Folded and glued display container having integral shelf elements

Abstract

A folded and glued container that quickly erects into a container having multiple shelf structures is formed of a plurality of panels defining a back panel, a front panel opposite the back panel, two longitudinally opposite endwall panels joined to the back panel and the front panel. The container further includes two laterally opposite sidewalls joined to the front panel. The back panel is integrally joined to one of the two endwall panels and attached to the other of the two endwall panels. Inwardly folded bellows panels extend between and integrally joined to the other of the two endwall panels and the sidewalls. When the sidewalls are folded upwardly from a knock-down-flat configuration of the container, the sidewalls erect the two endwall panels and the back panel into a rectilinear box in which multiple shelf panels cut out from the front panel are erected in unison into their final configuration.

1 . An erectable container comprising:
 a plurality of panels defining a back panel, a front panel opposite the back panel, two longitudinally opposite endwall panels joined to the back panel and the front panel, two laterally opposite sidewalls joined to the front panel, the plurality of panels defining an internal space of the container, the back panel being integrally joined to one of the two endwall panels and attached to the other of the two endwall panels; and   at least one shelf panel cut out from the front panel for forming a shelf, each said at least one shelf panel being integrally joined to the front panel along one side and attached to the back panel along an opposite side,   wherein when the rectilinear box is being erected from a knocked-down-flat configuration, the shelf panel is erected in unison with erection into a final configuration.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising inwardly folded bellows panels extending between and integrally joined between the other of the two endwall panels and the sidewalls, such that folding the sidewalls upwardly from the knocked-down-flat configuration, draws the two endwall panels and the back panel into a rectilinear box shape. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panels are cut from a single sheet of stock material and integrally joined. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein each of the shelf panels comprises one or more tabs for attaching to the back panel and has a depth defined as the distance between a first fold line joining the shelf panel to the front panel, and a second fold line joining the one or more tabs to the shelf panel, the depth being substantially equal to the distance between the front panel and the back panel. 
   
   
       5 . A container comprising:
 a plurality of panels of an integral sheet of stock material, wherein each of at least four of the panels defining a front, back and two endwalls each abut two adjacent ones of the panels along fold lines with at least attachment strip joining ends of the integral sheet such that the ate least four of the panels define a closed form that is can be knocked down flat as a parallelogram in cross section and erected from the parallelogram to a rectangular shape;   at least one shelf partially cut out from the front adjacent to a fold line between the shelf and the front, wherein a strip of the shelf spaced from the fold line is affixed to the back along a fold line, and wherein the fold lines between the shelf and the front, between the shelf and the back and at abutments of said panels are parallel, such that the shelf remains parallel to the endwalls, wherein erection of the closed form from the parallelogram to the rectangular shape brings the shelf and the endwalls perpendicular to the panels defining the front and back.   
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 5 , further comprising two side walls, each joined along a fold line on a lateral side of the container to at least one of said panels defining the front and back, wherein each of said side walls is affixable to a respective other of said panels defining the front and the back at an edge opposite from the fold, thereby fixing the container in the rectangular shape when erected. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein the edge opposite from the fold comprises a tab and slot structure complementary with the respective other of said panels defining the front and the back. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 6 , further comprising a bellows fold between at least one of the side walls and at least one of the endwalls, wherein the bellows fold comprises a triangular portion configured upon hinging of said at least one of the side walls to hinge said one of the endwalls relative to one of the front and the back. 
   
   
       9 . A container production method, comprising:
 cutting from an integral flat blank of sheet stock material and providing preferential folds defining a plurality of panels, wherein each of at least four said panels define, in order, a front, a first endwall, a back and a second endwall, abutting one another along fold lines such that the at least four of the panels define a closed form that is knocked down as a flat parallelogram in cross section;   further cutting from the integral flat blank a plurality of shelf panels, wherein each of said shelf panels is separated from the front at a fold line and has an attachment edge opposite from the fold line, wherein the attachment edge, the fold lines of the shelf panels and the fold lines of the front, endwalls and back are parallel to one another;   attaching said at least four of the panels in the closed form by affixing at least one attachment strip at least along one line crossing the closed form, and attaching the attachment edge of each of the shelf panels to the back; and,   erecting the closed form from the flat parallelogram to a rectangular shape, thereby bringing the shelves and the endwalls perpendicular to the front and back.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising providing side walls extending laterally from the closed form along at least one of the front and the back, and fixing the rectangular shape by attaching the sidewalls between the front and the back after said erecting step. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising providing side walls extending laterally along a fold line from the closed form along at least one of the front and the back, and forming a bellows fold between the side walls and the endwalls such that hinging the side walls from parallel to perpendicular to the front and the back, hinges the endwalls relative to the front and the back orthogonally to the side walls. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising hinging said sidewalls to erect the closed form and affixing the closed form in a rectilinear shape by attaching the sidewalls between the front and back at a point spaced from the fold line.