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(11) | EP 1 710 170 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Product display unit. |
| (57) A product display unit (1) having a frame (2), made from at least one honeycomb polypropylene
or cardboard blank (4, 6, 8), and a cover (10) covering at least part of the frame
(2), made from at least one sheet polypropylene or cardboard blank (11).
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[0002] The product display unit according to the present invention is particularly advantageously used as a display unit for food products, to which the description below makes specific reference, without thereby limiting the scope of the invention.
[0003] For displaying food products, such as chocolates, sweets, etc. use is known of open box-shaped bodies, having one or more display compartments designed to hold the products and allow them to be taken out by the consumer.
[0004] In general, such display units in the form of a box-shaped body are made from respective pre-shaped honeycomb cardboard or polypropylene blanks, which are first folded along pre-creased fold lines and then glued at their portions which overlap following folding.
[0005] The honeycomb polypropylene blanks are usually preferred to those made of cardboard because they are equally light and economical, but they allow the production of stronger, tougher display units.
[0006] The display units produced as described above, whether obtained from honeycomb cardboard or polypropylene blanks, have several disadvantages. One of these is the fact that the edges of the honeycomb blanks are rather rigid and sharp, above all in the case of polypropylene, and some edges, after folding, form respective exposed edges or corners of the display unit, constituting a potential hazard for the consumer. Such exposed edges or corners of the display unit are also unattractive and tend to gather dust and dirt in the honeycomb structure of the blank, making them unhygienic.
[0007] The aim of the present invention is to produce a product display unit which is free of the above-mentioned disadvantages.
[0008] Accordingly, the present invention provides a product display unit with the characteristics described in claim 1 or in any of the claims directly or indirectly dependent on claim 1.
[0009] The present invention is now described, by way of example and without limiting the scope of application, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the product display unit in accordance with the present invention;
- Figure 2 is a side view of the display unit illustrated in Figure 1;
- Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged views of two details illustrated in Figure 1; and
- Figures 5 - 8 are respective blanks for the production of the display unit illustrated in Figure 1.
[0011] The display unit 1 is particularly suitable for holding food products, such as chocolates, sweets, etc.
[0012] The display unit 1 comprises a frame 2, which has an upper wall 3, made from the blank 4 illustrated in Figure 5, a lower wall 5, made from the blank 6 illustrated in Figure 6, and two side walls 7, made from the identical blanks 8, only one of which is illustrated in Figure 7.
[0013] The walls 3, 5 and 7 are slotted together, as described below, and give the frame 2 a tubular shape extending about an axis 9.
[0014] The walls 3 and 5 converge slightly from the front to the back of the display unit 1, with the wall 3 substantially horizontal; whilst the walls 7 diverge slightly from the base to the top of the display unit 1.
[0015] The display unit 1 also comprises an interchangeable cover 10, made from the blank 11 illustrated in Figure 8 and designed to cover at least part of the frame 2.
[0016] The cover 10 is slotted onto the frame 2 as described below, and has a tubular shape extending about an axis 12 transversal to the axis 9.
[0018] In an alternative embodiment, at least one of the blanks 4, 6 and 8 is a flat honeycomb cardboard blank.
[0019] The blank 4 has a substantially rectangular panel 13, delimited at the front by a straight edge 14 and at the back by a pre-creased fold line 15, beyond which a band 16 extends.
[0020] The band 16 is also substantially rectangular and is delimited at the sides by two edges shaped to form respective projections 17.
[0021] The panel 13 is delimited at the sides by two pre-creased fold lines 18, beyond which there extend two respective tabs 19.
[0022] Each line 18 is interrupted in an intermediate portion, in particular central, by a panel 13 projection 20.
[0023] The two projections 20 are shaped to fit in respective slots 21 in the blanks 8 and so that the wall 3 can be slotted into the walls 7.
[0024] The wall 3 is made from the blank 4 by folding the band 16 at a right angle to the panel 13, along the line 15, and then folding the tabs 19 at a right angle to the panel 13, along the lines 18 (Figure 3).
[0025] When the tabs 19 have been folded, the projections 17 are slotted into respective slots 22 in the tabs 19, stabilising the position of the band 16 and the tabs 19 relative to one another.
[0026] The function of the band 16 and the tabs 19 is to increase the stability of the relative position of the wall 3 and the walls 7 once they have been slotted together using the projections 20 and the slots 21.
[0028] The blank 6 has a substantially rectangular panel 23, delimited at the front by a straight edge 24 and at the back by a pre-creased fold line 25, beyond which a band 26 extends.
[0029] The band 26 is substantially trapezoidal, with the smaller base formed by the line 25, and is delimited at the sides by two edges shaped to form respective projections 27.
[0030] The panel 23 is delimited at the sides by two pre-creased fold lines 28, beyond which there extend two respective tabs 29.
[0031] Each line 28 is interrupted in an intermediate portion, in particular central, by a panel 23 projection 30.
[0032] The two projections 30 are shaped to fit in respective slots 31 in the blanks 8 and so that the wall 5 can be slotted into the walls 7.
[0033] The wall 5 is made from the blank 6 by folding the band 26 at a right angle to the panel 23, along the line 25, and then folding the tabs 29 relative to the panel 23, along the lines 28 (Figure 4).
[0034] When the tabs 29 have been folded, the projections 27 are slotted into respective slots 32 in the tabs 29, stabilising the position of the band 26 and the tabs 29 relative to one another.
[0035] The function of the band 26 and the tabs 29 is to increase the stability of the relative position of the wall 5 and the walls 7 once they have been slotted together using the projections 30 and the slots 31.
[0037] The blanks 8 have a substantially elliptical shape, with the slots 21 and 31 positioned on opposite sides of a substantially central hole 33. Each blank 8 also has two of the four feet 34 on which the display unit 1 can rest stably on a supporting surface.
[0038] The blank 11 is a flat blank made of a thin sheet of plastic, preferably polypropylene. The thickness of the blank 11 is such that it is reasonably flexible and, at the same time, suitably strong.
[0039] In an alternative embodiment, the blank 11 is a flat blank made of a thin sheet of cardboard.
[0040] The blank 11 extends in a longitudinal direction and, with the exception of its two opposite longitudinal ends 37 and 38, extends symmetrically relative to a longitudinal central axis 39.
[0041] The ends 37 and 38 are shaped in such a way that they can slot together once the blank 11 is tightly wrapped around the frame 2 to form the cover 10.
[0042] The blank 11 has a substantially rectangular panel 40, designed to form a base wall of the display unit 1 and longitudinally delimited by two pre-creased fold lines 41 and 42, straight and at right angles to the axis 39.
[0043] Between the lines 41 and 42 there are two rectangular slots 43, parallel with the axis 39 and extending in the same direction as the axis. The slots 43 are positioned symmetrically relative to the axis 39 and are designed to be joined to the respective blanks 8 in such a way that two of the above-mentioned feet 34 come out of each.
[0044] Beyond the line 41 there extends a substantially rectangular band 44, delimited on the side opposite the line 41 by the above-mentioned end 38.
[0045] Beyond the line 42 there extends a shaped panel 45, designed to be wrapped around the frame 2 starting from the base wall of the display unit 1 and delimited, on the side opposite the line 42, by the above-mentioned end 37.
[0046] On the panel 45 there is a straight pre-creased fold line 46, which is parallel with and close to the line 42 and is interrupted at the centre by a cut line 47.
[0047] Between the opposite transversal ends of the line 46 there extends, on the side opposite the line 42, a first U-shaped cut line 48, which delimits a substantially rectangular panel 49, and a second U-shaped cut line 50, which surrounds the line 48. The panel 49 is designed to cover the upper face of the wall 5, to which the panel 49 is fixed, using adhesive if necessary (Figure 4), whilst the line 50 is designed to form a front opening for the display unit 1.
[0048] In the substantially central portion of the panel 45 there are two rectangular slots 51, parallel with the axis 39 and extending in the same direction as the axis. The slots 51 are positioned symmetrically relative to the axis 39 and are designed to be joined to the respective blanks 8 in such a way that an upper portion of the relative blank 8 comes out of each (Figure 3).
[0049] It should be noticed that the slots 51, like the slots 43, hold the frame 2 slotted in place once the blank 11 is tightly wrapped around the frame to form the cover 10. Specifically, once the blank 11 is tightly wrapped around the frame 2, the slots 51 and 43 are opposite one another (Figure 2).
[0050] At a substantially central intermediate position of the slots 51, the panel 45 has two transversal cut lines 52 and 53, partly overlapping. The line 52 is a straight line and is at a right angle to the axis 39, whilst the line 53 is shaped to form two trapezoidal projections 54.
[0051] From the transversal ends of the line 52 there extend in a T-shape respective straight cut lines 55 parallel with the axis 39. Each line 55 is positioned between the axis 39 and a respective slot 51, in a position near to the slot 51.
[0052] The longitudinal ends of the lines 55 facing the line 50 are connected to one another by a straight pre-creased fold line 56 which, together with the lines 55 and the line 52, delimits a panel 57 designed to cover the upper face of the wall 3, to which the panel 57 is fixed, using adhesive if necessary (Figure 3).
[0053] On the side opposite the line 56, the longitudinal ends of the lines 55 are connected to one another by a straight pre-creased fold line 58 which, together with the lines 55 and the line 53, delimits a panel 59 designed to cover the surface of the band 16 facing the inside of the display unit 1 (Figure 3).
[0055] When the band 16 has been covered, the projections 54 are slotted into respective cuts 60 made along the above-mentioned line 15 (Figure 5), stabilising the position of the band 16 and the panel 59 relative to one another.
[0056] Between the line 58 and the end 37 the panel 45 has two broken cut lines 61 extending in the longitudinal direction.
[0057] The longitudinal ends of the lines 61 facing the line 58 are connected to one another by a straight pre-creased fold line 62 which, together with the lines 61 and a cut line 63, delimits a panel 64 designed to cover part of the lower face of the wall 3, to which the panel 64 is fixed, using adhesive if necessary.
[0059] The longitudinal ends of the lines 61 facing the end 37 are connected to one another by a straight pre-creased fold line 65 which, together with the lines 61 and a cut line 66, delimits a panel 67 designed to cover the surface of the band 26 facing the inside of the display unit 1 (Figure 4).
[0060] The lines 65 and 66 are at right angles to the axis 39, and the line 66 is shaped to form two trapezoidal projections 68.
[0061] When the band 26 has been covered, the projections 68 are slotted into respective cuts 69 made along the above-mentioned line 25 (Figure 6), stabilising the position of the band 26 and the panel 67 relative to one another.
[0062] In the middle of the panel 67 there is a pre-creased fold line 70 parallel with the line 65, in such a way that it can be folded substantially at a right angle relative to the line 70 after insertion of the projections 68 in the cuts 69 (Figure 4).
[0063] The function of the cover 10 is, on one hand, to cover at least part of the frame 2 so that it covers at least the most hazardous and/or exposed edges of the blanks 4, 6 and 8, and on the other hand to contribute to the structural stability of the display unit 1 without necessitating gluing operations for this purpose. The absence of portions of the display unit 1 which are glued together also means that the display unit 1 can be disassembled and/or recycled, partly due to the fact that the interchangeable cover 10 can easily be substituted with a cover having a different shape and/or graphics.
1. A product display unit comprising a frame (2), made from at least one honeycomb blank
(4, 6, 8), characterised in that it comprises a cover (10) covering at least part of the frame (2), made from at least
one sheet blank (11).
2. The display unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the honeycomb blank (4, 6, 8) is made of a plastic material.
3. The display unit according to claim 2, characterised in that the honeycomb blank (4, 6, 8) is made of polypropylene.
4. The display unit according to any of the claims from 1 to 3, characterised in that the sheet blank (11) is made of a plastic material.
5. The display unit according to claim 4, characterised in that the sheet blank (11) is made of polypropylene.
6. The display unit according to any of the claims from 1 to 5, characterised in that the frame (2) has a tubular shape extending about a first axis (9).
7. The display unit according to claim 6, characterised in that the cover (10) has a tubular shape extending about a second axis (12) which is transversal
to the first axis (9).
8. The display unit according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the frame (2) comprises an upper wall (3), a lower wall (5) and two side walls (7)
made from respective honeycomb blanks (4, 6, 8) and slotted together.
9. The display unit according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the frame (2) and the cover (10) are slotted together.
10. The display unit according to any of the claims from 7 to 9, characterised in that the cover (10) is made by wrapping a sheet blank (11) around the frame (2) and slotting
together the two opposite longitudinal ends (37, 38) of the sheet blank (11).
11. The display unit according to any of the claims from 1 to 10, characterised in that the cover (10) is interchangeable.