US 6,152,305 AGranted

Packaging assembly, and related method, for shipping and displaying a plurality of products

AssigneeU.S. Optical Merchants, Inc.

InventorJeffrie Green

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Abstract

A packaging assembly, and method of packaging a plurality of products, for economically and safely shipping and displaying a plurality of products. The packaging assembly includes a display stand, a plurality of display packs holding the plurality of products. Display stands with display packs can be stacked on a pallet. The display stand includes two parallel side panels having a plurality of slots. Each display pack is made of transparent, vacuum-molded plastic, having front and rear portions, flanges, and a product chamber configured to hold the products. The corresponding pairs of slots are configured to receive the display pack flanges to support and display the products in the product chamber. The front and rear portions also include frames configured to adjoin with the frames of adjacent display packs to provide structural support to each succeeding display pack.

Claims49

Dependent claims

A packaging assembly for shipping and displaying a plurality of products, comprising:

a first layer of assembled display assemblies;
and
a second layer of assembled display assemblies located on the first layer of assembled display assemblies;
wherein each assembled display assembly includes a plurality of display packs and a display stand;
wherein each display pack is a planar assembly including a generally planar front portion adjoined to a generally planar rear portion, the front and rear portions being configured with a frame protruding in opposite directions from the planes of the respective portions of the planar assembly;
wherein each display pack is configured to hold at least one of the plurality of products, each display pack being substantially larger than the products;
wherein each display stand includes
a base panel having a left edge and a right edge,
a left side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the left side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's left edge, and
a right side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the right side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's right edge,
wherein each side panel defines a plurality of slots, each slot in the left panel cooperating with a slot in the right side panel to form a corresponding pair of slots,
wherein each corresponding pair of slots is configured to receive at least one of the display packs, and
wherein the plurality of display packs are received in the corresponding pairs of slots to form an assembled display assembly;
and
wherein the frames of the display packs of the first layer structurally support the assembled display assemblies of the second layer.

12 more elements

A method of packaging a plurality of products for shipping and display, comprising:

forming a plurality of display packs, each display pack holding at least one of the plurality of products, wherein each display pack is substantially larger than some of the products, and wherein each display pack is a planar assembly including a generally planar front portion adjoined to a generally planar rear portion, the front and rear portions being configured with a frame protruding in opposite directions from the planes of the respective portions of the planar assembly;
inserting the plurality of display packs in corresponding pairs of slots in a plurality of display stands to form a plurality of assembled display assemblies, wherein each display stand includes
a base panel having a left edge and a right edge,
a left side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the left side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's left edge, and
a right side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the right side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's right edge,
wherein each side panel defines a plurality of slots, each slot in the left panel cooperating with a slot in the right side panel to form a corresponding pair of slots,
wherein each corresponding pair of slots is configured to receive at least one of the display packs, and
wherein the plurality of display packs are received in the corresponding pairs of slots to form assembled display assemblies;
forming a first layer of assembled display assemblies;
and
forming a second layer of assembled display assemblies located on the first layer of assembled display assemblies;
wherein the frames of the display packs of the first layer structurally support the assembled display assemblies of the second layer.

9 more elements

A packaging assembly for shipping and displaying a plurality of products, comprising:

a first layer of assembled display assemblies;
and
a second layer of assembled display assemblies located on the first layer of assembled display assemblies;
wherein each assembled display assembly includes a plurality of display packs and a display stand;
wherein each display pack is configured to hold at least one of the plurality of products, each display pack being substantially larger than some of the products;
wherein each display stand includes
a base panel having a first edge and a second edge,
a first side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the first side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's first edge, and
a second side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the second side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's second edge,
wherein each side panel defines a plurality of slots, each said slot cooperating with another slot defined by the display stand to form a corresponding pair of slots,
wherein each corresponding pair of slots is configured to receive at least one of the display packs, and
wherein the plurality of display packs are received in the corresponding pairs of slots to form an assembled display assembly;
and
wherein the plurality of display packs are configured to extend up past the upper ends of the side panels when received in the corresponding pairs of slots to form an assembled display assembly, such that the display packs of the first layer structurally support the assembled display assemblies of the second layer.

11 more elements

A method of packaging a plurality of products for shipping and display, comprising:

forming a plurality of display packs, each display pack holding at least one of the plurality of products, wherein each display pack is substantially larger than some of the products;
inserting the plurality of display packs in corresponding pairs of slots in a plurality of display stands to form a plurality of assembled display assemblies, wherein each display stand includes
a base panel having a first edge and a second edge,
a first side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the first side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's first edge, and
a second side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the second side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's second edge,
wherein each side panel defines a plurality of slots, each said slot cooperating with another slot defined by the display stand to form a corresponding pair of slots,
wherein each corresponding pair of slots is configured to receive at least one of the display packs, and
wherein the plurality of display packs are received in the corresponding pairs of slots to form assembled display assemblies;
forming a first layer of assembled display assemblies;
and
forming a second layer of assembled display assemblies located on the first layer of assembled display assemblies;
wherein the plurality of display packs are configured to extend up past the upper ends of the side panels when inserted in the corresponding pairs of slots to form an assembled display assembly, such that the display packs of the first layer structurally support the assembled display assemblies of the second layer.

9 more elements

A method of packaging a plurality of products for shipping and display, comprising:

forming a plurality of display packs, each display pack holding at least one of the plurality of products, wherein each display pack is substantially larger than some of the products, and wherein each display pack is a planar assembly including a generally planar front portion adjoined to a generally planar rear portion, the front and rear portions being configured with a frame protruding in opposite directions from the planes of the respective portions of the planar assembly;
inserting the plurality of display packs in corresponding pairs of slots in a plurality of display stands to form a plurality of assembled display assemblies, wherein each display stand includes
a base panel having a left edge and a right edge,
a left side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the left side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's left edge, and
a right side panel having a lower end and an upper end, the right side panel's lower end adjoining the base panel's right edge,
wherein each side panel defines a plurality of slots, each slot in the left panel cooperating with a slot in the right side panel to form a corresponding pair of slots,
wherein each corresponding pair of slots is configured to receive at least one of the display packs, and
wherein the plurality of display packs are received in the corresponding pairs of slots to form assembled display assemblies;
forming a first layer of assembled display assemblies on a pallet;
forming a second layer of assembled display assemblies located on the first layer of assembled display assemblies;
and
wrapping the assembled display assemblies in material after forming the second layer;
wherein the frames of the display packs of the first layer structurally support the assembled display assemblies of the second layer.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/432,889Filed 2 Nov 1999 · continuation
Priority: 30 Sep 1997
Granted: 28 Nov 2000
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65D 71/0088
Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural…:…
B65D 5/5021
Internal supporting or protecting elements for contents: integral elements for containers formed by folding-up portions connected to a central…
B65D 5/5023
Internal supporting or protecting elements for contents: integral elements for containers of other type, e.g. formed by folding a blank to U-shape
B65D 5/504
Paper elements: racks having upstanding ridges formed by folds, and provided with slits or recesses

Family

Serial941,490Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Sep 1997
Serial288,465Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Apr 1999
US 6,050,420 AParent of this continuation
US 5,979,662 AParent of this continuation
US 6,152,305 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.