Display carton and method

A blank for a shadow display carton which cushions and restrains the packaged article away from the carton bottom and provides a substantially full front display of the article framed by a slanted side shadow panel and a lower vertical panel comprising:

• a vertical rectangular back panel;
• side panels hingedly attached along vertical edges of said back panel;
• top and bottom end flaps hingedly attached to said rectangular back panel, one at the horizontal top edge thereof and one at the horizontal bottom edge thereof;
• said bottom end flap having a bottom cushioning means hingedly attached thereto along a horizontal fold line and a reinforcement panel cut therein along a score line whose end terminates substantially at said horizontal fold line;
• said cushioning means including an inner vertical panel hingedly attached to said bottom end flap along said horizontal fold line;
• said cushioning means further including a pair of horizontal panels hingedly attached to said inner vertical panel along a horizontal fold line;
• said horizontal panels being defined by a pair of slots aligned transverse to said bottom edge of said back panel and into said inner vertical panel on one end thereof and extending to a vertical glue flap hingedly attached to said pair of horizontal panels;
• said cushioning means further including a first horizontal fold line between the ends of said slots in said vertical panel and a second horizontal fold line between said slots intermediate the ends of said slots;
• said side panels having closure flaps hingedly attached at opposite ends thereof and side flaps hingedly attached along side edges opposite the vertical edges attached to said back panel;
• one of said side flaps having a slanted shadow panel means hingedly attached thereto which includes further structure defining an opening therein for receiving the packaged article.

A method of automatically packaging an article which comprises the steps of:

• providing a folded blank which includes a back panel, side panels, a top closure structure, a slanted shadow panel having a central opening and attached top and bottom horizontal panels, and a bottom cushioning means hingedly attached to the bottom edge of said back panel;
• closing said carton top end and erecting said side panels;
• attached said top horizontal panel of said slanted shadow panel to the closed top carton end and folding said shadow panel upwardly and back upon itself about a line intermediate its ends and intersecting said opening;
• loading a fragile article to be packaged through the carton bottom end and upwardly into said central opening;
• hingedly moving said cushioning means into closed position to close said carton bottom end and support said fragile article;
• and,
• attaching said bottom horizontal panel to said cushioning means to complete said package.