done, panels 8 and 9 hingeing about the ridge and valley folds between them and between panel 8 and panel 1 push the panels 12 and 13 downwardly into the tray carrying the displayed merchandise with them in such a way that the goods are wholly concealed within the sleeve. This is the position shown in Figure 3. As shown in that Figure, panel 7 is, because of the natural resilience of the card material, pushing upwardly against panel 27 while panel 31 is pushing downwardly against the other end of panel 3. Panels 8 and 9 are folded to form with panel 1 a reversed Z shape.

[0021] The tray may be slid out from the sleeve by grasping the tab formed by panel 23 and pulling. The inner tray slides until panels 31 and 7 catch on one another and prevent the tray being further removed from the sleeve. At the same time, panels 8 and 9 hinge relative to one another and relative to panel-1 and erect panels 12 and 13 carrying the merchandise. As shown in Figure 4, this consists of a pair of ear studs each consisting of a decorative portion 50 having a rod projecting therefrom which passes through panels 12 and 13 and on to which a spring clip 51 is set.

[0022] If desired, panels 14, 15, 16 and 17 may be omitted entirely, panels 13 and 18 then being of simple rectangular shape with a valley fold between them. Alternatively instead of projecting panels 14, 15, 16 and 17, the panels 13 and 18 may each have a smaller rectangular panel in their adjacent sides defined by two cut lines running parallel to the longer sides of panels 13 and 18, the two smaller panels having a ridge fold between them and each being connected via a valley fold to panel 13 or 18 respectively.

Claims

1. A display carton consisting of an outer sleeve (1 to 9) and an inner tray (10 to 35) slideable within the sleeve, the tray incorporating, pivotally hinged about a line at or near the base of the tray, a display panel (12, 13) capable of receiving goods to be displayed, and linkage means (8, 9) between the outer sleeve and the display panel serving to swivel the display panel from a folded down position where it lies wholly within the contours of the inner tray to an erect position in which it projects upwardly from the tray when the tray is slid out from the outer sleeve.

2. A display carton according to claim 1 and including, in addition to the linkage means, co-operating stop members (7, 31) on the tray and outer sleeve preventing the tray being wholly removed from the sleeve.

3. A display carton according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the linkage means is constituted by a hinged panel (8, 9) integral with the outer sleeve and having an end (9) engaged in an aperture in the display panel (12).

4. A display carton according to claim 3 wherein the display panel is formed of two webs of material (12,13) one (12) having an aperture through which the hinged panel passes, and the hinged panel end (9) being barbed and located between the two webs (12,13).

5. A display carton according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the panel (12, 13) is provided with a pair of apertures through which a portion of goods to be displayed may pass.

6. A display carton according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and including resilient means (14, 15, 16, 17) biasing the panel (12, 13) towards an upright display position.

7. A display carton according-to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the outer sleeve and inner tray are produced from sheet material by stamping out blanks with appropriate fold and cut lines and folding them to shape with the final shape being held by gluing or by interlocking tabs or by a combination of such methods.

8. A display carton according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and constructed substantially in the shape and size of a matchbox, with the inner tray and outer sleeve each being formed from a single sheet of card appropriately stamped and folded to shape.

Drawing