[0001] The present invention concerns counter display boxes which allow products packaged
in individual packages to be both transported in batches, and to be displayed vertically
in an attractive and orderly manner at the point of sales from the same boxes used
for transporting them.
[0002] For products that do not have a well defined shape such as confectionary or an assortment
of small unwrapped objects that can only be displayed loose, boxes made of corrugated
cardboard, or of other materials, allowing products to be both safely transported
and displayed in both modern and traditional distributions, are already known. GB
Patent No. 2 281 065 and US Patent No. 4,066,205 disclose, for example, parallelepiped
boxes in which the front panel is able to be partially folded down, which allows the
box to be placed on a shelf, making part of its content visible. Such boxes do not
enable the products to be displayed in an orderly way giving the purchaser a difficult
time to clearly identify the product of his choice.
[0003] The invention thus, more particularly concerns a box designed for transporting products
packaged in packages of elongated shape, which are not vertically stable by themselves,
but nonetheless able to be displayed on shelves in the vertical direction owing to
a particular arrangement and design of the cover or the box. A package of elongated
shape without its own vertical stability consists, for example, a tetrahedral package
with isosceles or equilateral triangular sides, which is easy and economical to produce
from a tubular shape closed at its ends by band seals located in planes perpendicular
to one another. Such a package evidently does not allow vertical shelf display unless
the shelves are especially designed for this purpose.
[0004] The invention thus concerns a box intended to transport elongated packages without
vertical stability having at least one corner-shaped end, then to vertically display
in both modern and traditional distributions. The vertical position of said packages
being made possible owing to the complementary structure of the corner ends formed
in the cover or at the bottom of the box.
[0005] This complementary structure is formed by slots created from pre-cut portions and
folds, said slots having a width provided such that the engagement of the ends is
limited to a determined height assuring both good stability and good visual display
of the package. In another embodiment, the complementary structure is formed by an
accordion shaped fold, able to be unfolded flat onto the bottom or fan-shaped, the
V-shaped hollows having substantially the same dimensions as a part of the corner
end of the packages.
[0006] These complementary structures can be shaped in panels secured to the panels forming
the box or in separate panels.
[0007] Other advantages and features of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading
the following description of different embodiments given by means of illustrative
and non-limiting examples, in which:
- Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a box in the closed position;
- Figure 2 shows the box of Figure 1 in tetrahedral package display mode;
- Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of an empty box in the open position;
- Figure 4 shows a variant of second embodiment shown in Figure 3.
- Figure 5 shows a third embodiment of an empty box in the open position;
- Figure 6 shows the box of Figure 5 in tube display mode;
- Figure 7 shows a fourth embodiment; and
- Figures 8A and 8B show in perspective respectively a tetrahedral package and a tube.
[0008] Figure 1 shows in perspective a parallelepiped box 1 enclosing, for the purpose of
transport, elongated packages that are not vertically stable. These packages can be
single-use, i.e. disposable after the product has been used, or for repeated usage
if said packages include a sealing cap. In the first case this is generally a tetrahedral
package with triangular sides like the one shown in Figure 8A, a corner of which is
torn off in order to consume the product. In the second case, this may be the tubes
shown in Figure 8B, one end of which is sealed after filling, and the other end of
which includes a cap of small size or rounded shape. The products contained in these
packages can be extremely varied, such as food products (concentrated milk; condiments,
etc.), beauty or health products (creams, medicated ointments, etc.), products for
craft activities (glue, filler, etc.) or artists (paints, etc.), products for which
the client will make his choice visually, and for which it is thus necessary to have
a counter display allowing a product or assortment of products to be clearly shown.
[0009] Box 1 includes in a conventional manner a bottom 5 surrounded by two side panels
7, 9 each including in their top part a holding tongue 12, a front panel 6 and a back
panel 8 extended by a flap hinged by folding to form cover 10 including on the side
opposite the fold a closing tongue 11 that is then placed inside front panel 6. For
transport, box 1 is closed and contains the aforecited elongated packages. In order
to display the packages on a shelf, cover 10 is provided with a plurality of rectangular
zones 13a, 13b, 13c each including pre-cut portions and folds for forming complementary
structures to the corner ends of the packages. These rectangular zones 13a, 13b, 13c
have been shown with their large sides parallel to side panels 7, 9, but they could
equally be parallel to front and back panels 6, 8. The pre-cut portions are 1-shaped
including a longitudinal line 18 and two small transverse lines 20 connected to their
ends by fold zones 21. As shown in rectangular zone 13a a small application of pressure
allows the two small flaps 14, thus formed by pre-cut portions 18, 20 and folds 21,
to be tipped inside the box to a slot 15. The width of slot 15 will evidently depend
on the dimensions of the package and more particularly on the dimensions of its corner
shape. Purely by way of indication, for a tetrahedral package that is approximately
two times longer than its width, experiments have shown that the engagement height
in the slot should be comprised between ½ and 1/3 of the length of said package, preferably
2/5 of said length. For a tetrahedral package 9 cm long and 5 cm wide the engagement
height will be approximately 3.5 cm and the width of the slot 2.5 cm.
[0010] In Figure 1 it can also be seen that panels 6, 7 and 9 include tear lines 16, 17,
19 for removing top parts 6b, 7b, 9b of said panels, so as to give side panels 7,
9 a trapeze rectangle shape. Sealing tongue 11 will then have to have as maximum width
the length of the joining edge of panel 6a with panels 7a, 9a. Equally, top parts
6b, 7b, 9b could simply be folded down inside the box, provided there is a pre-cut
portion in connecting angles 6b/7b and 6b/9b.
[0011] As can be seen in Figure 2, in this variant cover 10 has a certain inclination, which
allows the packages to be offset vertically and to make them even more visible and
attractive. Depending on the space left between each rectangular zone 13a, 13b, 13c,
the packages can perfectly aligned with one behind the other or give the impression
of being arranged in a quincunx as shown.
[0012] Box 2, shown in the open position in Figure 3, corresponds to a second embodiment
wherein the complementary structure of the packages is formed on the bottom by two
flaps 27 and 29 that can be unfolded from side panels 7a, 9a and can be made in the
same flanks as the panels. It will be observed that the bottom can continue to be
closed by one or two panels extending front panel 6 and/or back panel 8. Each flap
27, 29 includes on each of its edges unfolding lugs 27a, 27b; 29a, 29b which allow,
as shown in the left part of the Figure, a bridge to be formed by pressing two central
lugs 27b, 29b against each other. These lugs must have at least the engagement height
of the corner ends as their width. The median parts of the flaps are structured as
indicated in the first example to form slots 15.
[0013] Figure 4 shows a variant of this second embodiment. It can be seen that the two flaps
27, 29 now form only a single element 28, formed by a single independent flank of
box 2. In the counter display mode, lugs 28a, 28b are applied against the inner surfaces
of front panel 6a and back panel 8. Lugs 28a, 28b can have the same width, or conversely
lug 28b can be wider such that element 28 is inclined and provides a display of the
packages comparable to that shown in Figure 2. For transporting the packages when
the box is closed, element 28 can be turned over and pressed against the bottom of
the box.
[0014] Figure 5 shows in perspective a box 3 corresponding to a third embodiment of wherein
the complementary structure of the corner ends is also located in bottom 5 of box
3. This structure is accordion shaped 25 by means of folds 26. As previously indicated,
this structure can be obtained either from one or two flaps secured to side panels
7a, 9a, or from an independent flap of box 3. The spacing between folds 26 is a function
of the width of box 3 and the engagement height H necessary to hold the packages properly.
For transport, this accordion structure can obviously be folded against one or two
panels of the box. It can also be seen that cover 10 includes, on either side of a
pre-cut portion 23, two folds 22 which, as shown in Figure 6, allow an advertising
message 24 or the prices of the articles contained in the display case to be seen,
when cover 10 is folded down at folds 22.
[0015] The display box of Figure 6 contains packages shown in Figure 8A, which may be alternatively
that of shown in figure 8B.
[0016] Figure 7 shows in perspective a box 4 corresponding to a fourth embodiment which
differs from the embodiment previously described in that the accordion structure 25
is unfolded in a fan-shape and held by half-discs 30 pre-cut in the bottom.
[0017] The boxes that have just been described can be made by any of the techniques known
in this field, either from a single flank with or without bonding owing to sets of
notches, slots and folds, or from several flanks by bonding. Modifications to the
various embodiments described can be made by those skilled in the art without departing
from the scope of the present invention.
1. Box for the transport and display of individual elongated packages with no vertical
stability having at least one corner-shaped end, said box including a bottom (5),
two side panels (7, 9), a front panel (6), a back panel (8) and a cover (10) hinged
in one of the panels, characterised in that the cover (10) or the bottom (5) can be modified to form a complementary structure
allowing the corner ends of the packages to be engaged at a determined height to hold
the latter in a vertical position.
2. Box according to claim 1, characterised in that the complementary structure is formed in the cover (10) by a plurality of rectangular
zones (13, 13b, 13c) each including two flaps (14) obtained by pre-cut portions (18,
20) allowing them to be folded down inside the box along fold lines (21) parallel
to their joining line to form a slot (15).
3. Box according to claim 1, characterised in that the complementary structure is formed on the bottom (5) by two flaps (27, 29) able
to be unfolded from two opposite panels, each flap having in its median part a plurality
of rectangular zones (13a, 13b, 13c) each including two flaps (14) obtained by pre-cut
portions (18, 20) allowing them to be folded down inside the box along fold lines
(21) parallel to their joining line to form a slot (15), and on each of their edges
a lug (27a, 27b; 29a, 29b) having as width substantially the engagement height of
the corner end in the slots, the lugs (27b, 29b) located at the ends of the two flaps
(27, 29) abutting against each other.
4. Box according to claim 1, characterised in that the complementary structure is formed on the bottom by at least one flap (28) extending
a panel and comprising a plurality of equidistant folds (26) parallel to said panel,
allowing an accordion structure (25) to be obtained, the depth of each V-shaped hollow
substantially corresponding to the engagement height of the corner end.
5. Box according to claim 4, characterised in that the accordion structure (25) is unfolded flat on the bottom (5) of the box.
6. Box according to claim 1, characterised in that the accordion structure (25) is unfolded in a fan-shape above the bottom (5) of the
box.
7. Box according to any of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that the complementary structure is detachable from the box or formed in an independent
flank of said box.
8. Box according to claim 1, characterised in that the panel opposite the connection to the cover and the two other adjacent panels
include pre-cut lines for tearing off a strip to make the packages positioned vertically
in the box more visible.
9. Box according to claim 1, characterised in that the complementary structure is designed to receive tetrahedral shaped packages.
10. Box according to claim 9, characterised in that the engagement height of a corner end of a tetrahedral package is comprised between
½ and 1/3 of the length of said package, preferably 2/5 of said length.