U.S. patent application number 12/369403 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-13 for crate for holding and displaying products.
This patent application is currently assigned to Fine Eagle Building Materials, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Neil Goodman, Han Ping.
Application Number | 20090200325 12/369403 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40938037 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090200325 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goodman; Neil ; et
al. |
August 13, 2009 |
Crate for Holding and Displaying Products
Abstract
A crate includes a floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right wall
and a rear wall. Each of the walls includes a first end coupled to
the floor and each of the walls includes a second end coupled to
the ceiling. A front wall is hinged to one of the left wall and the
right wall so as to swing. A product is hinged to and provided
within the front wall.
Inventors: |
Goodman; Neil; (Statesville,
NC) ; Ping; Han; (Zhejiang, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HOGAN & HARTSON L.L.P.
1999 AVENUE OF THE STARS, SUITE 1400
LOS ANGELES
CA
90067
US
|
Assignee: |
Fine Eagle Building Materials,
Ltd.
Statesville
NC
|
Family ID: |
40938037 |
Appl. No.: |
12/369403 |
Filed: |
February 11, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61028130 |
Feb 12, 2008 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/810 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 9/06 20130101; B65D
2519/00273 20130101; B65D 2585/649 20130101; B65D 2519/00805
20130101; B65D 2519/00616 20130101; B65D 2519/0081 20130101; B65D
2519/00701 20130101; B65D 2519/00666 20130101; B65D 19/06 20130101;
B65D 2519/0082 20130101; B65D 2519/00716 20130101; B65D 2519/00502
20130101; B65D 2519/00338 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/810 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/04 20060101
B65D051/04 |
Claims
1. A crate, comprising: a floor; a ceiling; a left wall, a right
wall and a rear wall, wherein each of the walls includes a first
end coupled to the floor and each of the walls includes a second
end coupled to the ceiling; a front wall is hinged to one of the
left wall and the right wall so as to swing; a product is hinged to
and provided within the front wall.
2. The crate of claim 1, wherein the floor, the ceiling, the left
wall, the right wall, the rear wall and the front wall form an
enclosed crate.
3. The crate of claim 1, wherein the product and the front wall
swing independently.
4. The crate of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the
group consisting of a storm door, a wood door, a steel door, a
screen door and a window.
5. The crate of claim 1, wherein the width of the front wall is
greater than the width of the product.
6. The crate of claim 1, wherein the product is hinged on the same
side as the front wall hinge.
7. The crate of claim 1, wherein the floor and the ceiling include
a plurality of parallel slats.
8. The crate of claim 7, further comprising: a plurality of
packaged products positioned between corresponding pairs of
parallel slats.
9. The crate of claim 1, further comprising: a locking mechanism on
the wall opposite the wall hinged to the front wall.
10. A crate storage and display system, comprising: a floor; a
ceiling; a left wall, a right wall and a rear wall, wherein each of
the walls includes a first end coupled to the floor and each of the
walls includes a second end coupled to the ceiling to form a crate;
a front wall is hinged to one of the left wall and the right wall;
a product is hinged to and provided within the front wall for
display of the product; a plurality of packaged products stored in
the crate.
11. A crate storage and display method, comprising the steps of:
storing a plurality of packaged products in a crate, the crate
comprising: a floor; a ceiling; a left wall, a right wall and a
rear wall, wherein each of the walls includes a first end coupled
to the floor and each of the walls includes a second end coupled to
the ceiling; a front wall hinged to one of the left wall and the
right wall; and a product hinged to and provided within the front
wall; transporting the crate; swinging the product about the front
wall.
12. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, further
comprising the steps of: removing one of the packaged products from
the crate.
13. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, further
comprising the steps of: swinging the front wall about the hinged
wall of the crate.
14. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, further
comprising the steps of: displaying the crate and the product for
sale.
15. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, further
comprising the steps of: transporting the crate by a forklift.
16. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, further
comprising the steps of: inserting the plurality of packaged
products into the crate.
17. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, further
comprising the steps of: securing the front wall to the crate with
a lock.
18. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, further
comprising the steps of: placing product information on the front
wall.
19. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, wherein the
product is selected from the group consisting of a storm door, a
wood door, a steel door, a screen door and a window.
20. The crate storage and display method of claim 11, wherein the
product and the front wall swing independently.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to crates for holding and displaying
products.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Consumer goods and products are commonly shipped to
different locations via crates. For example, a distributor will
receive product crates from a manufacturer for retail outlets.
Certain retail stores, such as home improvement and wholesale
stores, often leave the products in the crates and remove the
products only as they are selected for purchase by consumers.
[0005] Product displays are a common method of encouraging sales. A
large product, such as a storm door, is typically displayed in a
hardware store by mounting or bolting the storm door to a large
metal shelving unit to allow consumers to view and interact with an
assembled sample model outside the crate. However, such a display
requires the product to be assembled and mounted to a display
mount, which can be time-consuming and expensive to build. The
conventional display also reduces the shelf space available to that
product and other products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention overcomes these drawbacks and provides
a crate for a plurality of products to be transported and displayed
for sale. In a preferred embodiment, storm doors are packaged in
the crate and a storm door is displayed in the front side wall. The
displayed storm door is swingable on the crate. The present
invention is not limited to storms doors packaged in a crate. For
example, the invention is applicable to windows and other types of
doors.
[0007] One embodiment of the invention is a crate including a
floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right wall and a rear wall. Each
of the walls includes a first end coupled to the floor and each of
the walls includes a second end coupled to the ceiling. A front
wall is hinged to one of the left wall and the right wall so as to
swing. A product is hinged to and provided within the front wall.
The floor, the ceiling, the left wall, the right wall, the rear
wall and the front wall form an enclosed crate. The product and the
front wall swing independently. The product is selected from the
group consisting of a storm door, a wood door, a steel door, a
screen door and a window. The width of the front wall is greater
than the width of the product. The product is hinged on the same
side as the front wall hinge. The floor and the ceiling include a
plurality of parallel slats. A plurality of packaged products are
positioned between corresponding pairs of parallel slats. A locking
mechanism is provided on the wall opposite the wall hinged to the
front wall.
[0008] Another embodiment of the invention is a crate storage and
display system including a floor, a ceiling, a left wall, a right
wall and a rear wall. Each of the walls includes a first end
coupled to the floor and each of the walls includes a second end
coupled to the ceiling to form a crate. A front wall is hinged to
one of the left wall and the right wall. A product is hinged to and
provided within the front wall for display of the product. A
plurality of packaged products are stored in the crate.
[0009] Another embodiment of the invention is a crate storage and
display method including the steps of storing a plurality of
packaged products in a crate. The crate includes a floor, a
ceiling, a left wall, a right wall and a rear wall. Each of the
walls includes a first end coupled to the floor and each of the
walls includes a second end coupled to the ceiling. A front wall is
hinged to one of the left wall and the right wall. A product is
hinged to and provided within the front wall. The crate is
transported. The product is swung about the front wall. One of the
packaged products is removed from the crate. The front wall is
swung about the hinged wall of the crate. The crate and product for
sale are displayed. The crate is transported by a forklift. The
plurality of packaged products are inserted into the crate. The
front wall is secured to the crate with a lock. Product information
is placed on the front wall. The product is selected from the group
consisting of a storm door, a wood door, a steel door, a screen
door and a window. The product and the front wall swing
independently.
[0010] Other features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way
of example, various features of embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open and closed crate
according to the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of a closed crate according to the
present invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is another front view of a closed crate.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a front view of an open crate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] One embodiment of a crate according to the present invention
includes a swing door 18 and a product 20 within the swing door 18
as illustrated in FIG. 1. A crate 10 includes a floor 12, ceiling
16 and three side walls 14 (left-side wall, right-side wall and
rear wall) that forms an enclosed space with an opening on a front
side of the crate 10. The crate holds and protects a plurality of
products 22 during transport from one location to another, such as
from a distribution point to a retail store. The floor 12
preferably includes a clearance with the surface upon which the
crate 10 is placed sufficient for a forklift or pallet jack to
reach underneath crate 10 to lift and transport the crate 10 from
any side (FIG. 3). In a preferred embodiment, the crate has a
height of 2.419 meters, a width of 1.178 meters and a depth of 1.0
meters.
[0016] A front wall 18, such as a swing door, is connected to crate
10 and covers the front side opening of crate 10 when swung closed.
The swing door 18 is mounted and hinged to the crate 10 on the
left-side or right-side of the front opening and provides access to
the products 22 stored in the crate 10. The swing door 18 can be
hinged on a left-side wall or right-side wall using a pair of
mounting brackets. The mounting brackets provided on one side wall
14 of the crate 10 allows swinging between open and closed
positions. Optionally, a lock or latch is provided opposite the
front wall hinge to prevent the swing door 18 from opening
undesirably. The invention is not limited to a particular lock or
latch mechanism.
[0017] Product 20 is mounted within the swing door 18 and swings
with the swing door 18 as the swing door 18 is opened and closed.
As best seen in FIG. 4, product 20 is placed and fits within the
frame of swing door 18. The length and width of product 20 is
preferably less than that of the swing door 18. In FIG. 1, product
20 is a storm door, but it should be understood that the present
invention is not limited to storm door products and encompasses
other door types such as wood, steel or screen doors, as well as
other products, such as windows.
[0018] If the product 20 is implemented, for example, as a storm
door, it can be mounted within the swing door 18 in the same manner
that a storm door 20 would be mounted in a home. With this
mounting, the storm door 20 can be opened and closed independently
from the swing door 18. For example, with the swing door 18 in a
closed position, a consumer in front of the crate 10 can open storm
door 20 without opening the swing door 18. The consumer can also
explore the product in detail by, for example, adjusting the
retractable screen, window, or other details of storm door 20 from
either the open or closed position. Thus, product 20 acts as an
interactive sample model display attached to crate 10.
[0019] In addition to displaying a product 20, crate 10 also stores
a plurality of products 22 available for purchase. The stored
plurality of products 22 are boxed or otherwise configured for
removal and purchase by a consumer. In a preferred embodiment, the
products 22 are boxed storm doors. Once a consumer has made a
decision to purchase the product 20 shown, the consumer simply
opens the swing door 18 and removes one of the packaged products 22
stored within crate 10 (FIG. 1). If a consumer were to attempt to
remove a packaged product 22 when the swing door 18 is closed and
storm door 20 is open, the removal of the packaged product 22 would
be halted by the frame of swing door 18.
[0020] The crate 10, including the attached swing door 18, provides
display for a product 20 on sale, such as a storm door, without
having to build or provide a product display area separate from
crate 10. The product display is pre-built before arrival at a
retail store, and the packaged volume of products 22 can be left in
the crate 10 for easy browsing and removal by consumers.
Simultaneously, crate 10 provides an efficient structure for a
volume of packaged products 22 to be shipped and stored before
selling. Crate 10 is especially useful for stores with less space
or manpower. Instead of the traditional requirement of separate
spaces for the storage of a crate, a space for the packaged product
22 placed on store shelves and a space for a sample product
display, crate 10 fulfills the function of all three at once.
Therefore, a store can quickly receive and place the crate in a
retail space for immediate purchase with a minimum of effort.
Furthermore, crate 10 can be reused since packaged products 22 from
other crates can be used to replenish the supply of packaged
products 22 of crate 10 once the originally transported products 22
are removed.
[0021] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, ceiling 16 includes a
series of substantially parallel slats 26. Floor 12 includes a
corresponding series of substantially parallel slats 24 (not
shown). Each slat 24 is preferably positioned in substantially the
same vertical plane as a corresponding slat 26. The space between
each pair of slats 24 and 26 is preferably sufficient for the
insertion and removal of a packaged product 22 between them. In
this manner, slats 24 and 26 form slots in which to place and hold
a plurality of packaged products 22 between them, thereby
minimizing the movement of the packaged storm doors 22 within crate
10 and reducing any pressure that a packaged product 22 may place
on one another. This feature also makes the removal of a packaged
storm door 22 from crate 10 easier.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a front view of the crate 10 with the attached
swing door 18 and storm door 20 in a closed position. As shown in
FIG. 2, swing door 18 is wider than storm door 20. As viewed from
the front, if the right edge of storm door 20 is aligned with the
right edge of swing door 18, then an empty area 28 is provided on
the left edge of the swing door 18. The empty area 28 can be used
to place advertising or other product information related to the
product 20 directly on the swing door 18. Information can also be
placed on the product 20 itself. FIG. 3 is another front view of
the crate 10 with an attached swing door 18 and storm door 20 in a
closed position. FIG. 4 is a front view of the crate 10 with
attached swing door 18 in an open position and storm door 22 in a
closed position within the swing door 18. In this position, the
consumer can examine a rear portion of product 20 and can easily
remove packaged product 22 from crate 10.
[0023] Although preferably used for storage and display of storm
doors, the system can also be used for any kind of door, such as
wood, steel or screen doors. The system can also be used for other
products, such as windows.
[0024] The particular embodiments of the invention described in
this document should be considered illustrative, rather than
restrictive. Modification to the described embodiments may be made
without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by
the following claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *