GB2288590A

GB2288590A - Packaging and display container

Info

Publication number: GB2288590A
Application number: GB9407786A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Walton
Original assignee: Bowater Packaging Ltd
Current assignee: SCA Packaging Britain Ltd
Priority date: 1994-04-20
Filing date: 1994-04-20
Publication date: 1995-10-25
Also published as: GB9407786D0

Abstract

The front wall 3 of a container is formed with an opening, and a panel 11 is positioned behind this opening but is removable for the display of and access to the contents of the container. The removable panel 11 is connected integrally to the front wall 3 of the container, by way of a section 12 folded inwardly from the bottom edge of the opening: a line of weakness is formed between the bottom edge of the removable panel 11 and the folded-in section 12, enabling the panel 11 to be torn off by pulling upwards. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING AND DISPLAY This invention relates to a container and more particularly to a container having a front panel which can be removed for the display of and access to the contents.

It is known for containers of corrugated cardboard to be used to package and transport goods to supermarket stores and the like, and then to remove a front panel of each container so that the container can be placed on display in the store: customers are able to gain access to the contents through the opening thus created in the front of the container.

Typically also the top of the container is removed to increase access.

The above-described practice avoids the need for the store personnel to empty the contents of each container, transfer those contents to the customer shelves and neatly place the contents on display. However, it is important that the container should not be unattractive to the customers and it is also important that the relevant part or parts of the container can be easily and quickly removed by the store personnel. In one known container, the top comprises two interfitting flaps which have to be torn separately from the opposite sides of the container in order to remove the top; also the front wall includes two upwardly-extending lines of perforations defining a panel which is torn away to open the front of the container, but the edges of the opening thusformed are rough and therefore somewhat unattractive to customers.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a container having a front wall formed with an opening, and a panel positioned behind the front wall so as to close said opening, said panel being removable from the container.

This arrangement enables the opening in the front wall to be formed with smooth edges in order to enhance customeracceptance of the container. Further the removable front panel can be arranged for easy removal by the store personnel.

Preferably the removable front panel is connected integrally to the front wall of the container, by way of a section folded inwardly from a bottom edge of the front wall opening. Preferably this opening has opposite side edges which diverge towards the top of the container: the removable front panel is formed using the material lying between these two side edges, a bottom portion of this material being folded inwardly and downwardly to lie against the rear of the front wall adjacent its bottom.Preferably a line of weakness (e.g. a partial cut) is formed between the bottom edge of the removable panel and the latter folded-in portion: the panel is thus easily torn away by pulling upwards; for this purpose the top of the removable panel may be formed with a flap, normally folded flat on the top of the container and formed with an aperture to act as a finger-grip for pulling the panel upwards.

The top of the container may comprise a panel hinged to the top edge of the rear wall of the container, and interfitting with the flap at the top of the removable front panel. The top of the container is thus easily removed by hinging up the top panel and then tearing it along its rear edge.

In an alternative embodiment, the top panel has a front flap arranged to be folded down over and adhered to the front surface of the removable front panel. Further, the rear wall of the container is formed with a line of weakness (e.g. a perforated line) defining a portion connected to the top panel: this portion is formed with an aperture through which the fingers can be inserted to then pull upwards, so tearing the top panel from the rear of the container; by then hinging the top panel forwardly, the apertured flap on the top of the removable front panel becomes accessible so that this panel can be torn away, as described previously. In this embodiment, it will be appreciated that the waste material is removed as onepiece, consisting of the top panel and the removable front panel still adhered together.

Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank for one embodiment of container in accordance with this invention; FIGURE 2 is a view of the container when erected; and FIGURE 3 is a similar view of a modified embodiment of container in accordance with this invention.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a corrugated cardboard blank for a container in accordance with this invention, and Figure 2 shows the container in its erected condition. The blank comprises panels 1, 2, 3, 4, of which panels 2 and 4 form opposite side walls of the container and panels 1 and 3 form rear and front walls. Side wall 4 has a flap 4a on one edge, to adhere to rear wall 1 when the panels 1 to 4 are folded along their join lines indicated. The panels 1 to 4 have sections 5 to 8 projecting from their lower edges as shown, arranged to form the bottom of the container by being appropriately folded along the lines indicated and with respective portions adhered together, all in known manner: the drawing shows one arrangement for the bottom of the container but other arrangements are envisaged.

The side walls 2, 4 have respective liner panels 9, 10 joined to their top edges. When the container is erected, these liner panels 9, 10 are folded inwardly and downwardly to lie flat against the inner surface of the respective side walls. Outer portions 9a, 10a of the liner panels may be arranged to be folded (along the lines indicated) in the reverse direction, to lie on the bottom of the container.

The front wall 3 is formed with two cut lines A, B which start at the top edge of the front wall, adjacent its opposite side edges, and are inclined towards each other in a direction towards the bottom edge of the front wall: the two lines terminate a short distance from the latter bottom edge.

The material between the cut lines A, B is used to form a removable front panel 11 which, in the container when erected, lies behind the front wall 3. Thus, the panel 11 is joined to the front wall 3 along a fold line C extending between the bottom ends of the cut lines A, B, and there is a further fold line D spaced above and parallel to fold line C. In the erected container, the portion 12 between fold lines C and D is folded inwardly and downwardly to lie against the inner surface of the front wall, between the fold line C and its bottom edge, the panel 11 being folded in the reverse sense along the fold line D. Because of the folded arrangement just described, the tapering panel 11 adopts a lower position than its original position, and so overlaps the inclined edges A, B of the front wall 3 of the container.In the blank shown in Figure 1, the panel 11 projects above the top edge of the front wall 3, but in the erected condition of the container the top edge lla of the panel 11 lies coincident with the top edge of the front wall 3.

Projecting from its top edge gila, the panel 11 has a flap 13 which is formed with an aperture 13a. The top edge of the rear wall 1 has a top panel 14 projecting from it, and this panel 14 has a flap 14a. In the erected condition, the container is closed by folding the flap 13 of the front panel rearwardly to lie flat on the top, then folding the top panel 14 forwardly and inserting its flap 14a into a slot 13b cut in the flap 13.

In order to open the container for display, the top panel 14 is hinged upwardly and torn along its rear edge from the rear wall of the container. Then the user grips the flap 13 of the front panel 11, using the aperture 13a as a finger grip, and pulls the front panel 11 sharply upwards: this tears the front panel 11 along the fold line D, which is formed as a line of weakness (e.g. by being partially pre-cut). The portion 12 remains flat against the inside surface of the front wall 3, because it is trapped, along its bottom edge, against a free edge 6a of section 6 of the bottom formation.

In the modified embodiment shown in Figure 3, the top panel 14 has its front flap 14a arranged to be folded down over and adhered to the front surface of the front panel 11, at a position indicated by shading. The rear wall 1 of the container is formed with an e.g. arcuate line of weakness, e.g.

perforations, to define a portion 15 connected with the top panel 14 and formed with an aperture 15a. The user is able to insert fingers through the aperture 15a and then pull upwards, so tearing the top panel 14 from the rear of the container.

The top panel can then be hinged forwardly to gain access to the apertured flap 13 of the removable front panel 11, and the latter is then torn away as described for the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. It will be appreciated that the waste material is removed one-piece, consisting of the top panel 14 and front panel 11 still adhered together.

The containers which have been described are quick and easy for store personnel to open ready for display on the customer shelves. Further, the opening in the front wall of the container has a smooth, folded-over bottom edge and two pre-cut side edges, and so is more presentable to customers than the rough perforation-torn edges of the prior art containers.

Claims

CLAINS

1) A container having a front wall formed with an opening, and a panel positioned behind the front wall so as to close said opening, said panel being removable from the container.

2) A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removable front panel is connected integrally to the front wall of the container, by way of a section folded inwardly from a bottom edge of the front wall opening.

3) A container as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the opening in the front wall has opposite side edges which diverge towards the top of the container.

4) A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the removable front panel is formed using material lying between the opposite side edges of the front wall opening, a bottom portion of the material being folded inwardly and downwardly to lie against the rear of the front wall adjacent its bottom.

5) A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein a line of weakness is formed between the bottom edge of the removable front panel and the folded-in portion of material.

6) A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the line of weakness comprises a partial cut.

7) A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the top of the removable panel is formed with a flap.

8) A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the flap is folded flat on top of the container.

9) A container as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the flap is formed with an aperture.

10) A container as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the top of the container comprises a panel hinged to the top edge of the rear wall of the container, and interfitting with the flap at the top of the removable front panel.

11) A container as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the top of the container comprises a panel having a front flap arranged to be folded down over and adhered to the front surface of the removable front panel.

12) A container as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rear wall of the container is formed with a line of weakness defining a portion connected to the top panel.

13) A container as claimed in claim 12, wherein the line of weakness comprises a perforated line.

14) A container as claimed in claims 12 or 13, wherein the portion connected to the top panel is formed with an aperture.

15) A container substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.