Stackable shipping and display box

Abstract

An elongate, rectangular box ( 16, 60, 80 ) and method for packaging containers (C), wherein the box can be cross-stacked for stable stacking of the boxes, and optimizes utilization of pallet space. Containers (C) are placed in the box in diagonally offset relationship to one another in a parallelogram-shaped arrangement, and interior corner inserts ( 14,15, 61,62, 81,82 ) are placed in the boxes to form diagonal interior corner panels extending across two diagonally opposite corners of the box, defining an interior box shape closely conforming to the parallelogram-shaped arrangement of the containers. The inserts also define structure that supports one box on top of one another when the boxes are stacked. The box is especially suited for packaging four one-gallon containers.

1 . A box for shipping and storing containers of product, said box 
 comprising a rectangularly shaped tray having a greater length dimension than width dimension and having a bottom wall, opposite end walls, and opposite side walls disposed orthogonally to the end walls and defining an elongate interior space, the ratio of said length and width dimensions being such that when containers of product are placed in the tray they are constrained to a side-by-side, diagonally offset relationship to one another in a generally parallelogram-shaped arrangement.    
   
   
       2 . A box as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 angled interior corner panels extend diagonally across two diagonally opposite interior corners the tray, defining a generally parallelogram-shaped box interior; and    said parallelogram-shaped arrangement of the containers therein conforms to the interior shape of the box, whereby the containers are closely constrained against movement in the box.    
   
   
       3 . A package as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the angled interior corner panels comprise inserts placed in the tray.    
   
   
       4 . A package as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the inserts define structure extending above the height of containers placed in the tray to support an upper box when boxes loaded with containers are stacked on top of one another.    
   
   
       5 . A shipping and display box for containers of product, comprising: 
 a box having a bottom wall, opposite end walls, and opposite side walls disposed orthogonally to the end walls to define an elongate rectangularly shaped box having four corners; and    angled interior corner panels extending diagonally across two diagonally opposite corners of the box, defining a generally parallelogram-shaped interior space in the box, said interior space having a dimensional relationship to containers to be placed therein such that when a number of containers are placed in the box they are contstrained to a side-by-side parallelogram-shaped arrangement that conforms closely to the interior shape of the box, said elongate rectangular shape of the box enabling the boxes to be cross-stacked and interlocked with one another to produce a stable stack of the boxes.    
   
   
       6 . A box as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the diagonally extending interior corner panels have a height that is at least as great as the height of containers placed in the box, whereby boxes filled with containers may be stacked on top of one another without imposing a load on the containers, said interior corner panels serving to support an upper box on a lower box and imparting stacking strength to the box as well as defining said parallelogram-shaped interior space that conforms closely to the parallelogram-shaped arrangement of containers placed therein.    
   
   
       7 . A box as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said interior corner panels comprise separate inserts placed in the box.    
   
   
       8 . A box as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 said inserts each include a first panel extending parallel to and lying against an adjacent end wall, second and third panels extending parallel to and lying against respective opposite side walls, and a fourth panel extending from the third panel to adjacent the first panel and forming said diagonally extending interior corner panel.    
   
   
       9 . A box as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said box is configured to closely conform to and hold four one-gallon containers disposed in said box in side-by-side diagonally offset relationship.    
   
   
       10 . A box as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said box is formed from a single unitary blank of corrugated cardboard.    
   
   
       11 . A box as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein: 
 the side walls of said box comprise outer side wall panels and inner roll-over side wall panels;    the end walls comprise an end wall panel having a flap on each of opposite ends thereof, said flaps being captured between the outer side wall panel and inner roll-over panel of respective adjacent side walls; and    tabs on a lower edge of the roll-over panels engaged in slots in the bottom wall to hold the roll-over panels in place, and thus hold the box in erected position.    
   
   
       12 . A box as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 said box, including said bottom wall, side walls and end walls, is formed from a first blank of corrugated cardboard, and said inserts are formed from respective second and third blanks of corrugated cardboard.    
   
   
       13 . A box as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said inserts each include a reversely folded fifth panel extending from the fourth panel toward the third panel, said fifth panel extending parallel to and lying against the first panel.    
   
   
       14 . A box as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 said inserts each include a fifth panel extending from the fourth panel toward the second panel, said fifth panel extending parallel to and lying against an adjacent end wall of the box.    
   
   
       15 . A box as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein: 
 a notch is formed in an upper edge of the insert at the juncture of the fourth and fifth panels, and a tab on an upper end edge of the first panel is engaged in the notch to hold the insert in operative folded relationship.    
   
   
       16 . A box as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 aligned openings are formed through the first and fifth panels of the insert, and a tab is formed in an adjacent end wall of the box, said tab being engaged in the openings to hold the insert in operative folded position and to hold it in the box.    
   
   
       17 . A box as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 an opening is formed through the first panel, and a tab is formed on the adjacent end wall, said tab being engaged in the opening to hold the insert in the box.    
   
   
       18 . A blank for forming an elongate, rectangular box having a bottom wall, opposite end walls, and opposite side walls, comprising: 
 an elongate, rectangular center panel that forms said bottom wall in an erected box;    opposite end panels foldably connected along a first edge to opposite ends of the center panel for forming said end walls in an erected box;    a flap foldably connected to each of opposite ends of the end panels;    a first side wall panel foldably connected at a first edge thereof to each of the opposite side edges of the center panel;    a second side wall panel foldably connected at a first edge to a second edge of the first side wall panel, said second side wall panel comprising a roll-over panel and having tabs projecting from a second edge thereof, and one end edge of each said roll-over panel having a cut out; and    slots in said center panel at opposite side edges thereof for receiving said tabs on said roll-over panel when a box is erected from said blank, and said flaps on the end panels being captured between the first side wall panel and the roll-over panel when a box is erected from said blank.    
   
   
       19 . A blank for forming an insert to be placed in a corner of a box to form a stacking support to support one box on top of another when they are stacked, and to form an interior diagonally extending corner panel in a box, said blank comprising: 
 a first rectangular panel adapted to lie against an end wall of a box;    a second rectangular panel foldably joined to a first edge of the first panel and adapted to lie against an adjacent first side wall of a box;    a third rectangular panel foldably joined to a second edge of the first panel and adapted to lie against an adjacent second side wall opposite the first side wall; and    a fourth rectangular panel foldably joined to the third panel and adapted to extend diagonally from the third panel to the first panel to form with the first and third panels a triangularly shaped structure when the blank is operatively folded and placed in a box.    
   
   
       20 . A blank as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein: 
 a fifth rectangular panel is foldably joined to said fourth panel, said fifth panel being foldable toward said third panel to lie against said first panel when said blank is operatively folded and placed in a box.    
   
   
       21 . A blank as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein: 
 a fifth rectangular panel is foldably joined to said fourth panel, said fifth panel being foldable toward said second panel to lie against an end wall of a box when said blank is operatively folded and placed in a box.    
   
   
       22 . A method of packaging containers in boxes to optimize utilization of pallet space on which said boxes are stacked, and to enable the boxes to be cross-stacked and interlocked with one another to produce a stable stack, comprising the steps of: 
 folding a first blank of corrugated cardboard to form a tray having an elongate rectangular shape with side walls and end walls disposed orthogonally to one another;    folding second and third blanks of corrugated cardbord to form first and second inserts having opposite side panels, an end panel, and a diagonal panel extending from one side panel to the end panel;    placing the inserts in opposite ends of the tray to provide diagonally extending corner panels in diagonally opposite corners of the tray; and    placing a predetermined number of containers in the tray in side-by-side, diagonally offset relationship to one another in a substantially parallelogram-shaped arrangement.    
   
   
       23 . A method as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the containers are one-gallon containers, and four of the containers are placed in the box.