Liner for product display carton

Abstract

A display carton for displaying a plurality of packaged products for retail sales includes a liner having a rectangular center portion with a length and width to fit within the cartons and left and right upwardly extending sides integrally formed and depending from the center portion. The liner is inserted within the carton with the left and right upwardly extending sides abutting against the side walls of the carton. Inwardly extending protrusions depend from the left and right upwardly extending sides of the liner and are integrally formed therewith. The protrusions are arranged in corresponding opposite pairs and are equally spaced along the upwardly extending sides of the liner. Each protrusion has a generally trapezoidal cross-section with a front side of each protrusion being generally perpendicular to the side respective side of the liner, a rear side that is tapered from front to back and a bottom side that is tapered from top to bottom.

1 . A display carton for displaying a plurality of packaged products for retail sales, comprising:
 an elongate box having a plurality of walls including a rectangular bottom, front wall, a back wall, a left side wall and a right side wall, the plurality of walls defining a top opening;   a liner having a rectangular, flat center portion having a length and width to substantially match the rectangular bottom, and left and right upwardly extending sides integrally formed and depending from the center portion, the liner inserted within the elongate box with the left and right upwardly extending sides of the liner abutting against the left and right side walls of the elongate box; and   a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions depending from the left and right upwardly extending sides of the liner and integrally formed therewith, the plurality of protrusions arranged in corresponding opposite pairs and equally spaced along the upwardly extending sides of the liner, each protrusion defining a corresponding recess on an outward side of the liner and having a generally trapezoidal cross-section with a front side of each protrusion being generally perpendicular to the respective side of the liner, a rear side that is tapered from front to back and a bottom side that is tapered from top to bottom.   
     
     
         2 . The display carton of  claim 1 , wherein the liner includes a plurality of perforations between the center portion and each of the left and right upwardly extending sides, the perforations being separated by a plurality of living hinges integrally formed with the liner to allow bending of the liner between the center portion and the left and right upwardly extending sides and for biasing the left and right upwardly extending sides toward the left and right side walls of the elongate box. 
     
     
         3 . The display carton of  claim 1 , wherein the tapered rear and bottom sides of each protrusion allows the protrusion to inwardly flex into the recess formed in the back side of the liner that corresponds to the protrusion. 
     
     
         4 . The display carton of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of product packages inserted within the liner, each product package having first and second flanges disposed on opposite sides of the product package, the first and second flanges of each product package disposed between adjacent protrusions on opposite sides of the liner. 
     
     
         5 . The display carton of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of product packages have a front surface and a rear surface with the first and second flanges being disposed adjacent front sides of opposite protrusions and the front surface of the forward most package abutting against the front wall of the elongate box. 
     
     
         6 . The display carton of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of product packages have a front surface and a rear surface and wherein a space is formed between a forward most package and the front wall of the carton, the space being large enough to accommodate at least one product package in an upright position, and wherein the plurality of product packages can be slid within the carton past the protrusions until the front surface of the forward most product package abuts the front wall of the elongate carton and each of the plurality of product packages engages with the front sides of corresponding opposite pairs of protrusions to hold the product packages in an upright position. 
     
     
         7 . The display carton of  claim 6 , wherein the front side of each product package behind the forward most product package abuts against a back side of an adjacent product package. 
     
     
         8 . The display carton of  claim 2 , wherein each perforation of the plurality of perforations has a length approximately equal to a distance between slots defined between each adjacent pair of protrusions. 
     
     
         9 . The display carton of  claim 1 , wherein an identification mark is formed in the front portion of the liner to identify the front and top side of the liner. 
     
     
         10 . The display carton of  claim 1 , wherein when one or more product packages positioned within the box are removed from the box, any remaining product packages can be slid forward within the carton until the forward most product package abuts against the front wall of the box, all remaining product packages abut against each other and each product package engages with a respective corresponding opposite pair of protrusions that hold the remaining product packages in an upright position. 
     
     
         11 . A liner for a display carton for maintaining a plurality of packaged products in a vertical orientation at a point of sale, comprising:
 a rectangular sheet of plastic having a front side and a back side;   a first plurality of equally spaced protrusions extending from the front side of the sheet and arranged in a row proximate a right side of the sheet;   a second plurality of equally spaced protrusions extending from the front side of the sheet and arranged in a row proximate a left side of the sheet, the second plurality of protrusions being of the same size, shape and spacing as the first plurality of protrusions, each positioned directly opposite a corresponding protrusion of the first plurality of protrusions;   a first plurality of elongate perforations disposed proximate the first plurality of protrusions and extending generally parallel thereto; and   a second plurality of elongate perforations disposed proximate the second plurality of protrusions and extending generally parallel thereto, the first and second plurality of perforations defining a rectangular center portion of the sheet therein between, a left side wall, a right side wall and a plurality of living hinges disposed between the center portion and the left and right side walls to allow the left and right side walls to be upwardly bent at approximately a right angle to the center portion;   each of the first and second plurality of protrusions having a front side that is generally perpendicular to the sheet, a top side that is generally perpendicular to the sheet, a bottom side that is tapered from an inside surface of the protrusion to the sheet and a back side surface that is tapered from an inside surface of the protrusion to the sheet so that each protrusion has a generally trapezoidal cross-section.   
     
     
         12 . The liner of  claim 11 , configured for being inserted into a display carton and retained therein by friction fit with the center portion residing against a bottom of the carton and the left and right side walls residing against and biased toward left and right side walls of the carton. 
     
     
         13 . The liner of  claim 11 , wherein the tapered back and bottom sides of each protrusion allows the protrusion to inwardly flex relative to the sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The liner of  claim 12 , wherein when a plurality of product packages are inserted within the liner, each product package has first and second flanges disposed on opposite sides of the product package, the first and second flanges of each product package disposed between adjacent protrusions on opposite sides of the liner. 
     
     
         15 . The liner of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of product packages have a front surface and a rear surface with the first and second flanges being disposed adjacent front sides of opposite protrusions and the front surface abutting against the front wall of the carton. 
     
     
         16 . The liner of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of product packages have a front surface and a rear surface with the first and wherein a space is formed between a forward most package and the front wall of the carton, the space being large enough to accommodate at least one product package in an upright position, and wherein the plurality of product packages can be slid within the carton past the protrusions until the front surface of the forward most product package abuts the front wall of the carton and each of the plurality of product packages engages with the front sides of corresponding opposite pairs of protrusions to hold the product packages in an upright position. 
     
     
         17 . The display carton of  claim 16 , wherein the front side of each product package behind the forward most product package abuts against a back side of an adjacent product package. 
     
     
         18 . The display carton of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second plurality of perforations defines an elongate slit through the sheet having a length greater than a length of a corresponding protrusion of the first and second plurality of protrusions. 
     
     
         19 . The display carton of  claim 11 , wherein an identification mark is formed in the front portion of the liner to identify the front and top side of the liner. 
     
     
         20 . The display carton of  claim 14 , wherein when one or more product packages of the plurality of product packages are removed from the carton, any remaining product packages can be slid forward within the carton until the forward most product package abuts against a front wall of the carton, all remaining product packages abut against each other and each product package engages with a respective corresponding opposite pair of protrusions that hold the remaining product packages in an upright position.