Interlocking container for vertical displays

Claim 2

A tray-like shipping and display container comprising sheet material and constructed from a unitary, planar, one-piece blank, said container being open upwardly and forwardly and adapted for stacking in a vertical tier, each container comprising: a rear wall, a pair of opposed end walls, and a floor, said rear wall, said end walls and said floor all being interconnected along fold lines of said blank, said rear wall having formed therein a pair of laterally spaced, vertically extending through openings adjacent junctures of said rear wall with said end walls; and an elongated article-retaining band, opposed ends of said band being adapted for engagement within said openings to fasten said band to said rear wall, said band paralleling said floor of said container and extending laterally across and being spaced from said rear wall to hold in place articles contained in said container, and means for intercoupling said container as a first container in a secured, vertically stacked array of containers, said means comprising a member including at least one of a web means and slot means, said member being adapted to interengage wit a cooperating member of a vertically adjacent container in said array, to maintain the containers of said array in fixed alignment with one another.

Claim 3

A tray-like shipping and display container adapted for stacking in a vertical tier, said container being open upwardly and forwardly, and comprising a rear wall, a pair of opposed end walls, and a floor, said rear wall, said end walls and said floor all being interconnected, a flange integral with each end wall and hinged thereto along a fold line defining an outer edge of each end wall, said flange extending inwardly of said outer edge and overlying a respective each one of said pair of end walls in proximity thereto, whereby said flange and a corresponding end wall define a vertical through slot therebetween; means securing each said flange in place to parallel generally a corresponding one of said pair of end walls, a flap integral with said floor and hinged thereto along spaced fold lines at each of opposed lateral limits of said floor, each said flap extending upwardly and projecting into and being secured within a corresponding said slot between an end wall and a corresponding said flange overlying each end wall thereby to interlock said floor, said pair of end walls and said rear wall of said container together to define a stable unitary structure, and means for intercoupling said container as an element in a secured, vertically stacked array, said means comprising a member including at least one of a web means and slot means, said member being adapted to interengage with a cooperating member of a vertically adjacent container, to maintain containers of said array in fixed alignment with one another.

Claim 4

A tray-like shipping and display container adapted for stacking in a vertical tier, said container being open upwardly and forwardly, and comprising a rear wall, a pair of opposed end walls, and a floor, said rear wall, said end walls and said floor all being interconnected, a flange integral with each end wall and hinged thereto along a fold line defining an outer edge of each end wall, said flange extending inwardly of said outer edge and overlying a respective each one of said pair of end walls in proximity thereto, whereby said flange and a corresponding end wall define a vertical through slot therebetween; means securing each said flange in place to parallel generally a corresponding one of said pair of end walls, a flap integral with said floor and hinged thereto along spaced fold lines at each of opposed lateral limits of said floor, each said flap extending upwardly and projecting into and being secured within a corresponding said slot between an end wall and a corresponding said flange overlying each end wall thereby to interlock said floor, said pair of end walls and said rear wall of said container together to define a stable unitary structure, and means for intercoupling said container as an element in a secured, vertically stacked array, said means comprising a member including at least one of a web means and slot means, said member being adapted to interengage with a cooperating member of a vertically adjacent container, to maintain containers of said array in fixed alignment with one another.

Claim 5

The structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means securing each said flange in place comprises a slit formed in said rear wall adjacent each lateral limit thereof, and further comprising rearwardly projecting tab means integrally formed with each said flange at a rearwardly directed free edge thereof, each said tab means being presented to and being adapted to project into and seat within a corresponding said slit in said rear wall to lock said flange in place.

Claim 6

The structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rear wall has formed therein a pair of laterally spaced, vertically extending through openings adjacent junctures of said rear wall with said end walls; and further comprising an elongated article-retaining band, opposed ends of said band being adapted for engagement within said openings to fasten said band to said rear wall, said band paralleling said floor of said container and extending laterally across and being spaced from said rear wall to hold in place articles contained in said container.

Claim 7

The container of claim 2, wherein said container is adapted for placement on and for exhibition in connection with an upright display stand, said container further comprising an anchor tab integrally formed with said rear wall, said anchor tab being adapted to engage and to interlock within an opening formed in a vertical wall of said display stand to maintain said container in fixed alignment therewith.

Claim 8

The structure as set forth in claim 2 wherein said web means comprises a vertically extending web paralleling and adjacent to a corresponding end wall of a first said container, each said web comprising an extension of a corresponding each said flap and projecting upwardly into a vertically aligned downwardly opening cooperating slot of a second said container of said array, said second container surmounting and being supported on the first said container, whereby said web interlocks the first container with the second container.

Claim 9

The structure as set forth in claim 6, wherein said web comprises an integral component of said container.

Claim 10

The structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein said web constitutes an integral extension of said flap hinged to and projecting upwardly of said floor and normally thereto.

Claim 11

A planar blank of corrugated paperboard and the like adapted to form a tray-like, generally rectangular shipping and display container suitable for stacking in a vertical tier, said blank comprising a single sheet marked along fold lines to define a rear wall; opposed end walls joined to said rear wall along spaced fold lines formed in said blank and defining lateral limits of said rear wall; a pair of flanges integral with said end walls and joined thereto along fold lines corresponding to outer edges of said end walls; a pair of slits formed in said rear wall at positions intermediate upper and lower boundaries thereof and adjacent lateral limits thereof; a pair of tab means integrally formed with each one of said pair of flanges and projecting outwardly at laterally directed free ends thereof, said tab means being adapted, upon folding of said flanges to overlie said end walls, to project into and seat within corresponding said slits in said rear wall to lock said flanges in place and to form slots between said end walls and said flanges; and a pair of flaps hinged to said floor along spaced fold lines defining opposed lateral limits of said floor corresponding to and in line with lateral limits of said rear wall, said flaps being adapted to project into corresponding said slots to interlock said floor, said end walls and said side walls together to form a stable unitary structure, said flaps being of a length greater than the height of said rear wall whereby said flaps are adapted to project upwardly of said rear wall and into corresponding vertically aligned slots of a second, vertically adjacent tray to provide a stacked tier of interlocked containers.

Claim 12

A planar blank of corrugated paperboard and the like adapted to form a tray-like, generally rectangular shipping and display container suitable for stacking in a vertical tier, said blank comprising a single sheet marked along fold lines to define a rear wall; opposed end walls joined to said rear wall along spaced fold lines formed in said blank and defining lateral limits of said rear wall; a pair of flanges integral with said end walls and joined thereto along fold lines corresponding to outer edges of said end walls; a pair of slits formed in said rear wall at positions intermediate upper and lower boundaries thereof and adjacent lateral limits thereof; a pair of tab means integrally formed with each one of said pair of flanges and projecting outwardly at laterally directed free ends thereof, said tab means being adapted, upon folding of said flanges to overlie said end walls, to project into and seat within corresponding said slits in said rear wall to lock said flanges in place and to form slots between said end walls and said flanges; and a pair of flaps hinged to said floor along spaced fold lines defining opposed lateral limits of said floor corresponding to and in line with lateral limits of said rear wall, said flaps being adapted to project into corresponding said slots to interlock said floor, said end walls and said side walls together to form a stable unitary structure, said flaps being of a length greater than the height of said rear wall whereby said flaps are adapted to project upwardly of said rear wall and into corresponding vertically aligned slots of a second, vertically adjacent tray to provide a stacked tier of interlocked containers.

Claim 13

A tray-like shipping and display container comprising sheet material and constructed from a unitary, planar, one-piece blank, said container being open upwardly and forwardly and adapted for stacking in a vertical tier, each container comprising: a rear wall, a pair of opposed end walls, and a floor, said rear wall, said end walls and said floor all being interconnected along fold lines of said blank, and means for intercoupling said container as a first container in a secured, vertically stacked array of containers, said means comprising a member including at least one of a web means and slot means, said member Being adapted to interengage with a cooperating member of a vertically adjacent container in said array, to maintain the containers of said array in fixed alignment with one another, said web means comprising a vertically extending web paralleling and adjacent to a corresponding end wall of said first said container and contiguous thereto, said web projecting upwardly of said first container into a corresponding vertically aligned slot means of a vertically adjacent container of said array surmounting and supported on said first container to interlock the first container with the vertically adjacent container.

Claim 14

A tray-like shipping and display container comprising sheet material and constructed from a unitary, planar, one-piece blank, said container being open upwardly and forwardly and adapted for stacking in a vertical tier, each container comprising: a rear wall, a pair of opposed end walls, and a floor, said rear wall, said end walls and said floor all being interconnected along fold lines of said blank, and means for intercoupling said container as a first container in a secured, vertically stacked array of containers, said means comprising a member including at least one of a web means and slot means, said member Being adapted to interengage with a cooperating member of a vertically adjacent container in said array, to maintain the containers of said array in fixed alignment with one another, said web means comprising a vertically extending web paralleling and adjacent to a corresponding end wall of said first said container and contiguous thereto, said web projecting upwardly of said first container into a corresponding vertically aligned slot means of a vertically adjacent container of said array surmounting and supported on said first container to interlock the first container with the vertically adjacent container.

Claim 15

The container of claim 10, and further comprising a flange integral with each one of said pair of end walls and hinged thereto along a fold line defining an outer edge of each end wall, each said flange extending inwardly of said outer edge and overlying a corresponding end wall in proximity thereto, whereby said slot means comprises a vertical through slot defined by and extending between each said flange and a corresponding end wall; means securing each said flange in place to parallel generally a corresponding end wall; and a flap integral with said floor and hinged thereto along spaced fold lines defining opposed lateral limits thereof, each said flap extending upwardly and projecting into and being secured within a corresponding said slot between an end wall and a respective overlying flange of said end wall thereby to interlock said floor, said end walls and said rear wall of said container together to define a stable unitary structure.

Claim 16

The stucture as set forth in claim 11 wherein said means securing said flange in place comprises a slit formed in said rear wall adjacent each lateral limit thereof, and further comprising rearwardly projecting tab means integrally formed with each said flange at a rearwardly directed free edge thereof, said tab means being presented to and being adapted to project into and seat within a corresponding said slit in said rear wall to lock said flange in place.