U.S. patent application number 11/879155 was filed with the patent office on 2008-04-03 for packing method for soft packages.
This patent application is currently assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc.. Invention is credited to Sean Dowd, Perry Malik.
Application Number | 20080078691 11/879155 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38982063 |
Filed Date | 2008-04-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080078691 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Malik; Perry ; et
al. |
April 3, 2008 |
Packing method for soft packages
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to using a wholesale package to
ship a large number of densely packed retail packages. The
wholesale package includes an a top portion which receives a tray
portion. At the retail site, the top portion is removed and
discarded whereby the tray portion forms a retail display which
holds the retail packages in the densely packed configuration. The
retail packages are preferably soft packages, such as those using
polymeric film to form the walls and being manufactured by form
fill seal methods.
Inventors: |
Malik; Perry; (New
Braunfels, TX) ; Dowd; Sean; (New Braunfels,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAY PITNEY LLP;ACCOUNT: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
7 TIMES SQUARE
NEW YORK
NY
10036-7311
US
|
Assignee: |
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Glenview
IL
|
Family ID: |
38982063 |
Appl. No.: |
11/879155 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60833837 |
Jul 27, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/736 ;
206/525; 229/122.27 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/48026 20130101;
B65D 5/68 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/736 ;
206/525; 229/122.27 |
International
Class: |
B65D 5/32 20060101
B65D005/32; B65D 5/42 20060101 B65D005/42; B65D 5/50 20060101
B65D005/50; B65D 85/00 20060101 B65D085/00 |
Claims
1. A shipping package including: a tray portion including a lower
surface for supporting retail packages; a top portion comprising
lateral walls which form a lower mouth for receiving the tray
portion therewithin.
2. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the top portion further
includes a top surface joining the top edges of the lateral
walls.
3. The shipping package of claim 2 wherein the tray portion
receives a plurality of retail packages.
4. The shipping package of claim 3 wherein the tray includes a lip
formed around the periphery thereof.
5. The shipping package of claim 4 wherein the lip is formed from
lateral wall segments.
6. The shipping package of claim 5 wherein the lateral wall
segments are of equal height throughout the periphery of the
tray.
7. The shipping container of claim 4 wherein a rear lateral wall
segment is approximately the height of a retail package, the front
lateral wall segment is approximately 20 percent of the height of a
retail package and the side lateral wall segments are diagonally
oriented to extend between a top edge of the front lateral wall
segment and a top edge of the rear lateral wall segment.
8. The shipping package of claim 5 wherein the lateral walls
segments are received within the top portion.
9. The shipping package of claim 5 wherein the tray portion is a
tray for displaying the plurality of retail packages in a retail
environment.
10. The shipping package of claim 8 wherein the tray portion
includes inserts to maintain the retail packages in near-upright
orientation.
11. A shipping package including: a tray portion including a lower
surface; a plurality of retail packages supported on the lower
surface; and a top portion comprising lateral walls which form a
lower mouth for receiving the tray portion therewithin.
12. The shipping package of claim 1 wherein the retail packages are
formed of polymeric material.
13. The shipping package of claim 12 wherein the top portion
further includes a top surface joining the top edges of the lateral
walls.
14. The shipping package of claim 13 wherein the tray includes a
lip formed around the periphery thereof.
15. The shipping package of claim 14 wherein the lip is formed from
lateral wall segments.
16. The shipping package of claim 15 wherein the lateral wall
segments are of equal height throughout the periphery of the
tray.
17. The shipping container of claim 14 wherein a rear lateral wall
segment is approximately the height of a retail package, the front
lateral wall segment is approximately 20 percent of the height of a
retail package and the side lateral wall segments are diagonally
oriented to extend between a top edge of the front lateral wall
segment and a top edge of the rear lateral wall segment.
18. The shipping package of claim 15 wherein the lateral walls
segments are received within the top portion.
19. The shipping package of claim 15 wherein the tray portion is a
tray for displaying the plurality of retail packages in a retail
environment.
20. The shipping package of claim 18 wherein the tray portion
includes inserts to maintain the retail packages in near-upright
orientation.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/833,837, filed on
Jul. 27, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention pertains to the packing of soft
packages within a cardboard or similar container which serves as
both a shipping container and a retail merchandise display.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Today's retail environment is fiercely competitive in its
allocation of shelf space, particularly in grocery stores, "big
box" retailers, wholesale clubs and similar establishments.
Manufacturers and distributors frequently must make financial
arrangements with the retailer in order to place products on the
shelves, and these financial arrangements can be calculated on the
basis of the linear feet of shelf space allocated to the product.
Moreover, inventory management programs typically keep track of the
sales of specific products from specific retail shelf space and
changes in retail shelf stocking can be made in view of the results
of these programs.
[0006] Additionally, typical prior art packaging of multiple retail
units within a single package requires store personnel to remove
the retail units from the package and discard the package.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a
method of packing a plurality of retail units within a single
package in a way which efficiently uses retail shelf space, reduces
labor for shelf stocking and reduces the material required for
packaging.
[0008] It is therefore a further object of this invention to
provide a method of packing a plurality of retail units within a
single package in a way which tends to reduce merchandising costs,
packaging costs and freight costs.
[0009] These and other objects are attained by providing a single
wholesale package with a large number of soft retail packages
included therein. The wholesale package includes a removable top or
outer portion which fits over a retail display tray portion. The
top or outer portion of the package can removed at the retail
location thereby leaving a retail display tray for the soft retail
packages, thereby minimizing the labor required for shelf stocking
while maintaining a tightly packed configuration which increases
the number of retail packages in a given length of retail shelf
space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Further objects and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from the following description and from the accompanying
drawings and claims:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of the wholesale package of
the present invention, with the tray portion contained inside and
obscured from view.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray portion for holding
the retail packages in a retail environment after the top portion
has been removed.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
the tray portion, shown with a higher wall segment or lip in the
back, and shown with the inserts in an exploded position.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a lower perspective, partially exploded view,
showing the alternative embodiment of the tray portion, along with
a top portion removed therefrom.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like
numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, one
sees that FIG. 1 is an perspective view of the exterior of the
wholesale package 10 of the present invention. A plurality of
wholesale packages 10 may be packed into even larger shipping
packages.
[0016] Wholesale package 10 includes top or outer portion 12 (FIG.
1) which receives tray portion 14 (FIG. 2) such that tray portion
14 is contained within top portion 12. That is, top portion 12 is
outwardly concentrically adjacent to tray portion 14. As shown in
FIG. 1, top portion 12 includes lateral walls 16 and top surface 18
thereby leaving a bottom surface 19 open for receiving the tray
portion 14 shown in FIG. 2. Tray portion 14 includes front lateral
wall segment 20, side lateral wall segments 21, 22 and rear lateral
wall segment 23 extending around the periphery of lower surface 25
thereby forming a lip. Lateral walls 16, top surface 18 and lateral
wall segments 20, 21, 22, 23 preferably include attractive
high-quality graphics. During shipping, tray portion 14 is received
within top portion 12. However, at the retail site, top portion 12
is removed and discarded after tray portion 14 has been placed onto
the retail shelf.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, after top portion 12 is removed, tray
portion 14 is exposed along with retail packages 50.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates the lateral wall segments 20, 21, 22, 23
as having equal heights. However, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an
alternative embodiment wherein tray portion 14 has a rear lateral
wall segment 23 that is approximately the same height as the length
of the retail package 50, a front lateral wall segment 20 that is
approximately 20% of the length of the retail package 50 and
diagonal side lateral wall segments 21, 22 that extend between the
top edges of front and rear lateral wall segments 21, 22.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, within the tray portion 50 and located
at its bottom are corrugated inserts 52 that cause the retail
packages 50 to lean toward the back of the tray as well as separate
the bottoms of groups of retail packages (2-4 packages) to
eliminate the potential of the packages to slide forward so they
remain in a near vertical position. A corrugated separator 52,
smaller in height than the front of the tray, is also used to
separate rows of retail packages preventing them from falling
sideways. FIG. 2 is illustrated with twenty-four retail packages
50, but other numbers may be used. However, it is envisioned that
the number of retail packages 50 within a single wholesale package
10 will be large enough to result in efficient use of retail shelf
space. Additionally, retail packages 50 are typically soft
packages, with walls formed of polymeric material or similar
material such as is used to make reclosable packages or "plastic
bags". Retail packages 50 may be formed by form fill seal methods,
such as is known in the prior art. Retail packages 50 may hold many
different consumer products. Typical products are garbage bags or
reclosable packages likewise made from polymeric film.
[0020] The resulting retail configuration maintains the retail
package density of the shipping configuration thereby increasing
the number of retail packages 50 for a given amount of shelf space
while requiring minimal labor from the retail personnel.
[0021] Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are
most effectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the
invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it
should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited
thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended
claims.
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